Search

Due to low ability to pass through the cell membrane and lack of proof in target delivery in vivo , anti-microRNA oligonucleotide (AMO) has poor target ability to microRNA in the cytoplasm, which results in low AMO targeting efficiency and limits AMO success in vivo application. In this study, AMO-phospholipids conjugates were developed to provide the characteristics of the two phospholipids to self-assemble via hydrophilic AMO and hydrophobic phospholipid tails to overcome the AMO backbone structures and enhance the AMO delivery efficiency. This AMO-phospholipids enveloped nanoparticles was radiolabeled with technetium-99 m (99mTc) for cellular delivery and in vivo imaging. 99mTc-radiolabeled miR-155 targeted AMO with partial 2′-O-methyl (2′-OMe) and phosphorothioate (PS) chemical modification was prepared via the conjugation to N-hydroxysuccinimide derivative of S-acetylmercaptoacetyltriglycine (NHS-MAG3). This radiolabeled AMO is chemically conjugated with phospholipids to form AMO-phospholipid. The AMO-phospholipids served as a component of nanoparticles to embed the hydrophobic part. AMO-phospholipids fused with polycarboxybetaine (PCB) based distearoyl phosphoethanolamine-polycarboxybetaine (DSPE-PCB) modified cationic lipids to form AMO-phospholipid-coated nanoparticles (AMO-NP), which delivered AMO into cytoplasm in vitro and into tumor in vivo. Further, this radiolabeled AMO-NP was confirmed by gel electrophoresis and evaluated for its serum stability, cytotoxicity, inhibitory ability and cellular uptake in HeLa cells, as well as the fluorescent distribution in vitro. Moreover, its distribution and in vivo imaging were performed HeLa tumor-bearing mice after the injection of radiolabeled AMO-NP. The gel electrophoresis of 99mTc labeled AMO-NP showed good conjugation between AMO and 99mTc. It also kept highly stable in human serum. Western blotting results showed that AMO-NP could up-regulate the expression of C/EBPβ protein, one of target proteins of miR-155 in HeLa cells, proving the ability in the specific binding and inhibition. The cellular uptake of 99mTc labeled AMO-NP was significantly higher than that of bare AMO. Furthermore, FAM labeled AMO-NP displayed its ability of specific and effective distribution in tumor cells and a good stability in cellular level. After the system administration, the distribution and in vivo imaging results revealed the significant difference between 99mTc labeled AMO-NP and negative control probe in HeLa tumor xenograft models, which suggested the specific binding and effective delivery ability of 99Tc labeled AMO-NP in vivo. This study supports the effectiveness and efficiency of cellular and in vivo delivery of 99mTc radiolabeled AMO-NP in cervical tumor and suggests a prospective candidate for future tumor imaging. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Poly(D, L-lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles have potential applications as a vaccine adjuvant and delivery system due to its unique advantages as biodegradability and biocompatibility. Experimental: We fabricated cationic solid lipid nanoparticles using PLGA and dimethyl-dioctadecyl-ammonium bromide (DDAB), followed by loading of model antigen OVA (antigen ovalbumin, OVA257-264) to form an OVA@DDAB/PLGA nano-vaccine. And we investigated the intracellular signaling pathway in dendritic cells in vitro and antigen transport pathway and immune response in vivo mediated by an OVA@DDAB/PLGA nano-vaccine. Results: In vitro experiments revealed that the antigen uptake of BMDCs after nanovaccine incubation was two times higher than pure OVA or OVA@Al at 12 h. The BMDCs were well activated by p38 MAPK signaling pathway. Furthermore, the nano-vaccine induced antigen escape from lysosome into cytoplasm with 10 times increased cross-presentation activity than those of OVA or OVA@Al. Regarding the transport of antigen into draining lymph nodes (LNs), the nano-vaccine could rapidly transfer antigen to LNs by passive lymphatic drainage and active DC transport. The antigen+ cells in inguinal/popliteal LNs for the nano-vaccine were increased over two folds comparing to OVA@Al and OVA at 12 h. Moreover, the antigen of nano-vaccine stayed in LNs for over 7 days, germinal center formation over two folds higher than those of OVA@Al and OVA. After immunization, the nano-vaccine induced a much higher ratio of IgG2c/IgG1 than OVA@Al. It also effectively activated CD4+ T, CD8+ T and B cells for immune memory with a strong cellular response. Conclusion: These results indicated that DDAB/PLGA NP was a potent platform to improve vaccine immunogenicity by p38 signaling pathway in BMDCs, enhancing transport of antigens to LNs, and higher immunity response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We identify the microscopic structural origins determining the bandgaps in the deep-ultraviolet borates, and propose an efficient method for the prediction of their bandgaps. This method considers only the chemical bond lengths around oxygen atoms and achieves the very high precision with the relative error <5% typically. Its validity is verified by the first-principles studies, which reveal the strong dependence of bandgaps on the coordination environment around oxygen atoms. Our studies have great implications on the search and design of optoelectronic functional materials with large bandgap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A new series of transition-metal rare-earth chalcogenides, Ln 3FeGaQ7 (Ln=Nd, Sm, Gd, Dy, Q=S; Ln=Nd, Gd, Dy, Q=Se), have been synthesized by solid state reactions. They are isostructural and crystallize in the space group P63. They adopt a three-dimensional framework composed of LnQ7 monocapped trigonal prisms with the interesting [FeS3]4− chains and isolated GaQ4 tetrahedra lying in two sets of channels in the framework. Magnetic susceptibility measurements on Ln 3FeGaQ7 (Ln=Gd, Dy; Q=S, Se) indicate that they are paramagnetic and obey the Curie–Weiss law. Based on the diffuse reflectance spectra, Ln 3FeGaQ7 (Ln=Gd, Dy; Q=S, Se) should have band gaps smaller than 0.5eV. Electronic conductivity measurement on Dy3FeGaSe7 demonstrates semiconducting behavior with σ 300=0.124S/cm. The first-principles calculations were also performed to study the electronic structures of these compounds. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: HCV and HBV are the major causes of chronic liver diseases worldwide. Patients with both viruse’s co-infection tend to develop severer liver diseases and are at high risk of liver-related death. NS5A protein of HCV plays key roles in HCV replication and inhibition of host immune responses. In this study, we described the establishment of HepG2-derived cell line that stably expresses NS5A protein and the application of a cellular system for HBV replication based on a recombinant adenovirus carrying HBV genome. Our results demonstrated that NS5A enhances the expression of S and E proteins of HBV, as well as the synthesis of viral DNA. Moreover, we showed that NS5A assists HBV to escape interferon responses. These data suggested that NS5A of HCV may employ multiple strategies contributing to the enhancement of HBV replication and interferon resistance during the co-infection of HCV and HBV. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We experimentally investigated the reflection and phase of the left-handed metamaterials (LHMs) in a rectangular waveguide for the normally incident microwave. The samples are constructed by periodically arraying the copper split ring resonators (SRRs) and wires. It is found that for the LHMs with one-layered SRRs, a reflection peak with a depth of −3.3 dB (i.e. with the reflectivity of 47%) occurs in the left-handed range. The dependence of reflection phase on the frequency is different from that of the transmission phase, and the reflection phase has an inflexion at the reflection peaks. For the LHMs with three-layered SRRs, the depth of reflection peak increases with the row number, i.e. reflection is weakened, and the reflection peak has a shift with respect to the left-handed transmission peak. It is thought that the interaction between different layers of SRRs is the reason of the shift. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We experimentally investigated the reflection and phase of the left-handed metamaterials (LHMs) in a rectangular waveguide for the normally incident microwave. The samples are constructed by periodically arraying the copper split ring resonators (SRRs) and wires. It is found that for the LHMs with one-layered SRRs, a reflection peak with a depth of -3.3 dB (i.e. with the reflectivity of 47%) occurs in the left-handed range. The dependence of reflection phase on the frequency is different from that of the transmission phase, and the reflection phase has an inflexion at the reflection peaks. For the LHMs with three-layered SRRs, the depth of reflection peak increases with the row number, i.e. reflection is weakened, and the reflection peak has a shift with respect to the left-handed transmission peak. It is thought that the interaction between different layers of SRRs is the reason of the shift. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aneuploidy chromosome addition lines with individual chromosomes of one species into the whole genome of another species developed from interspecific or intergeneric crosses are ideal for studying the gene expression regulation under asymmetrical genome interactions. Here, we chose two rapeseed-radish addition lines (2n=40, AACC+2R) with all chromosomes of rapeseed and one pair of radish chromosomes carrying 25S rDNA loci and both 5S and 25S rDNA loci, respectively. Transcriptome sequencing of these two rapeseed-radish addition lines, together with two parents (Brassica napus, 2n=38, AACC; Raphanus sativus, 2n=18, RR), was performed to assess gene expression changes due to the aneuploidy effect. Our results showed that the global gene expression perturbations in two addition lines showed asymmetric distributions between A and C subgenomes, for more downregulated genes located in the C subgenome. Moreover, several dysregulated domains occurred in the addition lines and majority of them were clustered in C subgenome, further revealing that C subgenome was more inclined to be repressed by the aneuploidy. Homoeolog expression was slightly biased toward C subgenome in the parent B. napus, but had no preference to either of A or C subgenome in the addition lines. The total number of biased genes increased sharply and most of them were shared only by two addition lines, indicating that aneuploidy could change the extent and direction of homoeolog expression. The triplicated subgenomes which were orthologs to the chromosomes of Arabidopsis thaliana also exhibited dramatic alternations in two additions. Together, our results revealed that the addition of individual radish chromosomes could induce dramatically transcriptomic disturbances and those expression changes gave asymmetric distributions between two subgenomes in B. napus. The possible mechanisms including the uniparental expression of rRNA genes in the allopolyploids and additions for the findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the retinal vessel oxygen saturation in patients with internal carotid artery stenosis (ICAS). Methods: This is a cross‐sectional study. Sixteen patients with unilateral moderate or worse ICAS (≥50%) and no fundus diseases were included in the study. Sixteen gender‐ and age‐matched healthy subjects were selected as controls. The mean oxygen saturation and vessel diameters of the retinal arterioles and venules were obtained using a dual‐wavelength spectrophotometric retinal oximeter. Results: In the eye of the stenotic side, the retinal vessel oxygen saturation was 100.14 ± 10.27% in the arterioles and 56.50 ± 10.79% in the venules, and the arteriovenous (A‐V) difference was 43.63 ± 7.71%. In the eye of the contralateral side, the oxygen saturation was 96.55 ± 7.50% in the arterioles and 57.42 ± 9.84% in the venules, and the A‐V difference was 39.39 ± 6.33%. In healthy subjects, the oxygen saturation was 93.22 ± 5.98% in the arterioles and 56.57 ± 7.05% in the venules, and the A‐V difference was 36.65 ± 7.33%. The arteriolar oxygen saturation in the stenotic side was higher than that in the contralateral side (p = 0.025) and that in the healthy subjects (p = 0.027), and the A‐V difference in the stenotic side was significantly higher than that in the contralateral side (p = 0.009) and that in the healthy subjects (p = 0.013). The diameters of the arterioles in the stenotic side were smaller than those in the healthy subjects (p = 0.030). Conclusions: Patients with ICAS had decreased retinal arteriole diameters and increased retinal vessel oxygen saturation in the arterioles and A‐V differences, suggesting the presence of microcirculation disorder and hyperoxia in the retina. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To compare the morphological characteristics of the nailfold capillaries in glaucoma patients with those in healthy subjects. To evaluate the relationship of nailfold capillary morphology with retinal thickness and retinal vessel density in patients with primary open‐angle (POAG) and primary angle‐closure glaucoma (PACG). Methods: Fifty‐one patients with normal‐tension glaucoma, thirty‐two patients with hypertension glaucoma, thirty‐two PACG patients and sixty‐one healthy subjects were included in this cross‐sectional study. Patients with connective tissue diseases or taking anticoagulation or antiplatelet agents were excluded. Nailfold capillaroscopy, spectral‐domain optical coherence tomography and optical coherence tomography angiography were used to evaluate the nailfold capillary morphology, retinal thickness and retinal vessel density, respectively. Results: Nailfold capillary morphological features, including lower capillary density, greater tortuosity, more dilated capillaries >50 μm and more avascular zones >100 μm, were more common in POAG and PACG patients than in control subjects (all p < 0.001). In the POAG group, nailfold vessel density was negatively correlated with ganglion cell complex (GCC) thickness (odds ratio [OR] = 0.908, p = 0.010) and radial peripapillary capillary (RPC) density (OR = 0.787, p = 0.025). Tortuosity degree was negatively associated with RPC density (OR = 0.804, p = 0.016). In the PACG group, no evident relationship between nailfold capillary morphology and retinal thickness or retinal vessel density was detected (all p > 0.05). Conclusions: Nailfold capillary bed abnormalities were observed in both POAG and PACG patients. The nailfold capillary features, especially microvascular density and tortuosity degree, had a significant association with GCC thickness and RPC density in subjects with POAG but not in those with PACG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, the finite element method (FEM) and analytical calculation are widely employed for the modeling of electromagnetic acoustic transducers (EMATs). However, it takes long time for finite element calculation. Previous analytical models for bulk wave EMATs are generally considered separately and incompletely, and expressions of radiated wave fields contain infinite integrations and multiple singular points, which result in complex numerical computation. A complete model containing the Lorentz force and radiated wave field calculation for the EMAT with a spiral coil and a NdFeB permanent magnet is established. By introducing a current loop instead of the permanent magnet and adopting the truncated region eigenfunction expansion (TREE) method, the distributions of static and dynamic magnetic fields and their generated Lorentz forces are calculated. A series expansion method is proposed for the computation of radiated wave fields, which replaces the integration by series operation and avoids the solutions of singular points effectively. The Lorentz forces and radiated wave fields of a typical transducer are computed. The validity of the model is verified by FEM and experiments. Their good agreements verify the accuracy and validity of the model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A modified gel polymer electrolyte (GPE) with boron nitride (BN) additive was designed to boost the electrochemical performance of rechargeable lithium metal battery, which consists of Li-rich layered cathode and possesses a high energy density. BN, electron insulator and ion conductor, has excellent thermodynamic and electrochemical stability. BN particles were well dispersed in polyvinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene (PVDF-HFP) polymer matrices and thus substantially enhanced the electrochemical and physical properties of the GPEs. With only 0.5 wt% BN additive, it remarkably improved the mechanical modulus and ionic conductivity (to 4.1 × 10−4 S∙cm−2) of GPEs, which was beneficial for suppressing lithium dendrite formation and fast ion transportation, respectively, thereby enabling high-performance lithium metal batteries with ultra-long cycle life and high safety at ambient temperature (25 °C) and high temperature (55 °C). A modified GPE with a multifunctional BN additive can revitalize LMBs to readily obtain a comparative ionic conductivity and remarkably improve mechanical modulus, which is beneficial for suppressing Li dendrite formation. Image 1 • We have successfully incorporated 2D BN fillers into a gel polymer electrolyte based on PVDF-HFP. • Only 0.5 wt% addition of BN can readily obtain a comparative ionic conductivity and improved mechanical modulus. • The Li 1.18 Ni 0.15 Co 0.15 Mn 0.52 O 2 /0.5 wt% BN-(PVDF-HFP)/Li cell performs a superior stability and rate capability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Ag–Cu NAs effectively inhibited the E. coli and S. aureus growth. • In Ag–Cu NAs, the strong charge-transfer leads to an earlier dissolution of Ag+. • The Ag+ ion dissolution is correlated with the antibacterial activity of Ag–Cu NAs. Immiscible bimetallic Ag–Cu system has been synthesized by the pulsed plasma in liquid method with a graph of one pulse duration. Herein, by combining X-ray power diffraction, K-edge X-ray absorption near edge structure and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, our results indicate that homogeneously alloyed Ag–Cu nanoparticles (Ag–Cu NAs) have the average diameter about 2.1 nm, composed by 48.5 at% Ag and 51.5 at% Cu with chemical analysis and the estimated lattice parameter was 3.873 Å. The antibacterial property of Ag–Cu NAs was detected against E. coli and S. aureus strains according to the colony formed abilities of bacteria on agar plates covered with the nanoparticles. With very short incubation period, Ag–Cu NAs completely inhibited the E. coli and S. aureus growth at an ultralow concentration. The mechanism of antibacterial property of Ag–Cu NAs was performed by the inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry and the plane wave pseudopotential method implemented in the CASTEP package based on the density functional theory. The Ag+ dissolution is correlated with antibacterial activity for Ag–Cu NAs-assisted antibacterial treatment. These findings obtained revealed that our Ag–Cu NAs could be served as a containing material of numerous bacteria-free products in order to avoid their bacterial contamination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Smart Meters (SMs) degradation trend evaluation (DTE) is critical for accurate electricity metering and improved energy efficiency, particularly in extreme natural environments. However, environmental noise and insufficient interpretability often limit the performance of DTE. To remedy this problem, an optimized local density-based (OLD) method is first proposed for outlier identification, where a modified distance measurement and double nearest neighbors are used to improve the identification performance. Next, a DTE model, namely multi-kernel twin support vector regression (MTSVR), is presented to combine multiple environmental features using the proposed up- and down-kernel combination method. Integrating the MTSVR and OLD, real-world SMs datasets collected from a high dry heat area in China are utilized for model verification. The results demonstrate that the OLD-MTSVR framework has a superior performance for SMs degradation trend analysis. More importantly, the feature diversity can be analyzed quantitatively through the model interpretability. • Profound outlier detection performance using the optimized density-based method. • Accurate and efficient degradation trend prediction capacity for smart meters. • Evaluate the feature diversity through the model interpretability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A tunable isotropic negative effective permeability is experimentally demonstrated in a three-dimensional (3D) dielectric composite consisting of dielectric ceramic cube arrays by temperature changing. It shows that a strong subwavelength magnetic resonance can be excited in dielectric cubes corresponding to the first Mie resonance mode and can be continuously and reversibly adjusted from 13.65 to 19.28 GHz with the temperature changing from -15 to 35 °C. Accordingly, negative permeability can be performed in the frequency range of about 6 GHz by adjusting the temperature. It provides a convenient route to design adaptive metamaterials and 3D invisible cloak. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The kyanite-bearing garnet pelitic gneiss from the Jianggalesayi area in southern Altyn Tagh high pressure/ultra-high pressure belt was proved to have been experienced UHP metamorphism (>12 GPa) by the discovery of kyanite and spinel exsolution microstructure in quartz (precursor stishovite). In this study, three stages of retrograded metamorphism (M2–M4) after the UHP metamorphism (M1) were identified for the UHP pelitic gneiss. The HP granulite-facies stage (M2) was characterized by the mineral assemblage of garnet+kyanite+K-feldspar+rutile+quartz±ilmenite, recording the P-T condition of >1.12 GPa and ≈850–930 ºC. The granulite-facies stage (M3) was represented by the mineral assemblage of garnet rim+K-feldspar+sillimanite (Sill1)+biotite (Bt1)+plagioclase (Pl1)+ilmenite+quartz, and confined under P-T conditions of 0.5–0.8 GPa and ≈770–795 ºC. The late cooling stage M4 was accompanied by the appearance of fine-grained Pl2, Sill2 and Bt2 in the matrix, and the P-T conditions were 0.4–0.6 GPa and <675 ºC. A clockwised P-T path was obtained for the pelitic gneiss in the P-T pseudosection, which showed a deep subduction/collision processes with subsequent exhumation and cooling. Combined with the corresponding multistage metamorphic assemblages, the age dating results implied that the zircons from the gneiss have integrated the recording peak metamorphic (M1, 484±3 Ma) and retrograded metamorphic ages (M2 to M3, 450±2 Ma). There was about 32 Ma interval during the first exhumation from the upper mantle depth (>350 km) to the lower crust depth (≈40–20 km), resulting in an average exhumation rate of 9.11–9.70 mm/yr. In the southern Altyn Tagh region, the HP and UHP rocks from different areas had identical peak metamorphic ages. Therefore, contemporary UHP and HP rocks with different metamorphic evolutions were recognized coexisting in the same orogenic belt, which can be interpreted by the model of subduction channel. The continental crustal were subducted to different depths along the direction of the subduction channels at ≈500 Ma, suffered different grade metamorphism, and then returned to the surface along the subduction channel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The previous literature on common pulmonary vein atresia (CPVA) mainly consists of neonatal case reports. There is a lack of research on the prenatal diagnosis of CPVA. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of all fetuses with CPVA confirmed by autopsy between August 2010 and May 2018. Prenatal echocardiographic features, autopsy findings, and genetic test results were analyzed. We compared fetal CPVA with total anomalous pulmonary venous return (TAPVR) and neonatal CPVA. Results: During the study period, fetal echocardiography was performed on 31 617 fetuses. Six cases of CPVA were identified by autopsies, including 1 case performed with a cardiovascular cast. All 6 cases (100%) had asplenia syndrome (AS) and bilateral superior vena cava (BSVC). In 1 case (16.7%), the prenatal ultrasound results were in complete agreement with the postmortem findings. Four cases (66.7%) were misdiagnosed as TAPVR by prenatal echocardiography. For the remaining case (16.7%), no pulmonary venous anomalies were detected on prenatal echocardiography. No aneuploidy was identified in any of the cases. There were no statistically significant differences among the proportions of associated complex anomalies and AS between the fetal CPVA and TAPVR groups. The proportion of associated complex anomalies and AS in the fetal CPVA group was higher than that in the neonatal group (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Prenatal diagnosis of fetal CPVA is difficult and challenging even for experts. Our study showed that fetal CPVA is often combined with AS, complex cardiac malformations, and BSVC. These findings may help in the diagnosis of fetal CPVA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first alkaline‐earth metal tin(II) phosphate, BaSn2(PO4)2, has been discovered, which consists of layered structures constructed from strictly alternating [SnO3]4− and [PO4]3− moieties. This compound is expected to have a large birefringence with Δn≈0.071 at 1064 nm, owing to the presence of stereochemically active lone pair metal cations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • Anataxis of the Grt-bearing biotite gneiss was identified in the Jianggalesayi area. • Protolith, peak & retrograded metamorphic, anatectic ages were obtained for the gneiss. • Protolith ages of 1099–1072 Ma and formation age of 417 Ma were for the felsic veins. • Biotite dehydration accounted for the anatexis of the gneiss between 456 and 417 Ma. • Crystallization of the melt took place at the amphibolite facies stage of the gneiss. Abstract Partial melting of the garnet (Grt)–bearing biotite gneiss from the Jianggalesayi area in the southern Altyn Tagh high pressure (HP) – ultra high pressure (UHP) metamorphic belt has been identified and reported here. Felsic veins were distributed along the foliation plane and deformed together with the Grt–bearing biotite gneiss, which dominated the main outcrop and preserved diagnostic features of anataxis. Highly cuspate and irregular quartz (Qz)-melt and plagioclase (Pl)-melt surrounded or stretched into biotite and/or quartz grains with obvious eroded boundaries further provided the microstructural evidences for partial melting of the gneiss. CL images showed that zircons from the Grt–bearing biotite gneiss were characterized by multizone structures of core – Rim I – Rim II – Rim III. The different zircon zones from the gneiss had integrated recordings of the protolith ages 836–1613 Ma; the peak metamorphic age of 503 ± 5 Ma; the retrograded age of 456 ± 4 Ma; and the anatectic age of 418 ± 3 Ma. Zircons from felsic veins also exhibited core – rim structures on CL images. The felsic veins yielded similar protolith ages (1099–1072 Ma) and anatectic age (417 ± 2 Ma) as the host gneiss. The zircons from the host gneiss and felsic veins had plotted identical crustal evolution curves in the εHf(t) vs. U-Pb age diagram with identical T DM ages. The U-Pb ages and Lu-Hf isotope both suggested that the felsic veins were internally derived by the partial melting of the host gneiss. Moreover, the high content of Al 2 O 3 and Rb in felsic veins indicated that the decomposition of biotite accounted for the partial melting of the gneiss. The temperatures calculated by Ti–in–zircon thermometer for the anatectic zircons from the felsic veins (582–694 °C) were identical to the conditions of the amphibolite facies stage of the Grt–bearing biotite gneiss (T = 619–646 °C), which indicated that the crystallization of the melt had taken place during the amphibolite facies stage of the exhumation. The anatectic ages (418 ± 3 Ma and 417 ± 2 Ma) of the gneiss and felsic veins were determined to be within the range of the fourth episode of the early Paleozoic magmatism (420–385 Ma), which had formed in a post-collisional extensional setting. Therefore, the combination of the magmatic heat events and stress release may have played an important role in the partial melting of the gneiss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Self-activated phosphors could convert high energy light into visible light from the internal ion groups of host lattice before externally introducing luminescent ions. In this work, we propose a facile route to synthesize self-activated oxyfluorotungstate (Na 2 WO 2 F 4) phosphor. Excited by the UV light, the emission spectrum covers nearly the entire visible light region. After careful analysis of the first principle calculation results and other sufficient investigation, it is believed that the efficient emission of Na 2 WO 2 F 4 phosphor comes from the strong parity-allowed absorption of O-2 p to W-5d charge transfer band. Moreover, the quantum efficiency of Na 2 WO 2 F 4 phosphor reaches up to 76% at room temperature. However, the increase of temperature not only lowers the intensity of the PL emission and the quantum efficiency but gives rise to a blue shift of the emission maxima, due to the phonon interaction with the luminescence center in a vibrating crystalline environment. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • A self-activated phosphor Na 2 WO 2 F 4 was obtained by a facile route. • The emission spectrum of Na 2 WO 2 F 4 covers nearly the entire visible light region. • The quantum efficiency reaches up to 76% at room temperature. • Thermal quenching and high-energy shift of Na 2 WO 2 F 4 were observed and analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The resonance based strong light-matter interaction in metamaterials offers unprecedented opportunities to manipulate polarization of electromagnetic waves. In this work, we fabricate a three-dimensional (3D) metamaterial consisting of 90°-twisted split-tube resonators using a 3D printing technique and demonstrate the corresponding asymmetric transmission for linearly polarized electromagnetic waves in the Ku band with near-unity polarization conversion efficiency. Experimental results reveal a 90° polarization rotation and an incident polarization angle dependent asymmetric transmission at a frequency around 15.2 GHz. The experimental results are in good agreement with simulations. Possessing the merits of both flexibility of response tailoring and ease of fabrication, the proposed 3D-printed metamaterials have great potential for compact polarization-control devices exhibiting unidirectional transmission at both microwave and terahertz frequencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air pollution and climate change are issues of worldwide concern. Synergizing air pollution control and climate mitigation have been an important national policy of China. This study develops bivariate and integrated synergy indexes (BSI and ISI) to investigate the synergy states between air pollution and CO 2 emission. The synergy indexes are based on the correlation coefficient and established from exploiting the internal comparability of the data. Using the BSI and ISI , we evaluated the correlation and synergy states between air pollution (involving ambient PM 2.5 and ozone) and CO 2 emission in Chinese cities from 2015 to 2020. The results present the city-level trends and heterogeneities of synergy between air pollution and CO 2 emission. The averaged value of BSI PM2.5-ozone , BSI PM2.5-CO2 , and BSI ozone-CO2 for all cities and assessing years were −0.239, −0.291, and −0.242, indicating a generally and globally weak synergy. The synergy states between air pollution and CO 2 emission were relatively significant and complex in specific regions. Combined with the local spatial association and decoupling analysis, we further identified the primary variables and key areas for synergistic control. This study provides a systematic idea and case demonstration for city-level synergy assessment through transforming and expanding the data usage capacity. The method and process are applicable to various scales and regions, which would be of reference value for synergy assessments in other countries and regions. [Display omitted] • We developed the bivariate and integrated synergy indexes. • We evaluated the synergy between air pollution and CO 2 emission at the city-level. • Local spatial association and decoupling analysis supported the synergy assessment. • Most Chinese cities show insignificant synergy of air pollution and CO 2. • BTHS, YRD, and the JJAH are key areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cover image is based on the Research Article Mode localization characteristics of damaged quasiperiodically supported beam structures with local weak coupling by Zu‐Guang Ying et al., https://doi.org/10.1002/stc.2351. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Some kinds of structures such as continuous girder viaducts and bridges have periodically spaced supports, and their support damage can potentially be detected using the change in extraordinary dynamic characteristics pertinent to quasiperiodic structure dynamics. In this study, the dynamic characteristics of quasiperiodically multisupported beam structures with local weak coupling are explored by using analytical and numerical methods. The eigenvalue equation and analytical expression of characteristic response of the spaced supported beam are first derived using the Galerkin method. For the periodic beam with four supports in particular, the analytical expressions for calculating natural frequencies and vibration modes are obtained. The fundamental frequency loci veering and local weak coupling between spans of the periodic beam are demonstrated, and the critical value of support stiffness is determined. In the case of quasiperiodic beam with four supports, the frequency loci veering and fundamental modal jump are explicitly illustrated through tuning the support stiffness. The modal jump leads to mode localization around the stiffness‐reduced support, which can be used for determining the support damage. Subsequently, a periodically multisupported girder bridge model in consideration of support damage is addressed, where the stiffness reduction due to support damage induces the period detuning. The natural frequency equation and vibration mode expression of the quasiperiodic girder are elicited. Numerical results illustrate some extraordinary dynamic characteristics including the frequency loci veering and nonlinear reliance of the first natural frequency on support stiffness, the fundamental vibration mode alteration and modal jump, the fundamental mode localization, and noticeable change in absolute mode displacement, which can be used to determine the reduction in support stiffness or damage. The analysis method and results on the dynamic characteristics such as mode localization are greatly helpful for determining the support damage of periodically supported structures and identifying the damage location. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The long prism/needle‐shaped polycrystalline quartz aggregates and square/parallelogram‐shaped singlephase quartz inclusions in omphacite and garnet of ultrahigh pressure eclogite were first discovered from the Jiangalesayi area, South Altyn UHP belt. Based on their morphology, these quartz inclusions are quartz paramorphs after stishovite. The minimum peak pressure of the eclogite is estimated to be >8–9 GPa at 800– 1000 °C based on the stability field of stishovite. This new evidence, together with previous stishovite exsolution microstructure in the gneiss from the same region, suggests an ultra‐deep subduction and exhumation of the South Altyn continental rocks to/from mantle depths in stishovite stability field. Evidence of ultra‐deep subduction of continental materials might be more common and diverse than previous thought. Exhumation of subducted continental rocks from≥300 km has been considered impossible because they are denser than mantle at these depths. How did the stishovite bearing continental rocks of the South Altyn exhumated? As we all know, the densities of stishovite (4.3 g/cm3) are much higher than coesite (2.9 g/cm3), and stishovite transforms into coesite with temperature increases. Density calculations were performed for subducted continental rocks along phase transition of stishovite to coesite, using the third‐order Birch‐Murnaghan equation of state based on mineral fractions obtained from experiments and Perple_X. The results show that the density of Siliceous rocks decrease remarkably, lower than the surrounding mantle in coesite stability field, whereas the density of Oligosiliceous and Silicon unsaturated rocks is higher than surrounding mantle. Thus, we propose that the thermal induced transformation could provide an initial driven force for the exhumation of ultra‐deep subducted silica‐enriched felsic continental rocks. Temperature increase could be derived from an increased geothermal gradient from convective mantle or mantle plume. Mafic to ultra‐mafic rocks and silica‐deficient rocks may be captured by the upwelling subducted continental rocks and exhumated together. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The themes and topics of the conference reflect the hot issues of the conference. The change of conference theme reflects the development and change of the hot topics of discipline research from the side. This paper uses bibliometrics to quantitatively analyze the topics and topics of International Cartographic Conference(ICC)from 2009 to 2019, and presents them through visualization methods such as label clouds, charts and so on. The research mainly includes three aspects: 1. Fixed topic analysis refers to the analysis of topics in past years, which can reflect the core content of ICC; 2. High-frequency topic analysis refers to the analysis of topics with high frequency, which can reflect hot topics of general concern; 3. Sudden topic analysis refers to the division of topics with sudden increase in short time. The analysis can reflect the research content with high heat in a short time. From the perspective of text analysis, this study analyzed the conference topics, which reflected the development and research changes of Cartography in the ten years, and provided some references for our experts in their research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: KBe2BO3F2 (KBBF) is still the only practically usable crystal that can generate deep‐ultraviolet (DUV) coherent light by direct second harmonic generation (SHG). However, applications are hindered by layering, leading to difficulty in the growth of thick crystals and compromised mechanical integrity. Despite efforts, it is still a great challenge to discover new nonlinear optical (NLO) materials that overcome the layering while keeping the DUV SHG available. Now, two new DUV NLO beryllium borates have been successfully designed and synthesized, NH4Be2BO3F2 (ABBF) and γ‐Be2BO3F (γ‐BBF), which not only overcome the layering but also can be used as next‐generation DUV NLO materials with the shortest type I phase‐matching second‐harmonic wavelength down to 173.9 nm and 146 nm, respectively. Significantly, γ‐BBF is superior to KBBF in all metrics and would be the most outstanding DUV NLO crystal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: KBe2BO3F2 (KBBF) is still the only practically usable crystal that can generate deep‐ultraviolet (DUV) coherent light by direct second harmonic generation (SHG). However, applications are hindered by layering, leading to difficulty in the growth of thick crystals and compromised mechanical integrity. Despite efforts, it is still a great challenge to discover new nonlinear optical (NLO) materials that overcome the layering while keeping the DUV SHG available. Now, two new DUV NLO beryllium borates have been successfully designed and synthesized, NH4Be2BO3F2 (ABBF) and γ‐Be2BO3F (γ‐BBF), which not only overcome the layering but also can be used as next‐generation DUV NLO materials with the shortest type I phase‐matching second‐harmonic wavelength down to 173.9 nm and 146 nm, respectively. Significantly, γ‐BBF is superior to KBBF in all metrics and would be the most outstanding DUV NLO crystal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report here for the first time long prism/needle-shaped polycrystalline quartz aggregates and square/parallelogram-shaped single-phase quartz inclusions in omphacite and garnet of ultrahigh pressure (UHP) eclogite from the Yinggelisayi area in the South Altyn UHP belt. Based on their morphology and mineral composition, these quartz inclusions in omphacite and garnet are quartz paramorphs after stishovite. The minimum peak pressure of the eclogite is estimated to be >8–9 GPa at 800–1000 °C based on the stability field of stishovite. This new evidence, together with previous discovery of kyanite + spineal exsolutions in former stishovite of the pelitic gneiss from the same region, suggests a ultra-deep subduction and exhumation of the South Altyn continental rocks to/from mantle depths in the stability field of stishovite. Evidence of ultra-deep subduction of continental materials might be more common and diverse than previous thought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultrahigh pressure (UHP) rocks are often overprinted by high pressure (HP) granulite-facies metamorphism during exhumation. Here we investigate retrograde eclogite from the Lvliangshan area in North Qaidam which is associated with abundant felsic veins. The eclogite adjacent to the vein shows conversion to garnet amphibolite. Petrographic, mineralogical, geochemical, geochronological data suggest that the eclogite has been experienced peak eclogite facies metamorphism at c. 440 Ma, followed by granulite facies retrogression at c. 420 Ma, and amphibolite facies overprinting at <420 Ma. The retrograde eclogite has microstructural records for partial melting with elongated plagioclase grains occurring as veinlets along the garnet-ilmenite grain boundaries and interspersed in clinopyroxene. Moreover, highly cuspate, wedge–shaped and triangular plagioclase grains are distributed along the garnet boundaries, and banded felsic veins (Pl + Qz) occur along the boundaries of amphibole in garnet amphibolite. Whole-rock geochemistry suggests that the felsic veins have 438.1–1106 ppm Sr and 2.87–12.18 ppm Y with Sr/Y ratios from 81.98–166.2, exhibit pronounced positive Eu anomaly, and depletion of HREE, resembling those of adakitic rocks. Felsic veins contain zircon grains with an U-Pb age of ∼422 Ma, similar to the age of HP granulite–facies metamorphism (420 Ma) of retrograde eclogite. Combined with the identical Hf isotope compositions between the granulite–facies zircon grains from the host retrograde eclogite and those from the felsic vein, we infer closed system partial melting during HP granulite facies retrogression of the retrograde eclogite. The tonalitic (high Sr/Y ratio and enrichment of LREE) chemical feature, low Rb/Sr and high Ba/Rb ratios of the felsic veins suggest that zoisite and sodic amphibolite dehydration-melting together account for the formation of felsic veins during exhumation from the eclogite–facies to granulite–facies stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We developed a novel anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) single-chain variable fragment (scFv) and evaluated its anti-inflammatory and anti-corneal neovascularization (CoNV) effects in the alkali burn model. VEGF-scFv was prepared from the derived sequence of bevacizumab with a glycine and serine repetitive linker. After being evaluated using surface plasmon resonance (SPR), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and cellular fluorescent staining, VEGF-scFv showed high specificity and good affinity with VEGF antigen and HUVEC cells. The K D value was 3.07 ± 0.37 nM and the B max value was 0.23 ± 0.01 pmol (n = 3). The corneal alkali burn model was built on male Sprague Dawley (SD) rats. ScFv was injected subconjunctivally immediately after the alkali burn. On 1, 3, 7, and 14 d after alkali burn, the area of CoNV in the VEGF-scFv group was similar to that of the dexamethasone group (2 mg/mL) and significantly smaller than the 0.9% NaCl and the bevacizumab control groups (2 mg/mL). Especially on 14 d, the CoNV area was 45.15% ± 8.46% in the VEGF-scFv group. Hematoxylin and eosin staining (HE) confirmed that few new blood vessels in the VEGF-scFv group. Both immunofluorescence staining and western blotting verified that the expression levels of VEGF, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2), and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) in the burned corneal tissue in VEGF-scFv group were significantly lower than other groups (P < 0.05), suggesting this scFv inhibited CoNV by regulating the VEGF/VEGFR2/STAT3 pathway. Therefore, our study prepared an anti-VEGF scFv which may provide a potential treatment for corneal alkali burn for future clinical application. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Aerobic glycolysis (the Warburg effect) facilitates tumor growth, and drugs targeting aerobic glycolysis are being developed. However, how the Warburg effect is directly regulated is largely unknown. Here we show that transcription factor SIX1 directly increases the expression of many glycolytic genes, promoting the Warburg effect and tumor growth in vitro and in vivo . SIX1 regulates glycolysis through HBO1 and AIB1 histone acetyltransferases. Cancer-related SIX1 mutation increases its ability to promote aerobic glycolysis and tumor growth. SIX1 glycolytic function is directly repressed by microRNA-548a-3p, which is downregulated, inversely correlates with SIX1, and is a good predictor of prognosis in breast cancer patients. Thus, the microRNA-548a-3p/SIX1 axis strongly links aerobic glycolysis to carcinogenesis and may become a promising cancer therapeutic target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sources of sediment organic matter (SOM) could be explained by various indicators. To test their biases and associations, the present study determined multiple indicators for SOM source apportionment, including elemental analysis (carbon and nitrogen, and their stable isotope δ 13 C and δ 15 N), n-alkanes compositions as well as derivative indicators (e.g., terrigenous to aquatic ratio), and carbon isotopes of n-alkane in Lake Chaohu, a eutrophic lake. The spatial variation of anthropogenic effects could be revealed by SOM elemental variations. The n-alkanes of all samples had a bimodal distribution with the 1st peak at n-alkane with 17 carbons (C17) and the 2nd predominant peak at C29. The parity advantage index of n-alkanes indicated that the sediments had mixed characteristics of both endogenous and terrigenous sources. Some n-alkanes indicators also revealed eutrophication characteristics of dominant algae in Lake Chaohu. SOM received a mixed contribution of plankton (I), low-latitude terrestrial high-grade plants (II) and microbial material (III) as indicated by isotopic compositions of long-chain n-alkane. Multiport element model (MEM) showed the contribution of self-generated sources of organic matter in Lake Chaohu is > 50%, indicating the historic serious eutrophication in Lake Chaohu. The main sources of SOM in the eastern part of the lake were algae and terrestrial input, with little input from microbes, and the contribution from algae decreased from west to east. The multiple indicators' judgment by MEM and principle component analysis (PCA) was of ecological significance and proposed because they offered scientific tools for disclosing the historic variations of SOM as well as their sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aptamers are small molecule DNA or RNA fragments that fold into well-defined 3D structures with high specificity and affinity towards target molecules, therefore emerging as a new class of probes for radiopharmaceutical applications. In this study, a technetium‐99m (99mTc) radiolabeled nucleolin-targeted aptamer AS1411 was developed for identifying glioma in murine models. A six-carbon amine group was linked at the 5′ end of AS1411 by DNA synthesis. Following the conjugation to NHS-MAG 3 , AS1411 was radiolabeled with 99mTc. Radiochemical purity and stability were evaluated by radio-TLC and gel electrophoresis. Cellular uptake and MTT assays were carried out in the nucleon-overexpressed U87 cell line to assess the biological ability of AS1411 after conjugating with FITC or radiolabeling with 99mTc. In vivo imaging of 99mTc-AS1411 was performed in glioma tumor xenografts and 99mTc and a 99mTc-labeled non-specific negative control (NC) nucleotide were used as control groups. Biodistribution studies were performed at the terminal time point of SPECT imaging. AS1411 was successfully labeled with 99mTc with the labeling yields of 81.5% ± 3.6% (n = 5) and was verified by gel electrophoresis and gel imaging. 99mTc-AS1411 was proved to be stable in fresh human serum at room temperature for 12 h. In U87 cells, 99mTc-AS1411 showed significantly higher cellular uptake than 99mTc-NC and 99mTc (9.4% ± 2.1% vs 1.9% ± 0.4% and 0.9% ± 0.1%, P < 0.01, n = 3). FITC-conjugated AS1411 demonstrated more fluorescent signals in U87 cells than NC. In addition, 99mTc-AS1411 displayed similar cellular inhibitory ability with AS1411, which was measured by MTT assay. In U87 tumor-bearing mice, 99mTc-AS1411 demonstrated high radioactive accumulation, whereas 99mTc-NC and 99mTc only showed weak tumor uptake, suggesting the specific uptake of 99mTc-AS1411 in nucleolin-positive U87 tumors in vivo. Biodistribution results further verified the imaging results. The tumor uptake of 99mTc-AS1411 was significantly higher than that of 99mTc-NC (5.81 ± 1.55%ID/g vs 0.51 ± 0.16%ID/g, n = 4, P < 0.01). 99mTc-AS1411 can be successfully prepared via the conjugation of NHS-MAG 3 and be considered a promising imaging agent capable of identifying nucleolin-positive glioma tumors. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the integrated core-double-shell structures of C@MnO@TiO 2 (abbreviation CMT) composites have been rationally designed and fabricated utilizing of carbon spheres as frameworks and reducing agents, which were introduced a TiO 2 outer shell on MnO 2 @C nanospheres by sol-gel coating and subsequent in-situ calcination reduction process. Owing to the well-defined structures, the as-prepared CMT composites can efficiently convert full-light into heat energy, achieve the rapid adsorption and enrichment of toluene and motivate the synergistic effects of photocatalysis of TiO 2 and full-light driven thermalcatalysis of MnO x @C, resulting in the significantly enhanced photothermal catalytic performance of toluene oxidation upon UV-Vis-IR irradiation of Xe lamp. Furthermore, the strategy on changing the molar ratio of Mn/Ti among CMT composites can not only act as important role in the control of the coating thickness of outer layer TiO 2 , surface morphologies and physicochemical properties within a certain range, but also yield opportunities to adjust photothermal synergistic effects between ternary components among CMT composites. Compared with other CMT composites, CMT-3 samples with a suitable Mn/Ti molar ratio of 0.4 exhibited much higher photothermal catalytic activity including a high toluene removal efficiency and CO 2 production rate (99.1 % within 90 min and 102.5 μmol.g−1.min−1, respectively), which were attributed to its optimized coating thickness of outer layer TiO 2 , and the optimal distribution ratio of surface oxygen species (O ads /O latt /O wat) and electronic valence of Mn species (Mn2+/Mn3+/Mn4+). The possible mechanism for photothermal catalytic oxidation of toluene over CMT composites was also discussed in terms of the special core-double-shell structure, matching electronic band levels and photothermal synergistic effects. [Display omitted] • C@MnO@TiO 2 (CMT) catalysts synthesize via in-situ calcination reduction process. • Core-double-shell structure of CMT achieves photothermal synergistic effects. • CMT show the excellent catalytic activity for the degradation of toluene. • The molar ratio of Mn/Ti of CMT can optimize photothermal synergistic effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A theoretical framework for analyzing SCC's fresh behavior was established. • Multilevel excess layer model and rheology-based workability criteria were merged. • Generalized self-compacting zones reflect the robustness of SCC mix design. • A robust mix design method balancing the SCC's content and rheology was proposed. Raw material properties greatly influence the workability of self-compacting concrete (SCC). This paper explored a robust approach to realize the mix design of SCC. A theoretical framework, which combines the excess layer composition model and rheology-based workability criteria, was proposed to analyze the fresh behaviors of the concrete. In the framework, the film-thickness-based composition model established the correlation between concrete's content with the film's thickness and the aggregate's characterization. The suspending cell model could quantify the film's separating, bearing, and lubricating effects, therefore characterizing the mixture's flowability and stability. Besides, the derived rheology threshold defined the fresh mixture's flow spread conditions. The framework was experimentally verified, and the experiment-based threshold calibration referring to the slump flow test significantly improved the framework's accuracy. Two generalized self-compacting zones (SCZs) for analyzing the robustness of SCC mix design, under the coordinate of film's thickness and rheology, were theoretically calculated. Through the analysis of the evaluation law of generalized SCZs, the area of the film-thickness-based SCZ and paste-rheology-based SCZ were able to reflect the control reliability of component content and paste rheology in SCC designing. On this basis, a robust mix design method of SCC was proposed by balancing the two ranges. The discussion on the extension of mix design framework to other types of SCC, industrial application, and reinforced structures demonstrated the framework's broad applicability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

LSD1 was significantly over-expressed in several cancer types, and its aberrant overexpression was revealed to play a crucial role in the initiation and progression of cancer. Several LSD1 inhibitors that were discovered and developed so far were found to be effective in attenuating tumor growth in both in vivo and in vitro studies. However, the major challenge associated with the development of cancer therapies is personalized treatment. Therefore, it is essential to look in detail at how LSD1 plays its part in carcinogenesis and whether there are any different expression levels of LSD1 in different tumors. Here in this review, fresh insight into a list of function correlated LSD1 binding proteins are provided, and we tried to figure out the role of LSD1 in different cancer types, including hematological malignancies and solid tumors. A critical description of mutation preference for LSD1 in different tumors was also discussed. Recent research findings clearly showed that the abrogation of LSD1 demethylase activity via LSD1 inhibitors markedly reduced the growth of cancer cells. But there are still many ambiguities regarding the role of LSD1 in different cancers. Therefore, targeting LSD1 for treating different cancers is still reductionist, and many challenges need to be met to improve the therapeutic outcomes of LSD1 inhibitors. [Display omitted] • LSD1 overexpression is linked with the invasion and migration of cancer cells. • LSD1's critical role in regulating EMT is one of the primary causes of cancer. • Mutations in LSD1 or its effector molecules can cause variety of cancers in humans. • Diverse binding interactions of LSD1 control the fate of target genes in cancer cells. • LSD1 and its partners can serve as potential targets for precision cancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anti-miRNA oligonucleotide (AMO) has been used most widely to inhibit miRNA for loss-of-function studies and function as therapeutic agents. Iodine-131 (131I) radiolabeled AMO may have multiple functions for specific imaging, genetic inhibition, and radiotherapy. This study is to prepare a radioiodinated anti-miRNA-21 AMO by one-step synthesis for preliminary imaging in tumor xenografts and in vitro radiotherapy. A tyrosine was conjugated at the 3' end of AMO via a C6 linker for labeling with 131I. After the molecular mass of AMO was confirmed by mass spectrometry, AMO was labeled with 131I by the chloramine-T method with high labeling yield (95.5% ± 3.1%). By gel electrophoresis, the radioactive distribution of 131I-AMO was located exactly where was AMO, verifying the successful radiolabeling. 131I-AMO presented high stability during 24 h of incubation in fresh human serum. The cellular uptake of 131I or FAM-labeled AMO in DU145 was significantly higher than that in PC-3 cells. After i.v. administration in mice, single-photon emission tomography (SPECT) imaging showed that increased 131I-AMO was found in DU145 tumor from 4 h to 24 h gradually. H&E staining of major organs validated the biocompatibility of 131I-AMO in vivo. Furthermore, the ability of 131I-AMO to inhibit cell growth is superior to that of 131I, along with stronger apoptosis in DU145 cells than in PC-3 cells. Therefore, AMO can be labeled with 131I via one-step synthesis after tyrosine conjugation in this study. Its high labeling yield, stability, inhibitory effect, and tumor distribution provide the potential value in the targeted theranostic role. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Clockwise P–T evolution is recorded by the South Altyn Tagh felsic gneiss. • The felsic gneiss was exhumed from eclogite-facies to granulite-facies within 20 Myr. • HP–HT eclogite-facies records were preserved in the weakly deformed felsic gneiss. • The HP mineralogical records were further eliminated by the strong deformation. Felsic gneisses are usually the dominant rock types in most high-pressure (HP) and ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) terranes, although their peak metamorphic conditions and complete P–T paths are rarely known. This lack of knowledge is attributed to the high variance of mineral assemblages at HP/UHP conditions of the felsic gneisses, or to the effects of retrograde-related overprinting. Thus, it is difficult to distinguish whether felsic gneisses underwent HP/UHP metamorphism. In this paper, we focus on the felsic gneiss that has been previously documented as having formed under HP granulite-facies metamorphism with peak P–T of > 1.15 GPa and > 860 °C from the Danshuiquan locality in the South Altyn HP – UHP belt. The Danshuiquan felsic gneiss is strongly deformed and is spatially associated with weakly deformed garnet-rich felsic gneiss. On the basis of detailed microstructure observations on mineral assemblages and phase equilibria modelling, three stages of metamorphic evolution for the weakly deformed garnet-rich felsic gneiss are identified. The first stage is represented by garnet cores, revealing a prograde P–T path from 1.5 GPa/750 °C to 2.1 GPa/900 °C. The second stage is characterized by garnet mantles with multiphase inclusions, defining HP eclogite-facies metamorphic conditions of 2.2–2.6 GPa/950–1100 °C. The third stage is represented by the composition of garnet rims, biotite, and plagioclase, suggesting an HP granulite to amphibolite facies decompression cooling process to 1.1–1.3 GPa/710–770 °C. In contrast, the strongly deformed felsic gneiss just records a deformation-related decompression process from 1.1 to 1.2 GPa/750–760 °C to 0.87–0.98 GPa/760–770 °C, and finally to 0.83 GPa/740 °C. Zircon U–Pb dating yields c. 920 Ma protolith ages, c. 500 Ma eclogite-facies ages, and c. 480 Ma granulite to amphibolite facies retrograde ages for the Danshuiquan felsic gneisses. Our results show that the Danshuiquan felsic gneisses underwent a similar metamorphic evolution process to that of Yinggelisayi HP–UHP rocks in the eastern segment of the South Altyn Tagh. Most HP mineralogical records tend to be eliminated by the strong deformation at crustal depths (∼30 km), meaning that the peak metamorphic conditions of the studied felsic rocks in UHP metamorphic terranes are previously underestimated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The early Neoproterozoic granitoids in the Qaidam block show typical S-type properties, generating via partial melting of Mesoproterozoic metasedimentary rocks. • These granitoids were formed under high-temperature and low-pressure conditions in a late syn- to post-collision setting. • Qaidam block was located at the core of the Rodinia supercontinent, adjacent to Laurentia, Baltica and Amazonia during the Neoproterozoic. Neoproterozoic granitoids are widely distributed in the Altyn Tagh, and provide indispensable information on the pre-Cenozoic tectonics and evolutionary history at the northeastern margin of Tibetan Plateau. In this study, zircon U-Pb geochronological results show that the granitoids were emplaced during the interval between 997 Ma and 901 Ma. Petrological studies reveal that these granitoids have high Al 2 O 3 and K 2 O, low CaO and Na 2 O contents with Al-rich minerals, such as muscovite, which show typical S-type properties. These Neoproterozoic granitoids contain abundant inherited cores of Mesoproterozoic age with ε Hf (t) values between 9.43 to 4.60. We interpret this to indicate magma generation via partial melting of Mesoproterozoic metasedimentary rocks. Based on a comparison to similar Neoproterozoic magmatic and metamorphic events described in the East Kunlun and North Qaidam, we suggest that the Altyn Tagh, East Kunlun and North Qaidam were part of the same terrane (Qadiam block) during the early Neoproterozoic. Petrogenetic data when combined with other geological and tectonic information suggest a late syn- to post-collisional setting rather than a syn -collisional setting. The Qaidam block was probably located adjacent to Laurentia, Baltica and Amazonia, during Neoproterozoic time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A diphosphine ligand modified copper(I)-thiacalixarene supramolecular compound, [Cu 2 (TC4A)(dppm)]·2H 3 O+·2MeCN (1), has been synthesised and is a potential semiconductor material. It has good photo-induced electron/hole pair generation, separation efficiency in an FTO electrode and can effectively degrade methylene blue. [Display omitted] In this paper, a diphosphine ligand modified copper(I)-thiacalixarene compound, [Cu 2 (TC4A)(dppm)]·2H 3 O+·2MeCN (1) (H 4 TC4A = p - tert -butylthiacalix[4]arene, dppm = 1, 1-bis(diphenylphosphine)methane), was obtained by the assembly of Cu(OAc) 2 ·H 2 O, H 4 TC4A and dppm in a mixed solution of acetonitrile and dichloromethane. Compound 1 was well defined. Single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis shows the central skeleton of 1 has two copper atoms, one TC4A4− ligand and one dppm ligand. Compound 1 was characterized by 1H and 31P NMR, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), X-ray photoelectron (XPS), ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) absorption and diffuse reflection spectra, together with thermogravimetric (TG) analysis. Furthermore, the luminescence, photocurrent response characteristic, photocatalytic performance and electrochemistry of 1 have been investigated. Compound 1 has better photo-induced electron/hole pair generation and separation efficiency in an FTO electrode. The degradation rate of methylene blue (MB) with the addition of 1 was approximately 88%, which was significantly higher than that without the catalyst within 300 min. These results indicate that compound 1 has good light-emitting and photoelectric properties and will be a potential semiconductor material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-1β (IL-1β) is involved in the initiation and progression of osteoarthritis (OA) by stimulating the expression of matrix-degrading proteinases, such as a disintegrin metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs-5 (ADAMTS-5), a key player in OA pathogenesis. However, how IL-1β induces ADAMTS-5 overexpression is poorly understood. We demonstrate that IL-1β regulates ADAMTS-5 expression by suppressing microRNA-30a (miR-30a). Bioinformatics was performed to predict miRNAs targeting ADAMTS-5. miR-30a inhibited ADAMTS-5 expression by directly targeting its 3′-untranslated region. miR-30a expression was downregulated in OA patients and was negatively correlated with ADAMTS-5 expression and positively correlated with Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) scores. IL-1β suppressed miR-30a expression by recruiting the activator protein (AP-1) transcription factor c-jun/c-fos to the miR-30a promoter. IL-1β-induced c-jun/c-fos expression regulated ADAMTS-5 expression and cartilage matrix degradation via miR-30a in human chondrocytes. These data indicate that the IL-1β/AP-1/miR-30a/ADAMTS-5 pathway contributes to IL-1β-induced cartilage matrix degradation in human OA chondrocytes. miR-30a may act as a pivotal regulator of cartilage homeostasis and a potential diagnostic and therapeutic target for OA. Key messages: [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) plays an important role in the development of osteoarthritis (OA) through the regulation of cartilage degradation. However, the molecular mechanism underlying FGF2-induced OA is poorly characterized. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) maintain cartilage homeostasis. To examine whether FGF2 regulates OA through the modulation of miRNA, we screened potential miRNA molecules that could be regulated through FGF2 using microarray analysis. The results showed that microRNA-105 (miR-105) was significantly downregulated in chondrocytes stimulated with FGF2. Runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2), a key transcription factor involved in OA, has been identified as a novel potential target of miR-105. FGF2 suppressed miR-105 expression through the recruitment of the subunit of the nuclear factor kappa B transcription complex p65 to the miR-105 promoter. The knockdown of Runx2 mimicked the effect of miR-105 and abolished the ability of miR-105 to regulate the expression of a disintegrin-like and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin 4 (ADAMTS4), ADAMTS5, ADAMTS7 and ADAMTS12, both of which are responsible for the degradation of collagen 2A1 (COL2A1) and aggrecan (ACAN). miR-105 is also required for FGF2/p65-induced Runx2 activation and ADAMTS expression. Moreover, miR-105 expression was downregulated in OA patients and inversely correlated with the expression of Runx2, ADAMTS7 and ADAMTS12, which were upregulated in OA patients. These data highlight that the FGF2/p65/miR-105/Runx2/ADAMTS axis might play an important role in OA pathogenesis and that miR-105 might be a potential diagnostic target and useful strategy for OA treatment. Key message: [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A number of virus-encoded microRNAs have been shown to play important roles in virus replication and virus-host interactions, although the expression and function of miR-TAR-3p derived from the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) TAR element remain controversial. In this study, miR-TAR-3p was detected in human peripheral blood monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) infected by HIV-1. Overexpression of miR-TAR-3p impaired viral replication, while inhibition of miR-TAR-3p enhanced it. Additionally, miR-TAR-3p repressed viral transcription and replication by targeting the TAR element in the HIV-1 5'-LTR in a sequence-specific manner. These results confirm the presence of miR-TAR-3p in HIV-1-infected MDMs and suggest that its function might be used as a mechanism to modulate HIV-1 replication through the expression of a negative regulatory factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB) is the largest Phanerozoic accretionary orogen on Earth. The role that Precambrian continental microblocks played in its formation, however, remains a highly controversial topic. New zircon U–Pb age data and whole-rock geochemical and Sr–Nd–Pb isotopic studies on Permian (253–251 Ma) andesites from the Xi Ujimqin area provide the first evidence for the existence of a continental lower mafic crust in the eastern segment of the CAOB. These Permian lavas generally have chemical compositions similar to experimental melts of garnet pyroxenites. Based on Sr–Nd–Pb isotopic compositional differences, they can be further subdivided into two groups. Group 1 has moderately radiogenic Sr ( 87 Sr/ 86 Sr(i) = 0.7060–0.7062) and nonradiogenic Nd (ε Nd (t) = − 9.0–8.3) and Pb (e.g., 206 Pb/ 204 Pb = 17.18–17.23) isotopic compositions similar to the ancient lower mafic crust beneath the North China Craton (NCC). Compared with Group 1, Group 2 has less radiogenic Sr ( 87 Sr/ 86 Sr(i) = 0.7051–0.7055), and more radiogenic Nd (ε Nd (t) = − 0.2–+1.4) and Pb (e.g., 206 Pb/ 204 Pb = 18.04–18.20) isotopic compositions as observed in the Phanerozoic granitoids and felsic lavas of the CAOB. The combined geochemical and isotopic data indicate that Group 1 was derived from ancient lower mafic crust of the NCC affinity, with a residual assemblage of pyroxene + plagioclase + amphibole. The source for Group 2 was a mixture of ancient lower mafic crust and a juvenile crustal component, and melting left a residue of orthopyroxene + clinopyroxene + plagioclase + garnet + amphibole. Generation of these two types of late Permian andesites favors a model whereby breakoff of a subducted slab and subsequent lithospheric extension triggered extensive asthenospheric upwelling and melting of the continental mafic lower crust of the eastern CAOB. The discovery of ancient lower continental crust of the NCC affinity in the CAOB implies that the NCC experienced continental breakup during the opening and spreading of the paleo-Asian Ocean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high pressure behaviour of a cubic dense inorganic–organic framework [DABCOH22+][K(ClO4)3] (DABCOH22+ = diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane-1,4-diium) has been systematically studied via synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction, over the range of 0–3.12 GPa. The framework [DABCOH22+][K(ClO4)3] shows a more rigid response, with a bulk modulus of 30(1) GPa and an axial compressibility of 7.6(4) × 10−3 GPa−1, compared with ZIF-8 and the dense hybrid solar cell perovskite CH3NH3PbI3. Density functional theory calculations reveal that the structural change in [DABCOH22+][K(ClO4)3] is attributed to the contraction of the KO12 polyhedra, which consequently results in the rotation of the perchlorate linkers and synergistic movement of the DABCOH22+ guest. Further extensive theoretical calculations of full elastic tensors give full mapping of the Young's moduli, shear moduli and Poisson's ratios of [DABCOH22+][K(ClO4)3], which are in the range of 31.6–36.6, 12.3–14.6 GPa and 0.2–0.32, respectively. The Young's and shear moduli of [DABCOH22+][K(ClO4)3] are larger than those of cubic MOF-5, ZIF-8 and CH3NH3PbI3. In addition, the narrow range of Poisson's ratios in [DABCOH22+][K(ClO4)3] indicates its very isotropic nature in response to biaxial stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This work focused on the sulphonation modification research of highly crosslinking non-polarity macroporous adsorption resin (MAR) LX1180; the adsorption behaviour of LX1180 and its chloromethylation- and sulphonation-modified products (LX1180-Cl and LX1180-SO3−); and the influence of the structure parameters matching degree of MAR and flavonoids on the adsorption feature and adsorption kinetics. Design/methodology/approach – LX1180-SO3− was obtained by the processes of chloromethylation first and then sulphonation. LX1180-Cl and LX1180-SO3− were prepared through the principle of substitution reaction from LX1180 and LX1180-Cl, respectively. First, Monochloromethyl ether (ME), pre-treated ZnCl2, NaCl and iron powder were added into the swollen LX1180 to obtain the chloromethylated LX1180. Thereafter, NaCl, NaOH and SAA were added into the swollen LX1180-Cl to obtain the sulphonation modification LX1180. The conditions were investigated and optimised; the structures of LX1180-Cl and LX1180-SO3− were characterised by Fourier transform infrared chromatography (FTIR) and a specific surface area instrument. Finally, the adsorption kinetics and adsorption isotherm were used to evaluate the adsorption capacity of LX1180-Cl and LX1180-SO3− for flavonoids, and the adsorptions and desorptions of LX1180-SO3− with different sulphonation degree on different flavonoids were investigated systemically. Findings – Results showed that LX1180-Cl and LX1180-SO3− had been prepared successfully, and that after the sulphonation, the adsorption capacity tended to increase with the increase of adsorption time, and the equilibrium adsorption capacity of LX1180-SO3− was also higher than that of LX1180. Research limitations/implications – The research only investigated the adsorption and desorption properties for only one kind of functional group, and other functional groups should also be studied in future work. Practical implications – This contribution can provide a further base for the research of separation and purification of natural products with the aim to improve food additive removal or isolation and purification of flavonoids used for healthcare applications. Originality/value – The adsorptions and desorptions of LX1180-SO3− with different sulphonation degree on different flavonoids were investigated. The relationship between sulphonation degree and the adsorption and desorption capacities of flavonoids were also explored, and the results showed that with the increase of sulphonation degree, the adsorption of LX1180-SO3− to rutin and cyanidin was maximum, while the desorption ratio was minimum at the same sulphonation degree; this phenomenon could be ascribed to the variation in the polarity matching degree. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, Ca2+-Cr3+ co-doped LaAlO3, a novel energy-saving material with significantly enhanced infrared emissivity, was synthesized by solid-state reaction. The experimental results demonstrated that 20 mol% Ca2+ and 10 mol% Cr3+-doped LaAlO3, namely La0.8Ca0.2Al0.9Cr0.1O3, had an infrared emissivity as high as 0.92 in the spectral region of 1-5 μm, which was 12 times higher than that of pure LaAlO3. The first-principles electronic structure calculations revealed that the Ca2+-Cr3+ co-doping results in the occurrence of impurity energy levels in the forbidden band of LaAlO3, which were mainly composed of the Cr 3 d orbitals. Electrons partly occupied these impurity donor states and significantly reduced the energy bandgap, thus the infrared radiation property of LaAlO3 was enhanced. This novel material with high infrared emissivity shows promising applications for energy-saving in the field of thermal process equipment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single crystals of Ba3FeS4Br are obtained by spontaneous crystallization from a 3:1:1 molar mixture of BaS, FeS, and BaBr2 (evacuated silica tubes, 1273 K, 2 d; cooling to 623 K at a rate of 3 K/h). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]