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Twinning is a common deformation mechanism in metals, and twin boundary (TB) segregation of impurities/solutes plays an important role in the performances of alloys such as thermostability, mobility, and even strengthening. The occurrence of such segregation phenomena is generally believed as a one-layer coverage of solutes alternately distributed at extension/compression sites, in an orderly, continuous manner. However, in the Mn-free and Mn-containing Mg-Nd model systems, we reported unexpected three- and five-layered discontinuous segregation patterns of the coherent {101̅1} TBs, and not all the extension sites occupied by solutes larger in size than Mg, and even some larger sized solutes taking the compression sites. Nd/Mn solutes selectively segregate at substitutional sites and thus to generate two new types of ordered two-dimensional TB superstructures or complexions. These findings refresh the understanding of solute segregation in the perfect coherent TBs and provide a meaningful theoretical guidance for designing materials via targeted TB segregation.

Background Coiled-coil domain-containing protein 34 (CCDC34), which belongs to the CCDCs family, has been recently reported to be up-regulated in various kinds of tumors. However, its role in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) still remains unclear. Materials and methods In this study, real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot analysis were performed to measure the mRNA and protein levels of CCDC34 in clinical samples. Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze the relationship between CCDC34 and the prognosis in HCC patients. CCK-8 and colony formation assays were conducted to investigate CCDC34's effect on the cell proliferation, and Transwell assays were used to detect CCDC34's effect on the cell metastasis. Moreover, subcutaneous xenograft tumor model and lung metastasis model were applied to confirm the impact of CCDC34 on the HCC development. Lastly, RNA sequencing and Western blot analysis were performed to probe the underlying mechanism of CCDC34's effect on HCC. Results CCDC34 was significantly induced in HCC tissues, and the overexpression of CCDC34 predicted the poor outcomes among HCC patients. It was verified by the in vitro and in vivo experiments that CCDC34-knockdown potently inhibited the proliferation and metastasis of HCC cells. Subsequent results indicated that CCDC34 inhibition can affect the activation of protein kinase B (PKB or AKT) as well as epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process. Conclusion CCDC34 is significantly associated with HCC. It will become a promising prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target against HCC.

Hybrid utilization of solar and geothermal energy is an attractive option to solve the global energy crisis as well as environmental issues. A solar-assisted ground source absorption heat p...

To address the bottlenecks of sluggish sodium-ion transfer processes, the electrode materials of sodium-ion battery (SIB) are always designed from the viewpoints of sodium-ion diffusion kinetics or reaction thermodynamics for high-performance sodium storage. Herein, starting with spongiform TiO2/C composite derived from zinc alginate, a NH4Cl-assisted annealing strategy is developed to prepare chlorine-doped spongiform TiO2/C composite (ZATC-Cl). Acting as the anode of SIBs, the obtained ZATC-Cl delivers excellent sodium storage performance with a high reversible capacity of 352.4 mAh g−1 at 50 mA g−1, a superior rate capability of 246.8 mAh g−1 at 2 A g−1 and a considerable high-rate cycling performance of 248.5 mAh g−1 at 2 A g−1 for 1000 cycles. It is believed that the unique spongiform structure and ultra-small sized TiO2 particles in ZATC-Cl can achieve fast sodium-ion insertion/extraction, realizing rapid sodium-ion diffusion kinetics. Moreover, as well evidenced by experiment results and theoretical calculations, the Cl dopants introduced in ZATC-Cl can provide more active sites for robust sodium-ion chemical adsorption, optimizing sodium-ion reaction thermodynamics. This study demonstrates an alternative approach to improve the sodium storage capability of TiO2 anodes by the synergistically engineering the morphological and structural properties and manipulating the surface active sites, from both kinetic and thermodynamic viewpoints of sodium storage processes.

We propose and experimentally demonstrate a novel colorless full-duplex passive optical network architecture with Rayleigh backscattering optical beat interference (OBI) noise mitigation by using orthogonal codes. A pair of orthogonal codes are generated and transmitted from optical line terminal (OLT) to optical network unit (ONU) with the same wavelength, in which, one for downstream signal coding, and the other for the upstream seeding signal. In ONU, the upstream signal is remodulated without erasing the downstream signal. Extra centralized CW light sources and gain-saturation RSOAs are not needed. By using orthogonal codes, the spectral overlap between upstream and downstream signal is reduced, which can mitigate OBI noise significantly. The performance of transmission and power margin are investigated through experiments at different data rates, transmission distances compared with normal on-off keying (OOK) signals. The remodulated upstream signals are correlatively received at OLT with coding gain which is useful in long-reach transmissions. Due to coding gain and OBI noise mitigation, total 4~9dB power margin is achieved for 5Gb/s downstream and 1.25Gb/s upstream with 20km to 70km transmission distances.

Translationally controlled tumor protein (TCTP), which is a protein characterized by its potent proliferation promoting activity, has been well studied in the area of growth and tumorigenesis. However, the specific role of TCTP in liver regeneration (LR) and its underlying mechanism remains unclear. In order to investigate the contribution of TCTP during LR, heterozygous TCTP mice were generated, and a mimic LR model was applied to TCTP-knockdown (KD) hepatic cell lines. The results revealed that TCTP-KD impaired LR in mice, and manifested as the following aspects: delayed proliferation of hepatocytes, accompanied by disruption of the mRNA expression of markers of the cell cycle, degenerated lipid metabolism, and abnormal immune response. Furthermore, it was found out that TCTP activated PI3K/AKT signaling by regulating mTORC2. Lastly, the increasing rate of serum TCTP positively correlated to the recovery of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) after liver resection in humans. In summary, the present study is the first to reveal the crucial role of intracellular TCTP in LR.

Background Translationally controlled tumor protein (TCTP), which has been verified to have a proinflammatory activity, plays an important role in allergy. However, it remains unclear whether TCTP has an impact on the acute rejection (AR) after liver transplantation. Methods Three protocols were used to delineate the role of TCTP in AR after liver transplantation. First, in rat orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT), the expression of TCTP was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), real-time PCR, Western blot and immunofluorescence assays. Second, in mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR), the role of TCTP in lymphocyte proliferation was measured by carboxyfluorescein succinimidyl ester (CFSE) labeling and the impact of TCTP on inflammatory factor release was detected by cytokine arrays. Third, in human OLT, the level of serum TCTP was detected by ELISA, and the relationship between TCTP and model for early allograft function (MEAF) score was assessed by Spearman's correlation. Results In rat OLT, AR resulted in great harm to allografts, manifesting as deterioration of liver function, increasing inflammatory factors and infiltrating lymphocytes. Meanwhile, TCTP was overexpressed in serum and allografts. Higher level of TCTP was associated with higher rejection activity index (RAI). In an MLR protocol, TCTP knockdown inhibited the proliferation of mixed inflammatory cells and significantly suppressed the release of 15 cytokines and chemokines. In human OLT, the serum TCTP was up-regulated within a week after operation. Additionally, the increasing speed of serum TCTP positively correlated with MEAF scores (r = 0.449; P = 0.0088). Conclusions Up-regulated TCTP positively affects AR after liver transplantation.

Hepatic macrophages play pivotal roles in tolerance induction after liver transplantation (LT). However, macrophages possess functional heterogeneities, and the protective role of M2c macrophages, a macrophage subtype characterized by the surface marker CD163 that secretes interleukin-10 (IL-10) and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), in acute rejection following LT, has not been addressed. The aim of this study was to determine whether polarized macrophages of the M2c subtype could improve outcomes after LT for rats, including survival rate, liver function, and inflammatory infiltration. In our study, the numbers of CD163-positive cells were found to be increased in tolerant liver grafts. Immediately following the surgery, M2c macrophages induced from rat bone marrow-derived cells were infused into recipients; this significantly improved survival rate and liver function. The expression levels of IL-10 and TGF-β1 were markedly increased in these rats compared to those in the control group. Furthermore, CD8(+) T-cell infiltration was reduced, whereas the numbers of apoptotic cells increased, in rats treated with M2c. To explore the mechanisms of the protective role of M2c, the numbers of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II positive cells were found to be decreased and the expression of N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase V (MGAT5) was up-regulated in M2c infusion groups. Together, these findings demonstrate that polarization of macrophages towards the M2c phenotype ameliorated acute rejection in a rat LT model and may provide a novel and effective therapeutic approach for AR after transplantation.

Introduction Glutamine metabolism is essential for the proliferation of cancer cells. Transported by SLC1A5, a Na+ dependent transporter, glutamine is absorbed for further use. Recent studies have revealed the anti-tumor effect of berberine. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of berberine on cancer cell glutamine metabolism. Materials and methods The inhibitory effect of berberine on liver cancer cells was analyzed by CCK-8 and EdU assay. The glutamine concentrations were detected by ELISA and UHPLC-MRM-MS analysis. Glutamine metabolism-related proteins were determined by Western blot, immunofluorescent analysis and immunohistochemistry. Results Berberine inhibited the proliferation of Hep3B and BEL-7404 cell in vitro. Berberine suppressed the glutamine uptake by inhibiting SLC1A5. The upregulation of SLC1A5 led to an increased glutamine uptake and improved tolerance to berberine. Berberine suppresses SLC1A5 expression by inhibiting c-Myc. Furthermore, berberine suppresses the growth of tumor xenografts, and the expression of SLC1A5 and c-Myc in vivo. The high expression of SLC1A5 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues is associated with poor prognosis. Conclusion Berberine can suppress the proliferation of liver cancer cells by reducing SLC1A5 expression.

Background In vivo pig liver xenotransplantation preclinical trials appear to have poor efficiency compared to heart or kidney xenotransplantation because of xenogeneic rejection, including coagulopathy, and particularly thrombocytopenia. In contrast, ex vivo pig liver (wild type) perfusion systems have been proven to be effective in "bridging" liver failure patients until subsequent liver allotransplantation, and transgenic (human CD55/CD59) modifications have even prolonged the duration of pig liver perfusion. Despite the fact that hepatocyte cell lines have also been proposed for extracorporeal blood circulation in conditions of acute liver failure, porcine hepatocyte cell lines, and the GalT-KO background in particular, have not been developed and applied in this field. Herein, we established immortalized wild-type and GalT-KO porcine hepatocyte cell lines, which can be used for artificial liver support systems, cell transplantation, and even in vitro studies of xenotransplantation. Methods Primary hepatocytes extracted from GalT-KO and wild-type pigs were transfected with SV40 LT lentivirus to establish immortalized GalT-KO porcine hepatocytes (GalT-KO-hep) and wild-type porcine hepatocytes (WT). Hepatocyte biomarkers and function-related genes were assessed by immunofluorescence, periodic acid-Schiff staining, indocyanine green (ICG) uptake, biochemical analysis, ELISA, and RT-PCR. Furthermore, the tumorigenicity of immortalized cells was detected. In addition, a complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) assay was performed with GalT-KO-hep and WT cells. Cell death and viability rates were assessed by flow cytometry and CCK-8 assay. Results GalT-KO and wild-type porcine hepatocytes were successfully immortalized and maintained the characteristics of primary porcine hepatocytes, including albumin secretion, ICG uptake, urea and glycogen production, and expression of hepatocyte marker proteins and specific metabolic enzymes. GalT-KO-hep and WT cells were confirmed as having no tumorigenicity. In addition, GalT-KO-hep cells showed less apoptosis and more viability than WT cells when exposed to complement and xenogeneic serum. Conclusions Two types of immortalized cell lines of porcine hepatocytes with GalT-KO and wild-type backgrounds were successfully established. GalT-KO-hep cells exhibited higher viability and injury resistance against a xenogeneic immune response.

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)-related hepatocellular carcinoma and liver disorders have become the leading causes for the need of liver transplantation in developed countries. Lipotoxicity plays a central role in NASH progression by causing endoplasmic reticulum stress and disrupting protein homeostasis. To identify key molecules that mitigate the detrimental consequences of lipotoxicity, we performed integrative multiomics analysis and identified the E3 ligase tripartite motif 16 (TRIM16) as a candidate molecule. In particular, we found that lipid accumulation and inflammation in a mouse NASH model is mitigated by TRIM16 overexpression but aggravated by its depletion. Multiomics analysis showed that TRIM16 suppressed NASH progression by attenuating the activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway; specifically, by preferentially interacting with phospho-TAK1 to promote its degradation. Together, these results identify TRIM16 as a promising therapeutic target for the treatment of NASH.

It is uncertain that the interfacial bonding is whether a strong chemical bond or a weak van der-Waals one in graphene-metal composites. The effect of interfacial bonding features on dislocation strengthening are still obscure. Herein, we have investigated the mechanical response and dislocation behaviors of graphene/Fe composite using molecular dynamics simulations. Lennard–Jones and embedded-atom typed potential is employed to model a weak and strong interfacial bonding, respectively. We have considered anisotropy in three cases where a pair of graphene nanosheet (GN) were placed on three orthogonal ({1 1 0}, {1 1 1} and {1 1 2}) plane. When the dislocation is directly blocked by the GN, the yield stress of the strong-bonded composite is higher than that of the weak-bonded one. After the dislocation depins from the strong-bonded {1 1 2} GN, the Orowan loop is formed without surface step, in contrast to that in the weak-bonded one. For the {1 1 1} GN/Fe, the dislocation bypasses the GN pair in the strong-bonded composite, where double cross-slip and dislocation neutralization on the top {1 1 0} slip plane occur opposed to the middle {1 1 0} plane in the weak-bonded case.

The rapid rise of deep learning and AI is inseparable from the support of massive labeled data. Crowdsourcing has become a cheap and efficient paradigm for providing labels for large-scale unlabeled data. But, due to the various uncertainty of crowdsourcing workers (or called labelers), much low-quality and false labeled data is yielded. To address this fundamental challenge, many redundancy-based ground truth inference algorithms have been proposed in the past few years, which assign each labeling task to multiple workers and infer the true label of each instance in task from its multiple label set. In this paper, we devise a novel scheme to improve the quality of labeled data and infer the truth label, which utilizes small proportion golden data that has been labeled correctly to estimate workers’ ability and reliability and uses the incentive mechanism to motivate workers to do their best. Through experiments, we demonstrate that our method is effective and is also robust to low-quality workers as it outperforms Majority Voting (MV) and some commonly used algorithms.

Stress concentration around nanosized defects such as cavities always leads to plastic deformation and failure of solids. We investigate the effects of depth, size, and shape of a lotus-type nanocavity on onset plasticity of single crystal Al during nanoindentation on a (001) surface using a quasicontinuum method. The results show that the presence of a nanocavity can greatly affect the contact stiffness (Sc) and yield stress (&sigma, y) of the matrix during nanoindentation. For a circular cavity, the Sc and &sigma, y gradually increase with the cavity depth. A critical depth can be identified, over which the Sc and &sigma, y are insensitive to the cavity depth and it is firstly observed that the nucleated dislocations extend into the matrix and form a y-shaped structure. Moreover, the critical depth varies approximately linearly with the indenter size, regarding the same cavity. The Sc almost linearly decreases with the cavity diameter, while the &sigma, y is slightly affected. For an ellipsoidal cavity, the Sc and &sigma, y increase with the aspect ratio (AR), while they are less affected when the AR is over 1. Our results shed light in the mechanical behavior of metals with cavities and could also be helpful in designing porous materials and structures.

A total of 383 samples from soil, plant, litterfall and precipitation in four typical ecosystems of Gongga Mountain were collected. Pb concentrations of samples were measured and analyzed. The results showed mean Pb concentrations in different soil layers were in the order of O > A > C, and mean Pb concentrations of the aboveground parts of plant was 3.60 +/- 2.54 mg kg(-1), with the minimum value of 0.77 mg kg(-1) and the maximum value of 10.90 mg kg(-1). Pb concentrations in soil's O-horizon and A-horizon showed a downward trend with increasing elevation (the determination coefficient R-2 was 0.9478, 0.7918 and 0.9759 respectively). In contrast to other soil layers, the level of Pb concentrations in O-horizon (incomplete decomposition) was significantly high. Litterfall decomposition, atmospheric deposition and the unique climate could be main factors leading high Pb accumulation in soil's O-horizon. What's more, significant correlation (R-2 = 0.8126, P < 0.05) was found between Pb concentrations in fine roots and soil's A-horizon confirms that fine roots could adsorb and accumulate Pb materials in soil. In general, the fact that Pb inputted into the typical ecosystems in the Gongga Mountain via long-range transportation and deposition of the atmosphere from external Pb sources could be confirmed by the HYSPLIT model and the ratio of C-Pb/C-Al in plants (leaves) and C-Pb/C-Al in litterfall. The mining activities and increasing anthropogenic activities (tourism development) could be main sources of Pb in this area. In order to better understand Pb sources and eco-risks of these typical ecosystems, litterfall decomposition characteristics, biomass of productivity of forest ecosystem, Pb isotopic tracing among air mass, twigs, leaves, litterfall and O-horizon soil in this vertical belt should also be taken into consideration. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Atomization and spray is now widely used in many industrial fields. On-line measurement of the size distribution, temperature, and component concentration of the spray droplets is very important for the in-depth investigation into the mechanism and optimized control of the atomization and spraying process. Global Rainbow Refractometry (GRR) is an effective light scattering technique for the simultaneous measurement of the size distribution and refractive index of the spray droplets. In the paper, an improved reversion algorithm of GRR is proposed based on Nussenzveig theory, least square method and empirical formulas. Firstly five characteristic points are extracted from the intensity distribution of the pretreated global rainbow, and then the refractive index and diameter range of the droplets can be initially estimated. From the initially estimated values, the refractive index and diameter range of the droplets are determined by optimizing the angular deviation between the reconstructed and captured rainbows. Finally, both numerical simulations and experiments are carried out to evaluate the feasibility of the improved algorithm. The results show that the error of the inversion result of refractive index is of the order of magnitude 10 −4 , and the error of the mean diameter is better than 3 μm.

Concentrations of six trace elements (Cr, Pb, Cd, Co, V and Ni) in needles and litter of the fir (Picea spinulosa) and spruce (Abies georgei var. smithii) collected respectively at 42 sites and 18 sites in timberline forests in Heng Duan mountains, China, are reported in the present study. Mean concentrations of trace metals (Cr, Co, Ni, V, Cd and Pb) were 3.07 mg kg(-1), 2.48 mg kg(-1), 39.81 mg kg, 8.12 mg kg(-1), 0.13 mg kg(-1), 4.26 mg kg(-1) respectively in litter and 0.89 mg kg(-1), 0.38 mg kg(-1), 7.33 mg kg, 0.38 mg kg, 0.92 mg kg(-1) and 0.92 mg kg(-1) in needles. In contrast to needles, all of elements in both parts were significantly enriched in the litter. Translocation of trace metals in the needles senescence before falling off may be confirmed, but additional investigations should be performed. Geostatistical analysis of Arcgis 10.0 was carried out in order to present the spacial distribution of trace metals in needles. The mine areas had relatively high levels of trace metals according to our original data. Trace metal concentrations of three belt transects, which could be the results of responding to the effects of the monsoon, were different. We deduced that mineral resources and climatic factor (southeasterly and southwesterly monsoon) could be possible contributions regarding the distribution of trace metals in needles. Depending on the results, we proposed a simple and novel way of the biomonitor of trace metal. This method maybe used as a preliminary judgment to the possible source of trace metals. This study also is the first report on the spatial distribution of needle trace metals in the timberline forests by geostatistical analysis. Such biological monitoring is needed to provide databases which will facilitate the next step of this kind of studies which would be to evaluate levels of trace metal accumulation. In order to better understand trace metals of our study area, more sampling sites, climate data, soil data of trace metal, back trajectory studies of air mass and the continuous monitor should be good choices. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Particle size has a significant effect on mechanical properties of particle reinforced metal matrix composites (PRMMCs). Here, the effect of particle size on mechanical properties of SiCp/Fe composite has been studied using a finite element (FE) model incorporated with the Taylor-based nonlocal theory (TNT) of plasticity, where the tested particle size is 5, 10, 16, 21, 28 and 40μm, respectively. The results indicate that the TNT-FE model overcomes the shortage of the traditional FE model, which cannot deal with the intrinsic size effect. With the particles of 20 vol.%, the simulated flow stress of the iron matrix composite reinforced by 16μm SiC particles is the highest and then follows the order of 28 > 5 > 10 > 21 > 40μm particle reinforced ones, close to the tendency of experimental results. A large area of compressive stress zone is observed in the matrix near the particles in the composites reinforced by 16 and 28μm particles, which implies that the matrix can be well protected during loading, so that the load-bearing capability is better. The purpose is to optimize mechanical property of SiCp/Fe composite by adjusting particle size and eventually to design PRMMCs from microstructural control.

Summary Objective The China Seven Cities Study (CSCS) monitors geographic and temporal trends in tobacco use among adolescents and adults in seven cities throughout Mainland China: Harbin, Shenyang, Wuhan, Chengdu, Kunming, Hangzhou, and Qingdao. This article presents the methodology and prevalence data from the baseline survey of the CSCS, conducted in 2002. Methods Stratified random samples of middle schools, high schools, and colleges were selected within each city. Students and their parents completed self-report surveys of their tobacco use. Data were obtained from 6138 middle school students, 5848 academic high school students, 2448 vocational high school students, 2556 college students, and 25 697 parents. Results Smoking prevalence varied across age groups, school types, genders, and cities. Past-month smoking prevalence was 9% among middle school students, 8% among academic high school students, 26% among vocational high school students, 21% among college students, and 40% among parents. Smoking prevalence was higher among males than among females, with larger gender disparities among adults than among youth. Smoking also varied across cities, with higher smoking prevalence in southwestern cities and lower prevalence in coastal cities. Intraclass correlations of students within schools are presented to inform statistical power estimates for further research in China. Conclusions These results provide a baseline for future longitudinal studies of smoking in these cities and identify demographic groups at risk for tobacco-related disease. Effective smoking prevention programmes for youth and smoking cessation programmes for adults are needed in China, especially in the lower-income southwestern cities and in vocational high schools throughout the country.

Onset plasticity of metallic nano-lines or nano-beams is of considerable scientific and technological interest in micro-/nano- mechanics and interconnects of patterned lines in electronic devices, where capability of resistance to deformation is important. In this study, a multiscale quasicontinuum (QC) method was used to explore such an issue in a nano-scale copper (Cu) line protruding from a relatively large single crystal Cu substrate during compression. The results show that the yield stress of a rectangular beam on the substrate can be greatly reduced compared with that of a flat surface of the same area. For the rectangular line, the aspect ratio (width/height) affects dislocation morphology at the onset plasticity without much change of yield stress. However, for the trapezoidal line, the yield stress decreases with the base angle (α), especially when the α is over 54.7°. As the sidewall orientation changes from 〈100〉 at α = 0°, then to 〈111〉 at α = 54.7° and finally to 〈110〉 at α = 90°, a higher surface energy could enable easier dislocation formation and lower yield stress. Meanwhile, it is found that the interaction between the line and the support substrate also shows a great effect on yield stress. Moreover, although it is possible to open two extra dislocation slip planes inside from the two bottom corners of the Cu line with the α over 54.7°, dislocation nucleation derived from them is only observed at α = 90°.

Concentrations of 14 heavy metals (Ag, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, Tl, V, and Zn) in needles, twigs, bark and xylem of spruce and fir collected at the timberline of eight sites along the Hengduan Mountains, eastern Tibetan Plateau, are reported. Twigs had the highest concentration for most of elements, while xylem had the lowest concentration. The connections between elements in twigs were much richer than other organ/tissues. Pb, Ni, As, Sb, Co, Cd, Hg, Cr and Tl which are partly through anthropogenic sources and brought in by monsoon, have been accumulated in twigs and needles by wet or dry deposition in south and east sites where are within or near pollutant sources. Under moderate pollution situation, vegetation are able to adjust the nutrient element (Cu and Zn) cycle rate, thus maintain a stable concentration level. Seldom V, Ag, and Mo are from external anthropogenic sources. Needles and twigs can be used as biomonitors for ecosystem environment when needles can simply distinguish the origin of elements and twigs are more sensitive to extra heavy metal input.