An integrated strategy for the comprehensive profiling of the chemical constituents of Aspongopus chinensis using UPLC-QTOF-MS combined with molecular networking

ContextThe extracts of Aspongopus chinensis Dallas (Pentatomidae), an insect used in traditional Chinese medicine, have a complex chemical composition and possess multiple pharmacological activities.ObjectiveThis study comprehensively characterizes the chemical constituents of A. chinensis by an integrated targeted and untargeted strategy using UPLC-QTOF-MS combined with molecular networking.Materials and methodsThe ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF-MS) combined with molecular networking-based dereplication was proposed to facilitate the identification of the chemical constituents of aqueous and ethanol extracts of A. chinensis. The overall strategy was designed to avoid the inefficiency and costliness of traditional techniques. The targeted compounds discovered in the A. chinensis extracts were identified by searching a self-built database, including fragment ions, precursor ion mass, and other structural information. The untargeted compounds were identified by analyzing the relationship between different categories, fragmentation pathways, mass spectrometry data, and the structure of the same cluster of nodes within the molecular network. The untargeted strategy was verified using commercial standard samples under the same mass spectrometry conditions.ResultsThe proposed integrated targeted and untargeted strategy was successfully applied to the comprehensive profiling of the chemical constituents of aqueous and ethanol extracts of A. chinensis. A total of 124 compounds such as fatty acids, nucleosides, amino acids, and peptides, including 74 compounds that were reported for the first time, were identified in this study.ConclusionsThe integrated strategy using LC tandem HRMS combined with molecular networking could be popularised for the comprehensive profiling of chemical constituents of other traditional insect medicines.     

关节镜辅助复位内固定与切开复位内固定治疗胫骨平台骨折的疗效比较

目的:比较关节镜辅助复位内固定（ARIF）和切开复位内固定（ORIF）治疗胫骨平台骨折的疗效。方法:回顾性分析2016年1月至2018年8月华中科技大学附属协和医院骨科收治的75例胫骨平台骨折患者的资料。男58例,女17例;年龄20~54岁,平均47岁。左侧42例,右侧33例。骨折根据Schatzker分型：Ⅰ型23例...     

Avian IRF1 and IRF7 Play Overlapping and Distinct Roles in Regulating IFN-Dependent and -Independent Antiviral Responses to Duck Tembusu Virus Infection

Avian interferon regulatory factors 1 and 7 (IRF1 and IRF7) play important roles in the host’s innate immunity against viral infection. Our previous study revealed that duck tembusu virus (DTMUV) infection of chicken fibroblasts (DF1) and duck embryo fibroblasts (DEFs) induced the expression of a variety of IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs), including VIPERIN, IFIT5, CMPK2, IRF1, and IRF7. IRF1 was further shown to play a significant role in regulating the up-expression of VIPERIN, IFIT5, and CMPK2 and inhibiting DTMUV replication. In this study, we confirm, through overexpression and knockout approaches, that both IRF1 and IRF7 inhibit DTMUV replication, mainly via regulation of type I IFN expression, as well as the induction of IRF1, VIPERIN, IFIT5, CMPK2, and MX1. In addition, IRF1 directly promoted the expression of VIPERIN and CMPK2 in an IFN-independent manner when IRF7 and type I IFN signaling were undermined. We also found that non-structural protein 2B (NS2B) of DTMUV was able to inhibit the induction of IFN-β mRNA triggered by Newcastle disease virus (NDV) infection or poly(I:C) treatment, revealing a strategy employed by DTMUV to evade host’s immunosurveillance. This study demonstrates that avian IRF7 and IRF1 play distinct roles in the regulation of type I IFN response during DTMUV infection.     

Research on Design and Performance of Self-Compacting Cement Emulsified Bitumen Mixture (CEBM)

To meet the needs of the road industry for maintenance operations, a new cement emulsified bitumen mixture (CEBM) with early-strength, self-compacting, and room-temperature construction characteristics was designed. The strength formation mechanism of CEBM was revealed with a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and the surface free energy (SFE) theory. The mechanical properties and road performance of the CEBM were investigated extensively. The results show that before the demulsification of emulsified bitumen, the SFE of the bitumen–aggregate–water three-phase system was reduced due to the replacement of the bitumen–aggregate interface with water. The adhesion work between the emulsified bitumen and the aggregate is negative, which means the adhesion between the emulsified bitumen and the aggregate will not occur spontaneously due to the existence of water. The liquid emulsified bitumen improves the workability of the mixture and ensures that the mixture can be evenly mixed and self-compacted. After demulsification, the work of adhesion between the residual bitumen and the aggregate is positive, which means residual bitumen and aggregate can bond spontaneously. In addition, the hydration products of cement and aggregate form a skeleton, and the emulsified bitumen film wraps and bonds the cement and aggregate together, creating strength. The emulsified bitumen, cement content, and curing conditions have significant effects on the stability of CEBM. The recommended dosage of emulsified bitumen and cement is 8% and 8–10%, respectively. This material integrates the hardening effect of cement and the viscoelastic performance of bitumen and has good workability, mechanical properties, and road performance. Therefore, the CEBM is technically feasible for application to bitumen pavement.     

Adolescent Knowledge,Attitudes and Practices of Healthy Eating: Findings of Qualitative Interviews among Hong Kong Families

To tackle unhealthy eating among adolescents, it is crucial to understand the dietary knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) on which adolescent eating habits are based. This qualitative study identifies the gaps in KAP by exploring what Chinese adolescents know, perceive, and practice regarding healthy eating to better inform targeted interventions for this important health problem. Parent–adolescent dyads were purposively sampled based on, for example, the dietary intake, age, and gender of the adolescent and household income, and each completed a 30 to 60 min interview. Twelve themes were synthesized: knowledge: (1) dietary recommendations, (2) health outcomes of healthy eating, (3) nutrition content in food, and (4) access to healthy meals; attitudes: (5) outcome expectation for healthy eating, (6) food preferences, and (7) self-efficacy regarding adopting healthy eating; and practices: (8) going grocery shopping for healthy food, (9) eating home-prepared meals. (10) eating out in restaurants or consuming takeaway food, (11) fruit and vegetable consumption, and (12) snacking, perceived unhealthy eating to be low risk, made unhealthy choices regarding snacking and eating out, and had insufficient fruit and vegetable intake. Programs should emphasize the positive short-term health outcomes of healthy eating and empower adolescents to acquire food preparation skills to sustain healthy eating habits.     

Functionalization of Se-Te Nanorods with Au Nanoparticles for Enhanced Anti-Bacterial and Anti-Cancer Activities

The use of medical devices for therapeutic and diagnostic purpose is globally increasing; however, bacterial colonization on therapeutic devices can occur, causing severe infections in the human body. It has become an issue for public health. It is necessary to develop a nanomaterial based on photothermal treatment to kill toxic bacterial strains. Appropriately, high photothermal conversion and low-cost powerful photothermal agents have been investigated. Recently, gold nanocomposites have attracted great interest in biological applications. Here, we prepared rod-shaped Se-Te@Au nanocomposites of about 200 nm with uniform shape and surface-coated with gold nanoparticles for the first time showing high anti-bacterial and anti-cancer activities. Se-Te@Au showed proper structural consistency and natural resistance to bacterial and cancer cells. The strong absorption and high photothermal conversion efficacy made it a good photothermal agent material for the photothermal treatment of bacterial and cancer cells. The Se-Te@Au rod showed excellent anti-bacterial efficacy against Gram-negative Escherichia coli and Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus, with highest recorded inhibition zones of 25 ± 2 mm and 22 ± 2 mm, respectively. More than 99% of both types of strains were killed after 5 min with a near-infrared (NIR) laser at the very low concentration of 48 µg/mL. The Se-Te@Au rod’s explosion in HeLa cells was extensively repressed and demonstrated high toxicity at 100 µg/mL for 5 min when subjected to an NIR laser. As a result of its high photothermal characteristics, the exceptional anti-bacterial and anti-cancer effects of the Se-Te@Au rod are considerably better than those of other methods previously published in articles. This study could open a new framework for sterilization applications on the industrial level.     

A Novel Model of Ultrasonic Fatigue Test in Pure Bending

The very high cycle fatigue (VHCF) failure of in-service components is mainly caused by the vibration of thin-wall elements at a high frequency. In this work, a novel model of ultrasonic fatigue test was developed to test thin-wall material in bending up to VHCF with an accelerated frequency. The theoretical principle and finite element analysis were introduced for designing a sample that resonated at the frequency of 20 kHz in flexural vibration. In the advantage of the second-order flexural vibration, the gauge section of the sample was in the pure bending condition which prevented the intricate stress condition for thin-wall material as in the root of cantilever or the contact point of three points bending. Moreover, combining the constraint and the loading contact in one small section significantly reduced heating that originated from the friction at an ultrasonic frequency. Both strain gauge and deflection angle methods were applied to verify the controlling of stress amplitude. The fractography observation on Ti6Al4V samples indicated that the characterized fracture obtained from the novel model was the same as that from the conventional bending test.     

First-Principles Study on the Adsorption Behavior of O2 on the Surface of Plutonium Gallium System

To deeply understand the adsorption process of oxygen on the surface of a plutonium gallium system and to reveal the chemical reaction mechanism at the initial stage of oxidative corrosion on the surface of plutonium gallium alloy at a theoretical level, the adsorption behavior of oxygen molecules on the surface of a plutonium gallium system was investigated by a first-principles approach based on density flooding theory. The results show that the molecular bond length increases and finally breaks when the surface oxygen molecule is adsorbed on the surface of plutonium gallium system and dissociates into two atomic states. The most likely adsorption position of oxygen molecules on the surface of plutonium gallium system is hole-site vertical adsorption with the adsorption energy size of 10.7 eV. The bonding between oxygen atom and surface is mainly due to the overlapping hybridization of Pu-6s, Pu-7s, Pu-6d, Ga-3d and O-2p orbitals. Oxygen molecules mainly interact with the atoms of the first layer on the surface of the plutonium gallium system. The oxygen atoms after stable adsorption are able to diffuse to the subsurface of the plutonium gallium system after overcoming the energy barrier of 16.7 eV and form a stable structure. The research results reveal the initial reaction process and adsorption law of oxygen on the surface of plutonium gallium system from microscopic level, which is helpful to further explore the surface corrosion prevention technology of plutonium gallium system and improve the reliability and safety of plutonium gallium alloy components.     

Effect of Bi,Sb, and Ti on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of SAC105 Alloys

The Sn-Ag-Cu (SAC) solder alloys with a low Ag (Ag < 3 wt.%) content have attracted great attention owing to their low cost, increased ability in bulk compliance, and plastic energy dissipation. However, some of their mechanical properties are generally lower than the SAC alloys with a higher Ag content. Adding alloying elements is an effective approach for improving the mechanical properties of the SAC alloys. In this study, the effect of Bi, Sb, and Ti on Sn-1 wt.%Ag-0.5 wt.%Cu (SAC105) solder alloys was investigated. The SAC solders with four compositions: SAC105-1 wt.%Bi, SAC105-1 wt.%Sb, SAC105-1 wt.%Bi-1 wt.%Sb, SAC105-1 wt.%Bi-1 wt.%Sb-0.4 wt.%Ti were prepared. The microstructure and phase compositions were characterized using electron scanning microscopy, and X-ray diffraction. The thermal properties and wettability were also examined. Uniaxial tensile tests and nano-indentation tests were conducted to evaluate the mechanical properties. The results show that adding Bi or Sb could increase the strength of SAC105 alloys mainly due to the solid solution strengthening effect. The creep resistance of SAC105 alloys was also improved with the additions of Bi and Sb. The co-additions of Bi and Sb into SAC105 alloys exhibit an enhanced creep resistance than that calculated by the theoretical calculation. The further addition of Ti into SAC105-1Bi-1Sb alloys demonstrated a much-improved creep resistance, which could be attributed to the synergistic effects of both solid solution strengthening and the precipitation hardening effects.     

Time-Dependent Seismic Fragility of Typical Concrete Girder Bridges under Chloride-Induced Corrosion

Recent studies highlighted the importance of the combined effects of prestress loss and corrosion deterioration for concrete girder bridge structures when the effect of damage on the performance level is estimated. The multi-deterioration mechanisms connected with chloride erosion include the cross-sectional area loss of longitudinal bars and stirrups, the reduction in the ductility, the decrease in the strength of steels and the strength loss of concrete in RC columns. For the corroded RC columns and corroded elastomeric bridge bearings, analytical models of the material degradation phenomena were employed for performing the probabilistic seismic performance analysis, which could obtain the system seismic fragility of aging bridges by considering the failure functionality of multiple correlated components (e.g., columns, bearings). The combined effects of prestress loss and cracking were also considered when developing time-dependent system seismic fragility functions. Here, a typical multi-span reinforced concrete girder bridge was used as a case study for studying the time-variant seismic performance. The results revealed the importance of the joint effects of the multi-deterioration mechanisms when modeling the time-dependent seismic fragility of aging bridge systems, as well as the significance of considering the combined effects of prestress loss and cracking.