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Noninflammatory clearance of dying cells by professional phagocytes, termed efferocytosis, is fundamental in both homeostasis and inflammatory fibrosis disease but has not been confirmed to occur in chronic pancreatitis (CP). Here, we investigated whether efferocytosis constitutes a novel regulatory target in CP and its mechanisms. PRSS1 transgenic (PRSS1Tg) mice were treated with caerulein to mimic CP development. Phospholipid metabolite profiling and epigenetic assays were performed with PRSS1Tg CP models. The potential functions of Atp8b1 in CP model were clarified using Atp8b1-overexpressing adeno-associated virus, immunofluorescence, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA), and lipid metabolomic approaches. ATAC-seq combined with RNA-seq was then used to identify transcription factors binding to the Atp8b1 promoter, and ChIP-qPCR and luciferase assays were used to confirm that the identified transcription factor bound to the Atp8b1 promoter, and to identify the specific binding site. Flow cytometry was performed to analyze the proportion of pancreatic macrophages. Decreased efferocytosis with aggravated inflammation was identified in CP. The lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) pathway was the most obviously dysregulated phospholipid pathway, and LPC and Atp8b1 expression gradually decreased during CP development. H3K27me3 ChIP-seq showed that increased Atp8b1 promoter methylation led to transcriptional inhibition. Atp8b1 complementation substantially increased the LPC concentration and improved CP outcomes. Bhlha15 was identified as a transcription factor that binds to the Atp8b1 promoter and regulates phospholipid metabolism. Our study indicates that the acinar Atp8b1/LPC pathway acts as an important “find-me” signal for macrophages and plays a protective role in CP, with Atp8b1 transcription promoted by the acinar cell-specific transcription factor Bhlha15. Bhlha15, Atp8b1, and LPC could be clinically translated into valuable therapeutic targets to overcome the limitations of current CP therapies.

Background Noninflammatory clearance of dying cells by professional phagocytes, termed efferocytosis, is fundamental in both homeostasis and inflammatory fibrosis disease but has not been confirmed to occur in chronic pancreatitis (CP). Here, we investigated whether efferocytosis constitutes a novel regulatory target in CP and its mechanisms. Methods PRSS1 transgenic (PRSS1Tg) mice were treated with caerulein to mimic CP development. Sphingomyelin metabolite profiling and epigenetic assays were performed with PRSS1Tg CP models. The potential functions of Atp8b1 in CP model were clarified using Atp8b1-overexpressing adeno-associated virus, immunofluorescence, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) and lipid metabolomic approaches. ATAC-seq combined with RNA-seq was then used to identify transcription factors binding to the Atp8b1 promoter, and ChIP-qPCR and luciferase assays were used to confirm that the identified transcription factor bound to the Atp8b1 promoter, and to identify the specific binding site. Flow cytometry was performed to analysis proportion of pancreatic macrophages. Results Decreased efferocytosis with aggravated inflammation was identified in CP. The lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) pathway was the most obviously dysregulated sphingomyelin pathway, and LPC and Atp8b1 expression gradually decreased during CP development. H3K27me3 ChIP-seq showed that increased Atp8b1 promoter methylation led to transcriptional inhibition. Atp8b1 complementation substantially increased the LPC concentration and improved CP outcomes. Bhlha15 was identified as a transcription factor that binds to the Atp8b1 promoter and regulate sphingomyelin metabolism. Conclusion The acinar Atp8b1/LPC pathway acts as an important “find-me” signal for macrophages and plays a protective role in CP, with Atp8b1 transcription promoted by the acinar cell-specific transcription factor Bhlha15. Bhlha15, Atp8b1 and LPC could be clinically translated into valuable therapeutic targets to overcome the limitations of current CP therapies.

Fully vegetable oil-based polyols with a low hydroxyl value and viscosity were designed and prepared using epoxidized soybean oil (ESO) and oleic acid as raw materials, which were also used to prepare polyurethane films 1-5 with different isocyanate indices. Their structures were characterized by FTIR and 1H NMR. The GPC data indicated that the number-average molecular weight (Mn) of the polyols was 3331 and the distribution index was 1.578. The effects of the isocyanate index on the morphology, DMA, mechanical properties, water absorption, water contact angle, TGA and soil degradation of PU films were investigated. When the isocyanate index increased from 1.13 to 2.65, the glass transition temperature (Tg) and crosslinking density (νe) of polyurethane increased from −4.5 °C to 74.7 °C and from 630 mol/m3 to 2000 mol/m3, respectively. By 180 days, the degradation percentages of the five PU films (1-5) were 10.23%, 20.01%, 21.85%, 26.78% and 29.63%, respectively. Two coated ureas (Oil-PCUs) were successfully prepared containing 70% vegetable oil. The 80% cumulative release of Oil-PCUs-6% (isocyanate index: 1.58) took more than 70 days, indicating that the prepared Oil-PCUs have great potential for use in agriculture, forestry and grasslands.

Metal halide perovskites have fascinating electronic properties and have already been implemented in various devices. Although the behavior of the properties of lead halide perovskite nanocrystals has been studied, the properties of lead-free perovskite nanocrystals are less well-understood because synthesizing them is still very challenging. Here, a simple and popularizable method has been demonstrated to grow monodisperse bismuth-halide double perovskite nanocrystals, Cs2AgBiBr6 (1), inside three kinds of mesoporous silica templates. The size and morphology of nanocrystals depend on the structure and pore size of the template. Structural analysis shows that the nanocrystals of various sizes and morphologies retain the crystal structure of bimetallic perovskite. 1 exhibits different morphologies in the silicon channels of three templates: square nanoparticles in KIT-6, spherical and rodlike particles in SBA-15, and nanowires in MCM-41. UV-vis-NIR and photoluminescence measurements show us the variation of band gap and carrier recombination time due to quantum confinement of nanocrystals in mesoporous silicon materials. The band gaps of nanocrystals in the template exhibit an obvious blue shift compared with that of the bulk sample, and the carrier recombination time is significantly shortened. We show that mesoporous silicon templates can be used to prepare lead-free perovskite nanocrystals, and the controllable preparation of nanocrystals can be achieved by the template's own characteristics. This provides a new idea for us to find new functional materials of lead-free metal halide solid-state light-emitting diodes.

The structural information of a material in both the solid state and solution state is essential to the in-depth understanding of the properties of inorganic-organic hybrid materials. A one-dimensional (1D) lead bromide formulated as [H][NH3(CH2)2SS(CH2)2NH3][H2O][PbBr5] (1) could be converted into a new two-dimensional (2D) complex, [NH3(CH2)2SS(CH2)2NH3][PbBr4] (2), by soaking the crystals in water. The isolated 2D compound showed single-layer lead-halide perovskite structures. Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) analyses of the reaction solution revealed that the [PbBr3]- fragments are initially formed from the rapid decomposition of the 1D [PbBr5]3- chains and subsequently reassemble into 2D [PbBr4]2- layers, which was verified by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) and microcalorimetry. Because of the decomposition and reassembly process, complex 1 could be used as a precursor to synthesize M2+-doped 2D lead bromide perovskites, namely, Mn@2, Ni@2 and Cd@2. In addition, preliminary tests indicated that complex 2 exhibited a lower optical band gap (3.25 eV) and higher electrical conductivity (3.2 × 10-11 S cm-1) than complex 1 (3.38 eV, 5.4 × 10-12 S cm-1).

As an unnecessary trace element, the content of aluminium in biological systems should be strictly controlled. Therefore, it was necessary to develop a convenient method for detection of aluminium ions. In this study, a fluorescent probe based on polythiophene derivatives was developed and used to detect Al

Four unprecedented decanuclear heterometallic [Ln2CoII4CoIII4] clusters based on a diethanolamine ligand (H2dea), namely [Eu2CoII4CoIII4(dea)8(HCOO)4(OH)2(Cl)2(CH3OH)2]Cl2·4CH3OH·2H2O (1), [Gd2CoII4CoIII4(dea)8(HCOO)4(OH)2(Cl)2(CH3OH)2]Cl2·4CH3OH·2H2O (2), [Tb2CoII4CoIII4(dea)8(HCOO)4(OH)2(Cl)2(CH3OH)2]Cl2·2CH3OH·4H2O (3) and [Dy2CoII4CoIII4(dea)8(HCOO)4(OH)2(Cl)2(CH3OH)2]Cl2·2CH3OH·4H2O (4) were synthesized through a facile solution method. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses reveal that complexes 1-4 consist of a [Ln2CoII4CoIII4] core, which is constructed by bridging a quasi-double cuboidal [Ln2CoII2CoIII2] core with two [CoIICoIII] units. Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) using methanol solution reveals that complexes 1-4 are stable in the solution, and the clusters undergo three different substitution reactions (Cl- replaced by OH-, OH- replaced by CH3O- and HCOO- replaced by OH-/CH3O-) at the same time in the ionization state. Magnetic susceptibilities reveal ferromagnetic couplings within complexes 3 and 4, and the magnetocaloric effect (MCE) for 2 was also evaluated and the maximum entropy change (-ΔSm) value reaches 16.3 J kg-1 K-1 at about 3 K and 5 T.

In the design of afflux device for the air dryer safety valve, a rational structure can improve the gas flow condition and suppress the pulsation noise as well. This paper designed an afflux device required little installation space, its physical and mathematical model were built up then. The simulation of the internal flow field is processed with the CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) software Fluent, which interprets the device inner structure’s impact on the flow field characteristics and silencing performance. The numerical simulation provides the designers with a reliable approach for the design of the afflux device.

Four unprecedented decanuclear heterometallic [Ln2CoII4CoIII4] clusters based on a diethanolamine ligand (H2dea), namely [Eu2CoII4CoIII4(dea)8(HCOO)4(OH)2(Cl)2(CH3OH)2]Cl2·4CH3OH·2H2O (1), [Gd2CoII4CoIII4(dea)8(HCOO)4(OH)2(Cl)2(CH3OH)2]Cl2·4CH3OH·2H2O (2), [Tb2CoII4CoIII4(dea)8(HCOO)4(OH)2(Cl)2(CH3OH)2]Cl2·2CH3OH·4H2O (3) and [Dy2CoII4CoIII4(dea)8(HCOO)4(OH)2(Cl)2(CH3OH)2]Cl2·2CH3OH·4H2O (4) were synthesized through a facile solution method. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses reveal that complexes 1-4 consist of a [Ln2CoII4CoIII4] core, which is constructed by bridging a quasi-double cuboidal [Ln2CoII2CoIII2] core with two [CoIICoIII] units. Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) using methanol solution reveals that complexes 1-4 are stable in the solution, and the clusters undergo three different substitution reactions (Cl- replaced by OH-, OH- replaced by CH3O- and HCOO- replaced by OH-/CH3O-) at the same time in the ionization state. Magnetic susceptibilities reveal ferromagnetic couplings within complexes 3 and 4, and the magnetocaloric effect (MCE) for 2 was also evaluated and the maximum entropy change (-ΔSm) value reaches 16.3 J kg-1 K-1 at about 3 K and 5 T.

Reduction of diesel engine emissions is now getting more and more focuses from automobile manufacturers as the legalization is becoming stricter. In this paper we use AVL FIRE to simulate and analyze the influence of ω-type combustion chamber shapes on raw emissions of a diesel engine. We get the conclusion that the trend of original exhausts, NOx and soot, decreases without power loss with the ratio TDD of throat diameter and depth of the chamber reducing. And considering the original emission control technologies of the experiment engine, a smaller ratio TDD will contribute to better emission.

Surgeons are striving to achieve higher quality results in minimally invasive operation. Intelligent medical equipments are able to improve operation safety. Otological drill milling through a bone tissue wall is a common milling fault in ear surgery. In this paper a multi-sensor information fusion method for identifying milling faults is presented. Five surgeons experimented on calvarian bones using the intelligent otological drill. The average recognition rate of milling faults was 91%, and only 0.8% of normal millings were identified as milling faults.

Our recent studies demonstrated that mature astrocytes from spinal cord can be reprogrammed in vitro and in vivo to generate neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs) following treatment with conditioned medium collected from mechanically injured astrocytes. However, little is known regarding the molecular mechanisms underlying the reprogramming of astrocytes. Here, we show that fibroblast growth factor 4 (FGF4) exerts a critical role in synergistically converting astrocytes into NSPCs that can express multiple neural stem cell markers (nestin and CD133) and are capable of both self-renewal and differentiation into neurons and glia. Lack of FGF4 signals fails to elicit the dedifferentiation of astrocytes towards NSPCs, displaying a substantially lower efficiency in the reprogramming of astrocytes and a slower transition through fate-determined state. These astrocyte-derived NSPCs displayed relatively poor self-renewal and multipotency. More importantly, further investigation suggested that FGF4 is a key molecule necessary for activating PI3K/Akt/p21 signaling cascades, as well as their downstream effectors responsible for directing cell reprogramming towards NSPCs. Collectively, these findings provide a molecular basis for astrocyte dedifferentiation into NSPCs after central nervous system (CNS) injury and imply that FGF4 may be a clinically applicable molecule for in situ neural repair in the CNS disorders.

Using GT-POWER to simulate a diesel engines injection timing, calibrating simulation model has been done according to experimental data. Analysis of the effect on engine power characteristics and emission characteristics caused by different pre-injection timing and main injection timing is the main work. The simulation results show that, the output torque and NOx increased when the injection timing is advanced. In contrast, the soot emission is decreased when the injection timing is advanced.

The CNG engine in this paper is developed based on a prototype diesel engine platform. In this paper by analyzing the combustion of the CNG engine under different compression ratio with the FIRE software, we could see that the model which compression ratio is 11 could meet the load needs and the economic needs. At the same time the heat load could meet the requirements of the prototype diesel engine.

We set up one cylinder of CNG engine by using GT-Power software and the compression ratio and the knock are studied. The conclusions are as follows: when the compression ratio increases, the rate of pressure rise of acute burning period increases; The maximum cylinder pressure increases; The maximum temperature decreased slightly and after burning period the temperature increases; The critical knocking compression ratio appears at the full load of 4000rpm conditions; If we only consider it knocking or not, the engine compression ratios can change from 10 to 11.

Three coordination polymers, i.e. [Co(HL)(HBDC)]n (1), [Co(HL)(BDC)0.5]n (2) and {[Zn2(H2L)(BTC)2](H4L)(H2O)2}n (3) (L = 2, 2′-(ethanediyl)bis(1H-benzimidazole), H2BDC = 1, 4-benzenedicarboxylic acid, H3BTC = 1, 3, 5-benzene tricarboxylic acid), have been synthesized under hydrothermal conditions based on bis(2-benzimidazole) and two multi-dentate carboxylate ligands, with different metal ions such as ZnII and CoII. The structures of these coordination polymers have been determined by X-ray single‐crystal diffraction. The diverse coordination modes of the H2L ligand and the varying geometries of multi-dentate carboxylate ligands play an important role in the construction of coordination polymers. Various assembly patterns have been observed, including one-dimensional (1D) chain (1), two-dimensional (2D) 3-connected network structure with honeycomb topology (2), and three-dimensional (3D) 3,4-connected porous structure with (63)(65,8) topology (3). Thermal analyses of the three polymers have been performed and discussed. Furthermore, strong room temperature photoluminescence of compound 3 was observed.

4-Aryl-hexahydroquinolines prepared by Hantzsch reaction from aromatic aldehydes obtained from lignin had been proved to be excellent antioxidant property. In view of polyhydroquinoline containing similarities in structure to the biologically important compound, 1,4-dihydropyridine, their antihypertensive activities were herein determined in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) during different time. The results show that those compounds possessing excellent antioxidant activity exhibit good antihypertensive property, and the compound containing syringyl moiety exhibit better antihypertensive activity than that containing guaiacyl moiety. This study suggests that those compounds may serve as promising agents for cure hypertension and free radical-related diseases.

Recent studies demonstrated that mature atrocytes have the capacity for de-differentiating into neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs) in vitro and in vivo. However, it is still unknown what signals endow astroglial cells with a de-differentiation potential. Furthermore, the signaling molecules and underlying mechanism that confer astrocytes with the competence of NSPC phenotypes have not been completely elucidated. Here, we found that sonic hedgehog (Shh) production in astrocytes following mechanical injury was significantly elevated, and that incubation of astrocyes with the injured astrocyte conditioned medium (ACM) causes astrocytes to gradually lose their immunophenotypical profiles, and acquire NSPC characteristics, as demonstrated by down-regulation of typical astrocytic markers (GFAP and S100) and up-regulation of markers that are generally expressed in NSCs, (nestin, Sox2, and CD133). ACM treated astrocytes exhibit self-renewal capacity and multipotency similar to NSPCs. Concomitantly, in addition to Ptc, there was a significant up-regulation of the Shh downstream signal components Gli2 and Cyclin D1 which are involved in cell proliferation, dramatic changes in cell morphology, and the disruption of cell-cycle G1 arrest. Conversely, the depletion of Shh by administration of its neutralizing antibody (Shh n-Ab) effectively inhibited the de-differentiation process. Strikingly, Shh alone had little effect on astrocyte de-differentiation to NSPCs. These data above suggest that Shh is a key instructive molecule while other molecules secreted from insulted astrocytes may synergistically promote the de-differentiation event.

Purpose To compare neuroprotection and therapeutic time windows of two diazepam regimens on retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) after rat optic nerve transection (ONT). Methods Adult rats received initial intraperitoneal diazepam injections 30 minutes before left ONT, followed by daily diazepam (regimen-A) or every 8 hours for 3 days (regimen-B) until they were killed at day 7 or 14. Initial diazepam in regimen-A and regimen-B was delayed to 3, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12 and 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12 hours after ONT and these animals survived for 7 days. The effect of daily combinational uses of diazepam and bicuculline was assayed at 7 days. Results Regimen-A induced higher RGC densities than those in control and regimen-B groups at day 7, but lower density than regimen-B did at day 14. When initial diazepam was delayed beyond 6 or 8 hours after ONT with regimen-A and regimen-B, the promoting effects of diazepam on RGC densities disappeared. Bicuculline completely inhibited the protection of diazepam. Conclusions Prolonged neuroprotection on RGCs at day 14 and extended therapeutic time window for 8 hours can be achieved by regimen-B, while regimen-A induces a stronger neuroprotection at day 7. Diazepam neuroprotection is mediated through GABAA receptor.

We have synthesized a new complex [Zn(H2C3PIm)(BTC)H2O]n (1) [H3BTC = 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylic acid, H2C3PIm = 2,2′-(1,3-propanediyl)-bis(1H-benzimidazole)] and determined its structure (C26H20N4O7Zn, Mr = 565.83) using single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The complex crystallizes in the monoclinic system, space group P2(1) with a = 8.497(5), b = 16.316(5), c = 9.316(5) A, β = 104.955(5), V = 1247.8(11) A3, Z = 2, Dc = 1.506 g·cm–3, μ(Mo-Kα) = 1.038 mm–1, F(000) = 580, S = 0.755, the final indices are R = 0.0386 and wR = 0.0456 for 3461 reflections with I > 2σ(I). In the asymmetric unit of complex 1, the distorted tetrahedral ZnII ion is bridged by the carboxylic oxygen atoms of the BTC ligand and the nitrogen atoms of the H2C3PIm ligand. The complex units are linked through BTC ligands into a chiral 2D layer and further connected into a 3D framework by π–π packing interactions between the adjacent H2C3PIm ligands. The complex exhibits high stablility in air at ambient temperature and strong photoluminescence at room temperature.

Two new metal-organic frameworks, [Cd2(H2C3PIm)(BDC)4(H2O)3]n (1) and [Zn3(H2C3PIm)3 (BTC)2(H2O)2]n (2) (H2C3PIm = 2,2′-(1,3-propanediyl)bis(1 H-benzimidazole), H2BDC = 1,4-benzenedicarboxylic acid, H3BTC = 1,3,5-benzene tricarboxylic acid), have been synthesized hydrothermally and their structures are characterized by single crystal X-ray analysis. Compound 1 presents a 1D columnar structure, and compound 2 exhibits a 2D sheet with novel extra-large rings of 4.82 topology. Both complexes exhibit strong photoluminescence at room temperature.

The thermal behavior and thermal decomposition kinetic parameters of podophyllotoxin (1) and 4 derivatives, picropodophyllin (2), deoxypodophyllotoxin (3), β-apopicropodophyllin (4), podophyllotoxone (5) in a temperature-programmed mode have been investigated by means of DSC and TG-DTG. The kinetic model functions in differential and integral forms of the thermal decomposition reactions mentioned above for first stage were established. The kinetic parameters of the apparent activation energy Ea and per-exponential factor A were obtained from analysis of the TG-DTG curves by integral and differential methods. The most probable kinetic model function of the decomposition reaction in differential form was (1−α)2 for compounds 1–3, (2/3)·α−1/2 for compound 4 and (1/2)(1−α)·[−ln (1−α)]−1 for compound 5. The values of Ea indicated that the reactivity of compounds 1–5 was increased in the order: 5

Rationale Spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma (SSEH) is a relatively rare but potentially disabling disease, and the classical presentation of it includes an acute onset of severe, sometimes radiating back or neck pain, followed by signs and symptoms of rapidly evolving nerve root or spinal cord compression. Patient concerns Here, we report a 26-year-old female patient presented with weakness in bilateral lower extremities, progressing to intense paraplegia and anesthesia without recent medical history of trauma, infection, surgery, or drug use. Diagnosis A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan of spinal cord was planned and a posterior epidural hematoma of the thoracic spine was observed. Interventions A posterior decompression and hematoma evacuation was performed after diagnosis immediately. Early rehabilitation program of the specific kind spinal cord injury was formulated and implemented. Outcomes The patient finally can handle basic living activities, such as completing wheelchair locomotion, transferring from bed to wheelchair independently after 3 months of rehabilitation. Lessons SSEH is a rarely occurring case in emergency. Acute chest pain and paraplegia could be the initial presentation of acute spinal epidural hemorrhage, but the diagnosis of patient without classical manifestations is still a challenge for doctors. Early diagnosis, prompt decompression, and individualized rehabilitation program can improve the prognosis and outcome.

The microwave plasma torch (MPT) was used as the emission light source. Aqueous samples were introduced with a nebulizer and a desolvation system. A method for the determination of Na, Mg, Ca, Li and Sr in natural mineral drinking water by argon microwave plasma torch spectrometer (ArMPT spectrometer) was established. The effects of microwave power, flow rate of carrier gas and support gas were investigated in detail and these parameters were optimized. Under the optimized condition, the experiments for the determination of Na, Mg, Ca, Li and Sr in 11 kinds of bottled mineral drinking water were carried out by ArMPT spectrometer. The limit-of-detection (LOD) of Na, Mg, Ca, Li and Sr was found to be 4.4, 21, 56, 11 and 84 μg x mL(-1), respectively. Relative standard deviation (n = 6) was in the range of 1.30%-5.45% and standard addition recoveries were in the range of 84.6%-98.5%. MPT spectrometer was simpler, more convenient and of lower cost as compared to ICP unit. MPT spectrometer demonstrated its rapid analysis speed, accuracy, sensitivity and simultaneous multi element analysis ability during the analysis process. The results showed that MPT spectrometer was suitable for metal elements detection for natural mineral drinking water. This approach provides not only one way for resisting the illegal dealings, but also a security for the quality of drinking water. Moreover, the usability of MPT spectrometer in the field of food security; drug safety; clinical diagnostic is promised.