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Objective. This study is aimed at exploring the spontaneous brain activity changes by measuring the fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (fALFF) and their relationship with clinical characteristics in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). Methods. Coronary heart disease patients (n = 25) and age, gender, and education level-matched control subjects (controls, n = 35) were included. The grey matter volume (GMV) and fALFF values were calculated to assess the difference in brain structure and function between the two groups, respectively. Correlation analyses between the fALFF values and clinical characteristics were further assessed in CHD patients. In addition, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were conducted to access the diagnostic ability of the fALFF method. Results. There was no significant difference in GMV between the CHD and control groups. Compared with the control group, patients with CHD showed significantly decreased fALFF in the left precentral/postcentral gyrus and increased fALFF in the right inferior cerebellum. Patients with a history of myocardial infarction (MI) showed significantly decreased fALFF values of the right inferior cerebellum than patients without MI. There was no significant correlation between the fALFF values in specific brain regions and disease duration. Furthermore, the ROC curves of abnormal brain regions showed the perfect accuracy of the fALFF value in distinguishing between CHD patients and controls. Conclusion. CHD demonstrated aberrant neural activity in specific brain regions mainly related to sensorimotor networks and pain processing, which may contribute to understanding the underlying neurological mechanism of CHD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common malignant brain tumor in adults. We designed an adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector for intracranial delivery of the secreted HSP70-targeted peptide APOPTIN derived from Apoptin to GBM tumors. We applied this therapy to GBM models using human U87MG glioma cells and GBM xenograft models in mice. In U87MG and U251MG cells, conditioned medium from AAV2-apoptin-derived peptide (ADP)-expressing cells induced 83% and 78% cell death. In mice bearing intracranial U87MG tumors treated with AAV2-ADP, treatment resulted in a significant decrease in tumor growth and longer survival in mice bearing orthotopic invasive GBM brain tumors. These data indicate that ssAAV2-ADP injection in the left hemisphere effectively prevented ipsilateral tumor growth but was insufficient to prevent distal tumor growth in the contralateral hemisphere. However, the systemic route is the most effective approach for treating widely dispersed tumors. In summary, systemic delivery of AAV2-ADP is an attractive approach for invasive GBM treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents a general method to calculate fluid force and moment of arbitrary units (line unit or curve unit) of a rod string within a hydraulic environment. Rod string which used in oil and gas wells has working conditions of long and narrow 3D wellbore which is filled with fluid within a hydraulic environment. We compare the calculation results of the model with the ANSYS analysis results verify correctness. The results show that this model has enough precision for the X Y Z direction force and moment of the string element. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although many studies have indicated that Ca 3 TaGa 3 Si 2 O 14 (CTGS) grows congruently from a stoichiometric melt when using the Czochralski (Cz) technique, the occurrence of a secondary phase during growth when using the micro-pulling down (μ-PD) technique has been reported. We have examined the detailed growth mechanism of μ-PD grown CTGS as well as its congruency. Differential thermal analysis (DTA) at an elevated temperature up to 1650 °C shows no peaks associated with the presence of a secondary phase, whereas a secondary phase related peak was detected at an elevated temperature up to 1490 °C with the same heating rate. Back-scattered electron images (BEIs) revealed the occurrence of Ca 3 Ta 2 Ga 4 O 14 (CTG) as a secondary phase. The secondary phase appears at the very early stage of growth, which is not possible to explain by a eutectic reaction. The experimental results suggest that liquid immiscibility was present in the melt at around 1490 °C during the growth of s-CTGS. Liquid immiscibility produces Si-rich and Si-poor melts, from which different phases with different compositions are solidified. The μ-PD technique poses a more static environment in the melt than that of Cz technique due to low melt convection and the lack of stirring, which enables liquid immiscibility to emerge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is an aggressive tumor of the central nervous system characterized by high rates of recurrence, morbidity, and mortality. This study investigated the antitumor effects of an apoptin-derived peptide (ADP) on glioma cells and explored the underlying mechanisms. The U251, U87, and C6 glioma cell lines were used in the present study, and the expression of p-Akt, Akt, and MMP-9 was determined through Western blotting, quantitative real-time PCR, and hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining. Tumor growth was evaluated by magnetic resonance imaging, and cell viability was assessed through an 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide MTT assay. Glioma cell metastasis was evaluated using transwell migration, invasion, and scratch-wound assays. An ADP was designed and synthesized based on the results of a domain-based analysis of the structure of apoptin. The ADP inhibited glioma cell viability, invasion and migration, and treatment with the synthesized ADP led to downregulation of p-Akt and MMP-9 and inhibited MMP-9 translation. The ADP also inhibited glioma invasion and migration in vivo, and HE staining showed decreases in the satellite-like invasion of cell masses and apoptotic cell populations after treatment with the ADP. Our findings demonstrate that treatment with an ADP can suppress glioma cell migration and invasion via the PI3K/Akt/MMP-9 signaling pathway and provide a new platform for the development of drugs for treating glioma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A lever rule was applied to data concerning the compositions and proportions of secondary phases coexisting with a Ca 3 TaGa 3 Si 2 O 14 (CTGS) matrix to determine the boundary compositions of the solid-solution region for CTGS at 1320 °C, as a means of ascertaining the solid-solution for the langasite-type phase in the quaternary CaO-Ta 2 O 5 -Ga 2 O 3 -SiO 2 system. The compositions and proportions of secondary phases were assessed by electron probe micro-analysis as well as through back-scattered electron images. The experimental results showed that the narrow solid-solution region for CTGS is located in a Ta-poor, Ga-poor and Si-rich region relative to its stoichiometric composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: OH− doped and Bi-rich Bi4Ge3O12 (BGO) single crystals were grown by Vertical Bridgman (VB) method. The structure of these crystals was determined by XRD, and the emission spectra in visible and near infrared region (NIR) were measured at room temperature. The emission spectrum of Bi-rich BGO has extra peaks at 385, 367 and 357nm, Bi-rich BGO after annealing in Ar at 500°C for 5h shows a significant emission band peaking around 1170nm under 808nm laser diodes (LDs) excitation, and OH− doped BGO shows a noticeable emission band centered at about 1346nm under 980nm LDs excitation. A brief discussion is presented. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Red Bi4Ge3O12 (BGO) single crystals had been grown by vertical Bridgman (VB) method. The structure of this crystal was determined by XRD. The absorption and emission spectra of the red BGO in visible and near infrared region (NIR) were measured at room temperature. The emission intensity of the red BGO is weaker than that of ordinary BGO at about 500nm. Interestingly, the red BGO shows a significant emission band centered at about 1495nm. The red BGO faded and its properties recovered after ultraviolet (UV) irradiation or annealing. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We report on the near-infrared (NIR) luminescent properties of Bi2O3–GeO2 glass. Apparent differences of NIR luminescence, decay properties and thermal stability manifest the co-existence of more than one active center in this system. The effects of Al ions introduced both unintentionally and intentionally were investigated. 27Al NMR analysis proposes 4-fold Al coordination as dominant structure which can also provide the environment for active centers. We suggest that Al ions play a crucial role to restrain concentration quenching at higher Bi2O3 concentration instead of assisting to construct Bi centers. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Nd-doped CaF2 crystal with high optical quality was obtained by a temperature gradient technique (TGT). Energies of the crystal field levels of Nd3+ multiplets relevant to laser operation were determined based on optical spectra recorded at T =10K. Room temperature absorption spectra were analyzed in the framework of the Judd–Ofelt theory to calculate radiative transition rates and luminescence branching ratios for the 4F3/2 level. The 4F3/2 radiative lifetime was calculated to be 1295μs whereas a monotonous decrease of the 4F3/2 luminescence lifetime value from 1.45ms to 0.9ms was observed when the temperature increased from 10K to 300K. The stimulated emission cross-section of 1.48×10−20 cm2 at 1061nm was determined using the Fuchtbauer–Ladenburg relation. All the results showed that Nd:CaF2 would be a promising gain media in solid-state lasers. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Red Bi4Ge3O12 (BGO) crystals were obtained by the vertical Bridgman method. The absorption/transmittance spectra of red BGO in the visible and near-infrared (NIR) regions were measured at room temperature. The luminescence and decay time in the NIR region were then measured down to a temperature of 8K. A broad emission band was found at approximately 1150nm at T<200K, and the luminescence lifetime was measured at several hundred microseconds. Decreased temperature led to increased luminescence intensity. We report that red BGO is a promising cryogenic scintillator for experimental rare-event research. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: MoO3 and WO3 doped Bi4Ge3O12 (BGO) crystals were grown by the optical floating zone (OFZ) method. The structure of doped crystals was determined by XRD. The fluorescence spectra and fluorescence decay curves of these BGO crystals at room temperature were also studied. The emission intensity of BGO crystals increased with WO3 dopant but decreased with MoO3 dopant. A heavily WO3 doped BGO has shown a much shorter decay time than undoped BGO at about 500nm. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]