Timescale Spectra in High Energy Astrophysics

A technique of timescale analysis performed directly in the time domain has been developed recently. We have applied the technique to studying rapid variabilities of hard X-rays from neutron star and black hole binaries, gamma-ray bursts and terrestrial gamma-ray flashes. The results indicate that the time domain method of spectral analysis is a powerful tool in revealing the underlying physics in high-energy processes in objects.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures. Invited talk at the 6th Pacific Rim Conference on Steller Astrophysic

Self-assembly of DNA nanogels with endogenous microRNA toehold self-regulating switches for targeted gene regulation therapy

Herein, a smart nanohydrogel with endogenous microRNA-21 toehold is developed to encapsulate gemcitabine-loaded mesoporous silica nanoparticles for targeted pancreatic cancer therapy. This toehold mediated strand displacement method can simultaneously achieve specific drug release and miRNA-21 silencing, resulting in the up-regulation of the expression of tumor suppressor genes PTEN and PDCD4

Synthesis and Characterization of ZnO Nanorods and Nanodisks from Zinc Chloride Aqueous Solution

ZnO nanorods and nanodisks were synthesized by solution process using zinc chloride as starting material. The morphology of ZnO crystal changed greatly depending on the concentrations of Zn2+ion and ethylene glycohol (EG) additive in the solution. The effect of thermal treatment on the morphology was investigated. Photocatalytic activities of plate-like Zn5(OH)8Cl2 · H2O and rod-like ZnO were characterized. About 18% of 1 ppm NO could be continuously removed by ZnO particles under UV light irradiation

Sacrificial-template-free synthesis of core-shell C@Bi2S3 heterostructures for efficient supercapacitor and H-2 production applications

Core-shell heterostructures have attracted considerable attention owing to their unique properties and broad range of applications in lithium ion batteries, supercapacitors, and catalysis. Conversely, the effective synthesis of Bi2S3 nanorod core@ amorphous carbon shell heterostructure remains an important challenge. In this study, C@Bi2S3 core-shell heterostructures with enhanced supercapacitor performance were synthesized via sacrificial-template-free one-pot-synthesis method. The highest specific capacities of the C@Bi2S3 core shell was 333.43 F g(-1) at a current density of 1 A g(-1). Core-shell-structured C@Bi2S3 exhibits 1.86 times higher photocatalytic H-2 production than the pristine Bi2S3 under simulated solar light irradiation. This core-shell feature of C@Bi2S3 provides efficient charge separation and transfer owing to the formed heterojunction and a short radial transfer path, thus efficiently diminishing the charge recombination; it also facilitates plenty of active sites for the hydrogen evolution reaction owing to its mesoporous nature. These outcomes will open opportunities for developing low-cost and noble-metal-free efficient electrode materials for water splitting and supercapacitor applications

Superhydrophobic Surface Based on a Coral-Like Hierarchical Structure of ZnO

Background: Fabrication of superhydrophobic surfaces has attracted much interest in the past decade. The fabrication methods that have been studied are chemical vapour deposition, the sol-gel method, etching technique, electrochemical deposition, the layer-by-layer deposition, and so on. Simple and inexpensive methods for manufacturing environmentally stable superhydrophobic surfaces have also been proposed lately. However, work referring to the influence of special structures on the wettability, such as hierarchical ZnO nanostructures, is rare. Methodology: This study presents a simple and reproducible method to fabricate a superhydrophobic surface with microscale roughness based on zinc oxide (ZnO) hierarchical structure, which is grown by the hydrothermal method with an alkaline aqueous solution. Coral-like structures of ZnO were fabricated on a glass substrate with a micro-scale roughness, while the antennas of the coral formed the nano-scale roughness. The fresh ZnO films exhibited excellent superhydrophilicity (the apparent contact angle for water droplet was about 0u), while the ability to be wet could be changed to superhydrophobicity after spin-coating Teflon (the apparent contact angle greater than 168u). The procedure reported here can be applied to substrates consisting of other materials and having various shapes. Results: The new process is convenient and environmentally friendly compared to conventional methods. Furthermore, the hierarchical structure generates the extraordinary solid/gas/liquid three-phase contact interface, which is the essentia

Phylogeography of the South China Field Mouse (Apodemus draco) on the Southeastern Tibetan Plateau Reveals High Genetic Diversity and Glacial Refugia

The southeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau (SEMTP) is a particularly interesting region due to its topographic complexity and unique geologic history, but phylogeographic studies that focus on this region are rare. In this study, we investigated the phylogeography of the South China field mouse, Apodemus draco, in order to assess the role of geologic and climatic events on the Tibetan Plateau in shaping its genetic structure. We sequenced mitochondrial cytochrome b (cyt b) sequences in 103 individuals from 47 sampling sites. In addition, 23 cyt b sequences were collected from GenBank for analyses. Phylogenetic, demographic and landscape genetic methods were conducted. Seventy-six cyt b haplotypes were found and the genetic diversity was extremely high (π = 0.0368; h = 0.989). Five major evolutionary clades, based on geographic locations, were identified. Demographic analyses implied subclade 1A and subclade 1B experienced population expansions at about 0.052-0.013 Mya and 0.014-0.004 Mya, respectively. The divergence time analysis showed that the split between clade 1 and clade 2 occurred 0.26 Mya, which fell into the extensive glacial period (EGP, 0.5-0.17 Mya). The divergence times of other main clades (2.20-0.55 Mya) were congruent with the periods of the Qingzang Movement (3.6-1.7 Mya) and the Kun-Huang Movement (1.2-0.6 Mya), which were known as the most intense uplift events in the Tibetan Plateau. Our study supported the hypothesis that the SEMTP was a large late Pleistocene refugium, and further inferred that the Gongga Mountain Region and Hongya County were glacial refugia for A. draco in clade 1. We hypothesize that the evolutionary history of A. draco in the SEMTP primarily occurred in two stages. First, an initial divergence would have been shaped by uplift events of the Tibetan Plateau. Then, major glaciations in the Pleistocene added complexity to its demographic history and genetic structure

The Primary Folding Defect and Rescue of ΔF508 CFTR Emerge during Translation of the Mutant Domain

In the vast majority of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, deletion of residue F508 from CFTR is the cause of disease. F508 resides in the first nucleotide binding domain (NBD1) and its absence leads to CFTR misfolding and degradation. We show here that the primary folding defect arises during synthesis, as soon as NBD1 is translated. Introduction of either the I539T or G550E suppressor mutation in NBD1 partially rescues ΔF508 CFTR to the cell surface, but only I539T repaired ΔF508 NBD1. We demonstrated rescue of folding and stability of NBD1 from full-length ΔF508 CFTR expressed in cells to isolated purified domain. The co-translational rescue of ΔF508 NBD1 misfolding in CFTR by I539T advocates this domain as the most important drug target for cystic fibrosis

IL-6-174 G/C and -572 C/G Polymorphisms and Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease

Associations between interleukin 6 (IL-6) polymorphisms and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) remain controversial and ambiguous. The aim of this meta-analysis is to explore more precise estimations for the relationship between IL-6-174 G/C and -572 C/G polymorphisms and risk for AD. Electronic searches for all publications in databases PubMed and EMBASE were conducted on the associations between IL-6 polymorphisms and risk for AD until January 2012. Odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using fixed and random effects models. Twenty-seven studies were included with a total of 19,135 individuals, involving 6,632 AD patients and 12,503 controls. For IL-6-174 G/C polymorphism, the combined results showed significant differences in recessive model (CC vs. CG+GG: OR = 0.65, 95%CI = 0.52–0.82). As regards IL-6-572 C/G polymorphism, significant associations were shown in dominant model (CG+GG vs. CC: OR  = 0.73, 95% CI = 0.62–0.86) and in additive model (GG vs. CC, OR  = 0.66, 95% CI = 0.46–0.96). In conclusion, genotype CC of IL-6-174 G/C and genotype GG plus GC of IL-6-572 C/G could decrease the risk of AD

Interferon-α/β and Anti-Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor 1 Monoclonal Antibody Suppress Hepatic Cancer Cells In Vitro and In Vivo

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most commonly occurring primary liver cancer and ranks as the fifth most frequently occurring cancer, overall, and the third leading cause of cancer deaths, worldwide. At present, effective therapeutic options available for HCC are limited; consequently, the prognosis for these patients is poor. Our aim in the present study was to identify a novel target for antibody therapy against HCC..Our results suggest that the combined use of an anti-FGFR1 antibody and interferon-α/β is a promising approach to the treatment of HCC