Influence of the interannual variability of the Kuroshio Extension on the Mediterranean trough in the cold season

The impacts of the Kuroshio Extension (KE) interannual fluctuation on the Mediterranean trough (MedT) and associated Euro-Mediterranean climate in wintertime are analyzed in this study. It appears that when the KE index is positive (corresponds to a stable KE state with sharp sea surface temperature front and subsided oceanic eddies), the MedT is observed to be stronger in the west of its climatological position, resulting in a colder condition to the west of the Black Sea and more precipitation in the East Mediterranean and Anatolia Plateau. The opposite atmospheric pattern holds when the KE index is negative (unstable KE state). The empirical orthogonal function analysis is performed on 500-hPa geopotential height to obtain the dominant modes of MedT. The results show the KE index is significantly correlated with the intensity and zonal displacement of MedT, with correlation coefficients of 0.57 and 0.40, respectively. The low-frequency Rossby wave activity and high-frequency eddies are revealed as the prominent contributors to this co-variability between the KE and MedT. The upward turbulent heat flux transport from the ocean to the atmosphere strengthened by the stable KE activates the Rossby waves propagating upward and westward to the MedT region, contributing to approximately 30% of the MedT deepening. Meanwhile, the KE-driven Rossby waves intensify the background baroclinicity to the north of the Mediterranean Sea and thus enhance the transient eddy activity, consequently leading to another 20% of the MedT amplification via the eddy–mean flow interaction. The findings highlight the impacts of the KE state on the meteorological conditions in the Euro-Mediterranean region, which can potentially optimize the forecast accuracies of the MedT and associated Euro-Mediterranean climate variability

One-pot synthesis of NiAl-CO3 LDH anti-corrosion coatings from CO2-saturated precursors

Anti-corrosive coatings based on layered double hydroxides (LDHs) have been considered as promising alternatives to conventional chromate-containing conversion coatings. Among various LDHs, carbonate-intercalated LDH coatings with a c-axis preferred orientation should be the optimum structure for protecting metals against corrosion. Herein we successfully prepared NiAl–CO3 LDH coatings on aluminium plates in one step. Particularly it was found that CO2 dissolved in the precursor solution exerted great influence on the microstructure and anti-corrosion capacity of prepared LDH coatings. Trace amounts of CO2 in the precursor solution led to the formation of ab-oriented 7 μm-thick LDH coatings, while preferentially c-oriented LDH coatings with an average thickness of 12 μm were formed from CO2-saturated precursor solutions. A DC polarization test demonstrated that preferentially c-oriented LDH coatings exhibited much higher anti-corrosion performance than ab-oriented LDH coatings possibly due to the decreased density of mesoscopic defects. Simultaneously, CO2, the green gas, was also positively utilized.Alexander von Humboldt FoundationNatural Science Foundation of China/21176231Natural Science Foundation of China/21361130018Natural Science Foundation of China/ 21476223CAS 100-talent programGZ 911/Sino-German Cooperation Group on Inorganic Membrane

Improvement of hydrothermal stability of zeolitic imidazolate frameworks

The metal-organic framework ZIF-8, which undergoes hydrolysis under hydrothermal conditions, is endowed with high water-resistance after a shell-ligand-exchange-reaction. The stabilized ZIF-8 retains its structural characteristics with improved application performances in adsorption and membrane separation. © 2013 The Royal Society of Chemistry

Clonal dominance defines metastatic dissemination in pancreatic cancer

View the abstracthttps://openworks.mdanderson.org/leading-edge/1059/thumbnail.jp

A Phase Ib Study of the Simmitecan Single Agent and in Combination With 5-Fluorouracil/Leucovorin or Thalidomide in Patients With Advanced Solid Tumor

Background: Simmitecan is a potent inhibitor of topoisomerase I with anti-tumor activity. This phase Ib trial was conducted to investigate the safety and anti-tumor effect of simmitecan alone or in combination with other drugs.Methods: Eligible patients with advanced solid tumor had no further standard treatment options. Patients were allocated to receive simmitecan alone, simmitecan in combination with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)/leucovorin (LV), or simmitecan in combination with thalidomide, 14 days a cycle, until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity occurred.Results: A total of 41 patients were enrolled, with a median age of 55 (range 29–69) years. Among them, 13 patients received simmitecan monotherapy, 10 received simmitecan + 5-FU/LV, and 18 received simmitecan + thalidomide. No dose-limiting toxicity occurred. Overall, the most common grade 3/4 adverse event (AE) was neutropenia (46.2, 70.0, and 88.9%, respectively, in simmitecan, simmitecan + 5-FU/LV, and simmitecan + thalidomide cohorts), and treatment-related severe AEs included anemia and febrile neutropenia (7.7% each in simmitecan cohort), diarrhea (10% in simmitecan +5-FU/LV cohort), and febrile neutropenia (5.6% in simmitecan + thalidomide cohort). The majority of patients (24/41, 58.3%) had progressed on prior irinotecan; nevertheless, partial response was achieved in one colorectal cancer patients treated with simmitecan + thalidomide. The disease control rates of simmitecan, simmitecan + 5-FU/LV, and simmitecan + thalidomide cohorts were 46.2, 80.0, and 61.1%, respectively.Conclusion: This study demonstrated a manageable safety profile of simmitecan as a single agent or as part of a combination therapy. There have not been any safety concerns with simmitecan in combination when compared to simmitecan alone. Simmitecan + 5-FU/LV regimen seemed to have a better efficacy. Nonetheless, the efficacy of this regimen needs to be further explored in the subsequent study

Evaluation of Collection Method and Diet Effects on Apparent Digestibility and Energy Values of Swine Diets

Two experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of collection method and diet on estimating digestibility values. In Exp. 1, 24 barrows were fed either a corn-soybean meal diet (CSBM) or CSBM with 20% dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS). Fecal collections were based on exact timing (Day collection) or marker-to-marker collection (MM) methods during a 4-d period. Diets contained 0.5% of titanium dioxide (TiO2) for estimating digestibility using the index method. In Exp. 2, the effects of collection method and basal diet on determination of DDGS digestibility were studied using 24 barrows. Diets were CSBM (basal 1), barley-canola meal diet (BCM; basal 2), and 20% of basal 1 or basal 2 replaced by DDGS (total 1 and total 2). Day and MM methods were administered for each individual pig by separate collections and measurements of feces. In Exp. 1, Day and MM methods were not different (P \u3e 0.10) on estimation of digestibility values, except that ME values tended to be greater (0.05 \u3c P \u3c 0.10) when estimated using Day vs. MM methods; whereas, digestibility estimates and dietary energy values were about 0.5% and 20 kcal/kg lower (P \u3c 0.05) estimated using the index vs. total collection (Day and MM) methods. In Exp. 2, digestibility estimates of diets and DDGS were not different (P \u3e 0.10) calculated using Day and MM methods. The average DE and ME (kcal/kg, as-fed) of DDGS were 4,035 and 3,704, respectively estimated using basal 1, which were not different (P \u3e 0.10) from using basal 2 (4,081 and 3,651, respectively). In conclusion, digestibility values of a complex diet and DDGS are not different when estimated by Day or MM method. When corn-soybean meal based diets are fed, digestibility estimates are lower using the index method compared to the total collection method. Additionally, basal diets may not affect DDGS digestibility estimates. Advisors: Phillip S. Miller and Thomas E. Burke

Effects of Prebiotics and Probiotics on Gut Health, Immunity, and Growth of Weanling Pigs

As antibiotic alternatives, prebiotics and probiotics have been recently investigated to modulate intestinal bacteria, promote gut barrier functions and immunity, and benefit health and growth in pigs. However, the prebiotic effects of different sources vary; and, how to determine a viable probiotic strain remains unclear. We conducted 2 nursery experiments to evaluate the prebiotic effects related to the alteration of microbial community; and subsequently, a potential probiotic species was selected and examined for health promoting effects in combination with the prebiotic. In Exp. 1, 64 weanling pigs were fed 1 of the 4 dietary treatments: control, chicory, mannan-oligosaccharides (MOS), and chitosan for 4 weeks. With the exception of a subtle decrease in G:F by feeding MOS, dietary prebiotics did not affect growth performance or serum IgA in weanling pigs. Feeding MOS showed prebiotic effects by increasing fecal VFA and the abundances of Lactobacillaceae and Streptococcaceae. The abundance of Lactobacillus mucosae (LM) was positively correlated with serum IgA, indicating a potential probiotic effect. In Exp. 2, to determine the prebiotic, probiotic, and synergistic effects of MOS and LM, 96 weanling pigs were allotted in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments, followed by an Escherichia coli Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) challenge. Feeding MOS increased circulating IgG from 2 weeks post-weaning and showed a carry-over effect after removal of treatments, which may protect the pigs from acute inflammation due to LPS-challenge. Pigs fed the LM alone indicated improved gut barrier functions by increased secretory IgA and decreased ileal crypt depth, resulting in enhanced feed efficiency during the LPS-challenge. However, these beneficial effects diminished after the LM treatment was removed. Unexpectedly, we did not observe the synergistic effects of MOS and LM. In addition, a third experiment was conducted to determine the variations of bacterial community in different locations of gastrointestinal tract and dietary treatments. In conclusion, this dissertation demonstrated a model in weanling pigs to study the potential prebiotic and probiotic products. It also elucidated the effects of feeding MOS and LM on gut health, immunity, and growth of weanling pigs

Perspectives of Molecular Therapy-Targeted Mitochondrial Fission in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Current advances of molecular-targeting therapies for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have improved the overall survival significantly, whereas the results still remain unsatisfied. Recently, much attention has been focused on organelles, such as the mitochondria, to reveal novel strategies to control the cancers. The mitochondria are vital organelles which supply energy and maintain metabolism in most of the eukaryotic cells. They not only execute critical bioenergetic and biosynthetic functions but also regulate ROS homeostasis and apoptosis. Existing in a dynamic equilibrium state, mitochondria constantly undergo the fission and fusion processes in normal situation. Increasing evidences have showed that mitochondrial fission is highly related to the diseases and cancers. Distinctive works have proved the significant effects of mitochondrial fission on HCC behaviors and the crosstalks with other molecular pathways. Here, we provide an overview of the mitochondrial fission and the link with HCC, emphasizing on the underlying molecular pathways and several novel materials that modulate HCC behaviors

Asymptotic behavior of the sixth-order Boussinesq equation with fourth-order dispersion term

In this article, we investigate the initial-value problem for the sixth-order Boussinesq equation with fourth order dispersion term. Existence of a a global solution and asymptotic behavior in Morrey spaces are established under suitable conditions. The proof is mainly based on the decay properties of the solutions operator in Morrey spaces and the contraction mapping principle

Time-dependent transit fare optimization with elastic and spatially distributed demand

Motivated by the lack of microeconomic models that optimize time-dependent transit fares based on realistic demand formulations, this paper presents a microeconomic model for the design of a time-dependent transit pricing scheme considering elastic and spatiotemporally distributed demand. To model the spatial distribution of demand, a transit line with multiple origin–destination pairs is considered. To model the cyclical demand fluctuations, transit operations in one day are divided into multiple time periods. In the proposed model we optimize fares, headway, vehicle capacity, and maximum fleet size, with the objective of maximizing social welfare, subject to fleet size and vehicle capacity constraints. We find time-dependent pricing could avoid cross-subsidization among travelers in different time periods. Under both pricing schemes, the time-dependent headways satisfy the same optimality condition: the total rider waiting cost equals the total fixed cost on the supplier side. We also demonstrate that both resource constraints (vehicle capacity and fleet size) can be binding in multiple time periods, unlike the usual assumption in the literature that resource constraints are binding only in the period with the highest demand. Two extensions (considering a financial constraint and a variable roundtrip time) are also investigated. The developed models can be used to facilitate the design of time-dependent pricing schemes for practical applications