Multifunctional artificial nacre via biomimetic matrix-directed mineralization

Natural nacre, one of the most studied biological structural materials with delicate hierarchical structures and extraordinary performance, has inspired the design and fabrication of artificial structural ceramics with high fracture toughness. However, to meet the diverse requirements of different applications, future structural materials must be multifunctional with superior mechanical properties, such as strength, hardness, and toughness. Herein, based on the matrix-directed mineralization method for producing biomimetic structural materials, we introduce nanoparticles with different inherent functions into the platelets of artificial nacre via the co-mineralization of aragonite and the nanoparticles. Besides their enhanced mechanical properties, the obtained artificial nacre materials also exhibit different functions depending on the type of the nanoparticles. To extend the versatility of this strategy, the effects of nanoparticles of different sizes and zeta potentials on mineralization are also analyzed. This universal strategy can be applied to the fabrication of other types of functionalized biomimetic structural ceramics that have potential applications in various fields, such as biomedical science.     

Prion protein cleavage fragments regulate adult neural stem cell quiescence through redox modulation of mitochondrial fission and SOD2 expression

Neurogenesis continues in the post-developmental brain throughout life. The ability to stimulate the production of new neurones requires both quiescent and actively proliferating pools of neural stem cells (NSCs). Actively proliferating NSCs ensure that neurogenic demand can be met, whilst the quiescent pool makes certain NSC reserves do not become depleted. The processes preserving the NSC quiescent pool are only just beginning to be defined. Herein, we identify a switch between NSC proliferation and quiescence through changing intracellular redox signalling. We show that N-terminal post-translational cleavage products of the prion protein (PrP) induce a quiescent state, halting NSC cellular growth, migration, and neurite outgrowth. Quiescence is initiated by the PrP cleavage products through reducing intracellular levels of reactive oxygen species. First, inhibition of redox signalling results in increased mitochondrial fission, which rapidly signals quiescence. Thereafter, quiescence is maintained through downstream increases in the expression and activity of superoxide dismutase-2 that reduces mitochondrial superoxide. We further observe that PrP is predominantly cleaved in quiescent NSCs indicating a homeostatic role for this cascade. Our findings provide new insight into the regulation of NSC quiescence, which potentially could influence brain health throughout adult life.     

Blockage of the NLRP3 inflammasome by MCC950 improves anti-tumor immune responses in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

The NLRP3 inflammasome is a critical innate immune pathway responsible for producing active interleukin (IL)-1β, which is associated with tumor development and immunity. However, the mechanisms regulating the inflammatory microenvironment, tumorigenesis and tumor immunity are unclear. Herein, we show that the NLRP3 inflammasome was over-expressed in human HNSCC tissues and that the IL-1β concentration was increased in the peripheral blood of HNSCC patients. Additionally, elevated NLRP3 inflammasome levels were detected in tumor tissues of Tgfbr1/Pten 2cKO HNSCC mice, and elevated IL-1β levels were detected in the peripheral blood serum, spleen, draining lymph nodes and tumor tissues. Blocking NLRP3 inflammasome activation using MCC950 remarkably reduced IL-1β production in an HNSCC mouse model and reduced the numbers of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), regulatory T cells (Tregs) and tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs). Moreover, inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation increased the numbers of CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells in HNSCC mice. Notably, the numbers of exhausted PD-1⁺ and Tim3⁺ T cells were significantly reduced. A human HNSCC tissue microarray showed that NLRP3 inflammasome expression was correlated with the expression of CD8 and CD4, the Treg marker Foxp3, the MDSC markers CD11b and CD33, and the TAM markers CD68 and CD163, PD-1 and Tim3. Overall, our results demonstrate that the NLRP3 inflammasome/IL-1β pathway promotes tumorigenesis in HNSCC and inactivation of this pathway delays tumor growth, accompanied by decreased immunosuppressive cell accumulation and an increased number of effector T cells. Thus, inhibition of the tumor microenvironment through the NLRP3 inflammasome/IL-1β pathway may provide a novel approach for HNSCC therapy.     

Microbes,mathematics, and models

Microbial model systems have a long history of fruitful use in fields that include evolution and ecology. In order to develop further insight into modelling practice, we examine how the competitive exclusion and coexistence of competing species have been modelled mathematically and materially over the course of a long research history. In particular, we investigate how microbial models of these dynamics interact with mathematical or computational models of the same phenomena. Our cases illuminate the ways in which microbial systems and equations work as models, and what happens when they generate inconsistent findings about shared targets. We reveal an iterative strategy of comparative modelling in different media, and suggest reasons why microbial models have a special degree of epistemic tractability in multimodel inquiry.     

基于长期实测的南京栖霞山长江大桥车辆荷载分析

为准确掌握南京栖霞山长江大桥车辆荷载的统计特性及变化规律,基于该桥动态称重系统记录的2014-2016年数据,研究各车道上不同轴数车辆的分布特点及变化规律,并分析不同轴数车辆各轴轴质量随车质量的变化规律.采用K-means聚类方法对同轴数车辆进行分类,将各类型车辆的轴距、轴质量参数与现行标准进行比较.结果 表明:在大桥所有通行车辆中,二轴车辆为主要类型且所占比例逐年增加,到2016年其通行数量占通行车辆总数的比例为87.42％;5种不同轴数代表车辆中二轴、六轴车辆参数与现行标准相近,与现行标准中三轴、五轴车辆参数相近的车辆不是桥上主要通行车辆类型;各轴数车辆代表轴质量均在轴荷载允许限值内.     

页岩气低伤害超临界CO2凝胶压裂液研究

针对常规水压裂液会对页岩造成伤害，容易产生水锁，不易返排，还造成水资源消耗和污染环境等问题，制备了低伤害二氧化碳凝胶压裂液。将自备的F2EU和F4EU增稠剂加入到超临界CO₂基液中，探究两种增稠剂的加入量对CO₂凝胶压裂液黏度的影响，综合考虑成本与效果，优选了2%的F4EU增稠剂，可将CO₂的黏度增至15.4 mPa·s。研究了温度、压力以及剪切速率对凝胶压裂液黏度的影响。实验结果表明，随着温度升高黏度总体降低，但中间出现一个短暂升高阶段；随着压力上升压裂液黏度增加；随着剪切速率的增加压裂液黏度下降，属于一种典型的剪切变稀的假塑性流体。F4EU超临界CO₂凝胶压裂液的平均伤害率为1.39%，远远小于常规压裂液对岩芯的伤害率。实验表明，F4EU超临界CO₂凝胶压裂液在页岩气压裂开采中具有良好的应用前景。     

Comparative genetic differentiation study of three coexisting mangrove crabs in western Atlantic

ABSTRACT

A multispecies approach may reveal the factors influencing the genetic differentiation of coexisting species along a wide geographic area. Our aim was to compare the genetic differentiation of mangrove crabs coexisting along the western Atlantic in order to verify if there are common barriers, using two mitochondrial DNA markers to quantify genetic differentiation, variance and diversity. In addition, we included a mismatch distribution to check demographic history. Our data revealed that species with similar pelagic larval duration had either high genetic differentiation or the absence of genetic structure. These results can be explained by factors that contribute to genetic differentiation, such as the presence of large estuarine areas (acting as barriers), ocean currents, and larval behaviour. Also, historical events that promoted the isolation of some areas in the past, such as glacial cycles during the Pleistocene, could have caused the observed high levels of genetic divergence in some species.     

剩余类环上多项式的同余性质

设Z/p~nZ是模p~n剩余类环.本文证明了U={f(x)∈Z/p~nZ[x]|f(a)≡0(modp~n),■a∈Z}是自由生成的Z/p~nZ-模,给出了它的一组基,还证明了商环(Z/p~nZ[x])/U是有限环,并通过这组基确定了商环(Z/p~nZ[x])/U中的元素个数.     

Forecasting Longevity Gains Using a Seemingly Unrelated Time Series Model

In this paper a multivariate time series model using the seemingly unrelated time series equation (SUTSE) framework is proposed to forecast longevity gains. The proposed model is represented in state space form and uses Kalman filtering to estimate the unobservable components and fixed parameters. We apply the model both to male mortality rates in Portugal and the USA. Our results compare favorably, in terms of mean absolute percentage error, in‐sample and out‐of‐sample, to those obtained by the Lee–Carter method and some of its extensions. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.