Discovery of New Antiproliferative Imidazopyrazole Acylhydrazones Able To Interact with Microtubule Systems

Even though immunotherapy has radically changed the search for anticancer therapies, there are still many different pathways that are open to intervention with traditional small molecules. To expand our investigation in the anticancer field, we report here a new series of compounds in which our previous pyrazole and imidazopyrazole scaffolds are linked to a differently decorated phenyl ring through an acylhydrazone linker. Preliminary tests on the library were performed at the National Cancer Institute (USA) against the full NCI 60 cell panel. The best compounds among the imidazopyrazole series were then tested by immunofluorescence staining for their inhibition of cell proliferation, apoptosis induction, and their effect on the cell cycle and on microtubules. Two compounds, in particular 4-benzyloxy-3-methoxybenzyliden imidazopyrazole-7-carbohydrazide showed good growth inhibition, with IC₅₀ values in the low-micromolar range, and induced apoptosis. Both compounds altered the cell-cycle phases with the appearance of polyploid cells. Immunofluorescence analysis evidenced microtubules alterations; tubulin polymerization assays and docking studies suggested the tubulin system to be the possible, although not exclusive, target of the new acylhydrazone series reported here.     

美国全面制裁伊朗对中国能源安全的影响与对策建议

美国自2018年5月宣布重启对伊朗全面制裁,伊朗再次成为国际社会关注的焦点。本文系统梳理了伊朗能源禀赋及开发利用现状,分析了伊朗对中国能源安全的保障程度及其优势,发现1997~2017年伊朗对中国石油安全的保障程度呈波动上升态势,对维护中国油气资源供给安全具有重要意义,认为中伊能源合作具有战略互补性、地缘政治优势、经济优势、历史文化基础和降低美元计价风险等优势。在上述基础上,本文从能源价格、供给渠道和运输安全三方面剖析了此次美国全面制裁伊朗对中国能源安全可能产生的影响,并从规避美国制裁风险和保障国家能源安全角度,提出了相关对策建议。     

The alginate fermentation strain Pantoea sp. F16-PCAi-T3P21 and ethanol production

Bio-ethanol production from algae is a promising way to help solve the energy problem. Alginate is a major component of algae, but it cannot be utilized by existing ethanol fermentation microorganisms. In order to improve the utilization rate of brown algae, high alginate fermentation strains should be obtained. In this research, strains for algae fermentation were got from several experiments. The ethanol yield of strain A was the highest, which was 0.095 g/g (ethanol to alginate). The identification of strain A was carried out and it was 99% identical to Pantoea sp. F16-PCAi-T3P21. Fermentation experiments with different substrates were carried out, such as laminaran, mannitol, L. japonica and acid hydrolysate of L. japonica, and the ethanol yield rate of L. japonica acid hydrolysate was the highest, which reached 0.17 g/g ethanol to L. japonica. It showed that strain A can converse alginate to ethanol in a relatively high yield rate, and might be a promising strain with L. japonica as the substrate, we believe more research should be carried out on this strain.     

Advances in neutron imaging

Imaging techniques based on neutron beams are rapidly developing and have become versatile non-destructive analyzing tools in many research fields. Due to their intrinsic properties, neutrons differ strongly from electrons, protons or X-rays in terms of their interaction with matter: they penetrate deeply into most common metallic materials while they have a high sensitivity to light elements such as hydrogen, hydrogenous substances, or lithium. This makes neutrons perfectly suited probes for research on materials that are used for energy storage and conversion, e.g., batteries, hydrogen storage, fuel cells, etc. Moreover, their wave properties can be exploited to perform diffraction, phase-contrast and dark-field imaging experiments. Their magnetic moment allows for resolving magnetic properties in bulk samples. This review will focus on recent applications of neutron imaging techniques in both materials research and fundamental science illustrated by examples selected from different areas.     

Investigation on the anti-reduction mechanism of Ti4+ in high dielectric constant system Ca0.9La0.067TiO3 by doping with Al2O3

Ca_0.9La_0.067TiO₃ (abbreviated as CLT) ceramics doped with different amount of Al₂O₃ were prepared via the solid state reaction method. The anti-reduction mechanism of Ti⁴⁺ in CLT ceramics was carefully investigated. X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to analyze the phase composition and lattice structure. Meanwhile, the Rietveld method was taken to calculate the lattice parameters. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was employed to study the valence variation of Ti ions in CLT ceramics without and with Al₂O₃. The results showed that Al³⁺ substituted for Ti⁴⁺ to form solid solution and the solid solubility limit of Al³⁺ is near 1.11 mol%. Furthermore, the reduction of Ti⁴⁺ in CLT ceramics was restrained by acceptor doping process and the Q × f values of CLT ceramics were improved significantly. The CLT ceramic doped with 1.11 mol% Al₂O₃ exhibited good microwave dielectric properties: ε_r = 141, Q × f = 6848 GHz, τ_f = 576 ppm/°C.     

Delineation of mineral potential zone using high resolution aeromagnetic data over part of Nasarawa State,North Central,Nigeria

Qualitative analysis of aeromagnetic data of part of Nasarawa State had been carried out with the aim of delineating mineral potential zone. The study area is bounded by Longitude 8.0°E – 9.0°E and Latitude 8.0°N – 9.5°N with an estimated total area of 18,150?km². Different filters were used to enhance the short wavelength anomalies which could give preliminary information about the magnetic minerals present in the study area. The total magnetic intensity map shows variation of both highs and lows magnetic signature ranges from ?51.2?nT to 110.4?nT after the removal of IGRF value of 33,000?nT; the highs which is basement dominates the north-eastern and north-western part of the study area which corresponds to Akwanga, Wamba and Nasarawa Eggon; these are areas with promising solid minerals of economic potentials like, gold at Wamba; Tin, Columbite and Tantalite at Akwanga while Granite rocks with possible radioactive elements are in abundance at Nasarawa Eggon. The low magnetic values on the other hand, which is made up of sediment deposition also dominates the southern part of the study area, this area corresponds to Lafia, Doma and Keana; Lafia and Doma host some industrial minerals like Clay, glass Sands and the Salt Brines at Keana. The major high magnetic signature trends east-west. The greenish part of the study area indicates alluvium deposition. The filters used are vertical derivatives, downward continuation and analytic signal. The first and second vertical derivatives; shows structures like lineament that could be the host to minerals present in the study area and it trends NE-SW. The downward continued at the depth of 50?m and 100?m shows the veins where magnetic minerals most especially gold are known to settle along igneous and metamorphic rocks. The analytic signal map shows that magnetic amplitude highs could be found at the northern end with most lineaments delineated also conform to other filter used. The tilt derivative map enhances short wavelength anomalies which could be used to mapped shallow basement structures and mineral exploration targets. The results of these filters agreed largely and since most magnetic minerals are structural controls, it is expected that those lineaments identified, most especially at the northern part, could play host to those minerals aforementioned.     

Effect of ultrasonication treatment and fermentation by probiotic Lactobacillus plantarum strains on goat milk bioactivities

In the present research, the effects of continuous ultrasound treatment (100 W, 30 kHz; 0%, 30%, 60% and 90% amplitudes, 15 min) and fermentation process (37°C, 24 h) on the growth of Lactobacillus plantarum LP3 and LU5 strains and bioactive properties (peptide content, α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibition, anticancer and antioxidant activities and exopolysaccharide content) of goat milk were investigated. According to our results, the ultrasonication of milk up to 60% amplitude promoted the growth of Lactobacillus strains and enhanced the bioactive properties compared with control during fermentation, while, the ultrasonication at 90% amplitude had negative effects on the mentioned parameters. Exopolysaccharide content, α-amylase inhibition, α-glucosidase inhibition, antioxidant activity and anticancer activity of treated samples at 60% amplitude at the end of fermentation in comparison to its beginning were increased 18.09, 12.79, 12.44, 9.4 and 1.92 folds, respectively. Also, the increase of assayed characteristics was found strain-dependent, so that L. plantarum LP3 was more effective than LU5 strain.     

基于双层修正无迹卡尔曼的水下节点定位算法* .txt

摘要：针对水下无线传感网络中运动节点定位精度低的问题，提出了一种新的基于双层修正无迹卡尔曼的水下节点定位算法(DLMUKF)。该算法利用下层无迹卡尔曼滤波算法对节点状态进行预测，根据各信标节点的测距传播时延对预测的节点状态进行修正。运用上层无迹卡尔曼滤波算法对修正后的状态进行新的预测与修正。仿真实验中，DLMUKF算法的平均定位误差约为传统多边定位算法的15%，约为基于无迹卡尔曼滤波（UKF）定位算法的16%，受节点运动时间与速度的影响最小。通过实验证明DLMUKF算法能更充分利用实际距离值，可以有效减小运动节点的定位误差。 .txt