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The inhibition performance of two synthesized quinoline derivatives: 6-benzylquinoline (BQ) and 6-(quinolin-6-ylmethyl) benzene-1,2,3,4,5-pentasulfonic acid (QBPA) on mild steel in 1 M HCl has been investigated through weight loss, electrochemical measurements, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). All experimental results indicated that BQ and QBPA extremely enhanced the corrosion resistance of mild steel and QBPA showed a better inhibitive performance than BQ. The results of potentiodynamic polarization illustrated that BQ and QBPA performed as mixed-type inhibitors. Langmuir adsorption isotherm was well fitted for the adsorption of BQ and QBPA on mild steel surface with a competitive physisorption and chemisorption mechanism. The results of quantum chemical calculations and molecular dynamic simulations showed that benzene rings of both BQ and QBPA adsorbed on the metal surface in distinct gradient direction and quinoline ring of both BQ and QBPA adsorbed nearly parallel on the steel surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrogen (N) fertilizer has a major influence on the yield and quality. Understanding and optimising the response of crop plants to nitrogen fertilizer usage is of central importance in enhancing food security and agricultural sustainability. In this study, the analysis of gene regulatory networks reveals multiple genes and biological processes in response to N. Two microarray studies have been used to infer components of the nitrogen-response network. Since they used different array technologies, a map linking the two probe sets to the maize B73 reference genome has been generated to allow comparison. Putative Arabidopsis homologues of maize genes were used to query the Biological General Repository for Interaction Datasets (BioGRID) network, which yielded the potential involvement of three transcription factors (TFs) (GLK5, MADS64 and bZIP108) and a Calcium-dependent protein kinase. An Artificial Neural Network was used to identify influential genes and retrieved bZIP108 and WRKY36 as significant TFs in both microarray studies, along with genes for Asparagine Synthetase, a dual-specific protein kinase and a protein phosphatase. The output from one study also suggested roles for microRNA (miRNA) 399b and Nin-like Protein 15 (NLP15). Co-expression-network analysis of TFs with closely related profiles to known Nitrate-responsive genes identified GLK5, GLK8 and NLP15 as candidate regulators of genes repressed under low Nitrogen conditions, while bZIP108 might play a role in gene activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Organometallic halide perovskite films with good surface morphology and large grain size are desirable for obtaining high‐performance photovoltaic devices. However, defects and related trap sites are generated inevitably at grain boundaries and on surfaces of solution‐processed polycrystalline perovskite films. Seeking facial and efficient methods to passivate the perovskite film for minimizing defect density is necessary for further improving the photovoltaic performance. Here, a convenient strategy is developed to improve perovskite crystallization by incorporating a 2D polymeric material of graphitic carbon nitride (g‐C3N4) into the perovskite layer. The addition of g‐C3N4 results in improved crystalline quality of perovskite film with large grain size by retarding the crystallization rate, and reduced intrinsic defect density by passivating charge recombination centers around the grain boundaries. In addition, g‐C3N4 doping increases the film conductivity of perovskite layer, which is beneficial for charge transport in perovskite light‐absorption layer. Consequently, a champion device with a maximum power conversion efficiency of 19.49% is approached owing to a remarkable improvement in fill factor from 0.65 to 0.74. This finding demonstrates a simple method to passivate the perovskite film by controlling the crystallization and reducing the defect density. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liquid repellent surfaces with mechanical durability are critical for many commercial applications that involve liquid contact, human handling, or environmental exposure. In this study, the response of a range of coating types to different mechanical impact tests on flat and structured surfaces was investigated. The surface tension and chemistry of the coating material, the mechanical properties of the substrate and coating thickness were varied to determine their respective effects on durability of the coated surface. The mechanical durability tests included tape peeling, bending, rotary abrasion, and dynamic impact. The surface durability was evaluated by changes in wetting performance (contact angle measurements), surface morphology (SEM) and surface chemistry (FTIR, XPS). The insight gained facilitates selection of substrate preparation, coating material and coating method for specific applications depending on mechanical durability requirements. General comments and recommendations on the appropriateness of standard methods to evaluate mechanical durability are also provided to guide future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we have applied Cr/Nb co-doping strategy to the wide band gap semiconductor Bi 3 TiNbO 9 and have performed a detailed investigation on the structure, optical and photocatalytic properties of these modified Aurivillius compounds Bi 3 Ti 1-2x Cr x Nb 1+x O 9 (x = 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3). Our results suggest that Cr/Nb doping slightly expand the unit cell of Bi 3 TiNbO 9 with a doping limit around 20%. The involvement of Cr/Nb dopants in the crystal structure significantly reduces the band gap of Bi 3 TiNbO 9 by nearly 1 eV. Photocatalytic experiments and photoelectrochemical measurements confirms the critical role of Cr/Nb dopants in improving photocatalytic hydrogen production and anodic photocurrent. More than two-fold enhancement in hydrogen production has been noticed for merely 10% Cr/Nb co-doping. The highest photocatalytic activity belongs to Bi 3 Ti 0.8 Cr 0.1 Nb 1.1 O 9 (x = 0.1) for full range illumination and to Bi 3 Ti 0.6 Cr 0.2 Nb 1.2 O 9 (x = 0.2) for visible light illumination, with apparent quantum efficiency (AQE) approaching 0.52% and 0.27%, respectively. DFT calculation discloses the role of Cr in forming a new valence band inside the band gap of Bi 3 TiNbO 9 . In addition, strong anisotropic phenomenon in charge transportation of Bi 3 TiNbO 9 is also verified by DFT, as both conduction band minimum (CBM) and valence band maximum (VBM) are buried in the [BiTiNbO 7 ] 2− perovskite slabs and charges are only allowed to migrate within the slabs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the importance of wastewater aeration in meeting treatment requirements and due to its elevated energy intensity, it is important to describe the real nature of an aeration system to improve design and specification, performance prediction, energy consumption, and process sustainability. Because organic loadings drive aeration efficiency to its lowest value when the oxygen demand (energy) is the highest, the implications of considering their dynamic nature on energy costs are of utmost importance. A dynamic model aimed at identifying conservation opportunities is presented. The model developed describes the correlation between the COD concentration and the α factor in activated sludge. Using the proposed model, the aeration efficiency is calculated as a function of the organic loading (i.e. COD). This results in predictions of oxygen transfer values that are more realistic than the traditional method of assuming constant α values. The model was applied to two water resource recovery facilities, and was calibrated and validated with time-sensitive databases. Our improved aeration model structure increases the quality of prediction of field data through the recognition of the dynamic nature of the alpha factor (α) as a function of the applied oxygen demand. For the cases presented herein, the model prediction of airflow improved by 20–35% when dynamic α is used. The proposed model offers a quantitative tool for the prediction of energy demand and for minimizing aeration design uncertainty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the problem of optimal state estimation is studied for fusion of asynchronous multirate multiscale sensors with unreliable measurements and correlated noise. The noise of different sensors is cross-correlated and coupled with the system noise of the previous step and the same time step. The system is described at the highest sampling rate with different sensors observing a single target independently with multiple sampling rates. An optimal state estimation algorithm based on iterative estimation of the white noise estimator is presented, which makes full use of the observation information effectively, overcomes the packet loss, data fault, unreliable factors, and improves the precision and the robustness of the system state estimation. A numerical example is used to illustrate the effectiveness of the presented algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Neural stem cell (NSC) transplantation is a promising treatment to improve the recovery after brain ischemia. However, how the survival, proliferation, migration, and differentiation of implanted NSC are influenced by endogenous neuronal activity remains unclear. In this work, we used optogenetic techniques to control the activity of striatal neurons and investigated how their activity affected the survival and migration of transplanted NSCs and overall neurological outcome after ischemic stroke. NSCs cultured from transgenic mice expressing fluorescent protein were transplanted into the peri-infarct region of the striatum after transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) surgery. The striatal neurons were excited or inhibited for 15 minutes daily via implanted optical fiber after tMCAO. The results revealed that mice which received NSC transplantation and optogenetic inhibition had smaller brain infarct volume and increased NSC migration compared to the NSC alone or PBS group (p<0.05). In contrast, mice which received NSC transplantation and optogenetic excitation showed no difference in infarct volume and neurological behavior improvement compared to the PBS control group. In vitro experiments further revealed that the conditioned media from excited GABAergic neurons reduced NSC viability through paracrine mechanisms. Conclusion. Optogenetic inhibition of striatal neuronal activity further improved neurological recovery after NSC transplantation at the subacute phase after brain ischemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Upconversion of light has attracted intensive studies for biomedical research, because it enables deeper tissue analysis owing to the longer wavelength of incident light, compared with conventional downconversion fluorescent materials. Triplet–triplet annihilation (TTA), as a typical mechanism of upconversion, does not necessitate high power excitation and exhibits a higher quantum yield than rare earth upconversion owing to more sensitizer options with higher absorption coefficients. A desirable wavelength range of excitation and emission can be realized by careful selection of the combination of sensitizer and activator. Therefore, TTA-UC is worth exploring further for biorelated applications, such as bioimaging and biodetection. Recent developments are reviewed in this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oil-water separation is a worldwide concern due to the increasing emissions of oil-contaminated industrial water, frequent oil spills and the general shortage of clean drinking water. In this study, hydrophilic/underwater superoleophobic stainless steel (SS) meshes were fabricated via a one-step solution-based coating method using methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS). The dimensions of the meshes were varied to study their effect on wettability and separation efficiency. Coated meshes were then used for gravity-driven oil/water separation with oil-water mixtures and oil-water emulsions in which water passed through the meshes while oil was retained. Contact angles, fluid flux and separation efficiency were evaluated to determine the optimum mesh dimensions. XPS and ATR-FTIR were performed on the coated stainless steel surface to confirm the presence of silanol groups that are accountable for the resultant unique wetting properties. After sand impact durability testing, the treated meshes were still able to separate oil-water mixtures with high separation efficiency and water recovery rates, despite the presence of residual sand particles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • An ultrafast high temperature shock strategy combines high heating and cooling rates. • The formation of DRX oxides was demonstrated to undergo two steps. • The compositional space of DRX cathodes varied from binary to senary. • Specific capacity of the spent cathode was regenerated to 91.4% of the pristine one. Lithium-rich cation-disordered rocksalt (DRX) oxides offer promising prospects of satisfying boosting demand for high performance lithium-ion batteries. We introduce a time- and energy-saving high temperature shock synthesis for fast fabrication of these materials, which occurs through formation of binary oxides undergoing transformation to DRX oxides. Variations of morphology, elemental distribution, and microstructure of DRX oxides during the synthesis were followed using the in-situ transmission electron microscopy. The compositional space of DRX oxides varied from binary to senary, demonstrating that the high temperature shock strategy is a general process for their synthesis. Moreover, we demonstrated how the cycling life of DRX oxide cathodes applied in lithium-ion batteries could be extended through recrystallization of their collapsed lattice structure, and this regeneration process was accomplished using the same high temperature shock strategy. The specific capacity of the regenerated cathodes could be recovered to 91.4% of the initial value. Thus, our study offers a general strategy for not only synthesizing DRX oxides but also regenerating the respectively spent cathodes to extend the cycling life of lithium-ion batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A dataset containing 2755 sets of experimental data is established. • Based on the data set, a random forest machine learning model is established. • Based on data statistics, the application scope of the model is analyzed. • The model's accuracy is verified by comparing the conventional model with the experimental data. The liquid holdup prediction model is a mainly empirical formula derived from researchers' experimental data. These models have poor generalization due to the limitations of the experimental condition. In this study, the liquid holdup machine-learning model is developed based on a random forest algorithm using 2755 groups of experimental data in various conditions. Through the detailed hyper parametric model optimization, and combined grid-search, the model's optimal parameters are obtained to prevent over-fitting. The determination coefficient of the model on the training set and the test set is high and roughly the same, indicating that the model has high accuracy and has not been over-fitted. The model is validated with published independent data and compared with other widely used empirical models. The results show that the model in this study has higher generalization and can accurately predict the liquid holdup under the various conditions of pipe diameters, inclination angles, gas–liquid velocity, temperatures, and pressures within the applicable scope of the model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Selection of strains is critical for the diabetics diet supplement of probiotics. • Compound strains had stronger biological activity than single strain. • PSS-compound probiotics can regulate gut microbiota composition and metabolism of T2DM mice. • Plant active compounds in combination with probiotics had great health benefits. In this study, a combined application of Polygonatum sibiricum saponin (PSS) with probiotics was developed as a new formulation that could be a candidate for a dietary supplement. The properties of nine probiotics were evaluated by principal component and heatmap analysis. And the hypoglycemic properties of compound probiotics were compared with single strains. The results showed the inhibition (%) of α-amylase was higher when L. casei ATCC393 was used synergistically with L. Bulgaricus 1.1480 compared with single strains as well as other strain combinations. And it was also found that the inhibition (%) of α-amylase was higher as 70.35 % after PSS and the compound probiotic were compounded as a ratio of 2:1. Furturemore, PSS-compound probiotics could regulate the composition of the gut microbiome of T2DM mice and enhance the metabolic capacity. In conclusion, the combination of PSS and compound probiotics has shown massive potential as management nutraceuticals of T2DM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mammalian sterile 20-like (Ste20-like) protein kinase 3 (MST3) or serine/threonine-protein kinase 24 (STK24) is a serine/threonine protein kinase that belongs to the mammalian STE20-like protein kinase family. MST3 is a pleiotropic protein that plays a critical role in regulating a variety of events, including apoptosis, immune response, metabolism, hypertension, tumor progression, and development of the central nervous system. The MST3-mediated regulation is intricately related to protein activity, post-translational modification, and subcellular location. Here, we review the recent progress on the regulatory mechanisms against MST3 and its-mediated control of disease progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of multiple copies of chemokine receptor genes in various teleosts has long appealed to investigators seeking to understand the evolution of the immune system. The CXCR CXCR3 gene has two isoforms, CXCR3.1 and CXCR3.2, which are both expressed in macrophages. The distinct roles of teleost CXCR3s have not been identified previously. In this article, we found that CXCR3.1 and CXCR3.2 differentially contributed to macrophage polarization in the teleosts: ayu (Plecoglossus altivelis), grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella), and spotted green pufferfish (Tetraodon nigroviridis). In ayu macrophages, the P. altivelis CXCR3.1 (PaCXCR3.1) gene was constitutively expressed, whereas the P. altivelis CXCR3.2 (PaCXCR3.2) gene was induced postinfection with Escherichia coli. Upon E. coli infection, PaCXCR3.1+ and PaCXCR3.2+ macrophages showed an M1 and an M2 phenotype, respectively. CXCL9- 11-like proteins mediated M1 and M2 polarization by interacting with the PaCXCR3.1 and PaCXCR3.2 proteins on macrophages, respectively. The transcription factors P. altivelis STAT1 and P. altivelis STAT3 were activated in PaCXCR3.1+ and PaCXCR3.2+ macrophages, respectively. Furthermore, the prognosis of septic ayu adoptively transferred with PaCXCR3.2+ macrophages was improved. Our data reveal a previously unknown mechanism for macrophage polarization, suggesting that redundant genes may regulate crucial functions in the teleost immune system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates coordinated scheduling on uniform parallel batch machines with batch transportation. Jobs are characterized by different processing time and sizes, and they are first delivered to manufacturers in batches and then processed on the uniform parallel batch machines. The manufacturers are distributed in different geographic zones and there exists one parallel batch machine in each manufacturer. A mixed integer programming model is developed for the studied problem, and its objective is to minimize the makespan. In addition, the structural properties of the problem are analyzed. A hybrid algorithm combining the merits of discrete particle swarm optimization (DPSO) and genetic algorithm (GA) is proposed to solve this problem. In the hybrid algorithm, a heuristic and a local search strategy are introduced. Finally, computational experiments are conducted and the results show that the proposed hybrid algorithm can effectively and efficiently solve the problem within a reasonable time, particularly in large-scale instances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) is an essential chemotherapeutic agent for oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). However, toxic side effects have limited its role in OSCC therapy. The aim of this study was to explore whether combination therapy with 5-FU and honokiol (HNK), a small natural organic molecule shown to induce apoptosis in OSCC cells, could enhance the anticancer activity of 5-FU without notably increasing its toxicity.Methods: 5-FU and/or HNK were used to treat OSCC cells both in vitro and in vivo. The therapeutic effect and underlying mechanisms were evaluated by cell viability assay, flow cytometry, OSCC xenograft mouse model, and Western blot. Tumor tissue apoptosis was detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assay. Toxicity was assessed following hematoxylin and eosin staining.Results: Exposure to HNK + 5-FU produced a synergistic cytotoxic effect on OSCC cells. Both HNK and 5-FU could induce apoptosis through the mitochondria-mediated intrinsic pathway, and their specific signaling pathways were different. In the mouse OSCC xenograft model, treatment with 5-FU + HNK substantively retarded tumor growth, as compared to treatment with either drug individually. TUNEL analysis further confirmed that the superior in vivo antitumor efficacy of 5-FU + HNK was associated with enhanced stimulation of cell apoptosis. Notably, HNK did not increase the toxicity of 5-FU.Conclusion: These findings suggest that HNK and 5-FU exert a synergistic therapeutic effect on OSCC by inducing apoptosis. HNK might thus enhance the clinical therapeutic efficacy of 5-FU without increasing its toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Hyperuricemia may be associated with an increased risk of contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI). In recent years, studies about the relationship between them gradually appeared. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate whether hyperuricemia is an independent risk factor for CI-AKI. Methods Relevant studies were searched in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and CBM (Chinese Biomedical Literature database) databases until April 18, 2016, without language restriction. Observational studies evaluating serum uric acid (SUA) levels and CI-AKI risks were included. The pooled odds ratio was calculated to assess the association between hyperuricemia and risk of CI-AKI using a random-effects model. Results Eighteen relevant studies involving a total of 13,084 patients met our inclusion criteria. Presence of hyperuricemia was associated with an increased risk of CI-AKI development regardless of whether the effect size was adjusted or not (unadjusted OR: 2.08, 95% CI: 1.63–2.64; adjusted OR: 1.68, 95% CI: 1.38–2.04). In-hospital mortality and cases of renal replacement therapy were significantly different between subjects with hyperuricemia and normouricemia undergoing coronary angiography (CAG) and/or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Conclusion Hyperuricemia is independently associated with the occurrence of CI-AKI and it significantly increases the in-hospital mortality and the risk of renal replacement therapy among the patients after CAG and/or PCI. Future research is needed to determine whether urate-lowering therapy has beneficial effects for reducing the incidence of CI-AKI and in-hospital adverse events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease (ARPKD) is a severe monogenic disorder that occurs due to mutations in the PKHD1 gene. Congenital hepatic fibrosis (CHF) associated with ARPKD is characterized by the presence of hepatic cysts derived from dilated bile ducts and a robust, pericystic fibrosis. Cyst growth, due to cyst wall epithelial cell hyperproliferation and fluid secretion, is thought to be the driving force behind disease progression. Liver fibrosis is a wound healing response in which collagen accumulates in the liver due to an imbalance between extracellular matrix synthesis and degradation. Whereas both hyperproliferation and pericystic fibrosis are hallmarks of CHF/ARPKD, whether or not these two processes influence one another remains unclear. Additionally, recent studies demonstrate that inflammation is a common feature of CHF/ARPKD. Therefore, we propose a “pathogenic triumvirate” consisting of hyperproliferation of cyst wall growth, pericystic fibrosis, and inflammation which drives CHF/ARPKD progression. This review will summarize what is known regarding the mechanisms of cyst growth, fibrosis, and inflammation in CHF/ARPKD. Further, we will discuss the potential advantage of identifying a core pathogenic feature in CHF/ARPKD to aid in the development of novel therapeutic approaches. If a core pathogenic feature does not exist, then developing multimodality therapeutic approaches to target each member of the “pathogenic triumvirate” individually may be a better strategy to manage this debilitating disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A highly selective photoelectrochemical sensor was fabricated for the detection of Cu 2 + ions based on the Cu + catalyzed click reaction. Firstly, 11-Azido-3,6,9-trioxaundecan-1-amine was immobilized on the CdS modified ITO electrode by classic 1-Ethyl-3-[3-dimethylaminopropyl]carbodiimide reaction, then the propargyl-functionalized Au NPs were binding to electrode through the cycloaddition reaction between azides and alkynes, which catalyzed by Cu + (acquired from the reduction of Cu 2 + by ascorbic acid), making the Au NPs close to the CdS QDs. Upon light irradiation, energy transfer between the CdS QDs and Au NPs would lead to the decrease of photocurrent. Under optimized condition, the percentage of photocurrent decrement was linearly proportional to the concentration of Cu 2 + ions, ranging from 1.0 × 10 − 9 to 1.0 × 10 − 6 M, with a detection limit of 2.0 × 10 − 10 M, the novel strategy could provide a sensitive and selective platform for Cu 2 + detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this study is to investigate the relationships among reactive oxygen species (ROS) elevation, histone transition, and seminal cytokine concentrations. Methods: Total levels of ROS in semen samples from 6560 men were measured. From this sample, 118 cases with high ROS and 106 controls were recruited. Basic semen parameters and histone-to-protamine ratios were analyzed, 400 semen cytokine and receptor alterations were assayed by protein chip, and finally 18 cytokines were validated in each sample using a Bio-Plex Cytokine assay. Results: The results showed that the seminal ROS concentration was associated with abnormalities in the sperm histone transition. Compared with controls, 93 cytokines had significant alterations in the high ROS cases, with 14 of them further verified in individual samples. The concentrations of CXCL5, CXCL16, CXCL8, IL-1b, IL-10, CSF3, CCL3, and TNF-α were significantly correlated with the histone transition ratio. In addition, IL-16 showed significantly different concentrations in controls, normal semen with high ROS levels, and abnormal semen with high ROS levels. Conclusions: Semen ROS are associated with abnormalities in sperm histone transition. CXCL5, CXCL8, IL-16, CCL8, CCL22, CCL20, CXCL16, IL-1B, IL-6, IL-7, IL-10, CSF3, CCL3, CCL4, and TNF-α all have elevated concentrations in semen with high ROS levels. These data might help to explain the mechanisms behind the increase in the levels of ROS and seminal cytokines and their relationship with defective spermatogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To efficiently establish the relationship among microstructure, composition and mechanical properties of the AlCoCrFeNi high entropy alloys, a high-throughput experimental method has been developed combining diffusion couple with the nanoindentation technique. In this paper, B2(A2) denotes that A2 (disordered bcc) particles are coherently dispersed in the B2 (ordered bcc) matrix, and vice versa for A2(B2). A B2(A2)-A2(B2)-fcc sandwich microstructure was produced by annealing an Al 1.1 CoCrFeNi/CoCrFeNi diffusion couple. The following nanoindentation measurements found that the hardness of the A2(B2) structure is slightly lower than that of B2(A2), but the elastic modulus and ductility behave differently. The fcc region, on the other hand, has a larger ductility than both B2(A2) and A2(B2). In addition, the elastic modulus of fcc decreases with the increasing Al content, whereas the hardness does not significantly change with composition. • A high-throughput experimental method for diffusion coupling combined with nanoindentation was implemented. • Al 1.1 CoCrFeNi(bcc)/ CoCrFeNi(fcc) diffusion couple were prepared. • B2(A2)-A2(B2)-fcc sandwich microstructure produced after annealing of the Al 1.1 CoCrFeNi/CoCrFeNi diffusion couple. • The A2(B2) structure is slightly less hard than B2(A2), but has the opposite elastic modulus and ductility. • Elastic modulus of fcc structure decreases with increasing Al content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After modeling, salidroside was administrated on SD rats and HBE cells, which led to the up-regulation of PPP1R15A expression, thereby alleviating the ER stress of model rats and cells via down-regulating p-eIF-2α, GRP78, ATF4 and CHOP. [Display omitted] This study explored the role and mechanism of salidroside in sepsis-associated acute lung injury (ALI). Sepsis-associated ALI in rats was induced by cecal ligation and perforation method, while lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was used to stimulate cell model. After the treatment of salidroside and dexamethasone (DEX), hematoxylin and eosin staining was applied to evaluate the rat lung injury. Next, the number of total cells and neutrophils in rat bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was counted, and the lung wet/dry (W/D) ratio and water content were measured. The neutrophil elastase activity and inflammatory factor levels in BALF were detected by Elastase Assay kit and ELISA. The expressions of PPP1R15A and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-related genes were detected by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and western blot. And the effects of silenced PPP1R15A and tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA) on cell viability, apoptosis and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress were determined by cell counting kit-8 assay, flow cytometry and western blot. The lung injury, inflammation and edema in sepsis model rats were alleviated by salidroside and DEX, meanwhile salidroside increased the viability and inhibited apoptosis in LPS-treated cells. The expression of PPP1R15A was decreased in sepsis models and increased by salidroside, and salidroside down-regulated the ER stress-related protein expressions in vitro and in vivo. Silenced PPP1R15A reversed the effect of salidroside on cell viability, apoptosis and ER stress, whereas TUDCA could counteract the above effect of silenced PPP1R15A. S alidroside targeted PPP1R15A to ameliorate lung injury in sepsis through inhibiting ER stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study on the bacterial community structure and metabolite effects of fermentation of Yu jiangsuan（YJS）by autochthonous starter cultures has been rarely reported. In this study, the bacterial community structure and metabolites were dynamically explored by high-throughput sequencing and LC-MS/MS during the fermentation of Yu jiangsuan (YJS) by inoculation of autochthonous starter cultures. The results demonstrated that the presence of interactions between bacterial genera accelerated the fermentation process and caused an increase in bacterial diversity and metabolite production. Firmicutes , Cyanobacteria and Proteobacteria were the dominant phyla, while Weissella , Lactobacillus and Fructobacillus were the dominant genera. The growth of Cyanobacteria and Fructobacillus was reduced in the inoculated fermentation group (HY). Totally 47 major differential metabolites were screened. Pearson correlation analysis showed that seven major bacterial genera were significantly associated with 15 differential metabolites. Carbohydrate metabolism and amino acid metabolism exerted a vital influence in the formation of metabolites. Moreover, this study contributes to the investigation of the bacterial community structure and metabolite composition in the fermentation of YJS by inoculation with autochthonous starter cultures, and helps to illuminate the potential value of core functional bacterial genera in the industrial controlled production of YJS. • Bacteria community succession was analyzed in Yu jiangsuan. • Dynamics of metabolites during Yu jiangsuan fermentation. • Correlation of major bacterial genera with differential metabolites was revealed. • Inoculated fermentation affected bacterial diversity and metabolites. • Key metabolic pathways of differential metabolites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taihu Lake is the most important drinking water source of the major cities in the Yangtze River Delta. The pollution of endocrine disruptors (EDCs)in Taihu Lake has been increasing recently, the accurate determination is an important guide for predicting its health risks and developing appropriate controls. Monitoring organic pollutants in water using the diffusive gradient in thin film technique (DGT) has attracted much attention due to more accuracy and convenience than the grab sampling methods. In this study, a novel cyclodextrin polymer (CDP) synthesized by the simple and green method in water was taken as an adsorbent for the binding gel. Four endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), bisphenol A (BPA), 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2), 17β-estradiol (E2), and estriol (E3), were taken as models to determine the diffusion coefficients (4.68 × 10−6, 3.38 × 10−6, 3.34 × 10−6 and 4.31 × 10−6 cm2/s) and to test the performance of DGT, such as adsorption capacity and deployment time (1–5 day). The assembled CDP-DGT was adopted to determine four EDCs in a simulated water environment (3–9 of pH, 0.001–0.5 M of ionic strength (IS), and dissolved organic matter (DOM) of 0–20 mg/L). The ability of CDP-DGT sampling was verified in the Jiuxiang River and was carried out for a large-scale field application of in situ sampling EDCs in Taihu Lake basin. The results show that the total EDCs concentration range and the estradiol equivalent concentrations (EEQ) in Taihu Lake and its main rivers are 2.78 ng/L to 11.08 ng/L and 2.62 ng/L to 10.91 ng/L, respectively. The risk quotients (RQs) of all sampling sites in the region were greater than 1, indicating that EDCs pose a serious threat to aquatic organisms in the area. Therefore, the monitoring of EDCs in the Taihu Lake basin should be further strengthened. [Display omitted] • A DGT loaded with a β -cyclodextrin polymer was proposed for the measurement of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). • The DGT method is stable and effective over a wide range of environmental factors. • Monitoring the concentration of EDCs in Taihu Lake through DGT and assessing the risk. Synopsis: A new diffusive gradient in thin film technology (DGT) device equipped with cyclodextrin-based gels has been developed which enables convenient and accurate monitoring of time-averaged concentrations of endocrine-disrupting chemicals in water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taihu Lake is the most important drinking water source of the major cities in the Yangtze River Delta. The pollution of endocrine disruptors (EDCs)in Taihu Lake has been increasing recently, the accurate determination is an important guide for predicting its health risks and developing appropriate controls. Monitoring organic pollutants in water using the diffusive gradient in thin film technique (DGT) has attracted much attention due to more accuracy and convenience than the grab sampling methods. In this study, a novel cyclodextrin polymer (CDP) synthesized by the simple and green method in water was taken as an adsorbent for the binding gel. Four endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), bisphenol A (BPA), 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2), 17β-estradiol (E2), and estriol (E3), were taken as models to determine the diffusion coefficients (4.68 × 10−6, 3.38 × 10−6, 3.34 × 10−6 and 4.31 × 10−6 cm2/s) and to test the performance of DGT, such as adsorption capacity and deployment time (1–5 day). The assembled CDP-DGT was adopted to determine four EDCs in a simulated water environment (3–9 of pH, 0.001–0.5 M of ionic strength (IS), and dissolved organic matter (DOM) of 0–20 mg/L). The ability of CDP-DGT sampling was verified in the Jiuxiang River and was carried out for a large-scale field application of in situ sampling EDCs in Taihu Lake basin. The results show that the total EDCs concentration range and the estradiol equivalent concentrations (EEQ) in Taihu Lake and its main rivers are 2.78 ng/L to 11.08 ng/L and 2.62 ng/L to 10.91 ng/L, respectively. The risk quotients (RQs) of all sampling sites in the region were greater than 1, indicating that EDCs pose a serious threat to aquatic organisms in the area. Therefore, the monitoring of EDCs in the Taihu Lake basin should be further strengthened. [Display omitted] • A DGT loaded with a β -cyclodextrin polymer was proposed for the measurement of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). • The DGT method is stable and effective over a wide range of environmental factors. • Monitoring the concentration of EDCs in Taihu Lake through DGT and assessing the risk. Synopsis: A new diffusive gradient in thin film technology (DGT) device equipped with cyclodextrin-based gels has been developed which enables convenient and accurate monitoring of time-averaged concentrations of endocrine-disrupting chemicals in water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liquid loading has always been a production problem in the middle and late production of gas wells. Severe loading will even lead to the shutdown of gas wells. In actual production, critical liquid-carrying velocity is often used to judge the loading of gas wells. Most conventional calculation models are modified vertical pipe models for the critical liquid-carrying gas velocity of an inclined pipe. They are established based on liquid film inversion without considering the characteristics of liquid film delamination slippage. In this study, the elliptical distribution model of the liquid film of the inclined pipe is first established. Then the cross-sectional velocity distribution model is coupled to solve the cross-sectional flow rate integrally. When the cross-sectional liquid flow rate is 0, the gas velocity is the critical liquid carrying velocity. Model calculations reveal that the critical liquid-carrying velocity is the largest when the inclination angle is 50°, consistent with experimental data. Using the data of production wells in the Changning block, Sichuan, China, to analyze well loading, the accuracy between the prediction results of loading in this study and field production judgment reached 93.75%, which is 25% higher than that of the Belfroid model. The model in this study accounts for the delamination slippage of the liquid film for the first time, and the calculated critical liquid carrying velocity can better reflect the flow state of gas-liquid two-phase flow in inclined pipe, which is beneficial for researchers to accurately evaluate and understand the production status of gas wells. • Mechanism of liquid film delamination slippage in inclined pipe is proposed. • The critical liquid carrying state is that the cross-section liquid flow is 0. • The elliptic distribution equation of liquid film in inclined pipe is established. • A new calculation model of critical liquid carrying velocity and flow rate of inclined pipe is established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is important for Chinese cities to advance sustainable energy consumption and ensure that they achieve their carbon emission peak and carbon neutrality. This paper develops a comprehensive assessment of the spatial variability and influencing factors of the quantity of household energy consumption per capita in mega-cities. Based on microlevel household survey data from Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China (N = 1082), we analyze the spatial effects and factors of urban residents' energy consumption. A spatial econometric model with four spatial weight matrices is employed, and the nested spatial weight matrix, which holds practical economic and geographical significance, is set. We find that (1) the quantity of energy consumption per capita of all households in Guangzhou is 189.57 kgce/year and shows a spatial difference, with 177.5 kgce/year in the central urban area and 203.47 kgce/year in the outskirts urban area. In particular, households in the outskirts of urban areas present a higher percentage of "high" and "medium-high" energy consumption per capita than those in central urban areas. (2) The quantity of household energy consumption per capita of urban residents is characterized by significant spatial correlation and agglomeration, with "high-high" and "low-low" agglomeration in central urban areas. (3) The household labor force, the housing area and household income are the core factors that drive the quantity of household energy consumption per capita, while the region and educational level are also main factors. We observe the diversity of the energy transition by comparing the patterns of the quantity of household energy consumption per capita within the city. A comprehensive picture of the diversity underlying the energy transition applied across cases can be distilled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Syntactic constructions roughly correspond to sentence meanings. Jiang and Haryu (2014) found that Chinese children can associate subject-verb-object ( SVO) constructions with causative events at age 2, but do not always map subject-verb ( SV) constructions to noncausative events, even after reaching 5 years of age. The latter results may be attributed to the fact that Chinese allows argument-dropping. That is, an SV sentence in Chinese sometimes includes an intransitive verb, but other times includes a transitive verb with the object dropped. This paper investigated Chinese adults' knowledge of syntax-semantics correspondence. Experiment 1 found that Chinese adults did not always map SV sentences to noncausative events, while they almost always mapped SVO sentences to causative events. Experiment 2 found that they preferred to use SV and SVO constructions to describe noncausative and causative events, respectively. Chinese adults understand that causative and noncausative events should typically be described using transitive and intransitive constructions, respectively. However, when inferring to which event (causative or noncausative) the given sentence should be mapped, their performance seems to be regulated by actual SV sentence usage in Chinese. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, the number of Web services on the Internet is quickly increasing. Meanwhile, different service providers offer numerous services with the similar functions. Quality of Service (QoS) has become an important factor used to select the most appropriate service for users. The most prominent QoS-based service selection models only take the certain attributes into account, which is an ideal assumption. In the real world, there are a large number of uncertain factors. In particular, at the runtime, QoS may become very poor or unacceptable. In order to solve the problem, a global service selection model based on uncertain QoS was proposed, including the corresponding normalization and aggregation functions, and then a robust optimization model adopted to transform the model. Experiment results show that the proposed method can effectively select services with high robustness and optimality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pyrolysis yields and gas characteristics must be studied to control pollution caused by waste-energy recycling and to develop a refuse-derived fuel technology. In this study, refuse-derived fuel pyrolysis experiments were performed in a high-temperature tube furnace. The effects of the final pyrolysis temperature, material mixture ratio, and pyrolysis rate on the yields of pyrolysis products, including gas, tar, and semi-coke, were studied. The volume fractions of the pyrolysis gas components (H2, CO, CH4, and CO2) of the samples were also detected. Results showed that with increased final temperature, the tar and gas yields increased but the semi-coke yield decreased. The volume fractions of the components had the following trends: H2increased, CO initially decreased and then increased, CH4initially increased and then decreased, and CO2decreased. With decreased biomass, the tar yield decreased and then increased, whereas the semi-coke and gas yields increased and then decreased. Compared with slow pyrolysis, fast pyrolysis decreased the tar yield by 9.13%, increased the gas yield by 7.45%, increased the CO and CH4volume fractions, and decreased the CO2volume fraction. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study demonstrates the use of few-layered graphene oxide nanosheets (GO) as efficient adsorbents for the removal of 17β-Estradiol (E2) from aqueous solutions via strong adsorptive interactions. The adsorption performance of GO was investigated by batch adsorption experiments. Further, adsorption experiments were carried out in the presence of other environmental pollutants to understand external influence on the adsorption of E2 by GO. The result indicated that the maximum adsorption capacity ( q m ) of GO for E2 obtained from the Langmuir isotherm was 149.4 mg/g at 298 K and it was the highest values of E2 adsorption compared to that of other adsorbents reported before. Thermodynamic study indicated that the adsorption was a spontaneous process. In addition, the result showed that E2 adsorption on GO was slight affected by the solution pH. The presence of NaCl in the solution facilitated the E2 adsorption and the optimum adsorption capacity was obtained when the NaCl concentration was 0.001 M. Moreover, the effect of background electrolyte divalent cations (Mg 2+ and Ca 2+ ) was not similar with the monovalent cations (Na + and K + ). While the influence of background electrolyte anions (Cl − , NO 3 - , SO 4 2 - , and PO 4 3 - ) were not significantly different. The presence of humic acid reduced E2 adsorption on GO at pH 7.0. GO still exhibited excellent adsorption capacity following numerous desorption/adsorption cycles. Besides, both π–π interactions and hydrogen bonds might be responsible for the adsorption of E2 onto GO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to evaluate diabetes mellitus objectively and accurately, this paper builds a self-adaptive dynamic evaluation model for diabetes mellitus, based on evolutionary strategies. First of all, on the basis of a formalized description of the evolutionary process of diabetes syndromes, using a state transition function, it judges whether a disease is evolutionary, through an excitation parameter. It then, provides evidence for the rebuilding of the evaluation index system. After that, by abstracting and rebuilding the composition of evaluation indexes, it makes use of a heuristic algorithm to determine the composition of the evolved evaluation index set of diabetes mellitus, It then, calculates the weight of each index in the evolved evaluation index set of diabetes mellitus by building a dependency matrix and realizes the self-adaptive dynamic evaluation of diabetes mellitus under an evolutionary environment. Using this evaluation model, it is possible to, quantify all kinds of diagnoses and treatment experiences of diabetes and finally to adopt ideal diagnoses and treatment measures for different patients with diabetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is concerned with state estimation and data fusion of a linear dynamic system observed by multirate sensors in the environment of wireless sensor networks. The sampling, estimation, and transmission rates in the wireless sensor networks are different. We derive the optimal linear estimation in the centralized, sequential, and distributed forms. A numerical example is given to show the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed algorithms. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Mecoptera, the larvae of Bittacidae and Panorpidae are saprophagous, but the feeding habit of larval Panorpodidae remains largely unknown. Here, we compare the ultramorphology of the mouthparts of the larvae among the hangingfly Bittacus planus Cheng, 1949, the scorpionfly Panorpa liui Hua, 1997, and the short-faced scorpionfly Panorpodes kuandianensis Zhong, Zhang & Hua, 2011 to infer the feeding habits of Panorpodidae. The molar region of Panorpodidae is glabrous, lacking the long spines for filtering (preventing larger particles from entering the pharynx) as found in Bittacidae or the tuberculate teeth for grinding as present in Panorpidae. The mandibles of Panorpodidae are unsuitable for grinding, and most likely, larval Panorpodidae have different feeding habits than larval Bittacidae and Panorpidae. The diversity of the larval feeding habits in Mecoptera and its evolutionary advantage are briefly discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface urban heat islands (SUHIs) are essential for evaluating urban thermal environments. However, current quantitative studies of SUHIs ignore the thermal radiation directionality (TRD), which directly affects study precision; furthermore, they fail to assess the effects of TRD characteristics at different land-use intensities, on the quantitative studies of SUHIs. To bridge this research gap, this study eliminates the interference of atmospheric attenuation and daily temperature variation factors, in quantifying the TRD based on land surface temperature (LST), from MODIS data and station air temperature data for Hefei (China) from 2010–2020. The influence of TRD on SUHI intensity quantification was evaluated by comparing the TRD under different land-use intensities in Hefei. The results show that: (1) daytime and nighttime directionality can reach up to 4.7 K and 2.6 K, and occur in areas with the highest and medium urban land-use intensity, respectively. (2) There are two significant TRD hotspots for daytime urban surfaces, where the sensor zenith angle is approximately the same as the forenoon solar zenith angle, and where the sensor zenith angle is near its nadir in the afternoon. (3) The TRD can contribute up to 2.0 K to the results of assessing the SUHI intensity based on satellite data, which is approximately 31–44% of the total SUHI in Hefei. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) transplantation has therapeutic effects in cerebral ischemia. However, how EPCs modulate microglial activity remains unclear. In the study, we explored whether EPCs modulated microglial/macrophage activity and facilitated injured brain repair. Adult male mice (n = 184) underwent transient middle cerebral artery occlusion, and EPCs were transplanted into the brain immediately after ischemia. Microglial/macrophage activity and complement receptor 3 (CR3) expression were evaluated in ischemic brains and cultured microglia. CR3 agonist leukadherin-1 was administrated into mice immediately after ischemia to imitate the effects of EPCs. Synaptophysin and postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD-95) expressions were detected in EPC- and leukadherin-1 treated mice. We found that EPC transplantation increased the number of M2 microglia/macrophage-phagocytizing apoptotic cells and CR3 expression in ischemic brains at 3 days after ischemia (p < 0.05). EPC-conditional medium or cultured EPCs increased microglial migration and phagocytosis and upregulated CR3 expression in cultured microglia under oxygen-glucose deprivation condition (p < 0.05). Leukadherin-1 reduced brain atrophy volume and neurological deficits at 14 days after ischemia (p < 0.05). Both EPC transplantation and leukadherin-1 increased synaptophysin and PSD-95 expression at 14 days after ischemia (p < 0.05). EPC transplantation promoted CR3-mediated microglial/macrophage phagocytosis and subsequently attenuated synaptic loss. Our study provided a novel therapeutic mechanism for EPCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malate is an important material to various industrials and clinical applications. Bacillus subtilis is a widely used biocatalyst tool for chemical production. However, the specific enzymatic properties of malate dehydrogenase from Bacillus subtilis (BsMDH) remain largely unknown. In the present study, BsMDH was cloned, recombinantly expressed and purified to test its enzymatic properties. The molecular weight of single unit of BsMDH was 34,869.7 Da. Matrix-Assisted Laser-Desorption Ionization-Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry and gel filtration analysis indicated that the recombinant BsMDH could form dimers. The kcat/Km values of oxaloacetate and NADH were higher than those of malate and NAD+, respectively, indicating a better catalysis in the direction of malate synthesis than the reverse. Furthermore, six BsMDH mutants were constructed with the substitution of amino acids at the coenzyme binding site. Among them, BsMDH-T7 showed a greatly higher affinity and catalysis efficiency to NADPH than NADH with the degree of alteration of 2039, suggesting the shift of the coenzyme dependence from NADH to NADPH. In addition, BsMDH-T7 showed a relatively lower Km value, but a higher kcat and kcat/Km than NADPH-dependent MDHs from Thermus flavus and Corynebacterium glutamicum. Overall, these results indicated that BsMDH and BsMDH-T7 mutant might be promising enzymes for malate production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Almost all eukaryotes need oxygen to maintain regular physiological activities. When the organism is under hypoxic situation for a persistent or periodic, it will induce irreversible physiological disorders and even pathological results. Hypoxia is closely related to the pathogenesis of metabolic diseases, cancer, chronic heart disease and kidney disease, myocardial ischemia, as well as reproductive diseases like preeclampsia and endometriosis. Therefore, monitoring and treatment of hypoxia have important implications for the pathophysiology of human-related diseases. Carbon dots (CDs) are emerging nanomaterials developed after 2004 with excellent performance, and have broad application potential in variousdomains likeoptical, biomedicine, energy. Advanced hypoxia therapeutics should be integrated with monitoring and treatment, and CDs with excellent performance are good potential options when sensing is combined with various therapeutic methods. Some researchers have also begun to carry out research in related fields and achieved some results. This article aims to clarify the various applications of CDs in hypoxia-related fields in recent years, including hypoxia sensing and hypoxia tumor theranostics. Finally, the possible challenges and prospects for the application of CDs in hypoxia-related fields are discussed. Graphical Abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Across the periodic table, Group 6 metals (Cr, Mo, W) play an important role in the development of carbene chemistry. In this review, we highlight the synthetic methodologies, structures, reactivities and functions of about 500 N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) complexes of these metals reported in the last four decades. Some emerging trends and applications are also summarized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Platelet microparticles (PMP) are the most abundant microparticles in the bloodstream which constituting microparticles come from a variety of cells. PMP are a heterogeneous population of vesicles. They are not only different from the exosomes which generated from the intracellular multivesicular bodies, but also different from the microparticles derived from megakaryocytes. PMP have intact membrane glycoprotein and lipid composition that is same with platelet. The diversity of PMP which induced by different activators play an important role in physiological function. PMP can work in coordination with platelet. Furthermore, it is now accepted that PMP mediate intercellular transfer of bioactive molecules for a better promotion of cell-cell communication, for instance, delivering membrane receptors, cytoplasmic proteins and even RNA to recipient cells. Recent researches have shown that the unusual level of PMP had found in patients with certain diseases, such as immune thrombocytopenic purpura, prostate cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, etc. This article reviewed the formation and diversity, generation, biological function of PMP and its related clinical diseases so as to promulgate the properties of PMP and multiple pathology progresses and relevant molecular mechanisms more inclusively and more correctly, to better guide the further clinical research, providing theoretical basis for new treatment methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three stair-step [Cu4I4] cluster-based complexes [Cu4I4(L1)2] (1), [Cu4I4(L2)]n (2) and [Cu4I4(L3)]n·2n(CH3CN) (3) and two linear Zn(ii) coordination polymers [ZnCl2(L1)]n (4) and [ZnCl2(L3)]n (5) with 2-pyridyl-triazole ligands (L1 = 2-((4-propyl-1H-1,2,3-triazol-1-yl)methyl)pyridine, L2 = 1,3-bis(1-(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)-1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)propane and L3 = 1,4-bis(1-(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)-1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)butane) have been synthesized and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD), powder XRD, thermogravimetric analysis and photoluminescence spectroscopy. Complex 1 possesses a stair-step [Cu4I4] cluster structure. Complexes 2 and 3 are 1-D polymeric forms of [Cu4I4] clusters. Complexes 4 and 5 are 1-D Zn(ii) polymeric structures bridged by L1 and L3 spacers, respectively. In 1–3, ligands L1–L3 adopt a bidentate/monodentate dual coordination mode through the assistance of the triazole and pyridyl nitrogen donors. Ligand L1 exhibits an unusual open-bridging mode in complex 4, employing Npy and 3′-Ntri donors. By comparison, ligand L3 bridges two metal centers in complex 5 using 3,3′-Ntri donors. The structural (4-pyridyl- and 2-pyridyl-triazole) and H-bonding interaction effects on the coordination structures are described and discussed. All five complexes exhibit solid-state photoluminescence with maximum emission in the region of 440–490 nm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quinolyl-1,2,3-triazole ligand supported [Cu4I4] stair-step aggregates [Cu4I4(L1)2] (1), [Cu4I4(L2)2] (2), [Cu4I4(L3)2] (3), [Cu4I4(L4)2] (4), [Cu4I4(L5)2] (5), and six-membered [Cu3I3] metallacycle based coordination polymers [Cu2I2(L6)]n (6) and [Cu2I2(L7)]n (7) (ligands are 2-((1H-1,2,3-triazol-1-yl)methyl)quinoline (L1), 2-((4-alkyl-1H-1,2,3-triazol-1-yl)methyl)quinoline (propyl, butyl and isobutyl for L2, L3 and L4, respectively) and 2-(1-((quinolin-2-yl)methyl)-1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)alcohol (methanol, ethanol and propanol for L5, L6 and L7, respectively)) have been prepared and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD), powder XRD, photoluminescence spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. Complexes 1–5 are stair-step [Cu4I4] aggregate structures supported by two quinolyl-triazole hybrid ligands. Complexes 6 and 7 are rare cyclic [Cu3I3] aggregate-based 1-D coordination polymers. All ligands adopt a common tridentate-bridging coordination mode. These complexes are strongly luminescent with a yellow emission (500–700 nm) in the solid state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kernel shape related traits (KSRTs) have been shown to have important influences on grain yield. The previous studies that emphasize kernel length (KL) and kernel width (KW) lack a comprehensive evaluation of characters affecting kernel shape. In this study, materials of the basic generations (B73, Mo17, and B73 × Mo17), 82 intermated B73 × Mo17 (IBM) individuals, and the corresponding triple testcross (TTC) populations were used to evaluate heterosis, investigate correlations, and characterize the quantitative trait loci (QTL) for six KSRTs: KL, KW, length to width ratio (LWR), perimeter length (PL), kernel area (KA), and circularity (CS). The results showed that the mid-parent heterosis (MPH) for most of the KSRTs was moderate. The performance of KL, KW, PL, and KA exhibited significant positive correlation with heterozygosity but their Pearson’s R values were low. Among KSRTs, the strongest significant correlation was found between PL and KA with R values was up to 0.964. In addition, KW, PL, KA, and CS were shown to be significant positive correlation with 100-kernel weight (HKW). 28 QTLs were detected for KSRTs in which nine were augmented additive, 13 were augmented dominant, and six were dominance × additive epistatic. The contribution of a single QTL to total phenotypic variation ranged from 2.1% to 32.9%. Furthermore, 19 additive × additive digenic epistatic interactions were detected for all KSRTs with the highest total R2 for KW (78.8%), and nine dominance × dominance digenic epistatic interactions detected for KL, LWR, and CS with the highest total R2 (55.3%). Among significant digenic interactions, most occurred between genomic regions not mapped with main-effect QTLs. These findings display the complexity of the genetic basis for KSRTs and enhance our understanding on heterosis of KSRTs from the quantitative genetic perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dephosphorization slag produced by the duplex steelmaking process is suited for making steel slag phosphate fertilizer. The factors influencing P2O5solubility of dephosphorization slag in citric acid were studied and a series of CaO-SiO2-FetO-P2O5quaternary slag samples were prepared and analyzed. It was demonstrated that the corresponding P2O5solubility varies from 81.6% to 97.9%. The P2O5solubility increases with the increase of CaO/SiO2, CaO/P2O5, CaO/(SiO2+P2O5) and SCA (Surplus Calcium Alkalinity), and decreases with the increase of both FetO and P2O5content. Halide content has a notable negative effect on solubility in citric acid. The P2O5solubility decreases from 92.5% to 47.1% with 1.0% CaF2added. When the content of CaF2reaches 6.0%, the solubility of slag is only 13.7%. With 2.0% and 5.0% CaCl2added, the P2O5solubility decreases from 92.5% to 81.9% and 79.8%, respectively. In order to get a higher soluble slag, fluorine-containing and chlorine-containing substances cannot be added into the steelmaking converter. The addition of MgO and MnO has a positive influence on the P2O5solubility in citric acid. The addition of Al2O3shows an opposite influence. Na2O can significantly improve the P2O5solubility in citric acid solution. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A novel photoelectrochemical (PEC) sensor for mercury ions (Hg 2 + ) was fabricated based on the energy transfer (ET) between CdS quantum dots (QDs) and Au nanoparticles (NPs) with the formation of T–Hg 2 + –T pairs. In the presence of Hg 2 + ions, a T-rich single-strand (ss) DNA labeled with Au NPs could hybridize with another T-rich ssDNA anchored on the CdS QDs modified electrode, through T–Hg 2 + –T interactions, rendering the Au NPs in close proximity with the CdS QDs and hence the photocurrent decrease due to the ET between the CdS QDs and the Au NPs. Under the optimal condition, the photocurrent decrease was proportional to the Hg 2 + concentration, ranging from 3.0 × 10 − 9 to 1.0 × 10 − 7 M, with the detection limit of 6.0 × 10 − 10 M. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Composite Pd/Fe[sub 3]O[sub 4] (1) was designed and synthesised by immobilization of tridentate pincer ligands with triethoxysilane groups on Fe[sub 3]O[sub 4] nanoparticles, Pd[sup II] complexation, and in-situ reduction process. The composite was characterised by transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, vibrating sample magnetometer, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analysis. The composite featured Pd nanoparticles of ~2-4nm, exhibited good thermal stability and hydrophilic property as well as excellent catalytic activity towards the reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol in water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CXCL8, a CXC-type chemokine, plays a crucial role in acute inflammation by recruiting and mediating neutrophils and other cells. In this study, the cDNA and genomic DNA sequence of a CXCL8-like protein (PaCXCL8l) from ayu (Plecoglossus altivelis) was determined. Sequence analysis showed that PaCXCL8l represented the typical structure of animal CXCL8s. Phylogenetic tree analysis indicated that PaCXCL8l was closest to CXCL8 of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua). Constitutive expression of PaCXCL8l was detected in all tested tissues and monocytes/macrophages, and its expression dramatically increased upon Listonella anguillarum infection. In vitro, recombinant PaCXCL8l exhibited a significant chemotactic effect on neutrophils at 0.1 μg/ml and on monocytes/macrophages at 1.0 μg/ml. In vivo, the numbers of peritoneal neutrophils and monocytes/macrophages were both up-regulated following intraperitoneal administration of recombinant PaCXCL8l. These results suggest that PaCXCL8l is crucially involved in the immune response of ayu by mediating chemotaxis of neutrophils and monocytes/macrophages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]