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Multi-layer slopes are widely found in clay residue receiving fields. A generalized horizontal slice method (GHSM) for assessing the stability of multi-layer slopes that considers the energy dissipation between adjacent horizontal slices is presented. In view of the upper-bound limit analysis theory, the energy equation is derived and the ultimate failure mode is generated by comparing the sliding surface passing through the slope toe (mode A) with that below (mode B). In addition, the influence of the number of slices on the stability coefficients in the GHSM is studied and the stable value is obtained. Compared to the original method (Chen's method), the GHSM can acquire more precise results, which takes into account the energy dissipation in the inner sliding soil mass. Moreover, the GHSM, limit equilibrium method (LEM) and numerical simulation method (NSM) are applied to analyze the stability of a multi-layer slope with different slope angles and the results of the safety factor and failure mode are very close in each case. The ultimate failure modes are shown to be mode B when the slope angle is not more than 28°. It illustrates that the determination of the ultimate sliding surface requires comparison of multiple failure modes, not only mode A. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we synthesized solid solutions of x Bi(Ni 1/2 Hf 1/2)O 3 -(1 − x)PbTiO 3 (x BNH-PT) with the aim of elucidating their phase boundary behaviors and the associated physical properties. A tetragonal (T) - pseudocubic (PC) phase boundary was confirmed at x = 0.38. For x = 0.36 and x = 0.37 with distinct tetragonal distortions, a spontaneous ferroelectric-relaxor transition was observed. The introduction of a T-PC phase boundary not only led to enhanced piezoelectric properties (d 33 = 456 pC/N, x = 0.39) but also effectively suppressed the spontaneous ferroelectric-relaxor transition. Detailed analysis revealed that the local structure of the initial state in 0.39BNH-0.61PT remained tetragonal. After poling, a long-range tetragonal phase was formed from the short-range tetragonal clusters, with the c/a value of ∼1.01. Our observations of frequency dispersion strongly suggest the presence of local inhomogeneities, resulting in distinct poling effects on the dielectric and elastic behaviors of the material. ● The onset of a T-PC phase boundary could enhance piezoelectric properties and suppress the spontaneous F-R transition. ● The poling field promoted the formation of a long-range T phase from the short-range T clusters in 0.39BNH-0.61PT. ● The presence of the local inhomogeneities gave different poling effects on the dielectric and elastic behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Dystonia is a condition that affects the ability to control the movement and function of the body's muscles. It can cause not only physical problems, but also mental problems, resulting in impaired health-related quality of life (HRQoL). However, the effect of deep brain stimulation on quality of life in acquired dystonia remains unclear. Methods: We conducted a systematic literature review from January 2000 to October 2022，determined the eligible studies, and performed a meta-analysis of HRQoL outcomes based on the Short-Form Health Survey-36 (SF-36) after DBS to evaluate the effects of DBS on physical and mental QoL. Results: A total of 14 studies met the inclusion criteria and were systematically reviewed. A comprehensive meta-analysis was performed for 9 studies that reported physical and psychological data or physical component summary (PCS), or mental component summary (MCS) for SF-36. The mean (SD) age at DBS implantation was 34.29 (10.3) years, and the follow-up period after implantation was 2.21 (2.80) years. The random effects model meta-analysis revealed that both physical and mental domains of the SF-36 improved following DBS. There was no statistically significant difference between the physical domains (effect size=1.34; p<0.0001) and the mental domains (effect size=1.38; p<0.0001). Conclusion: This is the first meta-analysis that demonstrates significant benefits in HRQoL following DBS in patients with acquired dystonia. There were significant improvements in both physical QoL and mental QoL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Neck imbalance negatively affects body aesthetics of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients. The evaluation of neck imbalance is currently limited to radiographic parameters, but lacks visual indicators. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to establish indexes of neck imbalance based on body image and to investigate whether these indexes can truly reflect neck imbalance in AIS patients. Methods: We performed a cross‐sectional study at a single institution between June 2017 and September 2020 and there were 115 subjects involved in this research. All patients were diagnosed with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, Lenke type I/II. Radiographic parameters measured included cervical axis tilt (CAT), T1 tilt, first rib angle (FRA), clavicle angle (CA), radiographic shoulder height (RSH), proximal thoracic curve (PTC), apical vertebra translation of proximal thoracic (AVT of PT), main thoracic curve (MTC), apical vertebra translation of main thoracic (AVT of MT) and coronal balance (CB/C7PL‐CSVL). Neck imbalance indexes were obtained and measured following a standardized manner. Intra‐class correlation coefficient (ICC) analysis was performed for neck imbalance indexes to determine their intra‐observer and inter‐observer reliability, and correlation tests were performed for neck imbalance indexes with the radiographic parameters mentioned above. Results: Strong intraobserver and interobserver reliability were observed in neck imbalance index (NII) 1 (0.91 and 0.88), neck imbalance index 2 (0.85 and 0.81) and NII 3 (0.82 and 0.80), P < 0.05. Significant correlation was found in cervical axis tilt (R = 0.81 for NII 1, R = 0.77 for NII 2 and R = 0.78 for NII 3), T1 tilt (R = 0.43 for NII 1, R = 0.52 for NII 2 and R = 0.48 for NII 3), first rib angle (R = 0.41 for NII 1, R = 0.48 for NII 2 and R = 0.43 for NII 3), proximal thoracic curve (R = 0.36 for NII 2) and apical vertebra translation of proximal thoracic (R = −0.37 for NII 2 and R = −0.35 for NII 3) with neck imbalance indexes. Neck imbalance index 1 showed the highest correlation with cervical axis tilt (R = 0.81, P < 0.01). Conclusions: Neck imbalance indexes established in our study were in good correlation with cervical axis tilt (CAT), At the meantime, they showed significant correlations with T1 tilt and first rib angle (FRA). Our study provides a practical method for measurement of neck imbalance regarding realistic perspective and makes up for the lack of photographic indexes about neck imbalance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To avoid the narrow absorption bandwidth and delamination in uniform honeycomb composites, three‐dimensional (3D) gradient honeycomb composites were prepared through a vacuum‐assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) process. The 3D gradient honeycomb woven composite (3D GHWC) was made by using 3D gradient woven fabric with basalt and carbon fibers as reinforcement and epoxy resin mixed with carbon black and carbonyl iron powder as the matrix. For further optimization of the effective absorbing bandwidth and/or reflection loss (RL), especially at a specific incident angle, the type of absorbing agent and gradient honeycomb structure could be altered in the weaving process. The minimum RL value achieved by the 3D GHWC with 18.5‐mm thickness is −47 dB in the C band at a 30° incident angle using an Agilent vector network analyzer. In addition, the bending strength of the 3D GHWC with 18.5‐mm thickness reaches 101.7 MPa by a universal testing machine, which suggests excellent mechanical properties and ultra‐strong environmental adaptability of the 3D GHWC material. This work offers an adjustable method for the fabrication of microwave absorption (MA) composites, showing potential prospects in civilian and military MA applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine the predictors and the long-term outcomes of patients with seizures following surgery for dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumors (DNTs); Methods: Clinical data were collected from medical records of consecutive patients of the Department of Neurosurgery of Sanbo Brain Hospital of Capital Medical University with a pathological diagnosis of DNT and who underwent surgery from January 2008 to July 2021. All patients were followed up after surgery for at least one year. We estimated the cumulative rate of seizure recurrence-free and generated survival curves. A log-rank (Mantel–Cox) test and a Cox proportional hazard model were performed for univariate and multivariate analysis to analyze influential predictors; Results: 63 patients (33 males and 30 females) were included in this study. At the final follow-up, 49 patients (77.8%) were seizure-free. The cumulative rate of seizure recurrence-free was 82.5% (95% confidence interval (CI) 71.8–91.3%), 79.0% (95% CI 67.8–88.6%) and 76.5% (95% CI 64.8–87.0%) at 2, 5, and 10 years, respectively. The mean time for seizure recurrence-free was 6.892 ± 0.501 years (95% CI 5.91–7.87). Gross total removal of the tumor and a short epilepsy duration were significant predictors of seizure freedom. Younger age of seizure onset, bilateral interictal epileptiform discharges, and MRI type 3 tumors were risk factors for poor prognosis; Conclusions: A favorable long-term seizure outcome was observed for patients with DNT after surgical resection. Predictor analysis could effectively guide the clinical work and evaluate the prognosis of patients with DNT associated with epilepsy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Co-pyrolysis of coal and seaweed can not only effectively decrease the carbon footprint but also improve the quality and output of coal pyrolysis products, however, the influence of seaweed on thermal releasing behaviors of mercury during co-pyrolysis process are still unclear. In this work, the chlorella and Guizhou bituminous coal were mixed and used to reveal the mercury release behavior during co-pyrolysis by the temperature programmed pyrolysis experiments, thermogravimetric and differential thermogravimetric analysis (TG-DTG) and thermogravimetry-mass spectrometry (TG-MS) methods, offering a sufficient explanation on the control technology of mercury pollutants in co-pyrolysis. The results exhibited that a large amount of reducing gases such as CO, H 2 and H 2 O were generated in chlorella at the temperature range of 100-500°C, which was favorable for the transformation from oxidized mercury to elemental mercury, thus remarkably increased the release of elemental mercury in the raw coal sample. The mixed chlorella also significantly lowered the decomposition temperature range (from 400-600 to 300-400°C) of pyrite-bound mercury and decreased the decomposition temperatures of the pyrite-bound mercury species. Additionally, in the co-pyrolysis about 91.82% of mercury was released into the gas phase below 400°C and was 13.77% higher than that of in individual pyrolysis of coal. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To determine the correlation for aortic occlusion and hydronephrosis and the pathogenesis of copathogenesis. Methods. A retrospective census was established to probe the correlation with renal cysts by gathering aortic coarctation details concerning generic symptoms, diabetes, and liver and kidney profiles from 244 hospitalized aortic clinographers from April 2014 to December 2021 (study category, SG category), 150 hypertensive clients with primary hypertension attending our institution in the same period (matched category, MG category), and 150 able-bodied volunteers (control category, CG category). Results. (1) Intercategory discrepancies in regard to aortic occlusion, diabetic malfunction, and kidney and liver abnormality were neither mutually nor predominantly measured (P > 0.05); (2) 244 enrolled SG for aortic occlusion and 150 CG for aortic occlusion were categorized by whether or not aortic occlusion was manifested, and the correlation between maternal age, gender, diabetic malfunction, and kidney and liver abnormality and renal cysts was estimated. The correlation of clogged aorta was demonstrated by a multifactorial logistic regression with gender and the presence of renal cysts (P < 0.05); (3) the correlation of clogged aorta was demonstrated by a multifactorial logistic regression with renal cysts as an independent risk factor for clogged aorta (95% CI: 1.028–10.291; P = 0.031). Conclusion. As renal cysts are an autonomous risk of aortic coarctation, it is recommendable to strengthen clinical investigations such as monitoring of clinical blood pressures in kidney cyst recipients to assess their aortic function in order to evaluate their prognosis and minimize the prevalence of aortic coarctation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to solve defects such as poor integrity, delamination failure, and narrow absorption bandwidth, three-dimensional (3D) gradient honeycomb woven composites (GHWCs) with triangular sections were designed and prepared. Three-dimensional gradient honeycomb woven fabric was crafted with carbon fiber (CF) filaments and basalt fiber (BF) filaments as raw materials on an ordinary loom. Then, the 3D honeycomb woven fabric filled with rigid polyurethane foam was used as the reinforcement, and epoxy resin (EP) doped with carbon black (CB) and carbonyl iron powder (CIP) was conducted as the matrix. The 3D GHWC with triangular sections, which had both EM-absorbing and load-bearing functions, was prepared by the VARTM process. Through the macro test and micro characterization of 3D GHWCs with triangular sections, the overall absorbing properties and mechanical properties of the materials were analyzed. Moreover, the EM-absorbing mechanism and failure mode of the materials were clarified in this work. The results indicated that the CF filament reflective layer effectively improved the EM-absorbing and mechanical properties. Adding a CB/CIP-absorbing agent enhanced the overall EM-absorbing property but reduced the mechanical properties. The increasing number of gradient layers increased the maximum bending load, but the EM-absorbing performance first increased and then decreased. When the thickness was 15 mm, the maximum bending load was 3530 N, and the minimum reflection loss (RLmin) was −21.6 dB. The synergistic effects of EM-absorbing and mechanical properties were the best right now. In addition, this work provided a feasible strategy that adjusting the type of absorber and gradient aperture size ratio could meet the unique requirements of absorbing frequency and intensity, which has excellent application prospects in civil and military fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the post-genome era, great progress has been made in metabolic engineering using recombinant DNA technology to enhance the production of high-value products by Streptomyces. With the development of microbial genome sequencing techniques and bioinformatic tools, a growing number of secondary metabolite (SM) biosynthetic gene clusters in Streptomyces and their biosynthetic logics have been uncovered and elucidated. In order to increase our knowledge about transcriptional regulators in SM of Streptomyces, this review firstly makes a comprehensive summary of the characterized factors involved in enhancing SM production and awakening SM biosynthesis. Future perspectives on transcriptional regulator engineering for new SM biosynthesis by Streptomyces are also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The isothermal oxidation behavior and oxide-scale evolution on a newly developed Ni–Fe-based superalloy were investigated. Three oxidation stages were generally observed, an initial stage of rapid mass gain, then a second stage of parabolic kinetics, followed by an equilibrium period after about 50, 75, and 100 h at 1000, 1100, and 1200 °C, respectively. Cr2O3 and NiAl2O4 play an important role in protecting the matrix from oxidation at 1000 °C. The chromium supply becomes insufficient to support the continuously growing chromia scale with the increased oxidation temperature. Ultimately, the high-temperature oxidation resistance mainly depends on the formation of the inner continuous α-Al2O3 oxide layer. The quick formation of continuous α-Al2O3 oxide layer at 1200 °C compared to that at 1100 °C leads to a significantly reduced parabolic rate constant, which indicates that the new Ni–Fe-based superalloy has excellent oxidation resistance properties at higher temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The 3D structure carbon aerogel with highly dispersed SnO 2 nanoparticles was synthesized. • The sorbent exhibited high Hg0 and H 2 S capture capacities and excellent regeneration performance. • The core-shell structure is beneficial for the resistance to H 2 O. • E-R adsorption mechanism of H 2 S and Hg0 was conformed. A seaweed-templated pathway was developed for the controllable synthesis of SnO 2 /carbon aerogel for the simultaneous removal of Hg0 and H 2 S in natural gases, where the SnO 2 nanoparticles with an outer diameter of 4–20 nm were highly dispersed and conjoined by graphitic carbon, forming a 3D core-shell structure with a developed pore network. The synthesized sorbent performed a complete removal of Hg0 and H 2 S at a high space velocity of 70,000 h−1 and showed resistance to water. At 5% breakthrough, the Hg0 and H 2 S capture capacities reached as high as 10.37 mg g−1 and 392.23 mg g−1, respectively, which are much higher than those of the existing commercial sorbents. More importantly, the spent sorbent could be easily regenerated without significant performance degradation over five cycles. The 3D interconnected macro- and mesopores are beneficial for the Hg0 and H 2 S removal at a high space velocity, and the core-shell structure is conducive to prevent poisoning from water. The Hg0 and H 2 S removal over the SnO 2 /aerogel conforms to the E-R mechanism, where H 2 S is first adsorbed and dissociated on the SnO 2 surface to produce active sulfur species, and the adsorbed sulfur then reacts with gaseous Hg0 to form HgS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • A facile method was developed to synthesize regenerable and H 2 O resistance sorbent for Hg0 removal. • The Ag nanoparticles were successively confined inside the mesoporous channels of MCM-41 molecule sieve. • The nanoconfinement effect is conducive to excellent Hg0 removal performance and regeneration ability. • The high hydrophobicity of Ag/MCM-41 is beneficial for the resistance to H 2 O. Abstract A facile passivation treatment and amino functionalized method was developed for controllable synthesis of effective and water-resistant Ag/MCM-41 composite sorbent for Hg0 removal in natural gas. The Ag nanoparticles were successively confined inside the mesoporous channels of MCM-41 molecule sieve with an average diameter of 3 nm. The synthesized sorbent was found to achieve a complete removal of Hg0 at high space velocity of 50,000 h−1 in ambient temperature. At 5% breakthrough, the Hg0 capture capacity of 1% (wt%) silver loaded Ag/MCM-41 was as high as 6.64 mg·g−1, which is much higher than the sample of Ag loaded outside of the pore channels (S-Ag/MCM-41) and other existing commercial sorbents. The H 2 O has negligible inhibitory effect on Hg0 removal performance of Ag/MCM-41. In addition, the spent Ag/MCM-41 could be easily regenerated without significant performance degradation over five cycles. We considered the high Hg0 capture efficiency, large adsorption capacity and excellent regeneration performance of Ag/MCM-41 are contributed to the nanoconfinement effect of mesoporous channels of MCM-41 molecule sieve which effectively prevented the growth and agglomeration of Ag nanoparticles. The good hydrophobicity of Ag/MCM-41 is beneficial for the high resistance to H 2 O. This work represents a giant step toward the preparation of effective sorbent for practical applications of Hg0 removal in natural gas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, 7050-T7451 C-Ring stress-corrosion alternate immersion test in neutral 3.5% NaCl solution was conducted to investigate the mechanism of stress-corrosion cracking (SCC). The SCC sequence was proved to comprise dealloying, pitting, micro-cracks, and intergranular (IG) cracks. Besides, anodic dissolution characterised by reticular IG cracks within pitting zones and IG Dimple Rupture is suggested to be the main operative mechanism during this static stress-corrosion process. Since pitting originates from coarse constituents whose number can be reduced by optimised solution treatment, the formation of pitting can, therefore, be delayed by adopting more effective solution treatment before artificial aging to enhance the SCC resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The multistep solvent extraction is an effective way for evaluating the original structure of coal, however, it is seldom used for studying the Hg distribution in coal and its release behavior during mild pyrolysis process. In this work, the Guizhou bituminous coal was divided into organic-rich class C 1 and minerals-rich class C 2 , the C 1 was further subdivided into 4 groups (EG 1 –EG 4) using multistep solvent extraction method. The Hg species in different samples and their fate during pyrolysis was investigated using sequential chemical leaching methods and temperature-programmed experiments. The results showed the dominant Hg forms in different samples are quite different, the HCl-soluble and HNO 3 -soluble Hg are the dominant forms in C 2 , while organic matrix combined Hg is the most abundant form in C 1 , EG 1 and EG 2 samples. The Hg contents in EG 1 to EG 4 groups are in the order of EG 4 < EG 3 < EG 2 < EG 1 , and have little correlation with the total sulfur contents. The thermal stability of different Hg species are quite distinct, the Hg in EG 1 sample is the most thermal unstable and almost released completely before 400 °C. The Hg release of GZB, C 1 , and C 2 are similar, >60% and 95% of Hg in the three samples can be released at 400 °C and 600 °C, respectively. The Hg-OM+ combined with aromatic clusters in EG 2 is difficult to decompose during pyrolysis process, it mainly released in the temperature range of 400–800 °C. Except the Hg-OM+ combined with aromatic clusters in EG 2 , >95% of Hg can be released before 600 °C for other samples. When the heating rate increased from 5 °C/min to 20 °C/min, the Hg releasing peaks ranged from 150 to 400 °C shifted gradually to higher temperature zones, but there was no obvious change in the positions of peaks ranged from 400 to 800 °C. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • The Hg distribution and releasing behavior in samples were investigated by using multistep solvent extraction method. • The Hg contents in EG 1 to EG 4 samples have little correlation with the total sulfur contents. • The Hg species and their thermal stability in different samples are quite distinct. • More than 95% of Hg in raw coal can be released before 600 °C. • The Hg-OM+ combined with aromatic clusters in EG 2 has higher releasing temperature than other Hg species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • The immunogenicity of the E2 protein of CSFV and porcine IFN-γ protein was evaluated in weaning piglets. • Results of animal experiments showed that porcine IFN-γ can increase cellular immune responses to E2 subunit vaccine. • IFN-γ as an adjuvant can improve the protective efficacy of E2 subunit vaccine against CSFV. Abstract The glycoprotein E2 of classical swine fever virus (CSFV) is a major immunogenic protein that induces neutralizing antibodies and protective immunity. Thus, E2 is a suitable target antigen for the development of genetically engineered CSFV vaccines. However, these vaccines cannot generate complete protective immunity in their hosts, thereby limiting the scope of applications under field conditions. IFN-γ is an immune adjuvant that has been shown to enhance antigen immune response in various experimental models. In this study, porcine IFN-γ was used to improve the immunogenicity of the CSFV E2 subunit vaccine in pigs. Pigs were immunized with E2 subunit vaccine alone or in combination with IFN-γ. Results demonstrated that porcine IFN-γ did not enhance the CSFV-specific antibody and neutralizing antibody titers compared with the E2 subunit vaccine alone. However, co-administration of the E2 and IFN-γ subunit vaccines significantly enhanced the CSFV-specific IFN-γ expression. These findings indicated that porcine IFN-γ can increase cellular immune responses to E2 protein in pigs. Furthermore, co-immunization with E2 + IFN-γ subunit vaccine and C-strain conferred complete protection against CSFV. In contrast, E2 subunit vaccines provided incomplete protection in pigs. These results indicated that using IFN-γ as an adjuvant with CSFV E2 subunit vaccines can enhance the specific protective immune response. Therefore, E2 + IFN-γ subunit vaccine is a promising marker vaccine candidate for the control and eradication of CSF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CRISPR/Cas9 editing of upstream open reading frames (uORFs) in Arabidopsis thaliana and lettuce enables upregulation of translation of plant genes.Translational regulation by upstream open reading frames (uORFs) is becoming established as a general mechanism for controlling the amount of protein that is synthesized from downstream primary ORFs (pORFs)1,2,3,4,5. We found that genome editing of endogenous uORFs in plants enabled the modulation of translation of mRNAs from four pORFs that are involved in either development or antioxidant biosynthesis. A single-guide RNA that targeted the region harboring a uORF initiation codon can produce multiple mutations. Following uORF editing, we observed varying amounts of mRNA translation in four pORFs. Notably, editing the uORF of LsGGP2, which encodes a key enzyme in vitamin C biosynthesis in lettuce, not only increased oxidation stress tolerance, but also increased ascorbate content by ∼150%. These data indicate that editing plant uORFs provides a generalizable, efficient method for manipulating translation of mRNA that could be applied to dissect biological mechanisms and improve crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CRISPR/Cas9 editing of upstream open reading frames (uORFs) in Arabidopsis thaliana and lettuce enables upregulation of translation of plant genes. Translational regulation by upstream open reading frames (uORFs) is becoming established as a general mechanism for controlling the amount of protein that is synthesized from downstream primary ORFs (pORFs)1,2,3,4,5. We found that genome editing of endogenous uORFs in plants enabled the modulation of translation of mRNAs from four pORFs that are involved in either development or antioxidant biosynthesis. A single-guide RNA that targeted the region harboring a uORF initiation codon can produce multiple mutations. Following uORF editing, we observed varying amounts of mRNA translation in four pORFs. Notably, editing the uORF of LsGGP2, which encodes a key enzyme in vitamin C biosynthesis in lettuce, not only increased oxidation stress tolerance, but also increased ascorbate content by ∼150%. These data indicate that editing plant uORFs provides a generalizable, efficient method for manipulating translation of mRNA that could be applied to dissect biological mechanisms and improve crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phthalates are widely used in polymer materials as a plasticizer. These compounds possess potent toxic variations depending on their chemical structures. However, a growing body of evidence indicates that phthalate compounds are undoubtedly discovered in secondary metabolites of organisms, including plants, animals and microorganisms. This review firstly summarizes biological sources of various phthalates and their bioactivities reported during the past few decades as well as their environmental toxicities and public health risks. It suggests that these organisms are one of important sources of natural phthalates with diverse profiles of bioactivity and toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A bench-scale fixed bed reactor was used to study the influences of water vapor and fly ash on Hg 0 removal efficiency over CeO 2 -modified semi-coke adsorbent (Ce/SC). Adsorption results showed that the mercury removal efficiency of Ce/SC decreased by 30% in the presence of 10% water vapor, and the introduction of 0.5 g fly ash had no significant effect on the Hg 0 removal efficiency of Ce/SC. In the condition of water vapor and fly ash coexisted, the Hg 0 removal efficiency of Ce/SC decreased by only 15%, indicated that the fly ash slowed down the inhibitory effects of water vapor on Hg 0 removal efficiency over Ce/SC, which is mainly due to the interaction between water vapor and Fe 2 O 3 in the fly ash to form Fe-OH groups, furthermore, γ-Fe 2 O 3 exhibited higher Hg 0 removal performance than α-Fe 2 O 3 . Hydrogen temperature-programmed reduction (H 2 -TPR) revealed that the oxidation activity and capacity of α-Fe 2 O 3 and γ-Fe 2 O 3 increased significantly after water vapor treatment. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results showed that the Fe-OH content of α-Fe 2 O 3 and γ-Fe 2 O 3 increased from 37.97% and 15.99% to 44.56% and 43.39%, while the lattice oxygen content decreased from 26.53% and 82.46% to 19.08% and 46.49%, respectively. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations revealed that H 2 O molecules can be dissociated on both α-Fe 2 O 3 (1 0 4) and γ-Fe 2 O 3 (2 2 0) surfaces to form H atoms and OH fragments, the H atoms bound with O atoms in Fe-O groups of both α-Fe 2 O 3 (1 0 4) and γ-Fe 2 O 3 (2 2 0) surfaces, and the OH fragments associated with the adjacent iron atoms of α-Fe 2 O 3 (1 0 4) surface or Fe-O groups of γ-Fe 2 O 3 (2 2 0) surface to form Fe-OH. The formation of Fe-OH groups increased the oxidation activity and Hg 0 removal efficiency of Fe 2 O 3 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The flagellar motor is an important virulence factor in infection by many bacterial pathogens. Motor function can be modulated by chemotactic proteins and recently appreciated proteins that are not part of the flagellar or chemotaxis systems. How these latter proteins affect flagellar activity is not fully understood. Here, we identified spermidine synthase SpeE as an interacting partner of switch protein FliM in Helicobacter pylori using pull-down assay and mass spectrometry. To understand how SpeE contributes to flagellar motility, a speE-null mutant was generated and its motility behavior was evaluated. We found that deletion of SpeE did not affect flagellar formation, but induced clockwise rotation bias. We further determined the crystal structure of the FliM-SpeE complex at 2.7 Å resolution. SpeE dimer binds to FliM with micromolar binding affinity, and their interaction is mediated through the β1' and β2' region of FliM middle domain. The FliM-SpeE binding interface partially overlaps with the FliM surface that interacts with FliG and is essential for proper flagellar rotational switching. By a combination of protein sequence conservation analysis and pull-down assays using FliM and SpeE orthologues in E. coli, our data suggest that FliM-SpeE association is unique to Helicobacter species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The V and W modified Cr19 series duplex stainless steels with transformation induced plasticity (TRIP) have been newly developed and the effects of microstructures on room temperature mechanical properties have been investigated. The addition of ferrite forming elements V and W slightly increases the volume fraction of ferrite phase from about 55% to 57–60%, however, the cold rolling process hardly influence the fraction. When the duplex phases exhibit a coarse banding morphology before cold rolling, the ultimate tensile strength and elongation are improved significantly with the addition of V and W elements mainly due to the occurrence of TRIP effect. The ultimate tensile strength and yield strength of Cr19+V increase very slightly, but the elongation increases to about 61% after cold rolling. Both the ultimate tensile strength and elongation of Cr19+W significantly increase to about 800 MPa and 67%, respectively. The improvement is attributed to TRIP effect and refinement of banded ferrite and austenite phases. After aging heat treatment, the precipitate of VN and Cr 23 C 6 particles contributes to the further increase of ultimate tensile strength to about 1000 and 920 MPa of Cr19+V and Cr19+W DSSs, respectively. Strain induced αʹ-martensite is transformed from austenite directly with an orientation relationship. The strengthening behaviors have been discussed based on the microstructural evolutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fixed-bed reactor was used to study the effect of water vapor on the efficiency of Hg 0 removal over CeO 2 -modified semi-coke. Adsorption experiments showed that the oxidation activity, and therefore, the mercury adsorption efficiency decreased with increasing water vapor concentrations. Hydrogen temperature-programmed reduction (H 2 -TPR) indicated that the oxidation activity of CeO 2 decreased after water vapor treatment. Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) studies revealed that CeO 2 -H 2 O showed new bending vibration peaks at 1110 cm −1 ascribed to Ce–OH groups. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results showed that the content of Ce–OH increased from 20.85% to 39.99%, while the lattice oxygen content decreased from 68.21% to 45.83% after water vapor treatment. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations revealed that H 2 O can be dissociated on clean and oxygen-defective CeO 2 (1 1 1) surfaces to form H atoms and OH fragments. The H atoms associated with the adjacent oxygen atoms of CeO 2 , and the OH fragments were bound directly with Ce atoms to form Ce–OH for the clean CeO 2 surface; or occupied the oxygen vacancies and were surrounded by three Ce atoms via van der Waals forces, without additional bond formation for the oxygen-defective CeO 2 surface. Thus, the formation of Ce–OH groups and the consumption of lattice oxygens reduced the Hg 0 removal efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Helicobacter pylori is the primary pathogen associated to gastritis and gastric cancer. Growth of H. pylori depends on the availability of spermidine in vivo . Interestingly, the genome of H. pylori contains an incomplete set of genes for the classical pathway of spermidine biosynthesis. It is thus not clear whether some other genes remained in the pathway would have any functions in spermidine biosynthesis. Here, we study spermidine synthase, which is responsible for the final catalytic process in the classical route. Protein sequence alignment reveals that H. pylori SpeE ( Hp SpeE) lacks key residues for substrate binding. By using isothermal titration calorimetry, we show that purified recombinant Hp SpeE does not interact with the putative substrates putrescine and decarboxylated S -adenosylmethionine, and the product spermidine. High performance liquid chromatography analysis further demonstrates that Hp SpeE has no detectable in vitro enzymatic activity. Additionally, intracellular spermidine level in speE -null mutant strain is comparable to that in the wild type strain. Collectively, our results suggest that Hp SpeE is functionally distinct from spermidine production. H. pylori may instead employ the alternative pathway for spermidine synthesis which is dominantly exploited by other human gut microbes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tumors arising from or secondarily involving the vena cava (VC) are broad-spectrum diseases, ranging from benign to malignant. The benign tumors include myxoma, leiomyomatosis and leiomyoma. The primary malignant tumors of the VC are rare, and of these rare entities, leiomyosarcoma is the most frequently encountered. The direct extension of a tumor arising from an adjacent organ such as hepatocellular carcinoma or renal cell carcinoma is more common than primary malignant tumor in the inferior VC. In this article, the authors review the spectrum of VC pathologic processes and the relevant findings from magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasonography, and computed tomography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mg-Li alloy is a unique system with a narrow dual-phase region and superstructure transformation. These characteristics will have significant influence on the solidification behavior. Using Bridgman-type vacuum furnace with liquid metal cooling method, the directional solidification experiments were performed on alloys with different Li contents (6.3 wt.%, 6.6 wt.%, 6.9 wt.%, 7.2 wt.%, 7.5 wt.%, 7.8 wt.%) at varied growth rates (3 μm/s, 5 μm/s, 10 μm/s, 15 μm/s, maximum to 21 μm/s). As the Li content increases, the microstructures transform from divorced eutectic structure to lamellar structure, then to lamellae/ α -Mg rod mixed structure, and finally to α -Mg rod-like structure. Fully eutectic structure is produced at a wide range of off-eutectic compositions. The effect of growth rate on the α -Mg rod-like structure is mainly to diminish the inter-rod spacing as growth rate increases, while additionally to affect the morphology of lamellar structure. High growth rate is found to be beneficial for producing straight and uniform lamellar structure. The eutectic spacing of Mg-Li system is one or two orders of magnitude lager than most other alloy systems. Moreover, a controllable three-stage transformation of β -rods/lamellae/ α -rods is achieved in one single alloy system. A structure selection map is also given to define the microstructure transformation of the Mg-Li alloys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a highly contagious disease of cloven-hoofed animals, and can cause severe economic loss. Interferon-induced transmembrane (IFITM) proteins constitute a family of viral restriction factors that can inhibit the replication of several types of viruses. Our previous study showed that overexpression of swine IFITM3 (sIFITM3) impeded replication of the FMD virus (FMDV) in BHK-21 cells and mice. In this study, sIFITM3-transgenic (TG) pigs were produced by handmade cloning. Results showed that sIFITM3 was highly overexpressed in many organs of sIFITM3-TG pigs compared to wild-type pigs. After a virulent FMDV strain (O/ES/2001) was intramuscularly inoculated, the sIFITM3-TG pigs showed slightly higher susceptibility to FMDV infection than wild-type pigs. Both groups displayed comparable degrees of clinical symptoms throughout the 14-day observation period. Therefore, the induction of systemic sIFITM3 expression does not protect pigs against FMDV infection. Based on these observations, we propose that a combination of interferons and vaccines be used to control FMDV infections and subsequent FMD outbreaks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a green synthesis route was developed to prepare Ca and Co oxides supported carbon aerogel from renewable alginate. The sodium alginate was adopted as a template and carbon source, and a hydrogel with a three-dimensional and core-shell structure was chelated by introducing calcium and cobalt bimetals. The synthesized Ca Co oxides supported carbon aerogel can completely remove Hg0 in the HCl-containing waste gasification gas at room temperature. The Hg0 adsorption capacity on the 4Ca-1Co/CA adsorbent is as high as 4.02 mg/g when the 5% breakthrough occurs. At a 20% breakthrough of HCl, the captured amount of HCl could reach 175.37 mg/g. We concluded that the introduction of calcium and cobalt on the adsorbent provides sufficient active sites for the removal of HCl in a large amount, at the same time, the excellent oxygen supply capacity of Co species in an oxygen-free atmosphere can form active chlorine sites, which is conductive to enhance the removal of Hg0. Additionally, the 4Ca-1Co/CA adsorbent has the characteristics of wide temperature window and wide application range of space velocity, which can meet the needs of various working conditions. [Display omitted] • A green synthesis route to prepare Ca and Co oxides supported carbon aerogel from renewable alginate is provided. • There is a synergistic effect on removing HCl and Hg0 at 4Ca-1Co/CA adsorbent. • The introduction of Ca and Co provides sufficient active sites for the highly efficient removal of HCl and Hg0. • A wide temperature window and high space velocity could be performed on 4Ca-1Co/CA adsorbent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endophytic microbe has been proved to be one of rich sources of bioactive natural products with potential application for new drug and pesticide discovery. One cyclodepsipeptide, beauvericin, was firstly isolated from the fermentation broth of Fusarium oxysporum 5-19 endophytic on Edgeworthia chrysantha Linn. Its chemical structure was unambiguously identified by a combination of spectroscopic methods, such as HRESI-MS and 1H and 13C NMR. ESI-MS/MS was successfully used to elucidate the splitting decomposition route of the positive molecule ion of beauvericin. Antimicrobial results showed that this cyclodepsipeptide had inhibitory effect on three human pathogenic microbes, Candida albicans, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus. In particular, beauvericin exhibited the strongest antimicrobial activity against S. aureus with MIC values of 3.91 μM, which had similar effect with that of the positive control amoxicillin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to assess the association between the level of atmospheric particulate matter (PM) and the increase in blood pressure (BP) for different exposure terms (≤ 7 vs > 7 days) and age groups (< 65 vs ≥ 65 years). Some databases were searched to investigate the association between increased atmospheric PM (diameter < 2.5 mm [PM2.5] or < 10 mm [PM10]) and BP (systolic blood pressure [SBP] and diastolic blood pressure [DBP]). Among a total of 719 identified articles, 68 were reviewed in depth, of which only 20 satisfied the inclusion criteria. A significant association was found between PM10levels and higher BP. The β values were 0.270mmHg (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.068–0.482) for SBP and 0.215mmHg (95% CI 0.058–0.372) for DBP. These β values mean that, for every 10 mg/m3increase in PM10, SBP increased by 0.270mmHg and DBP by 0.215 mmHg. Subgroup analyses were conducted for different exposure terms and age groups. A positive association was seen between PM2.5and SBP. The β value of SBP was 0.495mmHg (95% CI 0.03–0.96) with every 10 mg/m3increase in PM2.5. There were no significant associations in both age groups and non-older groups. There was no significant association between PM2.5and DBP, either in the overall effect or in the subgroup effects. In conclusion, significant associations were found between higher BP and higher PM10levels, but the association between BP and levels of PM2.5levels was unclear. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The ITO (indium tin oxide) conductive glass-matrix CuS-GeO2-TiO2 composite coating was generated via EPD (electrophoretic deposition) and followed by a sintering treatment at 450°C for 40 minutes. Characterizations of the CuS-GeO2-TiO2 composite coating were taken by SEM (scanning electron microscope), XRD (X-ray diffraction), EDX (energy dispersive X-ray), UV-Vis DRS (ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflection spectrum), and FT-IR (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy). Results showed that CuS and GeO2 had dispersed in this CuS-GeO2-TiO2 composite coating (mass percentages for CuS and GeO2 were 1.23% and 2.79%, respectively). The electrochemical studies (cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and Tafel polarization) of this CuS-GeO2-TiO2 composite coating electrode were performed in pH = 9.51 Na2CO3-NaHCO3 buffer solution containing 0.50 mol/L CH3OH under the conditions of visible light, ultraviolet light (λ = 365 nm), and dark (without light irradiation as control), respectively. Electrochemical studies indicated that this CuS-GeO2-TiO2 composite coating electrode had better photoelectrocatalytic activity than the pure TiO2 electrode in the electrocatalysis of methanol under visible light. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Though numerous studies have implicated structural abnormalities in chronically depressive patients, relatively little attention has been paid to the brain alterations in patients experiencing first episode depression (FED). The investigation of FED is important for elucidating the core pathophysiology of this disease independent of other potentially confounding factors. The present study was to provide a quantitative voxelwise meta-analysis of gray matter (GM) changes in FED using effect-size signed differential mapping (ES-SDM). The pooled meta-analysis revealed GM reductions in the right supplementary motor area, left insula, and right middle temporal gyrus in FED patients compared with the healthy controls. No GM volume increases were found. The meta-regression analyses showed that studies including patients with higher HDRS scores were significantly more likely to present reduced GM volumes in the right amygdala. This meta-analysis indicates that FED patients have significantly and robustly reduced gray matter mainly associated with emotion regulation and sensorimotor areas alterations may be specific changes in early stage of this disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

R2710 --> 717.2 --> Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is an emerging global health care crisis. However, underlying mechanisms are not understood well enough to translate to precision medicine. There is increasing evidence suggesting that AD is associated with brain hypoperfusion. However, it is unclear whether amyloid‐beta (Aβ) accumulation is a cause or consequence of AD, and how it contributes to cerebral hypoperfusion. The present study examined if Aβ accumulation induces cerebral hypoperfusion in AD by affecting cerebral vascular function via both anterograde (arteriole‐to‐capillary) and retrograde (capillary‐to‐arteriole) pathways in the TgF344‐AD rat model of Alzheimer's disease. We first confirmed that AD rats displayed hippocampal‐based cognitive dysfunction at 6 months of age using an eight‐arm water maze. We then found that AD rats exhibited impaired myogenic response (MR) of middle cerebral arteries (MCAs) and penetrating and parenchymal arterioles (PAs) two months earlier than the onset of cognitive deficits using a Living System pressure myograph. AD rats displayed poor surface and deep cortical cerebral blood flow (CBF) autoregulation recorded by laser Doppler flowmetry, and reduced functional hyperemic response induced by whisker stimulation. Moreover, cell contractile capabilities, detected by collagen gel based‐cell contraction kit, were reduced in Aβ‐treated cerebral VSMCs isolated from F344 rats, similar as seen in VSMCs isolated from AD rats. Furthermore, we found that the productions of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mitochondrial superoxide in cerebral VSMCs isolated from AD rats were elevated using DHE staining and MitoSOX staining. Moreover, AD cells exhibited reduced mitochondrial respiration and ATP production detected by the Seahorse Cell Mito Stress Test kit. AD cerebral VSMCs also exhibited disrupted actin cytoskeleton and contractile units utilizing immunohistochemistry. Oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and actin cytoskeleton disorganization are all factors that are associated with the reduced contractile capabilities of cerebral VSMCs mediated MR and CBF autoregulation. In other studies, we found that capillary endothelial cell‐derived inward rectifier potassium (Kir2.1) activity, which is responsible for retrograde CBF regulation, was reduced in the brain of AD rats using Western blot. PAs with capillaries isolated from AD rats dilated to a lesser degree than WT rats in response to moderately elevated extracellular K+ (10 mM) applied to capillaries. Inhibition of Kir2.1 channels with ML133 diminished the vasodilatory response to a greater extent in WT rats. These findings indicate that Aβ accumulation is associated with cerebral hypoperfusion in AD by affecting cerebral vascular function via both anterograde and retrograde pathways and provide novel insight into the vascular contribution to AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) causes porcine circovirus-associated disease. Capsid (Cap) protein of PCV2 is the principal immunogenic protein that induces neutralizing antibodies and protective immunity. GM-CSF is an immune adjuvant that enhances responses to vaccines. In this study, recombinant baculoviruses Ac-Cap and Ac-Cap-GM-CSF expressing the Cap protein alone and co-expressing the Cap protein and porcine GM-CSF, respectively, were constructed successfully. The target proteins were analyzed by western blotting and IFA. Further, these proteins were confirmed by electron microscopy, which showed that Cap proteins could self-assemble into virus-like particles having diameters of 17–25 nm. Animal experiments showed that pigs immunized with Cap-GM-CSF subunit vaccine showed significantly higher levels of PCV2-specific antibodies and neutralizing antibodies than pigs immunized with the Cap subunit vaccine and a commercial vaccine (Ingelvac CircoFLEX; P < 0.05). After PCV2 wild strain challenged, Pigs receiving the Cap-GM-CSF subunit vaccine showed significantly higher average daily weight gain after wild-type PCV2 challenge than pigs receiving the other three vaccines ( P < 0.05). None of PCV2 DNA was detected in all immunized animals, except control animals immunized with phosphate-buffered saline. These results indicated that GM-CSF was a powerful immunoadjuvant for PCV2 subunit vaccines because it enhanced humoral immune response and improved immune protection against PCV2 infection in pigs. Thus, the novel Cap-GM-CSF subunit vaccine has the potential to be used as an effective and safe vaccine candidate against PCV2 infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA) regulates many aspects of plant development and the stress response. The intracellular E3 ligase SDIR1 (SALT- AND DROUGHT-INDUCED REALLY INTERESTING NEW GENE FINGER1) plays a key role in ABA signaling, regulating ABA -related seed germination and the stress response. In this study, we found that SDIR1 is localized on the endoplasmic reticulum membrane in Arabidopsis thaliana. Using cell biology, molecular biology, and biochemistry approaches, we demonstrated that SDIR1 interacts with and ubiquitinates its substrate, SDIRIP1 (SDIR1-INTERACTING PROTEIN1), to modulate SDIRIP1 stability through the 26S proteasome pathway. SDIRIP1 acts genetically downstream of SDIR1 in ABA and salt stress signaling. In detail, SDIRIP1 selectively regulates the expression of the downstream basic region/leucine zipper motif transcription factor gene ABA-INSENSITIVE5 , rather than ABA-RESPONSIVE ELEMENTS BINDING FACTOR3 (ABF3) or ABF4 , to regulate ABA -mediated seed germination and the plant salt response. Overall, the SDIR1/SDIRIP1 complex plays a vital role in ABA signaling through the ubiquitination pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Several studies indicated that genetic polymorphisms in the epidermal growth factor receptor ( EGFR) gene were associated with glioma risk. However, the relationship between EGFR genetic polymorphisms and glioma remains unclear in the Chinese population. Methods: We designed a case-control study by selecting 300 histologically confirmed adult glioma patients and 300 cancer-free controls to analyze the distribution of EGFR genotype. Two single-nucleotide polymorphisms, rs730437 and rs1468727, were genotyped by using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method. Results: We found that the CC genotype of rs1468727 was more common in the glioma group than in the control group ( p=0.021). We also found that the C allele frequency was higher in the glioma group than that in the control group ( p=0.005; odds ratio [OR]=1.38, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.101-1.740). For rs730437, we found both the AA genotype ( p=0.011) and A allele frequency ( p=0.003; OR=0.703; 95% CI: 0.558-0.886) were significantly lower in the glioma patients than in the control subjects, respectively. Haplotype analysis showed that the A T haplotype frequency was higher in the control group than in the glioma group ( p=0.005; OR=0.722; 95% CI: 0.575-0.908). However, the CC haplotype frequency was higher in the glioma group than in the control group ( p=0.003; OR=1.423; 95% CI: 1.129-1.793). Conclusion: Our study indicates that polymorphisms in the EGFR gene are associated with glioma susceptibility in the Chinese population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Classical swine fever (CSF) caused by CSF virus (CSFV) is a highly contagious and devastating disease that affects the pig industry worldwide. The glycoprotein E2 of CSFV is the principal immunogenic protein that induces neutralizing antibodies and protective immunity. Several CSFV genotypes, including 1.1, 2.1, 2.2, and 2.3, have been identified in Mainland China. The glycoprotein E2 of genotypes 1.1 and 2.1 was expressed by using a baculovirus system and tested for its protective immunity in rabbits to develop novel CSF vaccines that elicit a broad immune response. Twenty CSFV seronegative rabbits were randomly divided into five groups. Each rabbit was intramuscularly immunized with E2 of genotypes 1.1 (CSFV-1.1E2), 2.1 (CSFV-2.1E2), or their combination (CSFV-1.1 + 2.1E2). A commercial CSF vaccine (C-strain) and phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) were used as positive or negative controls, respectively. All animals were challenged with CSFV C-strain at 4 weeks and then boosted with the same dose. All rabbits inoculated with CSFV-1.1E2, CSFV-2.1E2, and CSFV-1.1 + 2.1E2 elicited high levels of ELISA antibody, neutralizing antibody, and lymphocyte proliferative responses to CSFV. The rabbits inoculated with CSFV-1.1E2 and CSFV-1.1 + 2.1E2 received complete protection against CSFV C-strain. Two of the four rabbits vaccinated with CSFV-2.1E2 were completely protected. These results demonstrate that CSFV-1.1E2 and CSFV-1.1 + 2.1E2 not only elicit humoral and cell-mediated immune responses but also confer complete protection against CSFV C-strain in rabbits. Therefore, CSFV-1.1E2 and CSFV-1.1 + 2.1E2 are promising candidate subunit vaccines against CSF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Suicide is an important public problem. Understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of suicidal behavior in depression will facilitate the development of more effective prevention strategies for suicide. There are several reviews of imaging studies of suicidal behavior, but none of these reviews have focused only on suicide in depression. We reviewed neuroimaging studies of suicide in depression in recent years. The majority of studies found structural and functional alterations in the orbital frontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex and striatum in depressive patients with suicidal behaviors. The evidence suggests that the frontal–striatal circuitry, which includes the striatum, orbital frontal and anterior cingulate cortices, is involved in the neurobiology of suicide in depressive patients. These findings also indicate that not all suicides have the same underlying neuropathology. Future studies require larger samples and more accurate subtypes of suicide. Furthermore, combining neuroimaging and other new technologies in molecular biology will be helpful to reveal the pathogenesis of suicidal behavior in depression. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Hydrogen trapping performances of Al with solute atoms X (X = Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, or Zn) and X-vacancy defects are investigated using First-principles method. For X-doped Al supercells, most structures show strong alloying ability. Among the solute atoms studied, Cr is the most useful element to trap H due to its lowest H trapping energy. For vacancy@X-doped Al supercells, the strong interactions of X-vacancy are explored. All vacancy@X-doped Al supercells are more favorable to capture H than X-doped Al supercells. In addition, both elastic and chemical interactions should comparably contribute to H-X or H-X-vacancy interactions in Al. Solute atoms and vacancy may regulate electron distribution of Al to enhance the ability of capturing H. Overall, our insights present the quantitative role of solute atoms and vacancy in H trapping for Al, and guide the design of new alloys with high resistance to hydrogen embrittlement. • Solute Cr is the most useful element to trap H. • Vacancy-X defects are more favorable to capture H than X doping in Al. • Elastic and chemical interactions can elucidate H-X/H-X-vacancy interactions. • Solute atoms and vacancy can be used for tuning the ability to capture H. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Ethnopharmacological relevance: Huang-Lian-Jie-Du-Tang (HLJDT oren-gedoku-to in Japanese), a classical traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula, is well known for the treatment of inflammatory-related diseases such as gastritis, dermatitis, and ulcerative colitis. Our previous studies have indicated that HLJDT has therapeutic potential in rheumatoid arthritis treatment. To investigate the therapeutic mechanism of a traditional Chinese medicine formula Huang-Lian-Jie-Du-Tang (HLJDT oren-gedoku-to in Japanese) and its constituents combination for collagen-induced arthritis in rats using a metabolomics approach. Materials and methods: Rats were divided into 9 groups, and drugs were administered from on the day after the onset of arthritis (day 12) until day 31 of the experiment once daily continuously. Urine and plasma were analyzed by reversed-phase liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC–Q-TOF-MS). Partial least-squares discriminate analysis (PLS-DA) models were built to evaluate the therapeutic effects of HLJDT and its constituents combination. 15 identified CIA biomarkers were investigated to explain its therapeutic mechanism. Results: Administration of HLJDT and its constituents combination in CIA rats not only significantly reduced arthritic scores and serum levels of IL-1? but also improved histopathologic changes in joint architecture. Urinary and plasma metabolic profiling revealed that perturbation of energy metabolism, lipid metabolism, oxidative injury and some amino acids metabolism occurred in collagen-induced arthritis (CIA). Our results also indicated that the disturbed urinary levels of succinic acid, citric acid, creatine, uridine, pantothenic acid, carnitine, phenylacetylglycine, allantoin and plasma levels of phenylpyruvic acid in model rats were gradually restored to normal after administration of HLJDT. The treatment of constituents combination of HLJDT group was able to restore to normal the disturbed urinary levels of citric acid, creatine, pantothenic acid, carnitine, pantothenic acid, phenylacetylglycine and plasma levels of uric acid, l-histidine, and l-phenylalanine in model rats. Conclusions: Our study indicates that HLJDT and its constituents combination treatment can ameliorate CIA through partially regulating the perturbed energy metabolism. Our work demonstrated that metabonomics-based approach is a promising new tool to evaluate the therapeutic effects and mechanism of complex TCM prescriptions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

BACKGROUND Phenolic compounds are the predominant ingredients in apple pomace. However, polyphenols from industrial apple pomace, which usually consists of several cultivars, have not been studied in detail. The present work focused on the antioxidant assay and HPLC analysis of polyphenol-enriched extracts from industrial apple pomace. RESULTS Six fractions of apple polyphenols, API to APVI, were acquired through extraction and purification using absorbent macroporous resin. Fraction APIII, eluted by 40% aqueous ethanol, had the highest content of total phenolics (1.48 ± 0.03 g gallic acid equivalents g−1 dry apple pomace), which consisted of chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, syrigin, procyanidin B2, (−)-epicatechin, cinnamic acid, coumaric acid and quercetin. Antioxidant assays showed that APIII had the strongest antioxidant activity of DPPH radical scavenging rate (90.96% ± 10.23%), ABTS radical inhibition rate (89.78% ± 6.54%) and the strongest reducing power (8.30 ± 0.71 µmol Trolox equivalents kg−1 dry apple pomace). It also indicated that procyanidin B2, chlorogenic acid, (−)-epicatechin and quercetin had stronger antioxidant capacity than other phenols. CONCLUSION Our data suggested that extracts from industrial apple pomace were rich in phenols and exhibited potent antioxidant activity. Extraction of polyphenols from industrial apple pomace would bring a great benefit and improve development of apple juice and cider industries. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A novel sorbent was prepared for simultaneous removal of H 2 S and Hg0 in natural gas. • H 2 S and Hg0 capacities of 1Cu1Zn/SBA-15 were 296.78 mg·g−1 and 12.75 mg·g−1 at 10% breakthrough. • The 1Cu1Zn/SBA-15 sorbent exhibited excellent the regeneration performance over 5 cycles. • the S n 2− formed by chemisorption of H 2 S are the active sites for Hg0 capture. Inspired by the fact that H 2 S can easily decompose on some metal oxides to form sulfur species and the resulting products are usually used as Hg0 removal active sites, a novel Cu-Zn mixed oxide supported SBA-15 zeolite was controllably synthesized for simultaneous removal of Hg0 and H 2 S. The Cu-Zn nanoparticles with a particle size range of 4.4–5.0 nm were successfully confined and uniformly dispersed in the two-dimensional mesopores of SBA-15. The obtained 1Cu1Zn/SBA-15 adsorbent presented an outstanding H 2 S and Hg0 removal efficiencies at 30 °C and 30,000 h−1, and the H 2 S and Hg0 capture capacities reached to 296.78 mg·g−1 and 12.75 mg·g−1 at a 10% breakthrough. In addition, the spent adsorbent could be regenerated in a 5% O 2 and 95% N 2 atmosphere at 600 °C without obvious degradation of adsorption capacities over five cycles. We considered that the doping effects of Cu-Zn oxides were beneficial for its excellent H 2 S and Hg0 removal performance at low temperatures, and the nano-confinement effect of SBA-15 was conducive to prevent the oxides nanoparticles from agglomeration in the regeneration process, thus achieving the outstanding regeneration performance. Furthermore, the polysulfide polymer formed by chemisorption of H 2 S on the Cu-Zn oxides surface was confirmed to be the Hg0 active sites, which could react with gaseous mercury to form HgS. This work provided an effective way for simultaneous removal of H 2 S and Hg0 in natural gas by confining nano-sized active metal oxides into the mesopores of zeolites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the quantitative results from both electron backscattered diffraction and transmission electron microscope analyses provided the fundamental insight into the recrystallized behavior and precipitation reaction of the in-situ nano TiB 2 /Al Cu Mg composite during heat treatment. The difference of coefficient thermal expansion between TiB 2 particles and Al matrix enabled the formation of deformation zone around TiB 2 clusters during water quenching which promoted the recrystallized behavior. Besides, the strong pinning effect induced by TiB 2 distributed at recrystallized grain boundary was also observed. As a result, the fine recrystallized grains were generally distributed around particle clusters. During artificial aging process, the trace Mg remarkably enhanced the kinetics of precipitation reaction in the composite. The coexistence of θ″ and θ' precipitates confirmed the continuous transformation of θ″ into θ' via the atomic Cu rearrangement. Herein, the θ'/Al interface acted as a heterogeneous nucleation site of the Al 3 Zr precipitate was able to improve the nucleation and growth rate of the precipitate. Moreover, the misfit dislocations at TiB 2 /Al interface with larger lattice mismatch were confirmed. The synergistic effect of stress field caused by misfit dislocations and geometrically necessary dislocations facilitated the pipe diffusion was responsible for transporting solute atoms under depleted vacancy and solute atoms around the interface, benefited to the nucleation and growth of precipitates. • Deformed Al around TiB 2 boosts recrystallized behavior during water quenching. • Trace Mg visibly enhances the precipitation kinetics in composite. • The rearrangement of Cu enables to transform θ″ precipitates to θ' precipitates. • Misfit dislocations at TiB 2 /Al interface play a vital role on precipitation reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seed dormancy is an important economic trait for agricultural production. Abscisic acid (ABA) and Gibberellins (GA) are the primary factors that regulate the transition from dormancy to germination, and they regulate this process antagonistically. The detailed regulatory mechanism involving crosstalk between ABA and GA, which underlies seed dormancy, requires further elucidation. Here, we report that ABI4 positively regulates primary seed dormancy, while negatively regulating cotyledon greening, by mediating the biogenesis of ABA and GA. Seeds of the Arabidopsis abi4 mutant that were subjected to short-term storage (one or two weeks) germinated significantly more quickly than Wild-Type (WT), and abi4 cotyledons greened markedly more quickly than WT, while the rates of germination and greening were comparable when the seeds were subjected to longer-term storage (six months). The ABA content of dry abi4 seeds was remarkably lower than that of WT, but the amounts were comparable after stratification. Consistently, the GA level of abi4 seeds was increased compared to WT. Further analysis showed that abi4 was resistant to treatment with paclobutrazol (PAC), a GA biosynthesis inhibitor, during germination, while OE-ABI4 was sensitive to PAC, and exogenous GA rescued the delayed germination phenotype of OE-ABI4. Analysis by qRT-PCR showed that the expression of genes involved in ABA and GA metabolism in dry and germinating seeds corresponded to hormonal measurements. Moreover, chromatin immunoprecipitation qPCR (ChIP-qPCR) and transient expression analysis showed that ABI4 repressed CYP707A1 and CYP707A2 expression by directly binding to those promoters, and the ABI4 binding elements are essential for this repression. Accordingly, further genetic analysis showed that abi4 recovered the delayed germination phenotype of cyp707a1 and cyp707a2 and further, rescued the non-germinating phenotype of ga1-t. Taken together, this study suggests that ABI4 is a key factor that regulates primary seed dormancy by mediating the balance between ABA and GA biogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A special kind of micro-channel heat sink was made by using lotus-type porous (also named Gasar) metals with long cylindrical pores formed during unidirectional solidification of metal–gas eutectic system. Copper was selected as the matrix metal because of its high heat conductivity. The heat transfer performance of lotus-type porous copper heat sink with a length of 20mm along the axial direction of pores was studied on a testing platform designed and set up in this paper. The experimental results show that the lotus-type porous copper heat sink cooled by water has excellent heat transfer performance and a heat transfer coefficient of 5W/(cm2 K) is attainable when the porosity is 29% and mean pore diameter is 400μm. An even larger heat transfer coefficient of 9W/(cm2 K) can be reached after simply cutting the porous copper along the vertical direction of pore axis into four or eight equal sections alined in the direction of pore axis, because that reducing the length of porous copper heat sink along the direction of pore axis will increase the penetrative porosity, result in increase of flow rate, and then enhance the heat transfer performance of the heat sink. Thus some methods have to be taken to increase the pore length and penetrative porosity when fabricating lotus-type porous copper heat sink. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The precipitation behavior and tensile properties of Fe-13Cr-6Al-2Mo- x Nb (x = 0.15, 0.5, 1.0) alloys for fuel cladding materials were investigated during aging at 475 °C up to 8000 h. During the aging process, the precipitation of the metastable (Nb, Mo)-Al-rich phase was promoted with Nb content. Meanwhile, the dominant precipitation of the μ-phase on the grain boundaries transited to the Laves phase with Nb content. With aging, the yield strength of the alloys increased firstly and then kept almost unchanged while the elongation decreased, owing to the precipitation and growth of different second phases. The grain boundary μ-phase and secondary Laves phase led to the transformation from ductile to brittle fracture. After long-term aging at 475 °C, the 0.5Nb alloy possessed the best combination of yield strength and elongation, making it more suitable for application as fuel cladding materials in light-water reactors. [Display omitted] • Large amounts of (Nb, Mo)-Al-rich phase precipitated and distributed uniformly within the grains of 0.5Nb and 1.0Nb alloys. • The dominant precipitation of the μ-phase on the grain boundaries transited to the Laves phase with Nb content. • The μ-phase and secondary Laves phase on the grain boundaries led to transition from ductile to brittle fracture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: These studies were conducted to determine whether ghrelin, a 28-amino acid peptide produced mainly by the stomach, was involved in tryptophan-mediated appetite stimulation in swine. In experiment 1, 36 crossbred (Long White×Large White) barrows were used in a 2×3 factorial design to determine the effects of food intake (ad libitum versus limit fed) and tryptophan level (0.12%, 0.19% and 0.26%) on growth performance as well as ghrelin expression, plasma insulin, ghrelin and leptin levels. Ad libitum fed pigs gained more weight, but had poorer feed conversion than limit fed pigs. Weight gain, food intake and feed conversion all improved with increased ingestion of dietary tryptophan. Ad libitum feeding increased plasma insulin. Plasma insulin was unaffected by the level of dietary tryptophan. However, plasma leptin was significantly lower in pigs fed 0.19% tryptophan compared to those fed 0.12% tryptophan. Plasma ghrelin levels and ghrelin mRNA level in gastric fundus and duodenun was significantly higher in pigs fed 0.19% and 0.26% tryptophan diet compared with pigs fed 0.12%. In the second experiment, 18 crossbred barrows were divided into three treatments involving oral infusion of saline, tryptophan (40mg/kg BW) or 5-hydroxytryptophan (40mg/kg BW). Plasma ghrelin levels at 20, 40 and 60min after infusion of tryptophan were higher than after saline and 5-hydroxytryptophan infusion, 5-hydroxytryptophan infusion induced lower food intake than saline infusion, and tryptophan infusion increased food intake 2, 8 and 24h after infusion. In conclusion, oral tryptophan ingestion increased ghrelin expression in gastric fundus and plasma ghrelin level. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Most rat cerebrovascular pericytes are α-SMA positive. • CYP4A and α-SMA coexpress in rat cerebral VSMCs and most pericytes. • 20-HETE is positively correlated with cerebral mural cell contractility. • 20-HETE promotes the myogenic response of rat parenchymal arterioles. • 20-HETE enhances CBF autoregulation in rat surface and deep cortex. We previously reported that deficiency in 20-HETE or CYP4A impaired the myogenic response and autoregulation of cerebral blood flow (CBF) in rats. The present study demonstrated that CYP4A was coexpressed with alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and most pericytes along parenchymal arteries (PAs) isolated from SD rats. Cell contractile capabilities of cerebral VSMCs and pericytes were reduced with a 20-HETE synthesis inhibitor, HET0016, but restored with 20-HETE analog WIT003. Similarly, intact myogenic responses of the middle cerebral artery and PA of SD rats decreased with HET0016 and were rescued by WIT003. The myogenic response of the PA was abolished in SS and was restored in SS.BN5 and SS. Cyp4a1 rats. HET0016 enhanced CBF and impaired its autoregulation in the surface and deep cortex of SD rats. These results demonstrate that 20-HETE has a direct effect on cerebral mural cell contractility that may play an essential role in controlling cerebral vascular function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]