The ELR-CXC chemokines are important to neutrophil inflammation in many acute and chronic diseases. Among them, CXCL8 (interleukin-8, IL-8), the expression levels of which are elevated in many inflammatory diseases, binds to both the CXCR1 and CXCR2 receptors with high affinity. Recently, an analogue of human CXCL8, CXCL8_(3–72)K11R/G31P (hG31P) has been developed. It has been demonstrated that hG31P is a high affinity antagonist for both the CXCR1 and CXCR2. Herein, we have determined the solution structure and the CXCR1 N-terminal peptide binding sites of hG31P by NMR spectroscopy. We have found that the displacement within the tertiary structure of the 30 s loop and the N-terminal region and more specifically change of the loop conformation (especially H33), of hG31P may affect its binding to the CXCR1 receptor and thereby inhibit human neutrophil chemotactic responses induced by ELR-CXC chemokines. Our results provide a structural basis for future clinical investigations of this CXCR1/CXCR2 receptor antagonist and for the further development of CXCL8 based antagonists. Full article

The very long chain fatty acid elongase (ELOVL) plays an important role in the synthesis of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA). Previous studies suggest that chicken could be an alternate source of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). In this study, we detected that ELOVL5, which plays a key role in the biosynthesis of omega-3 (n-3) and omega-6 (n-6) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), was highly expressed in the liver of laying hens and increased rapidly after sexual maturity. Bioinformatic analysis revealed ELOVL fatty acid elongase 5 (ELOVL5) gene as a putative target of miR-218-5p, miR-19a-3p, miR-19b-3p, miR-30a-5p, miR-30b-5p, and miR-30e-5p. We demonstrated estrogen downregulated microRNA (miRNA), and that ELOVL5 is a direct target of miR-218-5p, which was located in intron 14 of the Slit guidance ligand 2 (SLIT2) gene and co-expressed with the host gene. Overall, estrogen enhanced hepatic synthesis of LCPUFA by functioning as a negative regulator of miRNA thereby augmenting the expression of these miRNA target genes, especially ELOVL5, which plays a key role in the biosynthesis of n-3 and n-6 LCPUFA. This study provides a novel model for the use of estrogen in the poultry industry as an inducer of ELOVL5 expression to enhance hepatic n-3 and n-6 LCPUFA synthesis at the post-transcriptional level. Full article

In order to effectively photodegradate organic pollutants, ZnO composite and Co-B codoped TiO₂ films were successfully deposited on glass substrates via a modified sol-gel method and a controllable dip-coating technique. Combining with UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) and photoluminescence spectra (PL) analyses, the multi-modification could not only extend the optical response of TiO₂ to visible light region but also decrease the recombination rate of electron-hole pairs. XRD results revealed that the multi-modified TiO₂ film had an anatase-brookite biphase heterostructure. FE-SEM results indicated that the multi-modified TiO₂ film without cracks was composed of smaller round-like nanoparticles compared to pure TiO₂. BET surface area results showed that the specific surface area of pure TiO₂ and the multi-modified TiO₂ sample was 47.8 and 115.8 m²/g, respectively. By degradation of formaldehyde and oxytetracycline, experimental results showed that the multi-modified TiO₂ film had excellent photodegradation performance under visible light irradiation. Full article

Two new Cr(III) complexes based on 2-substituted 8-hydroxyquinoline ligands, namely [Cr(L₁)₃] (1), (HL₁=(E)-2-[2-(4-nitro-phenyl)-vinyl]-8-hydroxy-quinoline) and [Cr(L₂)₃] (2), (HL₂=(E)-2-[2-(4-chloro-phenyl)vinyl]-8-hydroxy-quinoline), were prepared by a facile hydrothermal method and characterized thoroughly by single crystal X-ray diffraction, powder X-ray diffraction, FTIR, TGA, ESI-MS, UV-Visible absorption spectra and fluorescence emission spectra. Single crystal X-ray diffraction analyses showed that the two compounds featured 3D supramolecular architectures constructed from noncovalent interactions, such as π···π stacking, C-H···π, C-H···O, C-Cl···π, C-H···Cl interactions. The thermogravimetric analysis and ESI-MS study of compounds 1 and 2 suggested that the Cr(III) complexes possessed good stability both in solid and solution. In addition, the ultraviolet and fluorescence response of the HL₁ and HL₂ shown marked changes upon their complexation with Cr(III) ion, which indicated that the two 8-hydroxyquinolinate based ligand are promising heavy metal chelating agent for Cr³⁺. Full article

A photocatalytic rotating disc reactor (PRD-reactor) with TiO₂ nanowire arrays deposited on a thin Ti plate is fabricated and tested for industrial wastewater treatment. Results indicate that the PRD-reactor shows excellent decolorization capability when tested with methyl orange (>97.5%). Advanced oxidation processes (AOP), including photocatalytic oxidation and photolytic reaction, occurred during the processing. Efficiency of the AOP increases with reduction in light absorption pathlength, which enhanced the photocatalytic reaction, as well as by increasing oxygen exposure of the wastewater thin film due to the rotating disc design. It is found that, with a small dosage of hydrogen peroxide, the mineralization efficiency of industrial biodegraded wastewater can be enhanced, with a superior mineralization of >75% total organic carbon (TOC) removal. This is due to the fact that the TiO₂ photocatalysis and hydrogen peroxide processes generate powerful oxidants (hydroxyl radicals) that can strongly improve photocatalytic oxidation efficiency. Application of this industrial wastewater treatment system is benefited from the TiO₂ nanowire arrays, which can be fabricated by a mild solvothermal method at 80 °C and under atmospheric pressure. Similar morphologies and microstructures are found for the TiO₂ nanowire arrays deposited on a large metal Ti disc, which makes the wastewater treatment process more practical and economical. Full article

Background: Folic acid supplementation is effective in reducing the risk of neural tube defects (NTDs). However, the use of folic acid is low among rural women in China. Nutrition education can provide information about folic acid and encourage its use. The primary objective of this study was to test the effectiveness of a village‐based nutrition intervention on folic acid use among rural women. Methods: Sixty villages were randomly selected using multiple‐stage sampling and were divided into control and intervention groups. The intervention included nutritional education at village clinics, written materials, and text messages (SMS). Folic acid use knowledge and behavior was assessed at baseline and after the intervention. Results: Self‐reported compliance with folic acid supplement use increased from 17.0%–29.2% at baseline to 41.7%-59.2% one year post‐intervention. During the same period, the folic acid knowledge score in the intervention group increased from 3.07 to 3.65, significantly higher than the control group (3.11 to 3.35). Multivariate binary logistic regression showed that the women who received folic acid education and SMS intervention were more likely to comply with folic acid supplement recommendations. Conclusions: The results indicated that an integrated village‐based folic acid education intervention may be an effective way of promoting folic acid use for the prevention of NTDs in rural women. Full article

This study evaluated epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) and epigallocatechin-3-O-(3-O-methyl)-gallate (EGCG-3Me) modified etch-and-rinse adhesives (Single Bond 2, SB 2) for their antibacterial effect and bonding stability to dentin. EGCG-3Me was isolated and purified with column chromatography and preparative high performance liquid chromatography. EGCG and EGCG-3Me were incorporated separately into the adhesive SB 2 at concentrations of 200, 400, and 600 µg/mL. The effect of cured adhesives on the growth of Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) was determined with scanning electron microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy; the biofilm of bacteria was further quantified via optical density 600 values. The inhibition of EGCG and EGCG-3Me on dentin-originated collagen proteases activities was evaluated with a proteases fluorometric assay kit. The degree of conversion (DC) of the adhesives was tested with micro-Raman spectrum. The immediate and post-thermocycling (5000 cycles) bond strength was assessed through Microtensile Bond Strength (MTBS) test. Cured EGCG/EGCG-3Me modified adhesives inhibit the growth of S. mutans in a concentration-dependent manner. The immediate MTBS of SB 2 was not compromised by EGCG/EGCG-3Me modification. EGCG/EGCG-3Me modified adhesive had higher MTBS than SB 2 after thermocycling, showing no correlation with concentration. The DC of the adhesive system was affected depending on the concentration of EGCG/EGCG-3Me and the depth of the hybrid layer. EGCG/EGCG-3Me modified adhesives could inhibit S. mutans adhesion to dentin–resin interface, and maintain the bonding stability. The adhesive modified with 400 µg/mL EGCG-3Me showed antibacterial effect and enhanced bonding stability without affect the DC of adhesive. Full article

Type 2 diabetic mellitus (T2DM) is a disease with high prevalence and a major cause for death worldwide. Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the major manifestation of diabetes. Aldehyde dehydrogenease 2 (ALDH2) detoxifies aldehyde produced during ethanol metabolism and oxidative stress. It has been found that the polymorphism in ALDH2 rs671 is probably associated with the risk of T2DM and DR. However, a lot of inconsistency and controversy still exists. In order to get a more precise and comprehensive estimation for the association between ALDH2 polymorphism with the risk of T2DM and DR, we conducted the present meta-analysis. A comprehensive literature search was conducted using databases, such as Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, for all related studies. The included studies met the inclusion criteria, such as being case-control studies about the association of ALDH2 polymorphism and T2DM or DR susceptibility, with sufficient data for the present analysis. Eight studies with 2374 cases and 6694 controls were involved in the present meta-analysis. The results indicated a significant lower risk of T2DM for *1/*1 genotype in homozygous models (*1/*1 vs. *2/*2, OR = 0.31, 95% CI = 0.11–0.89, p = 0.03) and in the dominant model (*1/*1 vs. *2/*2 + *1/*2, OR = 0.61, 95% CI = 0.37–1.00, p = 0.05). Subgroup analysis by ethnicity found a significant lower risk of T2DM in Chinese in all genotype models. No significant relation was found between ALDH2 rs671 and DR. In conclusion, the current meta-analysis indicated that ALDH2 rs671 was significantly related with T2DM. The ALDH2 rs671 might be able to be used as a predictor for the risk of T2DM. However, due to the existence of heterogeneity and publication bias in the involved studies, our results should be interpreted with caution. Full article

This paper presents a novel piezoelectric vibration energy harvester (PVEH) in which a high-frequency generating beam (HFGB) is driven by an array of low-frequency driving beams (LFDBs) using ropes. Two mechanisms based on frequency upconversion and multimodal harvesting work together to broaden the frequency bandwidth of the proposed vibration energy harvester (VEH). The experimental results show that the output power of generating beam (GB) remains unchanged with the increasing number of driving beams (DBs), compared with the traditional arrays of beams vibration energy harvester (AB-VEH), and the output power and bandwidth behavior can be adjusted by parameters such as acceleration, rope margin, and stiffness of LFDBs, which shows the potential to achieve unlimited wideband vibration energy-harvesting for a variable environment. Full article

Polygalacturonase (PG) is an important hydrolytic enzyme involved in pectin degradation during fruit softening. However, the roles of PG family members in fruit softening remain unclear. We identified 45 PpPG genes in the peach genome which are clustered into six subclasses. PpPGs consist of four to nine exons and three to eight introns, and the exon/intron structure is basically conserved in all but subclass E. Only 16 PpPG genes were expressed in ripening fruit, and their expression profiles were analyzed during storage in two peach cultivars with different softening characteristics. Eight PGs (PpPG1, -10, -12, -13, -15, -23, -21, and -22) in fast-softening “Qian Jian Bai” (QJB) fruit and three PGs (PpPG15, -21, and -22) in slow-softening “Qin Wang” (QW) fruit exhibited softening-associated patterns; which also were affected by ethylene treatment. Our results suggest that the different softening characters in QW and QJB fruit is related to the amount of PG members. While keeping relatively lower levels during QW fruit softening, the expression of six PGs (PpPG1, -10, -12, -11, -14, and -35) rapidly induced by ethylene. PpPG24, -25 and -38 may not be involved in softening of peach fruit. Full article

A carbon solid acid with large surface area (CSALA) was prepared by partial carbonization of H₃PO₄ pre-treated peanut shells followed by sulfonation with concentrated H₂SO₄. The structure and acidity of CSALA were characterized by N₂ adsorption–desorption, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), ¹³C cross polarization (CP)/magic angle spinning (MAS) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), titration, and elemental analysis. The results demonstrated that the CSALA was an amorphous carbon material with a surface area of 387.4 m²/g. SO₃H groups formed on the surface with a density of 0.46 mmol/g, with 1.11 mmol/g of COOH and 0.39 mmol/g of phenolic OH. Densities of the latter two groups were notably greater than those observed on a carbon solid acid (CSA) with a surface area of 10.1 m²/g. The CSALA catalyst showed better performance than the CSA for the hydrolysis of cyclohexyl acetate to cyclohexanol. Under optimal reaction conditions, cyclohexyl acetate conversion was 86.6% with 97.3% selectivity for cyclohexanol, while the results were 25.0% and 99.4%, respectively, catalyzed by CSA. The high activity of the CSALA could be attributed to its high density of COOH and large surface area. Moreover, the CSALA showed good reusability. Its catalytic activity decreased slightly during the first two cycles due to the leaching of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-containing SO₃H groups, and then remained constant during following uses. Full article

Hyperbranched poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)s (HBPNIPAMs) end-capped with different azobenzene chromophores (HBPNIPAM-Azo-OC₃H₇, HBPNIPAM-Azo-OCH₃, HBPNIPAM-Azo, and HBPNIPAM-Azo-COOH) were successfully synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of N-isopropylacrylamide using different azobenzene-functional initiators. All HBPNIPAMs showed a similar highly branched structure, similar content of azobenzene chromophores, and similar absolute weight/average molecular weight. The different azobenzene structures at the end of the HBPNIPAMs exhibited reversible trans-cis-trans isomerization behavior under alternating UV and Vis irradiation, which lowered the critical solution temperature (LCST) due to different self-assembling behaviors. The spherical aggregates of HBPNIPAM-Azo-OC₃H₇ and HBPNIPAM-Azo-OCH₃ containing hydrophobic para substituents either changed to bigger nanorods or increased in number, leading to a change in LCST of −2.0 and −1.0 °C, respectively, after UV irradiation. However, the unimolecular aggregates of HBPNIPAM-Azo were unchanged, while the unstable multimolecular particles of HBPNIPAM-Azo-COOH end-capped with strongly polar carboxyl groups partly dissociated to form a greater number of unimolecular aggregates and led to an LCST increase of 1.0 °C. Full article

Recent advances have suggested that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are differentially expressed in ocular tissues and play a critical role in the pathogenesis of different types of eye diseases. Here, we summarize the functions and mechanisms of known aberrantly-expressed lncRNAs and present a brief overview of relevant reports about lncRNAs in such ocular diseases as glaucoma, proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR), diabeticretinopathy (DR), and ocular tumors. We intend to highlight comprehensive studies that provide detailed data about the mechanisms of lncRNAs, their applications as diagnostic or prognostic biomarkers, and their potential therapeutic targets. Although our understanding of lncRNAs is still in its infancy, these examples may provide helpful insights into the methods by which lncRNAs interfere with ocular diseases. Full article

The story of high mobility group protein B1 (HMGB1) in cancer is complicated and the function of HMGB1 in different cancers is uncertain. This review aims to retrieve literature regarding HMGB1 from English electronic resources, analyze and summarize the role of the HMGB1 signaling pathway in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and provide useful information for carcinogenesis and progression of HCC. Results showed that HMGB1 could induce cell proliferation, differentiation, cell death, angiogenesis, metastasis, inflammation, and enhance immunofunction in in vitro and in vivo HCC models. HMGB1 and its downstream receptors RAGE, TLRs and TREM-1 may be potential anticancer targets. In conclusion, HMGB1 plays an important role in oncogenesis and represents a novel therapeutic target, which deserves further study. Full article

Static strain can be detected by measuring a cross-correlation of reflection spectra from two fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs). However, the static-strain measurement resolution is limited by the dominant Gaussian noise source when using this traditional method. This paper presents a novel static-strain demodulation algorithm for FBG-based Fabry-Perot interferometers (FBG-FPs). The Hilbert transform is proposed for changing the Gaussian distribution of the two FBG-FPs’ reflection spectra, and a cross third-order cumulant is used to use the results of the Hilbert transform and get a group of noise-vanished signals which can be used to accurately calculate the wavelength difference of the two FBG-FPs. The benefit by these processes is that Gaussian noise in the spectra can be suppressed completely in theory and a higher resolution can be reached. In order to verify the precision and flexibility of this algorithm, a detailed theory model and a simulation analysis are given, and an experiment is implemented. As a result, a static-strain resolution of 0.9 nε under laboratory environment condition is achieved, showing a higher resolution than the traditional cross-correlation method. Full article

This paper proposes an approach for acoustic emission (AE) source localization in a large marble stone using distributed feedback (DFB) fiber lasers. The aim of this study is to detect damage in structures such as those found in civil applications. The directional sensitivity of DFB fiber laser is investigated by calculating location coefficient using a method of digital signal analysis. In this, autocorrelation is used to extract the location coefficient from the periodic AE signal and wavelet packet energy is calculated to get the location coefficient of a burst AE source. Normalization is processed to eliminate the influence of distance and intensity of AE source. Then a new location algorithm based on the location coefficient is presented and tested to determine the location of AE source using a Delta (Δ) DFB fiber laser rosette configuration. The advantage of the proposed algorithm over the traditional methods based on fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) include the capability of: having higher strain resolution for AE detection and taking into account two different types of AE source for location. Full article

A novel multiparametric biosensor system based on living cells will be presented. The biosensor system includes two biosensing techniques on a single device: resonant frequency measurements and electric cell-substrate impedance sensing (ECIS). The multiparametric sensor system is based on the innovative use of the upper electrode of a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) resonator as working electrode for the ECIS technique. The QCM acoustic wave sensor consists of a thin AT-cut quartz substrate with two gold electrodes on opposite sides. For integration of the QCM with the ECIS technique a semicircular counter electrode was fabricated near the upper electrode on the same side of the quartz crystal. Bovine aortic endothelial live cells (BAECs) were successfully cultured on this hybrid biosensor. Finite element modeling of the bulk acoustic wave resonator using COMSOL simulations was performed. Simultaneous gravimetric and impedimetric measurements performed over a period of time on the same cell culture were conducted to validate the device’s sensitivity. The time necessary for the BAEC cells to attach and form a compact monolayer on the biosensor was 35~45 minutes for 1.5 × 10⁴ cells/cm² BAECs; 60 minutes for 2.0 × 10⁴ cells/cm² BAECs; 70 minutes for 3.0 × 10⁴ cells/cm² BAECs; and 100 minutes for 5.0 × 10⁴ cells/cm² BAECs. It was demonstrated that this time is the same for both gravimetric and impedimetric measurements. This hybrid biosensor will be employed in the future for water toxicity detection. Full article

A sample of the marine brown alga D. divaricata collected off the coast of Yantai (P.R. China) was dried, powdered, and extracted with the mixture of CHCl₃ and MeOH (1:1, v/v). By a combination of silica gel and Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography and preparative TLC, a new cadinane sesquiterpene 1,4-epoxymuurolan-5β-ol (1) was isolated from this species. Its structure was established by detailed MS and NMR spectroscopic analysis, as well as comparison with literature data. Full article

PMP22_Claudin family proteins play important roles in cell tight junction. In thisstudy, we have identified a novel member of this family, PMP22CD. Human PMP22CD wasfirst discovered by database sequence mining and analysis, and verified by cloning andsequencing. PMP22CD was isolated from the human testis cDNA library and mapped tochromosome 11q24.1 by browsing the UCSC genomic database. It contains an ORF with alength of 675bp, encoding a protein that contains a putative PMP22_Claudin domain withfour transmembrane helices. Its molecular weight and isoelectric point are predicted to be25.8kDa and 8.42, respectively. The PMP22CD protein is highly conservative in mammalanimals. Phylogenetic tree analysis indicated that PMP22CD stands for a new subgroup inthe PMP22/EMP/Claudin family. RT-PCR analysis showed that PMP22CD was specificallyexpressed in the testis. Green fluorescence protein localization analysis showed thatPMP22CD mainly surrounded the nuclear membrane, with a minority distribution in thecytoplasm. These results suggested that PMP22CD is a distant member of thePMP22/EMP/Claudin family and that it may have a novel function that does not involve celltight junction because it is not located at the cell membrane. Full article