Search

Objective To study the effects of different concentrated sulfuric acid etching durations on the shear bond strength between polyether-ketone-ketone (PEKK) and dentin, providing a scientific basis for the clinical bonding procedures of PEKK prosthesis. Methods Forty-four PEKK specimens were prepared and randomly divided into four groups: group A was the control group, which was only polished with abrasive papers, group B, group C and group D were experimental groups, which were etched by 98% concentrated sulfuric acid for 5 s, 30 s and 60 s, respectively. In addition, one sample was randomly selected from each group, and the profile was prepared by a slow cutting machine. The surface morphology of the profile was observed under SEM. After the four groups of specimens and dentin were bonded by resin, they were soaked in distilled water at 37 ℃ for 24 h. After the shear bonding strengths were measured, the fracture interfaces of the specimens were examined by the scanning electron microscopy and stereomicroscopy, and failure models of bonding were analyzed. Results After acid etching treatments, the cross-sectional images in group B presented uniform spongy shapes, while the cross-sectional images in group C and group D showed destructive pore structures. The shear bond strengths of group B (16.84 ± 1.84) MPa, group C (12.33 ± 1.22) MPa and group D (6.44 ± 1.18) MPa were higher than that of group A (3.99 ± 1.06) MPa (P < 0.05). The highest shear bond strength was observed in group B (16.84 ± 1.84) MPa. Conclusion The surface treatment of 98% sulfuric acid etching for 5 s manifested the best bond strength between PEKK and dentin.

ObjectiveTo explore dynamic changes of cytokines and virological markers associated with hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) loss during peginterferon alpha-2a (PEG-IFN α-2a) treatment in hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) positive chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients.MethodsIt was a single-center prospective cohort study. HBeAg-positive CHB patients were prospectively and consecutively enrolled. Cytokines were detected at baseline, week 12 and 24 of PEG-IFN treatment. HBsAg disappearance rate was the primary evaluation index at 48 weeks of PEG-IFN treatment.ResultsAmong 100 patients who completed the 48-week PEG-IFN α-2a treatment, 38 patients achieved serum HBeAg disappearance, 25 patients achieved HBeAg seroconversion, 9 patients achieved functional cure, 37 patients had HBsAg decline of ≥1 log IU/ml, and 8 patients produced hepatitis B surface antibody (HBsAb). Albumin (ALB), fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 ligand (FLT3-L) and interferon-alpha2 (IFN-α2) in the clinical cure group were significantly lower than those in the non-clinical-cure group at baseline. After 12 weeks of treatment, HBsAg in the clinical cure group was significantly lower than that in the non-clinical-cure group (median 1.14 vs. 3.45 log10IU/ml, Z=-4.355, P < 0.001). The decrease of HBsAg and hepatitis B virus desoxyribose nucleic acid (HBV DNA) in the clinical cure group was significantly higher than that in non-clinical-cure group (median: HBsAg 1.96 vs. 0.33 log10IU/ml, Z=-4.703, P< 0.001; HBV DNA 4.49 vs.3.13 log10IU/ml, Z=-3.053, P=0.002). The increase of IFN-α2 in the cure group was significantly higher than that in the non-clinical-cure group (497.89 vs. 344.74, Z=-2.126, P=0.034). After 24 weeks of treatment, HBsAg, HBeAg, Flt3-L, and IL-10 in the clinical cure group were significantly lower than those in the non-clinical-cure group (median: HBsAg 0.70 vs. 3.15 log10IU/ml, Z=-4.535, P< 0.001; HBeAg 1.48 vs. 13.72 S/CO, Z = 2.512, P = 0.012; Flt3-l 0.00 vs 2.24 pg/ml, Z = 3.137, P=0.002; IL-10 0.70 vs. 2.71 pg/ml, Z=-4.067, P < 0.001). HBsAg decreased significantly in the clinical cure group compared with non-clinical-cure group (median 3.27 vs. 0.45, Z=-4.463, P < 0.001).ConclusionDynamic changes of cytokines and virology markers during early PEG IFN α-2a treatment were associated with HBsAg loss in HBeAg-positive CHB patients.

Qian Meng, Fangfang Sun Department of Higher Education, College of Education, Bohai University, Jinzhou 121013, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Qian MengDepartment of Higher Education, College of Education, Bohai University, 19 Keji Road, Jinzhou 121013, People’s Republic of ChinaTel/fax +86 416 340 0230Email mengqian_china@hotmail.comBackground: The primary aim of this research was to examine the role of psychological empowerment on the work engagement of university faculty members in China and the implications for both faculty members and university administrators. The questions of the study focus on the level of psychological empowerment and work engagement of university faculty members and the correlation between psychological empowerment and work engagement.Materials and methods: Data were collected from a sample of 162 faculty members working at a China university. They were asked to complete two self-reported scales with good reliability and validity: the psychological empowerment scale (PES) and the Utrecht work engagement scale (UWES). The responses from the sample were analyzed using SPSS software. The descriptive statistics showed the participants’ statistical characteristics, while independent samplet-tests and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed group differences among university faculty members. Correlation analysis and multidimensional regression analysis demonstrated how psychological empowerment affected work engagement.Results: The total scores for the PES and UWES were both moderately high. Gender, age, degree attained, and professional ranking were associated with differences in levels of psychological empowerment and work engagement. The results confirmed that psychological empowerment was positively correlated with all the dimensions of work engagement. The regression analysis results showed that the positive role of psychological empowerment in work engagement was mainly realized through two dimensions: meaning and competence.Conclusion: The study results revealed significant group differences in the PES and UWES scores among university faculty members. Universities should give more support to younger and junior faculty. There is highly positive correlation between psychological empowerment and work engagement. University should recognize the role of psychological empowerment and create a supportive environment to promote faculty members’ professional development, which, in turn, can increase universities’ productivity.Keywords: psychological empowerment, work engagement, faculty members, case study

Rationale: Foreign bodies are frequently ingested, but only approximately 1% of them cause perforation. Perforations in the lesser curvature of the stomach are exceedingly rare. Here, we report a case of gastric perforation in the lesser curvature caused by a foreign body. The patient presented to the clinic complaining of abdominal skin swelling and reddening with upper abdominal discomfort as the initial symptoms. Patient concerns: An 83-year-old female presented with a mass in the middle of the epigastrium for 10 days. Physical examination found an apparent local tenderness and inflammatory mass in the upper abdominal wall. Her body temperature was normal (37.5°C) and the white blood cell count was elevated (8.12 × 109/L [reference value 3.5–9.5 × 109/L]). Diagnoses: The ultrasound examination of the abdomen revealed a 4 cm strip-like hyperechoic object entangled in the muscles of the abdominal wall. The computed tomography scan revealed a thin strip of bone-like hyperdense shadow. Intraoperative findings showed a sharp fishbone protruding from the lesser curvature of the stomach into the abdominal cavity, part of which remained in the gastric cavity. The postoperative pathological report revealed chronic suppurative inflammation with abscess and sinus canal formation. Interventions & outcomes: The patient underwent a gastric foreign body removal with partial gastrectomy. Anti-inflammatory treatment post-surgery rapidly relieved the patient's symptoms of discomfort in the upper abdomen. At the 1-month follow-up, the patient showed no discomfort in the upper abdomen and the inflammatory mass was no longer present. Lessons: A foreign body had penetrated through the lesser curvature of the stomach, an area with a flat gastric wall, which occurs infrequently. In such cases, computed tomography is the gold standard for diagnosis of foreign bodies in the digestive tract. Ultrasound can also be used as a supplemental diagnostic technique. It is recommended that people who wear dentures should exercise caution while eating, especially when the food contains bones.

Fang Ren, Christina Shrestha, Huirong Shi, Fangfang Sun, Minghui Zhang, Yuan Cao, Gailing Li Department of Gynecology, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Fang RenDepartment of Gynecology, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No. 1 Jianshe East Road, Zhengzhou 450052, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +8613849115866Email renfang@foxmail.comPurpose: The retinoblastoma binding protein RBP2 (KDM5A) is a histone demethylase that promotes cell growth in many human cancers. A series of functional experiments were conducted to explore the role of miR-421/KDM5A in ovarian cancer cells and their underlying molecular mechanisms.Materials and Methods: Public microarray databases were analyzed to assess KDM5A and miR-421 expression in ovarian cancer. KDM5A was predicted to be a target of miR-421 using software analysis. The expression of the miR-421/KDM5A regulatory axis in ovarian cancer and the mechanisms of its effects on proliferation, migration, and invasion of ovarian cancer cell lines were investigated.Results: Compared with normal ovarian tissues, the expression of KDM5A mRNA and protein was elevated (P< 0.05), and miR-421 expression was reduced in ovarian cancer tissue (P< 0.05). miR-421 was found to bind specifically to the KDM5A gene. Silencing KDM5A or overexpressing miR-421 significantly inhibited proliferation, migration, and invasion of OVCAR-8 and SKOV-3 cells. Similarly, compared with nude mice injected with cells transfected with empty capsids, the in vivo proliferation rate of OVCAR-8 cells after miR-421 overexpression was reduced significantly.Conclusion: The miR-421/KDM5A regulatory axis plays an important role in the development and progression of ovarian cancer cells.Keywords: ovarian cancer, KDM5A/RBP2, miR-421, progression

Rationale: Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor occurring in the context of neurofibromatosis type I (NF1) is relatively rare. Herein, we report a case of NF1 with malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor in the upper arm. Patient concerns: A 24-year-old man presented with a mass in the medial part of the left upper arm that had been present for more than 20 years. In the previous 1 year prior to admission, the mass had grown significantly. Physical examination showed cafe-au-lait spots of variable sizes throughout the body and multiple masses in the medial part of the left upper arm. Three months later after the resection of the masses, the patient was readmitted to our department due to tumor recurrence. Two months after the extended resection, in situ recurrence of the tumor was noted again. Four months after the operation and the administration of radiotherapy, a mass was found in the outside of the left upper arm. Diagnosis: Immunohistochemical staining showed the masses were positivity for vimentin, CD34, and S100; the tumor cells were negative for PGP9.5, CD57, EMA, and SMA. The Ki-67 labeling index was approximately 40%. A diagnosis of malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor was made. Interventions: Surgical resection was performed for both the primary tumors and the 2 subsequent recurrence tumors. The patient underwent radiotherapy with 60 Gy in 30 fractions after the third operation. Four months after the administration of radiotherapy, the patient underwent tumorectomy of a mass in the outside of the left upper arm. Outcomes: During the 4-month follow-up after the fourth operation, the patient's condition was stable. Lessons: Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor in NF1 is an exceedingly rare entity that poses a great diagnostic challenge. High-frequency ultrasound can support the diagnosis.

Background To identify pivotal lncRNAs in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) using lncRNA–mRNA–miRNA ceRNA network analysis. Methods We obtained gene expression profiles from the gene expression omnibus database. Cancer specific lncRNA, cancer specific miRNA and cancer specific mRNA were identified. An integrated analysis was conducted to detect potential lncRNA–miRNA–mRNA ceRNA in regulating disease transformation. The lncRNA regulated gene ontology (GO) terms and regulated pathways were performed by function analysis. Survival analysis was performed for the pivotal lncRNAs. Results A total of four lncRNAs, 15 miRNAs and 375 mRNAs are identified as the key mediators in the pathophysiological processes of PTC. GO annotation enrichment analysis showed the most relevant GO terms are signal transduction, integral component of membrane and calcium ion binding. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis showed different changed genes mainly enriched in pathways in cancer, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway and focal adhesion. Among four lncRNAs, only SLC26A4-AS1 was significantly associated with PTC patient disease free survival. Conclusion This study has constructed lncRNA–mRNA–miRNA ceRNA networks in PTC. The study provides a set of pivotal lncRNAs for future investigation into the molecular mechanisms.

Background: Vesicouterine fistula (VUF) is a very rare type of urogenital fistula, the incidence of which has increased in recent years due to increased cesarean section deliveries and other pelvic surgeries. The clinical diagnosis of VUF is typically challenging. Case: A 31-year-old woman who presented with fever, increase urine frequency, and urinary incontinence at night, along with occasional vaginal discharge after cesarean section. The VUF was misdiagnosed on conventional ultrasound, but was successfully diagnosed by using intravesical contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) using SonoVue, which was confirmed by the subsequent cystoscopy. Conclusion: Intravesical CEUS provides a new effective method for diagnosing VUF, which may become the first choice for diagnosing urogenital fistulas.

The goal of this study was to characterize the soil constitution and the presence of antibiotic resistance gene (ARG) erm(F) in soils across California to investigate the relationship between the levels of anthropogenic influence and ARG erm(F) levels locally and regionally. Soil samples were collected from 26 parks in four cities, San Diego, Los Angeles, Bakersfield, Fresno, where six publicly accessible parks sites were selected in each, and two pristine sites, Yosemite National Park and Mount Baldy. DNA was extracted, normalized, and tested for the presence and quantity of genes 16S rRNA and erm(F) using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Erm(F) quantities were determined via two analysis approaches—on a per gram of soil basis, and relative to 16S gene abundance. Locally among 26 parks, the five quantifiably detected erm(F) sites all occurred in high-level anthropogenic influenced sites. Regionally among four cities, urban and agricultural cities shared the similar soil constitution respectively and urban cities had higher erm(F) gene levels than agricultural ones. Population and population density in each city is positively correlated with erm(F) gene levels whichever analysis approach was applied.

With the increasing development of cloud computing,task scheduling problem become a crucial aspect.There are many scholars research on resource scheduling problems,but load balancing and scheduling in how to balance time and cost is still not achieved satisfactory results.Genetic algorithm(GA) has strong robustness and inherent parallel computer system,particularly suitable for the combinatorial optimization problems, but the basic genetic algorithm easy to fall into local optimal solution. So ,we propose a crossover-mutation operator in mutation to solve this problem. The performance is analyzed using Cloudsim simulator and compared with existing GA ,Min-min algorithm. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm has better performance in load balancing ,finish time and costs.

Biobattery, a kind of enzymatic fuel cells, can convert organic compounds (e.g., glucose, starch) to electricity in a closed system without moving parts. Inspired by natural starch metabolism catalyzed by starch phosphorylase, isoamylase is essential to debranch alpha-1,6-glycosidic bonds of starch, yielding linear amylodextrin – the best fuel for sugar-powered biobattery. However, there is no thermostable isoamylase stable enough for simultaneous starch gelatinization and enzymatic hydrolysis, different from the case of thermostable alpha-amylase. A putative isoamylase gene was mined from megagenomic database. The open reading frame ST0928 from a hyperthermophilic archaeron Sulfolobus tokodaii was cloned and expressed in E. coli. The recombinant protein was easily purified by heat precipitation at 80 °C for 30 min. This enzyme was characterized and required Mg²⁺ as an activator. This enzyme was the most stable isoamylase reported with a half lifetime of 200 min at 90 °C in the presence of 0.5 mM MgCl₂, suitable for simultaneous starch gelatinization and isoamylase hydrolysis. The cuvett-based air-breathing biobattery powered by isoamylase-treated starch exhibited nearly doubled power outputs than that powered by the same concentration starch solution, suggesting more glucose 1-phosphate generated.

ispartof: Journal of Nanomaterials vol:2015 pages:1-2 status: published

Hydrogen production from abundant renewable biomass would decrease reliance on crude oils, achieve nearly zero net greenhouse gas emissions, create more jobs, and enhance national energy security. Cell-free synthetic pathway biotransformation (SyPaB) is the implementation of complicated chemical reaction by the in vitro assembly of numerous enzymes and coenzymes that microbes cannot do. One of the largest challenges is the high cost and instability of enzymes and cofactors. To overcome this obstacle, strong motivations have driven intensive efforts in discovering, engineering, and producing thermostable enzymes. In this project, ribose-5-phosphate isomerase (RpiB), one of the most important enzymes in the pentose phosphate pathway, was cloned from a thermophile Thermotoga maritima, and heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli, purified and characterized. High-purity RpiB was obtained by heat pretreatment through its optimization in buffer choice, buffer pH, as well as temperature and duration of pretreatment. This enzyme had the maximum activity at 80°C and pH 6.5-8.0. It had a half lifetime of 71 h at 60°C, resulting in its turn-over number of more than 2 x108 mol of product per mol of enzyme. Another two thermostable enzymes glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) and diaphorase (DI) and their fusion proteins G6PDH-DI and DI-G6PDH were cloned from Geobacillus stearothermophilus, heterologouely expressed in E. coli and purified through its His-tag. The individual proteins G6PDH and DI have good thermostability and reactivity. However, the presence of DI in fusion proteins drastically decreased G6DPH activity. However, a mixture of G6PDH and a fusion protein G6PDH-DI not only restored G6PDH activity through the formation of heteromultimeric network but also facilitated substrate channeling between DI and G6PDH, especially at low enzyme concentrations. My researches would provide important building blocks for the on-going projects: high-yield hydrogen production through cell-free enzymatic pathways and electrical energy production through enzymatic fuel cells. Master of Science

Diagnostic tests are central in the field of modern medicine. One of the main factors for interpreting a diagnostic test is the discriminatory accuracy. For a continuous-scale diagnostic test, the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, AUC, is a useful one-number summary index for the diagnostic accuracy of the test. When only a particular region of the ROC curve would be of interest, the partial AUC (pAUC) is a more appropriate index for the diagnostic accuracy. In this thesis, we develop seven confidence intervals for the pAUC under the semi-parametric models for the diseased and non-diseased populations by using the normal approximation, bootstrap and empirical likelihood methods. In addition, we conduct simulation studies to compare the finite sample performance of the proposed confidence intervals for the pAUC. A real example is also used to illustrate the application of the recommended intervals.