N′-(2-Chloro­benzyl­idene)-4-methyl­benzohydrazide

In the title compound, C15H13ClN2O, the mol­ecule displays a trans conformation with respect to the C=N bond. The two aromatic rings form a dihedral angle of 12.0 (3)°. In the crystal, mol­ecules are connected via N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds into chains propagating along the c-axis direction

Erzhi Pill® Repairs Experimental Liver Injury via TSC/mTOR Signaling Pathway Inhibiting Excessive Apoptosis

The present study aimed to investigate the mechanism of hepatoprotective effect of Erzhi Pill (EZP) on the liver injury via observing TSC/mTOR signaling pathway activation. The experimental liver injury was induced by 2-acetylaminofluorene (2-AAF) treatment combined with partial hepatectomy (PH). EZP treated 2-AAF/PH-induced liver injury by the therapeutic and prophylactic administration. After the administration of EZP, the activities of aspartic transaminase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (AKP), and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (γ-GT) were decreased, followed by the decreased levels of hepatocyte apoptosis and caspase-3 expression. However, the secretion of albumin, liver weight, and index of liver weight were elevated. Microscopic examination showed that EZP restored pathological liver injury. Meanwhile, Rheb and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) activation were suppressed, and tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) expression was elevated in liver tissues induced by 2-AAF/PHx and accompanied with lower-expression of Bax, Notch1, p70S6K, and 4E-EIF and upregulated levels of Bcl-2 and Cyclin D. Hepatoprotective effect of EZP was possibly realized via inhibiting TSC/mTOR signaling pathway to suppress excessive apoptosis of hepatocyte

Pseudogap, Superconducting Energy Scale, and Fermi Arcs in Underdoped Cuprate Superconductors

Through the measurements of magnetic field dependence of specific heat in $La_{2-x}Sr_xCuO_4$ in zero temperature limit, we determined the nodal slope $v_\Delta$ of the quasiparticle gap. It is found that $v_\Delta$ has a very similar doping dependence of the pseudogap temperature $T^*$ or value $\Delta_p$. Meanwhile the virtual maximum gap at ($\pi,0$) derived from $v_\Delta$ is found to follow the simple relation $\Delta_q=0.46k_BT^*$ upon changing the doping concentration. This strongly suggests a close relationship between the pseudogap and superconductivity. It is further found that the superconducting transition temperature is determined by both the residual density of states of the pseudogap phase and the nodal gap slope in the zero temperature limit, namely, $T_c \approx \beta v_\Delta \gamma_n(0)$, where $\gamma_n(0)$ is the extracted zero temperature value of the normal state specific heat coefficient which is proportional to the size of the residual Fermi arc $k_{arc}$. This manifests that the superconductivity may be formed by forming a new gap on the Fermi arcs near nodes below $T_c$. These observations mimic the key predictions of the SU(2) slave boson theory based on the general resonating-valence-bond (RVB) picture.Comment: 6 pages, 6 figures, to be published in Phys. Rev.

The prevalence of canine Leishmania infantum infection in western China detected by PCR and serological tests

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Canine leishmaniasis (CanL) is endemic in western China, resulting in important public health problem. It is essential to evaluate the prevalence of canine <it>Leishmania infantum </it>infection for designing control policy. In the present study we report for the first time prevalence of <it>Leishmania </it>infection in dogs living in Jiuzhaigou County (Sichuan Provence, China), which is not only an important endemic area of CanL but also a tourism scenic spot, detected by PCR, ELISA and dipstick test. The results could provide key information for designing control programs against canine and human leishmaniasis. In addition, the complete sequence of the <it>Leishmania </it>isolate from Sichuan Province has not been reported to date and we present the sequences of 116 base-pair (bp) fragment of the conserved region in the minicircle kinetoplast DNA (kDNA) and the results of phylogenetic analyses based on the sequence of the amplified fragment.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The proportion of dogs infected with <it>Leishmania </it>in Jiuzhaigou County was 36.79%, 9.43%, and 51.88% detected by ELISA, dipstick test, and PCR, respectively. The ELISA and PCR tests were more sensitive than dipstick test. The PCR method is the most sensitive way to detect dogs infected with <it>Leishmania </it>parasites. The total positive rate for infected dogs in the area was 59.43% by the three methods. The PCR products of 116-bp fragment amplified from the kDNA conserved region of dog blood samples and laboratory maintained <it>L. infantum </it>were DNA sequenced and the variation of the sequences was observed. The phylogenetic tree based on the sequences of 116-bp fragment reveals that <it>L. infantum </it>is more genetically related to visceralizing species <it>L. donovani </it>than to the <it>Leishmania </it>species associated with cutaneous disease.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>More than half of dogs living in the endemic Jiuzhaigou County were infected by <it>L. infantum</it>. Control measures, such as treatment or eradication of infected dogs, or prohibition of maintaining dogs, must be taken against these infected dogs due to their role in the transmission of the infection to vectors. The phylogenetic tree based on the sequences of conserved region in kDNA of <it>Leishmania </it>can effectively distinguish species of <it>Leishmania</it>.</p

Variational quantum algorithm-preserving feasible space for solving the uncapacitated facility location problem

The Quantum Alternating Operator Ansatz (QAOA+) is one of the Variational Quantum Algorithm (VQA) specifically developed to tackle combinatorial optimization problems by exploring the feasible space in search of a target solution. For constrained optimization problems with unconstrained variables, which we call Unconstrained-Variables Problems (UVPs), the mixed operators in the QAOA+ circuit are applied to the constrained variables, while the single-qubit rotating gates $R_X$ operate on the unconstrained variables. The expressibility of this circuit is limited by the shortage of two-qubit gates and the parameter sharing in the $R_X$, which consequently impacts the performance of QAOA+ for solving UVPs. Therefore, it is crucial to develop a suitable ansatz for UVPs. In this paper, we propose the Variational Quantum Algorithm-Preserving Feasible Space (VQA-PFS) ansatz, exemplified by the Uncapacitated Facility Location Problem (UFLP), that applies mixed operators on constrained variables while employing Hardware-Efficient Ansatz (HEA) on unconstrained variables. The numerical results demonstrate that VQA-PFS significantly enhances the success probability and exhibits faster convergence compared to QAOA+, Quantum Approximation Optimization Algorithm (QAOA), and HEA. Furthermore, VQA-PFS reduces the circuit depth dramatically in comparison to QAOA+ and QAOA. Our algorithm is general and instructive in tackling UVPs

Four new jacaranone analogs from the fruits of a Beibu Gulf mangrove Avicennia marina

Four new jacaranone analogs, marinoids F–I (1–4), were isolated from the fruits of a Beibu Gulf mangrove Avicennia marina. The structures were elucidated based on analysis of spectroscopic data. Marinoids F and G are shown to be diastereoisomers of chlorocornoside, a new halogen containing marine secondary metabolite. The antioxidant activity of the isolates was evaluated using a cellular antioxidant assay, and 4 showed good antioxidant activity (EC50 = 26 μM)

Sol-gel synthesis and electrochemical performance of NiCo2O4 nanoparticles for supercapacitor applications

In this work, NiCo2O4 nanoparticles with enhanced supercapacitive performance have been successfully synthesized via a facile sol-gel method and subsequent calcination in air. The morphology and composition of as-prepared samples were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Raman spectroscopy (Raman). The electrochemical performances of NiCo2O4 nanoparticles as supercapacitor electrode materials were evaluated by cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge/discharge (GCD) tests in 3 mol L-1 KOH aqueous solution. The results show that as-prepared NiCo2O4 nanoparticles have diameters of about 20-30 nm with uniform distribution. There are some interspaces between nanoparticles observed, which could increase the effective contact area with the electrolyte and provide fast path for the insertion and extraction of electrolyte ions. The electrochemical tests show that the prepared NiCo2O4 nanoparticles for supercapacitors exhibit excellent electrochemical performance with high specific capacitance and good cycle stability. The specific capacitance of NiCo2O4 electrode has been found as high as 1080, 800, 651, and 574 F g-1 at current densities of 1, 4, 7, and 10 A g-1, respectively. Notably, the capacitance retention rate (compared with 1 A g-1) is up to 74.1 %, 60.3 %, and 53.1 % at current densities of 4, 7, and 10 A g-1 respectively. After 100 cycles, higher capacitance retention rate is also achieved. Therefore, the results indicate that NiCo2O4 material is the potential electrode material for supercapacitors