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The sequence recommendation algorithm based on self-attention mechanism utilizes users' interactive sequences to model their dynamic preferences and predict their future behaviors. However, directly inputting the interactive sequences into the self-attention layer will limit the effective utilization of local association information in the sequences. In add-on, most of the existing recommendation algorithms use the dot product of the representation of the users' recent behaviors and the target items to calculate the item scores, which will weaken the impact of previous interactive items on the recommendation results. This paper proposes a date-aware sequential recommendation algorithm that fuses local information of sequences. It uses multiple vertical filters to fuse multiple local association information of each interactive item in the interactive sequence, and uses cross-attention mechanism to capture the relationships between all historical interactive items and target items. It also abandons the traditional position embedding method and replaces it with absolute time embedding based on the date of interaction occurrence. Experimental results on multiple public datasets show that the algorithm has certain improvement compared with the baseline algorithms in different evaluation indicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Externally bonded carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) technology can be used by different methods based on the anchorage device, CFRP type, and prestressing/nonprestressing. However, a direct comparison between the strengthening efficacies of different methods is still lacking. Seven large-scale RC beams were tested in this study to investigate the influences of the anchorage method, CFRP type, prestress, and prestressing system on the flexural strengthening efficacy of RC beams. The test results showed that the ultimate load increased by 38.3%, whereas the cracking and yielding loads were slightly affected when the anchorage method was enhanced from CFRP U-wraps to wedge-clamp anchors. The CFRP plate and CFRP sheet could provide a rather close flexural strengthening efficacy under the same CFRP strengthening amount. Compared to the nonprestressed CFRP plate, the prestressed CFRP plate was highly superior in improving the flexural behavior of RC beams. The cracking, yielding, and ultimate loads of the prestressed CFRP-strengthened specimens were 57.1%, 22.9%, and 5.9%, respectively, higher than those of the nonprestressed CFRP-strengthened specimen with an effective anchorage. The two types of prestressing systems based on the adhesive-friction anchor and wedge-clamp anchor were proven to be effective for flexural strengthening of RC beams with prestressed CFRP plates, and they could provide almost the same strengthening effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) exhibits multiple advantages over conventional steel, such as high strength and corrosion resistance. By replacing prestressing steel with prestressing CFRP in new prestressed reinforced concrete (RC) structures, the corrosion issue of prestressing steel can be resolved. At present, there remains scarce research on the application of CFRP strands in the prestressed RC structures. An experimental study was conducted on prestressed RC beams with internal post-tensioned CFRP strands under flexure. The study aimed to analyze the effects of the prestress level, number of CFRP strands, layout shape of CFRP strands, bonding layer, and reinforcement ratio of steel bars on the flexural behavior. The test results indicated that all specimens experienced concrete crushing failure. After applying prestressing CFRP strands to ordinary RC beams, the cracking load increased by 50.0% to 102.2%, the yielding load increased by 20.2% to 38.6%, and the ultimate load increased by 20.3% to 41.4%. Reducing the reinforcement ratio of steel bars had a minor effect on the cracking load but resulted in a noticeable decrease in the yielding and ultimate loads of the prestressed CFRP strand-reinforced concrete beams. Moreover, the bonded specimen showed a slight increment in the cracking, yielding, and ultimate loads as well as stiffness compared to the unbonded specimen, while the deformation capacity of the unbonded specimen remained superior. The specimens with curved and straight prestressing CFRP strands exhibited very similar mechanical properties. • Conduct an experimental study of the prestressed RC beams with post-tensioned CFRP strands under flexure. • Study the effects of the prestress level, CFRP strand number, layout shape, bonding layer, and reinforcement ratio. • Give a detailed discussion on the general results, parameter effects, strain development and ductility. • Provide an important reference for RC structures prestressed with post-tensioned CFRP strands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The current surveillance system only focuses on notifiable infectious diseases in China. The arrival of the big-data era provides us a chance to elaborate on the full spectrum of infectious diseases.Methods: In this population-based observational study, we used multiple health-related data extracted from the Shandong Multi-Center Healthcare Big Data Platform from January 2013 to June 2017 to estimate the incidence density and describe the epidemiological characteristics and dynamics of various infectious diseases in a population of 3,987,573 individuals in Shandong province, China.Results: In total, 106,289 cases of 130 infectious diseases were diagnosed among the population, with an incidence density (ID) of 694.86 per 100,000 person-years. Besides 73,801 cases of 35 notifiable infectious diseases, 32,488 cases of 95 non-notifiable infectious diseases were identified. The overall ID continuously increased from 364.81 per 100,000 person-years in 2013 to 1071.80 per 100,000 person-years in 2017 (χ2 test for trend, P < 0.0001). Urban areas had a significantly higher ID than rural areas, with a relative risk of 1.25 (95% CI 1.23-1.27). Adolescents aged 10-19 years had the highest ID of varicella, women aged 20-39 years had significantly higher IDs of syphilis and trichomoniasis, and people aged ≥ 60 years had significantly higher IDs of zoster and viral conjunctivitis (all P < 0.05).Conclusions: Infectious diseases remain a substantial public health problem, and non-notifiable diseases should not be neglected. Multi-source-based big data are beneficial to better understand the profile and dynamics of infectious diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prestressed CFRP (carbon fiber reinforced polymer) strengthening technique has significant superiority over the ordinary externally bonded CFRP technique in increasing the strengthening efficiency and strength utilization of the CFRP. However, as a key to the prestressing technique, the field- applicable prestressed CFRP system without requiring end access is still very scarce. In this study, a novel prestressed CFRP plate system was developed for strengthening reinforced concrete (RC) beams, and with this system no operation space is required at the RC beam end. The anchorage performance of the anchors was first examined by the pull-out tests of the anchor-CFRP plate assemblies, and then large-scale RC beams were strengthened using this system to evaluate its construction feasibility and strengthening efficiency. The test results showed that the developed prestressing system could effectively anchor a 50 mm×3.0 mm CFRP plate with rupture failure of the CFRP plate, and the flexural performance of RC beams was effectively enhanced by both the bonded and unbonded strengthening. Compared with the unstrengthened beam, the increase ratios of the strengthened beams reached 150 %-225 % for cracking load, 33.0 %-48.8 % for yielding load, and 46.1 %-49.5 % for ultimate load. Under the same prestress, the unbonded and bonded methods provided a rather close ultimate load but the bonded strengthening gained an advantage in enhancing the cracking and yielding loads. The study proves the feasibility and effectiveness of this system for flexural strengthening application of RC beams with a width of no less than 250 mm, and provides a foundation for further studies (e.g., long-term durability and fatigue behavior) and practical applications of this system. • A practical prestressed CFRP plate system was developed for strengthening RC beams. • The anchorage behavior was evaluated by pull-out tests of anchor-CFRP plate assemblies. • Large-scale RC beams were strengthened using this system to evaluate its feasibility. • Effects of the prestress and adhesive layer on the flexural strengthening were investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) plates have been widely used in the strengthening and retrofitting of engineering structures due to their excellent mechanical properties. Applying a prestress to a CFRP plate is an effective solution for increasing its strengthening effectiveness, whereas the high-efficient anchorage and convenient tensioning of the CFRP plate are critical issues in practical applications. A novel anchorage and tensioning system for the prestressed CFRP plate was developed in this study. The space requirement at the end of structural elements can be significantly reduced by using this novel system. A finite element analysis was first conducted on the CFRP plate-anchor assembly to investigate the main factors affecting the anchorage performance. Based on the FE results, the final geometric sizes of the anchors were determined. Tensioning tests of the CFRP plate-anchor assemblies were carried out to verify the anchorage efficiency. The test results indicated that the CFRP plate could be loaded to fracture completely, and the anchorage system exhibited excellent anchorage efficiency. Finally, this system was used in the flexural strengthening of steel beams with unbonded prestressed CFRP plates. The flexural test results demonstrated that this system was effective for enhancing the flexural behavior of steel beams. The unbonded prestressed CFRP plate could obviously increase the load-carrying capacity and reduce the deflection of steel beams. The developed novel anchorage and tensioning system was proven to be feasible and applicable for flexural strengthening of steel beams with unbonded prestressed CFRP plates. • A novel anchorage and tensioning system for prestressed CFRP plates was developed. • The optimal design was conducted based on the FE modelling to determine the geometric sizes of the anchors. • The CFRP plate could be loaded to fracture completely, and the anchorage system exhibited excellent anchorage efficiency. • The anchorage and tensioning system was effective for enhancing the flexural behavior of steel beams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: Tooth eruption is a complicated process regulated by the dental follicles (DF). Our recent study discovered that tooth eruption was inhibited upon injection of bleomycin into DF. However, the mechanisms were unknown.Experimental Approach: Human dental follicle cells (hDFCs) were treated by bleomycin or exogenous TGF-β1 or transfected by plasmids loading SMAD7 or shRNA targeting SMAD7, followed by osteogenesis induction assay and signalling analysis. Human fresh DF tissues and Wistar rats were used to further confirm bleomycin function.Key Results: Bleomycin decreased expression of RUNX2 and osteogenic genes in hDFCs, reducing osteogenic capacity. TGF-β1 expression was up-regulated in bleomycin-treated hDFCs. The effects of exogenous TGF-β1 were similar to those of bleomycin in hDFCs. Additionally, compared to SMAD2/3, SMAD7 expression increased more in bleomycin- or TGF-β1-treated hDFCs. Overexpression of SMAD7 likewise significantly decreased RUNX2 expression and osteogenic capacity of hDFCs. Knockdown of SMAD7 markedly attenuated the inhibitory effects of bleomycin and TGF-β1 on osteogenic capacity and RUNX2 expression of hDFCs. Most importantly, changes in TGF-β1, SMAD7, and RUNX2 expressions were similar in the DF of rats and humans treated with bleomycin.Conclusion and Implications: SMAD7 was a negative regulator of osteogenic differentiation in DFCs through suppressing RUNX2 expression. Bleomycin or TGF-β1 inhibited osteogenic differentiation of DFCs via a TGF-β1/SMAD7/RUNX2 pathway. Our findings might be beneficial for enhancing the osteogenic activity of DFCs or inhibiting the eruption of undesirable teeth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is sparse and contradictory information concerning the migratory status and non-breeding range of the endangered Jankowski's Bunting Emberiza jankowskii, precluding the possible development of conservation measures dedicated to protecting habitats occupied across the full-annual cycle. To unravel the migratory strategy and identify the non-breeding grounds of Jankowski's Bunting, we collected feathers on breeding birds in Inner Mongolia, analysed their deuterium concentrations (δ2Hf) and produced probabilistic geographic assignments to origin to assess where these feathers were likely grown. We compared results from this exercise to current knowledge of the breeding and non-breeding range to evaluate likely moult origins thereby informing migratory connectivity in this species. Winter moulted feathers were not grown in the same isotopic environment than summer-grown feathers, attesting some non-breeding dispersive movements, and geographic assignments favour the hypothesis of a short-distance dispersion during the non-breeding season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TRIM (Tripartite motif) and TRIM-like proteins have emerged as an important class of E3 ligases in innate immunity. Their functions range from activation or regulation of innate immune signaling pathway to direct detection and restriction of pathogens. Despite the importance, molecular mechanisms for many TRIM/TRIM-like proteins remain poorly characterized, in part due to challenges of identifying their substrates. In this review, we discuss several TRIM/TRIM-like proteins in RNA sensing pathways and viral restriction functions. We focus on those containing PRY-SPRY, the domain most frequently used for substrate recognition, and discuss emerging mechanisms that are commonly utilized by several TRIM/TRIM-like proteins to tightly control their interaction with the substrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effective bonding between the steel element and carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) is critical for applying the CFRP to strengthen steel elements. The severe service environment always affects the interfacial bond strength, resulting in a reduction in strengthening efficiency. To research the interfacial bond performance between the steel element and CFRP plate after freezing-thawing environment, this paper conducted studies on the mechanical behaviors of steel-CFRP plate joints. Experiments indicated that the freezing-thawing environment did not influence the failure mode, but decreased the interfacial ultimate capacity of double-shear specimens. The ultimate load is reduced by 14.5% after exposure to 300 freezing-thawing cycles. An approximate bilinear bond-slip relationship is employed for expressing the interfacial bond-slip behavior of all specimens, and the freezing-thawing environment has a negative influence on the bond-slip behavior. By determining the degeneration laws of bond-slip parameters after experiencing freezing-thawing cycles, the bilinear bond-slip model considering freezing-thawing effect was developed. Moreover, the three-dimensional FE modelling was implemented based on the mixed-mode cohesive zone model. The comparisons of the test and FE results show that the FE results are consistent with the test results, and the interfacial damage and debonding process can also be precisely predicted. The numerical modelling also reveals that the asymmetric debonding of the two interfaces can affect the ultimate load, which leads to a higher scatter of test results for the double-shear joint. • Bond behavior of steel-CFRP interfaces after freeze-thaw cycles was tested. • Freeze-thaw cycles reduced the ultimate load and bond-slip parameters of steel-CFRP interfaces. • A bilinear bond-slip degradation model of the interface after F-T exposure was proposed. • A finite element model based on the mixed-mode cohesive zone model was developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An innovative prestressing system was developed in this study, which can effectively anchor the prestressed carbon fiber sheets as well as conveniently apply prestress to the carbon fiber sheets. Tensioning tests of the carbon fiber sheet-anchor assemblies were first conducted to verify the anchorage behavior of anchors. Then this prestressing system was used for strengthening reinforced concrete (RC) beams to further verify its feasibility and investigate the effect of the impregnation and curing conditions of the carbon fiber sheets on the flexural strengthening efficiency. The results indicated that the tested ultimate capacity of the carbon fiber sheet-anchor assembly reached 72.1∼97.9% of the theoretical ultimate capacity of the carbon fiber sheet based on different impregnation and curing conditions. The concrete crushing failure and rupture failure of prestressed carbon fiber sheets occurred in the strengthened RC beams. The cracking and yielding loads of the RC beams with prestressed sheets were increased by 56.7∼68.5% and 21.7∼30%, respectively, while those with non-prestressed sheets were increased by 27.3% and 13.7%, respectively. The ultimate load was significantly affected by the impregnation and curing conditions. The prestressed carbon fiber sheets with the uncured full impregnation condition were not superior to the non-prestressed sheets in terms of the ultimate load, whereas the cured full impregnation and partial impregnation conditions were more effective than the uncured full impregnation condition. Finally, theoretical equations were used to calculate the cracking, yielding, and ultimate moments of RC beams strengthened with prestressed carbon fiber sheets. • A new and practical prestressing system of the carbon fiber sheets was developed for strengthening RC beams. • The anchorage behavior was verified by the tensioning tests of the carbon fiber sheet-anchor assemblies. • Three impregnation and curing conditions of the carbon fiber sheets were designed and compared. • Impregnation and curing conditions significantly affected the ultimate load and failure mode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MOF‐199@PVDF composite membranes are prepared by blending with different amounts of ultrasonic synthesized MOF‐199 nanomaterials for improving the pure water flux (PWF) and achieving better antifouling and antibacterial performance. The membrane morphology, elemental composition, and surface properties are analyzed by various means of characterizations, including scanning electron microscopy, energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy, and water contact angle measurements. The performance of the modified membranes is also determined from the perspective of the PWF, bovine serum albumin rejection, as well as antifouling and antibacterial properties. Due to the variation in the viscosity of dope solution, the composite membranes possess remarkably different morphology, and the M5 membrane, which exhibited a sponge‐like structure, the largest surface pore size, and the highest porosity, shows the highest PWF, reaching up to 185.05 L/m2h. Moreover, with the incorporation of MOF‐199 nanocrystals, the antifouling property, together with the antibacterial property, toward both gram‐negative bacteria and gram‐positive bacteria, based on M5 and M7 membranes, increases dramatically compared with the pristine polyvinylidene fluoride membrane. In addition, the long‐term permeation performance and copper leakage of the membrane are investigated. As a result, the composite membrane, M5, shows great potential in real water treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the main force component of contemporary ships, the ship deck beam is of great significance and needs to be maintained regularly under the severe conditions of long-term complicated external loads form waves. The maintenance methods are usually related with the thickness of the beams. Due to the limited detecting methods, the thickness of beams cannot be evaluated accurately when maintaining. Therefore, in this paper, a detecting method based on active Lamb waves is proposed, which could evaluate the thickness of beams. On one hand, the two-dimension (2D) finite element simulation model of beams is established and the ability of three damage indexes of A0 mode signal at beams with different thickness is studied. On the other hand, experiments are carried out. To suppress measurement noise effectively, variational mode decomposition (VMD) is used to extract experimental signal feature parameters and the three damage indexes are also used to evaluate the thickness of beams. The experimental results show that the variation trend of the three damage indexes is consistent with the simulation results. Moreover, the damage index with the energy of the scatter signal based on the A0 mode has a better ability for the beams thickness. Thus, this method is proved to be feasible to evaluate beams with different thickness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The design and fabrication of a membrane with super hydrophobicity and antiwetting property is of great importance for improving membrane performance in distillation, desalination, gas absorption, and separation. In this work, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membranes were modified by Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework‐7 (ZIF‐7) nanocrystals to improve the hydrophobic property and antiwetting performance. ZIF‐7/PVDF hybrid membranes were prepared via the nonsolvent‐induced phase separation (NIPS) method. Different concentrations of ZIF‐7 nanocrystals (0, 0.5, 1, 2, 3, and 5 wt%) were introduced into the PVDF dope solution, and the physical structure of the resulting membranes were systematically characterized. Due to the hydrophobic nature of ZIF‐7 nanocrystals, the solvent–nonsolvent exchange rate had been regulated effectively during phase inversion. The morphology of top and bottom surfaces, together with the inner structures of the hybrid membrane, has been changed obviously, showing a more twisted finger‐like macrovoid layer and a thicker sponge‐like layer compared to pristine PVDF membrane. Furthermore, the hydrophobicity and antiwetting properties of these hybrid membranes improved obviously when the incorporated concentration of ZIF‐7 was higher than 1 wt%. The M(2) membrane, which possessed the highest surface roughness and water contact angles, showed the best antiwetting property and recovered gas permeance ratio (>95%) after being immersed in aqueous solution for 10 hr. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This meta-analysis was to assess solifenacin and tolterodine in patients with overactive bladder. Methods: We searched PubMed, the Cochrane Library, EMBASE, CNKI, Wanfang, and ClinicalTrials.gov databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The efficacy endpoint was daily micturition frequency, daily urgency episodes, daily incontinence episodes, and micturition volume per voiding. The safety endpoint was the incidence of the rate of major bleeding, intracranial bleeding, and gastrointestinal bleeding. Results:Seven RCTs met the inclusion criteria and 1,318 patients were included. The meta-analysis showed that, compared with tolterodine, solifenacin was associated with similar daily micturition frequency, daily urgency episodes, daily incontinence episode, and micturition volume per voiding at 8 and 12 weeks of follow-up. Moreover, no significant difference was obtained in the incidence of dry mouth between solifenacin and tolterodine at 8 and 12 weeks of follow-up. However, tolterodine decreased the constipation rate at 12 weeks compared with solifenacin. Conclusion: Solifenacin and tolterodine yielded similar results on daily micturition frequency, daily urgency episodes, daily incontinence episodes, micturition volume per voiding, and the incidence of dry mouth. However, tolterodine can decrease the constipation rate at 12 weeks compared with solifenacin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Abstract A high-performance yarn-shaped supercapacitor electrode material with light weight, small volume, flexibility and low cost, is highly desirable for the development of flexible energy storage devices. Herein, a cotton/Au/nickel cobalt sulfide hybrid yarn electrode was designed and synthesized by electrodepositing nickel cobalt sulfide nanosheet arrays on the Au metalized cotton yarn. The metalized cotton yarn as a conductive substrate ensures rapid electron transportation. The porous layer which constructed by CoNi 2 S 4 nanosheet arrays significantly enlarges the interface between the electrolyte ions and electrode materials, providing large electroactive surface area for the faradic redox reactions. The hierarchically porous structure of entire yarn electrode shortens the electrolyte diffusion path. A synergistic effect caused by the unique electrode structure greatly increases the electrochemical performance. This hybrid yarn electrode exhibits high specific capacitance of 1323 F/g at 1 A/g, good electrochemical stability and high flexibility with performance well maintained under the mechanical bending condition. An assembled two-ply structured all-solid-state symmetric supercapacitor device delivers an energy density of 40.9 Wh/kg at a power density of 1.43 kW/kg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In this work, a facile self-sacrifice template approach is developed to fabricate a nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes/carbon fabric electrode with a hierarchically porous structure from core-shell ZnO@ZIF-8 nanorod array layers on the cotton fiber surface inside cotton fabrics. Numerous pores are also generated on the carbon nanotube walls. The nitrogen-doped porous carbon nanotube array layer provides large surface area, proper porosity and heteroatom-doped carbon skeleton, leading to an enhanced electrochemical performance. This flexible electrode exhibits a high specific capacitance of 390 F/g at a scan rate of 2 mV/s. This electrode also shows good long-term cycling stability and stable electrochemical performance under mechanical deformations. The assembled all-solid-state symmetric supercapacitor exhibits a high energy density of 23.4 Wh/kg at a power density of 91.4 W/kg. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • A 3D porous nitrogen-doped carbon cloth composite electrode was prepared. • Porous nitrogen-doped carbon skeleton promotes the electrochemical properties. • The composite electrode shows a specific capacitance of 390 F/g at 2 mV/s. • The flexible all-solid-state supercapacitor delivers high energy density. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel cotton/Ni/Co-Ni layered double hydroxide (CT/Ni/Co-Ni LDH) hybrid yarn electrode material is prepared by constructing a three-dimensional (3D) metallic Ni conductive network on the cotton fiber surface for rapid electron transportation and subsequently in situ growing Co-Ni LDH nanosheet array layers with high electroactive surface area for faradic reactions. The 3D porous electrode structure facilitates the effective electrolyte ion diffusion. The obtained yarn electrode material shows a high areal capacitance of 1.26 F/cm 2 (121571.1 C/cm 2 ) at a scan rate of 5 mV/s, as well as a stable electrochemical performance under various mechanical deformations. An all-solid-state yarn supercapacitor device is further assembled based on the obtained yarn electrode materials, which exhibits a high energy density of 9.3 μWh/cm 2 at a power density of 43.99 μW/cm 2 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A new prestressing system of the CFRP plate is developed to strengthen steel beams. • The steel beams are strengthened with bonded and unbonded prestressed CFRP plates. • The bonded and unbonded CFRP strengthening methods provide a close efficacy. • Applying prestress is more effective than only increasing CFRP thickness or modulus. • The strengthening efficiency increases with artificial notch depth. This study developed a novel prestressing system of the carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) plate to strengthen damaged steel beams, which reduced the operation space at the tensioning end, thereby extending the application range of prestressing system. Flexural tests were conducted to verify this system and investigate the effects of the adhesive layer, prestressing level, and CFRP plate area on the strengthening efficiency, and subsequently, a parametric analysis was carried out using finite element modeling to obtain more influencing rules of the unbonded CFRP plate-strengthened steel beams. The results indicated that satisfactory strengthening efficiency could be achieved by the novel prestressing system. The adhesive layer significantly affected the strain distributions of the steel–CFRP composite section, whereas it had a very slight effect on the flexural behavior of the steel beams, and the bonded and unbonded CFRP plates had a similar strengthening efficiency. Nonprestressed CFRP plate exhibited limited improvement in the flexural capacity and stiffness of the damaged steel beams under the normal service state; in contrast, the prestressed CFRP significantly increased the flexural behavior of the beams in the elastic and elastic–plastic stages owing to the high strength utilization of the CFRP plate. In addition, as the prestressing level increased, strengthening efficiency increased. Solely increasing the area or elastic modulus of the CFRP plate improved the strengthening efficiency slightly, whereas applying a prestress simultaneously clearly increases the strengthening efficiency. The strengthening efficiency increases with artificial notch depth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BiOBr hollow microspheres which were composed of BiOBr nanoslices were synthesized via a simple one-pot solvothermal method at 160 °C for 12 h without the addition of any spherical template. The resulted BiOBr hollow microspheres were regular in shape with external diameter of 1.4 μm in average. As a result, due to the highly hollow architecture, the resulted BiOBr hollow microsphere processed high BET surface area of 76.38 m 2  g −1 . Besides, a series of time-depended experiments had been listed, showing the morphological evolution for the formation and decomposition of the BiOBr hollow microspherical structure. SDS, which acted as a surfactant, played an important role in controlling the morphology of BiOBr. The obtained BiOBr hollow microspheres exhibited higher photocatalytic activity in the degradation of MB and RhB under visible-light irradiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing studies have showed that externally bonded fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) plates can significantly improve the fatigue behavior of cracked steel members. Of the existing studies, limited studies have been conducted on FRP-strengthened cracked steel beams, especially on the prediction methods for the crack propagation. In this paper, two prediction methods, named as the asymmetrical prediction method and the symmetrical prediction method, were developed to evaluate the fatigue crack propagation of FRP-strengthened double-edged cracked steel beams based on the fracture mechanics theory and finite element (FE) modeling. The asymmetrical prediction method considered the asymmetrical growth of the double-edged cracks along the tension flange of the steel beam. According to the developed prediction method, the stress intensity factors were analyzed, and the crack growth behavior was predicted for the un-strengthened and FRP-strengthened cracked steel beams. This method was verified by comparing the predicted and experimental results. Furthermore, the simplified symmetrical prediction method was also used to predict the crack growth life. The comparative results indicate that the crack growth life of the FRP-strengthened double-edged cracked steel beam can be predicted approximately by assuming that the double-edged cracks propagate symmetrically along the tension flange. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A high-performance yarn electrode material, cotton/graphene/polyaniline, is synthesized by coating primary fiber cores inside cotton yarns with graphene sheets and followed by further growing polyaniline nanowire array layers through in situ polymerization of aniline. The electron transportation is enhanced by the 3D graphene conductive network on cotton fibers, which further bridges the polyaniline nanowires. The polyaniline nanowires with small diameters ensure high electrochemically active surface area. The spaces within the polyaniline nanowire array layers and the hierarchical pores of the entire yarn electrode benefit the fast electrolyte ion diffusion. The unique 3D yarn electrode structure results in an excellent electrochemical performance. The maximum areal capacitance and capacitance retention are 246 mF/cm 2 at 5 mV/s and 98% after 3800 cycles, respectively. A symmetric all-solid-state yarn supercapacitor is fabricated by using this yarn electrode, which delivers an energy density of 9.7 μWh/cm 2 at a power density of 840.9 μW/cm 2 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ethanol extract of the leaves and branches of Gelsemium elegans afforded three new gelsedine-type indole alkaloids, 11-methoxy-14,15-dihydroxyhumantenmine (1), 11-methoxy-14,15-dihydroxy-19-oxogelsenicine (2), and 11-methoxy-14-hydroxygelsedilam (3), along with one known alkaloid 11-methoxy-14-hydroxyhumantenmine (4). The structures of isolated compounds were established based on 1D and 2D (1H-1H COSY, HMQC, and HMBC) NMR spectroscopy, in addition to high-resolution mass spectrometry. The isolated alkaloids were tested in vitro for cytotoxic potential against four laryngeal tumor cell lines including Hep-2, LSC-1, TR-LCC-1, and FD-LSC-1. As a result, compounds 1 and 4 exhibited some cytotoxic activities against all tested tumor cell lines with IC50 values of 10.9-12.1 μM and 9.2-10.8 μM, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the development of the bond-slip models for carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) plates externally bonded to steel substrates where debonding failure occurs in the adhesive layer. Thirteen single-shear bonded joints were tested to investigate the effects of the adhesive properties and the adhesive thickness on the bond-slip behavior of the interfaces. The test results showed that the bond-slip relationship for the bonded joints with the Sikadur-30 adhesive was approximately triangular, whereas that with the Araldite-2015 adhesive can be simplified to a trapezoidal shape. Based on a careful analysis of a database of CFRP-to-steel bonded joints, expressions were formulated for the key parameters employed in the triangular and trapezoidal bond-slip models, including the interfacial fracture energy G f , the peak interfacial shear stress τ max , and the relative slip indexes s 1 , s 2 and s f . The influences of the adhesive properties and the adhesive thickness were accounted for in the proposed models. The comparisons between the predicted and test results showed that the predicted results have good agreement with the collected test data and that the proposed models have reasonable accuracy. The proposed bond-slip models are expected to be useful in the theoretical modeling of CFRP plate-strengthened steel members. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most hydraulic concrete structures are in complex stress state, this study attempts to take some test of full grade aggregate concrete under biaxial compression after 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100 cycles of freeze-thaw. Five principle compression stress ratios of 1:0, 1:0.25, 1:0.5, 1:0.75 and 1:1 and four different strain rates of 10−5/s, 10−4/s, 10−3/s and 10−2/s were the main variables. The mass loss of concrete after freeze-thaw cycles has been studied. With the increase of freeze-thaw cycles, the quality loss is little. The failure pattern, ultimate strength, peak strain and stress-strain curve under different freeze-thaw cycles, stress ratios and strain rates were obtained. The dependence of ultimate strength on freeze-thaw cycles and ultimate strength, and the relationship between freeze-thaw cycles, stress ratio and strain rate were analyzed according to the testing data. The unified failure criterion of full grade aggregate concrete after freeze-thaw cycles under dynamic biaxial compressive stress state was established in principal stress space and octahedral stress space, respectively. The comparative analysis of experimental results of different types of concrete(large aggregate concrete, ordinary concrete, lightweight aggregate concrete, wet screened concrete) under biaxial compression after freeze-thaw cycles are made. With the increase of freeze-thaw cycles, the ultimate compressive strength of common concrete, wet screened concrete, lightweight aggregate concrete and large aggregate concrete gradually decreases. The results may serve as an experimental and theoretical reference for the design and maintenance of hydraulic structures. • The mass loss of concrete after freeze-thaw cycles has been studied. • The failure pattern, ultimate strength, peak strain and stress-strain curve under different freeze-thaw cycles, stress ratios and strain rates were obtained. • The unified failure criterion of full grade aggregate concrete after freeze-thaw cycles under dynamic biaxial compressive stress state was established in principal stress space and octahedral stress space, respectively. • The comparative analysis of experimental results of different types of concreteunder biaxial compression after freeze-thaw cycles are made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bond–slip behavior between carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) plates and steel is crucial for predicting the structural behavior of CFRP-strengthened steel members. In this paper, the CFRP-to-steel bonded joints with different bond lengths and adhesive thicknesses were tested to investigate the bond–slip behavior of CFRP-to-steel bonded interfaces. The digital image correlation (DIC) technique was used to measure the displacement and strain data. The test results, including the failure mode, ultimate load, displacement distribution, and CFRP strain distribution, are presented and discussed. The non-linear bond–slip curves of CFRP-to-steel bonded interfaces are determined by a fitting procedure for CFRP strain distributions. A bilinear bond–slip relationship is further proposed to simplify the non-linear bond–slip curve. The test results indicate that the adhesive thickness has an influence on the failure mode, ultimate load, and bond–slip behavior. Similar to a CFRP-to-concrete bonded interface, an effective bond length also exists for a CFRP-to-steel bonded interface. The development of the interfacial shear stress is analyzed based on the determined non-linear and bilinear bond–slip curves. Finally, two theoretical models are employed for the prediction of the ultimate load, effective bond length and bond–slip curve. This study shows that the DIC method is suitable for investigating the bond–slip behavior of CFRP-to-steel bonded joints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amifostine is a cytoprotective drug that was initially used to control and treat nuclear radiation injury and is currently used to provide organ protection in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. Clinical studies have also found that amifostine has some efficacy in the treatment of cytopenia caused by conditions such as myelodysplastic syndrome and immune thrombocytopenia, both of which involve megakaryocyte maturation defects. We hypothesized that amifostine induced the differentiation of megakaryocytes and investigated this by exposing the human Dami megakaryocyte leukemia cell line to amifostine (1 mmol/L). After 12 days of amifostine exposure, optical microscopy showed that the proportion of Dami cells with diameters >20 μm had increased to 24.63%. Transmission electron microscopy identified the development of a platelet demarcation membrane system, while flow cytometry detected increased CD41a expression and decreased CD33 expression on the Dami cell surface. Ploidy analysis found that the number of polyploid cells with >4N DNA content increased to 27.96%. We did not detect any elevation in the mRNA or protein levels of megakaryocytic differentiation-associated transcription factors GATA-binding factor 1 ( GATA-1) and nuclear factor, erythroid 2 ( NF-E2), but nuclear import assay revealed an increased nuclear translocation of these proteins. These findings indicate that amifostine induced the differentiation of Dami cells into mature megakaryocytes via a mechanism involving increased nuclear translocation of the transcription factors, NF-E2 and GATA-1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A highly dispersed Ni-Ru/Al 2 O 3 based on layered double hydroxide was prepared. • Model compounds can be completely transformed into monomers below 150 °C without H 2. • The transfer of electrons from Ni to Ru is beneficial to form active hydrogen on the catalyst. • Isopropanol as hydrogen source exhibits much better performance than other solvents. • Apparent activation energies increase in the order: α-O-4 (90.6 kJ/mol) < β-O-4 (126.7 kJ/mol) < 4-O-5 (172.2 kJ/mol). Selective hydrogenolysis of lignin is an attractive strategy for valorizing lignin to fuels/value-added chemicals and developing novel and highly active heterogeneous catalysts is crucial. Herein, a highly dispersed Ni-Ru/Al 2 O 3 catalyst prepared by a coprecipitation method using layered double hydroxide as precursor was reported. Various lignin model compounds were used to evaluate the catalyst activity. The results show that all the model compounds can be completely transformed into arenes and phenol below 150 °C using isopropanol as hydrogen source, and the latter was easily reduced to cyclohexanol. Kinetics study reveals that apparent activation energies increase in the order: benzyl phenyl ether (90.6 kJ/mol) < phenethoxybenzene (126.7 kJ/mol) < diphenyl ether (172.2 kJ/mol). 2D HSQC NMR analysis exhibits that most of C–O linkages in lignin were cleaved during hydrogenolysis over Ni-Ru/Al 2 O 3. The results indicate that the bimetallic Ni-Ru catalyst has a high activity for catalyzing hydrogenolysis of lignin and model compounds. The catalyst was characterized with multiple tools. The results suggest that Ni and Ru nanoparticles in the catalyst are highly dispersed and a strong interaction exists between Ni and Ru, which should be responsible for promoting the hydrogenolysis of lignin and model compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An online multi-input multi-output (MIMO) random vibration control method is presented for a multi-axis hydraulic shaking table system to replicate the reference acceleration power spectral density (PSD) by the reproduction of the acceleration time domain histories that are proportional to the reference. The offline iterations are implemented using conventional random vibration control to compensate for the changes in the frequency response function (FRF) of the system. The successful test mainly depended on the experience of the operator. In online MIMO random vibration control, the reference PSD is transformed into time domain histories by filtering white noise. The impedance matrix of the shaking table system, which is the inverse of the FRF, is calculated and updated online. The time histories are compensated based on the system impedance matrix and then used as the drive signals to the shaking table. The overlap-save method and fast Fourier transformation are proposed to implement the transformation and compensation online. Two-axis random vibration experimental results obtained with the proposed control method show that both the reference PSD and the time domain histories can be replicated with high precision in the output of the shaking table without operator intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new ruthenium(II) complex [Ru(phen)2(ODBIP)] 2 + (phen = 1,10-phenanthroline; ODBIP = 3,4-dibromo-imidazo[4,5- f ][1,10]phenanthroline) has been synthesized. Binding of this complex to poly(dG–dC) DNA, supercoiled pBR322 plasmid DNA, calf thymus DNA (CT DNA), and poly(dA–dT) DNA was investigated by spectroscopic methods. The photocleavage on pBR322 DNA was also studied by agarose gel electrophoresis, and the cleavage mechanisms were further explored. The results indicated that [Ru(phen)2(ODBIP)] 2 + preferentially bound to DNA at adenine–thymine base pairs by intercalation, and the complex exhibited higher DNA cleavage efficiency under visible light irradiation than under UV light irradiation. The singlet oxygen may be responsible for the DNA photocleavage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The photosynthetic performance, carbon assimilation, and triacylglycerol accumulation of Isochrysis zhangjiangensis under nitrogen-deplete conditions were studied to understand the intrinsic correlations between them. The nitrogen-deplete period was divided into two stages based on the photosynthetic parameters. During the first stage, carbon assimilation was not reduced compared with that under favorable conditions. The marked increase in triacylglycerols and the variation in the fatty acid profile suggested that triacylglycerols were mainly derived from de novo synthesized acyl groups. In the second stage, the triacylglycerol content continued increasing while the carbohydrate content decreased from 44.0% to 26.3%. These results indicated that the intracellular conversion of carbohydrates to triacylglycerols occurred. Thus, we propose that sustainable carbon assimilation and incremental triacylglycerol production can be achieved by supplying appropriate amounts of nitrogen in medium to protect the photosynthetic process from severe damage using the photosynthetic parameters as indicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fatty acid biomarkers of the marine microalga Isochrysis zhangjiangensis in response to nitrogen depletion were identified by multivariate statistical analysis. Seven fatty acids (C16:0, C18:1n9, C18:4n3, C18:3n3, C18:5n3, C22:6n3, and C16:1n7) were selected and identified as potential biomarkers, among which C18:1n9 and C18:4n3 were enriched in the neutral lipids and glycolipids, respectively. Due to significant changes and specific distributions in different types of lipids, C18:1n9 and C18:4n3 were identified as biomarkers to quantify neutral lipid content. C18:1n9 was positively related with neutral lipid content, while C18:4n3 was negatively related with neutral lipid content. The correlation coefficients of C18:1n9 and C18:4n3 content in total fatty acids and neutral lipid content were 0.9960 and 0.9787, respectively. The good agreement between the neutral lipids content and fatty acid biomarkers content in total fatty acids indicates that neutral lipids can be quantified by specific fatty acids. Using fatty acid biomarkers to quantify neutral lipids requires much less sample analyzed by gas chromatography, which is a universal method, plus the simplicity of operation compared with conventional methods. The striking feature of the approach is individual fatty acid to represent the type of lipids. Therefore, applying fatty acid biomarkers to identify specific type of lipids promises to maximize lipid-related information and can be used to make further discoveries related to lipid metabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to the difficulty of quantifying the uncertain index in the combat effectiveness evaluation of submarine-to-air missile weapon system, the grey cloud model is applied to improve the classic method of determining whitenization weight, which solves the transition problem between qualitative and quantitative. Moreover, three scale methods cited to construct the judgement matrix overcome the disadvantage that the classic analytic hierarchy process (AHP) is not objective and needs consistency examination. On this basis, a new combat effectiveness evaluation model which combined grey cloud model and improved analytic hierarchy process is built up. This model increases the credibility of effectiveness evaluation and provides a new valid approach to combat effectiveness evaluation of submarine-to-air missile weapon system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal mangrove wetland is well known to be intense in nitrogen cycling. The tidal process and plants are key factors in controlling the microbial processes in wetlands. However, mechanisms on how these factors and their interactions affect the microorganisms involved in denitrification remain poorly understood. In this study, the impacts of vegetation (bulk, Kandelia obovata, and Spartina alterniflora) and tidal process (falling tide and rising tide) on denitrification activities, abundances, and community compositions of denitrifiers in the sediments from different depths (0-5 and 5-10 cm) were investigated in a microcosm experiment. A significant enhancement of denitrification activities and gene abundances ( nirS, nirK, and nosZ) in the vegetated sediments was observed. Activities and abundances were significantly higher in the 0-5-cm sediments when compared with the 5-10-cm counterparts. The effect of interaction between vegetation and tide or depth was also significant. Terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis revealed that not only vegetation but also plant species had a significant impact on the community compositions of nirK denitrifiers, while the tidal process affected the community compositions of nirS and nosZ denitrifiers but not nirK denitrifiers. However, depth only significantly shaped the nirS denitrifier communities. These findings demonstrate the effects of these factors and their interactions in shaping the denitrifiers in sediments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microalgae represent a potential feedstock for biofuel production. During cultivation under nitrogen-depleted conditions, carbohydrates, rather than neutral lipids, were the major carbon sink of the marine microalga Isochrysis zhangjiangensis (Haptophyta). Carbohydrates reached maximum levels of 21.2 pg cell −1 on day 5, which was an increase of more than 7-fold from day 1, while neutral lipids simultaneously increased 1.9-fold from 4.0 to 7.6 pg cell −1 during the ten-day nitrogen-depleted cultivation. The carbohydrate productivity of I. zhangjiangensis was improved by optimization of the nitrate supply mode. The maximum carbohydrate concentration was 0.95 g L −1 under batch cultivation, with an initial nitrogen concentration of 31.0 mg L −1 , which was 2.4-fold greater than that achieved under nitrogen-depleted conditions. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis showed that the accumulated carbohydrate in I. zhangjiangensis was composed of glucose. These results show that I. zhangjiangensis represents an ideal carbohydrate-enriched bioresource for biofuel production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During eukaryotic DNA damage response (DDR), one of the earliest events is the phosphorylation of the C-terminal SQ motif of histone H2AX (H2A in yeasts). In human cells, phosphorylated H2AX (γH2AX) is recognized by MDC1, which serves as a binding platform for the accumulation of a myriad of DDR factors on chromatin regions surrounding DNA lesions. Despite its important role in DDR, no homolog of MDC1 outside of metazoans has been described. Here, we report the characterization of Mdb1, a protein from the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, which shares significant sequence homology with human MDC1 in their C-terminal tandem BRCT (tBRCT) domains. We show that in vitro, recombinant Mdb1 protein binds a phosphorylated H2A (γH2A) peptide, and the phospho-specific binding requires two conserved phospho-binding residues in the tBRCT domain of Mdb1. In vivo, Mdb1 forms nuclear foci at DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) induced by the HO endonuclease and ionizing radiation (IR). IR-induced Mdb1 focus formation depends on γH2A and the phospho-binding residues of Mdb1. Deleting the mdb1 gene does not overtly affect DNA damage sensitivity in a wild type background, but alters the DNA damage sensitivity of cells lacking another γH2A binder Crb2. Overexpression of Mdb1 causes severe DNA damage sensitivity in a manner that requires the interaction between Mdb1 and γH2A. During mitosis, Mdb1 localizes to spindles and concentrates at spindle midzones at late mitosis. The spindle midzone localization of Mdb1 requires its phospho-binding residues, but is independent of γH2A. Loss of Mdb1 or mutating its phospho-binding residues makes cells more resistant to the microtubule depolymerizing drug thiabendazole. We propose that Mdb1 performs dual roles in DDR and mitotic spindle regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Established a well testing model for MFHW in shale gas reservoirs. [•] The desorption, diffusion, viscous flow and stress-sensitivity were considered. [•] Multiple mechanisms are simultaneously incorporated into the well testing model. [•] Plotted the perfect typical curves of MFHW in shale gas reservoirs. [•] Analyzed the characteristics of typical curves based flow mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A multi-input multi-output (MIMO) random vibration control method is proposed for a multi-axis hydraulic shaking table system to replicate the reference power spectral density (PSD). Kinematics analysis is presented to reduce cross-coupling between the axes of the hydraulic shaking table. The time histories generated by time domain randomization in conventional MIMO random vibration control have spectral leakage between the frequency resolutions. The drive signal PSD is used in the proposed control method to design a linear time-invariant system. Circular convolution is then proposed to implement the designed system and convert the PSD to time histories with white noise. Experimental results obtained in step response and two-axis PSD replication show the effectiveness of the proposed control method. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: Postoperative pain treatment for pediatrics is often inadequate and the evidence of pediatric postoperative analgesia is scarce. To our knowledge, no report regarding the comparison among caudal block, transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block and quadratus lumborum (QL) block for children undergoing lower abdominal laparoscopic surgery was found at present. Thus this trial aimed to compare the efficacies of them for children undergoing lower abdominal laparoscopic surgery. Methods: One hundred and eighty children aged from 1 to 12 years undergoing lower abdominal laparoscopic surgery were included and randomized to receive caudal block, TAP block or QL block. The primary outcome was the Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, and Consolability (FLACC) score at 30 min, 1 h, 4 h, 8 h, 12 h, and 24 h and tramadol consumption during first 24 h postoperatively. Secondary outcomes included the number of children received tramadol, time to first tramadol request, parents' satisfaction and postoperative adverse reactions. Results: The QLB group had lower postoperative FLACC scores at 8 h (median difference − 0.43, P = 0.03) than the Caudal group and at 4 h (median difference − 0.6, P = 0.001) and 8 h (median difference − 0.43, P = 0.03) than the TAPB group. The tramadol consumption was lower in the QLB group (28.43 ± 6.55) than the TAPB group (37.17 ± 6.12, P = 0.023). Although the number of children received tramadol did not differ among the three groups, the time to first tramadol request was longer in the QLB group (7.20 ± 0.79) than the caudal group (8.42 ± 0.61, P = 0.008). No statistical difference was observed concerning other secondary outcomes. Conclusions: QLB produced more effective postoperative analgesia for children undergoing laparoscopic abdominal surgery compared with the TAPB and caudal block. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Chemical modification provides an efficient way to obtain novel biomaterials from abundant biomacromolecules. In this case, lauroylated hemicelluloses (LH) with degree of substitutions (DS) between 0.43 and 1.82 were synthesized in 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([BMIM]Cl) ionic liquid. The influence of reaction parameters including the molar ratio of lauroyl chloride (LC) to anhydroxylose units in hemicelluloses (0.5:1–3:1), reaction temperature (80–90 °C), and reaction time (15–90 min) was studied. The results indicated that homogeneous modification was successfully conducted and highly substituted hemicelluloses esters were obtained. In comparison, the hemicellulose and LH were characterized by both degradative methods such as thermal analysis (TGA/DTG), and non-degradative techniques such as Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). It was found that a significant degradation of the hemicellulose polymers occurred during lauroylation with the increase of the molar ratio, time, and temperature. The thermal stability of LH was lower that of the native hemicelluloses, and the morphological properties of hemicellulose were significantly changed after the chemical modification. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The leading finite-size correction to the geometric entanglement per lattice site is investigated for the antiferromagnetic–ferromagnetic alternating Heisenberg model, quantum three-state Potts model in a transverse field and a spin-1/2 spin chain with the competing two-spin and three-spin interactions at criticality, belonging to the Ising and three-state Potts universality classes with the central charge and , respectively. Our results demonstrate that the leading finite-size correction coefficient is essentially the celebrated Affleck–Ludwig boundary entropy corresponding to a conformally invariant boundary condition, which in turn depends on the period of the translation-invariant separable states. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The medial geniculate body (MGB) receives ascending inputs from the inferior colliculus and descending inputs from the auditory cortex. In the present study, we intended to determine whether activation of presynaptic GABAB receptors modulates GABAergic and glutamatergic inputs to the MGB with whole-cell patch-clamp recordings in brain slices of the rat. To evoke a synaptic response, we electrically stimulated the ascending and descending inputs to MGB neurons with bipolar electrodes placed on the brachium of the inferior colliculus and the superior thalamic radiation. To isolate presynaptic mechanisms, we blocked the effects of postsynaptic GABAB receptors by filling recording electrodes with the internal solution containing cesium and QX-314. The activation of presynaptic GABAB receptors by exogenous agonist was shown to modulate synaptic inputs to the MGB as demonstrated by that (1) baclofen, a GABAB receptor agonist, reversibly suppressed both inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs) and excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) and this suppressive effect could be blocked by CGP35348, a GABAB receptor antagonist, (2) baclofen significantly increased the ratio of IPSCs or EPSCs elicited by paired-pulse stimulation, and (3) baclofen depressed EPSCs and IPSCs in response to repetitive stimulation. The activation of presynaptic GABAB receptors by endogenously released GABA was shown to modulate the synaptic transmission as demonstrated by that CGP55845, another GABAB receptor antagonist, increased the ratio of IPSCs to paired-pulse stimulation in young (P8-10) rats, although not in juvenile (P15-18) rats. Our study provides electrophysiological evidence for the presence of functional presynaptic GABAB receptors in the MGB and suggests an age-dependent role of these receptors in the synaptic transmission in this central auditory region. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Ethylene was prepared from HBr-mediated ethane oxidation. The process includes two catalytic reactions: the oxidative bromination reaction of ethane and the dehydrobromination reaction of bromoethane. In the oxidative bromination reaction of ethane, bromoethane was synthesized by oxidizing ethane in the presence of oxygen and HBr over a catalyst. The second reaction is the dehydrobromination reaction of bromoethane to form ethylene and HBr over a catalyst. An ethane single pass conversion of 33.9% with a bromoethane selectivity of 86.7% was obtained in the oxidative bromination reaction of ethane over catalyst 1.0%LaCl3/5.9%KCl/5.9%FeCl3/SiO2. In the dehydrobromination reaction of bromoethane, a bromoethane conversion of 99.6% with almost 100% of ethylene selectivity was obtained over 12.0wt%ZnO–SiO2 catalyst. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Available evidence suggests that sodium salicylate (SS) may produce tinnitus through altering the balance between inhibition and excitation in the central auditory system. Since serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) containing fibers preferentially innervate inhibitory GABA neurons, there exists a possibility that SS causes the imbalance between inhibition and excitation through influencing serotonergic modulation of the GABAergic synaptic transmission. In the present study, we examined the effects of SS on 5-HT-mediated GABAergic spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic currents (sIPSCs) from neurons of the central nucleus of rat inferior colliculus with whole-cell patch-clamp technique and brain slice preparation. Perfusion of 40μM 5-HT robustly enhanced both frequency and amplitude of GABAergic sIPSCs and this 5-HT-induced enhancement of GABAergic sIPSCs could be suppressed by 1.4mM SS. Tetrodotoxin at 0.5μM produced a similar effect as SS did, suggesting that SS suppresses the 5-HT-induced enhancement of GABAergic sIPSCs through depressing spontaneous action potentials of GABA neurons. Our findings suggest that SS may preferentially target GABA neurons and consequently interrupt a normal level of GABAergic synaptic transmissions maintained by the serotonergic system in SS-induced tinnitus. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Sodium salicylate (SS) is a medicine for anti-inflammation and for chronic pain relief with a side effect of tinnitus. To understand the cellular mechanisms of tinnitus induced by SS in the central auditory system, we examined effects of SS on evoked and miniature inhibitory postsynaptic currents (eIPSCs and mIPSCs) recorded from layer II/III pyramidal neurons of rat auditory cortex in a brain slice preparation with whole-cell patch-clamp techniques. Both eIPSCs and mIPSCs recorded from the auditory cortex could be completely blocked by bicuculline, a selective GABA(A) receptor antagonist. SS did not change the input resistance of neurons but was found to reversibly depress eIPSCs in a concentration-dependent manner. SS reduced eIPSCs to 82.3% of the control level at 0.5mM (n =7) and to 60.9% at 1.4mM (n =12). In addition, SS at 1.4mM significantly reduced the amplitude of mIPSCs from 24.12±1.44pA to 19.92±1.31pA and reduced the frequency of mIPSCs from 1.34±0.23Hz to 0.89±0.13Hz (n =6). Our results demonstrate that SS attenuates inhibitory postsynaptic currents in the auditory cortex, suggesting that the alteration of inhibitory neural circuits may be one of the cellular mechanisms for tinnitus induced by SS in the central auditory region. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: To avoid the inherent singularity of conventional spherical coordinates at their poles, quasi-spherical coordinate systems are developed. Using these systems, a finite element procedure is developed to determine the displacement eigensolutions at three-dimensional vertices in which the displacement and stress are proportional to the th and th powers of the distance from the vertices, respectively. The resulting global equation is a second-order characteristic matrix equation. Several demonstrating problems are investigated. Satisfactory results are obtained. Unlike the previous attempts by singular transformation technique, the present predictions are insensitive to the numerical integration order. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Catalytic ethanolysis of Xilinguole lignite with MMgAlO x was conducted. • The MMgAlO x have layered and mesoporous structures with tunable acidity/basicity. • Yields of ethanol-soluble portions can be dramatically enhanced by the catalysts. • The catalysts can preferably reserve the aromatic rings to produce arenes and phenols. • Platform chemicals can be controlled by changing the catalysts. Ethanolysis is an efficient approach for converting lignites into chemicals under mild conditions. However, yield of soluble portion from lignite ethanolysis is limited and product distribution cannot be well regulated. In this paper, a series of catalysts (MMgAlO x , M = Cu, Zn, Co, Ni) were prepared by a coprecipitation method. The catalysts were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, high resolution transmission electron microscope, N 2 physisorption, and CO 2 - and NH 3 -temperature-programed desorption. The results show that the catalysts have layered and mesoporous structures with tunable acidity/basicity. Catalytic ethanolysis of Xilinguole lignite was performed and the resulting ethanol-soluble portions (ESPs) were analyzed with a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer, thermogravimetric analyzer, and gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer. The results suggest that except NiMgAlO x , other catalysts significantly increased the yields of the ESPs, especially CuMgAlO x and ZnMgAlO x , which is probably related to the amount of H 2 produced from ethanol. Four major platform chemicals, i.e., arenes, phenols, alcohols, and esters, can be produced via the catalytic ethanolysis. The catalysts have high ethanolysis activity and low hydrogenation ability and therefore aromatic rings can be reserved. Distribution of the platform chemicals could be tuned by altering the catalysts. In addition, possible pathways on the catalytic ethanolysis were proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a case study of 85-year-old male patient with transformation acute myeloid leukemia (AML) from myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) who were treated with amifostine and ultralow dose decitabine. The patient was given erythropoietin with progressive decline in haemoglobin along with the collection of venous blood from cubital vein of patient. Ultralow dose decitabine combined with autologous Cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells may provide a safe regimen for AML in patients.