Search

Objective: The sympathetic–parasympathetic (or axo–axonal) interaction mechanism mediated that neurogenic relaxation, which was dependent on norepinephrine (NE) releases from sympathetic nerve terminal and acts on β2‐adrenoceptor of parasympathetic nerve terminal, has been reported. As NE is a weak β2‐adrenoceptor agonist, there is a possibility that synaptic NE is converted to epinephrine by phenylethanolamine‐N‐methyltransferase (PNMT) and then acts on the β2‐adrenoceptors to induce neurogenic vasodilation. Methods: Blood vessel myography technique was used to measure relaxation and contraction responses of isolated basilar arterial rings of rats. Results: Nicotine‐induced relaxation was sensitive to propranolol, guanethidine (an adrenergic neuronal blocker), and Nω‐nitro‐l‐arginine. Nicotine‐ and exogenous NE‐induced vasorelaxation was partially inhibited by LY‐78335 (a PNMT inhibitor), and transmural nerve stimulation depolarized the nitrergic nerve terminal directly and was not inhibited by LY‐78335; it then induced the release of nitric oxide (NO). Epinephrine‐induced vasorelaxation was not affected by LY‐78335. However, these vasorelaxations were completely inhibited by atenolol (a β1‐adrenoceptor antagonist) combined with ICI‐118,551 (a β2‐adrenoceptor antagonist). Conclusions: These results suggest that NE may be methylated by PNMT to form epinephrine and cause the release of NO and vasodilation. These results provide further evidence supporting the physiological significance of the axo–axonal interaction mechanism in regulating brainstem vascular tone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to investigate the acute effects and the mechanism of ketamine on nicotine-induced relaxation of the corpus cavernosum (CC) in mice. This study measured the intra-cavernosal pressure (ICP) of male C57BL/6 mice and the CC muscle activities using an organ bath wire myograph. Various drugs were used to investigate the mechanism of ketamine on nicotine-induced relaxation. Direct ketamine injection into the major pelvic ganglion (MPG) inhibited MPG-induced increases in ICP. D-serine/L-glutamate-induced relaxation of the CC was inhibited by MK-801 (N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor inhibitor), and nicotine-induced relaxation was enhanced by D-serine/L-glutamate. NMDA had no effect on CC relaxation. Nicotine-induced relaxation of the CC was suppressed by mecamylamine (a non-selective nicotinic acetylcholine receptor antagonist), lidocaine, guanethidine (an adrenergic neuronal blocker), Nw-nitro-L-arginine (a non-selective nitric oxide synthase inhibitor), MK-801, and ketamine. This relaxation was almost completely inhibited in CC strips pretreated with 6-hydroxydopamine (a neurotoxic synthetic organic compound). Ketamine inhibited cavernosal nerve neurotransmission via direct action on the ganglion and impaired nicotine-induced CC relaxation. The relaxation of the CC was dependent on the interaction of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves, which may be mediated by the NMDA receptor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a correction notice for an article titled "Hybridizing Chaotic and Quantum Mechanisms and Fruit Fly Optimization Algorithm with Least Squares Support Vector Regression Model in Electric Load Forecasting." The correction addresses a mistake in the legend for Tables 10 and 11, clarifying that the LS-SVR-CQGA model significantly outperforms the other models. The authors assure that this correction does not affect the scientific conclusions of the study. The original publication has been updated accordingly. [Extracted from the article]

Androgenetic complete hydatidiform moles (CHMs) are associated with an increased risk of gestational trophoblastic neoplasia. P57KIP2 expression in hydatidiform moles is thought to be a powerful marker for differentiating CHMs from partial hydatidiform moles (PHMs). However, since there are so few such families clinically, very few studies have addressed the importance of p57KIP2-positive in the diagnosis and prognosis of CHM. This study aimed to emphasize the significance of the accurate diagnosis of rare CHM and careful follow-up. The classification of the hydatidiform mole was based on morphologic examination and p57KIP2 expression was determined by p57KIP2 immunohistochemical staining. Copy number variation sequencing was used to determine the genetic make-up of the mole tissues. In addition, the short tandem repeat polymorphism analysis was used to establish the parental origin of the moles. Finally, whole-exome sequencing was performed to identify the causal genetic variants associated with this case. In one Chinese family, the proband had numerous miscarriages throughout her two marriages. Morphologic evaluation and molecular genotyping accurately sub-classified two molar specimens as uniparental disomy CHM of androgenetic origin. Furthermore, p57KIP2 expression was found in cytotrophoblasts and villous stromal cells. In the tissue, there were hyperplasia trophoblastic cells and heteromorphic nuclei. In this family, no deleterious variant genes associated with recurrent CHM were detected. It is important to evaluate the prognostic value of p57KIP2 expression in androgenetic recurrent CHM. This knowledge may help to minimize erroneous diagnosis of CHMs as PHMs, as well as making us aware of the need to manage potential gestational trophoblastic neoplasia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Phospholipid transfer protein (PLTP) belongs to the lipid transfer glycoprotein family. Studies have shown that it is closely related to Alzheimer's disease (AD); however, the exact effect and mechanism remain unknown.Objective: To observe the effect of PLTP overexpression on behavioral dysfunction and the related mechanisms in APP/PS1/Tau triple transgenic (3×Tg-AD) mice.Methods: AAV-PLTP-EGFP was injected into the lateral ventricle to induce PLTP overexpression. The memory of 3×Tg-AD mice and wild type (WT) mice aged 10 months were assessed using Morris water maze (MWM) and shuttle-box passive avoidance test (PAT). Western blotting and ELISA assays were used to quantify the protein contents. Hematoxylin and eosin, Nissl, and immunochemistry staining were utilized in observing the pathological changes in the brain.Results: 3×Tg-AD mice displayed cognitive impairment in WMW and PAT, which was ameliorated by PLTP overexpression. The histopathological hallmarks of AD, senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, were observed in 3×Tg-AD mice and were improved by PLTP overexpression. Besides, the increase of amyloid-β42 (Aβ42) and Aβ40 were found in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus of 3×Tg-AD mice and reversed by PLTP overexpression through inhibiting APP and PS1. PLTP overexpression also reversed tau phosphorylation at the Ser404, Thr231 and Ser199 of the hippocampus in 3×Tg-AD mice. Furthermore, PLTP overexpression induced the glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) inactivation via upregulating GSK3β (pSer9).Conclusion: These results suggest that PLTP overexpression has neuroprotective effects. These effects are possibly achieved through the inhibition of the Aβ production and tau phosphorylation, which is related to GSK3β inactivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel floating platform motion forecasting model is proposed. • A novel chaotic efficient bat algorithm is proposed to receive optimized parameter. • The ensemble empirical mode decomposition algorithm is proposed to decompose floating platform motion data. • The proposed hybrid kernel based support vector regression model receives higher forecasting accuracy. This paper presents a model for forecasting the motion of a floating platform with satisfactory forecasting accuracy. First, owing to the complex nonlinear characteristics of a time series of floating platform motion data, a support vector regression model with a hybrid kernel function is used to simulate the motion of a floating platform. Second, the proposed chaotic efficient bat algorithm, based on the chaotic, niche search, and evolution mechanisms, is used to optimize the parameters of the hybrid kernel-based support vector regression model. Third, the ensemble empirical mode decomposition algorithm is utilized to decompose the original floating platform motion time series into a series of intrinsic mode functions and residuals. The ultimate forecasting results are obtained by summing the outputs of these functions. Subsequently, motion data for a real floating platform are used to evaluate the reliability and effectiveness of the proposed model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA) is an important bio-product used in pharmaceuticals, functional foods, and a precursor of the biodegradable plastic polyamide 4 (Nylon 4). Glutamate decarboxylase B (GadB) from Escherichia. coli is a highly active biocatalyst that can convert l -glutamate to GABA. However, its practical application is limited by the poor thermostability and only active under acidic conditions of GadB. In this study, we performed site-directed saturation mutagenesis of the N-terminal residues of GadB from Escherichia coli to improve its thermostability. A triple mutant (M6, Gln5Ile/Val6Asp/Thr7Gln) showed higher thermostability, with a 5.6 times (560%) increase in half-life value at 45 °C, 8.7 °C rise in melting temperature (Tm) and a 14.3 °C rise in the temperature at which 50% of the initial activity remained after 15 min incubation (T 15 50 ), compared to wild-type enzyme. Protein 3D structure analysis showed that the induced new hydrogen bonds in the same polypeptide chain or between polypeptide chains in E. coli GadB homo-hexamer may be responsible for the improved thermostability. Increased thermostability contributed to increased GABA conversion ability. After 12 h conversion of 3 mol/L l -glutamate, GABA produced and mole conversion rate catalyzed by M6 whole cells was 297 g/L and 95%, respectively, while those by wild-type GAD was 273.5 g/L and 86.2%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prediction of port throughput is very complicate, and its accuracy is affected by many socio-economic factors, particularly affected by their embedded distributed randomness of these factors and mixed noises produced in the processes of data collection, transformation, and calculation. Firstly, in view of the v-support vector regression hybridized with Gauss function (briefed as Gauss- vSVR model), to well solve the nonlinear and mixed noises, this paper uses this model to simulate the nonlinear evolving system of port throughput series. Then, to look for more suitable parameter combination of this model and take into account that GA still suffers from the problems of trapped into local optima and time-consuming, this study integrates the global chaotic perturbation algorithm by using Cat mapping function and local acceleration search algorithm by employing cloud theory, i.e., abbreviated as chaotic cloud genetic algorithm (CCGA), to well determine the parameter values for an Gauss- vSVR model. Additionally, based on the principal component analysis and correlation analysis method, an input vector decision method (namely IVD) is proposed to identify the final input variables for Gauss- vSVR model. Finally, hybridization of IVD and CCGA with Gauss- vSVR model, namely IG vSVR-CCGA, is proposed for port throughput forecasting. Subsequently, the port throughput data and its associate socio-economic factors of two largest Chinese ports, Shanghai Port and Tianjin Port, are employed as practical examples to test forecast performance. The numerical results indicate that the proposed hybrid forecasting model receives more satisfied forecasting performance than other classical prediction models; in the meanwhile, the CCGA algorithm also obtains higher optimal efficiency than other alternative algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The demand for the maritime transportation has significantly increased over the past 20 years due to the rapid pace of globalization. Terminal managers confront the challenge in establishing the appropriate berth and quay crane (QC) coordinated schedule to achieve the earliest departure time of ship and to provide efficient service. In this paper, we propose a multi-objective berth and QC coordinated scheduling model, namely M-B&QC, by taking the minimum additional trucking distance and the port time of ships as the optimization objectives, with the constraints based on demand of port operations and vessel berthing. To solve the M-B&QC model, the particle coding rule and the particle feasible-integer processing module (namely PF-IP) for improving PSO performance are employed to determine the computation strategies of individual historical optimal value $$p_{i}^{G}$$ and global optimal value $$P_{g}^{G}$$ of particle for the multi-objective optimization. In addition, the global disturbance with cat mapping function (namely GDCM) and local search with cloud model (namely LSCM) are also hybridized, namely PM&CCPSO algorithm, to solve the M-B&QC model. Numerical experiments including eight combined examples are conducted to test the performance of the proposed programming model and the modified solving algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diversified transport modes and increased personal transportation demands have increased in urban traffic problems such as traffic congestion and environmental pollution. To cope with traffic problems, advanced transportation technologies are being developed as intelligent transportation system (ITS). There is a growing trend to coordinate varying kinds of transportation modes. However, the effective construction and application of ITS in urban traffic can be affected by many factors, such as transport mode. Therefore, how to reasonably construct ITS by consideration of different transport modes’ characteristics and requirements is an important research challenge. Additionally, both costs and negative effects must be minimized and application efficiency is required to be optimal in the construction process. To address these requirements, a multiobjective optimization model and a fuzzy selecting optimum model were combined to study the construction scheme based on optimization results. The empirical analysis of Beijing, China, suggested several considerations for improvements to future road network ITS construction with controlled costs. Finally, guidelines are proposed to facilitate ITS construction, improve ITS application efficiency, and transform and innovate strategies to cope with urban traffic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tracking transplanted stem cells is necessary to clarify cellular properties and improve transplantation success. In this study, we investigate the effects of fluorescent superparamagnetic iron oxide particles (SPIO) (Molday ION Rhodamine-B™, MIRB) on biological properties of human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) and monitor hDPSCs in vitro and in vivo using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Morphological analysis showed that intracellular MIRB particles were distributed in the cytoplasm surrounding the nuclei of hDPSCs. 12.5–100 μg/mL MIRB all resulted in 100% labeling efficiency. MTT showed that 12.5–50 μg/mL MIRB could promote cell proliferation and MIRB over 100 μg/mL exhibited toxic effect on hDPSCs. In vitro MRI showed that 1 × 106 cells labeled with various concentrations of MIRB (12.5–100 μg/mL) could be visualized. In vivo MRI showed that transplanted cells could be clearly visualized up to 60 days after transplantation. These results suggest that 12.5–50 μg/mL MIRB is a safe range for labeling hDPSCs. MIRB labeled hDPSCs cell can be visualized by MRI in vitro and in vivo. These data demonstrate that MIRB is a promising candidate for hDPSCs tracking in hDPSCs based dental pulp regeneration therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human sparganosis is a food borne zoonosis caused by the plerocercoid larvae (spargana) of various diphyllobothroid tapeworms of the genus Spirometra. Human infections are acquired by ingesting the raw or undercooked meat of snakes or frogs, drinking untreated water, or using raw flesh in traditional poultices. More than 1600 cases of sparganosis have been documented worldwide, mostly in east and southeast Asia. Sporadic cases have been reported in South America, Europe, and Africa, and several cases have been described in travellers returning from endemic regions. Epidemiological data suggest that the increased effect of sparganosis on human health is because of greater consumption of raw meat of freshwater frogs and snakes. This Review provides information about the Spirometra parasites and their lifecycles, summarises clinical features, diagnosis, and treatment of human sparganosis, and describes geographical distribution and infection characteristics of Spirometra parasites in host animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent years have witnessed the rapid development of intelligent transportation system around the world, which helps to relieve urban traffic congestion problems. For instance, many mega-cities in China have devoted a large amount of money and resources to the development of intelligent transportation system. This poses an intriguing and important issue: how to measure and quantify the contribution of intelligent transportation system to the urban city, which is still a puzzle. This paper proposes a matching difference-in-difference model to calculate the contribution rate of intelligent transportation system on traffic smoothness. Within the model, the main effect indicators of traffic smoothness are first identified, and then the evaluation index system is built, and finally the ideas of the matching pool are introduced. The proposed model is illustrated in Guangzhou, China (capital city of Guangdong province). The results show that introduction of ITS contributes 9.25% to the improvement of traffic smooth in Guangzhou. Also, the research explains the working mechanism of how ITS improves urban traffic smooth. Eventually, some strategy recommendations are put forward to improve urban traffic smooth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prediction of vessel traffic flow is complicated, its accuracy is influenced by uncertain socio-economic factors, especially by the singular points existed in the statistical data. Recently, the robust v -support vector regression model ( R SVR) has been successfully employed to solve non-linear regression and time-series problems with the singular points. This paper will firstly propose a novel hybrid algorithm, namely chaotic cloud simulated annealing genetic algorithm (C cat CSAGA) for optimizing the parameters of R SVR, to improve the performance of vessel traffic flow prediction. In which, the proposed C cat CSAGA employs cat mapping to carefully expand variable searching space, to overcome premature local optimum, and uses cloud model efficiently to search a better solution in a small neighborhood of the current optimal solution, to improve the search efficiency. Secondly, the kernel principal component analysis (KPCA) algorithm is adopted to determine the final input vectors from the candidate input variables. Finally, a numerical example of vessel traffic flow and its influence factors data from Tianjin are employed to test the forecasting performance of the proposed K R SVR-C cat CSAGA model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Port throughput forecasting is a very complex nonlinear dynamic process, prediction accuracy is influenced by uncertainty of socio-economic factors, especially by the mixed noise (singular point) produced in the collection, transfer and calculation of statistical data; consequently, it is difficult to obtain a satisfactory port throughput forecasting result. Thus, establishing an effective port throughput forecasting scheme is still a significant research issue. Since the robust v -support vector regression model ( R SVR) has the ability to solve the nonlinear and mixed noise in the port throughput history data and its related socio-economic factors, this paper introduces the R SVR model to forecast port throughput. In order to search the more appropriate parameters combination for the R SVR model, considering the proposed simulated annealing particle swarm optimization (SAPSO) algorithm and the original PSO algorithm still have the drawbacks of immature convergence and is time consuming, this study presents chaotic simulated annealing particle swarm optimization(CSAPSO) algorithm to determine the parameter combination. Aiming to identify the final input vectors for R SVR model, the multivariable adaptive regression splines (MARS) is adopted to select the final input vectors from the candidate input variables. This study eventually proposes a port throughput forecasting scheme that hybridizes the R SVR, CSAPSO and MARS to obtain a more accurate forecasting result. Subsequently, this study compiles the port throughput data and the corresponding socio-economic indicators data of Shanghai as the illustrative example to evaluate the feasibility and performance of the proposed scheme. The experimental results indicate that the proposed port throughput forecasting scheme obtains better forecasting result than the six competing models in terms of forecasting error. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In order to improve forecasting accuracy of urban traffic flow, this paper applies support vector regression (SVR) model with Gauss loss function (namely Gauss–SVR) to forecast urban traffic flow. By using the input historical flow data as the validation data, the Gauss–SVR model is dedicated to reduce the random error of the traffic flow data sequence. The chaotic cloud particle swarm optimization algorithm (CCPSO) is then proposed, based on cat chaotic mapping and cloud model, to optimize the hyper parameters of the Gauss–SVR model. Finally, the Gauss–SVR model with CCPSO is established to conduct the urban traffic flow forecasting. Numerical example results have proved that the proposed model has received better forecasting performance compared to existing alternative models. Thus, the proposed model has the feasibility and the availability in urban traffic flow forecasting fields. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

To improve urban passenger prediction accuracy with parametric projection pursuit regression, acceleration genetic algorithm was improved with cat map, Gaussian distribution and local searching. A new chaos accelerating genetic algorithm (NCAGA) was presented, used to optimize the best projection direction a of PPPR model. A hybrid algorithm of NCAGA-PPPR urban passenger forecasting model was proposed, in which the best projection direction was hybrid optimized inner by the NCAGA at the time of optimizing outer the number of ridge functions M. The simulation prediction was made with observed data, compared with BP neural network model, traditional PPR model and PPPR model optimized by acceleration genetic algorithm. The urban passenger forecasting accuracy is higher than the others, which the mean absolute relative error is less than 3.1%. The new hybrid algorithm can improve prediction accuracy of urban passenger and can be used efficaciously to forecast the urban passenger. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new injector topology is proposed for the design of CMOS millimeter-wave divide-by-5 injection-locked frequency dividers (ILFDs). The topology is based on a distributed-element harmonic termination by an open-stub structure connected to the floating source end of the differential injection pair. ILFDs operating at 24 and 60 GHz are demonstrated in this study. The new topology combined with an N-MOS cross-coupled oscillator core can greatly reduce the supply voltage and power consumption requirement of the divider. The simulated results indicate that, by using the distributed-element harmonic termination, the locking range can be improved by over 40 and 72% for the 24- and 60-GHz operations, respectively. The test circuits for the 24- and 60-GHz ILFDs are implemented by a 0.18-\mum and 90-nm CMOS process, respectively. The power consumption is 7.4 and 3.75 mW at a supply voltage of 0.7 and 0.6 V, with a very wide locking range of 1.9 and 4.1 GHz, for the 24- and 60-GHz ILFDs, respectively. The proposed 24- and 60-GHz divide-by-5 ILFDs have the outstanding figure-of-merit (FOM) values of 6.4 and 69.4, respectively, compared with reported works. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the design of a direct-injection divide-by-3 frequency divider operating at the K-band. The divider is implemented in a 0.18-\mu\ m CMOS process. The measured free-running frequency of the divider is 7.96 GHz. By utilizing a floating-source differential injector and without a varactor tuning in the divider core, the total locking range is 3.2 GHz with a power consumption of 8.28 mW from a supply voltage of 0.9 V. The total power consumption of the buffers is 9.54 mW from a supply voltage of 1.8 V. The measured phase noise of the divider is -141.3 dBc/Hz at 1-MHz offset when the input referred signal with a phase noise of -132.8 dBc/Hz at 1-MHz offset from 24 GHz. The phase-noise difference of 8.5 dB is close to the theoretical value of 9.5 dB for division-by-3. The output power of the divider is more than -11 dBm over the whole locking range. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: It is recognized in recent years that activation of δ-opioid receptor (DOR) elicits neuroprotection against hypoxia and ischemia. However, the underlying mechanisms are not well understood yet. Mitochondrial dysfunction plays a key role in hypoxic neuronal injury, but the effect of DOR activation on neurons with a mitochondrial respiratory chain deficiency is poorly elucidated. In this study we tested the effects of DOR activation and inhibition on cultured cortical neurons after inhibiting mitochondrial respiratory chain with sodium azide (NaN3) in days 8 cultures. Neuronal injury was assessed by lactate dehydrogenase release. Changes in DOR proteins were investigated using an antibody against the N-terminus of the DOR, which recognizes the 60, 48, and 32 kDa proteins. Our main findings are that 1) δ- but not μ-opioid receptor activation reduces NaN3-induced neuronal damage, and this neuroprotective effect is abolished by DOR antagonist (naltrindole, NTI); 2) prolonged DOR inhibition with NTI further increases NaN3-induced neuronal damage; 3) NaN3 treatment down-regulates DOR protein levels in neurons, and the 60 and 32 kDa proteins are particularly sensitive; 4) DADLE, besides activating DOR directly, also reverses the decrease of neuronal DOR protein levels induced by NaN3, which may contribute greatly to its neuroprotective effect; 5) NTI reverses NaN3-induced down-regulation of DOR proteins as well, the effect of NTI amplifying NaN3-induced neuronal damage therefore is probably due to its inhibition on DOR activity only. In conclusion, these data suggest that DOR activation plays an important role in neuroprotection against mitochondrial respiratory chain injury. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract  A comparative proteomic approach has been used to identify and analyze proteins related to pancreatic cancer. Proteomes of eight pairs of clinical pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) tissue samples and samples of normal adjacent tissue were obtained by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DE). Comprehensive analysis of proteins was focused on total protein spots for which there were statistical differences between the two groups. Proteins were identified by peptide mass fingerprinting with tandem mass spectrometry (MS–MS). Western blotting and immunohistochemistry (IHC) were also performed to verify the expression of some candidate proteins. Thirty protein spots were identified, including proteases, antioxidant proteins, signal-transduction proteins, calcium-binding proteins, structural proteins, chaperones, and others. Western blotting and IHC confirmed up-regulated expression of two candidate proteins, nucleotide diphosphatase kinase (NDPK) and annexin II, in tumorous tissues. These results suggest that combination of 2DE with MS is an effective strategy for discovery of differently expressed proteins in PDAC which may be molecular markers for diagnosis or therapeutic targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to understand the basic characteristics of the gas-phase mass-transfer coefficient (kg) in a small silicon Czochralski (Cz) furnace, a very crude model was proposed and the results were correlated by the Sherwood number as a function of Reynolds number. It was confirmed that by installing a gas guide in the hot zone, the mass transfer coefficient was significantly enhanced. A set of global analyses of small Cz furnaces was conducted with different values of diffusivity of SiO in the gas phase (DSiO) and of oxygen in the melt phase (DO) in order to elucidate which rate process controls the average oxygen concentration ([O]ave) in the grown crystal. These simulations revealed that in these small Cz furnaces, [O]ave is dependent on the gas phase mass transfer rate and melt flow patterns. A decrease in DSiO causes an increase in [O]ave. An increase in DO tends to increase [O]ave slightly in most cases. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A new method, which combines non-equilibrium plasma reaction with template-controlled growth technology, has been developed for synthesizing aligned carbon nanotubes at atmospheric pressure and low temperature. Multiwall carbon nanotubes with diameters of approximately 40 nm were restrictedly synthesized in the channels of anodic aluminum oxide template from a methane/hydrogen mixture gas by a.c. corona discharge plasma reaction at a temperature below 200 °C. It was observed that amorphous carbon deposited on the tops of the carbon nanotubes. The formation mechanism of carbon nanotubes synthesized by corona discharge plasma method was discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Carbon nanowires (CNWs) have been template-directed synthesized from methane and hydrogen mixtures through pulsed corona plasma reaction. The products were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscope and Raman spectroscopy. The results suggested that the CNWs are mainly composed of microcrystalline graphite full of defects. This study provides a new method for synthesizing 1D nanomaterials at atmospheric pressure and low temperature, which has some special advantages for scale-up production or applications. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Compared with a large power grid, a microgrid electric load (MEL) has the characteristics of strong nonlinearity, multiple factors, and large fluctuation, which lead to it being difficult to receive more accurate forecasting performances. To solve the abovementioned characteristics of a MEL time series, the least squares support vector machine (LS-SVR) hybridizing with meta-heuristic algorithms is applied to simulate the nonlinear system of a MEL time series. As it is known that the fruit fly optimization algorithm (FOA) has several embedded drawbacks that lead to problems, this paper applies a quantum computing mechanism (QCM) to empower each fruit fly to possess quantum behavior during the searching processes, i.e., a QFOA algorithm. Eventually, the cat chaotic mapping function is introduced into the QFOA algorithm, namely CQFOA, to implement the chaotic global perturbation strategy to help fruit flies to escape from the local optima while the population's diversity is poor. Finally, a new MEL forecasting method, namely the LS-SVR-CQFOA model, is established by hybridizing the LS-SVR model with CQFOA. The experimental results illustrate that, in three datasets, the proposed LS-SVR-CQFOA model is superior to other alternative models, including BPNN (back-propagation neural networks), LS-SVR-CQPSO (LS-SVR with chaotic quantum particle swarm optimization algorithm), LS-SVR-CQTS (LS-SVR with chaotic quantum tabu search algorithm), LS-SVR-CQGA (LS-SVR with chaotic quantum genetic algorithm), LS-SVR-CQBA (LS-SVR with chaotic quantum bat algorithm), LS-SVR-FOA, and LS-SVR-QFOA models, in terms of forecasting accuracy indexes. In addition, it passes the significance test at a 97.5% confidence level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Ultrathin SnO 2 nanosheets synthesized using hydrothermal method. • SnO 2 nanosheets sensors exhibit a S r = 207.7 to 200 ppm HCHO at 200 °C, 1 ppm HCHO detected with a response of S r = 6.1 using SnO 2 nanosheets sensor. • Excellent HCHO sensing performance originated mainly from dominant high-energy {001} facets. Abstract Semiconducting metal oxides (SMO) have been investigated as important gas sensing materials for detecting various inflammable and toxic gases; however most of them are suffered from low response and high operation temperature. Ultrathin SnO 2 nanosheets with dominant high-energy {001} facets were synthesized by a facile hydrothermal method, and the gas sensing properties to formaldehyde (HCHO) were systemically studied. The structure, morphology, specific surface area, band gap and chemical state of the ultrathin SnO 2 nanosheets were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), N 2 adsorption–desorption, UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectrum and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), respectively. Sensors based on SnO 2 nanosheets show outstanding gas sensing properties to HCHO vapor at the optimum operating temperature (OOT) of 200 °C. The nanosheet sensor exhibit a response of 207.7 to 200 ppm HCHO at 200 °C with the response-recovery time of 30 s and 57 s, respectively. Notably, as low as 1 ppm HCHO can be readily detected with a high response value (S r = 6.1). The excellent HCHO sensing performance is mainly originated from the structural sensitization of large specific surface area, characteristically small thickness and dominant high-energy {001} facets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have been demonstrated to be excellent candidates for gas/humidity sensing applications; however the chemiresistive sensory devices are still rather limited but taking advantages in miniaturization, integration and intelligence. In this contribution, a new cadmium (II) metal-organic framework (MOF) of [Cd(TMA)(DPP) 0.5 ∙H 2 O] n (noted as CdL , H 2 TMA = 3‑thiophenemalonic acid, DPP = 1,3‑di(4‑pyridyl)propane) was synthesized via a facile precipitation method at room temperature (RT). The CdL MOF with an unusual 3D pillared-layer structure was characterized by X-ray diffraction and the corresponding chemiresistive humidity sensor was fabricated by coating the powder of CdL on interdigitated electrodes. It is worth noting that the CdL humidity sensor shows high sensitivity, good repeatability, small hysteresis, as well as short response and recovery times. The humidity sensing mechanism of this CdL sensor has been discussed through complex impedance analysis, which reveals that distinct charge carriers make great contributions at different moisture contents. This work provides an alternative candidate material for humidity sensors and further develops a new promising application for MOFs in sensory devices. Graphical abstract A 3D pillared-layer cadmium (II) metal-organic framework (MOF) of [Cd(TMA)(DPP) 0.5 ∙H 2 O] n (noted as CdL , H 2 TMA = 3-thiophenemalonic acid, DPP = 1,3‑di(4‑pyridyl)propane) were synthesized through a facile precipitation method at room temperature. As an efficient chemiresistive humidity sensing material, the CdL MOF exhibits high sensitivity, good repeatability, small hysteresis, as well as short response and recovery times. Unlabelled Image Highlights • A new Cd (II)-containing MOF of [Cd(TMA)(DPP) 0.5 ∙H 2 O] n (noted as CdL) was obtained by a precipitation method at room temperature. • [Cd(TMA)(DPP) 0.5 ∙H 2 O] n exhibits an unusual 3D pillared-layer structure. • [Cd(TMA)(DPP) 0.5 ∙H 2 O] n reveals typical chemiresistive humidity sensing behavior. • [Cd(TMA)(DPP) 0.5 ∙H 2 O] n shows high sensitivity, good repeatability, small hysteresis, as well as short response and recovery times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is easily degraded by dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) in the human body, limiting its therapeutic effect on type II diabetes. Therefore, improving GLP-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA) stability is a major obstacle for drug development. We analyzed human GLP-1, DPP-4, and GLP-1 receptor structures and designed three GLP-1RAs, which were introduced into fusion protein fragments and changed in the overall conformation. This modification effectively prevented GLP-1RAs from entering the DPP-4 active center without affecting GLP-1RAs' ability to bind to GLP-1R, the new GLP-1RA hypoglycemic effect lasting for >24 h. Through molecular modeling, molecular dynamics calculation, and simulation, possible tertiary structure models of GLP-1RAs were obtained; molecular docking with DPP-4 and GLP-1R showed access to the fusion protein. The overall conformational change of GLP-1RAs prevented DPP-4 binding, without affecting GLP-1RAs' affinity to GLP-1R. This study provides important drug design ideas for GLP-1RA development and a new example for application of structural biology-based protein design in drug development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Sparganosis is an infection of humans and animals caused by the plerocercoid larvae (spargana) of various diphyllobothroid tapeworms belonging to the genus Spirometra. Sparganosis has been reported sporadically around the world, and a higher prevalence of the disease occurs in several Asian countries, including South Korea, Japan, Thailand, and China. To date, a total of more than 1000 cases of human sparganosis have been reported in 25 provinces in mainland China. Sparganosis is emerging in mainland China because of food consumption habits and the unusual practice of treating wounds or other lesions with poultices of frog or snake flesh. This article reviews the current status of sparganosis in mainland China. Increased public awareness about the risks associated with eating raw food and strengthened food safety measures are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Activated carbon is heat-treated in a H atmosphere at 600, 800, and 1000 °C for 1 h, respectively, to be used as electrode material for electrical double layer capacitors (EDLCs). After heat treatment, the surface morphology has no obvious change as compared with the raw material. The specific surface area and pore volume of sample treated at 600 °C have a slightly increase while those of samples treated at higher temperature decrease. XPS and elemental analysis indicate that oxygen containing functional groups on the sample are significantly reduced after treatment. The electrochemical performance of samples was evaluated using cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge-discharge tests in 1 M TEABF/PC electrolyte. The sample treated at 600 °C shows the optimized electrochemical performance with increase capacitance, enhanced stability, and improved energy density. Its initial specific capacitance is near 127 F/g, and initial coulombic efficiency is about 52 %. At 3.0 V, its energy density reaches 32 Wh/kg and specific capacitance is about 70 F/g at 1 A/g even after 10,000 charge-discharge cycles. Thus, heat treatment at 600 °C under H atmosphere is an effective method to improve electrochemical properties of EDLCs based on activated carbon material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Support vector regression with chaotic sequence and simulated annealing algorithm in previous forecasting research paper has shown its superiority to effectively avoid trapping into a local optimum. However, the proposed chaotic simulated annealing (CSA) algorithm in previous published literature as well as the original SA algorithm could not realize the mechanism of temperature decreasing continuously. In addition, lots of chaotic sequences adopt Logistic mapping function which is distributed at both ends in the interval [0,1], thus, it could not excellently strengthen the chaotic distribution characteristics. To continue exploring any possible improvements of the proposed CSA and chaotic sequence, this paper employs the innovative cloud theory to be hybridized with CSA to overcome the discrete temperature annealing process, and applies the Cat mapping function to ensure the chaotic distribution characteristics. Furthermore, seasonal mechanism is also proposed to well arrange with the cyclic tendency of electric load, caused by economic activities or climate cyclic nature. This investigation eventually presents a load forecasting model which hybridizes the seasonal support vector regression model and chaotic cloud simulated annealing algorithm (namely SSVRCCSA) to receive more accurate forecasting performance. Experimental results indicate that the proposed SSVRCCSA model yields more accurate forecasting results than other alternatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objective: To investigate the expression of PSD-93 mRNA and NR2B mRNA in the brain tissue from the patients with epilepsy so as to explore the possible mechanisms of the pathogenesis of the epilepsy. Methods: Fifty-six patients with epilepsy were divided into intractable epilepsy (IE) and non-intractable epilepsy (NIE) groups. cDNA microarrays prepared from the brain tissues obtained from these two groups were scanned and comparison to those from the non-epileptogenic control (C) was made. Expression level of PSD-93mRNA and NR2BmRNA were examined by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (GAPDH gene, internal control). Expression ratio (target gene/GAPDH) was used to evaluate each gene relative expression level. Results: The cDNA microarray analysis showed that the expression of PSD-93 mRNA related to the function of NMDAR-NO signal transduction pathway was significantly higher in epilepsy patients than those in the controlled group. The results of RT-PCR were consistent with those of the cDNA microarrays. The relative expression ratio of PSD-93 in patients with non-epileptogenic control, NIE, and IE was 0.159, 0.368, and 0.341, respectively. Correspondingly, that of NR2B was 0.198, 0.738, and 0.903, respectively. The expressions of PSD-93 and NR2B in the NIE and IE were significantly higher than those of control, respectively (P <0.05). However, there was no significantly difference the expression of PSD-93 between NIE and IE. (P >0.05), neither do that of NR2B (P >0.05). Conclusions: The upregulated expressions of PSD-93 mRNA and NR2BmRNA may be involved in the pathogenesis of epilepsy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Lack of satisfactory specificity towards tumor cells and poor intracellular delivery efficacy are the major drawbacks with conventional cancer chemotherapy. Conjugated anticancer drugs to targeting moieties e.g. to peptides with the ability to recognize cancer cells and to cell penetrating peptide can improve these characteristics, respectively. Combining a tumor homing peptide with an appropriate cell-penetrating peptide can enhance the tumor-selective internalization efficacy of the carrying cargo molecules. In the present study, the breast cancer homing ability of SP90 peptide and the synergistic effect of SP90 with a cell-penetrating peptide(C peptide) were evaluated. SP90 and chimeric peptide SP90-C specifically targeted cargo molecule into breast cancer cells, especially triple negative MDA-MB-231 cell, in a dose- and time-dependent manner, but not normal breast cells and other cancer cells, while C peptide alone had no cell-selectivity. SP90-C increased the intracellular delivery efficiency by 12-fold or 10-fold compared to SP90 or C peptide alone, respectively. SP90 and SP90-C conjugation increased the anti-proliferative and apoptosis-inducing activity of HIV-1 Vpr, a potential novel anticancer protein drug, to breast cancer cell but not normal breast cell by arresting cells in G2/M phase. With excellent breast cancer cell-selective penetrating efficacy, SP90-C appears as a promising candidate vector for targeted anti-cancer drug delivery. SP90-VPR-C is a potential novel breast cancer-targeted anticancer agent for its high anti-tumor activity and low toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Type-II seesaw model, an electroweak triplet scalar field Δ with a non-zero vacuum expectation value (vev) v Δ is introduced to facilitate the generation of small neutrino masses. A non-zero v Δ also affects the W mass through the electroweak ρ parameter, making it to be less than 1 as predicted by standard model (SM). The component fields in Δ come along introduce additional contributions to reduce the SM rare neutrino trident scattering cross section. These fields also induce new processes not existed in SM, such as l i → l j ‾ l k l l and l i → l j γ. There are severe constraints on these processes which limit the effects on neutrino trident scattering and the ρ parameter and therefore the W mass. The newly measured W mass by CDF makes the central value of ρ parameter to be larger than 1, even larger than previously expected. Combining neutrinoless double beta decay, direct neutrino mass and oscillation data, we find a lower limit for v Δ as a function of the triplet scalar mass m Δ , v Δ > (6.3 ∼ 8.4) eV (100 GeV / m Δ). To have significant effect on ρ in this model, v Δ needs to be in the range of a GeV or so. However this implies a very small m Δ which is ruled out by data. We conclude that the effect of triplet vev v Δ on the W mass can be neglected. We also find that at 3 σ level, the deviation of the ratio for Type-II Seesaw to SM neutrino trident scattering cross section predictions is reduced to be below 1, but is restricted to be larger than 0.98. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon-coated Li 2 MnSiO 4 nanocrystallites are synthesized via a solid state reaction, and their cathode and anode performance is comparatively studied. The Li 2 MnSiO 4 cathode shows an initial charge/discharge capacity of 405/134 mAh g −1 at a current density of 16.6 mA g −1 , and a low charge/discharge capacity of 93/66 mAh g −1 during the 20th cycle. Partial Li 2 MnSiO 4 cathode decomposes at 4.56 V ( vs Li + /Li) during the initial charge. Interestingly, the Li 2 MnSiO 4 anode exhibits a high initial discharge/charge capacity of 658/388 mAh g −1 at a current density of 20 mA g −1 , and a discharge/charge capacity of 459/456 mAh g −1 during the 50th cycle. Li 2 MnSiO 4 anodes also have stable and good rate capabilities. The Li 2 MnSiO 4 crystallites as anode decompose during cycling, and their capacity increases simultaneously. It is proposed that Li 2 MnSiO 4 anode converts energy via a reversible conversion reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The anode performance of mesocarbon microbeads (MCMBs) is tested as they are used in sodium-ion batteries. The MCMBs carbonized at 700 °C consist of graphite-like crystallites with an interlayer distance of 357 pm, and with a crystal stack height of 1.61 nm. They deliver an initial charge capacity of 232 mAh g −1 at a current density of 25 mA g −1 , and keep a reversible capacity of 161 mAh g −1 after 60 cycles. The MCMB anodes exhibit good reversible sodium insertion/extraction behavior, which results from their internal crystallites and their unique external spherical surface layers. XRD and Raman analyses indicate that the MCMB anode stores energy by the electrochemical intercalation of sodium into the graphene sheets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The LiMnFePO/C nanocrystallites with a uniform size (∼50 nm) are successfully prepared by employing a facile solvothermal method at 180 °C. Amphiphilic carbonaceous material (ACM) is chosen as the carbon precursor and forms a homogeneous carbon layer covering the LiMnFePO particles. The as-prepared LiMnFePO/C sample, with a high Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area of 69.3 m g, is used as the cathode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) and delivers a reversible capacity of 158 mAh g at 0.05 C. It shows remarkable rate capability with discharge capacities of 130 mAh g at 1 C, 105 mAh g at 10 C and 99 mAh g at 30 C. Meanwhile, the material maintains 121 mAh g at 1 C after 150 cycles with 93 % capacity retention. The kinetic behaviors of LiMnFePO/C sample are investigated by high throughout cyclic voltammetry. The small particle size, partial Fe substitution, and homogeneous carbon coating make a synergetic effect on enhancing the sample's electrochemical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithium-rich layered oxide Li[LiNiMn]O, which also can be written as 0.6LiMnO·0.4LiNiMnO or 0.9Li[LiMn]O·0.4LiNiMnO, is synthesized using a solid-state reaction method. Its crystal structure and electrochemical behavior as the cathode material in lithium-ion batteries are studied. A reaction mechanism is proposed to interpret its unique electrochemical behavior shown in the first charge-discharge cycle. It includes four reactions: (1) LiNiMnO → Li + NiMnO + e, (2) Li[LiMn]O → Li + [LiMn]O + e, (3) [LiMn]O → 1/3 Li + 2/3 MnO + 2/3 O· + e, and (4) Li + NiMnO + e → LiNiMnO. The extraction of oxygen atoms (O·) in the reaction (3) results in the crystal structure rearrangement. Based on this hypothesis, it is found that the expected capacity of activated lithium-rich layered oxide xLiMnO·(1 − x)LiNiMnO (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) increases from 230 to 280 mAh g with increasing x value. Li[LiNiMn]O has an expected total first charge capacity of 396 mAh g, but its expected capacity is only 247 mAh g due to an initial capacity loss caused by the oxygen loss. Experimentally, within a charge-discharge voltage window from 2.0 to 4.8 V, Li[LiNiMn]O delivers a charge capacity of 310 mAh g and a discharge capacity of 215 mAh g, respectively, at 40 mA g during the first cycle. The electrochemical kinetic behavior of Li[LiNiMn]O is controlled by the charge-transfer process rather than by Li diffusion or blockage of solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) layers at the end of Li extraction in the first charge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To enhance the rate and cyclic performances of LiMnPO 4 cathode material for lithium-ion batteries, Mn is partially substituted with Fe, and LiMn 1− x Fe x PO 4 ( x = 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5) solid solutions are synthesized and investigated. Amphiphilic carbonaceous material (ACM) forms well carbon coating and connects the LiMn 1− x Fe x PO 4 crystallites by a three-dimensional (3D) carbon network. The synergetic Fe substitution and carbon connection obviously improve the samples’ rate capacities and cyclic stability. The optimized LiMn 0.6 Fe 0.4 PO 4 /C sample delivers discharge capacities of 160 mA h g −1 at 0.05 C, 148 mA h g −1 at 1 C, and 115 mA h g −1 at 20 C. All samples have well capacity retention (>92%) after 50 charge/discharge cycles at 1 C. The enhanced electrochemical properties are mainly attributed to the improvement of Li ion and electron transport in the LiMn 1− x Fe x PO 4 /C samples, respectively mainly resulting from their modified crystal structures caused by Fe substitution and the 3D carbon coating/connection originating from ACM carbonization. LiMn 1− x Fe x PO 4 materials exhibit two discharge plateaus at ∼4.0 and ∼3.5 V (vs. Li + /Li), whose heights respectively reflect the redox potentials of Mn 3+ /Mn 2+ and Fe 3+ /Fe 2+ couples. The plateaus’ lengths correspond to the Mn/Fe ratio in LiMn 1− x Fe x PO 4 and are affected by the kinetic behavior of samples. Though the ∼4.0 V plateau shrinks with increasing discharge rate, the ∼3.5 V plateau may slightly elongate. Moreover, the Fe substituted in the partial Mn sites could significantly improve the Li ion diffusion, thus enhance the kinetic behaviors of LiMn 1− x Fe x PO 4 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The genus Toxocara contains parasitic nematodes of human and animal health significance, such as Toxocara canis, Toxocara cati and Toxocara vitulorum. T. canis and T. cati are among the most prevalent parasites of dogs and cats with a worldwide distribution. Human infection with T. canis and T. cati, which can cause a number of clinical manifestations such as visceral larva migrans (VLMs), ocular larva migrans (OLMs), eosinophilic meningoencephalitis (EME), covert toxocariasis (CT) and neurotoxocariasis, is considered the most prevalent neglected helminthiasis in industrialized countries. The accurate identification Toxocara spp. and their unequivocal differentiation from each other and from other ascaridoid nematodes causing VLMs and OLMs has important implications for studying their taxonomy, epidemiology, population genetics, diagnosis and control. Due to the limitations of traditional (morphological) approaches for identification and diagnosis of Toxocara spp., PCR-based techniques utilizing a range of genetic markers in the nuclear and mitochondrial genomes have been developed as useful alternative approaches because of their high sensitivity, specificity, rapidity and utility. In this article, we summarize the current state of knowledge and advances in molecular identification, taxonomy, genetic variation and diagnosis of Toxocara spp. with prospects for further studies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The high discharge potential of LiMnPO4, 4.1 V vs. Li/Li+, and its theoretical capacity of 170 mAh g−1 make it a promising candidate as a cathode material in lithium-ion batteries. But extremely low electronics conductivity, slow lithium diffusion kinetics, and the Jahn-Teller effect of Mn3+ limit the electrochemical performances of LiMnPO4. In this work, the pre-synthesized and defined FePO4·2H2O nanocrystallites are used as one of the raw materials to synthesize LiFe1−x Mn x PO4/C (x = 0.85, 0.75, 0.65) composites via solid-state reactions. The synthesized LiFe1−x Mn x PO4 samples show well-crystallized structures and have enhanced electrochemical properties. There exist two plateaus around 3.5 and 4.1 V on both of their charge and discharge curves. Among the samples, the Fe0.25Mn0.75PO4 one exhibits the longest high-voltage charge/discharge plateau at 4.10 V/4.05 V, and has an average discharge voltage of ∼3.78 V vs. Li/Li+ and a discharge capacity of ∼130 mAh g−1 at 0.05 C rate. For the Fe0.25Mn0.75PO4 sample, the noticeable improvement of its electrochemical performances is mainly attributed to iron substitution, the appropriate Mn/Fe ratio, and the well-ordered crystal structure forming by using FePO4·2H2O nanocrystallites as one of the raw materials. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this study, sequence variation in three mitochondrial DNA regions, namely cytochrome c oxidase subunit ( cox1) and NADH dehydrogenase subunits 1 and 4 ( nad1 and nad4), between Oesophagostomum dentatum and O. quadrispinulatum isolated from pigs in different geographical origins in Mainland China was examined, and their phylogenetic relationships were reconstructed. A partial of the cox1 (p cox1), nad1, and nad4 genes (p nad1 and p nad4) were amplified separately from individual nodule worms by PCR and were subjected to direct sequencing in order to define sequence variations. While the intraspecific sequence variations within each of the two species were 0.3-5.2% for p cox1, 0-4.9% for p nad1, and 0-7.1% for p nad4, the interspecific sequence differences were significantly higher, being 10.7-13.4% for p cox1, 11-14.6% for p nad1, and 14.9-18% for p nad4, respectively. There were a number of nucleotide positions in the p cox1, p nad1, and p nad4 sequences with no apparent intraspecific variation but distinct interspecific differences among those samples of Oesophagostomum spp. examined, which may be used as genetic makers for the identification and differentiation of the Oesophagostomum spp. Phylogenetic analyses using three inference methods, namely Bayesian inference, maximum likelihood, and maximum parsimony based on the combined sequences of p cox1, p nad1, and p nad4 revealed that the O. dentatum and O. quadrispinulatum form monophyletic groups, respectively. These findings demonstrated clearly the usefulness of the three mitochondrial sequences for studying systematics, population genetic structures, and the molecular ecology of Oesophagostomum spp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In the present study, the complete mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences of the pig nodule worm Oesophagostomum quadrispinulatum were determined for the first time, and the mt genome of Oesophagostomum dentatum from China was also sequenced for comparative analysis of their gene contents and genome organizations. The mtDNA sequences of O. dentatum China isolate and O. quadrispinulatum were 13,752 and 13,681bp in size, respectively. Each of the two mt genomes comprises 36 genes, including 12 protein-coding genes, two ribosomal RNA and 22 transfer RNA genes, but lacks the ATP synthetase subunit 8 gene. All genes are transcribed in the same direction and have a nucleotide composition high in A and T. The contents of A+T are 75.79% and 77.52% for the mt genomes of O. dentatum and O. quadrispinulatum, respectively. Phylogenetic analyses using concatenated amino acid sequences of the 12 protein-coding genes, with three different computational algorithms (maximum likelihood, maximum parsimony and Bayesian inference), all revealed that O. dentatum and O. quadrispinulatum represent distinct but closely-related species. These data provide novel and useful markers for studying the systematics, population genetics and molecular diagnosis of the two pig nodule worms. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The whipworm, Trichuris trichiura, causes trichuriasis in ∼600 million people worldwide, mainly in developing countries. Whipworms also infect other animal hosts, including pigs (T. suis), dogs (T. vulpis) and non-human primates, and cause disease in these hosts, which is similar to trichuriasis of humans. Although Trichuris species are considered to be host specific, there has been considerable controversy, over the years, as to whether T. trichiura and T. suis are the same or distinct species. Here, we characterised the entire mitochondrial genomes of human-derived Trichuris and pig-derived Trichuris, compared them and then tested the hypothesis that the parasites from these two host species are genetically distinct in a phylogenetic analysis of the sequence data. Taken together, the findings support the proposal that T. trichiura and T. suis are separate species, consistent with previous data for nuclear ribosomal DNA. Using molecular analytical tools, employing genetic markers defined herein, future work should conduct large-scale studies to establish whether T. trichiura is found in pigs and T. suis in humans in endemic regions. Author Summary: Trichuriasis is a neglected tropical disease (NTD) caused by parasitic nematodes of the genus Trichuris (Nematoda), causing significant human and animal health problems as well as considerable socio-economic consequences world-wide. Although Trichuris species are considered to be relatively host specific, there has been significant controversy as to whether Trichuris infecting humans (recognized as T. trichiura) is a distinct species from that found in pigs (recognized as T. suis), or not. In the present study, we sequenced, annotated and compared the complete mitochondrial genomes of Trichuris from these two hosts and undertook a phylogenetic analysis of the mitochondrial datasets. This analysis showed clear genetic distinctiveness and strong statistical support for the hypothesis that T. trichiura and T. suis are separate species, consistent with previous studies using nuclear ribosomal DNA sequence data. Future studies could explore, using mitochondrial genetic markers defined in the present study, cross-transmission of Trichuris between pigs and humans in endemic regions, and the population genetics of T. trichiura and T. suis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Orientobilharzia turkestanicum is a blood fluke of many mammals and causes orientobilharziasis that is also a neglected parasitic zoonosis because the cercaria of O. turkestanicum can infect humans and cause cercarial dermatitis. The present study determined the complete sequence of mt genome of O. turkestanicum and revised its phylogenetic position based on mt gene content and arrangement. The complete mtDNA sequence of O. turkestanicum was 14,755bp in length, which is slightly larger than the mtDNA genomes of three species of the blood flukes, Schistosoma mekongi (14,072bp), Schistosoma japonicum (14,085bp) and Schistosoma mansoni (14,415bp), but smaller than Schistosoma haematobium (15,003bp) and Schistosoma spindale (16,901bp). The mt genome of O. turkestanicum contains 12 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA genes and two ribosomal RNA genes, but lacks an atp8 gene, consistent with that of Schistosoma species. The mt genome arrangement of O. turkestanicum contains an AT-rich region and two non-coding regions (NCRs), including long non-coding region (LNR) and short non-coding region (SNR). Phylogenetic analysis based on amino acids sequences showed that O. turkestanicum belonged to the genus Schistosoma, and is phylogenetically closer to the African schistosome group (S. haematobium, S. spindale and S. mansoni) than to the Asian group (S. mekongi and S. japonicum). But the arrangement of mtDNA protein-coding genes for O. turkestanicum is the same as Asian group, and distinct from the African species. Combining content and arrangement of mtDNA for O. turkestanicum, we conclude that O. turkestanicum should be considered a member of the Schistosoma genus, which shares a closer affinity to the African schistosomes than the Asian species, and gene order of mt genome in O. turkestanicum would be considered sympleisiomorphic (perhaps retained from the ancestor). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Heat Shock Protein BAP1 (heat shock 27-kDa-associated protein 1, HSPBAP1) inhibits the function of heat shock protein 27, which has a neuroprotective effect during experimentally induced epileptic neuropathology. In our study, fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, western blot were used to test the levels of HSPBAP1 mRNA and protein in surgical samples of the anterior temporal neocortex of patients with intractable epilepsy (IE) and normal controls samples. HSPBAP1 mRNA was abnormally expressed in the anterior temporal neocortex of patients with IE. Moreover, HSPBAP1 was found extensively in the cytoplasm of neurons and glial cells in all epilepsy specimens. Western blot showed a clear immunoreactive band of HSPBAP1 in IE specimens whereas it was absent in control specimens. The expression of HSPBAP1 mRNA and protein in the anterior temporal neocortex from patients with IE may play a role in the development of epileptic seizures in patients with cell loss in this brain region. Additional studies will be required to elucidate the mechanism by which HSPBAP1 affects brain function in IE. Synapse 61:741-747, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To extensively investigate the glycoproteins of normal human liver tissue, constructing the glycoprotein profile and database of the normal human liver tissue. The total proteins were extracted from the normal human liver tissue and then subjected to two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE). Finally, 2-DE gels were stained according to the methods of multiplexed proteomics (MP) technology. Glycoprotein spots were excised from 2-DE gel and then characterized by matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). The PDQuest software detected 1,011 glycoprotein spots and 1,923 total protein spots in the 2-DE gels of sample from the normal human liver tissue. Furthermore, 116 species of glycoproteins were successfully identified via peptide mass profiling using MALDI-TOF-MS/MS and annotated to our databases. In addition, we also applied bioinformatics softwares to predict N- or O-glycosylation sites of identified glycoproteins. This study demonstrates the feasibility of a novel technological platform to contruct glycoprotein databases. These results lay the foundation for future physiological and pathological studies of the human liver. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: To reduce the amount of carbon black and to broaden the applicability of conductive polymer composites serving as gas sensors, polyurethane-based composite was prepared by latex blending. The composite has very low electrical threshold and hence provides improved processability. In the environment of organic solvent vapors, the composite with 3.5 wt.% of carbon black exhibits significant increase of its electrical resistance regardless of the solvents'' polarities and the maximum variation in resistance decreases linearly with decreasing vapor concentration. Besides, the slopes of the linear dependences change with the solvent species, which might allow quantifying vapor concentration and species. The measurable vapor concentrations of the composite are lower than or equal to the Chinese standard of exposure limits. Besides, the composite also shows high reproducibility as evidenced by over 5000 times of repeated sensing tests. It is believed that the composite can be used in gas sensor arrays with much smaller sizes and wide sensitivity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The synthesis of conductive composites consisting of waterborne polyurethane (WPU) and carbon black (CB) is reported. Besides the low percolation threshold (0.7–0.95 wt%), the composites are quite sensitive to organic solvent vapors regardless of their polarities as characterized by the drastic changes in conductivity. In the case of polar solvents, negative and positive vapor coefficient phenomena of the composites were successively observed with a rise in CB content. It was found that different mechanisms are responsible for the broad applicability of the composites as candidates for gas sensing materials owing to the different interactions among the matrix polymer, the filler particles and the solvent molecules. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Etched mesocarbon microbeads (MCMBs) are used as anodes for sodium-ion batteries. • The etched MCMBs are prepared by carbonizing mixed green MCMBs and NaOH. • The etched MCMBs have interlayer space of 356 pm and more mesopores. • The etched MCMBs anode shows improved rate capability and cyclability. • Modified structure benefit the sodium transfer in etched MCMBs. NaOH-etched mesocarbon microbeads (MCMBs) are prepared by carbonizing a mixture of green MCMBs and NaOH at 650 °C, and are used as the anode material for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). Comparing with pristine MCMBs, NaOH-etched MCMBs have more surface fissures, more bigger pores with a mean diameter of ~5.0 nm, and graphite-like crystallites with wider interlayer space (356 pm). The etched MCMBs anode displays better rate capability and cyclability. It keeps a capacity of >218 mAh g−1 at a current of 15 mA g−1 with a coulombic efficiency of >97% during 60 cycles. We consider that the etched MCMBs' structure facilitate the sodium transfer and make them being potential as the anode material for SIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]