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Biofilm formation by the fungal pathogen Candida albicans is the basis for its ability to infect medical devices. The metabolic gene ERG251 has been identified as a target of biofilm transcriptional regulator Efg1, and here we report that ERG251 is required for biofilm formation but not conventional free-living planktonic growth. An erg251Δ/Δ mutation impairs biofilm formation in vitro and in an in vivo catheter infection model. In both in vitro and in vivo biofilm contexts, cell number is reduced and hyphal length is limited. To determine whether the mutant defect is in growth or some other aspect of biofilm development, we examined planktonic cell features in a biofilm-like environment, which was approximated with sealed unshaken cultures. Under those conditions, the erg251Δ/Δ mutation causes defects in growth and hyphal extension. Overexpression in the erg251Δ/Δ mutant of the paralog ERG25, which is normally expressed more weakly than ERG251, partially improves biofilm formation and biofilm hyphal content, as well as growth and hyphal extension in a biofilm-like environment. GC-MS analysis shows that the erg251Δ/Δ mutation causes a defect in ergosterol accumulation when cells are cultivated under biofilm-like conditions, but not under conventional planktonic conditions. Overexpression of ERG25 in the erg251Δ/Δ mutant causes some increase in ergosterol levels. Finally, the hypersensitivity of efg1Δ/Δ mutants to the ergosterol inhibitor fluconazole is reversed by ERG251 overexpression, arguing that reduced ERG251 expression contributes to this efg1Δ/Δ phenotype. Our results indicate that ERG251 is required for biofilm formation because its high expression levels are necessary for ergosterol synthesis in a biofilm-like environment. Author summary: Microbial growth in a surface-bound community or biofilm enables infection in varied contexts. For the fungal pathogen Candida albicans, much is known about the structural and molecular determinants of biofilm formation, as well as their biofilm-associated regulation. Less is known about metabolic features that may support biofilm growth but are not necessary for conventional growth as free-living cells. Here we focused on a metabolic gene, ERG251, because it is under control of a biofilm master regulator in multiple C. albicans isolates. We find that ERG251 is required for growth in biofilm-like conditions, but not in conventional free-living conditions. Biofilm-associated metabolic genes like ERG251 may be useful therapeutic targets for eradication of biofilm infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Candida albicans is a prominent fungal pathogen that can infect the bloodstream and deep tissues. One key pathogenicity trait is the ability to transition between yeast and hyphal growth. Hyphae are critical for the formation of biofilms, which in turn enable device-associated infection. Among signals that drive hypha formation is the presence of hemin, an oxidized Fe(III)-containing heme derivative found in blood. In this study, we asked 4 questions. First, how uniform is the filamentation response to hemin among C. albicans strains? We tested 26 diverse isolates and found that the strength of a strain's filamentation response to hemin reflected its filamentation level in the absence of hemin. Second, does hemin induce biofilm formation? Hemin biofilm induction was evident in 5 out of 10 isolates tested, including most of the weaker biofilm formers tested. Third, what is the gene expression response to hemin? We compared RNA-seq data for type strain SC5314 grown in pH 5.5 minimal media with or without hemin. We also compared that response to SC5314 grown in pH 7.0 minimal media, where it undergoes well-studied pH-dependent filamentation. We found a common set of 72 genes with upregulated RNA levels in response to both signals, including many known hypha-associated genes. Surprisingly, overlap among those 72 genes with 2 recent consensus definitions of hypha-associated genes was limited to only 16 genes. Fourth, which regulators govern hemin-induced filamentation? A mutant survey indicated that the response depends upon filamentation regulators Efg1, Brg1, and Rim101, but not upon heme acquisition regulator Hap1 or its target genes HMX1 , RBT5 , PGA10 , PGA7 , and CSA2. These findings argue that hemin induces hypha formation independently of its utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Omeprazole (OL) as a green and efficient drug corrosion inhibitor was first investigated for the corrosion inhibition of Q235 carbon steel at 298, 308, and 318 K. Open circuit potential, Tafel, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and weight loss were used to evaluate the inhibition performance toward Q235 carbon steel in HCl medium. The results showed that OL exhibited excellent corrosion protection to carbon steel at different temperatures because of forming the compact and ordered OL adsorption film on Q235 surface. Especially, the inhibition efficiency increased to 96.11%, 95.12%, and 94.04% for 40‐mg/L OL in Tafel at 298, 308, and 318 K. Meanwhile, N–Fe and S–Fe bonds determined from X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed the multiple anchoring interactions between steel and OL with S and N atoms as the active sites. Density functional theory and molecular dynamics simulations showed the low energy gap ΔE and high adsorption energy values, besides the radial distribution function (RDF) indicating the strong chemical sorption of OL on Fe surface, which proved the superior corrosion inhibition efficiency of OL at a molecular or atomic level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The corrosion inhibition effect and synergistic mechanism of novel imidazoline derivative (SMIF) and benzimidazole (BMZ) in 3.5 wt% simulated concrete solution were studied experimentally and theoretically. The complex inhibitors have the most outstanding inhibition efficiency when SMIF concentration is 0.1 g/L and BMZ is 0.9 g/L, the corrosion inhibition efficiencies of weight loss, Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy and Potentiodynamic polarization curve (Tafel) were 88.81%, 86.27% and 90.22%, respectively. Electrochemistry analysis results proved that the corrosion inhibition mechanism of the inhibitors in the corrosion solution was mainly the formation of a protective film on the surface of carbon steel. FT-IR, Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy all proved the existence of the protective film. Molecular dynamics proved that the composite inhibitor molecules could be stable on the surface of carbon steel and when consist of complex inhibitor was 0.1 g/L SMIF and 0.9 g/L BMZ the stable adsorption morphology were the highest. This work confirmed that SMIF and BMZ inhibitors have a good synergistic effect, greatly improving the inhibition efficiency and reducing the cost of corrosion inhibition, and has a certain guiding significance for synergistic inhibition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water treatment agents (WTAs) are indispensable in various water treatment processes. Amphoteric polymers possessing unique charge characteristic and diverse polymeric configuration, have emerged as promising material for the development of environmental functional materials, such as membranes, coatings, hydrogels, as well as WTAs. The utilization of amphoteric polymer in the creation of novel and effective WTAs has attracted increasing attention. Understanding the specific properties of amphoteric polymer and the application mechanisms of various WTAs is critical for fabricating high-performance amphoteric polymer-based WTAs. In this work, the synthesis of diverse amphoteric polymer, including betaine-based, amino acid-based and mixed charge polymer, are reviewed. The properties of amphoteric polymer-based WTAs and the influence of environmental and structural factors on their application performance are also discussed. The application of amphoteric polymers in the development and design of various WTAs, including flocculants, adsorbents, antiscalants, catalysts and corrosion inhibitors, are introduced in detail. Furthermore, the prospects of amphoteric polymer in the field of WTA, including novel synthesis methods, thorough understanding on the structure-activity relationship of amphoteric polymer-based WTAs, and their multifunctional application, are elaborated. The applicability of amphoteric polymer-based WTAs can be improved by further exploration on their synthesis, structure-activity relationship and application researches. [Display omitted] • Synthesis of amphoteric polymer-based water treatment agents (WTAs) is introduced. • Properties and influencing factors of amphoteric polymer-based WTAs are discussed. • Recent advances in various amphoteric polymer-based WTAs are reviewed. • The challenges and prospects of amphoteric polymer-based WTAs are elaborated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The synthesised mercaptobenzothiazole‐containing borate ester (MTEB) and mercaptobenzothiazole‐containing borate (MTES) have good tribological performances in rapeseed oil (RSO). At 0.5 wt% concentration, MTEB and MTES can increase the extreme pressure value of RSO by 60.7% and 67.6%, respectively. The wear scar diameters (WSDs) of oil samples decrease with increase of MTEB (MTES) contents, and the antiwear effect of MTES is better than MTEB at the same condition, because of their polarity is different. There are similar results in the friction reduction performance. The X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis results have shown that MTEB and MTES can form protective films on the metal surfaces that contain boron oxide, iron oxide, ferrous sulfate, iron sulfide (MTEB additive), and other organic nitrogen compounds. The different reaction films formed in the complex boundary possess extreme pressure and antiwear capability. MTES possessed good synergistic antioxidation effect with N‐phenyl‐α‐ naphthylamine (T531), because it increased the oxidation activation energy than RSO by 97.13% when 0.025 wt% MTES is mixed with 0.25% T531. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two kinds of phenol- and N- containing borate ester, BTEB and BMEB have good hydrolysis stability due to the B-N coordination bond. The PB value improved by 60.7% and 67.6% respectively at 0.5wt% BTEB, BMEB in rapeseed oil. Their antiwear effect increases with the increase of adding content, and BMEB is better than BTEB. The friction-reducing effect of BTEB is better than BMEB. All additives formed a protective film which containing BOx, FeOx and other organic nitrogen compounds. The better capacities of BMEB may due to the complex boundary lubricating film which contain ferrous sulfate, ferrous sulfide. All additives possessed good antioxidation effect, and it increased the oxidation activation energy than rapeseed oil by 51.15% and 78.82% respectively at 0.25wt%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tribological and anticorrosion behaviors of imidazoline as water soluble additives is one of research hotspot. Two kinds of N-containing heterocyclic (benzotriazole and mercaptobenzothiazole) imidazoline compounds were synthesized and their tribological, antirust and anticorrosion behaviors were investigated. Results showed that they showed good anticorrosion, extreme pressure and antiwear properties. However, mercaptobenzothiazole-containing imidazoline showed excellent tribological property than benzotriazole-containing imidazoline. Their different tribological properties are closely corresponded to the different structure. There exist a synergistic tribological effect of the N-containing heterocyclic species and imidazoline group in additive, and the synergistic effect improves the tribological performances of water-glycol. The boundary tribofilm which contained organic nitrogen compounds, iron oxide, sulfide and so on, was the main factor to improve the tribological performances of water-glycol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There are limited data regarding the relationship between transport status and mortality in anuric continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients. Methods: According to the dialysate to plasma creatinine ratio (D/P Cr), 292 anuric CAPD patients were stratified to faster (D/P Cr ≥0.65) and slower transport groups (D/P Cr <0.65). The Cox proportional hazards models were used to evaluate the association of transport status with mortality. Results: During a median follow-up of 22.1 months, 24% patients died, 61.4% of them due to cardiovascular disease (CVD). Anuric patients with faster transport were associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality (HR (95% CI) = 2.16 (1.09-4.26)), but not cardiovascular mortality, after adjustment for confounders. Faster transporters with pre-existing CVD had a greater risk for death compared to those without any history of CVD. Conclusion: Faster transporters were independently associated with high all-cause mortality in anuric CAPD patients. This association was strengthened in patients with pre-existing CVD. © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustained molecular oscillations are ubiquitous in biology. The obtained oscillatory patterns provide vital functions as timekeepers, pacemakers and spacemarkers. Models based on control theory have been introduced to explain how specific oscillatory behaviors stem from protein interaction feedbacks, whereas the energy dissipation through the oscillating processes and its role in the regulatory function remain unexplored. Here we developed a general framework to assess an oscillator’s regulation performance at different dissipation levels. Using the Escherichia coli MinCDE oscillator as a model system, we showed that a sufficient amount of energy dissipation is needed to switch on the oscillation, which is tightly coupled to the system’s regulatory performance. Once the dissipation level is beyond this threshold, unlike stationary regulators’ monotonic performance-to-cost relation, excess dissipation at certain steps in the oscillating process damages the oscillator’s regulatory performance. We further discovered that the chemical free energy from ATP hydrolysis has to be strategically assigned to the MinE-aided MinD release and the MinD immobilization steps for optimal performance, and a higher energy budget improves the robustness of the oscillator. These results unfold a novel mode by which living systems trade energy for regulatory function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Specification and verification of coalitional strategic abilities have been an active research area in multi-agent systems, artificial intelligence, and game theory. Recently, many strategic logics, e.g., Strategy Logic (SL) and alternating-time temporal logic (ATL * ), have been proposed based on classical temporal logics, e.g., linear-time temporal logic (LTL) and computational tree logic (CTL * ), respectively. However, these logics cannot express general ω -regular properties, the need for which are considered compelling from practical applications, especially in industry. To remedy this problem, in this paper, based on linear dynamic logic (LDL), proposed by Moshe Y. Vardi, we propose LDL-based Strategy Logic (LDL-SL). Interpreted on concurrent game structures, LDL-SL extends SL, which contains existential/universal quantification operators about regular expressions. Here we adopt a branching-time version. This logic can express general ω -regular properties and describe more programmed constraints about individual/group strategies. Then we study three types of fragments (i.e., one-goal, ATL-like, star-free) of LDL-SL. Furthermore, we show that prevalent strategic logics based on LTL/CTL * , such as SL/ATL * , are exactly equivalent with those corresponding star-free strategic logics, where only star-free regular expressions are considered. Moreover, results show that reasoning complexity about the model-checking problems for these new logics, including one-goal and ATL-like fragments, is not harder than those of corresponding SL or ATL * . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Aerobactin counts for much to the pathogenesis of avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC), iutA is responsible for the expression of a specific outer membrane receptor protein for ferric aerobactin, and iucB is involved in the aerobactin synthesis. To our knowledge, the contribution of iucB to the pathogenicity of APEC has not been assessed till now. In this study, the mutants E058ΔiucB and E058ΔiucBΔiutA were constructed and characterized. There were no differences observed in a series of tests including the embryo lethality, invasion assay in HD11 cells and the ability to survive in SPF chicken serum. Meanwhile, the mutants showed decreased pathogenicity as compared with the wild-type strain through a series of experiments in vivo. The mutants E058ΔiucB and E058ΔiucBΔiutA greatly reduced in all of the tested tissues in vivo persistence (p <0.001). In the meantime, the mutants had no ability to produce aerobactin. Reintroduction of the iucB gene on a multicopy expression plasmid pGEX-6p-1 restored the capacity to produce aerobactin as similar to that of wild-type strain E058. The results indicated that the iucB gene related virulence factors including the iron assimilation system were important for the pathogenesis of APEC E058. As showed in the in vivo competition assay, compared to the parental strain E058, E058ΔiucB had a significant reduction of bacterial loads in heart (p <0.01), liver (p <0.01), kidney (p <0.01), spleen (p <0.05) and lung (p <0.05), respectively, while E058ΔiucBΔiutA had a sharp reduction in all of the five tissues to be tested (p <0.001). These results suggested that the single gene either iucB or iutA was likely to be involved directly or indirectly in iron uptake for the pathogenicity of APEC E058, and there was an obviously synergistic effect between iucB and iutA genes on the pathogenicity of APEC E058. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Series of triazine derivatives, 2,4-bi-alkoxy-6-(O,O-dialkyldithiophosphate)-s-1,3,5-triazine, were synthesized. Their tribological properties as lubricating oil additives in vegetable oil were evaluated using a four-ball tester. The results show that these triazine derivatives possess extreme pressure capacity, and they can improve antiwear and friction-reducing performance of base stock. The elements chemical states of the worn surface were estimated through X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results show that a protective film containing sulphide, phosphate and some organic nitrogen compounds was formed on the worn surface during the lubrication process, and the film possesses extreme pressure and antiwear properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We aimed to evaluate changes in the zygomatic pillar during orthodontic treatment involving premolar extraction, analyze the effects of maxillary first molar movement on zygomatic pillar remodeling, and examine occlusal characteristics and stress distribution after remodeling. Methods: Twenty-five patients who underwent premolar extraction were included in the study. The zygomatic pillar measurement range was defined, and cross-sectional areas, surface landmark coordinates, alveolar and cortical bone thicknesses, and density changes were assessed using Mimics software based on the cone-beam computed tomography scans taken before (T0) and after the treatment (T1). Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to determine the correlation between changes in the zygomatic pillar and maxillary first molar three-dimensional (3D) movement and rotation. Additionally, the correlation between pillar remodeling and occlusal characteristics was analyzed by Teetester. Pre- and post-reconstruction 3D finite element models were constructed and loaded with an average occlusal force of two periods. Results: The morphological and structural remodeling of the zygomatic pillar after orthodontic treatment involving premolar extraction showed a decreased cross-sectional area of the lower segment of the zygomatic pillar. The zygomatic process point moved inward and backward, whereas the zygomatico-maxillary suture point moved backward. The thicknesses of the zygomatic pillar alveolar and cortical bones were thinner, and reduced alveolar bone density was observed. Simultaneously, the movement and angle change of the maxillary first molar could predict zygomatic pillar reconstruction to a certain extent. With decreasing the total occlusal force and the occlusal force of the first molar, occlusal force distribution was more uniform. With zygomatic pillar remodeling, occlusal stress distribution in the zygomatic alveolar ridge decreased, and occlusal stress was concentrated at the junction of the vertical and horizontal parts of the zygomatic bone and the posterior part of the zygomatic arch. Conclusions: Orthodontic treatment involving premolar extraction led to zygomatic pillar remodeling, making it more fragile than before and reducing the occlusal force of the maxillary first molar and the entire dentition with stress concentrated in weak areas. Clinical relevance: No other study has focused on the effects of orthodontics on pillar structures. The present study indicates that the mesial movement of the maxillary first molar weakened the zygomatic pillar and reduced occlusal function, thereby providing insights for inserting anchorage screws and facial esthetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel imidazoline derivative has been synthesized and its molecular structure has been confirmed by IR, Raman, elemental analysis and NMR, the molecular structure of the inhibitor is similar to that of the previous research. In this paper, the inhibition performance and inhibition mechanism of the three inhibitors (SMID, SMIS and SMIF) in concrete simulation solution are analyzed and compared. The corrosion inhibition efficiency of SMIF (96.02 %) > SMIS (93.62 %)>SMID(93.01 %) in weight loss experiment, the SMIS of electrochemistry of Nyquist and potentiodynamic polarization were 89.72 % and 92.03 % respectively, which indicated that SMIS had good corrosion inhibition effect. Electrochemical experiments show that the SMIS belongs to anodic type, and the mechanism of SMIS can form a protective film on the surface Q235 and inhibit the charge transfer. The results of FTIR, EDS and XPS show that SMIS can be adsorbed on the surface of Q235, which is also confirmed by density functional theory (DFT) and molecular dynamics simulation (MD). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Small additions (0.25–0.5 mol%) of MoO3 were effective in preventing bubble defects from forming in silicate glass powder coatings during sintering, without changing the glass transition temperature or molten viscosity. Surface tension was reduced to a similar linear degree as predicted by Kucuk''s model, by approximately 20 mN/m per mol% MoO3. MoO3 increases the temperature where open porosity is sealed in the coating, allowing gas to escape before bubbles form. Sb2O3, a common fining agent used in industrial glass melts, does not significantly affect surface tension but produced higher bubble size and volume due to reduction above 1050 °C. Bonded OH groups in the glass frit were identified as a source of gas for bubble growth. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The effect of graphene oxide with different reduction degrees on the photocatalytic efficiency of titanium dioxide‐graphene (TiO2‐G) composites has not been systematically studied. In this paper, titanium dioxide‐partially reduced graphene oxide (TiO2‐PRGO) nanocomposites were prepared by a modified one‐step solvent‐thermal method and further reduced with ascorbic acid to obtain TiO2‐PRGO(xh) with a higher degree of reduction (ascorbic acid 80° reduced TiO2‐PRGO x h, x = 1, 2, 3, 4). The composites were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FT‐IR), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and ultraviolet–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). The transient photocurrent response and electrochemical impedance results show that TiO2‐PRGO has the most outstanding photoelectrochemical properties. Compared with pure TiO2 and other samples, the TiO2‐PRGO nanocomposites exhibited excellent photocatalytic properties, and their photocatalytic efficiencies for the degradation of methylene blue (MB) were up to seven times higher than those of the pure TiO2 nanomaterials, and twice that of TiO2‐PRGO(4h). The photodegradation of methylene blue by the composites decreased as the degree of PRGO reduction increased. The efficient photocatalytic performance of TiO2‐PRGO can be attributed to the high TiO2 loading and good electrical conductivity. Notably, TiO2‐PRGO photocatalysis for 90 min resulted in 100% degradation of MB. Meanwhile, TiO2‐PRGO has good reusability, and the degradation rate of TiO2‐PRGO remained at 95% after four times of degradation in MB solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four triazine mantic acid derivative additives were synthesized, and their tribological properties in rapeseed oil (RSO) were investigated with a four-ball tester. The results showed that the emulsions prepared with thiotriazine derivatives had excellent tribological properties. For the same S content, the antiwear performance was enhanced by increasing the carbon chain length at low load and deduced by increasing the carbon chain length at high load. The superior antiwear performance was attributed to forming the organic sulfide and nitrogen adhering layer, moreover, under low load, the thiotriazine xanthate derivatives containing a longer substituent chain would be hardly damaged during sliding, and the branch chain on the substituent group would be beneficial to enhance the tribological properties of triazine xanthine derivatives. Sulfur-containing triazine derivatives have a good corrosion inhibition effect for Q235 steel because they contain N, O, S, and other active sites. These heteroatoms have unshared lone pair electrons, which can coordinate with the unoccupied orbital of Fe atoms to form covalent bonds and prohibit the corrosive media from contacting the surface of the Q235 steel, thus inhibiting the corrosion processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon dots (CDs) are spherical zero-dimensional carbon nanomaterials, generally below 10 nm in size, which have received increasing attention in the field of corrosion because of various advantages such as good water solubility, abundant raw materials, and environmental protection. In this work, water-soluble carbon dots (CDs) with particle sizes of 5–10 nm are obtained by electrochemical oxidation with anhydrous ethanol. FTIR, Raman, UV–Vis, XPS, and TEM are used to characterize the obtained CDs, and electrochemical tests are used to investigate the anti-corrosion performance of the CDs. The results reveal that the corrosion inhibition performance increased with the addition of CDs, and the highest corrosion inhibition efficiency reaches 98% when the addition amount is 200 mg/L. Moreover, the inhibition mechanism for CDs needs to be further investigated, and the stable adsorption of CDs on carbon steel to form adsorption film may be the key factor for its good corrosion inhibition performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, high‐yield carbon quantum dots (CQDs) are successfully synthesized by a simple chemical oxidation method using acetaldehyde as raw material. Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), thermogravimetry (TGA), and XPS are used to analyze the structural characteristics of CQDs. The results demonstrate that many oxygen‐containing functional groups are on the surface of carbon nuclei. The inhibitive efficiency of electrochemical experiments and weight loss is 87.1 % and 95.3 %, respectively. SEM observes the surface morphology of the sample after 72 h corrosion with or without CQDs, and EDS analysis confirms that CQDs are effectively adsorbed on the surface of carbon steel. Furthermore, through calculation, the standard adsorption‐free energy of CQDs is −25 kJ/mol, concluding that the adsorption process is a combination of physisorption and chemisorption. This work is helping to solve the corrosion problem of metal equipment in the acid process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A dual-circular polarization (CP) textile antenna is investigated for wearable applications at 3.5 GHz WiMAX and 5.8 GHz industrial, scientific, and medical bands. The proposed antenna is composed of a dual-band monopole antenna and a polarization rotation artificial magnetic conductor (PRAMC). Through the PRAMC, the dual-CP radiation is enabled and the backward radiation is alleviated, in which the left-handed CP is generated in the lower band and the right-handed CP is realized in the upper band. Notably, dyadic reflection coefficient analysis is employed to understand the operating mechanism. Both monopole and PRAMC are printed on textile substrate, achieving conformability and comfortability. In addition, numerical results indicate that the performance of the antenna is robust to lossy human body and structural deformations. For verification, the prototype of the antenna was fabricated by two types of manufacturing process (i.e., laser cutting and screen printing), and the advantages and drawbacks of each fabricating approach are discussed for referring. The antenna made by laser cutting was tested on the phantom with the −10 dB impedance bandwidths of 11.7% and 9.1%, the 3 dB axial ratio bandwidths of 2.0% and 8.2%, and the peak gains of 6.6 and 7.2 dBic, in dual bands, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study applied geophysical methods to investigate the turbidite system developing over salt domes in the Lower Congo basin. As a rift basin, the Lower Congo basin experienced synrift, transition and post-rift tectonic movement. A series of evaporite deposits consisting largely of Aptian salts overlay the synrift half-grabens followed by thick post-rift sediment. The westward tilting triggered massive loading of Congo fan delta and initiated salt movement. In the study area, the major reservoirs are Oligocene and Miocene turbidite sands. The tectono–sedimentary interactions between Oligocene-Miocene deep-water depositional systems and salt-related structural topography can be observed through the salt structure and the deformation of turbidites. Later salt movement created a complex structure and either deformed the original setting of turbidite deposition or provided accommodation of the turbidite flow system. However, the complexity of salt structures and turbidite systems complicates the prediction of reservoir configuration and sedimentary facies in the study area. With high-resolution 3D seismic, we are able to study the sedimentary facies by employing geophysical methods that include seismic amplitude analysis, seismic waveform classification and spectral decomposition techniques. Our interpretations suggest that in the study area, the width of turbidite system ranges from 200 m to 4 km and the total thickness is up to 200 m. The turbidite channels trended from the northeast to the southwest during the Oligocene and turned westwards approximately 24° in the Miocene. Three typical sediment architectures are observed including distributary channel mouth lobe, confined turbidite complex with cut and fill channels and isolated individual channels, which would be the useful models for the reservoir evaluation over the active salt domes. • Seismic Waveform classification and spectrum decomposition do help to study turbidite. • Produce turbidite deposition facies maps. • Scale of turbidite systems in Oligocene are larger than that at Miocene stage. • Pathways turned clockwise around 24° from Oligocene to Miocene. • A geological model with turbidite deposition facies is built. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

N‐containing heterocyclic compound (NCHC) was a common used green lubricant addictive due to their extreme pressure, antiwear and friction–reduction performance, and high thermal stability, and ethylene glycol (EG) as lubricant exhibited superior tribological performance, combining of NCHCs, which was a suitable candidate for further improving the tribosystems' tribological properties. Thus, in this work, the synergistic effect between EG and 2,4,6‐Tris(2‐pyridinyl)‐s‐triazine (TPT) on the tribological performance was explored coupling of the applied loads and rotational speed. The tribological tests showed that TPT played an important role in improving the tribological properties as sliding in TPT@EG; the formation of the tribofilms induced by tribochemical reaction was in charge of enhancing the tribosystem's lubrication performance sliding in TPT@EG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PD-L1 (programmed death-ligand 1) is the ligand of PD-1 (programmed cell death protein 1) and regulates inhibitory immune responses. It is well known that PD-L1 suppresses T cell function via binding to PD-1. However, little is known about the role of the PD-1/PD-L1 axis in macrophage polarization. According to previous studies, the function of the PD-1/PD-L1 axis in macrophage polarization is controversial, and the underlying mechanism has not been fully elucidated. Thus, we treated THP-1-derived macrophages with human PD-L1 Fc to determine the role of the PD-1/PD-L1 axis in macrophage polarization. To further explore the mechanism, we performed RNA sequencing and used specific inhibitors to identify the implicated signalling pathways. In this study, we found that PD-L1 induces the upregulation of CD206 expression, which is inhibited by nivolumab, LY294002, U0126, and rapamycin. Evaluation of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and bioinformatics analysis indicated that PD-L1 also induces the upregulation of the expression of genes that maintain mitochondrial function and mediate metabolic switching. In addition, we did not detect PD-L1-induced CD86 alterations, indicating that PD-L1 treatment has no significant influence on M1 polarization. Taken together, these results suggest that PD-L1 binds to PD-1 and promotes M2 polarization accompanied by mitochondrial function enhancement and metabolic reprogramming via Erk/Akt/mTOR. This study elucidates the role of PD-L1 in macrophage polarization and verifies the underlying mechanisms for the first time. Considering that aberrantly upregulated PD-L1 expression contributes to a wide variety of diseases, targeting PD-L1-mediated macrophage polarization is a prospective therapeutic strategy for both neoplastic and nonneoplastic diseases. • PD-L1 treatment upregulates CD206 but not CD86 expression. • PD-L1-induced DEGs are related to the immune response, mitochondrial function, and metabolism. • Nivolumab, LY294002, U0126, and rapamycin inhibit the PD-L1-stimulated CD206 expression. • PD-L1 promotes M2 polarization via Erk/Akt/mTOR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An efficient reduction of sulfoxides to sulfides mediated by N-bromosuccinimide (NBS)/HCl system has been developed. This protocol shows good functional group compatibility as well as broad substrates scope with operational simplicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, most of the researchers focused on investigating the superlubricity of glycerol or glycerin/water solutions, yet all of them have no attempt to follow with performance about their lubricity under high load and fast rotational speed. In this article, the lubricity of glycerol was systematically investigated under 98 N and 1,450 rpm using a four‐ball wear machine. Interestingly, results showed that friction‐induced graphene layers were first discovered during sliding, meanwhile, friction‐induced graphene layers were closely related to the high flush temperature rise and catalysts. The synergy of graphene and glycerol elastohydrodynamic film on wear scar played an important role in obtaining low friction and wear‐less. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Li 6.5+x La 3-x Ba x Zr 1.9 Y 0.1 Al 0.2 O 12 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.05), Li 6.42+y La 2.98 Ba 0.02 Zr 2 - y Y y Al 0.2 O 12 (0 ≤ y ≤ 0.14) and Li 6.42-2z La 2.98 Ba 0.02 Zr 2-z W z Al 0.2 O 12 (0.05 ≤ z ≤ 0.45) ceramics were synthesized by the solid-state reaction method. The effects of the Ba, Y and W content on the crystallographic structure, morphology, the relative density and shrinkage, and the total ionic conductivity of the synthesized ceramics were studied, respectively. Li 6.5+x La 3-x Ba x Zr 1.9 Y 0.1 Al 0.2 O 12 (x = 0.01–0.05), Li 6.42+y La 2.98 Ba 0.02 Zr 2 - y Y y Al 0.2 O 12 (y = 0.06–0.12) and Li 6.42-2z La 2.98 Ba 0.02 Zr 2-z W z Al 0.2 O 12 (z = 0.05–0.45) ceramics were found to be of single cubic phase. Co-substitution of Ba and Y or of Ba and W for La and Zr can eliminate grain boundary, accelerate densification, and improve the ionic conductivity. The relative density and the total ionic conductivity at room temperature of Li 6.52 La 2.98 Ba 0.02 Zr 1.9 Y 0.1 Al 0.2 O 12 and Li 5.72 La 2.98 Ba 0.02 Zr 1.65 W 0.35 Al 0.2 O 12 ceramics are 93.23% and 2.02 × 10−4 S/cm, and 96.32% and 6.35 × 10−4 S/cm, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT: Aim: Cardiovascular disease is associated with morbidity and mortality in peritoneal dialysis patients but the relationship between left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and outcomes is unclear. This study aimed to explore the association between LVEF and mortality in incident continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients. Methods: The patients were divided into three groups according to LVEF levels (>0.6, 0.5 to 0.6, and <0.5). Kaplan–Meier analysis and the Cox proportional hazards models were used to evaluate association of LVEF with mortality. Results: Among the 594 patients, LVEF levels of >0.6, 0.5 to 0.6, and <0.5 were detected in 428 (72.0%), 127 (21.4%) and 39 (6.6%) patients, respectively. During a median follow‐up of 39.6 months, 127 (21.4%) patients died, of the deaths, 57.5% were attributable to cardiovascular causes. Patients with LVEF <0.5 had worst overall rates of survival and cardiovascular death‐free survival among groups. Compared with LVEF >0.6, adjusted all‐cause mortality hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for patients with LVEF 0.5 to 0.6 and <0.5 were 1.62 (1.09–2.43) and 1.93 (1.06–3.52), respectively. The corresponding adjusted cardiovascular mortality HR were 1.60 (0.94–2.47) and 2.16 (1.04–4.74), respectively. Conclusion: Reduced LVEF is significantly associated with increased all‐cause and cardiovascular mortality in incident CAPD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel chemiluminescence mechanisms of cerium(IV) and five tetracyclines in the absence and presence of Tween 80 are reported. The role of tetracyclines in the present chemiluminescence system was studied in detail by ultraviolet spectra and the singlet oxygen1O2probe 2-methyl-6-(4-methoxyphenyl)-3, 7-dihydroimidazo[1,2-a]-pyrazin-3-one hydrochloride. It is the first report that cerium(IV) reacted with tetracyclines producing singlet oxygen1O2after breaking the organic skeleton and decomposition of peroxyacetic acid in the absence of the surfactant Tween. Furthermore, by examining the effects of sodium azide and the chemiluminescence spectra, the results indicated that the maximum chemiluminescence emission at approximately 480 nm was due to dimer emission of singlet oxygen1O2from the reaction between cerium(IV) and tetracyclines as well as the reaction of cerium(IV) and Tween 80, respectively. Moreover, the chemiluminescence signals were unaffected when the reaction was performed under anaerobic condition, indicating that dissolved oxygen was independent of this system. Under the optimal conditions, the analytical characteristics and parameters of the cerium(IV)-Tween 80-tetracyclines chemiluminescence system were investigated. The present method was successfully employed for the determination of tetracyclines in milk. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The expression of aerobactin accounts for much of the pathogenesis of avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC). iucA , iucB , iucC and iucD are involved in aerobactin synthesis and iutA is responsible for the expression of a specific outer membrane receptor protein for ferric aerobactin. Knockout mutants of iucD and iucDiutA in the APEC O2 strain E058 were constructed and named E058Δ iucD and E058Δ iucD Δ iutA , respectively. To evaluate the pathogenicity of these mutants, we used multiple approaches to assess the effects of mutations on the virulence of APEC E058. Aerobactin-defective mutants E058Δ iucD and E058Δ iucD Δ iutA showed significantly decreased pathogenicity compared with the wild-type strain E058, evidenced by the low extent of colonization in selected organs or being outcompeted by E058 in vivo . Chickens challenged with APEC E058 exhibited typical signs and lesions of avian colibacillosis, while those inoculated with the mutants E058Δ iucD or E058Δ iucD Δ iutA showed moderate airsacculitis, mild pericarditis and perihepatitis. However, no significant differences in resistance to specific-pathogen-free chicken serum, ingestion by HD-11 cells, and growth rates in LB were observed between the mutants and the wild-type strain. These results indicated that the IucD- and IutA-related virulence factors play a significant role in the pathogenesis of the APEC strain E058. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients with diabetes are at increased risk of mortality and high peritoneal transporters appear to contribute to poor survival. However, little is known about the combined impacts of high peritoneal transporters and diabetes on mortality. Methods: This was a prospective observational cohort study. 776 incident CAPD patients were enrolled. Unadjusted and adjusted Cox proportional regression models were used to evaluate the association and interaction of peritoneal transport and diabetic status with mortality Results: In the entire cohort, high peritoneal transport status was associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality in unadjusted model [hazard ratio (HR) 2.35, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.30 to 4.25, P = 0.01], but this association was not significant in multivariable model. There was an interaction between peritoneal membrane transport status and diabetes (P = 0.028). Subgroup analyses showed that compared to low and low average transporters, high transporters was associated with a higher risk of all-cause mortality (adjusted HR 1.78, 95% CI 1.07 to 4.70, P = 0.04) in CAPD patients without diabetes, but not in those with diabetes (adjusted HR 0.79, 95%CI 0.33 to 1.89, P = 0.59). Results were similar when transport status was assessed as a continuous variable. Conclusions: The association between high peritoneal transport and all-cause mortality was likely to vary with diabetes status. High peritoneal transport was associated with an elevated risk of death among CAPD patients without diabetes, but not in those with diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Abnormal serum potassium is associated with an increased risk of mortality in dialysis patients. However, the impacts of serum potassium levels on short- and long-term mortality and association of potassium variability with death in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients are uncertain. Methods: We examined mortality-predictability of serum potassium at baseline and its variability in PD patients treated in our center January 2006 through December 2010 with follow-up through December 2012. The hazard ratios (HRs) were used to assess the relationship between baseline potassium levels and short-term (≤1 year) as well as long-term (>1 year) survival. Variability of serum potassium was defined as the coefficient of variation of serum potassium (CVSP) during the first year of PD. Results: A total of 886 incident PD patients were enrolled, with 248 patients (27.9%) presented hypokalemia (serum potassium <3.5 mEq/L). During a median follow-up of 31 months (range: 0.5–81.0 months), adjusted all-cause mortality hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for baseline serum potassium of <3.0, 3.0 to <3.5, 3.5 to <4.0, 4.5 to <5.0, and ≥5.0 mEq/L, compared with 4.0 to <4.5 (reference), were 1.79 (1.02–3.14), 1.15 (0.72–1.86), 1.31 (0.82–2.08), 1.33 (0.71–2.48), 1.28 (0.53–3.10), respectively. The increased risk of lower potassium with mortality was evident during the first year of follow-up, but vanished thereafter. Adjusted all-cause mortality HR for CVSP increments of 7.5% to <12.0%; 12.0% to <16.7% and ≥16.7%, compared with <7.5% (reference), were 1.35 (0.67–2.71), 2.00 (1.05–3.83) and 2.18 (1.18–4.05), respectively. Similar association was found between serum potassium levels and its variability and cardiovascular mortality. Conclusions: A lower serum potassium level was associated with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality during the first year of follow-up in incident PD patients. In addition, higher variability of serum potassium levels conferred an increased risk of death in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aerobactin genes are known to be present in virulent strains and absent from avirulent strains, but contributions of iucC and iucA, which are involved in aerobactin synthesis, to the pathogenicity of avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) have not been clarified. In this study, effects of double mutants (iucA/iutA or iucC/iutA) compared to those of single mutants (iucA, iucC or iutA) of aerobactin genes on the virulence of APEC strain E058 were examined both in vitro (aerobactin production, ingestion into HD-11 cells, survival in chicken serum) and in vivo (competitive growth against parental strain, colonization and persistence). In competitive co-infection assays, compared to the E058 parental strain, the E058ΔiucA mutant was significantly reduced in the liver, kidney, spleen (all P<0.01), heart and lung (both P<0.001). The E058ΔiutA mutant also was significantly reduced in the liver, lung, kidney (all P<0.01), heart and spleen (both P<0.001). The E058ΔiucC mutant was significantly attenuated in the heart and kidney (both P<0.05) and showed a remarkable reduction in the liver, spleen and lung (P<0.01); meanwhile, both E058ΔiucAΔiutA and E058ΔiucCΔiutA double mutants were sharply reduced as well (P<0.001). In colonization and persistence assays, compared with E058, recovered colonies of E058ΔiucA were significantly reduced from the lung, liver, spleen and kidney (P<0.01) and significantly reduced in the heart (P<0.001). E058ΔiutA was significantly reduced from the heart, lung, liver, spleen and kidney (P<0.01). E058ΔiucC, E058ΔiucAΔiutA and E058ΔiucCΔiutA were significantly decreased in all organs tested (P<0.001). These results suggest that iutA, iucA and iucC play important roles in the pathogenicity of APEC E058. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The lubricity of ethylene glycol under high load was well investigated. • Graphene was induced to form by tribochemical reactions. • The graphene lubrication mechanism was attributed to high flash temperature and catalysts. Loads were always treated as a key factor for alcohols lubrication, low loads such as 1 to 3 N made the tribosystems achieve the superlubricity assigning for tribochemical reactions. In this work, tribochemical reactions still exhibited the important role in alcohols lubrication. High loads such as 98 and 196 N could induce the formation of amorphous carbon and graphene respectively, which both made the tribosystems achieve the superior wear-resistance. Graphene could effectively keep the stable friction coefficient compared to amorphous carbon. First-principles calculations showed that ethylene glycol was easily dissociated to ethylene on WC surface. TEM analysis exhibited the chain-like amorphous carbon for sliding at 98 N, which indicated the polymerization products of ethylene. When increasing the load to 196 N, amorphous carbon was further transformed to graphene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• MoS 2 nano-balls are first fabricated using sonication-assisted method. • MoS 2 nano-balls makes the tribosystem exhibit excellent tribological properties. • Graphene layers are induced by tribochemical reactions during sliding. We first fabricate MoS 2 nano-ball in isopropanol using sonication-assisted method. We systematically probe the lubrication mechanism of MoS 2 nano-ball in isopropanol. Hydroxylated MoS 2 nano-ball could effectively reduce the contact area for GCr15 steel balls and possess superior load-capacity and make the tribosystem achieve ultra-low friction and wear under 98 or 196 N and 600 rpm. For comparison, the lubricity of tribosystem sliding in isopropanol is conducted. Interestingly, graphene layers are formed sliding under 196 N and 600 rpm, the graphene-based transfer film on GCr15 steel ball makes the lubrication condition fast transfer from mixed lubrication condition to full film lubrication condition, which results in high friction and wear. The formation mechanism of graphene is discussed and proposed in details. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]