N,S,Br co-doped carbon dots:One-step synthesis and fluorescent detection of 6-mercaptopurine in tablet

6-mercaptopurine(6-MP),a purine derivative(3,7-dihydropurine-6-thione),has been utilized as an effective immunosuppressive drug for clinically treating leukemia and other autoimmune diseases[1].6-MP and its corresponding metabolites can suppress the function of RnaseH,and thus they are cytotoxic and threaten the human health[2].Therefore,the accurate quantification of 6-MP is crucial.To date,researchers continue to expend considerable effort in developing 6-MP detection methods.Fluorescence analysis eliminates disadvantages,such as toxic solvents,expensive equipment.

Effective Elimination of Hazardous Chromium (VI) Using Periodic Elements and Contemporary Adsorption Methods by Using Magnesium Ferrite Nanoparticle: A Review

A well-known hazardous metal and top contaminant in wastewater is hexavalent chromium. The two forms of most commonly found chromium are chromate ( CrO 4 2− ) and dichromate ( Cr 2 O 7 2− ). Leather tanning, cooling tower blow-down, plating, electroplating, rinse water sources, anodizing baths etc. are the main sources of Cr (VI) contamination. The Cr (VI) is not only non-biodegradable in the environment but also carcinogenic to living population. It is still difficult to treat Cr contaminated waste water effectively, safely, eco-friendly, and economically. As a result, many techniques have been used to treat Cr (VI)-polluted wastewater, including adsorption, chemical precipitation, coagulation, ion-exchange, and filtration. Among these practices, the most practical method is adsorption for the removal of Cr (VI) from aqueous solutions, which has gained widespread acceptance due to the ease of use and affordability of the equipment and adsorbent. It has been revealed that Fe-based adsorbents’ oxides and hydroxides have high adsorptive potential to lower Cr (VI) content below the advised threshold. Fe-based adsorbents were also discovered to be relatively cheap and toxic-free in Cr (VI) treatment. Fe-based adsorbents are commonly utilized in industry. It has been discovered that nanoparticles of Fe-, Ti-, and Cu-based adsorbents have a better capacity to remove Cr (VI). Cr (VI) was effectively removed from contaminated water using mixed element-based adsorbents (Fe-Mn, Fe-Ti, Fe-Cu, Fe-Zr, Fe-Cu-Y, Fe-Mg, etc.). Initial findings suggest that Cr (VI) removal from wastewater may be accomplished by using magnesium ferrite nanomaterials as an efficient adsorbent.

MODELING STUDY ON REMOVAL OF NITRATE IN WATER SYSTEM BY BACTERIA TRANSPLANTED IN UNSATURATED ZONE

With a view to treating the nitrate pollution in water systems,this article presents a novel method for eliminating nitrate from wastewater by bacteria through unsaturated zone. First,highly efficient denitrifiers suitable for underground environment have been studied based on the biochemical characterization and denitrifying mechanism of microorganisms. Then the nitrate-eliminating modeling study in soil columns was carried out with the obtained denitrifier. The results show that the nitrate-eeliminating efficiency can reach 98%,so it has practical value in controlling nitrate pollution in water systems.

Highly Thermoconductive,Strong Graphene‑Based Composite Films by Eliminating Nanosheets Wrinkles

Graphene-based thermally conductive composites have been proposed as effective thermal management materials for cooling high-power electronic devices.However,when flexible graphene nanosheets are assembled into macroscopic thermally conductive composites,capillary forces induce shrinkage of graphene nanosheets to form wrinkles during solution-based spontaneous drying,which greatly reduces the thermal conductivity of the composites.Herein,graphene nanosheets/aramid nanofiber(GNS/ANF)composite films with high thermal conductivity were prepared by in-plane stretching of GNS/ANF composite hydrogel networks with hydrogen bonds andπ-πinteractions.The in-plane mechanical stretching eliminates graphene nanosheets wrinkles by suppressing inward shrinkage due to capillary forces during drying and achieves a high in-plane orientation of graphene nanosheets,thereby creating a fast in-plane heat transfer channel.The composite films(GNS/ANF-60 wt%)with eliminated graphene nanosheets wrinkles showed a significant increase in thermal conductivity(146 W m^(−1)K^(−1))and tensile strength(207 MPa).The combination of these excellent properties enables the GNS/ANF composite films to be effectively used for cooling flexible LED chips and smartphones,showing promising applications in the thermal management of high-power electronic devices.

Bone palsy eliminates granules to regulate Wnt/PI3K-AKT signaling pathway and intervene in hormonal osteonecrosis of the femoral head in rabbits

Objective:To investigate the therapeutic effect of osteopathic osteopathy on hormonal osteonecrosis in rabbits by regulating the Wnt/PI3K-AKT signaling pathway.Methods:Thirty clean-grade New Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into control group,model group and experimental group,and all except for the control group,allogeneic serum combined with glucocorticoids were used to establish animal models of simulated hormonal osteonecrosis of the femoral head.After successful modeling,the experimental group was given the model group and the control group the same amount of normal saline,and the experimental group was given bone palsy granule concentrate according to the equivalent dose of humans and rabbits,once a day for 8 weeks,and after intraperitoneal anesthesia,blood was collected from the extracorporeal heart and the serum ALP and TGF-β1 levels were detected by immunoenzyme-linked adsorption.The experimental animals were sacrificed,,and the bilateral femoral heads of rabbits were removed for hematoxylin-eosin staining,and the apoptosis of cells in the femoral head area was observed by TUNEL staining.RT-qPCR analyzed the expression of Bax and Bcl-2 genes,and Western blot detected the expression levels of pathway proteins Wnt,β-catenin,GSK-3β,AKT and p-AKT.Results:Compared with the control group,the expression levels of ALP and TGF-β1 in rabbit bone tissue in the model group decreased significantly(P<0.05),the bone trabeculae were sparse and thinned,the number of hollow bone fosses and the number of apoptosis-positive cells increased significantly(P<0.05),the expression of pro-apoptotic gene Bax was increased,and the expression of anti-apoptotic gene Bcl-2 was inhibited(P<0.05).After the intervention and treatment of bone palsy granules,the hollow bone depression and apoptosis of rabbit bone tissue in the experimental group were effectively improved(P<0.05).In addition,compared with the model group,the osteopathic elimination particles could upregulate the expression of ALP and TGF-β1(P<0.05),promote the expression of pathway proteins Wnt andβ-catenin,increase the phosphorylation level of AKT,and downregulate the expression of GSK-3β(P<0.05).Conclusion:Under glucocorticoids,osteoblast development dysfunction and apoptosis increase.Bone palsy granules can regulate the two signaling pathways of Wnt/PI3K-AKT,promote osteoblast development and inhibit apoptosis,effectively maintain bone metabolic balance,prolong the collapse time of the femoral head,and further treat osteonecrosis of the femoral head.

Theobroma cacao improves bone growth by modulating defective ciliogenesis in a mouse model of achondroplasia

A gain-of-function mutation in the fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 gene(FGFR3)results in achondroplasia(ACH),the most frequent form of dwarfism.Constitutive activation of FGFR3 impairs bone formation and elongation and many signal transduction pathways.Identification of new and relevant compounds targeting the FGFR3 signaling pathway is of broad importance for the treatment of ACH,and natural plant compounds are prime drug candidate sources.Here,we found that the phenolic compound(-)-epicatechin,isolated from Theobroma cacao,effectively inhibited FGFR3’s downstream signaling pathways.Transcriptomic analysis in an Fgfr3 mouse model showed that ciliary mRNA expression was modified and influenced significantly by the Indian hedgehog and PKA pathways.(-)-Epicatechin is able to rescue mRNA expression impairments that control both the structural organization of the primary cilium and ciliogenesis-related genes.In femurs isolated from a mouse model(Fgfr3^(Y367C/+))of ACH,we showed that(-)-epicatechin eliminated bone growth impairment during 6 days of ex vivo culture.In vivo,we confirmed that daily subcutaneous injections of(-)-epicatechin to Fgfr3^(Y367C/+) mice increased bone elongation and rescued the primary cilium defects observed in chondrocytes.This modification to the primary cilia promoted the typical columnar arrangement of flat proliferative chondrocytes and thus enhanced bone elongation.The results of the present proof-of-principle study support(-)-epicatechin as a potential drug for the treatment of ACH.

SINGLE TONE JAMMING ELIMINATION SCHEME OF MULTICARRIER SPREAD SPECTRUM SYSTEM

The proposed scheme is based on Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) domain processing. The key technology of this scheme is jamming parameters' accurate estimation and jamming reconstruction. Compared with the 'threshold exciser' scheme the proposed scheme can eliminate more jamming energy on the whole frequency band with the minimum loss of useful signal energy. As shown in the research and simulation, the proposed scheme is much better than the 'threshold exciser' scheme, especially in the case of high power jamming whereas the 'threshold exciser' scheme might be invalid.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor signaling in the neuromuscular junction during developmental axonal competition and synapse elimination

During the development of the nervous system,there is an overproduction of neurons and synapses.Hebbian competition between neighboring nerve endings and synapses performing different activity levels leads to their elimination or strengthening.We have extensively studied the involvement of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor-Tropomyosin-related kinase B receptor neurotrophic retrograde pathway,at the neuromuscular junction,in the axonal development and synapse elimination process versus the synapse consolidation.The purpose of this review is to describe the neurotrophic influence on developmental synapse elimination,in relation to other molecular pathways that we and others have found to regulate this process.In particular,we summarize our published results based on transmitter release analysis and axonal counts to show the different involvement of the presynaptic acetylcholine muscarinic autoreceptors,coupled to downstream serine-threonine protein kinases A and C(PKA and PKC)and voltage-gated calcium channels,at different nerve endings in developmental competition.The dynamic changes that occur simultaneously in several nerve terminals and synapses converge across a postsynaptic site,influence each other,and require careful studies to individualize the mechanisms of specific endings.We describe an activity-dependent balance(related to the extent of transmitter release)between the presynaptic muscarinic subtypes and the neurotrophin-mediated TrkB/p75NTR pathways that can influence the timing and fate of the competitive interactions between the different axon terminals.The downstream displacement of the PKA/PKC activity ratio to lower values,both in competing nerve terminals and at postsynaptic sites,plays a relevant role in controlling the elimination of supernumerary synapses.Finally,calcium entry through L-and P/Q-subtypes of voltage-gated calcium channels(both channels are present,together with the N-type channel in developing nerve terminals)contributes to reduce transmitter release and promote withdrawal of the most unfavorable nerve terminals during elimination(the weakest in acetylcholine release and those that have already become silent).The main findings contribute to a better understanding of punishment-rewarding interactions between nerve endings during development.Identifying the molecular targets and signaling pathways that allow synapse consolidation or withdrawal of synapses in different situations is important for potential therapies in neurodegenerative diseases.

A Numerical Method for Solving Ill-Conditioned Equation Systems Arising from Radial Basis Functions

Continuously differentiable radial basis functions (C∞-RBFs), while being theoretically exponentially convergent are considered impractical computationally because the coefficient matrices are full and can become very ill- conditioned. Similarly, the Hilbert and Vandermonde have full matrices and become ill-conditioned. The difference between a coefficient matrix generated by C∞-RBFs for partial differential or integral equations and Hilbert and Vandermonde systems is that C∞-RBFs are very sensitive to small changes in the adjustable parameters. These parameters affect the condition number and solution accuracy. The error terrain has many local and global maxima and minima. To find stable and accurate numerical solutions for full linear equation systems, this study proposes a hybrid combination of block Gaussian elimination (BGE) combined with arbitrary precision arithmetic (APA) to minimize the accumulation of rounding errors. In the future, this algorithm can execute faster using preconditioners and implemented on massively parallel computers.

Experiences of Mothers on the Utilization of Elimination of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV Services at Mtendere Clinic, Lusaka

Introduction: Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is one of the leading causes of mortality among women of reproductive age and Mother to Child Transmission of Human immunodeficiency virus is still a challenge affecting many countries. Globally, an estimation of 180,000 children under 15 years acquire the Human immunodeficiency virus every day, and more than 90% of those infections are due to Mother to Child Transmission. The study sought to explore the experiences of mothers on the Elimination of Mother to Child Transmission-HIV services at Mtendere Clinic, Lusaka. Materials and Methods: Qualitative interpretive phenomenology study design was employed using in-depth interviews to collect data from a sample that was selected using purposive sampling technique. Thirteen participants were recruited, and these were HIV-positive mothers at least between the ages of 15 and 49 years and enrolled in the Elimination of Mother To Child Transmission-HIV program. The in-depth interviews were audiotape recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data was analyzed using thematic method. Findings: Three main themes that emerged are;living with HIV, support system and barriers to utilization of Elimination of Mother To Child Transmission-HIV services. Most of the participants expressed having acquired knowledge from the program, and received counselling and support from spouses, family as well as health personnel at Mtendere health facility which culminated into a positive experience and enhanced their uptake of the Elimination of Mother to Child Transmission-HIV services. However, barriers to service utilization were identified and these included fear of stigma, negative attitudes from health workers, long waiting times, lack of support and lack of transport to the health facility. Conclusion: Interventions such as community awareness campaigns on Elimination of Mother To Child Transmission-HIV, male involvement and implementing mother-to-mother peer support strategies in Elimination of Mother To Child Transmission-HIV service utilization should be prioritized so as to alleviate stigma and enhancing a positive experience for these mothers thus reducing on the Mother to Child HIV Transmission burden and mortality rates.

Historic accounts of Mansonella parasitaemias in the South Pacific and their relevance to lymphatic filariasis elimination efforts today

There are two species of filarial parasites with sheathless microfilariae known to commonly cause parasitaemias in humans:Mansonella perstans and Mtinsonella ozzardi.In most contemporary accounts of the distribution of these parasites,neither is usually considered to occur anywhere in the Eastern Hemisphere.However,Sir Patrick Manson,who first described both parasite species,recorded the existence of sheathless sharp-tailed Mansonella ozzardilike parasites occurring in the blood of natives from New Guinea in each and every version of his manual for tropical disease that he wrote before his death in 1922.Manson's reports were based on his own identifications and were made from at least two independent blood sample collections that were taken from the island.Pacific region Mansonella perstans parasitaemias were also later(in 1923) reported to occur in New Guinea and once before this(in 1905) in Fiji.Although Mansonella-parasilaernias are generally regarded as benign,they are thought to be of public health importance because they can affect the epidemiological monitoring of other filarial diseases.In this article,we reviewed the historic literature concerning Pacific-origin Mansonella-parasitaemias in an attempt to explain how,despite repeated reports of Pacificregion Mansonella-parasilaemias,by as early as the 1970 s,the WHO had arrived at the presentday view that Wuchereria bancrofti is the only cause of filarial parasitaemias in Papua New Guinea.We have also evaluated the evidence supporting the contemporary existence of Pacificarea parasitaemia-causing Mansonella parasites and assessed the relevance such parasites could have for present-day lymphatic filariasis elimination efforts in the region.

Conversion of 3,4-Dihydroxypyrrolidine-2,5-Dione to Maleimide through Tosylation and Mechanism Study by DFT

Pyrrolidine-2,5-dione and maleimide are important scaffolds of many organic substances, and their derivatives are now attracting more and more interests from researchers in organic synthesis, medicinal chemistry, and drug development. Tosyloxy (-OTs) group is an important functional group widely used in organic synthesis, because it can be readily prepared from alcohols and is an excellent leaving group. However, surprisingly, substances bearing tosyloxy groups on pyrrolidine-2,5-dione or maleimide scaffolds are very rare. In this study, we discovered that, when treated with TsCl/Et3N,?trans-3,4-dihydroxypyrrolidine-2,5- dione will eliminate a TsOH molecule to form monotosyloxymaleimide. Thermodynamic and kinetic factors affecting this reaction were investigated by theoretical computation using density functional theory (DFT), and the possible reaction mechanism was proposed based on the computation results. Our results showed that tosylates of trans -3,4-dihydroxypyrrolidine- 2,5-dione, either monotosylate or ditosylate, are thermodynamically instable and may spontaneously convert to maleimides. This knowledge could be useful in understanding the properties of pyrrolidine-2,5-diones and maleimides, as well as the related organic synthesis.

Coreless apples generated by the suppression of carpel genes and hormone-induced fruit set

Seedless fruits have high consumer appeal and have made seeded varieties obsolete in some crops.In seedless apple varieties,core tissues which normally contain the seed can be unpalatable,reducing the seedless appeal.Apples are accessory fruit with edible flesh derived from hypanthial tissue–a floral tube fused to a compound ovary.Here we show that through suppression of AGAMOUS-like carpel identity genes and hormone induced fruit set,it is possible to generate coreless and therefore seedless apples.Suppression of AGAMOUS-like genes increased petal whorls and fully eliminated carpel development.Treatments with a combination of gibberellin,cytokinin and auxin,rather than single treatments,were required for fruit initiation in these lines.Transcriptomic analysis of agamous RNAi lines suggested conservation of AGAMOUS-dependent gene networks between apple and Arabidopsis.In the absence of all sexual tissues,the developing fruit continues to grow and follow a ripening process similar to that of a regular apple.The coreless phenotype offers a new concept for pipfruit consumers improving convenience and reducing food waste.

In-situ Elimination Effect on Heavy Metals in Contaminated Soil from the Mining Area by Ramie

[Objective] The aim was to study on in-situ elimination effect on heavy metals in soil of the mining area by ramie （Boehmeria nivea （L.） Gaud.）. [Methods] Based on Xiangzhu No.3 and Zhongzhu No.1, we conducted research on heavy metals contents of plants growing in soil of Qibao Mountain orefield in Liuyang, Hunan Province, and on characteristics of enrichment and transfer of heavy metals （Cu, Pb, Cd, Zn） under influence of the two ramie species. [Result] It was concluded that trend of Cu content in different parts of ramie was as follows： rootskinleafbone; trend of Pb was rootleafskinbone; trend of Cd was rootskinboneleaf; the trend of Zn was rootskinboneleaf. In farmland A （with low content of heavy metal）, for per square meter of plough horizon, effect of Zhong 1 on heavy metals transferring volume and the period for restoration of the soil into national standard one （Category Ⅲ of Environmental Quality Standard for Soil） have been concluded. Specifically, for Cu, the corresponding values were 3 404.44 mg and 8.59 y, respectively; for Pb, the values were 3 638.5 mg and 13.52 y; for Cd, the values were 720.48 mg and 1.49 y; for Zn, the values were 37 324.8 mg and 0.67 y. [Conclusion] Soil contaminated by Cu, Pb, Cd, and Zn in orefield can be rapidly restored by growing ramie.

A novel transcription factor CmMYB012 inhibits flavone and anthocyanin biosynthesis in response to high temperatures in chrysanthemum

Flavones are among the major colorless pigments synthesized through branches of the flavonoid pathway in plants.However,due to the absence of a gene encoding flavone synthase(FNS)in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana species,the regulatory mechanism of FNS-catalyzed flavone biosynthesis has rarely been studied in plants.Here,it was found that flavones play a predominant role in the elimination of excess reactive oxygen species(ROS)at high temperatures in colorless plant organs.A novel atypical subgroup 7(SG7)R2R3-MYB transcription factor,CmMYB012,was found to be induced in response to prolonged high temperatures and to inhibit flavone biosynthesis by directly regulating CmFNS.Moreover,CmMYB012 was also found to inhibit anthocyanin biosynthesis by suppressing the expression of CmCHS,CmDFR,CmANS,and CmUFGT.CmMYB012 overexpression exerted a negative in fluence on plant fitness and pink flower color formation,while CmMYB012 suppression had the opposite effect in response to high temperatures.Our findings provide new insights into the mechanisms by which high temperatures regulate the metabolism of flavones and anthocyanins to affect plant fitness and flower color formation.

Effect of pre-culture on virus elimination from in vitro apple by thermotherapy coupled with shoot tip culture

We evaluated the role of pre-culture on survival rate of in vitro apple plants treated by thermotherapy. Two apple cultivars, Malusxdomestica cv. Pink Lady and Huafu, were used in the experiment and both have widely grown in China and infected with Apple chlorotic leafspot virus （ACLSV） and Apple stem grooving virus （ASGV）. Results in growth and virus titer of apple plants did not exhibit clear trends during five different periods of pre-culture. Whilst, pre-culture increased the survival rate of the two cultivars during thermotherapy. The survival rate of plants pre-cultured for 13 d （P-13d） was 14 and 51% higher than that of P-ld plants for Pink Lady and Huafu, respectively. Moreover, pre-culture positively influenced regeneration of Huafu plants. The average survival rate of plants regenerated from P-ld and P-4d was 20% lower than that regenerated from P-7d, P-10d, and P-13d. The efficiency of virus eradication was determined by reverse-transcription PCR with two primer pairs for each virus, and the detection results showed that pre-culture scarcely affected apple virus elimination. Despite the fact that the two viruses were hardly detected at 5 d of thermotherapy, no virus-free plants were found in the two cultivars of regenerated apple plantlets after 30-d treatment.

Experimental Studies on Elimination of Microbial Contamination by Hydroxyl Radicals Produced by Strong Ionization Discharge

Using fogdrops of OH^· radicals to eliminate microbial contamination is an effective way to solve the current domestic and international problem. The results show that the threshold of OH solution used in the experiment is 0.6 mg/L, the lethal time is 1 s, and the spray density of OH solution is 21 μL/m^2. The experimental results show that the OH radical possesses the following advantages： celerity, low lethal concentration and spray density, short lethal time, and absence of secondary pollution.

Hepatitis B virus infection and hepatocellular carcinoma in sub- Saharan Africa: Implications for elimination of viral hepatitis by 2030?

Elimination of viral hepatitis in sub-Saharan Africa by 2030 is an ambitious feat.However,as stated by the World Health Organization,there are unprecedented opportunities to act and make significant contributions to the elimination target.With 60 million people chronically infected with hepatitis B virus(HBV)of whom 38800 are at risk of developing highly fatal hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)every year,sub-Saharan Africa faces one of the greatest battles towards elimination of viral hepatitis.There is a need to examine progress in controlling the disproportionate burden of HBV-associated HCC in sub-Saharan Africa within the context of this elimination target.By scaling-up coverage of hepatitis B birth dose and early childhood vaccination,we can significantly reduce new cases of HCC by as much as 50%within the next three to five decades.Given the substantial reservoir of chronic HBV carriers however,projections show that HCC incidence and mortality rates in sub-Saharan Africa will double by 2040.This warrants urgent public health attention.The trends in the burden of HCC over the next two decades,will be determined to a large extent by progress in achieving early diagnosis and appropriate linkage to care for high-risk chronic HBV infected persons.

Relationship of quantitative structure and pharmacokinetics in fluoroquinolone antibacterials

AIM： To study the relationship between quantitative structure and pharmacokinetics （QSPkR） of fluorocluinolone antibacterials.METHODS： The pharmacokinetic （PK） parameters of oral fluoroquinolones were collected from the literature. These pharmacokinetic data were averaged, 19 compounds were used as the training set, and 3 served as the test set. Genetic function approximation （GFA） module of Cerius2 software was used in QSPkR analysis.RESULTS： A small volume and large polarizability and surface area of substituents at C-7 contribute to a large area under the curve （AUC） for fluoroquinolones. Large polarizability and small volume of substituents at N-1 contribute to a long half life elimination.CONCLUSION： QSPkR models can contribute to some fluoroquinolones antibacterials with excellent pharmacokinetic properties.

CVOCs elimination by catalytic combustion

Chlorinated volatile organic compounds(CVOCs)are widely used in industry as solvents intermediates,which are highly toxic and a contributor for secondary organic aerogels,tropospheric ozone and photochemical smog[1].Many technologies have been developed to eliminate CVOCs emission.Catalytic combustion is regarded as one of the most economical and reliable technologies.The development of catalytic combustion system includes exploring reaction devices,reaction processes and catalysts,among which the key task is to develop highperformance catalysts.