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A highly absorptive resin was prepared by glow-discharge electrolysis plasma initiated suspension copolymerization, in which methyl methacrylate and butyl acrylate were used as monomers, N, N′-methylenebis(acrylamide) as crosslinking agent, polyvinyl alcohol as dispersant, and NaSO solution as supporting electrolyte. To optimize the synthesis conditions, the discharge voltage, discharge time, polymerization temperature, the ratio of monomers, the amounts of crosslinking agent and supporting electrolyte, as well as the ratio of water to oil, were examined in detail. The structure and properties of the obtained resin were characterized by means of attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR FT-IR), thermogravimetric analysis (TG), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. The oil absorbency, absorption rate, absorption selectivity, and network parameters of the resin were also examined. Results showed that under the optimal conditions, the oil absorbency was about 28.5 g/g for benzene, 25.4 g/g for toluene, 28.0 g/g for xylene, 38.1 g/g for chloroform, and 37.0 g/g for carbon tetrachloride. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite its potent antitumor effect, clinical use of Doxorubicin is limited because of serious side effects including myocardial toxicity. Understanding the cellular mechanism involved in this process in a better manner is beneficial for optimizing Doxorubicin treatment. In the current study, the authors focus on the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in the said process. In this study, the authors discovered for the first time that Doxorubicin induces AMPK activation in cultured rat embryonic ventricular myocardial H9c2 cells. Reactive oxygen species (ROS)-dependent LKB1 activation serves as the upstream signal for AMPK activation by Doxorubicin. Evidence in support of the activation of AMPK contributing to Doxorubicin-induced H9c2 cell death/apoptosis-probably by modulating multiple downstream signal targets, including regulating JNK, p53, and inhibiting mTORC1-is provided in this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

rough TiO film was fabricated by sol-gel technique, the film exhibits perfect super-hydrophobicity with a contact angle of 150° and glide angle of about 5° after being modified with octyltrimethoxysilane. The super-hydrophobicity was converted to super-hydrophilicity by the irradiation of ultraviolet light for 20 h, the irradiated super-hydrophilic film evolves to be hydrophobic with a contact angle of about 120° on the condition of being placed in dark for 2 weeks. Finally the property of super-hydrophobicity of TiO film modified with octyltrimethoxysilane was discussed on the basis of Cassie's theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

lthough water soluble thiol-capped quantum dots (QDs) have been widely used as photoluminescence (PL) probes in various applications, the negative charges on thiol terminals limit the cell uptake hindering their applications in cell imaging. The commercial liposome complex (Sofast®) was used to encapsulate these QDs forming the liposome vesicles with the loading efficiency as high as about 95%. The cell uptakes of unencapsulated QDs and QD loaded liposome vesicles were comparatively studied by a laser scanning confocal microscope. We found that QD loaded liposome vesicles can effectively enhance the intracellular delivery of QDs in three cell lines (human osteosarcoma cell line (U2OS); human cervical carcinoma cell line (Hela); human embryonic kidney cell line (293 T)). The photobleaching of encapsulated QDs in cells was also reduced comparing with that of unencapsulated QDs, measured by the PL decay of cellular QDs with a continuous laser irradiation in the microscope. The flow cytometric measurements further showed that the enhancing ratios of encapsulated QDs on cell uptake are about 4-8 times in 293 T and Hela cells. These results suggest that the cationic liposome encapsulation is an effective modality to enhance the intracellular delivery of thiol-capped QDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sunitinib, a novel oral multi-targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor for patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) and advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumor, has a good prospect for clinical application and is being investigated for the potential therapy of other tumors. We observed the phenomenon that drinking tea interfered with symptom control in an mRCC patient treated with sunitinib and speculated that green tea or its components might interact with sunitinib. This study was performed to investigate whether epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), the major constituent of green tea, interacted with sunitinib. The interaction between EGCG and sunitinib was examined in vitro and in vivo. H nuclear magnetic resonance (H-NMR) spectroscopy and mass spectrometry (MS) were used to analyze the interaction between these two molecules and whether a new compound was formed. Solutions of sunitinib and EGCG were intragastrically administered to rats to investigate whether the plasma concentrations of sunitinib were affected by EGCG. In this study, we noticed that a precipitate was formed when the solutions of sunitinib and EGCG were mixed under both neutral and acidic conditions. H-NMR spectra indicated an interaction between EGCG and sunitinib, but no new compound was observed by MS. Sticky semisolid contents were found in the stomachs of sunitinib and EGCG co-administrated mice. The $$ {\text{AUC}}_{{0 - \infty }} $$ and C of plasma sunitinib were markedly reduced by co-administration of EGCG to rats. Our study firstly showed that EGCG interacted with sunitinib and reduced the bioavailability of sunitinib. This finding has significant practical implications for tea-drinking habit during sunitinib administration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Puerarin, isolated from the root of pueraria, had been widely used to prevent and treat arrhythmia. We show that puerarin effectively prevents and reverses aconitine-induced arrhythmias in perfused heart in vitro and in rats in vivo. To study the mechanisms of antiarrhythmic action of puerarin, we investigated the electrophysiological actions of puerarin using whole-cell clamp in isolated rodent ventricular myocytes and two electrode voltage-clamp (TEV) in I-expressing Xenopus oocytes. Puerarin had no prominent effect on action potentials of ventricular myocytes from guinea pig. However, puerarin (1.2 mM) significantly inhibited the I current in rat ventricular cells. Consistently, puerarin blocked I expressed in Xenopus oocytes in a dose-dependent manner. Puerarin competed with barium, an open-channel blocker of I, to inhibit I currents. Thus, our data demonstrated that puerarin is a novel open-channel blocker of I, which may underlie the antiarrhythmic action of puerarin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

novel high-throughput method was established for rapid screening of large numbers of Aspergillus niger mutants with high transglucosylation activity by exploiting that yeast can hardly hydrolyze isomaltooligosaccharides (IMO). Supernatants of A. niger fermentation were incubated with Saccharomyces cerevisiae to remove glucose and maltose, and the remaining non-reducing sugars, which is positively correlated with the amount of IMO, the products of transglucosylation reaction, were used as indicator of transglucosidase activity of A. niger and examined by dinitrosalicylic acid assay. Using this method, 15 stains that could convert liquefied cassava starch to IMO more efficiently were selected from 8721 A. niger mutants. Among them, mutant C-6181 strain had transglycosidase activity of 4.61 U/ml (increased by 122% compared to its parental strain) and IMO yield of 83.7%. Taking together, the method is easy, simple, efficient and cheap, and has great application potential in selection of transglucosidase-producing strains used in industrial IMO fermentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marginal Fisher analysis (MFA) not only aims to maintain the original relations of neighboring data points of the same class but also wants to keep away neighboring data points of the different classes. MFA can effectively overcome the limitation of linear discriminant analysis (LDA) due to data distribution assumption and available projection directions. However, MFA confronts the undersampled problems. Generalized marginal Fisher analysis (GMFA) based on a new optimization criterion is presented, which is applicable to the undersampled problems. The solutions to the proposed criterion for GMFA are derived, which can be characterized in a closed form. Among the solutions, two specific algorithms, namely, normal MFA (NMFA) and orthogonal MFA (OMFA), are studied, and the methods to implement NMFA and OMFA are proposed. A comparative study on the undersampled problem of face recognition is conducted to evaluate NMFA and OMFA in terms of classification accuracy, which demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reverse transcription quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR), a sensitive technique for quantifying gene expression, depends on the stability of the reference gene(s) used for data normalization. Only a few studies on reference genes have been done in fruit trees and none in litchi. In the present study, seven frequently used candidate reference genes, including actin ( ACTIN), glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate-dehydrogenase ( GADPH), elongation factor 1-alpha ( EF- 1α), poly ubiquitin enzyme ( UBQ), α-tubulin ( TUA), β-tubulin ( TUB) and RNA polymerase-II transcription factor ( RPII), were evaluated for their expression stability in litchi. A total of 78 samples, including different varieties, tissues, organs, developmental stages and treatments, such as NAA, shading and girdling plus defoliation, were addressed in this analysis. Our results showed that GAPDH was the most suitable reference gene among all the tested samples, different organs and NAA treatment. ACTIN was stably expressed in varieties and fruit developmental stages. RPII and UBQ exhibited better expression stability in tissues. EF- 1α was the most stable gene in shading and girdling plus defoliation treatments. Moreover, using combination of two genes as reference genes might improve the reliability of gene expression by RT-qPCR in litchi. A better combination was GAPDH + EF- 1α or GAPDH + ACTIN for all the examined samples. In addition, the validated reference genes were further relied on to quantify the expression of an interested gene, LcARF13 under different experimental conditions. These results first provide guidelines for reference genes selection under different experimental conditions and also a foundation for more accurate and widespread use of RT-qPCR in litchi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The low-temperature confirmable BaRTiO (BNT, R = Nd, x = 2/3) ceramics were prepared by means of a citrate sol-gel soft-chemical method and the addition of sintering aid. Nano-sized BNT crystallite powders (~80 nm) were successfully synthesized as indicated by transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffractometry. The powder compacts exhibit enhanced sintering activity and can be well densified at 925 °C with the aid of a small amount of CuO and BO. Compared to pure BNT ceramics prepared by a solid-state reaction method, not only was the sintering temperature significantly decreased, but also the good microwave dielectric properties of dielectric constant ε = 63 and quality factor Q × f = 5200 GHz were maintained. Moreover, the relationship between the microstructure, densification, and electrical properties was discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of CuO and BO co-doping on the sintering behavior, microstructure and microwave dielectric properties of tungsten bronze type BaNdTiO (BNT) ceramics has been investigated by means of a traditional solid-state mixed oxide route. On the one hand, it was indicated that the mixture of CuO and BO is an effective sintering aid for BNT matrix compositions owing to the existence of a low-temperature eutectic reaction. On the other hand, it was found that the addition of CuO and BO has an obvious effect on microwave dielectric properties of BNT ceramics, depending on the amount of sintering aids, the sample density and microstructure. The liquid phases from sintering aids can promote densification, but simultaneously induce grain growth which tends to decrease the sintering driving force. BNT ceramics doped with 3 wt% CuO-BO mixture can be well sintered at 950°C for 4 h and still exhibit relatively good microwave dielectric properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crosslinking graft polymerization of poly acrylic/montmorillonite superabsorbent composite in aqueous solution was prepared by using glow-discharge electrolysis plasma, in which acrylic acid and acid-activated montmorillonite were used as starting materials, N, N-methylenebisacrylamide as a crosslinking agent. To optimize the synthetic conditions, seven important parameters of the graft-polymerization were examined in detail, such as the discharge voltage, discharge time, the neutralization of acrylic acid, post polymerization temperature, amounts of crosslinking agent, montmorillonite and acrylic acid used in this study. The structure, thermal stability and morphology of product were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy, respectively. The absorbency of poly acrylic/montmorillonite superabsorbent was examined to yield the following results: 1,834 g/g for distilled water, 116 g/g for 0.05 mol/L and 75 g/g for 0.15 mol/L sodium chloride solution. Such excellent character could be important to use in many fields, for example, in agricultural and horticultural applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Well-defined poly (ionic liquid) brushes with tunable wettability are successfully synthesized via nitroxide-mediated radical polymerization. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, attenuated total reflection infrared spectroscopy and static water contact angle measurements are used to monitor each step. Ellipsometry, nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H and 13C) spectra and gel permeation chromatographic measurements reveal that there is a linear increase in polymer film thickness with polymerization time, indicating that chain growth from the surface is a controlled/"living" polymerization. The surface morphology was measured by atomic force microscopy. Moreover, the surfaces of the poly (ionic liquid) brushes with tunable wettability and reversible switching between hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity can be easily achieved by counteranion exchange. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lead-free (Na0.52K0.48− x)(Nb0.95− xSb0.05)O3- xLiTaO3 ( x = 0.025–0.05) piezoelectric ceramics in which the Sb content is kept constant, have been specially designed and successfully fabricated by a conventional solid state reaction method. The (Na0.52K0.48)(Nb0.95Sb0.05)O3 ceramics can be well sintered after A-site and B-site cations are replaced by Li+ and Ta5+, respectively. A single-phase perovskite structure remains within the studied substitution concentration. An orthorhombic-tetragonal phase transition occurs with gradually increasing the content of Li+ and Ta5+, and was identified in the composition range of 0.0375 < x < 0.0425 where two kinds of ferroelectric phases may coexist and simultaneously a strong compositional dependence of electrical properties was found out. An appropriate content of Sb effectively enhanced the piezoelectric properties of the materials. The optimum overall properties with a piezoelectric constant d33 of 321 pC/N, a dielectric constant $$ \varepsilon_{33}^{T} $$ of 1,780, a planar electromechanical coupling coefficient kp of 0.52 and a Curie temperature Tc of 315 °C were obtained in the composition with x = 0.0425, indicating the ceramics studied have potentials for replacing lead-containing ceramics for device applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We isolated a novel glutamine synthetase (GS, EC 6.3.1.2) gene M-GS2 (accession: AY773090) by the RACE approach from melon. The full-length cDNA of M-GS2 is 1807 bp and contains a 1296 bp open reading frame (ORF) encoding 432 amino acids. The deduced protein contains conserved structural domains among plant GS2 proteins and shares extensive sequence homology with GS2 enzymes from other higher plants. M-GS2 expresses with specificity in leaf, and identification of a chloroplast transit peptide (cTP) in M-GS2 suggests that it localizes to the chloroplast. As shown by real-time quantitative PCR, distinct forms of nitrogen (N) found in fertilizers transcriptionally regulated M-GS2 differently. Ammonium and nitrate feeding only significantly regulated M-GS2 transcripts in leaf; starving (0.75 mM) or moderate (3.75 mM) N levels dramatically increased M-GS2 transcripts for 1 day, decreasing to a constant low level after 2–3 days, while sufficient N level (7.5 mM) had a minor effect throughout 3 days compared to controls. Glutamate feeding, however, not only significantly regulated M-GS2 transcripts in leaf (decreased initially then increased to higher levels than controls), but also in root, where it was up-regulated continuously. Our results suggested that M-GS2 is the first GS gene cloned and characterized in melon and melon responds to the variations in N fertilization by differentially expressing M-GS2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of hydrogen-charging on tarnishing film-induced brittle cracking of brass were studied. The tarnishing film was generated on brass samples with various hydrogen concentrations in Mattsson’s solution, then removed from the solution, dried, and subjected to a slow loading rate (loading speed = 0.5 mm/min) in air. The results indicated that hydrogen caused the film-induced brittle cracking to be more difficult to occur and a considerably high concentration of hydrogen could inhibit completely the film-induced brittle cracking. Elastic modulus test results showed that elastic modulus of the brass substrate decreased and elastic modulus of the tarnishing film increased with increasing the hydrogen concentration. Hydrogen inhibiting the film-induced cracking can be ascribed to the fact that hydrogen changed the elastic modulus of substrate and film. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8), also known as Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS)-associated herpesvirus (KSHV), is not routinely isolated in cell cultures, and thus detection of HHV-8-specific antibodies is usually performed. In this study, we performed recombinant antigens ORF66- and ORFK12-based Western blot strip assays and ELISA, and surveyed the seroprevalence of HHV-8 antibodies in HIV-positive and -negative patients. In serum samples from patients with positive plasma HHV-8 DNA, the sensitivity of the Western blot strip assay was 100% for the anti-ORF66 antibodies and 83.3% for the anti-ORFK12 antibodies. In addition, ORF66-based ELISA showed higher levels of specificity (87.3%) and sensitivity (84.8%) than ORFK12-based ELISA. Moreover, the area under the receiver-operating characteristics curves (AUROC) was 0.76 for ORF66-based ELISA and 0.66 for ORFK12-based ELISA. The seroprevalence of HHV-8 antibodies to ORF66 and/or ORFK12 in the HIV-infected patients (55%, 97/176) was significantly higher than in the DM patients (45%, 135/301) ( P = 0.03) and the HIV-/DM-negative group (11%, 11/100) ( P < 0.01). In the HIV-infected patients, the seropositivity of the HHV-8-specific antibody was 30% to both antigens, 19% to ORFK12 and 5.7% to ORF66. Importantly, HHV-8 seropositivity in the HIV-infected patients was significantly associated with the transmission method of intravenous injection and high levels of HIV RNA loading ( P < 0.01), but not with gender, CD4 cell numbers or AIDS symptoms. This study assessed the sensitivity and specificity of ORF66 and ORFK12 for the detection of HHV-8 antibodies, providing novel antigens for the diagnosis of HHV-8 infection and epidemiology of HHV-8 seroprevalence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The benefit of bullae ablation for the management of primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) has been established. However, various modalities for bullae ablation have been reported from different centers. The present study aimed to assess whether endoloop ligation of bullae was as effective as staple bullectomy for preventing the recurrence of pneumothorax. Between January 1993 and December 2003, 226 patients (203 men and 23 women) with PSP were recorded and retrospectively reviewed. One hundred thirty (57.5%) patients were treated with endoloop ligation of bullae and the other 96 (42.5%) were treated with staple bullectomy. Mechanical abrasion was performed in all patients after bullae ablation. The recurrence rate of pneumothorax was 6.2% (8 patients) in the endoloop ligation group and 17.7% (17 patients) in the staple bullectomy group ( p = 0.006). The postoperative complication rate was 14.6 and 20.8% in the endoloop ligation and staple bullectomy groups, respectively ( p = 0.221). The long-term chest discomfort rate after endoloop ligation and staple bullectomy was 14.6 and 13.5%, respectively ( p = 0.819) Endoloop ligation of bullae is as effective as mechanical staple bullectomy for the management of bullae in primary spontaneous pneumothorax. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Up to the present, EGF 61 A/G, TGF-β1 −509 T/C, and VEGF 936 T/C gene polymorphisms have been analyzed in other cancer entities than colorectal cancer. We have now investigated the frequency of these gene polymorphisms among colorectal cancer patients. A total of 157 colorectal cancer patients and 117 cancer-free healthy people were recruited at the Surgical Department of the Universitätsklinikum Mannheim. All patients and healthy people are Caucasians. Genomic DNA was isolated from peripheral blood, and gene polymorphisms were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR–RFLP). The distribution of EGF 61 G/G homozygotes among colorectal cancer patients was more frequent than that in the control group (33.1% versus 11.1%; Odds Ratio [OR] = 3.962; 95% Confidence Interval [CI] = 2.036–7.708). The frequency of the “G” allele in the colorectal cancer patient group was also higher than that in the control group (51.3% versus 33.3%; OR = 2.105; 95% CI = 1.482–2.988). No difference could be found for the TGF-β1 and VEGF genotypes among colorectal cancer patients and healthy controls. The EGF 61 G/G genotype and the G allele are significantly related to colorectal cancer. The TGF-β1 −509 T/C and VEGF 936 T/C gene polymorphisms are not related to colorectal cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of the grain boundary microstructure on the anisotropy and coercivity was investigated in an HDDR Nd-Fe-B permanent magnetic alloy. Considering the special microstructure of its magnetic powder grain, an anisotropic theoretical model influenced simultaneously by the structure defect at the grain boundary and the exchange coupling interaction was put forward. The variations of the structure defect factors based on the nucleation and pinning mechanism with 2 r 0/ lex (where r 0 and lex are the defect thickness and the length of exchange coupling, respectively) were calculated. The results show that the coercivity mechanism of an HDDR Nd-Fe-B permanent magnetic alloy is greatly related to its microstructure defect at the grain boundary. For a fixed lex, when 2 r 0/ lex < 1.67, the coercivity is controlled by the pinning mechanism; when 2 r 0/ lex > 1.67, it is determined by the nucleation mechanism. The coercivity reaches the maximum when 2 r 0/ lex = 1.67. The calculation result is consistent well with the experimental result given by Morimoto et al. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IFN–inducible protein 10 (IP-10)/CXCL10 (CXC chemokine ligand 10) has been described as an antiangiogenic chemokine and displays a potent antitumor activity in vivo. In the present study, we try to investigate whether the combination therapy of hyperthermia, a physical antiangiogenic modality, with CXCL10 would completely eradicate the established solid tumors. Immunocompetent BALB/c mice bearing Meth A fibrosarcoma were established. Mice were treated with either CXCL10 at 25 μg/kg once a day for 20 days, hyperthermia was given twice (at 42°C for 1 h, on day 6 and 12 after the initiation of CXCL10), or together. Tumor volume and survival time were observed. The microvessel density was determined by CD31 immunofluorescence. Histologic analysis and assessment of apoptotic cells were also conducted in tumor tissues. The results showed that CXCL10 and hyperthermia inhibited the growth of Meth A fibrosarcoma and interestingly, the combination therapy enhanced the antiangiogenic effects and completely eradicated the established solid tumors. Histological examination revealed that CXCL10 + hyperthermia led to increased induction of apoptosis, tumor necrosis, and elevated lymphocyte infiltration compared with the controls. Moreover, the tumor eradicated animals developed a protective T-cell-dependent antitumor memory response against Meth A tumor cells rechallenge. Our finding is that the combination therapy can achieve a synergistic antitumor efficacy, supporting the idea that the combination of two antiangiogenic agents may lead to improved clinical outcome. These findings could open new perspectives in clinical antitumor therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single administration of low dose cyclophosphamide (CTX) was previously reported to enhance the antitumor efficacy of immunotherapies. To investigate the possible mechanisms for this effect, we examined whether a single administration of low dose CTX could augment the immunogenicity of dendritic cell (DC) vaccines. Fifty milligrams per kilogram body weight dose of CTX was administrated intraperitoneally to mice after B16 melanoma or C26 colon carcinoma tumor models were established, DC vaccine generated from mouse bone marrow and pulsed with B16 or C26 tumor cells lysates were vaccinated 4 days later. CTX treatment potentiated the antitumor effects of the DC vaccine, and increased the proportion of IFN-γ secreting lymphocytes in spleens. Furthermore, a significantly reduced proportion of CD4+CD25+FoxP3+ regulatory T (Treg) cells was detected by flow cytometry in spleen lymphocytes from tumor-bearing mice treated with CTX. Thus, a single administration of low dose CTX could augment antitumor immune responses of DC vaccine by reducing the proportion of CD4+CD25+FoxP3+ Treg cells in tumor-bearing mice. Our results suggested a possible mechanism of CTX-induced immunopotentiation and provided a strategy of immunotherapy combining a low dose CTX with DC vaccine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tumor lysis syndrome is a potentially life-threatening complication of induction chemotherapy for treatment of lymphoproliferative malignancies. Serious complications of tumor lysis syndrome are rare with the preemptive use of allopurinol, rasburicase, and urine alkalinization. We report a case of oliguric acute renal failure due to bilateral xanthine nephropathy in an 11-year-old girl as a complication of tumor lysis syndrome during the treatment of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Xanthine nephrolithiasis results from the inhibition of uric acid synthesis via allopurinol which increases plasma and urinary xanthine and hypoxanthine levels. Reports of xanthine nephrolithiasis as a cause of tumor lysis syndrome are rare in the absence of defects in the hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl transferase (HGPRT) enzyme. Xanthine nephropathy should be considered in patients who develop acute renal failure following aggressive chemotherapy with appropriate tumor lysis syndrome prophylaxis. Urine measurements for xanthine could aid in the diagnosis of patients with nephrolithiasis complicating tumor lysis syndrome. Allopurinal dosage should be reduced or discontinued if xanthine nephropathy is suspected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polystyrene/SiO2 composite nanoparticles (PS-g-Silica) were prepared by an in-situ surface-initiated nitroxide-mediated radical polymerization. After SiO2 nanoparticles were treated by thionyl chloride (SOCl2), peroxide initiation groups were immobilized on their surfaces through a reaction with tertiary butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP). Then surface nitroxide-mediated radical polymerization was initiated and polystyrene was grafted on the surface of SiO2 particles. Composite nanoparticles were characterized by IR spectra, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and thermogravimetry (TGA) and the results indicated that the surface-initiated nitroxide-mediated radical polymerization could be successfully used to synthesize well-dispersive PS/SiO2 nanocomposites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the proliferation of mobile computing technologies, location based services have been identified as one of the most promising target application. We classify mobile information service domains based on feature characteristics of the information sources and different patterns of mobile information access. By carefully examining the service requirements, we identify the dynamic data management problem that must be addressed for effective location based services in mobile environments. We then devise a general architecture and cost model for servicing both location independent and location dependent data. Based on the architecture and cost model, we propose a set of dynamic data management strategies that employs judicious caching, proactive server pushing and neighborhood replication to reduce service cost and improve response time under changing user mobility and access patterns. Detail behavior analysis helps us in precisely capturing when and how to apply these strategies. Simulation results suggest that different strategies are effective for different types of data in response to different patterns of movement and information access. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we introduce the notion of bounded Betti numbers, and show that the bounded Betti numbers of a closed Riemannian n-manifold (M,g) with Ric (M)≥ -(n - 1) and Diam (M)≤D are bounded by a number depending on D and n. We also show that there are only finitely many isometric isomorphism types of bounded cohomology groups (Ĥ*(M),ǁ · ǁ∞) among closed Riemannian manifold (M,g) with K(M)≥ -1 and Diam (M)≤D. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The induction of active cellular responses against EGFR should be a promising approach for the treatment of those receptor-positive tumors. However, the immunity against EGFR is presumably difficult to elicit by vaccine based on self or syngeneic EGFR due to the immune tolerance acquired during the development in immune system. We proposed a model to break immune tolerance against self-EGFR through an altered immunogen source based on xenogeneic homologous EGFR. We have previously shown human EGFR as a xenoantigen could induce specific immune responses in mouse and cross-react with mouse EGFR, and resulted in therapeutic benefits for EGFR-positive mouse tumor. Here, we show a recombinant form of extracellular domain of mouse EGFR, in the presence of DCs, could activate human peripheral T cells to proliferate, secret IFN-γ, the induced responses could cross-react with human EGFR and kill autologous EGFR-positive lung cancer cells which could be blocked by anti-CD8 and anti-MHC class I antibody. There is no detectable cytotoxical activity against lung tissue, liver tissue and kidney tissue derived from paracancerous normal tissue. These observations suggest that antitumor immunity induced by the truncated mouse EGFR may be provoked in a cross-reaction between mouse EGFR and self-EGFR, and may provide insight into treatment of EGFR-positive tumors through induction of the autoimmune responses against EGFR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wu’s elimination method is an important method for solving multivariate polynomial equations. In this paper, we apply interval arithmetic to Wu’s method and convert the problem of solving polynomial equations into that of solving interval polynomial equations. Parallel results such as zero-decomposition theorem are obtained for interval polynomial equations. The advantages of the new approach are two-folds: First, the problem of the numerical instability arisen from floating-point arithmetic is largely overcome. Second, the low efficiency of the algorithm caused by large intermediate coefficients introduced by exact compaction is dramatically improved. Some examples are provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a letter to the editor about Type 304 stainless steel (304SS) used in a nuclear power plant.

Chronological, geochemical and Sr–Nd–Pb isotopic analyses have been carried out on the Mesozoic plutons in western Shandong with the aim of characterizing crustal–mantle evolution during the tectono-thermal reactivation of the craton. Detailed SHRIMP zircon U–Pb dating reveals two main periods of Mesozoic activity with contrasting compositions. The older magmatic pulse is manifested by monzonites and monzodiorites from Tongshi for which zircon rims yield a concordant age of 177±4 Ma and the cores have a discordant age of ca. 2.5 Ga. Low MgO and Cr, high Na2O contents and especially their isotopic compositions (87Sr/86Sr < 0.7042, 206Pb/204Pb < 16.8 and εNd ~ -12) are consistent with derivation from late Archean–Paleoproterozoic lower crust. Relatively high HREE contents in these Jurassic plutons indicate a garnet-free source (<32 km), in contrast to the garnet-bearing source (>40 km) of the late Mesozoic high Sr and low Y granitoids from the same region. Distinctively different depths of crustal melting suggest dynamic thickening of the crust by magmatic underplating during the Jurassic and Cretaceous. The younger dioritic plutons from Laiwu and Yinan were emplaced at 132–126 Ma and show relatively high MgO and Cr contents and large isotopic variability. They were likely derived from enriched lithospheric mantle source and were subjected to crustal contamination during magma evolution. Early Cretaceous mantle melting is coeval with the widespread late Yanshanian granitic magmatism in North China. Early Cretaceous time may correspond to a critical period when a temperature increase due to lithospheric thinning allowed the intersection of the local geotherm and the wet peridotite solidus. While some mantle-derived magmas were erupted, most were trapped at variable crustal depths, triggering large-scale concomitant melting of the crust. Lithospheric thinning must have continued until the late Cretaceous because of the change in the source of mafic magmas from lithospheric to asthenospheric at that time. It is proposed that removal of the lithospheric keel beneath the North China craton may have been initiated as early as the Jurassic, but with the most intense period in the Cretaceous between 130–75 Ma. Such a relatively long timescale (~100 Ma) emphasizes the role of thermomechanical erosion by convective mantle in lithospheric thinning beneath this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection on the long-term outcome of kidney transplant patients is controversial. A total of 34 chronic hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) carriers among 143 renal allograft recipients were identified in this study (mean follow-up period: 5.6+/-3.3 years; range: 1-13 years). During the follow-up, one HBsAg-positive recipient with preexisting cirrhosis died of liver failure, and seven (21%) others developed serious HBV-related complications (four fulminant hepatitis, two hepatocellular carcinoma, one cirrhosis), and four died. Although HBsAg-positive recipients had a higher rate of liver-related complications and deaths than HBsAg-negative recipients did, there were no significant differences in the long-term graft and patient survival between the two groups. The survival rates, liver-related complications, and deaths in HBsAg-positive allograft recipients and 28 HBsAg-positive uremic patients under dialysis were similar. In conclusion, HBV infection is not a contraindication to kidney transplantation. However, pretransplant candidates should be warned of potentially serious liver-related complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preparation of spherical hydrous silica oxide particles via sol-gel processing was rarely reported. In this study, spherical silica particles were obtained in TEOS/AcOEt/AcOH 50% aq. system. The combination of AcOEt and AcOH 50% aq. widened the spherical particle-forming region. Their size ranged from some ten micrometers to some hundreds micrometers. Hydrophilic molecules or powders like Rhodamine 6G and phosphorescent powders were encapsulated in the spherical particles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a case study of successful management of encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis (EPS) by far-infrared therapy in a 45-year-old man on maintenance peritoneal dialysis (PD). His bowel movement improved as well as his nutritional status after three months far-infrared therapy. The article also discusses the prognosis of EPS.

The deep learning algorithm, which has been increasingly applied in the field of petroleum geophysical prospecting, has achieved good results in improving efficiency and accuracy based on test applications. To play a greater role in actual production, these algorithm modules must be integrated into software systems and used more often in actual production projects. Deep learning frameworks, such as TensorFlow and PyTorch, basically take Python as the core architecture, while the application program mainly uses Java, C#, and other programming languages. During integration, the seismic data read by the Java and C# data interfaces must be transferred to the Python main program module. The data exchange methods between Java, C#, and Python include shared memory, shared directory, and so on. However, these methods have the disadvantages of low transmission efficiency and unsuitability for asynchronous networks. Considering the large volume of seismic data and the need for network support for deep learning, this paper proposes a method of transmitting seismic data based on Socket. By maximizing Socket’s cross-network and efficient longdistance transmission, this approach solves the problem of inefficient transmission of underlying data while integrating the deep learning algorithm module into a software system. Furthermore, the actual production application shows that this method effectively solves the shortage of data transmission in shared memory, shared directory, and other modes while simultaneously improving the transmission efficiency of massive seismic data across modules at the bottom of the software. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we have examined the effects of exposure to high temperature, carbon monoxide or a combination of both conditions in a model system, the rat and in industrial workers. In the rat liver, HSP70 mRNA and HSP70 synthesis were measured by dot hybridization and western blot. The results showed that after a heat stress HSP70 mRNA and its product, HSP70 increased significantly and there was a synergism in the combined effects of high temperature and carbon monoxide exposure on the induction of HSP70 mRNA and HSP70 synthesis. Heat played a major role in this induction. The presence of antibodies to human HSP27, HSP60, HSP70, HSC73, HSP89 α and β in workers exposed to heat, carbon monoxide was also measured by western blot using purified HSPs as antigens. Plasma free amino acids were measured in the same group of workers. The incidence of antibodies to HSP27 and HSP70 was significantly higher in the workers working in an environment with extreme heat, and high carbon monoxide emission than in a control group. The carbon monoxide exposed group showed the highest incidence of antibodies to HSPs. Although our previous results indicated that workers had an insufficient protein intake, plasma free amino acids tended to increase, especially in methionine and tryptophan two kinds of amino acids which are absent from the main stress protein, HSP70. These results suggest that the major problems that these workers may face are how to facilitate the use of plasma free amino acids and reduce the inhibition of synthesis of normal proteins when they are exposed to occupational harmful factors. These results also add new information on the measurement of HSPs as a potential biomonitor to assess whether organisms are experiencing metabolic stress within their environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ternary complexes of glycine, alanine, β-alanine, serine and ethylenediamine with copper iminodiacetate have been prepared and characterized by their i.r., u.v.-vis. and e.s.r. spectra. The data suggest that the complexes possess axial symmetry and a distorted octahedral configuration in aqueous solution. The H2O molecule on the axial copper site can be replaced by O2−. The bonding parameters, which fall between 0.84 and 0.88, indicate that the bonds between copper(II) and the ligands possess more ionic character. The ternary complex containing serine displays the highest catalytic activity in dismutation of the superoxide radical O2−. This activity may be explained on the basis of the stabilization of CuII-O2− by hydrogen bonding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Complexation of neodymium(III)-glutamate(glu)-phenanthroline(phen), neodymium(III)-aspartate(asp)-phenanthroline(phen) ternary systems and the corresponding binary systems in aqueous solution are discussed at various values of pH. Based on change regularity of hypersensitive transition intensities, the neodymium(III)-aspartate-phenanthroline ternary complex has a general formula of Nd(asp)3phen, but the composition of the complex of Nd(III) with glutamate and phenanthroline is complicated and has not been determined. The electronic spectra of these complexes were studied, Slater-Condon parameters F k s and the Lande parameter ξ4f were obtained. The rms deviation between calculated and observed energy levels is less than 43 cm−1. Bonding in these complexes are also investigated and bonding parameters calculated. The results show that Nd(III) and amino acids form complexes by ionic linkage with carboxylic oxygens, but with some weak covalency. Besides, the degrees of covalency in ternary complexes are larger than those in binary complexes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper firstly analyses the hydrologic characteristics of the major rivers around the Taklimakan Desert with the method of mathematical statistics. Secondly, structure features of annual runoff series of these rivers are discussed both in time domain and in frequency domain with the method of time series analysis. From the analysis, it can be learnt that the nature quantity of water in the rivers in this area is generally steady and the annual runoff series of rivers is mostly independent stationary random sequence. Therefore, this paper can provide scientific basis for runoff variation law research and reasonal exploitation and utilization of water resource in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An investigation is presented of the swelling, thermal and morphological characteristics of copolymers of methyl methacrylate and 1,3-bis-(methacryloxymethyl)-1,1,3,3-tetramethyl disiloxane. These materials were prepared by copolymerization/ crosslinking of the two monomers by gamma irradiation. Studies were performed on copolymers with mole fraction of the silicon-containing monomer ranging from 0.09 to 0.42. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background This study aimed to determine the feasibility of a novel transtracheal endoscopic technique for thoracic and mediastinum evaluation in a canine model. Methods In two dogs under general anesthesia, a transverse incision was made in the right lateral wall of the lower trachea and used as an entrance for thoracic and mediastinum evaluation. Results Transtracheal thoracoscopic evaluation was possible in both animals. One animal experienced massive subcutaneous emphysema immediately after evaluation of the thoracic cavity and required chest tube drainage. The follow-up endoscopies 2 weeks after surgery showed good healing of the tracheal openings in both animals. Conclusions The transtracheal approach to the thoracic cavity and mediastinum appears to be feasible. This technique may provide an intriguing platform for the development of natural orifice transluminal surgery (NOTES) in the thoracic cavity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel gel was successfully prepared by copolymerization N-isopropylacrylamide(NIPAAm), 2-acrylamide-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid (AMPS) and iron(II) (5-acrylamide-1,10-phenanthroline) bis(1,10-phenanthroline) (Fe(phen)3). The influence of the AMPS feed ratio on the network structure and the swelling ratio was investigated. The chemical structure and interior morphology were investigated by FT-IR spectroscopy analysis and SEM. It was found that the volume and color oscillated with the chemical wave propagation in the gel. And a self-driven conveyer is successfully constructed with the prepared gels acting as both the sheet gel and cargo. When the sheet gel was immersed in the catalyst-free BZ solution, chemical wave propagated in the gel sheet and a cylindrical gel cargo placed on the surface was transported with it. The transport velocity of cargo was investigated and it was related to the BZ substrate concentrations and cargo's diameter. The results are useful in the design of microfluidic devices and autonomously mass-transport systems under mild pH conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diaspore (α-AlOOH) was heated at various temperatures from 300 to 1 000 °C for 2 h. The alteration of diaspore by thermal treatment was investigated by differential thermal analysis, thermogravimetric analysis and X-ray diffraction. The mechanism of thermal decomposition of diaspore was discussed according to the Coats-Redfern equation. It is found that after thermal treatment at 500 °C, diaspore is transformed entirely to corundum (α-Al2O3). Combined with the mass loss ratio obtained from the thermogravimetric analysis data, the activation energies for the thermal treatment of diaspore are calculated as E a=10.4 kJ/mol below 400 °C and E b=47.5 kJ/mol above 400 °C, respectively, which is directly related to the structural alteration of diaspore during the thermal treatment. The results indicate that the thermal decomposition of diaspore is conducted primarily by means of an interfacial reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blast lung injury (BLI) caused by both military and civilian explosions has become the main cause of death for blast injury patients. By building three-dimensional (3D) models of rat explosion regions, we simulated the surface pressure of the skin and lung. The pressure distributions were performed at 5 distances from the detonation center to the center of the rat. When the distances were 40 cm, 50 cm, 60 cm, 70 cm and 80 cm, the maximum pressure of the body surface were 634.77kPa, 362.46kPa, 248.11kPa, 182.13kPa and 109.29kPa and the surfaces lung pressure ranges were 928-2916 Pa, 733-2254 Pa, 488-1236 Pa, 357-1189 Pa and 314-992 Pa. After setting 6 virtual points placed on the surface of each lung lobe model, simulated pressure measurement and corresponding pathological autopsies were then conducted to validate the accuracy of the modeling. For the both sides of the lung, when the distance were 40 cm, 50 cm and 60 cm, the Pearson's values showed strong correlations. When the distances were 70 cm and 80 cm, the Pearson's values showed weak linear correlations. This computational simulation provided dynamic anatomy as well as functional and biomechanical information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Seed dormancy directly affects the phenotype of pre-harvest sprouting, and ultimately affects the quality and yield of rice seeds. Although many genes controlling seed dormancy have been cloned from cereals, the regulatory mechanisms controlling this process are complex, and much remains unknown. The MAPK cascade is involved in many signal transduction pathways. Recently, MKK3 has been reported to be involved in the regulation of seed dormancy, but its mechanism of action is unclear.Results: We found that MKKK62-overexpressing rice lines (OE) lost seed dormancy. Further analyses showed that the abscisic acid (ABA) sensitivity of OE lines was decreased. In yeast two-hybrid experiments, MKKK62 interacted with MKK3, and MKK3 interacted with MAPK7 and MAPK14. Knock-out experiments confirmed that MKK3, MAPK7, and MAPK14 were involved in the regulation of seed dormancy. The OE lines showed decreased transcript levels of OsMFT, a homolog of a gene that controls seed dormancy in wheat. The up-regulation of OsMFT in MKK3-knockout lines (OE/mkk3) and MAPK7/14-knockout lines (OE/mapk7/mapk14) indicated that the MKKK62-MKK3-MAPK7/MAPK14 system controlled seed dormancy by regulating the transcription of OsMFT.Conclusion: Our results showed that MKKK62 negatively controls seed dormancy in rice, and that during the germination stage and the late stage of seed maturation, ABA sensitivity and OsMFT transcription are negatively controlled by MKKK62. Our results have clarified the entire MAPK cascade controlling seed dormancy in rice. Together, these results indicate that protein modification by phosphorylation plays a key role in controlling seed dormancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]