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Two simultaneous quantum teleportation schemes are proposed by utilizing the four-qubit cluster state as quantum channels. In each scheme, there are three legitimate participants, that is one sender Alice and two receivers Bob and Chris. Taking advantage of the pre-shared quantum entanglement resources and some necessary local quantum operations as well as classical communication, Alice can concurrently transmit two independent unknown target quantum states to Bob and Chris, respectively. In the first scheme, the target states are two arbitrary single-qubit states, while in the second scheme they are two unknown multi-qubit entangled states. The proposed schemes are simply to implement because of requiring only single-qubit measurements and Pauli operations as well as two-qubit unitary operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ongoing research is dedicated to tackling the trade‐off between out‐coupling efficiency, transparency, and conductivity for transparent conductive electrodes (TCEs), owing to their continuously increasing application in smartphones/watches, augmented/virtual reality, and naked eye 3D projection. Herein, an aluminum substrate‐mediated hybrid plasmon mode is deliberately embedded in solution‐processed organic light‐emitting diode (SOLED). The created TCE with a 6‐nm‐Al film‐mediated indium tin oxide (ITO) displays an average transmittance of 88.3%, an average ultra‐low haze of 0.2%, and a sheet resistance of 9.5 Ω  sq−1, surpassing commercial ITO substrates. By precisely controlling the geometry of this aluminium film/dielectric spacer/silver nanoparticle (Al film‐TAPC‐Ag NP) coupled system, a hybrid dipolar, and quadrupolar mode is required, providing further enhanced scattering strength and plasmon coupling effect in the resultant OLED. These Al film‐TAPC‐Ag NP system mediated SOLEDs display improved decay rate of triplet excitons, elevated electroluminescence out‐coupling efficiency, and suppressed waveguide confinement. Consequently, enhanced stability by 10% after 580 h storage without encapsulation, forward‐directed emission with a ± 70° light‐emitting angle, and a 22% current efficiency enhancement are simultaneously realized, compared with conventional SOLEDs. This work presents new opportunities for LED design and for the implementation of solution‐processed LEDs in large‐area high‐performance displays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of highly integrated technology, a large number of satellites have been launched into synchronous orbit, saturating the number of satellites in these orbits. As a result, there has been a substantial increase in demand for near-Earth orbit satellites. However, due to their proximity to Earth, the location of these satellites rapidly drifts in free space. To maintain the received and transmitted signals within range, the ground antenna must track the satellites immediately. Therefore, near-Earth orbit satellite tracking has become a key technology in satellite communication research. In order to further improvement, we propose a new type of electronic beam squinting (EBS) tracking feed. In this paper, we will conduct both theoretical and experimental analyses of this EBS feed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of highly integrated technology, a large number of satellites have been launched into synchronous orbit, saturating the number of satellites in these orbits. As a result, there has been a substantial increase in demand for near-Earth orbit satellites. However, due to their proximity to Earth, the location of these satellites rapidly drifts in free space. To maintain the received and transmitted signals within range, the ground antenna must track the satellites immediately. Therefore, near-Earth orbit satellite tracking has become a key technology in satellite communication research. In order to further improvement, we propose a new type of electronic beam squinting (EBS) tracking feed. In this paper, we will conduct both theoretical and experimental analyses of this EBS feed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article primarily focuses on enhancing the efficiency of on-device session-based recommendation systems by reducing model size and improving real-time response. Topics covered in the article include the introduction of compact item representations through compositional encoding, bidirectional self-supervised knowledge distillation, and the achievement of an 8-inference speedup while maintaining superior recommendation performance when compared to existing methods.

This paper proposes a low-profile highisolation dual-polarization array antenna operating in the L/S band. The radiating unit of the array antenna adopts U-shaped bending dipoles to realize the staggered arrangement of high- and low-band units, and is connected to the feeding network by a coaxial cable. To achieve the non-influence of high-band and low-band feed networks, multi-layer printing technology is used and grooves are etched on the metal plate. In order to reduce the coupling of the high- and low-band dipoles at low frequency, a bandpass filter is added to the highband feed network, which greatly improves the isolation at low-frequency. The measured results show that the impedance bandwidth of the array is 4.5% (0.971-1.015 GHz) and 7.5% (1.89-2.04 GHz), with gains of 15 and 19 dBi at 1 GHz and 2 GHz, respectively. And the isolation between the dual-polarized ports more than 50 dB and 35 dB was achieved at 1 GHz and 2 GHz, respectively. The proposed array will have practical value in L/S band full-duplex wireless communication systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper mainly investigates the catalytic mechanism and activity source of nickel-based phosphide hydrogen precipitation reaction, introduces the hydrogen precipitation reaction mechanism in different electrolyte environments and the relationship between Tazel slope and kinetics of the reaction process, and describes the introduction of P atoms and the degree of phosphorylation on the nickel-based phosphide active sites and adsorption energy; generalizes the nickel-based phosphide common synthesis methods and phosphorus sources, and discusses different modification methods, such as morphological, doping, and interfacial engineering, are discussed. The reasons for the good hydrogen precipitation per¬formance of nickel-based phosphides after modification are analyzed in depth, and the development direc¬tion is proposed according to the current problems of nickel-based phosphides in hydrogen precipitation reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Code search is a core software engineering task. Effective code search tools can help developers substantially improve their software development eiciency and efectiveness. In recent years, many code search studies have leveraged diferent techniques, such as deep learning and information retrieval approaches, to retrieve expected code from a large-scale codebase. However, there is a lack of a comprehensive comparative summary of existing code search approaches. To understand the research trends in existing code search studies, we systematically reviewed 81 relevant studies. We investigated the publication trends of code search studies, analyzed key components, such as codebase, query, and modeling technique used to build code search tools, and classified existing tools into focusing on supporting seven diferent search tasks. Based on our findings, we identified a set of outstanding challenges in existing studies and a research roadmap for future code search research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses three cases of pyogenic granuloma (PG) developing in patients with port-wine stain (PWS) after treatment with hemoporfin-mediated photodynamic therapy (HMME-PDT). PG is a benign vascular tumor that can occur spontaneously or reactively in PWS, but no previous correlation between PG and PDT has been reported. The article suggests that there may be a correlation between PDT, somatic mutations, and the development of PG in PWS patients, but further research is needed to determine a causal relationship. The article also discusses the challenges of treating and regrowing hair in individuals with androgenetic alopecia using fractional photothermolysis (FPT). [Extracted from the article]

In 2006, Geoffrey Hinton proposed the concept of training "Deep Neural Networks (DNNs)" and an improved model training method to break the bottleneck of neural network development. More recently, the introduction of AlphaGo in 2016 demonstrated the powerful learning ability of deep learning and its enormous potential. Deep learning has been increasingly used to develop state-of-the-art software engineering (SE) research tools due to its ability to boost performance for various SE tasks. There are many factors, e.g., deep learning model selection, internal structure differences, and model optimization techniques, that may have an impact on the performance of DNNs applied in SE. Few works to date focus on summarizing, classifying, and analyzing the application of deep learning techniques in SE. To fill this gap, we performed a survey to analyze the relevant studies published since 2006. We first provide an example to illustrate how deep learning techniques are used in SE. We then conduct a background analysis (BA) of primary studies and present four research questions to describe the trend of DNNs used in SE (BA), summarize and classify different deep learning techniques (RQ1), and analyze the data processing including data collection, data classification, data pre-processing, and data representation (RQ2). In RQ3, we depicted a range of key research topics using DNNs and investigated the relationships between DL-based model adoption and multiple factors (i.e., DL architectures, task types, problem types, and data types). We also summarized commonly used datasets for different SE tasks. In RQ4, we summarized the widely used optimization algorithms and provided important evaluation metrics for different problem types, including regression, classification, recommendation, and generation. Based on our findings, we present a set of current challenges remaining to be investigated and outline a proposed research road map highlighting key opportunities for future work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cisplatin (DDP) is a first-line chemotherapeutic drug applied for the treatment of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). The anticancer activity of DDP is tightly linked to its intracellular uptake. It is unwise to increase the DDP intake by increasing the dose or shortening the dosing interval because of the severe systemic toxicity (nephrotoxicity, ototoxicity and neurotoxicity) in DDP application. The main uptake pathways of DDP include passive diffusion and active transporter transport. Therefore, finding additional uptake pathways that can improve the effective intracellular concentration of DDP is critical. Macropinocytosis, an endocytic mechanism for extracellular material absorption, contributes to the intracellular uptake of anticancer drugs. No research has been conducted to determine whether macropinocytosis can augment the intracellular uptake of DDP in OSCC cells or not. Based on that, we proved for the first time that silmitasertib (previously CX-4945) could trigger macropinocytosis, which may increase the intracellular uptake of DDP and enhance apoptosis via in vivo and in vitro experiments. We hope that our findings will inspire a new approach for the application of DDP in cancer treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the development of two new radical skeletons, BnBTM and bisBnTM, which offer improved stability and efficiency compared to the previously reported TTM radical. By incorporating cyano groups, these new skeletons exhibit enhanced photoluminescence quantum efficiency and longer-wavelength emission. The article provides detailed information on the synthesis, characterization, and photophysical properties of these radicals, highlighting their potential applications in fields such as organic light-emitting diodes and biosensing. The research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China. [Extracted from the article]

Seed deterioration due to ageing strongly affects both germplasm preservation and agricultural production. Decelerating seed deterioration and boosting seed viability become increasingly urgent. The loss of seed viability is inevitable even under cold storage. For species with short-lived seed or for regions with poor preservation infrastructure where cold storage is not readily available, seed enhancement is more reliable to increase seed viability and longevity. Antioxidant priming as a way of seed enhancement usually improves seed germination. As for post-priming survival, however, significant uncertainty exists. The controversy lies particularly on seeds of high germination percentage (GP > 95%) whose viability is hardly improvable and the benefits of priming depend on prolonging seed longevity. Therefore, this study timed antioxidant priming to prolong the longevity of high-viability seeds under artificially accelerated ageing (AAA). Rice (Nipponbare) seeds (GP > 97%) under room-temperature-storage (RTS) for 6 months. were resistant to AAA first with little viability loss for a certain period, the resistant stage. This resistance gradually vanished without GP change, during a prolonged RTS period which was named the vulnerable stage. According to the results, although antioxidant priming severely curtailed the resistant stage for seeds with a long plateau in the survival curve, it decelerated viability loss for seeds in the vulnerable stage. In complement to seed storage, priming potentially retains high seed GP which would decrease without seed enhancement. To maximize the benefits of priming for high-GP seeds, two time points are advised as the start of a time window for priming: (1) just at the end of the resistant stage without notable viability loss, which is hard to grasp by GP monitoring; (2) slight but identifiable GP decline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Hepatocytes secrete Gal-9 to attenuate intrahepatic production of Th1 cytokines in AIH. • Gal-9 suppresses intrahepatic T cell activation through Tim-3 during AIH induction. • Gal-9 promotes Foxp3 expression and Treg function through TL1A but not TGF-β in AIH. • Gal-9 hinders the increase of activated T cells in liver in a Tim-3-independent way. • TLR2/4 ligands attenuate the effects of Gal-9 by increasing intrahepatic IL-6 and IL-12. Hepatocytes are the targets in autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) that results in T cell-dependent liver injury. However, hepatocytes may also affect the hepatic T cells in AIH, but the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. Here we report that hepatocytes could secrete galectin-9 (Gal-9) to suppress the intrahepatic production of Th1 cytokine IFN-γ and restrict AIH development, but hepatocyte damage resulted in opposite effects due to release of TLR2/4 ligands that promoted the intrahepatic production of IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-12. Through Tim-3, Gal-9 could efficiently suppress the intrahepatic T cell activation despite presence of TLR2/4 ligands, thus attenuating Th1 response in AIH. Intriguingly, intrahepatic IL-6/IL-12 suppressed the effect of TGF-β on Treg cells. Therefore, in AIH, Gal-9 promoted Foxp3 expression and function of hepatic Treg cells through TL1A signaling, although Treg function was still impaired, compared with that in naive state. Due to its promoting effect on Treg function, together with its effect on T effector cells in a Tim-3-independent way, Gal-9 could attenuate intrahepatic IFN-γ production by hindering the increase of hepatic CD4+CD43+ T cells resulting from extrahepatic T cell activation. TLR2/4 ligands attenuated the effects of Gal-9 on Treg cells and CD4+CD43+ T cells by increasing intrahepatic IL-6 and IL-12. Blocking TLR2/4 ligands could efficiently suppress intrahepatic IFN-γ production, liver injury, and hepatic fibrosis. These findings suggest that hepatocytes paradoxically affect Th1 response in AIH due to Gal-9 expression and TLR2/4 ligands release, and that targeting TLR2/4 signaling may provide an important approach in the therapeutic strategy for AIH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study uses the stratosphere-resolved Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model to demonstrate the ''independent'' and ''dependent'' topographic forcing from the topography of East Asia (EA) and North America (NA), and their ''joint'' forcing in the northern winter stratosphere. The mutual interference between the EA and NA forcing is also demonstrated. Specifically, without EA, an independent NA can also, like EA, induce a severe polar warming and weakening of the stratospheric polar vortex. While EA favors a displacement of the polar vortex toward Eurasia, NA favors a displacement toward the North America-- Atlantic region. However, the independent-EA-forced weakening effect on the polar vortex can be largely decreased and changes to a location displacement whenNA exists, and the interference the other way around is even more critical, being able to completely offset the independent-NA-forced effect, because EA can substantively obstruct NA's effect on the tropospheric wave pattern over the Eurasia--Pacific region. The much stronger (weaker) interference of EA (NA) is associated with its stronger (weaker) downstream weakening effect on the zonal flow that impinges on NA (EA). The mutual interference always tends to further destruct the upward wave fluxes over the eastern North Pacific and enhance the downward wave fluxes over North America. The overall changes in upward wave fluxes, as well as that in the Rossby stationary wavenumber responsible for the stratospheric changes, are related to changes in the zonal-mean flow pattern. The joint effects of EA and NA, rather than being a linear superimposition of their independent effects, are largely dominated by the effects of EA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the framework of the effective-mass approximation, exciton states confined in wurtzite InxGa1-xN/GaN strained coupled quantum dots (QDs) are investigated by means of a variational approach, including three-dimensional confinement of the electrons and holes in the QDs and strong built-in electric field effects caused by the piezoelectricity and spontaneous polarization. The relationship between exciton states and structural parameters of coupled QDs is studied in detail. We find that the strong built-in electric field in the InxGa1-xN/GaN strained coupled QDs gives rise to a marked reduction of the effective band gap of InxGa1-xN QDs and leads to a remarkable increasing of the emission wavelengths. Both the sizes and alloy fluctuations of QDs have a significant influence on the exciton states and interband optical transitions in coupled QDs. Moreover, the barrier thickness between the two coupled InxGa1-xN QDs has a considerable influence on the exciton states and optical properties. When the barrier thickness is increased, the exciton binding energy is reduced, the emission wavelength is increased, and the electron-hole recombination rate is obviously reduced. Our theoretical results are in good agreement with the experimental measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Successful seed germination depends on the rapid repair of cell membrane damaged by dry storage. However, little is known about the reorganization of lipids during this process. In this study, the changes of intracellular redox environment, cell membrane integrity, lipid composition, and expression of genes related to phospholipid metabolism were assessed during imbibition of Brassica napus seeds. A total number of 443 lipids belonging to 7 categories were detected by ultra-performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS). In the 24 h-imbibed seeds, the relative content of triacylglycerol was lower than in dry seeds, while the relative content of phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylinositol (PI), and phosphatidylserine (PS), especially PC (36:2, number of carbons in the acyl chains: number of double bonds), PC (36:3), and PE (36:3) were higher than those in dry seeds. Meanwhile, the content and unsaturation levels of phospholipids increased, indicating membrane lipids remodeling during seed imbibition. The plasma membrane integrity, which was measured by the relative electrolyte leakage (REL) of the membrane and FM4-64 fluorescent dye, was improved upon imbibition, confirming that cell membrane was repaired after 24 h-imbibition. The reduction of H 2 O 2 content, redox potential, and malondialdehyde (MDA) content indicated that the degree of membrane lipid peroxidation was significantly decreased upon imbibition. Gene expression analysis showed that the differential expression of genes for key enzymes occurred in the plateau phase of the imbibition curve, i.e. after 8 h-to 24 h-imbibition. Moreover, the differential expression of genes such as those encoding phospholipase C (PLC), phospholipase D (PLD), triacylglycerol lipase (TAG lipase), choline/ethanolamine phosphotransferase (CEPT), and phosphatidylserine synthase (PTDSS2) during imbibition indicated that membrane lipid remodeling was related to complex metabolic pathways, among which the degradation of triacylglycerol and the synthesis of phospholipids using diacylglycerol might play an important role during membrane remodeling. • Membrane lipid remodeling under seed imbibition was investigated in rapeseed. • Intracellular redox environment and cell membrane injury were repaired. • Phospholipids content and unsaturation levels increased upon imbibition. • Triacylglycerol degradation might be involved in membrane phospholipid remodeling. • Membrane lipid remodeling was related to complex metabolic pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Porous ternary Zn 2 SnO 4 nanofibers with a high surface-to-volume ratio were fabricated through an electrospinning technique. UV-activated ethanol sensing responses at low temperatures were revealed using these porous Zn 2 SnO 4 nanofibers as a sensing active layer. The ethanol response was up to 32.5, and the calculated detection limit was as low as 1.6 ppm at a low temperature of 130 °C. The sensor exhibited good ethanol selectivity and stability under UV irradiation. The photoinduced electrons reacted with the absorbed oxygen molecules to form active O− species [O−(hν)], which contributed to the enhanced resistance modulation and low-temperature ethanol response of Zn 2 SnO 4 nanofibers. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • Porous ternary Zn 2 SnO 4 nanofibers were fabricated by an electrospinning technique. • UV-activated low-temperature ethanol response of Zn 2 SnO 4 nanofibers was revealed. • Zn 2 SnO 4 sensor showed good ethanol selectivity and stability under UV irradiation. • The adsorbed oxygen species upon UV irradiation at 130 °C was identified to be O−. • The UV-activated ethanol sensing mechanism was proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract T cell-dependent liver injury is an important reason for the massive hepatic damage and cirrhosis. So far it is unclear whether the development of the disease could be efficiently suppressed by anti-inflammatory cytokine that modulates innate immune cells. Here we report that anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-37 could efficiently suppress the sustained hepatic expression of IFN-γ and TNF-α, two critical cytokines for inducing hepatocyte apoptosis and liver fibrosis in T cell-dependent liver injury. IL-37 could directly suppress IFN-γ/TLR4 ligand-induced M1 activation of macrophages, thus reducing the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-12. Moreover, IL-37 attenuated Th1 response in vivo and increased the expression of Th2 cytokines IL-4 and IL-13, which in turn promoted M2 activation of macrophages in the liver. The increase of M2 activation not only further reduced TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-12 expression, but also increased IL-10 and IL-1Ra expression in macrophages, thus more efficiently suppressing the hepatic IFN-γ expression. By suppressing IFN-γ/TNF-α expression, IL-37 suppressed the up-regulation and activation of MLKL that drives hepatocellular necrosis in T cell-dependent liver damage. Accordingly, IL-37 efficiently reduced liver injury and hepatic inflammation after the repeated ConA challenge and the induction of autoimmune hepatitis, and also suppressed hepatic fibrosis resulting from the sustained liver damage. This study showed that the direct and indirect effect of IL-37 on macrophages could reduce the hepatic TNF-α expression, and also modulate IL-1β/IL-12 and IL-10/IL-1Ra expression to suppress the hepatic IFN-γ expression, thus suppressing the development of T cell-dependent liver injury such as autoimmune hepatitis. Highlights • IL-37 suppresses M1 activation of macrophages to reduce hepatic production of TNF-α. • IL-37 alters Th1/Th2 responses to increase M2 activation of hepatic macrophages. • IL-37 reduces IL-1β/IL-12 and increases IL-10/IL-1Ra to reduce IFN-γ in the liver. • IL-37 suppresses the up-regulation and activation of MLKL by reducing IFN-γ/TNF-α. • IL-37 efficiently suppresses the sustained liver injury and hepatic fibrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • Relationship between pKa of organic acid and TOF of co-catalysis was explored. • Oxalic acid (pKa = 1.25) gave the maximum TOF value (6.26 h−1). • Furfural was synthesized from D- xylose with oxalic acid plus SO 4 2−/SnO 2 -argil. • High furfural yield (50.8%) from D- xylose (50 g/L) was achieved. • An effective approach for one-pot synthesis of FOL from D -xylose was demonstrated. Abstract In this study, organic acid could be used as co-catalyst for assisting solid acid SO 4 2−/SnO 2 -argil to convert hemicellulose-derived D -xylose into furfural. The relationship between pKa of organic acid and turnover frequency (TOF) of co-catalysis with organic acid plus SO 4 2−/SnO 2 -argil was explored on the conversion of D- xylose to furfural. Oxalic acid (pKa = 1.25) (0.35 wt%) was found to be the optimum co-catalyst for assisting SO 4 2−/SnO 2 -argil (3.6 wt%) to synthesize furfural from D- xylose (20 g/L) at 180 °C for 20 min, and the furfural yield and TOF could be obtained at 57.07% and 6.26 h−1, respectively. Finally, the obtained furfural (107.6 mM) could be completely biotransformed to furfuralcohol by recombinant Escherichia coli CCZU-K14 whole-cells at 30 °C and pH 6.5 in the presence of 1.5 mol glucose/mol furfural and 400 mM D -xylose. Clearly, this strategy shows high potential application for the effective synthesis of furfuralcohol from biomass-derived D -xylose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the high charge carrier recombination rate and low visible light absorption of {001} facets exposed TiO2 [TiO2(001)] nanosheets, few-layered MoS2 nanoparticles were loaded on the surfaces of TiO2(001) nanosheets by a simple photodeposition method. The photocatalytic activities towards Rhodamine B (RhB) were investigated. The results showed that the MoS2–TiO2(001) nanocomposites exhibited much enhanced photocatalytic activities compared with the pure TiO2(001) nanosheets. At an optimal Mo/Ti molar ratio of 25%, the MoS2–TiO2(001) nanocomposites displayed the highest photocatalytic activity, which took only 30 min to degrade 50 mL of RhB (50 mg/L). The active species in the degradation reaction were determined to be h + and • OH according to the free radical trapping experiments. The reduced charge carrier recombination rate, enhanced visible light utilization and increased surface areas contributed to the enhanced photocatalytic performances of the 25% MoS2–TiO2(001) nanocomposites. {001} facets exposed TiO2 nanosheets decorated with few-layered MoS2 nanoparticles were fabricated via a hydrothermal process, followed by a photodeposition method. The MoS2–TiO2(001) nanocomposites displayed much improved photocatalytic activities on the degradation of rhodamine B compared with the pure TiO2 nanosheets. The enhanced photocatalytic performances were mainly attributed to their reduced charge carrier recombination rate, enhanced visible light utilization as well as increased surface areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aims: A growing body of evidence has suggested that circular RNAs (circRNAs) have crucial functions in the regulation of gene expression, and their dysregulation has been implicated in various types of cancers. However, the roles of circRNAs in laryngeal cancer remain largely unknown. This study investigated the global changes in the expression pattern of circRNAs in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) to identify potential differentially expressed circRNAs. Methods: Microarray-based circRNA expression was determined in LSCC and paired normal laryngeal tissues. Pathway analyses of the genes producing differentially expressed circRNAs were performed to predict the function of circRNAs using standard enrichment computational methods. Expression levels of candidate circRNAs and microRNAs (miRNAs) were detected by quantitative real-time PCR. The circRNA/ miRNA interactions were constructed using bioinformatics methods to predict the binding of miRNA with circRNA. Results: We identifed 506 differentially expressed circRNAs from human LSCC and normal laryngeal mucosa tissues. We confrmed that hsa_circ_0044520 and hsa_circ_0044529 were significantly upregulated in LSCC tissues. The most likely potential target miRNAs for hsa_ circ_0044520 and hsa_circ_0044529 were hsa-miR-4726-5p and hsa-miR-4640-5p, respectively. Functional analysis showed that hsa_circ_0044520 and hsa_circ_0044529 were involved in the process of collagen synthesis. Conclusion: Competitive endogenous RNA network prediction and bioinformatics functional analysis revealed that hsa_circ_0044520 and hsa_circ_0044529 play important regulatory roles by sponging hsa-miR-4726-5p and hsa-miR-4640-5p, thereby providing novel insights into the tumorigenesis of LSCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), a serious autoimmune liver disease, can be a lifelong illness, leading to fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). So far the mechanisms for disease initiation are largely unknown. Here we report that the amplified non-AIH liver inflammation could promote the initiation of AIH due to the sustained increase of IL-6, IL-12, IL-4, and IL-25 in the liver. The liver injury resulting from virus (adenovirus) or chemicals (CCl 4 ) could induce an amplified (stronger/long-lasting) hepatic inflammation by releasing the ligands for TLR2/TLR4. The amplified inflammation resulted in the increase of multiple cytokines and chemokines in the liver. Among them, the sustained increase of IL-6/IL-12 resulted in the activation of STAT3 and STAT4 in hepatic CD4 + CD25 + Treg cells, thus suppressing Foxp3 gene expression to reduce the suppressive function of Treg cells in the liver, but not those in the spleen. The increase of IL-12 and the impairment of Treg function promoted Th1 response in presence of self-mimicking antigen (human CYP2D6). Intriguingly, the amplified inflammation resulted in the increase of IL-4 and IL-25 in the liver. The moderate increase of IL-4 was sufficient for cooperating with IL-25 to initiate Th2 response, but inefficient in suppressing Th1 response, favoring the initiation of autoimmune response. Consequently, either adenovirus/CYP2D6 or CCl 4 /CYP2D6 could induce the autoimmune response and AIH in the mice, leading to hepatic fibrosis. The findings in this study suggest that the amplified non-AIH inflammation in the liver could be a driving force for the initiation of autoimmune response and AIH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The formation of bundles of ultralong nanobelts by an anion biological surfactant sodium cholate (SC) and a cationic dye (MB) through ionic self-assembly approach was obtained. The nanobelts possess smooth surfaces, flat end facets and solid internal structure. This one dimensional self-assembly is dominated by the π–π stacking interactions between MB molecules in concert with the hydrogen bonding between SC molecules. The shape and length of the bundles of SC/MB nanobelts could be easily controlled by changing the SC concentration and the aging temperature. Moreover, the electrocatalytic properties of the SC/MB nanobelts modified electrode were also investigated and the results indicated that the bundles of ultralong SC/MB nanobelts exhibited efficient electrocatalytic activity towards l -ascorbic acid (AA) in phosphate buffer solution (pH = 7.0). In addition, the electrostatic interaction between AA and MB also facilitates the electrons transfer on the surface of the GCE and promotes the oxidation of AA. The present work provides an alternative way to design and fabricate the ultralong 1D nanobelt structures with tunable sizes using small organic molecules. This system may also open up a way for the design and development of optical and electronic devices in the potential bio-applications and electrocatalyst for fuel cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The low-frequency oscillation has become one of the most threatening problems of the electrical power system in the past few decades. The traditional Prony analysis method is seriously affected by noise and order estimation which cannot get the dominant oscillation sometime. A singular value decomposition-difference differential method is proposed for order estimation of Prony mode. A parameter optimisation method based on interior point method is also proposed eliminating the noise effects on dominant model parameters. The proposed method has a fairly good property in noise suppression and dominant oscillation mode tracking. The suitability of the proposed method had been demonstrated in the simulation and case study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the reference model modification strategy for vehicle stability control based on driver's intention recognition under emergent obstacle avoidance situation was proposed. First the conflicts between the driver's emergency alignment (EA) intention and vehicle response characteristics were analyzed in critical emergent obstacle avoidance situation. Second combining steering wheel angle and its speed, the driver's EA intention was recognized. The reference model modification strategy based on steering operation index (SOI) was presented. Then a LQR model following controller with tire cornering stiffness adaption was used to generate direct yaw moment for tracking modified reference yaw rate and reference sideslip angle. Finally based on the four-in-wheel-motor-drive (FIWMD) electric vehicles (EV), double lane change and slalom tests were conducted to compare the results using modified reference model with the results using normal reference model. The experimental tests have proved the effectiveness of the reference model modification strategy based on driver's intention recognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of alkaline amino acids l -Lysine ( l -Lys) and l -Arginine ( l -Arg) on the lyotropic liquid crystal (LLC) behavior of ionic liquid-type imidazolium surfactant (1-tetradecyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide, C 14 mimBr) were investigated systematically. The corresponding properties were investigated by polarized optical microscopy (POM), small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and rheological measurements. The results indicated that with the introduction of l -Lys, LLC phase of C 14 mimBr gradually undergoes the transition to an isotropic homogeneous phase, which demonstrated to be worm-like micelles (WLMs). While for C 14 mimBr/ l -Arg system, it remained the hexagonal phases and merely induced the variation of the mechanical strength of C 14 mimBr LLCs. It can be speculated that the balance between electrostatic interaction, H-bond interaction, and hydrophobic interaction plays an important role in the phase transition of C 14 mimBr/amino acids. Our work can contribute to a better understanding of the effect of the additions especially amino acids on the influence of the surfactant aggregates and their macroscopic properties, which maybe open the door for wide applications in the biological system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new coordination supercontainers have been successfully isolated from the self-assembly reactions of the container precursor p -phenylsulfonylcalix [4]arene, Ni(II) or Co(II) ion, and diphenylmethane-4,4'-dicarboxylic acid. Crystal structure analysis revealed that these two coordination supercontainers possess a similar endo cavity and two deeper exo cavities compared to the related supercontainers based on p - tert -butylsulfonylcalix [4]arene. Gas and vapor adsorption studies indicated that the new compounds are permanently porous and show much better CO 2 /O 2 and CO 2 /N 2 selectivity and higher vapor adsorption than the tert -butyl analogues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dissipation phenomenon has been studied by simulating the reaction with Isospin-dependent Quantum Molecular Dynamics (IQMD) model. The evolution of the isotropic ratio with bombarding energy for the free protons moving forward in the center of mass system in the final state of the reactions, drawn from the experimental measurements by INDRA collaboration, is reproduced with the model in the energy region near and slightly higher than the Fermi energy. Comparison of the data with the simulation obtained using the IQMD model in the cases of different combinations of in-medium effects in two-body collisions, i.e., medium modification of nucleon-nucleon cross-section and Pauli-blocking effect, indicates that the Pauli exclusion principle is indispensable in the microscopic model and the Pauli-blocking in binary interactions dominates the in-medium effects in the heavy-ion reactions in the energy range, even below the Fermi energy. Based on such comparisons, an energy-dependent effective factor responsible for the Pauli-blocking in the binary collisions in heavy-ion collisions in the Fermi energy domain has been extracted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The discovery of a class of self-assembling peptides that spontaneously undergo self-organization into well-ordered structures opened a new avenue for molecular fabrication of biological materials. In this paper, the structure controlled helical nanofibers were prepared by two artificial β-sheet dipeptides with long alkyl chains derived from l - and d -threonine (Thr) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH). These helical nanofibers have been characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), circular dichroism (CD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD). It was demonstrated that the helicity of the nanofibers could be easily controlled by changing the chirality of the constituent amino acids in the peptide species ( d - or l -threonine). Moreover, the hydrogen bonding interactions between the amide groups as well as the hydrophobic interactions among the alkyl chains play important roles in the self-assembly process. It also can be observed that with the passage of time, the hydrogen bonding interactions between the individual nanofiber induced the conversion from nanofibers to nanobelts. Particularly, gold and silver nanoparticles performed good catalytic ability were synthesized using the assembled nanofibers as template. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Red-crowned Crane (Grus japonensis) is an endangered bird species and while the wild population continues to decrease in China, the captive population has dramatically increased over the last two decades. We hypothesized that some of the captive Red-crowned Cranes originated from the wild and that a growing captive population is eroding the wild population in China. Methods: We surveyed the size of the population and determined the average annual growth rate, reproductive success rate and mortality rate of captive Red-crowned Cranes in 2013 in China. We assessed this erosion efect through mathematical models, in which the size of the captive Red-crowned Crane population was determined from the annual growth rate, the reproductive success rate and the rate of mortality. Results: We found there were a total of 1520 captive Red-crowned Cranes in 2013 in China, with an average annual growth rate of 7.46%, a reproductive success rate of 9.17% and a mortality rate of 3.6%. We found that approximately 10?27 supplementary Red-crowned Cranes per year and a total of 244, over the 14 year period from 1999 to 2013, were needed to account for the growing captive population in China. Conclusion: We conclude that the 244 birds probably came from the wild by taking eggs and capturing juveniles or adults and hence accepted the hypothesis. Perhaps more surprisingly, our annual estimate of the number of sup- plementary Red-crowned Cranes in captive populations is very conservative, with the erosion efect substantially underestimated, because the total number of captive Red-crowned Cranes in 2013 was underestimated, with the annual reproductive success rate in zoos overestimated. The existence of an erosion efect provides a new perspective for the interpretation of why the Red-crowned Crane population in the wild continues to decrease. In our opinion, it is important to understand the consequences of this erosion efect on the management and conservation of this endangered bird species in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the therapeutic effects of Cistanche deserticola Ma. extract (CDME) on ovariectomy-induced osteoporosis in rats. Methods: Female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to a control group and five ovariectomy (OVX) subgroups, that is, OVX with vehicle (OVX), OVX with 17ß-estradiol (E2, 25 μg/kg/day), and OVX with CDME doses (40, 80, or 160 mg/kg/day). Daily oral administration of E2 or CDME started 4 weeks after OVX and lasted for 16 weeks. Bone mineral density (BMD) of L4 vertebrae and right femur of rats was estimated, The length of each femur was measured, and biochemical analysis of serum and urine specimens were performed. Results: CDME dose-dependently inhibited the reduction in BMD of L4 vertebrae (0.23 ± 0.02 g/cm3, p < 0.05) and femurs (0.20 ± 0.03 g/cm3, p < 0.05) caused by OVX and prevented the deterioration of trabecular microarchitecture (p < 0.05), which were accompanied by a significant decrease in skeletal remodeling (p < 0.05) as evidenced by the lower levels of bone turnover markers. Conclusion: This study indicates that CDME prevents OVX-induced osteoporosis in rats, and could be used for treating osteoporosis in elderly women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The failure analysis and diagnosis of hydraulic-turbine generator unit (HGU) is important to protect the safety and stability of the electric system. But failure analysis and diagnosis for HGU is lacking of fault data, and most of the failure analysis and diagnosis methods are proposed without considering the characteristic of HGU. In this paper, a vibration dynamic modeling method for HGU is proposed by using the finite element method, and further the vibration data in different states are getting through numerical simulation. Then, the failure feature is extracted based on the nonlinear output frequency response functions (NOFRFs). Finally, a diagnosis system with Support Vector Machine (SVM) is proposed and employed for diagnosis of the HGU. The experimental results indicate that the feature which extracted from NOFRFs has a strong effect, and demonstrates that the proposed method is feasible and helpful for fault diagnosis in HGU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, a sensitive and selective turn-off fluorescence chemosensor, Tyloxapol (one kind of water soluble oligomer), was developed for the label-free detection of Fe 3+ ions in aqueous solution. Fluorescence (FL) experiments demonstrated that Tyloxapol was a sensitive and selective fluorescence sensor for the detection of Fe 3+ directly in water over a wide range of metal cations including Na + , K + , Ag + , Hg 2+ , Cd 2+ , Co 2+ , Cu 2+ , Cr 3+ , Mn 2+ , Ba 2+ , Zn 2+ , Ni 2+ , Mg 2+ , Ca 2+ , and Pb 2+ . Moreover, the fluorescence intensity of Tyloxapol has shown a linear response to Fe 3+ in the concentration range of 0–100 μmol L −1 with a detection limit of 2.2 μmol L −1 in aqueous solution. Next, based on a competition mechanism, another turn-on sensing application of the Tyloxapol/Fe 3+ platform to probe dopamine (DA) against various other biological molecules such as other neurotransmitters or amino acids (norepinephrine bitartrate, acetylcholine chloride, alanine, valine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, leucine, glycine, histidine) were also investigated. It is expected that our strategy may offer a new approach for developing simple, cost-effective, rapid and sensitive sensors in biological and environmental applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supermolecular hydrogels were prepared by α-cyclodeatrin (α-CD) and Tyloxapol, which can be considered as an oligomer of the nonionic surfactant polyoxyethylene tert-octylphenyl ether (TX-100) with a polymerization degree below 7. Two carbon materials, graphene oxide (GO) and graphene, were mixed into the α-CD/Tyloxapol hydrogel to adjust the physicochemical properties of hydrogel. In order to get stable graphene dispersion and then mix it with α-CD/Tyloxapol hydrogel, both TX-100 and Tyloxapol were used to disperse graphene for comparison. Interestingly, it can be found that TX-100 could disperse graphene better than Tyloxapol owing to smaller molecular size of TX-100 compared with Tyloxapol. Then, both the α-CD/Tyloxapol/GO and α-CD/Tyloxapol/graphene hydrogels were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and rheological measurements. The results revealed that the addition of carbon materials into α-CD/Tyloxapol hydrogel can change their microstructures and the rheological properties. Furthermore, it can be confirmed that a little amount of carbon materials could induce fluorescence quenching sharply which could be a promising candidate for optical sensor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sodium deoxycholate/graphene oxide (NaDC/GO) composite hydrogels were prepared in varying salinity. The hydrogels were characterized in detail by phase behavior study, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observations, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations, X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) mesurements, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra and rheological measurements. It was found that the introduction of GO to NaDC hydrogel enhances the mechanical strength of the composite hydrogel. When contacted with methylene blue solution, methylene blue can be absorbed inside the gel accompanied with a swelling of the gel. On the contrary, the hydrogel forms by NaDC only dissolves in methylene blue solution, forming a homegeous solution. Further study reveals that the gelation of NaDC/GO composite gel can be accelerated by an increase in salinity. This work may open the door for a variety of applications of NaDC/GO composite hydrogels such as in biotechnology, drug delivery and sewage treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report herein discrete triplex hybridization of DNA and RNA with polyacrylates. Length-monodisperse triazine-derivatized polymers were prepared on gram-scale by reversible addition--fragmentation chain-transfer polymerization. Despite stereoregio backbone heterogeneity, the triazine polymers bind T/U-rich DNA or RNA with nanomolar affinity upon mixing in a 1:1 ratio, as judged by thermal melts, circular dichroism, gel-shift assays, and fluorescence quenching. We call these polyacrylates "bifacial polymer nucleic acids" (bP0NAs). Nucleic acid hybridization with bP0NA enables DNA loading onto polymer nanoparticles, siRNA silencing delivery, and can further serve as an allosteric trigger of RNA aptamer function. Thus, bP0NAs can serve as tools for both non-covalent bioconjugation and structure-function nucleation. It is anticipated that bP0NAs will have utility in both bio- and nanotechnology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface tension, fluorescence and circular dichroism (CD) methods have been used to investigate the interaction between a biological surfactant sodium deoxycholate (NaDC) and proteins including bovine serum albumin (BSA) and gelatin. It can be seen from the surface tension measurements that both NaDC/BSA and NaDC/gelatin systems can form complexes and the ability of NaDC/BSA to lower surface tension is more obvious than that of NaDC/gelatin. The formation of the complexes influences not only the polarity of the microenvironment of the systems but also their fluorescence spectra. The far-UV CD spectra shows that the α-helical network of BSA increases first and then decreases as the concentration of NaDC increases, while the random coil content of gelatin always increases. A model of interaction between protein and NaDC influenced by the concentration of NaDC has been brought out based on the data gained from this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we report a simple synthesis of multiple Au nanodots core-silica shell nanoparticles (multi-Au@SiO NPs). The Au@SiO hybrid nanoparticles were synthesized in a water-in-oil microemulsion with a composition of polyoxyethylene(10) tertoctylphenyl ether (Triton X-100)/1-hexanol/cyclohexane/HO and have been fully characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution TEM (HR-TEM) observations, X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), UV-vis measurements, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The morphologies of the hybrid nanoparticles of Au@SiO can be easily tuned by the molar ratio of HAuCl to NaBH and the volume ratio of HAuCl aqueous solution to TEOS. As the morphologies of Au@SiO nanoparticles varied, the optical properties also changed as revealed by UV absorption spectrum. These Au@SiO hybrid nanoparticles which possess these properties make them fascinating candidates for a variety of applications such as catalysis and life science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report herein DNA- and RNA-templated chemical transformation of bifacial peptide nucleic acid (bPNA) fragments directed by an abiotic triplex hybrid interface. Assembly of one bPNA strand with two unstructured oligo T/U strands enables facile insertion of DNA and RNA template sites within partially folded nucleic acids; this template topology is not easily accessed through native base-pairing. Triplex hybridization of reactive bPNA fragments on DNA and RNA templates is shown to catalyze amide bond ligation and controlled bPNA chain extension. RNA-templated oxidative coupling of bPNA fragments is found to result in the emergence of ribozyme cleavage function, thus establishing a connection between engineered and native reaction sites. These data demonstrate the use of new topologies in nucleic acid-templated chemistry that could serve as chemically sensitive DNA and RNA switches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new supramolecular hydrogel self-assembled between α-cyclodextrin (α-CD) and a star-like block copolymer AE73 was prepared. The cooperation effect of complexation of poly-(ethylene oxide) (PEO) segments with α-CD and the hydrophobic interaction between poly-(propylene oxide) (PPO) blocks resulted in the formation of the supramolecular hydrogel with a strong macromolecular network. Then two kinds of carbon materials (graphene and graphene oxide) were successfully incorporated into the above α-CD/AE73 hydrogel to further enhance the mechanical properties. The native hydrogel, as well as hybrid hydrogels, have been thoroughly characterized by using various microscopic techniques, including transmission electron microscopy (TEM), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Our main purpose is to ascertain whether the properties of the obtained gels depend on these architectures. Interestingly, the phase behavior, the morphology and the mechanical strength of the native hydrogel can be successfully modulated by incorporating graphene and graphene oxide. Taking into account that both PEO/PPO copolymers and α-CD seem to be biocompatible, these gels can be promising for biomedical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silicone surfactants favor spreading at interfaces and siloxane has strong interaction with carbon nanotubes (CNT), thus silicone surfactant may be a good dispersant of CNT. Here, four silicone surfactants (named S1E19, S2E38, S2E16 and S1E16P8) were used to disperse CNT in aqueous solutions. The effects of surfactant structure and concentration on the ability at dispersing CNT were considered. All of the four silicone surfactants can disperse CNT in aqueous solution and the sample with 1,000 mg L S1E16P8 was the best one. The hydrophilic group polyoxyethylene (PEO) and the hydrophobic groups siloxane and polypropylene (PPO) are crucial factors in the ability of dispersing CNT. S2E38 with more ethylene oxide (EO) groups has a stronger ability to disperse CNT than S2E16. The dispersion system provided by S1E19 which contains fewer siloxane and EO groups is relatively unstable and disperses less CNT. These experimental results are explained by molecular dynamics simulation. S2E38 compared with S1E19 and S2E16 has stronger interactions with CNT. The interaction energy of CNT with S1E16P8 which has a PPO moiety but fewer siloxane groups is close to that of S2E16. Furthermore, it can be concluded that these four surfactants are adsorbed on CNT mainly by van der Waals forces and the Si-O-Si chain of silicon surfactant was flexible due to the long Si-C bond and it could easily wrap onto the surface of CNT through hydrophobic and other intermolecular interactions. The hydrophilic part of PEO helped the CNT dispersed in the aqueous solution and prevented CNT from aggregating in water through steric stabilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tuberculosis is a major problem in public health. While new effective treatments to combat the disease are currently under development, they tend suffer from poor solubility often resulting in low and/or inconsistent oral bioavailability. Mesoporous materials are here investigated in an in vitro intracellular assay, for the effective delivery of compound PA-824; a poorly soluble bactericidal agent being developed against Tuberculosis (TB). Mesoporous materials enhance the solubility of PA-824; however, this is not translated into a higher antibacterial activity in TB-infected macrophages after 5 days of incubation, where similar values are obtained. The lack of improved activity may be due to insufficient release of the drug from the mesopores in the context of the cellular environment. However, these results show promising data for the use of mesoporous particles in the context of oral delivery with expected improvements in bioavailability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Reactive oxygen species are the main contributors to seed deterioration. In order to study scavenging systems for reactive oxygen species in aged seed, we performed analyses using western blotting, real-time quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction, high-performance liquid chromatography, and antioxidant enzyme activity analyses in artificially aged rice seeds (Oryza sativa L. cv. wanhua no.11). Aging seeds by storing them at 50 °C for 1, 9, or 17 months increased the superoxide radical and hydrogen peroxide levels and reduced the germination percentage from 99% to 92%, 55%, and 2%, respectively. The activity levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione reductase (GR), and dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR) did not change in aged seeds. In contrast, the activity levels of catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and monodehydroascorbate reductase (MDHAR) were significantly decreased in aged seeds, as were the expression of catalase and cytosolic ascorbate peroxidase protein. Transcript accumulation analysis showed that specific expression patterns were complex for each of the antioxidant enzyme types in the rice embryos. Overall, the expression of most genes was down-regulated, along with their protein expression. In addition, the reduction in the amount of ascorbate and glutathione was associated with the reduction in scavenging enzymes activity in aged rice embryos. Our data suggest that the depression of the antioxidant system, especially the reduction in the expression of CAT1, APX1 and MDHAR1, may be responsible for the accumulation of reactive oxygen species in artificially aged seed embryos, leading to a loss of seed vigor. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The effect of polymers (hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (HPAM) and hydrophobically modified polyacrylamide (HMPAM)) on the stability of oil-in-water nano-emulsions has been studied in paraffin oil/Span 20-Tween 20/water systems by method of phase inversion composition (PIC). The stabilization of nano-emulsions was investigated by visual observation and the change of water content induced by centrifugation. Droplet size distributions of nano-emulsions were obtained by a laser-scanner particle size distribution analyzer. The interfacial tension and charge of nano-emulsions were obtained by interfacial tension and zeta potential measurements. All the results indicate that the droplet size can be decreased by the addition of HMPAM, while almost no change could be observed when the HPAM was added. Meanwhile, HMPAM has a better effect on the stabilization of nano-emulsions than HPAM. It may conclude that the HMPAM molecules adsorbed at the oil/water interface of the nano-emulsion droplets. Therefore, the stability of nano-emulsion with the addition of HMPAM is based on both an associative thickening mechanism caused by the alkyl chains of HMPAM molecules and the adsorption of HMPAM at the oil/water interface, which can form a solid film to prevent the Ostwald ripening of nano-emulsion droplets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We demonstrate herein that bifacial peptide nucleic acid (bPNA) hybrid triplexes functionally substitute for duplex DNA or RNA. Structure-function loss in three non-coding nucleic acids was inflicted by replacement of a duplex stem with unstructured oligo-T/U strands, which are bPNA binding sites. Functional rescue was observed on refolding of the oligo-T/U strands into bPNA triplex hybrid stems. Bifacial PNA binding was thus used to allosterically switch-on protein and small-molecule binding in DNA and RNA aptamers, as well as catalytic bond scission in a ribozyme. Duplex stems that support the catalytic site of a minimal type I hammerhead ribozyme were replaced with oligo-U loops, severely crippling or ablating the native RNA splicing function. Refolding of the U-loops into bPNA triplex stems completely restored splicing function in the hybrid system. These studies indicate that bPNA may have general utility as an allosteric trigger for a wide range of functions in non-coding nucleic acids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The charge carrier mobility of p-type and ambipolar polymer field-effect transistors (FETs) has been improved substantially. Nonetheless, high-mobility n-type polymers are rare, and few can be operated under ambient conditions. This situation is mainly caused by the scarcity of strong electron-deficient building blocks. Herein, we present two novel electron-deficient building blocks, FBDOPV-1 and FBDOPV-2, with low LUMO levels down to −4.38 eV. On the basis of both building blocks, we develop two poly(p-phenylene vinylene) derivatives (PPVs), FBDPPV-1 and FBDPPV-2, for high-performance n-type polymer FETs. The introduction of the fluorine atoms effectively lowers the LUMO levels of both polymers, leading to LUMO levels as low as −4.30 eV. Fluorination endows both polymers with not only lower LUMO levels, but also more ordered thin-film packing, smaller π–π stacking distance, stronger interchain interaction and locked conformation of polymer backbones. All these factors provide FBDPPV-1 with high electron mobilities up to 1.70 cm2 V–1 s–1 and good stability under ambient conditions. Furthermore, when polymers have different fluorination positions, their backbone conformations in solid state differ, eventually leading to different device performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The effects of inorganic salts NaCl, KCl, CaCl2 and MnCl2 with the same anions but different cations on the rheological properties of hydrolyzed polyacrylamide/sodium oleate (HPAM/C17H33COONa) mixed system were investigated systemically by steady-flow and oscillatory experiments at different concentrations of inorganic salts and temperatures, respectively. The results of steady-flow measurements indicate that for all of the systems, the steady-shear viscosities (η) decrease obviously with the addition of inorganic salts and show shear-thinning property at higher shear rate and the data fit power-law equation. In oscillatory experiments, all of the systems show elastic behaviors which also depend strongly on the concentrations of the inorganic salts. The storage moduli (G'), loss moduli (G″), the complex viscosities (η⁎) and η all decreased as the inorganic salts concentrations increased. The order of effectiveness of cations in decreasing the viscosity and the activation energy of HPAM/C17H33COONa mixed system is Na+>K+> Ca2+> Mn2+. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Supramolecular hydrogels were preparedin the mixtures of biologicalsurfactant sodium deoxycholate (NaDC) and halide salts (NaCl and NaBr)in sodium phosphate buffer. It is very interesting that with the additionof two kinds of amino acids (l-lysine and l-arginine)to NaDC/NaX hydrogels, the gel becomes solution at room temperature.We characterized this performance through phase behavior observation,transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-raypowder diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectra, and rheologicalmeasurements. The results demonstrate that the gels are formed byintertwined fibrils, which are induced by enormous cycles of NaDCmolecules driven by comprehensive noncovalent interactions, especiallythe hydrogen bonds. Our conclusion is that the presence of halidesalts (NaCl and NaBr) enhances the formation of the gels, while theaddition of amino acids (l-lysine and l-arginine)could make the breakage of the hydrogen bonds and weaken the formationof the gels. Moreover, its fast disassembly in the presence of aminoacids allows for the release of substances (i.e., the dye methyleneblue) entrapped within the gel network. The tunable gel morphology,microstructure, mechanical strength, and anisotropy verify the roleof halide salts and amino acids in altering the properties of thegels, which can probably be exploited for a variety of applicationsin future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The effect of artificial ageing on the relationship between mitochondrial activities and the antioxidant system was studied in soybean seeds (Glycine max L. cv. Zhongdou No. 27). Ageing seeds for 18d and 41d at 40°C reduced germination from 99% to 52% and 0%, respectively. In comparison to the control, malondialdehyde content and leachate conductivity in aged seeds increased and were associated with membrane damage. Transmission electron microscopy and Percoll density gradient centrifugation showed that aged seeds mainly contained poorly developed mitochondria in which respiration and marker enzymes activities were significantly reduced. Heavy mitochondria isolated from the interface of the 21% and 40% Percoll were analyzed. Mitochondrial antioxidant enzymes activities including superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase, glutathione reductase, monodehydroascorbate reductase, and dehydroascorbate reductase were significantly reduced in aged seeds. A decrease in total ascorbic acid (ASC) and glutathione (GSH) content as well as the reduced/oxidized ratio of ASC and GSH in mitochondria with prolonged ageing showed that artificial ageing reduced ASC–GSH cycle activity. These results suggested an elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS) level in the aged seeds, which was confirmed by measurements of superoxide radical and hydrogen peroxide levels. We conclude that mitochondrial dysfunction in artificially aged seeds is due to retarded mitochondrial and ASC-GSH cycle activity and elevated ROS accumulation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]