Search

Aims: Global warming due to increasing greenhouse gas emissions intensifies frequency and duration of extreme high temperature which has become a primary threat to cool-season crops worldwide. Aim of this study was to examine root adaptability to high temperature regulated by γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) associated with changes in antioxidant metabolism, root vitality, osmotic balance, and global metabolites remodeling in roots.A cool-season creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera) plants were pretreated with or without the 0.5 mM GABA before being subjected to heat stress (35/30 °C) or optimal temperature condition (23/19 °C) for 15 days. Roots were sampled to analyze changes in physiological parameters and metabolomics.Heat stress significantly induced reactive oxygen species production in roots resulting in oxidative damage to proteins and cell membranes. However, the GABA could effectively alleviate heat-induced decline in total antioxidant capacity and also improve multiple antioxidant enzyme activities, root vitality, and osmotic adjustment ability in roots. Metabolomic analysis found that a total of 71 metabolites were jointly or differentially regulated by heat stress or heat stress together with the GABA application in roots. In response to heat stress, the GABA improved the accumulation of multiple amino acids, sugars, organic acids, and other metabolites (urea, putrescine, myoinositol, arbutin, campesterol, and stigmasterol) in roots.GABA could effectively increase antioxidant capacity, root vitality, and osmotic adjustment associated with improved root adaptability to heat stress. In addition, the GABA-regulated metabolites remodeling could be attributed to better energy metabolism, osmotic balance, antioxidant capacity, and cellular structures in roots under heat stress.Methods: Global warming due to increasing greenhouse gas emissions intensifies frequency and duration of extreme high temperature which has become a primary threat to cool-season crops worldwide. Aim of this study was to examine root adaptability to high temperature regulated by γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) associated with changes in antioxidant metabolism, root vitality, osmotic balance, and global metabolites remodeling in roots.A cool-season creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera) plants were pretreated with or without the 0.5 mM GABA before being subjected to heat stress (35/30 °C) or optimal temperature condition (23/19 °C) for 15 days. Roots were sampled to analyze changes in physiological parameters and metabolomics.Heat stress significantly induced reactive oxygen species production in roots resulting in oxidative damage to proteins and cell membranes. However, the GABA could effectively alleviate heat-induced decline in total antioxidant capacity and also improve multiple antioxidant enzyme activities, root vitality, and osmotic adjustment ability in roots. Metabolomic analysis found that a total of 71 metabolites were jointly or differentially regulated by heat stress or heat stress together with the GABA application in roots. In response to heat stress, the GABA improved the accumulation of multiple amino acids, sugars, organic acids, and other metabolites (urea, putrescine, myoinositol, arbutin, campesterol, and stigmasterol) in roots.GABA could effectively increase antioxidant capacity, root vitality, and osmotic adjustment associated with improved root adaptability to heat stress. In addition, the GABA-regulated metabolites remodeling could be attributed to better energy metabolism, osmotic balance, antioxidant capacity, and cellular structures in roots under heat stress.Results: Global warming due to increasing greenhouse gas emissions intensifies frequency and duration of extreme high temperature which has become a primary threat to cool-season crops worldwide. Aim of this study was to examine root adaptability to high temperature regulated by γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) associated with changes in antioxidant metabolism, root vitality, osmotic balance, and global metabolites remodeling in roots.A cool-season creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera) plants were pretreated with or without the 0.5 mM GABA before being subjected to heat stress (35/30 °C) or optimal temperature condition (23/19 °C) for 15 days. Roots were sampled to analyze changes in physiological parameters and metabolomics.Heat stress significantly induced reactive oxygen species production in roots resulting in oxidative damage to proteins and cell membranes. However, the GABA could effectively alleviate heat-induced decline in total antioxidant capacity and also improve multiple antioxidant enzyme activities, root vitality, and osmotic adjustment ability in roots. Metabolomic analysis found that a total of 71 metabolites were jointly or differentially regulated by heat stress or heat stress together with the GABA application in roots. In response to heat stress, the GABA improved the accumulation of multiple amino acids, sugars, organic acids, and other metabolites (urea, putrescine, myoinositol, arbutin, campesterol, and stigmasterol) in roots.GABA could effectively increase antioxidant capacity, root vitality, and osmotic adjustment associated with improved root adaptability to heat stress. In addition, the GABA-regulated metabolites remodeling could be attributed to better energy metabolism, osmotic balance, antioxidant capacity, and cellular structures in roots under heat stress.Conclusions: Global warming due to increasing greenhouse gas emissions intensifies frequency and duration of extreme high temperature which has become a primary threat to cool-season crops worldwide. Aim of this study was to examine root adaptability to high temperature regulated by γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) associated with changes in antioxidant metabolism, root vitality, osmotic balance, and global metabolites remodeling in roots.A cool-season creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera) plants were pretreated with or without the 0.5 mM GABA before being subjected to heat stress (35/30 °C) or optimal temperature condition (23/19 °C) for 15 days. Roots were sampled to analyze changes in physiological parameters and metabolomics.Heat stress significantly induced reactive oxygen species production in roots resulting in oxidative damage to proteins and cell membranes. However, the GABA could effectively alleviate heat-induced decline in total antioxidant capacity and also improve multiple antioxidant enzyme activities, root vitality, and osmotic adjustment ability in roots. Metabolomic analysis found that a total of 71 metabolites were jointly or differentially regulated by heat stress or heat stress together with the GABA application in roots. In response to heat stress, the GABA improved the accumulation of multiple amino acids, sugars, organic acids, and other metabolites (urea, putrescine, myoinositol, arbutin, campesterol, and stigmasterol) in roots.GABA could effectively increase antioxidant capacity, root vitality, and osmotic adjustment associated with improved root adaptability to heat stress. In addition, the GABA-regulated metabolites remodeling could be attributed to better energy metabolism, osmotic balance, antioxidant capacity, and cellular structures in roots under heat stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The glabrous assimilating branch of xerophytes can absorb atmospheric water resources. • The water taken up by the branches could be transported downward through the xylem. • The uptake of atmospheric water mitigated the drought stress in Calligonum mongolicum. • Foliar water uptake improved the photosynthetic capacity in Calligonum mongolicum. Atmospheric water is among the most important water sources for plants in arid ecosystems and plays an important role in facilitating drought stress survival in plants. However, little is known about the specific physiological benefits of foliar water uptake (FWU) for woody plants inhabiting arid desert areas. The objective of this study was to explore the physiological responses of Calligonum mongolicum to atmospheric water uptake by the assimilating branches, with a special focus on the FWU effect on shoot water status and photosynthesis. To this end, the canopies of natural C. mongolicum plants in a desert region of northwestern China were humidified in a field in-situ misting experiment and a long-term wetting experiment, during which physiological measurements of plant water relations and photosynthetic capacity were performed, alongside the observation of FWU by H 2 18O isotopic tracing. Following the in-situ misting experiment, the water potential of the assimilating branches was significantly higher than that of the secondary branches at midnight, suggesting that FWU resulted in a reverse water potential gradient in C. mongolicum at the branch level. The 18O isotope was markedly enriched in the assimilating branches, secondary branches, and trunk xylem following the foliar uptake of 18O labeled water, indicating that the water uptake from the atmosphere by the assimilating branches could replenish the stem. The relative water content and water potential of the assimilating branches were significantly increased by FWU. The net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, and maximum photochemical efficiency of C. mongolicum plants were markedly increased following the wetting treatment. Our results clearly show that C. mongolicum is capable of FWU, and that the absorbed water could be transported downward through the xylem and improve the branch water status and photosynthetic capacity. These findings provide a new perspective for deepening our understanding of the drought survival mechanism of plants in arid environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Living subjects (i.e., humans and animals) have abundant sources of energy in chemical, thermal, and mechanical forms. The use of these energies presents a viable way to overcome the battery capacity limitation that constrains the long-term operation of wearable/implantable devices. The intersection of novel materials and fabrication techniques offers boundless possibilities for the benefit of human health and well-being via various types of energy harvesters. This review summarizes the existing approaches that have been demonstrated to harvest energy from the bodies of living subjects for self-powered electronics. We present material choices, device layouts, and operation principles of these energy harvesters with a focus on in vivo applications. We discuss a broad range of energy harvesters placed in or on various body parts of human and animal models. We conclude with an outlook of future research in which the integration of various energy harvesters with advanced electronics can provide a new platform for the development of novel technologies for disease diagnostics, treatment, and prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two different experimental methods (relative rate and absolute rate methods) were used to measure the rate coefficients for the reactions of NO3 radical with six methacrylate esters: methyl methacrylate (MMA, k1), ethyl methacrylate (EMA, k2), propyl methacrylate (PMA, k3), isopropyl methacrylate (IPMA, k4), butyl methacrylate (BMA, k5), and isobutyl methacrylate (IBMA, k6). In the relative rate method, the loss of the esters relative to that of a reference compound was followed in a 7300 L Teflon-walled chamber at 298 ± 2 K and 1000 ± 5 hpa. In the absolute method, the temporal profiles of NO3 and N2O5 were followed by using a dual channel cavity ring-down spectrometer in the presence of an excess of ester in the 7300 L chamber. The rate coefficients from these two methods (weighted averages) in the units of 10-15 cm3 molecule-1 s-1 at 298 K are k1 = 2.98 ± 0.35, k2 = 4.67 ± 0.49, k3 = 5.23 ± 0.60, k4 = 7.91 ± 1.00, k5 = 5.91 ± 0.58, and k6 = 6.24 ± 0.66. The quoted uncertainties are at the 2σ level and include estimated systematic errors. Unweighted averages are also reported. In addition, the rate coefficient k7 for the reaction of NO3 radical with deuterated methyl methacrylate (MMA-d8) was measured by using the relative rate method to be essentially the same as k1. The trends in the measured rate coefficient with the length and nature of the alkyl group, along with the equivalence of k1 and k7, strongly suggest that the reaction of NO3 with the methacrylate esters proceeds via addition to the double bond on the methacrylate group. The present results are compared with those from previous studies. Using the measured values of the rate coefficients, along with those for reactions of these esters with OH, O3, and chlorine atoms, we calculated the atmospheric lifetimes of methacrylate esters. We suggest that NO3 radicals do contribute to the atmospheric loss of these unsaturated esters, but to a lesser extent than their reactions with OH and O3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microstructure evolution and properties of a typical precipitation strengthened Cu-0.82Cr alloy during continuous extrusion were investigated by means of optical microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, hardness and conductivity measurement. The severe plastic deformation and precipitation behavior of the alloy during deformation were discussed in detail. The results showed that hardness increased firstly until reaching the maximum value of 148 HB in right-angle bending, and then decreased in the extending extrusion zone. Severe deformation and precipitation process occurred during continuous extrusion, and the nano-scale precipitates inhibited the recrystallization in some extent, both of which contributed to the properties of the extruded alloy. The extruded alloy had an average grain size of about 1.5 μm, and it reached a yield strength, ultra-strength, elongation and electrical conductivity of 292 MPa, 346 MPa, 34% and 77.5%IACS, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work synthesized Ni-doped SnO 2 solid solutions of single-phase rutile structure by a facile one-pot hydrothermal method, and studied their gas sensing property. Hollow microspheres were obtained, and their morphology varied with Ni content. Sensors of Ni-doped SnO 2 were sensitive to presence of ethanol vapor, with a maximum response occurring at 260 °C. For the optimum composition Ni/Sn = 0.5 at.% (NS-0.5), a response of 28.9 was achieved at 260 °C for 100 ppm ethanol, which was twice that of pristine SnO 2 . A linear dependence of the sensor response on the ethanol concentration was observed. The ethanol response remained almost constant during a 30-day measurement. Furthermore, the NS-0.5 also exhibited excellent selectivity to ethanol against several common interfering gases. The ethanol sensing behavior and possible sensing mechanism was discussed in relation with the defect chemistry and microstructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many plant-associated fungi host endosymbiotic endobacteria with reduced genomes. While endobacteria play important roles in these tri-partite plant-fungal-endobacterial systems, the active physiology of fungal endobacteria has not been characterized extensively by systems biology approaches. Here, we use integrated proteomics and metabolomics to characterize the relationship between the endobacterium Mycoavidus sp. and the root-associated fungus Mortierella elongata. In nitrogen-poor media, M. elongata had decreased growth but hosted a large and growing endobacterial population. The active endobacterium likely extracted malate from the fungal host as the primary carbon substrate for energy production and biosynthesis of phospho-sugars, nucleobases, peptidoglycan and some amino acids. The endobacterium obtained nitrogen by importing a variety of nitrogen-containing compounds. Further, nitrogen limitation significantly perturbed the carbon and nitrogen flows in the fungal metabolic network. M. elongata regulated many pathways by concordant changes on enzyme abundances, post-translational modifications, reactant concentrations and allosteric effectors. Such multimodal regulations may be a general mechanism for metabolic modulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High strength Cu-Ni-Si alloys were potential elastic conductive materials due to their high strength and high electrical conductivity. To address the trade-off between strength and electrical conductivity, a combined aging process has been developed to enhance the properties of a Cu-6.0Ni-1.0Si-0.5Al−0.15Mg-0.1Cr alloy after an initial thermo-mechanical heat treatment. The microstructure evolutions of the studied alloys were investigated by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The mechanical and physical properties were evaluated through hardness measurements, tensile test and conductivity test. The results demonstrated that a hardness value of 381 HV, an ultimate strength of 1155.8 MPa, an elongation of 3.5%, and an electrical conductivity of 25.2%IACS were achieved after an appropriate combined aging process. Cold rolling led to the formation of a dense dislocation wall as a result of dynamic interactions among the dislocations and precipitates. During the second stage of aging, nanoscale precipitates formed in the first stage slowly coarsened and effectively pinned dislocations motion. The combined aging process increased the hardness and strength, without sacrificed the electrical conductivity. This work provided an effective route for balancing the strength and electrical conductivity of copper alloys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An updated thermodynamic description of pure Co was obtained by applying new models for the third generation of Calphad databases. In these models, different contributions to the heat capacity, especially the vibrational part, were treated separately, each with a clear physical meaning. More importantly, the phase stabilities of the various allotropes are now physically well defined. Thus, the derived thermodynamic properties vary more reasonably and smoothly from 0 K and up. Calculated thermodynamic properties were compared with experimental data and good agreement was obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a continuing need to develop effective materials for the environmental remediation of copper-contaminated sites. Nano-MnO2–biochar composites (NMBCs) were successfully synthesized through the reduction of potassium permanganate by ethanol in a biochar suspension. The physicochemical properties and morphology of NMBCs were examined, and the Cu(II) adsorption properties of this material were determined using various adsorption isotherms and kinetic models. The adsorption capacity of NMBCs for Cu(II), which was enhanced by increasing the pH from 3 to 6, was much larger than that of biochar or nano-MnO2. The maximum adsorption capacity of NMBCs for Cu(II) was 142.02 mg/g, which was considerably greater than the maximum adsorption capacities of biochar (26.88 mg/g) and nano-MnO2 (93.91 mg/g). The sorption process for Cu(II) on NMBCs fitted very well to a pseudo-second-order model (R2 > 0.99). Moreover, this process was endothermic, spontaneous, and hardly influenced by ionic strength. The mechanism of Cu(II) adsorption on NMBCs mainly involves the formation of complexes between Cu(II) and O-containing groups (e.g., COO–Cu and Mn–O–Cu). Thus, NMBCs may serve as effective adsorbents for various environmental applications, such as wastewater treatment or the remediation of copper-contaminated soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The accumulation of carbon dioxide (CO 2) within enclosed spaces, along with volatile organic compounds, under certain humidity, temperature, and ventilation conditions is associated with detrimental human health symptoms such as fatigue. Color-based chemical sensing is a promising approach to detect CO 2 levels relevant to indoor air quality through producing fast, quantifiable output visible to the naked eye. In a prior work, a colorimetric gas sensor was fabricated through synthesizing the metal-organic framework, ZIF-8, as the adsorbent, followed by post-synthetic mixing with a dye, phenol red (PSP), and primary amine, ethylenediamine (ED). While this sensor (termed PSP-ED/ZIF-8) maintained its structural integrity in atmospheric conditions and exhibited an increasing fuchsia-to-yellow color change with increasing CO 2 levels in dry environment, the colorimetric response greatly suffered in the presence of humid CO 2. In this work, a significantly improved colorimetric CO 2 sensor (referred to as ED/PSP:ZIF-8) is accomplished through directly incorporating phenol red in the ZIF-8 metal and linker precursor solutions and then blending with ethylenediamine. MATLAB-generated color distributions and in-situ ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopic studies quantitatively demonstrate an enhanced colorimetric gas response of ED/PSP:ZIF-8 compared to that of PSP-ED/ZIF-8 across an important range of CO 2 for indoor air quality monitoring (500 – 3500 ppm) and across a range of humidity. The new sensor also exhibits high selectivity to CO 2 compared to select volatile organic compounds, such as acetone and ethanol, which contribute to human health symptoms experienced indoors. The enhanced performance is attributed to the proposed incorporation of phenol red within ZIF-8, while maintaining the chemical stability of the MOF. • PXRD and FTIR confirm the chemical stability of MOF based on dye-precursor mixing. • In-situ UV-Vis spectroscopy shows improved CO 2 response in humidity and acetone. • Enhanced gas sensing is attributed to possible dye inclusion in MOF pores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Ordered ZnO nanorods sensing electrode was in situ grown on YSZ electrolyte. • ZnO nanorods led to enhanced potentiometric 2-EH and DOP sensing properties. • Enhanced sensing performance was discussed in the terms of the heterogeneous catalytic reaction. In this work, a planar mixed-potential sensor was prepared by in situ growth of ZnO nanorods sensing electrode on yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) electrolyte. The potentiometric sensing properties of the sensor toward two signature gases of early PVC cable fires, 2-ethyl hexanol (2-EH) and dioctyl phthalate (DOP), were studied. High response values of −205.1 mV and −54.1 mV were achieved at 400 °C for ∼171–193 ppm 2-EH and ∼89–109 ppt DOP for ZnO nanorods-based sensor, which were 1.7 and 4.1 times higher than those of ZnO nanoparticles-based sensor, respectively. Furthermore, ZnO nanorods exhibited much better 2-EH and DOP selectivity. The improvement of the gas-sensing performance of ZnO nanorods may be ascribed to the unique three-dimensional electrode morphology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is considered to be a neurodegenerative disorder that is characterized by increased oxidative stress. Medicinal plants, with their antioxidant properties, have been used to cure several human diseases. The aim of the current study was to explore the protective and therapeutic effect of baicalein on AD-induced rats. Materials and methods: Swiss Wistar rats were used in the study. The rats were divided into five groups. Group I: normal control group treated with water; Group II: disease control treated with AlCl3 to induce the mimicking AD for 4 successive weeks (SW); Group III: normal control group treated with baicalein (5 mg/kg) for 2 SW followed by combination of baicalein and AlCl3for 4 SW; Group IV: normal control group treated with baicalein (10 mg/kg) for 2 SW followed by combination of baicalein and AlCl3 for 4 SW; Group V: normal control group treated with rivastigmine (0.3 mg/kg) for 2 SW followed by combination of rivastigmine and AlCl3 for 4 SW. Moreover, the therapeutic groups are as follows: Group VI: AD disease control treated with AlCl3 for 4 SW and serving as the therapeutic positive group; Group VII: AD disease control + baicalein (5 mg/kg) for 12 SW; Group VIII: AD disease control + baicalein (10 mg/kg) for 12 SW; Group IX: AD disease control + rivastigmine (0.3 mg/kg) for 12 SW. Behavioral test, T-maze, and rotarod test were also performed before and after the treatment. At the end of the experimental study, all the rats were sacrificed and their brains were removed and divided into two portions. The first portion was homogenated for estimating the level of acetylcholinesterase (AchE) and acetylcholine (Ach). Another portion was used for histopathological evaluation. Results: The current investigation showed that baicalein significantly reduced the duration of revolving on the rotarod, cage activity, and T-maze activity in a dose-dependent manner compared with the AD control group rats. It also altered the AchE and Ach levels in the brain homogenates. The histopathology study also provides strength to the protective effect of baicalein. Conclusion: The current study showed that baicalein significantly (P,0.05) improved the biochemical and histopathological condition of AD in rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We developed an efficient fluorination protocol that converts easily accessible aziridines into β-fluoroamines, which are important motifs in biologically active molecules. In contrast with traditional fluorination approaches, DMPU–HF has shown both higher reactivity and regioselectivity and good functional group tolerance; thus, a wide scope of β-fluoroamines can now be accessed conveniently. The stereochemical behavior of the ring opening depends on the substitution pattern of the aziridine substrate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At an electron ionization of 70 eV, all cationic fragments for N , N -dimethylformamide (DMF) and N -methylformamide (NMF) were detected with a quadrupole mass spectrometer and confirmed using isotopically-labelled molecules. Ion efficiency curves near the threshold region (5–20 eV) for all of the major cationic fragments were measured and fit with a Wannier-type function to determine their appearance energies (AEs). Possible reaction pathways for the formation of each observed cation were proposed, and the corresponding enthalpies (Δ H ⁰s) of reaction were evaluated from quantum chemical calculations using the Gaussian09 computational quantum chemistry package. Our results suggest that hydrogen loss for both molecules occurs primarily from the carbonyl carbon. We confirm that hydrogen transfer from the carbonyl site to the nitrogen site occurs during amide bond cleavage. The resultant cations, C 2 H 6 N + and CH 4 N + , and their further fragments, formed by losing an H atom, H 2 , or C 2 H 2 , were first identified in mass spectra and were further probed by comparing the AEs with calculated Δ H ⁰s of all possible formation pathways. Additionally, we suggest that hydrogen transfer also occurs when the N-CH 3 bond breaks in DMF. This detailed study of the simplest molecule with the peptide linkage contributes to our understanding of electron impact on peptide-like molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The regulation of the design and construction of new buildings is insufficient; controlling the energy consumption of buildings in the service stage is the key to realizing the goal of energy saving of buildings by tiered pricing for electricity consumption based on quota. Fifty families in Kunming, China were investigated through questionnaire survey and spot test; regression analysis and energy simulation were conducted to obtain the annual energy consumption of a nuclear family. The quota was finally established based on the correction of the two results according to the actual situation; annual energy consumption per capita was used as the unit, which was more reasonable than the annual energy consumption per floor area that was used by numerous scholars. The study demonstrates that the annual per capita energy consumption is significantly related with per capita floor area and annual per capita income. With the popularity of solar hot water system, natural ventilation is the main way for cooling in summer and the requirement of indoor comfort cannot be met during winter in residential buildings in Kunming. Thus, the value of energy simulation is higher than that of regression analysis. Finally, the corrected value of energy simulation was determined to be the final quota, which was 7.7% lower than the value of regression analysis, to meet the requirements of energy efficiency and indoor comfort. To sum up, both the value of regression analysis and the adjusted value of energy simulation could be determined as the quota. The study has a reference value to the prediction of the energy consumption of buildings, which also offers a guideline for the local government to establish relevant policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Knowledge of dielectric properties of malignant human tissues is necessary for the recently developed magnetic resonance (MR) technique called MR electrical property tomography. This technique may be used in early tumor detection based on the obvious differentiation of the dielectric properties between normal and malignant tissues. However, the dielectric properties of malignant human tissues in the scale of the Larmor frequencies are not completely available in the literature. In this study, the authors focused only on the dielectric properties of colorectal tumor tissue. Methods: The dielectric properties of 504 colorectal malignant samples excised from 85 patients in the scale of the Larmor frequencies were measured using the precision open-ended coaxial probe method. The obtained complex-permittivity data were fitted to the single-pole Cole-Cole model. Results: The median permittivity and conductivity for the malignant tissue sample were 79.3 and 0.881 S/m at 128 MHz, which were 14.6% and 17.0% higher, respectively, than those of normal tissue samples. Significant differences between normal and malignant tissues were found for the dielectric properties (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Experimental results indicated that the dielectric properties were significantly different between normal and malignant tissues for colorectal tissue. This large-scale clinical measurement provides more subtle base data to validate the technique of MR electrical property tomography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whether Slit homologue 2 (Slit2) inhibits or promotes tumor cell migration remains controversial, and the role of Slit2-Roundabout 1 (Robo1) signaling in oral cancer remains to be fully elucidated. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of Slit2-Robo1 signaling in the adhesion, invasion and migration of tongue carcinoma cells, and the mechanism by which Slit2-Robo1 signaling inhibits or promotes tumor cell migration. Tca8113 tongue carcinoma cells were treated with the monoclonal anti-human Robo1 antibody, R5, to inhibit the Slit2-Robo1 signaling pathway, with immunoglobulin (Ig)G2b treatment as a negative control. The expression levels of Slit2 and Robo1 were determined using flow cytometry. The effects of R5 on the adhesion, invasion and migration of Tca8113 tongue carcinoma cells were investigated. Gelatin zymography was used to investigate the activity of matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2) and MMP9. Western blot analysis was used to evaluate the expression levels of E-cadherin in Tca8113 cells treated with 10 μg/ml of either R5 or IgG2b. Slit2 and Robo1 proteins were found to be expressed in the Tca8113 cells. R5 significantly inhibited the adhesion, invasion and migration of Tca8113 cells in vitro. R5 also inhibited the activities of MMP2 and MMP9, and increased the expression of E-cadherin in the Tca8113 cells. These results suggested that Slit2-Robo1 signaling promoted the adhesion, invasion and migration of tongue carcinoma cells by upregulating the expression levels of MMP2 and MMP9 and, downregulating the expression of E-cadherin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been suggested to be involved in the development and progression of malignancies. However, the investigation of small nucleolar RNA host gene 20 (SNHG20) on cancer progression remains unknown. The present study aims to explore the clinical significance of SNHG20 and its potential molecular mechanism in colorectal cancer (CRC).Methods: Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was used to measure the SNHG20 expression in a total of 107 CRC tissues and CRC cell lines. Loss of function approach was employed to explore the biological roles of SNHG20 in vitro. Its potential molecular mechanism was further verified by western blotting and qRT-PCR.Results: The results suggested that SNHG20 expression was significantly upregulated in CRC tissues compared to corresponding normal tissues from 107 CRC patients. High expression of SNHG20 was remarkably associated with advanced TNM stage in patients with CRC. Multivariate analyses unraveled that SNHG20 expression was an independent prognostic factor for overall survival in CRC patients. Further functional assays revealed that knockdown of SNHG20 suppressed cell proliferation, invasion and migration, and cell cycle progression in CRC cells. Moreover, SNHG20 regulated cell growth through modulation of a series of cell cycle-associated genes.Conclusions: Our findings suggest that dysregulation of SNHG20 participates in CRC progression and may serve as a potential therapeutic target in CRC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A conjunctive model was established to regulate surface water and groundwater allocations in an arid river basin in northwest China. In the model, water data for the current year was used to calculate the optimal water resources allocation in the basin for a future year. Results showed that the current water resources were sufficient to meet the highest priority water needs (daily life, industry, ecological environment), but there was insufficient water to meet the needs of arable agriculture, including irrigation, in its current form. The model results highlight the need for reduced groundwater exploitation, agricultural planning and protection of the ecological environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive and irreversible neurodegenerative disorder that has recently seen serious increase in the number of affected subjects. In the last decade, neuroimaging has been shown to be a useful tool to understand AD and its prodromal stage, amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI). The majority of AD/MCI studies have focused on disease diagnosis, by formulating the problem as classification with a binary outcome of AD/MCI or healthy controls. There have recently emerged studies that associate image scans with continuous clinical scores that are expected to contain richer information than a binary outcome. However, very few studies aim at modeling multiple clinical scores simultaneously, even though it is commonly conceived that multivariate outcomes provide correlated and complementary information about the disease pathology. In this article, we propose a sparse multi-response tensor regression method to model multiple outcomes jointly as well as to model multiple voxels of an image jointly. The proposed method is particularly useful to both infer clinical scores and thus disease diagnosis, and to identify brain subregions that are highly relevant to the disease outcomes. We conducted experiments on the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) dataset, and showed that the proposed method enhances the performance and clearly outperforms the competing solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nickel nanoparticles are widely used in the industry and may affect the reproductive system. The potential molecular mechanism of exposing the first-trimester trophoblast cell line (HTR-8/SVneo) to nickel nanoparticles remains unclear. Hence, the aim of this study was to investigate the in vitro cytotoxicity of Ni NPs on HTR-8/SVneo cells. HTR-8/SVneo cells were subjected to various concentrations (0, 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10, and 12.5 μg/cm2) of Ni NPs. The toxicity of the Ni NPs was evaluated in HTR-8/SVneo cells by measuring cell viability. The underlying mechanism of nickel nanoparticles toxicity to HTR-8/SVneo cells was determined by measuring the content of intracellular reactive oxygen species, mitochondrial membrane potential, and the rate of cell apoptosis and cell cycle, by measuring adenosine triphosphate levels, intracellular lipid peroxidation malondialdehyde, total superoxide dismutase, and CuZn/Mn-SOD activities, and by determining proteins related to Nrf2, MAPK, and Cytochrome c. Our results showed that the nickel nanoparticles treatment reduced the viability of HTR-8/SVneo cells, while it increased their oxidative stress and lowered their mitochondrial respiratory capacity. Additionally, the nickel nanoparticles treatment induced cell S-phase arrest and apoptosis. These molecular events may be linked to the oxidative stress-Nrf2 pathway/MAPK/Caspase 3 cascade. Thus, nickel nanoparticles exert cytotoxic effects on HTR-8/SVneo cells, which could affect the function of the placenta in human. • Nickel nanoparticles could exert toxic effects on HTR-8/SVneo cells. • Nickel nanoparticles can significantly reduce the relative copy number of mtDNA. • Nickel nanoparticles may affect placental function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Post-ovulatory aging, a major problem faced by oocytes cultured in vitro, causes oxidative damage and mitochondrial dysfunction in oocytes. The ginsenoside Rh2 is one of the main monomeric components of ginseng, but its effects on porcine oocytes are unknown. In the present study, in vitro aging (IVA) and accelerated induction of aging using H 2 O 2 resulted in DNA damage and an increased incidence of abnormal spindle formation in porcine oocytes. Rh2 supplementation increased the antioxidant capacity, reduced the occurrence of early apoptosis, and improved the development of in vitro fertilized blastocysts. It also rescued the abnormal aggregation of mitochondria and the decrease of the mitochondrial membrane potential under mitochondrial dysfunction. Meanwhile, Rh2 enhanced mRNA expression of the anti-aging and mitochondrial biogenesis-related genes silent information regulator of transcription 1 (SIRT1) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor coactivator 1-α (PGC-1α), and the antioxidant gene superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1). The protection of porcine oocytes against aging and oxidative stress by Rh2 was confirmed using the SIRT1-specific inhibitor EX-527. Our results reveal that Rh2 upregulates SIRT1/PGC-1α to enhance mitochondrial function in porcine oocytes and improve their quality. Our study indicates that Rh2 can be used to prevent mitochondrial dysfunction in oocytes. • Rh2 increases the antioxidant capacity of oocytes and reduces the accumulation of ROS caused by aging and oxidative stress. • Rh2 reduced early apoptosis, spindle abnormalities, and abnormal mitochondrial distribution caused by oxidative damage. • Rh2 regulates the SIRT1-PGC-1α pathway to improve mitochondrial activity and enhance oocyte quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an energy storage technology, supercapacitors (SCs) have become an important part of many electronic systems because of their high-power density, long cycle life, and maintenance-free characteristics. However, the widespread development and use of electronics, including SCs, have led to the generation of a large amount of e-waste. In addition, achieving compatibility between stability and biodegradability has been a prominent challenge for implantable electronics. Therefore, environmentally friendly SCs based on polypyrrole (PPy)-stabilized polypeptide (FF) are demonstrated in this study. The fully degradable SC has a layer-by-layer structure, including polylactic acid/chitosan (PLA–C) support layers, current collectors (Mg), FF/PPy composite layers, and a polyvinyl alcohol/phosphate buffer solution (PVA/PBS) hydrogel. It has the advantages of being light, thin, flexible, and biocompatible. After 5000 cycles in air, the capacitance retention remains at up to 94.7%. The device could stably operate for 7 days in a liquid environment and completely degrade in vitro within 90 days without any adverse effect on the environment. This work has important implications for eco-friendly electronics and will have a significant impact on the implantable biomedical electronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Information of cotton production and climate change impacts is extremely limited. • Systematic inquiries are used to assess how climate change affect cotton production. • Validating by field & satellite data, APSIM predict cotton lint and biomass well. • Reduced reliable yield and precipitation productivity were found in future scenarios. • Planting cotton on the most dominant soil type tended to meet higher risk than others. Assessing the potential of using process-based models combined with remote sensing and climate change scenarios to understand potential climate change impacts on rainfed cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) productivity is crucial for major production areas, such as the East-Central Texas. This study incorporated these methods to study the impacts of future climate on biomass production, crop development, lint yield, and water use efficiency in a Texas rainfed cotton system. Based on two-years of field data obtained from a rainfed cotton field (12 ha), APSIM accurately predicted cotton biomass and lint yield during the calibration (NRMSE: biomass, 17.6%; lint, 10.8%) and validation (NRMSE: biomass, 18.8%; lint, 13.1%) processes. The deviation between simulated and observed development stages as days after sowing was less than 6 days across squaring, flowering, and boll maturity stages. A partial least square model was constructed based on satellite NDVI data and development stage accurately predicted cotton biomass (R2 = 0.93, P < 0.05), and the results agreed well with the predicted values of APSIM (R2 = 0.96, P < 0.05), which was calibrated by the cotton biomass derived from NDVI. Decreased yield was detected in almost all RCP scenarios, with the greater reductions in end-century (29.9–82.4%) scenarios than mid-century (16.2–46.7%) scenarios. For precipitation productivity, 14–80.3% of reduction was found across all future scenarios. A great reduction in reliable yield (45.0–92.0%) and reliable precipitation productivity (37.6–84.7%) were projected by future scenarios. Slight differences were detected in model validation between the two dominant soil types present at the study location; however these differences were much greater under future projections (P < 0.05), largely caused by differences in water holding capacity during critical growth stages. The results from this study suggest that future managerial and breeding efforts that focus on water use efficiency enhancement should be promoted in the future. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The discrepancy of mechanical properties between ti and al layers evidences the slip bands with 45° to tensile direction in Al grains. • Morphology and/or crystallographic orientation changes in al grains of composite achieve a compatible deformation. • Heterogeneous deformation induced stress concentration facilitates the initiation of micro-crack and sequential failure at the interfacial zone. Laminated/bimetal composites can offer the advantage of combining constituent metals, but their heterogeneous microstructures exhibit different mechanical properties during subsequent remanufacturing process than those of the homogeneous counterparts. This study investigated the tensile properties, microstructural evolution and deformation behaviours of a new explosive welded TA1/5083 composite sheet using the in-situ characterisation. It is found that a wavy transition zone forms in the composite sheet, showing gradients in the element diffusion and micro-hardness adjacent to the interface. The slip bands with the tensile direction of 45° primarily occur in the 5083 side (rather than the TA1 side) with an increase in deformation. Although the dislocation density of the grains in the 5083 layer increases significantly, these grains are slightly elongated along the tensile direction without a significant orientation change. Three deformation stages and a subsequent crack initiation stage appear during the in-situ tensile process. The initiation of micro-cracks in the interfacial zone results from the internal stress concentration occurring at the bottom of interfacial wave structure. Once initial micro-cracks evolve into the intermetallic compounds (IMCs) of the interfacial zone, the high magnitude of stress concentrations of the TA1 and 5083 layers leads to necking and sequential fractures. This study can provide a reference for the design of high-quality Ti/Al composite components for industry. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a series of Cu-3.2Ni-0.6Co-xSi-0.2Cr-0.15 Mg (x = 0.62, 0.75, 0.92 and 1.09) (wt.%) alloys were fabricated and subjected to multi-step thermo-mechanical treatment (TMT), and the microstructure and properties of the alloys were investigated in detailed. The results showed that the alloys achieved the combination of high strengths and high conductivity, i.e. yield strengths of 809–913 MPa, tensile strengths of 849–951 MPa, and electrical conductivity of 33.4–42.0 %IACS. The good properties were due to nanoscale δ-(Ni,Co) 2 Si and Cr 3 Si precipitates, high-density dislocations, and even deformation twins. More importantly, it is found that the Ni, Co and Cr solute atoms decreased but the Si solute atoms increased with the Si contents in the alloys according to the principle of conservation of mass. For deformation, this change aggravated dislocation annihilation, reduced twinning propensity, and thus weakened the work-hardening effect. For precipitation, this change promoted the coarsening of nanoscale precipitates and the depletion of solute atoms, and thus weakened the precipitation-strengthening effect but benefited the electrical conductivity. • Cu–Ni–Co–Si–Cr–Mg alloys after TMT achieved high strengths and high conductivity. • High performance was due to dislocations, δ-(Ni,Co) 2 Si and Cr 3 Si precipitates. • Principle of conservation of mass provided important microstructural information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study reports a case of electrical storm occurring in a 43-year-old woman with dilated cardiomyopathy. The patient suffered from a cardiac electrical storm, with 98 episodes of ventricular tachycardia rapidly degenerating to ventricular fibrillation in hospital. The patient was converted with a total of 120 defibrillations. Recurrent ventricular tachycardia/fibrillation was initiated by premature ventricular beats. The patient did not respond to the use of amiodaronum. However, the administration of esmolol stabilized the patient's heart rhythm. A moderate dose of the β-blocker esmolol, administered as an 0.5-mg intravenous bolus injection followed by an infusion at a rate of 0.15 mg/kg/min, inhibited the recurrence of ventricular fibrillation and normalized the electrocardiographic pattern. The results suggest that esmolol may be able to improve the survival rate of patients with electrical storm in dilated cardiomyopathy and should be considered as a primary therapy in the management of cardiac electrical storms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Atherosclerosis is a fundamental pathological process responded to some serious cardiovascular events. Although the cholesterol-lowering drugs are widely prescribed for atherosclerosis therapy, it is still the leading cause of death in the developed world. Here we measured the effects of compound K in atherosclerosis formation and investigated the probably mechanisms of the anti-antherosclerosis roles of compound K. Methods: We treated the atherosclerotic model animals (apoE-/- mice on western diet) with compound K and measured the size of atherosclerotic lesions, inflammatory cytokine levels and serum lipid profile. Peritoneal macrophages were collected in vitro for the foam cell and inflammasome experiments. Results: Our results show that treatment with compound K dose-dependently attenuates the formation of atherosclerotic plaques by 55% through activation of reverse cholesterol transport pathway, reduction of systemic inflammatory cytokines and inhibition of local inflammasome activity. Compound K increases the cholesterol efflux of macrophage-derived foam cells, and reduces the inflammasome activity in cholesterol crystal stimulated macrophages. The activation of LXR α may contribute to the athero-protective effects of compound K. Conclusion: These observations provide evidence for an athero-protective effect of compound K via LXR αactivation, and support its further evaluation as a potential effective modulator for the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Apobec-1 complementation factor (A1CF) is a heterogeneous nuclear ribonuceloprotein (hnRNP) and mediates apolipoprotein-B mRNA editing. A1CF can promote the regeneration of the liver by post-transcriptionally stabilizing Interleukin-6 (IL-6) mRNA. It also contains two transcriptional variants-A1CF64 and A1CF65, distinguished by the appearance of a 24-nucleotide motif which contributes to the corresponding eight-amino acid motif of EIYMNVPV. For the first time, we demonstrated that the EIYMNVPV motif was essential for A1CF nucleus localization, A1CF deficient of the EIYMNVPV motif, A1CF (-8aa) showed cytoplasm distribution. More importantly, we found that A1CF (-8aa), but not its full-length counterpart, can promote proliferation of MDA-MB-231 cells accompanied with increased level of IL-6 mRNA. Furthermore, silencing of IL-6 attenuated A1CF (-8aa)-induced proliferation in MDA-MB-231 cells. In conclusion, notably, these findings suggest that A1CF (-8aa) promoted proliferation of MDA-MB-231 cells in vitro viewing IL-6 as a target. Thus, the EIYMNVPV motif could be developed as a potential target for basal-like breast cancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microstructure evolution of solution treated Cu–10Ni–3Al–0.8Si alloy aged at different temperatures was investigated and different transformation products were observed: modulated structure resulting from spinodal decomposition, L1 2 ordering of matrix, continuous Ni 3 Al precipitates, continuous δ-Ni 2 Si precipitates and discontinuous precipitates. Modulated structure, L1 2 ordering of matrix and micro-twins formed initially at 450 °C, while continuous Ni 3 Al and δ-Ni 2 Si particles precipitated soon. Increasing temperature led to the formation of discontinuous precipitates, dissolution of Ni 3 Al and cellular decomposition. The alloy showed excellent over-aging resistance at 450 °C because the Ni 3 Al and δ-Ni 2 Si precipitates grew very slowly and the addition of silicon hindered the precipitation of the coarsening NiAl phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were transplanted into the brain of rats following cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) by three different methods: Direct stereotaxic injection into the lateral cerebral ventricle (LV), intra-carotid administration (A), and femoral venous infusion (V). The three different methods were compared by observing the effects of MSCs on neurological function following global cerebral hypoxia-ischemia, in order to determine the optimum method for MSC transplantation. MSCs were transplanted in groups A, V and LV following the restoration of spontaneous circulation. Neurological deficit scale scores were higher in the transplantation groups, as compared with the control group. Neuronal damage, brain water content and serum levels of S100 calcium-binding protein B were reduced in the hippocampus and temporal cortex of the transplantation groups, as compared with the control rats following resuscitation. MSCs were able to migrate inside the brain tissue following transplantation, and were predominantly distributed in the hippocampus and temporal cortex where the neurons were vulnerable during global cerebral ischemia. These results suggest that transplantation of MSCs may notably improve neurological function following CPR in a rat model. Of the three different methods of MSC transplantation tested in the present study, LV induced the highest concentration of MSCs in brain areas vulnerable to global cerebral ischemia, and therefore, produced the best neurological outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calculating cutter–workpiece engagements (CWEs) is essential to the physical simulation of milling process that starts with the prediction of cutting forces. As for five-axis milling of free form surfaces, the calculation of CWEs remains a challenge due to the complicated and varying engagement geometries that occur between the cutter and the in-process workpiece. In this paper, a new arc–surface intersection method (ASIM) is proposed to obtain CWEs for generic cutter in five-axis milling. The cutter rotary surface is first represented by the family of section circles which are generated by slicing the cutter with planes perpendicular to the tool axis. Based on the envelope condition, two grazing points on each section circle are analytically derived, which divide the circle into two arcs. The feasible contact arc (FCA) is then extracted to intersect with workpiece surfaces. Using arc/surface intersection and distance fields based approach, the boundary of the closed CWEs is accurately and efficiently calculated. Compared with the solid modeler based method and the discrete method, the ASIM has higher computational efficiency and accuracy. Moreover, an analytical solution for calculating CWEs can be obtained with this method in five-axis milling of the workpiece merely comprising of flat and quadric surfaces. Finally, two case tests are implemented to confirm the validity of the ASIM and comparisons have been made with a Vericut based system which utilizes the Z-buffer method. The results indicate that the ASIM is computationally efficient, accurate and robust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cross-talk between polyamines (PAs) and phytohormones may be involved in the regulation of drought tolerance in plants. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of exogenous spermidine (Spd) and a Spd inhibitor, dimethylthiourea (DCHA), on drought responses of white clover ( Trifolium repens ). Metabolic, protein, and gene transcript levels were evaluated at leaf relative water content levels of 87% for non-stressed plants and 50% for drought-stressed plants. The exogenous application of Spd (0.05 mM) significantly increased endogenous PAs content whereas DCHA generally reduced PAs content. Phytohormone responses to Spd application included an elevated gibberellic acid (GA) and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) content under non-stressed condition, and an increased GA and cytokinin (CTK) content as well as decreased IAA content under water deficit condition. The increase in endogenous PAs had no significant effect on abscisic acid (ABA) accumulation under either water treatment. Spd treatment resulted in enhanced antioxidant defense via maintenance of greater antioxidant enzyme activities and transcript levels, especially ascorbic acid (AsA). Other metabolites such as total phenols, flavonoids, proline, metallothionein (MT), and cysteine (Cyt) were also elevated with Spd treatment. On the contrary, inhibition of Spd biosynthesis weakened antioxidant defense, decreased proline metabolism, and inhibited MT genes expression leading to aggravation of drought-induced stress damages. These results suggest that changes of PAs and phytohormones play critical roles in the improvement of drought tolerance in white clover, which are attributed to the alleviation of oxidative stress, inhibition of leaf senescence, and maintenance of growth under drought stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lipopolysaccharide- (LPS-) mediated systemic inflammation plays a critical role in neurodegenerative diseases. The present study was conducted to evaluate the protective effects of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), the major component in green tea, on LPS-mediated inflammation and neurotoxicity. LPS treatment of macrophages induced expression of proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6). However, EGCG pretreatment of macrophages significantly inhibited LPS-mediated induction of these cytokines. In addition, EGCG significantly diminished LPS-induced inflammatory cytokines in the peripheral mononuclear blood cells (PBMCs). Supernatant from EGCG-pretreated and LPS-activated macrophage cultures was found to be less cytotoxic to neurons than that from non-EGCG-pretreated and LPS-activated macrophage cultures. Furthermore, EGCG treatment of neurons could inhibit LPS-induced production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Thus EGCG represents a potent and useful neuroprotective agent for inflammation-mediated neurological disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phase equilibria and thermochemical properties of the Co–Cr system was re-assessed using the Calphad method with the aid of ab initio calculations. Four solution phases, liquid, bcc, fcc and hcp phases are modeled using the substitutional solution model. The sigma phase, as an intermetallic compound with certain homogeneous composition range, is modeled by a full five sublattices partitioned CEF model. The formation enthalpies of all end-members are obtained from ab initio calculations. The calculated results fit the experimental data reasonably well which indicates that this ab initio aided model is a proper description for the sigma phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To explore the effects of Phellodendron chinense Schneid (PCS) extract on chlamydiainduced chronic bacterial prostatitis (CBP). Methods: Sixty 8-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were used in this study. Prostate index (PI) and prostate specific antigen (PSA) were determined after 4 weeks of oral administration of PCS extract (80, 160 or 320 mg/kg) or tetracycline (80 mg/kg) and compared to PI and PSA in untreated rats with CBP and healthy control rats (n = 10). Chronic inflammatory cell infiltrates, acinar changes, and interstitial fibrosis were evaluated by histopathological examination. In addition, pertinent inflammatory factors, including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), prostaglandin E2 (PEG2), transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1), and connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), were measured in prostate tissues using ELISA kits. Results: High doses of PCS (160 and 320 mg/kg) significantly decreased PI and PSA relative to model group (p < 0.01). PCS treatment also significantly reduced chronic inflammatory cell infiltrates and interstitial fibrosis in prostate tissue of CBP rats. In addition, TNF-α, IL-1β, COX-2, PEG2, TGF-β1, and CTGF decreased in PCS-treated rats compared to untreated control (p < 0.01). Conclusion: PCS extract has significant anti-inflammatory effects on chlamydia-induced CBP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to explore a suitable dose of idarubicin (IDA) combined with cytarabine for the initial induction regimen for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients. Patients and methods: A total of 100 adult patients with de novo AML aged between 14 years and 80 years were enrolled in the current study and randomized into two arms for the initial induction: an IDA 12 mg/m2 arm and an IDA 8 mg/m2 arm. All patients received the same consolidation chemotherapy. The follow-up period was January 1, 2009, to December 31, 2014. Overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), and morphology leukemia relapse (hematological and/or extramedullary) were recorded. Results: The complete remission rates were 80% and 75% in the IDA 12 mg/m2 and IDA 8 mg/m2 arms, respectively, after initial induction. High-dose IDA (12 mg/m2) resulted in a higher complete remission rate after two courses of induction therapy (96.4% vs 76.5%) in the cytogenetic intermediate-risk group (P=0.026). There were no differences in the number of units of infused red blood cells, agranulocytosis time, or infection rates between the two arms. Patients in the IDA 12 mg/m2 arm received more platelet transfusions (P=0.047). In the intention-to-treat analysis, after a median follow-up of 13 months, high-dose IDA (12 mg/m2) resulted in improved OS (median OS, 54.0 months vs 26.7 months, P=0.021) and DFS (median DFS, 54.0 months vs 18.3 months, P=0.031), particularly in the cytogenetic intermediate-risk group (median OS, 54.0 months vs 29.5 months, P=0.009; median DFS, 54.0 months vs 15.3 months, P=0.014). IDA 12 mg/m2 significantly improved OS and DFS in the cytogenetic intermediate-risk group (P=0.009 and P=0.018). Conclusion: Our results suggest that a high dose of IDA (12 mg/m2) combined with cytarabine is a suitable and safe initial remission induction regimen that results in superior long-term survival of adult AML patients, particularly patients in the cytogenetic intermediate-risk group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cu–10Ni–3Al–0.8Si alloy exhibited desirable physical and mechanical properties and wear resistance for bearing applications. An electrical conductivity of 18.1% IACS, hardness of 309.3 HV, tensile strength of 1004.2 MPa, coefficient of friction of 0.58 and volume wear rate of 4.69×10 -6 mm 3 /mm were obtained with over-aged sample. Adhesion and oxidation were observed to be the two main mechanisms under dry wear condition. The wear resistance of the experimental alloy increased with aging time until the over-aging stage due to the increment of micro-hardness. Adhesion was observed to be the dominant wear mechanism for the cold-rolled sample while tribo-oxidation dominated for the over-aged sample. The latter was attributed to the effect of precipitates on the mechanically mixed layer of the wear sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the integral of real valued functions with respect to a generalized fuzzy number measure is introduced and some of its properties are investigated. Finally, the dominated convergence theorem for this kind of integral is obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through curve fitting, the so-called flutter-margin method can estimate a good flutter boundary, however, is not suitable for the binary wing with a control surface. This paper develops the flutter-margin method and proposes a new stability criterion based on the dynamic equation of the three-dof wing and the Routh's stability theory. The analysis of the trend and error-resistant ability show that: the new criterion, behaving a steady decrease to zero as instability is approached, varies in a sensibly linear manner with the velocity squared and could obtain good estimates of the flutter speed from data at a low speed, thus overcoming the defects of the velocity-damping method effectively. In addition, the criterion is more dependent upon the frequencies than on the decay rates, and is presented to be a good linear trend even when there is a 50 % damping maximum allowable error and 5 % frequency error. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the need for international climate change negotiation and national sustainable development increases, China has announced its energy conservation and emission reduction target, in which building energy consumption is an important part. The energy consumption and total energy consumption of classified buildings in China during 2004-2013 are calculated, taking into consideration the characteristics of China's building sector. The LMDI (Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index) method is adopted to carry out the factor decomposition research and discussion of the four factors influencing the energy consumption (comprising different building types of GFA (gross floor area) per capita, the energy consumption per unit GFA, the urban population proportion, and the total population) of China's building sector. The results show that the continuous increase of GFA per capita is the primary factor influencing the increase in China's building energy consumption and the increase of urbanization ratio is the secondary factor. Meanwhile, controlling building energy consumption per unit GFA is the effective way to decrease the total energy consumption. The core method of controlling the energy consumption demands of China's building sector in the future is to reasonably control the future GFA per capita and to simultaneously take corresponding measures to reduce the building energy consumption per unit GFA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) possess an important regulating effect among numerous renal diseases, while their functions in the process of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) after podocyte injury remain unclear. The purpose of our study is to identify the potential functions of mi-30a in EMT of podocytes and explore the underlying mechanisms of mi-30a in the impaired podocytes. The results revealed that downregulation of mi-30a in podocyte injury animal models and patients, highly induced the mesenchymal markers of EMT including Collagen I, Fibronectin and Snail. Furthermore, overexpression of mi-30a enhances epithelial markers (E-cadherin) but diminished mesenchymal markers (Collagen I, Fibronectin and Snail) in podocytes. In addition, we established mi-30a target NFATc3, an important transcription factor of Non-canonical Wnt signaling pathway. More importantly, our findings demonstrated that the augmentation of mi-30a level in podocytes inhibits the nuclear translocation of NFATc3 to protect cytoskeleton disorder or rearrangement. In summary, we uncovered the protective function of miR30a targeting NFATc3 in the regulation of podocyte injury response to EMT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atmospheric refraction in the troposphere causes the propagation speed of electromagnetic signals to be less than the light speed. This creates a difference between the actual propagation path delay and the distance of the geometrical straight-line path, i.e., a quantity known as the tropospheric delay. As classical imaging algorithms for spaceborne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) do not take the tropospheric delay into account, imaging filters are designed based on the assumption of rectilinear propagation with the light speed. Therefore, a residual phase exists in imaging results, which affects focusing quality under the condition of high resolution. In order to compensate for the impact of tropospheric delay on focusing performance, this paper modifies the spaceborne SAR echo model and then proposes an imaging compensation algorithm. The key to this algorithm is to fit a range delay coefficient based on the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service model of zenith delay and Niell mapping function, which projects the zenith delay onto the looking direction. After range compensation, classical imaging, and azimuth compensation, which compose the proposed algorithm, the processed results are well focused. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The accurate and fast prediction of cutting forces in five-axis milling of free-form surfaces remains a challenge due to difficulties in determining the varying cutter-workpiece engagement (CWE) boundaries and the instantaneous uncut chip thickness (IUCT) along the tool path. This paper proposes an approach to predict the cutting forces in five-axis milling process with a general end mill considering the cutter runout effect that is inevitable in the practical machining operations. Based on the analytical model of cutting edge combined with runout parameters, the expression of the rotary surface formed by each cutting edge undergoing general spatial motion is firstly derived. Then by extracting the feasible contact arc along the tool axis, a new arc-surface intersection method is developed to determine the CWE boundaries fast and precisely. Next, the circular tooth trajectory (CTT) model is developed for the calculation of the IUCT with a slight sacrifice of accuracy. In comparison with the true IUCT calculated by the trochoidal tooth trajectory model, the approximation error introduced by the circular assumption is negligible while the computational efficiency improves a lot. Finally, combining with the calibrated cutting coefficients and runout parameters, comprehensive formulation of the cutting force system is set up. Simulations and experimental validations of a five-axis flank milling process show that the novel CTT model possesses obvious advantages in computing efficiency and accuracy over the existing approaches. Rough machining of a turbo impeller is further carried out to test the practicability and effectiveness of the proposed mechanistic model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Cu–0.3 wt.%Mg–0.05 wt.%Ce alloy was designed and prepared by melting and casting. After hot rolled, the ingot was cut into rod-shape samples for equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) with different passes at room temperature. The microstructure evolutions were investigated using transmission electron microscope (TEM) observation and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) analysis. The severe plastic deformation (SPD) caused by ECAP made the grains elongated significantly. With the increase of ECAP passes, the fraction of high-angle boundaries (HABs) ( θ ⩾ 15°) increased and the microstructure was refined. Tension testing results indicated that the tensile strength was remarkably improved from 273.4 MPa before ECAP to 587.5 MPa after 8 passes of ECAP, maintaining an appropriate elongation of 11.4% and good electrical conductivity of 73.1%IACS. After annealing treatment at 300 °C for 2 h, the ECAP samples still maintained excellent comprehensive properties: tensile strength was 558.2 MPa, electrical conductivity was 74.7%IACS, and elongation was 13.2%, which showed bright prospect in high-speed railway as a contact wire material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enthalpiesof solution and densities of glycylglycine in aqueoussolutions of NaNO3, NaClO4, and Na2SO4were measured at 298.15 K. Standard transfer enthalpies(ΔtrH0), standard transferpartial molar volume (ΔtrVϕ0), and hydrationnumbers (Nh) have been determined forglycylglycine. All of the ΔtrH0values are negative in the three salt solutions. The relativeorder of ΔtrH0in thesame concentration of 1–1 type salts is NaNO3>NaClO4. The ΔtrH0in low concentration of Na2SO4solutionsis between the corresponding values in NaNO3and NaClO4solutions. With increasing Na2SO4concentration,the ΔtrH0values exceedthat in NaNO3solutions. The ΔtrVϕ0values are positive and vary in the sequence Na2SO4> NaNO3> NaClO4. Theresultswere discussed in terms of various interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To discuss the differences in protein expression among tuberculosis pleural effusion (TBPE), malignant pleural effusion (MPE) and transudative pleural effusion (TSPE). We recruited 50 patients with pleural effusion, including 20 TBPEs, 17 MPEs and 13 TSPEs. Using the two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight-mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS), we acquired the peptide mass finger printings (PMFs) of featured proteins. Then, we identified characteristic proteins by searching in the protein databank of the National Center of Biotechnology Information (NCBI) and assessed their diagnostic significance. We found five characteristic proteins: C1-inhibitor (C1-INH), transthyretin (TTR), human complement fragment 3b (C3b), human ceruloplasmin (CP), and Z34c protein fragment Fc (Z34c-Fc). C1-INH shows a high expression in TBPE and a low expression in MPE while TTR and C3 show low expression in TBPE and high expressions in MPE. Z34c-Fc and CP have a higher expression in TBPE than in TSPE. No common characteristic protein was found between MPE and TSPE. Statistic analysis consisted of paired t-tests and the difference between them is significance (P??0.05). C1-inhibitor (C1-INH), transthyretin (TTR), human Complement fragment 3b (C3b), human Ceruloplasmin (CP) and Z34c protein fragment Fc (Z34c-Fc) may provide an additional perspective in the differential diagnosis of PE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lipid storage myopathy is a metabolic disorder characterized by abnormal lipid accumulation in muscle fibers and progressive muscle weakness. Here, we report the case of a 17-year-old woman with progressive muscle weakness, refractory hyperlactatemia, and multiple organ insufficiency. Severe pneumonia was the initial diagnosis. After anti-infective treatment, fluid resuscitation, and mechanical ventilationj the patient's symptoms improved but hyperlactatemia and muscle weakness persisted. She was empirically treated with carnitine. Biochemical tests, electromyography, and muscle biopsy confirmed lipid storage myopathy. After 7 weeks of treatment, the patient resumed normal daily life. An empirical treatment with carnitine may be beneficial for patients before an accurate diagnosis of lipid storage myopathy is made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flexible pressure sensors are valuable in applications such as electronic skin, smart robots, artificial prosthetics, and wearable electronics. In this study, a fully packaged, flexible, self‐powered, long‐term stable sensor array based on piezoelectrets is developed for pressure monitoring. A pressure sensor with a microcavity structure and a thickness of 500 µm achieved an impressive piezoelectric coefficient of 23.8 pC N−1 and a fast response time of 93 ms. The sensor yielded an output voltage of 0.26 V when subjected to a force using 0.3 g soybeans, and it displayed a remarkable linear relationship (R2 = 0.992) between force and electricity with pressure ranging from 1.4 to 13.6 N and a sensitivity of 9 mV N−1. Real‐time monitoring of sound vibration, radial artery pulse, and finger movement is demonstrated along with the successful recording of dynamic pressure changes within the porcine knee joint. It holds potential for fields such as monitoring pressure changes in the movement of human bodies and robotics and can contribute significantly to pressure assessment during total knee replacement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]