Search

Mycobacterium tuberculosis , the etiological agent of tuberculosis (TB), is an important human pathogen. Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG), a live, attenuated variant of Mycobacterium bovis , is currently the only available TB vaccine despite its low efficacy against the infectious pulmonary form of the disease in adults. Thus, a more-effective TB vaccine is needed. Parainfluenza virus 5 (PIV5), a paramyxovirus, has several characteristics that make it an attractive vaccine vector. It is safe, inexpensive to produce, and has been previously shown to be efficacious as the backbone of vaccines for influenza, rabies, and respiratory syncytial virus. In this work, recombinant PIV5 expressing M. tuberculosis antigens 85A (PIV5-85A) and 85B (PIV5-85B) have been generated and their immunogenicity and protective efficacy evaluated in a mouse aerosol infection model. In a long-term protection study, a single dose of PIV5-85A was found to be most effective in reducing M. tuberculosis colony forming units (CFU) in lungs when compared to unvaccinated, whereas the BCG vaccinated animals had similar numbers of CFUs to unvaccinated animals. BCG-prime followed by a PIV5-85A or PIV5-85B boost produced better outcomes highlighted by close to three-log units lower lung CFUs compared to PBS. The results indicate that PIV5-based M. tuberculosis vaccines are promising candidates for further development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The available face descriptors are always generated by a hand-designed pooling scheme or without a pooling process. We propose to learn a pooling scheme for high-level features. First, we obtain the local features on the densely sampled points on a face image. Then, a weighted-sum pooling is used to obtain the high-level feature of a block of this face image. By learning the pooling weights, the structure information of local features is integrated into the high-level feature of the block. At the same time, a linear transformation is learned to reduce the dimension of this high-level feature. Our main contribution is the method of learning the pooling scheme, which can capture the structure information between the local features in a block. This structure information includes the facial structures and contours. The experiments on multiple face datasets confirm the efficiency and effectiveness of our method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary In social interactions among mammals, individuals are recognized by olfactory cues, but identifying the key signals among thousands of compounds remains a major challenge. To address this need, we developed a new technique, component-activity matching (CAM), to select candidate ligands that “explain” patterns of bioactivity across diverse complex mixtures. Using mouse urine from eight different sexes and strains, we identified 23 components to explain firing rates in seven of eight functional classes of vomeronasal sensory neurons. Focusing on a class of neurons selective for females, we identified a novel family of vomeronasal ligands, steroid carboxylic acids. These ligands accounted for much of the neuronal activity of urine from some female strains, were necessary for normal levels of male investigatory behavior of female scents, and were sufficient to trigger mounting behavior. CAM represents the first step toward an exhaustive characterization of the molecular cues for natural behavior in a mammalian olfactory system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of isoflavone amides were designed with isoflavone in place of the scaffold of 2-arylbenzoxazole as cholesterol ester transfer protein (CETP) inhibitors. Twelve new compounds were synthesized, and their inhibitory activities of CETP and preadipocyte proliferation were assayed. The hypolipidemic potency of the most effective compound HY-2c was further tested in vivo by hamster. The results indicate that HY-2c exhibited favorable antihyperlipidemic and preadipocyte antiproliferative activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. The compatibility of Alisma and Atractylodes (AA) has been estimated to exhibit antiatherosclerotic effects, but the mechanism remains unclear. This study aimed to identify the role of AA in oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL)-induced vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) behaviours and to explore the effects of microRNAs (miRNAs). Methods. A scratch wound-healing assay was used to detect the migration of VSMCs, and immunocytochemistry and western blotting for SM22ɑ were used to evaluate phenotypic transformation. Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) immunocytochemistry and flow cytometry were applied to detect the proliferation of VSMCs. miRNA microarray profiling was performed using Lianchuan biological small RNA sequencing analysis. VSMCs were transfected with the miR-128-5p mimic and inhibitor, and the migration, phenotypic modulation, and proliferation of VSMCs were investigated. The 3′UTR-binding sequence site of miR-128-5p on the p21 gene was predicted and assessed by luciferase assays. Result. AA and the extracellular regulated protein kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) blocker U0126 markedly inhibited migration, elevated smooth muscle 22α (SM22α) expression, repressed VSMC proliferation, elevated miR-466f-3p and miR-425-3p expression, and suppressed miR-27a-5p and miR-128-5p expression in ox-LDL-induced VSMCs. miR-128-5p targets the tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMPs), silent information regulator 2 (SIRT2), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR), and p21 genes, which are linked to the behaviours of VSMCs. The miR-128-5p mimic promoted the migration and proliferation of VSMCs and suppressed p21, p27, and SM22ɑ expression. The inhibitor increased p21, p27, and SM22ɑ expression and repressed the migration, phenotypic transformation, and proliferation of VSMCs. miR-128-5p directly targeted the 3′UTR-binding sequences of the p21 gene, negatively regulated p21 expression, and supported the proliferation of VSMCs. Conclusion. Our research showed that the migration, phenotypic transformation, and proliferation of ox-LDL-induced VSMCs were repressed by AA through inhibiting miR-128-5p by targeting the p21 gene, which may provide an effective option for the treatment of atherosclerosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through the observation and study of the raindrop spectrum, we can not only explore the evolution law of precipitation but also understand the microphysical characteristics of different types of precipitation clouds. This paper uses the raindrop spectrum data observed at Naqu Station, Yushu Station, Linzhi Station, and Emei Mount Station, as well as cloud radar data in the Yushu region in the Tibetan Plateau. Raindrop spectral characteristics are studied, and the raindrop size distribution (DSD) characteristics of the four stations are analyzed. The results are as follows: (1) The overall raindrop spectral concentration of the four stations decreases with the increase in particle size after the peak value. The downtrend is most gentle at the peak. (2) All rain intensity levels show the characteristics of multiple vertices. At Linzhi Station, Naqu Station and Yushu Station, the particles with a diameter of <1 mm contributed the most to the precipitation rate, while the particles with a diameter of <1 mm at Emei Mount Station contributed the least to the precipitation rate. (3) The precipitation in the central and eastern margins of the Tibetan Plateau is dominated by small and medium-sized particles, accounting for 95–99% of the precipitation particle number concentration. (4) The raindrop spectra of the three types of precipitation clouds at the four sites are all cumulonimbus precipitation Cumulonimbus in the uppermost layer, stratiform cloud precipitation stratiform cloud in the lowermost layer, and mixed cloud precipitation stratiform cloud in between. (5) Cloud radar analysis of precipitation structure shows that cumulonimbus and mixed clouds develop vigorously, and the highest cloud height can reach 13 km, but the average precipitation duration of mixed clouds is shorter than that of cumulonimbus; stratiform clouds develop relatively smoothly, with cloud heights of 6–7 km, the average precipitation duration is the shortest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pea is an important grain and vegetable crop with a large genome of ~4.45 Gb. The softness of pod is key to the quality of pea, yet the genes controlling softness remain unknown. Here, the pod softness phenotype was visually scored at the fully mature stage, which suggested that this trait was a composite trait governed by two genes. Bulked segregant analysis sequencing (BSA‐Seq) using the soft‐ and hard‐podded pools from the F2 detected a strong peak of Δ (SNP‐index) on chromosome 1 and a weaker peak on chromosome 5. The former was designated as PsPS1. Fine mapping using the F2 delimited PsPS1 to a ~6 Mb genomic region. A set of interesting candidate genes including those encoding cell wall components were identified. Sequence variants analysis from a panel of pea accessions and qRT‐PCR in immature pods of the parents suggested Psat1g150000 encoding a pectate lyase superfamily protein as a candidate gene. The results solidify the basis for cloning of the gene determining pod softness and marker‐assisted selection for the trait improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of poly(lactide)/poly(butylene adipate- co -terephthalate) (PLA/PBAT) composites containing different types of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) such as hydroxyl and carboxyl-functionalized CNTs were fabricated using the melt blending method. The multifunctional epoxy oligomer (ADR) was selected as a chain extender in order to enhance the compatibility between PBAT and PLA. It was revealed that the addition of ADR could induce CNTs-OH to locate at the PLA/PBAT interface. But the inhibition effect of CNTs-COOH on chain extension reaction in PLA/PBAT blend system led to a decrease in the interaction force between PLA and PBAT owing to the high efficiency of the reaction between CNTs-COOH and ADR. The ε' of PLA/PBAT/4CNTs-OH composite was greater than that of PLA/PBAT/4CNTs-COOH composite because of the strong interaction between fillers and polymer matrix in PLA/PBAT/4CNTs-OH composite. The PLA/PBAT/4CNTs-OH composite showed a high ε' (24.9) and a low tan δ (0.23), respectively. The adjacent CNTs-OH could act as assemble microcapacitors electrodes and the polymer acted as a dielectric to, which greatly increased the interfacial polarization. The PLA/PBAT/4CNTs-OH composite has excellent mechanical and dielectric properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein a new series of chiral phase transfer catalysts derived from the cinchona alkaloids were synthesized and applied in the asymmetric alkylation of glycine derivatives with high yields and moderate to excellent ee values (39.5–99.7%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The understanding and development of functioning systems are crucial steps for microbial fuel cell (MFC) technology advancement. In this study, a compact spiral wound MFC (swMFC) was developed and hydraulic residence time distribution (RTD) tests were conducted to investigate the flow characteristics in the systems. Results show that two-chamber swMFCs have high surface area to volume ratios of 350–700 m 2 /m 3 , and by using oxygen cathode without metal-catalysts, the maximum power densities were 42 W/m 3 based on total volume and 170 W/m 3 based on effective volume. The hydraulic step-input tracer study identified 20–67% of anodic flow dead space, which presents new opportunities for system improvement. Electrochemical tools revealed very low ohmic resistance but high charge transfer and diffusion resistance due to catalyst-free oxygen reduction. The spiral wound configuration combined with RTD tool offers a holistic approach for MFC development and optimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Leguminosae constitutes the second largest family of plants in the world. In the face of global climate change and reduction of cultivated land area, legumes have been attached more importance to feed the future in light of their nutritional values and environmental benefits. However, the yields of legume crops have thus far been far below their theoretical potentials. Despite that hybrid breeding and gene editing technologies have hold great promises to the improvement of crops, they are generally difficult to apply in legumes because of the anatomical constraints for making hybrids in these species and the low transformation efficiency impeding gene modifications. Mutation technologies, as an alternative, can speed up breeding and facilitate functional genomic studies in legume species, yet mutant screening technique remains a major challenge in this field. In this review, we detail the currently available mutant library resources in major legume crops following a brief introduction of the methods of mutation induction. We then revisit the current mainstream technologies for mutant screening, with focus on the new emerging next-generation sequencing-based approaches. Overall, this review provides a collection of information that dedicates to assisting legume researchers and breeders to more easily find and better utilize mutant resources for the improvement of these crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of 1,2,3-triazolium-functionalized PCL-b-PEG block copolymer (PCL-b-PEG(IL)) on crystallization behavior and kinetics of PLA was systematically studied by DSC, POM and XRD. A small amount of micelle of aggregated PCL-b-PEG(IL) containing ionic clusters and a large number of disaggregated PCL-b-PEG(IL) can significantly improve the chain segment mobility of PLA. The glass transition temperature and cold crystallization temperature of PLA gradually decreased with the increase in PCL-b-PEG(IL) or PCL-b-PEG content. Compared with PCL-b-PEG, PCL-b-PEG(IL) decreases the Tg of PLA more obviously because of the strong plasticizing effect of PCL-b-PEG(IL). More importantly, the isothermal crystallization kinetics results manifested that the synergistic effect of heterogeneous nucleation agent of ionic clusters of PCL-b-PEG(IL) and chain mobility promoter of PEG chain segment can enhance the crystallization ability of PLA at all crystallization temperature. The 5 mass% PCL-b-PEG(IL) can induce high amount of stable α-form crystal of PLA after annealing treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Periodontitis is a serious global concern. Therefore, in the present study, we intend to synthesize novel valproic‐acid pyrazole conjugates as a novel agent against periodontitis. The molecules were developed in a facile synthetic route and obtained in excellent yields. The entire set of molecules were screened for antibacterial activity against a battery of micro‐organisms responsible for periodontitis such as P. gingivalis, P. intermedia, F. nucleatum, and E. coli, where they exhibit considerable inhibitory activity. The most potent compound among the tested series, compound 7c showed bactericidal activity in the time‐kill curve against E. coli. Compound 7c also showed inhibition of NF‐ĸB transcriptional activity in LPS‐stimulated RAW264.7 cells with IC50 of 19.23 μM. The effect of compound 7c was also investigated in experimentally induced periodontitis in rats on various indices of oxidative stress (MDA, SOD, and GSH), inflammation (TNF‐α, IL‐1β, and IL‐6), and apoptosis. It has been found that compound 7c significantly inhibits oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis in a dose‐dependent manner. Compound 7c also inhibits the expression of COX‐2 and iNOS as shown by western blot analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microplastic (MP) pollution is ubiquitous in the terrestrial and marine environments, even in the air. However, ecological risk assessment studies of microplastics are scarce. In the present study, an ecological risk assessment model was built to evaluate the risks of microplastics in the Yangtze River Estuary and adjacent marine areas. A basic index database of the impacts of MP pollution on the ecosystem was constructed around three types of indices, namely, the pressure, status, and response indices. While the expert scoring method was used to determine the weights of these indices, in view of the complexity of the ecosystem in the Yangtze River Estuary, the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method was used to evaluate its ecological risk. According to the model, microplastic pollution in the Yangtze River Estuary and adjacent marine areas was within a lower risk state, indicating that its risks for the marine ecosystem were still within a controllable range. [Display omitted] • An ecological risk assessment model of microplastics was built. • Index weights for the microplastic pollution risk assessment were set up. • Microplastic pollution was reviewed in the Yangtze River Estuary and adjacent marine areas. • Microplastic pollution was within a lower risk state in the study region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hybridizing multiple mutation strategies has shown much effectiveness in helping differential evolution (DE) algorithms achieve good optimization performance. Though abundant adaptive ensemble strategies have been developed to adaptively employ multiple mutation strategies to evolve the population, most of them ignore to make full use of the properties and characteristics of the multiple mutation strategies. To fill this gap, this paper devises a bi-directional ensemble scheme for DE to adaptively assemble totally 8 mutation strategies with different properties and characteristics. As a result, a novel DE, which we call bi-directional ensemble DE (BDEDE), is developed. Specifically, this paper sorts the 8 mutation strategies roughly from two opposite perspectives, namely the convergence and the diversity. Then, we assign each mutation strategy with two different non-linear probabilities, which are calculated on the basis of its two rankings obtained from the two perspectives. Subsequently, to make full use of these mutation schemes, we first partition the whole population into two separate parts, namely elite individuals and non-elite individuals. Then, for each elite individual, we randomly select a mutation strategy from the 8 candidates based on the probabilities calculated by the convergence rankings, while for each non-elite individual, we stochastically choose a mutation scheme from the same 8 candidates but based on the probabilities computed by the diversity rankings. In this manner, the elite individuals prefer to exploit the located optimal areas, while the non-elite individuals tend to explore the solution space. Therefore, it is likely that BDEDE expectedly maintains a good balance between search diversity and search convergence. To further help BDEDE achieve such a purpose, this paper devises an adaptive partition strategy to dynamically separate the whole population into the two categories. With the above two techniques, BDEDE anticipatedly obtains good optimization performance. To verify its effectiveness and efficiency, we conduct experiments on the CEC2014 and the CEC2017 benchmark sets by comparing BDEDE with totally 14 well-known and state-of-the-art DE variants. Experimental results have shown that BDEDE performs competitively with or even significantly better than the 14 compared DE variants. The source code of BDEDE can be downloaded from https://gitee.com/mmmyq/BDEDE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Pd decorated ZnO nanosheets have been synthesized. • The materials exhibit excellent sensing performance to H 2 at 160 °C. • The synergistic mechanism of Pd catalytic site and oxygen vacancy is proposed. • The H 2 adsorption sites and electronic structure of Pd have been investigated by DFT. The sensing performance of ZnO-based metal oxide semiconductors to H 2 can be significantly enhanced after decoration of noble metals, and it is of great significant to understand the mechanism and structure-activity relationship between materials and sensing performance, which facilitate the designation of high-performance sensing materials. Herein, we have synthesized Pd-decorated two-dimensional (2D) ZnO nanosheets. A contrastive study based on H 2 gas sensing performance of pristine ZnO and Pd-loaded ZnO (PZO) are carried out. According to the results, PZO exhibit superior sensing performance towards H 2 (R a /R g =17.6, 160 °C), which is much higher than the pristine ZnO nanosheets. Moreover, the PZO also exhibit robust sensing stability and selectivity, detailed structural investigations illustrate that the electronic and surface properties of Pd-ZnO interface play the vital role in H 2 sensing process. Density functional theory (DFT) calculation illustrates that H atoms trend to be dissociated at the surface Pd0 sites and the more surface oxygen vacancies are extremely desirable for H 2 sensing. The superior H 2 sensing of PZO is mainly attributed to the synergistic mechanism of Pd catalytic site and oxygen vacancy (O V). Our works pave the way for designation of high performance H 2 sensing materials for the safety of development and utilization of H 2. It is of great significant to understand the mechanism and structure-activity relationship between materials and sensing performance. Herein, we have synthesized Pd-decorated two-dimensional (2D) ZnO nanosheets. A contrastive study based on H 2 gas sensing performance of pristine ZnO and Pd-loaded ZnO (PZO) are carried out. According to the results, PZO exhibit superior sensing performance towards H 2 (R a /R g =17.6, 160 °C), which is much higher than the pristine ZnO nanosheets. The synergistic mechanism of Pd catalytic site and oxygen vacancy (O V) are confirmed by the DFT and experimental results. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work, the variations of pressure pulsation, shedding cloud cavity volume and re-entrant jet in the cavitating flow around the NACA0015 hydrofoil are captured based on experiment and numerical simulation at different inflow velocities. The relationship between these factors and cavitation erosion is then investigated. The findings suggest a certain correlation between pressure pulsation, shedding cloud cavity volume, re-entrant jet velocity and cavitation erosion, but the intensity and position of cavitation erosion cannot be accurately predicted only by a single factor. The Erosive Power Method is based on multifactor considerations and is more effective than the Intensity Function Method for the prediction of cavitation erosion. An improved prediction scheme based on the Erosive Power Method and considering the shedding trajectory of cloud cavity is proposed, which significantly improves the credibility of cavitation erosion prediction on the NACA0015 hydrofoil. The erosion mechanism due to shedding cloud cavity collapses at different distances from the hydrofoil surface are the key to accurately predict cavitation erosion. [Display omitted] • This work investigates the effects of various factors on cavitation erosion. • The high-speed visualization images are quantified by image processing. • The decay rate of shedding cloud cavity volume is closely related to cavitation erosion. • An improved scheme based on the shedding trajectory of cloud cavity is proposed. • The prediction results agree well with the cavitation erosion experiment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] We generated a recombinant PIV5 expressing RSV F and G (rPIV5-RSV-F and rPIV5-RSV-G). [•] rPIV5-RSV-F and rPIV5-RSV-G generated balanced immune responses in mice. [•] rPIV5-RSV-F and rPIV5-RSV-G protected mice against RSV challenge. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Background: Th2 cells are overexpressed in the skin and serum of atopic dermatitis (AD) patients. Previously, we found that dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) decreased eosinophil infiltration in asthmatic mice through the suppression of Th2-associated cytokines. Therefore, we hypothesized that DHEA might improve the symptoms of AD syndrome. Objective: In this study, we evaluated the symptom improvement and anti-inflammatory response that result from the modulation of immunity by DHEA modulated in AD-like mice. Methods: Female BALB/c mice were sensitized and challenged with 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene. On days 14–29 after sensitization, mice were treated with cutaneous (skin smear) or oral administration of DHEA. In addition, human keratinocyte (HaCat) cells were used to evaluate the effect of DHEA on the in vitro production of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines. Results: Both cutaneous and oral DHEA were able to decrease ear swelling and skin inflammation in AD-like mice. DHEA also attenuated eosinophil and mast cell infiltration into ear and skin tissue. Additionally, Th2-associated cytokines were inhibited in splenocyte culture, and suppressed the levels of IgE and interleukin 4 in serum. Oral and cutaneous administration of DHEA reduced the inflammatory response, as evidenced by AD-like skin lesions, in a similar manner. DHEA significantly reduced inflammatory cytokines and chemokines through the nuclear factor-κB and mitogen-activated protein kinases pathways in tumor necrosis factor-α activated HaCat cells. Conclusion: DHEA ameliorates AD-like mouse skin inflammation and reduces eosinophil and mast cell infiltration by reducing the production of Th2-associated cytokines and chemokines. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

High-quality colloidal photoluminescent CdS quantum dots (QDs) were synthesized in non-coordinating solvent octadecene (ODE) using oleic acid (OA) as capping molecule, and characterized by powered x-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscope (TEM), UV-Vis absorption spectra, photoluminescence (PL) emission spectroscopy and time-resolved emission spectroscopy. The effects of the growth time, the molar ratio of OA/Cd and Cd/S on the PL intensity from surface-state have been investigated. We found that the surface-state emission could be easily controlled by tuning the growth time and the molar ratio of Cd/S. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel optimization framework for boiler combustion and selective catalytic reduction systems (BCSCRSs) that accounts for flue gas temperature deviation and integrates prior knowledge is proposed. Initially, single-factor hot-state experiments on the BCSCRSs are conducted to yield samples for model training. By integrating monotonic relationships from the experimental data into the fusion monotony–support vector regression model, more reasonable estimates and trends of the prediction targets (e.g., CO and NO x concentrations, and unburned combustibles) are obtained compared to those of the model without prior knowledge. Based on this model, the inequality-constrained reference vector-guided evolutionary algorithm is employed for multiobjective combustion optimization considering the constraints of gas temperature deviation in the horizontal pass. The corresponding Pareto-frontier solutions that serve as boundary conditions for the second-stage optimization are obtained. The second-stage optimization comprehensively considers the total operating cost of the BCSCRSs, the denitrification fraction in the NO x formation and removal processes, and safety concerns related to steam tube overheating and ammonia slip. Several noteworthy results are derived: the adjustment of the burner tilt angle presents a trade-off between eliminating gas temperature deviation and reducing NO x formation. An optimal point can be identified by comparing the magnitudes and variations of different BCSCRSs objectives. • A novel framework was proposed for the joint optimization of boiler subsystems. • Mechanism relationships were integrated into the data-driven characteristic models. • Effect of incorporating prior knowledge on modeling and optimization was validated. • A trade-off between eliminating gas temperature deviation and reducing NO x was found. • A global optimal point was identified by comparing different systems' objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In application scenarios such as astronautics, high-altitude aircraft, medical radiography, high-energy physics, and nuclear power plants, the irradiation resistance of electronic components is one of the basic requirements for their reliability. HfO 2 -based ferroelectric films have the advantages of high CMOS process compatibility, good miniaturizability, low operating voltage, and excellent irradiation resistance, which are the core materials for the new generation of irradiation resistance ferroelectric memories. In this paper, two kinds of metal-electrode ferroelectric capacitors, W/Hf 0.5 Zr 0.5 O 2 /W (WW) and Pt/Hf 0.5 Zr 0.5 O 2 /Pt (PP), have been prepared, and three gradient γ-irradiation experiments have been carried out on the two kinds of ferroelectric capacitors. The effect of metal electrodes on the irradiation resistance of Hf 0.5 Zr 0.5 O 2 ferroelectric thin films was carefully investigated by comparing and analyzing the statistical laws of polarization change and rectangularity change before and after irradiation of a large number of devices. The experimental results show that the WW devices have better irradiation resistance than PP devices, and we further explain the irradiation resistance mechanism by first-principle calculations and finite element analysis to verify the credibility of the experimental results. Finally, we conducted a comparative test of the fatigue and wake-up characteristics of the WW devices before and after irradiation, and the results show that the prepared W/Hf 0.5 Zr 0.5 O 2 /W devices can withstand very high total γ-dose radiation, reaching up to 13.86 Mrad(Si), and they are very suitable for the application of irradiation resistant electronics. [Display omitted] • The Hf 0.5 Zr 0.5 O 2 (HZO) thin films with outstanding ferroelectric properties were prepared. • The HZO ferroelectric thin films exhibited extremely high radiation tolerance (reaching up to 13.86 Mrad(Si)). • The effect of different metal electrodes on the irradiation resistance of HZO ferroelectric thin films was analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The flame retardants and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding performance were enhanced by using imidazolium-functionalized polyurethane (IPU) modified multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and ammonium polyphosphate (APP) for polylactic acid (PLA)/polycaprolactone (PCL) composites. The PLA/PCL/10APP/8CNT/1.6IPU composite containing 10 wt% APP and 8 wt% imidazolium modified CNTs reached the limiting oxygen index (LOI) value of 30.3 % and passed the V-0 rating in UL-94 tests. Moreover, the peak of the heat release rate (pHRR) and total heat release (THR) for this composite reached around 302 kW/m2 and 64 KJ/m2, which were decreased by 39.1 % and 15.8 % compared with that of PLA/PCL/10APP composite. The improved flame retardancy was attributed to the interplay of catalytic, barrier, and condensed char forming of imidazolium-modified CNTs and APP. IPU catalyzed the charring effect of the polymer matrix during combustion and regulated the migration of more CNTs to disperse at the two-phase interface. The dispersion of imidazolium-modified CNTs and co-continuous phase structure of the composites can establish continuous conductive pathways. The PLA/PCL/APP/CNT/IPU composite obtained a higher conductivity compared to the PLA/PCL/APP/CNT composite and whose EMI SE reached 33.9 dB, which is a promising candidate for next-generation sustainable and protective plastics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global prevalence of iron deficiency-induced “hidden hunger” highlights a critical health concern, underscoring the pressing need to improve iron nutrition through safe and efficient means, such as increasing iron intake from plant-based foods. Yellow Stripe-Like (YSL) genes play a crucial role in long-distance iron transport between source and sink tissues in plants. Here, we report on the analysis of YSL family genes in the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), an iron-rich legume crop. We identified 9 YSL genes in the common bean genome using BLAST and HMM methods. Gene duplication analysis revealed that PvYSL7a and PvYSL7b originated through tandem duplication events. Structural analysis noted an absence of conservative motifs in PvYSL3b and PvYSL7a, which led to distinct predicted 3D protein structures. Leveraging publicly available RNA-seq data from developing bean pods, the expression patterns of PvYSL genes alongside pod and seed development were analyzed. Notably, PvYSL7a and PvYSL7b, as well as PvYSL1a and PvYSL1b, exhibited diverged expression patterns in seeds, signifying their functional divergence in this tissue. Moreover, PvYSL3a and PvYSL3b exhibited divergent expression patterns in both pod walls and seeds during pod development, underscoring their distinct roles in facilitating iron transportation between pods and seeds. This study provides valuable insights into the gene regulatory basis of iron accumulation in bean pods and seeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sandwich-structured polyacrylate composite films containing carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and magnetic fillers (Ni or Fe 3 O 4) were prepared by spray coating and LBL-casting. CNTs were uniformly distributed in polyacrylate (PEA) matrix to prepare middle layer and magnetic fillers exhibited good distribution in PEA matrix as outer layer to reduce the secondary electromagnetic radiation pollution. The average electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness (EMI SE) owns the highest value of 38.2 dB in 6-Fe 3 O 4 /MWCNT/6-Fe 3 O 4 film, and the absorption coefficient (A) of the film account for about 0.56. The results indicated that this film shows absorption-dominated EMI shielding properties. It is mainly attributed to sandwich structure of the composite film, synergistic electric/magnetic losses and polarization relaxation loss to further attenuate electromagnetic wave. The microwave can undergo a unique "absorb-reflect-reabsorb" process. Therefore, polyacrylate composite films with low reflection and high EMI shielding can be used in small-scale and sophisticated electronic devices. • The polyacrylate films exhibit high absorption and low reflection EMI performance. • The EMI SE owns the highest value of 38.2 dB when the Fe 3 O 4 content is 6 wt%. • The absorption coefficient of 6-Fe 3 O 4 /MWCNT/6-Fe 3 O 4 film is about 0.56. • Adding hybrid fillers can effectively alleviate the impedance mismatch. • Constructing sandwich structure extends the electromagnetic wave transmission path. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Bacillus amyloliquefaciens HSSN09 with antagonistic effect on FON was isolated. • B. amyloliquefaciens HSSN09 could effectively control watermelon Fusarium wilt and promote the growth of watermelon seedlings. • Tacrolimus has a very obvious antifungal effect and can be used to control watermelon Fusarium wilt. • Tacrolimus was also able to stimulate the growth of watermelon seedlings. • Tacrolimus or its analogs may play a role as a pleiotropic factor in B. amyloliquefaciens HSSN09 biological control. Watermelon Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. niveum (FON) is one of the most devastating diseases in watermelon production. Biological control approaches are efficient and environmentally-friendly, thus have aroused broad interest. However, only a few biocontrol factors/molecules have been characterized due to varied genomes and diversified secreted secondary metabolites of biocontrol microorganisms. We report the screen and identification of a Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain HSSN09 with high antagonism to FON and watermelon growth promotion capacity. B. amyloliquefaciens HSSN09 and its secondary metabolites showed inhibition on FON mycelial growth, spore formation and spore germination. Metabolomes of the highly antagonistic strain B. amyloliquefaciens HSSN09, medium antagonistic strain B. amyloliquefaciens FGW53, weakly antagonistic strain B. subtilis JC03 and non-antagonistic strain B. cereus FGW109 were compared with LC-MS/MS. By antagonistic assay, tacrolimus was screened out among the 531 molecules that appeared in the sequencing results of HSSN09 metabolome but not in that of the non-antagonistic strain without significant inhibition on the growth of FON. Among the four tested Bacillus strains, tacrolimus analogue was only observed in the supernatant of HSSN09 by HPLC and MALDI-TOF-MS. We further confirmed the ability of tacrolimus to suppress FON and promote watermelon seedling growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep remission should be induced early in the disease course of Crohn's disease (CD), because it significantly prevents disease progression. Identifying predictors of deep remission before treatment is important to guide therapeutic strategy. Little is known about the predictors of infliximab-induced deep remission in treatment-naïve patients with isolated small bowel CD. We aimed to investigate the predictors of infliximab-induced deep remission in these patients. From January 2015 to December 2019, all consecutive treatment-naïve patients with isolated small bowel CD who started infliximab induction therapy (5 mg/kg at week 0, 2, and 6) and underwent capsule endoscopy (CE) at week 14 were retrospectively included. Deep remission was defined as clinical remission in combination with CE-identified mucosal healing. Logistic regression was used to investigate the predictors of 14-week deep remission. Ninety-one patients were included. At week 14 after infliximab induction therapy, deep remission was found in 42 patients. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that a moderate-to-severe endoscopic disease [odds ratio (OR), 0.28; p =.01] and the presence of fibrofatty proliferation (OR, 0.26; p =.04) at baseline were independently associated with a decreased possibility of deep remission. In treatment-naïve patients with isolated small bowel CD, a moderate-to-severe endoscopic disease and the presence of fibrofatty proliferation at baseline reduce the possibility of infliximab-induced deep remission. Patients with such risk factors may need more aggressive treatment at the beginning of induction therapy to promote deep remission at an early stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Successful pregnancy involves the homeostasis between maternal decidua and fetoplacental units, whose disruption contributes to compromised pregnancy outcomes, including recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA). The role of cell heterogeneity of maternal decidua in RSA is yet to be illustrated. Materials and methods: A total of 66,078 single cells from decidua samples isolated from patients with RSA and healthy controls were analysed by unbiased single‐cell RNA sequencing (scRNA‐seq). Results: Our scRNA‐seq results revealed that stromal cells are the most abundant cell type in decidua during early pregnancy. RSA samples are accompanied by aberrant decidualization and obviously obstructed communication between stromal cells and other cell types, such as abnormal activation of macrophages and NK cells. In addition, the over‐activated TNF superfamily member 12 (TNFSF12, TWEAK) and FASLG in RSA are closely related to stromal cell demise and pregnancy failure. Conclusions: Our research reveals that the cell composition and communications in normal and RSA decidua at early pregnancy and provides insightful information for the pathology of RSA and will pave the way for pregnancy loss prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known about the impact of the combined application of intercropping and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF) on the plant growth and Cd accumulation in the two intercropped plants. A greenhouse pot experiment was performed to investigate the effects of intercropping (IC) and AMF- Glomus versiforme (GV) on the growth, photosynthesis, Cd accumulation and antioxidant activities in the two intercropped plants-upland rice and Cd hyperaccumulator Sphagneticola calendulacea (L.) Pruski in the soils added with 5 mg Cd kg−1. It was found that the GV inoculation and the combined treatment of IC and GV (IC + GV) significantly (p < 0.05) increased the biomasses and the P contents of upland rice and S. calendulacea. In addition, the Cd concentrations and uptakes of plants in IC, GV and IC + GV treatments were significantly (p < 0.05) dropped in upland rice but increased in S. calendulacea compared with the monocropping control, and the compound treatment showed better effect on decreasing Cd accumulation in upland rice (especially grains) and increasing Cd uptake by S. calendulacea compared with the single intercropping or AMF treatment. Moreover, IC, GV and IC + GV treatments significantly (p < 0.05) improved the net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance and transpiration rate of the two intercropped plants. Finally, IC, GV and IC + GV treatments all significantly increased the catalase activities and total antioxidant capacities, while decreased the malondialdehyde contents in upland rice and S. calendulacea. The present work could provide a feasible strategy for safe production of upland rice and phytoremediation of Cd contaminated soils. • Intercropping (IC)+ Glomus versiforme (GV) usage reduced Cd contents in upland rice. • IC + GV treatment increased the Cd contents in S. calendulacea. • IC + GV use enhanced P contents and photosynthesis of the two intercropped plants. • IC + GV use increased CAT activities and total antioxidant capacities of two plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Salvianolic acid A (SalA) is the main efficacious, water-soluble constituent of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge. This study evaluated the effects of SalA on plantar microcirculation and peripheral nerve dysfunction in streptozotocin (STZ )-induced type 2 diabetic rats. The rats were given a high-fat and high-sucrose diet for a month followed by intraperitoneal injection of STZ (30mg/kg). Oral administration of SalA (1 and 3mg/kg, respectively) was performed daily for 10weeks after modeling. Diabetic rats were given a high-fat diet, while age-matched healthy rats were given a standard chow. Plantar microcirculation was measured by Laser Doppler flowmetry, and peripheral nerve function was measured with regard to pain withdrawal latency and motor nerve conduction velocity. The results show that the plantar blood perfusion and vasodilation reactivities decreased significantly, and latency of pain withdrawal and motor nerve conduction velocity rose in diabetic rats compared with the normal control group. SalA increased peripheral blood perfusion and vascular activities; improved peripheral nerve function; and decreased AGEs levels, vascular eNOS expression, and blood glucose, lipid, vWF and malondialdehyde levels in diabetic rats. The beneficial effects of SalA on plantar microcirculation and peripheral nerve function in diabetic rats might be attributed to improvements in lipid and glucose metabolism in diabetic rats, the inhibition of AGEs formation and the development of oxidative stress-related nervous and vascular damage. Based on these findings, we proposed that therapeutic use of SalA to prevent the development of diabetic foot problems. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The g factors and the hyperfine structure constants of the Cr and Mn centers in silicon are theoretically investigated using the perturbation formulas of these parameters for 3 d ions in tetrahedra. In the calculations, both the contributions from the crystal-field and charge transfer mechanisms are taken into account based on the cluster approach. The calculated results show agreement with the observed values. It is found that the relative importance of the charge transfer contributions to the g-shift Δ g = g − g (where g = 2.0023 is the spin-only value) increases significantly with increasing the valence state of the impurity ion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The local structures and the spin Hamiltonian parameters (the g-factors g|| and g and the superhyperfine parameters A||′ and A′) are quantitatively studied for the two Rh2+ L and H centers (denoting the tetragonally elongated and compressed [RhBr6]4- clusters at low and high temperatures, respectively) in AgBr using the perturbation formulas of these parameters for a 4d7 ion in tetragonally elongated and compressed octahedra. From the studies, the elongated L center originates from the relative elongation of the parallel Rh2+-Br- bonds by about 0.081 Å along the C4 axis because of the Jahn-Teller effect. Nevertheless, the compressed center H is attributed to one next nearest neighbouring Ag+ vacancy VAg along the C4 axis as the charge compensator, which compels the intervening ligand Br- in the Rh2+ and the VAg to shift away from the latter by about 0.148 Å because of the electrostatic repulsion. All the calculated spin Hamiltonian parameters based on the above local structures are in good agreement with the experimental data for both centers. Nous présentons une étude quantitative de la structure locale et du Hamiltonien de spin (les facteurs de Landé g|| et g et les paramètres superhyperfins A|| et A) pour les deux centres L et H de Rh2+ (qui dénotent les grappes [RhBr6]4- en élongation et compression tétragonales à haute et basse température respectivement) dans AgBr, utilisant les formules de perturbation de ces paramètres pour un ion 4d7 dans un octaèdre avec élongation ou compression tétragonale. À partir de ces études, le centre L allongé origine de l'élongation relative des liens parallèles Rh2+ - Br- d'environ 0. 081 Å, le long de l'axe C4 et est dûà l'effet Jahn-Teller. D'autre part, le centre comprimé H est attribué à une plus proche lacune voisine de Ag+, VAg, le long de l'axe C4 comme compensation de charge, ce qui oblige le ligand Br-, qui intervient dans le Rh2+ et la VAg, de s'éloigner de cette dernière par environ 0.148 Å à cause de la répulsion électrostatique. Tous les paramètres du Hamiltonien de spin, calculés sur la base des structures présentées ci-dessus, sont en bon accord avec les valeurs expérimentales pour les deux centres. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) play a critical role in atherosclerosis. The family with sequence similarity 172, member A (FAM172A) is a novel protein and its role in atherosclerosis has not been explored so far. Therefore, our aim is to investigate whether FAM172A affects atheroprogression through VSMCs and its possible mechanism. Fam172a −/− mice were generated using CRISPR/Cas9 technology. Fam172a −/− and Apoe −/− double knockout (Fam172a −/−/ Apoe −/−) mice and their littermates (Fam172a +/+/ Apoe −/−) were fed with a Western diet for 18 weeks to induce advanced atherosclerotic lesions. The role and mechanism of Fam172a in phenotypic switching, proliferation and migration of VSMCs were investigated through in vivo and in vitro experiments. Compared with Fam172a +/+/ Apoe −/− mice, Fam172a −/−/ Apoe −/− mice showed increased atherosclerotic lesion size and plaque instability such as increased necrotic core area and decreased fiber deposition. Additionally, knockout of Fam172a promoted expression of CD68 and KLF4 and decreased expression of α-SMA and SM22α in atherosclerotic lesions. Furthermore, overexpression of Fam172a promoted Movas cells proliferation and migration, increased expression of α-SMA and SM22α and decreased expression of KLF4. Meanwhile, knockdown of Fam172a in Movas cells and deletion of Fam172a in VSMCs from Fam172a −/−/ Apoe −/− mice showed opposite phenotypes. Similar phenotypes were also observed in human aortic smooth muscle cells. Our results provide the first direct evidence that Fam172a has a protective role in advanced atherosclerosis by increasing atherosclerotic plaque stability and inhibiting transition of VSMCs from contractile to synthetic phenotype, which may be through KLF4-dependent pathway. [Display omitted] • Fam172a deletion elicits advanced atherosclerosis progression and plaque instability. • Fam172a inhibits vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) pathogenic phenotypic switching. • Fam172a promotes VSMCs proliferation and migration. • The influence of Fam172a on VSMCs may be KLF4-dependent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Influenza is an acute viral respiratory disease that can also cause gastroenteritis-like symptoms, such as abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Immune dysfunction of adipose tissue is involved in the occurrence and prognosis of influenza viral pneumonia. In this study, we analyzed intestinal and adipose immune responses in mice infected with influenza virus and found that the impairment of intestinal and adipose immunity to influenza virus infection could be reversed by treatment with puerarin, a medicinal compound isolated from Pueraria lobata (called "gegen" in Chinese). We found that the lungs, small intestines (duodenum, ileum, jejunum) and large intestines (colon and rectum) of infected mice showed obvious inflammatory lesions, with significantly increased levels of virus, inflammatory cytokines (interleukin [IL]-6, IL-17, and tumor necrosis factor-α), Toll-like receptors 3, 4, and 9, and integrin αvβ3 and α4, and a decreased level of secreted IgA compared to the normal control group (NC) (P < 0.05-0.001). Influenza virus infected mesenteric lymph nodes and adipose tissue, and adipokines (leptin, visfatin, "chemerin", and adiponectin) of lung and mesenteric adipose tissue were dysregulated. Puerarin treatment reversed the impairment of the intestinal and adipose immune responses in mice infected with influenza virus. Our findings suggest that influenza virus can infect adipose tissue and lead to intestinal adipose immune dysfunction in normal-weight mice and that the impairment of the intestinal and adipose immune response to influenza virus infection can be reversed by puerarin treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Troponin T (TnT) and troponin I (TnI) are two evolutionarily and functionally linked subunits of the troponin complex that regulates striated muscle contraction. We previously reported a single amino acid substitution in the highly conserved TnT-binding helix of cardiac TnI (cTnI) in wild turkey hearts in concurrence with an abnormally spliced myopathic cardiac TnT (cTnT) (Biesiadecki, B. J., Schneider, K. L., Yu, Z. B., Chong, S. M., and Jin, J. P. (2004)J. Biol. Chem. 279, 13825-13832). To investigate the functional effect of this cTnI mutation and its potential value in compensating for the cTnT abnormality, we developed transgenic mice expressing the mutant cTnI (K118C) in the heart with or without the deletion of the endogenous cTnI gene to mimic the homozygote and heterozygote of wild turkeys. Double and triple transgenic mice were created by crossing the cTnI-K118C lines with transgenic mice overexpressing the myopathic cTnT (exon 7 deletion). Functional studies of ex vivo working hearts found that cTnI-K118C alone had a dominantly negative effect on diastolic function and blunted the inotropic responses of cardiac muscle to β-adrenergic stimuli without abolishing the protein kinase A-dependent phosphorylation of cTnI. When co-expressed with the cTnT mutation, cTnI-K 118C corrected the significant depression of systolic function caused by cTnT exon 7 deletion, and the co-existence of exon 7-deleted cTnT minimized the diastolic abnormality of cTnI-K118C. Characterization of this naturally selected pair of mutually rescuing mutations demonstrated that TnI-TnT interaction is a critical link in the Ca2+ signaling and β-adrenergic regulation in cardiac muscle, suggesting a potential target for the treatment of troponin cardiomyopathies and heart failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The local structures and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) parameters (the g factors, the hyperfine structure constants and the superhyperfine parameters) for various Rh2+ centers in AgCl are theoretically studied using the perturbation formulas of these parameters for a 4d7 ion in tetragonally and orthorhombically distorted octahedra. These defects include the tetragonally and orthorhombically elongated centers at low temperatures (labeled as TL and OL) and the tetragonally compressed center at high temperature (labeled as TH). The centers TL and OL are attributed to the substitutional Rh2+ on Ag+ site, associated with none and one next nearest neighbour cation vacancy VAg along [100] (or X) axis, respectively. The ligand octahedron in the orthorhombic center OL is found to suffer the relative elongation ΔZ OL ≈0.079Å along [001] (or Z) axis due to the Jahn–Teller effect, and the intervening ligand Cl− in the VAg and the Rh2+ may experience the inward displacement ΔX ≈0.008Å towards the central Rh2+. In the center TL, the uncompensated [RhCl6]4− cluster is found to suffer the relative elongation ΔZ TL ≈0.116Å along [001] axis due to the Jahn–Teller effect. As for the center TH, one VAg occurs in the next nearest neighbour site along [001] axis, which may compel the intervening Cl− in the VAg and the Rh2+ to shift towards the central Rh2+ by an amount ΔZ H ≈0.112Å. In the calculations of the superhyperfine parameters, the related molecular orbital coefficients and the ligand unpaired spin densities are determined quantitatively from the cluster approach in a uniform way. The theoretical EPR parameters based on the above local structures show good agreement with the experimental data for all the centers. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The gyromagnetic factors for Fe3+ in ZnX (X=O, S, Se, Te) are theoretically studied from the perturbation formula of the g-factor for a 3d5 ion in tetrahedra based on inclusion of both the crystal-field and the charge-transfer contributions. The related model parameters in the calculations are determined from the cluster approach in a uniform way. The g-shift Δg (= g-gs, where gs ≈ 2.0023 is the spin-only value) from the charge-transfer contributions is opposite (positive) in sign and much larger in magnitude as compared with that from the crystal-field ones. The importance of the charge-transfer contributions increases rapidly with increasing the covalency and the spin-orbit coupling coefficient of the ligand and thus exhibits the order of O2- < S2- < Se2- < Te2-. The calculated g-factors by considering both the crystal-field and charge-transfer contributions show reasonable agreement with the experimental data for all the Fe3+ centers in ZnX. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The defect structure for Cu2+ in CdSe nanocrystals is theoretically studied by analyzing the spin Hamiltonian parameters of this impurity center. This center is ascribed to Cu2+ occupying the octahedral interstitial site, rather than the tetrahedral substitutional Cd2+ site proposed by previous work. The Cu2+ center exhibits slight tetragonal elongation distortion (characterized by the elongation parameter ρ ≈0.03) due to the Jahn–Teller effect. The theoretical spin Hamiltonian parameters and optical transition show good agreement with the experimental data. The above unusual defect structure (occupation and symmetry) for Cu2+ in CdSe nanocrystals is discussed, as compared with the conventional trigonally distorted tetrahedral Cu2+ centers in bulk II–VI semiconductors. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Water and soil loss are the major causes of the land degradation in the hilly area of the Sichuan Basin, China, where purple soil (FAO, Calcaric Regosols) is widely distributed. Little research has been conducted on changes in overland flow and sediment during rain events on sloping cropland in this area. In this study, 45 artificial rainfall events were applied to five runoff plots with slopes of 9%, 18%, 27%, 36%, and 47%, respectively. Results showed that erosion processes on purple soil of sloping cropland are complex, because the sediment concentration changes with time under different situations. According to correlations between runoff discharge and sediment concentration, all erosion events were classified into three types: (1) positive correlation; (2) negative correlation; and (3) no correlation. Positive correlations were dominant, accounting for 60% of all events. Rainfall intensity, slope gradient, and tillage treatment were the main factors that influenced erosion events. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The highly organized contractile machinery in skeletal and cardiac muscles requires an assembly of myofilament proteins with stringent stoichiometry. To understand the maintenance of myofilament protein stoichiometry under dynamic protein synthesis and catabolism in muscle cells, we investigated the equilibrium of troponin I (TnI) in mouse cardiac muscle during developmental isoform switching and in under- and over-expression models. Compared with the course of developmental TnI isoform switching in normal hearts, the postnatal presence of slow skeletal muscle TnI lasted significantly longer in the hearts of cardiac TnI (cTnI) knockout (cTnI-KO) mice, in which the diminished synthesis was compensated by prolonging the life of myofilamental TnI. Transgenic postnatal expression of an N-terminal truncated cTnI (cTnI-ND) using α-myosin heavy chain promoter effectively rescued the lethality of cTnI-KO mice and shortened the postnatal presence of slow TnI in cardiac muscle. cTnI-KO mice rescued with different levels of cTnI-ND over-expression exhibited similar levels of myocardial TnI comparable to that in wild type hearts, demonstrating that excessive synthesis would not increase TnI stoichiometry in the myofilaments. Consistently, haploid under-expression of cTnI in heterozygote cTnI-KO mice was sufficient to sustain the normal level of myocardial cTnI, indicating that cTnI is synthesized in excess in wild type cardiomyocytes. Altogether, these observations suggest that under wide ranges of protein synthesis and turnover, myofilament incorporation determines the stoichiometry of troponin subunits in muscle cells. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Nuclear receptor coactivator 5 (NCOA5) has been reported to be involved in the regulation of several malignancies; however, to the best of our knowledge, its role in breast cancer is still unknown. The present study aimed to reveal the biological function of NCOA5 in breast cancer cells. NCOA5 expression in breast cancer tissues and cell lines was examined using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR and western blotting. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) against NCOA5 (siNCOA5) was transfected into MDA-MB-453 and MCF-7 cells to knock down NCOA5. MTT, transwell migration and cell adhesion assays were performed to determine cell viability, migration and adhesion abilities of breast cancer cells, respectively. In addition, the expression levels of N-cadherin, Vimentin and E-cadherin were examined by western blotting. It was revealed that NCOA5 expression was significantly increased in breast cancer tissues and cell lines. Knockdown of NCOA5 suppressed breast cancer cell viability and migration, and induced cell adhesion. Compared with those in cells transfected with non-targeting negative control siRNA, the protein expression levels of N-cadherin and Vimentin were significantly decreased, whereas the protein expression levels of E-cadherin were significantly increased in cells transfected with siNCOA5. The present study demonstrated that knockdown of NCOA5 suppressed cell viability and migration, induced cell adhesion, and inhibited epithelial-mesenchymal transition of breast cancer cells, indicating that NCOA5 may serve a tumor-promoting role in breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: It is an important therapeutic strategy to protect mitochondria from oxidative stress, especially during ischemia–reperfusion. In the present study, an attempt has been made to evaluate the protective effects of caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) and its related phenolic compounds on mouse brain and liver mitochondria injury induced by in vitro anoxia–reoxygenation. Added before anoxia or reoxygenation, CAPE markedly protected coupled respiration with the decrease in state 4 and the increases in state 3, respiratory control ratio (RCR) and ADP/O ratio in a concentration-dependent manner. CAPE effectively protected mitochondria by inhibiting the mitochondrial membranes fluidity decrease, the lipoperoxidation and the protein carbonylation increase, which indicated its protective action against the mitochondrial oxidative damage. Meanwhile, CAPE blocked the enhanced release of cardiolipin (CL) and cytochrome c (Cyt c). The related phenolic compounds like caffeic acid (CA), ferulic acid (FA) and ethyl ferulate (EF) also had different-degree protective effects. CAPE and CA were more potent than FA and EF. Their structural differences played the key role in their activity levels. These results suggest that CAPE and its related phenolic compounds protect mitochondria mainly correlated to their antioxidative activities and may be of interest for the prevention and therapy of ischemia–reperfusion injuries. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Mammalian α-glucosidase inhibitory activity by Terminalia chebula Retz. fruits was investigated. The aqueous methanolic extract was found to have potent rat intestinal maltase inhibitory activity, whereas neither intestinal sucrase nor isomaltase activity was inhibited by this extract. Using bioassay-guided separation, three active ellagitannins were identified as chebulanin (1), chebulagic acid (2) and chebulinic acid (3) and were shown to possess potent intestinal maltase inhibitory activity, with the IC50 values of 690μM, 97μM and 36μM, respectively. The intestinal maltase inhibitory activities of 2 and 3 were even higher than that of 1,2,3,4,6-penta-O-galloyl-β-d-glucose (PGG) (4, IC50=140μM), which is a known potent α-glucosidase inhibitor. Comparison of the activities of 1–4, 1,2,3-O-trigalloyl-β-d-glucose (5), neochebulagic acid (6) and corilagin (7) suggested that the positions of chebulloyl and galloyl groups mostly affected the potency. Kinetic studies revealed that 2, 3, and 4 inhibited maltose-hydrolyzing activity of intestinal α-glucosidase, noncompetitively. This is the first report on mammalian α-glucosidase inhibition by 1, 2 and 3 isolated from T. chebula fruits. These results suggest a use of the extract of T. chebula fruits for managing Type 2 diabetes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

So as to find models suitable for the prediction of water infiltration in purple soil, infiltration rates simulated by three popular empirical infiltration models, Horton model, Kostiakov model, and the modified Kostiakov model, were compared by using those observed results on slope in purple soil under rainfall simulation. 28 Sets of infiltration data were divided into two parts for parameter estimation and validation independently. The performance of the three infiltration models was evaluated with the Nash and Sutcliffe efficiency criterion. The results show that the percent for Nash and Sutcliffe efficiency greater than 0.7 is about 69.7% for the Horton model, and 48.48%, and 54.55% for the Kostiakov model and the modified Kostiakov model, respectively. Horton model is better than Kostiakov model and the modified Kostiakov model in most rain events in the field. However, Kostiakov model is still suitable for reasonable prediction of the infiltration in purple soil sloping farmland because fewer parameters are needed. Furthermore, rainfall intensity has significant effects on the parameter values used in the simulation models. The simulation results can be improved by choosing suitable parameters according to the rainfall intensity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poly(methyl methacrylate/butyl acrylate) [P(MMA/BA)] copolymers (Mη ∼2×105) with different mass percentages of MMA were synthesized by the method of solution polymerization. Thermally stimulated depolarization current (TSDC) technique was used to investigate the effect of copolymerization on pendant group and chain segment motions. Three TSDC peaks were observed over the temperature range from 310 to 400 K. The highest temperature, ρ peak originates from the detrapping of trapped charge carriers. The lower temperature, α peak corresponds to the glass transition. The activation energy of the α relaxation decreases from 1.2 eV for PMMA to 0.98 eV for MMA(75)/BA(25). In the fitting process, another peak, β', is separated on the low temperature side. The apparent energy barrier of the β' for PMMA is 0.80 eV. The β' relaxation is thought to correspond to the motion of pendant groups including intra- and inter-molecular interactions. All three peaks move to lower temperatures with an increase in BA component, and the activation energy for the α and β' relaxations also decreases with the increase of BA component in copolymers, indicating that the flexible side groups of BA have an effect of plasticization on the glass transition and motion of pendent groups. The temperatures of the α and β' peaks of P(MMA/BA) copolymers follow the Fox equation. Fitting results gives the α peak at 238 K and β' peak at 225 K for polybutyl acrylate (PBA). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The incomplete rejection of certain pesticides, disinfection by-products, endocrine disrupting compounds, and pharmaceutically active compounds has been reported during full- and pilot-scale high-pressure membrane applications. Since the removal of these compounds in water and wastewater treatment applications is of great importance where a high product water quality is desired, an understanding of the factors affecting the permeation of solutes in high-pressure membrane systems is needed. In this paper, findings of a comprehensive literature review are reported, targeting membrane rejection mechanisms and factors affecting rejection. The following key solute parameters were identified to primarily affect solute rejection: molecular weight (MW), molecular size (length and width), acid disassociation constant (pKa), hydrophobicity/hydrophilicity (log Kow), and diffusion coefficient (Dp). Key membrane properties affecting rejection that were identified include molecular weight cut-off, pore size, surface charge (measured as zeta potential), hydrophobicity/hydrophilicity (measured as contact angle), and surface morphology (measured as roughness). In addition, feed water composition, such as pH, ionic strength, hardness, and the presence of organic matter, was also identified as having an influence on solute rejection. From the knowledge gained during the literature review, a rejection diagram was proposed, which qualitatively allows prediction of solute rejection if certain solute and membrane properties are known. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The recent emergence of the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has resulted in a devastating pandemic with global concern. However, to date, there are no regimens to prevent and treat SARS-CoV-2 virus. There is an urgent need to identify novel leads with anti-viral properties that impede viral pathogenesis in the host system. Esculentoside A (EsA), a saponin isolated from the root of Phytolacca esculenta , is known to exhibit diverse pharmacological properties, especially anti-inflammatory activity. To our knowledge, SARS-CoV-2 uses angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) to enter host cells. This is mediated through the proteins of SARS-CoV-2, especially the spike glycoprotein receptor binding domain. Thus, our primary goal is to prevent virus replication and binding to the host, which allows us to explore the efficiency of EsA on key surface drug target proteins using the computational biology paradigm approach. Here, the anti-coronavirus activity of EsA in vitro and its potential mode of inhibitory action on the S-protein of SARS-CoV-2 were investigated. We found that EsA inhibited the HCoV-OC43 coronavirus during the attachment and penetration stage. Molecular docking results showed that EsA had a strong binding affinity with the spike glycoprotein from SARS-CoV-2. The results of the molecular dynamics simulation revealed that EsA had higher stable binding with the spike protein. These results demonstrated that Esculentoside A can act as a spike protein blocker to inhibit SARS-CoV-2. Considering the poor bioavailability and low toxicity of EsA, it is suitable as novel lead for the inhibitor against binding interactions of SARS-CoV-2 of S-protein and ACE2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the ultra-large induced strain of ferroelectric polymers has been achieved under an electric field near breakdown strength, the high driving voltage has been a long-standing obstacle for their safety applications in the actuator, transducer, wearable devices. To resolve this issue, novel core–shell structured CNT–Al2O3 nanoparticles grown via atomic layer deposition are utilized to improve the electromechanical properties of P(VDF-TrFE)-based nanocomposites under low applied fields. The electric coercive field (Ec) of nanocomposites substantially decreased with increase in fillers, giving rise to the boosted polarization and induced strain at low electric field. Accordingly, the nanocomposite with 1.1 wt% CNT–Al2O3 exhibited a 600% increase in transverse induced strain than that of the neat P(VDF-TrFE). For an identical induced strain, the required driving voltage of the nanocomposite could be effectively reduced by up to 200%. By numerically calculating electric field distribution and polarization, it was revealed that the higher ferroelectric property and lower driving voltage resulted from the enhanced interfacial polarization and the reduced field intensity to switch the polarization of the nanocomposites. This study provides a new route to improve the performance of ferroelectric polymers and holds great promise for using ferroelectric nanocomposites with low operating voltage in practical applications, including portable microfluidic and electronic devices. To reduce the driving voltage, a novel core–shell structured CNT–Al2O3 nanoparticle filler was utilized to improve the electromechanical properties of P(VDF-TrFE)-based nanocomposites under the low applied electric field. The introduction of CNT–Al2O3 filler in nanocomposite could significantly reduce the required electric field intensity for switching the polarization. Owning to its lowest Ec and higher polarization, the transverse induced strain of 1.1 wt% nanocomposite increased by 600% than that of the neat P(VDF-TrFE). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The efficacy of infliximab in treatment-naïve patients with stricturing small bowel Crohn's disease (CD) has not been well studied. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of infliximab in these patients. This was a retrospective study of all consecutive treatment-naïve patients with newly diagnosed CD with small bowel stricture who started regular infliximab therapy in Nanfang Hospital between January 2015 and December 2019. An effective infliximab therapy was defined as infliximab continuation without the use of steroids, new biologics, endoscopic interventions or intestinal surgery. Seventy-nine patients were included. After a median 38 months follow-up, an effective infliximab therapy was achieved in 37 patients. Long diagnostic delay (hazard ratio [HR] 0.38, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.19–0.78; p=.008), pre-stenotic dilatation (HR 0.17, 95%CI 0.09–0.35; p <.001), long segmental stricture (HR 0.20, 95%CI 0.10–0.41; p <.001), and penetrating disease (HR 0.22, 95%CI 0.10–0.49; p <.001) were negatively correlated with an effective infliximab therapy. Infliximab is effective in nearly 50% of treatment-naïve patients with CD with small bowel stricture, and an effective therapy is more likely to be achieved in patients without long diagnostic delay, pre-stenotic dilatation, long segmental stricture or penetrating disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]