Conversion of methanol to propylene over hierarchical HZSM-5: the effect of Al spatial distribution.

Different silicon sources caused diverse Al spatial distribution in HZSM-5, and this affected the hierarchical structures and catalytic performance of desilicated zeolites. After being treated with 0.1 M NaOH, HZSM-5 zeolites synthesized with silica sol exhibited relatively widely distributed mesopores and channels, and possessed highly improved propylene selectivity and activity stability.

Eriocheir sinensis microRNA-7 targets crab Myd88 to enhance white spot syndrome virus replication.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression at the posttranscriptional level. In this study, the function of microRNA-7 (miR-7) in host-virus interaction was investigated. Replication of White spot syndrome virus (WSSV) was enhanced with the overexpression of miR-7 and inhibited with the downregulation of miR-7 by using anti-miRNA oligonucleotide AMO-miR-7.

Regulation of myostatin expression is associated with growth and muscle development in commercial broiler and DMC muscle.

Myostatin is a negative regulator of skeletal muscle growth. Muscle tissue is the largest tissue in the body and influences body growth. Commercial Avian broiler chickens are selected for high growth rate and muscularity.

Exosomes Secreted by Adipose-Derived Stem Cells Contribute to Angiogenesis of Brain Microvascular Endothelial Cells Following Oxygen-Glucose Deprivation In Vitro Through MicroRNA-181b/TRPM7 Axis.

Adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) have been demonstrated to promote cerebral vascular remodeling processes after stroke. However, the exact molecular mechanism by which ADSCs exert protective roles in ischemic stroke is still poorly understood. In this study, we identified the role of exosomal microRNA-181b-5p (181b-Exos) in regulating post-stroke angiogenesis.

The Influence of Abdominal and Ectopic Fat Accumulation on Carotid Intima-Media Thickness: A Chongqing Study.

Background: To investigate the effects of abdominal obesity (AO) and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) with or without AO on carotid arteries by determining carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT).

Methods: A total of 2745 Chinese Han adults (aged between 40 and 50 years old) were recruited and divided into 4 groups: (1) NW-no NAFL group: the normal body weight without NAFLD (n = 1888); (2) AO-no NAFL group: AO without NAFLD (n = 259); (3) NW-with NAFL group: NAFLD without AO (n = 93); and (4) AO-with NAFL group: AO with NAFLD (n = 505). The CIMT rate of each group was compared among 4 groups and the regression analysis was further used to correct confounders.

Selection for growth rate and body size have altered the expression profiles of somatotropic axis genes in chickens.

The growth hormone / insulin-like growth factor-1 (GH/IGF-1) pathway of the somatotropic axis is the major controller for growth rate and body size in vertebrates, but the effect of selection on the expression of GH/IGF-1 somatotropic axis genes and their association with body size and growth performance in farm animals is not fully understood. We analyzed a time series of expression profiles of GH/IGF-1 somatotropic axis genes in two chicken breeds, the Daweishan mini chickens and Wuding chickens, and the commercial Avian broilers hybrid exhibiting markedly different body sizes and growth rates. We found that growth rate and feed conversion efficiency in Daweishan mini chickens were significantly lower than those in Wuding chickens and Avian broilers.

Fragment-Based Discovery of Inhibitors of the Bacterial DnaG-SSB Interaction.

In bacteria, the DnaG primase is responsible for synthesis of short RNA primers used to initiate chain extension by replicative DNA polymerase(s) during chromosomal replication. Among the proteins with which DnaG interacts is the single-stranded DNA-binding protein, SSB. The C-terminal hexapeptide motif of SSB (DDDIPF; SSB-Ct) is highly conserved and is known to engage in essential interactions with many proteins in nucleic acid metabolism, including primase.

Antiviral therapy in hepatitis B virus-infected children with immune-tolerant characteristics: A pilot open-label randomized study.

Background & Aim: Chronic infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) in children is a serious health problem worldwide. How to treat children with immune-tolerant chronic hepatitis B infection, commonly characterized by hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) positivity, high viral load, normal or mildly elevated alanine aminotransferase and no or minimal inflammation in liver histology, remains unresolved. This trial aims to study the benefits of antiviral therapy in children with these characteristics.

Achieving Simultaneous CO and H S Conversion via a Coupled Solar-Driven Electrochemical Approach on Non-Precious-Metal Catalysts.

Carbon dioxide (CO ) and hydrogen sulfide (H S) are generally concomitant with methane (CH ) in natural gas and traditionally deemed useless or even harmful. Developing strategies that can simultaneously convert both CO and H S into value-added products is attractive; however it has not received enough attention. A solar-driven electrochemical process is demonstrated using graphene-encapsulated zinc oxide catalyst for CO reduction and graphene catalyst for H S oxidation mediated by EDTA-Fe /EDTA-Fe redox couples.

Oxytocin alters cell fate selection of rat neural progenitor cells in vitro.

Synthetic oxytocin (sOT) is widely used during labor, yet little is known about its effects on fetal brain development despite evidence that it reaches the fetal circulation. Here, we tested the hypothesis that sOT would affect early neurodevelopment by investigating its effects on neural progenitor cells (NPC) from embryonic day 14 rat pups. NPCs expressed the oxytocin receptor (OXTR), which was downregulated by 45% upon prolonged treatment with sOT.

A facile synthesis of a cobalt nanoparticle-graphene nanocomposite with high-performance and triple-band electromagnetic wave absorption properties.

Ferromagnetic metal nanoparticle/graphene nanocomposites are promising as excellent electromagnetic (EM) wave absorption materials. In this work, we used a facile method to synthesize a cobalt nanoparticle-graphene (CoNP-G) nanocomposite. The obtained CoNPs-G exhibited a saturation magnetization ( ) of 31.

Safety and preliminary efficacy of intravenous tirofiban in acute ischemic stroke patient without arterial occlusion on neurovascular imaging studies.

Background: There has been no effective treatment for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients who presented to the Emergency Department >4.5h without a visible arterial occlusion on the neurovascular imaging studies. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether intravenous antiplatelet agent tirofiban was safe and potentially effective in AIS patients who had no visible arterial occlusion and was outside of treatment window for Alteplase.

Environmental-Friendly and Facile Synthesis of CoO Nanowires and Their Promising Application with Graphene in Lithium-Ion Batteries.

In this work, we developed an eco-friendly strategy for preparing CoO nanowires. The process consisted of two steps: controllable synthesis of metal cobalt nanowires followed by a facile air-oxidization step. The 1D nanowire structure with a high aspect ratio was easily achieved via a magnetic-field-assisted self-assembly of cobalt ion complexes during reduction.

Comorbidity Burden of Dementia: A Hospital-Based Retrospective Study from 2003 to 2012 in Seven Cities in China.

Dementia is increasing dramatically and imposes a huge burden on society. To date, there is a lack of data on the health status of patients with dementia in China. In an attempt to investigate the comorbidity burden of dementia patients in China at the national level, we enrolled 2,938 patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), vascular dementia (VaD), or other types of dementia, who were admitted to tertiary hospitals in seven regions of China from January 2003 to December 2012.

Serum cystatin C is associated with large cerebral artery stenosis in acute ischemic stroke.

Large cerebral artery stenosis is a major cause of acute ischemic stroke (AIS); however, the correlation between serum cystatin C (CysC) and the stenosis of large cerebral arteries in patients with AIS has not been established. We performed a retrospective review of acute ischemic stroke patients, who were examined by cerebral digital subtraction angiography(DSA). Participants (252 cases) included 131 patients without stenosis and 121 patients with large cerebral artery stenosis.

Synthesis and catalytic application of magnetic Co-Cu nanowires.

A rapid, template-free method was developed to prepare magnetic, bimetallic Co-Cu nanowires via liquid phase reduction and metal replacement under an external magnetic field. The characterization results confirmed that the as-prepared product was bimetallic Co-Cu nanowires with a desirable linear structure. Additionally, the magnetic hysteresis loop showed that the bimetallic Co-Cu nanowires were paramagnetic, which meant they could be easily separated from the reaction mixture.

Identification of a serotype-independent linear epitope of foot-and-mouth disease virus.

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), caused by foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV), is a highly contagious infectious disease that affects domestic and wild cloven-hoofed animals worldwide. VP2 is a structural protein of FMDV. In this study, an FMDV serotype-independent monoclonal antibody (MAb), 10B10, against the viral capsid protein VP2 was generated, and a series of GST fusion proteins expressing a truncated peptide of VP2 was subjected to Western blot analysis using MAb 10B10.

Promoting Charge Separation and Injection by Optimizing the Interfaces of GaN:ZnO Photoanode for Efficient Solar Water Oxidation.

Photoelectrochemical water splitting provides an attractive way to store solar energy in molecular hydrogen as a kind of sustainable fuel. To achieve high solar conversion efficiency, the most stringent criteria are effective charge separation and injection in electrodes. Herein, efficient photoelectrochemical water oxidation is realized by optimizing charge separation and surface charge transfer of GaN:ZnO photoanode.

The role of microbial diversity and composition in minimizing sludge production in the oxic-settling-anoxic process.

The oxic-settling-anoxic (OSA) process, which involves an aerobic tank attached to oxygen- and substrate-deficient external anoxic reactors, minimizes sludge production in biological wastewater treatment. In this study, the microbial community structure of OSA was determined. Principal coordinate analysis showed that among the three operational factors, i.

proBDNF Accelerates Brain Amyloid-β Deposition and Learning and Memory Impairment in APPswePS1dE9 Transgenic Mice.

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is pathologically known for the amyloid-β (Aβ) deposition, neurofibrillary tangles, and neuronal loss in the brain. The precursor of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (proBDNF) before proteolysis has opposing functions to its mature form in neuronal survival and neurite growth. However, the role of proBDNF in the pathogenesis of AD remains unclear.

Biological mechanisms discriminating growth rate and adult body weight phenotypes in two Chinese indigenous chicken breeds.

Background: Intensive selection has resulted in increased growth rates and muscularity in broiler chickens, in addition to adverse effects, including delayed organ development, sudden death syndrome, and altered metabolic rates. The biological mechanisms underlying selection responses remain largely unknown. Non-artificially-selected indigenous Chinese chicken breeds display a wide variety of phenotypes, including differential growth rate, body weight, and muscularity.

A hemicyanine-based colorimetric and ratiometric fluorescent probe for selective detection of cysteine and bioimaging in living cell.

A new ratiometric fluorescent probe based on a hemicyanine dye was synthesized. Investigation on the response behavior towards amino acids showed that the probe had a capability of rapidly and selectively detecting cysteine over other biothiols such as glutathione and homocysteine with similar structure and reactivity, and it also displayed a high selectivity and rapid response. Moreover, the probe had good water solubility, which authorized it could be applied in fluorescent bioimaging.

Comorbidity burden of patients with Parkinson's disease and Parkinsonism between 2003 and 2012: A multicentre, nationwide, retrospective study in China.

Parkinson's disease (PD) and Parkinsonism are common neurodegenerative disorders with continuously increasing prevalence, causing high global burdens. However, data concerning the comorbidity burden of patients with PD or Parkinsonism in China are lacking. To investigate the health condition and comorbidity burden, a total of 3367 PD and 823 Parkinsonism patients were included from seven tertiary hospitals in seven cities across China from 2003 to 2012.

Very early recurrence predicts long-term outcome in patients after atrial fibrillation catheter ablation: a prospective study.

Background: Long-term recurrence (LR) is a tendency that re-occurs within 3 months after catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF). Whether very early recurrence (VER) within 7 days of post ablation is a prognostic factor of LR or not is unclear. For this reason, present study sought to examine the relationship between VER and LR.