Tris(ethyl­enediammonium) bis­[(2-amino­ethyl)ammonium] bis­[bis­(μ5-hydrogen phosphato)penta-μ2-oxido-deca­oxido­penta­molybdenum(VI)] deca­hydrate

The title compound, (C2H10N2)3(C2H9N2)2[Mo5(HPO4)2O15]·10H2O, was prepared under hydro­thermal conditions at pH 5.0. The structure contains mono- and diprotonated ethyl­enediamine cations, [Mo5O15(HPO4)2]4− anions and uncoord­in­ated water mol­ecules. The [Mo5O15(HPO4)2]4− hetero­poly­oxometallate anion is made up of five MoO6 octa­hedra sharing an edge and forming a ring, which is closed by common corners of the terminal MoO6 octa­hedron. The ring is topped on both sides by two slightly distorted PO4 tetra­hedra, sharing three corners with three MoO6 octa­hedra. The terminal oxygen atoms of the PO4 units are protonated. Together with the anions, the water mol­ecules and the ethyl­enediammonium cations are involved in N—H⋯O and O—H⋯O hydrogen bonding, forming a three-dimensional supra­molecular network

Does P-type Ohmic Contact Exist in WSe2-metal Interfaces?

Formation of low-resistance metal contacts is the biggest challenge that masks the intrinsic exceptional electronic properties of 2D WSe2 devices. We present the first comparative study of the interfacial properties between ML/BL WSe2 and Sc, Al, Ag, Au, Pd, and Pt contacts by using ab initio energy band calculations with inclusion of the spin-orbital coupling (SOC) effects and quantum transport simulations. The interlayer coupling tends to reduce both the electron and hole Schottky barrier heights (SBHs) and alters the polarity for WSe2-Au contact, while the SOC chiefly reduces the hole SBH. In the absence of the SOC, Pd contact has the smallest hole SBH with a value no less than 0.22 eV. Dramatically, Pt contact surpasses Pd contact and becomes p-type Ohmic or quasi-Ohmic contact with inclusion of the SOC. Our study provides a theoretical foundation for the selection of favorable metal electrodes in ML/BL WSe2 devices

Optimization of terrestrial ecosystem model parameters using atmospheric CO2 concentration data with the Global Carbon Assimilation System (GCAS)

Author Posting. © American Geophysical Union, 2017. This article is posted here by permission of American Geophysical Union for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences 122 (2017): 3218–3237, doi:10.1002/2016JG003716.The Global Carbon Assimilation System that assimilates ground-based atmospheric CO2 data is used to estimate several key parameters in a terrestrial ecosystem model for the purpose of improving carbon cycle simulation. The optimized parameters are the leaf maximum carboxylation rate at 25°C (V25 max), the temperature sensitivity of ecosystem respiration (Q10), and the soil carbon pool size. The optimization is performed at the global scale at 1° resolution for the period from 2002 to 2008. The results indicate that vegetation from tropical zones has lower V25 max values than vegetation in temperate regions. Relatively high values of Q10 are derived over high/midlatitude regions. Both V25 max and Q10 exhibit pronounced seasonal variations at middle-high latitudes. The maxima in V25 max occur during growing seasons, while the minima appear during nongrowing seasons. Q10 values decrease with increasing temperature. The seasonal variabilities of V25 max and Q10 are larger at higher latitudes. Optimized V25 max and Q10 show little seasonal variabilities at tropical regions. The seasonal variabilities of V25 max are consistent with the variabilities of LAI for evergreen conifers and broadleaf evergreen forests. Variations in leaf nitrogen and leaf chlorophyll contents may partly explain the variations in V25 max. The spatial distribution of the total soil carbon pool size after optimization is compared favorably with the gridded Global Soil Data Set for Earth System. The results also suggest that atmospheric CO2 data are a source of information that can be tapped to gain spatially and temporally meaningful information for key ecosystem parameters that are representative at the regional and global scales.National Key R&D Program of China Grant Number: 2016YFA0600204; National Natural Science Foundation of China Grant Number: 415713382018-06-2

Maternal blood inflammatory marker levels increased in fetuses with ventriculomegaly

BackgroundFetal ventriculomegaly (VM) is one of the most common abnormalities of the central nervous system (CNS), which can be significantly identified by brain anomalies prenatally by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Aberrant white blood cells (WBCs) levels indicate that the maternal is suffering from the infection. Previous studies have confirmed that prenatal infection can affect fetal brain structure, but there is no research revealed the association between maternal blood parameters with fetal VM until now.MethodsWe measured the width of the lateral ventricle of 142 fetuses, which were divided into the fetal VM group (n = 70) and the normal lateral ventricle group (n = 72). We compared maternal blood cell levels between the two groups and investigate potential biomarkers of fetal VM.ResultHigh levels of maternal WBC and neutrophil (NE#) levels were observed in fetuses with VM (p < 0.001), while lymphocyte percentage, monocytes (MO#), neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and platelet were also increased in the fetal VM group (p = 0.033, 0.027, 0.034, and 0.025, respectively). receiver–operator curve (ROC) analysis suggested that WBC and NE# counts might be useful to distinguish fetuses with enlarged lateral ventricles (AUC = 0.688, 0.678, respectively).ConclusionThe current study emphasizes the importance of maternal infection for fetal brain growth, which could provide important information for prenatal diagnosis of CNS anomalies. Future research needs longitudinal analysis and exploration of the influence of maternal blood inflammatory marker levels on fetal brain development

Recurrence and Polya number of general one-dimensional random walks

The recurrence properties of random walks can be characterized by P\'{o}lya number, i.e., the probability that the walker has returned to the origin at least once. In this paper, we consider recurrence properties for a general 1D random walk on a line, in which at each time step the walker can move to the left or right with probabilities $l$ and $r$, or remain at the same position with probability $o$ ($l+r+o=1$). We calculate P\'{o}lya number $P$ of this model and find a simple expression for $P$ as, $P=1-\Delta$, where $\Delta$ is the absolute difference of $l$ and $r$ ($\Delta=|l-r|$). We prove this rigorous expression by the method of creative telescoping, and our result suggests that the walk is recurrent if and only if the left-moving probability $l$ equals to the right-moving probability $r$.Comment: 3 page short pape

Effects of human parvovirus B19 VP1 unique region protein on macrophage responses

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Activity of secreted phospholipase A (sPLA2) has been implicated in a wide range of cellular responses. However, little is known about the function of human parvovirus B19-VP1 unique region (VP1u) with sPLA2 activity on macrophage.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>To investigate the roles of B19-VP1u in response to macrophage, phospholipase A2 activity, cell migration assay, phagocytosis activity, metalloproteinase assay, RT-PCR and immunoblotting were performed.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In the present study, we report that migration, phagocytosis, IL-6, IL-1β mRNA, and MMP9 activity are significantly increased in RAW264.7 cells by B19-VP1u protein with sPLA2 activity, but not by B19-VP1uD175A protein that is mutated and lacks sPLA2 activity. Additionally, significant increases of phosphorylated ERK1/2 and JNK proteins were detected in macrophages that were treated with B19-VP1u protein, but not when they were treated with B19-VP1uD175A protein.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Taken together, our experimental results suggest that B19-VP1u with sPLA2 activity affects production of IL-6, IL-1β mRNA, and MMP9 activity, possibly through the involvement of ERK1/2 and JNK signaling pathways. These findings could provide clues in understanding the role of B19-VP1u and its sPLA2 enzymatic activity in B19 infection and B19-related diseases.</p

TSPAN8 promotes cancer cell stemness via activation of sonic Hedgehog signaling

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) represent a major source of treatment resistance and tumor progression. However, regulation of CSCs stemness is not entirely understood. Here, we report that TSPAN8 expression is upregulated in breast CSCs, promotes the expression of the stemness gene NANOG, OCT4, and ALDHA1, and correlates with therapeutic resistance. Mechanistically, TSPAN8 interacts with PTCH1 and inhibits the degradation of the SHH/PTCH1 complex through recruitment of deubiquitinating enzyme ATXN3. This results in the translocation of SMO to cilia, downstream gene expression, resistance of CSCs to chemotherapeutic agents, and enhances tumor formation in mice. Accordingly, expression levels of TSPAN8, PTCH1, SHH, and ATXN3 are positively correlated in human breast cancer specimens, and high TSPAN8 and ATXN3 expression levels correlate with poor prognosis. These findings reveal a molecular basis of TSPAN8-enhanced Sonic Hedgehog signaling and highlight a role for TSPAN8 in promoting cancer stemness

Isolation of Rhp-PSP, a Member of YER057c/YjgF/UK114 Protein Family with Antiviral Properties, from the Photosynthetic Bacterium \u3cem\u3eRhodopseudomonas palustris\u3c/em\u3e Strain JSC-3b

Rhodopseudomonas palustris strain JSC-3b isolated from a water canal adjacent to a vegetable field produces a protein that was purified by bioactivity-guided fractionation based on ammonium sulfate precipitation, ion-exchange absorption and size exclusion. The protein was further identified as an endoribonuclease L-PSP (Liver-Perchloric acid-soluble protein) by shotgun mass spectrometry analysis and gene identification, and it is member of YER057c/YjgF/UK114 protein family. Herein, this protein is designated Rhp-PSP. Rhp-PSP exhibited significant inhibitory activities against tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) in vivo and in vitro. To our knowledge, this represents the first report on the antiviral activity of a protein of the YER057c/YjgF/UK114 family and also the first antiviral protein isolated from R. palustris. Our research provides insight into the potential of photosynthetic bacterial resources in biological control of plant virus diseases and sustainable agriculture