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In order to expand the comparative analysis of electronic and magnetic properties of transition metal phosphate materials MPS3, the article selected iron-based transition elements Fe, Co, and Ni as metal atoms M. The configuration design and optimization of cluster MnPS3 were carried out at the calculation level of B3LYP/def2-tzvp using density functional theory, and the optimized configurations were obtained. Analysis of the electronic properties of the optimized configuration reveals thatthe electrons inside the cluster MnPS3 flow from the metal atom M and the non-metal atom P to the non-metal atom S; the S atom is the main site of the electrophilic reaction within the cluster; the electrons inside the metal atom are the main site of the nucleophilic reaction within the cluster; the configurations 2a(2), 2b(2), 3a(4), 3b(3) and 3c(2) have larger mobility of electrons and optimal electronic properties.The analysis of the magnetic properties of the optimized configurations shows that, the magnetic properties of cluster MnPS3 are also determined by the spin motion of α electrons in the p orbital, and the contribution of metal atoms to the magnetic properties of cluster MnPS3 is relatively large; the magnetic properties of configurations 1b(3), 2c(4) and 3a(4) are relatively larger than those of other configurations of the same size.

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PDF file - 927K, The effect of Aurora kinases inhibitors on HL-60 and KG1a cell lines.

PDF file - 1715K, Aurora kinases inhibitors and mTOR inhibitors had synergistic effect on the expression of cleaved caspase 3 and p62.

PDF file - 1113K, Aurora kinases inhibitors had no effect with mTOR inhibitors on PBMCs.

PDF file - 1100K, Combination of Aurora kinases inhibitors and 2DG had minimal effect on PBMCs.

PDF file - 1470K, Aurora kinases inhibitors had synergistic effect with mTOR inhibitors on the glycolytic metabolism of U937 cells.

PDF file - 2735K, Aurora kinases inhibitors had synergistic effect with mTOR inhibitors on the proliferation of U937 and NB4 cells.

PDF file - 1081K, Cell viability detection in Aurora kinase A knockdown-U937 cells.

A range of circular (Circ) RNAs have been demonstrated to be of therapeutic significance for the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Here, we investigated the mechanisms underlying the action of Circ-PRKDC and the microRNA-653-5p/Reelin (miR-653-5p/RELN) axis in T-cell ALL (T-ALL).Clinical specimens were obtained from patients with T-ALL (n = 39) and healthy controls (n = 30). In each specimen, we determined the expression levels of Circ-PRKDC, miR-653-5p, and RELN. Human T-ALL cells (Jurkat) were transfected with Circ-PRKDC- or miR-653-5p-related sequences to investigate cell proliferation, apoptosis, and autophagy. We also determined the levels of Circ-PRKDC, miR-653-5p, RELN, and signaling proteins related to phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), AKT, and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). Finally, we decoded the interactions between Circ-PRKDC, miR-653-5p, and RELN. The expression levels of Circ-PRKDC and RELN were upregulated in T-ALL tissues and cells while the levels of miR-653-5p were downregulated. Thereafter, then silencing of Circ-PRKDC, or the enforced expression of miR-653-5p, repressed the expression of RELN and the activation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway, thus enhancing cell autophagy and apoptosis, and disrupting cell proliferation. Circ-PRKDC acted a sponge for miR-653-5p while miR-653-5p targeted RELN. The knockdown of miR-653-5p abrogated the silencing of Circ-PRKDC-induced effects in T-ALL cells. The depletion of Circ-PRKDC elevated miR-653-5p to silence RELN-mediated PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling activation, thereby enhancing autophagy and apoptosis in T-ALL cells.

A range of circular (Circ) RNAs have been demonstrated to be of therapeutic significance for the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Here, we investigated the mechanisms underlying the action of Circ-PRKDC and the microRNA-653-5p/Reelin (miR-653-5p/RELN) axis in T-cell ALL (T-ALL).Clinical specimens were obtained from patients with T-ALL (n = 39) and healthy controls (n = 30). In each specimen, we determined the expression levels of Circ-PRKDC, miR-653-5p, and RELN. Human T-ALL cells (Jurkat) were transfected with Circ-PRKDC- or miR-653-5p-related sequences to investigate cell proliferation, apoptosis, and autophagy. We also determined the levels of Circ-PRKDC, miR-653-5p, RELN, and signaling proteins related to phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), AKT, and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). Finally, we decoded the interactions between Circ-PRKDC, miR-653-5p, and RELN. The expression levels of Circ-PRKDC and RELN were upregulated in T-ALL tissues and cells while the levels of miR-653-5p were downregulated. Thereafter, then silencing of Circ-PRKDC, or the enforced expression of miR-653-5p, repressed the expression of RELN and the activation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway, thus enhancing cell autophagy and apoptosis, and disrupting cell proliferation. Circ-PRKDC acted a sponge for miR-653-5p while miR-653-5p targeted RELN. The knockdown of miR-653-5p abrogated the silencing of Circ-PRKDC-induced effects in T-ALL cells. The depletion of Circ-PRKDC elevated miR-653-5p to silence RELN-mediated PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling activation, thereby enhancing autophagy and apoptosis in T-ALL cells.

The chemoresistance is one of the major challenges for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) treatment. We found that the expression of histone deacetylase 8 (HDAC8) was increased in daunorubicin (DNR) resistant AML cells, while targeted inhibition of HDAC8 by its specific siRNA or inhibitor can restore sensitivity of DNR treatment . Further, targeted inhibition of HDAC8 can suppress expression of interleukin 6 (IL-6) and IL-8. While recombinant IL-6 (rIL-6) and rIL-8 can reverse si-HDAC8-resored DNR sensitivity of AML cells. Mechanistical study revealed that HDAC8 increased the expression of p65, one of key components of NF-κB complex, to promote the expression of IL-6 and IL-8. It might be due to that HDAC8 can directly bind with the promoter of p65 to increase its transcription and expression. Collectively, our data suggested that HDAC8 promotes DNR resistance of human AML cells via regulation of IL-6 and IL-8.

Background Multiple myeloma (MM) accounts for 10% of all hematological malignancies. Dysregulation of microRNAs (miRNAs) or long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) has important impacts on progression of MM. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are correlated with malignancy in the modulation of tumor progression. This study aims to investigate the effect of circ_0000190 on regulating the progression of MM. Method Microscopic examination via single molecule fluorescent in situ hybridization indicates the location of circ_0000190. qRT-PCR and Western blot were used to evaluate the expression of RNAs and proteins. Potential target of circ_0000190 was searched as miRNA, and examined by luciferase reporter assay. A computational screen was also conducted to search the potential target of miRNA. In vitro cell viability, proliferation, apoptosis assays and flow cytometric were performed to assess the effects of circ_0000190 and its target on MM. Mice model of human MM was established with subcutaneous xenograft tumor, qRT-PCR and western blot were performed to detect the underlying mechanisms of circ_0000190 on MM. Results Circ_0000190 was located in the cytoplasm, and down-regulated in both bone marrow tissue and peripheral blood, while the target of circ_0000190, miR-767-5p, was up-regulated, suggesting a negative correlation between them. The binding ability between circ_0000190 and miR-767-5p was confirmed by luciferase reporter assay. Moreover, circ_0000190 inhibited cell viability, proliferation and induced apoptosis of MM thus inhibiting cell progression, which is partially through the negative regulation of miR-767-5p. Mitogen-activated protein kinase 4 (MAPK4) is a direct target of miR-767-5p. In addition, over-expression of miR-767-5p promoted cell progression by directly targeting and regulating MAPK4. The MM model mice with administration of circ_0000190 suppressed tumor growth and progression. Conclusion Our results revealed that the ability of circ_0000190 to protect against MM was inherited through repression of miR-767-5p, and miR-767-5p might be a tumor drive through targeting MAPK4. Therefore, a novel role of circ_0000190 on regulating the progression of MM was found, and the clinical application of circRNAs might represent a strategy in MM. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13046-019-1071-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The interaction between bone marrow stromal cells and leukemia cells is critical for the persistence and progression of leukemia, and this interaction may account for residual disease. However, the link between leukemia cells and their environment is still poorly understood. In our study, runt‑related transcription factor 3 (RUNX3) was identified as a novel target gene affected by As2O3 and involved in mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)‑mediated protection of leukemia cells from As2O3‑induced apoptosis. We observed induction of RUNX3 expression and the translocation of RUNX3 into the nucleus after As2O3 treatment in leukemia cells. In K562 chronic myeloid leukemia cells, downregulation of endogenous RUNX3 compromised As2O3‑induced growth inhibition, cell cycle arrest, and apoptosis. In the presence of MSC, As2O3‑induced expression of RUNX3 was reduced significantly and this reduction was modulated by CXCL12/CXCR4 signaling. Furthermore, overexpression of RUNX3 restored, at least in part, the sensitivity of leukemic cells to As2O3. We conclude that RUNX3 plays an important role in As2O3‑induced cellular responses and allows cells to overcome MSC‑mediated drug resistance. Therefore, RUNX3 is a promising target for therapeutic approaches to overcome MSC‑mediated drug resistance.

Long-term utilization of immunosuppression in organ transplant recipients leads to decreased immune-mediated tumor surveillance and increased risk of developing malignant tumors. However, chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) following living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) is rarely reported. The current case report presents a 42-year-old male patient who developed CML 14 months following LDLT. The patient achieved complete hematologic remission and early molecular response at 3 months imatinib treatment and major molecular response at 12 months imatinib treatment. The pathogenesis, risk factors, treatment and prognosis for CML following liver transplantation are unclear. Therefore, further analysis through accumulation of cases will be of great importance to prevent and treat this rare complication following liver transplantation.

For the safety of people, disinfection is an important procedure in freshwater supply. The WHO standard proposes disinfectors and their content in water. As supplying fresh water on sailing ships, reverse osmosis technology play an important role. The disinfection of reverse osmosis desalination water has not been studied enough. In the present work, calcium hypochlorite and chlorine dioxide was tested for desalination water as disinfector. By test, the PH, TDS, turbidity, total plate count, and residual chlorine of RO desalination water were studied. It was shown that calcium hypochlorite and chlorine dioxide was good disinfector for RO desalination water disinfection. Chlorine dioxide was used as disinfection for RO desalination water can decrease the PH of water.

The development of targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) has succeeded in altering the course of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). However, a number of patients have failed to respond or experienced disease relapse following TKI treatment. Proviral integration site for moloney murine leukemia virus-1 (PIM-1) is a serine/threonine kinase that participates in regulating apoptosis, cell cycle, signal transduction and transcriptional pathways, which are associated with tumor progression, and poor prognosis. SMI-4a is a selective PIM-1 kinase inhibitor that inhibits PIM-1 kinase activity in vivo and in vitro. The present study aimed to explore the mechanism underlying the antitumor effect of SMI-4a in K562 and imatinib-resistant K562 (K562/G) cell lines. It was demonstrated that SMI-4a inhibited the proliferation of K562 and K562/G cells using a WST-8 assay. The Annexin V-propidium iodide assay demonstrated that SMI-4a induced apoptosis of K562 and K562/G cells in a dose-, and time-dependent manner. Furthermore, Hoechst 33342 staining was used to verify the apoptosis rate. The clone formation assay revealed that SMI-4a significantly inhibited the colony formation capacity of K562 and K562/G cells. Western blot analysis demonstrated that SMI-4a decreased phosphorylated (p)-Ser9-glycogen synthase kinase (GSK) 3β/pGSK3β and inhibited the translocation of β-catenin. In addition, the downstream gene expression of apoptosis regulator Bax and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 was upregulated, and apoptosis regulator Bcl-2 and Myc proto-oncogene protein expression levels were downregulated. Immunofluorescence results demonstrated changes in the expression level of β-catenin in the plasma and nucleus. The results of the present study suggest that SMI-4a is an effective drug to use in combination with current chemotherapeutics for the treatment of imatinib-resistant CML.

According to the mechanism of the main reducer abnormal sound signal is different from the interfering noise, a detection method based on the digital signal processing technology was proposed. With the qualified main reducer noise signal as the reduction sample, the detected main reducer noise signal is de-noising by means of spectrum analysis, and then be estimated whether the detected main reducer is qualified based on certain threshold values. Finally, the detection method is validated, which provided a new thought on the final drive abnormal sound on-line detection.

Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and toluidine blue (TB) were incorporated in polyion complex membrane composed of double stranded DNA(dsDNA) and chitosan prepared on the surface of an glassy carbon (GC) disk electrode to fabricate highly sensitive and selective reagentless H2O2 biosensor. The embedded-TB in the DNA/chitosan membrane exhibited excellent electrochemical redox property with an electron transfer rate constant of 3.12 ± 0.5 sec−1, and shuttled electron effectively from the base GC electrode to catalytic center of the HRP. Under the applied potential of -0.22V (versus Ag/AgCl) and pH 7.0, the resulting electrode (HRP/DNA–TB/chitosan/GCE) exhibited rapid (

The electrochemical behavior of a new magnesium alloy (AZ61) containing rare earth elements-cerium (Mg-Al-Zn-Mn-Ce alloys) was investigated in 3% NaCl electrolyte using electrochemical methods such as linear sweep voltammetry, Tafel curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Scanning electron microscopy was used to characterize the surface morphologies of magnesium and its alloys. The results shows that compared with that of the most commonly used Mg alloy–AZ61, the cerium containing magnesium alloy exhibited higher electrochemical activity, and higher corrosion resistance. The electrochemical activity of Mg-Al-Zn-Mn-Ce was higher than that of Mg and Mg-Al-Zn-Mn-Ce alloys in 3% NaCl. The corrosion resistive order decreased in the following sequence: Mg-Al-Zn-Mn-Ce > Mg-Al-Zn-Mn > Mg. The electrolytes favored anodic magnesium oxidation, but the alloying element of Ce facilitated the formation of dense passive films on alloy surfaces.

This paper introduces a new type of shock absorber: hydraulic electromagnetic energy-regenerative shock absorber (HESA), which can simultaneously implement the function of damping vibration and regenerating a portion of dissipated energies generated from passing through the damping hole. A test bench was trial-produced and used to prove the feasibility of the energy-regenerative scheme. The situation that hydraulic motor rotational speed has a sudden change in the energy regenerating process is theoretically analyzed.

More than a hundred models of clusters Ni4-xFexP (x=0~4) have been designed and computed in duplicate and fourfold state on density function theory (DFT) to simulate amorphous alloys Ni80-xFexP20 that were the most familiar proportions in Ni-Fe-P amorphous system. The geometry, energy, electronic and catalytic properties have been discussed. The results disclosed that clusters could reflect some characteristic properties of binary amorphous alloys. And the clusters could predict the geometry and electron properties of corresponding ternary amorphous alloys. The addition of third element could enhance the system stability of Ni-P amorphous alloys. The metal atoms are the electrons gainers and metalloid atoms are the electrons offers in the clusters, and the ability of gaining electrons of atoms Ni is better than the one of atoms Fe. The trend of cluster Ni2Fe2P forming may be the keenest in clusters. It also would offer more excellent catalytic activity basing on Fermi level and density of state.

In order to study “shielding effect” problems of sacrificial anode cathodic protection system in the ballast water tanks, two sets of experiments, the “block-type shielding effect” and the “absorbed-type shielding effect” are carried out by changing the clapboard height and the distance from the upper surface of sacrificial anode to the copper tube, and corresponding numerical simulations are carried out. Both of the experimental data and the numerical simulation results illustrate the two kinds of “shielding effect” as mentioned above, and according to which, both the two kinds of “shielding effect” should be surely taken into account in sacrificial anode cathodic protection system for a ballast water tank.

Background Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) is a hematological stem cell disorder. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are the standard treatments for CML, but a number of patients fail to respond effectively due to gene mutations. Celecoxib, a cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor, has been shown to have anti-tumor effect on solid tumor whereas the anti-CML effect and its underlying mechanism have not been completely elucidated. Methods The cytotoxic effects of celecoxib and/or imatinib were evaluated by MTT assay. Cell cycle distribution was examined by propidium iodide (PI) assay. Apoptosis or necrosis was analyzed by Annexin-V/PI, Hoechst 33342 staining and Western blot assays. Autophagy suppression effect of celecoxib was examined by Western blot and LysoTracker probe labelling. Lysosensor probe labelling was used to detect the effect of celecoxib on the lysosomal function. Results In this study, we found that celecoxib had therapy efficacy in KBM5 and imatinib-resistant KBM5-T315I CML cell lines. Celecoxib caused significant cytotoxic effect in both cell lines, especially in KBM5-T315I cells exposed to celecoxib for 72 h. Moreover, celecoxib induced necrosis and apoptosis while inhibited autophagy in CML cell lines and patient samples. Furthermore, this study demonstrated that celecoxib prevented the autophagic flux by inhibiting lysosome function. Celecoxib was tested in combination with imatinib, demonstrating that celecoxib could strengthen the cytotoxicity of imatinib in imatinib-resistant CML cells. Conclusions These findings showed that celecoxib had therapy efficacy on CML cells. And it is first time to demonstrate that celecoxib is an autophagy suppresser and a combination of celecoxib and imatinib might be a promising new therapeutic strategy for imatinib-resistant CML cells. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12967-016-1012-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Hydraulic electromagnetic energy-regenerative shock absorber is a new kind of shock absorbers, who can perform the function of a standard shock while acting as an additional source of power. One of the core components of this new shock absorber is the valve system. And its function is to rectify the direction of the oil flow. Then the oil can flow through the hydraulic motor from one port only no matter in expansion stroke or compression stroke. The research focused on the compactness, sensitivity and energy recovery rate of two different valve systems. And the results showed that the valve system composed of check valves better matched the hydraulic electromagnetic energy-regenerative shock absorber.

Zoledronic acid (ZOL), a nitrogen‑containing bisphosphonate, is widely used in metastatic bone disease. Previous studies indicate that ZOL has marked anti‑leukemia activity, however, the underlying mechanism of action remains to be elucidated. The present study aimed to explore the mechanism of the anti‑leukemia effect of ZOL in leukemia cells. It was observed that ZOL inhibited the proliferation of HL‑60 and adriamycin‑resistant HL‑60 (HL‑60/A) cells using a WST‑8 assay. An Annexin V‑propidium iodide indicated that ZOL induced apoptosis of the two cell types in a dose‑ and time‑dependent manner. Hoechst 33342 staining was also used to verify the levels of apoptosis. The colony formation assay demonstrated that ZOL significantly inhibited colony formation capacity in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells. This was achieved by the induction of S‑phase cell cycle arrest, downregulation of B‑cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl‑2) and upregulation of Bcl‑2 associated X protein and cleaved poly (ADP‑ribose) polymerase. The results indicate that ZOL inhibited cell proliferation by inducing apoptosis via the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway and this anti‑leukemic activity appeared notably enhanced in HL‑60/A cells. As ZOL is already available for clinical use, these results indicate that it may be an effective addition to the chemotherapeutic strategies for AML.

Epigenetic therapy has had a significant impact on the management of haematologic malignancies. The aim of this study was to assess whether 5-aza-CdR and TSA inhibit the growth of leukaemia cells and induce caspase-3-dependent apoptosis by upregulating RUNX3 expression.K562 and Reh cells were treated with 5-aza-CdR, TSA or both compounds. RT-PCR and Western blot analyses were used to examine the expression of RUNX3 at the mRNA and protein levels, respectively. Immunofluorescence microscopy was used to detect the cellular location of RUNX3. Additionally, after K562 cells were transfected with RUNX3, apoptosis and proliferation were studied using Annexin V staining and MTT assays.The expression of RUNX3 in leukaemia cell lines was markedly less than that in the controls. Demethylating drug 5-aza-CdR could induce RUNX3 expression, but the combination of TSA and 5-aza-CdR had a greater effect than did treatment with a single compound. The combination of 5-aza-CdR and TSA induced the translocation of RUNX3 from the cytoplasm into the nucleus. TSA enhanced apoptosis induced by 5-aza-CdR, and Annexin V and Hoechst 33258 staining showed that the combination induced apoptosis but not necrosis. Furthermore, apoptosis was dependent on the caspase-3 pathway. RUNX3 overexpression in K562 cells led to growth inhibition and apoptosis and potentiated the effects of 5-aza-CdR induction.RUNX3 plays an important role in leukaemia cellular functions, and the induction of RUNX3-mediated effects may contribute to the therapeutic value of combination TSA and 5-aza-CdR treatment.

The application of activated carbon (AC) supported Fe-Cu-K catalyst for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) is studied. The catalyst prepared using the AC as support showed remarkably improvement of reaction performance. The improvement of the reaction performance obtained for the AC is probably ascribed to the physical structure and surface chemistry of AC. The support and corresponding catalyst are characterized by N2 adsorption. Catalytic performance of the catalyst during FT synthesis was excellent. Syngas conversion was about 74%, whereas methane selectivity was low (~2 %).

The Ni-based WC alloy coatings were successfully fabricated on NAK80 mold steel by Nd:YAG and CO2 lasers. The microstructure and properties of the laser cladded coatings were analyzed by SEM, EDS, XRD and microhardness tester. The results show that phase constituents of both coatings are mainly composed of tungsten carbide (WC+W2C), Cr23C6, NiCr, CrB2 and γ-Ni. The excellent metallurgical bondings have formed at the interface between the substrate and the laser cladded coatings. Dendrite and white and block WC phase were observed in two kinds of laser cladded coatings, but the dendrite in Nd:YAG laser cladded coating is more fine. The microhardness of NAK80 mold steel is greatly improved by laser cladding, however the microhardness of the CO2 laser cladded coating is even higher than the Nd:YAG laser cladded coating.

Carbon foams were prepared by a polymer sponge replication process and their microwave absorbing properties were investigated. The electric conductivity of carbon foam has a direct effect on its microwave absorbing property, as the carbon foam with a medium electric conductivity of 0.46S/m has got a relatively excellent microwave absorbing property and demonstrated a characteristic of broadband absorption. Some structure modification has been made on carbon foams to fruther imrove their microwave absorbing performance. The result shows that making slots, especially gradient slots on the surface of carbon foams can greatly improve their microwave absorbing properties, while the reflection coefficients for a three-layered carbon foam structure exceeds -10dB with the combination effect of multilayer structure design and parameters gradient variatioin in the whole frequency range of 2.6-18GHz, which is usually to be considered as the practical application standard for microwave absorbing materials.

Superfine coatings have been attempted to prepare by Electro-spark deposition (ESD) on cast steel substrate. The microstructures and properties of the coating were investigated by X-ray diffractometer (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and microhardness tester. The results show that ultra-fine particles prevail in the coating. The primary phases of the coating contain Fe3W3C, Co3W3C, Si2W and W2C. Its average microhardness reaches 1511.75 HV. The results of abrasive test demonstrated that the coating had an excellent sliding wear resistance because the superfine particles distributed dispersedly in the coating increased the resistance to micro-cutting and plowing during the wear test, which effectively improves the surface performance of cast steel substrate.

Conventionally, partial redundancy is applied at frail or crucial parts in most control system. As for the significant occasion of the Olympics Opening and Closing Ceremony, any fault of the control system may result in immeasurable losses. In this paper, we focus on redundancy policies and introduce the realizing of two different redundancy systems: the basic whole redundancy system, and the Hetero-type whole redundancy system, viz. two different control kernels (the PLC and its corresponding software and network) used in the same system. These two redundancy control systems are implemented at examination place and the National Stadium individually. These control systems set a successful example of the redundancy system implemented in mechanical control system at important occasions. By analyzing and comparing the reliability of the two redundancy systems, we get the results that the Hetero-type whole redundancy system has higher reliability than the basic whole redundancy system.

Micro-nanostructure coatings have been attempted to prepare by Electro-spark deposition (ESD) on cast iron substrate. The microstructures and properties of the coating were investigated by X-ray diffractometer (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and microhardness tester. The results show that micro-nanosized particles and fine equiaxed structures prevail in the coating. The primary phases of the coating contain Fe3W3C, Co3W3C, Fe7W6 and W2C. Its average microhardness reaches 1290.1 HV. The results of abrasive test demonstrated that the coating had an excellent sliding wear resistance because the superfine particles distributed dispersedly in the coating increased the resistance to micro-cutting and plowing during the wear test, which effectively improves the surface performance of cast iron substrate.

Carbon foams were prepared by a polymer sponge replication method and their microwave absorbing properties were investigated in this paper. It was found that the electric conductivity of carbon foams increases quickly with the improvement of carbonization temperatures. Moreover, the electric conductivity of carbon foams strongly affects their microwave absorbing performances. As the electric conductivity increases from 0.02 S/m to 1.03 S/m, the dominant electromagnetic behavior of carbon foams changes from transmission to reflection with regard to the incident electromagnetic wave. The best microwave absorbing performance was achieved for the carbon foam with an electric conductivity of 0.46S/m when other parameters are fixed at constants, and absorbing values for the carbon foam exceeds 7dB almost in the whole measured frequency range of 4-15GHz, while the frequencies range for absorbing values exceeding 8dB are about 7 GHz, demonstrating a characteristic of broad absorbing bandwidth. It is to be noted that the absorbing characteristic for the carbon foam with an electric conductivity of 0.46S/m is obtained without any impedance match design, which indicates that carbon foams have the possibility to be applied as broad absorbing bandwidth RAMs.

Tanshinone I (Tan I), a diterpene quinone extracted from herbal medicine Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, has recently been reported to have antitumor effects. As the mechanism of its proapoptotic effects on human myeloid leukemia cells has not been extensively studied, we performed an in-depth evaluation of the effects of Tan I on apoptosis in human K562 and HL-60 cells. The results revealed that Tan I could inhibit the growth of leukemia cells and cause apoptosis in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Apoptosis was observed clearly by flow cytometry and Hoechst 33258 staining, as well as DNA fragmentation analysis. After treatment by Tan I for 48 h, the percentage of disruption of mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψm) was increased in a dose-dependent manner. Western blotting analysis demonstrated the cleavage of caspase-3 zymogen protein and a dose-dependent cleavage of poly-(ADP-ribose) polymerase. Tan I-induced apoptosis was accompanied by a significant decrease in survivin and an increase in Bax. Moreover, Tan I treatment remarkably downregulated the phosphorylation of both P85/PI3K and Akt in a time-dependent manner, and the PI3K/AKT-specific inhibitor (LY294002) mimicked the apoptosis-inducing effects of Tan I. We therefore conclude that the induction of apoptosis by Tan I in these leukemia cells is mainly related to the disruption of Δψm, the upregulation of Bax expression, and the activation of caspase-3. This process is highly correlated with the inactivation of PI3K/Akt/survivin signaling pathways. The results indicate that Tan I may serve as an effective adjunctive reagent in the treatment of leukemia.

Tanshinone I (Tan-I) is a diterpene quinone extracted from the traditional herbal medicine Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge. Recently, Tan-I has been reported to have anti-tumor effects. In this study, we investigated the growth inhibition and apoptosis inducing effects of Tan-I on three kinds of monocytic leukemia cells (U937, THP-1 and SHI 1). Cell viability was measured by MTT assay. Cell apoptosis was assessed by flow cytometry (FCM) and AnnexinV/PI staining. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and PCR-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were used to detect human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) expression and telomerase activity before and after apoptosis. The activity of caspase-3 was determined by Caspase colorimetric assay kit and Western blot analysis. Expression of the anti-apoptotic gene Survivin was assayed by Western blot and Real-time RT-PCR using the ABI PRISM 7500 Sequence Detection System. The results revealed that Tan-I could inhibit the growth of these three kinds of leukemia cells and cause apoptosis in a time- and dose-dependent manner. After treatment by Tan-I for 48 h, Western blotting showed cleavage of the caspase-3 zymogen protein with the appearance of its 17-kD subunit, and a 89-kD cleavage product of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), a known substrate of caspase-3, was also found clearly. The expression of hTERT mRNA as well as activity of telomerase were decreased concurrently in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, Real-time RT-PCR and Western blot revealed a significant down-regulation of Survivin. We therefore conclude that the induction of apoptosis by Tan-I in monocytic leukemia U937 THP-1 and SHI 1 cells is highly correlated with activation of caspase-3 and decreasing of hTERT mRNA expression and telomerase activity as well as down-regulation of Survivin expression. To our knowledge, this is the first report about the effects of Tan-I on monocytic leukemia cells.

A new procedure for the selective oxidation of alcohols to the corresponding aldehydes and ketones with potassium permanganate supported on aluminum silicate at room temperature under solvent-free conditions and shaking is reported.

More than one hundred models were designed to reflect the local structure and electronic property of Ni-Fe amorphous alloys. After calculating by DFT method, a series of configurations of clusters NixFe and NiFex (x=1–5) were gained. The configurations, which possessed the lowest energies and non-imaginary frequencies, were considered the most stable optimized structures. The catalytic activity, charge and magnetic properties were analyzed and discussed. The different Fe content changed the catalytic properties of clusters through altering the value of Fermi level of every cluster. However the density of state (DOS) nearby Fermi level and average 3d orbital population of atom Ni, which were also important properties related to the catalytic activation, were little changed. Based on the Fermi level, the activity of catalyst toward hydrogenation reaction would be considered best when the ratio of Ni to Fe was close to 1. The Fermi level of clusters was far distant to the level of nitrogen in singlet state. It would be the reason why the reaction condition in ammonia synthesis and nitrogen fixation process was rigorous. When Fe atom contents were higher than 75% (NiFe3), the electrons transferred from atom Fe to Ni, but when the ratio was decreased, the transfer was reversed. The ratio of atoms of local structure also played an important role in the aspect of electron transition. On the average 3d orbital population of atom Fe, the average magnetic moments of Fe atoms in clusters were calculated. When Fe atom contents were 50% nearly, the average magnetic moment achieved the highest point.