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The treatment outcomes of nanomedicines against colorectal cancer are severely restricted by their insufficient accumulation in the tumor tissues, unsatisfactory antitumor effect, and weak immunometabolic modulation. To address these issues, flying‐saucer‐shaped nanoheterojunctions by coating copper oxide (CuxO) onto the surface of PEGylated zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles are constructed. When exposed to ultrasound, the resultant CuxO@ZnO nanoheterojunctions exhibit increased locomotor activities, facilitating colorectal mucus infiltration, deep tumor penetration, and tumor cell internalization. The decoration of CuxO suppresses the rapid recombination of electrons and holes in CuxO@ZnO exposed to ultrasound, promoting the production of singlet oxygen and hydroxyl radical, which are generated by CuxO through a Fenton‐like chemodynamic reaction and CuxO@ZnO through sonodynamic reaction. After rectal administration, the sono‐chemodynamic CuxO@ZnO plus PD‐L1 antibodies effectively inhibit the growth of orthotopic and distant tumors. It elicits immunometabolic responses by inducing immunogenic cell death, activating the interferon genes signaling pathway stimulator, and inhibiting glucose transport and the glycolytic signaling pathways. This combined modality also increases the proportion of beneficial microbes (e.g., Bifidobacterium) and decreases the abundance of harmful microorganisms (e.g., Romboutsia) in the intestine. This treatment modality (CuxO@ZnO plus ultrasound and PD‐L1 antibodies) is a promising strategy for the synergistic treatment of colorectal cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Orderly hierarchical structure with balanced mechanical, chemical, and electrical properties is the basis of the natural bone microenvironment. Inspired by nature, we developed a piezocatalytically-induced controlled mineralization strategy using piezoelectric polymer poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) fibers with ordered micro-nano structures to prepare biomimetic tissue engineering scaffolds with a bone-like microenvironment (pcm-PLLA), in which PLLA-mediated piezoelectric catalysis promoted the in-situ polymerization of dopamine and subsequently regulated the controllable growth of hydroxyapatite crystals on the fiber surface. PLLA fibers, as analogs of mineralized collagen fibers, were arranged in an oriented manner, and ultimately formed a bone-like interconnected pore structure; in addition, they also provided bone-like piezoelectric properties. The uniformly sized HA nanocrystals formed by controlled mineralization provided a bone-like mechanical strength and chemical environment. The pcm-PLLA scaffold could rapidly recruit endogenous stem cells, and promote their osteogenic differentiation by activating cell membrane calcium channels and PI3K signaling pathways through ultrasound-responsive piezoelectric signals. In addition, the scaffold also provided a suitable microenvironment to promote macrophage M2 polarization and angiogenesis, thereby enhancing bone regeneration in skull defects of rats. The proposed piezocatalytically-induced controllable mineralization strategy provides a new idea for the development of tissue engineering scaffolds that can be implemented for multimodal physical stimulation therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultraviolet (UV) photodetectors have attracted extensive attention in various applications, including aerospace, optical communication, and fire warning. However, the intrinsic coupling of high responsivity and fast response as well as imperfect interface transmission impede the further improvement of UV photodetector. Here, a high‐performance Au‐decorated PbI2/ZnO pn junction UV photodetector with a one‐dimensional (1D) and two‐dimensional (2D) interspersed structure is presented. The pyro‐phototronic effect and energy band engineering effect from the localized pn junction generated by the layered p‐type PbI2 nanosheets along the c‐axis of ZnO are coupled to modulate the separation and transport of photogenerated carriers. Furthermore, the localized surface plasmon resonance of Au nanoparticles produces transient thermal power to raise temperature fast to enhance pyroelectric current. The self‐powered Au@PbI2/ZnO photodetector displays a high responsivity of 0.21 A W−1, excellent detectivity of 7.9 × 1012 Jones, and fast response/recovery time of 25/31 ms, under the illumination of 325 nm light with the power density of 0.08 µW cm−2. This work offers an effective strategy for designing high‐performance next‐generation optoelectronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ) has gained considerable attention in the field of optical fabrication because the chemical etching approach offers the advantage of avoiding mechanical damage to workpieces. This paper presents the development of an atmospheric pressure plasma machining system with a ring-ring typed APPJ, which exhibits several favorable characteristics. It has a relatively low processing temperature, no electrode corrosion, no plasma contamination, and a long discharge plume, etc. Optimization of the dimensional parameters and analysis of reactive gas flow rate are conducted through experimental investigations. Comparative experiments are carried out with the commonly used needle-ring typed APPJ, revealing significant improvements of the ring-ring typed APPJ, i.e., a fourfold increase in machining distance, a tenfold increase in machining efficiency, and a 58% enhancement in the stability of the material volumetric removal rate. Furthermore, on-line temperature monitoring of the footprint has been achieved due to the specific traits of the extended discharge plume. Fabrication experiments are conducted to demonstrate the significant correlation between the temperature and material removal rate, which shows the possibility of improving the accuracy of optical fabrication based on the ring-ring typed APPJ. • A ring-ring typed atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ) is proposed for optical fabrication, which has a relatively low processing temperature, no electrode corrosion, no plasma contamination, and a long discharge plume. • Optimization of the dimensional parameters and analysis of reactive gas flow rate are conducted through simulations and experimental investigations. • Comparative experiments are carried out with the commonly used needle-ring typed APPJ, revealing significant improvements of the ring-ring typed APPJ, i.e., a fourfold increase in machining distance, a tenfold increase in machining efficiency, and a 58 % enhancement in the stability of the material volumetric removal rate. • On-line temperature monitoring of the footprint has been achieved and the significant correlation between the temperature and material removal rate has been demonstrated. • Fabrication of continuous phase plate is conducted to validate the capability of the ring-ring typed APPJ in machining the sophisticated surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prevention of aseptic loosening, the main reason for secondary surgery of bone implants, is of great crucial clinical importance. As a promising bioactive material to promote bone regeneration, the piezoelectric materials for preventing aseptic loosening has not been reported. Here, a surface coating is presented for implants based on piezoelectric poly(L‐lactic acid) (PLLA). The coating ingeniously utilizes zoledronic acid (ZA), a drug used to treat osteoporosis, as a nucleating agent to enhance the piezoelectricity of PLLA. The coating can not only provide a continuous porous piezoelectric environment to stimulate osteogenic differentiation without intervention, but also effectively inhibit the osteolytic activity of osteoclasts through the slow release of ZA, achieving long‐term effectiveness with a single implantation. The rat femur cavity implantation experiment suggests that, the PLLA/ZA coating can rapidly initiate osseointegration of the implant and effectively mitigate the risk of aseptic loosening, even in the presence of metal submicroscopic particles that induce aseptic loosening. This strategy of piezo‐enhanced PLLA drug‐loaded coating may provide a new idea for the surface modification of bone implants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flexible regulation of bandgap of perovskite nanocrystals (PNCs) is fundamentally critical for desirable optoelectronic functions and applications. Here, regulating chemical composition and emission wavelength of PNCs in glass by a simple heat‐treatment process are reported, which is established to rely on the thermal‐trigger phase separation and ion exchange. The first principle calculations are overall performed to reveal the mechanism of bandgap engineering and optimization of emission performance. The PNCs exhibit excellent stability against thermal, ultraviolet irradiation, and organic molecules. The bandgap of PNCs in the heat‐treated glass can also be re‐modulated by ultrafast laser irradiation. Ultrafast laser direct writing of multi‐color patterns and holographic dynamic displays are achieved, which hold great potential in the application of encryption‐decryption and emissive devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Convenient, small-sized, and self-powered sensor units are easier to integrate, making them the future development direction of photodetectors. GaN materials with wide band gap are powerful candidates for UV detection, but most GaN based self-powered UV photodetectors have poor detection ability for the weak UV light, which limits their applications. This study reports a self-powered UV photodetector based on BaTiO 3 /GaN heterojunction, which can detect ultra-weak UV light at a minimum of 0.68 nW/cm2 by coupling the ferroelectric polarization, anti-reflection effect, and pyro-phototronic effect. The polarized BaTiO 3 thin film on the surface of GaN has an enhanced residual polarization field and generated anti-reflection effect, which can regulate the heterojunction band structure, suppress the dark current and minimize surface reflection of GaN. Simultaneously enhanced pyro-phototronic effect can significantly improve the response speed and responsivity of the device. The response time and recovery time of the device are as low as 8.794 ms and 5.018 ms. The maximum responsivity and detectivity are 88.206 mA/W and 7.392 × 1013 Jones, respectively, increased by 359% and 6065% compared to the device before polarization. Thanks to excellent material stability, the device has a sensitive and uniform response to continuously incident UV light. In addition, by simulating flame generation, it has been proven that the device has brilliant performance in flame detection and can achieve remote monitoring and fire warning functions. These results can promote the potential application of self-powered UV photodetectors based on BaTiO 3 /GaN heterojunction in environmental monitoring and space communication fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Cu-1.79Ti-0.39Cr-0.1Mg (wt.%) alloy was prepared by a vacuum induction melting furnace in a high-purity argon atmosphere. The effects of room temperature rolling and cryogenic rolling on the microstructure, textures, and mechanical properties of the alloy were investigated by means of electron backscatter diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction. The results show that the hardness of the cryogenically rolled alloy is 18–30 HV higher than that of the room temperature rolled alloy at any tested rolling reduction. The yield strength and tensile strength of the alloy cryogenically rolled by 90% reduction are 723 MPa and 796 MPa, respectively. With the increase of rolling reduction, the orientation density of the Cube texture decreases, while the Brass texture increases. The Brass texture is preferred especially during the cryogenic rolling, suggesting that the cross-slip is inhibited at the cryogenic temperature. The dislocation densities of Cu-Ti-Cr-Mg alloy increase significantly during the deformation, finally reaching 23.03 × 10−14 m−2 and 29.98 × 10−14 m−2 after a 90% reduction for the room temperature rolled and cryogenically rolled alloys, respectively. This difference could be attributed to the impediment effect of cryogenic temperature on dynamic recovery and dynamic recrystallization. The cryogenic temperature promotes the formation of the dislocation and the nano-twins, leading to the improvement of the mechanical properties of the alloy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hundreds of millions of people around the world are currently exposed to excessive amounts of fluoride (F-) in drinking water. Although the factors controlling the spatiotemporal distribution of F- contents have been analyzed, their contributions have rarely been quantified. In this study, 510 water samples were collected in the dry and wet seasons in China's Loess Plateau to investigate the spatial and seasonal distribution, controlling factors, and potential health risks of F- in natural water. High-F- waters were mainly distributed in valley areas of the Loess Plateau, and more severe fluoride pollution of streamwater and groundwater was found in the wet and dry seasons, respectively. Mineral dissolution, competitive adsorption, adsorption/desorption and cation exchange jointly controlled F- enrichment. Spatiotemporal distribution of high-F- levels was mainly determined by climate and streamwater-groundwater connectivity in the dry season, with contribution rates of 41.7% and 37.6%, and by terrain and anthropogenic activities in the wet season, with contribution rates and 49.9–55.6% and 30.7%, respectively. Fluoride in groundwater through oral intake posed the greatest health risks to infants, followed by children, teenagers and adults in the dry and wet seasons. This study provides a scientific basis for the effective management of high-F- water in arid regions. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Phosphonate using capability is widely distributed among filamentous cyanobacteria. • 3.2% of published cyanobacterial genomes possess phosphonate biosynthesis genes. • Phosphonate using is a strategy of these strains against phosphorus deficiency. • Methane is produced through cyanobacterial methylphosphonate lysis. • Oxic methane production by cyanobacteria may contribute to atmospheric methane. Aquatic ecosystems comprise almost half of total global methane emissions. Recent evidence indicates that a few strains of cyanobacteria, the predominant primary producers in bodies of water, can produce methane under oxic conditions with methylphosphonate serving as substrate. In this work, we have screened the published 2 568 cyanobacterial genomes for genetic elements encoding phosphonate-metabolizing enzymes. We show that phosphonate degradation (phn) gene clusters are widely distributed in filamentous cyanobacteria, including several bloom-forming genera. Algal growth experiments revealed that methylphosphonate is an alternative phosphorous source for four of five tested strains carrying phn clusters, and can sustain cellular metabolic homeostasis of strains under phosphorus stress. Liberation of methane by cyanobacteria in the presence of methylphosphonate occurred mostly during the light period of a 12 h/12 h diurnal cycle and was suppressed in the presence of orthophosphate, features that are consistent with observations in natural aquatic systems under oxic conditions. The results presented here demonstrate a genetic basis for ubiquitous methane emission via cyanobacterial methylphosphonate mineralization, while contributing to the phosphorus redox cycle. [Display omitted]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evolution of microstructures and properties of the hot rolled cobalt (Co) during the isothermal annealing at different temperature was investigated. Recrystallization only occurred in hexagonal closed-packed (HCP) Co below martensitic transformation temperature (400 °C), the proportion of face-centered cubic (FCC) Co decreased dramatically and the Co sample became an HCP-Co single-phase with increasing annealing time due to the diffusive phase transformation promoted by high angle boundaries (HABs). For samples annealed at 400 °C, recrystallization occurred in both of HCP-Co and FCC-Co. The proportion of FCC-Co reached the highest value of 50% in sample annealed at 400 °C for 4 h, and the average grain size was less than 2.5 μm even after 12 h annealing due to the formation of special boundaries, annealing twins and the alternate permutation of nano FCC-Co lamellae and HCP-Co lamellae. The recrystallization mechanism was analyzed by the Johnson-Mehl-Avrami-Kolmogorov model and modified Arrhenius relationship. The nucleation and grain growth through the migration of HABs promoted the FCC→HCP diffusive phase transformation below martensitic transformation temperature. At temperature above martensitic transformation temperature, recrystallization kinetics of HCP-Co and migration of HABs was hindered by reverse martensitic transformation. • A new phase transformation mechanism in pure Co was theorized and HCP single-phase Co was obtained. • The trend and mechanism of proportion of retained FCC-Co during annealing above martensitic transformation temperature was analyzed. • Two special orientation relationship were observed and analyzed. • The interaction between phase transformation and recrystallization was analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) is a rare and aggressive type of cancer, which is associated with a poor prognosis. Identification of patients at high risk of TSCC tumorigenesis may provide information for the early detection of metastases, and for potential treatment strategies. MicroRNA (miRNA; miR) and mRNA expression profiling of TSCC tissue samples and normal control tissue samples were obtained from three Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) data series. Bioinformatics analyses, including the Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes were used to identify genes and pathways specifically associated with miRNA-associated TSCC oncology. A total of 25 miRNAs and 769 mRNAs were differentially expressed in the two groups assessed, and all the differentially expressed miRNA and mRNA target interactions were analyzed. The miRNA target genes were predominantly associated with 38 GO terms and 13 pathways. Of the genes differentially expressed between the two groups, and confirmed in another GEO series, miRNA-494, miRNA-96, miRNA-183, runt-related transcription factor 1, programmed cell death protein 4 and membrane-associated guanylate kinase were the most significantly altered, and may be central in the regulation of TSCC. Bioinformatics may be used to analyze large quantities of data in microarrays through rigorous experimental planning, statistical analysis and the collection of complete data on TSCC. In the present study, a novel differential miRNA-mRNA expression network was constructed, and further investigation may provide novel targets for the diagnosis of TSCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are two forms of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), precursor of BDNF (proBDNF) and mature BDNF, which each exert opposing effects through two different transmembrane receptor signaling systems, consisting of p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75NTR) and tyrosine receptor kinase B (TrkB). Previous studies have demonstrated that proBDNF promotes cell death and inhibits the growth and migration of C6 glioma cells through p75NTR in vitro, while mature BDNF has opposite effects on C6 glioma cells. It is hypothesized that mature BDNF is essential in the development of malignancy in gliomas. However, histological data obtained in previous studies were unable distinguish mature BDNF from proBDNF due to the lack of specific antibodies. The present study investigated the expression of mature BDNF using a specific sheep monoclonal anti-mature BDNF antibody in 42 human glioma tissues of different grades and 10 control tissues. The correlation between mature BDNF and TrkB was analyzed. Mature BDNF expression was significantly increased in high-grade gliomas, and was positively correlated with the malignancy of the tumor and TrkB receptor expression. The present data have demonstrated that increased levels of mature BDNF contribute markedly to the development of malignancy of human gliomas through the primary BDNF receptor TrkB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the accuracy limitation of some transfer methods in the self-parallel fluid–structure interfaces, a data transfer method is proposed by an ISOMAP (Isometric Mapping) nonlinear dimensionality reduction. Through this new method, the data transfer problem of the self-parallel interfaces is solved. Example of a 3D turbine blade shows that the proposed method can improve the transfer accuracy in the non-matching meshes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Due to the increasing prevalence of drug-resistant S taphylococcus aureus infection, we develop novel 4-hydroxycoumarin derivatives as antimicrobials. Methods The antibacterial activity of 4-hydroxycoumarin derivatives against drug-susceptive S . aureus ( ATCC 29213) and methicillin-resistant S . aureus ( MRSA) were evaluated using minimal inhibitory concentration ( MIC) assay; the activity of favourable compound was further observed using bacterial growth curves assay and in the MRSA infection mice. Key findings Compared with dihydropyran derivatives, compound 1 as one of biscoumarins showed most potent activity with MIC values of 4-8 μg/ml and apparently inhibited the growth rate of S . aureus ATCC 29213 and USA300 strain in concentrations of both 16 and 32 mg/ml. In the mice infected with MRSA USA300, administration of 5 mg/kg compound 1 improved the animal survival rate to 66.7%, and improved the pathological change in lung tissue compared with the infection model animals. No significant cytotoxicity of compound 1 was observed on the umbilical vein endothelial cells ( HUVECs) under the concentration of 800 μg/ml. Conclusion Compared with the dihydropyran derivatives, biscoumarins exhibited more promising activity against both drug-sensitive and drug-resistant S . aureus, and it is efficacious in treating MRSA infections in mouse models with a favourable safety in human cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The biochemical activities of polydatin and resveratrol have been proven to own considerable medicinal potential. However, the extraction processes are yet to be fully characterized. This study explores particularly the optimization and kinetics of polydatin and resveratrol extraction from Rhizoma Et Radix Polygoni Cuspidati (the root of Polygonum cuspidatum) in agitation extractions by ethanol and water mixtures. The effects of the parameters on several extraction processes have been fully investigated. The optimized condition for polydatin was found at 0.4 mole fraction of ethanol as the extraction solvents, temperature 323 K, agitation speed 500 rpm and solid to solvent ratio of 1:90. However, the optimized condition for resveratrol was 0.4 mole fraction of ethanol, temperature 323 K, agitation speed 800 rpm, solid to solvent ratio of 1:120. Furthermore, the extraction kinetics behavior of polydatin and resveratrol follows a first order kinetics with diffusion coefficient ranging from 3.59 × 10-11 to 7.53 × 10-11 m² s-1 and 3.90 × 10-11 to 10.10 × 10-11 m² s-1 for polydatin and resveratrol respectively. The values of activation energy for the extraction were found to be 3.96 kJ mol-1 for polydatin and 17.83 kJ mol-1 for resveratrol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this research was to analyse whether ameliorating drought stress through exogenously applied spermine (Spm) was related to carbohydrate metabolism, dehydrins accumulation and the transcription of genes encoding dehydrins in two white clovers (drought-susceptible cv. ‘Ladino’ and drought-resistant cv. ‘Haifa’) under controlled drying conditions for 10 days. The results show that the application of Spm effectively alleviates negative effects caused by drought stress in both cultivars. Exogenous Spm led to accumulation of more water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC), sucrose, fructose and sorbitol in both cultivars under drought stress, and also significantly elevated glucose content in leaves of drought-resistant cv. ‘Haifa’, but had no effect on drought-susceptible cv. ‘Ladino’. Accordingly, the key enzyme activities of sucrose and sorbitol metabolism changed along with the application of Spm under drought stress. Spm induced a significant increase in sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS) or sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH) activity, but decrease in sucrose synthetase (SS) activity when two cultivars were subjected to drought. In addition, the improved accumulation of dehydrins induced by exogenous Spm coincided with three genes expression which was responsible for dehydrins synthesis. But Spm-induced transcript level of dehydrin genes increased earlier in cv. ‘Ladino’ than that in cv. ‘Haifa’. Thus, these results suggest that ameliorating drought stress through exogenously applied Spm may be associated with increased carbohydrate accumulation and dehydrins synthesis. There are differences between drought-susceptible and -resistant white clover cultivars related to Spm regulation of WSC metabolism and dehydrins expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A distributedly actuated morphing wing is designed and demonstrated to achieve a continuous camber variation technique. Cross-shaped flexible honeycombs with overlying silicone facesheets are filled in the trailing edge, which could produce a smooth bending deformation. Mechanical properties of the honeycombs are studied by analytical, simulated, and experimental methods, which indicate that the cross-shaped honeycombs have large in-plane flexibility and out-of-plane stiffness to satisfy the deformation and bearing requirements of the wing. A series of lightweight pressurized telescopic tube actuators are embedded in the trailing-edge surfaces to implement a distributed actuation. Analytical and experimental studies are carried out on the driving force and axial stiffness of the actuators, which show that the actuators could produce a large axial driving force and displacement, and provide a certain compression stiffness to resist part airloads. Simulation and demonstration experiments are conducted to the assembled morphing wing, which show that the trailing edge could achieve the designed deflection and safely bear the airload. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

T cells play an important role in the onset and progression of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and the biases in T cell receptor beta variable (TRBV) region families and complementarity determining region three (CDR3) composition in SLE patients and mouse models have been widely reported. However, the relationship between the composition and variation in the TCR β-chain CDR3 repertoire and SLE has not been established. Here, we compared and analyzed the thymic and splenic TCR β-chain CDR3 mRNA sequences by Roche 454 high-throughput sequencing from MRL/lpr mice at different ages. Our results indicate that diversity in the TCR CDR3 repertoire from the thymus and spleen from MRL/lpr mouse was significantly decreased with increased age (disease progression) and showed a bias in usage of common TRBV and TRBJ families. The N1 region insertions in the highly expressed CDR3s significantly increased with disease progression. This study provides a new perspective for studying SLE with progression of disease in clonal level of TCR, which may provide a basis for studying the mechanism of the MRL/lpr autoreactive T cells response and tailor an individualized treatment targeting these T cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microbial communities that underpin global biogeochemical cycles will likely be influenced by elevated temperature associated with environmental change. Here, we test an approach to measure how elevated temperature impacts the physiology of individual microbial groups in a community context, using a model microbial-based ecosystem. The study is the first application of tandem mass tag (TMT)-based proteomics to a microbial community. We accurately, precisely and reproducibly quantified thousands of proteins in biofilms growing at 40, 43 and 46 °C. Elevated temperature led to upregulation of proteins involved in amino-acid metabolism at the level of individual organisms and the entire community. Proteins from related organisms differed in their relative abundance and functional responses to temperature. Elevated temperature repressed carbon fixation proteins from two Leptospirillum genotypes, whereas carbon fixation proteins were significantly upregulated at higher temperature by a third member of this genus. Leptospirillum group III bacteria may have been subject to viral stress at elevated temperature, which could lead to greater carbon turnover in the microbial food web through the release of viral lysate. Overall, these findings highlight the utility of proteomics-enabled community-based physiology studies, and provide a methodological framework for possible extension to additional mixed culture and environmental sample analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human NEMO (NF-κB essential modulator) is a 419 residue scaffolding protein that, together with catalytic subunits IKKα and IKKβ, forms the IκB kinase (IKK) complex, a key regulator of NF-κB pathway signaling. NEMO is an elongated homodimer comprising mostly α-helix. It has been shown that a NEMO fragment spanning residues 44-111, which contains the IKKα/β binding site, is structurally disordered in the absence of bound IKKβ. Herein we show that enforcing dimerization of NEMO1-120 or NEMO44-111 constructs through introduction of one or two interchain disulfide bonds, through oxidation of the native Cys54 residue and/or at position 107 through a Leu107Cys mutation, induces a stable α-helical coiled-coil structure that is preorganized to bind IKKβ with high affinity. Chemical and thermal denaturation studies showed that, in the context of a covalent dimer, the ordered structure was stabilized relative to the denatured state by up to 3 kcal/mol. A full-length NEMO-L107C protein formed covalent dimers upon treatment of mammalian cells with H2O2. Furthermore, NEMO-L107C bound endogenous IKKβ in A293T cells, reconstituted TNF-induced NF-κB signaling in NEMO-deficient cells, and interacted with TRAF6. Our results indicate that the IKKβ binding domain of NEMO possesses an ordered structure in the unbound state, provided that it is constrained within a dimer as is the case in the constitutively dimeric full-length NEMO protein. The stability of the NEMO coiled coil is maintained by strong interhelix interactions in the region centered on residue 54. The disulfide-linked constructs we describe herein may be useful for crystallization of NEMO's IKKβ binding domain in the absence of bound IKKβ, thereby facilitating the structural characterization of small-molecule inhibitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The heterogeneous uptake processes of sulfur dioxide on two types of Chinese mineral dust (Inner Mongolia desert dust and Xinjiang sierozem) were investigated using both Knudsen cell and smog chamber system. The temperature dependence of the uptake coefficients was studied over a range from 253 to 313 K using the Knudsen cell reactor, the initial uptake coefficients decreased with the increasing of temperature for these two mineral dust samples, whereas the steady state uptake coefficients of the Xinjiang sierozem increased with the temperature increasing, and these temperature dependence functions were obtained for the first time. In the smog chamber experiments at room temperature, the steady state uptake coefficients of SO2 decreased evidently with the increasing of sulfur dioxide initial concentration from 1.72 × 1012 to 6.15 × 1012 mol/cm3. Humid air had effect on the steady state uptake coefficients of SO2 onto Inner Mongolia desert dust. Consequences about the understanding of the uptake processes onto mineral dust samples and the environmental implication were also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A data transfer method in dimensionality reduction space is proposed for the fluil-structure-interaction problems, which commonly have non-matching meshes at interface. The method provided in the article can reduce the dimensionality of the data transfer by means of projecting interface surface meshes into a dimensionality reduction space. The dimensionality reduction projection can be realized by defining local coordinates system for interface surface. Furthermore, the size of interface surface meshes has little influence on the data transfer. At last, the method is validated using a temperature transfer problem of turbine blade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A DNA-guided method for surface engineering of NaGdF 4 :Ce/Tb hybrid nanoparticle has been proposed. In this study, the DNA molecules that retained after one-pot NaGdF 4 :Ce/Tb synthesis is directly utilized as biotemplate for CaP heterogeneous nucleation, thus the dual-purpose function of DNA is realized in the current study which could afford a new type of pH-responsive theranostic platform to enhance the therapeutic efficiency while minimizing side effects. The introduction of another layer of aptamer molecules on CaP facilitated cellular uptake of the resulting nanocomposite into specific target cells via receptor-mediated endocytosis. After been taken by the target tumor cells, the NaGdF 4 :Ce/Tb@CaP was found to be mostly accumulated in lysosome, which facilitated the dissolving of CaP coatings as non-toxic ions to initiate drug release and efficient cancer cell destruction. We envision that the hybrid nanocarrier may serve as practical and multifunctional probe for cancer therapy and the presented synthesis approach here may also benefit the preparation of many other types of multifunctional inorganic-biomolecular hybrid nanostructures based on the DNA nanotechnology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our previous study reported that cerebrosides from traditional Chinese medicine Baifuzi directly interact with the STREX domain of BKCa channels, which in turn results in the therapeutic effect of Baifuzi on ischemic stroke. However, it is not known how cerebrosides in the plasma membrane could interact with the STREX domain that is in the cytoplasmic side. Using patch-clamp technique, effects of different cerebrosides on the BKCa channel were studied by measuring single channel currents in CHO cells expressing wild type or mutated BKCa channels. Palmitoylation of the STREX domain was removed either by site-directed mutagenesis or pharmacological inhibition. Removal of palmitoylation sites at C646 and C647 by mutating the residues to Ala abolished the ability of cerebrosides to activate the BKCa channel. In contrast, the mutation neither changed the single channel conductance nor voltage sensitivity of the channel. Both palmitoylation inhibitors tunicamycin and palmitic acid analog 2-bromopalmitate attenuated the activation of the BKCa channel by cerebrosides. Furthermore, confocal images on STREX-EGFP fragments demonstrated that STREX fragments no longer associated with the plasma membrane when the palmitoylation was removed or blocked. These findings suggest that palmitoylation of the STREX domain is necessary for cerebrosides to activate the BKCa channel and provide insight into the mechanism of how Baifuzi could exert therapeutic effect on ischemic stroke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding how individual species contribute to nutrient transformations in a microbial community is critical to prediction of overall ecosystem function. We conducted microcosm experiments in which floating acid mine drainage ( AMD) microbial biofilms were submerged - recapitulating the final stage in a natural biofilm life cycle. Biofilms were amended with either 15NH4+ or deuterium oxide ( 2H2O) and proteomic stable isotope probing ( SIP) was used to track the extent to which different members of the community used these molecules in protein synthesis across anaerobic iron-reducing, aerobic iron-reducing and aerobic iron-oxidizing environments. S ulfobacillus spp. synthesized 15N-enriched protein almost exclusively under iron-reducing conditions whereas the L eptospirillum spp. synthesized 15N-enriched protein in all conditions. There were relatively few 15N-enriched archaeal proteins, and all showed low atom% enrichment, consistent with A rchaea synthesizing protein using the predominantly 14N biomass derived from recycled biomolecules. In parallel experiments using 2H2O, extensive archaeal protein synthesis was detected in all conditions. In contrast, the bacterial species showed little protein synthesis using 2H2O. The nearly exclusive ability of A rchaea to synthesize proteins using 2H2O may be due to archaeal heterotrophy, whereby A rchaea offset deleterious effects of 2H by accessing 1H generated by respiration of organic compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new 3D inorganic–organic hybrid based on polyoxometalates (POMs), [Ag 4 (pz) 6 (SiW 12 O 40 )·H 2 O] ( 1 ), (pz = pyrazine) 1 1 Pyrazine abbreviated to pz. has been hydrothermally synthesized and structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, IR, TG, and UV–vis absorption spectra. In compound 1 , there are two identical interpenetrating 3D frameworks containing deca-nuclear silver circles and pz ligands, which are further linked by [SiW 12 O 40 ] 4 − anions to exhibit an entangled architecture. Additionally, its optical band gap, photocatalytic performance and electrochemical behavior at room temperature have been investigated in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four inorganic-organic hybrids based on polyoxometalates (POMs), [Ag4(btz)2(Hbtz)2(H2O)Na(PMo12O40)⋅H2O] (1), [Ag2(4,4'-bpy)2Ag2(4,4'-bpy)(H2O)2(PMo Mo 11O40)] (2), [Ag5(btz)2(4,4'-bpy)2(PMo12O40)⋅3H2O] (3), and [Ag5(btz)2(4,4'-bpy)2(PW12O40)⋅3H2O] (4) (Hbtz = 1H-1,2,3-benzotriazole, 4,4'-bpy = 4,4'-bipyridine), have been hydrothermally synthesized and structurally characterized by conventional techniques. Compound 1 is a 2D layer composed of Ag-1 ions, btz ligands and [PMo12O40]3- anions. Compound 2 represents a rare 3D poly-threading framework based on infinite 2D layers made up of {POM-Ag2 inorganic building blocks and bpy ligands, which were threaded by silver-organic linear double chains. Compounds 3 and 4 are isostructural and exhibit three-fold interpenetrating diamondoid frameworks containing tri-nuclear silver centers as nodes and hexa-nuclear silver-organic macrocycles and [PMo12O40] anions, both as bi-connected units. Furthermore, their electrochemical properties, fluorescence properties and optical band gaps have been investigated in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many animals detect other individuals effortlessly. In Drosophila , previous studies have examined sensory processing during social interactions using simple blobs as visual stimulation; however, whether and how flies extract higher-order features from conspecifics to guide behavior remains elusive. Arguing that this should be reflected in sensorimotor relations, we developed unbiased machine learning tools for natural behavior quantification and applied these tools, which may prove broadly useful, to study interacting pairs. By transforming motor patterns with female-centered reference frames, we established circling, where heading and traveling directions intersect, as a unique pattern of social interaction during courtship. We found circling to be highly visual, with males exhibiting view-tuned motor patterns. Interestingly, males select specific wing and leg actions based on the positions and motions of the females' heads and tails. Using system identification, we derived visuomotor transformation functions indicating history-dependent action selection, with distance predicting action initiation and angular position predicting wing choices and locomotion directions. Integration of vision with somatosensation further boosts these sensorimotor relations. Essentially comprised of orchestrated wing and leg maneuvers that are more variable in the light, circling induces mutually synchronized conspecific responses stronger than wing extension alone. Finally, we found that actions depend on integrating spatiotemporally structured features with goals. Altogether, we identified a series of sensorimotor relations during circling, implying that during courtship, flies detect complex spatiotemporally structured features of conspecifics, laying the foundation for a mechanistic understanding of conspecific recognition in Drosophila. [Display omitted] • Courting flies perform circling which is highly visual yet multimodal • View-tuned body-part-specific position and motion cue guide conspecific action selection • Orchestrated wing and leg actions induce mutual synchronization in interacting pair • Integrating spatiotemporally structured conspecific cue with goal direct circling How do animals leverage high-order conspecific features to guide social interactions? Combining pose estimation with system identification to dissect the circling behavior, Ning et al. identify a series of sensorimotor transformations, revealing a goal-directed orchestrated motor program clearly tuned to spatiotemporally structured conspecific cues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A continuous and highly conductive nanomesh PEDOT:PSS film was developed. • HPDEC-9 shows a phase angle of − 84° and energy density of 544 μF V2 cm−2 at 120 Hz. • HPDEC-9 performed effectively over an ultrawide frequency range of 1–10,000 Hz. • AC line filter based on HPDEC units connected in-series was integrated with RD-TENG. • Smoothening of the pulse signal for powering 19 LEDs was achieved. Filtering capacitors with high energy densities are of critical importance in stabilizing the pulse signal of circuits that require the conversion of alternating current to direct current, which is however far from satisfactory at current stage due to lack of a reasonable design. Here, we report an ultrafast aqueous electrochemical capacitor based on highly conductive and continuously cross-linked poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) nanomesh films fabricated using a rational morphology engineering strategy. The interpenetrating polymer network promoted an efficient electron transfer and provided smooth channels for ion transport while exposing a significant number of accessible interfacial area to electrolyte. In addition to the large phase angle of − 84° at 120 Hz, this polymer-based electrochemical capacitor exhibited an extremely high areal specific capacitance of 1087 μF cm−2 and areal specific energy density of 544 μF V2 cm−2, far superior to those of most reported aqueous filtering capacitors. Furthermore, it can efficiently smoothen the ripples generated when arbitrary alternating current waveforms were converted into straight signals over a wide frequency range of 1–10,000 Hz. Moreover, it was conveniently integrated with a rotating disk triboelectric nanogenerator for ripple filtering and pulse energy smoothing. This work brings a view for aqueous filtering capacitors with high performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetic skyrmions are nanoscale topologically nontrivial spin texture that offer great promise as information carriers for the next-generation spintronic computing schemes. However, the current skyrmion-based logic gates require precise control of skyrmion collisions through clocked synchronizers, which leads to the complexity of logic implementation. To address this challenge, we propose a clockless skyrmion logic gate that can be implemented into large-scale computing networks without skyrmions synchronization. The clockless operations are achieved in a cross-shaped skyrmion track based on the skyrmion gating method with the aid of the voltage-controlled magnetic anisotropy gate. A complete set of Boolean operations and a cascaded full adder can be realized through the different combinations of inputs and interconnections of these logic gates. This computing paradigm paves the way for the design of a highly efficient and robust computing architecture using fully skyrmion-based logic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cascading commutation failure (CF) caused by the reactive power interaction between HVDC is one of the new forms of cascading failures in multi-infeed HVDC systems. However, the concept and mechanism of cascading CF have not been explained clearly, and few studies have been devoted to control strategy for cascading CF mitigation considering reactive power interaction. In this paper, the cascading CF is defined and novel coordinated control strategy for cascading CF mitigation is proposed. Firstly, the mechanism of cascading CF in multi-infeed HVDC systems is analyzed. Then influence degree of HVDC on the power system stability is evaluated considering both active power impact and reactive power interaction, based on which novel coordinated commutation failure prevention as well as voltage dependent dc current order limiter is developed to mitigate cascading CF. Simulation results based on CIGRE HVDC benchmark model in PSCAD/EMTDC verify the effectiveness and advancement of proposed strategy on cascading CF mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly accurate measurements of infrared systems cannot be achieved without precise radiometric calibrations. In order to correctly interpret and process infrared images and monitor the performance of infrared cameras, their radiometric calibration is also required periodically. In this paper, an equivalent calibration method is proposed based on an internal blackbody baffle. It is used for the replacement of a large surface-source blackbody covering the aperture for the field calibration of large-aperture equipment. Subsequently, the expressions of the equivalent calibration conversion function (ECCF) are derived based on the grayscale response of the camera and the calibration models of the two methods, and experimental measurements and fits are performed using a cooled mid-wave infrared camera. The results show that the measured functional form is consistent with the physical meaning. Moreover, in the target imaging experiments, the results of the inversion using the equivalent calibration conversion function and the results of the direct calibration of the external blackbody are largely consistent with the average error of 0.198% between the two, and the maximum error is within 1%. The maximum error between the inversion result of radiation brightness and the actual value of the target is 6.29%, and the accuracy fully meets the radiometric measurement requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is now widely used as an adjuvant to IVF treatment protocols in poor responders. However, clinical evidence for DHEA on improvement of ovarian response and IVF outcome is still limited, the validity of the results of the earlier studies, especially the varied inclusion criteria, is a subject of debate. Recently, the ESHRE Working Group developed a new definition, the Bologna criteria. The aim of the current study was to investigate the potential effect of DHEA treatment on in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcome of poor ovarian responders that fulfill the Bologna criteria. Methods: This study investigated 386 poor ovarian responders that fulfill the Bologna criteria. Patients underwent IVF-ET treatment with the GnRH antagonist protocol. The study group contained 189 patients, who received 75 mg of DHEA daily (25 mg three times daily) before the IVF cycle. The control group was composed of 197 patients who received infertility treatment, but did not receive DHEA. The IVF outcome parameters in each group were compared. Results: The study and control groups did not show statistically significant differences in terms of patient demographics characteristics, mean numbers of oocytes retrieved, mature oocytes, fertilization rate, cleavage rate, or embryo availability. While the DHEA group demonstrated significantly higher implantation rates (18.7% vs. 10.1%; P<0.01) and ongoing PRs (26.7% vs. 15.8%; P<0.05) as compared with the control. Conclusions: DHEA pre-treatment does not significantly increase oocyte yield. However, the ongoing PRs in this subgroup of women are significantly higher after DHEA administration, suggesting that DHEA may increase IVF results by improving oocyte and embryo quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, by utilizing photochromic spiropyrans conjugated upconversion nanophosphors, we have successfully prepared NIR/visible light tuned interfacially active nanoparticles for the formulation of Pickering emulsions with reversible inversion properties. By loading a model enantioselective biocatalytic active bacteria Alcaligenes faecalis ATCC 8750 in the aqueous phase, we demonstrated for the first time that the multifunctional Pickering emulsion not only highly enhanced its catalytic performance but also relieved the substrate inhibition effect. In addition, product recovery, and biocatalysts and colloid emulsifiers recycling could be easily realized based on the inversion ability of the Pickering emulsion. Most importantly, the utilization of NIR/visible light to perform the reversible inversion without any chemical auxiliaries or temperature variation showed little damage toward the biocatalysts, which was highlighted by the high catalytic efficiency and high enantioselectivity even after 10 cycles. The NIR/visible light controlled Pickering emulsion showed promising potential as a powerful technique for biocatalysis in biphasic systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Theworld’s supply of fossil fuels is quickly being exhausted,and the impact of their overuse is contributing to both climate changeand global political unrest. In order to help solve these escalatingproblems, scientists must find a way to either replace combustionengines or reduce their use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new approach for fabrication of a long-term and recoverable antimicrobial nanostructure/textile hybrid without increasing the antimicrobial resistance is demonstrated. Using in situ synthesized Ag nanoparticles (NPs) anchored on ZnO nanowires (NWs) grown on textiles by a ‘dip-in and light-irradiation’ green chemical method, we obtained ZnONW@AgNP nanocomposites with small-size and uniform Ag NPs, which have shown superior performance for antibacterial applications. These new Ag/ZnO/textile antimicrobial composites can be used for wound dressings and medical textiles for topical and prophylactic antibacterial treatments, point-of-use water treatment to improve the cleanliness of water and antimicrobial air filters to prevent bioaerosols accumulating in ventilation, heating, and air-conditioning systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. 6-Gingerol is one of the most pharmacologically active and abundant components in ginger, which has a wide array of biochemical and pharmacologic activities. In recent years, the application of microwave-assi sted extraction (MAE) for obtaining bioactive compounds from plant materials has shown tremendous research interest and potential. In this study, an efficient microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) technique was developed to extract 6-gingerol from ginger. The extraction efficiency of MAE was also compared with conventional extraction techniques. Material and methods. Fresh gingers (Zingiber officinale Rosc.) were harvested at commercial maturity (originally from Shandong, laiwu, China). In single-factor experiments for the recovery of 6-gingerol, proper ranges of ratio of liquid to solid, ethanol proportion, microwave power, extraction time were determined. Based on the values obtained in single-factor experiments, a Box-Behnken design (BBD) was applied to determine the best combination of extraction variables on the yield of 6-gingerol. Results. The optimum extraction conditions were as follows: mi crowave power 528 W, ratio of liquid to solid 26 mL·g-1, extraction time 31 s and ethanol proportion 78%. Furthermore, more 6-gingerol and total polyphenols contents were extracted by MAE than conventional methods including Maceration (MAC), Stirring Extraction (SE), Heat reflux extraction (HRE), Ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE), as well as the antioxidant capacity. Conclusion. Microwave-assisted extraction showed obvious advantages in terms of high extraction efficiency and antioxidant activity of extract within shortest extraction time. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images of ginger powder materials after different extractions were obtained to provide visual evidence of the disruption effect. To our best knowledge, this is the fi rst report about usage of MAE of 6-gingerol extraction from ginger, which could be referenced for the extraction of other active compounds from herbal plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim. It remains challenging to determine the inflammatory activity in Crohn's disease (CD) for lack of specific laboratory markers. Recent studies suggest that serum omentin-1 is associated with inflammatory response. We aimed to assess the potential of serum omentin-1 as a marker of disease activity in CD patients. Methods. Serum omentin-1 concentrations were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in patients with CD (n = 240), functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGDs, n = 120), and healthy controls (HC, n = 60) and evaluated for correlation with disease activity. Expression of omentin-1 in colonic tissues from patients with CD was also analyzed by real-time PCR and Western blotting. Serum omentin-1 levels as an activity index were evaluated using a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Results. Serum omentin-1 concentrations were significantly decreased in active CD patients compared with patients in remission, FGDs, and HC (all P < 0.001). Expression of omentin-1 was decreased at mRNA and protein levels in inflamed colonic tissues in active CD than that in noninflamed colonic tissues. Serum omentin-1 levels were negatively correlated with disease activity in CD, better than C-reactive protein (CRP). Conclusion. Our results indicate that serum and colonic omentin-1 expressions are decreased in active CD patients. The correlation of serum omentin-1 with disease activity in CD is superior to that of CRP. Serum omentin-1 is a potential marker for CD disease activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An improved adaptive sequential nonlinear LSE with unknown inputs (ASNLSE-UI) approach was proposed to real-time-track the structural damage when it occurs for structural safety and management after emergency event. Experimental studies are presented to verify the capability of the improved ASNLSE-UI approach. A series of tests using a small-scale 3-story base-isolated building have been performed. White noise and earthquake excitations, applied to the base of the model, have been used. To simulate structural damages during the test, an innovative device is designed and manufactured to reduce the stiffness of some stories. With the measured response data of different damage scenarios, the improved ASNLSE-UI approach is used to track the variation of structural physical parameters. Besides, the unknown inputs are simultaneously identified. Experimental results demonstrate that the improved ASNLSE-UI approach is capable of tracking the variation of stiffness parameters leading to the detection of structural damages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oil/water separation is a worldwide challenge. Learning from nature provides a promising approach for the construction of functional materials with oil/water separation. In this contribution, inspired by superhydrophobic self-cleaning lotus leaves and porous biomaterials, a facile method is proposed to fabricate polyurethane foam with simultaneous superhydrophobicity and superoleophilicity. Due to its low density, light weight, and superhydrophobicity, the as-prepared foam can float easily on water. Furthermore, the foam demonstrates super-repellency towards corrosive liquids, self-cleaning, and oil/water separation properties, possessing multifunction integration. We expect that this low-cost process can be readily and widely adopted for the design of multifunctional foams for large-area oil-spill cleanup. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thiazolidinediones (TZDs), which are synthetic peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor subtype-γ(PPARγ), agonists are highly effective for treatment of type 2 diabetes. However, the side effect of fluid retention has significantly limited their application. Most of the previous studies addressing TZD-induced fluid retention employed healthy animals. The underlying mechanism of this phenomenon is still incompletely understood, particularly in the setting of disease state. The present study was undertaken to examine rosiglitazone (RGZ)-induced fluid retention in db/db mice and to further investigate the underlying mechanism. In response to RGZ treatment, db/db mice exhibited an accelerated plasma volume expansion as assessed by hematocrit (Hct) and fluorescent nanoparticles, in parallel with a greater increase in body weight, compared with lean controls. In response to RGZ-induced fluid retention, urinary Na+ excretion and urine volume were significantly increased in lean mice. In contrast, the natriuretic and diuretic responses were significantly blunted in db/db mice. RGZ db/db mice exhibited a parallel decrease in plasma Na+ concentration and plasma osmolality, contrasting to unchanged levels in lean controls. Imunoblotting analysis showed downregulation of renal aquaporin (AQP)2 expression in response to RGZ treatment in lean mice but not in db/db mice. Renal AQP3 protein expression was unaffected by RGZ treatment in lean mice but was elevated in db/db mice. In contrast, the expression of Na+/H+ exchanger-3 (NHE3) and NKCC2 was unchanged in either mouse strain. Together these results suggest that compared with the lean controls, db/db mice exhibited accelerated plasma volume expansion that was in part due to the inappropriate response of renal water transporters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] A novel imitation-gold copper alloy (CuZnAlNiSnBRe) was designed. [•] The new alloy has good tarnish resistance and corrosion resistance performance. [•] A multi-layer corrosion film formed on the surface of the new alloy. [•] The corrosion products was a mixture of CuO, Cu2O, ZnO, Al2O3 and Al(OH)3. [•] A transition of the product from Cu2O to CuO occurred during the corrosion process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Based on the transformation optics, we propose a new strategy of illusion media consisting of homogeneous and anisotropic materials. By utilizing the illusion media, invisible cloak is theoretically realized, in which objects covered with the illusion media could not be detected. The cloak here allows neither the propagation of light around the concealed region nor compensates the scattering field of object outside the media. What the cloak does is to shift the region into another place where outside the trace of light, so that objects in that region can disappear. Another application of the illusion media is to create the antiobject-independent illusion optics which means that two objects appear to be like some other objects of our choice. Finite element simulations for two-dimensional cases have been performed to prove these ideas. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this paper, we introduce and investigate two interesting subclasses Hg (n, b, λ, α, β) and Hg (n, b, ,λ,α δ; u) of analytic functions of complex order in the open unit disk ⋓, which are defined by means of the familiar multiplier operator. Formfunctions belonging to the each of these subclasses, we obtain several results involving (for example) coefficient bounds. Then results presented here would generalize many known results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY The EMTDC/PSCAD simulation can be used to study the closed-loop transfer characteristics of HVDC system, but it is very difficult to understand analytically the transfer characteristics of each system element, i.e. transfer characteristics of valves of HVDC system. Thus, the model based on the modulation theory has been widely used to describe the open-loop valves transfer characteristics of thyristor-based convertors. However, it is found that there is discrepancy between the EMDC/PSCAD simulations and the open-loop valves transfer model based on the modulation theory in subsynchronous oscillation analysis. It is further revealed that when employing the model based on the modulation theory, the assumption that the valves conduct at equal time intervals is no longer true in low and subsynchronous frequency band. Hence, in this paper, a new model is proposed to describe the valves transfer characteristics of the thyristor-based HVDC convertor, which helps understand the behavior of valves conducting at unequal time intervals. An EMTDC/PSCAD-based simulation system is employed to verify the new model and compare the results of the new model with that of the model based on the modulation theory in the low and subsynchronous frequency band. The new model is useful to understand how the additional spectral components are generated by the HVDC system considering the transfer characteristics of the converter in low and subsynchronous frequency band. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although microRNAs are commonly known to function as a component of RNA-induced silencing complexes in the cytoplasm, they have been detected in other organelles, notably the nucleus and the nucleolus, of mammalian cells. We have conducted a systematic search for miRNAs in HeLa cell nucleoli, and identified 11 abundant miRNAs with a high level of nucleolar accumulation. Through in situ hybridisation, we have localised these miRNAs, including miR-191 and miR-484, in the nucleolus of a diversity of human and rodent cell lines. The nucleolar association of these miRNAs is resistant to various cellular stresses, but highly sensitive to the presence of exogenous nucleic acids. Introduction of both single- and double-stranded DNA as well as double stranded RNA rapidly induce the redistribution of nucleolar miRNAs to the cytoplasm. A similar change in subcellular distribution is also observed in cells infected with the influenza A virus. The partition of miRNAs between the nucleolus and the cytoplasm is affected by Leptomycin B, suggesting a role of Exportin-1 in the intracellular shuttling of miRNAs. This study reveals a previously unknown aspect of miRNA biology, and suggests a possible link between these small noncoding RNAs and the cellular management of foreign genetic materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eleven previously undescribed sesquiterpenoids (8 − 18), one undescribed jasmonic acid derivative (35) and 28 known compounds were isolated from the leaves of Artemisia stolonifera. Undescribed compounds with their absolute configurations were determined by extensive spectroscopic analysis, single-crystal X-ray diffraction and ECD calculation. Compound 8 was identified as a rare sesquiterpenoid featuring a rearranged 5/8 bicyclic ring system, whereas compound 17 was found to be an unprecedented monocyclic sesquiterpenoid with methyl rearrangement. Evaluation of biological activity showed that compounds 1 − 5 and 7 displayed cytotoxicity against six tumor cells. In the meantime, compounds 11 , 12 , 18 and 35 exhibited inhibitory effects against LPS-stimulated NO production in RAW 264.7 macrophage cells and reduced the transcription of IL-6 and IL-1 β in a dose-dependent manner at 25, 50 and 100 μM. Moreover, the anti-inflammatory-based network pharmacology and molecular docking analyses revealed potential target proteins of 11 , 12 , 18 and 35. Eleven undescribed sesquiterpenoids and one undescribed jasmonic acid derivative were isolated from the leaves of Artemisia stolonifera. [Display omitted] • It's the first systematic study of the chemical composition of Artemisia stolonifera. • Twelve undescribed compounds were isolated and characterized. • Comopound 8 was a rare sesquiterpenoid with a 5/8 bicyclic skeleton. • The anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated and network pharmacology was analysed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, Yttria-stabilized zirconia reinforced tungsten alloys (W-YSZ) were prepared by liquid phase method combined with powder metallurgy technology, aiming at optimizing the powder quality and improving the properties of tungsten alloy. In the process of hydrothermal synthesis, ZrO 2 with various crystal structures can be prepared by controlling the ratio of ZrO 2 to Y 2 O 3. When the doping mass ratio of ZrO 2 and Y 2 O 3 is 4:1, ZrO 2 can be stabilized to form cubic phase structure. ZrO 2 and excessively doped Y 2 O 3 in the composite powders can refine the particle size of tungsten particles and reduce the degree of agglomeration. Compared with SPS sintered samples, the size of the samples sintered by vertical melting is coarser, but because of the low sintering temperature of SPS, the density is lower, while the density and hardness of the samples sintered by vertical melting are higher. After sintering at high temperature, the zirconia did not undergo crystal transformation, but remained cubic phase. The (110) of W and (002) of YSZ have a semi-coherent relationship, and the mismatch rate is 12% according to calculation, with good interface bonding and no obvious cracks. Due to the doping of YSZ particles, the strength and toughness of the tungsten alloy are enhanced by the combined effect of dispersion strengthening and fine grain strengthening. • ZrO 2 with different crystal structure was prepared by hydrothermal method. • Excessive doping of Y 2 O 3 can not only stabilize zirconia, but also refine the grain. • W-YSZ alloy prepared by liquid phase method has fine particles and uniform distribution. • The addition of YSZ particles increases the strength and toughness of the tungsten alloy. • W (110) and YSZ (002) have a semi-coherent relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]