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A new phenolic glycoside derivative, moringapyranosyl (1), along with five known phenolic glycoside derivatives (2–6), was isolated from the seeds of Moringa oleifera. Their structures were identified by spectroscopic analyses and by comparison of their spectral data with those reported in the literature. The inhibitory activities of all compounds against α-glucosidase were evaluated. Compounds 1–6 showed significant inhibitory activities against α-glucosidase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Older patients with cancer are underrepresented in pivotal trials of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). This study aimed to investigate immune-related adverse events (irAEs) that occur in older patients with lung cancer treated with ICIs, and explore predictors of the occurrence of irAEs. Methods: A prospective analysis was performed on older patients with lung cancer aged ≥ 65 years who were treated with anti-programmed cell death-1/-ligand 1 (PD-1/PD-L1) inhibitors in Beijing Hospital from January 2018 to December 2022. The incidence and risk factors of irAEs were estimated by the Chi-square test or Wilcoxon rank-sum tests. The predictive power of Geriatric-8 (G-8) for irAEs was tested by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Lymphocyte counts were measured by flow cytometry. Cytokine levels were tested by Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. Kaplan–Meier method was used to calculated progression-free survival (PFS) curves, and the log-rank test was used to evaluate differences. Results: A total of 201 older patients aged ≥ 65 years with lung cancer were enrolled in this study. The most common irAEs were interstitial pneumonia, dermatological toxicity and hypothyroidism, with rates of 17.2%, 16.1% and 5.6%, respectively. ROC showed that G-8 could predict the occurrence of irAEs in patients aged 65–71 years (≥ G2 irAEs: AUC = 0.757, p < 0.001; ≥ G3 irAEs: AUC = 0.862, p < 0.001), but not for patients aged ≥ 71 years. NLR, LMR, PNI, hypertension and diabetes were associated with irAEs. Lower CD4 + T cells and B cells, and lower levels of IL-10 were associated with the development of irAEs. Conclusion: Our study confirmed the accuracy of G-8 for predicting irAEs in older patients. We also identified several predictors of irAEs in older patients with lung cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CIP2A, cancerous inhibitor of protein phosphatase 2A, was initially recognized as an oncoprotein. Recently several studies revealed that CIP2A could function as a prognosis biomarker, however, the result remained not comprehensive, partly due to small number of patients included individually. Here we carried out a meta-analysis of published studies to assess the prognostic significance of CIP2A in solid tumors. All eligible studies were identified through searching PubMed, Embase and Web of Science database. In this meta-analysis, 22 studies involving 4,579 participants were included, and we verified that CIP2A over-expression was significantly related with poor overall survival (pooled HR = 1.844, 95% CI = 1.528–2.225, P<0.001) and short disease free survival (pooled HR = 1.808, 95% CI = 1.591–2.055, P<0.001) in solid tumors. Additionally, subgroup analysis suggested that the trend of a poor overall survival with an increased CIP2A expression was present in East-Asian and European patients, as well as in lung cancer and colorectal cancer. To sum up, CIP2A over-expression was associated with poor survival in human solid tumors and might be a predictive factor of poor prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider a class of tumor growth models under the combined effects of density-dependent pressure and cell multiplication, with a free boundary model as its singular limit when the pressure-density relationship becomes highly nonlinear. In particular, the constitutive law connecting pressure p and density ρ is p ( ρ ) = m m − 1 ρ m − 1 , and when m ≫ 1 , the cell density ρ may evolve its support according to a pressure-driven geometric motion with sharp interface along its boundary. The nonlinearity and degeneracy in the diffusion bring great challenges in numerical simulations. Prior to the present paper, there is lack of standard mechanism to numerically capture the front propagation speed as m ≫ 1 . In this paper, we develop a numerical scheme based on a novel prediction-correction reformulation that can accurately approximate the front propagation even when the nonlinearity is extremely strong. We show that the semi-discrete scheme naturally connects to the free boundary limit equation as m → ∞ . With proper spatial discretization, the fully discrete scheme has improved stability, preserves positivity, and can be implemented without nonlinear solvers. Finally, extensive numerical examples in both one and two dimensions are provided to verify the claimed properties in various applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present an accurate and robust algorithm for self-collision detection in deformable models. Our method is based on the normal cone test and is suitable for both discrete and continuous collision queries on triangular meshes. We propose a novel means of employing surface normal cones and binormal cones to perform the normal cone test. Moreover, we combine our culling criteria with bounding volume hierarchies (BVHs) and present a hierarchical traversal scheme. Unlike the previous BVH-based dual-cone method, our method can reliably detect all self-collisions, and it achieves appreciable speedup over other high-level culling methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let ${\mathcal{A}}=\{a_{1} be a set of nonnegative integers. Put $D({\mathcal{A}})=\gcd \{a_{k+1}-a_{k}:k=1,2,\ldots \}$. The set ${\mathcal{A}}$ is an asymptotic basis if there exists $h$ such that every sufficiently large integer is a sum of at most $h$ (not necessarily distinct) elements of ${\mathcal{A}}$. We prove that if the difference of consecutive integers of ${\mathcal{A}}$ is bounded, then ${\mathcal{A}}$ is an asymptotic basis if and only if there exists an integer $a\in {\mathcal{A}}$ such that $(a,D({\mathcal{A}}))=1$. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To test whether multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) could completely replace transoesophageal echocardiography (TEE) to detect left atrial appendage (LAA) thrombi in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients using a large sample size.Methods: 783 patients with AF who underwent MDCT and TEE before catheter ablation were retrospectively included. Demographic data were obtained. Two radiologists blinded to clinical data made the imaging diagnosis.Results: Most of the patients (96.2 %) had a CHA2DS2-VASc score (congestive heart failure, hypertension, age ≥ 75 years old (doubled), diabetes, stroke/transient ischaemic attack/thromboembolism (doubled), vascular disease, age 65-74 years, female sex) ≤ 3. Eight thrombi were identified by TEE, all of which were detected by MDCT; no thrombus was observed with TEE without the observation of filling defects by late-phase MDCT scanning in any of the patients. Using TEE as reference standard, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of MDCT for thrombus detection were 100 %, 95.74 % (95 % CI 94.33 %-97.15 %), 19.51 % (95 % CI 16.73 %-22.29 %) and 100 %, respectively.Conclusions: For AF patients with low risk of stroke, when MDCT images showed no filling defect in the late phase, TEE prior to catheter ablation can be avoided.Key Points: • MDCT can help detect the presence of LAA thrombus. • TEE can be avoided when late-phase MDCT shows no filling defect. • TEE is required in patients whose MDCT images indicate thrombus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let δ E = 1 # E ∑ a ∈ E δ a denote the uniformly discrete probability measure on a finite set E . We prove that the infinite convolution (Moran measure) μ b , { D k } = δ b − 1 D 1 ⁎ δ b − 2 D 2 ⁎ ⋯ admits an orthonormal basis of exponential provided that { D k } k = 1 ∞ is a uniformly bounded sequence of 4-digit spectral sets, b = 2 l + 1 q with q > 1 an odd integer, and l sufficiently large (depends on D k ). We also give some examples to illustrate the result. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atmospheric PM 2.5 pollution has been attracting much public attention for decades because of its adverse health effects. China and other Asian countries are frequently exposed to high PM 2.5 concentrations, and filtration techniques through HVAC systems and indoor air cleaners are often used to mitigate PM 2.5 in indoor environments, e.g. commercial and residential buildings, schools, and hospitals. Electret filter media provide lower pressure resistance and are frequently used in air purification systems. However, existing test standards, e.g. ASHRAE 52.2-2012, only challenge filters with particles larger than 300 nm which makes it impossible to assess filter performance at the most penetrating particle size (MPPS) since the inherent MPPS of electret media is smaller than 100 nm. In this study for investigating the performance of the electret filter media against PM 2.5 , the filter media were first challenged with monodisperse particles of 3–500 nm (the majority of PM 2.5 number concentration resides in this range) at face velocities of 0.05, 0.25 and 0.5 m s −1 to obtain initial efficiency curves. Then the time-dependent efficiencies during the loading process were investigated using polydisperse NaCl particles which mimicked the size distribution of typical atmospheric PM 2.5 . Additionally, the effects of fiber charge and particle charge on initial efficiency and loading characteristics were evaluated by intentionally removing the fiber charges and charging the particles bipolarly (neutralized) or unipolarly. Results showed that the effects of fiber and particle charges on initial efficiency enhancement depended on particle sizes. The polarization force enhanced the collection of particles larger than ∼20 nm particles, the image force enhanced the collection of particles smaller than ∼100 nm, and the Columbic force enhanced the collection of particles smaller than ∼300 nm. Charging the particles unipolarly can slow down the reduction of electrical efficiency during loading and enhance the minimum efficiency by 10–30% for 50–500 nm particles, compared to that of bipolarly charged particles. A model using an electric degradation parameter and mechanical collection efficiency raising factor was applied to explain the performance of electret media in loading processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A rapid and sensitive detection method for phthalate esters (PAEs) was developed by using an optical fiber immunosensor based on indirect competitive immunoassay. This sensor was constructed by covalent binding of coating antigen on the surface of optical fiber, and the inhibition signal of PAEs to immune reaction between coating antigen and fluorescent-labeled antibody was detected by avalanche photodiode. The response signal showed a negative correlation with the logarithm of PAEs concentration in the range of 0.01–100 μg/L, and the limits of detection (LODs) of eight PAEs ranged from 19 to 51 ng/L. The fluorescent-labeled antibody displayed broad cross-reactivity in the range of 16.63%–71.94% for the other seven PAEs (100% for dimethyl phthalate). The average recoveries of PAEs at the spiked levels of 5, 10 and 100 μg/kg ranged from 61.5% to 106.7% with relative standard deviation (RSD) values below 13.41%, and these results were consistent with those obtained by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The optical fiber immunosensor has good regeneration performance, reproducibility and stability, and displays wide linear range, high sensitivity, simple sample pretreatment and short detection time for PAEs detection. The new method has been successfully applied to the determination of multiple PAEs in greenhouse soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work proposed an electrochemiluminescence (ECL) immunosensor for quantitative monitoring of cardiac troponin I (cTnI) in plasma with soybean peroxidase (SBP) labeled-antibody as signal amplifier. The ECL sandwich immunosensor was constructed by covalent binding anti-cTnI capture antibody (Ab 1 ) to polyethylenimine-functionalized graphene matrix, which was obtained by a simple hydrothermal reaction between polyethylenimine (PEI) and graphene oxide (GO). After that, the SBP-labeled detection antibody (SBP-Ab 2 ), synthesized by NaIO 4 method, was immobilized on the surface of electrode through sandwich immunoreaction. The SBP on electrode surface displayed strong and stable ECL signal of luminol in the presence of H 2 O 2 , which could be used for cTnI detection with a concentration range of 5–30,000 pg/mL and a detection limit of 3.3 pg/mL. This proposed SBP-modified immunosensor displayed high sensitivity, selectivity and accuracy, and was expected not only to detect cTnI in practical human plasma sample but also to be used in other biomarkers detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let $\mathbb{N}$ be the set of all nonnegative integers. For a given set $S\subset \mathbb{N}$ the representation function $R_{S}(n)$ counts the number of solutions of the equation $n=s+s^{\prime }$ with $s

An efficient algorithm based on the contour integral method (CIM) is presented in this letter for the modeling of lossy multiconductor transmission lines. Different from the volume integral equation, the CIM only discretizes the contour of the cross section of each conductor, which significantly reduces the number of unknowns in the resultant system equations. The solution of the CIM is accelerated by the hierarchical-matrix ( \mathcal H-matrix) algorithm for the extraction of the per-unit-length resistance and inductance parameters of massively coupled transmission lines. The procedures for the \mathcal H-matrix-based solution are optimized to keep its optimal computational complexity. The numerical results from the proposed method agree well with those from the commercial software. The complexities of CPU time and memory cost for the construction of the \mathcal H-matrices are both $O(N\log {}N)$, and the complexity of the solution for parameter extraction is $O(N\log ^2{}N)$. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reliable and efficient identification of spectrum access opportunities is crucial for cognitive radio ad hoc networks (CRAHNs). A promising method to improve sensing reliability is CSS, where sensing data from multiple secondary users is combined to facilitate decision making. However, the performance of CSS algorithms in CRAHNs is limited by two challenges. First, the spectrum occupancy status in CRAHNs is spatially heterogeneous. Second, malfunctioning nodes or malicious attackers may falsify the true sensing results. To handle both these challenges, inspired by image segmentation in computer vision, we propose a novel graph-cut CSS algorithm. This algorithm is robust in the presence of false sensing data reports, computationally efficient (with polynomial worst case time complexity), and can be implemented distributively. Theoretically, it can be regarded as a new data fusion scheme that is generalized from classical likelihood ratio tests when sensing information is fully exploited, or from the majority fusion rule, when thresholded sensing information is utilized. Introduction [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pairing video to natural language description remains a challenge in computer vision and machine translation. Inspired by image description, which uses an encoder-decoder model for reducing visual scene into a single sentence, we propose a deep hierarchical attention network for video description. The proposed model uses convolutional neural network (CNN) and bidirectional LSTM network as encoders while a hierarchical attention network is used as the decoder. Compared to encoder-decoder models used in video description, the bidirectional LSTM network can capture the temporal structure among video frames. Moreover, the hierarchical attention network has an advantage over single-layer attention network on global context modeling. To make a fair comparison with other methods, we evaluate the proposed architecture with different types of CNN structures and decoders. Experimental results on the standard datasets show that our model has a more superior performance than the state-of-the-art techniques. ©2018 SPIE and IS&T[DOI: 10.1117/1.JEI.27.2.023027] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early detection, diagnosis and treatment of human immune deficiency virus (HIV) infection is the key to reduce acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) mortality. In our research, an innovative surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensing strategy has been developed for highly sensitive detection of HIV-related DNA based on entropy-driven strand displacement reactions (ESDRs) and double-layer DNA tetrahedrons (DDTs). ESDRs as enzyme-free and label-free signal amplification circuit can be specifically triggered by target DNA, leading to the cyclic utilization of target DNA and the formation of plentiful double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) products. Subsequently, the dsDNA products bind to the immobilized hairpin capture probes and further combine with DDTs nanostructures. Due to the high efficiency of ESDRs and large molecular weight of DDTs, the SPR response signal was enhanced dramatically. The proposed SPR biosensor could detect target DNA sensitively and specifically in a linear range from 1 pM to 150 nM with a detection limit of 48 fM. In addition, the whole detecting process can be accomplished in 60 min with high accuracy and duplicability. In particular, the developed SPR biosensor was successfully used to analyze target DNA in complex biological sample, indicating that the developed strategy is promising for rapid and early clinical diagnosis of HIV infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The novel approach using in situ clogging of small leaks by waterborne or water-formed particles might be used to extend the lifetime or improve the performance of vital water infrastructure assets. Addition of calcium carbonate particles (∼8.8 μm), silica particles (∼29 μm), or wood ash particles (∼160 μm) increased the percent of remediated leaks in iron pipes to 8.3%, 83%, and 83%, respectively, versus 0% in a control with no added particles. Smaller leaks were remediated with a higher percentage of remediated leaks over the 58 day duration of this experiment, as indicated by calcium carbonate with 33% remediated leaks for 280 μm leaks versus 0% for 400-1000 μm leaks; silica, which had 100% remediated leaks for 280-400 μm leaks versus 67% for 700-1000 μm leaks; and wood ash, which had 100% remediated leaks for 280-700 μm leaks versus 67% for 1000 μm leaks. The strength and durability of the clogged leaks could be strong: 27-73% of remediated leaks were able to withstand 100 psi pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PdCu catalysts play a key role in several hydrogen-involved processes. Among these reactions, the interaction of hydrogen with PdCu essentially determines the catalytic performance. However, the response of PdCu to surrounding hydrogen has been poorly investigated, especially for specific facets of PdCu at different environment. In this work, taking temperature and hydrogen pressure into account, we studied the hydrogen-surface interactions for four low-index surfaces of PdCu through first-principles calculations. It was found that H-PdCu adsorption strong relies on the facets, hydrogen coverage, and reaction environment (temperature and H-pressure). Our work highlights the importance of the environment on the nature of catalyst surfaces and reactions and offers a plausible way to investigate the interactions between gas and the surfaces of nanocatalysts in real reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This meta-analysis was undertaken to review the diagnostic accuracy of PI-RADS V2 for prostate cancer (PCa) detection with multiparametric MR (mp-MR).Methods: A comprehensive literature search of electronic databases was performed by two observers independently. Inclusion criteria were original research using the PI-RADS V2 system in reporting prostate MRI. The methodological quality was assessed using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies (QUADAS-2) tool. Data necessary to complete 2 × 2 contingency tables were obtained from the included studies.Results: Thirteen studies (2,049 patients) were analysed. This is an initial meta-analysis of PI-RADs V2 and the overall diagnostic accuracy in diagnosing PCa was as follows: pooled sensitivity, 0.85 (0.78-0.91); pooled specificity, 0.71 (0.60-0.80); pooled positive likelihood ratio (LR+), 2.92 (2.09-4.09); pooled negative likelihood ratio (LR-), 0.21 (0.14-0.31); pooled diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), 14.08 (7.93-25.01), respectively. Positive predictive values ranged from 0.54 to 0.97 and negative predictive values ranged from 0.26 to 0.92.Conclusion: Currently available evidence indicates that PI-RADS V2 appears to have good diagnostic accuracy in patients with PCa lesions with high sensitivity and moderate specificity. However, no recommendation regarding the best threshold can be provided because of heterogeneity.Key Points: • PI-RADS V2 shows good diagnostic accuracy for PCa detection. • Initially pooled specificity of PI-RADS v2 remains moderate. • PCa detection is increased by experienced radiologists. • There is currently a high heterogeneity in prostate diagnostics with MRI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disinfection is an indispensable process in wastewater treatment plants. New bacterial inactivation technologies are of increasing interest and persistent demand. A category of simple and efficient bactericidal systems have been established in this study, that is, the combination of divalent transition metal (Mn(II), Co(II), Fe(II), or Cu(II)) and sulfite. In these systems, metal catalyzed auto-oxidation of sulfite was manifested to generate reactive intermediary SW- that played the major role in Escherichia soli inactivation at pH 5-8.5. Increasing concentrations of metal ion or sulfite, and lower pH, led to higher bacterial deaths. Bacterial inactivation by Me(II)/ sulfite systems was demonstrated to be a surface-bound oxidative damage process through destructing vital cellular components, such as NADH and proteins. Additionally, the developed Me(II)/sulfite systems also potently killed other microbial pathogens, that is, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus subtilis, and Cu(I1)-antibiotic-resistant E. soli. The efficacy of Me(II)/sulfite in treating real water samples was further tested with two sewages from a wastewater treatment plant and a natural lake water body, and Cu(II)/sulfite and Co(II)/sulfite rapidly inactivated viable bacteria regardless of bacteria species and cell density, therefore holding great promises for wastewater disinfection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Text Let m be an integer with m ≥ 2 . For A ⊆ Z m and n ∈ Z m , let R 1 ( A , n ) , R 2 ( A , n ) , R 3 ( A , n ) denote the number of solutions of the equation a + a ′ = n with ordered pairs ( a , a ′ ) ∈ A × A , unordered pairs ( a , a ′ ) ∈ A × A ( a ≠ a ′ ) and unordered pairs ( a , a ′ ) ∈ A × A , respectively. In this paper, for i ∈ { 1 , 2 , 3 } , we determine all sets A , B ⊆ Z m such that R i ( A , n ) = R i ( B , n ) for all n ∈ Z m when the cardinality of the symmetric difference of A and B is small or large. These extend some previous results. We also pose some problems for further research. Video For a video summary of this paper, please visit https://youtu.be/stBa9Uy5U0I . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Semi-supervised image classification is widely applied in various pattern recognition tasks. Label propagation, which is a graph-based semi-supervised learning method, is very popular in solving the semi-supervised image classification problem. The most important step in label propagation is graph construction. To improve the quality of the graph, we consider the nonnegative constraint and the noise estimation, which is based on the least-squares regression (LSR). A novel graph construction method named as nonnegative least-squares regression (NLSR) is proposed in this paper. The nonnegative constraint is considered to eliminate subtractive combinations of coefficients and improve the sparsity of the graph. We consider both small Gaussian noise and sparse corrupted noise to improve the robustness of the NLSR. The experimental result shows that the nonnegative constraint is very significant in the NLSR. Weighted version of NLSR (WNLSR) is proposed to further eliminate 'bridge' edges. Local and global consistency (LGC) is considered as the semi-supervised image classification method. The label propagation error rate is regarded as the evaluation criterion. Experiments on image datasets show encouraging results of the proposed algorithm in comparison to the state-of-the-art algorithms in semi-supervised image classification, especially in improving LSR method significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nominal democratic institutions under non-democratic regimes vary across countries. This study intends to advance our understanding of such institutions by exploring the relevance of one aspect of the authoritarian regimes, government hierarchy. Focusing on village-level democratization in China, we investigate the intermediary role of the provincial level governments in shaping the variant outcomes of grassroots democracy across the country. Through an analysis of a national sample, we find that divergent provincial legislative interpretation of central policies is a key determinant of public access to power and democratic governance of village-level governments. Our finding suggests that authoritarian states can employ various institutions to gather information, accommodate local variations, and thus contain potential intra-government disagreement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brassica napus L. is an important oil crop worldwide and is the main raw material for biofuel. Seed weight and seed size are the main contributors to seed yield. DA1 (DA means big in Chinese) is an ubiquitin receptor and negatively regulates seed size. Down-regulation of AtDA1 in Arabidopsis leads to larger seeds and organs by increasing cell proliferation in integuments. In this study, BnDA1 was down-regulated in B. napus by over expressed of AtDA1 R358K, which is a functional deficiency of DA1 with an arginine-to-lysine mutation at the 358th amino acid. The results showed that the biomass and size of the seeds, cotyledons, leaves, flowers and siliques of transgenic plants all increased significantly. In particular, the 1000 seed weight increased 21.23% and the seed yield per plant increased 13.22% in field condition. The transgenic plants had no negative traits related to yield. The candidate gene association analysis demonstrated that the BnDA1 locus was contributed to the seeds weight. Therefore, our study showed that regulation of DA1 in B. napus can increase the seed yield and biomass, and DA1 is a promising target for crop improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • LPS-pretreated BMSCs-derived exosomes attenuated cecal ligation and puncture-induced septic liver injury. • LPS-pretreated BMSCs-derived exosomes inhibited macrophage STING signaling by enhancing mitophagy. • LPS-pretreated BMSCs-derived exosomes promoted mitophagy by upregulating ATG2B. • Macrophage STING signaling plays an important role in septic liver injury. Pretreated mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)-derived exosomes have shown great potential in the treatment of various inflammatory diseases. Recent evidence suggests that macrophage stimulator of interferon genes (STING) signal activation plays a critical role in sepsis and septic liver injury. Here, we aimed to investigate the role and effects of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-pretreated bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs)-derived exosomes (L-Exo) on macrophage STING signaling in septic liver injury. Exosomes were collected from the BMSCs medium via ultracentrifugation. Liver injury, intrahepatic inflammation, and the activation of macrophage STING signaling were analyzed. Mitophagy and the release of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) into the cytosol were investigated. Through in vivo and in vitro experiments, L-Exo could markedly attenuate cecal ligation and puncture-induced septic liver injury and inhibit macrophage STING signaling. Mechanistically, L-Exo inhibited macrophage STING signaling by enhancing mitophagy and inhibiting the release of mtDNA into the cytosol. Furthermore, autophagy-related protein 2 homolog B (ATG2B) may be a major factor involved in this effect of L-Exo. These findings reveal that macrophage STING signaling plays an important role in septic liver injury and may be a therapeutic target. In addition, LPS pretreatment is an effective and promising approach for optimizing the therapeutic efficacy of MSCs-derived exosomes in septic liver injury, providing new strategies for treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mikania micrantha extract (MME) was prepared by reflux extraction from the exotic invasive weed of Mikania micrantha using ethanol water solution as the solvent. The synergistic inhibition effect and mechanism of MME and potassium iodide (KI) on the corrosion of cold rolled steel (CRS) in 4.0 M H 3 PO 4 solution was investigated by gravimetric, electrochemical and surface analysis techniques for the first time. The results show that either MME or KI has moderate inhibitive action, and the maximum inhibition efficiency is below 65 % at 20 ℃. However, incorporation MME with KI can produce a synergism (s > 1), and obtain a pleasant inhibition of 92.9%. The adsorption of MME on CRS surface obeys Freundlich isotherm, while KI and MME/KI complex follow Langmuir isotherm. They are all mixed-type inhibitors, and MME/KI mixture significantly retards the electrochemical corrosion comparing with individual MME or KI. The process of electrochemical corrosion is controlled by charge transfer, and the charge transfer resistance follows the order of MME/KI > KI > MME. SEM and AFM demonstrate that the corrosion of CRS surface is efficiently retarded by the blend of MME and KI. From FTIR and XPS analysis, the formed layer of the synergistic inhibited CRS surface is mainly composed of the organic compounds with polar groups in MME. There is also a synergistic inhibition of the major components (rutin, quercetin, chlorogenic acid and ferulic acid) with KI. MME/KI can be deemed as a novel efficient inhibitor for steel in concentrated phosphoric acid, which develops an original path for the utilization of Mikania micrantha in the field of metallic corrosion and protection. [Display omitted] • Incorporation Mikania micrantha extract with KI produces synergism for steel in 4.0 M H 3 PO 4. • The addition of KI promotes the adsorption of Mikania micrantha extract on steel surface. • Both cathodic and anodic reactions are more efficiently retarded by MME/KI mixture. • The synergistic inhibited steel surface appears little corrosion and low surface roughness. • Flavonoids and phenylpropanoids are effective components those contribute on synergism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cymbidium tortisepalum Fukuy., an economically important perennial herbaceous plant, is of high ornamental value owing to its flower shape, foliage, and fragrance. Unfortunately, it is under threat of extinction due to excessive collection for commercial purposes and habitat loss. It has been listed as a vulnerable species in China. Here, 404 accessions from 28 locations across its major distribution range were used to assess the genetic diversity and population structure of C. tortisepalum by analyzing 13 nuclear simple sequence repeats (nSSR) markers. Overall, 199 alleles were detected that ranged in number per locus from 6 (SSR9) to 26 (SSR10), with an average of 15.31 alleles per locus. No significant linkage disequilibrium ( P > 0.05) was found. A high degree of genetic diversity was observed in this species. Low genetic differentiation among the 28 natural populations was detected, which might have been caused by high gene flow. Analysis of molecular variance revealed 89.25% molecular variation within populations. The high level of genetic diversity and low genetic differentiation implied that the fragmented habitat and isolated populations of C. tortisepalum might be due to recent overexploitation. Consistent with the results of Structure analysis, the neighbor-joining tree and unweighted pair group method of averages cluster analysis divided the 28 natural populations into two major groups, which should be taken as two management units for conservation purposes. These genetic data provide the first understanding of the population genetic structure of C. tortisepalum in its major distribution range, and will be helpful for developing measures to conserve this vulnerable and endemic species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: HepaCAM, an N-linked glycoprotein that encodes a member of the immunoglobulin superfamily, has been reported to be a tumor suppressor gene that mediates diverse cellular bio-functions. Recent studies have shown that the FoxO transcription factors play a pivotal role during cancer progression. Here, we explored the correlation between HepaCAM and the FoxO family via regulation of the PI3K/AKT pathway. Methods: HepaCAM and FoxO3 expression were detected by immunohistochemistry staining. We detected the effect of HepaCAM on the proliferation and viability of bladder cancer through AKT signaling by colony formation, the MTT assay and Western blotting. We observed the nuclear translocation of FoxO3 by immunofluorescence staining after expressing HepaCAM. Results: HepaCAM depletion was discovered in bladder cancer tissues compared with adjacent normal tissues, and the decreased level was associated with the degradation of FoxO3. Furthermore, re-expression of HepaCAM significantly disrupted T24 and BIU-87 cell colony formation, as well as reduced p-AKT and p-FoxO protein expression. We found that the combined treatment of HepaCAM-overexpressing adenovirus with the PI3K inhibitor LY294002 enhanced the inhibitory effects on cell proliferation, viability and protein expression. Additionally, overexpressed HepaCAM decreased the activated effect on cell proliferation, viability and protein expression of the AKT activator SC79. Moreover, we observed that HepaCAM induced nuclear translocation of FoxO3. Conclusions: Our research implicated that HepaCAM may function as a novel therapeutic target that inhibits the proliferation of bladder cancer via the AKT/FoxO pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In magnetized plasma, the magnetic field confines the particles around the field lines. The anisotropy intensity in the viscosity and heat conduction may reach the order of 10 12 . When the boundary conditions are periodic or Neumann, the strong diffusion leads to an ill-posed limiting problem. To remove the ill-conditionedness in the highly anisotropic diffusion equations, we introduce a simple but very efficient asymptotic preserving reformulation in this paper. The key idea is that, instead of discretizing the Neumann boundary conditions locally, we replace one of the Neumann boundary condition by the integration of the original problem along the field line, the singular 1 / ϵ terms can be replaced by O ( 1 ) terms after the integration, which yields a well-posed problem. Small modifications to the original code are required and no change of coordinates nor mesh adaptation are needed. Uniform convergence with respect to the anisotropy strength 1 / ϵ can be observed numerically and the condition number does not scale with the anisotropy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article argues that the effect of economic crises on democratic transition is contingent on economic structure. Specifically, a high level of state engagement in the economy makes social forces dependent on the ruling elites for patrimonial interests and, therefore, the authoritarian regime liable for economic failure. Moreover, when authoritarian elites own a high share of economic assets, this aggravates the economic loss of both the business class and the masses when economic crises occur, which in turn makes defection of the business class, the revolt of the masses and the alliance of the two social classes more likely. Cross-national analyses show that economic crises trigger democratic transition only when state engagement in the economy is above a certain level. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

[Display omitted] • 30 wt% 5 μm SiC and 55 μm AlSi10Mg mixed powder is recoated with a forward rotating flexible roller (FRFR) both on a baseplate and during a continuous laser powder bed fusion process. • The FRFR recoated powder layer thickness is determined by the ratio between the roller's local tangential speed and traveling speed, while the recoated powder density is controlled by the extrusion force between the roller and powders. • The surface filling rate of the FRFR recoated mixed powder on the baseplate is similar to that of a rubber blade recoated 55 μm AlSi10Mg powder, they show insignificant differences in surface profile within a single layer and between multiple layers. • Several composite parts have been fabricated with the help of the FRFR, which proves that the proposed FRFR mechanism has good adaptability to substrates with complex structures. This paper proposes a new powder recoating mechanism named forward rotating flexible roller (FRFR) which aims to solve the poor powder flowability problem brought by the aggregation effect of the fine particles in the mixed 30 wt% 5 μm SiC and 55 μm AlSi10Mg powder. An initial extrusion force instead of a gap between the flexible roller and powders is used to improve the recoated powder density, while the recoated powder layer thickness is proved to be controllable. An industrial camera and a laser displacement sensor were used to estimate the recoated surface filling rate and recoated surface profile. The mixed powder was recoated with an FRFR on a baseplate at first, the achieved surface filling rate was the same as that of 55 μm AlSi10Mg recoated with a rubber blade. Then 120 layers of mixed powder were recoated continuously with FRFR, the recoated surface profile within a single layer and between multiple layers were compared with the rubber blade recoated AlSi10Mg, their difference is insignificant. Furthermore, composite parts with different shapes were successfully made with the FRFR. This technique is proved to be promisihfcang for laser powder bed fusion of fine particle ceramic and metal mixed powder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The 5% R-R increment resulted in significantly larger absolute strain values than the 10% R-R increment. • In the subgroups with high heart rate (>80 bpm) or impaired cardiac function (LVEF < 50% or NYHA function class III-IV), differences between the two groups were attenuated. • The prevalence of definite demarcation between the LA conduit and contraction phases was significantly higher in the 5% R-R reconstruction increment group. • As the average heart rate increased, there was a tendency for an indefinite demarcation between the LA conduit and contraction phases. Temporal resolution significantly affects strain values demonstrated by Magnetic resonance feature-tracking and speckle-tracking echocardiography. We investigated the influence of R-R interval reconstruction increments on left ventricular (LV) and left atrial (LA) strain measurements of Computed tomography feature-tracking (CT-FT). Subjects who underwent retrospective electrocardiogram-gated coronary CT angiography (CCTA) were retrospectively included, and CCTA images were reconstructed in 5% and 10% steps throughout the entire cardiac cycle (0–100% R-R interval). LV global longitudinal strain (GLS), circumferential strain (GCS), radial strain (GRS), LA GLS, ejection fraction (EF), and left atrioventricular coupling indices were computed. We evaluated the consistency and variability of continuous variables between the two reconstruction increment groups, the demarcation between the LA conduit and contraction phases, and observer reproducibility in 20 randomly selected participants. Eighty-one participants with or without cardiac disease were included. The reconstruction increment of the R-R interval significantly affected the CT-FT-derived strain values. The 5% R-R increment resulted in significantly larger absolute strain values. LV GRS had the greatest difference between the two groups. In the subgroups with heart rates greater than 80 beats per minute or impaired cardiac function, group differences were attenuated, especially for LV GLS, LV GRS, and LA GLS. The prevalence of definite demarcation between the LA conduit and contraction phases was significantly higher in the 5% R-R reconstruction increment group than in the 10% R-R reconstruction increment group. The average heart rate during CCTA scanning was a strong risk factor for indefinite demarcation, which is independent of LVEF. As average heart rate increased, so did the incidence of indefinite demarcation between the LA conduit and contraction phases. The observer reproducibility of LV and LA strain values was independent of the R-R reconstruction increment. Reconstruction increment of the R-R interval is an important source of variation in LV and LA CT-FT strain values, especially with low heart rate and preserved cardiac function. It is essential to control the heart rate and apply a narrow R-R reconstruction increment to quantify phasic LA strain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In heme, a porphyrin macrocycle naturally selects an iron ionic species. It was found that this natural combination is directly related to the geometry sizes of both components. Three series of monostrapped nonplanar metalloporphyrins [M = FeIIICl, CoII, NiII] and their metal-free counterparts were synthesized as model systems, their core sizes were compared, and density functional theory computations were used to calculate the molecular distortion energies. The results indicate that optimal size matching of both is to maintain minimal distortion energy of the macrocycle. This shows that the mutual selection process between the macrocycle and the metal ion is mainly based on the principle of minimum energy to tune the electronic structure of the central metal ion; this may be a common principle in natural tetrapyrroles containing metal species. The structural parameters of all the model compounds were directly obtained from their crystal structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors describe an electrochemical strategy for ultrasensitive and specific detection of microRNA (miRNA). It is based on both multicomponent nucleic acid enzyme (MNAzyme) amplification and rolling circle amplification (RCA). In the presence of target miRNAs, partial enzyme A (partzyme A) and partial enzyme B (partzyme B) are assembled to form active MNAzymes. Once formed, the MNAzymes catalyze the cleavage of the hairpin substrates to liberate biotinylated fragments which hybridized with the capture probes immobilized on a gold electrode. The RCA is then initiated to form a product that binds many detection probes. Finally, the amperometric signal (best acquired at a working voltage of 0.22 V vs. Ag/AgCl) is obtained by employing the streptavidinylated alkaline phosphatase as the enzyme. This biosensor has a 1.66 fM detection limit, and a dynamic range that extends from 10 fM to 1 nM. It displays specificity down to single mismatch discrimination of target miRNAs and good reproducibility. It was successfully applied to the determination of miRNA in total RNA samples extracted from human breast adenocarcinoma MCF-7 cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We conducted this research to explore the role of latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1) encoded by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in modulating the DNA damage response (DDR) and its regulatory mechanisms in radioresistance. Our results revealed that LMP1 repressed the repair of DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) by inhibiting DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) phosphorylation and activity. Moreover, LMP1 reduced the phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and changed its subcellular location after irradiation, which appeared to occur through a disruption of the physical interaction between AMPK and DNA-PK. The decrease in AMPK activity was associated with LMP1-mediated glycolysis and resistance to apoptosis induced by irradiation. The reactivation of AMPK significantly promoted radiosensitivity both in vivo and in vitro. The AMPKα (Thr172) reduction was associated with a poorer clinical outcome of radiation therapy in NPC patients. Our data revealed a new mechanism of LMP1-mediated radioresistance and provided a mechanistic rationale in support of the use of AMPK activators for facilitating NPC radiotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sympathetic innervations exist in mammalian CL. The action of catecholaminergic system on luteal cells has been the focus of a variety of studies. Norepinephrine (NE) increased progesterone secretion of cattle luteal cells by activating β-adrenoceptors. In this study, murine luteal cells were treated with NE and isoprenaline (ISO). We found that NE increased the viability of murine luteal cells and ISO decreased the viability of luteal cells. Both NE and ISO promoted the progesterone production. Nonselective β-adrenergic antagonist, propranolol reversed the effect of ISO on cell viability but did not reverse the effect of NE on cell viability. Propranolol blocked the influence of NE and ISO on progesterone production. These results reveal that the increase of luteal cell viability induced by NE is not dependent on β-adrenergic activation. α-Adrenergic activation possibly contributes to it. Both NE and ISO increased progesterone production through activating β-adrenergic receptor. Further study showed that CyclinD2 is involved in the increase of luteal cell induced by NE. 3β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, LHR, steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR), and PGF2α contribute to the progesterone production induced by NE and ISO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors describe an electrochemical sensing strategy for highly sensitive and specific detection of target (analyte) DNA based on an amplification scheme mediated by a multicomponent nucleic acid enzyme (MNAzyme). MNAzymes were formed by multicomponent complexes which produce amplified 'output' signals in response to specific 'input' signal. In the presence of target nucleic acid, multiple partial enzymes (partzymes) oligonucleotides are assembled to form active MNAzymes. These can cleave H0 substrate into two pieces, thereby releasing the activated MNAzyme to undergo an additional cycle of amplification. Here, the two pieces contain a biotin-tagged sequence and a byproduct. The biotin-tagged sequences are specifically captured by the detection probes immobilized on the gold electrode. By employing streptavidinylated alkaline phosphatase as an enzyme label, an electrochemical signal is obtained. The electrode, if operated at a working potential of 0.25 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) in solution of pH 7.5, covers the 100 pM to 0.25 μM DNA concentration range, with a 79 pM detection limit. In our perception, the strategy introduced here has a wider potential in that it may be applied to molecular diagnostics and pathogen detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the effect of democracy as an institutional context on individuals’ perceptions of government corruption. To do so, we compile an integrated dataset from the Asian, Afro, and Latino Barometer Surveys and use a hierarchical linear regression model. Our primary finding is that the effect of democracy has different effects on ordinary citizens’ perceptions of corruption in different contexts. In general, people in countries with higher levels of democracy tend to perceive their governments to be more corrupt. However, more importantly, conditional models show that in countries with more developed democratic institutions, individuals with stronger democratic values are less likely to perceive the government to be corrupt. Moreover, people in such countries are less likely to assess their government based on their perceptions of economic situation. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Five copper(II)-porphyrin cages were synthesized with Cu ions as a template. CuII ions can be activated and stabilized as π-cation radicals in a highly deformed cage complex by electron transition from the metal ion to the π-a1u orbital of the ring. This study indicates that the activation of the unpaired electron of the CuII ion only requires the contraction of the core, because the excitation of the electron and the stability of the activated electron are related to the cage features of the molecule. The cation radical will drive the formation of CuIII ions at lower voltages, and these results aid the understanding of the roles of macrocyclic distortion and distal pockets in heme chemistry. The electronic structures of five copper(II) complexes were analyzed through electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, UV/Vis spectroscopy, and electrochemical methods, and selected structural parameters were obtained directly from their crystal structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

C27H32O3S, triclinic, P1̄, a = 12.2441(2) Å, b = 14.9350(2) Å, c = 15.2081(3) Å, α = 73.6710(16)°, β = 70.1267(17)°, γ = 70.7828(15)°, V = 2424.41(8) Å3, Z = 4, Rgt(F) = 0.0442, wRref(F2) = 0.1319, T = 297.1(2) K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, a generalized alternating direction implicit (ADI) method for transient thermal simulation of two-dimensional structures with locally refined grids is proposed. First, a flexible approach is employed to generate the semistructured grids with local refinement. The generalized ADI method is then derived based on these semistructured grids, in which two new directions are added to deal with the grid points in the transition regions. By this means, the ADI scheme is successfully extended to handle the transient simulation of objects with locally refined grids while maintaining the property of linear complexity in computation. The accuracy and high efficiency of the proposed method are verified by several typical examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report here the one‐pot synthesis of benzo[1,2‐a : 3,4‐a′ : 5,6‐a′′]triazulene (BTA), wherein three azulene units are embedded through a tandem reaction comprising two steps, Suzuki coupling and Knoevenagel condensation, between a readily available triborylated truxene precursor and 8‐bromo‐1‐naphthaldehyde. Its nitration leads to a regioselective trinitrated product, namely, BTA‐NO2. Single‐crystal X‐ray crystallography revealed that the superstructure of BTA consists of a dimer stacked by two enantiomeric helicene conformers, while that of BTA‐NO2 consists of an unprecedented π‐tetramer stacked from two enantiomeric dimers, that is, four distinct helicene conformers. Both compounds show excellent stability and fluorescence with large Stokes shifts of up to 5100 cm−1. In addition, BTA‐NO2 exhibits a unique solvatochromic effect in different solvents and hydrogen‐bonding‐induced emission transfer in different ratios of THF/H2O solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report here the one‐pot synthesis of benzo[1,2‐a : 3,4‐a′ : 5,6‐a′′]triazulene (BTA), wherein three azulene units are embedded through a tandem reaction comprising two steps, Suzuki coupling and Knoevenagel condensation, between a readily available triborylated truxene precursor and 8‐bromo‐1‐naphthaldehyde. Its nitration leads to a regioselective trinitrated product, namely, BTA‐NO2. Single‐crystal X‐ray crystallography revealed that the superstructure of BTA consists of a dimer stacked by two enantiomeric helicene conformers, while that of BTA‐NO2 consists of an unprecedented π‐tetramer stacked from two enantiomeric dimers, that is, four distinct helicene conformers. Both compounds show excellent stability and fluorescence with large Stokes shifts of up to 5100 cm−1. In addition, BTA‐NO2 exhibits a unique solvatochromic effect in different solvents and hydrogen‐bonding‐induced emission transfer in different ratios of THF/H2O solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let $h \geq 2$ be a positive integer. We introduce the concept of minimal restricted asymptotic bases and obtain some examples of minimal restricted asymptotic bases of order h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The Cu-BTC@PVA/PVDF membrane with asymmetric wettability was facilely prepared. • Cu-BTC had porous structure and high surface area, benefit the mass transfer in MD. • The Janus membrane had robust anti-fouling and wetting- retardation property. • Hydration layer, slip effect, electrostatic repulsion were main antifouling mechanisms. • Fouling mechanism turned from hydrophobic interaction and CP to H-bond for Janus membrane. In this study, a novel Janus membrane was developed by constructing Cu-1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylic acid (Cu-BTC) metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) hydrophilic coating on polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membrane. The Cu-BTC@PVA/PVDF Janus membrane showed a rougher surface with an in-air water contact angle of 27.4˚ and an underwater oil contact angle of 152.8°. The Cu-BTC had minimal impact on mass transfer efficiency in MD process, and the Janus membrane exhibited excellent anti-oil-fouling and anti-NOM-fouling properties. The formation of the hydration layer, the slip boundary effect, and the electrostatic repulsion by the hydrophilic serrated interface were the main antifouling mechanisms. The hydrophobic-hydrophobic interaction was the main fouling mechanism of PVDF membrane for both oil and NOM. Sodium alginate (SA) displayed severe fouling with a compacted fouling layer in PVDF membrane due to the concentration polarization (CP) and gel layer formation. Inorganic fouling was the predominant fouling for the high CP and inorganic–organic coupling. While humic acid (HA) surpassed SA in Cu-BTC@PVA/PVDF Janus membrane for the stronger hydrogen bond, hydrophobic-hydrophobic interaction was significantly alleviated. Inorganic fouling was also significantly alleviated due to the strong electrostatic repulsion effect. The prepared Janus membrane has great potential to promote MD dealing with hypersaline industrial wastewaters containing complex organic matters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Port operations usually suffer from uncertainties, such as vessels' arrival time and handling time and unscheduled vessels. To address this, this study presents a dynamic berth allocation and crane assignment specific problem (BACASP) when unscheduled vessels arrive at the port, which is branded the berth allocation and quay crane assignment specific problem with unscheduled vessels (UBACASP). A rolling-horizon based method is proposed to decompose the UBACASP into a multi-stage static decision BACASP, wherein a rescheduling margin-based hybrid rolling-horizon optimization method is developed by incorporating the event-driven and periodical rolling-horizon strategies as the urgency of dynamic events is evaluated. In each rolling horizon, a mixed integer linear programming model (MILP) is presented for the BACASP to minimize the total port stay time of vessels and the penalties of delays associated with the spatial and temporal constraints, such as the length of continuous berth, number of quay cranes (QCs) and non-crossing of QCs. A discretization strategy is designed to divide the continuous berth into discrete segments, and convert the BACASP to a discrete combinatorial optimization problem, which is efficiently solved by the proposed adaptive large neighborhood search algorithm (ALNS). Case studies with different problem characteristics are conducted to prove the effectiveness of the solution methods proposed in this study. Moreover, the performances of the ALNS and the existing methods for solving the BACASP are compared, and the advantages and disadvantages of different rolling strategies under different degrees of uncertainties are deeply analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • 3D-MICs catalyst coupled with specific adsorption and targeted degradation was developed. • 3D-MICs catalyst exhibited excellent selectivity for targeted OMPs in a complex water environment. • 3D-MICs catalyst plays the functions of template effect, size-exclusion effect, and spatial confinement. • The enhanced removal efficiency of SMX by MIC-#/PS system in the actual water environment. • The In-situ method and DFT calculation were used to reveal the mechanism of targeted adsorption and degradation. In this study, a novel catalyst with three-dimensional molecularly imprinted channels (3D-MICs) was proposed to preferentially remove the noxious organic micropollutants (OMPs) from wastewaters. The 3D-MICs catalysts exhibited robust selectivity (the imprinting factor reached above 2.04) and larger adsorption capacity (enhanced over 2.7 times), which was benefited from the synergy of template effect and size-exclusion effect. Compared with the original MOF-#/ persulfate (PS) system (40%), the SMX removal by MIC-#/PS system still retained over 91% in simulated wastewater, tap water, and polluted river water, respectively. With the spatial confinement, the degradation products by the MIC-#/PS system showed less quantity (4.6-fold) and lower toxicity than that by the original MOF-#/PS system. In-situ ATR-FTIR analysis and density functional theory (DFT) calculation revealed that the specific adsorption property for the targeted OMPs was mainly realized by the shape of the imprinted cavity, hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic-hydrophobic interaction, π-π stacking, and electrostatic interactions. Finally, the radical and non-radical pathways are involved in the MIC-#/PS system to ensure the high-efficiency removal of SMX. These insights revealed here could pave the way for wastewater treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We propose a switchable single-longitudinal-mode fiber laser with two kinds of cylindrical vector beams output. • The 20 dB linewidth of the proposed fiber laser for each wavelength is approximately 5.7 kHz and 6.8 kHz. • The mode purity of the radially and azimuthally polarized CVBs is higher than 91%. We experimentally demonstrated a switchable single-longitudinal-mode (SLM) narrow linewidth fiber laser with cylindrical vector beam (CVB) output. A mode selective filter is composed of a fiber Bragg grating and a mechanical long period fiber grating (LPFG), and it is used to realize the mode switch and wavelength switch. The compound ring cavity structure is composed of a main ring cavity and two passive subring cavities (SCs) so that the SLM operation is achieved. By controlling the polarization state of the light in the laser cavity and the pressure applied to the mechanical LPFG, both the radially and azimuthally polarized CVBs are obtained at 1543.35 n m and 1544.38 n m. Meanwhile, the signal-to-noise ratio is higher than 60 d B. The 20 d B linewidth of the proposed fiber laser for each wavelength is approximately 5.7 k H z and 6.8 k H z. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Formulation of cationic liposomes is a key factor that determine the gene knockdown efficiency by cationic liposomes/siRNA complexes (siRNA lipoplexes). Here, to determine the optimal combination of cationic lipid and phospholipid in cationic liposomes for in vitro and in vivo gene knockdown using siRNA lipoplexes, three types of cationic lipid were used, namely 1,2-dioleoyl-3-trimethylammonium-propane (DOTAP), dimethyldioctadecylammonium bromide (DDAB) and 11-[(1,3-bis(dodecanoyloxy)-2-((dodecanoyloxy)methyl)propan-2-yl)amino]-N,N,N-trimethyl-11-oxoundecan-1-aminium bromide (TC-1-12). Thereafter, 30 types of cationic liposome composed of each cationic lipid with phosphatidylcholine or phosphatidylethanolamine containing saturated or unsaturated dialkyl chains (C14, C16, or C18) were prepared. The inclusion of phosphatidylethanolamine containing unsaturated and long dialkyl chains with DOTAP- or DDAB-based cationic liposomes induced strong luciferase gene knockdown in human breast cancer MCF-7-Luc cells stably expressing luciferase gene. Furthermore, the inclusion of phosphatidylcholine or phosphatidylethanolamine containing saturated and short dialkyl chains or unsaturated and long dialkyl chains into TC-1-12-based cationic liposomes resulted in high gene knockdown efficacy. When cationic liposomes composed of DDAB/1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (DOPE), TC-1-12/DOPE and TC-1-12/1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine were used, significant gene knockdown occurred in the lungs of mice following systemic injection of siRNA lipoplexes. Overall, the present findings indicated that optimal phospholipids in cationic liposome for in vitro and in vivo siRNA transfection were affected by the types of cationic lipid used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is increasingly being used to examine patients with suspected breast cancer. Purpose: To determine the diagnostic performance of combined dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) for breast cancer detection. Material and Methods: A comprehensive search of the PUBMED, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases was performed up to September 2014. Statistical analysis included pooling of sensitivity and specificity, positive likelihood ratio (PLR), negative likelihood ratio (NLR), diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), and diagnostic accuracy using the summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC). All analyses were conducted using STATA (version 12.0), RevMan (version 5.2), and Meta-Disc 1.4 software programs. Results: Fourteen studies were analyzed, which included a total of 1140 patients with 1276 breast lesions. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of combined DCE-MRI and DWI were 91.6% and 85.5%, respectively. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of DWI-MRI were 86.0% and 75.6%, respectively. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of DCE-MRI were 93.2% and 71.1%. The area under the SROC curve (AUC-SROC) of combined DCE-MRI and DWI was 0.94, the DCE-MRI of 0.85. Deeks testing confirmed no significant publication bias in all studies. Conclusion: Combined DCE-MRI and DWI had superior diagnostic accuracy than either DCE-MRI or DWI alone for the diagnosis of breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]