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Introduction: The supramammillary nucleus (SuMN) exerts influences on a wide range of brain functions including feeding and feeding-independent fuel metabolism. However, which specific neuronal type(s) within the SuMN manifest this influence has not been delineated. This study investigated the effect of SuMN tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) (rate-limiting enzyme in dopamine synthesis) knockdown (THx) on peripheral fuel metabolism. Methods: SuMN-THx was accomplished using a virus-mediated shRNA to locally knockdown TH gene expression at the SuMN. The impact of SuMN-THx was examined over 35–72 days in rats least prone to developing metabolic syndrome (MS) – female Sprague-Dawley rats resistant to the obesogenic effect of high fat diet (HFDr) and fed regular chow (RC) – upon body weight/fat, feeding, glucose tolerance, and insulin sensitivity. The influence of HFD, gender, and long-term response of SuMN-THx was subsequently investigated in female HFDr rats fed HFD, male HFDr rats fed RC, and female HFD-sensitive rats fed RC over 1 year, respectively. Results: SuMN-THx induced obesity and glucose intolerance, elevated plasma leptin and triglycerides, increased hepatic mRNA levels of gluconeogenic, lipogenic, and pro-inflammatory genes, reduced white adipose fatty acid oxidation rate, and altered plasma corticosterone level and hepatic circadian gene expression. Moreover, SuMN-THx increased feeding during the natural resting/fasting period and altered ghrelin feeding response suggesting ghrelin resistance. This MS-inducing effect was enhanced by HFD feeding, similarly observed in male rats and persisted over 1 year. Discussion/Conclusion: SuMN-THx induced long-term, gender-nonspecific, multiple pathophysiological changes leading to MS suggesting SuMN dopaminergic circuits communicating with other brain metabolism and behavior control centers modulate peripheral fuel metabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We used all-atom molecular dynamics simulation to investigate the elastic properties of double-stranded DNA (dsDNA). We focused on the influences of temperature on the stretch, bend, and twist elasticities, as well as the twist–stretch coupling, of the dsDNA over a wide range of temperature. The results showed that the bending and twist persistence lengths, together with the stretch and twist moduli, decrease linearly with temperature. However, the twist–stretch coupling behaves in a positive correction and enhances as the temperature increases. The potential mechanisms of how temperature affects dsDNA elasticity and coupling were investigated by using the trajectories from atomistic simulation, in which thermal fluctuations in structural parameters were analyzed in detail. We analyzed the simulation results by comparing them with previous simulation and experimental data, which are in good agreement. The prediction about the temperature dependence of dsDNA elastic properties provides a deeper understanding of DNA elasticities in biological environments and potentially helps in the further development of DNA nanotechnology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ternary RGO/Fe3O4/SiO2 composites were prepared through a hydrothermal method and an annealing process. The Fe3O4 and SiO2 particles were in situ grown on the surface of reduced graphene oxide (RGO). The RGO, Fe3O4, and SiO2 were properly assembled to realize comprehensive electromagnetic wave-absorbing performance, which not only achieve synergy between the dielectric loss and the magnetic loss, but also possess satisfactory impedance matching. Based on the analysis of absorbing properties, the RGO/Fe3O4/SiO2-0.5 composite exhibits the optimal wave absorbing performance with the maximum reflection loss of −34.36 dB and an effective absorption bandwidth of 7.76 GHz at a matching thickness of 2.9 mm. The introduction of wave transparent and insulated SiO2 increases the propagation paths and optimizes the conductivity. Meanwhile, the construction of a heterogeneous interface promotes the interfacial polarization. The appropriate conductive network and the defect sites of RGO guarantee the conduction loss and dipole polarization. The natural resonance and exchange resonance from Fe3O4 jointly contribute to the magnetic loss. Therefore, this work provides a simple and flexible method for the synthesis and design of the heterostructure with multiple dissipation mechanism as a high-efficiency absorbent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of crystal structures and electronic properties has been widely investigated for carrier transport in organic semiconductors. The first-principles method was applied to analyse the effect of effective electronic couplings and reorganization energy on the carrier mobility for the combination of large conjugation core and peripheral phenyl rings. It is found that for compound 1 and compound 2, the reorganization energies of hole transfer (λh) are all smaller than those of electron transfer (λe), furthermore, the reorganization energy of hole transfer for compound 1 is much lower than compound 2. The monomer of compound 1 has the lower ionization potential which will contribute to the reception of holes. The change of molecular stacking modes will also influence the charge transport performance, which can be drawn from the theoretical calculation of the mobility of single crystal structure. The electronic couplings of compound 1 are basically greater than that of compound 2. For compound 1 crystal, the relatively superior intermolecular electronic coupling and weak reorganization energy of hole transport would make it play a part as an organic semiconductor materials of p-type. The theoretical prediction should be a promising strategy to provide clearer design guidelines for further promotion in carrier mobility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growth of East-Asian scholars in the American public affairs and administration (PA) field is increasingly apparent in recent years. Their participation demonstrates the diversity of the academic community and the globalization of higher education. However, little attention has been paid in the literature to this minority. From the broader perspective, Asian minorities have been overlooked in the discourse on diversity, equity, and inclusion, although they certainly confront social challenges such as inequity, injustice, discrimination, xenophobia, and even hate crimes. Our research attempts to address this gap in the literature by objectively documenting the participation and contributions of East-Asian scholars (EASs) to the American PA field. We find that across the top 100 PA schools, approximately 5% of the total full-time faculty members are East-Asian scholars, and that almost 20% of the peer-reviewed articles published in the top 10 PA journals are contributed by that scholarly community. However, the representation of East-Asian scholars in journal and association leadership teams remains low, which does not rise to their level of their contributions via peer-reviewed journal articles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The berries of Lycium barbarum L. (Goji) are widely used as a Chinese traditional herbal medicine and functional food because of their reported beneficial pharmacological effects. However, there are reports of Goji berries being contaminated by chemical residues that could pose a hazard to humans. In this study, samples of L. barbarum L. berries were collected from plantations in a genuine production area and supermarkets in Ningxia, China. The major hazardous chemicals, including pesticides (dichlorvos, omethoate, cypermethrin, fenvalerate, malathion, and deltamethrin) and metals (lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), zinc (Zn), and arsenic (As)), were quantified by gas chromatography and inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry. In addition, associated daily exposures and health risks were determined using deterministic and probabilistic assessments. The levels of five pesticides from the plantation samples were considerably lower than the maximum residue limits; only dichlorvos was detected in the supermarket samples, and deltamethrin was not detected in any samples. Cu, Zn, As, Pb, Ni and Cd were detected in samples from both sources. The hazard quotient values of individual hazardous chemicals and the hazard index of combined hazardous chemicals were considerably less than 1, indicating the absence of a non-carcinogenic effect of hazardous chemical exposures through Goji berry consumption. The R value of As was much less than 10–6, which shows that consumption of the Goji berries had no obvious carcinogenic risks. The potentially harmful effects of the L. barbarum L. are more likely from berries obtained from plantations than those from supermarkets, and metal exposure is more dangerous than pesticide exposure. However, on the basis of our analysis, no population would be exposed hazardous chemicals exceeding existing standards, and the factors most affecting the health risk were exposure frequency and As content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The supramammillary nucleus (SuMN) activity is regulated by GABA/glutamate signals. • Chronic inhibition of SuMN neuronal activity induces obese diabetic syndrome. • Circadian-timed activation of SuMN neuronal activity improves metabolic syndrome. • Activation state of the SuMN regulates peripheral metabolism and energy balance. Whole body fuel metabolism and energy balance are controlled by an interactive brain neuronal circuitry involving multiple brain centers regulating cognition, circadian rhythms, reward, feeding and peripheral biochemical metabolism. The hypothalamic supramammillary nucleus (SuMN) comprises an integral node having connections with these metabolically relevant centers, and thus could be a key central coordination center for regulating peripheral energy balance. This study investigated the effect of chronically diminishing or increasing SuMN neuronal activity on body composition and peripheral fuel metabolism. The influence of neuronal activity level at the SuMN area on peripheral metabolism was investigated via chronic (2–4 week) direct SuMN treatment with agents that inhibit neuronal activity (GABAa receptor agonist [Muscimol] and AMPA plus NMDA glutamate receptor antagonists [CNQX plus dAP5, respectively]) in high fat fed animals refractory to the obesogenic effects of high fat diet. Such treatment reduced SuMN neuronal activity and induced metabolic syndrome, and likewise did so in animals fed low fat diet including inducement of glucose intolerance, insulin resistance, hyperinsulinemia, hyperleptinemia, and increased body weight gain and fat mass coupled with both increased food consumption and feed efficiency. Consistent with these results, circadian-timed activation of neuronal activity at the SuMN area with daily local infusion of glutamate receptor agonists, AMPA or NMDA at the natural daily peak of SuMN neuronal activity improved insulin resistance and obesity in high fat diet-induced insulin resistant animals. These studies are the first of their kind to identify the SuMN area as a novel brain locus that regulates peripheral fuel metabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Industrial and agricultural activities result in elevated levels of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in the local environment. PTEs can enter the human body through the food chain and pose severe health risks to inhabitants. In this study, PTE levels in maize, soil, and irrigation water were detected, and health risks through maize consumption were evaluated.Methods: Maize, soil, and irrigation water samples were collected in northern Ningxia, China. Inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry was applied to determine the contents of six PTEs. Bioaccumulation factor was used to reflect the transfer potential of a metal from soil to maize. Health risks associated with maize consumption were assessed by deterministic and probabilistic estimation. Sensitivity analysis was performed to determine variables that pose the greatest effect on health risk results.Results: The levels of Pb and Cr in maize exceeded the standards, while the PTE levels in soil and irrigation water did not exceed the corresponding standards. The bioaccumulation factor values of the six PTEs in maize were all lower than 1 and followed the order of Cd > Zn = As > Cr > Cu > Pb. The hazard index (0.0986) was far less than 1 for all inhabitants implying no obvious non-carcinogenic risk. The carcinogenic risk value was 3.261 × 10- 5, which was lower than the maximum acceptable level of 1 × 10- 4 suggested by United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). Females were at greater risk than males, and the age group of below 20 years had the greater risk among all the groups evaluated. Approximately 0.62% of inhabitants exceeded the level for non-carcinogenic risk, while 8.23% exceeded the level for carcinogenic risk. The As concentration and daily intake of maize contributed 35.8, and 29.4% for non-carcinogenic risk results as well as 61.0 and 18.5% for carcinogenic risk results.Conclusions: Maize was contaminated by Pb and Cr, whereas the associated soil and irrigation water were not contaminated by PTEs. Inhabitants would not suffer obvious harmful health risks through maize consumption. Arsenic level and daily intake of maize were the most sensitive factors that impact health risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) reports, the United States government has become more corrupt under Trump's administration. In 2019, the US reached the lowest CPI score in its history, 69, suggesting that the public and experts perceive that the US is experiencing its most corrupt era since 1995. United States: Racial resentment, negative partisanship, and polarization in Trump's America. [Extracted from the article]

Graphical abstract Highlights • The poly(acrylic acid)/attapulgite nanocomposite (PAA/ATP) was successfully synthesized. • It is noteworthy that the ester bonds are formed between PAA/ATP nanocomposites and cotton fibers. • The LOI value of the finished fabric increased from 18.5 to 22.7 when less nanoparticles were added to the polymer. • Compared with the control fabric, the mechanical properties of PAA/ATP finishing fabric increased. Abstract The flammability of cotton fabric was improved by treated with the composite containing attapulgite(ATP). To achieve this aim, the poly(acrylic acid)/attapulgite nanocomposite (PAA/ATP) was successfully synthesized by the free radical polymerization of acrylic acid and the 3-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (MPTMS) modified attapulgite. The nanocomposite was characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). The result showed that PAA/ATP nanocomposite was successfully prepared and the ATP could be dispersed uniformly in the nanocomposite. Nanocomposite was loaded onto the cotton fabric by the dip-pad-dry method. The result of thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA), vertical flame test (VFT) and limiting oxygen index (LOI) showed that the thermal and flammability properties of the cotton fabric were improved after treated with the nanocomposite, the LOI value of cotton fabric had reached to 22.7%. Tensile test showed that the mechanical property of the treated cotton fabric was improved, but the whiteness decreased slightly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an important component of the Asian summer monsoon, the South Asian High (SAH) exhibits striking interannual variability closely related to tropical sea surface temperature (SST) forcing. For example, during post-El Niño summers, the SAH is demonstrated to be strengthened as the delayed Indian Ocean basin-wide SST mode (IOBM) having a robust capacitor enhancement effect on it. In this study, we find that the springtime SST anomalies in the tropical North Atlantic (TNA) can also exert a robust impact on the following summertime SAH intensity, with the SST warming generally accompanied by a stronger SAH and vice versa. We suggest that this influence generally involves two pathways. On the one hand, the positive TNA SST anomaly, which persists into the subsequent summer, can warm the local tropospheric column via moisture adjustment. This tropospheric warming extends eastward along with the climatological subtropical jet, leading to an elevation of the South Asian upper-level geopotential height and thus a stronger SAH. On the other hand, the TNA SST warming triggers tropical trans-basin walker circulation anomalies, causing an anomalous low-level anticyclone over the Indo-western Pacific. The Indian Ocean is featured by an evident ascending flow with intensified precipitation, which in turn generates a strengthened SAH by the resultant condensation heating. This Atlantic SST impact highlighted in this study offers a new avenue for improving the predictability of summertime atmospheric and climate anomalies over South Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discovering dependences between variables has a significant impact on the performance of exploration on large datasets. Many useful measures have been presented to identify interesting dependences for pairs of variables, but few for triplets. Here, we proposed a novel measure of dependence for three-variable relationships: the maximal total correlation coefficient (MTCC). With a score roughly equaling the determination coefficient R 2 , MTCC captures a wide range of trivariate one-dimensional manifold dependences, including many common space curves. Applying MTCC to datasets in global health and major-league baseball, we identify a number of almost unknown manifold dependences, especially an impressive superposition of three trivariate relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Feature clustering is a powerful technique for dimensionality reduction. However, existing approaches require the number of clusters to be given in advance or controlled by parameters. In this paper, by combining with affinity propagation (AP), we propose a new feature clustering (FC) algorithm, called APFC, for dimensionality reduction. For a given training dataset, the original features automatically form a bunch of clusters by AP. A new feature can then be extracted from each cluster in three different ways for reducing the dimensionality of the original data. APFC requires no provision of the number of clusters (or extracted features) beforehand. Moreover, it avoids computing the eigenvalues and eigenvectors of covariance matrix which is often necessary in many feature extraction methods. In order to demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of APFC, extensive experiments are conducted to compare it with three well-established dimensionality reduction methods on 14 UCI datasets in terms of classification accuracy and computational time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The polyaniline water hydrogen-bonded complex was studied by first-principles calculation. The density functional theory method was used to calculate the structure characters, natural bond orbital charge distribution, infrared spectra and the frontier molecular orbital. Results showed that the H-O···H-N and C-N···H-O type intermolecular hydrogen bonds were formed. The bonds involved in the intermolecular H-bond were all influenced by the hydrogen bonding interaction. During the hydrogen bond formation, the polymer chains in the complexes were all charged, which can be an important factor contributing to the increase of electrical conductivity. The N1-H vibration was strongly influenced, and the locations as well as the intensities of N1-H absorption bands were all changed in the complexes. In the orbital transition of HOMO to LUMO, the electron density transferred from benzenoid ring to quinoid ring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Astragalus polysaccharide (APS) is a bioactive extract of Astragalus membranaceus (AM), which possess a wide range of medicinal benefits, including anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, anti-tumor and anti-diabetic effects. The present work evaluated the therapeutic effect of APS and its potential mechanisms in a mouse model of dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis. The APS treatment led to significant improvements in colitis disease activity index (DAI) and histological scores, as well as significantly increased weight and colon length in mice as compared to the control group. Mechanically, reduced NF-κВ DNA phosphorylation activity and downregulated TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-17 expressions and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity were associated with improvement in colitis observed in APS-treated mice. These findings suggest that APS may represent a natural therapeutic approach for treating inflammatory bowel disease, such as ulcerative colitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A theoretical study was carried out to study the excited-state of hydrogen-bonding characteristics of polyaniline (PANI) in aqueous environment. The hydrogen-bonded PANI-H 2 O complexes were studied using first-principles calculations based on density functional theory (DFT). The electronic excitation energies and the corresponding oscillator strengths of the low-lying electronically excited states for hydrogen-bonded complexes were calculated by time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT). The ground-state geometric structures were optimized, and it is observed that the intermolecular hydrogen bonds C N ⋯ H O and N H ⋯ O H were formed in PANI-H 2 O complexes. The formed hydrogen bonds influenced the bond lengths, the charge distribution, as well as the spectral characters of the groups involved. It was concluded that all the hydrogen-bonded PANI-H 2 O complexes were primarily excited to the S1 states with the largest oscillator strength. In addition, the orbital transition from the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) to the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) involved intramolecular charge redistribution resulting to increase the electron density of the quinonoid rings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work proposed a semi-active electromagnetic isolator with negative resistance shunt circuit to improve isolation performance on micro-vibration. By an innovative combination of an hourglass-type displacement amplifier and electromagnetic mechanism with negative resistance shunt circuit, the proposed isolator can not only solve the difficulty for electromagnetic isolators to isolation micro-amplitude vibration but also achieve a significant electromechanical coupling effect to obtain excellent vibration isolation performance by a self-sensing method. First, the design of the isolator and motion relationship are presented. Then, the electromechanical coupling dynamic model of the isolator is established. Moreover, the angle of the hourglass-type displacement amplifier is optimized, and the influence of the negative resistance on the additional damping ratio and system stability is explored. Finally, the isolator was manufactured and several experiments were carried on. The experiment results demonstrated that the isolator has an excellent isolation performance. And meanwhile, the comparison between experiment and simulation also indicated the correctness of the model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Co 2+ , Ni 2+ and Co 2+ /Ni 2+ co-doped β-MnO 2 were synthesized by hydrothermal reaction to study the influence of crystal defects on the microwave dielectric response. The samples were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and vector network analyzer. The construction of defective β-MnO 2 , with doping of Co 2+ and Mn/O vacancies, was also discussed based on first-principles calculation. Results showed that the crystallographic defects played important role in modifying the microwave dielectric performance. The dielectric loss capacity at 2–18 GHz was enhanced after doping of Ni 2+ and Co 2+ , which was ascribed to the ionic polarization process. In the deficient configurations, the appearance of Mn vacancy narrowed the band gap, forming weak bound electrons and weak contact ions. Then the electronic and ionic relaxation polarization processes took place among these charged particles in the applied field. Mn vacancy was the most important factor in controlling the microwave polarization process, followed by O vacancy and extrinsic Co 2+ . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thiophene-2-carbaldehyde N(4)-cyclohexylthiosemicarbazone C12H17N3S2(HL) and diorganotin(IV) complex [Ph2Sn(L)Cl] (1) have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, IR, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Complex 1 contains mononuclear neutral molecule composed of one five-coordinated diorganotin(IV) ion, one NS bidentate anionic thiosemicarbazone ligand, one chloridion, and two phenyl group, respectively.In vitrobiological studies have indicated that coupling of HL with Ph2Sn(IV) leads to an enhancement of the cytotoxicity of the free ligand. Importantly, complex 1 could distinguish the human liver hepatocellular carcinoma HepG-2 cells from normal hepatocyte QSG7701 cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The theoretical calculation of polyaniline tetramers were performed in implicit water solvent medium using the polarizable continuum model with density functional theory. In order to explore the protonation mechanism of polyaniline, the geometry characteristics, charge distribution, frontier molecular orbitals (MOs) and stability of emeraldine base and emeraldine salts in tetramer were investigated by B3LYP/6-31G+(d,p), and the significant increase mechanism of the electrical conductivity of polyaniline upon protonation was researched in detail. It was shown that optimized molecular geometry by protonation doping suggested a tendency towards bipolaron delocalization and a greater π-conjugation proved by bond length alternation and the torsional angles. Furthermore, the NBO of ES3 was distributed equably and should be conducive to the electrical conductivity, the frontier MOs were effectively established, and an electronic transition from HOMO to LUMO+1 is turned out to be a ππ* transition finally. In addition, compared with the computed energies of different emeraldine salt configurations, the bipolaronic lattice was taken for the most stable structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatial conformation of condensed state graphene is fundamentally important for its material properties, while its rational design or control is of great challenge. Herein, reduced graphene oxides with diverse crumple conformations are synthesized facilely and effectively by using electrostatic force from cation-oxidized functional group and cation-π interactions through NaCl/MgCl 2 /AlCl 3 assisted hydrothermal reduction. A phase map for crumple conformation and gel configuration transitions of the reduced graphene oxides is established, where intramolecular effect of mono-valent cation and intermolecular effect of di-/tri-valent cations are captured and utilized to tune the crumple degree or gelation process. Desired material features, including specific surface area and surface functional groups, can be finely modulated via crumple conformation or cation interaction, and enable the reduced graphene oxides to present an outstanding rate capability of 68.8% and unparalleled areal capacitance of 98.0 μF/cm2 at 100 A/g in symmetric aqueous supercapacitors. This study broadens the topological behavior spectrum and stimulates the conformation engineering methodology of reduced graphene oxides, facilitating the development of novel graphene-based materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transcription activator-like effectors( TALEs) encoded by tal genes are secreted into plant cells through the type III secretion system( T3SS) of gram-negative plant pathogenic bacteria. tal4 is one of nineteen tal genes in Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae(Xoo)strain PXO99A, but its function is unknown. In this study, the function of tal4 gene was dug by measuring the virulence in rice, the stress tolerance to temperature, salt and acid, and the sensitivity against bismerthiazol of the tal4-deleted mutant compared with the wildtype. tal4 gene knock-out mutant PXO99▵ tal4 was generated from PXO99A based on double crossover homologous re- combination. The cosmid pHZtal4 containing the tal4 coding sequence was electroporated into PXO99▵ tal4 to construct the comple-mentation strain C-▵ tal4. PXO99A,PXO99▵ tal4 and C-▵ tal4 were grown in liquid medium to compare the growth rates under the stress conditions of different temperatures, salt contents and pH values. The sensitivity of PXO99▵ tal4 to bismerthiazol was measured both with plate assay and in rice leaf sprayed with bismerthiazol 24 h before and past inoculation. Real-time polymerase chain reaction(qPCR)was taken to analyze the expression of two pesticide resistance related genes of ribosomal RNA 16S( rrs) and 30S ribosomal subunit protein S12(rpsL). Neither the lesion length nor the bacterial growth in rice leaves showed notable difference two weeks past inoculation of the three strains,which indicated that missing tal4 did not affect the virulence of PXO99A in rice(variety of IR24). There was no effect on the growth of PXO99▵ tal4 under the stress condition of temperature, salt, acidity and alkaline compared to that of the wild type strain. It showed that tal4 did not play a role in resistance to environmental adversity. PXO99▵ tal4 showed significantly reduced resistance to bismerthiazol in either plate assay or in the rice plant assay. The minimum inhibitory con- centration(MIC) of bismerthiazol to PXO99▵ tal4 is 70 μg.mL-1 , lower than 110μg.mL-1 to PXO99A. The median effect concentration(EC50 )of bismerthiazol to PXO99▵ tal4 was 22. 1% lower than that to PXO99A( P<0. 05). The introduction of tal4 coding sequence to PXO99▵ tal4 could recover the deficiency to PXO99A. The lesion length in bismerthiazol sprayed leaves caused by the inoculation of PXO99Aand PXO99▵ tal4 showed no notable changes, but the bacterial growth inside the leaves infected by PXO99▵ tal4 showed a significant reduction( P<0. 05) even when the applied concentration of bismerthiazol was at 10μg.mL-1 . There existed no difference between the treatments spraying bismerthiazol before or past Xoo inoculation. qPCR detection results revealed that the expression of rrs of PXO99▵ tal4 was reduced significantly compared with that in PXO99A, and its expression was only 38% of PXO99A(P<0. 01). There was no obvious difference of the expression of rpsL between PXO99▵ tal4 and PXO99A. tal4 gene has no effect on the virulence of PXO99A in rice, but it plays an important role in resistance to bismerthiazol. This is the first report that the TALE proteins play a role in resistance to pesticide bismerthiazol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TEER-decreasing protein (TDP) from Flammulina velutipes was antiviral resource against tobacco mosaic virus (TMV). However, the resistance mechanisms have not been clarified. In this study, the fTDP (fusion teer-decreasing protein), obtained by prokaryotic fusion expression system, exhibited obvious protective efficacy against TMV and significantly suppressed the reproduction of TMV in tobacco. Transcriptomics and proteomics analysis showed that fTDP may interact with a receptor, activate the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway and NB-ARC and increase the content of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and salicylic acid (SA), which promoted the hypersensitive response (HR) and system acquired resistance (SAR). SAR caused increased expression of catalase (CAT), pathogenesis-related protein 1 (PR1), phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) and other proteins involved in pathogen defense, such as chalcone-dihydroflavone isomerase (CHI) and cytochrome P450. In conclusion, SAR was induced by fTDP to protect tobacco from TMV infection and alleviate the symptoms caused by the virus. The study provided a theoretical basis for the application of the TDP protein, which may represent a potential biopesticide. [Display omitted] • fTDP was obtained by prokaryotic expression system. • fTDP can suppress the reproduction of tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) significantly in tobacco. • fTDP induces tobacco to defence the infection of TMV by salicylic acid pathway mediated systemic acquired resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The effect of a laminated polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) actuator is analyzed when partially covering a paraboloidal shell. Models of control forces are established using the thin flexible shell theory and the membrane approximation. Analytical expressions of actuating forces and moments are derived and a parametric study is conducted to evaluate the effects of the physical properties of the actuator on the control forces. To verify the model, experiments were carried out on actuation and open-loop vibration control of a paraboloidal antenna with a much smaller actuator. The experimental results agree well with those obtained analytically. The results indicate the following: The laminated PVDF actuator (LPA) can provide effective control forces with low voltages. The control forces consist of actuating forces and moments, but the effect of the normal actuation force distribution is much greater than that of the actuation moments in controlling the normal vibration. The larger the curvature radius of the paraboliodal shell, the smaller the magnitudes of the required actuating forces. The magnitudes of actuating forces are approximately linear with the number of PVDF layers. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The extensive applications of nanoparticle materials in biomedical and biotechnological fields trigger the rapid development of nanotoxicology, because nanoparticles are reported to cause more damage than larger ones when human exposure to them. In the present manuscript, we prepared a series of zeolite nanocrystals with different frameworks, sizes, compositions and shapes, and provided the first report on their toxic difference. As our results, the toxicities of zeolite nanoparticles depend on their size, composition and shape when they are exposed to HeLa cells. The pure-silica nanozeolite silicalite-1 displays nontoxicity, but aluminum-containing nanozeolites, such as ZSM-5, LTL, and LTA, show a dose-dependent toxic manner. The different shapes of nanozeolites can lead to different cytotoxicities, while the influences of the surface charge differences of various nanozeolites on their toxicities are unconspicuous. More importantly, caspase-3 activity and LDH released assays showed that the toxic nanozeolites seem to induce cell necrosis rather than cell apoptosis by the damnification for the cell membranes. These results are expected to direct the applications of nanozeolites with different structures and shapes in biomedicine and clinic science. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper investigates vibration control of plate through Electro-Magnetic Constrained Layer Damping (EMCLD) which consists of electromagnet layer, permanent magnet layer and viscoelastic damping layer. The equivalent current assumption is adopted to model the magnetic control force produced by EMCLD. The governing equations of the plate system are obtained using Hamilton's Principle. A simulation and an experiment on vibration control of a cantilever plate are done under the velocity proportional feedback to demonstrate the active control capability of EMCLD. Both the results of simulation and experiment show EMCLD is an effective means for active vibration control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this study, we investigated the molecular mechanisms involving in oridonin-induced apoptosis and autophagy. We found that apoptosis and autophagy were simultaneously induced by oridonin time-dependently in HT1080 cells, and inhibition of autophagy by 3MA decreased oridonin-induced apoptosis, indicating that they act in synergy to mediate cell death. In addition, treatment with oridonin caused an increase in NF-κB and p53 activities in a time-dependent manner. Inhibition of NF-κB or p53 activation by its specific inhibitor PDTC or pifithrin-α respectively, significantly reduced both oridonin-induced apoptosis and autophagy accompanied by the decrease in Beclin 1 and LC3 levels. Further experiments confirmed that oridonin-induced p53 activation was reduced by the NF-κB inhibitor whereas the activation of NF-κB was not affected by p53 inhibition. Taken together, these results demonstrate that NF-κB promotes oridonin-induced apoptotic and autophagic cell death through regulating p53 activation in HT1080 cells. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Our previous studies showed that oridonin could induce both apoptosis and autophagy in HeLa cells, and this autophagy might be a protective mechanism against apoptosis. In this study, the roles of PKC signal pathways in oridonin-induced HeLa cell autophagy and apoptosis were further investigated. We found that inhibition of PKC significantly reduced oridonin-induced autophagy whereas markedly increased apoptosis, while pretreatment with PKC activator caused opposite results. Subsequently, the oridonin-induced autophagy was also suppressed by Raf-1 or JNK inhibition accompanied by the increase of apoptosis, but it was not affected by ERK or p38 inhibition. In addition, oridonin-induced protein levels of Raf-1, JNK and p-JNK were sharply downregulated by PKC inhibitor, and they were enhanced by PKC activator. Taken together, these results demonstrate that PKC enhances oridonin-induced autophagy against apoptosis through regulating its downstream factors Raf-1 and JNK in HeLa cells. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Fas has been reported to play an important role in apoptosis; however, Fas-mediated autophagy and its mechanism are still unclear. Here, we found that Fas agonistic antibody CH11-induced autophagy in HeLa cells, and inhibition of autophagy by 3-MA increased CH11-induced apoptosis. A Fas antagonistic antibody (UB2) suppressed both CH11-induced autophagy and apoptosis. In addition, the CH11-induced autophagy was blocked by JNK inhibitor (SP600125), but it was not affected by caspase 8 inhibitor (Z-IETD); whereas the CH11-induced apoptosis was increased by SP600125, and it was suppressed by Z-IETD. Further experiments confirmed that JNK was activated by CH11 dose-dependently, and the activation was suppressed when autophagy was blocked by 3-MA. Together, our results suggest that JNK, but not caspase 8, involves in Fas-mediated CH11-induced autophagy in HeLa cells, and this autophagy plays a protective role in CH11-induced cell death. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

While the number of charter schools has increased rapidly in the United States, few studies have examined whether charter schools are implemented in response to real and perceived educational needs or to political and institutional factors in the education policy arena. Unlike traditional policy adoption and diffusion studies that focus on the state level and use a dichotomous dependent variable—adoption or not—this article focuses on local school districts and uses the number of operating charter schools as the dependent variable. Accordingly, instead of applying event history analysis, this article conducts generalized event count regression to estimate models. Based on a data set that consists of Florida's 67 school districts across a six-year time period, the results suggest that charter school diffusion is more heavily driven by political and institutional factors than by educational needs. The results also demonstrate a dynamic trend of charter school diffusion over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The mu opioid receptor gene Oprm is alternatively spliced into many variants, providing for the multiplicity of mu opioid receptor subtypes. One of the mouse variants, mMOR-1B4, is unique in that it displays high affinity towards a wide range of mu opioid receptor antagonists, but poor affinity towards most classical mu opioid agonists. The present study examined the immunohistochemical distribution of the mMOR-1B4 variant in mouse brain and spinal cord. mMOR-1B4-like immunoreactivity (mMOR-1B4-LI) was enriched in many regions of the brain, spinal cord and in the dorsal root ganglia. Some of the structures showing prominent mMOR-1B4-LI include the olfactory bulb, cerebral cortex, bed nucleus of stria terminalis, hippocampus, habenular nucleus, amygdala, thalamus, hypothalamus, medium eminence, substantia nigra, ventral tegmental area, oculomotor nucleus, red nucleus, raphe nuclei, periaqueductal gray, locus coeruleus, trigeminal nucleus, reticular formation, area postrema and Purkinje cell layer and deep nuclei of cerebellum. mMOR-1B4-LI was present in afferent neurons of the dorsal root ganglia and their projecting fibers into the superficial laminae of the spinal dorsal horn. Some motor neurons in the anterior horn of the spinal cord also were immunopositive. The overall distribution of mMOR-1B4-LI in the central nervous system is distinguishable from previously characterized variants such as MOR-1-LI, MOR-1C-LI and exon-11-LI. These studies provide evidence for the region- and neuron-specific processing of the Oprm gene and support the possibility of functional differences among the variants. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

SiH(OC2H5)3 was used as a gel accelerant to prepare transparent, noncracking, high-purity silica gel monoliths with a lower volume shrinkage and shorter gel time. The silica gel monoliths prepared via the monocomponent bulk sol-gel process possess a microporous structure and a good transmittance in the UV/Vis region, and consist of 89% silica and 11% small molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of REAlO3-composition glasses (RE=La, Pr, Nd, Sm, Gd) were synthesized using containerless processing techniques. DSC shows no evidence of a glass transition prior to crystallization. Onset crystallization temperature increases with decreasing ionic radius of the rare-earth. Transposed temperature drop calorimetry (from room temperature to 1078 K) determined the enthalpies of vitrification at 298 K. Their large values confirm that REAlO3 compositions are reluctant glass formers. For glasses along the 2REAlO3–3SiO2 join, strongly negative heats of mixing support the absence of miscibility gaps except possibly for very high silica content. Enthalpies of mixing become more exothermic with increasing basicity (larger size) of substituting RE3+. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The present study examined the effect of estradiol on hypothalamic serotonin-1A (5-HT1A) receptor signaling in female rats. We first examined the time-course effects of a single injection of the 5-HT1A receptor agonist (±)8-OH-DPAT (5, 15 or 30 min prior to decapitation), and dose response of (+)8-OH-DPAT (50, 100, 200 or 500 μg/kg, s.c.) on plasma hormones in ovariectomized rats that received a daily injection of β-estradiol 3-benzoate (10 μg/day, s.c.) or vehicle (sesame oil) for 2 days. In vehicle- and estrogen-treated rats, the peak response of hormones occurred at 15 min after injection and the time-course of oxytocin and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) responses to an injection of 8-OH-DPAT were comparable. However, only the oxytocin response was reduced by estrogen treatment. A second experiment compared the ACTH and oxytocin responses with doses of 50 or 200 μg/kg, s.c. of (+)8-OH-DPAT vs. (±)8-OH-DPAT in ovariectomized rats that were treated with oil or β-estradiol 3-benzoate (10 μg/day, s.c.) for 2 days. (+)8-OH-DPAT and (±)8-OH-DPAT produced a similar magnitude of increase in plasma levels of ACTH and oxytocin. Treatment with β-estradiol 3-benzoate produced a significant and comparable reduction in the oxytocin response to the highest dose (200 μg/kg, s.c.) of both (+)8-OH-DPAT and (±)8-OH-DPAT but did not alter the ACTH response to either (+)8-OH-DPAT or (±)8-OH-DPAT. In the dose-response experiment, a dose of 50 μg/kg of (+)8-OH-DPAT produced a maximal increase in plasma levels of ACTH, while the maximal oxytocin response was achieved with a dose of 200 μg/kg, s.c. Treatment with β-estradiol 3-benzoate reduced the maximal oxytocin response to (+)8-OH-DPAT (by 29%) but did not alter the ACTH response to any doses of (+)8-OH-DPAT. To examine potential mechanisms mediating the effects of estrogen on 5-HT1A receptor signaling, we measured the levels of Gαi, Gαo and Gαz proteins, which couple 5-HT1A receptors to their effector enzymes, in two subregions of the hypothalamus. The levels of Gαz protein were reduced in the mediobasal hypothalamus (containing the ventromedial and arcuate nuclei), which mainly expresses estrogen receptor-α, but not in the paraventricular hypothalamus, which mainly expresses estrogen receptor-β. Estradiol reduced the levels of Gαi2 and Gαi3 proteins in both hypothalamic regions but did not affect Gαi1 levels in either area. Combined, the data suggest that racemic and stereoselective 8-OH-DPAT have similar neuroendocrine effects and that both estrogen receptor-α and estrogen receptor-β mediate the reduction in levels of Gαi2,3 proteins. Copyright © 2004 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thin zeolite films with thicknesses from several hundred nanometers to a few micrometers have been fabricated through electrophoretic deposition (EPD) in acetylacetone (Acac) and/or isopropyl alcohol (IPA). Various types of nanosized zeolites with different Si/Al ratios ranging from 1.6 (zeolite LTA) to nearly infinity (silicalite-1) were applied to prepare the EPD suspensions and showed different behaviors in EPD. The EPD rate of zeolite particles in non-aqueous medium was much higher than that in aqueous system mainly due to the high voltage applied, and consequently the whole process was usually completed in a few seconds. It was found that the Al/(Si + Al) ratios of zeolites and the chemical/physical properties of the EPD medium were two crucial factors which affected the thickness and density of the zeolite films prepared by EPD. The zeolite films fabricated through EPD could be effectively densified by secondary growth to prepare compact zeolite membranes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Ultrathin nanozeolite films were prepared on the surface of Pt and glass carbon electrodes using nanoscale zeolite particles as building block via a layer-by-layer (LbL) technique or by a secondary growth method. Compared to conventional zeolite-modified electrodes, the nanozeolite film modified ones (nanoZMEs) prepared by these methods exhibit good membrane morphologies with controllable thickness in nanometer scale and large zeolite/electrode contact areas due to the nanoscale zeolite film attached directly to the electrode. Ag+, Cd2+ and Pb2+ were selected as examples to evaluate the electrochemical performance of nanoZMEs with designed thickness. With the same thickness of zeolite layer, nanoZMEs prepared by the LbL technique possess short preconcentration and response time, while nanoZMEs fabricated through the secondary growth method exhibit high accumulation ability and ion exchange selectivity. It is found that besides the inherent ion exchange selectivity of the zeolite layer, the transport rate of ions in the zeolite layer toward the electrode surface is an important factor that affected the electrochemical selectivity of the ZMEs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The treatment of type 2 diabetes patients with bromocriptine-QR, a unique, quick release micronized formulation of bromocriptine, improves glycemic control and reduces adverse cardiovascular events. While the improvement of glycemic control is largely the result of improved postprandial hepatic glucose metabolism and insulin action, the mechanisms underlying the drug's cardioprotective effects are less well defined. Bromocriptine is a sympatholytic dopamine agonist and reduces the elevated sympathetic tone, characteristic of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes, which potentiates elevations of vascular oxidative/nitrosative stress, known to precipitate cardiovascular disease. Therefore, this study investigated the impact of bromocriptine treatment upon biomarkers of vascular oxidative/nitrosative stress (including the pro-oxidative/nitrosative stress enzymes of NADPH oxidase 4, inducible nitric oxide (iNOS), uncoupled endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), the pro-inflammatory/pro-oxidative marker GTP cyclohydrolase 1 (GTPCH 1), and the pro-vascular health enzyme, soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) as well as the plasma level of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), a circulating marker of systemic oxidative stress), in hypertensive SHR rats held on a high fat diet to induce metabolic syndrome. Inasmuch as the central nervous system (CNS) dopaminergic activities both regulate and are regulated by CNS circadian pacemaker circuitry, this study also investigated the time-of-day-dependent effects of bromocriptine treatment (10 mg/kg/day at either 13 or 19 h after the onset of light (at the natural waking time or late during the activity period, respectively) among animals held on 14 h daily photoperiods for 16 days upon such vascular biomarkers of vascular redox state, several metabolic syndrome parameters, and mediobasal hypothalamic (MBH) mRNA expression levels of neuropeptides neuropeptide Y (NPY) and agouti-related protein (AgRP) which regulate the peripheral fuel metabolism and of mRNA expression of other MBH glial and neuronal cell genes that support such metabolism regulating neurons in this model system. Such bromocriptine treatment at ZT 13 improved (reduced) biomarkers of vascular oxidative/nitrosative stress including plasma TBARS level, aortic NADPH oxidase 4, iNOS and GTPCH 1 levels, and improved other markers of coupled eNOS function, including increased sGC protein level, relative to controls. However, bromocriptine treatment at ZT 19 produced no improvement in either coupled eNOS function or sGC protein level. Moreover, such ZT 13 bromocriptine treatment reduced several metabolic syndrome parameters including fasting insulin and leptin levels, as well as elevated systolic and diastolic blood pressure, insulin resistance, body fat store levels and liver fat content, however, such effects of ZT 19 bromocriptine treatment were largely absent versus control. Finally, ZT 13 bromocriptine treatment reduced MBH NPY and AgRP mRNA levels and mRNA levels of several MBH glial cell/neuronal genes that code for neuronal support/plasticity proteins (suggesting a shift in neuronal structure/function to a new metabolic control state) while ZT 19 treatment reduced only AgRP, not NPY, and was with very little effect on such MBH glial cell genes expression. These findings indicate that circadian-timed bromocriptine administration at the natural circadian peak of CNS dopaminergic activity (that is diminished in insulin resistant states), but not outside this daily time window when such CNS dopaminergic activity is naturally low, produces widespread improvements in biomarkers of vascular oxidative stress that are associated with the amelioration of metabolic syndrome and reductions in MBH neuropeptides and gene expressions known to facilitate metabolic syndrome. These results of such circadian-timed bromocriptine treatment upon vascular pathology provide potential mechanisms for the observed marked reductions in adverse cardiovascular events with circadian-timed bromocriptine-QR therapy (similarly timed to the onset of daily waking as in this study) of type 2 diabetes subjects and warrant further investigations into related mechanisms and the potential application of such intervention to prediabetes and metabolic syndrome patients as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Catalytic upcycling of polyolefins into high‐value chemicals represents the direction in end‐of‐life plastics valorization, but poses great challenges. Here, we report the synthesis of a tandem porous catalyst via a micelle cascade assembly strategy for selectively catalytic cracking of polyethylene into olefins at a low temperature. A hierarchically porous silica layer from mesopore to macropore is constructed on the surface of microporous ZSM‐5 nanosheets through cascade assembly of dynamic micelles. The outer macropore arrays can adsorb bulky polyolefins quickly by the capillary and hydrophobic effects, enhancing the diffusion and access to active sites. The middle mesopores present a nanoconfinement space, pre‐cracking polyolefins into intermediates by weak acid sites, which then transport into zeolites micropores for further cracking by strong Brønsted acid sites. The hierarchically porous and acidic structures, mimicking biomimetic protease catalytic clefts, ideally match the tandem cracking steps of polyolefins, thus suppressing coke formation and facilitating product escape. As a result, light hydrocarbons (C1‐C7) are produced with a yield of 443 mmol gZSM‐5−1, where 74.3 % of them are C3‐C6 olefins, much superior to ZSM‐5 and porous silica catalysts. This tandem porous catalyst exemplifies a superstructure design of catalytic cracking catalysts for industrial and economical upcycling of plastic wastes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Catalytic upcycling of polyolefins into high‐value chemicals represents the direction in end‐of‐life plastics valorization, but poses great challenges. Here, we report the synthesis of a tandem porous catalyst via a micelle cascade assembly strategy for selectively catalytic cracking of polyethylene into olefins at a low temperature. A hierarchically porous silica layer from mesopore to macropore is constructed on the surface of microporous ZSM‐5 nanosheets through cascade assembly of dynamic micelles. The outer macropore arrays can adsorb bulky polyolefins quickly by the capillary and hydrophobic effects, enhancing the diffusion and access to active sites. The middle mesopores present a nanoconfinement space, pre‐cracking polyolefins into intermediates by weak acid sites, which then transport into zeolites micropores for further cracking by strong Brønsted acid sites. The hierarchically porous and acidic structures, mimicking biomimetic protease catalytic clefts, ideally match the tandem cracking steps of polyolefins, thus suppressing coke formation and facilitating product escape. As a result, light hydrocarbons (C1‐C7) are produced with a yield of 443 mmol gZSM‐5−1, where 74.3 % of them are C3‐C6 olefins, much superior to ZSM‐5 and porous silica catalysts. This tandem porous catalyst exemplifies a superstructure design of catalytic cracking catalysts for industrial and economical upcycling of plastic wastes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zeolite synthesis under acidic conditions has always presented a challenge. In this study, we successfully prepared series of ZSM‐5 zeolite nanosheets (Z‐5‐SCA‐X) over a broad pH range (4 to 13) without the need for additional supplements. This achievement was realized through aggregation crystallization of ZSM‐5 zeolite subcrystal (Z‐5‐SC) with highly short‐range ordering and ultrasmall size extracted from the synthetic system of ZSM‐5 zeolite. Furthermore, the crystallization behavior of Z‐5‐SC was investigated, revealing its non‐classical crystallization process under mildly alkaline and acidic conditions (pH<10), and the combination of classical and non‐classical processes under strongly alkaline conditions (pH≥10). What's particularly intriguing is that, the silanol nest content in the resultant Z‐5‐SCA‐X samples appears to be dependent on the pH values during the Z‐5‐SC crystallization process rather than its crystallinity. Finally, the results of the furfuryl alcohol etherification reaction demonstrate that reducing the concentration of silanol nests significantly enhances the catalytic performance of the Z‐5‐SCA‐X zeolite. The ability to synthesize zeolite in neutral and acidic environments without the additional mineralizing agents not only broadens the current view of traditional zeolite synthesis but also provides a new approach to control the silanol nest content of zeolite catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zeolite synthesis under acidic conditions has always presented a challenge. In this study, we successfully prepared series of ZSM‐5 zeolite nanosheets (Z‐5‐SCA‐X) over a broad pH range (4 to 13) without the need for additional supplements. This achievement was realized through aggregation crystallization of ZSM‐5 zeolite subcrystal (Z‐5‐SC) with highly short‐range ordering and ultrasmall size extracted from the synthetic system of ZSM‐5 zeolite. Furthermore, the crystallization behavior of Z‐5‐SC was investigated, revealing its non‐classical crystallization process under mildly alkaline and acidic conditions (pH<10), and the combination of classical and non‐classical processes under strongly alkaline conditions (pH≥10). What's particularly intriguing is that, the silanol nest content in the resultant Z‐5‐SCA‐X samples appears to be dependent on the pH values during the Z‐5‐SC crystallization process rather than its crystallinity. Finally, the results of the furfuryl alcohol etherification reaction demonstrate that reducing the concentration of silanol nests significantly enhances the catalytic performance of the Z‐5‐SCA‐X zeolite. The ability to synthesize zeolite in neutral and acidic environments without the additional mineralizing agents not only broadens the current view of traditional zeolite synthesis but also provides a new approach to control the silanol nest content of zeolite catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a series of BN/Ni nanocomposites were synthesized via a facile in-situ synthesis process for efficiency electromagnetic wave absorption (EWA). The incorporation of the insulative BN could not only reduce the size of Ni particles and prevent them from agglomeration, but also optimize the conductivity and impedance matching behaviours of the hybrids. Meanwhile, the large interface area of the hybrids facilitated the high-frequency polarization effect and contributed to the enhanced EWA performance. As a result, when the BN/Ni filler content was 48 wt%, the bandwidth for the relection loss (RL) values below −10 dB achieved in a wide frequency range of 12.7–15.7 GHz with a thickness of 1.7 mm, which meets the demand of wideband and efficiency characters of EWA materials. By considering both the structural design and electromagnetic regulation, it is expected that the as-fabricated BN/Ni hybrid can be a promising candidate as highly effective electromagnetic wave absorbing material. Image 1 • BN/Ni composites with abundant heterogeneous interface were synthesized. • The conductivity of BN/Ni composites could be adjusted by insulative BN. • Improved impedance matching contributed to the dissipation of microwave. • The effective bandwidth can reach 3.0 GHz with a thickness of 1.7 mm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zeolite nanoparticles with various organosilanized surfaces have been synthesized in situby a one-step approach which provides not only a functionalized surface for diverse host–guest interactions but also an attractive path for preparation of monodispersed template-free zeolite nanoparticles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, constructing composite materials with different absorbing mechanism is the popular strategy to realize the complementary and synergetic properties for electromagnetic (EM) wave absorbing materials. However, the effective magnetic response is generally struggled to achieve. Besides the composition design strategy, fully utilizing the interfacial polarization is another efficient method for the fabrication of microwave absorbing (MA) materials. In this work, the titanium nitride/nickel/carbon (TiN/Ni/C) ternary composites were fabricated through an in-situ thermal nitridation process. The EM dissipation factors can be regulated by rational design of the ternary heterogeneous interface through varying the precursor composition. The minimum reflection loss (RL) of the optimized TiN/Ni/C nanocomposite can reach −35.1 dB at 12.4 GHz and the effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) is 3.6 GHz with a thickness of 1.7 mm. The enhanced absorbing property is benefited from the effective structure design with tunable heterogeneous interface and continuous carbon matrix which would achieve promoted interfacial polarization, conductivity relaxation and the electromagnetic impedance matching. Special structures of TiN/Ni/C ternary composites played a vital role in the effective electromagnetic absorption properties, which is significant for designing efficient MA materials. Image 1 • TiN/Ni/C ternary nanocomposites with expanded heterogeneous interface were successfully synthesized. • The electromagnetic parameter could be adjusted by heterogeneous interface and continuous matrix of the composites. • The balanced impedance matching and enhanced electromagnetic energy conversion capability were achieved simultaneously. • Excellent EM absorbents with broad frequency bandwidth coverage could be designed effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consumption of the "westernized diet" (WD) of high fat and sucrose promotes the development of hepatic insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome (MS). This diet is well known to reduce brain dopamine activity and stimulate chronic over-activation of the sympathetic nervous system that potentiate liver insulin resistance by as yet unknown mechanisms. This study evaluated the effect of circadian-timed bromocriptine, a sympatholytic dopamine agonist, to reverse the adverse effects of the WD on glucose tolerance and liver expression of several genes involved in hepatic aspects of insulin sensitivity including lipid balance, inflammation and ER stress. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were maintained on a WD of high fat (40% by kcal/g) and sucrose (29% by kcal/g) for 4 weeks and then administered BC (7.5 mg/kg) or vehicle (N =10/group) at the onset of daily waking for an additional 10 weeks while maintained on WD to study end when a GTT (3g/kg glucose) was performed and 5 days later when animals were sacrificed for analyses of hepatic genes (via PCR) involved in insulin sensitivity. A regular chow fed group (N=10) served as positive control. BC treatment reduced the GTT glucose AUC by 39% vs. controls (P<0.001) without change in the insulin AUC and reduced body fat level by 35% (P= 0.01) without change in feeding vs. controls. BC also reduced hepatic gene transcripts for fatty acid oxidation - PPARa and CPT1A by 35 and 48%, respectively (P<0.03), for lipid synthesis - DGAT2 by 20% (P<0.04), and for inflammation and ER stress - monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 and C/EBP homologous protein by 40 and 47% (P<0.05), respectively, vs. controls, all to levels observed in regular chow fed rats. This study demonstrated that bromocriptine can reverse the adverse effects of WD on hepatic lipid, inflammation, and ER stress gene expression pathways that promote hepatic insulin resistance and MS. Disclosure: Y. Zhang: Employee; Self; VeroScience LLC. M. Ezrokhi: Employee; Self; VeroScience LLC. N. Cominos: Employee; Self; VeroScience LLC. A.H. Cincotta: Employee; Self; VeroScience LLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Copper nitride (Cu x N) films were prepared on glass slides by reactive direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering under different nitrogen flow rates and substrate temperature, respectively. X-ray diffraction and reflectance spectra were employed to characterize the films. The Cu x N films can completely decompose through heat treatment at temperature as low as 160 °C. The reflectance spectra of the as-deposited films are quite different from that of the decomposed films in a wide wavelength range from UV to infrared. Its relatively low decomposition temperature and large reflectance change before and after decomposition makes it a potential write-once optical recording medium. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Negative stiffness vibration isolation devices have attracted significant attention and research interest for their ability to enhance the low-frequency vibration isolation performance of passive vibration isolators. However, their narrow linear negative stiffness region has hindered their broader application. To address this limitation, a novel design method for vibration isolators is proposed, integrating the permanent magnetic negative stiffness device (NSD) with the displacement amplification mechanism (DAM). The paper begins by presenting a specific vibration isolator design method and analyzing the kinematic relationship. Next, a single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) nonlinear equivalent model of the vibration isolator is established using the pseudo-rigid-body model (PRBM) approach. Numerical simulations are then conducted to obtain the transmissibility of the isolator. Furthermore, two isolators—one with the displacement amplification effect and another without—are manufactured, and experimental investigations are carried out. The experimental results confirm that the incorporation of the displacement amplification mechanism effectively expands the linear negative stiffness region of the negative stiffness magnet pair, enabling wide-frequency and large-amplitude vibration isolation. Notably, these experimental findings align well with the simulation results. In summary, this paper proposes a creative design method for wide frequency and large amplitude vibration isolators, and proves it through theoretical analysis and experimental validation. • A create negative stiffness isolator based on displacement amplification is proposed. • The linear region of the negative stiffness is significantly expanded by three times. • Employ the harmonic balance method for nonlinear equation solving and simulating. • Inspire the design of large displacement amplitude negative stiffness isolators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a tritrophic context of plant–insect–entomopathogen, plants play important roles in modulating the interaction of insects and their pathogenic viruses. Currently, the influence of plants on the transmission of insect viruses has been mainly studied on baculoviruses and some RNA viruses, whereas the impact of plants on other insect viruses is largely unknown. Here, we identified a new densovirus infecting the green peach aphid Myzus persicae and tested whether and how host plants influence the transmission of the aphid densovirus. The complete single‐stranded DNA genome of the virus, M. persicae densovirus 2, is 5 727 nt and contains inverted terminal repeats. Transcription and phylogenetic analysis indicated that the virus was distinct from other a few identified aphid densoviruses. The virus abundance was detected highly in the intestinal tract of aphids, compared with the lower level of it in other tissues including head, embryo, and epidermis. Cabbage and pepper plants had no obvious effect on the vertical transmission and saliva‐mediated horizontal transmission of the virus. However, the honeydew‐mediated horizontal transmission among aphids highly depended on host plants (65% on cabbages versus 17% on peppers). Although the virus concentration in the honeydew produced by aphids between 2 plants was similar, the honeydew production of the infected aphids reared on peppers was dramatically reduced. Taken together, our results provide evidence that plants influence the horizontal transmission of a new densovirus in an aphid population by modulating honeydew secretion of aphids, suggesting plants may manipulate the spread of an aphid‐pathogenic densovirus in nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The low/ultra-low-frequency structural vibrations exist widely in some engineering structures, for example, aerospace, naval, and building structures and so on. They could seriously affect the working performance and even cause the destruction of these engineering structures. In order to restrain the low/ultra-low-frequency structural vibration, a locally resonant (LR) metastructure beam equipped with high-static–low-dynamic stiffness (HSLDS) resonators employing negative stiffness magnetic spring is proposed. The analytical model of magnetic negative stiffness spring is firstly derived and the design method of HSLDS resonators is presented based on parametric optimization. Then, the dynamic model of the LR metastructure beam with HSLDS resonators is established using the wave finite element method. The effects of the number of local resonator units on low-frequency band gap are analyzed. Finally, the low-frequency vibration control performance of LR metastructure beam is validated experimentally. The experimental result is in agreement with the theoretical analysis, which demonstrates that the HSLDS resonators are conductive to suppress vibration of the metastructure beam in the low-frequency region (f < 10 Hz). The results also showed that the more the HSLDS resonators are used, the better the vibration suppression effect is. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cell division in eukaryotes is a highly regulated process that is critical to the life of a cell. Dysregulated cell proliferation, often driven by anomalies in cell Cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) activation, is a key pathological mechanism in cancer. Recently, selective CDK4/6 inhibitors have shown clinical success, particularly in treating advanced-stage estrogen receptor (ER)-positive and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative breast cancer. This review provides an in-depth analysis of the action mechanism and recent advancements in CDK4/6 inhibitors, categorizing them based on their structural characteristics and origins. Furthermore, it explores proteolysis targeting chimers (PROTACs) targeting CDK4/6. We hope that this review could be of benefit for further research on CDK4/6 inhibitors and PROTACs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]