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Purpose: Whole grains have recently been promoted as beneficial to diabetes prevention. However, the evidence for the glycemic benefits of whole grains seems to conflict between the cohort studies and randomized control trials (RCTs). To fill the research gap, we conducted a meta-analysis to determine the effects of whole grains on diabetes prevention and to inform recommendations. Methods: We searched PubMed, Clarivate Web of Science, and Cochrane Library until March 2024. We used the risk ratio (RR) of type 2 diabetes to represent the clinical outcomes for cohort studies, while the biomarkers, including fasting blood glucose and insulin, HbA1C, and HOMA-IR, were utilized to show outcomes for RCTs. Dose-response relationships between whole grain intakes and outcomes were tested with random effects meta-regression models and restricted cubic splines models. This study is registered with PROSPERO, CRD42021281639. Results: Ten prospective cohort studies and 37 RCTs were included. Cohort studies suggested a 50 g/day whole grain intake reduced the risk of type 2 diabetes (RR = 0.761, 95% CI: 0.700 to 0.828, I2 = 72.39%, P < 0.001) and indicated a monotonic inverse relationship between whole grains and type 2 diabetes rate. In RCTs, whole grains significantly reduced fasting blood glucose (Mean difference (MD) = -0.103 mmol/L, 95% CI: -0.178 to -0.028; I2 = 72.99%, P < 0.01) and had modest effects on HbA1C (MD = -0.662 mmol/mol (-0.06%), 95% CI: -1.335 to 0.010; I2 = 64.55%, P = 0.05) and HOMA-IR (MD = -0.164, 95% CI: -0.342 to 0.013; I2 = 33.38%, P = 0.07). The intake of whole grains and FBG, HbA1C, and HOMA-IR were significantly dose-dependent. The restricted spline curves remained flat up to 150 g/day and decreased afterward. Subgroup analysis showed that interventions with multiple whole-grain types were more effective than those with a single type. Conclusion: Our study findings suggest that a daily intake of more than 150 g of whole grain ingredients is recommended as a population approach for diabetes prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the Green's function method and tight-binding model, we have investigated tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) in a two-dimensional quantum anomalous Hall insulator (QAHI)/topological superconductor (TSC)/QAHI hybrid structure with its Chern number N = 1 and N = 0 in the central TSC region. It is found that the TMR effect can emerge in our proposed structure. In the presence of the chiral gapless Majorana edge state, the 100% TMR ratio is robust to disorder and is independent of the length of TSC. Further calculations show that the TMR effect could be adjusted by the relative angle between magnetizations of left and right QAHI electrodes and magnetization strength. In addition, we also calculate the TMR effect in the QAHI/TSC/QAHI hybrid structure with its Chern number N = 2 in the central TSC region. We found that our conclusions are still applicable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By using the Green's function method, we have investigated spin Hall conductance (SHC) in a four terminal quantum spin Hall insulator. The results show that the intrinsic spin orbit coupling in a HgTe/CdTe hetero-structure interface naturally leads to separate probability distributions for the two spins in coordinate space, which leads to the spin Hall effect in our proposed device. We also find that the SHC of bulk states exhibits an oscillatory behavior as a function of the device width and persists at a broad device width. In addition, we calculate the effects of disorder on the SHC of the bulk states of non-trivial and trivial topology. The results indicate that the spin up and spin down conductances show different degrees of suppression by disorder; thus the SHC could be significantly enhanced by the disorder. This kind of property has a great value to practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recursive splicing (RS) is a splicing mechanism to remove long introns from messenger RNA precursors of long genes. Compared to the hundreds of RS events identified in humans and drosophila, only ten RS events have been reported in mice. To further investigate RS in mice, we analyzed RS in the mouse brain, a tissue that is enriched in the expression of long genes. We found that nuclear total RNA sequencing is an efficient approach to investigate RS events. We analyzed 1.15 billion uniquely mapped reads from the nuclear total RNA sequencing data in the mouse cerebral cortex. Unexpectedly, we only identified 20 RS sites, suggesting that RS is a rare event in the mouse brain. We also identified that RS is constitutive between excitatory and inhibitory neurons and between sexes in the mouse cerebral cortex. In addition, we found that the primary sequence context is associated with RS splicing intermediates and distinguishes RS AGGT site from non-RS AGGT sites, indicating the importance of the primary sequence context in RS sites. Moreover, we discovered that cryptic exons may use an RS-like mechanism for splicing. Overall, we provide novel findings about RS in long genes in the mouse brain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obesity is an important public-health problem worldwide. This study aimed to determine effects of porphyromonas gingivalis lipopolysaccharide (Pg-LPS) on adipocytes injuries and explore associated mechanisms. Adipocytes were isolated from SD rats. pLVX-XBP1 (XBP1 over-expression) and pLVX-XBP1-RNAi (silencing XBP1) were structured and transfected into adipocytes. All adipocytes were divided into pLVX-NC, pLVX-XBP1, pLVX-NC+Pg-LPS and pLVX-XBP1+ Pg-LPS group. Oil-Red O staining was employed to identify isolated adipocytes. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was used to examine gene transcription of IL-6, TNF-α, leptin, adiponectin. Western blotting was used to detect Bax and caspase-3 expression. Adipocytes were successfully isolated and identified with Oil-Red O staining. Both XBP1 mimic and XBP1 RNAi were effectively transfected into adipocytes with higher expressing efficacy. XBP1 over-expression significantly aggravated Pg-LPS induced inflammatory response compared to adipocytes without Pg-LPS treatment (p<0.05). Pg-LPS significantly enhanced leptin and inhibited adiponectin expression by up-regulating XBP1 expression (p<0.05). XBP1 silence significantly alleviated Pg-LPS induced inflammatory response and reduced leptin, enhanced adiponectin expression in Pg-LPS treated adipocytes compared to adipocytes without Pg-LPS treatment (p<0.05). Pg-LPS induced apoptosis of adipocytes by enhancing XBP1 expression and modulating Bcl-2/Bax pathway associated molecules. In conclusion, Porphyromonas gingivalis lipopolysaccharide (Pg-LPS) induces adipocytes injuries through modulating XBP1 expression and initialling mitochondria-mediated apoptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heparan sulfate (HS) is a linear polysaccharide found in almost all animal cells and plays an important role in various biological processes. HS functions mainly via covalently binding to core proteins to form HS proteoglycans (HSPGs), which are heterogeneous in the lengths of the HS chain, the modifications on HS and the core proteins. The molecular mechanisms underlying HSPG heterogeneity, although widely studied, are not yet fully defined. The expression profiles of HS biosynthesis enzymes and HSPG core proteins likely contribute to the HSPG heterogeneity, but these expression profiles remain poorly characterized. To investigate the expression profiles of genes encoding HS biosynthesis enzymes and HSPG core proteins, we systematically integrated the publicly available RNA sequencing data in mice. To reveal the spatial expression of these genes, we analyzed their expression in 21 mouse tissues. To reveal the temporal expression of these genes, we analyzed their expression at 17 time points during the mouse forebrain development. To determine the cell-type-specific expression of these genes, we obtained their expression profiles in 23 cell types in the mouse cerebral cortex by integrating single nucleus RNA sequencing data. Our findings demonstrate the spatial, temporal and cell-type-specific expression of genes encoding HS biosynthesis enzymes and HSPG core proteins and represent a valuable resource to the HS research community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experiment studied the screening of α -galactosidase producing strain of Aspergillus niger variants and optimization of fermentation conditions. After UV mutagenesis and subculture of Aspergillus niger strain MX-H, a strain MX-H1 with stable α-galactosidase production was obtained, and its medium for enzyme production was optimized. The 18S rDNA identification showed that strain MX-H1 was identified as Aspergillus niger. The results showed that the optimal conditions were carbon source 15 g/L sucrose, nitrogen source 10 g/L beef extract, the production inducer 0.5 g/L raffinose, the initial pH 6.0, the culture temperature 30 °C, the sample size 30 mL/250 mL and the shaking table 180 r/min for 96 h. Under the optimal conditions, the activity of α-galactosidase was 4.95 U/mL. The experiment provides a reference for industrial production of α-galactosidase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alkenylbenzene skeletons represent one of the most widely occurring structural motifs in pharmaceutical drugs, natural products, and advanced materials. The construction of alkenylbenzenes is promising through the use of a straightforward oxidative alkenylation protocol, particularly from unactivated alkenes. This is significant because unactivated alkenes are inexpensive raw materials that can be obtained in bulk quantities from petrochemical feedstocks and renewable resources. However, controlling the reactivity and regioselectivity of olefination with unbiased olefins remains a significant challenge, necessitating continuous efforts and potentially having a substantial impact on both organic synthesis and the industry. This review aims to provide an overview of the latest advances in regiocontrol strategies for oxidative alkenylation reactions with unactivated alkenes, which can be categorized into three types: 1) ligand‐promoted/accelerated reactions; 2) prefunctionalized olefins‐facilitated reactions; 3) directing group‐induced reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the problem of cancellation of cochannel interference (CCI) present in the same frequency channel as the signal of interest, which may bring a reduction in the performance of target detection, in passive bistatic radar. We propose a novel approach based on probabilistic latent component analysis for CCI removal. The highlight is that removing CCI is considered as reconstruction, and extraction of Doppler-shifted and time-delayed replicas of the reference signal exploited fully as training data. The results of the simulation show that the developed method is effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Complex intermetallics usually exist as second phases in metal alloys. How these second phases can affect the thermal conductivity of alloys is generally unknown because the intrinsic thermal transport properties of these complex intermetallic compounds are quite less explored. In this work, we propose a computational framework based on first-principles calculations to study the electron and phonon thermal transport in complex intermetallics. Two typical intermetallics, i.e., MgZn2 and Mg4Zn7, are studied as prototypes. The rigorous mode-level first-principles calculations are first carried out to study the thermal transport of MgZn2. The calculations not only provide accurate thermal conductivity results, but also allow to prove that the constant relaxation time approximation and the Slack model work quite well in complex intermetallics. Then these two models are combined with first-principles calculations to predict the thermal transport properties for Mg4Zn7. Our results show that the directional average thermal conductivities for MgZn2 and Mg4Zn7 are 53.9 and 21.9 W/mK, significantly smaller than those of their elemental counterparts. Electrons are found to be the main heat carriers in these compounds, leading to a nearly temperature-independent thermal conductivity. Phonon thermal conductivity is negligible due to large unit cells and weak metallic bondings. Our work provides reliable thermal conductivity values for MgZn2 and Mg4Zn7. The computational framework developed in this work can also be further extended to study the electrical and thermal transport of other complex intermetallics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe validated protocols for generating high-quality, full-length severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 genomes from primary samples. One protocol uses multiplex reverse transcription PCR, followed by MinION or MiSeq sequencing; the other uses singleplex, nested reverse transcription PCR and Sanger sequencing. These protocols enable sensitive virus sequencing in different laboratory environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the mining process of deep metal mines, different types of rock mass instability failures are caused by strong mining disturbance. It is beneficial to master the fracture mechanism of rock mass in time to effectively prevent and control the ground pressure disasters. Microseismic signals are generated by the propagation and expansion of cracks inside the rock mass that contain plentiful information about the structural changes of rock mass. The ratio of the radiated energy of S and P waves (Es/Ep) of microseismic events can fast and effectively calculate the rock fracture mechanism, which is widely used for ground pressure hazard risk assessment. In this paper, this method was used to analyze the fracture mechanism of rock mass around deep stope in Hongtoushan copper mine and Ashele copper mine. Furthermore, the spatial distribution characteristics and proportion changes of microseismic events with different fracture mechanisms along with the mining process were studied. The results show that tensile cracks play a dominant role, accounting for 62% of the total events, during non-shear fracturing of the rock mass caused by the stoping unloading effect, while shear cracks occupy 68% of the total events during orebody slip failure. When the physical and mechanical properties of the orebody and rock mass are significantly different, slip failure along their contact zone is prone to occur under blasting disturbance. During deep mining, it is necessary to control the exposed area of the roof by each stoping, especially during the earlier mining stage, to avoid tensile stress concentration. The temporal and spatial variation of tension cracks and shear cracks induced by roof damage obtained in this paper can guide the prevention and control of ground pressure disasters in deep mining effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Electrospun (e-spun) nanofibers for wound dressing have attracted wide attention due to its large specific surface area, large porosity and breathability. Compared with solution electrospinning (e-spinning), melt e-spinning is more bio-friendly without toxic solvent participation, which provides the possibility of in situ e-spinning on wounds directly. However, previously reported melt e-spinning devices were usually bulky and cumbersome due to their necessary heating unit, and different components were separated to avoid electrostatic interference. Results: In this article, we report on a self-powered hand-held melt e-spinning gun which can work without any external power supply (outdoors). The problem of electrostatic interference for this integrated device was solved by using a special high heat transfer insulation unit. The apparatus is easy and safe to operate by a single hand due to its small volume (24 × 6 × 13 cm3) and light weight (about 450 g). Some biodegradable polymers, for example, polycaprolactone (PCL) fibers were successful e-spun onto wounds directly by using this dressing gun. Conclusions: PCL fibrous membrane has good biocompatibility and can be in situ electrospun to wound surface as a wound dressing by the portable melt e-spinning gun. Besides wound dressing, this hand-held melt e-spinning gun may be used in 3D printing and experimental teaching demonstration aids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate spin polarization and valley-dependent transport in bulk graphene in the presence of the exchange splitting field, the pseudo magnetic field, and Rashba spin-orbit coupling (SOC). It is demonstrated that Rashba SOC and the pseudo magnetic field cannot produce a spin polarization component perpendicular to the graphene sheet, but the exchange field can. However, the Rashba SOC leads to a finite in-plane spin polarization, which can be modulated by the pseudo magnetic field. Furthermore, it is also demonstrated that the valley polarization current cannot be produced in the considered system due to the mirror symmetry property of transmission probability for valley K and K′. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the electron transport through a zigzag graphene nanoribbon with a staggered sublattice potential and a certain asymmetric boundary potential. By using the tight binding model to combine with the nonequilibrium Green's function theory and the Landauer-Büttiker formalism, the energy band structure, conductance, and conductance fluctuation are calculated. We find that an energy gap opens up due to the inversion symmetry breaking by the staggered sublattice potential. By further tuning the boundary potential, the gapless valley-dependent edge states are achieved in which the carriers with the different valleys on a given boundary propagate in opposite directions. Furthermore, we study the effect of long range disorder on the transport properties of the valley-dependent edge states. The results show that the conductance plateau 4e2/h contributed by the edge states can be maintained well in a broad range of disorder strength for low-density disorder, indicating the robustness of the valley-dependent transport. In addition, the conductance fluctuation is also studied, and the fluctuation almost vanishes at weak disorder. On the other hand, at intermediate disorder strength with the system in the diffusive regime, the universal conductance fluctuation is exhibited. The conductance fluctuation is independent of various parameters, e.g., the ribbon width, the disorder range, and the disorder density. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electronic transport properties are studied theoretically in a ferromagnetic/semiconductor/ferromagnetic heterojunction with a tunnel barrier. The Rashba spin-orbit interaction in the semiconductor and the significant quantum size are taken into account simultaneously. It is found that the tunnel barrier plays a decisive role in the transmission coefficients of spin-up and spin-down electrons. On the basis of the group velocity concept and the particle current conservation principle, the spin-tunneling time is obtained as a function of the intensity of the Rashba spin-orbit coupling and the length of the semiconductor, respectively. It is shown that as the length of the semiconductor increases, the behavior of the spin-tunneling time oscillates slightly. Both the Rashba spin-orbit coupling and the tunnel barrier damps the motion of electrons, and so the tunneling time of electrons is increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine engineering structures may be subjected to various levels of vessel collisions, causing different degrees of damage to the RC piles. However, the influence of different combinations of impact mass and velocity under the same initial kinetic energy or momentum on the impact behavior of RC piles has not been explored. A numerical investigation of the impact responses of RC pile structures (including plumb piles and inclined pile groups) considering the material strain rate effect is carried out using the software ABAQUS/Explicit in this paper. Parametric studies are conducted based on the validated finite element models of RC piles subjected to horizontal impact. The internal force distributions, as well as the effect of the impact kinetic energy and the momentum (including different combinations of impact mass and initial velocity) on the impact response of RC piles, are discussed. The results indicate that the development path of the bending moment‒overall structural displacement curves in the plastic hinge regions of RC piles are almost identical under both impact and static loading conditions. Compared to momentum, the impact response of RC piles is insensitive to the variation of impact kinetic energy with different combinations of impact mass and velocity. Therefore, the impact kinetic energy is more suitable for evaluating the structural deformation of RC piles after impact. Finally, a performance-based impact-resistance design framework for RC piles is proposed. • A numerical investigation of the impact responses of RC pile structures is carried out. • The internal force distributions on the impact response of RC piles are discussed. • The effect of different combinations of impact mass and initial velocity on the response of RC piles is studied. • A performance-based impact-resistance design framework for RC piles is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The carbon nanotubes (CNTs) mixing inside a joint between two fastened parts of the material is the key to realize balance of strength and elongation. The electrophoretic deposition was innovatively applied to friction stir butt welding Mg plates to form CNTs/Mg joints. The results showed that the CNTs was involved to the adjacency of the butt weld mixing zone (BWMZ) by a concave shoulder and will be brought into the BWMZ through the forward force of the conical probe. Two pieces of plates deposited with CNTs were jointed without defects at various welding speeds through the advanced solid-phase joining techniques (electrophoretic deposition assisted with friction stir butt welding). When compared to the CNTs/Mg joint, the grains of the joint without CNTs were coarser and more aeolotropic. CNTs can generate Orowan strengthening due to confinement effect of dislocations slip, and CNTs with a high specific surface area also can serve as contact interface, leading to resistance at for localized plastic deformation, and with the increase of the total grain boundary, the strengthening effect becomes predominant. When bonding between matrix and CNTs was tight, the hard CNTs were difficultly pulled out from joint and then breaking energy will be absorbed and help to hinder crack propagation and expansion, which results in decent elongation. Consequently, CNTs mixed joint exhibits more balanced tensile properties compared to traditional joints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The Bose–Hubbard model (BHM) is a standard model which describes the quantum behavior of ultracold bosons in optical lattice. When tuning the model parameters, a quantum phase transition from superfluid (SF) phase to Mott insulating (MI) phase emerges. However, an extra tunneling process – the density-induced tunneling – is usually ignored in the standard BHM. Using process-chain method, we give a thorough study of the phase diagram of the BHM with density-induced tunneling in different particle density regions and spatial dimensions. We find the density-induced tunneling process can affect the SF-MI phase boundary dramatically, by suppressing the MI region and tune the tip of the phase boundary to lower chemical potential. Our unbiased numerical study gives benchmark results of the phase diagram of the BHM with density-induced tunneling. Highlights • Bose–Hubbard model considering the density-induced tunneling. • Unbiased numerical process-chain study. • Effect on the phase transition from superfluid phase to Mott insulating phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Miscible-blend of polymeric PSf/PI membrane for H 2 /CO 2 separation. • PSf/PI membrane with enhanced H 2 permeation properties. • Highly-purified bioH 2 as potential renewable energy. Abstract The biogas produced from the anaerobic fermentation of palm oil mill effluent (POME) contains equal amount of H 2 and CO 2 , in which the biohydrogen (bioH 2) is a prospective source of renewable energy. Therefore, the determination of an efficient H 2 purification technique has been a major concern. Membrane separation technology is highly recommended due to its excellent purification performance with high permeation of H 2 and H 2 /CO 2 selectivity. Polymer blending is a favourable approach due to its simplicity to refine membrane inner structural properties by combining different polymers with complementary features. In this study, the synthesized polysulfone-polyimide (PSf/PI) membrane is an alternative polymeric membrane practicable for H 2 /CO 2 separation due to its outstanding permeation properties, enhanced membrane properties as well as improved tolerance to plasticizing gases. The effect of evaporation time on PSf/PI membranes was further investigated and was thoroughly characterized by FTIR, TGA, DSC and SEM. The miscibility of the PSf/PI blending was proven by DSC with the detection of only single glass transition temperature value. The highest permeability of both H 2 and CO 2 gas were presented by PSf/PI-60 membrane with 348 GPU and 86 GPU, respectively, H 2 /CO 2 selectivity of 4.4 and H 2 purification efficiency of 80%. Hence, PSf/PI membrane is a high potential candidate with inherent properties for H 2 /CO 2 separation from POME fermentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This study assessed the environmental impacts of a composite polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membrane (incorporating nanomaterials) and compared with neat PVDF membrane on algal membrane photoreactor (A-MPR) system's overall sustainability. The life cycle assessment (LCA) was carried out using Simapro 8.4.0 with cradle-to-gate approach, including raw materials, equipment, transportation and electricity consumption using ReCiPe 1.13 (H) and IPCC 2013 GWP 100a methodology. From the LCA analysis, silver/graphene oxide - polyvinylidene fluoride (Ag/GO-PVDF) membrane fabrication showed higher environmental impact than the neat PVDF membrane fabrication due to the addition of Ag/GO nanohybrids into the polymer. However, the A-MPR system using the Ag/GO-PVDF membrane exhibited better environmental footprint due to the improved performance of the modified membrane in producing higher volume of permeate as the output. Therefore, the A-MPR system using Ag/GO-PVDF membrane had outweighed the additional environmental impact of the Ag/GO-PVDF membrane fabrication process. Energy demand was identified as the main environmental hotspot in the LCA analysis. Subsequently, sensitivity analysis was performed to find out the effect of various energy mix for electricity generation towards the environment. The analysis revealed that the energy source for electricity generation had significant influence on the overall sustainability of the A-MPR system. The use of grid with 100% renewable energy (hydropower and geothermal) and solar photovoltaic might be able to mitigate 94.8% and 97.5% of CO 2 emission, respectively. Highlights • Fabrication of composite membrane had greater environmental influence. • Composite membrane showed lower environmental footprint in the reactor operation. • Reduction of electricity usage is essential to minimize the environmental impact. • Development of green energy source is crucial to reduce environmental loads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visceral pain, a common characteristic of multiple diseases relative to viscera, impacts millions of people worldwide. Although hundreds of studies have explored mechanisms underlying visceral pain, it is still poorly managed. Over the past decade, strong evidence emerged suggesting that microRNAs (miRNAs) play a significant role in visceral nociception through altering neurotransmitters, receptors and other genes at the posttranscriptional level. Under pathological conditions, one kind of miRNA may have several target mRNAs and several kinds of miRNAs may act on one target, suggesting complex interactions and mechanisms betweenmiRNAs and target genes lead to pathological states. In this reviewwe report on recent progress in examining miRNAs responsible for visceral sensitization and provide miRNA-based therapeutic targets for the management of visceral pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poor corrosion property has been a bottleneck problem during the application of Mg alloys. This work proposes a new way to improve the corrosion resistance of MgNd alloy by micro-alloying Zr, which promotes the precipitation process to rapidly form a protective corrosion layer. The corrosion rate decreases by three orders of magnitude from 32.69 mL/cm2/day to 0.072 mL/cm2/day. The results show Zr tends to form nano-scale oxide clusters on Mg surface, acting as pre-precipitation sites to accelerate the precipitation and facilitate the formation of dense and compact corrosion layer. [Display omitted] • Via micro-alloying Zr, the corrosion rate of Mg-Nd alloy decreases by three orders of magnitude to 0.072 mL/cm2/d. • The formation process of the corrosion layer was monitored and clarified by in-situ AFM and EN technique. • The oxide of Zr can act as pre-precipitate sits to accelerate the precipitation rate, leading to a dense and compact corrosion layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solvent recovery is a big challenge in conventional solution electrospinning for the large-scale production of ultrafine fibers because the precursor utilization ratio is usually less than 20 wt%. In this paper, we report an eco-friendly two-component electrospinning technique for the fabrication of acrylate composite fibers using a homemade device at room temperature. During this electrospinning process, the two-component spinning solutions (component A: t-butyl peroxy-2-ethyl hexanoate (BPOEH), isobornyl methacrylate (IBOMA), nitrile rubber (NBR), methacrylic acid (MAA); component B: N,N-dimethylaniline (DMA), IBOMA, NBR and MAA) are nearly all electrospun into ultrafine fibers, and the utilization ratio of the precursor can reach more than 90 wt%. The fiber solidification mechanism can be ascribed to the rapid polymerization of the IBOMA monomer in the presence of free radicals formed by a redox initiation system (BPOEH + DMA), which is different from the solvent evaporation in solution electrospinning or cooling solidification in melt electrospinning. Such a two-component electrospinning technique may stimulate the development of an eco-friendly approach to fabricate composite and functional ultrafine fibers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the Green's function method, we investigate the interplay between Majorana zero mode (MZM) and Andreev bound states (ABSs) in a quantum dot molecule side coupled to a topological superconducting nanowire with a pair of MZMs forming a Josephson junction. Since the strong electron–hole asymmetry induced by the nanowire with a topologically non-trivial phase, the MZM suppress the ABSs. The suppression induced by the MZM is robust against the Coulomb repulsion. The interplay between the MZM and the ABSs in Josephson junction presents a feasible experimental means for distinguish between the presence of MZM and ABSs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is one of the leading causes of cancer mortality worldwide. A growing body of evidence indicates that microRNA (miR) have important and diverse roles in the proliferation, apoptosis and metastasis of human cancer cells. In the present study, the molecular regulation mechanism of miR-30a and its potential target, Myb-related protein B (MYBL2) was investigated in NSCLC. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction results showed that miR-30a was significantly downregulated in NSCLC tissues compared with adjacent normal tissues (P<0.05). MYBL2 has a putative miR-30a target site in its 3'untranslated region according to previous data, prediction databases and TargetScan software. In the present study, a negative correlation was demonstrated between miR-30a and MYBL2 expression in NSCLC. Direct interaction between miR-30a and MYBL2 was also confirmed via a dual-luciferase reporter assay. miR-30a overexpression inhibited the growth of A549 and H460 cells via MTT and bromodeoxyuridine incorporation assays, whereas miR-30a downregulation promoted cell proliferation. In addition, miR-30a overexpression not only increased cell apoptosis and induced cell cycle arrest in A549 and H460 cell lines, but also attenuated tumor growth, and mRNA and protein expression levels of MYBL2. The present findings suggest that miR-30a may suppress NSCLC by targeting MYBL2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diamond-like carbon (DLC) thin films were prepared by hydrothermal electrochemical method in one-step process. The structural characterization of these films was carried out by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Raman spectroscopy, and infrared reflectance spectroscopy (IR). It was found that there was an increased sp2 carbon content but decreased sp3 carbon and hydrogen contents with an increase in current density. The flexibility and internal stresses of the DLC films were affected by hydrogen, sp3 amorphous carbon and ordered crystalline sp2 carbon contents. The highly flexible DLC films with high sp3 carbon and hydrogen contents were prepared at a current density of 0.001 mA/cm2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To address the severe pollution caused by heavy metals, adsorbents have attracted considerable attention based on the idea of energy conservation, emission reduction, and waste utilization. In this work, magnetic nanocomposites were employed as an adequate source for Cu2+ adsorption. Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles were modified using branched polyethyleneimine and biochar produced from banana peels. The magnetic nanocomposites (BPB/Fe 3 O 4 /BPEI) were prepared by chemical coprecipitation. The resulting adsorbents were characterized using SEM, TEM, EDS, XRD, and FTIR, and it was also indicated that BPB/Fe 3 O 4 /BPEI was successfully prepared by stepwise modification with BPB, Fe 3 O 4 , and branched polyethyleneimine. VSM result shows the BPB/Fe 3 O 4 /BPEI exhibit a paramagnetic behavior (21.22 emu/g). A mesoporous structure can be confirmed by BET analysis (BPB/Fe 3 O 4 /BPEI: 68.72 m2/g). The effects of contact time, pH, concentration of copper ions, and adsorbent dose on the efficiency of copper ion adsorption were investigated. The optimal adsorption efficiencies for BPB(81.99%), Fe 3 O 4 (20.18%), BPB/Fe 3 O 4 (82.15%), Fe 3 O 4 /BPEI(87.37%), and BPB/Fe 3 O 4 /BPEI(99.46%) were determined. Furthermore, D-R, Temkin, Freundlich, Langmuir, Redlich-Peterson, Toth, Sips, and Hill isotherm models, Weber-Morris intraparticle diffusion, and Elovich, PSO, PFO, and Boyd kinetic models were conducted to better understand the removal process. The BPB/Fe 3 O 4 /BPEI adsorbents fit the PSO kinetic model and the Sips isotherm model best. The maximum capacities for Cu2+ adsorption with BPB, Fe 3 O 4 , BPB/Fe 3 O 4 , Fe 3 O 4 /BPEI, and BPB/Fe 3 O 4 /BPEI are determined to be 15.14 mg/g, 2.75 mg/g, 24.65 mg/g, 32.66 mg/g, and 73.23 mg/g, respectively. Furthermore, the effect of other metal ions and the reusability of BPB/Fe 3 O 4 /BPEI were studied, indicating that BPB/Fe 3 O 4 /BPEI has good stability even in the presence of other influential heavy metal ions in solution and can be effectively reused for wastewater treatment. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transition metal complexes capable of near-infrared light triggered-cytotoxicity are actively being developed as potential photosensitizers (PS) for photodynamic therapy (PDT) of cancers. In the present work, the structures and photophysical properties of complexes Pt(NˆCˆN)Cl and Pd(NˆCˆN)Cl (NˆCˆN = 2,6-dipyrido-4-methyl-benzenechloride) are investigated with a theoretical approach. The features of low-lying singlet and triplet excited states are discussed in detail. Their potential therapeutic use as two-photon PS in PDT is proposed on the basis of their strong absorbance in near-infrared region (NIR), vertical triplet energies resulting higher than 0.98 eV, and the spin-orbit matrix elements lager than 0.24 cm −1 . Moreover, an evaluation of triplet excited states lifetime is presented. The longer lifetime of the triplet excited states would lead to higher 1 O 2 yields for Pd(NˆCˆN)Cl compared to Pt(NˆCˆN)Cl. It is expected that the low-cost Pd(NˆCˆN)Cl will replace the reported Pt(NˆCˆN)Cl as a promising two-photon PS for improving clinical PDT efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of the size of micron SiC particle (SiCp) on the grain refinement, distribution of particle and tensile properties of as-cast AZ31B (Mg-3Al-1Zn-0.3Mn) magnesium matrix composites have been investigated. As the volume fraction of micron SiCp increases to 15 vol%, excellent grain refinement is achieved. Meanwhile, volume fraction of particle is set as same content, grain size of matrix decreases as the size of micron SiCp decreases. This is due to both the uniform distribution and refining effect of the fine particles. The micron SiCp distributes along the grain boundaries. Because of grain refinement strengthening and ceramic phase strengthening effects, the room temperature tensile property of M5-15 has the optimal value of YS 171MPa-UTS 216MPa-EL 0.87 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the hysteretic behavior of square concrete-filled steel tubular (CFT) stub columns with binding bars. A total of ten square CFT stub columns including eight specimens with binding bars and two specimens without binding bars were tested under constant axial load and cyclic lateral loads. The effects of the axial load level and the spacing of binding bars on the hysteretic behavior were investigated carefully. Experimental results demonstrate that the specimens with binding bars show higher lateral bearing capacity, higher stiffness, higher ultimate deformation capacity and better energy-dissipation capacity compared with those without binding bars. In addition, the initial local buckling for specimens with binding bars is significantly delayed by the binding bars. Furthermore, the lateral bearing capacity, the ultimate deformation capacity, the energy-dissipation capacity and the stiffness of the specimens with binding bars are significantly improved with the spacing of binding bars decreasing. The ultimate deformation capacity decreases with an increase in axial load levels while the energy-dissipation capacity increases with an increase in axial load levels. Finally, the fiber element analysis for all specimens is carried out. The calculated envelope curves and the calculated hysteretic curves of the specimens by the fiber element analysis are in good agreement with the experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bats harbor a large diversity of coronaviruses (CoVs), several of which are related to zoonotic pathogens that cause severe disease in humans. Our screening of bat samples collected in Kenya from 2007 to 2010 not only detected RNA from several novel CoVs but, more significantly, identified sequences that were closely related to human CoVs NL63 and 229E, suggesting that these two human viruses originate from bats. We also demonstrated that human CoV NL63 is a recombinant between NL63-like viruses circulating in Triaenops bats and 229E-like viruses circulating in Hipposideros bats, with the breakpoint located near 5' and 3' ends of the spike (S) protein gene. In addition, two further interspecies recombination events involving the S gene were identified, suggesting that this region may represent a recombination "hot spot" in CoV genomes. Finally, using a combination of phylogenetic and distance-based approaches, we showed that the genetic diversity of bat CoVs is primarily structured by host species and subsequently by geographic distances. IMPORTANCE Understanding the driving forces of cross-species virus transmission is central to understanding the nature of disease emergence. Previous studies have demonstrated that bats are the ultimate reservoir hosts for a number of coronaviruses (CoVs), including ancestors of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), and human CoV 229E (HCoV-229E). However, the evolutionary pathways of bat CoVs remain elusive. We provide evidence for natural recombination between distantly related African bat coronaviruses associated with Triaenops afer and Hipposideros sp. bats that resulted in a NL63-like virus, an ancestor of the human pathogen HCoV-NL63. These results suggest that interspecies recombination may play an important role in CoV evolution and the emergence of novel CoVs with zoonotic potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zinc oxide nanoparticles were well-known for the enhanced antifouling and antibacterial properties which could be beneficial for membrane processes in desalination. The functionalization of ZnO onto graphene oxide nanoplates was targeted for better distribution. Both ZnO and ZnO-GO NPs were synthesized using sol-gel method. The nanoparticles characteristics were checked with XRD, TEM, and FESEM. The nanohybrid membranes were fabricated via wet phase inversion technique and embedded with various percentage of ZnO (1, 2, 3 wt%) and ZnO-GO (0.1, 0.3, 0.6 wt%) nanoparticles. All the membranes with nanoparticles incorporation exhibited improved membrane properties in comparison with the pristine PSF membrane. The best membrane performance was shown in membrane with 2 wt% of ZnO and 0.6 wt% of ZnO-GO. These two membranes presented significantly improved performance such as enhanced hydrophilicity, high permeability and porosity, improved humic acid rejection rate as well as good antifouling and antibacterial control. To an extent, the excellent antimicrobial ability of these nanohybrid membranes appeared as appropriate candidate to contribute or overcome bio-fouling issues in applications such as brackish water or seawater desalination. Hence, ZnO and ZnO-GO NPs were superb nanomaterials in the fabrication of PSF-nanohybrid membranes. The use of GO nanoplates allowed reduction of ZnO composition by up to 5 times while showing similar performances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zinc oxide (ZnO) has excellent potential to be used in water and wastewater treatment, either as a photocatalyst or in membrane incorporation. In this work, the synthesis of smaller ZnO NPs through a sol-gel approach was enhanced by applying Taguchi design. Recent work on the synthesis of ZnO NPs was optimised to ensure relatively smaller sized particles were obtained. Several parameters of the synthesis process, such as molar ratio of starting materials, molar concentration and calcination temperature, were selected as they have the dominant effects on the particle size of ZnO NPs. Each of these factors was studied at three levels. Various analyses such as ANOVA, model adequacy check and numerical optimisation were performed to validate the predicted optimal model. As a result, the optimum conditions were estimated at a molar ratio of 50:50, an oxalic acid molar concentration of 0.1 M and a calcination temperature of 400 °C. Experiments were performed to validate the model at the selected conditions and the particle size was around 20 ± 2 nm according to XRD analysis, which was in good agreement with the predicted size of 19.8 nm. In addition, the actual size of the synthesised NPs was confirmed by TEM analysis, with the average size of 13 ± 5 nm. Hence, the Taguchi design was an essential tool in the optimisation of ZnO NP synthesis process with fewer experimental runs and relatively low cost approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Employing the Keldysh Nonequilibrium Green's function method, we investigate time-dependent transport through a topological superconductor with Majorana bound states in the presence of a high frequency microwave field. It is found that Majorana bound states driven by photon-assisted tunneling can absorb(emit) photons and the resulting photon-assisted tunneling side band peaks can split the Majorana bound state that then appears at non-zero bias. This splitting breaks from the current opinion that Majorana bound states appear only at zero bias and thus provides a new experimental method for detecting Majorana bound states in the Non-zero-energy mode. We not only demonstrate that the photon-assisted tunneling side band peaks are due to Non-zero-energy Majorana bound states, but also that the height of the photon-assisted tunneling side band peaks is related to the intensity of the microwave field. It is further shown that the time-varying conductance induced by the Majorana bound states shows negative values for a certain period of time, which corresponds to a manifestation of the phase coherent time-varying behavior in mesoscopic systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, the local thin plate spline collocation method and first-order shear deformation shell theory are used to predict the natural frequency of functionally graded cylindrical shells. The local collocation method does not require special treatment for essential boundary condition nor time-consuming integration of weak form. Natural frequency of functionally graded cylindrical shells with clamped and simply supported boundary conditions are solved and compared with available published results to assess the performance of the present method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For solving a class of non-smooth unconstrained global optimization problems, we present a novel definition of the modified tunneling function which combines the characters of tunneling function and filled function, and then give a one-parameter modified tunneling function. Issues covered in the presented work include: theoretical properties, solution algorithms and numerical experiments. Furthermore, an improved artificial neural network hydrological forecasting method using the modified tunneling function is also reported. The preliminary experiment results confirm that the proposed approach is promising. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quantum entanglement between two qubits is crucial for applications in the quantum communication. After the entanglement of photons was experimentally realized, much effort has been taken to exploit the entangled electrons in solid-state systems. Here, we propose a Cooper-pair splitter, which can generate spatially-separated but entangled electrons, in a quantum anomalous Hall insulator proximity-coupled with a superconductor. After coupling with a superconductor, the chiral edge states of the quantum anomalous Hall insulator can still survive, making the backscattering impossible. Thus, the local Andreev reflection becomes vanishing, while the crossed Andreev reflection becomes dominant in the scattering process. This indicates that our device can serve as an extremely high-efficiency Cooper-pair splitter. Furthermore, because of the chiral characteristic, our Cooper-pair splitter is robust against disorders and can work in a wide range of system parameters. Particularly, it can still function even if the system length exceeds the superconducting coherence length. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emergence of accelerated aging reaction provided a safer, cleaner, and more sustainable technology for material manufacturing and biomass treatment but still underexploited in organic synthesis and medicinal chemistry. We report the first mechanochemical accelerated aging strategy for solvent-minimal (cascade) cross dehydrogenative coupling (CDC) reactions between glycine esters/amides and a range of nucleophiles, which features clean and convenient setup, ambient temperature, atmospheric oxidation, and feasibility, for multigram-scale synthesis. By virtue of these facts, the present method provided an expedient and sustainable alternative to synthesize biologically important α-glycine derivatives and functionalized 1,4-dihydropyridines including the precursor of the antioxidant AV-154 and calcium channel blocker analogs. Mechanistically, a pre-grinding of the reactants and silica gel/NaCl facilitated spontaneous oxidation of glycine esters/amides under open air without continuous energy input followed by a coupling reaction (and sequential transformations). Multiform green metrics calculation demonstrates that the current accelerated aging protocol meets many of the principles of green chemistry such as waste prevention, high atom economy, unnecessary solvent, and good energy efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, Means-End Chain Theory is used for the positioning strategy study on regional brand of Linhai Orange, and based on soft laddering method, 33 Linhai Orange consumer are interviewed. By understanding the individual needs of Linhai Orange consumer, this paper establishes the "Attributes- Consequences-Value" matrix and hierarchical value map. This study aims to explore the regional brand positioning strategy of Linhai Orange, in order to promote the regional brand building and extension of Linhai Orange and enhance the sustained regional brand development of Linhai Orange. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ORF11 (ac11) of Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) is a highly conserved gene with unknown function. To determine the role of ac11 in the baculovirus life cycle, an ac11 knockout mutant of AcMNPV, Ac11KO, was constructed. Northern blot and 5= rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) analyses revealed that ac11 is an early gene in the life cycle. Microscopy, titration assays, and Western blot analysis revealed that budded viruses (BVs) were not produced in Ac11KOtransfected Sf9 cells. However, quantitative PCR (qPCR) analysis demonstrated that the deletion of ac11 did not affect viral DNA replication. Furthermore, electron microscopy revealed that there was no nucleocapsid in the cytoplasm or plasma membrane of Ac11KO-transfected cells, which demonstrates that the defect in BV production in Ac11KO-transfected cells is due to the inefficient egress of nucleocapsids from the nucleus to the cytoplasm. In addition, electron microscopy observations showed that the nucleocapsids in the nucleus were not enveloped to form occlusion-derived viruses (ODVs) and that their subsequent embedding into occlusion bodies (OBs) was also blocked in Ac11KO-transfected cells, demonstrating that ac11 is required for ODV envelopment. These results therefore demonstrate that ac11 is an early gene that is essential for BV production and ODV envelopment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electrical resistivity and thermal conductivity of some Mg–Al, Mg–Zn and Mg–Mn binary magnesium alloys were measured in the temperature range of 2–300 K. The electrical resistivity increased with the increasing alloying content in each binary alloy system, while the thermal conductivity exhibited an opposite trend. The low-temperature thermal conductivity was understood using κ = ( A / T + BT 2 ) −1 + CT 2 , which is found to be applicable in various binary and/or multi-component alloy systems. The parameters A , B and C were determined through numerical fitting of the experimental data. Significant differences were found in the effect of three solute atoms on the thermal conductivity of Mg. The reasons for large differences in the thermal conductivity of the three binary magnesium alloy systems are discussed. Variations in the atomic volume and the valence are believed to play an important role on the thermal conductivity of magnesium alloys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon-based electrocatalysts are more durable and cost-effective than noble materials for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), which is an important process in energy conversion technologies. Heteroatoms are considered responsible for the excellent ORR performance in many carbon-based electrocatalysts. But whether an all-carbon electrocatalyst can effectively reduce oxygen is unknown. We subtly engineered the interfaces between planar graphene sheets and curved carbon nanotubes (G-CNT) and gained a remarkable activity/selectivity for ORR (larger current, and n 5 3.86, ~93% hydroxide + ~7% peroxide). This performance is close to that of Pt; and the durability is much better than Pt. We further demonstrate the application of this G-CNT hybrid as an all-carbon cathode catalyst for lithium oxygen batteries. We speculate that the high ORR activity of this G-CNT hybrid stems from the localized charge separation at the interface of the graphene and carbon nanotube, which results from the tunneling electron transfer due to the Fermi level mismatch on the planar and curved sp2 surfaces. Our result represents a conceptual breakthrough and pioneers the new avenues towards practical all-carbon electrocatalysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High corrosion tendency is the bottleneck problem in the application of magnesium as lightweight bipolar plate for proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). This study proposes an innovative anodized Ta/Ag coating on Mg substrate, which is capable of significantly improving the anti-corrosion and electrical conduction abilities simultaneously. The corrosion behavior of the coating during immersion in the PEMFCs environment was investigated and compared with that in the working condition. In addition, the underlying mechanism of the corrosion behavior was discussed. [Display omitted] • Highly corrosion-resistant anodized Ta/Ag coated Mg bipolar plate is designed. • Anodized Ta/Ag coating possesses the long-term protection of Mg. • The corrosion current density drops by 5 orders of magnitude after coating. • The dissolution and formation of Ta 2 O 5 greatly affect the performance of the film. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peach lipid transfer protein (LTP1), Pru p 3.01, is a major allergen causing severe systemic reactions in peach allergic patients in Mediterranean countries and China. Significant expression variability has been reported among peach cultivars at both transcript and protein level. In this study, the allele diversity of the LTP1-encoding gene was assessed in a large set of peach cultivars by direct sequencing of the gene and its upstream region. Evolution of the LTP1-encoding genes in peach ( Prunus persica) and three other Prunus species ( Prunus kansuensis, Prunus mira, and Prunus davidiana) were also inferred. Sequence analysis revealed that LTP1-encoding genes are highly conserved among peach cultivars and wild peach. Three different allele sequences were obtained from 50 Prunus accessions on the basis of the upstream region of the LTP1-encoding gene and three allele specific markers were derived according to the polymorphic sites. These markers were used to test 316 peach cultivars, most of which clustered within the three main subpopulations of peach, 'Yu Lu', 'Hakuho' and landraces. The genotypic frequencies and allele frequencies in the oriental peach cultivars in these subpopulations except for 'Yu Lu' were found to be in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium ( P < 0.05). The dominant alleles were upLTP1-a in the 'Yu Lu' subpopulation and upLTP1-c in the 'Hakuho' subpopulation, allele upLTP1-b and allele upLTP1-c had the highest rates in the landraces, and the dominant allele in the three peach wild relatives was allele upLTP1-b. Furthermore, we found many light-responsive elements in the upstream region. Most of the polymorphic sites in Prunus species are located in the intron region. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that Prunus kansuensis KC311794 and Prunus mira KC311791 are related more closely to Prunus persica KC311795 than to Prunus davidiana KC311792 and KC311793. The allele sequences we derived on the basis of this variability were distributed unevenly, indicating the need to study allergenicity in different subpopulations and the association between allele sequences and allergenicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major risk factor for liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Nevertheless, the molecular mechanism of HBV replication remains elusive. SIRT1 is a class III histone deacetylase that is a structure component of the HBV cccDNA minichromosome. In this study, we found by using microarray-based gene expression profiling analysis that SIRT1 was upregulated in HBV-expressing cells. Gene silencing of SIRT1 significantly inhibited HBV DNA replicative intermediates, 3.5-kb mRNA, and core protein levels. In contrast, the overexpression of SIRT1 augmented HBV replication. Furthermore, SIRT1 enhanced the activity of HBV core promoter by targeting transcription factor AP-1. The c-Jun subunit of AP-1 was bound to the HBV core promoter region, as demonstrated by using a chromatin immunoprecipitation assay. Mutation of AP-1 binding site or knockdown of AP-1 abolished the effect of SIRT1 on HBV replication. Finally, SIRT1 inhibitor sirtinol also suppressed the HBV DNA replicative intermediate, as well as 3.5-kb mRNA. Our study identified a novel host factor, SIRT1, which may facilitate HBV replication in hepatocytes. These data suggest a rationale for the use of SIRT1 inhibitor in the treatment of HBV infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By the concept that environmental monitoring units are treated as a government laboratory extension mechanism, the environmental protection departments should transform their work from site supervision and administration and graduaHy into on-site supervision and regulation of data ; should guide social forces, and promote the social construction of environmental monitoring, environmental monitoring system of government, enterprises, social institutions to participate in the joint. The paper explores to push the operation of government laboratory quality management system into monitoring members, and push the monitor for the government into the form of contract, to regulate the management model in the form of a contract. We have to improve the monitoring station construction, strengthen enterprise self monitoring ability configuration, and standardize social monitoring institutions. They can not only conform to the monitoring of social requirements but also be in accordance with the environmental protection system of " monitoring station mode" to provide environmental services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Rett syndrome (RTT) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by developmental regression beginning 6–18months after birth, followed by a lifetime of intellectual disability, stereotyped behaviors, and motor deficits. RTT is caused by mutations in the gene encoding MeCP2, a methyl-CpG binding protein believed to modulate gene transcription. Gene expression studies of individual brain regions have reported that Mecp2 loss-of-function leads to both activation and repression of its gene targets in mice. Conditional deletion of MeCP2 from different brain regions has revealed unique insights into the role of these structures in mediating particular RTT-like phenotypes. However, the function of MeCP2 in the striatum, a major brain region involved in motor control and executive cognitive functions, has yet to be studied. Here, we characterized the gene expression changes in the striatum of Mecp2 mutant mice. We found a number of differentially expressed genes in the striatum of both constitutive Mecp2-null mice and mice lacking MeCP2 only from forebrain GABAergic neurons. These changes only occurred when MeCP2 expression levels had reached mature levels and RTT-like symptoms were manifest, supporting a role for MeCP2 in maintaining proper brain function. Many of the gene expression changes identified in the striatum have not previously been shown to change in the hypothalamus or cerebellum. Bioinformatic analysis of differentially expressed genes in striatum as well as hypothalamus and cerebellum revealed that loss of MeCP2 does not affect the global landscape of gene expression. Additionally, we uncovered a number of differentially expressed genes in the liver of Mecp2-null mice suggesting an important role for MeCP2 in non-neuronal tissues. Collectively, our data suggest that the differential expression of genes following loss of MeCP2 occurs in a tissue- or cell-type specific manner and thus MeCP2 function should be understood in a cellular context. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Asmall volumetric capacitance resulting from a low packing density is one of the major limitations for novel nanocarbons finding real applications in commercial electrochemical energy storage devices. Here we report a carbon with a density of 1.58 g cm23, 70% of the density of graphite, constructed of compactly interlinked graphene nanosheets, which is produced by an evaporation-induced drying of a graphene hydrogel. Such a carbon balances two seemingly incompatible characteristics: a porous microstructure and a high density, and therefore has a volumetric capacitance for electrochemical capacitors (ECs) up to 376 F cm-3, which is the highest value so far reported for carbon materials in an aqueous electrolyte. More promising, the carbon is conductive and moldable, and thus could be used directly as a well-shaped electrode sheet for the assembly of a supercapacitor device free of any additives, resulting in device-level high energy density ECs [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]