Antioxidant survey to assess antagonism to redox stress using a prokaryotic and an eukaryotic system

Using a prokaryote (Escherichia coli) and a metazoa-resembling eukaryote (Ochromonas danica), we surveyed antioxidants which might overcome redox stress imposed by menadione sodium bisulphite (MD) and buthionine sulphoximine (BSO). BSO oxidant stress was evident only inO. danica; MD oxidant stress was evident in both organisms. Glutathione, its precursors, e.g. cysteine, homocysteine, and 2-oxo-4-thiazolidine carboxylic acid, and red blood cells, emerged as prime antioxidants for relieving BSO and MD oxidant stress. BSO and MD oxidant activity and antioxidant-annulling effect inO. danica were judged comparable to those found in animal cells whereas the resultsE. coli were not entirely equivalent. TheO. danica system emerged as a practical, rapid, and useful system for pinpointing oxidant stressors and antioxidants, and shows promise for studies with mammalian systems.     

A vascular niche and a VEGF-Nrp1 loop regulate the initiation and stemness of skin tumours

Angiogenesis is critical during tumour initiation and malignant progression. Different strategies aimed at blocking vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptors have been developed to inhibit angiogenesis in cancer patients. It has become increasingly clear that in addition to its effect on angiogenesis, other mechanisms including a direct effect of VEGF on tumour cells may account for the efficiency of VEGF-blockade therapies. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) have been described in various cancers including squamous tumours of the skin. Here we use a mouse model of skin tumours to investigate the impact of the vascular niche and VEGF signalling on controlling the stemness (the ability to self renew and differentiate) of squamous skin tumours during the early stages of tumour progression. We show that CSCs of skin papillomas are localized in a perivascular niche, in the immediate vicinity of endothelial cells. Furthermore, blocking VEGFR2 caused tumour regression not only by decreasing the microvascular density, but also by reducing CSC pool size and impairing CSC renewal properties. Conditional deletion of Vegfa in tumour epithelial cells caused tumours to regress, whereas VEGF overexpression by tumour epithelial cells accelerated tumour growth. In addition to its well-known effect on angiogenesis, VEGF affected skin tumour growth by promoting cancer stemness and symmetric CSC division, leading to CSC expansion. Moreover, deletion of neuropilin-1 (Nrp1), a VEGF co-receptor expressed in cutaneous CSCs, blocked VEGF's ability to promote cancer stemness and renewal. Our results identify a dual role for tumour-cell-derived VEGF in promoting cancer stemness: by stimulating angiogenesis in a paracrine manner, VEGF creates a perivascular niche for CSCs, and by directly affecting CSCs through Nrp1 in an autocrine loop, VEGF stimulates cancer stemness and renewal. Finally, deletion of Nrp1 in normal epidermis prevents skin tumour initiation. These results may have important implications for the prevention and treatment of skin cancers.     

Friction-stir-welded overaged 7020-T6 alloy joint: an investigation on the effect of rotational speed on the microstructure and mechanical properties

Commercial A7020-T6 plates in the overaged state were subjected to friction stir welding with four different tool rotational speeds of 500, 710, 1000, and 1400 r/min and a single traverse feed rate of 40 mm/min. The resultant changes in the welding heat input, microstructure, and the mechanical properties of the joints were investigated. The changes were related to the processes of growth, dissolution, and re-formation of precipitates. The precipitate evolution was examined by differential scanning calorimetry, and the microstructural analysis was conducted using optical, scanning, and transmission electron microscopes. The results showed that the grain size in the stirred zone(SZ) decreased substantially compared with the base metal, but increased with tool rotational speed because of the rise in temperature. We found that the width of the heat-affected zone increased with tool rotational speed. The hardness and the tensile strength in the SZ increased with increasing heat input compared with the base metal in the overaged condition. This recovery in mechanical properties of the joints can be attributed to the dissolution and re-formation of precipitates in the SZ and the thermomechanically affected zone. This process is referred to as an "auto-aging treatment."     

Distinct contribution of stem and progenitor cells to epidermal maintenance

The skin interfollicular epidermis (IFE) is the first barrier against the external environment and its maintenance is critical for survival. Two seemingly opposite theories have been proposed to explain IFE homeostasis. One posits that IFE is maintained by long-lived slow-cycling stem cells that give rise to transit-amplifying cell progeny, whereas the other suggests that homeostasis is achieved by a single committed progenitor population that balances stochastic fate. Here we probe the cellular heterogeneity within the IFE using two different inducible Cre recombinase–oestrogen receptor constructs targeting IFE progenitors in mice. Quantitative analysis of clonal fate data and proliferation dynamics demonstrate the existence of two distinct proliferative cell compartments arranged in a hierarchy involving slow-cycling stem cells and committed progenitor cells. After wounding, only stem cells contribute substantially to the repair and long-term regeneration of the tissue, whereas committed progenitor cells make a limited contribution.     

Neurotoxic effect of leptophos

Zusammenfassung Nachweis, dass Leptophos eine sehr niedrige akute Toxizität für männliche Hühnchen hat und einen neurotoxischen Effekt bei Dosen von 180–300 mg/kg verursacht. Dagegen haben Cyolane und Cytrolane eine hochakute Toxizität und verursachen nach oraler Verabreichung keine Neurotoxizität.     

FDTD计算功率变换器近场到近/远场的转换

从理论上分析了利用时间有限差分法由近场到近场或远场转换的频域和时域两种方法，并选择时域的方法计算在FDTD计算范围内一给定点的电场值，与直接利用FDTD法得到的结果相比较，两者非常一致；最后利用该方法计算了功率变换器FDTD计算范围外一给定点的电磁场时间响应．     

Influences of poly (vinyl alcohol) molecular weight and carbon nanotubes on radiation crosslinking shape memory polymers

Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) of two molecular weights was used to prepare shape memory polymers based on chemical-crosslinking by glutaraldehyde. The chemical-crosslinking was done in the presence of 2-carboxyethyl acrylate oligomers (CEA) and nano-filler [multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) and functionalized carbon nanotubes (MWCNT-NH2)] followed by radiation-induced crosslinking. The analysis of the material revealed an increase in the gel fraction and a significant reduction in swelling of the nanocomposite material that was crosslinked with both glutaraldehyde and ionizing radiation. The radiation crosslinked nanocomposites demonstrated approximately a 90% gelation over a range of 50–300 kGy irradiation doses. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis showed a homogeneous distribution of nanocomposites in the composite matrix. The thermal properties of radiation crosslinked (PVA/CEA) and (PVA-CEA)-nano-fillers were investigated by a thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The mechanical properties were examined via dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) which showed significant variation because of the addition of nanocomposites. This radiation crosslinked materials show good shape memory behavior that may be useful in many applications based on the range of temperatures at which Tan δ appears.     

A PSL Ontology-based Shop Floor Dynamical Scheduler Design

Due to the complex, uncertainty and dynamics in the modern manufacturing environment, a flexible and robust shop floor scheduler is essential to achieve the production goals. A design framework of a shop floor dynamical scheduler is presented in this paper. The workflow and function modules of the scheduler are discussed in detail. A multi-step adaptive scheduling strategy and a process specification language, which is an ontology-based representation of process plan, are utilized in the proposed scheduler. The scheduler acquires the dispatching rule from the knowledge base and uses the buildin on-line simulator to evaluate the obtained rule. These technologies enable the scheduler to improve its fine-tune ability and effectively transfer process information into other heterogeneous information systems in a shop floor. The effectiveness of the suggested structure will be demonstrated via its application in the scheduling system of a manufacturing enterprise.