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The structures of Gen (n=40–44) clusters were searched by genetic algorithm combined with a tight-binding method. First-principles calculations based on density functional theory were performed to further optimize the isomer structures. The calculated results show that Gen (n=40–44) clusters favor platelike structures, consisted of four small magic clusters (Ge9 or Ge10), and a Ge4 core. The Ge4 core along with the parts of the four linked small clusters forms a diamond segment. The cluster mobilities of the most stable structures are in good agreement with the experimental data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A homemade 2D hybrid model (coupling particle in cell model with fluid model) is used to investigate the effect of the reaction chamber radius, the mixing ratio and pressure on the plasma properties in an Ar/O2/Cl2 magnetized DC (direct current) discharge. The results show that the main products are Ar**, Ar*, e, , Cl, , O(3P) and . The densities of oxygen species are slightly lower than those of Cl2 species. If the magnetic field strength of the central magnetic pole is slightly weaker than those of the edge magnetic poles, it will improve the uniformity of the plasma species at the film basal position. Even the mixing ratio of Ar/O2/Cl2 is varied from 9 : 0.2 : 1 to 9 : 1 : 0.2, the main particles are hardly changed, but the concentrations of ions and Cl atoms significantly decrease. The main ion densities at 3 mTorr appear to be lower, but more inhomogeneous than those at 6 mTorr. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atomically dispersed Ni species on β-Mo2C (Ni/β-Mo2C) is designed and synthesized through a simple thermal treatment process. Benefitting from the synergistic effect between Ni species and β-Mo2C, Ni/β-Mo2C exhibits high activities for the HER at all pH values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conjugate heat transfer of air and steam in a rectangular channel with 90° ribs along two opposite walls was investigated experimentally and numerically. The stainless steel test section was 80 mm × 40 mm × 2.5 mm and the ribs were 80 mm × 2.5 mm × 2.5 mm with 25 mm between ribs. The tests investigated the effects of coolant mass flow rate (the corresponding Reynolds numbers in the range of 10,000-50,000) on the conjugate heat transfer enhancement with the ribs. Two conjugate heat transfer calculation methods with different models were developed. For the first model (CHT-Q model) solid domain was viewed as a uniform internal heat source with the adiabatic exterior surfaces, while for the second model (CHT-T model) the outwall temperature was specified by the fitting polynomials of measured data with the zero internal heat. Comparisons between the experimental and numerical results showed that the SST k–ω turbulence model was more suitable for the conjugate heat transfer in such channels. Regardless of numerical error, an approximation of heat loss was specified by the successive trial calculations of the CHT-Q model, while a relatively accurate heat loss was evaluated by the post-processing of the CHT-T calculation. Local heat transfer coefficient can be determined accurately by the quantified heat loss of test system. The critical impact of conjugate heat transfer was demonstrated. Furthermore, the steam coolant compared to air exhibited a higher heat transfer performance by 12–25% for both the ribbed and smooth walls at the same Reynolds number. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Activated protein C (APC) cleaves protease-activated receptor 1 (PAR1) in vitro at R46 to initiate beneficial cell signaling; however, thrombin and APC can cleave at R41. To elucidate PAR1-dependent aspects of the pharmacologic in vivo mechanisms of APC, we generated C57BL/6 mouse strains carrying QQ41 or QQ46 point mutations in PAR1 (F2r gene). Using these strains, we determined whether or not recombinant murine signaling-selective APC mutants would reduce septic death or provide neuroprotection against ischemic stroke when mice carried PAR1-homozygous mutations that prevent cleavage at either R41 or R46. Intercrossing PAR1+/R46Q mice generated expected numbers of PAR1+/+, PAR1+/R46Q, and R46Q/R46Q offspring whereas intercrossing PAR1+/R41Q mice gave decreased R41Q/R41Q homozygotes (resembling intercrossing PAR1+/PAR1-knockout mice). QQ41-PAR1 and QQ46-PAR1 brain endothelial cells showed the predicted retention or loss of cellular responses to thrombin receptor-activating peptide, thrombin, or APC for each PAR1 mutation. In sepsis studies, exogenous APC reduced mortality from 50% to 10% in Escherichia coli-induced pneumonia for wild-type (Wt) PAR1 and QQ41-PAR1 mice (P < .01) but had no benefit for QQ46-PAR1 mice. In transient distal middle cerebral artery occlusion stroke studies, exogenous APC significantly reduced infarct size, edema, and neuronal apoptosis for Wt mice and QQ41-PAR1 mice but had no detectable benefits for mice carrying QQ46-PAR1. In functional studies of forelimb-asymmetry and foot-fault tests at 24 hours after stroke induction, signaling-selective APC was beneficial for Wt and QQ41-PAR1 mice but not QQ46-PAR1 mice. These results support the concept that APC-induced, PAR1-dependent biased signaling following R46 cleavage is central to the in vivo benefits of APC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Series Al-SBA-16 supports with different crystal sizes were fabricated by adding different inorganic salts to the synthesis system and used as the catalyst support for dibenzothiophene (DBT) and 4,6-dimethyldibenzothiophene (4,6-DMDBT) hydrodesulfurization (HDS). The supports and the corresponding catalysts were well analyzed in depth to investigate their structure-property relationship. NiMo/AS-Mn catalyst with the smallest crystal sizes, the largest BET surface areas, and the highest total acid and Brönsted acid content displayed the highest kHDS of 4,6-DMDBT and DBT. HYD was the preferential route for the DBT HDS over NiMo/AS-Mn, while ISO was the preferential pathway for 4,6-DMDBT HDS. Moreover, the DBT and 4,6-DMDBT HDS reaction networks over NiMo/AS-Mn were proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Al2O3 materials with different crystal forms were synthesized via the hydrothermal synthesis method using the low-cost raw material, and then the corresponding NiMo/Al2O3 catalysts were prepared by using Al2O3 materials with different crystal forms as the supports. The restrictive diffusion effects on the hydrodesulfurization reaction of different reactants with different molecular sizes over the NiMo/Al2O3 catalysts with different crystal forms were investigated systematically for the first time. NiMo/δ-Al2O3 exhibited the highest values of the effective factor (η) and effective diffusion coefficient (De), which could be ascribed to its proper pore diameter and relatively concentrated pore diameter distribution. The hindered magnitudes of diffusion decrease in the order of NiMo/δ-30 (2.23) < NiMo/θ-30 (2.83) < NiMo/γ-30 (3.42), indicating that the restrictive diffusion effect of NiMo/δ-30 catalyst was weaker than those of the other two catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study is to develop a measuring and presetting system for tool electrodes used for machining rimmed turbine blisks. A data-sampling method based on voltage monitoring was established as the foundation of this study. The proposed system, which consisted of three parts (mechanical, electric control and computer numerical control system software), was then realized. The method for extracting characteristic points from the theoretical model of the tool electrode and the bicubic B-spline algorithms for reconstructing the actual model of the tool electrode were established. A simulation analysis of the surface deviation was conducted to verify the extracting method and the algorithms. Next, a suitable accuracy evaluation method was developed to evaluate the accuracy of the tool electrode. Several experiments were performed to verify the performance of the system. Currently, the system is applied to practical production and has shown satisfactory results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selective oxidation of methane to organic oxygenates over metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) catalysts at low temperature is a challenging topic in the field of C1 chemistry because of the inferior stability of MOFs. Modifying the surface of Cu-BTC via hydrophobic polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) at 235 °C under vacuum not only can dramatically improve its catalytic cycle stability in a liquid phase but also generate coordinatively unsaturated Cu(I) sites, which significantly enhances the catalytic activity of Cu-BTC catalyst. The results of spectroscopy characterizations and theoretical calculation proved that the coordinatively unsaturated Cu(I) sites made H2O2 dissociative into •OH, which formed Cu(II)-O active species by combining with coordinatively unsaturated Cu(I) sites for activating the C−H bond of methane. The high productivity of C1 oxygenates (CH3OH and CH3OOH) of 10.67 mmol gcat. −1h−1 with super high selectivity of 99.6% to C1 oxygenates was achieved over Cu-BTC-P-235 catalyst, and the catalyst possessed excellent reusability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The aim of this study is to investigate the role of genetic variation and DNA methylation of PEAR1 rs12041331 in high on-treatment platelet reactivity (HPR) and recurrent ischemic stroke (RIS). Methods: Genotype, methylation, and mRNA of PEAR1 rs12041331 were detected in patients with cerebral ischemia, for the analysis of the effect of PEAR1 rs12041331 on HPR and RIS. Results: The major G allele of PEAR1 rs12041331 was associated with hypermethylation, which was associated with HPR. This link was not observed for RIS. Conclusions: The PEAR1 rs12041331 genetic polymorphism and DNA methylation may be among the genetic factors affecting HPR. The correlation between PEAR1 and RIS needs to be studied further. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Propylene is a significant basic material for petrochemicals such as polypropylene, propylene oxide, etc. With abundant propane supply from shale gas, propane dehydrogenation (PDH) becomes extensively attractive as an on-purpose propylene production route in recent years. Nitrogen-doped carbon (NC) nanopolyhedra supported cobalt catalysts were synthesized in one-step of ZIF-67 pyrolysis and investigated further in PDH. XPS, TEM and N2 adsorption-desorption were used to study the influence of carbonization temperature on as-prepared NC supported cobalt catalysts. The temperature is found to affect the cobalt phase and nitrogen species of the catalysts. And the positive correlation was established between Co0 proportion and space time yield of propylene, indicating that the modulation of carbonization temperature could be important for catalytic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to enhance the cooling performance of turbine blades, novel cooling channels filled with X-shaped truss array were investigated in this study. The flow mechanism and heat transfer characteristic of the cooling channel filled with X-shaped truss array were analyzed numerically. The empirical correlations of friction coefficient and Nusselt number related to the inlet Reynolds number (10000-60000) and truss rod inclination angle (30-45°) were fitted. The results show that the secondary flow vortex in the channel and the Nusselt number on the channel wall both show periodic distributions along the streamwise direction. The row-averaged Nusselt number and friction coefficient of the channel first decrease quickly and then decrease slowly along the streamwise direction. When truss rod inclination angle increases from 30-60°, the whole-averaged Nusselt number and the whole friction coefficient of the channel increase by 25.4-52.3% and 1.19-1.33 times, respectively under different Reynolds number. The channel with truss rod inclination angle of 45° has the best comprehensive thermal performance. In all cases, the ratio of heat transfer quantity of the truss rod surface to the total heat transfer quantity of the channel ranges from 22.9-42.3%. The increase of Reynolds number improves the heat transfer quantity of the channel wall and the increase of truss rod inclination angle reduces the heat transfer quantity of the channel wall. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The regeneration of the articular cartilage defects is characterized by the improvement in the quality of the repaired tissue and the reduction in the potential development of perifocal osteoarthritis (OA). Usually, the injection of dexamethasone (Dex) in the OA joints slows down the progression of inflammation and relieves pain. However, the anti-inflammatory Dex injected in the joint cavity is rapidly cleared, leading to a poor therapeutic effect. Multifunctional hydrogels with simultaneous chondrogenic differentiation, antioxidative, and anti-inflammatory capacities may represent a promising solution. Therefore, in this work, a novel injectable hydrogel based on double cross-linking of Schiff base bonds and coordination of catechol-Fe was developed. The obtained hydrogel (Gel-DA/DOHA/DMON@Dex@Fe) possessed molding performance in situ, excellent mechanical strength, controllable biodegradability, the on-demand release of the drug, and biocompatibility. The hydrogel system stimulated the HIF-1α signaling pathway and suppressed inflammation thanks to the introduction of DMON@Fe, consequently facilitating chondrogenic differentiation. The synergistic antiinflammatory effect together with the induction of chondrogenesis by Dex-loaded Gel-DA /DOHA/DMON@Fe hydrogel allowed the promotion of cartilage repair, as demonstrated by in vivo experiments. Hence, the proposed multifunctional scaffold provides a promising advancement in articular cartilage tissue engineering and may have great prospects in the prevention of OA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate monthly electricity consumption forecasting (MECF) is important for electricity retailers to mitigate trading risks in the electricity market. Clustering is commonly used to improve the accuracy of MECF. However, in the existing clustering-based forecasting methods, clustering and forecasting are independently performed and lack coordination, which limits the further improvement of forecasting accuracy. To address this issue, an adaptive optimal greedy clustering-based MECF method is proposed in this article. First, a metric of predictability is defined based on the goodness of fit and the cluster's average electricity consumption. Under a predefined number of clusters, the greedy clustering algorithm achieves the optimal division of individuals with the goal of maximizing predictability. Then, an adaptive method is designed to select the optimal number of clusters from a variety of clustering scenarios according to the prediction accuracy on the validation dataset. The effectiveness and superiority of the proposed method have been verified on a real-world dataset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fe/Beta@TiO2 core-shell catalysts with nanosize TiO2 thin film as the shell and small-grain Beta supporting Fe oxides as the core were controllably synthesized by a self-assembly method, and their catalytic performances were investigated for selective catalytic reduction of NO x with NH3 (NH3-SCR). It was found that TiO2 shells decrease the acid amount and weaken the acid strength of the catalyst, which could be beneficial to inhibiting the adsorption of acrolein species from covering active sites and then improving the ability of NO oxidation to NO2 during NH3-SCR. Moreover, TiO2 shells not only can prevent the deposition of coke and nitrate species from blocking the active iron sites, but also can serve as an effective barrier to suppress the active metal oxide nanoparticles from aggregating at high temperature. Therefore, Fe/Beta@TiO2 exhibits an improved thermal stability, higher propene, and H2O-tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the average fidelity of teleportation and thermal entanglement for a two-qubit Heisenberg XYZ chain in the presence of both an inhomogeneous magnetic field and a Dzyaloshinski-Moriya interaction. It shows that for a fixed Dz, the increase of bz will broaden the critical temperature at the cost of decreasing the thermal entanglement. And it can modulate the inhomogeneous magnetic field and the Dzyaloshinski-Moriya interaction for the average fidelity of teleportation to be optimal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Spontaneous dizygotic (DZ) twinning in humans is under genetic control. In sheep, heterozygous loss of function mutations in bone morphogenetic protein 15 (BMP15) increase ovulation and hence twinning rates. METHODS To investigate the role of BMP15 in human twinning, we typed 14 common variants, 4 rare novel variants initially detected by sequencing 279 mothers of DZ twins (MODZT) and 17 variants previously associated with premature ovarian failure (POF) in 933 DZ twinning families. We also typed five additional POF associated GDF9 variants. RESULTS There was some evidence for association between DZ twinning and a common intronic BMP15 variant (rs3897937), but this was not significant after correction for multiple testing. Three of the four novel variants (p.Pro174Ser, p.Ala311Thr and p.Arg392Thr) occurred in 1–5 MODZT but were not detected in 1512 controls. We also detected three POF associated mutations in both BMP15 and GDF9 at low frequencies in MODZT and controls. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that neither rare nor common BMP15 variants play a significant role in the variation in human DZ twinning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Endometriosis is a polygenic disease with a complex and multifactorial aetiology that affects 8–10% of women of reproductive age. Epidemiological data support a link between endometriosis and cancers of the reproductive tract. Fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2) has recently been implicated in both endometrial and breast cancer. Our previous studies on endometriosis identified significant linkage to a novel susceptibility locus on chromosome 10q26 and the FGFR2 gene maps within this linkage region. We therefore hypothesized that variation in FGFR2 may contribute to the risk of endometriosis. METHODS We genotyped 13 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) densely covering a 27 kb region within intron 2 of FGFR2 including two SNPs (rs2981582 and rs1219648) significantly associated with breast cancer and a total 40 tagSNPs across 150 kb of the FGFR2 gene. SNPs were genotyped in 958 endometriosis cases and 959 unrelated controls. RESULTS We found no evidence for association between endometriosis and FGFR2 intron 2 SNPs or SNP haplotypes and no evidence for association between endometriosis and variation across the FGFR2 gene. CONCLUSIONS Common variation in the breast-cancer implicated intron 2 and other highly plausible causative candidate regions of FGFR2 do not appear to be a major contributor to endometriosis susceptibility in our large Australian sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Endometriosis is a polygenic disease with a complex and multifactorial aetiology that affects 8–10% of women of reproductive age. Epidemiological data support a link between endometriosis and cancers of the reproductive tract. Fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2) has recently been implicated in both endometrial and breast cancer. Our previous studies on endometriosis identified significant linkage to a novel susceptibility locus on chromosome 10q26 and the FGFR2 gene maps within this linkage region. We therefore hypothesized that variation in FGFR2 may contribute to the risk of endometriosis. METHODS We genotyped 13 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) densely covering a 27 kb region within intron 2 of FGFR2 including two SNPs (rs2981582 and rs1219648) significantly associated with breast cancer and a total 40 tagSNPs across 150 kb of the FGFR2 gene. SNPs were genotyped in 958 endometriosis cases and 959 unrelated controls. RESULTS We found no evidence for association between endometriosis and FGFR2 intron 2 SNPs or SNP haplotypes and no evidence for association between endometriosis and variation across the FGFR2 gene. CONCLUSIONS Common variation in the breast-cancer implicated intron 2 and other highly plausible causative candidate regions of FGFR2 do not appear to be a major contributor to endometriosis susceptibility in our large Australian sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tendency to conceive spontaneous dizygotic (DZ) twins is a complex trait with important contributions from both environmental factors and genetic disposition. Twins are relatively common and occur on average 13 times per 1000 maternities, though the twinning frequency varies over time and geographic location. This variation is mostly attributed to the differences in DZ twinning rate, since the monozygotic twinning rate is relatively constant. DZ twinning is in part under genetic control, with mothers of DZ twins reporting significantly more female family members with DZ twins than mothers of monozygotic twins. Maternal factors such as genetic history, advanced age and increased parity are known to increase the risk of DZ twins. Recent research confirmed that taller mothers and mothers with a high body mass index (30>) are at greater risk of DZ twinning. Seasonality, smoking, oral contraceptive use and folic acid show less convincing associations with twinning. Genetic analysis is beginning to identify genes contributing to the variation in twinning. Mutations in one of these genes (growth differentiation factor 9) are significantly more frequent in mothers of DZ twins. However, the mutations are rare and only account for a small part of the genetic contribution for twinning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The title complex, [Cu2(C2O4)(C12H8N2)2(H2O)2](NO3)2·2H2O, is a centrosymmetric oxalate-bridged binuclear CuII complex with an inversion center located at the mid-point of the C—C bond of the bridging oxalate ligand. The Cu atom has five-coordinate square-pyramidal geometry. A network of O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds helps to consolidate the crystal packing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The spatio-temporal correlation of adjacent wind farms is dynamic and time-varying. • Dynamic spatio-temporal correlation can alleviate lagging problem of forecast values. • Hierarchical directed graph can clarify the causal relationship among input variables. • Reduce error sources by hierarchical directed graph can improve forecast accuracy. Accurate wind farm cluster power forecasting is of great significance for the safe operation of the power system with high wind power penetration. However, most of the current neural network methods used for wind farm cluster power forecasting have the following three problems: (1) lack of consideration of dynamic spatio-temporal correlation among adjacent wind farms; (2) simultaneously forecasting all wind farms' power to obtain the total power will produce numerous error sources; (3) ignoring the causal relationship among input variables. Therefore, to solve the above problems, this paper proposes an ultra-short-term wind farm cluster power forecasting method based on dynamic spatio-temporal correlation and hierarchical directed graph structure. Firstly, three different types of nodes (wind speed nodes, wind power nodes, and target node) and input samples are defined, and then the spatio-temporal correlation matrices that can describe the correlation of adjacent wind farms are also calculated. Secondly, directed edges are defined to connect different nodes in order to obtain the hierarchical directed graph structure. Finally, this graph structure with dynamic spatio-temporal correlation information is used to train the forecasting model. In case study, compared with other benchmark methods, the proposed method shows excellent performance in improving accuracy of power forecasting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selective catalytic reduction technology using NH3 as a reducing agent (NH3-SCR) is an effective control method to remove nitrogen oxides. TiO2-supported vanadium oxide catalysts with different levels of Ce and Sb modification were prepared by an impregnation method and were characterized by X-ray diffractometer (XRD), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-Vis DRS), Raman and Hydrogen temperature-programmed reduction (H2-TPR). The catalytic activities of V5CexSby/TiO2 catalysts for denitration were investigated in a fixed bed flow microreactor. The results showed that cerium, vanadium and antimony oxide as the active components were well dispersed on TiO2, and the catalysts exhibited a large number of d-d electronic transitions, which were helpful to strengthen SCR reactivity. The V5CexSby/TiO2 catalysts exhibited a good low temperature NH3-SCR catalytic activity. In the temperature range of 210 to 400°C, the V5CexSby/TiO2 catalysts gave NO conversion rates above 90%. For the best V5Ce35Sb2/TiO2 catalyst, at a reaction temperature of 210°C, the NO conversion rate had already reached 90%. The catalysts had different catalytic activity with different Ce loadings. With the increase of Ce loading, the NO conversion rate also increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia tarda with progressive arthropathy (SEDT-PA) is an autosomal recessive skeletal disorder resulting from pathogenic mutations in the Wnt1-inducible signaling pathway protein 3 (WISP3) gene. This disorder predominantly involves the skeletal system, with the leading features of platyspondyly, metaphyseal dysplasia of limbs and extremities, and progressive degeneration of joints. To date, 53 distinct forms of WISP3 mutations have been detected globally, eleven of which originated from Chinese patients. In the current study, we reported the clinical manifestations and radiographic features of two unrelated Chinese SEDT-PA patients. Through genetic analysis, two novel mutations (c.624delA, c.105dupT) as well as one recurrent mutation (c.342T > G) were identified in the WISP3 gene. Our study contributed to the further expansion of the WISP3 mutation spectrum, and demonstrated the genotype-phenotype relationship between mutations in the WISP3 gene and clinical findings of SEDT-PA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research reported a micelle/microemulsion bimodal templating method to synthesize hierarchical porous silicas (HPS) by using a P123/cosurfactant/1,3,5-trimethylbenzene/water four-component microemulsion system. The influence of different diols (i.e., ethanediol, 1,3-propanediol, 1,4-butanediol, 1,5-pentadiol, and 1,6-hexanediol) as cosurfactants on the synthesis of HPS was systematically investigated. Among the obtained mesoporous silica materials, the HPS materials with pore structures of disordered-SBA-15-type (Dis-SBA-15) together with mesocellular foams (MCFs) could be clearly identified from the TEM images when using ethanediol, 1,3-propanediol, or 1,4-butanediol as the swelling agent of P123 in the initial synthesis environment, while MCFs were the main phases as using 1,5-pentadiol and 1,6-hexanediol. The results showed that those shorter chain diols with carbon number from 2 to 4 (involving ethanediol, 1,3-propanediol, and 1,4-butanediol) could more easily swell the P123 micelles compared with the longer chain diols (1,5-pentadiol and 1,6-hexanediol). Consequently, HPS materials with large pore volumes (up to 1.48 cm³ g-1) were successfully prepared by the oriented role from the templates of the swollen P123 micelles and TMB/P123 microemulsions. This approach provides a novel pathway for the facile synthesis of HPS materials with large pore volumes which may be a type of promising candidate for various applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel composite material ZSM-5/KIT-6 (ZK-W) was synthesized by enwrapping nano-sized ZSM-5 zeolite crystals with mesoporous KIT-6 silica. This composite was used as catalyst support for NiMo sulfide in the hydrodesulfurization (HDS) of 4,6-dimethyldibenzothiophene (4,6-DMDBT). The NiMo/ZK-W catalyst showed the highest HDS activity and its 4,6-DMDBT conversion was about double that of a conventional NiMo/Al2O3 catalyst at 320 °C, 4.0 MPa, and LHSV of 150 h-1 and on the basis of sulfur. The superior catalytic performance of NiMo/ZK-W is related to the synergistic effect of the excellent diffusion through the hierarchical porous structure and the suitable Brønsted acid sites. 3,6-DMDBT and 3,7-DMDBT, two isomers of 4,6-DMDBT, were identified simultaneously for the first time in the HDS products of 4,6-DMDBT over the NiMo/ZK-W catalyst. The NiMo/ZK-W catalyst exhibited a superior isomerization ability, and 4,4'-dimethylbiphenyl was the main product, indicating that the isomerization pathway is the main reaction route. A new reaction network of 4,6-DMDBT HDS over NiMo/ZK-W catalyst was proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Formononetin, an isoflavone, can inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells, including those of the prostate. However, its antitumor mechanism remains unclear. Aim: To investigate whether the insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1)/insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF-1 R) signaling pathway mediates the formononetin antitumor effect on prostate cancer cells. Materials and methods: The viability of PC-3 cells was measured by MTT assay 48 h after formononetin treatment (25, 50 and 100 μM). Formononetin-induced cell apoptosis was measured by Hoechst 33258 staining and flow cytometry. Expression of Bax mRNA was detected by real-time PCR, and the expression levels of Bax and IGF-1 R proteins were detected by western blots. Results: At concentrations >12.5 μM, formononetin significantly inhibited the proliferation of human prostate cancer cells. Formononetin increased Bax mRNA and protein expression levels and decreased the expression levels of pIGF-1 R protein in a dose-dependent manner. Conclusion: High concentrations of formononetin-induced apoptosis in androgen-independent prostate cancer cells through inhibition of the IGF-1/IGF-1 R pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decreased cerebral blood flow causes brain ischemia and plays an important role in the pathophysiology of many neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia. In this study, we photomodulated astrocytes in the live animal by a combination of two-photon calcium uncaging in the astrocyte endfoot and in vivo imaging of neurovasculature and astrocytes by intravital two-photon microscopy after labeling with cell type specific fluorescent dyes. Our study demonstrates that photomodulation at the endfoot of a single astrocyte led to a 25% increase in the diameter of a neighboring arteriole, which is a crucial factor regulating cerebral microcirculation in downstream capillaries. Two-photon uncaging in the astrocyte soma or endfoot near veins does not show the same effect on microcirculation. These experimental results suggest that infrared photomodulation on astrocyte endfeet may be a strategy to increase cerebral local microcirculation and thus prevent brain ischemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of four novel azobenzene liquid crystals (LCs) with high birefringence were synthesized by coupling of intermediate molecules with a phenylacetylene fragment. The chemical structures of synthetic intermediates and compounds were confirmed by FT-IR and ¹H-NMR. The LC behavior including transition temperatures and phase sequences were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and polarizing optical microscope (POM). as a very important parameter, the birefringence was also measured using polarizing light interferometry method. Moreover, the characteristics of selective reflection which was associated with the birefringence of the N*-LC dropped with azobenzene LCs and the effect of trans-cis photoisomerization of these compounds on selective reflection were studied in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pandemic H1N1 influenza A (H1N1pdm) is currently a dominant circulating influenza strain worldwide. Severe cases of H1N1pdm infection are characterized by prolonged activation of the immune response, yet the specific role of inflammatory mediators in disease is poorly understood. The inflammatory cytokine IL-6 has been implicated in both seasonal and severe pandemic H1N1 influenza A (H1N1pdm) infection. Here, we investigated the role of IL-6 in severe H1N1pdm infection. We found IL-6 to be an important feature of the host response in both humans and mice infected with H1N1pdm. Elevated levels of IL-6 were associated with severe disease in patients hospitalized with H1N1pdm infection. Notably, serum IL-6 levels associated strongly with the requirement of critical care admission and were predictive of fatal outcome. In C57BL/6J, BALB/cJ, and B6129SF2/J mice, infection with A/Mexico/4108/2009 (H1N1pdm) consistently triggered severe disease and increased IL-6 levels in both lung and serum. Furthermore, in our lethal C57BL/6J mouse model of H1N1pdm infection, global gene expression analysis indicated a pronounced IL-6 associated inflammatory response. Subsequently, we examined disease and outcome in IL-6 deficient mice infected with H1N1pdm. No significant differences in survival, weight loss, viral load, or pathology were observed between IL-6 deficient and wild-type mice following infection. Taken together, our findings suggest IL-6 may be a potential disease severity biomarker, but may not be a suitable therapeutic target in cases of severe H1N1pdm infection due to our mouse data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seed development is a complex process governed by highly coordinated changes in the expression of a large protein set. DIGE (Difference Gel Electrophoresis)-based proteomics was used to study developing Chinese fir seeds. 153 spots were obtained by using the analysis of DeCyder software (v. 6.5). Cluster analysis showed that they could be joined into three main groups. Eleven spots, more actively expressed at early cotyledonary stage of developing seeds, were identified by LC/MS/MS (tandem MS). Ten spots were identified by searching NCBInr or EST databases. They included two legumin-like storage proteins, LEA protein, small heat-shock protein, PR10-1.13, a protein similar to eukaryotic translation initiation factor, a protein similar to maternal effect embryo arrest 51, ORF115, a protein similar to monodehydroascorbate reductase, and unknown proteins. The potential function of these proteins during the precotyledonary stage of seed development was discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adsorption and desorption of Cu(II) and Cd(II) in the soils derived from basalts aged 10, 1,330, and 2,290 kiloyears (ky) in the tropical regions of Hainan, China were investigated. X-ray diffraction analysis indicated that the clay minerals were dominated by smectite, halloysite, and kaolinite mixed with montmorillonite in the soil derived from 10 ky-basalt and by kaolinite, halloysite, and gibbsite in the soils derived from 1,330 and 2,290 ky-basalt. Soil cation exchange capacity (CEC) decreased with the increase in basalt age, while the content of soil-free iron oxides decreased for such increase in basalt age. The amount of Cu(II) and Cd(II) adsorbed by the soil derived from 10 ky-basalt was much higher than that adsorbed by the other two soils. A similar trend was observed for the desorption of Cu(II) and Cd(II) pre-adsorbed to these soils in 1 M KNO3. The desorption rate of Cu(II) decreased with the increase in age of basalts. This indicated that the electrostatic adsorption of Cu(II) decreased with the increase in degree of soil development. Similarly, the specific adsorption of Cu(II) increased with increase in degree of soil development. The desorption rate of Cd(II) showed much higher than the Cu(II), which ranged from 87.5% to 92.6%. This indicated that Cd(II) was adsorbed mainly through the electrostatic attraction. Removal of soil organic matter leads to the decrease in Cu(II) adsorption and the increase in Cu(II) desorption. The overall effect of organic matter removal on the adsorption and desorption of Cd(II) and desorption rate of Cd(II) was smaller compared to Cu(II). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an increasing recognition of the potential role of variants in mitochondrial DNA and nuclear-encoded mitochondrial proteins in modifying disease risk. This has led to a rise in the number of mitochondrial association studies being undertaken. The unique inheritance pattern of mitochondria makes mitochondrial DNA variation susceptible to having geographical structure. Such a structure may have a dramatic impact on mitochondrial association studies, particularly in heterogeneous populations. By combining self-reported ancestry data and mitochondrial genotype data for a sample of 3839 individuals from 1037 Australian families, population substructure is tested by looking for evidence of differences in mitochondrial haplogroup and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) frequencies between different ancestral groups in Australia. In addition, the substructure within ancestral groups is tested by comparing the similarity of mates to randomly drawn pairs of individuals from the same ancestral group. It is shown that there are significant differences in the frequency of variants both between European and non-European groups, and within Europe. This agrees with previous studies of European mitochondrial variation. No evidence was found for structure within ancestral groups. These results have implications for future association studies in the Australian population, and other populations of heterogeneous ancestry.European Journal of Human Genetics (2008) 16, 1396–1403; doi:10.1038/ejhg.2008.117; published online 9 July 2008 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spectrofluorometric titration, electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometric and UV melting methods were employed to study the binding of chelerythrine and sanguinarine to bulged DNA. The results showed that both alkaloids bind specifically to single pyrimidine (C, T) bulge sites. The ability of sanguinarine to bind to both regular and bulged hairpins was found to be stronger than that of chelerythrine, but the binding selectivity of chelerythrine toward single-base bulges was much larger than that of sanguinarine. [Figure not available: see fulltext.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have previously demonstrated that haplotypes of three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the first intron of the OCA2 gene are extremely strongly associated with variation in human eye color. In the present work, we describe additional fine association mapping of eye color SNPs in the intergenic region upstreamof OCA2 and within the neighboring HERC2 (hect domain and RLD2) gene. We screened an additional 92 SNPs in 300-3000 European individuals and found that a single SNP in intron 86 of HERC2, rs12913832, predicted eye color significantly better (ordinal logistic regression R2 = 0.68, association LOD = 444) than our previous best OCA2 haplotype. Comparison of sequence alignments of multiple species showed that this SNP lies in the center of a short highly conserved sequence and that the blue-eye-associated allele (frequency 78%) breaks up this conserved sequence, part of which forms a consensus binding site for the helicase-like transcription factor (HLTF).We were also able to demonstrate the OCA2 R419Q, rs1800407, coding SNP acts as a penetrance modifier of this new HERC2 SNP for eye color, and somewhat independently, of melanoma risk. We conclude that the conserved region around rs12913832 represents a regulatory region controlling constitutive expression of OCA2 and that the C allele at rs12913832 leads to decreased expression of OCA2, particularly within iris melanocytes, which we postulate to be the ultimate cause of blue eye color. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: The paraoxonase (PON) gene family has been demonstrated to be capable of preventing lipid peroxidation and could consequently exert antiatherosclerotic effects. Alteration of enzyme activity due to polymorphisms in the PON genes may influence the development of atheroma and thus affect stroke risk. PON2, the second member of this family, has twopolymorphisms, C311S and G148A. Our study explores the relationship between the two polymorphisms of PON2 and stroke. Methods: 120 healthy individuals, 150 patients with primary cerebral hemorrhage and 180 patients with cerebral infarction were included in this study. The genotypes of PON2 were detected with polymerase chain reaction and digested by specific restriction enzymes. Results: C311S and G148A polymorphisms of PON2 exist in Chinese people, with the allele frequencies 0.273/0.727 for C/S and 0.567/0.433 for G/A. No significant differences were observed in genotype and allele frequency between stroke patients and controls (p > 0.05). Conclusions: There was no significant correlation between the two tested polymorphisms of PON2 and stroke in the Chinese population. Allele C/S and G/A might not be independent risk factors for stroke. Copyright © 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structures, binding energies, and electronic properties for Al7X, Al7X-, Al13X-, Al13X2-, and Al13X12-(X F, Cl, Br) were studied at the B3LYP/6-311G(2d,p) level. Among the systems studied, Al7and Al13clusters in Al7X and Al13X-reveal alkali-like and halogen-like superatom characters, respectively. Al7can bind with one halogen atom to form a salt-like compound as Al7−X-. Al13-can combine with one halogen atom to form a diatomic halogen anion Al13X-. However, when adding more halogens, the superatom structure would be destroyed, resulting in low-symmetry compounds with the center Al atom moving toward the cluster surface. The structures of Al13X1,2,12-(X F, Cl, Br) are similar to those of X I; however, their binding energies and electron structures are much different. In addition, the analyses of the calculated NBO charges show that Cl and Br have similar properties, but much different from F, when interacting with the Al clusters. The Al−Cl and Al−Br bonds have more covalent character in Al7X and Al13X2,12-, in contrast to the corresponding Al−F bond, which has prominent ionic character. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a sheet forming process, drawbead plays an important role on the control of the material flow. In this paper, a numerical procedure for the design of forming processes is described. It is based on the coupling of an optimization technique and the simplified one step finite element method (also called inverse approach). The optimization technique allows adjustment of the process parameters so that specified criteria are fulfilled. Response surface methodology (RSM) is a global approximation method, which is ideally suited for solving highly nonlinear optimization problems. The finite element method, in addition to predicting the response of the process to certain parameters, allows assessment of the effect of a variation in these parameters on this response. The authors utilize the one step method at the preliminary design stage to supply stress or strain information for the following optimization using RSM. The procedure for this optimization process is fully described. The front fender for Numisheet 2002 is presented and the real defect free workpiece is produced to demonstrate the usefulness of the proposed optimization procedure. A comparison between the two forming limit curves (FLC) before and after optimization and results obtained using the precise incremental commercial software DYNAFORM based on the explicit dynamic approach verify that the optimization design method of drawbead could be successfully applied in designing actual tools of auto body cover panels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Residential customers account for an indispensable part in the demand response (DR) program for their capability to provide flexibility when the system required. However, their available DR capacity has not been fully comprehended by the aggregator, who needs the information to bid accurately on behalf of the residential customers in the market transaction. To this end, this article devised an optimal bidding strategy for the aggregator considering the bottom-up responsiveness of residential customers. First, we attempt to establish the customers’ responsiveness function in relation to different incentives, during which a home energy management system is introduced to implement load adjustment for electrical appliances. Second, the functional relation is applied to the aggregator's decision-making process to formulate the optimal bidding strategy in the day-ahead market and the optimal scheduling scheme for the energy storage system with the aim to maximize its own revenue. Finally, the validity of the proposed method is verified using the dataset from the Pecan Street experiment in Austin. The obtained outcome demonstrates the practical rationality of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Constitutive MAPK activation silences genes required for iodide uptake and thyroid hormone biosynthesis in thyroid follicular cells. Accordingly, most BRAFV600E papillary thyroid cancers (PTC) are refractory to radioiodide (RAI) therapy. MAPK pathway inhibitors rescue thyroid-differentiated properties and RAI responsiveness in mice and patient subsets with BRAFV600E-mutant PTC. TGFB1 also impairs thyroid differentiation and has been proposed to mediate the effects of mutant BRAF. We generate d a mouse model of BRAFV600E-PTC with thyroid-specific knockout of the Tgfbr1 gene to investigate the role of TGFB1 on thyroid-differentiated gene expression and RAI uptake in vivo. Despite appropriate loss of Tgfbr1, pSMAD levels remained high, indicating that ligands other than TGFB1 were engaging in this pathway. The activin ligand subunits Inhba and Inhbb were found to be overexpressed in BRAFV600E-mutant thyroid cancers. Treatment with follistatin, a potent inhibitor of activin, or vactosertib, which inhibits both TGFBR1 and the activin type I receptor ALK4, induced a profound inhibition of pSMAD in BRAFV600E-PTCs. Blocking SMAD signaling alone was insufficient to enhance iodide uptake in the setting of constitutive MAPK activation. However, combination treatment with either follistatin or vactosertib and the MEK inhibitor CKI increased 124I uptake compared to CKI alone. In summary, activin family ligands converge to induce pSMAD in Braf-mutant PTCs. Dedifferentiation of BRAFV600E-PTCs cannot be ascribed primarily to activation of SMAD. However, targeting TGFß/activin-induced pSMAD augmented MAPK inhibitor effects on iodine incorporation into BRAF tumor cells, indicating that these two pathways exert interdependent effects on the differentiation state of thyroid cancer cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The temporal distribution of irradiance is a mapping of cloud spatial distribution. • Irradiance data can be achieved using cloud position and RGB values in sky images. • Sky image-irradiance mapping model is updated according to current cloud conditions. • Minutely irradiance forecasting is achieved by a sky image-irradiance mapping model. Accurate minutely solar irradiance forecasting is the basis of minute-level photovoltaic (PV) power forecasting. In this paper, a minutely solar irradiance forecasting method based on real-time surface irradiance mapping model is proposed, which is beneficial to achieve higher accuracy in solar power forecasting. First, we extract the red–green–blue (RGB) values and position information of pixels in sky images after background elimination and distortion rectification, to explore the mapping relationship between sky image and solar irradiance. Then a real-time sky image-irradiance mapping model is built, trained, and updated according to real-time sky images and solar irradiance. Finally, the future solar irradiance within the time horizons varying from 1 min to 10 min ahead are capable to be forecasted by using the latest updated surface irradiance mapping model with extracted input from the current sky image. The average measures of proposed method by using MAPE, RMSE, MBE are 22.66%, 92.72, −1.26% for blocky clouds; 20.44%, 132.15, −1.06% for thin clouds and 18.82%, 120.78, −0.98% for thick clouds, thus deliver much higher forecasting accuracy than other benchmarks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Guided tissue regeneration is a standard surgical treatment for periodontal regeneration. For the purpose of producing a novel guided tissue regeneration membrane with antibacterial activity and osteogenesis, coaxial electrospinning was utilized to manufacture core/shell structure fiber mats. Polyvinylpyrrolidone loaded with naringin was worked as the core of the fiber to enrich osteogenesis and poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)–Poly- l -lactic acid–Poly- dl -lactic acid loaded with metronidazole was designed as the shell of the fiber to prevent or treat infections caused by bacteria. The loaded metronidazole with an initial short-term release and the loaded naringin with a long-term sustainable release allowed the membranes with multifunction of antibacterial activity and boosting the proliferation of osteoblast with improved osteogenesis, respectively. The fibrous membrane also shielded osteoblast and fibroblasts from ingrowth. The study provided a simple coaxial electrospinning crafts for fabricating multifunctional guided tissue regeneration membranes. A graphical abstract is available online as a supplementary material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Tuberculous meningitis (TBM) is one of the most serious types of extrapulmonary tuberculosis. However, low sensitivity of culture of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) increases the difficulty in clinical diagnosis, leading to diagnostic delay, and misdiagnosis. Xpert MTB/RIF assay is a rapid and simple method to detect tuberculosis. However, the efficacy of this technique in diagnosing TBM remains unclear. Therefore, a meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of Xpert MTB/RIF for TBM, which may enhance the development of early diagnosis of TBM. Methods: Relevant studies in the PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases were retrieved using the keywords 'Xpert MTB/RIF', 'tuberculous meningitis (TBM)'. The pooled sensitivity, pooled specificity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, diagnostic odds ratio, summary receiver operator characteristic curve, and area under the curve (AUC) of Xpert MTB/RIF were determined and analyzed. Results: A total of 162 studies were enrolled and only 14 met the criteria for meta-analysis. The overall pooled sensitivity of Xpert MTB/RIF was 63% [95% confidence interval (CI), 59-66%], while the overall pooled specificity was 98.1% (95% CI, 97.5-98.5%). The pooled values of positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, and diagnostic odds ratio were 20.91% (12.71-52.82%), 0.40% (0.32-0.50%), and 71.49% (32.64-156.56%), respectively. The AUC was 0.76. Conclusions: Xpert MTB/RIF exhibited high specificity in diagnosing TBM in CSF samples, but its sensitivity was relatively low. It is necessary to combine other high-sensitive detection methods for the early diagnosis of TBM. Moreover, the centrifugation of CSF samples was found to be beneficial in improving the sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recurrent floods in recent decades have imposed a challenge of embankment dam breaching, which needs great attention through improved design methods that are based on risk approach, the evacuation plans for people at risk, etc. In this study, based on the small-scale model tests a series of experiments were conducted to determine the breaching process of cohesive embankment dam using a simplified physical based breach model due to overtopping; the breach process observed during tests in the laboratory and the results from analyzed parameters are described. Five dam models, three of which were constructed with homogenous clay soil while two were sandy-clay mixture tested. The heights of the embankments dam were 0.45 m, and the widths at the crest were 0.20 m. The data from these examinations indicated that headcut erosion played an important role in the process of breach development. Initiation of erosion, flow shear erosion, sidewall bottom erosion, and distinct soil mechanical slope mass failure from the headcut vertically and laterally were all observed during these tests. In this physical based experimental model, the initial scouring position calculated by applying a hydraulic method, the broad crested weir formula used for breaching flow discharge and flow velocity computed based on breach flow discharge. The stability of the side slope failures was estimated by comparing the resisting and deriving force. Further, using data from laboratory experiments, the calculated peak breach discharge, breach characteristics times, breach widths, and breach flow velocity generally agreed well with the measured data and also the knowledge acquired from observed breach process at several stages. Finally, the accuracy of model was checked by root-mean-square-error. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Photovoltaic power presents volatility, annual periodicity, and adjacent similarity. • Deep learning and time correlation principles are combined in a forecasting problem. • Time correlation modification improves the accuracy of LSTM-RNN forecasting model. • Partial daily pattern prediction can be used to optimize the modification process. Photovoltaic (PV) power generation is an effective means to realize solar energy utilization. Due to the natural characteristics of random fluctuations in solar energy, the applications of PV power such as grid-connected PV power plant, distributed PVs, and building integrated PVs will introduce new characteristics to the generation and load side of the power grid. Therefore, accurate day-ahead PV power forecasting is of great significance for enabling grid manager to achieve PV power output data in advance and mitigate the influence of random fluctuations. To tackle the deficiencies of conventional artificial intelligence (AI) modeling methods such as overfitting problem and insufficient generalization ability to complex nonlinear modeling, a day-ahead PV power forecasting model assembled by fusing deep learning modeling and time correlation principles under a partial daily pattern prediction (PDPP) framework is proposed. First, an independent day-ahead PV power forecasting model based on long-short-term memory recurrent neural network (LSTM-RNN) is established. Second, a modification method is proposed to update the forecasting results of LSTM-RNN model based on time correlation principles regarding different patterns of PV power in the forecasting day. Third, a partial daily pattern prediction (PDPP) framework is proposed to provide accurate daily pattern prediction information of particular days, which is used to guide the modification parameters. Simulation results show that the proposed forecasting method with time correlation modification (TCM) is more accurate than the individual LSTM-RNN model, and the performance of the forecasting model can be further improved for those days with accurate daily pattern predictions under the proposed PDPP framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The crystal structure of the title compound, μ-2-hydroxy­butane­dioato-1κ2 O4, O4′:2κ3 O1, O2, O4-nitrato-2κ O-tris­(1,10-phen­anthroline)-1κ4 N, N′;2κ2 N, N′-dicopper(II) nitrate tetra­hydrate, [Cu2(C4H3O5)(NO3)(C12H8N2)3](NO3)·4H2O, contains an unsymmetrical dinuclear copper complex with Cu(phen)2 and Cu(phen)(NO3) moieties (phen is 1,10-phenanthroline) bridged by a malate (2-hydroxy­butane­dioate) ligand, which acts as a double-bridging and tetra­dentate ligand. As a result of this double-bridging action, especially the direct coordination of the O atom of one carboxyl­ate group of malate to the two Cu atoms, the Cu⋯Cu distance is only 4.199 (1) Å and the two phen planes are roughly parallel [the shortest inter­planar distance is 3.28 (1) Å], exhibiting an obvious intra­molecular π–π stacking inter­action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]