Spindle Structure Research Articles

Engineered and Durable Antimicrobial Polymer via Controllable Immobilization of Ionic Liquids onto the Poly(lactic acid) Chains.

Nowadays, the development of effective modification methods for PLA has gained significant interest because of the wide application of antimicrobial PLA materials in the medical progress. Herein, the ionic liquid (IL) 1-vinyl-3-butylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, has been grafted onto the PLA chains successfully in the PLA/IL blending films via electron beam (EB) radiation for the miscibility between PLA and IL. It was found that the existence of IL in the PLA matrix can significantly improve the chemical stability under EB radiation. The Mn of PLA-g-IL copolymer did not change obviously but was just decreased from 6.80 × 104 g/mol to 5.20 × 104 g/mol after radiation with 10 kGy. The obtained PLA-g-IL copolymers showed excellent filament forming property during electrospinning process. The spindle structure on the nanofibers can be completely eliminated after feeding only 0.5 wt % ILs for the improvement of ionic conductivity. Specially, the prepared PLA-g-IL nonwovens exhibited outstanding and durable antimicrobial activity for the enrichment of immobilized ILs on the nanofiber surface. This work provides a feasible strategy to realize the modification of functional ILs onto PLA chains with low EB radiation doses, which may have huge potential application in the medical and packaging industry.

Optimization of cooling water jacket structure of high-speed electric spindle based on response surface method

In high-precision machining machine tools, the high-speed electric spindle is the fundamental transmission component. Nonetheless, the electric spindle's small and tightly sealed internal structure may result in insufficient heat dissipation, resulting in significant heat accumulation during continuous operation. This might induce thermal displacement of the spindle and reduce machine tool machining precision. A response surface was established by a 2-factor 3-level interaction experiment utilizing Design-expert software to reduce the heat displacement of the electric spindle. The electric spindle cooling water jacket was optimized and front and rear bearing cooling water channels were added based on the response surface results. The thermal-solid coupling simulation was carried out using ANSYS, and the optimized data for the front and rear bearing temperature, as well as spindle thermal displacement, were obtained through simulation analysis. Comparing the simulation with the experimental data, it was found that the front and rear bearing temperature decreased by 4.34 °C and 8.97 °C, respectively, and the spindle thermal displacement was reduced by 16.57 μm, resulting in improved machining accuracy. The service life of the bearings was further prolonged by the decreased thermal stress between the inner and outer rings and the balls of the front and rear bearings.

EB1 decoration of microtubule lattice facilitates spindle-kinetochore lateral attachment in Plasmodium male gametogenesis

Faithful chromosome segregation of 8 duplicated haploid genomes into 8 daughter gametes is essential for male gametogenesis and mosquito transmission of Plasmodium. Plasmodium undergoes endomitosis in this multinucleated cell division, which is highly reliant on proper spindle-kinetochore attachment. However, the mechanisms underlying the spindle-kinetochore attachment remain elusive. End-binding proteins (EBs) are conserved microtubule (MT) plus-end binding proteins and play an important role in regulating MT plus-end dynamics. Here, we report that the Plasmodium EB1 is an orthologue distinct from the canonical eukaryotic EB1. Both in vitro and in vivo assays reveal that the Plasmodium EB1 losses MT plus-end tracking but possesses MT-lattice affinity. This MT-binding feature of Plasmodium EB1 is contributed by both CH domain and linker region. EB1-deficient parasites produce male gametocytes that develop to the anucleated male gametes, leading to defective mosquito transmission. EB1 is localized at the nucleoplasm of male gametocytes. During the gametogenesis, EB1 decorates the full-length of spindle MTs and regulates spindle structure. The kinetochores attach to spindle MTs laterally throughout endomitosis and this attachment is EB1-dependent. Consequently, impaired spindle-kinetochore attachment is observed in EB1-deficient parasites. These results indicate that a parasite-specific EB1 with MT-lattice binding affinity fulfills the spindle-kinetochore lateral attachment in male gametogenesis.

Hydrothermal synthesis of spindle structure copper ferrite-graphene oxide nanocomposites for enhanced photocatalytic dye degradation and in-vitro antibacterial activity

In this study, a one-step hydrothermal approach was used to make pure magnetic copper ferrite (CuFe2O4) and copper ferrite-graphene oxide (CuFe2O4-rGO) nanocomposites (NCs) and spinel structure CuFe2O4 with a single phase of tetragonal CuFe2O4-rGO-NCs was confirmed by the XRD. Then, characterization of CuFe2O4-rGO-NCs was done using ng Raman spectroscopy, FT-IR, TGA-DTA, EDS, SEM, and TEM. The synthesized NCs was exposed to UV light to evaluate its photocatalytic activity for the degradation of methylene blue (MB) and rhodamine B (RhB) with CuFe2O4 and CuFe2O4-rGO-NCs, respectively. The catalyst CuFe2O4-rGO-NCs provided higher degradation of MB (94%) than for RhB (86%) under UV light irradiation compared to CuFe2O4. Further, the antibacterial activities of CuFe2O4-NPs and CuFe2O4-rGO-NCs were tested against Gram-negative and -positive bacterial pathogens such as Vibrio cholera (V. cholera); Escherichia coli (E. coli); Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa); Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis); Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus); and Staphylococcus epidermidis (S. epidermidis) by well diffusion method. At 100 μg/mL concentrations of CuFe2O4-rGO-NCs, maximal growth inhibition was shown against E. coli (18 mm) and minimum growth inhibition against S. epidermidis (12 mm). This study suggests that CuFe2O4-rGO-NCs as a high-efficacy antibacterial material and plays an important role in exhibiting higher sensitivity depending on concentrations. The results encourage that the synthesized CuFe2O4-rGO-NCs can be used as a promising material for the antibacterial activity and also for dye degradation in the water/wastewater treatment plants.

Nonclassical and Classical Crystallization: The Formation of Spindle-Shaped CaCO3 Covered with Abundant Nanoscale Rhombic Calcite Subunits

As an essential inorganic material, calcium carbonate (CaCO3) is one of the most abundant minerals in nature, whose preparation by the carbonation of calcium hydroxide [Ca(OH)2] suspension involves complex physical and chemical processes due to the presence of gas–solid–liquid phases. It is challenging to accurately predict the final morphology of CaCO3. In this paper, a novel spindle-shaped CaCO3 covered with a mass of nanoscale rhombic calcite subunits was prepared via the carbonation method. This structure was mainly formed by the aggregation of nanoparticles in the pre-reaction stage and turned into a classical ion–ion growth process at the stage of the late reaction. During the pre-reaction period, solid Ca(OH)2 kept the solution supersaturated and made the aggregation of nanoparticles dominate and assemble to form the nanochains of CaCO3. Subsequently, the aggregation of nanochains formed a dumbbell shape, which was accompanied by the recrystallization of nanoparticles inside aggregates to create an ordered single-crystal spindle structure. Finally, the concentration of Ca(OH)2 decreased, and a layer of nanoscale rhombic calcite subunits grew on the surface of spindle CaCO3. This work will provide new insights into the industrial preparation of CaCO3 with controlled morphology and contribute to understanding the biomineralization of aggregation-based growth in aqueous solutions.

Study on decoupling control of bearingless motorized spindle

Bearingless motorized spindle is a kind of spindle structure that combines a bearingless motor with a motorized spindle. It has the advantages of a motorized spindle and a bearingless motor, which can further improve the speed of the machine tool spindle. However, its complex electromechanical structure and the coupling relationship between the subsystems make it difficult to control its operation process accurately. In this paper, the voltage control decoupling method is used to decouple the torque and suspension system of a bearingless motorized spindle with an independent inverse system, then control the systems. Finally, the control of decoupled bearingless motorized spindle is simulated. The results show that when the speed, rotor radial displacement, and rotor flux change respectively, they will not influence each other. The speed and radial displacement are unaffected after the sudden load is applied. It proves the effectiveness of the decoupling control method.

Bioinspired artificial spider silk photocatalyst for the high-efficiency capture and inactivation of bacteria aerosols

Bioaerosol can cause the spread of disease, and therefore, capture and inactivation of bioaerosols is desirable. However, filtration systems can easily become blocked, and are often unable to inactivate the bioaerosol once it is captured. Herein, we reported a bioinspired artificial spider silk (ASS) photocatalyst, consisting of a periodic spindle structure of TiO2 on nylon fiber that can efficiently capture and concentrate airborne bacteria, followed by photocatalytic inactivation in situ, without a power-supply exhaust system. The ASS photocatalyst exhibits a higher capture capacity than the nylon fiber substrate and a photocatalytic inactivation efficiency of 99.99% obtained under 4 h irradiation. We found that the capture capacity of the ASS photocatalyst can be mainly attributed to the synergistic effects of hydrophilicity, Laplace pressure differences caused by the size of the spindle knots and surface energy gradients induced by surface roughness. The bacteria captured by the ASS photocatalyst are inactivated by photocatalysis within droplets or at the air/photocatalyst interfaces. This strategy paves the way for constructing materials for bioaerosol purification.

Degeneration of muscle spindles in a murine model of Pompe disease

Pompe disease is a debilitating medical condition caused by a functional deficiency of lysosomal acid alpha-glucosidase (GAA). In addition to muscle weakness, people living with Pompe disease experience motor coordination deficits including an instable gait and posture. We reasoned that an impaired muscle spindle function might contribute to these deficiencies and therefore analyzed proprioception as well as muscle spindle structure and function in 4- and 8-month-old Gaa−/− mice. Gait analyses showed a reduced inter-limb and inter-paw coordination in Gaa−/− mice. Electrophysiological analyses of single-unit muscle spindle proprioceptive afferents revealed an impaired sensitivity of the dynamic and static component of the stretch response. Finally, a progressive degeneration of the sensory neuron and of the intrafusal fibers was detectable in Gaa−/− mice. We observed an increased abundance and size of lysosomes, a fragmentation of the inner and outer connective tissue capsule and a buildup of autophagic vacuoles in muscle spindles from 8-month-old Gaa−/− mice, indicating lysosomal defects and an impaired autophagocytosis. These results demonstrate a structural and functional degeneration of muscle spindles and an altered motor coordination in Gaa−/− mice. Similar changes could contribute to the impaired motor coordination in patients living with Pompe disease.

Simulation analysis model of high-speed motorized spindle structure based on thermal load optimization

High-end CNC machine tools' primary transmission mechanism is a high-speed electric spindle. Thermal displacement of the spindle occurs as a result of heat created inside the spindle during transmission, which has an impact on the machining precision of high-end CNC machine tools. Establishing a high-precision motorized spindle simulation model is crucial because it serves as a foundation for optimizing and testing the motorized spindle's construction and material, adjusting for thermal errors, and estimating its life. The thermal-solid coupling model of the motorized spindle is created by Ansys based on the experimental data of temperature and thermal displacement of the A02 motorized spindle and in accordance with the boundary conditions. The accuracy of front and rear bearings is 93.42% and 90.52%, respectively, when compared to experimental data, and the accuracy of axial thermal displacement is 95.16%. Finally, the motorized spindle is optimized to extend its service life after the thermal displacement, stress, and strain of the bearing are model.

STUDY OF ADSORPTION PROPERTIES OF Mg2+ MODIFIED Li - Mn SPINEL

In this work, the oxide phase of the spinel structure Li1.33Mn1.67O4 4 partially replaced manganese with Mg2+ ions, and the effect of lithium manganese oxides on adsorption properties was studied. Li1.33MgxMn(1.67-x)O4 oxide with a spindle structure doped with Mg2+ ion was synthesized by sol-gel method and calcined at 600 °C for 5 hours. Experiments were conducted to study the effect of pH, gelation time, adsorbent dose, contact time and Li+ concentration. The synthesized oxides of Li1.33MgxMn(1.67x)O4 were described using X-ray radiation. The characteristics of Li1.33MgxMn(1.67x)O4 were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD).

STUDY OF ADSORPTION PROPERTIES OF Mg2+ MODIFIED Li - Mn SPINEL

In this work, the oxide phase of the spinel structure Li1.33Mn1.67O4 4 partially replaced manganese with Mg2+ ions, and the effect of lithium manganese oxides on adsorption properties was studied. Li1.33MgxMn(1.67-x)O4 oxide with a spindle structure doped with Mg2+ ion was synthesized by sol-gel method and calcined at 600 °C for 5 hours. Experiments were conducted to study the effect of pH, gelation time, adsorbent dose, contact time and Li+ concentration. The synthesized oxides of Li1.33MgxMn(1.67x)O4 were described using X-ray radiation. The characteristics of Li1.33MgxMn(1.67x)O4 were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD).

In situ preparation of spindle calcium carbonate-chitosan/poly (vinyl alcohol) anti-biofouling hydrogels inspired by shellfish

Hydrogels have received intensive interest in the marine environment due to their excellent anti-biofouling properties. In this work, a series of spindle CaCO3-Chitosan/poly (vinyl alcohol) (SCC/PVA) hydrogels were in situ prepared inspired by the good mechanical self-cleaning and properties of seashell. The morphologies, structure and components of the prepared hydrogels were studied by SEM, FTIR spectra, XRD, TGA, and TEM. The anti-biofouling properties of the prepared hydrogels against protein, bacteria and algae were evaluated by ultrahigh-resolution fluorescence microscopy. Results indicated that chitosan can affect the growth process of CaCO3 leading to the formation of a hollow spindle structure of CaCO3. The prepared SCC/PVA hydrogels have excellent underwater superoleophobicity properties. SCC/PVA-3 hydrogel has the best superoleophobicity property with an underwater contact angle of 167.5°. The compressive strength of SCC/PVA-3 hydrogel is 25 MPa, which is attributed to the doping of SCC. Compared to PVA hydrogel, the settlement of the Navicula, Nitzschia Closterium on the surface of SCC/PVA-3 hydrogels sample decreased by approximately 94 % and 88 %, respectively. The SCC/PVA hydrogels have some antibacterial ability against E. coli. SCC/PVA-3 hydrogel can effectively inhibit the adhesion of elegans with a test time of 180 days in the South China Sea.

There and back again: 50 years of wandering through terra incognita fusorum.

This paper is in two parts: 'There', which is a review of some of the major advances in the study of spindle structure and function during the past 50 years, serving as an introduction to the symposium entitled 'Mechanotransduction, Muscle Spindles and Proprioception' held in Munich in July 2022; and 'And Back Again', presenting new quantitative morphological results on the equatorial nuclei of intrafusal muscle fibres and of the primary sensory ending in relationship to passive stretch of the spindle.

Intermittent fasting reverses the declining quality of aged oocytes

Decreased oocyte quality and compromised embryo development are particularly prevalent in older females, but the aging-related cellular processes and effective ameliorative approaches have not been fully characterized. Intermittent fasting (IF) can help improve health and extend lifespan; nevertheless, how it regulates reproductive aging and its mechanisms remain unclear. We used naturally aged mice to investigate the role of IF in reproduction and found that just one month of every-other-day fasting was sufficient to improve oocyte quality. IF not only increased antral follicle numbers and ovulation but also enhanced oocyte meiotic competence and embryonic development by improving both nuclear and cytoplasmic maturation in maternally aged oocytes. The beneficial effects of IF manifested as alleviation of spindle structure abnormalities and chromosome segregation errors and maintenance of the correct cytoplasmic organelle reorganization. Moreover, single-cell transcriptome analysis showed that the positive impact of IF on aged oocytes was mediated by restoration of the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+)/Sirt1-mediated antioxidant defense system, which eliminated excessive accumulated ROS to suppress DNA damage and apoptosis. Collectively, these findings suggest that IF is a feasible approach to protect oocytes against advanced maternal age-related oxidation damage and to improve the reproductive outcomes of aged females.

Adverse effects of 2-Methoxyestradiol on mouse oocytes during reproductive aging

2-Methoxyestradiol (2-ME2) is a metabolite of 17β-estradiol and is currently in clinical trials as an antitumor agent. Here we found 2-ME2 level remains stable in the local environment of ovaries but declines in serum in aging mice, and exogenous 2-ME2 impacts the meiotic maturation of mouse oocytes in dose-dependent manner. In vitro 2-ME2 application arrested oocytes at metaphase I (MI), with abnormal spindle structure and chromosome alignment. 2-ME2 exposure induced excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde, as well as accelerated apoptosis progression. 2-ME2 unbalanced mitochondrial dynamics by increasing DRP1 and MFN1 while decreasing Opa1. Similar phenotypes were also observed in oocytes from mice injected intraperitoneally with 2-ME2. Taken together, this study indicates 2-ME2 exposure impairs oocyte meiotic maturation through inducing mitochondrial imbalance, oxidative stress and apoptosis. The gradual decline in oocyte quality and quantity may be associated with the stable 2-ME2 in ovaries during female reproductive aging.

Identification of in-process machine tool dynamics using forced vibrations in milling process

An accurate description of machine tool dynamics is essential for health monitoring, chatter prevention, and improvement of manufacturing accuracy. The standard identification approach of experimental modal analysis at the standstill of the machine does not realize the possible variations in the dynamics due to operational conditions. The in-process identification methods in the literature, on the other hand, are associated with implementation difficulties in industrial environments due to the required complex and specially-designed setup, limited excitation forms, or excessive measurement efforts. This paper proposes an industrial-friendly method to estimate the in-process structural dynamics of machine tools, considering practical demands and implementation limits. Knowing that the operational dependency of the dynamics is associated with the machine and spindle structure, the machine–spindle and holder–tool structures are considered two distinguished subsystems. The cross Frequency Response Function (FRF) of the coupled structure, between the tooltip and spindle flange, is determined by measuring forced vibrations during milling operations. The milling forces are considered as excitation input and the process is designed to be stable and chatter-free so that the simulated forces can be accurately used in the identification. Then, the receptance coupling theory is utilized to develop an optimization algorithm. Given the model of the coupled structure, the evolutionary optimization tunes the modal parameters of the machine–spindle dynamics and joint parameters until the predicted cross FRFs match the experimentally determined FRFs. The direct FRF at the tooltip is predicted using identified in-process machine–spindle dynamics through the receptance coupling method. The identified in-process dynamics are used to predict stability diagrams for different tooling systems and, moreover, to design an augmented Kalman filter to estimate cutting forces. Comparison of estimated SLDs and cutting forces with chatter test results and dynamometer measurements validate the outcomes of the proposed identification method. This paper demonstrates that the system dynamics under operational conditions can be successfully identified without requiring costly setup, specially-designed workpieces or operations, and destructive chatter tests.

The simulation and design of an ultrasonic vibrator using coolant through the spindle structure

The simulation and design of an ultrasonic vibrator using coolant through the spindle structure

E2F1 promotes cell cycle progression by stabilizing spindle fiber in colorectal cancer cells

BackgroundE2F1 is a transcription factor that regulates cell cycle progression. It is highly expressed in most cancer cells and activates transcription of cell cycle-related kinases. Stathmin1 and transforming acidic coiled-coil-containing protein 3 (TACC3) are factors that enhance the stability of spindle fiber.MethodsThe E2F1-mediated transcription of transforming acidic coiled-coil-containing protein 3 (TACC3) and stathmin1 was examined using the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) analysis, quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), immunoblotting, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP), and luciferase reporter. Protein–protein interaction was studied using co-IP. The spindle structure was shown by immunofluorescence. Phenotype experiments were performed through MTS assay, flow cytometry, and tumor xenografts. Clinical colorectal cancer (CRC) specimens were analyzed based on immunohistochemistry.ResultsThe present study showed that E2F1 expression correlates positively with the expression levels of stathmin1 and TACC3 in colorectal cancer (CRC) tissues, and that E2F1 transactivates stathmin1 and TACC3 in CRC cells. Furthermore, protein kinase A (PKA)-mediated phosphorylation of stathmin1 at Ser16 is essential to the phosphorylation of TACC3 at Ser558, facilitating the assembly of TACC3/clathrin/α-tubulin complexes during spindle formation. Overexpression of Ser16-mutated stathmin1, as well as knockdown of stathmin1 or TACC3, lead to ectopic spindle poles including disorganized and multipolar spindles. Overexpression of wild-type but not Ser16-mutated stathmin1 promotes cell proliferation in vitro and tumor growth in vivo. Consistently, a high level of E2F1, stathmin1, or TACC3 not only associates with tumor size, lymph node metastasis, TNM stage, and distant metastasis, but predicts poor survival in CRC patients.ConclusionsE2F1 drives the cell cycle of CRC by promoting spindle assembly, in which E2F1-induced stathmin1 and TACC3 enhance the stability of spindle fiber.

Incorporation of Mg2+/Si4+ in ZnGa2O4:Cr3+ to Generate Remarkably Improved Near-Infrared Persistent Luminescence

Near-infrared emitting nano-sized particles of ZnGa2−x(Mg/Si)xO4:Cr3+ (x = 0–0.15, termed as ZGMSO:Cr3+) with persistent luminescence were prepared by sol-gel processing followed by calcination. The samples were tested by XRD, TEM, STEM, SAED, Raman, XPS, UV-Vis-NIR, TL, PLE/PL spectroscopy, and persistent luminescence decay analysis. Equimolar incorporation of Mg2+ and Si4+ ions did not change the spindle structure of ZnGa2O4 seriously. Most Mg2+ ions are more likely to occupy the sites in octahedron, but Si4+ ions are more likely to occupy the sites in tetrahedron in priority. A broader bandgap, up shift of conduction band minimum, and more anti-defects were found at a higher Mg2+/Si4+ doping concentration. ZGMSO:Cr3+ outputs near-infrared emission with a dominated band at 694 nm (2E → 4A2 transition of Cr3+), which can last longer than 48 h after the stoppage of UV irradiation. Mg2+/Si4+ doping contributes to a better near-infrared persistent luminescence, and the strongest and the longest NIR afterglow was observed at x = 0.05, owing to that the x = 0.05 sample has the deepest defects. The synthesized nanoparticles of ZGMSO:Cr3+ not only output intense NIR afterglow but also can be recharged by the red light of LED several times, indicating that they are the potential nano probes for bio imaging in living animals.

Deep spatial-spectral prior with an adaptive dual attention network for single-pixel hyperspectral reconstruction.

Recently, single-pixel imaging has shown great promise in developing cost-effective imaging systems, where coding and reconstruction are the keys to success. However, it also brings challenges in capturing hyperspectral information accurately and instantly. Many works have attempted to improve reconstruction performance in single-pixel hyperspectral imaging by applying various hand-crafted priors, leading to sub-optimal solutions. In this paper, we present the deep spatial-spectral prior with adaptive dual attention network for single-pixel hyperspectral reconstruction. Specifically, the spindle structure of the parameter sharing method is developed to integrate information across spatial and spectral dimensions of HSI, which can synergistically and efficiently extract global and local prior information of hyperspectral images from both shallow and deep layers. Particularly, a sequential adaptive dual attention block (SADAB), i.e., spatial attention and spectral attention, are devised to adaptively rescale informative features of spatial locations and spectral channels simultaneously, which can effectively boost the reconstruction accuracy. Experiment results on public HSI datasets demonstrate that the proposed method significantly outperforms the state-of-the-art algorithm in terms of reconstruction accuracy and speed.