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The melanocortin-3-receptor (MC3R) plays an important role in mammals' food intake and energy homeostasis. However, its physiological role in bony fishes, such as grass carp, has not been well understood. This study reports the molecular cloning, tissue distribution, and pharmacological characterization of grass carp melanocortin-3-receptor (ciMC3R). Phylogenetic and chromosomal synteny analyses indicated that ciMC3R was closest to cyprinid fishes in evolution. Quantitative PCR experiments revealed that the mRNA of ciMC3R was highly expressed in the brain of grass carp. The cytological function of ciMC3R was investigated by the co-transfection of pcDNA3.1-ciMC3R and the signal-pathway-specific luciferase into the HEK293T cells. Results revealed that the four agonists, α-MSH, β-MSH, ACTH, and NDP-MSH, potentiate the activation of ciMC3R and further increase the production of cAMP and upregulate the MAPK/ERK signaling, respectively. Our study will provide basic data for exploring the physiological functions of grass carp MC3R, especially in energy homeostasis and food intake.

The association between allergic respiratory diseases, such as asthma and allergic rhinitis (AR), and green space (GS) remains controversial. Our study aimed to summarize and synthesize the association between individual GS exposure and the incidence of asthma/AR. We systematically summarized the qualitative relationship between GS exposure and asthma and AR. The pooled odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) was used to estimate the effect of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) on asthma and AR. A total of 21 studies were included for systematic review, and 8 of them underwent meta-analysis. In the meta-analysis of current asthma, the 0 radius ≤ 100 m group, 100 radius ≤ 300 m group, and 500 radius ≤ 1000 m group presented weak negative associations between the NDVI and current asthma. For ever asthma, slight positive associations existed in the 0 radius ≤ 100 m group and 300 radius ≤ 500 m group. In addition, the NDVI might slightly reduce the risk of AR in radius of 100 m and 500 m. Our findings suggest that the effects of GS exposure on asthma and AR were not significant. Differences in GS measurements, disease diagnoses and adjusted confounders across studies may have an impact on the results. Subsequent studies should consider potential confounding factors and use more accurate GS exposure measurements to better understand the impact of GS exposure on respiratory disease in the population.

Background In the southern part of Xinjiang, the incidence and mortality rates of the cervical cancer among Uyghurs are significantly higher than those of other ethnic groups living in the same environment, and their mortality rate takes the first place among ethnic minorities in China. Objective To assess the level of cervical cancer knowledge by Questionnaire survey using the scoring system and its influencing factors among women in Shache county, Kashi, China. Method Based on the cervical cancer health education carried out by the medical team of the county hospital to the residents in the urban and rural areas of Shache County from September 1st, 2022, to September 30th, 2022, a cluster sampling was conducted at the same time and a total of 2578 women were included. The questionnaire survey includes resident basic information, and their knowledge about cervical cancer which was evaluated by the scoring system. The scoring system of the knowledge about cervical cancer includes 4 items, the total score was 8 point and scored more than 4 points was used as knowledge knowing, the knowledge of cervical cancer (unknown = 0; known = 1) was used as the dependent variable. Six factors include residence area (urban or rural), age, ethnic group, educational level, occupation, and the ways to acquire knowledge access were used as independent variables. The retrieved questionnaire was entered by the medical staff, and the Excel software was used for duplicate verification. Chi-square test and unconditional logistic regression analysis were used for statistical analysis. Results Of the 2578 study subjects, 1591 were from rural areas and 987 were from the urban areas, and the differences were statistically significant (P Conclusion Based on the questionnaire survey, the level of cervical cancer knowledge among women in Shache county was inadequate. Considering above mention influencing factors, it is necessary for the medical and health institutions to take various measures to carry out targeted health education on cervical knowledge for women in Shache county.

Ratiometric electrochemical assays have been demonstrated to be more sensitive and selective in various sensing events, mainly due to their affordable built-in correction and good self-reference capability. But it is known that complicated modification and labeling operations usually are necessary for the construction of ratiometric electrochemical assays, therefore is a hot and important issue needing consideration carefully. We herein report a new yet simple bare electrode-based ratiometric electrochemical bioassay to achieve sensitive and selective analysis of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), using a liquid phase system that contains CoOOH nanozymes and commercially available indicator substrate. This proposed bioassay works based on the ratiometric change of dual electrochemical signals, arising from an exclusive target ALP-triggered hydrolysis of electrochemical substrate p-nitrophenyl phosphate (PNPP). In this design, the two hydrolyzed products of electrochemically active p-nitrophenol (PNP) and electrochemically inactive phosphate anion (PO

While telepresence robots have increasingly become accepted in diverse settings, the research on their acceptance in educational contexts has been underdeveloped. This study analyzed how the use intention of telepresence robots can be influenced by perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, subjective norm, and perceived risk for students, faculty, and staff in higher education. Survey data were collected from 60 participants with direct operator experience with a variety of telepresence robots deployed in a large research university in the Midwest region of the United States. Path analysis results indicated that perceived usefulness was the only significant direct predictor of use intention of telepresence robots. Both perceived ease of use and subjective norm had a significant positive effect on perceived usefulness. Subjective norm also had a significant positive indirect effect on use intention, mediated by perceived usefulness. Perceived risk had a negative effect on perceived ease of use. These findings indicated that the usefulness of robots was central to operators’ decisions to use telepresence robots. Therefore, design choice for telepresence robots should prioritize usefulness. Secondly, the design of telepresence robots should minimize complexity for the end user and minimize cognitive demand. Having nominal difficulty of use would also facilitate multiple embodiments by combining telepresence robots with other technologies to support more rich social interactions.

Preeclampsia (PE) is a pregnancy-specific disorder, which is one of the leading causes of maternal, fetal, and neonatal death, particularly in developing countries. Arsenic (As), which is commonly found in soil and groundwater, has been associated with various complications of pregnancy, such as spontaneous abortion, hypertension, and stillbirth. Hence, the study was used to explore the relationship between PE and blood concentration of As in this study. Blood concentration of As during pregnancy was measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The results shown that the mean blood concentration of As was gradually increased from the control group to the severe PE group (P 0.0001). Elevated blood concentration of As was associated with the prevalence of PE (OR = 12.81, 95% CI: 2.43-67.39 and 27.55, 1.75-433.43 for middle and high vs. low). Furthermore, elevated blood concentration of As was associated with the severity of PE. Additionally, we observed that blood concentration of As was associated with the hypoproteinemia (P = 0.001, r

The present study aims to reveal behaviors of leaded brass as it is exposed to the synergetic effect of corrosion and cavitation erosion. The specimens were submerged in seawater for ultrasonic cavitation erosion experiments. The cumulative mass loss, surface microstructure and three-dimensional surface morphology were analyzed to characterize the time-dependent damage of the specimens. For comparison, cavitation erosion in deionized water was investigated. The results show that the mass loss of leaded brass in seawater is much lower than that in deionized water, and the trend is distinct after 45 min of cavitation erosion. Four characteristic stages of ultrasonic cavitation erosion are evidenced in seawater. In deionized water, only the acceleration stage is recognizable. The effect of cavitation erosion proves to be more significant than that of corrosion for the surface damage. In seawater, cavitation erosion is delayed by the protective passivation film with the main constituent of Cu2O, which is generated and disintegrated repeatedly. The corresponding surface roughness is low. In deionized water, the specimen surface is rapidly damaged under the exclusive effect of cavitation erosion.

This study aimed to explore the prevalence of sleep disturbances among preschool children in rural areas of China and identify the underlying associated factors. A cross-sectional study was conducted in rural areas of Anhui Province, China, from September 2019 to January 2020. The caregivers of children from 26 kindergartens completed the demographic questionnaire, the Children’s Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ), the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), the Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), and the adapted Identification and Management of Feeding Difficulties (IMFeD) tool. One-way analysis of variance, independent-samples t-test, and hierarchical multiple linear regression were conducted to explore the potential influencing factors of sleep disturbances in preschool children. For the specific sleep disturbances based on each subscale of the CSHQ, bedtime resistance (54.9%) and sleep anxiety (47.9%) were the most common types of sleep disturbances, followed by daytime sleepiness (21.3%), sleep duration (20.8%), parasomnias (16.5%), sleep-onset delay (12.6%), night wakings (12.2%) and sleep-disordered breathing (10.3%). The ages of children, children’s emotional/behavioral problems, children’s feeding difficulties, inconsistent parenting attitudes of parents, poor parenting styles, non-parent caregivers, and caregiver anxiety contributed significantly to the CSHQ total score, accounting for approximately 27.1% (R2 = 0.271) of the variance. Our study indicates that the prevalence of sleep disturbances among preschool children in rural areas of China is quite high. Furthermore, the potential risk factors are complicated, including factors related to both children and their caregivers.

Background Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) can lead to adverse maternal and fetal outcomes, and early prevention is particularly important for their health, but there is no widely accepted approach to predict it in the early pregnancy. The aim of the present study is to build and evaluate predictive models for GDM using routine indexes, including maternal clinical characteristics and laboratory biomarkers, before 16 gestational weeks. Methods A total of 2895 pregnant women were recruited and maternal clinical characteristics and laboratory biomarkers before 16 weeks of gestation were collected from two hospitals. All participants were randomly stratified into the training cohort and the internal validation cohort by the ratio of 7:3. Using multivariable logistic regression analysis, two nomogram models, including a basic model and an extended model, were built. The discrimination, calibration, and clinical validity were used to evaluate the models in the internal validation cohort. Results The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the basic and the extended model was 0.736 and 0.756 in the training cohort, and was 0.736 and 0.763 in the validation cohort, respectively. The calibration curve analysis showed that the predicted values of the two models were not significantly different from the actual observations (p = 0.289 and 0.636 in the training cohort, p = 0.684 and 0.635 in the internal validation cohort, respectively). The decision-curve analysis showed a good clinical application value of the models. Conclusions The present study built simple and effective models, indicating that routine clinical and laboratory parameters can be used to predict the risk of GDM in the early pregnancy, and providing a novel reference for studying the prediction of GDM.

The uniaxial tensile deformation behavior of a sandwich-like structural TiNb-NiTi composite was investigated by uniaxial tensile test and in situ high-energy synchrotron X-ray diffraction (SXRD). It is found that below 1.2% macroscopic strains, the elastic deformations of the B2, β, B19′ and α″ phases take place in the TiNb-NiTi composite. During the subsequent loading, the β → α″ and B2 → B19′ stress-induced martensitic transformations (SIMTs) occur within the macroscopic strains of 0.5%–4.2% and the macroscopic strains of 0.7%–6.2%, respectively. At the macroscopic strain of about 4.2%, the outer TiNb layer of the TiNb-NiTi composite experiences a partial fracture, as proved by the disappearance of (040)α″ and a sudden jump in the (110)B19′ d-spacing caused by load transfer. With further uniaxial tensile deformation, the TiNb-NiTi composite finally fractures at a strain of ~ 6.2%. Our results might provide some valuable information for understanding the deformation behavior of novel sandwich-like structural shape memory composites in more depth. 采用单轴拉伸试验和原位高能同步辐射技术(SXRD)研究了三明治结构TiNb-NiTi复合材料的单轴拉伸变形行为。在宏观应变小于1.2%时, TiNb-NiTi复合材料中的B2、β、B19′和α″相发生了弹性变形。在后续拉伸过程中, 在0.5%–4.2%和0.7%–6.2%的宏观应变范围内分别发生β→α″和B2→B19′应力诱发马氏体相变(SIMTs)。宏观应变约为4.2%时, TiNb-NiTi复合材料外层的(040)α″消失, (110)B19′晶面间距因载荷转移而突然跳跃, 证明TiNb-NiTi复合材料发生了局部断裂。随着进一步的单轴拉伸变形, TiNb-NiTi复合材料最终在~6.2%的应变时断裂。我们的研究结果可能能够为深入理解三明治结构形状记忆复合材料的变形行为提供有价值的信息。

Background Little research has been conducted on the spatio-temporal relationship between the severe cases and the enteroviruses infections of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD). This study aimed to investigate epidemic features and spatial clusters of HFMD incidence rates and assess the relationship between Enterovirus 71 (EV71) and Coxsackievirus A16 (CoxA16) and severe cases of HMFD in Gansu province, China. Methods Weekly county-specific data on HFMD between 1st January and 31st December 2018 were collected from the China Infectious Disease Information System (CIDIS), including enterovirus type (EV71 and CoxA16), severe and non-severe cases in Gansu province, China. Temporal risk [frequency index (α), duration index (β) and intensity index (γ)] and spatial cluster analysis were used to assess epidemic features and identify high-risk areas for HFMD. Time-series cross-correlation function and regression model were used to explore the relationship between the ratios of two types of viruses (i.e. EV71/Cox16) (EC) and severe cases index (i.e. severe cases/non-severe cases) (SI) of HFMD. Results Some counties in Dingxi City, Gansu were identified as a hot spot for the temporal risk indices. Time-series cross-correlation analysis showed that SI was significantly associated with EC (r = 0.417, P β = 0.04, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.02–0.06). Conclusion The spatial patterns of HFMD incidence were associated with enteroviruses in Gansu. The research suggested that the EC could be considered a potential early warning sign for predicting severe cases of HFMD in Gansu province.

Zinc acetate is used as a raw material to synthesize the desired ZnO in hot solvent by controlling the amount of citric acid (CA) added. Notably, the amount of CA added has a significant relationship with the control of the morphology of ZnO. Spherical ZnO wrapped in nanosheets is synthesized through the secondary crystallization of Zn2+. The optical properties of the ZnO sample are tested through the degradation of organic pollutants. Notably, the photocatalytic properties of ZnO vary with the different amounts of CA added. Exposure of the active crystal face increases the photocatalytic activity of ZnO. In addition, the number of defects on the surface of the ZnO sample increases because of its large specific surface area, thus changing the bandgap of ZnO. Therefore, the resulting sample can respond under visible light.

This meta-analysis was performed to clarify the association between food hypersensitivity in children and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in detail. Relevant studies published in 8 databases before March 2020 were retrieved and screened according to established inclusion criteria. The odds ratio (OR) with the 95% confidence interval (CI) was pooled to estimate the effect. Subgroup analyses were performed in terms of publication year, study design, location, sample size, definition of food hypersensitivity, definition of ASD, and study quality score. Furthermore, we stratified studies by participant sex and age to perform a more detailed analysis. This meta-analysis included 12 published articles with 434,809 subjects. A significant association was observed between food hypersensitivity and the risk of ASD (OR = 2.792, 95% CI: 2.081-3.746). The risk of ASD among girls and subjects younger than 12 with food hypersensitivity may be greater than that among boys and those older than 12. The results of sensitivity analysis and publication bias analysis show that the association is relatively stable.Conclusion: Our results showed a positive association between food hypersensitivity and autism spectrum disorder, and girls and subjects younger than 12 may be more sensitive to this association. The role of food hypersensitivity in the onset of ASD deserves more attention. What is Known: • Food hypersensitivity is a term used to describe food allergies and food intolerance. • ASD is a group of neurodevelopmental disorders that are characterized by deficits in social interaction, repetitive or stereotypic behavior, and verbal communication disorder. • The prevalence rates of ASD and food hypersensitivity in the developed world are increasing. What is New: • In this work, we reviewed and analyzed the available data and studies and found a positive association between food hypersensitivity and ASD. • Girls and children younger than 12 may be more sensitive to have ASD than boys and children older than 12.

The deformation behavior involved in Nb/NiTi composite for biomedical applications within a large macroscopic strain range was investigated by tensile loading–unloading test and in situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction (SXRD). Experimental results show that during loading, the Nb/NiTi composite experiences the elastic elongation of B2-NiTi austenitic, B19′-NiTi martensitic and β-Nb phases, B2 → B19′ stress-induced martensitic (SIM) transformation and tensile plastic deformation of β-Nb phase. During unloading, the deformation behavior involved in Nb/NiTi composite includes the elastic recovery of B2-NiTi austenitic, B19′-NiTi martensitic and β-Nb phases, reverse phase transformation B19′ → B2 and compressive deformation of β-Nb phase. The martensitic transformation in this composite is almost reversible and occurs in a localized manner. These results might contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the deformation mechanism involved in Nb/NiTi composite and shed some light on design and development of novel composites with a combination of good biocompatibility and excellent superelasticity for biomedical applications.

Background Intranasal corticosteroids are the most efficacious anti-inflammatory medications for allergic rhinitis (AR). However, the efficacy and safety of intranasal corticosteroids in children have not yet been subject to specific research in China. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of fluticasone furoate nasal spray (FFNS) in a Chinese pediatric population. Methods In this phase 4 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter study, pediatric AR patients aged 2–12 years were randomized 1:1:1, receiving either FFNS 55 µg or 110 µg or placebo. Electronic diary cards were completed to record symptoms, rescue medication use, and treatment compliance. Anterior rhinoscopy and overall response to therapy were evaluated and recorded. Results Patients treated with FFNS at either dose experienced a significantly greater reduction in daily reflective total nasal symptom score compared with placebo. This was maintained in a younger subset of patients (2–6 years). Drug-related adverse events occurred in Conclusions This study demonstrates favorable efficacy and safety profiles for FFNS 55 µg or 110 µg in Chinese pediatric populations (2–12 years), supporting its use in clinical treatment for AR children, including younger children aged 2–6 years. Impact The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of intranasal fluticasone furoate in Chinese pediatric allergic rhinitis. This research not only addresses the deficiency in efficacy and safety data for intranasal corticosteroids in very young patients (aged 2–6 years) worldwide but also demonstrates that fluticasone furoate nasal spray shows a favorable benefit/risk profile at different dose levels. Our data will be of interest to the broad readership of Pediatric Research and will positively contribute to the dialog regarding the treatment of allergic rhinitis in children aged 2–6 years.

In the supply chain environment, the collection of carbon footprint data and quantitative descriptions is important for optimizing the related carbon footprint for products in order to find a low carbon production route for the products and to develop a low carbon supply chain. In this paper, by combining the life cycle method and the input-output method, a carbon footprint calculation model based on the discriminant factor is put forward. The three-phase electric meter was selected as an example. A carbon chain model was established in order to calculate the carbon footprint, which established a quantitative description for the low carbon supply chain and provided a new idea and method for the low carbonization of the supply chain.

A novel polymer was successfully fabricated which used to remove Pb(II), Cu(II), Cd(II) from multi-element aqueous solutions and their competed-adsorption behavior was investigated. The copolymer was characterized by FTIR spectra, TG/DTG analysis, SEM analysis and XPS analysis. The pseudo-second-order kinetic (R2 > 0.99) and the Langmuir isotherm model have been fit quite well. The FTIR spectra and XPS spectra indicated that Cu(II), Pb(II) and Cd(II) were adsorbed. Maximum uptake capacities of polymer were found to be 978 mg/g, 1136 mg/g, 901 mg/g for Cu(II), Pb(II) and Cd(II), respectively. The hydrogel had the strongest affinity with Pb(II) and Cd(II) ions, but the complex for Pb(II) was instability with the adsorption going on. While adsorption promoted by presence of other ions—synergistic effects that might lead to strongly form complex of the Cd(II) ion and hydrogel, which was not affected by the initial pH in the range of 1.5–6.5. Cu(II) and Pb(II) removal was mainly achieved by ion exchange with functional groups that caused the quantity disparity of the proportion and intensity about the hydrogel surface. The sorption mean free energy ECu(II) = 15.1 kJ/mol, EPb(II) = 16 kJ/mol, ECd(II) = 19.2 kJ/mol were evaluated using Dubinin–Radushkevich isotherm, which suggested that was chemisorption of the adsorption mechanism. This hydrogel had large specific surface area that was as high as 140 m2/g through N2 adsorption–desorption experiment.

In this work, we were committed to building a nickel oxide (NiO) octahedron with skeleton crystal structure as a capacitor electrode for supercapacitance through a template-free and efficient one-step process. Initially, nickel nitrate hexahydrate (Ni(NO3)2·6H2O) and anhydrous ethanol mixtures were used as a material. The final samples were prepared by calcining the precursor at different temperatures. The mechanism of crystal recrystallization at different temperatures during calcination was discussed. Generally speaking, in the process of rapid growth with only diffusion mechanism, crystal imperfections such as crystal plane depression and skeleton crystal will be formed. At the lower temperature calcination, small depressions are produced due to the effect of crystal face Ostwald ripening. At higher temperatures, the crystal edge growth rate is faster than the surface growth rate during Ostwald ripening and recrystallization, resulting in the formation of NiO octahedron with a large surface depression skeleton crystal structure. The electrochemical test results of the samples showed that the surface depression NiO octahedron has fine supercapacitive behaviors and specific capacitance values (640 F g−1) at the discharging current of 0.5 A g−1 in the 3 mol L−1 KOH electrolyte and maintain excellent cycling stability, remaining constant after 2000 cycles. Electrochemical impedance measurements confirmed the capacitance performance of NiO electrodes.

The phase retrieval problem is a fundamental problem in many fields, which is appealing for investigation. It is to recover the signal vector $\tilde{x}\in\mathbb{C}^d$ from a set of $N$ measurements $b_n=|f^*_n\tilde{x}|^2,\ n=1,\cdots, N$, where $\{f_n\}_{n=1}^N$ forms a frame of $\mathbb{C}^d$. %It is generally a non-convex minimization problem, which is NP-hard. Existing algorithms usually use a least squares fitting to the measurements, yielding a quartic polynomial minimization. In this paper, we employ a new strategy by splitting the variables, and we solve a bi-variate optimization problem that is quadratic in each of the variables. An alternating gradient descent algorithm is proposed, and its convergence for any initialization is provided. Since a larger step size is allowed due to the smaller Hessian, the alternating gradient descent algorithm converges faster than the gradient descent algorithm (known as the Wirtinger flow algorithm) applied to the quartic objective without splitting the variables. Numerical results illustrate that our proposed algorithm needs less iterations than Wirtinger flow to achieve the same accuracy., Comment: 18 pages, 5 figures

BackgroundHepatitis B virus-related acute-on-chronic liver failure (HBV-ACLF) is a severe condition with high mortality due to lack of efficient therapy. Until now, the use of methylprednisolone (MP) in HBV-ACLF is still controversial. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of MP in HBV-ACLF.MethodsTotally 171 HBV-ACLF patients from three medical centers were randomly allocated into MP group (83 patients treated with MP intravenously guttae for 7 days plus standard treatment: 1.5 mg/kg/day [day 1–3], 1 mg/kg/day [day 4–5], and 0.5 mg/kg/day [day 6–7]) and control group (88 patients treated with standard treatment). The primary endpoints were 6-month mortality and prognostic factors for 6-month survival. The survival time, cause of death, adverse events, liver function, and HBV DNA replication were analyzed.ResultsThe 6-month mortality was significantly lower in MP group than control group [32.4% vs. 42.5%,P = 0.0037]. MP treatment was an independent prognostic factor for 6-month survival [HR (95% CI) 0.547(0.308–0.973);P = 0.040]. Factors associated with reduced 6-month mortality in MP group included HBV DNA and lymphocyte/monocyte ratio (LMR) (P P > 0.05).ConclusionsMP therapy is an effective and safe clinical strategy in HBV-ACLF, increasing the 6-month survival rate.Clinical trials registered athttp://www.chictr.org.cnas ChiCTR-TRC-13003113 registered on 16 March 2013.

Background Autoimmune thyroiditis (AIT) with euthyroid is associated with miscarriage. But the exact mechanism remains unclear. Studies have shown that the programmed cell death-1 (PD-1)/programmed cell death -ligand 1 (PD-L1) pathway is essential for normal pregnancy. However, the expression of PD-L1 in gestational trophoblasts in mice with autoimmune thyroiditis and the mechanisms leading to miscarriage have not been fully investigated. Methods Immunofluorescence and Western blot were used to detect the expression of PD-L1, p-ERK, MMP-2 and MMP-9 in embryonic trophoblast cells of pregnant mice with AIT. The expression of PD-L1 in HTR-8/SVneo cells were silenced, and the expression of PD-L1, MMP-2, MMP-9, ERK and p-ERK1/2 was detected by Western blot analyses and immunofluorescence assays. Invasive assays were performed in PD-L1 silenced HTR-8/SVneo cells using a Transwell chamber. Results Compared with normal pregnancy, the expression of PD-L1, ERK, p-ERK, MMP-2 and MMP-9 in embryonic trophoblast cells was significantly lower in pregnant mice with AIT. Compared with the negative control (NC) group (cells transfected with negative control siRNA), phosphorylation of MMP-2, MMP-9 and P-ERK1/2 proteins was significantly reduced in HTR-8/SVneo cells transfected with PD-L1 siRNA, and the number of cells penetrating the membrane was reduced. Conclusion AIT inhibits ERK/MMP-2 and MMP-9 pathways through PD-L1 reduction, attenuates embryonic trophoblast invasion and ultimalely induces miscarriage ultimately.

Normal levels of oxygen free radicals play an important role in cellular signal transduction, redox homeostasis, regulatory pathways, and metabolic processes. However, radiolysis of water induced by high-energy radiation can produce excessive amounts of exogenous oxygen free radicals, which cause severe oxidative damages to all cellular components, disrupt cellular structures and signaling pathways, and eventually lead to death. Herein, we show that hybrid nanoshields based on single-layer graphene encapsulating metal nanoparticles exhibit high catalytic activity in scavenging oxygen superoxide(· $${O_{\bar 2}}$$ ), hydroxyl (·OH), and hydroperoxyl (HO2·) free radicals via electron transfer between the single-layer graphene and the metal core, thus achieving biocatalytic scavenging both in vitro and in vivo. The levels of the superoxide enzyme, DNA, and reactive oxygen species measured in vivo clearly show that the nanoshields can efficiently eliminate harmful oxygen free radicals at the cellular level, both in organs and circulating blood. Moreover, the nanoshieldslead to an increase in the overall survival rate of gamma ray-irradiated mice to up to 90%, showing the great potential of these systems as protective agentsagainst ionizing radiation.

The accurate liver segmentation for MRI is challenging because of the intensity inhomogeneity. However, most existing intensity inhomogeneity correction sometimes leads to detail smoothing. In this paper, a novel model is proposed for liver segmentation based on the level set method with edge-preserved intensity inhomogeneity correction (EPIICLS). EPIICLS corrects the intensity inhomogeneity with the minimization of the local entropy. And the edge-preserving filter is applied to compensate the detail smoothing by cooperating with the original image. The intensity inhomogeneity correction works on the internal energy of the level set method, which efficiently makes the level set function automatically approximate the signed distance function. And the edge preservation works on the external energy function, which precisely drives the zero-level curve toward the liver boundaries. Experiment results show that the proposed model leads to better segmentation results.

Bernal stacking bilayer graphene is a promising candidate with controllable energy gap for large scale optical devices. However, the initial weak light absorption of bilayer graphene precludes many optoelectronic applications. Here, we theoretically propose a bilayer graphene-based integrated microcavity structure consisting of two distributed Bragg mirrors to enhance the absorptance. Our results demonstrate that the absolute light absorptance of proposed microcavity can be improved for more than 41 times compared with free standing monolayer graphene. A strong dependence of enhancement on the top mirror’s pairs and the cavity length is found, which alerts a more strict accuracy demand on their thickness controls. The pairs of bottom mirror need to be considered evenly between high reflectance and processing. Besides, the range of bilayer graphene’s spatial position for attenuation less than 0.1 dB from peak absorptance occupies one-fifth of the cavity length. This favorable enhancement of bilayer graphene’s absorption could provide a thrilling path toward high-responsivity, ultrafast response and wavelength-selectivity optoelectronic devices.

The synthesis of nanocrystals with hierarchical structure is a well-known challenge in many fields of science and technology. In the present work, we making use of tetrabutyl titanate as a titanium source, hydrofluoric acid as an additive, successfully prepared flaky flower titanium dioxide (TiO2) with sperical nanostructures by the solvothermal method. Then we calcined some of the samples. It was found that the calcined sample presented higher crystallinity by X-ray diffraction (XRD). A series of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) characterization results indicate that the calcination causes the sheet-like structure of the sample to become larger and thicker. And the exposed specific surface area became larger. The Brunauer–Emmett–Teller N2 gas adsorption–desorption isotherms characterization results also further demonstrate that the calcined samples have a larger specific surface area than the sample before calcined. The photocatalytic activity was evaluated by measuring the degradation rate of methylene blue under UV–vis light irradiation. The results show that anatase TiO2 after calcination exhibit higher photocatalytic activity than the sample before calcination in the degradation of methylene blue under UV–vis light irradiation. It can be attributed to the synergetic effect of the architecture, high crystallinity, large specific surface areas and ostwald ripening. Scheme 1. Schematic illustration of the morphological evolution.

A new reversible colorimetric and fluorescent chemosensor MMIP based on a simple Schiff base has been successfully synthesized. MMIP exhibited high selectivity and sensitivity towards Ag+, Cu2+ and Hg2+ ions with a short response time in DMSO/H2O (1/1, v/v) solution among various metal ions, and the results could be monitored directly by naked eyes. The binding stoichiometry between MMIP and Ag+/Hg2+/Cu2+ has been determined to be 1:2 by Job’s plot and FT-IR analysis. MMIP could effectively detect Ag+, Cu2+ and Hg2+ over a wide pH range of 3–10. The good linear correlations were obtained in the concentration ranges of 0–20 μM for Ag+, Cu2+ and Hg2+. Thus sensor MMIP could be potentially used for the quantification of Ag+, Cu2+ and Hg2+ in aqueous solution.

Our previous study found that some trigeminal ganglion (TG) nerve endings in the inner walls of rat anterior chambers were mechanosensitive, and transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) was an essential mechanosensitive channel in the membrane. To address the effect of cannabinoids on the mechanosensitive TG nerve endings in the inner walls of anterior chambers of rat eye, we investigated the effect of the (R)-(+)-WIN55, 212-2 mesylate salt (WIN), a synthetic cannabinoid on their cell bodies in vitro. Rat TG neurons innervating the inner walls of the anterior chambers were labeled by 1,1'-dilinoleyl-3,3,3',3'-tetramethylindocarbocyanine, 4-chlorobenzenesulfona (FAST DiI). Whole cell patch clamp was performed to record the currents induced by drugs and mechanical stimulation. Mechanical stimulation was applied to the neurons by buffer ejection. WIN evoked inward currents via TRPA1 activation in FAST DiI-labeled TG neurons. WIN enhanced mechanosensitive currents via TRPA1 activation in FAST DiI-labeled TG neurons. Our results indicate that cannabinoids can enhance the mechanosensitivity of TG endings in the inner walls of anterior chambers of rat eye via TRPA1 activation.

The influence of socio-ecological factors on hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) were explored in this study using Bayesian spatial modeling and spatial patterns identified in dry regions of Gansu, China. Notified HFMD cases and socio-ecological data were obtained from the China Information System for Disease Control and Prevention, Gansu Yearbook and Gansu Meteorological Bureau. A Bayesian spatial conditional autoregressive model was used to quantify the effects of socio-ecological factors on the HFMD and explore spatial patterns, with the consideration of its socio-ecological effects. Our non-spatial model suggests temperature (relative risk (RR) 1.15, 95 % CI 1.01-1.31), GDP per capita (RR 1.19, 95 % CI 1.01-1.39) and population density (RR 1.98, 95 % CI 1.19-3.17) to have a significant effect on HFMD transmission. However, after controlling for spatial random effects, only temperature (RR 1.25, 95 % CI 1.04-1.53) showed significant association with HFMD. The spatial model demonstrates temperature to play a major role in the transmission of HFMD in dry regions. Estimated residual variation after taking into account the socio-ecological variables indicated that high incidences of HFMD were mainly clustered in the northwest of Gansu. And, spatial structure showed a unique distribution after taking account of socio-ecological effects.

Aspergillus species are ubiquitous fungi that can cause varieties of lung diseases. Early detection is critical for favorable outcomes. The feasibility of using a technetium-99m (99mTc)-labeled anti-Aspergillus monoclonal antibody (WF-AF-1) targeting the Aspergillus cell wall for the early detection of Aspergillus fumigatus in the lung was evaluated. In vitro binding study showed 99mTc-WF-AF-1 preferentially bound to A. fumigatus. Biodistribution and scintigraphy showed significant accumulation of radioactivity in A. fumigatus conidia-instilled lungs. This study demonstrated that 99mTc-WF-AF-1 directly targeting A. fumigatus may be valuable for early, noninvasive detection, and provides a referable strategy for the detection of other microorganisms.

Since December 2014, Eurasian-origin, highly pathogenic avian influenza H5 viruses including H5N1, H5N2, and H5N8 subtypes (called H5Nx viruses), which belong to the H5 clade 2.3.4.4, have been detected in U.S. wild birds. Subsequently, highly pathogenic H5N2 and H5N8 viruses have caused outbreaks in U.S. domestic poultry. Vaccination is one of the most effective ways to control influenza outbreaks and protect animal and public health. Newcastle disease virus (NDV)-based influenza vaccines have been demonstrated to be efficacious and safe in poultry. Herein, we developed an NDV-based H5 vaccine (NDV-H5) that expresses a codon-optimized ectodomain of the hemagglutinin from the A/chicken/Iowa/04-20/2015 (H5N2) virus and evaluated its efficacy in chickens. Results showed that both live and inactivated NDV-H5 vaccines induced hemagglutinin inhibition antibody titers against the H5N2 virus in immunized chickens after prime and booster, and both NDV-H5 vaccines completely protected chickens from lethal challenge with the highly pathogenic H5N2 A/turkey/Minnesota/9845-4/2015 virus. No clinical signs and only minimal virus shedding was observed in both vaccinated groups. In contrast, all mock-vaccinated, H5N2-infected chickens shed virus and died within 5 days post challenge. Furthermore, one dose of the live NDV-H5 vaccine also provided protection of 90% chickens immunized by coarse spraying; after exposure to H5N2 challenge, sera from vaccinated surviving chickens neutralized both highly pathogenic H5N1 and H5N8 viruses. Taken together, our results suggest that the NDV-based H5 vaccine is able to protect chickens against intercontinental highly pathogenic H5Nx viruses and can be used by mass application to protect the poultry industry., Animal health: Protecting chickens from avian influenza Vaccines based on Newcastle disease virus have proved efficacious in protecting chickens from H5 avian influenza strains. Avian influenza causes significant losses to the agriculture industry, indicating the importance of research into their control. A research collaboration of US and Chinese scientists, led by Kansas State University’s Wenjun Ma, have now produced vaccines based on Newcastle disease virus (NDV) — a platform easily modified to express immunity-stimulating proteins from other pathogens. Chickens vaccinated with the group’s vaccines survived a lethal dose of avian flu strain H5N2 and generated neutralizing antibodies cross-protective against other avian flu subtypes. The vaccine was easily applied by spraying the animals. The authors suggest that their data, in addition to previous studies, indicate that NDV could also be a useful vaccine platform for mammals such as humans.

The aim of this study was to improve the cyclic oxidation resistance of In718 superalloy by laser peening(LP). Specimens were treated by LP from one to three times, respectively. The cyclic oxidation tests at 900 ° for periods up to 2 h were conducted. Changes of the top surface morphology and microstructure were analyzed by scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy-dispersive spectra (EDS), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and X-ray diffraction technique (XRD), respectively. The weights were measured between the oxidation cycles to assess the oxidation of the specimens. The top surface microstructure after LP was characterized by highly tangled and dense dislocation arrangements and a high amount of twins. Protective oxidation layer was generated more quickly on the surface treated by LP. The average oxidation rate was about 50 % lower. A tiny homogeneous oxidation layer containing (Fe,Cr)2O3, NiCrO3 and Ni(Al,Cr)2O4 spinel was generated on the surface. The experimental results of cyclic oxidation tests show that specimens treated by LP have a better high temperature oxidation resistance, and the antistrip performance of the oxidation layer improves. Moreover, the effects of LP are strengthened with the increase of laser peening.

Wind activity is proved to have significant impacts on aeolian desertification. Clarifying the fluctuations and change trend of wind velocity is important for understanding their influence on aeolian desertification. In this study, we used a dataset of wind velocities collected from 93 meteorological stations across northern China from 1957 to 2011 to analyze the changes in wind activity during this period. We tested the monotonic and step (abrupt) trends for annual and seasonal data of mean wind velocity by using Mann-Kendall and Mann-Whitney tests, respectively. The results indicated that the annual mean wind velocity decreased by 0.83 m/s from 1957 to 2011. The decreasing trends were also significant (P

In this study, a total of 78 Escherichia coli clinical isolates were isolated from canines diagnosed with urinary tract infections. 23/78 isolates (29.5 %) showed multidrug resistance (MDR) phenotype, including the isolates both susceptible to fluoroquinolones (FQs) (FQ(S)-MDR, n = 12) and resistant to FQs (FQ(R)-MDR, n = 11). For these MDR isolates, mutations within quinolone-resistance determining region of gyrA and parC were determined by PCR amplification and DNA sequencing. The relative quantification of emrE, acrB, macB, and mdfA genes expression in MDR isolates was determined by quantitative real-time PCR before and after exposure to the FQs (10 µg/ml). The results showed that a temporary exposure to FQs could lead to various degrees of up or down-regulation on the expression of four efflux pumps in MDR isolates depending on the resistant phenotype and the activities of the FQs. Generally, the FQ(R)-MDR isolates showed more obvious changes in average expression levels of these transporters versus the FQ(S)-MDR isolates, with a largest increase in emrE, and followed by acrB, while the expression of macB and mdfA did not change as radically. Meanwhile, there is a reverse relationship between the expression changes and the activities of the FQs tested. The expression was higher in the isolates exposed to enrofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, and orbifloxacin, and followed by the marbofloxacin, gatifloxacin, and pradofloxacin, and the average expression levels of some efflux pumps even decreased as the isolates were exposed to gatifloxacin or pradofloxacin.

Anti-angiogenesis gene therapy is considered a promising treatment for excessive vascularization. Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-based gene therapy may enhance the effect of anti-angiogenesis by maintaining a long therapeutic period in vivo. However, transduction efficiencies and transgene expression in MSC-based gene therapy should be improved. Here we report human placenta-derived MSC (HPMSC)-based gene therapy using a fiber-modified adenoviral vector carrying the kringle1-5 gene to maintain long-term survival and effectively suppress angiogenesis both in vitro and in vivo. HPMSCs infected by the adenoviral vector were transduced at high efficiency with a low multiplicity of infection, and the infected HPMSCs expressed exogenous kringle1-5 protein in vitro and in vivo. Infected HPMSCs were detected at 2 weeks in vivo by fluorescence imaging and immunohistochemistry of reporter gene expression. Importantly, the microvessel growth of aortic rings in vitro was inhibited by administration of infected HPMSCs expressing kringle1-5 protein (K1-5-HPMSCs) at day 6. In Matrigel plugs combined with K1-5-HPMSCs, microvessel density was decreased as detected by immunohistochemistry and blood flow was decreased as detected by the power Doppler contrast enhanced at day 14. The fiber-modified adenovirus is an effective gene vector for HPMSC-based gene therapy, which may be a promising strategy for cancer anti-angiogenesis.

Ogura cytoplasmic male sterility (OguCMS) is the most important CMS system used for F1 hybrid cabbage production worldwide. The anther abortion and defective pollen development exhibited in OguCMS are coordinately regulated by the mitochondrial male sterile gene orf138 and many nuclear transcriptional regulatory factors. AT-hook DNA binding proteins regulate cell-specific gene expression. In this study, we cloned the gene encoding the AT-hook DNA binding protein BoMF2 using the cDNA-AFLP TDF sequence, which was upregulated in OguCMS cabbage flower buds, as a querying probe. BoMF2 contains a 783-nt continuous complete open reading frame encoding a 260 amino-acid polypeptide. In vivo transient expression assays using GFP fusions showed that BoMF2 protein was located in the nucleus. BoMF2 was preferentially expressed in cabbage stamens, with a short expression window at anther development stage 7-8. However, in OguCMS flowers, BoMF2 expression continued into the mature pollen stage and was concomitant with the continued proliferation of tapetum cells exhibited in this mutant. Arabidopsis plants overexpressing BoMF2 showed significantly shorter siliques than the wild type, as well as decrease of pollen viability. These results suggest that BoMF2, a transcriptional regulatory factor, might regulate tapetum proliferation during anther development.

The neointimal tissue characteristics inside sirolimus-eluting stent (SES) were evaluated by optical coherence tomography (OCT) according to follow-up duration. One hundred and thirty-three Optical coherence tomography was performed in 96 patients with 143 SES which were retrospectively included and divided into 2 groups according to follow-up duration: Group 1,24 months (98 stents in 71 patients); Group 2,24 months (35 stents in 25 patients). The neointimal tissue coverage pattern and characteristics were studied using a new OCT analysis system which can quantitatively analyze tissue property by measuring attenuation, backscatter and signal intensity in the region of interest. Using these parameters, a multivariable logistic regression model was constructed to divide neointima into homogenous or heterogeneous type. We defined homogeneous nointima as neointimal tissue having uniform optical properties and does not showing focal variations in backscattering pattern and heterogeneous neointima as neointimal tissue with focally changing optical properties and showing various backscattering patterns. The average time between stent implantation and follow-up OCT imaging was 1.2 years in Group 1 and 3.2 years in Group 2. The number of neointima covered cross-sections, neointimal thickness, and neointimal area increased significantly with the length of follow-up duration after SES implantation (P0.01). The incidence of heterogeneous neointima was higher in Group 2 than in Group 1 (P0.01). Heterogeneous neointima was associated with higher incidence of microvessels (P = 0.0023) and lipid rich plaque (P = 0.0015) compared with homogeneous neointima. The neointimal tissue characteristics may change over time after SES implantation. The incidence of heterogeneous pattern was higher in the SES group with longer follow-up duration. Microvessels and lipid rich plaques were more frequently observed in neointima with heterogeneous pattern. Neointimal heterogeneity could be an important factor for the late stability of SES.

ZnO mushrooms composed of tower-like petals were prepared by a simple solvothermal method with ethanol as solvent. The key strategy is that an organic acid to be active agent was employed, and the whole experiments were carried out in a sour environment. The main crystalline phase of the as-prepared products measured by X-ray diffraction was proven to be wurtzite-type ZnO. Raman spectroscopy was employed to characterize the crystalline structure and perfection. Scanning Electron Microscope results reveal that the ZnO mushrooms had an average size of 12 μm and the top pileus is made up of hexagonal towers packed with hexagonal slices. Possible growth process was proposed to be charges adsorption among the polar ZnO slices. In addition, the results of the degradation of organic dye indicate that the prepared ZnO mushrooms show good photocatalytic activity and it can be considered as a promising photocatalyst for dyes wastewater treatment.

A fiber-modified adenovirus (rAd5F11B), loaded with the Kringle1-5 gene (rAd-K1-5) was used to infect human adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (HAMSCs). At a multiplicity of infection of 20, the transfection efficiency in HAMSCs was 90% and the cell expansion and differentiation of infected HAMSCs were not significantly suppressed. HAMSCs infected with rAd-K1-5 expressed the exogenous Kringle1-5 protein, an angiogenic inhibitor, and conditioned media from HAMSCs expressing the Kringle1-5 protein blocked VEGF-induced neovascularization both in vitro and in vivo. rAd5F11B may therefore be a promising gene transfer vector in HAMSCs-based anti-angiogenic gene therapy because of its low toxicity and high transfection efficiency.

This study aimed to investigate the sensory innervation of the anterior eye segment in rats by retrograde tracing with 1,1-dioleyl-3,3,3,3-tetramethylindocarbocyanine, 4-chlorobenesulfonate (FAST Dil) injected into the anterior chamber. The sensory innervation of distinct elements of the anterior segment of the rat’s eye, i.e. the cornea, ciliary body, iris, and trabecular meshwork, were studied by retrograde tracing using FAST Dil as a tracer. FAST Dil was injected into the anterior chambers of the rat’s eyes. The animals were sacrificed at different time points, i.e., 2, 3, 4, and 5 days after the injection. FAST Dil localization in trigeminal ganglions was studied with a fluorescent microscope. Two days after FAST Dil injection into the anterior chambers, the cornea, the ciliary body, the iris, and the trabecular meshwork were heavily labeled. Neurons in the ipsilateral trigeminal ganglion were also consistently labeled. The number of labeled cells increased over time until 4 days after FAST Dil injection. FAST Dillabeled neurons could be divided into two parts. Most of the Dil-labeled neurons were concentrated in a sharp, longitudinal, spindle-like stripe, located in the dorsomedial side of the trigeminal ganglion, approximately two thirds of the dorsal portion. The other part of Dil-labeled neurons scattered laterally to the stripe, but just in one third of the dorsal region. Thus, with our preliminary results, we conclude that the primary afferent sensory neurons innervating the rat’s anterior eye segments aggregate in the dorso-medial part of the ipsilateral trigeminal ganglion. It is feasible to identify them using retrograde tracing with FAST Dil anterior chamber injection.

The lacrimal endoscope is applied to the diagnosis and therapy of the disorders of the lacrimal system in combination with laser or micro drills under orthophoria. The changes of mucous membranes, the characteristics of pathological changes and the predilection sites of lacrimal system diseases were initially approached. One hundred and forty six pairs of eyes of 128 patients with lacrimal system disease were observed by the lacrimal endoscope in the Ophthalmology Department of Tongji Hospital from June 2006 to March 2007. The dynamic changes in mucous membranes, lesion sites, secreted substances and formation of membrane could be observed under orthophoria. Combined with laser or micro drill, the endoscope was applied to the therapy of lacrimal system disorders and the difference before and after the treatment was observed. Results are as follows: (1) The examination and therapy using the lacrimal endoscope were completed under topical anesthesia in 122 patients, and 6 patients of neonatorum dacryocystitis were examined and treated under general anaesthesia. All patients reported painless. (2) Sharp images of the lacrimal system were obtained by the endoscope. Normal lacrimal mucosal membrane was smooth and light pink, expanded and unobstructed during irrigation. In chronic dacryocystitis patients, the inhomogeneous colour of mucosal membranes was red and white, with different degrees of fibrotic membranes at the superior, middle and inferior parts of the nasolacrimal canals and secreted substances at sac could be observed. The lacrimal ducts could not be expanded and obstructed during irrigation. The patients with lacrimal system obstruction had different extents of membrane formation, and stenosis or complete obstruction of the lacrimal duct could be observed, and the corresponding mucosal membrane was not smooth which could not be expanded and obstructed during irrigation. (3) After the treatment by the endoscope combined with laser or micro drill, the major proliferation of the membrane disappeared and the lacrimal duct was unobstructed during irrigation. The cure rate and effective rate were 80.1% and 93.1%, respectively. The lacrimal endoscope is a new method in the diagnosis of lacrimal system diseases. Through a combination with laser or micro drill to carry out the therapy under orthophoria, it will bring a great change to the diagnosis and therapy of lacrimal system diseases.

In order to explore the role of TGF-beta1 in scleral remodeling and the possible mechanism, the influence of high level TGF-beta1 on scleral thickness and the expression of MMP-2 and TIMP-2 was investigated in a TGF-beta1 transgenic mouse model. Alb/TGF-beta1 (Cys(223,225)Ser) TGF-beta1 transgenic mice were used as experimental subjects and non-transgenic littermates as controls. Plasma levels of TGF-beta1 were determined by ELISA. TGF-beta1, MMP-2 and TIMP-2 levels in sclera were detected by using Western blot. The thickness of posterior sclera was measured by computerized image analysis of a midsagittal section. Mean difference was analyzed with independent t-test. The results showed plasma levels of TGF-beta1 in transgenic mice were 1.68 times as much as that in the controls (P0.01). TGF-beta1 levels in the sclera of transgenic mice were 2.68 times of the controls (P0.01). Posterior scleral thickness in transgenic mice were significantly thicker than in the controls. There was no significant difference in the MMP-2 levels between transgenic mice and controls, but the TIMP-2 levels were increased significantly in transgenic mice as compared with those in the controls. It was suggested that high levels of TGF-beta1 in transgenic mice could result in the increased scleral thickness by inducing the expression of TIMP-2 to suppress the activity of MMP-2, finally inhibiting the degradation of collagen.

Brachymystax lenok tsinlingensis is an endangered freshwater fish confined to cold-water mountain streams and rivers in Qinling Mountains of Shaanxi province, China. We isolated and characterized 11 microsatellite loci for Brachymystax lenok tsinlingensis and examined them for 42 individuals from Xushui River in Qinling Mountain. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 3 to 8, with an average of 5.3. The expected (He) and observed (Ho) heterozygosities were 0.3483–0.8874 and 0.4183–0.8421, respectively. Two loci deviated significantly from Hardy–Weinberg Equilibrium after Bonferroni correction. We expect these novel microsatellite markers from B. lenok tsinlingensis to be useful for population genetic conservation studies of the species.

Aqueous E-pH Diagram is an essential tool for analyzing hydrometallurgical and corrosion processes. Due to the requirements for environmental protection and energy saving in recent years, waste water processing and hydrometallurgical process of concentrate have been greatly developed. The construction of E-pH diagrams has turned to multi-component systems. However, there are some limits in plotting such diagrams. There is only one diagram for one multi-component system, which can not reflect the truth of the aqueous reaction. In the paper, a new computation method is proposed to construct E-pH diagrams. Component activity term is used to determine the boundary of stable areas. For the multi-component systems, different atom ratios of elements have been taken into account. M-S-H2O system is chosen to study since it is of importance in metallurgical solution. Compared with conventional methods, the algorithm is simple and conforms to real conditions.

One of the major obstacles in developing multifunctional drugs for the metabolic syndrome (MS) is lack of in vitro models that capture more complex features of the disease. Here we give the first report that establishes an energy metabolic system model using cell-assembly technique which can assemble cells into designated places to form complex three-dimensional structures. Adipose-derived stromal cells were assembled and induced differentiation into adipocytes and endothelial cells; pancreatic islets were then deposited at designated locations and constituted adipoinsular axis with adipocytes. Analysis of the factors involved in energy metabolism showed our system could capture more physiological and pathophysiological features of the in vivo energy metabolism. Drugs known to have effects on MS showed accordant effects in the systems. Construction and study of such multicellular systems could help us better understand pathogenesis of MS, develop new technologies for drug discovery, and foster applications in tissue engineering and metabolomics profiling.