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Azole and azine heteroarenes were directly alkylated by alkanes, ethers, or carbamates using PhC(O)O2tBu under LED irradiation. 9,10-Dichloroanthrocene acted as an organic photocatalyst and transferred its excitation energy to PhC(O)O2tBu via exciplex formation.

The association between sleep duration and metabolic syndrome (MetS) remains controversial, and few have considered the effects of sleep quality. We performed a meta-analysis to clarify the relationship of sleep duration and sleep quality with the risk of MetS.We conducted a systematic and comprehensive literature search of electronic databases from inception to 17 February 2022. The effect sizes of covariates from each study were pooled using a random or fixed model, and a restricted cubic spline random-effects meta-analysis was performed to examine the dose-response relationship between sleep duration and MetS.A total of 62 studies were included in this meta-analysis. Compared to normal sleep duration, short sleep duration [odds ratio (OR) = 1.14, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.10-1.19] and long sleep duration (OR = 1.15, 95% CI: 1.09-1.23) were associated with an increased risk of MetS. The restricted cubic spline analysis indicated that sleep durations of 8.5 h (OR = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.92-0.97) and 11 h (OR = 1.58, 95% CI: 1.31-1.91) were significantly associated with the risk of MetS. The pooled results showed that poor sleep quality (OR = 1.46, 95% CI: 1.03-2.06) and sleep complaints had significant positive associations with MetS.Our results demonstrated that short sleep duration increased the risk of developing MetS. Long sleep duration was also associated with MetS, especially for 11 h. 8.5 h can be considered the recommended sleep duration for MetS. Poor sleep quality and sleep complaints were also associated with MetS.

Atypical chemokine receptor 3 (ACKR3) has been linked to the tumor microenvironment. This work investigates the effects of ACKR3 and its regulatory molecules on the chemotactic migration of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). RT-qPCR and western blot assays identified elevated ACKR3 and HDAC2 levels in HCC tissues and cells. Knockdown or overexpression of ACKR3 was induced in HCC cells through vectors of lentivirus plasmids, and then the conditioned medium of the HCC cells was collected to stimulate TAMs. The stimulated TAMs were co-cultured with CD3

The neuronally expressed developmentally downregulated 4 (NEDD4) gene encodes a ubiquitin ligase that targets the epithelial sodium channel for degradation and has been implicated in tumor growth in various cancers. Hence, in this study, we intended to characterize the functional relevance of the NEDD4-mediated Kruppel-like factor 8/microRNA-132/nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (KLF8/miR-132/NRF2) axis in the development of bladder cancer. NEDD4 and KLF8 were overexpressed in bladder cancer tissues and were associated with poorer patient survival rates. In bladder cancer cells, NEDD4 intensified the stability and transcriptional activity of KLF8 through ubiquitination to augment cell viability and migratory ability. Our investigations revealed that NEDD4 promotes the binding of KLF8 to the miR-132 promoter region and inhibits the expression of miR-132. KLF8 inhibited the expression of miR-132 to augment the viability and migratory ability of bladder cancer cells. Furthermore, miR-132 downregulated the expression of NRF2 to restrict the viability and migratory ability of bladder cancer cells. In addition, in vivo findings verified that NEDD4 regulates the KLF8/miR-132/NRF2 axis by accelerating tumor growth and lung metastasis. In conclusion, this study highlights NEDD4 as a potential therapeutic target against tumor recurrence and metastasis in bladder cancer.

Xiaoyue Zhu,1 Jingyao Hu,1 Haijian Guo,2 Dakang Ji,1 Defu Yuan,1 Mingma Li,1 Tao Yan,1 Chenghao Xue,1 Haonan Ma,1 Xu Zhou,1 Yuxiang Liu,1 You Li,1 Kaicheng Sun,3 Yu Liu,4 Zilin Sun,5 Bei Wang1 1Key Laboratory of Environment Medicine Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, People’s Republic of China; 2Integrated Business Management Office, Jiangsu Provincial Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, People’s Republic of China; 3Yandu Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Yancheng, Jiangsu Province, People’s Republic of China; 4Jurong Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Jurong, Jiangsu Province, People’s Republic of China; 5Department of Endocrinology, Institute of Diabetes, Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Bei WangKey Laboratory of Environment Medicine Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Southeast University, No. 87 Dingjiaqiao Road, Gulou District, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86 25 83272569Email wangbeilxb@163.comBackground: Epidemiologic evidence on body mass index (BMI)-metabolic status phenotypes and diabetes risk remains controversial, especially for metabolically healthy obesity (MHO). We aimed to examine the effect of metabolic health and obesity phenotype on diabetes risk in the Chinese population.Methods: A population-based cohort study was carried out. The baseline survey was conducted in 2017, with two follow-up visits in 2018 and 2020. Diabetes was defined based on the criteria of the World Health Organization. Robust generalized estimating equation models with a binary distribution using a log link and exchange structure were applied for the pooled analysis sample.Results: A total sample of 9623 observations was pooled for the longitudinal data analysis. The average follow-up time was 1.64 years per person and the overall incidence density of diabetes was 6.94% person-years. Decreased diabetes risk was found in metabolically healthy overweight phenotype (RR = 0.65; 95% CI = 0.47– 0.90) and no significant associations were detected for the MHO individuals (RR = 0.99; 95% CI = 0.63– 1.53) compared with those of metabolically healthy normal weight, in contrast to metabolically unhealthy normal weight (MU-NW) (RR = 1.81; 95% CI = 1.28– 2.55), metabolically unhealthy overweight (MU-OW) (RR = 2.02; 95% CI = 1.57– 2.61) and metabolically unhealthy obesity (MUO) (RR = 2.48; 95% CI = 1.89– 3.26) phenotypes. Significant associations between BMI-metabolic status phenotypes and diabetes were found in both males and females.Conclusion: The MUO phenotype needs to be accorded much more importance. MU-NW and MU-OW are also important component for targeted prevention. Our findings can be targeted for optimizing preventive strategies to mitigate the obviously increased prevalence of diabetes.Keywords: diabetes, metabolic health, obesity phenotype, prevention

The physical and chemical pressures in the tumor microenvironment (TME) play an important role in tumor development by regulating stromal elements, including immune cells. Hypoxia can induce a cascade of events in tumor initiation and development via immune regulation. As a dangerous factor, hypoxia activates multiple signaling pathways to reshape the immune microenvironment, leading to immunosuppression. Consequently, targeting hypoxia in the TME is a potential strategy to prevent immune escape and inhibit malignant tumor progression. In this review, we summarized the role of hypoxia-induced factors in the tumor immune escape process and provide a novel pathway to restrain tumor progression and development.

The ultrasonic welding was carried out to improve the quality of dissimilar Al/Mg alloys joint. The effects of laser texturing on the microstructure and mechanism of AZ31B/5052 joint connected by ultrasonic welding were also investigated. A series of laser texturing experiments on Al alloy (5052) and Mg alloy (AZ31B) were performed to determine the process parameters and their ef-fect on ultrasonic weld quality, especially on weld strength. Little effect was attained by opti-mizing welding parameters in improving mechanical properties. Both welding parameters and different texture pattern were investigated to obtain good weld quality. The connection mecha-nisms of joints were discussed based on the analysis of weld interface morphology, microstruc-ture evolution. Mechanical analysis of particle and movement of material atoms were analyzed in the study to explain the connect mechanism. The results show that the better lock-interface and lager lap shear strength were attained by laser texture addition and optimal welding parameters. Compared with the untextured joint, swirling bonding interface was obtained after the laser tex-ture. The laser texture with grid pattern was found to raise the strength up to 26% higher maxi-mum tensile-shear load than the joints obtained with the untextured surface.

Background The lipid accumulation product (LAP) is a powerful marker for predicting metabolic syndrome (MS) in adults. The present study aimed to propose a novel indicator, the children's lipid accumulation product (CLAP), and to assess its association with MS among Chinese children and adolescents. Methods A total of 683 Chinese children aged 8-15 years were recruited using a stratified cluster sampling method in this cross-sectional study. The presence of MS was defined according to the NCEP-ATP III criteria. The effects of BMI, WHtR and the CLAP for predicting MS were compared using logistic regression models and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Results The prevalence of MS was 5.1% (6.6% and 3.5% among boys and girls, respectively). Overall obesity (based on BMI), abdominal obesity (based on WHtR) and CLAP≥P75 were significantly associated with an increased risk of MS (ORs (95% CIs) were 143.79 (18.78-1101.22), 86.83 (27.19-277.27), 150.75 (20.11-1130.19), respectively). The area under the ROC curve (AUC) for the CLAP was higher than that for BMI and WHtR for predicting MS, with AUC (95% CI) values of 0.944 (0.913-0.975), 0.895 (0.864-0.927), and 0.928 (0.903-0.953), respectively. Conclusion The children's lipid accumulation product (CLAP) was an effective indicator associated with MS in Chinese children and adolescents and was better than BMI and WHtR for predicting MS.

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to explore the protective effects and the regulatory mechanisms of bariatric surgery on kidney injury in diabetic rats.MethodsWe established a useful type 2 diabetic rat model using high-fat and high-sugar diet feeding following low-dose streptozotocin (STZ) treatment. Sprague–Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into the following groups: control (Con) group, diabetic nephropathy (DN) group, and duodenal–jejunal bypass (DJB) surgery group. The food intake and body weight of rats were monitored and the glucose tolerance test (OGTT) test was performed every 2 weeks. The glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and urinary albumin excretion rate (UAFR) were measured to assess renal function. Hematoxylin–eosin (H&E), periodic acid–Schiff (PAS), and Masson staining were used to evaluate renal histopathological changes. TUNEL assay was performed to detect cell apoptosis. The expressions of oxidative stress factors and inflammatory factors in the renal tissues of rats were detected by ELISA. The expressions of PPARα, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and NF-κB were detected by immunofluorescence. For in vitro experiment, HK2 cells cultured with high glucose were treated with PPARα agonist, PPARα antagonist, and adenosine 5′-monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK) agonist. The expressions of AMPK/PPARα/NF-κB signaling pathway-related proteins were detected by Western blot.ResultsBariatric surgery improved the glucose tolerance of DN rats. The GFR was decreased, the promotion of urinary albumin excretion rate (UAER) was inhibited, and the renal injury was alleviated. The extracellular matrix fraction was decreased and the renal function was improved. Meanwhile, bariatric surgery activates PPARα, inhibits ROS release, reduces oxidative stress injury, and reduces renal cell apoptosis. In vitro experiment results showed that the AMPK activator could activate PPARα, downregulate NF-κB, and inhibit inflammatory response. The phosphorylation of AMPK was inhibited by PPARα antagonism.ConclusionBariatric surgery can activate PPARα, inhibit oxidative stress injury, and improve glucose metabolism and renal function in DN rats.

Background and aimsThe dyslipidemia contributed to more than half Cardiovascular disease (CVD) which ranked first in all causes of death in the world. Children’s lipid accumulation product (CLAP) is significantly related to cardiac metabolic risk factors in children and adolescents. The present study was to explore a novel indicator of children’s lipid accumulation product (CLAP) associated with dyslipidemia in Chinese children and adolescents.MethodsA total of 683 children and adolescents aged 8-15 years were recruited using the stratified cluster sampling method in this cross-sectional study, and were measured their body height, weight, waist circumference (WC), abdominal skinfold thickness (AST), triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), dietary behaviors and physical activities. A logistic regression model and receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC curve) were used to compare the effects of CLAP for predicting dyslipidemia.ResultsThe prevalence of dyslipidemia was 13.6% (13.9% in boys and 13.2% in girls). The AUC (95%CI) of CLAP for predicting dyslipidemia was 0.76 (0.66-0.84) in girls, was 0.83 (0.76-0.89) in boys, and was higher than those of Sweight, SWC, SAST, SWHtR, and SBMI, respectively. The P85 of CLAP was the optimal value to predict dyslipidemia among girls (OR (95% CI): 10.54(5.09-21.82), AUC (95% CI): 0.72 (0.62-0.81). The P75 of CLAP was the optimal value to predict dyslipidemia among boys (OR (95% CI): 8.74(4.54-16.85), AUC (95% CI): 0.73 (95% CI 0.65-0.81).ConclusionsThe CLAP was a novel indicator associated with dyslipidemia in Chinese children and adolescents, and performed better than weight, WC, AST, WHtR, and BMI.

This study aimed to investigate the function of OCT3/4 on tumor immune escape in bladder cancer. Initially, the expression of OCT3/4, TET1, NRF2 and MDM2 was quantified in tumor tissues and cells, followed by gain- or loss-of-function studies to define their roles in cell migration, invasion and apoptosis and tumorigenicity in nude mice. Bladder cancer presented with abundant expression levels of OCT3/4, TET1, NRF2 and MDM2. We found that OCT3/4 promoted TET1 expression via binding to its promoter and that TET1 recruited MLL protein to NRF2 promoter and upregulated its expression, while NRF2 enhanced MDM2 expression. Upregulated MDM2 accelerated tumor immune escape in bladder cancer in mice. OCT3/4 knockdown suppressed the cell migration and invasion while inducing apoptosis, and consequently prevented tumor growth and immune escape in mice. Collectively, OCT3/4 may promote the progression of tumor immune escape in bladder cancer through acting as a promoter of the TET1/NRF2/MDM2 axis.

This paper proposes a novel generation method of binary patterns based on the space-time combination with projector defocusing technique. The linear superposition theory of the fringe projection profilometry system is described. In terms of the principle and the digital binary defocusing technique, through the accurate sequential control of hardware, a sinusoidal function with wavelength is sampled in “time” and “space” directions to calculate the widths of the projected binary patterns. Then, a series of corresponding square fringe patterns are generated and projected to form a high-quality sinusoidal fringe pattern in the defocused projection volume (i.e., the measured volume). Finally, the performance of our proposed approach is demonstrated by the simulations and experiments, e.g., the phase root-mean-square error of a simulation with three-step phase-shifting method can reach about 0.0286 Rad. The precision level is similar to that of the compared optimization method. Fortunately, our proposed method is more convenient and less time-consuming because the optimization process is avoided.

White adipose tissue (WAT) browning plays a crucial role in energy metabolism. However, it remains unclear whether WAT browning is involved in the adipose reduction following sleeve gastrectomy (SG). Adiponectin is upregulated after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery. The role of adiponectin in SG was further investigated in the current study. Diabetic Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into control, sham + libitum, sham + food restriction, and sleeve groups. Browning markers, including uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) γ, and PPARγ coactivator-1 alpha (PGC-1α), were examined 4 weeks after the operation. UCP1, PPARγ, and PGC-1α expression were significantly higher in the sleeve group compared to the other study groups. The adipose tissue of the sleeve group exhibited tissue weight loss and additional morphological browning features. In addition, adiponectin expression in the sleeve group was significantly increased. Adiponectin upregulated the expression of the browning genes and sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. SIRT1 could increase the WAT browning levels, revealing that adiponectin induced the browning process via the upregulation of SIRT1. Furthermore, SIRT1 represented a positive regulatory feedback loop for adiponectin. SIRT1 activated adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK), which can mediate WAT browning. Inhibition of the AMPK signaling pathway by dorsomorphin decreased UCP1, PPARγ, and PGC-1α expression. However, additional studies are needed to understand the relationship between adiponectin and glucose homeostasis. Sleeve gastrectomy increased adiponectin levels, which in turn upregulated SIRT1. Thus, SIRT1 may function as an endocrine signal to mediate WAT browning.

Obesity and metabolic syndrome frequently co-exist and define obese individuals into different obesity phenotypes, such as metabolically healthy obese (MHO), metabolically unhealthy obese (MUO) and metabolically unhealthy normal weight (MUNW). Growing evidence suggests that genetic predisposition and environmental factors can explain the heterogeneity among these phenotypes.We conducted a case-control study including 130 MHO, 251 MUNW, 208 MUO and 336 health controls by genotyping 2 SNPs (rs2241766, rs1501299) in ADIPOQ to investigate possible associations between SNPs in the ADIPOQ gene with susceptibility to three obese phenotypes respectively in Chinese Han population. Unconditional logistic regressions were used to detect the association between ADIPOQ SNPs and MHO/MUNW/MUO risks.Variant G allele of rs2241766 was associated with a reduced odds of MUO (additive model: Adjusted OR = 0.55; 95% CI = 0.40-0.75; P 0.001) and no evidence of any significant association between rs2241766 and MHO phenotype (additive model: Adjusted OR = 0.84; 95% CI = 0.61-1.16; P = 0.306) or MUNW phenotype (additive model: Adjusted OR = 0.95; 95% CI = 0.73-1.24; P = 0.720) was found. Minor allele T of rs1501299 were significantly associated with decreased risk of MHO (Adjusted OR = 0.53; 95% CI = 0.37-0.76; P 0.001) and MUNW (Adjusted OR = 0.63; 95% CI = 0.48-0.83; P = 0.001) in additive genetic model after correction for multiple testing.The variant G allele of rs2241766 was negatively associated with risk of MUO and variant T allele of rs1501299 exhibited reduced odds for MHO and MUNW. Beyond that, future studies are warranted to validate and extend our findings.

Purpose. To explore the changes in FSP27 expression and fat metabolism in adipose tissue and their relationship after bariatric surgery in rats. Method. Food intake, body weight, triglyceride content, fat distribution, and fat cell morphology were evaluated in rats grouped into control, sham, sleeve gastrectomy (SG), and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) groups. Immunohistochemistry and western blotting were used to detect protein expression and real-time PCR was used to detect mRNA expression. Mouse 3T3-L1 preadipocytes were used to assess the effects of different energy levels and nutrient factors on FSP27 in adipocytes. Result. Food intake, body weight, and triglyceride levels were reduced in RYGB and SG rats within 28 days after surgery, with a more pronounced effect in the RYGB group. Weight loss was mainly due to loss of fat mass rather than loss of lean mass, with the most pronounced decrease in trunk fat. FSP27 expression increased in lean rat adipocytes accompanied by increased lipid droplets (LDs). In SG and RYGB rats, the FSP27 protein concentration gradually increased in white adipose tissue (WAT) after operation. Hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL), p-HSL/HSL, Adipose Triglyceride Lipase (ATGL), and Comparative Gene Identification-58 (CGI-58) gradually decreased in SG and RYGB rats, but they were always higher than in control and sham animals. FSP27 was also decreased in 3T3-L1 adipocytes of animals with a high-energy diet. Conclusion. FSP27 is associated with rat lipid metabolism and its expression varies with energy and nutrient supply. It can inhibit excessive hydrolysis and fat accumulation by regulating HSL and ATGL expression and by mediating LDs formation.

Nesfatin-1 is an anorexic peptide derived from nucleobindin 2 (NUCB2). An increase in hypothalamic nesfatin-1 inhibits feeding behavior and promotes weight loss. However, the effects of weight loss on hypothalamic nesfatin-1 levels are unclear. In this study, obese rats lost weight in three ways: Calorie Restriction diet (CRD), Sleeve gastrectomy (SG) and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). We found an increase in nesfatin-1 serum and cerebrospinal fluid levels after weight loss in obese Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. Moreover, weight loss also increased hypothalamic melanocortin 3/4 receptor (MC3/4R) and extracellular regulated kinase phosphorylation (p-ERK) signaling. Third ventricle administration of antisense morpholino oligonucleotide (MON) against the gene encoding NUCB2 inhibited hypothalamic nesfatin-1 and p-ERK signaling, increased food intake and reduced body weight loss in SG and RYGB obese rats. Third ventricle administration of SHU9119 (MC3/4R blocker) blocked hypothalamic MC3/4R, inhibited p-ERK signaling, increased food intake and reduced body weight loss in SG and RYGB obese rats. These findings indicate that weight loss leads to an increase in hypothalamic nesfatin-1. The increase in hypothalamic nesfatin-1 participates in regulating feeding behavior through the MC3/4R-ERK signaling especially after SG and RYGB.

We describe the photometric calibration of the Lunar-based Ultraviolet Telescope (LUT), the first robotic astronomical telescope working on the lunar surface, for its first six months of operation on the lunar surface. Two spectral datasets (set A and B) from near-ultraviolet (NUV) to the optical band were constructed with 44 International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) standards, because of the LUT’s relatively wide wavelength coverage. Set A was obtained by extrapolating the IUE NUV spectra (λ < 3200 A ) to the optical band based upon the theoretical spectra of stellar atmosphere models. Set B was composed of theoretical spectra from 2000 A to 8000 A extracted from the same model grid. In total, seven standards have been observed in 15 observational runs until May 2014. The calibration results show that the photometric performance of LUT is highly stable in its first six months of operation. The magnitude zero points obtained from the two spectral datasets are also consistent with each other, i.e., zp = 17.54 ± 0.09 mag (set A) and zp = 17.52 ± 0.07 mag (set B).

A large telescope's adaptive optics (AO) system requires one or more bright artificial laser guide stars to improve its sky coverage. The recent advent of a high power sodium laser is perfect for such application. However, besides the output power, other parameters of the laser also have a significant impact on the brightness of the generated sodium laser guide star, mostly in non-linear relationships. When tuning and optimizing these parameters it is necessary to tune based on a laser guide star generation performance metric. Although return photon fluxis widely used, variability of the atmosphere and sodium layer makes it difficult to compare results from different sites or even within a short time period for the same site. A new metric, coupling efficiency, is adopted in our field tests. In this paper, we will introduce our method for measuring the coupling efficiency of a 20W class pulse sodium laser for AO application during field tests that were conducted during 2013–2015.

We present results of on-sky tests performed in the summer of 2013 to characterize the performance of a prototype high-power pulsed laser for adaptive optics. The laser operates at a pulse repetition rate (PRR) of 600–800[Formula: see text]Hz, with a 6% duty cycle. Its coupling efficiency was found to be, in the best test case (using 18[Formula: see text]W of transmitted power), [Formula: see text] photons s[Formula: see text] sr[Formula: see text] atom[Formula: see text] W[Formula: see text] m2 when circular polarization was employed and [Formula: see text] photons s[Formula: see text] sr[Formula: see text] atom[Formula: see text] W[Formula: see text] m2 with linear polarization. No improvement was seen when D[Formula: see text] repumping was used, but this is likely due to the relatively large laser guide star (LGS) diameter, typically 10 arcsec or more, which resulted in low irradiance levels. Strong relaxation oscillations were present in the laser output, which have the effect of reducing the coupling efficiency. To better understand the results, a physical modeling was performed using the measured pulse profiles and parameters specific to these tests. The model results, for a 10 arcsec angular size LGS spot, agree well with the observations. When extrapolating the physical model for a sub-arcsecond angular size LGS (typical of what is needed for a successful astronomical guide star), the model predicts that this laser would have a coupling efficiency of 130 photons s[Formula: see text] sr[Formula: see text] atom[Formula: see text] W[Formula: see text] m2, using circular polarization and D[Formula: see text] repumping, for a LGS diameter of 0.6 arcsec Full Width at Half Maximum (FWHM), and free of relaxation oscillations in the 589 nm laser light.

Tsinghua-NAOC (National Astronomical Observatories of China) Telescope (hereafter, TNT) is an 80-cm Cassegrain reflecting telescope located at Xinglong bservatory of NAOC, with main scientific goals of monitoring various transients in the universe such as supernovae, gamma-ray bursts, novae, variable stars, and active galactic nuclei. We present in this paper a systematic test and analysis of the photometric performance of this telescope. Based on the calibration observations on twelve photometric nights, spanning the period from year 2004 to year 2012, we derived an accurate transformation relationship between the instrumental $ubvri$ magnitudes and standard Johnson $UBV$ and Cousins $RI$ magnitudes. In particular, the color terms and the extinction coefficients of different passbands are well determined. With these data, we also obtained the limiting magnitudes and the photometric precision of TNT. It is worthwhile to point out that the sky background at Xinglong Observatory may become gradually worse over the period from year 2005 to year 2012 (e.g., $\sim$21.4 mag vs. $\sim$20.1 mag in the V band)., 12 pages,9 figures, accepted by RAA

In 2008 January the 24th Chinese expedition team successfully deployed the Chinese Small Telescope ARray (CSTAR) to Dome A, the highest point on the Antarctic plateau. CSTAR consists of four 14.5cm optical telescopes, each with a different filter (g, r, i and open) and has a 4.5°×4.5° field of view (FOV). Based on the CSTAR data, initial statistics of astronomical observational site quality and light curves of variable objects were obtained. To reach higher photometric quality, we are continuing to work to overcome the effects of uneven cirrus cloud cirrus, optical “ghosts” and intra-pixel sensitivity. The snow surface stability is also tested for further astronomical observational instrument and for glaciology studies.

The Lunar-based Ultraviolet Telescope (LUT) is a funded lunar-based ultraviolet telescope dedicated to continuously monitoring variable stars for as long as dozens of days and performing low Galactic latitude sky surveys. The slow and smooth spin of the Moon makes its step by step pointing strategy possible. A flat mirror mounted on a gimbal mount is configured to enlarge the sky coverage of the LUT. A Ritchey-Chretien telescope with a Nasmyth focus configuration is adopted to reduce the total length of the system. A UV enhanced back illuminated AIMO CCD 47-20 chip together with the low noise electric design will minimize the instrumental influence on the system. The preliminary proposal for astrometric calibration and photometric calibration are also presented.

GRB 090426 is a short duration burst detected by Swift ($T_{90}\sim 1.28$ s in the observer frame, and $T_{90}\sim 0.33$ s in the burst frame at $z=2.609$). Its host galaxy properties and some $\gamma$-ray related correlations are analogous to those seen in long duration GRBs, which are believed to be of a massive-star origin (so-called Type II GRBs). We present the results of its early optical observations with the 0.8-m TNT telescope at Xinglong observatory, and the 1-m LOAO telescope at Mt. Lemmon Optical Astronomy Observatory in Arizona. Our well-sampled optical afterglow lightcurve covers from $\sim 90$ seconds to $\sim 10^4$ seconds post the GRB trigger. It shows two shallow decay episodes that are likely due to energy injection, which end at $\sim 230$ seconds and $\sim 7100$ seconds, respectively. The decay slopes post the injection phases are consistent with each other ($\alpha\simeq 1.22$). The X-ray afterglow lightcurve appears to trace the optical, although the second energy injection phase was missed due to visibility constraints introduced by the {\em Swift} orbit. The X-ray spectral index is $\beta_X\sim 1.0$ without temporal evolution. Its decay slope is consistent with the prediction of the forward shock model. Both X-ray and optical emission is consistent with being in the same spectral regime above the cooling frequency ($\nu_c$). The fact that $\nu_c$ is below the optical band from the very early epoch of the observation provides a constraint on the burst environment, which is similar to that seen in classical long duration GRBs. We therefore suggest that death of a massive star is the possible progenitor of this short burst.

We present a brief overview of follow-up observations of GRB afterglows made by the 0.8-m TNT and other telescopes at the Xinglong observatory during the last three years. Our system, dedicated to the measurement of early-time optical afterglow emission, responded to 50 GRBs from Jan. 2006 to Apr. 2009. Among them, about 50% have been successfully detected. The fastest response time is 76 sec (GRB 061110A and GRB 090426) after the space-borne GRB detector was triggered. The redshift distribution spans the range from z = 0.033 (GRB 060218) to z = 5.6 (GRB 060927). We also report the optical photometric follow-up of GRB 080330, which is an X-ray flash, as an example of our observations.

The THz spectral region includes a number of important transitions which allow us to trace the evolution of the interstellar medium. Because of the opacity of the atmosphere in this spectral range, the best sites for ground-based THz observations are on the Antarctic Plateau; of these sites, Dome A is expected to be the best. THz survey science can be carried out with small telescopes, easing logistical constraints. By deploying a submillimetre-wave tipper/ telescope to Dome A, we have trialled several technologies for such an instrument, and we are able to test whether the site quality is sufficient for THz surveys.

PLATO is a fully-robotic observatory designed for operation in Antarctica. It generates its own electricity (about 1 kW), heat (sufficient to keep two 10-foot shipping containers comfortably above 0°C when the outside temperature is at -70°C), and connects to the internet using the Iridium satellite system (providing ~30 MB/day of data transfer). Following a successful first year of operation at Dome A during 2008, PLATO was upgraded with new instruments for 2009.

The PLATeau Observatory (PLATO) is an automated self-powered astrophysical observatory that was deployed to Dome A, the highest point on the Antarctic plateau, in 2008 January. PLATO consists of a suite of site-testing instruments designed to quantify the benefits of the Dome A site for astronomy, and science instruments designed to take advantage of the unique observing conditions. Instruments include CSTAR, an array of optical telescopes for transient astronomy; Gattini, an instrument to measure the optical sky brightness and cloud cover statistics; DASLE, an experiment to measure the statistics of the meteorological conditions within the near-surface layer; Pre-HEAT, a submillimeter tipping radiometer measuring the atmospheric transmission and water vapor content and performing spectral line imaging of the Galactic plane; and Snodar, an acoustic radar designed to measure turbulence within the near-surface layer. PLATO has run completely unattended and collected data throughout the winter 2008 season. Here we present a detailed description of the PLATO instrument suite and preliminary results obtained from the first season of operation.

alpha2 adrenoceptors have been shown to regulate the development of dendrites in mammalian cortical neurones. In this study we have investigated how agonists of alpha2 adrenoceptors affect length and density of dendritic spines in cultured cortical neurones from C57/B6 mice. A twenty-four hour incubation of 14 day old cultured neurones with UK 14304, an alpha2-adrenoceptor agonist, resulted in a significant increase in the average length and density of dendritic spines. Furthermore, incubation of neurones with the selective alpha 2A agonist guanfacine resulted in 1.2-fold increase in spine length and 1.8-fold increase in spine density. These effects were blocked by RX 821002 and BRL 44408, alpha2- and alpha 2A-adrenoceptor antagonists, respectively. The observed changes in the density and length of dendritic spines were correlated with increased expression of spinophilin, a key cytoskeletal protein in the formation and maintenance of dendritic spines, and a decrease in the phosphorylation of spinophilin on serine residues. The latter finding points to a possible mechanism by which adrenoceptors may regulate spinophilin function in dendritic spine development and structure in cortical neurones in vitro.

Dome A, the summit of the Antarctic plateau, is expected to have even better atmospheric conditions for ground-based astronomy than Dome C. However, the logistical constraints are very stringent. Current instrumentation at Dome A exemplifies the requirements im- posed by these constraints. Future instrumentation and infrastructure will exploit the qualities of the site much more fully.

We here report the photometric performance of Lunar-based Ultraviolet telescope (LUT), the first robotic telescope working on the Moon, for its 18-months operation. In total, 17 IUE standards have been observed in 51 runs until June 2015, which returns a highly stable photometric performance during the past 18 months (i.e., no evolution of photometric performance with time). The magnitude zero point is determined to be $17.53\pm0.05$ mag, which is not only highly consistent with the results based on its first 6-months operation, but also independent on the spectral type of the standard from which the magnitude zero point is determined. The implications of this stable performance is discussed, and is useful for next generation lunar-based astronomical observations., 6 pages, 3 figures and 2 tables. To be published in Ap&SS

Shucai Xu 1, a , Binbing Huang 2, b ,Jingyao Hu c , Jinhuan Zhang 1, d State Key Laboratory of Automotive Safety and Energy, Department of Automotive Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China Suzhou Automobile Research Institute, Tsinghua University, Suzhou 215000, China BAIC Motor Corporation LTD., Beijing 101300, China xushc@tsinghua.edu.cn, huangbinbing@tsari.tsinghua.edu.cn, zhjh@tsinghua.edu.cn

IRAS 04000+5052 appears to be a single, somewhat extended red source on optical CCD images. From our infrared imaging observations, an infrared cluster consisting of 15 objects is discovered in this region. In this paper, by discussing and analyzing the observational results of near-infrared imaging, optical spectroscopy, and the 12CO molecular line, together with IRAS and NRAO VLA Sky Survey (NVSS) data, we conclude that IRAS 04000+5052 is a compact H II region with a very young dense stellar cluster. The spectrum of the compact H II region shows that it is a metal-poor nebula, which has the lowest line ratio of [N II]/Hα (~1/16.3) discovered in the H II regions of our Galaxy until now. There are three possible explanations. The first is a Herbig Be star model, the second suggests that the material constituting this nebula could come from some nearby external galaxy from accretion of galaxies, and the third suggests that the material was produced in the primeval phase of our Galaxy and has not been chemically contaminated much. There exists an undetected gap between K = 13.6 and the detection limit of 16.2 mag. We give two possible interpretations for this undetected gap; one is based on the star formation itself, and the other is a possible observational effect. This infrared cluster is a very small (0.83 pc × 1.55 pc ) and isolated high-mass protostellar cluster, in which there is a B0.5-type star exciting the compact H II region. The derived heliocentric distance (~4.29 kpc) of IRAS 04000+5052 is twice as large as that of the Perseus arm. It is located far beyond the Perseus arm at the direction (l = 150.86).

87 stars in the NGC 6913 field with both UBV and Vilnius photometry are selected to be the sample. The membership probability of the stars is greater than 50%. The correlation among Vilnius photometry, UBV photometry and reddening in the cluster is reviewed. It is found that the photometry in the Vilnius X, Y and Z bands can be used to make rough spectral classification. The values of E( B-V ) are well correlated with the Vilnius colors of X-Y, Y-Z, Z-V and V-S in NGC 6913. The ratio of ( V-S )/( Y-Z ) of the MPCM (Most Possible Cluster Members) is a constant (1.30 ∼ p0.06), and has no effect on the values of E( B-V ), ( B-V ) 0 and V 0 . Comparing with the observational data of all the stars of NGC 6913 region, we propose that the value of ( V-S )/( Y-Z ) can probably be used to select the preliminary candidates of one open cluster. In addition, 12 variable stars are discovered in the NGC 6913 region, in which star #155 has a variation with an amplitude of 4.25 mag.

For investigating the statistical properties of X-ray selected Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs), we have carried out a program of optical identification of a selection of X-ray sources from ROSAT All Sky Survey Bright Source Catalogue (RASS-BSC) using the 2.16 m telescope of Beijing Astronomical Observatory (BAO). In the preliminary observations, 23 new AGNs were discovered, of which 9 are quasars, and 14 are Seyfert galaxies.

Optical spectroscopic identification of X-ray selected WTTS (weak emission-line T Tauri stars) candidates in the Taurus-Auriga outskirts on the basis of ROSAT pointing observations, has resulted in the discovery of 4 WTTS and several other Li-rich sources. This paper gives the R magnitudes, coordinates (J2000) from USNO (V1.0), spectral type classifications, equivalent widths of Li I absorption and H α emission lines of all the X-ray sources investigated, and the proper motions and parallaxes of some of them, as well as the spectra of the newly discovered WTTS. For the first time, the spatial distribution of a rather complete, ROSAT-discovered sample of WTTS, including those identified from the ROSAT All-Sky Survey and PSPC pointing observations around one of the nearby star-forming regions has been provided, together with a preliminary analysis.