Electrical Control of Magnetization in Charge-ordered Multiferroic LuFe2O4

LuFe2O4 exhibits multiferroicity due to charge order on a frustrated triangular lattice. We find that the magnetization of LuFe2O4 in the multiferroic state can be electrically controlled by applying voltage pulses. Depending on with or without magnetic fields, the magnetization can be electrically switched up or down. We have excluded thermal heating effect and attributed this electrical control of magnetization to an intrinsic magnetoelectric coupling in response to the electrical breakdown of charge ordering. Our findings open up a new route toward electrical control of magnetization.Comment: 14 pages, 5 figure

3,5-Dibromo-2-hydroxy­benzaldehyde

The title compound, C7H4Br2O2, exhibits a layer packing structure via weak π–π stacking inter­actions [centroid–centroid distances between adjacent aromatic rings are 4.040 (8) and 3.776 (7) Å]. Mol­ecules in each layer are linked by inter­molecular O—H⋯O hydrogen bonding and Br⋯Br inter­actions [3.772 (4) Å]. There are two mol­ecules in the asymmetric unit

Diagnosis of parapneumonic pleural effusion with serum and pleural fluid Activin A

Objective: The aim is to evaluate the diagnostic value of Activin A levels in serum and pleural fluid on Parapneumonic Pleural Effusion (PPE). Methods: The authors collected serum and pleural fluid from 86 PPE and 37 Non-PPE (NPPE) patients. Including Activin A, levels of biomarkers such as Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH), Procalcitonin (PCT), and C-Reactive Protein (CRP) were measured. All factors were calculated for association with days after admission. The diagnostic potential of biomarkers on PPE was considered by Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Results: Levels of Activin A in serum and pleural fluid of PPE patients were significantly higher than those of the NPPE patients. Moreover, concentrations of Activin A in pleural fluid showed a more obvious relevant days after admission. ROC curve analysis found that Activin A in pleural fluid had AUCs of 0.899 with 93% sensitivity and 84% specificity for PPE diagnosis. Conclusion: Activin A in pleural fluid correlated with disease severity could act to diagnose PPE

catena-Poly[copper(II)-bis(μ-2,4-dichloro-6-formyl­phenolato)-κ3 O,O′:Cl 4;κ3 Cl 4:O,O′]

In the title compound, [Cu(C7H3Cl2O2)2]n, the CuII atom lies on a centre of inversion and adopts a [4+2] coordination mode, with two long axial Cu—Cl coordinative bonds complementing four Cu—O bonds from two 2,4-dichloro-6-formyl­phenolate ligands in a distorted square plane. π–π stacking inter­actions are also formed between neighbouring aromatic rings, with a centroid–centroid separation of 3.624 (2) Å

{6-[2,5-Bis(chloro­meth­yl)-3,4-dihydroxy­tetra­hydro­furan-2-yl­oxy]-3-chloro-4,5-dihydr­oxy-3,4,5,6-tetra­hydro-2H-pyran-2-yl}methyl acetate dihydrate

The title compound, C14H21Cl3O9·2H2O, is a disaccharide constructed from a galactose and a fructose. In the mol­ecular structure, the tetra­hydro­furan five-membered ring and tetra­hydro­pyran six-membered ring assume envelope and chair conformations, respectively. An extensive O—H⋯O hydrogen-bonding network occurs in the crystal structure

Electronic Structures of Graphene Layers on Metal Foil: Effect of Point Defects

Here we report a facile method to generate a high density of point defects in graphene on metal foil and show how the point defects affect the electronic structures of graphene layers. Our scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) measurements, complemented by first principle calculations, reveal that the point defects result in both the intervalley and intravalley scattering of graphene. The Fermi velocity is reduced in the vicinity area of the defect due to the enhanced scattering. Additionally, our analysis further points out that periodic point defects can tailor the electronic properties of graphene by introducing a significant bandgap, which opens an avenue towards all-graphene electronics.Comment: 4 figure

Two step culture for production of recombinant herpes simplex virus type 2 glycoprotein D in immobilized Spodoptera frugiperda cells

Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) was the major cause of genital herpes in humans. The HSV-2 glycoprotein D (gD2) had been proved to be a potentially effective vaccine for treatment of genital herpes. The present study was to develop a two step culture to express the recombinant gD2 protein using the immobilized Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) cells. The first step, Sf9 cells were cultured and harvested in eutrophic medium containing 10% fetal bovine serum. The second step, Sf9 cells were immobilized using silk fibroin hydrogel and cultured in a stirred-tank bioreactor after infection by recombinant baculovirus expressing the full length gD2 gene. The data shows that the maximum yield of recombinant gD2 protein reached the concentration of 135 mg/L. The results reveal that the immobilized cells and two step culture could extend the expression period and significantly raise the production of the recombinant protein.Key words: Spodoptera frugiperda cells, baculovirus, immobilization, glycoprotein D, silk fibroin hydrogel

Expressions and clinic significance of miRNA-143, miRNA- 34A, miRNA-944, miRNA-101 and miRNA-218 in cervical cancer tissues

Purpose: To search for novel biomarkers for early diagnosis of cervical cancer, as well as novel therapeutic target for cervical cancer.Methods: A total of 96 cervical tissue specimens were collected from patients in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, out of which 10 were normal control. The remaining specimens (86) were cervical cancer specimens and were divided into 4 groups (A - D) based on tumor-biomarker levels of CA125 and SCC. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction technology (qRT-PCR) was used to detect the expressions of miRNA-143, miRNA-34A, miRNA-944, miRNA-101 and miRNA-218 in the cervical cancer tissues.Results: The levels of CA125 (U/mL) and SCC (ug/L) expressed in normal control group and groups A - D were 11.75 and 0.73 (n = 10), 382 and 2.72 (n = 25), 912.9 and 3.93 (n = 21), 1675 and 5.87 (n = 29), and 2120 and 6.66 (n = 11), respectively. Furthermore, qRT-PCR results showed that the expressions of miRNA-944 and miRNA-218 in cervical cancer tissues were markedly up-regulated compared to normal control tissues (p < 0.01). In contrast, the expression level of miRNA-143, miRNA-34A, and miRNA-101 were significantly decreased (p < 0.01).Conclusion: The biomarkers, miRNA-143, miRNA-34A, miRNA-944, miRNA-101 and miRNA-218, can be considered novel for early diagnosis of cervical cancer.Keywords: Cervical cancer, Biomarkers, miRNA-143, miRNA-34A, miRNA-944, miRNA-101, miRNA- 21