Bisphenol A (BPA) acts as xenoestrogen and has a great impact on disorders of human reproductive system. However, the mechanism through which BPA can affect human testicular function remains to be identified. GPR30 is a novel membrane estrogen receptor with high-affinity and low-capacity binding to estrogens. We demonstrated that estrogen receptor α (ERα), estrogen receptor β (ERβ) as well as GPR30 are expressed in mouse spermatocyte-derived GC-2 cells using Real-time PCR. We treated the cells with different doses of BPA and found that even low doses of BPA can inhibit GC-2 cell growth using MTT assay. To make sure which receptor is responsible for the biological function of BPA, we used ER down-regulator ICI and indicated that BPA could bind to GPR30. We also observed that BPA was able to induce Erk1/2 phosphorylation in GC-2 cells and proved that this process was mediated by GPR30–related EGFR-MAPK pathway using western blot. By Real-time PCR, we found that the expression of c-Fos was up-regulated and Cyclin D1 gene was down-regulated, in the presence of BPA and ICI. The results of MTT assay, comet assay and flow cytometry indicated that the activation of GPR30 induced by BPA inhibited the cell growth and induced cell apoptosis and ICI, GPR30 siRNA, EGFR inhibitor (AG), and MAPK (PD) inhibitor could partially reverse this effect. Immunohistochemistry on the testis of BPA –damaged mice showed that BPA induced spermatocyte apoptosis without affecting the seminiferous tubules and spermatocyte. In conclusion, BPA triggered spermatocyte apoptosis via GPR30.

The structures of small cationic silver clusters Ag (n = 3-13) are investigated by comparing measured far-infrared multiple photon dissociation spectra of cluster-argon complexes with the calculated harmonic vibrational spectra of different low-energy structural isomers. A global structure search was carried out using the CALYPSO structure prediction method, after which isomers were locally optimized with the meta GGA functional TPSS. The obtained structures of the cationic silver clusters are mostly consistent with earlier ion mobility measurements and photodissociation spectroscopy studies for Ag (n = 3-11) and allowed excluding several structural isomers that were considered in those earlier studies, which illustrates the strength of combining multiple experimental techniques for conclusive structural identification. The growth pattern of the cationic silver clusters is discussed and differences with other cationic coinage metal clusters are highlighted.

Energy problems arise with the proliferation of mobile electronic devices, which range from entertainment tools to life saving medical instruments. The large amount of energy consumption and increasing mobility of electronic devices make it urgent that new power sources should be developed. It has been gradually recognized that the human body is highly flexible in generating applicable power from sources of heat dissipation, joint rotation, enforcement of body weight, vertical displacement of mass centers, and even elastic deformation of tissues and other attachments. These basic combinations of daily activities or metabolic phenomena open up possibilities for harvesting energy which is strong enough to power mobile or even implantable medical devices which could be used for a long time or be recharged permanently. A comprehensive review is presented in this paper on the latest developed or incubating electricity generation methods based on human power which would serve as promising candidates for future mobile power. Thermal and mechanical energy, investigated more thoroughly so far, will particularly be emphasized. Thermal energy relies on body heat and employs the property of thermoelectric materials, while mechanical energy is generally extracted in the form of enforcement or displacement excitation. For illustration purposes, the piezoelectric effect, dielectric elastomer and the electromagnetic induction couple, which can convert force directly into electricity, were also evaluated. Meanwhile, examples are given to explain how to adopt inertia generators for converting displacement energy via piezoelectric, electrostatic, electromagnetic or magnetostrictive vibrators. Finally, future prospects in harvesting energy from human power are made in conclusion.

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Abstract. Genipin, a natural compound derived from the fruit of Gardenia jasminoides, possesses numerous biological properties. The aim of the present study was to investigate the anticancer effects of genipin in human bladder cancer. T24 and 5637 bladder cancer cells were treated with different concentrations of genipin (0-200 µM) and tested for cell viability, colony formation, cell cycle progression and apoptosis. A xenograft model of bladder cancer was established to determine the anticancer effect of genipin in vivo. The involvement of the phosphoinositide-3 kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway in the action of genipin was examined. Genipin treatment significantly inhibited the viability and clonogenic growth of bladder cancer cells and inhibited the growth of T24 xenograft tumors, compared with vehicle controls (P<0.05). Genipin-treated cells exhibited a cell cycle arrest at the G0/G1-phase, which was accompanied by a deregulation of numerous cell cycle regulators. Genipin-treated cells demonstrated a significant increase in the percentage of apoptotic cells, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, Bax translocation to the mitochondria and the release of cytochrome c to the cytosol. Additionally, genipin treatment significantly (P<0.05) reduced the phosphorylation levels of PI3K and Akt in bladder cancer cells. Importantly, genipin-mediated anticancer effects were reversed by the overexpression of constitutively active Akt. In conclusion, to the best of our knowledge, the present study demonstrates for the first time the growth inhibitory effects of genipin in bladder cancer cells, and indicates its potential as a natural anticancer agent for bladder cancer.

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Abstract:The effects of corrosive media on rotating bending fatigue lives (the cyclic numbers from 10 4 to 10 8 ) of different aluminum alloys were investigated, which involved the corrosion fatigue lives of five kinds of aluminum alloys in air, at 3.5 wt. % and 5.0 wt. % NaCl aqueous solutions. Experimental results indicate that corrosive media have different harmful influences on fatigue lives of different aluminum alloys, in which the differences of corrosion fatigue lives depend strongly on the plastic property (such as the elongation parameter) of aluminum alloys and whether to exist with and without fracture mode II. The other various influence factors (such as the dropping corrosive liquid rate, the loading style, and the nondimensionalization of strength) of corrosion fatigue lives in three media were also discussed in detail by using the typical cases. Furthermore, fracture morphologies and characteristics of samples, which showed the different fatigue cracking behaviors of aluminum alloys in three media, were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) in this paper.