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Microstructural defects in laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) metallic materials are correlated with processing parameters. A multi-physics model and a crystal plasticity framework are employed to predict microstructure growth in molten pools and assess the impact of manufacturing defects on plastic damage parameters. Criteria for optimising the LPBF process are identified, addressing microstructural defects and tensile properties of LPBF Hastelloy X at various volumetric energy densities (VED). The results show that higher VED levels foster a specific Goss texture {110} <001>, with irregular lack of fusion defects significantly affecting plastic damage, especially near the material surface. A critical threshold emerges between manufacturing defects and grain sizes in plastic strain accumulation. The optimal processing window for superior Hastelloy X mechanical properties ranges from 43 to 53 J/mm3. This work accelerates the development of superior strengthductility alloys via LPBF, streamlining the trial-and-error process and reducing associated costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: Osteoarthritis (OA) pain remains a major clinical problem. It is urgent to identify novel therapeutic approaches for OA pain states. Bromodomain and extra-terminal (BET) protein inhibitors have robust anti-inflammatory effects in several pain models. However, the underlying mechanisms of these inhibitors in OA pain have not been determined. We, therefore, investigated the effects and the underlying mechanism(s) of BET inhibition on pain-related behaviours in a rat model of OA. Experimental Approach: The OA model was established by intra-articular injection of monosodium iodoacetate (MIA) in rat knees. Pain behaviours were assessed in rats by hindlimb weight-bearing asymmetry, mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia. Possible mechanisms underlying BET inhibition were explored in the MIAinduced OA pain model in the spinal cord and dorsal root ganglia (DRG). Key Results: Inhibiting bromodomain-containing protein 4 (Brd4) with either JQ1 or MS417, or using AAV2/9-shRNA-Brd4-EGFP-mediated knockdown of Brd4 genes, significantly attenuated MIA-induced pain behaviours. Brd4 inhibition suppressed NF-κB and NF-κB-mediated inflammatory cytokines in both the spinal cord and DRG in rats with MIA-induced OA pain. Brd4 inhibition also attenuated the oxidative stress and promoted nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)-dependent antioxidant genes in both the spinal cord and DRG in our odel of MIA-induced OA pain. Conclusions and Implications: In conclusion, Brd4 inhibition alleviated MIA-induced OA pain in rats, via suppression of neuroinflammation and activation of Nrf2-mediated antioxidant signalling. Although our model does not perfectly represent how OA develops in humans, inhibition of Brd4 may provide novel insights into possible treatments for OA pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tailoring the morphology and structure of Li2O2, the discharge product of lithium–oxygen batteries (LOBs), through the rational design of cathode catalysts is an efficient strategy to promote the electrochemical performance of LOBs. In this work, sodium-doped nickel phosphate nanorods (Na–NiPO NRs) grown on Ni foam (NF) were prepared by the hydrothermal method and subsequent calcination. For the Na–NiPO NRs, the electronic structure could be optimized and abundant void space among the nanorods would provide abundant transport channels. Adopted as the cathodes, the Na–NiPO NRs could facilitate the uniform growth of sea cucumber-like Li2O2 with sufficient Li2O2-electrolyte and Li2O2-catalyst interfaces, significantly promoting the charge process. Therefore, LOBs could deliver a high discharge capacity of 10365.0 mA h g−1 at 100 mA g−1. And a low potential gap of 1.16 V can be achieved at 200 mA g−1 with a capacity of 500 mA h g−1. The proposed strategy demonstrates the role of the morphology and electronic structure of the cathode catalysts in tuning the Li2O2 morphology and provides a novel approach for achieving high-performance LOBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background· Infections are the most common complication in patients after lung transplantation and the main cause of death at all stages after transplantation; therefore, awareness regarding the occurrence of infectious pneumonia after lung transplantation is vital. This study aimed to explore the correlation between the absolute lymphocyte and T-lymphocyte subpopulation counts in the peripheral blood and the occurrence of pneumonia after lung transplantation and to predict the risk of pneumonia development after lung transplantation. Materials: Patients who underwent lung transplantation with long-term follow-up between June 2018 and December 2021 were prospectively included. The patients were divided into pneumonia and non-pneumonia groups. Demographic and clinical characteristics, and the levels of leukocytes, neutrophils, platelets, C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), serum albumin, peripheral blood T lymphocytes, and CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in the peripheral blood were measured in both groups. Results: We included 22 patients with post-lung transplants in the analysis. Of the 104 collected samples, 26 (56.5%) were pathogenically positive, 16 (61.5%) had bacterial infections, 7 samples (26.9%) had fungal infections, and 8 (30.8%) had viral infections. Patients with pneumonia had higher levels of peripheral blood neutrophils (P = 0.01), platelets (P = 0.03), and CRP (P < 0.001) than did those without pneumonia. Logistic regression analysis showed that the levels of peripheral blood neutrophils, total T lymphocytes, CRP, and PCT were associated with the development of pneumonia after transplantation (P < 0.05), as documented by their area under the curve (AUC) values of 0.702, 0.792, 0.899, and 0.789, respectively. The AUC for the combined receiver operating characteristic curve for predicting the development of pneumonia was 0.943, with a sensitivity of 91.3% and specificity of 93.1%. There was no significant difference in T-lymphocyte counts in patients with lung transplants between the pneumonia and non-pneumonia groups who were treated with two antirejection agents. In contrast, the absolute lymphocyte, total T-lymphocyte, and CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell counts in patients who developed pneumonia after treatment with three anti-rejection agents were lower than those in patients who did not develop pneumonia (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Bacterial pneumonia is more common after lung transplantation than after fungal or viral infections. Peripheral blood T-lymphocyte counts combined with neutrophil, CRP, and PCT levels had good predictive value for the development of pneumonia after lung transplantation. Monitoring of patients should be strengthened by implementing peripheral blood T-lymphocyte counts to improve the early identification and prevention of pneumonia after lung transplantation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A real-time monitoring system is devised for the seeding accuracy of rice pneumatic seed metering device. • The improved YOLOv5n algorithm is integrated into the seed detection system. • The system caters to the demands of high-speed seeding. • A theoretical framework for the detection system is formulated. The acquisition of rice seeding accuracy information could provide adequate support for the operational status of the rice pneumatic seed metering device and field management in the later stages. However, this task proved difficult due to the high speed of rice seeding and the occurrence of non-single seed seeding. In order to achieve real-time detection of seeding accuracy during the rice pneumatic seed metering device operation, a real-time detection system for the seeding accuracy of the device was designed. This paper introduced the system's main components and working principles in detail and proposed a rice seed accuracy detection algorithm based on the improved YOLOv5n.The algorithm utilised the Faster-Net neural network, replacing the CSPDarknet53 network that served as the backbone of the original algorithm. Additionally, it incorporated the CARAFE operator and introduced the Soft-NMS-CIOU technique, a form of soft non-maximum suppression, along with integrating the CBAM attention mechanism module. These enhancements improved the model's feature extraction capability on rice seed images, enabling real-time detection of small rice seeds in the dark environment within the rice pneumatic seed metering device. This improved accuracy in recognising small rice seed images and reduced the probability of false detections. Through comparative analysis with different algorithms, test results demonstrated that this algorithm exhibited a higher pass rate and faster response time compared to others. A verification test was conducted to evaluate identification accuracy at various seed sucking plate rotational speeds. The detection accuracies were 96 %, 96 %, 98.65 %, 88.8 % and 91 %, respectively, at seed sucking plate rotational speeds of 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 r/min, with a suction negative pressure of 1.6 kPa. Based on the experimental findings, the algorithm met the requirements for seeding detection and could serve as a foundation for further research into seeding accuracy detection algorithms for rice pneumatic seed metering devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A real-time monitoring system is devised for the seeding accuracy of rice pneumatic seed metering device. • The improved YOLOv5n algorithm is integrated into the seed detection system. • The system caters to the demands of high-speed seeding. • A theoretical framework for the detection system is formulated. The acquisition of rice seeding accuracy information could provide adequate support for the operational status of the rice pneumatic seed metering device and field management in the later stages. However, this task proved difficult due to the high speed of rice seeding and the occurrence of non-single seed seeding. In order to achieve real-time detection of seeding accuracy during the rice pneumatic seed metering device operation, a real-time detection system for the seeding accuracy of the device was designed. This paper introduced the system's main components and working principles in detail and proposed a rice seed accuracy detection algorithm based on the improved YOLOv5n.The algorithm utilised the Faster-Net neural network, replacing the CSPDarknet53 network that served as the backbone of the original algorithm. Additionally, it incorporated the CARAFE operator and introduced the Soft-NMS-CIOU technique, a form of soft non-maximum suppression, along with integrating the CBAM attention mechanism module. These enhancements improved the model's feature extraction capability on rice seed images, enabling real-time detection of small rice seeds in the dark environment within the rice pneumatic seed metering device. This improved accuracy in recognising small rice seed images and reduced the probability of false detections. Through comparative analysis with different algorithms, test results demonstrated that this algorithm exhibited a higher pass rate and faster response time compared to others. A verification test was conducted to evaluate identification accuracy at various seed sucking plate rotational speeds. The detection accuracies were 96 %, 96 %, 98.65 %, 88.8 % and 91 %, respectively, at seed sucking plate rotational speeds of 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 r/min, with a suction negative pressure of 1.6 kPa. Based on the experimental findings, the algorithm met the requirements for seeding detection and could serve as a foundation for further research into seeding accuracy detection algorithms for rice pneumatic seed metering devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new contactless method based on frequency-scanning heterodyne interferometry is proposed to measure the absolute length of opaque blocks with fragile reflective surfaces. This method is significant in scientific research, such as determining the absolute length of torsion pendulums in gravitational experiments or test masses in gravitational wave detection programs. In addition to avoiding possible damage caused by contact measurement, this optical setup has the potential for higher measurement accuracy compared to contact measurement apparatuses. Two gauge blocks with nominal lengths of 40 mm and 50 mm are used to test the performance of the proposed interferometer, and the measurement results closely match their nominal lengths. The combined uncertainty is 0. 62 μ m and 0. 48 μ m for the 40 mm and 50 mm gauge blocks respectively. • A new contactless method to measure the absolute length of opaque blocks with fragile reflective surfaces. • Avoiding possible damage caused by contact measurement. • This optical setup has the potential for higher measurement accuracy compared to contact measurement apparatuses. • At present, a submicron measurement accuracy can be achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • CFD-DEM Coupling simulation technology is applied to analyze the theory of seeding in a hill. • A positive pressure precision seed throwing device is designed for double cavity rice pneumatic seed metering device. • The performance of seeding in a hill was improved. • The theoretical model of seeding in a hill was established. The key factor in improving the field distribution and yield of rice is precise seeding of rice seed particles in a hill. In this study, a positive pressure precision seed throwing device was designed to enhance the performance of rice seeding on a hill and address the issue of uneven distribution of rice seed particles in the field using the double cavity pneumatic seed metering device. CFD-DEM (Computational Fluid Dynamics - Discrete Element Method） coupled simulation technology was employed to analyse the seeding in a hill and the motion of rice seed particles. The movement details and state of rice seed particles in the airflow were examined, and the effect of precision transportation under different parameters of the positive pressure precision seed throwing device was investigated. The results indicate that an increase in inlet air velocity leads to greater lateral displacement of rice particles under the same inlet angle. A good performance of seeding on a hill was observed when the inlet air velocity was 3 m/s, the inlet angle was 60°, and the speed of the seed sucking plate was 20 r/min. The simulation results identified the optimal hill diameter as 27.5 mm. Subsequent actual tests conducted under the same conditions yielded an optimal hill diameter of 31.2 mm. The results of the actual test and simulation test were basically consistent. This study successfully enhanced the performance of rice seeding on a hill, meeting the requirements for field seeding on a hill. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A clear knowledge of structures is essential to the understanding and potential control of complex interfacial phenomena that involve multiple intermolecular and surface interactions of different strengths. Molecules with the ability to form hydrogen bonds are often of particular interest. Here, we report the observation of 2- and 3-dimensional ordered assemblies of methanol molecules on hydrophobic silicon surfaces, using reflection high-energy electron diffraction. Direct structure probing reveals that the crystallization temperatures and the structural transformations of the hydrogenbonded networks are far beyond a single-stage description and strongly depend on the thermal annealing procedures used. Such results elucidate the unique self-assembling behavior of interfacial methanol even without much guidance from the smooth substrate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The detonation modification of nanodiamonds with chromium (III) oxide (Cr 2 O 3) was studied in this paper. The thermostability, surface properties, crystal structure, specific surface area, pore diameters, and particle diameters of the detonation-modified nanodiamonds were analyzed using thermogravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffractometer, transmission electron microscopy, automatic physical adsorption, and laser particle size analysis. Cr 2 O 3 and the surface functional groups of nanodiamonds were combined with C–Cr. We obtained a dispersed distribution of 0.1–0.5 μm. The thermal stability characteristics and the particle diameter of nanodiamonds increased because of Cr 2 O 3. The technology involved in the detonation modification of nanodiamonds with Cr 2 O 3 is simple and low-cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Submarine or sub-lacustrine lobe deposits are important reservoirs, but the fan fringe deposits form heterogeneities within deep water fan deposits. Fan fringe facies records the complex sediment gravity flow types. By understanding of the bed types and flow mechanisms, we can identify the fan fringe deposit, which aids in the reconstruction of deep water fan and reservoir evaluations. The Jiucaiyuanzi and Dalongkou sections in the West Bogda Mountains preserve well-exposed 536-m and 171-m thick successions, respectively, of a deep water lacustrine depositional system from the Middle Permian Lucaogou Formation. Bed types of the Lucaogou Formation include high-density turbidite, low-density turbidite, incomplete Bouma-type turbidite, hybrid event beds, and slump deposits. The Lucaogou Formation is interpreted here as a fan fringe facies due to the thin bed thickness that characterize turbidites and hybrid event beds, as well as the predominance of the isolated sheet architecture. Previous studies suggest that these deposits were considered as deposited in a deep water setting due to the absence of wave-related structures. The presence of abundant mud clasts in massive medium-coarse grained sandstone beds reflects the significant erosional capability and interactions between high-density turbidity currents and lake floor. The fan fringe facies here contains amalgamated and thick-bedded homolithic facies (~ 30%) and thin-bedded heterolithic facies (~ 70%). The examination of the bed type is of wider significance for facies prediction and reservoir heterogeneity in the sub-lacustrine fan fringe facies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The robust cell wall structure of Haematococcus pluvialis (H. pluvialis) consists of polysaccharides and tough non‐hydrolysable sporopollenins, which makes it difficult to extract superpotent antioxidant, astaxanthin from these cells. Therefore, breakdown of cell wall is a key step in the overall process of astaxanthin recovery. In this study, the mechanism of three well‐established chemical techniques for cell disruption of H. pluvialis cysts [ionic liquids (IL), hydrochloric acid (HCl) and multiple enzymes (multi‐enzyme, ME)] on deconstruction of the cyst cell wall of H. pluvialis was explored and characterised by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC‐MS) analyses. The results demonstrated that the three cell wall breakdown techniques exhibited high extraction efficacies for the recovery of astaxanthin from H. pluvialis [IL (86.71 ± 2.06%), HCl (80.52 ± 2.28%) and ME (71.08 ± 2.49%)]. However, their performances on disrupting the trilayered cell walls of H. pluvialis were significantly different, which were confirmed by distinct morphologies of the treated cell walls visualised by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Meanwhile, the results of FTIR confirmed that, to some extent, cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin in the cell walls were hydrolysed by HCl, IL and ME treatments. However, ME exhibited a less hydrolytic effect on lignin than HCl and IL. Moreover, XRD and NMR analyses implied that the amorphous region of cell wall was susceptible to hydrolysis/breakdown by the three techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is very harmful for broiler production and public health. The water-soluble castoff in gluten production, i.e. the water-soluble substances of wheat (WSW) that contains 14% pentosan has positive effect on animal nutrient absorption, immunity, and antioxidation. Our study aims to investigate the preventive effects of WSW against AFB1-induced broiler liver injury. One day-old Arbor Acres broilers were randomly separated to 4 groups and were, respectively, fed with control diet, diet with 5 mg/kg AFB1 standard, diet with 5 mg/kg AFB1 standard and 214 ml/kg WSW, and diet with 214 ml/kg WSW continuously for 28 d. The histopathological, ultra-structural, and serological changes were tested to evaluate liver damage. The hallmarks of hepatocellular autophagy, apoptosis, and inflammation were measured by Western Blot and real-time polymerase chain reaction. The content of AFB1 in chicken liver was detected with an ultra-high performance liquid chromatography linked with the fluorescence detection method. The results showed that (i) WSW restored AFB1-induced changes in serum biochemical parameters, and ameliorated histomorphological changes in hepatocytes, (ii) WSW reduced the content of AFB1 in chicken liver, (iii) WSW alleviated AFB1-induced autophagy inhibition by up-regulating hepatic LC3, beclin-1, and down-regulating hepatic mTOR and cytoplasmic P53 expressions, (iv) WSW alleviated AFB1-induced hepatocellular apoptosis via inhibiting pro-apoptotic gene expression (nuclear P53, Caspase3, Bax), and promoting anti-apoptotic gene expression (bcl-2), (v) WSW feeding ameliorated AFB1-induced liver inflammation via impeding TLR4/NF- |${{\bf \kappa }}$| B and IL-1/NF- |${{\bf \kappa }}$| B signaling pathways, down-regulating pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1 |${{\bf \beta }}$|⁠, IL-6, and IL-8), and markedly up-regulating anti-inflammatory genes (IL-10 and HO-1). Conclusively, WSW is a potential preventer of AFB1-induced broiler liver damage by reducing the AFB1 content in liver, accelerating hepatocellular autophagy and inhibiting hepatocytes apoptosis and liver inflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a millimeter-wave (mmW) dual-polarized antenna with different radiation patterns is proposed. The antenna consists of a planar lens, a rectangular horn antenna, and a quasi-planar orthomode transducer (OMT) which provides two polarizations. The quasi-planar OMT with good isolation is based on the substrate-integrated waveguide technology, and it can be co-planar integrated with other mmW planar circuits seamlessly. A planar lens is designed on a quad-layered substrate and it has the priority of polarization selective that only takes effect on the horizontal polarization (H-pol). Consequently, high gain with the narrow beam in H-pol and low gain with wide beam in vertical polarization (V-pol) are achieved. To verify the idea, the proposed antenna is designed, fabricated, and measured, achieving a high gain of 26.4 dBi in H-pol, and a wide beamwidth in V-pol. This kind of antennas can be applied to make a balance between the range and coverage in communication and radar applications. In addition, the proposed quasi-planar OMT has potential applications in fifth-generation mmW wireless communications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents the methodology design and implementation of a novel feed network. This feed network consists of several ring couplers with miniaturised and wideband characteristics. The size of this coupler is significantly reduced by employing λ/6 sections and open stubs. Besides, wideband performance is achieved by introducing a phase inverter. Compared to traditional ring couplers, the size of the proposed coupler is reduced by nearly 90%, and the relative bandwidth (BW) of the demonstrated ring coupler can reach about 80%. Owing to the miniaturised size and wideband characteristics of this ring coupler, this kind of feed network is much smaller than traditional ones with similar BW. On the basis of this feed network, a monopulse array and a low side-lobe level array is designed and fabricated. Good agreements are achieved between simulations and measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel Ni(II) ion-imprinted silica gel polymer was prepared via the surface imprinting technique combined with aqueous solution polymerization by using 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid (AMPS) as a functional monomer for the selective separation of Ni(II) from aqueous solution. The sorbent showed good chemical and thermal stability. Kinetics studies indicated that the equilibrium adsorption was achieved within 10 min and the adsorption kinetics fitted well with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The maximum adsorption capacity of the ion-imprinted polymer towards Ni(II) at the optimal pH of 7.0 was 66.22 mg·g-1. The relative selectivity coefficients of the sorbent were 9.23, 15.71, 14.72 and 20.15 for Ni(II)/Co(II), Ni(II)/Cu(II), Ni(II)/Zn(II) and Ni(II)/Pb(II), respectively. The adsorption isotherm fitted well with Langmuir isotherm model. The thermodynamic results indicated that the adsorption of Ni(II) was a spontaneous and endothermic process. The sorbent showed good reusability evidenced by six cycles of adsorption/desorption experiments. The precision of this method is satisfactory. Thus, the prepared sorbent can be considered as a promising sorbent for selective separation of Ni(II) in real water samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dexamethasone (Dex) and other glucocorticoids are widely used to treat serious infections and immunological diseases, however they may cause steroid‑induced avascular necrosis of the femoral head (SANFH). Salidroside (Sal) has demonstrated an anti‑apoptotic effect on neurocytes by activating the phosphoinositide 3‑kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) signaling pathway. In the present study, primary osteoblasts were used in vitro and in rats in vivo to determine the anti‑apoptotic effect of Sal on SANFH. The result of the present study demonstrated that pretreatment with Sal increased the cell survival rate while decreasing the cell apoptosis and lactate dehydrogenase release rate. Additionally, Sal also caused the reduction of TUNEL positive cells in TUNEL staining assay. Sal decreased the expression of cleaved caspase‑3, cleaved caspase‑9, apoptosis regulator BAX and cytochrome C, while it increased the expression of B cell lymphoma‑2 and phosphorylated‑Akt in Dex‑induced osteoblasts. In vivo Sal protected against SANFH in rats by decreasing the percentage of empty lacunae. The present study demonstrated that Sal alleviated Dex‑induced osteoblast apoptosis by activating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and downregulating caspase‑3 expression in osteoblasts. Sal also protected against SANFH in a rat model of SANFH by decreasing the percentage of empty lacunae. The inhibition of the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway was also involved. Further research is required to determine the full underlying mechanisms by which Sal has an effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents information on low frequency internal friction experimental results on lead metaniobate ceramics. Advantages of using lead metaniobates for high temperature transducers and detectors; Fundamental formula of the samples; Features of the P... internal friction peak.

Aberrant expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) underlies a spectrum of human diseases including organ fibrosis, and hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are the main effectors of hepatic fibrosis. Here, we showed that the expression of host miR-351 in HSCs was markedly reduced during the early stage of Schistosoma infection. However, this expression was significantly increased during the later stage of infection (after 52 d of infection). The elevated levels of miR-351 promoted hepatic fibrosis by targeting the vitamin D receptor (VDR), which is an antagonist of SMAD signaling. Importantly, efficient and sustained inhibition of miR-351 in liver tissues using the highly hepatotropic recombinant adeno-associated virus serotype 8 (rAAV8), alleviated the hepatic fibrosis, partially protecting the host from lethal schistosomiasis. In addition, we found that miR-351 is negatively regulated by IFN-γ in HSCs during infection. At the early stage of infection, the elevated levels of IFN-γ inhibited the expression of miR-351 in HSCs through activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 and induction of IFN regulatory factor 2, which binds the promotor of pre-miR-351. Our study provides insights into the mechanisms by which miR-351 regulates schistosomiasis hepatic fibrosis and highlights the potential of rAAV8-mediated miR-351 inhibition as a therapeutic intervention for fibrotic diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to meet the requirement of field direct seeding for super hybrid rice: 1-3 seeds per hill, a pneumatic rice direct-seeder with six seeding metering devices was designed. Transmission system of pneumatic rice direct-seeder and seed metering device were analyzed in this study. And the pipeline structure and vortex pump were designed and selected. The pressure distribution of the pipeline was tested. The pressure value of each sub-pipeline under the conditions of different main pipeline pressure value was obtained and the reasons for pressure loss were analyzed. The results showed that the variation coefficient between sub-pipelines was less than 5%. The pipeline pressure could be evenly distributed. Further, the field experiments were carried out on super hybrid rice Peizataifeng using two-factor testing, by which the effects of different negative pressure and different forward speed (namely, rotational speed of suction plate) for seeding precision were studied. It found that: (1) the optimal negative pressure was 2 kPa; (2) under the optimal negative pressure, the probabilities of 1-3 seeds per hill for the direct-seeder were 93.41%, 95.47% and 97.50%, respectively, when the forward speed of the direct-seeded was high, medium and low speed; (3) the probability of empty hole was less than 2%, which satisfied the field direct seeding requirements of super hybrid rice. Additionally, hill spacing was measured, and the factors affecting the hill spacing were analyzed. The results showed that the fluctuation of hill spacing in the small range will not affect the seeding effect. In this study, a new type of pneumatic rice direct-seeder was designed. The main working components were tested and analyzed. The best parameters of field work were obtained. It provides the basis for the field application of the pneumatic rice precision seeder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on the ultrafast carrier dynamics and generation of coherent acoustic phonons in YbS, a semiconducting rare-earth monochalcogenide, using two-color pump–probe reflectivity. Compared to the carrier relaxation processes and lifetimes of conventional semiconductors, recombination of photoexcited electrons with holes in localized f orbitals is found to take place rapidly with a density-independent time constant of<500 fs in YbS. Such carrier annihilation signifies the unique and ultrafast nature of valence restoration of ytterbium ions after femtosecond photoexcitation switching. Following transfer of the absorbed energy to the lattice, coherent acoustic phonons emerge on the picosecond timescale as a result of the thermal strain in the photoexcited region. By analyzing the electronic and structural dynamics, we obtain the physical properties of YbS including its two-photon absorption and thermooptic coefficients, the period and decay time of the coherent oscillation, and the sound velocity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To explore the risk factors of endometriosis-associated ovarian cancer (EAOC) in women with ovarian endometriosis (OEM) aged 45 years and above in China. Methods: This study reviewed the medical records of 1038 women in total who were aged 45 years and above, surgical-pathologically diagnosed with ovarian endometriosis, and were treated at Peking Union Medical College Hospital between December 1996 and December 2016. Histology evaluation was used to determine whether the ovarian endometriosis specimen was with (n = 30) or without (n = 1008) ovarian cancer. Results: 2.9% (30/1038) of women with the surgical-pathological diagnosis of ovarian endometriosis were found to have EAOC. Those patients with EAOC were prone to be in the postmenopausal status at the time of the diagnosis (OR 5.50, 95%CI 2.54-11.90, P < .001) and larger size of tumor (≥8 cm, OR 7.19, 95% CI 3.34-15.50, P < .001), and higher prevalence of coexisting with endometrial disorders (OR 4.11, 95%CI 1.73-9.73, P = .003). This study showed that patients of an older age when diagnosed with OEM, were at a higher risk of developing EAOC, respectively measuring of 1.7% (13/751) at 45-49 years, 5.6% (12/215) at 50-54 years, and 10.0%(5/50) at 55-59 years (P < 0.001). Conclusions: This study showed that for women aged 45 years and above who were diagnosed with OEM, the independent risk factors of EAOC were menopausal status, tumor size of 8 cm or greater in diameter, and coexisting endometrial disorders. Therefore, intensive follow-ups or active interventions should be considered for them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of nonlinear impact behavior of partial failure collision rolling bearing is studied when the pitfall occurs in the inner ring. The piecewise non-smooth experiment model of three-degree-of-freedom rolling bearing system with fault in inner ring is established, and the experiment method is used to further reveal the bifurcations and chaos of bearing system through establishing the Poincaré mapping on the collision plane. The nonlinear impact behaviors are studied with the vibration force increasing, when the vibration frequency is determined. The impact signal spectrum characteristics are analyzed through changing the quality of the mass M1 after adding a force sensor. The study of nonlinear impact behaviors of the fault bearing system provides reliable basis for the design and fault diagnosis and provides theoretical guidance and technical support for the actual design in the safe and stable operation of large high-speed rotating machinery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In former research, cyp7a1 expression was decreased but Nrf2 transcription and hepatic arachidonic acid (AA) concentration were increased in high-fat diet fed mice. This study aims to investigate the influence of AA in CYP7A1 expression and the role of Nrf2 in regulating CYP7A1 in the process. HepG2 cells were administered with different concentrations of AA. Nrf2 and CYP7A1 expressions were analyzed by real-time PCR and western blot. Nrf2 silenced and over-expressed cell models were constructed by Nrf2 siRNA and eukaryotic expression vector transient transfections and were used to investigate the role of Nrf2 in regulating CYP7A1 following AA administration. The results showed that Nrf2 was increased dose-dependently but CYP7A1 was decreased dose-dependently in cells treated with increasing concentrations of AA. The expression of CYP7A1 was increased by Nrf2 silence and was decreased by Nrf2 over-expression in HepG2 cells treated with different concentrations of AA. In conclusion, Nrf2 plays a significant role in the down-regulation of CYP7A1 induced by AA in HepG2 cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phenomena of oscillations in sliding mode control system usually cause potential damage or danger in engineering applications. This paper focuses on the estimation and adjustment of oscillation parameters (frequency and amplitude) using an improved describing function method and the characterization of the influence of the reduced-order sliding surface coefficients on the performance of the nonlinear system. The model of series connection of the zero-order holder and switching function is established in frequency domain. The improved describing function method could intuitively estimate the number, stability and parameters of oscillations for the coupled nonlinear system by its amplitude-phase characteristics and pole placement. The stability, parameters and attraction zones of three oscillations in a fourth-order plant are analyzed and simulated. The analytical results show that the reduced-order sliding mode controller possesses complex and colorful nonlinear behaviors. Besides, a coefficient tuning method is presented to eliminate the undesired oscillation which may lead to poor precision or break the stability. The simulations demonstrate that appropriate tuning on sliding surface may greatly improve the efficiency and robustness of the sliding mode control system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we investigated the correlation between the serum fatty acid composition and hepatic steatosis, inflammation, hepatocellular ballooning scores, and liver fatty acids composition in mice fed a high-fat diet. Livers were collected for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease score analysis. Fatty acid compositions were analysed by gas chromatography. Correlations were determined by Pearson correlation coefficient. Exposed to a high-fat diet, mice developed fatty liver disease with varying severity without fibrosis. The serum fatty acid variation became more severe with prolonged exposure to a high-fat diet. This variation also correlated significantly with the variation in livers, with the types of fatty acids corresponding to liver steatosis, inflammation, and hepatocellular ballooning scores. Results of this study lead to the following hypothesis: the extent of serum fatty acid variation may be a preliminary biomarker of fatty liver disease caused by high-fat intake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An automatic calibration method is proposed for a microlens-based plenoptic camera. First, all microlens images on the white image are searched and recognized automatically based on digital morphology. Then, the center points of microlens images are rearranged according to their relative position relationships. Consequently, the microlens images are located, i.e., the plenoptic camera is calibrated without the prior knowledge of camera parameters. Furthermore, this method is appropriate for all types of microlens-based plenoptic cameras, even the multifocus plenoptic camera, the plenoptic camera with arbitrarily arranged microlenses, or the plenoptic camera with different sizes of microlenses. Finally, we verify our method by the raw data of Lytro. The experiments show that our method has higher intelligence than the methods published before. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iongels with tunable storage moduli are prepared through the self-assemblyof an ABA triblock copolymer AOA-12 comprised of a thermotropic liquidcrystalline (LC) polymer as the end-block A and poly(ethylene oxide)(PEO) as the mid-block B in a room-temperature ionic liquid (IL),1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsufonyl)imide([EMIM][TFSI]). The PEO mid-block is well-solvated by this ionic liquid,whereas the LC polymer end-blocks aggregate and serve as the physicalcross-linkers. For comparison, a triblock copolymer AOA-0 containinga non-LC side-chain polymer with the same mesogen is also synthesized,and its corresponding ion gel is prepared. The ion gels with relativelyhigh concentrations of the LC triblock copolymer have hierarchicalstructures with different microphase-separated nanostructures andthe LC arrangement of the LC blocks. By incorporating the azobenzenemesogen in the side chains, transparent AOA-n/[EMIM][TFSI](where nis the number of carbon atoms in the spacerbetween the azobenzene mesogen and the polymethacrylate backbone,and n= 0, 12), ion gels are obtained with concentrationsof the polymer as low as around 2 wt %. The ion gel obtained has astorage modulus as high as ∼10 kPa, while its conductivityis close to that of the pure IL mainly because of the high IL concentrationof the ion gel. Furthermore, the storage modulus of the AOA-12/ILion gel can be tuned by temperature because of the thermotropic phasebehavior of the LC block. These ion gels are potentially useful ashigh-temperature ionic membranes or thermal-responsive soft actuators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compared to rice mechanistic metering device, rice pneumatic metering device has advantages of low number of sowing seeds, high precision of seed metering and low seed-injuring rate. Because the precision of seed metering is difficult to control and the performance of hill sowing is poor, rice pneumatic metering device is difficult to be widely used in field direct-seeding. The control of the precision of seed metering is the key to design metering device. Analysis of the process of dropping seeds helps improve the precision of seed metering and the performance of hill sowing, providing a basis for the design of metering device. Seeds were taken away from sowing disc under positive pressure for blowing seeds. The dropping trajectories and hill sowing performance of rice seeds were studied in this article. A high-speed photography technology was introduced to investigate how the dropping trajectories of rice seeds varied and what influenced the dropping trajectories, on which the equations of the rice's movement were formed. The theory equations were optimized through the average horizontal displacements of actual dropping trajectories and the optimization equations under the different conditions were obtained. The diameter of hill sowing was also measured. As seeds were taken away from sowing disc under positive pressure, seeds gained an initial velocity, which was called Vz and was vertical to the sowing disc. Because seeds moved along with sowing disc rotating before seeds were blown away, the seeds gained the other initial velocity, which was called Vr and was parallel to the disc. Seeds also gained acceleration of gravity under the gravity. In the above factors, the dropping trajectories were spatial parabolic, which was more complicated than the plane parabolic trajectories of rice mechanistic metering device. In order to investigate and count the dropping trajectories of rice pneumatic metering device, a coordinate system was established. Indic hybrid Peizataifeng was taken as research subject in this article, of which water content and average length, width and thickness were 20.5% and 8.97, 2.34 and 1.90 mm respectively. There were 2 dropping trajectories, the trajectory of frontal dropping seed and the trajectory of profile dropping seed. The dropping trajectories and diameters of hill sowing were analyzed by multi-factor experiment under different rotation rates and positive pressures for blowing seeds. The experimental results showed horizontal displacements of the trajectory of frontal dropping seed increased with the increasing of rotation rate, which were less than 5 mm. The frontal trajectory had good stability under positive pressure of 0.1 kPa, and horizontal displacements were stabilized within the range of 45-65 mm. Under positive pressure of 0.2 kPa, the frontal trajectory was unevenly distributed with bad stability. Trajectory of profile dropping seed was little affected by rotation rate. Horizontal displacements of trajectory of profile dropping seed increased with the increasing of positive pressure for blowing seeds. The profile trajectories were stabilized within the range of 0-15 mm under positive pressure of 0.1 kPa. Under positive pressure of 0.2 kPa, the profile trajectories were unevenly distributed. Diameters of the hill less than 50 mm were deemed as qualified, while diameters more than 50 mm were deemed as substandard. The probability of substandard diameter increased with the increased rotation rate and positive pressure. Performance of hill sowing was best with the rotating speed of 30 r/min and positive pressure of 0.1 kPa, of which qualified rate was 96.9%. The optimum height of dropping seeds was 10 cm. This article analyzed dropping trajectories in theory and got the optimal conditions of performance of hill sowing, providing the basis for optimal conditions of hill sowing and the reference for the design of seeding tubes of rice pneumatic metering device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatocellular carcinoma is a type of cancer characterized by significant morbidity and high mortality rates worldwide. Previous studies have revealed that alterations in microRNA (miRNA) expression are a common feature of cancer. Furthermore, as evolutionarily conserved, non-encoding RNAs, miRNAs have demonstrated fundamental roles in the various biological processes involved in cancer. Genome-wide miRNA expression profile studies and bioinformatic methods have provided comprehensive insight into the role of cancer-related miRNAs. In addition, investigation of the function and mechanisms of miRNAs has provided an understanding of the association with the pathogenesis of cancer. In the present review, the tumor-promoting or tumor-suppressive roles and underlying mechanisms of certain significant miRNAs at a single and integral level are summarized. Furthermore, the recognition of miRNA-gene networks and current advances in the potential use of miRNA-based diagnosis and therapy are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The technology of rice's mechanical direct seeding can significantly reduce the consumption of manpower and material resources, and meanwhile maintain the production of rice. Super hybrid rice is a kind of hybrid rice and its tillering ability is stronger than the general hybrid rice. Due to the characteristics of high tillering capacity of super hybrid rice, the sowing quantity is required to be 1-3 seeds for each hole when super hybrid rice seeds are directly seeded to the field by the drilling machine, so as to ensure the high precision of seeding and high rate of field seedling emergence. In order to meet the requirement of 1-3 seeds for each hole using the precise hill-drop drilling technique, a seed-filling stratified room was designed, which was between the seed-metering device and the seed box on pneumatic feed mechanism for precision rice hill-drop sowing. It also aimed at improving the liquidity of seeds and raising the seeding precision, the liquidity of rice seed would reduced after accelerating germination. This the reduction of the liquidity of rice seed after accelerating germination had so bad effects on filling process that it limited the improvement of metering performance. Indic hybrid Peizataifeng was taken as the research object, and the impacts of the seed-filling stratified room on the performance of the pneumatic feed mechanism was studied by the single-factor experiment and orthogonal experiment in this paper. These experiments were carried out under different negative pressures for sucking seeds and positive pressures for blowing seeds. The experimental results showed that there existed an optimization condition on the capability of the metering device to meet the needs of the production. The probability about the quantity for each hill was used to evaluate the capability of the pneumatic precise metering device. The seed-filling stratified room consisted of a barrel and two seed-guiding plates. The cross-section of the barrel was the square with 50 mm per side. There were the chutes on the lining of the barrel, which were 1.1 mm wide. Seed-guiding plates were 1 mm thick, which were connected with the barrel by chutes. The two seed-guiding plates formed an angle of 45 degrees. The optimization condition was that the sucking plate's rotation speed was 30 r/min, the negative pressure for sucking seeds was 1.6 kPa and the positive pressure for blowing seeds was 0.1 kPa. With the seed-filling stratified room, the probability of 1-3 seeds per hill for the metering device was 95.4%; in addition, the probability of empty seed was 1.53%, and the probability of greater than or equal to 4 seeds was 3.07%. Under the same condition, the probability of one seed per hill for the metering device was 17.32%; in addition, the two-seed probability was 58.72% and three-seed probability was 19.36%. Compared with the existed researches, the results showed that the seed-filling stratified room between the seed-metering device and the seed box on pneumatic feed device, had a good influence on the precision of the pneumatic seed-metering device, improved the fluidity of the seeds and decreased the friction force and extrusion force among the seeds. This study provides an important reference for the structure optimization and the performance improvement of the pneumatic metering device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The technology of rice's mechanical direct seeding can significantly reduce the consumption of manpower and material resources, and meanwhile maintain the production of rice. Super hybrid rice is a kind of hybrid rice and its tillering ability is stronger than the general hybrid rice. Due to the characteristics of high tillering capacity of super hybrid rice, the sowing quantity is required to be 1-3 seeds for each hole when super hybrid rice seeds are directly seeded to the field by the drilling machine, so as to ensure the high precision of seeding and high rate of field seedling emergence. In order to meet the requirement of 1-3 seeds for each hole using the precise hill-drop drilling technique, a seed-filling stratified room was designed, which was between the seed-metering device and the seed box on pneumatic feed mechanism for precision rice hill-drop sowing. It also aimed at improving the liquidity of seeds and raising the seeding precision, the liquidity of rice seed would reduced after accelerating germination. This the reduction of the liquidity of rice seed after accelerating germination had so bad effects on filling process that it limited the improvement of metering performance. Indic hybrid Peizataifeng was taken as the research object, and the impacts of the seed-filling stratified room on the performance of the pneumatic feed mechanism was studied by the single-factor experiment and orthogonal experiment in this paper. These experiments were carried out under different negative pressures for sucking seeds and positive pressures for blowing seeds. The experimental results showed that there existed an optimization condition on the capability of the metering device to meet the needs of the production. The probability about the quantity for each hill was used to evaluate the capability of the pneumatic precise metering device. The seed-filling stratified room consisted of a barrel and two seed-guiding plates. The cross-section of the barrel was the square with 50 mm per side. There were the chutes on the lining of the barrel, which were 1.1 mm wide. Seed-guiding plates were 1 mm thick, which were connected with the barrel by chutes. The two seed-guiding plates formed an angle of 45 degrees. The optimization condition was that the sucking plate's rotation speed was 30 r/min, the negative pressure for sucking seeds was 1.6 kPa and the positive pressure for blowing seeds was 0.1 kPa. With the seed-filling stratified room, the probability of 1-3 seeds per hill for the metering device was 95.4%; in addition, the probability of empty seed was 1.53%, and the probability of greater than or equal to 4 seeds was 3.07%. Under the same condition, the probability of one seed per hill for the metering device was 17.32%; in addition, the two-seed probability was 58.72% and three-seed probability was 19.36%. Compared with the existed researches, the results showed that the seed-filling stratified room between the seed-metering device and the seed box on pneumatic feed device, had a good influence on the precision of the pneumatic seed-metering device, improved the fluidity of the seeds and decreased the friction force and extrusion force among the seeds. This study provides an important reference for the structure optimization and the performance improvement of the pneumatic metering device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses innovations and technologies in thoracic surgery. Topics discussed includes benefits of magnetic anchoring and guidance system, advancement of wireless steerable soft endoscope, tracking of surgeon's eye movements, and use of organic luminescence display for video recording and image display functions.

In this paper, based on an equivalent mixed linear complementarity problem, we propose a neural network to solve multiuser power control optimization problems (MPCOP), which is modeled as the noncooperative Nash game in modern digital subscriber line (DSL). If the channel crosstalk coefficients matrix is positive semidefinite, it is shown that the proposed neural network is stable in the sense of Lyapunov and global convergence to a Nash equilibrium, and the Nash equilibrium is unique if the channel crosstalk coefficients matrix is positive definite. Finally, simulation results on two numerical examples show the effectiveness and performance of the proposed neural network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Matrine, one of the main components extracted from Sophora flavescens, has exhibited pharmacological effects on the differentiation in rat liver oval cells. However, its function and mechanism have not yet been fully elucidated. To further investigate them, an in vitro model was established using a rat liver oval cell line called WB-F344 and treated with matrine. Initially, a significant increase in the number of monodansylcadaverine-positive cells and in the levels of microtubule-associated protein 1A/1B-light chain 3 (LC3)-II, which is a specific marker for detecting autophagy, was observed in matrine-treated cells. This indicated that autophagy was stimulated by matrine, which was further confirmed by transmission electron microscopy. Additionally, the apoptotic oval cells were easily detected under matrine treatment using an Annexin-V-fluorescein isothiocyanate/propidium iodide assay, indicating that autophagy and apoptosis were synchronously induced by matrine. A decrease in B-cell lymphoma (Bcl-2) mRNA expression, but an increase in Bcl2-associated X protein (Bax) mRNA expression were observed in matrine-treated cells, which led to an upregulation of the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, a molecular marker for determining the extent of apoptosis. Next, the molecular mechanism of matrine-induced autophagy and apoptosis was analyzed in WB-F344 cells. β-catenin degradation was downregulated by matrine and rapamycin, a foregone chemical agonist of autophagy, whereas it was upregulated by 3-methyladenine, a specific inhibitor of autophagy. Additionally, β-catenin activation induced an increase in LC3-II levels and reversed the Bax/Bcl-2 mRNA ratio under matrine treatment, whereas inhibition of β-catenin by RNA interference induced a decrease of the LC3-II amount and of the Bax/Bcl-2 mRNA ratio. Finally, matrine treatment attenuated p53; however, with little or no change in LC3-II levels, but a decrease in β-catenin levels occurred in WB-F344 cells upon treatment with pifthrin-α, a chemical inhibitor of p53, revealing that p53, interfering with β-catenin, may not be involved in matrine-induced autophagy in WB-F344 cells. These results demonstrate that β-catenin is involved in matrine-induced autophagy and apoptosis in WB-F344 cells, while β-catenin is negatively regulated by autophagy and positively by p53, indicating that β-catenin may be involved in the crosstalk between autophagy and apoptosis in WB-F344 cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Introduction: With development in the techniques of reduction and fixation, there has been a controversy in comparison between intramedullary nailing (IMN) and plating for the treatment of distal tibial metaphyseal fracture (DTF). The study aimed to investigate: (1) which fixation, IMN or plating, was better in the clinical outcomes and in the complications for the treatment of DTF and (2) which modifying variables affected the comparative results between the two modalities. Methods: PubMed, EMBASE, OVID, Scopus, ISI Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, Google Scholar and specific orthopaedic journals were searched from inception to July 2013, using the search strategy of ‘(‘Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary’ [MeSH]) AND (‘Tibial Fractures’ [MeSH]) AND (plate OR plating)’. All prospective and retrospective controlled trials comparing function, pain, bone union and complications between IMN and plating for DTF were identified. Our analysis had no limitation of the language or the publication year. The primary outcome measurements were complication rate, union time, operation time and hospital stays, while the secondary outcome measurements were functional score and pain score. Result: Fourteen of 6620 studies with 842 patients were included. IMN was probably preferential to plating for DTF given its higher functional score (p =0.01), lower risk of infection (p =0.02) and comparable pain score (p =0.33), total complication rate (p =0.53) and time to union (p =0.86). However, plating had a lower malunion rate than IMN (p <0.0001). All the results were based on the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) evidence of moderate quality. Conclusions: With a satisfying alignment obtained, IMN may be preferential to plating for fixation of DTF with better function and lower risk of infection. However, IMN showed higher malunion rate for fixation of DTF. With the biases in our meta-analysis, it will ultimately require a rigorous and adequately powered randomised controlled trial (RCT) to prove. Level of evidence: Level III, therapeutic study (systematic review). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Targeted drug delivery has been evolving at an increasing rate due to its potential to reduce the minimum effective dose of a drug and its accompanying side effects. It has shown improved therapeutic efficacy at equivalent plasma concentrations; however, the development of effective targeted delivery systems has remained a major task. In this study, a drug carrier was designed and synthesized by conjugation of folate acid (FA) to carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS) through a polyethylene glycol (PEG) spacer. The resulting conjugates were confirmed by 1H nuclear magnetic resonance and infrared spectroscopy. The cytotoxicity of CMCS and CMCS-5-fluorouracil (5-FU) was determined by a crystal violet stain assay. The potential of CMCS-PEG-FA for use in the targeted delivery of 5-FU was investigated using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide analysis in two cell lines, HeLa and A549, which contain different numbers of folate receptors on their surfaces. The MTT results revealed that in HeLa cells, the cytotoxicity of (CMCS-5-FU)-PEG-FU cells is greater compared with CMCS-5-FU, suggesting that folate receptor mediated endocytosis may affect the cellular uptake efficiency of 5-FU loaded CMCS-PEG-FA. The CMCS-PEG-FA conjugates presented in this study show promise as carriers for chemotherapeutic agents due to their solubility at physiological pH, efficiency in carrying chemotherapeutic agents, low cytotoxicity and targeting ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Numerous studies have shown that aberrant microRNA (miRNA) expression is associated with the pathogenesis and progression of various human diseases. Hence, serum miRNAs are considered to be potential biomarkers for the diagnosis of human diseases. This study examined whether several miRNAs known to be commonly deregulated in liver diseases are deregulated in the serum of hosts with hepatic schistosomiasis, and thus whether they could serve as potential markers for detection of schistosome infection and evaluation of the effectiveness of chemotherapy. Methods: We analyzed the serum levels of six selected candidate miRNA molecules (miR-146b, miR-122, miR-223, miR-199a-5p, miR-199a-3p, miR-34a) from mice, rabbits, buffalos and humans infected with Schistosoma japonicum using qPCR. We evaluated liver pathology by determining the hydroxyproline content in liver tissues. Primary resident liver cells were isolated to quantify the expression level of deregulated miRNAs. Bioinformatics analyses were also conducted to assess the potential function of miR-223. Results: Using a mouse model of Schistosoma japonicum infection, we found that the expression level of serum miR-223 was significantly elevated after infection, but returned to near normal levels after the treatment with praziquantel (PZQ). Importantly, the level of serum miR-223 reflected the extent of liver pathology post-infection. We validated the elevated level of the circulating miR-223 in serum samples of other host species including rabbits, buffalos and humans. In addition, our results showed that miR-223 was primarily located in the Kupffer cells, but its expression levels were significantly up-regulated in hepatocytes, hepatic stellate cells and Kupffer cells after infection. Bioinformatics analyses revealed a potential functional role of miR-223 in transcription regulator activity, transcription factor activity and DNA binding. Conclusions: This study suggested that the circulating miR-223 could serve as a potential new biomarker for the detection of schistosome infection and the assessment of the response to chemotherapy [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple cocasting method has been developed to prepare magnetic mesoporous FePt/C composites with superparamagnetic FePt nanoparticles embedded in carbon walls. Furfuryl alcohol, iron(III) acetylacetonate (Fe(acac)3), and platinum(II) acetylacetonate (Pt(acac) 3) were used as the carbon and FePt nanoparticle precursors to be simultaneously incorporated into the channels of mesoporous silica SBA-15 template by the incipient wetness impregnation technique. After the polymerization of furfuryl alcohol, the carbonization in argon, and the removal of silica template, magnetic mesoporous FePt/C composites were finally obtained. Magnetic mesoporous FePt/C composites have high surface area of 1244 m²/g and narrow mesopore size distribution peaked at 4.93 nm. FePt nanoparticles were well embedded in mesoporous carbon walls, and mesoporous FePt/C composites exhibit superparamagnetic behavior. Using cytochrome c (Cyt c), myoglobin (Mb), and bovine serum albumin (BSA) as model proteins, the adsorption capacities of Cyt c, Mb, and BSA on magnetic mesoporous FePt/C composites can reach ca. 200, 162, and 121 µ g/mg, respectively. These results indicated that mesoporous FePt/C composites have potential as magnetically separable adsorbent for biomolecules separation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on that the computer will be infected by infected computer and exposed computer, and some of the computers which are in suscepitible status and exposed status can get immunity by antivirus ability, a novel coumputer virus model is established. The dynamic behaviors of this model are investigated. First, the basic reproduction number P0, which is a threshold of the computer virus spreading in internet, is determined. Second, this model has a virus-free equilibrium P0, which means that the infected part of the computer disappears, and the virus dies out, and R0 is a globally asymptotically stable equilibrium if ?? R0 < 1. Third, if R0 > 1 then this model has only one viral equilibrium P*, which means that the computer persists at a constant endemic level, and P* is also globally asymptotically stable. Finally, some numerical examples are given to demonstrate the analytical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractGenetic polymorphism of IFNAR-1 plays a large role in determining the clearance or chronicity after hepatitis B virus (HBV) exposure. However, it is not clear whether type I interferon receptor-1 (IFNAR-1) variations continuously exert their effects to influence the final outcomes following HBV chronicity, including acute-on-chronic hepatitis B liver failure (ACLF-HBV), chronic hepatitis B (CHB), liver cirrhosis (LC), and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Here we report that these four potential outcomes of chronic HBV infection are strongly associated with IFNAR-1 polymorphisms through a hospital-based case-control study of 663 cases. ACLF-HBV and HCC were each compared with CHB+LC. In comparison with the G/G genotype, the C/G and C/C genotypes at both single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) sites (rs1012335 and rs2257167) showed significant susceptibility to ACLF-HBV (the highest odds ratio [OR] reached 2.374; 95% CI = 1.488, 3.788; p< 0.001 for the C/G genotype at rs2257167), as well as HCC (OR = 2.475; 95% CI = 1.435, 4.426; p< 0.001 for the C/C genotype at rs1012335). The C allele at both loci was a susceptibility allele for ACLF-HBV and HCC, with the highest ORs reaching 1.653 (95% CI = 1.233, 2.216; p< 0.01 at rs1012335) in the ACLF-HBV group, and 1.659 (95% CI = 1.274, 2.159; p< 0.01 at rs1012335) in the HCC group. A strongly linked disequilibrium was also found within these two alleles (p< 0.001). Our research indicates that genetic polymorphisms of IFNAR-1 not only contribute to the determination of clearance or chronicity in the early stages of HBV exposure, but they also persistently influence pathogenesis over the long-term process of chronic HBV infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2,4-Diacetylphloroglucinol hydrolase PlIG from Pseudomonasfluorescens catalyzes hydrolytic carbon-carbon (C-C) bond cleavage of the antibiotic 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol to form monoacetylphloroglucinol, a rare class of reactions in chemistry and biochemistry. To investigate the catalytic mechanism of this enzyme, we determined the three-dimensional structure of PhlG at 2.0 Å resolution using x-ray crystallography and MAD methods. The overall structure includes a small N-terminal domain mainly involved in dimerization and a C-terminal domain of Bet v1-like fold, which distinguishes PhlG from the classical α/β-fold hydrolases. A dumbbell-shaped substrate access tunnel was identified to connect a narrow interior amphiphilic pocket to the exterior solvent. The tunnel is likely to undergo a significant conformational change upon substrate binding to the active site. Structural analysis coupled with computational docking studies, site-directed mutagenesis, and enzyme activity analysis revealed that cleavage of the 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol C-C bond proceeds via nucleophilic attack by a water molecule, which is coordinated by a zinc ion. In addition, residues Tyr121, Tyr229, and Asn132, which are predicted to be hydrogen-bonded to the hydroxyl groups and unhydrolyzed acetyl group, can finely tune and position the bound substrate in a reactive orientation. Taken together, these results revealed the active sites and zinc-dependent hydrolytic mechanism of PhlG and explained its substrate specificity as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present electrical, physiological and molecular evidence for substantial electrical coupling of epithelial cells in Malpighian tubules via gap junctions. Current was injected into one principal cell of the isolated Malpighian tubule and membrane voltage deflections were measured in that cell and in two neighboring principal cells. By short-circuiting the transepithelial voltage with the diuretic peptide leucokinin-VIll we largely eliminated electrical coupling of principal cells through the tubule lumen, thereby allowing coupling through gap junctions to be analyzed. The analysis of an equivalent electrical circuit of the tubule yielded an average gap-junction resistance (R91) of 431 kfl between two cells. This resistance would stem from 6190 open gap-junctional channels, assuming the high single gap-junction conductance of 375 pS found in vertebrate tissues. The addition of the calcium ionophore A23187 (2 p~mol I—i) to the peritubular Ringer bath containing 1.7 mmol I~ Ca2~ did not affect the gap-junction resistance, but metabolic inhibition of the tubule with dinitrophenol (0.5 mmol I—i) increased the gap-junction resistance 66-fold, suggesting the regulation of gap junctions by ATP. Lucifer Yellow injected into a principal cell did not appear in neighboring principal cells. Thus, gap junctions allow the passage of current but not Lucifer Yellow. Using RT-PCR we found evidence for the expression of innexins 1, 2, 3 and 7 (named after their homologues in Drosophila) in Malpighian tubules. The physiological demonstration of gap junctions and the molecular evidence for innexin in Malpighian tubules of Aedes aegypti call for the double cable model of the tubule, which will improve the measurement and the interpretation of electrophysiological data collected from Malpighian tubules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psychoacoustical computational models are necessary for the perceptual processing of acoustic signals and have contributed significantly in the development of highly efficient audio analysis and coding. In this paper, we present an approach for the psychoacoustic analysis of musical signals based on the discrete wavelet packet transform. The proposed method mimics the multiresolution properties of the human ear closer than other techniques and it includes simultaneous and temporal auditory masking. Experimental results show that this method provides better masking capabilities and it reduces the signal-to-masking ratio substantially more than other approaches, without introducing audible distortion. This model can lead to greater audio compression by permitting further bit rate reduction and more secure watermarking by providing greater signal space for information hiding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an audio watermarking scheme which is based on an efficiently synchronized spread-spectrum technique and a new psychoacoustic model computed using the discrete wavelet packet transform. The psychoacoustic model takes advantage of the multiresolution analysis of a wavelet transform, which closely approximates the standard critical band partition. The goal of this model is to include an accurate time-frequency analysis and to calculate both the frequency and temporal masking thresholds directly in the wavelet domain. Experimental results show that this watermarking scheme can successfully embed watermarks into digital audio without introducing audible distortion. Several common watermark attacks were applied and the results indicate that the method is very robust to those attacks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of novel comblike mesogen‐jacketed liquid‐crystalline graft copolymers, poly(p‐phenylene)‐g‐poly{2,5‐bis[(4‐methoxyphenyl)oxycarbonyl]styrene} (PPP‐g‐PMPCS) copolymers, have been designed and successfully synthesized by a Yamamoto coupling reaction and subsequent atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). 1H NMR spectroscopy, ultraviolet–visible spectra, and gel permeation chromatography (GPC) have been used to confirm the molecular structure of the macroinitiator and the copolymers. A study of the polymerization kinetics of ATRP has shown that the molecular weight of the copolymer increases linearly with the conversion of the monomer, whereas the polydispersity remains narrow (≤1.28), indicating that the ATRP of 2,5‐bis[(4‐methoxyphenyl)oxycarbonyl]styrene is well controlled. Thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements have indicated that the PPP‐g‐PMPCS copolymers have better thermal stabilities than the macroinitiator, and their thermal stabilities increase with increasing molecular weight. The liquid‐crystalline behavior has been examined with polarized optical microscopy, DSC, one‐dimensional wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction (1D WAXD), and two‐dimensional wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction (2D WAXD). The results show that all the comblike copolymers exhibit obvious liquid‐crystalline behaviors, even though the GPC molecular weight of the segments of poly{2,5‐bis[(4‐methoxyphenyl)oxycarbonyl]styrene} (PMPCS) have been determined to be far less than the critical value of linear PMPCS. Moreover, 1D WAXD measurements show that the temperature at which the comblike mesogen‐jacketed liquid‐crystalline copolymers can transform into a liquid‐crystalline phase is low; about 20 °C in comparison with the linear ones. 2D WAXD analysis has revealed that these comblike copolymers should be assigned to a hexatic columnar nematic (ΦHN) phase. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 2543–2555, 2007 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The boundary knot method is an inherently meshless, rapidly convergent, boundary-type radial basis function collocation technique for the numerical solution of various partial differential equations. To the authors' best knowledge, this study made the first attempt to develop the symmetric boundary knot method (BKM) to the free vibration analysis of membranes subjected to mixed-type boundary conditions. The unsymmetric and symmetric BKM formulations are compared carefully side-by-side. And numerical results clearly indicate that the symmetric formulation not only preserves the inherent symmetry of the membrane vibration problems, but also suppress the spurious eigenvalues, a perplexing issue in the traditional unsymmetric formulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A side-on liquid crystalline monomer, 2,5-bis[(4-hexyloxyphenyl)oxycarbonyl]styrene) (HPCS), was successfully polymerized via atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). The polymerization was catalyzed by CuBr/PMDETA in chlorobenzene at 90°C with (1-bromoethyl)benzene as the initiator. The polymers have narrow MWD. It is the second example of mesogen-jacketed liquid crystalline polymer (MJLCP) prepared by ATRP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of a culture of the normal mammalian jejunum motivated this work. Isolated crypt cells of the dog jejunum were induced to form primary cultures on Snapwell filters. Up to seven subcultures were studied under the electron microscope and in Ussing chambers. Epithelial markers were identified by RT-PCR, Western blot, and immunofluorescent staining. Confluent monolayers exhibit a dense apical brush border, basolateral membrane infoldings, desmosomes, and tight junctions expressing zonula occludens-l, occludin-l, and claudin-3 and -4. In OptiMEM medium fortified with epidermal growth factor, hydrocortisone, and insulin, monolayer transepithelial voltage was -6.8 mV (apical side), transepithelial resistance was 1,050 Ω·cm2, and short-circuit current (Isc) was 8.1 μA/cm2. Transcellular and paracellular resistances were estimated as 14.8 and 1.1 kΩ·cm2, respectively. Serosal ouabain reduced voltage and current toward zero, as did apical amiloride. The presence of mRNA of α-epithelial Na+ channel (ENaC) was confirmed. Na-D-glucose co- transport was identified with an antibody to Na+-glucose cotransporter (SGLT) 1. The unidirectional mucosa-to-serosa Na+ flux (19 nmol·min-1·cm-2) was two times as large as the reverse flux, and net transepithelial Na+ flux was nearly double the amiloride-sensitive Isc. In plain Ringer solution, the amiloride-sensitive Isc went toward zero. Under these conditions plus mucosal amiloride, serosal dibutyryl-cAMP elicited a C1--dependent Isc consistent with the stimulation of transepithelial Cl- secretion. In conclusion, primary cultures and subcultures of the normal mammalian jejunum form polarized epithelial monolayers with 1) the properties of a leaky epithelium, 2) claudins specific to the jejunal tight junction, 3) transepithelial Na+ absorption mediated in part by SGLT1 and ENaC, and 4) electrogenic Cl- secretion activated by cAMP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of new optically active aromatic poly(ester amide)s containing a chiral group in the side chain prepared from the p-toluenesulfonic acid salt of o,o'-bis(leucyl)-hexanediol (TS-LHD+TS-) and p-phthaloyl chloride and styrene-2,5- dicarbonyl chloride styrene have been synthesized by interfacial polymerization. The structure of the monomer is elucidated by FT-IR and elemental analysis. The thermal properties of the polymers were studied by DSC and TGA. The chiroptical properties of the above polymer have also been studied by circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. Results indicated that these polymers form helical structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]