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This research was designed to examine how teachers and students from various cultures (China vs. USA) might present distinct behavioural features in learner-centred classrooms. The findings of the research would serve the purpose to answer the question regarding whether and how learner-centred instruction could better support the learning of students from non-Western cultures. Chinese students experiencing learner-centred instruction (the experimental group), Chinese students from traditional classrooms (the control group), and American students responded to measures assessing their perceived teacher behaviours, and their own learning behaviours along with other two highly relevant variables, namely academic motivation and self-efficacy. The results indicated that Chinese teachers and students in the experimental group presented certain distinct behavioural features in comparison to both control group and American group. It suggested that the implementation of learner-centred instruction brought certain behavioural changes for Chinese teachers and students. However, on the other hand, their behavioural changes were not completely consistent with expectations. For instance, Chinese teachers in the experiment group did not present better performance in empowerment and individualized instruction, and their students did not exhibit more autonomous and self-directed learning behaviours as expected. The implications of the research were discussed in the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Solid-stated smart polymers responsive to external stimuli have attracted much attention for potential application in the field of photoelectron devices, logic gates, sensor, data storage and security. However, it is a bigger challenge for polymers than that for small molecules in solid state to acquire stimuli-responsive properties, because polymers with high molecular weight are not as easy to change the packing structure as small molecules under external stimulation. Here, a D-A type alternating copolymer PTMF-o containing 3,4-bisthienylmaleimide (A unit) and fluorene (D unit) is designed and synthesized. Upon irradiation of sunlight, PTMF-o film exhibits a photo-response with the color altering from purple to colorless. It is attributed to the structure of copolymer transformed from ring-opening form (PTMF-o) to ring-closure form (PTMF-c), resulting from the oxidative photocyclization of 3,4-bisthienylmaleimide unit. Consequently, the ability of charge transfer (CT) from fluorene to 3,4-bisthienylmaleimide unit in PTMF-o can be easily weakened by light stimuli. PTMF-o film displays a WORM-type resistive storage performance for the strong CT. Interestingly, after exposure, the electrical memory behavior in situ transfers into FLASH type, due to weak CT in PTMF-c. PTMF-o film can also be employed as smart material to construct NAND and NOR logic gates by using light as input condition. The work provides a simple way to modify the electronic properties of polymers and realize stimuli-response in solid states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of cooling rates on the mechanical properties of a Zr-based bulk metallic glass prepared with high rheological rate forming (HRRF) was investigated and compared with traditional suction cast methods. Amorphous samples of Zr57Cu20Ni8Al10Ag5 were prepared in copper molds with different sizes in order to obtain different cooling rates for both HRRF and traditional cast methods. These specimens were subjected to compression experiments, including microhardness testing, X-ray diffraction testing and differential scanning calorimetry analysis. The results indicate that the plasticity of the samples formed by HRRF are higher than that of the as-cast ones at the same cooling rates, while the microhardness manifests the opposite principle. As the cooling rate increases further, the difference in plasticity further increases between two methods, indicating that the plasticity of metallic glasses is more sensitive to cooling rates during the HRRF process. At the core of this phenomenon is the fact that HRRF methods can introduce more free volume into glasses than traditional cast methods with an elevated cooling rate are able to. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to asymptotically track the desired trajectory of nonlinear systems with unidirectional control input under various uncertainties, a modified saturated learning-based control law with adaptive notch filter (ANF) is presented in this paper. The proposed control law ensures the asymptotic convergence of the tracking error by utilizing a saturated function and a repetitive learning-based estimator, which allows the learning of the periodic dynamic behavior of the nonlinear system online to make compensations. Simultaneously, an ANF is integrated with the proposed control law to estimate the frequency of the periodic dynamics online. Differing from the existing methodologies in the literatures, the control law proposed in this paper only requires the unknown dynamics be bounded (the parameters, structure, and period of the unknown dynamics is not required to be known). Finally, applying the proposed control law to the electromagnetic suspension system, simulation, and experimental results are included to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The novel visible-light-responsive direct solid-state Z-scheme g-C3N4/BiOI heterojunction has been synthesized successfully by means of a solid phase calcination method and used for the degradation of microcystin-LR (MC-LR). The layered g-C3N4 disperses on the surface of BiOI microspheres. The samples are characterized by FESEM, HRTEM, XRD, FT-IR, UV-vis spectroscopy, XPS, BET, PL, and Mott-Sckottky. The photocatalytic activity and photodegradation mechanism of the as-prepared g-C3N4/BiOI microsphere photocatalysts are conducted under visible light irradiation using MC-LR as the target pollutant. The g-C3N4/BiOI material exhibits superior photocatalytic performance when compared with pure BiOI, the possible reason is the efficient separation of photogenerated carriers at the interface between g-C3N4 and BiOI. The heterostructure is responsible for the improved separation efficiency of photogenerated electron-hole pairs and thus the higher photocatalytic activity. The possible photocatalytic mechanism is proposed based on relative band positions of these two semiconductors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the question of whether Chongqing's Red culture campaign (2008-2012) was a real mass campaign. Drawing upon Baudrillard's concept of simulation, it discusses the extent to which Chongqing's Red culture campaign can be characterized as the simulation of a traditional Maoist mass campaign. This paper argues that instead of being a real mass campaign, the Red culture program exhibited the following critical features of simulation-the procession of a model of the real, the liquidation of referentials, and the constitution of a self-induced and monolithic circuit of power. Firstly, the operation of Chongqing's Red culture campaign followed an established model of the ideal revolutionary mass campaign. The activities therefore did not follow their own trajectories but were organized to fit in the preexisting model. Secondly, the Red culture campaign was a process during which signs were emptied of their representational meaning. The definition of Red was expanded to include all songs that were considered 'healthy' and 'positive.' As a result, it stopped referring to any specific concept of political ideology. Thirdly, Chongqing's Red culture program demonstrated characteristics of a self-induced and nondialectical power circuit. The program did not exchange meaning with the audience of the program. Rather, the exchange of signs took place within the territory of an imagined singular political power. To think of the Red culture campaign not as a mass campaign but possibly the simulation of a mass campaign, this paper examines a distinctive set of power relations that were embedded in Chongqing's controversial political program and aims to facilitate a better understanding of the organization of political power in the current Chinese society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A kind of new molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) was synthesized by bulk polymerization using guanosine as dummy template molecule, α-methacrylic acid as functional monomer and ethylene glycol dimethyl acrylic ester as crosslinker. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that the MIP had homogenous and uniform-sized cavities. It was confirmed that the MIP had higher binding affinity and selectivity towards gonyautoxins 1,4 (GTX 1,4) than the non-imprinted polymer (NIP) according to the static equilibrium adsorption. An off-line molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction (MISPE) method followed by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FLD) was established for the analysis of GTX 1,4. 0.1 mol/L acetic acid and 95:5 (v:v) methanol/water were optimized as the washing and elution solutions, respectively. The recoveries of spiked cultured seawater samples were satisfactory, as high as 88 %. Using this method, the concentrations of GTX 1,4 from cultured seawater samples of Alexandrium minutum and Alexandrium tamarense were detected to be 1.10 μg/L and 0.99 μg/L, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phenoxy acid herbicides are a class of commercial herbicides widely used all over the world. Some of them will disrupt the endocrine of human beings and animals. As a result, European Union, USA, Japan, China, and other nations have defined the maximum residue limits for phenoxy acid herbicides. Obviously, sensitive and reliable detection methods are very necessary for monitoring these herbicide residues. In order to better understand the research progress in this aspect, this review summarizes the analysis methods of these herbicide residues in food and water from the year 1989 to 2014. On one hand, the separation analysis methods of multi-residues have been the mainstream of research, including gas chromatography, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, high-performance liquid chromatography, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, and capillary electrophoresis. Single-residue detection mainly occurred in the early days, involving various types of immunoassay methods which account for 5.6 % literatures we can refer. On the other hand, sample pretreatment technique has always been an important part of the analysis methods for isolation and enrichment of analytes in multi-residue determination. These techniques include a variety of liquid-phase micro-extraction, solid-phase extraction methods, and the following developed solid-phase micro-extraction and molecular imprinted solid-phase extraction based on the above traditional methods. The quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS) method, suitable for sample preparation of food and other complex matrices, is also reviewed. In general, multi-residue detection and environmentally friendly methods are the trends of development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ropivacaine (Ropi), one of the newest and safest amino amide local anesthetics, is linked to toxicity, including the potential for seizures, changes in behavior, and even cardiovascular collapse. Dexmedetomidine (Dex), an α-adrenergic receptor agonist, has been widely used in anesthesia and critical care practice. To date, the underlying mechanisms of the effects of Dex premedication on Ropi-induced toxicity have not been clearly identified. In the current study, we investigated the effects of increasing doses of Dex premedication on 50 % convulsive dose (CD) of Ropi. With increasing doses of intraperitoneal (i.p.) Dex 10 min prior to each i.p. Ropi, the latency and duration of seizure activity were recorded. Open-field (OF) and elevated plus maze (EPM) test were used to measure negative behavioral emotions such as depression and anxiety. Immunohistochemistry and Western blot were utilized to investigate phosphorylation-extracellular regulated protein kinases (p-ERK) expression in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) on 2 h and in the central amygdala (CeA) on 24 h after convulsion in mice. The results of our investigation demonstrated that Dex dose-dependently increased Ropi, prolonged the latency and shortened the duration of each Ropi-induced seizure, improved the negative emotions revealed by both OF and EPM test, and inhibited p-ERK expression in the BLA and the CeA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aminoglycosides are a class of antibiotics commonly used in animal husbandry. If the antibiotics cannot be used legitimately, they would remain in animal foods and environment, even causing damage to human health. The effective detection to these residues is an important part of the protection of human health. In this review, the methodology studies about the detection of aminoglycoside residues are summarized for the related researchers to conveniently understand the progress of this field. These methodology studies involve multi-residue and single residue detection methods. The former includes high-performance liquid chromatography, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, and capillary electrophoresis, which are about 40 % of the literature we can access to. Developing the new fluorescent probe is a possible direction for these studies. The latter is about 50 % of the amount of literature, in which most are various immunoassays. The development of highly selective antibodies or aptamers is a possible direction for these assays. Since aminoglycosides have no useful absorption, their derivatization becomes an important part of the sample pretreatment. The presentations related to derivatization are about 30 % of the listed literature, and most of the rest are the purification of the samples. The development of solid-phase extraction adsorbent material which is high selectivity to this class of antibiotics and can be used repeatedly is a possible development direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kinase insert domain receptor (KDR) is the principal receptor that promotes the proangiogenic action of vascular endothelial growth factor and is involved in the tumorigenesis and progression of many malignancies, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of KDR have been reported to be with the risk and prognosis of several malignancies. Our aim was to determine whether SNPs in KDR gene are associated with clinical outcomes in HCC patients treated with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization. A total of 192 HCC patients were tested for KDR SNPs, and the SNP results were correlated with progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). The association of the SNPs with the overall survival (OS) of patients was assessed by Kaplan-Meier method, and then Cox proportional hazards model was used to assess the variables resulted significant at univariate analysis. No significant differences were found in correlation between KDR SNPs and patients' PFS. Our data showed that genotype AA + TA of rs1870377 and genotype CC + TC of rs2071559 were significantly associated with overall survival of HCC patients ( P < 0.001 and P < 0.001, respectively) and remained as significant predictors for OS adjusting for high level of serum AFP (>400 μg/L), existence of portal vein tumor thrombus, and high BCLC stage ( HR = 0.61; 95 % CI, 0.36-0.88; P = 0.003 and HR = 0.54; 95 % CI, 0.40-0.94; P = 0.002, respectively). Our results suggest that SNPs rs1870377 and rs2071559 in the KDR gene may serve as independent prognosis biomarkers for unresectable HCC patient, which warranted further validating investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kinase insert domain receptor (KDR) is the principal receptor that promotes the pro-angiogenic action of vascular endothelial growth factor and has been the principal target of anti-angiogenic therapies. Our aim was to determine whether single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in KDR gene are associated with clinical outcomes after first-line sorafenib therapy in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The SNPs in KDR were tested in 78 advanced HCC patients receiving first-line sorafenib. Correlations with clinicopathological features and survival were analyzed. Patients with AA genotype of rs1870377 and AA genotype of rs2305948 were significantly associated with a better response and longer time to progression (TTP) (5.8 vs 4.0 months, P = 0.001; 5.8 vs 4.5 months, P = 0.016, respectively). Patients harboring AA genotype in rs1870377 and TT/TC genotype in rs2071559 had a longer overall survival (OS) (15.0 vs 9.6 months, P = 0.001; 13.0 vs 9.0 months, P = 0.007, respectively). At multivariate analysis, major vascular invasion and rs1870377 were independent factors in TTP and performance status, rs1870377, and rs2071559 were independent factors in OS. Our results suggest that SNPs in KDR gene can predict clinical outcome in advanced HCC patients receiving first-line sorafenib. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tunable amorphous carbon nanotubes (a-CNTs) were successfully synthesized using VO·HO and glucose solution as the starting materials by a novel route for the first time. The as-obtained samples were separately characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive spectrometer (EDS), elemental analysis (EA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and Raman spectrum. The results showed that the as-obtained a-CNTs had uniform diameters with outer diameter ranging from 140 to 250 nm and inner diameter about 28 nm on an average, and their length was up to several micrometres. No VO residues remaining in a-CNTs showed the as-obtained a-CNTs with high purity. The as-prepared a-CNTs were a kind of hydrogenated a-CNTs containing both the sp- and sp-type carbons. Furthermore, the thermal stability of the as-obtained a-CNTs in the air atmosphere were investigated by thermo-gravimetric/differential thermal analyser (TG-DTA), revealing that the as-obtained a-CNTs had good thermal stability and oxidation resistance below 300 °C in air. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With regard to the failure and cancellation of business logic of web services composition (WSC), this paper propose a novel web services transaction compensation mechanism based on paired net which can dynamically establish agile compensation-triggered process (CSCP-Nets), and satisfy prospective compensation requirements. The related execution semantics of five usual composition compensation patterns based on paired net are analyzed in the situations of successful execution, failure compensation and failure recovery. Paired net based application of trip reservation process (TRP) shows that it is feasible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low bone mineral density (BMD) is a risk factor for osteoporotic fracture with a high heritability. Previous large scale linkage study in Northern Chinese has identified four significant quantitative trait loci (QTL) for BMD variation on chromosome 2q24, 5q21, 7p21 and 13q21. We performed a replication study of these four QTL in 1,459 Southern Chinese from 306 pedigrees. Successful replication was observed on chromosome 5q21 for femoral neck BMD with a LOD score of 1.38 (nominal p value = 0.006). We have previously identified this locus in a genome scan meta-analysis of BMD variation in a white population. Subsequent QTL-wide gene-based association analysis in 800 subjects with extreme BMD identified CAST and ERAP1 as novel BMD candidate genes (empirical p value of 0.032 and 0.014, respectively). The associations were independently replicated in a Northern European population (empirical p value of 0.01 and 0.004 for CAST and ERAP1, respectively). These findings provide further evidence that 5q21 is a BMD QTL, and CAST and ERAP1 may be associated with femoral neck BMD variation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many sensor network applications, it is essential to get the data distribution of the attribute value over the network. Such data distribution can be got through clustering, which partitions the network into contiguous regions, each of which contains sensor nodes of a range of similar readings. This paper proposes a method named Distributed, Hierarchical Clustering (DHC) for online data analysis and mining in senior networks. Different from the acquisition and aggregation of raw sensory data, DHC clusters sensor nodes based on their current data values as well as their geographical proximity, and computes a summary for each cluster. Furthermore, these clusters, together with their summaries, are produced in a distributed, bottom-up manner. The resulting hierarchy of clusters and their summaries facilitates interactive data exploration at multiple resolutions. It can also be used to improve the efficiency of data-centric routing and query processing in sensor networks. We also design and evaluate the maintenance mechanisms for DHC to make it be able to work on evolving data. Our simulation results on real world datasets as well as synthetic datasets show the effectiveness and efficiency of our approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteoporosis is an important and complex disorder that is highly prevalent worldwide. This disease poses a major challenge to modern medicine and its treatment is associated with high costs. Numerous studies have endeavored to decipher the pathogenesis of this disease. The clinical assessment of patients often incorporates information about a family history of osteoporotic fractures. Indeed, the observation of an increased risk of fracture in an individual with a positive parental history of hip fracture provides strong evidence for the heritability of osteoporosis. The onset and progression of osteoporosis are generally controlled by multiple genetic and environmental factors, as well as interactions between them, with rare cases determined by a single gene. In an attempt to identify the genetic markers of complex diseases such as osteoporosis, there has been a move away from traditional linkage mapping studies and candidate gene association studies to higher-density genome-wide association studies. The advent of high-throughput technology enables genotyping of millions of DNA markers in the human genome, and consequently the identification and characterization of causal variants and loci that underlie osteoporosis. This Review presents an overview of the major findings since 2007 and clinical applications of these genome-wide linkage and association studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Development of microarray technology has resulted in an exponential rise in gene expression data. Linear computational methods are of great assistance in identifying molecular interactions, and elucidating the functional properties of gene networks. It overcomes the weaknesses of in vivo experiments including high cost, large noise, and unrepeatable process. In this paper, we propose an easily applied system, Stepwise Network Inference (SWNI), which integrates deterministic linear model with statistical analysis, and has been tested effectively on both simulated experiments and real gene expression data sets. The study illustrates that connections of gene networks can be significantly detected via SWNI with high confidence, when single gene perturbation experiments are performed complying with the algorithm requirements. In particular, our algorithm shows efficiency and outperforms the existing ones presented in this paper when dealing with large-scale sparse networks without any prior knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A method is presented for the preconcentration of Cu(II) ions using a nanometer-sized TiO2 colloid, and for their determination in environmental water using graphite furnace atomic adsorption spectrometry (GFAAS) with slurry sampling. The adsorption efficiency is above 97% and is reached within short time at pH values between 5.5 and 6.0. Cu(II) was determined by GFAAS without elution. Conditions such as colloid dosage and effects of other ions were studied. The detection limit (3 σ) and the relative standard deviation are 290 ng L-1 and 9.8% (n = 6), respectively. This simple and rapid method was successfully applied to spiked environmental samples with recoveries ranging from 97% – 104%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Antofloxacin hydrochloride is a new fluoroquinolone antibiotic with broad-spectrum in vitro activity. Using the neutropenic murine thigh infection model, we defined the pharmacodynamic profile and property of antofloxacin hydrochloride against Staphylococcus aureus. Methods: Single-dose pharmacokinetic studies of antofloxacin hydrochloride were carried out in thigh infected mice. Therapy was initiated at 2 h postinoculation with 5–640 mg/kg per d fractionated for different dosing regimens. The thighs were removed for bacterial measurement after 24 h of therapy, the best pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) index correlated with the efficacy was determined by nonlinear regression analysis. A sigmoid Emax dose-response model was used to estimate the daily dose and AUC24 h/MIC (minimal inhibitory concentration) required to achieve a static effect. Results: The PK was linear with similar elimination half-life over the dose range studied. The AUC24 h/MIC ratio was the PK/PD parameter that best correlated with efficacy ( R2=923%, 90.8% for the two organisms, compared with Cmax/MIC and T>MIC [%], respectively). The 24 h static dose ranged from 34.3 to 153.7 mg/kg per d for all S aureus strains, the total AUC24 h/MIC ratio to achieve bacteriostatic effect varied from 31.7 to 122.5 (mean, 65.7±30.6). Conclusion: Antofloxacin hydrochloride showed powerful antibacterial activity against the S aureus isolates used in our neutropenicinfected mice model. Our data suggested that the AUC/MIC ratio appeared to be most closely linked to the bacterial outcome ( R2>90%), and a total AUC24 h/MIC ratio of 65.7 appears to be the target value to achieve a net bactericidal activity against S aureus, similar to the results of other fluoroquinolones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Purpose  To investigate the role of alpha2–HS glycoprotein (AHSG) gene on bone mineral density (BMD) variation. Methods  A total of 665 subjects from 157 Caucasian nuclear families were genotyped at the AHSG NlaIII, SacI sites. The association and linkage between the single SNP markers and haplotypes constructed by two markers in this gene and BMDs at the spine and hip were determined by using quantitative transmission disequilibrium test (QTDT). Results  Significant within-family associations were obtained for spine BMD at both of studied markers (P = 0.036 and 0.005 at the NlaIII and SacI sites, respectively). Significant (P = 0.008 at the NlaIII locus) (P = 0.004 at the SacI locus) total associations at spine BMD were detected. Haplotype analyses confirmed those within-family and total association. Conclusions  These data suggest the polymorphisms in the AHSG gene may have effects on BMD variation in Caucasian population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract??Peak bone mineral density (PBMD) is an important determinant of osteoporotic fracture and a precondition for correct diagnosis of osteoporosis. The objective of this study was to establish the reference data of PBMD at the lumber spine and hip in Southern Chinese males. Bone mineral density (BMD) was measured at the lumbar spine and hip (femoral neck, trochanter, intertrochanter, and total) in 1155 Chinese men aged 15?39 years, using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). We utilized a fit curve method to determine the best age range over which to calculate PBMD. Our results indicated that the PBMD was observed at the age range of 18?25 years at the various sites. The mean value and standard deviation of PBMD was 0.753 ? 0.117, 1.156 ? 0.148, 0.896 ? 0.120, 0.989 ? 0.122, and 0.980 ? 0.116?g/cm2at the trochanter, intertrochanter, femoral neck, total hip, and spine, respectively. When the present PBMD reference was compared with the documented PBMD reference of males from other regions of China, we found great difference in standardized PBMD between Changsha males and those from other regions of China. The PBMD for Chinese males in Changsha at the various sites were 3.19%?11.33% lower than that for American Caucasian males. In conclusion, the PBMD at the spine and hip may be used as normal reference data for Southern Chinese males in Changsha instead of documented PBMD from other regions of China and the manufacturer's reference data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To simultaneously investigate the contribution of the alpha 1 chain of collagen type 1 (COL1A1) and alpha2-HS-glycoprotein (AHSG) genes to the variation of bone geometric parameters in both Caucasians and Chinese. Methods: Six hundred and five Caucasian individuals from 157 nuclear families and 1228 Chinese subjects from 400 nuclear families were genotyped at the AHSG-SacI, COL1A1-PCOL2 and Sp1 polymorphisms using polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP). 5 FN bone geometric parameters were calculated based on bone mineral density and bone area of femoral neck (FN) measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. Population stratification, total family association, within-family association, and linkage tests were performed by the quantitative transmission disequilibrium test program. Results: The t-test showed the significant differences of all bone geometric phenotypes (except ED) between Caucasians and Chinese in the offspring using both unadjusted and adjusted (by age, height, weight, and gender) data. In Caucasians, we found significant within-family association results between the COL1A1-Sp1 polymorphism (rs1800012) and cross sectional area (CSA), cortical thickness (CT), endocortical diameter (ED), buckling ratio (BR) ( P= 0.018, 0.002, 0.023, and 0.001, respectively); the COL1A1-Sp1 polymorphism also detected significant linkage with BR ( P= 0.039). In the population of China, the within-family associations between the COL1A1-PCOL2 polymorphism (rs1 107946) and CT, BR were significant ( P= 0.012 and 0.008, respectively). Furthermore, evidence of linkage were observed between the AHSG-SacI polymorphism (rs4918) and CT, BR ( P= 0.042 and 0.014, respectively) in Caucasians, but not in Chinese. Conclusion: Our results suggest that the COL1A1 gene may have significantly association with bone geometry in both Caucasians and Chinese, and the AHSG gene may be linked to bone geometry in Caucasians, but not in Chinese. This study represents our first efforts on investigating the importance of the COL1A1 and AHSG genes on bone geometry in both Caucasians and Chinese. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An efficient route to synthesize 3′′- and 4′′′-vinyl rutin esters has been developed by enzyme-catalyzed regioselective acylation of rutin with divinyl dicarboxylates in organic media. Alkaline protease from Bacillus subtilis provided 3′′- O-substituted vinyl rutin esters in pyridine, and Novozym 435 gave 4′′′- O-substituted vinyl rutin esters in tert-butanol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Height, weight, bone mineral density (BMD), and bone size are all influenced by genetic and environmental factors as well as interactions between them. Height and weight are often used in population studies to adjust the bone phenotypes. However, it is still unknown what proportion of genetic and environmental variability is shared between these anthropometric characteristics and the bone phenotypes. The genetic and environmental correlations between the bone phenotypes and anthropometric indices in Chinese subjects were studied by bivariate quantitative genetic analysis on a sample of 931 healthy subjects from 292 Chinese nuclear families aged from 19 to 79 years. BMD and bone size at the lumbar spine (L1–L4) and the hip of all subjects were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. We found significant genetic correlations between weight and spine BMD, hip BMD, spine bone size and hip bone size, which were 0.50 ( P<0.01), 0.45 ( P<0.01), 0.36 ( P=0.02), and 0.38 ( P<0.01), respectively. Likewise, significant genetic correlations between height and spine BMD, spine bone size, and hip bone size were 0.30 ( P=0.02), 0.54 ( P<0.01), and 0.58 ( P<0.01), respectively. The environmental correlations were found to be significant only between height and spine bone size ( P<0.001) and weight and hip BMD ( P=0.02). These results suggest the probability that the same genetic and environmental factors contribute to these different phenotypes. Moreover, when a candidate gene or genomic region is responsible for the variation of both bone phenotypes and anthropometric indices, its true genetic effect on the bone phenotypes may be lost after one has adjusted the phenotypic values with weight and height as random environmental factors. It may have implications for population studies of candidate genes that underlie the complex bone phenotypes and for the development of strategies for therapeutic application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To understand influence of litters on the emission/absorption of CO2, N2O and CH4 in broadleaved/Korean pine forest in Changbai Mountain, fluxes of soil CO2, N2O and CH4 were measured by closed static chamber technique, from Sept 3, 2002 to Oct 30, 2003 in two types of soil ecosystems, of which one was covered with litters on the surface soil, and the other had no litters. The results showed that litters had significant influences on CO2, N2O and CH4 fluxes (p<0.05). Their diurnal change patterns of plot with litters and litter-free plot were similar, and they all showed emission/absorption peak at 18:00. The diurnal change fluxes of CO2 and N2O of plot with litters were significantly higher than those of the litter-free plot, while the diurnal flux of CH4 of plot with litters was lower than that of litter-free plot. The fluxes of CO2, N2O, and CH4 showed the similar seasonal patternsfor both plots. The fluxes of CO2, CH4 showed their peak fluxes in June, but the fluxes of N2O showed its peak emissions in August. The annual fluxes of CO2 and N2O of plot with litters were significantly higher than those of the litter-free plot, while the annual flux of CH4 of plot with litters was lower than that of litter-free plot. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil incubation experiments were conducted in lab to delineate the effect of soil temperature and soil water content on soil respirations in broad-leaved/Korean pine forest (mountain dark brown forest soil), dark coniferous forest (mountain brown coniferous forest soil) and erman's birch forest (mountain soddy forest soil) in Changbai Mountain in September 2001. The soil water content was adjusted to five different levels (9%, 21%, 30%, and 43%) by adding certain amount of water into the soil cylinders, and the soil sample was incubated at 0, 5, 15, 25 and 35°C for 24 h. The results indicated that in broad-leaved/Korean pine forest the soil respiration rate was positively correlated to soil temperature from 0 to 35°C. Soil respiration rate increased with increase of soil water content within the limits of 21% to 37%, while it decreased with soil water content when water content was over the range. The result suggested the interactive effects of temperature and water content on soil respiration. There were significant differences in soil respiration among the various forest types. The soil respiration rate was highest in broad-leaved/Korean pine forest, middle in erman's birch forest and the lowest in dark coniferous forest. The optimal soil temperature and soil water content for soil respiration was 35°C and 37% in broad-leaved/Korean pine forest, 25°C and 21% in dark coniferous forest, and 35°C and 37% in erman's birch forest. Because the forests of broad-leaved/Korean pine, dark coniferous and erman's birch are distributed at different altitudes, the soil temperature had 4–5°C variation in different forest types during the same period. Thus, the soil respiration rates measured in brown pine mountain soil were lower than those in dark brown forest and those measured in mountain grass forest soil were higher than those in brown pine mountain soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The N2O emission rates, photosynthesis, respiration and stomatal conductance of the dominant tree species from broadleaf/Korean pine forest in Changbai Mountain were measured by simulated water stress with the closed bag-gas chromatography. A total of five species seedlings were involved in this study, i.e., Pinus koraiensis Sieb. et Zucc, Fraxinus mandshurica Rupr, Juglans mandshurica Maxim, Tilia amurensis Rupr, and Quercus mongolica Fisch. ex Turcz.. The results showed that the stomatal conductance, net photosynthetic rate and N2O emission of leaves were significantly reduced under the water stress. The stoma in the leaves of trees is the main pathway of N2O emission. N2O emission in the trees mainly occurred during daytime. N2O emission rates were different in various tree specie seedlings at the same water status. In the same tree species, N2O emission rates decreased as the reduction of soil water contents. At different soil water contents (MW, LW) the N2O emission rates of Pinus koraiensis decreased by 34.43% and 100.6% of those in normal water condition, respectively. In broadleaf arbor decreased by 31.93% and 86.35%, respectively. Under different water stresses N2O emission rates in five tree species such as Pinus koraiensis, Fraxinus mandshurica, Juglans mandshurica, Tilia amurensis, and Quercus mongolica were 38.22, 14.44, 33.02, 16.48 and 32.33 ngN2O·g−1DW·h−1, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complexes of rare earth bromides with alanine, REBr3·3Ala·nH2O (RE=Ce, Pr, Sm, Eu, Gd and Tb, n=3; RE=Dy and Y, n=2.5 Ala=alanine), were prepared and characterized by means of chemical analysis, elemental analysis, molar conductivity, thermogravimetry, IR spectra and X-ray diffraction. The thermal decomposition in N2 of these complexes was studied by means of TG-DTG techniques from ambient temperature to 1000°C. During heating, the hydrated complexes of Ce, Pr and Y lose waters in one step, but the hydrated complexes of Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb and Dy lose waters in two steps. Then anhydrous complexes lose 2.5 alanine molecules except the complexes of Eu which lose three alanine molecules. Apparently, only be complex of Eu has an intermediate, EuOBr. All complexes finally decompose to oxides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extracelluar recording method was used to examine the effect of thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) on 71 unit discharges of pain-excited neurons (PEN) in mesencephalic reticular formation (MRF) in 58 rats. Intracerebroventricular (icv) injection of TRH (10 Hg/10 μ) produced significant decrease of pain discharge rate of PEN. TRH potentiated the inhibitory effect of el elctroacupuncture (EA) on nociceptive discharges when application of EA at bilateral 'Zusanli' was coupled with icv injection of TRH. Both of these inhibiting effects of TRH were completely offset or strikingly decreased by icv preinject ion of the cholinergic M-receptor blocker atropine. The results mentioned above and the mechanism of the inhibitory effect of TRH on pain discharges were discussed in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first affiliation of the author Yougang Sun should be "National Maglev Transportation Engineering R&D Center, Tongji University’’, which can be found as follows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]