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The structures of Gen (n=34–39) clusters were searched by a genetic algorithm using a tight-binding interatomic potential. First-principles calculations based on density functional theory were performed to further identify the lowest-energy structures. The calculated results show that Gen (n=34–39) clusters favor prolate or Y-shaped three-arm structures consisting of two or three small stable clusters (Ge6, Ge7, Ge9, or Ge10) linked by a Ge6 or Ge9 bulk unit. The calculated results suggest the transition point from prolate to Y-shaped three-arm structures appears at Ge35 or Ge36. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study deals with the fault-tolerant control problem for a class of two independent wheeled mobile robot systems with actuator faults and unknown robot parameters. Partial loss of control effectiveness and bias-actuator faults are addressed without knowing eventually faulty information of actuators. Adaptive schemes are developed to estimate unknown faulty parameters of actuator faults and unknown robot parameters of viscous friction factor and driving gain. Then, the backstepping control technique is utilised to construct the state feed-back control strategy based on the adaptive estimations. By using the Lyapunov stability theory, it is shown that the forward speed and azimuthal angle of wheeled mobile robots can track the given trajectory asymptotically in the case of actuator faults and unknown parameters. The effectiveness of the proposed designs is illustrated via a mobile robot system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many Chinese medicinal materials (CMMs) are parts of plants or fungi that have been processed into different physical forms, termed decoction pieces, that are typically boiled in water for consumption. One CMM may have several decoction pieces forms, e.g., slices, small cubes (dice), or grains. The specifications that have different morphological parameters (shape, size and thickness) for these various decoction pieces have been developed over, in some cases, centuries of practice. Nevertheless, whether and how the form of decoction pieces affects the extraction (decoction) dynamics, and quality stability during storage has not been studied. Here, we investigated Poria cocos (PC) as a pilot study; we explore how the form of PC decoction pieces affects its chemistry using multidimensional chemical evaluation such as ultra-performance liquid chromatography-photodiode arrayquadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-PDA-QTOF-MS/MS), ultraperformance liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QqQMS/ MS) and high performance gel permeation chromatography coupled with charged aerosol detector (HPGPC-CAD), combined with analysis of variance (ANOVA), principal component analysis (PCA), factor analysis (FA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA). The results indicated that different specifications had significant differences, and these specifications could be divided into four groups. The comprehensive results of the chemical analyses undertaken here indicate that the highest potentially available quality of PC decoction pieces was in the forms of curl, ultra-small grains and small grains, followed by thin slices. This information not only is conducive to promoting the standardization of the specification/form of PC decoction pieces and maximizing the benefits from its utilization, but also provide a promising strategy for assessing other CMM decoction pieces in different forms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ribosome biogenesis is an orchestrated process that relies on many assembly factors. The AAA-ATPase Midasin 1 (Mdn1) functions as a ribosome assembly factor in yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), but the roles of MDN1 in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) are poorly understood. Here, we showed that the Arabidopsis null mutant of MDN1 is embryo-lethal. Using the weak mutant mdn1-1, which maintains viability, we found that MDN1 is critical for the regular pattern of auxin maxima in the globular embryo and functions in root meristem maintenance. By detecting the subcellular distribution of ribosome proteins, we noted that mdn1-1 impairs nuclear export of the pre-60S ribosomal particle. The processing of ribosomal precusor RNAs, including 35S, 27SB, and 20S, is also affected in this mutant. MDN1 physically interacts with PESCADILLO2 (PES2), an essential assembly factor of the 60S ribosome, and the observed mislocalization of PES2 in mdn1-1 further implied that MDN1 plays an indispensable role in 60S ribosome biogenesis. Therefore, the observed hypersensitivity of mdn1-1 to a eukaryotic translation inhibitor and high-sugar conditions might be associated with the defect in ribosome biogenesis. Overall, this work establishes a role of Arabidopsis MDN1 in ribosome biogenesis, which agrees with its roles in embryogenesis and root development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many Chinese medicinal materials (CMMs) are parts of plants or fungi that have been processed into different physical forms, termed decoction pieces, that are typically boiled in water for consumption. One CMM may have several decoction pieces forms, e.g., slices, small cubes (dice), or grains. The specifications that have different morphological parameters (shape, size and thickness) for these various decoction pieces have been developed over, in some cases, centuries of practice. Nevertheless, whether and how the form of decoction pieces affects the extraction (decoction) dynamics, and quality stability during storage has not been studied. Here, we investigated Poria cocos (PC) as a pilot study; we explore how the form of PC decoction pieces affects its chemistry using multidimensional chemical evaluation such as ultra-performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-PDA-QTOF-MS/MS), ultraperformance liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QqQ-MS/MS) and high performance gel permeation chromatography coupled with charged aerosol detector (HPGPC-CAD), combined with analysis of variance (ANOVA), principal component analysis (PCA), factor analysis (FA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA). The results indicated that different specifications had significant differences, and these specifications could be divided into four groups. The comprehensive results of the chemical analyses undertaken here indicate that the highest potentially available quality of PC decoction pieces was in the forms of curl, ultra-small grains and small grains, followed by thin slices. This information not only is conducive to promoting the standardization of the specification/form of PC decoction pieces and maximizing the benefits from its utilization, [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel guided tissue regeneration (GTR) membrane with orthogonal aligned fibers in surface layers and random fibers within interlayer was developed by multilayer electrospinning. The mechanical strength of tri-layer membrane was between random and aligned membranes. The promotion of the proliferations of MC3T3-E1 and NIH-3 T3 cells on the tri-layer membrane were observed during monoculture. When cells were cocultured, the tri-layer membrane was effective in impeding MC3T3-E1 and NIH-3 T3 cell infiltration by guiding cells to grow along the direction of the fiber alignment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poria cocos (Schw.) Wolf (PC) is a well-known saprophytic fungus, and its sclerotium without the epidermis (PCS) is widely used in traditional Chinese medicine and as a functional food in many countries. PCS is normally collected from multiple geographical regions, but whether and how the quality of PCS correlates with where it grows have not been determined. This correlation could be significant both for quality control and optimum utilization of PCS as a natural resource. In this study, a qualitative fingerprint profiling method performed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) with diode array detection (DAD) combining quadrupole time-of-flight-mass spectrometry (QTOF-MS/MS) and a quantitative UHPLC coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (QqQ-MS/MS) approach were established to investigate whether and how the quality of PCS correlates with its collection location. A standard fingerprint of PCS was generated by median simulation of 25 tested samples collected from four main producing areas of China, and similarity analysis was applied to evaluate the similarities between the fingerprints of samples and the standard fingerprint. Twenty three common peaks occurring in the fingerprint were unequivocally or tentatively identified by UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS. Meanwhile, principal component analysis (PCA), supervised orthogonal partial least squares-discriminate analysis (OPLS-DA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) were employed to classify 25 batches of PCS samples into four groups, which were highly consistent with the four geographical regions. Ten compounds were screened out as potential markers to distinguish the quality of PCS. Nine triterpene acids, including five compounds that played important roles in the clusters between different samples collected from the four collection locations, were simultaneously quantified by using the multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode of UHPLC-QqQ-MS/MS. The current strategy not only clearly expounded the correlation between quality and geographical origins of PCS, but also provided a fast, accurate and comprehensive qualitative and quantitative method for assessing the quality of PCS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Furthermore, a subset of early Kras-mutant cell states exhibit marked similarity to either benign or malignant fates that emerge weeks to months later; for instance, Kras-mutant Nestin-positive progenitor-like cells display accessible chromatin near genes active in malignant tumors. These plastic cell states are enriched for open chromatin near cell-cell communication genes encoding ligands and cell-surface receptors, suggesting an increased propensity to communicate with the microenvironment. [Extracted from the article]

Angelica radix (Danggui in Chinese) used in China and Japan is derived from two species of Angelica, namely Angelica sinensis and Angelica acutiloba, respectively. The differences in quality between A. sinensis radix (ASR) and A. acutiloba radix (AAR) should be therefore investigated to guide the medicinal and dietary applications of these two species. Secondary metabolites and carbohydrates have been demonstrated to be the two major kinds of bioactive components of Danggui. However, previously, quality comparison between ASR and AAR intensively concerned secondary metabolites but largely overlooked carbohydrates, thus failing to include or take into consideration an important aspect of the holistic quality of Danggui. In this study, untargeted/targeted metabolomics and glycomics were integrated by multiple chromatography-based analytical techniques for qualitative and quantitative characterization of secondary metabolites and carbohydrates in Danggui so as to comprehensively evaluate and compare the quality of ASR and AAR. The results revealed that not only secondary metabolites but also carbohydrates in ASR and AAR were different in type and amount, which should collectively contribute to their quality difference. By providing more comprehensive chemical information, the research results highlighted the need to assess characteristics of both carbohydrates and secondary metabolites for overall quality evaluation and comparison of ASR and AAR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lycii Fructus, a solanaceous drug, is widely used as functional foods and in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Samples collected from different regions of China have been found to be not identical in chemical compositions which might affect the biological activities. Although many chromatographic and spectrometric methods have been reported to determine the concentration of betaine and other bioactive amino acids, disturbance resulted from other polar substances with low UV-absorbance and expensive mass facilities reduced the applicability of these techniques. In the present study, the strong cation exchange solid phase extraction procedure incorporated with ¹H NMR was successfully developed as a rapid and reliable method that can simultaneously determine betaine, citric acid, threonine, alanine, and proline in various Lycii Fructus. In addition, ERETIC 2 method based on PULCON principle was also applied and compared with conventional method. This feasible and practical method offers a very powerful tool for the quality control of commercial Lycii Fructus from different sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iron titanate catalysts with variable Nb content was synthesized by the homogeneous precipitation method, and they were applied to the NH3-selective catalytic reduction (SCR). The widest performance temperature window is obtained on the 0.05Nb–0.95Fe–Ti–O catalyst between 200 and 400 °C with a NO conversion higher than 90% at a gas hourly space velocity (GHSV) of 50 000 h–1. The addition of Nb improves the acidity of Fe–Ti–O catalyst while decreasing its reducibility. The excellent performance of 0.05Nb–0.95Fe–Ti–O is attributed to its suitable acidity and reducibility. Both Brønsted and Lewis acid sites over 0.05Nb–0.95Fe–Ti–O catalyst are active in the reaction, and the formation of reactive monodentate nitrate species and cis-N2O22– also promote the performances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A total of 23 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) were investigated in the air, dry deposition, and plant leaves at two different landfills and one suburban reference site in Tianjin, China. The potential of landfills as sources of PFASs to the atmosphere and the phase distribution therein were evaluated. The maximum concentrations of ∑PFASs in the two landfills were up to 9.5 ng/m3 in the air, 4.1 μg/g in dry deposition, and 48 μg/g lipid in leaves with trifluoroacetic acid and perfluoropropionic acid being dominant (71%–94%). Spatially, the distribution trend of ionizable and neutral PFASs in all three kinds of media consistently showed the central landfill > the downwind > the upwind > the reference sites, indicating that landfills are important sources to PFASs in the environment. Plant leaves were found effective in uptake of a variety of airborne PFASs including polyfluoroalkyl phosphoric acid diesters, thus capable of acting as a passive air sampling approach for air monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ongoing efforts to remove pathological inflammatory stimuli are crucial for the protection of endothelial cells in diabetes. Nerve injury-induced protein 1 (Ninj1) is an adhesion molecule that not only contributes to inflammation but also regulates the apoptosis of endothelial cells. In the present study, Ninj1 was found highly expressed in endothelial cells in Type 2 diabetic mice and increased in high-glucose (HG) cultured HUVECs. Furthermore, we found that Ninj1 levels are up-regulated in endothelial cells in clinical specimens of diabetic patients when compared with nondiabetic tissues, indicating a biological correlation between Ninj1 and endothelial pathophysiology in diabetic condition. Functional blocking of Ninj1 promoted endothelial tube formation and eNOS phosphorylation in the HG condition. Additionally, blocking Ninj1 inhibited the activation of caspase-3 and increased the Bcl-2/Bax ratio, thus inhibiting HUVECs apoptosis induced by HG. HG-induced ROS overproduction, p38 MAPK and NF-κB activation, and the overexpression of VCAM-1, ICAM-1, MCP-1, and IL-6 genes were ameliorated after Ninj1 was blocked. Using the signaling pathway inhibitor LY294002, we found that Bcl-2 expression and eNOS phosphorylation after Ninj1 blockade were regulated via PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. The in vivo endothelial contents, α-SMA+PECAM-1+ vascular numbers, and blood perfusion in the hindlimb were markedly up-regulated after Ninj1 was blocked. According to our findings, functional blocking of Ninj1 shows protective effects on diabetic endothelial cells both in vitro and in vivo. Thus, we consider Ninj1 to be a potential therapeutic target for preventing endothelial dysfunction in diabetes mellitus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to monitor salbutamol (SAL) use in goats as a repartitioning, we determined SAL residues in various tissues of goats after repeated oral SAL administration at a dose of 0.15mg/kg daily for 21 days. SAL concentrations were measured by ultra performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry in extracts of tissues from goats sacrificed 0.25, 1, 3, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days after the last dose. Our results showed that on Day 0.25 of the withdrawal period, the residual proportions of SAL (expressed as percentage) in liver, kidney, lung, hair, stomachs and muscle were 19.5%, 15.3%, 3.3%, 9.6%, 28.2% and 0.8%, respectively. As the withdrawal time increased, the SAL concentrations in most tissues (except hair) decreased rapidly over the first 3 days and more slowly in the following 25 days. After a 28-day withdrawal period, hair, lung, muscle, liver, fat, eyes, rumen, kidney and abomasum still contained ~32.3%, 15.3%, 7.1%, 6.5%, 5.6%, 1.5%, 0.8% and 0.5% compared to the initial residual concentrations determined on Day 0.25, respectively. On withdrawal Day 28, the highest concentrations of SAL were found in hair (16.58 ± 9.48 μg/kg), followed by liver (7.01 ± 0.94 μg/kg), lung (2.81 ± 1.23 μg/kg), kidney (0.64 ± 0.56 μg/kg), whereas the concentrations in other tissues were lower than limit of quantification (0.50 μg/kg). SAL residues were not detected in bile, plasma and brain on Days 7, 7 and 3 after discontinuation of dosing. These findings indicated that the distribution and depletion rates of SAL differed between tissues. It should be noted that SAL residues in stomach were higher than those in muscles during the early withdrawal. We conclude that hair is the preferred tissue to monitor the administration of SAL to living goats, whereas liver can be used to monitor SAL in the carcass for determination of compliance with food safety regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To characterize and identify metabolites of (-)-epicatechin in microsomal fraction of rat hepatocytes (MFRHs). Methods: A single incubation of (-)-epicatechin (1 mL, 50 ìg/mL) in MFRH (0.5 mg/mL) was used for the generation of metabolites. Thereafter, the sample was subjected to protein precipitation prior to analysis with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to linear ion-trap orbitrap mass spectrometry (UHPLC-LTQ-Orbitap MS). Results: Nine metabolites of (-)-epicatechin were characterized on the basis of high resolution mass measurement, MS spectra and literature data. Based on their structures, the major metabolic routes of (-)-epicatechin in MFRHs were identified as hydroxylation, dihydroxylation and glycosylation. Conclusion: This is the first report on metabolites of (-)-epicatechin in MFRHs, and it is helpful in gaining deeper insight into the metabolism of (-)-epicatechin in vivo. The results will also provide guidance in research on the pharmacokinetics of new drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Timely diagnosis of invasive fungal diseases (IFDs) is important, as delays in treatment initiation are associated with increased mortality rates. However, early diagnosis of IFDs in immunocompromised patients remains difficult. The conventional diagnostic methods currently used for IFDs are not sufficiently effective. Molecular tests, such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based assays, have great potential to improve the early diagnosis of IFDs due to their sensitivity and specificity. In the present study, the diagnostic performance of panfungal PCR assays in IFD patients who received bone marrow transplantation was evaluated. The results suggested that panfungal PCR assay offered a quick and convenient guide for clinical decision-making by identifying higher numbers of fungal species in comparison with the conventional blood culture method. Furthermore, panfungal PCR assay exhibited a sensitivity of 93% and a specificity of 71% in the diagnosis of IFD patients based on the EORTC/MSG criteria. Thus, the present study concluded that the reported PCR-based method was effective and sensitive in early IFD diagnosis and should be integrated into clinical decision-making for the treatment of IFDs in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: HIV-associated immune defects inhibit tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis, promote development of extrapulmonary TB and paucibacillary pulmonary TB cases with atypical radiographic features, and increase TB relapse rates. We therefore assessed the diagnostic performance of a novel assay that directly quantitates serum levels of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) virulence factor 10-kDa culture filtrate protein (CFP-10) to overcome limitations associated with detecting Mtb bacilli in sputum or tissue biopsies.Methods: This study analyzed HIV-positive adults enrolled in a large, population-based TB screening and surveillance project, the Houston Tuberculosis Initiative, between October 1995 and September 2004, and assigned case designations using standardized criteria. Serum samples were trypsin-digested and immunoprecipitated for an Mtb-specific peptide of CFP-10 that was quantified by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry for rapid and sensitive TB diagnosis.Results: Among the 1053 enrolled patients, 110 met all inclusion criteria; they included 60 tuberculosis cases (12 culture-negative TB), including 9 relapse TB cases, and 50 non-TB controls, including 15 cases with history of TB. Serum CFP-10 levels diagnosed 89.6% (77.3-96.5) and 66.7% (34.9-90.1) of culture-positive and culture-negative TB cases, respectively, and exhibited 88% (75.7-95.5) diagnostic specificity in all non-TB controls. Serum antigen detection and culture, respectively, identified 85% (73.4-92.9) and 80.0% (67.3-88.8) of all 60 TB cases.Conclusions: Quantitation of the Mtb virulence factor CFP-10 in serum samples of HIV-infected subjects diagnosed active TB cases with high sensitivity and specificity and detected cases missed by the gold standard of Mtb culture. These results suggest that serum CFP-10 quantitation holds great promise for the rapid diagnosis of suspected TB cases in patients who are HIV-infected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved degradation process which eliminates dysfunctional proteins and cytoplasmic components to maintain homeostasis for cell survival. Increasing evidence has demonstrated the modulatory role of autophagy in ischemic heart diseases (IHDs). Traditionally, this process has been recognized as having protective functions, such as inhibiting atherosclerosis progression and reducing cell death during the ischemic phase. However, recent studies have suggested its dual roles in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (MIR) injury. Excessive autophagy may play a deleterious role in cardiac function, due to overwhelming clearance of cellular constituents and proteins. Hence modulation of autophagy to increase cardiomyocyte survival and improve cardiac function is meaningful for the treatment of IHD. Chinese herbal medicine, including extractive compounds and patented drugs, has shown its potential role in treating IHD by addressing autophagy-related mechanisms. This review summarizes the updated knowledge on the molecular basis and modulatory role of autophagy in IHD and the recent progress of Chinese herbal medicine in its treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes gob-side entry retaining by roof break and filling in thick-layer soft rock conditions based on the thick-layer soft rock roof strata migration law and the demand for non-pillar gob-side entry retaining projects. The functional expressions of main roof subsidence are derived for three break roof direction conditions: lateral deflection toward the roadway, lateral deflection toward the gob and vertically to the roof. These are derived according to the load-bearing boundary conditions of the main roadway roof stratum. It is concluded that the break roof angle is an important factor influencing tire stability of gob-side entry retaining surrounding rock. This paper studies the stress distribution characteristics and plastic damage scope of gob-side entry retaining integrated coal seams, as well as the roof strata migration law and tire supporting stability of caving structure filled on tire break roof layer at the break roof angles of -5°, 0°, 5°, 10° and 15° are studied. The simulation results of numerical analysis indicate that the stress concentration and plastic damage scope to tire sides of gob-side entry retaining integrated coal at the break roof angle of 5° are reduced and shearing stress concentration of the caving filling body has been eliminated. The disturbance of coal raining to tire roadway roof and loss of canying capacity are mitigated. Field tests have been earned out on air-retum roadway 5203 with the break roof angle of 5°. lire monitoring indicates that tire break roof filling section and compaction section are located at 0-45 nr and 45-75 m behind the working face, respectively. Tire section from 75-100 nr tends to be stable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cryptococcal infection has become a public health challenge globally. However, information about cryptococcal infection in patients with hematological diseases remains relatively rare.Methods: HIV-uninfected cryptococcosis cases with hematological diseases admitted to Huashan Hospital from January 2001 to December 2014 were reviewed.Results: In total, 33 cryptococcosis patients were enrolled, including 12 malignant and 21 non-malignant hematological cases. Twenty-six patients had central nervous system (CNS) involvement, which was observed more often in patients with non-malignancies than with malignancies (20/21 vs. 6/12, P = 0.001) Most patients (25/26) with CNS infection were confirmed by cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) culture or smear, and 100% (20/20) of them tested positive for the CSF cryptococcal antigen test. Eighteen out of 26 cryptococcal meningitis patients were treated with amphotericin B (AmB)-based therapy, 16 of them with AmB deoxycholate (d-AmB) and 2 patients with liposomal AmB. The clinical success rate was 55.6%. D-AmB was well-tolerated at 0.35-0.59 mg/kg/d (median 0.43 mg/kg/d) and only 12 patients had mild adverse events.Conclusions: CNS cryptococcal infection was more frequent in patients with hematological non-malignancies, and cryptococcal antigen test as well as the CSF fungal culture or smear are suggested for early diagnosis. D-AmB could be used as an alternative therapy for CNS-infected patients with hematological diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims. Stroke is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to determine whether nicotinamide administration could improve remyelination after stroke and reveal the underlying mechanism. Methods. Adult male C57BL/6J mice were intraperitoneally (i.p.) administered with nicotinamide (200 mg/kg, daily) or saline after stroke induced by photothrombotic occlusion of the middle cerebral artery. FK866 (3 mg/kg, daily, bis in die), an inhibitor of NAMPT, and ANA-12 (0.5 mg/kg, daily), an antagonist of tropomyosin-related kinase B (TrkB), were administered intraperitoneally 1 h before nicotinamide administration. Functional recovery, MRI, and histological assessment were performed after stroke at different time points. Results. The nicotinamide-treated mice showed significantly lower infarct area 7 d after stroke induction and significantly higher fractional anisotropy (FA) in the ipsilesional internal capsule (IC) 14 d after stroke induction than the other groups. Higher levels of NAD+, BDNF, and remyelination markers were observed in the nicotinamide-treated group. FK866 administration reduced NAD+ and BDNF levels in the nicotinamide-treated group. ANA-12 administration impaired the recovery from stroke with no effect on NAD+ and BDNF levels. Furthermore, lesser functional deficits were observed in the nicotinamide-treated group than in the control group. Conclusions. Nicotinamide administration improves remyelination after stroke via the NAD+/BDNF/TrkB pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Post-synthesis methods are a promising technology and have received much attention. In this paper, a series of post-synthesis aluminum modified TUD-1 (PAT) materials with different Al contents were successfully prepared by using aluminum isopropoxide to be Al sources, then the as-synthesized materials were adopted as support additives mixed with commercial γ-Al2O3 to prepare hydrodesulfurization (HDS) catalysts for FCC diesel. The supports and catalysts were analyzed using N2 adsorption-desorption, XRD, SEM, Py-IR, ICP, 27Al MAS NMR, UV-vis, H2-TPR and HRTEM techniques. The results of Py-IR and 27Al MAS NMR indicated that the addition of Al species could bring Lewis (L) and Brönsted (B) sites into Si-TUD-1, and that the material of PAT-3 had the highest total acidity sites and Brönsted acid sites among the series PAT composites. The HRTEM technique showed that, compared to the traditional catalyst NiMo/-Al2O3, the sulfided catalyst NiMo/APAT-3 had a relatively short length (3.2 nm) and suitable stacking number (2.5) of MoS2 slabs. The HDS efficiencies of all the catalysts were tested in a fixed bed micro-reactor with FCC diesel as feedstock. The catalytic results confirmed that the catalyst NiMo/APAT-3 possessed the highest HDS efficiency (97.0%), due to synergistic effects of advantageous properties such as higher acidity, moderate MSI, and relatively short length of the MoS2 slabs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To identify the metabolites of gardenin A (GA) in rat liver microsomes (RLMs) using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with linear ion-trap Orbitrap mass spectrometry (UHPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap). Methods: The sample was prepared by incubating GA (100 μg/mL) with RLMs (0.5 mg/mL) for 8 h. Then 5 μL of the sample was injected into UHPLC-LTQ-orbitrap mass spectrometer. The metabolites of GA were tentatively identified based on accurate mass measurements, fragmentation patterns, chromatographic retention times, and bibliography data. Results: A total of 12 metabolites were detected and identified. Based on their structures, the main reactions in the metabolism of GA are de-methoxylation and de-methylation. Conclusion: This is the first report on in vitro metabolites of GA. These results are considered very helpful for better comprehension of the metabolism of GA and its pharmacological effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In clinical practice polysaccharides from herbal medicines are conventionally prepared by boiling water extraction (BWE), while ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) has often been used instead employed in laboratory research due to its strong extraction ability and efficiency. However, if and how the polysaccharides obtained by UAE and BWE are comparable, and hence whether the UAE-based research is instructive for the actual usage of herbal polysaccharides still requires further evaluation. To address this issue, here we chemically analyzed and compared the UAE- and BWE-obtained polysaccharides from three herbal medicines, i.e., Ginseng Radix, Astragali Radix and Dendrobii Officinalis Caulis. Then, the spike recovery of two series of standard dextran and pullulan by UAE and BWE was tested. The results showed that the polysaccharides from the herbal medicines by UAE were quantitatively and qualitatively different with those by BWE. The powerful extraction ability and polysaccharide degradation caused by ultrasound collectively contributed to these differences. It was then revealed that not only the UAE conditions but also the polysaccharide structures could affect the extraction ability and polysaccharide degradation. Given these, we highly recommended that the effects of UAE on polysaccharides from herbal medicines should be first carefully considered before employing it in relevant chemical and pharmacological analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The treatment of subclinical hypothyroidism in elderly persons is controversial. Previous studies have shown that there are interactions between kidney and thyroid function, but data regarding interventions that target thyroid function in elderly patients are scarce. We aimed to investigate the impact of thyroid hormone therapy on the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in elderly patients.Material and Methods: Ninety elderly patients aged ≥ 65 years with subclinical hypothyroidism were followed for 36 months in our case-control study. The changes in the eGFR in patients with and without thyroid hormone replacement therapy were compared. The adverse effects during the treatment period were noted.Results: The eGFR of both groups was similar at the beginning of the study (43.4 ±6.1 vs. 42.8 ±5.9 ml/min/1.73 m(2); p = 0.62). With the decline in thyroid stimulating hormone levels after treatment, the eGFR of the treatment group significantly improved compared with the control group (45.8 ±4.8 vs. 35.8 ±5.3 ml/min/1.73 m(2); p < 0.001); the eGFR increased rapidly over the first 6 months and then plateaued. No patients withdrew from the study, but the therapeutic dose was decreased in two patients due to angina pectoris.Conclusions: Thyroid hormone therapy preserved renal function in elderly patients. Appropriate individual treatment should be considered in elderly patients with subclinical hypothyroidism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The enantioselective cross-aldol reaction between o-hydroxyacetophenones and trifluoromethyl ketones catalyzed by chiral thiourea organocatalysts is reported. Gram-scale synthesis of the cross-aldol product was carried out, with no decrease in the yield and enantioselectivity. Furthermore, the cross-aldol products thus prepared were used in the preparation of medicinally interesting 3,5-diaryl-5-trifluoromethyl-2-isoxazoline and β-trifluoromethyl-β-tertiary hydroxy acid ester with high yield and enantiopurity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deformation and damage behavior of ferrite–cementite steel was investigated using microstructure-based representative volume element (RVE) methodology. A series of automatically generated 2D RVEs with ferrite matrix and globular cementite particles were generated as representative of various microstructures. The geometrically necessary dislocation (GND) accumulation at the ferrite–cementite interphase was also studied by introducing an intermediate layer around the cementite particles. Damage mechanisms such as ductile fracture in ferrite matrix, brittle fracture in cementite, and decohesion at ferrite–cementite interphase were considered to study the fracture modes. The relationships between interface strength and particle size were estimated according to the modified Argon criterion and showed satisfactory agreement with related works. The influences of microstructural features, such as particle size, particle fraction and carbide banding, on deformation and damage evolution were investigated under tensile and shear loads. Simulation results indicated that small particle size and particle fraction could postpone the initial decohesion under both tensile and shear loads, while carbide banding can lead to early fracture due to local stress concentration, which has potential to cause the loss of ductility and premature failure. These adverse effects become more severe when more cementite particles remain in the band or the gather density of the cementite particles in the band becomes higher. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The charge-spin-orbital state plays a vital role in correlated oxides with mixed transition-metal elements, and it is often a matter of debate. Here, we address this issue for the newly synthesized unusual high-valence perovskite SrFe1-x Nix O3, using an analysis of crystal-field level diagrams, density functional calculations, and Monte Carlo simulations. We have identified the formal high-spin Fe5+ (t2g³, S = 3/2) and high-spin Ni3+ (t2g5e²g, S = 3/2) state for SrFe0.5 Ni0.5 O3, rather than the previously suggested high-spin Fe4+ (t2g³eg¹, S = 2) and low-spin Ni4+ (t2g6, S = 0) state. Moreover, our model and the present results well explain the observed small lattice variation of SrFe1-x Nix O3 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.5) and the above room temperature ferromagnetic order in SrFe0.5 Ni0.5 O3 regardless of a Fe-Ni atomic order or disorder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wind power has received extensive attention due to its superiorities of clean and pollution-free. However, because of the randomness and volatility of wind power, accurate power prediction is needed to help its consumption. Wind speed is the key to wind power prediction, but traditional prediction method cannot accurately grasp the wind speed variation trend and the traditional wind process partition method has some defects, an ultra-short-term wind speed hybrid prediction method based on wind process pattern forecasting is proposed in this paper. Firstly, a wind process (WP) division method considering the influence of wind speed on the operation state, mode switch and output power of wind turbine is proposed. Secondly, according to the operating characteristics of the wind turbine, all the WPs is classified into different wind process patterns (WPP), and the effectiveness of the classification is verified. Then, the Adaboost algorithm is used to forecast the WPP of the next 4 h. Finally, the wind speed hybrid prediction model of each pattern is established, the corresponding model is automatically selected based on WPP to predict the wind speed. Simulation results show that the proposed model can reliably forecast future WPP and the prediction accuracy is better than conventional models. • Wind fluctuation process is divided considering the key values of wind speed. • Wind process show varies fluctuation patterns according to operating characteristic. • Adaboost classification algorithm is applied to predict future wind process pattern. • Targeted modeling for specific wind process pattern can improve prediction accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Rhizoma Chuanxiong (RC; Chuanxiong), which is the dried rhizome of Ligusticum chuanxiong (Umbel-liferae), is commonly used in Chinese medicine (CM) for improving blood circulation and dispersing blood stasis. RC is usually processed before use in clinical practice to enhance its therapeutic efficacy. This study aimed to investigate the temporal variations of the major constituents of RC by HPLC-DAD-MS during herbal processing to investigate the effects of an adjuvant (e.g., wine), steaming vs stir-frying and the optimal processing time. Methods: An HPLC-DAD-MS method was developed to determine the major constituents of the RC processed by one of the four processing methods, i.e., stir-frying, steaming, stir-frying with rice wine and steaming with rice wine. Processing was conducted over 60 min. Six major compounds, namely ferulic acid, senkyunolide I, senkyunolide H, senkyunolide A, Z-ligustilide and levistolide A, were selected as markers to analyze the effects on the markers' levels of the different processing methods and optimize the processing time. Results: The results indicated that (a) processing with wine had no discernible impact on the amounts of the six chemical markers in RC; (b) the amounts of the major constituents of RC subjected to steam processing were higher than those of the RC subjected to stir-fry processing. Conclusion: Among the four different methods evaluated for RC processing, steaming was better and the optimal time for steaming RC was 40 min. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the dehydrogenation component of Ga2O3 was introduced into ZSM-5 nanocrystals to prepare Ga2O3/ZSM-5 hollow fiber-based bifunctional catalysts. The physicochemical features of as-prepared catalysts were characterized by means of XRD, BET, SEM, STEM, NH3-TPD, etc., and their performances for the catalytic conversion of n-butane to produce light olefins and aromatics were investigated. The results indicated that a very small amount of gallium can cause a marked enhancement in the catalytic activity of ZSM-5 because of the synergistic effect of the dehydrogenation and aromatization properties of Ga2O3 and the cracking function of ZSM-5. Compared with Ga2O3/ZSM-5 nanoparticles, the unique hierarchical macro-meso-microporosity of the as-prepared hollow fibers can effectively enlarge the bifunctionality by enhancing the accessibility of active sites and the diffusion. Consequently, Ga2O3/ZSM-5 hollow fibers show excellent catalytic conversion of n-butane, with the highest yield of light olefins plus aromatics at 600 °C by 87.6%, which is 56.3%, 24.6%, and 13.3% higher than that of ZSM-5, ZSM-5 zeolite fibers, and Ga2O3/ZSM-5, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. We evaluated the extent to which children and adolescents were not vaccinated against measles ('unvaccinated'), clustering within U.S. counties, and factors associated with unvaccination, including parents' vaccine-related beliefs and missed opportunities. Methods. We analyzed data from the 2010-2013 National Immunization Survey (NIS) and NIS-Teen Survey of households with 19- to 35-month-old children and 13- to 17-year-old adolescents, respectively. We used provider-reported vaccination histories to assess measles vaccination status. Results. In 2013, 7.5% of children and 4.5% of adolescents were unvaccinated against measles. Four-fifths (80.0%) of unvaccinated children lived in counties containing 41.9% of the nation's children, and 80.0% of unvaccinated adolescents lived in counties containing 30.4% of the nation's adolescents. Multivariable statistical analyses found that 74.6% of children who were unvaccinated against measles missed being vaccinated for reasons other than parents' negative vaccine-related beliefs, and 89.6% could be deemed as having at least one missed opportunity for being vaccinated against measles because they were administered at least one dose of other recommended vaccines after 12 months of age. Among adolescents, multivariable analyses found that only demographic factors, not vaccine-related parental beliefs, were independently associated with being unvaccinated. Conclusions. Reasons other than negative vaccine-related beliefs, including missed opportunities, accounted for the vast majority of unvaccinated children and adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) is the key to precise wind power forecasting (WPF), which can be enhanced by the NWP correction and scenario partition techniques. However, on the one hand, existing NWP correction techniques may enlarge the volatility of ensemble NWP which disturbs the subsequent WPF. On the other hand, existing scenario partition techniques cannot precisely predict wind power in fluctuating scenarios by assuming NWP is totally reliable. Therefore, this paper proposes a novel NWP enhanced WPF method based on rank ensemble and probabilistic fluctuation awareness. Firstly, Rank Bayesian Ensemble (RBE) method is intended based on the stationary NWP rank, which generates a stable and accurate ensemble NWP. Secondly, a fluctuation scenarios partition framework is devised to establish a fluctuation awareness model with NWP's credibility quantified. The framework works in a three-step manner, including characterization, matching, and inference of wind fluctuation events: respectively as Fluctuation identification and feature embedding (FIGE), Fluctuating mapping algorithm (FMA), and Probabilistic fluctuation warning (PFW). Finally, we incorporate the two enhancement techniques in a forecasting method in the ultra-short-term. A real-world wind farm with four NWP sources data validates the superiority and robustness of the proposed WPF method. The result shows that our method can reduce the four hour-ahead rooted mean square error (RMSE) by 2.16%–4.36% compared to baseline models. Meanwhile, the stability of ensemble NWP and the effectiveness of fluctuation scenario partition are also discussed. • Proposed enhancement techniques improve NWP's contribution to forecasting accuracy. • NWP rank describes the stable performance of multi-source NWP in typical weather. • Scenario partition effectively models and predicts the wind fluctuation events. • Fluctuation probability is inferred in each moment with NWP credibility quantified. • Superiority of the two NWP enhancement techniques is proved in the real-world case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gastric cancer remains a major health problem worldwide. Natural products, with stronger antitumor activity and fewer side effects, are potential candidates for pharmaceutical development as anticancer agents. In this study, quercetin and curcumin were chosen for testing and were applied separately and in combination to human gastric cancer MGC-803 cells. The MTT assay was used to evaluate cell growth inhibition. Annexin V-FITC/PI was carried out to measure apoptosis rate. Flow cytometry was performed to analyze mitochondrial membrane potential levels. Western blots were applied to detect expression of cytochrome c, total and phosphorylated ERK and AKT. Combined treatment with curcumin and quercetin resulted in significant inhibition of cell proliferation, accompanied by loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm), release of cytochrome c and decreased phosphorylation of AKT and ERK. These results indicate that the combination of curcumin and quercetin induces apoptosis through the mitochondrial pathway. Notably, effect of combined treatment with curcumin and quercetin on gastric cancer MGC-803 cells is stronger than that of individual treatment, indicating that curcumin and quercetin combinations have potential as anti-gastric cancer drugs for further development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lowest-energy structures of neutral and cationic GenM (n = 9, 10; M = Si, Li, Mg, Al, Fe, Mn, Pb, Au, Ag, Yb, Pm and Dy) clusters were studied by genetic algorithm (GA) and first-principles calculations. The calculation results show that doping of the metal atoms and Si into Ge9 and Ge10 clusters is energetically favorable. Most of the metal-doped Ge cluster structures can be viewed as adding or substituting metal atom on the surface of the corresponding ground-state Gen clusters. However, the neutral and cationic FeGe9,10,MnGe9,10 and Ge10Al are cage-like with the metal atom encapsulated inside. Such cage-like transition metal doped Gen clusters are shown to have higher adsorption energy and thermal stability. Our calculation results suggest that Ge9,10Fe and Ge9Si would be used as building blocks in cluster-assembled nanomaterials because of their high stabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are some signal sampling processes during the testing process of aircraft cable shield grounding reliability, and the current and voltage signals obtained are very weak. Also there exists some noise components which is independent of the signal to be analyzed due to the acquisition environment and the instruments used. If the signals are analyzed directly without filtering the noisy signal first, it will affect the final detection accuracy of the instrument. In this paper, a simulation model on the cable shield for aircraft loop impedance test system was established and analyzed deeply. The method of combined de-noising of EMD(Empirical Mode Decomposition) and wavelet transform was introduced. The comparing results between experimental data and simulation results show that the de-noising effect of this method is satisfying and reliable and can be utilized in application engineering field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

STUDY QUESTIONS: DO DNA variants in the growth regulation by estrogen in breast cancer 1 (GREB1) region regulate endometrial GREB1 expression and increase the risk of developing endometriosis in women? SUMMARY ANSWER: We identified new single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with strong association with endometriosis at the GREB 1 locus although we did not detect altered GREB 1 expression in endometriosis patients with defined genotypes. WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN: Genome-wide association studies have identified the GREB 1 region on chromosome 2p25.1 for increasing endometriosis risk. The differential expression of GREB 1 has also been reported by others in association with endometriosis disease phenotype. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: Fine mapping studies comprehensively evaluated SNPs within the GREB 1 region in a large-scale data set (.2500 cases and .4000 controls). Publicly available bioinformatics tools were employed to functionally annotate SNPs showing the strongest association signal with endometriosis risk. Endometrial GREB1 mRNA and protein expression was studied with respect to phases of the menstrual cycle (n = 2-45 per cycle stage) and expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) analysis for significant SNPs were undertaken for GREB1 [mRNA (n = 94) and protein (n = 44) in endometrium]. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS: Participants in this study are females who provided blood and/or endometrial tissue samples in a hospital setting. The key SNPs were genotyped using Sequenom MASS ARRAY. The functional roles and regulatory annotations for identified SNPs are predicted by various publicly available bioinformatics tools. Endometrial GREB1 expression work employed qRT-PCR, western blotting and immunohistochemistry studies. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: Fine mapping results identified a number of SNPs showing stronger association (0.004, P, 0.032) with endometriosis risk than the original GWASSNP (rs 13394619) (P = 0.034). Some of these SNPs were predicted to have functional roles, for example, interaction with transcription factor motifs. The haplotype (a combination of alleles) formed by the risk alleles from two common SNPs showed significant association (P = 0.026) with endometriosis and epistasis analysis showed no evidence for interaction between the two SNPs, suggesting an additive effect of SNPs on endometriosis risk. In normal human endometrium, GREB1 protein expression was altered depending on the cycle stage (significantly different in late proliferative versus late secretory, P, 0.05) and cell type (glandular epithelium, not stromal cells). However, GREB 1 expression in endometriosis cases versus controls and eQTL analyses did not reveal any significant changes. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION: In silico prediction tools are generally based on cell lines different to our tissue and disease of interest. Functional annotations drawn from these analyses should be considered with this limitation in mind. We identified cell-specific and hormone-specific changes in GREB 1 protein expression. The lack of a significant difference observed following our GREB 1 expression studies may be the result of moderate power on mixed cell populations in the endometrial tissue samples. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS: This study further implicates the GREB1 region on chromosome 2p25.1 and the GREB1 gene with involvement in endometriosis risk. More detailed functional studies are required to determine the role of the novel GREB 1 transcripts in endometriosis pathophysiology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are some signal sampling processes during the testing process of aircraft cable shield grounding reliability, and the current and voltage signals obtained are very weak. Also there exists some noise components which is independent of the signal to be analyzed due to the acquisition environment and the instruments used. If the signals are analyzed directly without filtering the noisy signal first, it will affect the final detection accuracy of the instrument. In this paper, a simulation model on the cable shield for aircraft loop impedance test system was established and analyzed deeply. The method of combined de-noising of EMD(Empirical Mode Decomposition) and wavelet transform was introduced. The comparing results between experimental data and simulation results show that the de-noising effect of this method is satisfying and reliable and can be utilized in application engineering field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of picosecond pulsed electric fields (psPEF) on a cervical cancer xenograft. Human cervical cancer xenografts were established in nude mice by transplantation of HeLa cells, and the tumors were then treated with psPEF. The histological changes were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining and transmission electron microscopy. The rate of tumor cell apoptosis was determined using a terminal deoxynucleotidyl-transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling assay. The mitochondrial transmembrane potential of the tumor cells was detected by laser scanning confocal microscopy, and the activity of caspase-3, -8, -9 and -12 was determined. The inhibitory rate seven days post-psPEF treatment was also calculated. The results showed that exposure to psPEF led to an increased rate of apoptosis, collapse of mitochondrial transmembrane potential, and activation of caspases. The inhibitory rate was 9.11% at day 7. The results of the present study indicate that psPEF may induce apoptosis in a cervical cancer xenograft through the endoplasmic reticulum stress and caspase-dependent signaling pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Rhizoma Chuanxiong (RC) is the dried rhizome of Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort., and various types of processed Rhizoma Chuanxiong (PRC) are widely used in China. However, quality assurance and quality control of these processed medicines remain challenging. This study aims to investigate the chemical compositions of various PRC preparations by a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with diode array detection (DAD) method. Methods: A HPLC-DAD method with validation was developed for PRC samples. Seven batches of plant samples from two processing methods, stir-frying and steaming, were analyzed by the HPLC-DAD method. Common peaks in PRC chromatograms were chosen to calculate their relative retention time (RRT) and relative peak area (RPA), and similarity analyses of the chromatographic fingerprints were conducted by Similarity Evaluation System for Chromatographic Fingerprint of Traditional Chinese Medicine software (Version 2004 A). Results: In the 24-h stability test, the relative standard deviation for the RRT and RPA was less than 0.07% and 2.57%, respectively. The precision was less than 0.08% for the RRT and 2.48% for the RPA. The repeatability for the RRT and RPA was less than 0.03% and 2.64%, respectively. The similarities between the seven PRC batches were range from 0.956 to 0.990. After stir-frying or steaming, the amount of ferulic acid in PRC was much higher than that in the raw material. Conclusions: The fingerprint analysis of PRC by different processing methods was feasible by HPLC-DAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore new and multifunctional additives for methanol-gasoline, glycolic esters were synthesized and screened as phase stabilizer and saturation vapor pressure depressor. The effect of the esters' structure on the efficiency was discussed. It was found that the stability of the blends depend on the length of the glycolic esters' alkoxy group, and hexyl glycolic and octyl glycolic were found to be the most effective in various gasoline-methanol blends. Additionally, the glycolic esters can depress the saturation vapor pressure of methanol-gasoline effectively as well, and decyl glycolic is the most effective one. With these data, it can be concluded that the glycolic esters have the great potential to be used as bifunctional gasoline-methanol additives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Fish oil is a popular nutritional product consumed in Hong Kong. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are the two main bioactive components responsible for the health benefits of fish oil. Market survey in Hong Kong demonstrated that various fish oil capsules with different origins and prices are sold simultaneously. However, these capsules are labelled with same ingredient levels, namely EPA 180 mg/g and DHA 120 mg/g. This situation makes the consumers very confused. To evaluate the quality of various fish oil capsules, a comparative analysis of the contents of EPA and DHA in fish oil is crucial. Methods A gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method was developed for identification and determination of EPA and DHA in fish oil capsules. A comprehensive validation of the developed method was conducted. Ten batches of fish oil capsules samples purchased from drugstores of Hong Kong were analyzed by using the developed method. Results The present method presented good sensitivity, precision and accuracy. The limits of detection (LOD) for EPA and DHA were 0.08 ng and 0.21 ng, respectively. The relative standard deviation (RSD) values of EPA and DHA for precision tests were both less than 1.05%; and the recovery for accuracy test of EPA and DHA were 100.50% and 103.83%, respectively. In ten fish oil samples, the contents of EPA ranged from 39.52 mg/g to 509.16 mg/g, and the contents of DHA ranged from 35.14 mg/g to 645.70 mg/g. Conclusion The present method is suitable for the quantitative analysis of EPA and DHA in fish oil capsules. There is a significant variation in the contents of the quantified components in fish oil samples, and there is not a linear relationship between price and contents of EPA and DHA. Strict supervision of the labelling of the fish oil capsules is urgently needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zeolite fibers have attracted growing interest for a range of new applications because of their structural particularity while maintaining the intrinsic performances of the building blocks of zeolites. The fabrication of uniform zeolite fibers with tunable hierarchical porosity and further exploration of their catalytic potential are of great importance. Here, we present a versatile and facile method for the fabrication of hierarchical ZSM-5 zeolite fibers with macro-meso-microporosity by coaxial electrospinning. Due to the synergistic integration of the suitable acidity and the hierarchical porosity, high yield of propylene and excellent anti-coking stability were demonstrated on the as-prepared ZSM-5 hollow fibers in the catalytic cracking reaction of iso-butane. This work may also provide good model catalysts with uniform wall thickness and tunable porosity for studying a series of important catalytic reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by persistent deficits in social communication and interaction, and restrictive and repetitive patterns of behavior, interests or activities. This study aimed to analyze trends in ASD diagnosis and intervention in 20 years of data from the Beijing Stars and Rain Education Institute for Autism (SR), the first autism intervention center in mainland China, and from a recent survey of members of the Heart Alliance, an industry association of autism intervention centers in China. Methods We analyzed the registration data at the SR from 1993 to 2012 for a total of 2,222 children who had a parent-reported diagnosis of ASD and 612 of 'autistic tendencies'. Most of the children who were the primary focus of our analyses were age six and under. We also analyzed results of a survey we conducted in 2013 of 100 member centers of the Heart Alliance. Generalized Estimating Equations, multiple linear regression and the Mann- Whitney test were used for data analysis. Statistically significant findings are reported here. Results The number of hospitals where SR children received their diagnosis increased from several in the early 1990s to 276 at present. The proportion of 'autistic tendencies' diagnosis increased 2.04-fold from 1998 to 2012 and was higher for children diagnosed at a younger age. The mean age at first diagnosis of ASD or 'autistic tendencies' decreased by 0.27 years every decade. A higher level of parental education was statistically significantly associated with an earlier diagnosis of the child. The mean parental age at childbirth increased by about 1.48 years per decade, and the mean maternal age was 1.40 and 2.10 years higher than that in the national population censuses of 2000 and 2010, respectively. At the time of the survey 3,957 children with ASD were being trained at the 100 autism intervention centers. Ninety-seven of these centers opened after the year 2000. Economically underdeveloped regions are still underserved. Conclusions This study revealed encouraging trends and remaining challenges in ASD diagnosis and intervention among children at the SR over the past 20 years and the 100 autism intervention centers in China at present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rhizome of Belamcanda chinensis (L.) DC. is a traditionally used medicinal material in China. Due to increasing demand, B. chinensis has been cultivated widely, and thus the study on its rational utilization of medicinal part and guidelines for the optimal cultivation and harvest is an important issue. Considering flavonoids were the main bioactive secondary metabolites of B. chinensis, fluorescence microscopy, laser microdissection (LMD), ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole/time-of-flight-mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q/TOF-MS), and UHPLC coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometer (UHPLC-QqQ-MS) were applied to profile and determine flavonoids in various tissues in this study. Consequently, 43 peaks were detected by UHPLC-Q/TOF-MS, and 26 flavonoid compounds combined with seven triterpene compounds were identified or tentatively identified in the tissue extractions. The results indicated that the hydrophobic compounds, especially flavonoid or isoflavonoid aglycones and xanthone mainly accumulated in the cork, whereas the hydrophilic compounds, namely the flavonoid and isoflavonoid glycosides were usually found in the cortex or center (the part inside of endodermis). Samples of rhizomes from different growth ages and origins were simultaneously analyzed. It was shown that the bulb or lateral part of the rhizome generally possessed more total flavonoids than the vertical part or the primordium. The present study established a new practical method to evaluate the quality of the rhizome of B. chinensis and to explore the relationship between distribution patterns of secondary metabolites and growth years of plants, thus important information for cultivation and processing was provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Pd-Ce-Zr solid solution catalysts were in situ synthesized by a sol-evaporation induced self-assembly (SEISA) method. The catalytic performances of the as prepared catalysts for CO oxidation and their physicochemical properties were investigated with various characterization techniques. The catalysts with low doping amount of Pd exhibited unique thermal stability and high activity toward CO oxidation. The CO oxidation activities of the catalysts showed a volcano type relationship with the content of Pd doping in Ce-Zr oxides. Pd-Ce0.8Zr0.2O2 with 1.0% Pd doping gave the highest catalytic activity. Its CO complete conversion temperature was 110 °C with a turnover frequency of 1.52 s-1. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations suggested strong effects of Pd doping on the crystal structure, charge distribution and formation of oxygen vacancy of the Ce-based catalysts. The calculations also suggested that CO oxidation on Pd doped Ce-based catalysts follows Eley- Rideal mechanism, and the direct reaction of CO with a surface oxygen atom appears to be the main pathway of the oxidation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CeO2-TiO2 composite supports with different Ce/Ti molar ratios were prepared by a homogeneous precipitation method, and V2O5-WO3/CeO2-TiO2 catalysts for the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NOx with NH3 were prepared by an incipient-wetness impregnation method. These catalysts were characterized by means of BET, XRD, UV-Vis, Raman and XPS techniques. The results showed that the catalytic activity of V2O5-WO3/TiO2 was greatly enhanced by Ce doping (molar ratio of Ce/Ti = 1/10) in the TiO2 support. The catalysts that were predominantly anatase TiO2 showed better catalytic performance than the catalysts that were predominantly fluorite CeO2. The Ce additive could enhance the surface adsorbed oxygen and accelerate the SCR reaction. The effects of O2 concentration, ratio of NH3/NO, space velocity and SO2 on the catalytic activity were also investigated. The presence of oxygen played an important role in NO reduction. The optimal ratio of NH3/NO was 1/1 and the catalyst had good resistance to SO2 poisoning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structure-from-motion and multiview-stereo together offer a computer vision technique for reconstructing detailed 3D models from overlapping images of anything from large landscapes to microscopic features. Because such models can be generated from ordinary photographs taken with standard cameras in ordinary lighting conditions, these techniques are revolutionising digital recording and analysis in archaeology and related subjects such as palaeontology, museum studies and art history. However, most published treatments so far have focused merely on this technique's ability to produce low-cost, high quality representations, with one or two also suggesting new opportunities for citizen science. However, perhaps the major artefact scale advantage comes from significantly enhanced possibilities for 3D morphometric analysis and comparative taxonomy. We wish to stimulate further discussion of this new research domain by considering a case study using a famous and contentious set of archaeological objects: the terracotta warriors of China's first emperor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A tight-binding potential model which goes beyond the Slater-Koster two-center approximation and includes explicit three-center and crystal field expressions is presented. Using carbon and silicon as examples, we show that various bulk structures, surface reconstructions, and the structures of clusters and liquids of C and Si can be well described by the present three-center tight-binding model. These results demonstrate that three-center interaction and crystal field effect are very important for improving the transferability of tight-binding models in describing the structures and properties of materials over a broad range of bonding configurations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]