Search

Objective: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a common chronic nasal mucosal congestion disease of children, and its pathogenesis is associated with immune factors. Methods: 50 cases of children were collected and their nasal mucus was used to detect inflammatory factors IL-17A, IL-17F and IL-33 level, as well as the proportion of ILC2 and Th2 in blood labeled by flow cytometry. In addition, the allergic rhinitis model of immature mice was established. HE staining was used to observe nasal mucosa. IgE, IL-17A, IL-17F and IL-33 levels were detected, and the ratio of ILC2 and Th2 in blood was marked by flow cytometry. The expressions of IL17-RC, TRAF6, NF-kBp65 and MAPK protein in IL17RC-IL33-NF-kB signal pathway were measured by western blot. Results: The results indicated that IL-17A, IL-17F and IL-33 were significantly higher in children with allergic rhinitis and young model mice than that in control group. The content of CD4+IL-4+subgroup in Th2 in blood of model mice was high. The same trend as CD127+CD117+CRTH2+subgroup in ILC2. HE staining showed that the nasal mucosa of mice was intact in the control group, but the nasal mucosa epithelium of mice in the model group was destroyed. Conclusion: IL17-RC, TRAF6, NF-kBp65 and MAPK in nasal mucosal of model mice showed high expression, confirming that inflammatory factor IL17A-IL17F activated IL33 transcription through IL17RC and Activated ILC2 and Th2 cells involving in allergic inflammatory responses.

Shale oil in Ordos basin, China, is being developed using horizontal well and volume fracturing. Elastic energy, dissolved gas expansion etc. are the main driving forces for fluid flowing from matrix to horizontal wellbore. However, flow mechanism varies greatly when hydrocarbon flows from matrix to artificial fractures and then to wellbore, due to huge differences in the sizes of flow channel, from nano-scale pore-throat in matrix to meter-scale channel in wellbore. Thus, a reasonable mathematical description of the structural characteristics of complex fracture networks is important for an accurate productivity prediction model of a horizontal well. In this paper, a physical model was first built dividing fluid seepage area into three sections and five small zones, which are horizontal wellbore zone, highly transformed zone, weakly transformed zone, drainage zone in matrix and the non-drainage zone in matrix. Joukowski transformation was then introduced before a mathematical solution was deduced, where law of equivalent seepage resistance and material balance method were applied. Then mathematical model of seepage in five different zones were built based on the solution considering different flow patterns, threshold pressure gradient and stress sensitivity in those zones. Productivity equation of multi-section-coupled seepage flow in three sections was deduced afterwards and came up with a fast calculation method to predict productivity in horizontal well with multi-scale nonlinear characteristics by solving analytical solutions for multistage mathematical models. The method has been applied to simulate dynamic development performance in 67 horizontal wells (have been producing for over 3 years) in Qingcheng oil field, Ordos basin, China, with an 82.01% of accuracy. The developed simulation model is expected to be applicable not only in the prediction of development performance in horizontal wells in shale oil and gas reservoir but also in other unconventional reservoirs such as carbonate reservoirs. The process may shed light on the ways to increase the total productivity of oil and gas recovery in hydrocarbon industry.

In this paper, production system(PS) of shale oil is optimized according to production data and indoor experiments, including core and fluid tests. Results showed that: ① Pressure drop rate at wellhead is a reasonable reference for the determination of post-fracture shut-in duration (PFSID). When pressure at a wellhead of horizontal well is relatively stable and the pressure drop less than 0.1mpa per day for three consecutive days, PFSID ends; ② Flowback intensity of fracturing fluid affects the effectiveness of proppant underground, thus flowback intensity can be determined by the critical flow rate and safety factor of each proppant; ③ Flowback intensity should be varied during different development stages, which could be divided into four according to production gas and oil ratio(GOR) of a shale oil horizontal well: low, medium-high, high and high-low production GOR. During the stage of low production GOR, ratio of flow pressure and saturation pressure should be maintained greater than 1.0, and the initial daily liquid productivity for a hundred-meter oil-bearing lateral length in a horizontal well is 2.0-2.5m3/d; and during the medium -high production GOR, high production GOR and high-low production GOR stages, the responding initial daily liquid productivity should be maintained between 0.8-1.0 or less than 0.8 respectively.

Background: Emerging evidence shows that circular RNAs (circRNAs) participate in the pathogenesis of multiple immune diseases. However, few studies have focused on the mechanisms of circRNAs involved in allergic rhinitis (AR). Methods: This study performed an RNA sequence (RNA-seq) profiling to identify the expression of circRNAs in nasal mucosa from ovalbumin-induced AR murine models and normal controls. Quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was then conducted to validate the differential expression of circRNAs. Bioinformatics analysis was applied to demonstrate the biological functions of the dysregulated circRNAs. Results: A total of 86 distinct circRNA candidates were sequenced, of which 51 were upregulated and 35 were downregulated. The T cell receptor, B cell receptor, and calcium signaling pathways may be involved in the pathology of AR. Furthermore, a circRNA-miRNA interaction network was constructed via miRNA response elements analysis. Some circRNAs were cor-related with miRNAs that are involved in T cell polarization and activation, thereby highlighting their potential role in the pathogenesis of AR. Conclusions: This study demonstrates a number of aberrantly expressed circRNAs related to AR, and offers a novel perspective into AR pathogenesis and future therapeutic strategies.

CaSc2O4:Ce3+ is a well-known green emitting phosphor, but needs to match with suitable red emitting phosphors in practical white lighting. Herein, a site engineering strategy is proposed to modify the local coordination environment of Ce3+ by introducing Y3+ and Mg2+ ions into the CaSc2O4 crystal lattice. The obtained results indicate in the modified Ce3+-doped samples (CSO-YMg), Y3+ ions can occupy both Sc3+ and Ca2+ sites simultaneously, and the Y3+ ions tend to occupy Ca2+ sites in low-doped stage and enter into the Sc3+ sites in the high-doped stage. The introduction of Y3+ ions gives rise to the existence of MgO in as-prepared CSO-YMg samples, and it can be effectively washed through pickling. In the spectral aspect, with the increase of Y3+ and Mg2+ ions, the main emission peak is red-shifted from 512 nm to 530 nm upon excitation at 450 nm. However, the high-doped sample presents much stronger thermally induced fluorescence quenching than CaSc2O4:Ce3+. The lattice defects caused by doped ions (Y3+ and Mg2+) and the non-radiative energy transfer process between the Ca2+ (Ce3+) and Sc3+ (Ce3+ or Ce4+) sites should be responsible for such evident quenching phenomenon in CSO-YMg, which is obviously different from the emitting feature of CaSc2O4:Ce3+ (only at Ca2+ sites). Besides, utilizing the as-prepared CSO-5 phosphors and a blue LED (~450 nm), a WLED was successfully fabricated, yielding a comparable performance to those with commercial Y3Al5O12:Ce3+ phosphors. What discussed in this study would bring some inspirations in the exploration and understanding of Ce3+-based phosphors according to local structural modification.

Eu3+ lanthanide ion possesses abundant 4f-4f transition lines in the visible spectral region, and its spectroscopic changes can sensitively reflect the variation of local ligand environments. Here, Eu3+ ions are successfully introduced into Ca4Al6SO16 lattice, and the structural difference from orthorhombic (o-Ca4Al6SO16) to cubic (c-Ca4Al6SO16) phases is systematically analyzed. On that basis, the related influence on crystal-field splitting of Eu3+ ions is discussed in detail. The obtained results indicate that Eu:o-Ca4Al6SO16 and Eu:c-Ca4Al6SO16 have three and two non-degenerate 5D0→7F0 transition peaks, respectively. Through the theoretical analysis and low-temperature (78 K) luminescent investigation with changing the excitation wavelength, those non-equivalent Ca2+ sites are assigned as o-Ca(1) (~577.6 nm), o-Ca(3) (~579.6 nm), o-Ca(4) (~580.6 nm), c-Ca(1) (~578.7 nm), and c-Ca(2) (~580.2 nm), respectively. In addition, with the increase of c-Ca4Al6SO16 content in the sintered product, the fluorescence intensity ratios of I580.6/I613.7, I616.2/I613.7 and I621/I613.7 present a gradual decreasing tendency. And, the introduction of c-Ca4Al6SO16 into the as-prepared product is beneficial for increasing the decay lifetime of the 5D0 excited state and enhancing the resistance capability to thermally induced fluorescence quenching. What discussed in this work might provide some useful thoughts for multi-phase studies and broaden the application range of lanthanide fluorescent probes.

Nowadays, for lanthanide fluorescence thermometry, high relative temperature sensitivity (Sr) and wide sensing range are urgently required in practical applications. Herein, a Pr3+-doped scandate (Pr3+:CaSc2O4) luminescent thermometer is proposed, and the related crystal-field splitting of Pr3+ ions is systematically discussed. The 4f5d-4f and 4f-4f emissions of Pr3+ ions in CaSc2O4 basically present positive and negative correlation relationships with the increase in temperature, respectively. The different changing tendencies in relation to temperature for the two kinds of transitions are mainly derived from the effects of the thermally activated trap energy levels and the crossover process between 5d and 4f energy states of Pr3+ ions and are beneficial for the enhancement of relevant temperature sensitivities. The obtained experimental results manifest that Pr3+:CaSc2O4 owns a maximum relative temperature sensitivity Sr of 2.49%·K-1 (at 390 K) and a low temperature uncertainty (around 0.1 K from 275 to 490 K). Moreover, it is also able to keep a relatively high Sr (not lower than 2%·K-1) over a wide temperature sensing range (∼200 K), which is more excellent than those of reported luminescent thermometric materials (∼100 K). Hence, what discussed in this study might provide a useful design perspective for the exploration and development of high-performance luminescent thermometers with a wide applicable temperature range.

This study was designed to investigate the chemical characterization of scrophularia ningpoensis polysaccharides (SNP) and its protective activity on the cerebral ischemia/reperfusin injury (CIRI) rats. SNP was successfully isolated and fractionated by anion exchange chromatography and gel filtration into different factions, namely SNP1, SNP2, SNP3, SNP2-A and SNP2-B. SNP2-A is consisted of mannose (Man), rhamnose (Rha), glucuronic Acid (Glu A), galacturonic Acid (Gal A), glucose (Glu), galactose (Gal), xylose (Xyl) and arabinose (Ara). The nervous defect symptoms, the brain infarct volume and brain water content of rats with CIRI were improved by pretreatment with SNP2-A. In addition, SNP2-A could increase SOD activities, but could reduce MDA, NO, NOS, IL-1β and TNF-α levels in brain tissues of rats with CIRI. Additionally, the reductive ERK protein expression and the elevated JNK and p38 protein expression stimulated by CIRI were all ameliorated by pre-treatment of SNP2-A. The results indicate that the protective effect may be related to the improvement of SNP2-A on the antioxidant capacity of brain tissue, the inhibition of inflammatory cytokines overproduction and the amelioration of MAPK pathway such as JNK, p38 and ERK proteins. These data provided an information for mechanistic studies for polysaccharide neuroprotective effects in CIRI.

High-color-rendering illumination is an important application direction in the development of white-light-emitting diodes (WLEDs). In this work, the Ce3+-activated Sr3Sc4O9-CaSc2O4 phosphors are successfully obtained by cation exchange from Sr3Sc4O9:Ce3+. Due to the high reaction activity and reaction rate in CaCl2 melt, the exchange process can be realized under much lower temperature than that of traditional high-temperature sintering, even near the melting point of CaCl2 (1058 K). The color tunability of as-prepared phosphors from orange to green is also easily tailored by adjusting the content of CaCl2. What is more, combining the exchanged phosphor and a blue LED, a high-color-rendering warm WLED is also demonstrated (CCT = 3555 K, Ra = 88, R9 = 94), which is comparable to most of commercial WLEDs. The obtained results not only manifest the potential application of ion exchange in preparing luminescent materials and adjusting corresponding spectral properties, but also provide a promising platform in developing the high-color-rendering warm white-light illumination.

Diagenesis is one of the most important factors impacting the performance of many reservoirs and is perhaps the most important factor impacting the performance of tight sandstone reservoirs, such as those of the Sulige gas field in the Ordos Basin of China. However, the relationship between diagenesis and related parameters determining reservoir physical properties remains unclear. Therefore, we have analyzed experimental data from high-pressure mercury intrusion porosimetry, scanning electron microscopy, and thin sections in addition to using a porosity recovery calculation model to investigate microscopic characteristics, diagenesis, and pore-evolution processes of the low-permeability tight gas reservoir of the He-8 unit of the Sulige gas field in the Ordos Basin. In addition, we have identified the impacts of diagenesis on reservoir characteristics and established the relationship between diagenesis and reservoir quality evolution. We also used the Beard primary porosity model to recover the primary porosity, and to built the reducing and enhancing calculation models for intergranular pore, dissolution pore, and intercrystalline pore during diagenesis. Based on the quantitative relationship between diagenesis processes and porosity evolution, we found that the results of simulation calculation and experimental works were in close agreement with minimal error.

The Upper Triassic Yanchang Formation Chang 6 Member (C6 Member) in the Ordos Basin is the typical crude oil-rich sandstone in China, and its density restrict the exploration and development potential of hydrocarbon as well as their evaluation accuracy. Reservoir characteristics was studied using thin section (TS) associated with particle and pore size image analysis, X-ray diffractions, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP). Time was taken as the main axle combined with diagenetic history, burial history, thermal history and structure. Thus, formation mechanism of tight reservoir was discussed by building the porosity evolution model and calculation method using “diagenesis simulation” and “geological effect simulation”. Results show that after strong evolution and reconstruction, micro-nano pore throat system has developed and ultralow-low porosity-super low permeability tight sandstone reservoir has formed. Porosity evolution of Well H53 of C6 Member has revealed the correlations between the hydrocarbon charging and the porosity. Tight sandstone reservoir quality is affected by the maximum intergranular point-counted porosity, maximum compaction rate, maximum cementation rate, pore evolution of sample and the oil saturation, reasons for the formation of tight sandstone reservoir as well as its quality have been found out.

Eu3+-doped SrGa2O4 from γ- to β-phases is successfully manipulated by controlling sintered temperature from 1273 K to 1673 K. The related structural changes are characterized by the thermal analysis, Rietveld refinement and Raman investigation. And on that basis, the photoluminescence (PL) survey is used to study the corresponding crystal-field splittings of Eu3+ ions in γ- and β-SrGa2O4, which shows the obvious difference in the 4f-4f energy transitions of Eu3+ ions between two SrGa2O4 phases, especially in the non-degenerate 5D0→7F0 transition region. Both γ- and β-SrGa2O4 show two 5D0→7F0 transition peaks, being in agreement with the two nonequivalent Sr sites in each SrGa2O4 phase. For γ-SrGa2O4, it is 580.8 nm (SrO7) and 579 nm (SrO8), respectively, and for β-SrGa2O4, it is 579.6 nm (SrO7) and 578.7 nm (SrO8), respectively. The difference of Eu3+ crystal field splitting between SrO7 sites and SrO8 sites in γ-SrGa2O4 is larger than that in β-SrGa2O4, which is mainly derived from the larger polyhedral difference between two Sr sites (SrO7 and SrO8). What discussed in this work manifests the sensitive response of Eu3+ ions for the change of local structural surroundings, and further indicates the potential application of rare-earth fluorescent probes in the field of phase identification.

Aims: Long noncoding RNA have been proved as important regulator in various diseases. NRON was a newly identified tumor-related lncRNA, and previous studies have reported its function in hepatocellular carcinoma and heart failure. However, the function and mechanism of lncRNA NRON in osteosarcoma still unknown. Methods: Cell proliferation, invasion, migration and apoptosis were detected via CCK-8, transwell assay and Western. Bioinformatics analysis was used to predict the potential target of NRON. Rescue experiment was performed to identify the relationship between NRON and MVB12B. Results: The expression of lncRNA NRON was significantly downregulate in osteosarcoma tissues and cell lines. Knockdown of NRON promoted cell proliferation, invasion and EMT. Overexpression of NRON inhibited cell proliferation, invasion and EMT. Bioinformatics analysis predicted that MVB12B was the direct target. The expression of MVB12B was significantly upregulated in osteosarcoma tissues and cell lines. Rescue experiment further confirmed the relationship between NRON and MVB12B. Overexpression of MVB12B completely reversed the function of NRON. Conclusion: Taken together, our results comprehensively analyzed the function of NRON in osteosarcoma and provided possible mechanism that NRON inhibited osteosarcoma development by regulating MVB12B. Thus, our study may offer a potential therapeutic target for treating osteosarcoma.

Recently, carbon dots (CDs) have received much attention in light-emitting applications owing to their low cost, non-toxicity and favorable fluorescence. In view of the aggregation-induced quenching effect and poor thermal stability of CDs, the development of a simple and high-efficiency strategy for solving these tough issues and improving the practicality of CDs is urgently necessary. Herein, a CD doped boehmite composite (CDs@AlOOH) is directly achieved through a facile one-step decomposition route. The uniform dispersion of CDs in AlOOH effectively alleviates the adverse self-quenching effect of CDs and gives rise to a tunable fluorescence feature of the composite. The N doping and energy transfer between CDs and AlOOH are beneficial for the photoluminescence (PL) enhancement of CDs@AlOOH. Meanwhile, CDs@AlOOH has outstanding long-term thermal stability, and maintains 98%, 90% and 80% of the initial PL performance after air heating treatment at 150 °C for 100 h, 250 h and 500 h, respectively. Moreover, the white lighting application is also demonstrated by combining CDs@AlOOH samples and commercial UV/blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs) without other phosphors. What is discussed in this study might offer some inspiration for dealing with the bottleneck problems of CDs in practical lighting and display fields.

Objective The aim of this study was to develop a novel W/O microemulsion for a natural extract of Wen-Luo-Tong (WLT) containing mainly icariin, hydroxysafflor yellow A (HSYA) and gallic acid to be applied to skin as a potential treatment for peripheral neuropathy. Methods The oil phase was selected on the basis of affinity with the surfactant and co-surfactant. Pseudo-ternary diagrams were constructed to optimize microemulsions and finally stability studies were performed on the selected formulations. Droplet sizes were analyzed by using a zetasizer and were found to be within the desired range. Selected microemulsions with acceptable viscosities, containing 5%, 8% and 10% of water extract solution, were used for in vitro skin penetration studies using Franz diffusion cells and excised rat skin. New LC-MS/MS and UPLC-Q-TOF/MS methods were employed for quantitative and qualitative analysis. Results The optimized formulation (ME-4) consisting of 10% (w/w) water extract solution, 60% isopropyl myristate, 30%(w/w) Smix: Propylene glycol (5:2) significantly increased the cumulative permeated amounts of HSYA, icariin and gallic acid compared with the water extract solution controls. Conclusion This novel formulation also increased the number of components penetrating rat skin. Ten components were detected in the Franz cell receptor solution using a UPLC-Q-TOF/MS system after the application of formulation ME-4 for 24h on the skin in vitro. However, only one component was detected after applying the control. Therefore, the microemulsion ME-4 was selected for future in vivo pharmacodynamic studies.

Guppy (Poecilia reticulata) is a promising model organism in toxicological studies, and vitellogenin (Vtg) is a commonly used biomarker for environmental estrogens. Although an ELISA for guppy Vtg has been developed previously, we found that guppy had two forms of Vtgs. In this study, two Vtgs were characterized and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) for each Vtg were developed. Two Vtgs purified from 17β-estradiol (E2)-exposed guppy were characterized as phospholipoglycoproteins with molecular weights of ~ 520 and ~ 480 kDa, respectively. In SDS-PAGE, one purified Vtg appeared as three major bands of ~ 210, ~ 126, and ~ 102 kDa, and the other revealed a clear band of ~ 68 kDa. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization–time of flight/time of flight mass spectrometry analysis showed that they were VtgAb and VtgC. Using purified Vtgs and their corresponding antibodies, two sandwich ELISAs with working ranges of 7.8~1000 and 15.6~500 ng/mL were developed. Precision tests showed that intra- and inter-assay coefficients of variations of both ELISAs were below 10%. Parallelism between Vtg standard curves and serial dilutions of whole body homogenate from E2-exposed guppy confirmed that two ELISAs could quantify guppy Vtgs. Furthermore, two ELISAs were used to measure Vtg inductions in liver, caudal fin and whole body of male guppy exposed to 17a-ethinylestradiol to validate their use for detecting estrogenic effects of exogenous chemicals. These homologous Vtg ELISAs will promote the use of guppy as a model organism to study estrogenic chemicals.

Nowadays, for lanthanide fluorescence thermometry, high relative temperature sensitivity (

The design and development of phosphors have received widespread attention with the increasing demand for white light-emitting diodes (WLEDs). In this work, a series of Ce3+-doped gadolinium scandium aluminum garnet (GSAG) phosphors were successfully synthesized by the sol-gel method, and the relevant structural, optical, and lighting properties were investigated in detail. The optimal sintering process was optimized to 1873 K for 5 h under an Ar/H2 reduction atmosphere, and the structural analysis showed that the lattice parameters were gradually increased with an increase in Sc/Al substitution. The cationic substitution of GSAG adjusted the local coordination environments of Ce3+ ions effectively, and the increasing Sc3+-doped concentrations gave rise to a blue-shift of photoluminescence spectra and a decline of related fluorescence lifetimes. Furthermore, the doping concentration of Ce3+ ions was optimized and the concentration quenching mechanism was also clarified. Based on the temperature-dependent spectral survey, the thermally induced fluorescence quenching behavior of GSAG:Ce3+ (x = 1 at.%, y = 0.65) was measured, and the relevant activation energy was evaluated to 0.28 eV. Moreover, the effects of different Sc/Al substitution ratios on the thermal stability of GSAG:Ce3+ samples were also tested. Benefited from the tunable emission of GSAG:Ce3+ phosphors, the WLEDs device was fabricated by combining with a blue LED, yielding the Ra value of 82.1 and the CCT value of 3981 K. This study indicates the potential application of GSAG:Ce3+ phosphors in white lighting and also provides some guiding inspirations in the exploration of new garnet phosphors.

Vitellogenin (Vtg) in zebrafish (Danio rerio) is a core biomarker for screening environmental estrogens in test guidelines of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. To accurately quantify zebrafish Vtg, lipovitellin (Lv), the main Vtg-derived yolk protein, was used as the antigen to establish a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The purified Lv was a phospholipoglycoprotein with apparent molecular weight of ~445kDa, and separated into three polypeptides corresponding to ~117, ~102, and ~23.8kDa by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Immunological analysis confirmed the specificity of the anti-Lv antibody for Vtg and the immunological similarity between Vtg and Lv. Using the purified Lv and anti-Lv antibody, a sandwich ELISA with a detection limit of 4.3ng/mL and a detection range from 7.8 to 250ng/mL was developed. The intra- and inter-assay coefficients of variation were both below 10%. Moreover, the Lv standard curve was nearly identical to the Vtg standard curve, and paralleled serial whole-body homogenate dilutions of male zebrafish exposed to 17β-estradiol, demonstrating that the Lv-based ELISA could be used for quantification of zebrafish Vtg. Zebrafish Lv showed high stability during purification process, heat treatment, -80°C storage, and repeated freeze/thaw cycles. Additionally, the standard curve of Lv stored at -80°C for 3months exhibited higher robustness than that of Vtg stored under the same conditions. Finally, the usefulness of the ELISA for detecting estrogenic activity was verified by quantifying Vtg inductions in zebrafish exposed to monocrotophos.

Pr3+ lanthanide ions show enormous application potential in the optical thermometric field due to the abundant 4f5d → 4f and 4f → 4f transition lines. Pr3+-doped SrRE2O4 (Re = Sc, Lu and Y) luminescent thermometers are proposed in this study, and the relevant site occupancies of dopant Pr3+ ions are investigated based on the temperature-dependent steady-state and transient photoluminescence spectral analyses. The results obtained indicate the Pr3+ ions only enter into the Sr2+ sites in Pr3+:SrSc2O4, whereas can occupy the Sr2+ and RE3+ sites simultaneously in Pr3+:SrLu2O4 and Pr3+:SrY2O4. Meanwhile, the dependence of transient decay dynamics analyses on temperature further verifies the existence of the energy transfer mechanism between Pr3+ ions located at Y3+ (or Lu3+) and Sr2+ sites. The luminescence thermometry strategy on the basis of the 3P0 → 3H4 emissions from different Pr3+-doped sites (RE3+ and Sr2+) in Pr3+:SrLu2O4 and Pr3+:SrY2O4 exhibits high-performance temperature sensing, yielding a maximum relative sensitivity Sr of 1.63%·K−1 (400 K) for Pr3+:SrLu2O4 and 3.30%·K−1 (300 K) for Pr3+:SrY2O4. Moreover, Pr3+:SrY2O4 manifests excellent sensing performance in the physiological temperature range with a Sr value no lower than 1.90%·K−1. The temperature sensing approach discussed in this research would facilitate the development of new Pr3+-based sensing strategies.

The exploration of red phosphors is very meaningful for enhancing the color rendering index (CRI) of white-light-emitting diodes (WLEDs). Herein, the novel BLO:Ce3+ orange-red phosphors are successfully synthesized by the high-temperature solid-state reaction via introducing Ce3+ ions into the Ba3Lu4O9 host. Structural analysis shows there was only the BLO:Ce3+ phosphors in the obtained product according to the standard diffraction card. The optimal preparation condition is the single-pass sintering in H2 at 1873 K for 3 h. In the spectral aspect, the optimal Ce3+-doped concentration is 0.5 atom %, and the strongest excitation and emission peaks of are located at 410 nm and 584 nm, respectively. Compared to reported Ba3Sc4O9:Ce3+ phosphors, the emission peak of BLO:Ce3+ phosphors is effectively red-shifted to about 21 nm. The fluorescent lifetime of BLO:Ce3+ phosphors is about 11.45 ns. Based on the temperature-dependent spectral and structural investigations, the thermal fluorescent quenching of BLO:Ce3+ phosphors originates mainly from the surrounding change of Ce3+ ions, and it is more evident at the temperatures below 340 K. Moreover, the crystallographic sites of the Ce3+ ions in Ba3Lu4O9 are also verified according to the temperature-dependent photoluminescence characterization with the excitation of 355 nm and empirical theoretical analysis, suggesting the observed luminescence mainly comes from the Ce3+ ions located in the LuO6 and BaO6 polyhedra. Finally, utilizing the as-prepared BLO:Ce3+ phosphors, commercial green phosphors and a blue LED, the WLED device is fabricated with a warm white-light performance in the color rendering (Ra = 91.2 and R9 = 88) and color temperature (3758 K) aspects. This study indicates the potential application of BLO:Ce3+ orange-red phosphors in the white-light illumination, and also provides some guiding inspirations in the exploration new red oxide phosphors.

Mitochondria and oxidative stress play important roles in neuronal cell death associated with cerebral ischemia. Elevated level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mitochondrial dysfunction are thought to be responsible for cerebral ischemia injury along with neural cells death through several apoptotic mechanisms. In this study, exposure of rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) at the concentration of 0.3 mM for 24 h caused significant loss of cell viability, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release from cells, ascent of ROS level and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) decrease. Moreover, the activities of caspase-9, caspase-8 and caspase-3 all were increased in H2O2-induced PC12 cells. However, pretreatment with ginkgolide K (GK) solutions of different concentrations (10, 50, 100 µM) for 24 h prior to exposuring to H2O2 significantly increased cells viability, suppressed LDH release, attenuated ROS level, prevented cytochrome c release from mitochondria and boosted MMP expression. In addition, ginkgolide K notably inhibited the caspase-3 and caspase-9 but not caspase-8 activities in exogenous H2O2-treated PC12 cells. These results demonstrated that ginkgolide K protected PC12 cells from H2O2-induced apoptosis by restoring MMP expression, ameliorating oxidative stress and subsequently leading to inhibit the activity of caspase-3 protein. Therefore, the present study supported that ginkgolide K may be a promising neuroprotective compound for cerebral ischemia treatment.

Ginkgolide K, a natural platelet-activating factor receptor antagonist, was isolated from the leaves of Ginkgo biloba. However, little is known about its neuroprotective effect in ischemia-reperfusion (I/R)-induced cerebral injury. Hence, the present study was carried out to investigate the effect of ginkgolide K on neuroprotection and the potential mechanisms in the rat I/R model induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). The rats were pretreated with ginkgolide K 2, 4 and 8 mg/kg (i.v.) once a day for 5 days before MCAO. Neurological deficit score (NDS), brain water content, 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining and pathology of brain tissue, as well as indexes of oxidative stress [superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO) and nitric oxide synthase (NOS)] were measured at 24 h after ischemia. The results indicated that pretreatment with ginkgolide K significantly diminished the volume of infarction and brain water content, and improved NDS. Moreover, ginkgolide K markedly reversed the level of MDA, NO, NOS and SOD to their normal state in serum or cerebral ischemic section. In addition, hematoxylin and eosin staining showed the neuronal injury was significantly improved after being pretreated with ginkgolide K. These findings demonstrate that ginkgolide K exhibits neuroprotective properties through its antioxidative action in MCAO rats.

Smilax china L., popularly known as "Jin Gang Ten", has been widely used as a traditional herbal medicine for the treatment of gout, rheumatoid arthritis and other diseases for a long time in China.The present study was carried out to investigate the effect of Smilax china L. on hyperuricemia and renal dysfunction in induced hyperuricemic animals.Five fractions (petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate, n-butanol and residual ethanol fraction) of Smilax china L. were orally administered to potassium oxonate-induced hyperuricemic mice for three days. The xanthine oxidase inhibitory activities and modes of action of nine compounds isolated from ethyl acetate fraction (EAF) were then examined in vitro. Finally, different dosages of EAF were administered to 10% fructose-induced hyperuricemic rats.EAF (250 mg/kg) exhibited stronger anti-hyperuricemic activity in hyperuricemic mice compared with the other four fractions. Caffeic acid, resveratrol, rutin and oxyresveratrol isolated from EAF showed different inhibitory activities on xanthine oxidase in vitro, with the IC(50) values of 42.60, 37.53, 42.20 and 40.69 μM, respectively, and exhibited competitive or mixed inhibitory actions. Moreover, EAF (125, 250 and 500 mg/kg) markedly reversed the serum uric acid level (p0.05, p0.01 and p0.001, respectively), fractional excretion of urate (p0.05, p0.01 and p0.01, respectively) and blood urea nitrogen (p0.05, p0.01 and p0.01, respectively) to their normal states, and prevented the renal damage against tubulointerstitial pathologies in hyperuricemic rats.These findings show that Smilax china L. exhibits anti-hyperuricemic and nephroprotective activity in hyperuricemic animals.

The formation of secondary reaction zones (SRZs) beneath aluminide coatings in several Ru-bearing single-crystal Ni-base superalloys has been investigated. The presence of significant amounts of Ru in the superalloys did not prevent the formation of the secondary reaction zone. However, the Ru content of the alloys affected the type of refractory element-rich phase formed during the transformation. As the Ru content increased, the phase involved in the transformation shifted from the orthorhombic P to the β-RuAl phase. A differential tendency to SRZ formation was observed between the dendritic and interdendritic regions of the alloys. Significant growth of the SRZ was also observed during the high-temperature oxidation exposure of the coated alloys. The effects of the alloying elements on SRZ formation are discussed.

Femtosecond (fs, 10−15 second) laser ablation of single-crystal nickel-base superalloy CMSX-4 under laser fluences ranging from 0.1 to 160 J/cm2 has been investigated. For comparison, the ablation behaviors of Ni and Ni3Al as individual components of the superalloy have also been studied. Two distinct ablation regimes were observed, dependent on the incident laser fluence. The ablation threshold fluences for these two ablation regimes were determined to be $$ \phi _{{th1}} $$ = 0.30 ± 0.03 and $$ \phi ^{{}}_{{th2}} $$ = 5.3 ± 0.5 J/cm2 in the superalloy. Ablation thresholds for the single-phase Ni and Ni3Al alloys were close to those measured for two-phase superalloy. The two distinct surface morphologies produced by ablation in these regimes were characterized in detail by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The ablation rate equations for the two regimes are presented and the corresponding ablation mechanisms are discussed. The implications for application of fs pulsed lasers to machining of superalloys are also discussed.

This study examines the impact of growth in student debt on net small business formation. We find a significant and economically meaningful negative correlation between changes in student debt and net new businesses employing one to four employees, the firms most dependent on personal debt for financing. Based on our model, an increase of one standard deviation in student debt reduced the number of businesses with one to four employees by 14% between 2000 and 2010. The effect on larger firms decreased with firm size, which we interpret to mean that these firms had greater access to outside capital.

Small businesses are the backbone of the U.S. economy and account for approximately one-half of the private-sector economy and 99% of all businesses. To start a small business, individuals need access to capital. Given the importance of an entrepreneur’s personal debt capacity in financing a startup business, student loan debt, which is difficult to discharge via bankruptcy, can have lasting effects and may have an impact on the ability of future small business owners to raise capital. This study examines the impact of the growth in student debt on net small business formation. We find a significant and economically meaningful negative correlation between changes in student loan debt and net business formation for the smallest group of small businesses, those employing one to four employees. This is important since these small businesses depend heavily on personal debt to finance new business formation. Based on our model, an increase of one standard deviation in student debt reduced the number of businesses with one to four employees by 14% on average between 2000 and 2010. The effect on larger firm formation decreased with firm size, which we interpret to mean that these firms have greater access to outside capital.

Aims In this report, the transport of ginkgolides with different lipophilicities was investigated using an hCMEC/D3 cell monolayer as a blood–brain barrier (BBB) cell model in vitro in an attempt to explain ginkgolide transport path mediated by lipophilicity. Main methods The log P values of ginkgolides were determined by measuring the distribution of the molecule between oil and water. Additionally, the cytotoxicity of ginkgolides on hCMEC/D3 cells was assayed with the MTT method. Ginkgolide contents were determined with an ultra performance liquid chromatograph equipped with an evaporative light scattering detector (ULPC–ELSD) method. Apparent permeability coefficients (P app ) and efflux ratios (P appBL → AP /P appAP → BL ) were then calculated to describe the transport characteristics of ginkgolide. Key findings The transport of ginkgolide A, ginkgolide B, ginkgolide C, and ginkgolide J across the hCMEC/D3 cell monolayer was non-directional. Additionally, ginkgolide C transport on the cell monolayer was time- and concentration-dependent in the paracellular pathway controlled by cytochalasin D (a tight junction modulator). The transport of ginkgolide N, ginkgolide L, and ginkgolide K across the cell monolayer displayed clear directionality at low ginkgolide concentrations. This behavior indicated that the transport of ginkgolide N, ginkgolide L, and ginkgolide K was influenced by the transcellular pathway containing an efflux protein accompanied by the paracellular pathway for passive diffusion. Additionally, the transport of ginkgolide K was increased significantly by co-culturing with a P-gp inhibitor. Significance These findings provide important information for elucidating ginkgolide transport pathways and may be beneficial for the design of ginkgolide molecules with high neuroprotective effects.

Mitochondria and oxidative stress play important roles in neuronal cell death associated with cerebral ischemia. Elevated level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mitochondrial dysfunction are thought to be responsible for cerebral ischemia injury along with neural cells death through several apoptotic mechanisms. In this study, exposure of rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) at the concentration of 0.3 mM for 24 h caused significant loss of cell viability, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release from cells, ascent of ROS level and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) decrease. Moreover, the activities of caspase-9, caspase-8 and caspase-3 all were increased in H2O2-induced PC12 cells. However, pretreatment with ginkgolide K (GK) solutions of different concentrations (10, 50, 100 µM) for 24 h prior to exposuring to H2O2 significantly increased cells viability, suppressed LDH release, attenuated ROS level, prevented cytochrome c release from mitochondria and boosted MMP expression. In addition, ginkgolide K notably inhibited the caspase-3 and caspase-9 but not caspase-8 activities in exogenous H2O2-treated PC12 cells. These results demonstrated that ginkgolide K protected PC12 cells from H2O2-induced apoptosis by restoring MMP expression, ameliorating oxidative stress and subsequently leading to inhibit the activity of caspase-3 protein. Therefore, the present study supported that ginkgolide K may be a promising neuroprotective compound for cerebral ischemia treatment.

A series of studies have recently demonstrated that the release of interleukin 1β induced by monosodium urate crystals is central to the experimental gouty arthritis. Elaeagnus pungens has been traditionally used for the treatment of gouty arthritis in China for more than thousands years. However, there is still little known about the active ingredients and mechanisms of E. pungens against gouty arthritis. Emodinol, as a major triterpene compound in E. pungens, has been seldom reported to have an effect on gouty arthritis. Therefore, the potential beneficial effects and mechanisms of emodinol on gouty arthritis were investigated in this study. Results showed that it significantly ameliorated the hyperalgesia, inflammation, and levels of multiple proinflammatory cytokines in monosodium urate crystals-treated mice. These findings elucidate that emodinol exhibits a prominent effect on improving symptoms of acute gouty arthritis induced by monosodium urate crystals through inhibiting the generation of proinflammatory cytokines.

Thalictrum fortunei S. Moore, a perennial plant distributed in the southeastern part of China, has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for thousands of years for its antitumor, antibacterial and immunoregulatory effects. In order to investigate the active components and the mechanism of the anti-tumor effects of Thalictrum fortunei, the growth inhibitory effects of eight triterpenoids isolated from the aerial parts of the plant on tumor cell lines were examined by 3-(4,5)-dimethylthiazoy1-3,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The MTT-assay results showed that the inhibitory activity of 3-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)-β-D-fucopyranosyl(22S,24Z)-cycloart-24-en-3β,22,26-triol 26-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (1) was stronger than that of the other seven tested triterpenoids on human hepatoma Bel-7402 cell line (Bel-7402), human colon lovo cells (LoVo), human non-small cells lung cancer NCIH-460 cells (NCIH-460) and human gastric carcinoma SGC-7901 cells (SGC-7901) after 48 h treatment in vitro, with the IC(50) values of 66.4, 84.8, 73.5, 89.6 μM, respectively. Moreover, the antitumor mechanism of compound 1 on Bel-7402 cell was explored through nucleus dyeing, fluorescence assay, flow cytometry and western blot. The flow cytometric analysis results revealed that compound 1 caused apoptosis and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) loss in Bel-7402 cells. A fluorescence assay indicated that intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) were markedly provoked by compound 1 treatment compared to control cells. Immunoblot results showed that compound 1 significantly increased the expression levels of cleaved caspase-3, P53 and Bax protein, and decreased the expression level of Bcl-2 protein. These findings indicate that compound 1 inhibits the growth activity of tumor cells, probably through the P53 protein-induced apoptosis pathway.

Akebia saponin D is a typical bioactive triterpenoid saponin isolated the rhizome of Dipsacus asper Wall. Our previous studies demonstrated that the oral bioavailability of akebia saponin D was very low, but the underlying mechanisms remained unknown. The present study aims to investigate the intestinal absorptive characteristics of akebia saponin D as well as the absorptive transport behavior influenced by co-administration of three absorption-enhancing agents and three efflux protein inhibitors using an in vitro everted gut sac method and an in situ intestinal perfusion model. The results showed that akebia saponin D had a quite limited intestinal permeability, and there was a non-linear increase in transepithelial transportation with increasing concentrations of akebia saponin D. The absorption of akebia saponin D was intestinal segment selective and the small intestine was the best absorptive site. Among three absorption promoters, borneol could significantly improve the permeability of akebia saponin D across ileum, while Tween-80 and DMSO had almost no absorption-enhancing effect. In addition, verapamil, probenecid and pantoprazole in the perfusates were used in this study as modulators of transporters such as P-glycoprotein, MRPs and BCRP in the intestinal mucosa, respectively. The results exhibited that the ileal permeability of akebia saponin D was markedly elevated by the co-administration of probenecid, indicating that akebia saponin D may be likely a substrate of MRPs. The above-mentioned results suggest that akebia saponin D has a poor intestinal absorption not only due to its poor transepithelial permeability but also owing to the contribution of efflux transporters such as MRPs in the intestine.

Pump-probe imaging of femtosecond pulsed laser ablation was performed to investigate the mechanical shock induced on an intermetallic superalloy CMSX-4 during femtosecond laser machining. Time resolved shadowgraphic images were collected of the shock wave produced in the air above the target following laser exposure (0-10.3 nanoseconds). The dimensions of the shock wave were measured as a function of delay time and laser fluence (1.27 J/cm2 - 62.8 J/cm2). Time-resolved shadowgraphic images of the ablation event will be presented, and the corresponding damage morphology as a function of incident laser fluence will be discussed.