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A novel synthesis of pyrrolidine-2-carbaldehydes or tetrahydropyridine-2-carbaldehydes from the cascade reactions of N-arylpiperidines or N-arylazepanes is presented. Mechanistically, the formation of the title compounds involves an unprecedented oxidative ring contraction of inactivated cyclic amines via Cu(OAc)2/KI/O2-promoted oxidative cleavage and reformation of the C–N bond. Interestingly, when PhI(OAc)2 was used in place of KI, 1,1-diacetates of the corresponding aldehydes were directly obtained with good efficiency. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first example of regioselective C(sp3)–H bond functionalization and C(sp3)–N bond activation of saturated cyclic amines using copper salt and oxygen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Baicalein (BA), one of the major bioactive flavonoids isolated from Scutellariae Radix, possesses various pharmacological activities. The present study aimed to investigate the protective effects of BA on tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BHP)-induced hepatotoxicity, and to investigate the potential mechanisms in LO2 cells. BA was demonstrated to possess protective properties against t-BHP injury in LO2 cells, as evidenced by MTT and lactate dehydrogenase assays. BA significantly prevented t-BHP-induced depolarization of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), decreased the percentage of apoptotic cells caused by t-BHP, and prevented intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation in LO2 cells. Furthermore, BA slightly triggered autophagy in LO2 cells, as evidenced by the elevation of LC3-II expression, while BA combined treatment with an autophagy inhibitor (chloroquine) or activator (rapamycin) did not alter the hepatoprotective properties. In conclusion, BA may possess a hepatoprotective effect against t-BHP-induced liver cell injury, dependent on ROS removal. Therefore, BA may represent a potential drug candidate in protecting hepatotoxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since its high stability, large specific surface area, honeycomb structure, high recovery and reproducibility, magnetic graphene has become a research hotspot in recent years. Batch equilibrium experiments of methylene blue (MB) were conducted on magnetic graphene nanosheets (Fe 3 O 4 @GNs) and magnetic graphene oxide (Fe 3 O 4 @GO) to probe effect of oxygen-containing functional groups (OFGs) on the potential active centers and adsorption mechanism of the cationic dyes. The microstructure and morphology of the magnetic graphene-based materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction spectra (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR) and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) technologies. Owing to the OFGs attenuation, Fe 3 O 4 @GNs presented a very high maximum monolayer MB adsorption capacity of 211.34 mg g −1 at 318 K and can be recycled easily by an external magnet. The kinetic results prove that the adsorption rate of MB mainly controlled by a chemical-sorption involving π–π force through sharing and electrons exchange between Fe 3 O 4 @GNs and MB molecular. It indicates that the enhanced hydrophobic and the strong π–π interaction can be influenced from the disappearing of C O functional groups. This group may be responsible for the attractive performance of Fe 3 O 4 @GNs. In addition, SEM results confirm that the role of Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles is not only can effectively prevent the aggregation of GNs but also be beneficial to improving the adsorption ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, the authors propose a switchable all-dielectric frequency selective surface (ADFSS), which is composed of two periodically placed high-permittivity dielectric resonator (DR) arrays. If the two DR arrays are laminated together, the FSS presents band-stop property; while if the two DR arrays are separated by a narrow gap, the FSS exhibits band-pass property. The switching characteristic of the device can be explained with DR theory and effective medium theory. The experimental results of the switchable ADFSS demonstrate a fractional bandwidth of 22.2% and a large field of view in a wide band (from 11.9 to 14.8 GHz), which is consistent with the simulated results. The method can be readily extended to the design of on/off ADFSS at other frequencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between serum γ-glutamyl transferase (γ-GGT) activity and serum copper in an adult population. Methods: We analyzed 281 adult subjects who regularly attended the physical examination center at the Affiliated Hospital of Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities. Results: The demographic and laboratory data of the participants were divided into two groups according to the median of serum γ-GGT activity. Serum copper concentrations in individuals with higher γ-GGT levels were significantly increased compared with those with lower γ-GGT concentrations (9.9 ± 2.41 vs. 11.2 ± 3.36 μmol/L, p < 0.001). There was a positive correlation between serum γ-GGT activity and copper in all eligible subjects (r = 0.198, p = 0.001). Further, serum γ-GGT maintained a positive correlation with serum copper in both males and females (r = 0.322, p < 0.001; r = 0.230, p = 0.010). The results of multiple linear regression analysis showed that serum γ-GGT maintained a significantly positive correlation with copper after adjusting for multiple potential confounders (b = 0.464, p = 0.001). Conclusions: This study suggests that serum γ-GGT activity is correlated with copper in the study population, indicating that serum γ-GGT may be a biomarker to evaluate serum copper levels in an adult population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two novel bipolar Ir(III) complexes named (Czppy) 2 Ir(tfmptz) and (Czppy) 2 Ir(pptz) were synthesized and characterized, where the Czppy is 9-(4-(pyridin-2-yl)phenyl)-9H-carbazole, tfmptz refers to 2-(3-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-1,2,4-triazol-5-yl)pyridine and Hpptz represents 2-(1H-tetrazol-5-yl)pyridine, respectively. Their molecular structures were confirmed by 1 H NMR and photophysical were investigated. The performances in phosphorescent organic light emitting devices (PhOLEDs) were characterized by a heavy doping concentration of 20 wt% in host as emitting layer. The results suggest that the number of nitrogen atoms in ancillary has no obvious effects on their photophysical properties. Both (Czppy) 2 Ir(tfmptz) and (Czppy) 2 Ir(pptz) display the blue-green emission with the peaks at 492, 526 nm. The performances of complexes (Czppy) 2 Ir(tfmptz) in PhOLEDs superior to that of the (Czppy) 2 Ir(pptz) due to the poor thermal stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new one-pot strategy for the synthesis of quinoxalin-2-ones from the tandem nitrosation/cyclization reaction of N-aryl cyanoacetamides with tert-butyl nitrite has been developed. The dehydrogenative N-incorporation is achieved through a sequence of nitrosation, tautomerization, and cyclization, affording quinoxalin-2-ones in moderate to good yields with good functional group tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We proposed and demonstrated a novel tilted fiber Bragg grating (TFBG)-based surface plasmon resonance (SPR) label-free biosensor via a special boronic acid derivative to detect glycoprotein with high sensitivity and selectivity. TFBG, as an effective sensing element for optical sensing in near-infrared wavelengths, possess the unique capability of easily exciting the SPR effect on fiber surface which coated with a nano-scale metal layer. SPR properties can be accurately detected by measuring the variation of transmitted spectra at optical communication wavelengths. In our experiment, a 10° TFBG coated with a 50 nm gold film was manufactured to stimulate SPR on a sensor surface. To detect glycoprotein selectively, the sensor was immobilized using designed phenylboronic acid as the recognition molecule, which can covalently bond with 1,2- or 1,3-diols to form five- or six-membered cyclic complexes for attaching diol-containing biomolecules and proteins. The phenylboronic acid was synthetized with long alkyl groups offering more flexible space, which was able to improve the capability of binding glycoprotein. The proposed TFBG-SPR sensors exhibit good selectivity and repeatability with a protein concentration sensitivity up to 2.867 dB/ (mg/mL) and a limit of detection (LOD) of 15.56 nM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, theoretical analyses and numerical calculations are carried out to investigate the influence of an externally applied axial constant magnetic field on electrons' betatron radiation when an ultra-short, circularly polarized laser pulse of a peak intensity I0 = 5×1019 W/cm² propagates in plasma of an electron density n0 = 1020/cm³. Ring-like x-ray radiation is emitted from the electrons' betatron oscillations. The applied magnetic field can modulate the resonance process between an electron's betatron oscillation and the laser electric field, and the electron energy gain from the direct laser acceleration is thus changed. When a magnetic field of strength B0=3×10³ T is applied, which is in anti-parallel to the self-generated axial magnetic field, both the trapping efficiency of electrons by the wakefield and the maximum accelerated energy are increased. The maximum electron energy, the peak of angular radiation, and the total radiation energy are increased by 11.0%, 45.6%, and 41.1%, respectively, and the radiation spectra are blue-shifted significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A compact and low-power consuming fiber-optic anemometer based on single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) coated tilted fiber Bragg grating (TFBG) is presented. TFBG as a near infrared in-fiber sensing element is able to excite a number of cladding modes and radiation modes in the fiber and effectively couple light in the core to interact with the fiber surrounding mediums. It is an ideal in-fiber device used in a fiber hot-wire anemometer (HWA) as both coupling and sensing elements to simplify the sensing head structure. The fabricated TFBG was immobilized with an SWCNT film on the fiber surface. SWCNTs, a kind of innovative nanomaterial, were utilized as light-heat conversion medium instead of traditional metallic materials, due to its excellent infrared light absorption ability and competitive thermal conductivity. When the SWCNT film strongly absorbs the light in the fiber, the sensor head can be heated and form a “hot wire”. As the sensor is put into wind field, the wind will take away the heat on the sensor resulting in a temperature variation that is then accurately measured by the TFBG. Benefited from the high coupling and absorption efficiency, the heating and sensing light source was shared with only one broadband light source (BBS) without any extra pumping laser complicating the system. This not only significantly reduces power consumption, but also simplifies the whole sensing system with lower cost. In experiments, the key parameters of the sensor, such as the film thickness and the inherent angle of the TFBG, were fully investigated. It was demonstrated that, under a very low BBS input power of 9.87 mW, a 0.100 nm wavelength response can still be detected as the wind speed changed from 0 to 2 m/s. In addition, the sensitivity was found to be −0.0346 nm/(m/s) under the wind speed of 1 m/s. The proposed simple and low-power-consumption wind speed sensing system exhibits promising potential for future long-term remote monitoring and on-chip sensing in practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we designed and synthesized three benzothiazole-based fluorescent probes L1, L2, and L3 for zinc ion detection. Among various metal ions, only the zinc ion exhibited fluorescence enhancement at 475 nm accompanied by the blue-shift emission wavelength in HEPES buffer solution containing probes. Through titration experiment, the detection limit of L1 for zinc ion sensing was calculated to be as low as 7 nM, which showed a high sensitivity. Furthermore, the confocal laser scanning micrographs of HeLa cells demonstrate good cell permeability of probe L1 and selective detection of zinc ion in living cells. The L1-Zn2+ complex was further used for pyrophosphate (PPi) sensing in HEPES buffer solution, the limit of detection was calculated to be as low as 60 nM. L1-Zn2+ can monitor the enzyme catalyzed degradation process of PPi, thus providing a meaningful way for tracking of zinc ion and pyrophosphate in biological systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the DEA-based Malmquist index method, the total factor productivity was calculated for 5 major banana production areas in 2003 - 2004, and it was further divided into technological progress and technical efficiency. The results show that the total factor productivity of banana industry in China was 1.3% in the sample period, mainly due to technological progress, the average growth rate was 2. 6%, while the pure technical efficiency and scale efficiency was -0.1 % and -1.2% respectively. The improvement of total factor productivity in banana industry in China relied mainly on technological progress, cultivation of new banana varieties, management of high quality cultivation, popularization and application of water conservation and fertilizer saving technology, and injury-free picking technologies. The pure technical efficiency and scale efficiency of banana production were negative, indicating that the management level of banana was not high. The effect of scale economy of this industry through agglomeration and consolidation is still to be practiced. Banana growers should promote the improvement of large scale and management level of the banana industry at the same time of promoting the technological progress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gene therapy with adenoviral early region gene (E1A) may enhance the susceptibility of neoplastic cells to chemotherapy-induced cell death. Our previous study developed a urothelium-specific oncolytic serotype 5 adenovirus (Ad5) with the uroplakin II (UPII) promoter controlling E1A expression. The present study investigated whether this urothelium-specific recombinant adenovirus (Ad5-UPII-E1A) enhanced mitomycin (MMC) and hydroxycamptothecin (HCPT) sensitization and drug-induced apoptosis in bladder cancer cells. The results of the MTT assay revealed that combination therapy, using Ad5-UPII-E1A and MMC or HCPT, synergistically inhibited the viability of bladder cancer cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner when compared with either agent alone. When cells were treated with Ad5-UPII-E1A alone they arrested in the G1 phase, but cell cycle analysis by flow cytometry revealed S phase arrest when treated with combined therapy. Treatment with MMC or HCPT enhanced Ad5-UPII-E1A-induced apoptosis in 5,637 cells, observed by transmission electron microscopy. Western blot analysis revealed that MMC and HCPT enhanced the E1A expression of the Ad5-UPII-E1A vectorin a dose-dependent manner. The present study demonstrated that Ad5-UPII-E1A combined with MMC or HCPT resulted in synergistic cytotoxicity in a process which involved the promotion of apoptosis in bladder cancer cell lines. MMC and HCPT also promoted the oncolytic effect of Ad5-UPII-E1A. Thus, treatment using Ad5-UPII-E1A combined with MMC or HCPT may be an attractive strategy for the sensitization of bladder cancer to chemotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives • To investigate the influence of helper T cell type 1 (Th1)/Th2 cytokines and Treg cells on the pregnancy outcome of patients with recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) and to reveal the predictive value of their combination on the pregnancy outcome. Methods • The 165 RPL patients admitted to the Reproductive Medicine Department of the Second Hospital of Lanzhou University from September 2019 to June 2021 served as the research subjects for the study. The subjects comprised a live birth group (102 patients) or a non-live birth group (63 patients) based on their pregnancy outcomes. All patients were tracked through the end of pregnancy. Flow cytometry was applied to determine Treg and Th1/Th2 cytokine levels in the peripheral blood of patients without pregnancy. Results • The levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-2, IL-10, and Treg in the RPL live birth group were significantly higher than those in the non-live birth group. The ratio of TNF - α/ IL-6, NF-α/ IL-10, IFN- γ/ IL-6, IFN- γ/ IL-10 in the non-live birth group increased significantly. The area under the curve (AUC) of Th1/Th2 cytokines combined with Treg cells was 0.786 (95% CI: 0.712-0.860), the specificity was 76.2%, and the sensitivity was 74.5%. Conclusion • Treg and Th1/Th2 cytokines showed a predictive ability for the pregnancy outcome of patients with recurrent pregnancy loss and their higher combined predictive efficacy. Meanwhile, in the Th1/Th2 immune response, its ratio was more important than the expression of a single cytokine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploring efficient heterogeneous catalysts for catalytic oxidation of chemical warfare agents (CWAs) is highly desired. As a class of discrete anionic metal oxide clusters, polyoxometalates (POMs) provide abundant catalytic active sites, thus resulting their rich redox properties. Here, a family of known POM‐incorporated CuI‐resorcin[4]arene metal‐organic complexes, namely, [Cu4(TPTR4A)2][PW12O40](OH) ⋅ 0.5DMA ⋅ 5H2O (Cu‐PW), [Cu4(TPTR4 A)2][PMo12O40](OH) ⋅ 2DMA ⋅ H2O (Cu‐PMo) and [Cu4(TPTR4A)2][SiW12O40] ⋅ 2.5DMA (Cu‐SiW) were utilized as catalysts to promote the oxidation of 2‐chloroethyl ethyl sulfide (CEES). Strikingly, compared to the novel compound [Cu3Cl6(TPTR4A)(DMA)] ⋅ CH3CH2OH (defined as Cu‐T), the three complexes exhibited excellent stability, indicating that the integration of POMs and metal–organic units could improve the stability of the compounds. Moreover, Cu‐PMo and Cu‐PW showed higher activities for the catalytic oxidation of CEES to CEESO with selectivities both of 99 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In wild-type phototrophic organisms, carotenoids (Crts) are primarily packed into specific pigment–protein complexes along with (Bacterio)chlorophylls and play important roles in the photosynthesis. Diphenylamine (DPA) inhibits carotenogenesis but not phototrophic growth of anoxygenic phototrophs and eliminates virtually all Crts from photocomplexes. To investigate the effect of Crts on assembly of the reaction center–light-harvesting (RC–LH) complex from the filamentous anoxygenic phototroph Roseiflexus (Rfl.) castenholzii, we generated carotenoidless (Crt-less) RC–LH complexes by growing cells in the presence of DPA. Here, we present cryoEM structures of the Rfl. castenholzii native and Crt-less RC–LH complexes with resolutions of 2.86 Å and 2.85 Å, respectively. From the high-quality map obtained, several important but previously unresolved details in the Rfl. castenholzii RC–LH structure were determined unambiguously including the assignment and likely function of three small polypeptides, and the content and spatial arrangement of Crts with bacteriochlorophyll molecules. The overall structures of Crt-containing and Crt-less complexes are similar. However, structural comparisons showed that only five Crts remain in complexes from DPA-treated cells and that the subunit X (TMx) flanked on the N-terminal helix of the Cyt-subunit is missing. Based on these results, the function of Crts in the assembly of the Rfl. castenholzii RC–LH complex and the molecular mechanism of quinone exchange is discussed. These structural details provide a fresh look at the photosynthetic apparatus of an evolutionary ancient phototroph as well as new insights into the importance of Crts for proper assembly and functioning of the RC–LH complex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Dy 3 Ni 2 ingots and melt-spun ribbons were fabricated. • The ductility and coercive force were enhanced obviously with increasing the melt-spinning rate. • The phase transition temperature was tuned successfully in a range between 40 and 60 K by controlling the solidification rate. • A significant enhancement of refrigerant capacity power and an increase of the full-width-at-half maximum of the temperature dependence of magnetic entropy change curve were obtained in Dy 3 Ni 2 ribbons. Both mechanical and magnetic properties of Dy 3 Ni 2 ingots and melt-spun ribbons were investigated in the present work. The melt spinning rate has an important effect on their performance. The higher the melt spinning rate, the better the ductility, the larger the coercive force of ribbons. With increasing the spinning rate, the intensity of the diffraction peak suggesting the presence of polycrystalline becomes weaker and weaker, and eventually disappeared. The magnetic phase transition temperature is decreased from 66 K to 38 K with increasing the spinning rate. All samples undergo a second order paramagnetic-ferromagnetic phase transition. The full-width-at-half maximum of the temperature dependence of magnetic entropy change curve in Dy 3 Ni 2 ribbons was much larger than that of Dy 3 Ni 2 ingot. So a high refrigerant capacity power about 530 J.kg −1 of Dy 3 Ni 2 ribbons was achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

C35H35NO14La, triclinic, P ‾ 1 (no. 2), a = 9.06760(10) Å, b = 13.6139(2) Å, c = 15.5964(2) Å, α = 115.2310(10)∘, ß = 97.4010(10)∘, γ = 95.4830(10)∘, V = 1702.65(4) Å3, Z = 2, Rgt(F) = 0.0431, wRref(F2) = 0.1059, T = 296.13(10) K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives To provide an empirical examination of patient-provider relationships (PPR) and its association with organizational and individual factors. Methods A national cross-sectional survey was conducted by stratified cluster sampling in 77 hospitals across seven provinces in China between July 2014 and April 2015, involving 3621 doctors, 5561 nurses, and 8022 patients with response rates of 62.93%, 61.16%, and 33.08%, respectively. Self-perceived PPR was the outcome variable. Organizational factors included hospital type (western medicine [WM] and traditional Chinese medicine [TCM] hospital); hospital level (tertiary and secondary hospital); area of specialization (internal medicine and surgery); ratio of doctors (nurses) to ward beds; doctors/nurses' concerns about performance assessment; and patients' perceptions of healthcare cost. Individual factors included consultation, listening to patients and socio-demographic factors. Results 54.6% of doctors, 36.6% of nurses, and 10.2% of patients perceived PPR as poor. Organizational factors independently associated with providers' perception of poor PPR included hospital type (WM vs TCM: OR = 1.25 [95% CI: 1.06-1.47]) and concerns about performance assessment (high vs low levels: OR = 1.40 [95% CI: 1.14-1.72]) for doctors, and concerns about performance assessment (average vs low levels: OR = 0.79 [95% CI: 0.67-0.93]) for nurses. Those associated with patients' perception of poor PPR included hospital type (WM vs TCM: OR = 0.63 [95% CI: 0.53-0.74]) and hospital level (tertiary vs secondary: OR = 0.65 [95% CI: 0.51-0.82]). Doctors and nurses reporting listening to patients "frequently" had better perceptions of PPR (OR = 0.46 [95%CI: 0.38-0.56] and 0.49 [95% CI: 0.41-0.59] for doctors and nurses, respectively), as did their patients (OR = 0.24 [95% CI: 0.18-0.31] and 0.54 [95% CI: 0.35-0.84] for doctors and nurses, respectively). Conclusions Although our findings require validation in different organizational settings given the likely variability of these associations across systems, our results suggest that implementing moderate levels promoting the level of medical treatment, and broadening doctors/nurses training regarding listening to patients, may benefit to enhance PPR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Banded spherulite resulting from lamellar twisting due to the imbalanced stresses at opposite fold surfaces can be formed by isothermal crystallization of chiral polylactide and its blends with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG). Using a polarized light microscope, the handedness of the twisted lamella in banded spherulite is determined. With the same growth axis along the radial direction as evidenced by wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) for isothermally crystallized samples at different temperatures, the twisted lamellae of chiral polylactides (poly(l-lactide) (PLLA) and poly(d-lactide) (PDLA)) display opposite handedness. The split-type Cotton effect on the C=O stretching motion of vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) spectra helps determine the helix handedness (i.e., conformational chirality). The results indicate that the conformational chirality can be defined by the molecular chirality through intramolecular chiral interactions. Moreover, the preferred sense of the lamellar twist in the banded spherulite corresponds to the twisting direction identified by the C-O-C vibration motion of VCD spectra, reflecting the role of intermolecular chiral interactions in the packing of polylactide helices. Similar results are obtained in the blends of chiral polylactides and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG, a polymer compatible with polylactide), indicating that the impact of chirality is intrinsic irrespective of the specific crystallization conditions. In contrast to the chiral polylactides, the spectrum of the crystalline stereocomplex that associates PLLA and PDLA shows VCD silence. The spectroscopic results are in line with the morphological observations. No banded spherulites are observed in the stereocomplex crystallites due to the symmetric packing of mirror L- and D-chain conformations in the fold surfaces and the crystallites core. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is important to study the properties and mechanics of egg drop impacts in order to reduce egg loss during processing and logistics and to provide a basis for the protective packaging of egg products. In this paper, we present the results of our study of the effects of the structural parameters on the mechanical properties of an egg using a finite element model of the egg. Based on Fluid-Solid coupling theory, a finite element model of an egg was constructed using ADINA, a finite element calculation and analysis software package. To simplify the model, the internal fluid of the egg was considered to be a homogeneous substance. The egg drop impact was simulated by the coupling solution, and the feasibility of the model was verified by comparison with the experimental results of a drop test. In summary, the modeling scheme was shown to be feasible and the simulation results provide a theoretical basis for the optimum design of egg packaging and egg processing equipment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most interesting phenomena in coordination polymers (CPs) is the co-existence of different interlaced motifs. However, CPs having two different interlaced motifs at the same time are still rare. Colourless block-shaped crystals of the two-dimensional polymer poly[[aqua(μ2-naphthalene-2,6-dicarboxylato){μ2-4,4′-[oxybis(4,1-phenylene)]dipyridine}cadmium(II)] monohydrate], {[Cd(C12H6O4)(C22H16N2O)(H2O)]·H2O} n, (I), was synthesized under hydrothermal conditions by the self-assembly of 4,4′-[oxybis(4,1-phenylene)]dipyridine (OPY) with CdII in the presence of naphthalene-2,6-dicarboxylic acid (H2ndc). Each CdII ion is six-coordinated by two N atoms from the pyridine rings of two OPY ligands and by four O atoms, three of which are from two ndc2− ligands and one of which is from a water molecule. In (I), every two identical two-dimensional (2D) 63 layers are interpenetrated in a parallel fashion, resulting in an interesting 2D→2D framework with both polyrotaxane and polycatenane characteristics. The extension of these sheets into a three-dimensional supramolecular net is via O-H...O hydrogen bonds. The solid-state photoluminescence properties of (I) are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ischemic preconditioning is an endogenous protective mechanism that may be triggered by exposure to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). However, the exact mechanisms underlying preconditioning remain to be fully understood. Ataxia‑telangiectasia mutated (ATM) is regarded as an essential endogenous protective protein against stress. The aim of the present study was therefore to investigate whether ATM mediates H2O2 preconditioning. Preconditioning of Neuro‑2a (N2a) cells with 100 μM H2O2 for 90 min resulted in protection from injury induced by a long period of exposure to 600 μM H2O2. In addition, preconditioning with 100 μM H2O2 activated ATM and increased ATM mRNA and protein expression levels in N2a cells. Furthermore, the protective effects induced by H2O2 preconditioning were attenuated by pretreatment with the ATM inhibitor, Ku55933, or ATM small interfering RNA. In conclusion, these findings suggested that ATM is involved in H2O2 preconditioning‑mediated protection against oxidative stress‑induced injury in N2a cells. To the best of our knowledge, the present study demonstrated, for the first time, that the ATM protein is a key mediator of H2O2 preconditioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a flat and incident angle independence absorbing material is proposed and numerically verified in the optical spectrum. A homogeneous and anisotropic dielectric slab as a non-reflecting layer is first reviewed, and a feasible realization strategy of the slab is then given by using layered isotropic materials. When the loss components of the constitutive materials are not zero, the slab will work as an angle insensitive absorbing layer, and the absorption rate augments with increase of the losses. As the numerical verifications, the field distributions of a metallic cylinder and a triangular metallic object individually covered by the designed absorbing layer are demonstrated. The simulation results showthat the designed absorbing layer can efficiently absorb the incident waves with the property of incident angle independence at the operation frequency. This homogeneous slab can be used in one and two dimensional situations for the realization of an invisibility cloak, a carpet cloak and even a skin cloak, if it is used to conformally cover target objects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) is regarded as an attractive target for cancer immunotherapy. To rationalize the detailed interactions between IDO1 and its inhibitors at the atomic level, an integrated computational approach by combining molecular mechanics and quantum mechanics methods was employed in this report. Specifically, the binding modes of 20 inhibitors was initially investigated using the induced fit docking (IFD) protocol, which outperformed other two docking protocols in terms of correctly predicting ligand conformations. Secondly, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and MM/PBSA free energy calculations were employed to determine the dynamic binding process and crucial residues were confirmed through close contact analysis, hydrogen-bond analysis and binding free energy decomposition calculations. Subsequent quantum mechanics and nonbonding interaction analysis were carried out to provide in-depth explanations on the critical role of those key residues, and Arg231 and 7-propionate of the heme group were major contributors to ligand binding, which lowed a great amount of interaction energy. We anticipate that these findings will be valuable for enzymatic studies and rational drug design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Determining the natural frequency of watermelon is important to reduce loss by vibration during transportation. The purpose of frequency sweep test is to determine the tolerance of watermelon to vibration within a certain frequency range and to search the resonant frequency of watermelon in a certain frequency range. Frequency sweep test of Xinong No.8 watermelon cultivar was conducted, and the acceleration transmissibility curve was obtained. Furthermore, the 1st and 2nd order natural frequencies of watermelon were determined as 35.125 Hz and 71.034 Hz respectively from the acceleration transmissibility curve. Based on Geometric and mechanical parameters of Xinong No.8 watermelon cultivar, a finite element analysis model was developed and modal analysis of watermelon was carried out to obtain its natural frequencies and mode shapes. Since the value of 1st and 2nd order resonance frequency were the same or similar to the value of 3rd, 4th, and 5th order resonance frequency, this study only focused on 1st and 2nd order modes. The 1st order and 2nd order natural frequency test data fit to the corresponding simulation data well which validated the FEA model. This study demonstrated the feasibility of detecting the resonant frequency of watermelon vibration during transportation using FEA methods and provided a theoretical basis for watermelon transportation device design to reduce damage by avoiding resonant frequency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

p14ARF, a tumor suppressor protein, encoded by the p16 tumor suppressor gene, has been reported to be associated with the clinicopathological features of lung cancer. However, the evaluated outcomes were inconsistent and remained inconclusive. In this study, we conducted a meta-analysis to clarify the significance of p14ARF expression in lung cancer pathogenesis. Materials and methods: Electronic databases, PubMed, Web of Knowledge, Embase, and CNKI, were retrieved to collect relevant articles with inclusion and exclusion criteria. Using Stata 12.0 software, 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and odds ratios (ORs) were calculated. Results: A total of 15 eligible case-control studies that evaluated the relationship between p14ARF expression and lung cancer were included in the meta-analysis. The results demonstrated that there were significant associations between p14ARF expression and the risk of non-smallcell lung cancer (NSCLC), lung adenocarcinoma, and lung squamous carcinoma (for NSCLC, OR =11.02, 95% CI =5.30-22.92; for lung adenocarcinoma, OR =7.28, 95% CI =3.92-13.50; and for lung squamous carcinoma, OR =14.40, 95% CI =2.83-73.24). In the stratified analysis based on race, significant associations between p14ARF expression and lung cancer risk were found in Chinese population and Caucasians (for Chinese population, OR = 7.02, 95% CI =4.48-11.00 and for Caucasians, OR =4.19, 95% CI =1.42-12.38). Furthermore, the expression of p14ARF was significantly associated with the TNM-stage of lung cancer in Chinese population (OR =2.07, 95% CI =1.38-3.10). Conclusion: p14ARF expression was significantly associated with the risk of lung cancer. In addition, the data of the meta-analysis showed that there was a significant correlation between p14ARF expression and the TNM-stage of lung cancer in Chinese population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression by targeting specific mRNAs. However, the possible role of miRNAs in the ovary differentiation and development of fish is not well understood. In this study, we examined the expression profiles and differential expression of miRNAs during three key stages of ovarian development and different developmental stages in common carp Cyprinus carpio. Results: A total of 8765 miRNAs were identified, including 2155 conserved miRNAs highly conserved among various species, 145 miRNAs registered in miRBase for common carp, and 6505 novel miRNAs identified in common carp for the first time. Comparison of miRNA expression profiles among the five libraries identified 714 co-expressed and 2382 specific expressed miRNAs. Overall, 150, 628, and 431 specifically expressed miRNAs were identified in primordial gonad, juvenile ovary, and adult ovary, respectively. MiR-6758-3p, miR-3050-5p, and miR-2985-3p were highly expressed in primordial gonad, miR-3544-5p, miR-6877-3p, and miR-9086-5p were highly expressed in juvenile ovary, and miR-154-3p, miR-5307-5p, and miR-3958-3p were highly expressed in adult ovary. Predicted target genes of specific miRNAs in primordial gonad were involved in many reproductive biology signaling pathways, including transforming growth factor-β, Wnt, oocyte meiosis, mitogen-activated protein kinase, Notch, p53, and gonadotropin-releasing hormone pathways. Target-gene prediction revealed upward trends in miRNAs targeting male-bias genes, including dmrt1, atm, gsdf, and sox9, and downward trends in miRNAs targeting femalebias genes including foxl2, smad3, and smad4. Other sex-related genes such as sf1 were also predicted to be miRNA target genes. Conclusions: This comprehensive miRNA transcriptome analysis demonstrated differential expression profiles of miRNAs during ovary development in common carp. These results could facilitate future exploitation of the sexregulatory roles and mechanisms of miRNAs, especially in primordial gonads, while the specifically expressed miRNAs represent candidates for studying the mechanisms of ovary determination in Yellow River carp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transition-metal-free hydrodehalogenation of aryl halides (eg. bromides) can take place efficiently in the presence of green polyethylene glycol (PEG-800) and t-BuOK without adding any extra solvents and additives. A radical mechanism is proposed for this transition-metal-free dehalogenation of aryl halides and the role of polyethylene glycol is both reaction promotor and activated alkyl CH donor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is one of the most common liver diseases in the world and is a typical hepatic manifestation of metabolic syndrome which is characterized with lipid accumulation in liver. Nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT) has been recently identified as an enzyme involved in nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) biosynthesis and plays an important role in cellular metabolism in variety of organs in mammals. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of NAMPT on high fat dietinduced hepatic steatosis. Methods: Hepatic steatosis model was induced by high fat diet (HFD) in C57BL/6 mice in vivo. HepG2 and Hep1-6 hepatocytes were transfected with NAMPT vector plasmid or treated with NAMPT inhibitor FK866 and then incubated with oleic acid. Lipids accumulation was examined by HE staining or oil red staining. Quantitative RT-PCR and Western blot were used to measure expressions of the genes involved in lipogenic synthesis. Results: FK866 significantly promoted liver steatosis in the mice fed with HFD and hepatic lipid accumulation in vitro, accompanied by the increases of the expressions of lipogenic genes such as sterol regulatory elementbinding protein 1 (SREBP1) and fatty acid synthase (FASN). Nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) and NAD+ significantly rescued the actions of FK866 in vitro. In contrast, overexpression of NAMPT in HepG2 and Hep1-6 hepatocytes ameliorated hepatic lipid accumulation. In addition, FK866 decreased the protein levels of Sirt1 and phospho-AMPKα in liver of the HFD fed mice. Furthermore, Resveratrol, a Sirt1 activator, significantly reduced lipogenic gene expressions, while EX-527, a Sirt1 specific inhibitor, had the opposite effects. Conclusion: Our results demonstrated that inhibition of NAMPT aggravated the HFD- or oleic acid-induced hepatic steatosis through suppressing Sirt1-mediated signaling pathway. On the one hand, the inhibition of NAMPT reduced the production of NAD+ through inhibiting the NAD+ salvage pathway, resulting in the decrease of Sirt1 activity, and then attenuated the deacetylation of SREBP1 in which the inhibition of SREBP1 activity promoted the expressions of FASN and ACC. On the other hand, the reduced Sirt1 activity alleviated the activation of AMPKα to further enhance SREBP1 activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conspectus: The significance of chirality transfer is not only involved in biological systems, such as the origin of homochiral structures in life but also in man-made chemicals and materials. How the chiral bias transfers from molecular level (molecular chirality) to helical chain (conformational chirality) and then to helical superstructure or phase (hierarchical chirality) from self-assembly is vital for the chemical and biological processes in nature, such as communication, replication, and enzyme catalysis. In this Account, we summarize the methodologies for the examination of homochiral evolution at different length scales based on our recent studies with respect to the self-assembly of chiral polymers and chiral block copolymers (BCPs*). A helical (H*) phase to distinguish its P622 symmetry from that of normal hexagonally packed cylinder phase was discovered in the self-assembly of BCPs* due to the chirality effect on BCP self-assembly. Enantiomeric polylactide-containing BCPs*, polystyrene-b-poly(l-lactide) (PS-PLLA) and polystyrene-b-poly(d-lactide) (PS-PDLA), were synthesized for the examination of homochiral evolution. The optical activity (molecular chirality) of constituted chiral repeating unit in the chiral polylactide is detected by electronic circular dichroism (ECD) whereas the conformational chirality of helical polylactide chain can be explicitly determined by vibrational circular dichroism (VCD). The H* phases of the self-assembled polylactide-containing BCPs* can be directly visualized by 3D transmission electron microscopy (3D TEM) technique at which the handedness (hierarchical chirality) of the helical nanostructure is thus determined. The results from the ECD, VCD, and 3D TEM for the investigated chirality at different length scales suggest the homochiral evolution in the self-assembly of the BCPs*. For chiral polylactides, twisted lamellae in crystalline banded spherulite can be formed by dense packing scheme and effective interactions upon helical chains from self-assembly. The handedness of the twisted lamella can be determined by using rotation experiment of polarized light microscopy (PLM). Similar to the self-assembly of BCPs*, the examined results suggest the homochiral evolution in the crystallized chiral polylactides. The results presented in this Account demonstrate the notable progress in the spectral and morphological determination for the examination of molecular, conformational, and hierarchical chirality in self-assembled twisted superstructures of chiral polymers and helical phases of block copolymers and suggest the attainability of homochiral evolution in the self-assembly of chiral homopolymers and BCPs*. The suggested methodologies for the understanding of the mechanisms of the chirality transfer at different length scales provide the approaches to give Supporting Information for disclosing the mysteries of the homochiral evolution from molecular level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing highly sensitive and selective methods for HOCl/OCl- detection is of significant interest. In this work, two fluorescent probes based on mono- and bis-formylated fluorescein, FN-1 and FN-2, were developed. The probes exhibit rapid response and high selectivity to HOCl/OCl- over other reactive oxygen species (ROS)/reactive nitrogen species (RNS). Furthermore, a good linearity between the fluorescent intensity at 529 nm and the concentration of HOCl/OCl- in the range 0-10 µM were presented. The probes FN-1 and FN-2 showed detection limits as low as 0.21 and 0.23 µM, respectively. The confocal laser scanning micrographs of HeLa cells confirmed cell permeability of the two probes and their abilities to detect HOCl/OCl- in living cells. Compared to compound FN-1, FN-2 has lower background fluorescence and a higher speed of the reaction with HOCl/OCl- which made it a better option for the detection of HOCl/OCl- in aqueous solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Removal of nitrogen oxides (NOx) from a cycled adsorption-desorption and decomposition system was studied at ambient temperature, which allows low concentration and high flow rate emissions. This system exhibited excellent recyclability and showed high performance through repeated cycling, with 85.4% NO conversion after eight cycles. Different metal oxide supports on activated carbon were used to remove NO by nonthermal plasma assisted catalytic adsorption-decomposition. The Cu/AC showed a large adsorption capacity, and copper ions increased the decomposition of NO, resulting in high energy efficiency. FTIR and TPD results showed that NO adsorption on the catalyst surface states is mainly as nitrate. The textural characteristics of catalysts for cyclic operation were investigated, and the catalytic activity relied on O atoms, Cu atoms and Cu2+ on the catalyst surface. The discharge voltages and several frequencies of the electric source were also investigated. As injection power energy increased, the reactor plasma chemical reaction process was increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protein hydrolysis is widely used in the food industry to improve food or industrial quality, and processing is carried out concurrently or subsequently to starch pasting. Inthis study,QTLmapping of the pasting properties of natural wheat flour (NWF) and papain-treated flour (PTF) was performed in three environments. These analyses involved a set of 173 F9:10 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from "Shannong01-35×Gaocheng9411" witha genetic linkagemapconsisting of 6248 molecular markers. The additive, epistatic, and epistatic×environment interaction effects of QTLs for pasting properties were analyzed. A total of 43 and 31 additive QTLs for pasting properties were detected using NWF and PTF, respectively. QPv1A.4-1, QPv4B.4-17, QTv1A.4-1, QTv4B.4-17, QSb4B.4-17, QPt1A.4-1, and QPt4B.4-17 were identified using both NWFand PTF. In contrast, QPv6A.2-128, QTv6A.2-128, QFv6A.2-75, and QBd6A.2-128 were only identified in wheat flour; thus, these QTLs are related to the papain digestion site. Five and eight pairs of epistatic interaction QTLs were identified in NWF and PTF, respectively. QPv1A.4-1/QPv4B.4-17 and QTv1A.4-1/QTv4B.4-17 were identified in NWF and PTF, whereas, QInA1A.4-1 and QInA4B.4-17 were only detected in PTF. Two and three pairs of epistatic×environment interactions were detected inNWFandPTF, respectively. In the present study, two importantQTLclusters (≥3QTLs) were detected from NWF, and three clusters were detected from PTF. The results of the comprehensive evaluation of protein hydrolysis and starch pasting provide valuable information to facilitate the improvement of wheat flour quality and promote the molecular breeding of wheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coherent supercontinuum light expanding from 1.4 to 4 lm is generated in a 4 cm long tapered fluorotellurite microstructured fiber (MF) pumped by a 1980 nm femtosecond fiber laser. The spectral broadening in the tapered fluorotellurite MF is caused by self-phase modulation, the Raman soliton, and red-shifted dispersive wave generation. Our results show that tapered fluorotellurite MFs are promising nonlinear medium for generating coherent broadband mid-infrared supercontinuum light. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a kind of Al-TiB2/TiC in situ composite was successfully prepared using the melt reaction method and the accumulative roll-bonding (ARB) technique. The microstructure evolution of the composites with different deformation treatments was characterized using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and a transmission electron microscope (TEM). The mechanical properties of the Al-TiB2/TiC in situ composite were also studied with tensile and microhardness tests. It was found that the distribution of reinforcement particles becomes more homogenous with an increasing ARB cycle. Meanwhile, the mechanical properties showed great improvement during the ARB process. The ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and microhardness of the composites were increased to 173.1 MPa and 63.3 Hv after two ARB cycles, respectively. Furthermore, the strengthening mechanism of the composite was analyzed based on its fracture morphologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine the effect of work characteristics on the psychological symptoms of general practitioners' (GPs) and community nurses.Design, Setting and Participants: A stratified sampling cross-sectional survey was performed at the 12 community health services centres involved 233 GPs and 202 community nurses in three cities of Hubei Province in central China. The independent variables were career prospects, superior recognition, salary fairness, professional-patient relationship and self-perceived workload. The dependent variables were the General Health Questionnaire.Results: The generalized linear regression showed the career prospects had a significant association with GPs' psychological health, whereas career prospects, self-perceived workload and superior recognition had significant association on the psychological health of community nurses. However, salary fairness and professional-patient relationship were not statistically significant for GPs or community nurses.Conclusions: A better understanding of the effects of career prospects on the psychological health of GPs and community nurses, and improvements in superior recognition and workload on the psychological health of community nurses, would improve psychological symptoms of primary-level medical staff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The invasion of plant by viruses cause major damage to plants and reduces crop yield and integrity. Devastating plant virus infection has been experienced at different times all over the world, which are attributed to different events of mutation, re-assortment and recombination occurring in the viruses. Strategies for proper virus management has been mostly limited to eradicating the vectors that spreads the plant viruses. However, development of prompt and effective diagnostic methods are required to monitor emerging and re-emerging diseases that may be symptomatic or asymptomatic in the plant as well as the genetic variation and evolution in the plant viruses. A survey of plant viruses infecting field-grown Tobacco crop was conducted in Anhui Province of China by the deep sequencing of sRNAs. Methods: Survey of plant viruses infecting Tobacco was carried based on 104 samples collected across the province. Nine different sRNA libraries was prepared and custom-made bioinformatics pipeline coupled with molecular techniques was developed to sequence, assemble and analyze the siRNAs for plant virus discovery. We also carried out phylogenetic and recombination analysis of the identified viruses. Results: Twenty two isolates from eight different virus species including Cucumber mosaic virus, Potato virus Y, Tobacco mosaic virus, Tobacco vein banding Mosaic virus, Pepper mottle virus, Brassica yellow virus, Chilli venial mottle virus, Broad bean wilt virus 2 were identified in tobacco across the survey area. The near-complete genome sequence of the 22 new isolates were determined and analyzed. The isolates were grouped together with known strains in the phylogenetic tree. Molecular variation in the isolates indicated the conserved coding regions have majorly a nucleotide sequence identity of 80-94 % with previously identified isolates. Various events of recombination were discovered among some of the isolates indicating that two or more viruses or different isolates of one virus infect the same host cell. Conclusion: This study describes the discovery of a consortium of plant viruses infecting Tobacco that are broadly distributed in Anhui province of China. It also demonstrates the effectiveness of NGS in identifying plant viruses without a prior knowledge of the virus and the genetic diversity that enhanced mixed infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to examine the post-infarct acute effect of adenosine-5'-triphosphate (ATP) on myocardial infarction (MI) size as well as its precise molecular mechanism. Sixty New Zealand white male rabbits were exposed to 40 min of ischemia followed by 180 min of reperfusion. The rabbits were intravenously administered 3 mg/kg of ATP (ATP group) or saline (control group) immediately after reperfusion and maintained throughout the first 30 min. The wortmannin+ATP, PD-98059+ATP, and 5-hydroxydecanoic acid (5-HD) sodium salt+ATP groups were separately injected with wortmannin (0.6 mg/kg), PD-98059 (0.3 mg/kg), and 5-HD (5 mg/kg) 5 min prior to ATP administration. MI size was calculated as the percentage of the risk area in the left ventricle. Myocardial apoptosis was determined using a TUNEL assay. Western blot analysis was performed to examine the levels of protein kinase B (Akt)/ p-Akt and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)/p-ERK in the ischemic myocardium, 180 min after reperfusion. The infarct size was significantly smaller in the ATP group than in the control group (p<0.05). The infarct size-reducing effect of ATP was completely blocked by wortmannin, PD-98059 and 5-HD. Compared with the control group, cardiomyocyte apoptosis was significantly reduced in the ATP group, while this did not occur in the wortmannin+ATP, PD-98059+ATP and 5-HD+ATP groups. Western blot analysis revealed a higher myocardial expression of p-Akt and p-ERK 180 min following reperfusion in the ATP versus the control group. In conclusion, cardioprotection by postischemic ATP administration is mediated through activation of the reperfusion injury salvage kinase (RISK) pathway and opening of the mitochondrial ATP-dependent potassium channels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the field of biomedical image processing, because of the low intensity and brightness of the cell image, and the complex structure of the cell image, the segmentation of cell images is very difficult. A large number of studies have shown that the Pulse Coupled Neural Networks (PCNN) is suitable for image segmentation. However, the traditional PCNN must set a large number of parameters in image segmentation, and the optimal number of iterations cannot be automatically determined. In this paper, a new improved PCNN model is proposed. The work of improved PCNN includes the acceptance portion of the PCNN model being simplified and the connection portion of PCNN being improved. In addition, the maximum fuzzy entropy is used as the criterion to determine the optimal number of iterations. Experimental results on blood cell image segmentation show that this proposed method can automatically determine the number of loop iterations and automatically select the best threshold. It also has the characteristics of fast convergence, high accuracy and good segmentation effect in blood cell image segmentation processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adverse reactions of injectable drugs usually occur at first administration and are closely associated with the dosage and speed of injection. This phenomenon is correlated with the anaphylactoid reaction. However, up to now, study methods based on antigen detection have still not gained wide acceptance and single physiological indicators cannot be utilized to differentiate anaphylactoid reactions from allergic reactions and inflammatory reactions. In this study, a reliable method for the evaluation of anaphylactoid reactions caused by injectable drugs was established by using multiple physiological indicators. We used compound 48/80, ovalbumin and endotoxin as the sensitization agents to induce anaphylactoid, allergic and inflammatory reactions. Different experimental animals (guinea pig and nude rat) and different modes of administration (intramuscular, intravenous and intraperitoneal injection) and different times (15 min, 30 min and 60 min) were evaluated to optimize the study protocol. The results showed that the optimal way to achieve sensitization involved treating guinea pigs with the different agents by intravenous injection for 30 min. Further, seven related humoral factors including 5-HT, SC5b-9, Bb, C4d, IL-6, C3a and histamine were detected by HPLC analysis and ELISA assay to determine their expression level. The results showed that five of them, including 5-HT, SC5b-9, Bb, C4d and IL-6, displayed significant differences between anaphylactoid, allergic and inflammatory reactions, which indicated that their combination could be used to distinguish these three reactions. Then different injectable drugs were used to verify this method and the results showed that the chosen indicators exhibited good correlation with the anaphylactoid reaction which indicated that the established method was both practical and reliable. Our research provides a feasible method for the diagnosis of the serious adverse reactions caused by injectable drugs which could be used in the clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the distribution of methionine synthase A2756G (MSA2756G) in the hypertensive patients in northwest Chinese population.  Methods: A total of 378 unrelated hypertensive patients attending Ningxia Peoples Hospital, Ningxia Province, China, were recruited for this study. We analyzed genotype by amplication - created restriction sites (ACRS) and polymerase chain reaction - restrict fragment length polymorphism (PCR - RFLP) in hypertensive patients, and inspected the relation of the genotype with hypertension by χ2 and t test.  Results: The frequency of G allele was 10.25 % in the control group and 14.04 % in hypertension group; it was not statistically different (p > 0.05). In the male group, the frequency of allele G was 11.50 % in control group, and 8.79 % in hypertension group. There was no significant difference between control and hypertension groups (p > 0.05). In the female group, the frequency of allele G was 9.00 %, in control and 19.54 % in hypertension group (p < 0.05), while in the hypertension group, allele G was 8.79 % in males which is significantly lower (p < 0.05) than in females (19.54 %) . Conclusion: Allele G of MSA2756G is a risk factor for hypertension in female in this Chinese population of this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The volatile organic contamination (VOC) of polymer materials can cause degradation of optical components performance. For two types of polymer materials commonly used in high-power laser facility: polyethylene terephthalate-ethylene glycol (PET-G) and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), the contaminated dielectric film samples were obtained by rapid volatilization of polymer materials at high temperatures. The effects of VOC on microscopic morphology, spectral performance and laser damage performance of the dielectric film were researched. The results showed that the VOC of two types of materials would lead to spectral shift, reflectivity change and laser damage performance deterioration of dielectric film. Compared with PET-G, the VOC of PTFE has a more serious impact on the performance of the dielectric film. The performance deterioration of the dielectric film can be clarified by analyzing the VOC and the surface micro-morphology. Research results can be used to estimate the performance degradation of dielectric films for long-term storage and usage. And they have a guiding significance for the selection of environmental materials of optical components. • The effects of VOC on the dielectric film were evaluated. • VOC can lead to spectral performance deterioration of dielectric film. • VOC can lead to laser damage performance deterioration of dielectric film. • The VOC of PTFE is more serious than that of PETG. • Research results can estimate dielectric films performance for long-term storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main purpose of this paper is to introduce a new integral transform named the W transform. We have been obtained some important results about the W transform. At the same time, the relation between the W transform and other transforms has been established. In order to prove the efficiency of this transform, we have solved the differential equations and integral equations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, by using fractional power of operators and Schauder fixed point theorem, we study the approximate controllability of fractional neutral differential systems with bounded delay. The existence and uniqueness of mild solution of the system is also proved and an example is given to illustrate the theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective(s): To study the c-Kit expression in the gallbladder of cholesterol lithogenic guinea pig model and the effect of Artemisia capillaris Thunb on interstitial cells of Cajal (ICCs). Materials and Methods: A total of 45 guinea pigs were randomly assigned into three groups: the control group (guinea pigs fed a standard diet, normal group); the model group (guinea pigs fed a cholesterol gallstone-inducing diet); and the Chinese medicine group (guinea pigs fed the cholesterol gallstone-inducing diet and treated with A. capillaris through intragastric administration, therapy group). Each group had 15 guinea pigs. The gallbladders of the guinea pigs were harvested after 8 weeks. C-Kit expression was detected using an immunohistochemistry staining, real-time PCR, and Western blot analyses. The effect of A. capillaris on ICCs was evaluated by muscle strip contraction experiments. Results: C-Kit expression significantly decreased in the gallbladder of model group, but increased in the Chinese medicine group. The Contractility of guinea pig gallbladder muscle strip significantly improved in the Chinese medicine group. Conclusion: Our results indicated that A. capillaris improves gallbladder impairment by upregulating c-Kit expression, and it also can improve the contractile response of in vitro guinea pig gallbladder muscle strips. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vertebrates need to maintain extracellular chloride (Cl–) concentrations to ensure the normal operation of physiological processes; the transition from aquatic to terrestrial environments necessitated the development of sophisticated mechanisms to ensure Cl– homeostasis in the face of fluctuating Cl– levels. Zebrafish calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), unlike its splice variant calcitonin, does not respond to environmental Ca2+ levels. This study aimed to test the hypothesis that CGRP is involved in the control of body fluid Cl– homeostasis. Acclimation to high-Cl– artificial water stimulated the mRNA expression of cgrp and the receptor (crlr1) when compared with low- Cl–. CGRP knockdown induced upregulation of the Na+-Cl– co-transporter (ncc2b), while overexpression of CGRP resulted in the downregulation of ncc2b mRNA synthesis and a simultaneous decrease in Cl– uptake in embryos. Consistent with these findings, knockdown of either cgrp or crlr1 was found to increase the density of NCC2b-expressing cells in embryos. This is the first demonstration that CGRP acts as a hypochloremic hormone through suppressing NCC2b expression and the differentiation of NCC-expressing ionocytes. Elucidation of this novel function of CGRP in fish body fluid Cl– homeostasis promises to enhance our understanding of the related physiology in vertebrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, population-based studies and retrospective analyses of clinical studies have shown that metformin treatment is associated with reduced cancer incidence and a decrease in cancer-associated mortality. However, its mechanism of action remains to be fully understood. The present study demonstrates the effects of metformin on KB human oral cancer cells and explores the role of myeloid cell leukaemia-1 (Mcl-1) in metformin-induced mitochondria-dependent cellular apoptosis. It was demonstrated that metformin exposure caused significant suppression of KB cell proliferation and induced cell death. Furthermore, metformin induced apoptosis through the downregulation of Mcl-1 in KB human oral cancer cells, and the overexpression of Mcl-1 in metformin-treated KB cells significantly increased cell viability. Consistently, Bax and Bim were upregulated in metformin-treated cells. The results also reveal that microRNA (miR)-26a expression was markedly increased by metformin. Subsequent to enforced miR-26a expression in KB cells using miR-26a mimics, cell viability and the level of Mcl-1 decreased. These results suggest that the anti-proliferative effects of metformin in KB cells may result partly from induction of apoptosis by miR-26a-induced downregulation of Mcl-1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]