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OBJECTIVE: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most lethal types of cancer. Various microRNAs have been identified to play an important role in PDAC. The study aimed to explore the role of miR-429 in PDAC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The expression and prognostic value of miR-429 were first analyzed using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases. Next, miR-429 expression was evaluated in the tissues and serum of 90 patients with PDAC. CCK8, SRB, wound healing and transwell assays were used to determine the effect of miR-429 on the proliferation, invasion, and migration of PDAC cells, respectively. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), correlation analysis, TargetScan, and miRDB databases were used to screen and identify the target genes of miR-429. RESULTS: The results revealed that the expression of miR-429 was downregulated in PDAC tissues and the serum compared with those in normal tissues and the serum of healthy volunteers, respectively. The decreased expression of miR-429 was significantly associated with shorter overall survival. The overexpression of miR-429 significantly inhibited the proliferation, invasion, and migration of PDAC cells. Potential target genes of miR-429 were identified using WGCNA and bioinformatics analysis, and the results showed that cadherin 11 (CDH11), inositol polyphosphate-4-phosphatase type I (INPP4A), laminin gamma 1 (LAMC1), low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 (LRP1), and quaking (QKI) were potential target genes of miR-429 in PDAC. Lower expression of CDH11 and QKI was associated with a more favorable prognosis in patients with PDAC. The overexpression of miR-429 could inhibit the expression of CDH11 and QKI. A nomogram model, involving miR-429, CDH11, and QKI, was subsequently constructed to determine their ability to accurately predict overall and disease-free survival in patients with PDAC. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, miR-429 is involved in the development and progress of PDAC. MiR-429 could be recommended as a prognostic biomarker and therapeutic indicator in PDAC diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the demineralization inhibitory mechanisms of AgNO 3 , AgF and silver diamine fluoride (SDF) using a previously used hydroxyapatite (HAP) caries demineralization model system. HAP discs were allocated into three groups (n = 3) and immersed in demineralization solution (buffered pH 4.0, 0.1 mol/L acetic acid) for 4 h. Each disc was treated topically with either 3.16 M AgNO 3 , 3.16 M AgF or 3.16 M SDF using a micro-brush. The discs were then demineralized for a further 4 h. Calcium, silver, and fluoride ion selective electrodes (ISEs) were used to monitor the changes in each ion concentration at 1 min intervals throughout. Demineralization inhibition was calculated as the percentage reduction in the rate of calcium ion loss from HAP (PRCL HAP). Characterization of similarly treated HAP powder was carried out with Magic Angle Spinning-Nuclear Magnetic Resonance The mean PRCL HAP for each treatment group was; AgF (72.3 + 4.8%), SDF (69.7 + 5.3%) and AgNO 3 (14.9 + 2.7%). Ag 3 PO 4 was detected in all HAP powders. CaF 2 and fluorohydroxyapatite (FHA) were detected only in powders treated with either AgF or SDF. The demineralization inhibitory efficacy of topically applied AgNO 3 results from the formation of a Ag 3 PO 4 barrier. Whereas, the demineralization inhibitory efficacy of topically applied AgF, and SDF, results from the formation of a barrier composed of Ag 3 PO 4 , CaF 2 , and FHA. In addition to their anti-microbial properties, clinical topical application of silver compounds for caries preventative treatment is due to their ability to form acid-resistant barriers composed of silver phosphate. When fluoride is present, this barrier also contains CaF 2 and FHA, additionally protecting the mineral. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

J Clin Pathol 2003;56:835-839 Background: Tuberculosis presenting as an isolated liver tumour, without active pulmonary or miliary tuberculosis, or other clinical evidence of tuberculosis, is distinctly rare. A greater awareness [...]

Nearly 80 different viruses belonging to different genera and families have been identified in grapevines, but their seed transmissibility remains largely unclear. Thus, the specific objective of this work is to monitor the presence of viruses in seedlings grown from seeds of virus-infected grapevine plants. Using reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and quantitative real-time RT-PCR, we showed the presence of grapevine leafroll-associated virus 2 (GLRaV-2), GLRaV- 3, grapevine 'Pinot gris' virus (GPGV), grapevine rupestris stem pitting-associated virus (GRSPaV), grapevine virus A (GVA), and grapevine fleck virus (GFkV) in all tested parts including mature cane, leaf, petiole, young shoot, flower, berry skin, and seed of infected grapevine 'Moldova' plants. Furthermore, GLRaV-2 and GPGV were found in all tested seedlings developed from seeds of 'Moldova' plants, while the other four viruses were not detected. Our results provide the first evidence that GLRaV-2 and GPGV can be transmitted to progeny seedlings from seeds of infected grapevine plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression of micro ribonucleic acid (miR)-219- 5p in prostate cancer (PCa), its influences on the biological functions of PCa, and its mechanism. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The expression differences of miR-219-5p and high mobility group protein A2 (HMGA2) in 30 pairs of PCa tissues and para-carcinoma tissues were detected via quantitative Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR), and the difference in miR-219-5p expression in PCa cell lines and normal prostatic epithelial cells was also determined via qRT-PCR. The human PC-3 cells were divided into negative control group and miR-219-5p overexpression group. Methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) and colony formation assays were adopted to detect the cell proliferative ability, and flow cytometry was applied to determine the cell apoptosis. The expression of apoptosis-related proteins was measured via Western blotting, and the invasive and migratory abilities of the cells were examined through wound-healing and transwell assays. Bioinformatics prediction software and luciferase reporter assay were employed to verify the targets that might be controlled by miR-219- 5p. Rescue experiment was conducted to clarify whether the inhibitory effects of miR-219-5p on the growth and metastasis of PC-3 cells depend on the inhibition of HMGA2. RESULTS: It was shown in qRT-PCR results that the expression level of miR-219-5p was downregulated remarkably in PCa tissues and cell lines, but overexpressed miR-219-5p could repress the proliferation and promote the apoptosis of PC-3 cells notably. The results of wound-healing and transwell assays indicated that overexpressed miR-219-5p was able to suppress the invasion and metastasis of PC- 3 cells. According to Western blotting results, overexpressed miR-219-5p could up-regulate the expressions of pro-apoptotic proteins [Bax, cleaved-caspase-3 and cleaved-poly-ADP-ribose- polymerase (PARP)] and reverse the epithelial- mesenchymal transition (EMT) of PCa cells. It was predicted via the bioinformatics software that HMGA2 gene might be a target gene of miR-219-5p. The Dual-Luciferase reporter assay confirmed that there was a direct regulatory relationship between miR-219-5p and HMGA2. The rescue experiment manifested that overexpressed HMGA2 could reverse the inhibition of miR-219-5p on the growth and metastasis of PC-3 cells. CONCLUSIONS: MiR-219-5p suppresses the growth and metastasis abilities of prostate cancer cells by directly repressing the expression of HMGA2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efforts to control viral diseases of grapevine include the production of certified material and development of virus‐resistant transgenic grapevines. However, effective antiviral agents, once the viruses have infected the plants, are still lacking. This study shows that a crude garlic extract has significant antiviral activity against grapevine viruses. Replication of grapevine leafroll‐associated virus 2 (GLRaV‐2) was obviously inhibited in grapevine cv. Cabernet Sauvignon calli treated with diluted (1:100) garlic extract. The relative RNA levels of GLRaV‐2 and grapevine fleck virus (GFkV) in cv. Summer Black grapevine in in vitro‐grown plantlets 10 days after treatment with diluted (1:100) garlic extract were about 22% and 20%, respectively, of that in controls. The viral RNA accumulation of GLRaV‐2, GFkV, grapevine virus A (GVA), grapevine fanleaf virus (GFLV) and grapevine rupestris stem pitting‐associated virus (GRSPaV) in field‐grown grapevine cv. Centennial Seedless plants sprayed with diluted (1:100) garlic extract were about 31–40%, 26–38%, 18–31%, 17–42% and 15–18%, respectively, of that in controls. Moreover, the garlic extract treatment led to a significant decrease in viral RNA accumulation of GLRaV‐3, GLRaV‐2, GVA, GFkV, GFLV, GRSPaV and grapevine Pinot Gris virus in pot‐grown grapevine cv. Shine Muscat plants, and viral disease symptoms in these plants were obviously attenuated. In addition, this extract significantly induced expression of pathogenesis‐related protein genes and stimulated activity of antioxidant enzymes in grapevines. Taken together, these results indicate that the crude garlic extract acts as a significant inhibitor against a broad range of grapevine viruses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The radiative forcing of anthropogenic aerosol remains a key uncertainty in the understanding of climate change. This study quantifies the model spread in aerosol forcing associated with (i) variability internal to the atmosphere and (ii) differences in the model representation of weather. We do so by performing ensembles of atmosphere-only simulations with four state-of-the-art Earth system models, three of which will be used in the sixth coupled model inter-comparison project (CMIP6, Eyring et al., 2016). In those models we reduce the complexity of the anthropogenic aerosol by prescribing the same annually-repeating patterns of the anthropogenic aerosol optical properties and associated effects on the cloud reflectivity. We quantify a comparably small model spread in the long-term averaged ERF compared to the overall possible range in annual ERF estimates associated with model-internal variability. This implies that identifying the true model spread in ERF associated with differences in the representation of meteorological processes and natural aerosol requires averaging over a sufficiently large number of annual estimates. We characterize the model diversity in clouds and use satellite products as benchmarks. Despite major inter-model differences in natural aerosol and clouds, all models show only a small change in the global-mean ERF due to the substantial change in the global anthropogenic aerosol distribution between the mid-1970s and mid-2000s, the ensemble mean ERF being -0.47 Wm-2 for the mid-1970s and -0.51 Wm-2 for the mid-2000s. This result suggests that inter-comparing ERF changes between two periods rather than absolute magnitudes relative to pre-industrial might provide a more stringent test for a model's ability for representing climate evolutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study uses finite element analysis software to conduct simulations and compares the fatigue behaviour of the aluminium alloy and glass fibre-reinforced composite that is used in light aircraft landing gear. The maximum stress, maximum strain and deformation of landing gear of different shapes (plate and tube shapes) are also determined. The results show that the composite landing gear weighs 45% less than an aluminium equivalent. Of the samples tested, plate-shaped glass fibre-reinforced composite landing gear exhibits the lowest maximum stress under a static load. Regardless of whether the landing gear is plate- or tube-shaped, the maximum strain and deformation for the composite landing gear are more than four times those for the aluminium alloy landing gear. The results for dynamic load show that plate-shaped glass fibre-reinforced composite and tube-shaped aluminium landing gear have similar maximum alternating stress under cyclic loading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on a study that evaluate how social capital varies in an systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) sample according to demographic, clinical, and psychosocial variables. Topics discussed include the Adapted Social Capital Assessment Tool (A-SCAT), non-Medicaid insurance and social capital.

The surface modification of commercially pure titanium (CP-Ti) by microarc oxidation (MAO) under different voltages was investigated using 1%H3PO4 solution as an electrolyte. The microstructure, phase composition and elemental distribution of ceramic coatings were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction. The corrosion behaviour of the coating was also examined by potentio dynamic polarisation testing in a 3-5 wt-%NaCl solution. Micropore oxide films were formed on all the sample groups by MAO. The thickness and micropore size of the MAO coating increased with the increasing voltage. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy results indicate that Ti, O and P became incorporated into the MAO coatings. At a low voltage of 250 V, the MAO coatings were composed of amorphous, P2O5, TiP2O7 and titania phases (rutile and anatase). Variation of treatment voltages increased the ceramic coatings from an amorphous structure to a phase structure, and the P2O5 phase disappeared. The corrosion potential Φcorr of the MAO sample shifted towards nobler directions, and the corrosion density /corr fell significantly compared with that of the bare CP-Ti. Corrosion testing showed that the sizes of the micropore of the MAO samples obviously decrease, and the MAO surface becomes smooth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Central venous access systems are frequently used for delivery of medications; however, few studies have compared surgical and postoperative complications of right versus left access via the subclavian vein (SCV). The aim of this study was to compare the surgical and postoperative complications associated with Port-A-Cath system insertion via the right and left SCV. Methods: The medical records of patients who received Port-A-Cath insertion via the SCV for parenteral chemotherapy between August 2004 and July 2008 were reviewed. The incidence of surgical and postoperative complications was compared between patients who received right- versus left-SCV Port-A-Cath insertion. Results: A total of 1,848 patients were included in the study. Right-SCV catheterization was attempted in 1,029 (55.7%) patients and was successful in 866 (84.2%). Left-SCV catheterization was attempted in 819 (44.3%) patients and was successful in 651 (79.5%). The mean length of postoperative follow-up was 417.3 ± 401.3 and 396.7 ± 379.9 days for the right- and left-SCV groups, respectively. The incidence of SCV puncture failure was significantly lower in the right-SCV group (12.3%) compared with the left-SCV group (16.8%, p = 0.006). The incidence of catheter knotting at the ipsilateral brachiocephalic vein was also significantly lower in the right-SCV group (0.0%) compared with the left-SCV group (0.5%, p = 0.038), as was the incidence of catheter occlusion (1.0% for right SCV vs. 3.5% for left SCV, p = 0.001). Conclusion: These findings suggest that the right-SCV approach is superior to the left-SCV approach for Port-A-Cath insertion. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposes a novel network sensitivity-based approach to solving complex power flow calculation problems in real time. A new sensitivity factor, named Jacobian-based distribution factor (JBDF), is used for the calculation of active and reactive power flow in transmission systems. It is derived from the Jacobian matrix of the base case Newton-Raphson power flow solution, and kept constant during real-time line flow calculation. Unlike well-known distribution factors, such as generation shift distribution factor (GSDF), generalised generation shift distribution factor (GGDF) and Z-bus distribution factor (ZBD), this approach reflects changes in complex injection power. Changes in load conditions from base case loads, with either conforming or non-conforming changes in complex power in each bus, can be used to rapidly compute active and reactive power flow without iterations. The proposed approach was tested on IEEE 14-Bus and 30-Bus systems. Numerical results demonstrate that the proposed approach is not only superior to previous distribution factors, but also compares favourably with the Newton-Raphson power flow method. It is well suited to real-time applications in steady-state security control and optimal dispatch. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Finite field arithmetic has been widely used in many cryptosystems, particularly in the elliptic curve cryptosystem (ECC) and the advanced encryption standard (AES) as a method for speeding up their encryption/decryption processes. Low-cost design for finite field arithmetic is more attractive for various mobile applications. It is a factor that a large number of Exclusive OR (XOR) gates have been used in the arithmetic operations under the traditional finite field arithmetic implementation. Thus, the cost of the traditional finite field arithmetic cannot be effectively lowered, because a typical XOR gate design consists of 12 transistors. To address this, a novel non-XOR approach consisting of eight transistors, for realising low-cost polynomial basis (PB) multiplier over GF(2m) was developed in this study. The authors proposed that non-XOR architecture for bit-parallel PB multiplier uses the multiplexer function instead of the traditional XOR function in its design. Based on the proposed non-XOR methodology, three popular low-cost irreducible polynomials - trinomial, pentanomial and all-one-polynomial - are proposed and designed in this study. The results indicate that the proposed non-XOR architecture can reduce space complexity by 22%, compared with that of the traditional design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is generally accepted that the trends in ubiquitous and pervasive computing are rapidly increasing the diversity and heterogeneity of wireless technologies and their constituent devices. However, there are significant problems to overcome when integrating embedded and mobile devices into a ubiquitous and pervasive computing environment. One can consider that flash memory is an essential storage medium for embedded and mobile devices, because it is small, lightweight, nonvolatile, and vibration-resistant; and it has a high storage capacity. Lower energy consumption is an important consideration in the design, and one solution for reducing energy consumption is to include a buffer layer in a flash memory storage system. A buffer layer can let data be updated in situ, reduce energy consumption, and increase access performance. We developed an optimal-read only-write buffer architecture tailored to the properties of flash memory, since a traditional read/write buffer architecture is unsuitable for flash memory. Further, we propose an adaptive grey decision policy for considering temporal and spatial localities to obtain better results. Our proposed method shows that the number of flash memory write operations to reduce energy consumption is decreased from 15% to 35% compared to the least recently used and flash-aware buffer policies based on the optimal-read only-write buffer architecture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Finite-field arithmetic has been widely used to speed up the encryption and decryption processes in many cryptosystems, especially elliptic curve cryptosystems. Regular finite-field arithmetic structures are suitable for very large-scale integration implementation of cryptosystems, making them attractive for mobile commerce applications. Multiplication is the critical operation in finite-field arithmetic operations. Fault-based cryptanalysis is a new cryptanalysis method that deliberately injects faults into cryptographic devices, and requires only a small amount of side-channel information to break common ciphers. Thus, effective and simple methods for protecting the encryption/decryption circuitry from attackers are required to ensure that cryptographic devices can produce accurate signatures. This study presents a polynomial basis (PB) multiplier over GF(2m) with concurrent error detection (CED), and proposes a PB multiplier with concurrent error correction (CEC). A parallel structure of function cells is used in the proposed multiplier array to reduce the propagation delay. The proposed PB multiplier with internal parallel structure can reduce the time complexity by 28%, and reduce the space complexity by 90%, compared with existing PB multipliers. Compared with existing PB multipliers with CED, the proposed device with CED has a 20% greater space complexity but a 30% less time complexity. To the author's knowledge, there is no previous report of PB multipliers with CEC capability. The proposed PB multiplier with CEC capability has a space complexity of only about 10% more and requires five more clock cycles than the proposed device without CEC capability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatocyte nuclear factor (HNF) families are composed of liver-enriched transcription factors and upstream regulators of many liver-specific genes. HNF are involved in liver-specific gene expression, metabolism, development, cell growth and many cellular functions in the body. HNF genes can be activated or influenced by several hormones and insulin-like growth factors (IGF), and different combinations of the four HNF factors form a network in controlling the expression of liver-specific or liver-enriched genes. The functions of these factors and their interactions within the gonads of bony fishes, however, are not well understood, and the related literature is scant. Recently, several members of the HNF families have been detected in teleost gonads together with their downstream genes (IGF-I and IGF-II), suggesting that these HNF could be upregulated in vitro by steroid hormones. Thus, the hormone–HNF–IGF–gonad interaction may be an alternative axis in the reproductive mechanism that acts in concert with the conventional hypothalamus–pituitary–gonad pathway. This may help the early development and maturation of the gonad or gamete, sexual maturity or reversion and spawning-regulating mechanisms among fishes to be understood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on medical cases of postvaccination syncope in adolescents in the U.S. from January 2005 to July 2007. Analyses were done by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration using data from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System. Details on the number of postvaccination episodes by selected characteristics are presented. Also noted are the four limitations of the analyses.