The Viscoelasticity Model of Corn Straw under the Different Moisture Contents

Viscoelastic model of corn straw, based on different moisture contents, is set up to characterise the deformation through three-point bending test. The model contains a linear elastic element, a damping element, and a nonlinear elastic element. The parameters of the model are determined according to the features of three-point bending test curve and characteristic of the model. The relationships between mechanical properties, energy absorption behavior of corn stalk, and moisture content have been, respectively, analysed. And regression analysis and curve fitting have been conducted based on various parameters and moisture contents with Matlab. These parameters provide the basis for straw crushing equipment design

Nonconvulsive status epilepticus associated with periodic lateralized epileptiform discharges in a patient with syphilis

AbstractNonconvulsive status epilepticus (NCSE) has been increasingly recognized as a cause of impaired level of consciousness in the ICU and emergency rooms. The confirmation of NCSE is largely based on the EEG, given the nonspecific and pleomorphic clinical manifestations. Debate remains over electroencephalograms (EEG) criteria for NCSE. Periodic lateralized epileptiform discharges (PLEDs), have sparked controversy with regard to being part of the ictal vs. interictal spectrum. We report a case of a patient with syphilis who had cognitive decline and damaged consciousness with PLEDs and T2 hyperintensity at temporal and occipital lobe in MRI. After antiepileptic treatment only, his consciousness improved markedly together with the EEG in few days, while the change of MRI was still serious. In this case PLEDs is the sign of NCSE and change of MRI is limbic encephalitis (LE). This report discusses the association of PLEDs and NCSE, and supports the concept of PLEDs as an ictal pattern in some condition

New structures of Fe3S for rare-earth-free permanent magnets

We applied an adaptive genetic algorithm (AGA) to search for low-energy crystal structures of Fe3S. A number of structures with energies lower than that of the experimentally reported Pnma and I-4 structures have been obtained from our AGA searches. These low-energy structures can be classified as layer-motif and column-motif structures. In the column-motif structures, Fe atoms self-assemble into rods with a bcc type of underlying lattice, which are separated by the holes terminated by S atoms. In the layer-motif structures, the bulk Fe is broken into slabs of several layers passivated by S atoms. Magnetic property calculations showed that the column-motif structures exhibit reasonably high uniaxial magnetic anisotropy. In addition, we examined the effect of Co doping to Fe3S and found that magnetic anisotropy can be enhanced through Co doping

The Liver X Receptor Agonist TO901317 Ameliorates Behavioral Deficits in Two Mouse Models of Autism

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability characterized by social deficits and repetitive stereotyped behaviors. There are currently no drugs available for the treatment of the core symptoms of ASD, suggesting an urgent need for new therapeutic strategies. The neurobiology of autism is complex, but emerging research indicates that defects in hippocampal neurogenesis are associated with ASD in both humans and mouse models of ASD, leading to the suggestion that restoring neurogenesis may be a novel therapeutic approach for ASD. Here, we found that postnatal treatment with TO901317 (TO), a potent liver X receptor (LXR) agonist, typically activated LXRβ and its target genes in the hippocampus, and alleviated the social deficits and stereotypical behaviors in BTBR T+ tf/J (BTBR) and valproic acid (VPA)-induced mouse models. In addition, we further confirmed that TO postnatal treatment also rescued the inhibition of adult hippocampal neurogenesis in these two models. In summary, our study suggests that LXR agonist targeting hippocampal neurogenesis may represent a novel potential therapy for ASD

From COX-2 Inhibitor Nimesulide to Potent Anti-Cancer Agent: Synthesis, In Vitro, In Vivo and Pharmacokinetic Evaluation

Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor nimesulide inhibits the proliferation of various types of cancer cells mainly via COX-2 independent mechanisms, which makes it a good lead compound for anti-cancer drug development. In the presented study, a series of new nimesulide analogs were synthesized based on the structure–function analysis generated previously. Some of them displayed very potent anti-cancer activity with IC50s around 100 nM–200 nM to inhibit SKBR-3 breast cancer cell growth. CSUOH0901 (NSC751382) from the compound library also inhibits the growth of the 60 cancer cell lines used at National Cancer Institute Developmental therapeutics Program (NCIDTP) with IC50s around 100 nM–500 nM. Intraperitoneal injection with a dosage of 5 mg/kg/d of CSUOH0901 to nude mice suppresses HT29 colorectal xenograft growth. Pharmacokinetic studies demonstrate the good bioavailability of the compound

Auxin response factor 6A regulates photosynthesis, sugar accumulation, and fruit development in tomato.

Auxin response factors (ARFs) are involved in auxin-mediated transcriptional regulation in plants. In this study, we performed functional characterization of SlARF6A in tomato. SlARF6A is located in the nucleus and exhibits transcriptional activator activity. Overexpression of SlARF6A increased chlorophyll contents in the fruits and leaves of tomato plants, whereas downregulation of SlARF6A decreased chlorophyll contents compared with those of wild-type (WT) plants. Analysis of chloroplasts using transmission electron microscopy indicated increased sizes of chloroplasts in SlARF6A-overexpressing plants and decreased numbers of chloroplasts in SlARF6A-downregulated plants. Overexpression of SlARF6A increased the photosynthesis rate and accumulation of starch and soluble sugars, whereas knockdown of SlARF6A resulted in opposite phenotypes in tomato leaves and fruits. RNA-sequence analysis showed that regulation of SlARF6A expression altered the expression of genes involved in chlorophyll metabolism, photosynthesis and sugar metabolism. SlARF6A directly bound to the promoters of SlGLK1, CAB, and RbcS genes and positively regulated the expression of these genes. Overexpression of SlARF6A also inhibited fruit ripening and ethylene production, whereas downregulation of SlARF6A increased fruit ripening and ethylene production. SlARF6A directly bound to the SAMS1 promoter and negatively regulated SAMS1 expression. Taken together, these results expand our understanding of ARFs with regard to photosynthesis, sugar accumulation and fruit development and provide a potential target for genetic engineering to improve fruit nutrition in horticulture crops

A reactive oxygen species–related signature to predict prognosis and aid immunotherapy in clear cell renal cell carcinoma

BackgroundClear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is a malignant disease containing tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are present in the tumor microenvironment and are strongly associated with cancer development. Nevertheless, the role of ROS-related genes in ccRCC remains unclear.MethodsWe describe the expression patterns of ROS-related genes in ccRCC from The Cancer Genome Atlas and their alterations in genetics and transcription. An ROS-related gene signature was constructed and verified in three datasets and immunohistochemical staining (IHC) analysis. The immune characteristics of the two risk groups divided by the signature were clarified. The sensitivity to immunotherapy and targeted therapy was investigated.ResultsOur signature was constructed on the basis of glutamate-cysteine ligase modifier subunit (GCLM), interaction protein for cytohesin exchange factors 1 (ICEF1), methionine sulfoxide reductase A (MsrA), and strawberry notch homolog 2 (SBNO2) genes. More importantly, protein expression levels of GCLM, MsrA, and SBNO2 were detected by IHC in our own ccRCC samples. The high-risk group of patients with ccRCC suffered lower overall survival rates. As an independent predictor of prognosis, our signature exhibited a strong association with clinicopathological features. An accurate nomogram for improving the clinical applicability of our signature was constructed. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analyses showed that the signature was closely related to immune response, immune activation, and immune pathways. The comprehensive results revealed that the high-risk group was associated with high infiltration of regulatory T cells and CD8+ T cells and more benefited from targeted therapy. In addition, immunotherapy had better therapeutic effects in the high-risk group.ConclusionOur signature paved the way for assessing prognosis and developing more effective strategies of immunotherapy and targeted therapy in ccRCC

Antiatherogenic and Anti-Ischemic Properties of Traditional Chinese Medicine Xinkeshu via Endothelial Protecting Function

Including herbal medicine, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is popular worldwide. The traditional Chinese medicine xinkeshu has been widely used to treat coronary heart disease in China. This study was designed to investigate the protective effect and probable mechanism of xinkeshu tablet to atherosclerotic myocardial ischemia rabbit. Rabbits were divided into four groups (n = 12 each) and fed with different diet for 12 weeks: Control (standard diet), Model (high-cholesterol diet), XKS (high-cholesterol diet with 184.8 mg/kg/d xinkeshu), and Atorvastatin (high-cholesterol diet with 5.0 mg/kg/d atorvastatin). Plasma lipoprotein, ECG, endothelium-dependent vessel relaxation, histomorphological study, and expressions of eNOS and VCAM-1 on coronary arteries were assessed. The findings showed that, similar to atorvastatin, xinkeshu presented significant effects on rescuing endothelium-dependent vessel relaxation, inhibiting atherosclerotic progress, preventing myocardial ischemia, and changing eNOS and VCAM-1 expression. However, xinkeshu showed no lipoprotein lowering effect in hypercholesterolemia rabbits. The results of the present study indicated that xinkeshu exerted potent antiatherogenic and anti-ischemic properties on atherosclerotic myocardial ischemia rabbit. An endothelial protecting effect may be involved in the mechanism other than antihyperlipidemic effect