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Microcapsules with modified polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) as coating polymer and sodium sulfate decahydrate (Na2SO4 · 10H2O) as core materials were prepared using the emulsion polymerization and solvent evaporation methods. Chemical composition and microscopic structure of the synthesized PMMA-AA/Na2SO4 · 10 H2O phase change materials (PCMs) microcapsules were confirmed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, polarizing optical microscopy (POM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The thermal properties were analyzed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) in detail. The results show that the microcapsules are uniform and approximately spherical with an average diameter of about 3.5 μm. The melting point of the microcapsule is 31.5±C and the fusion heat is 182.8 J/g. This demonstrated that the prepared PMMA-AA/Na2SO4 · 10H2O microcapsules could be promising candidates for the design of novel energy-saving materials with good thermal energy storage application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Verteporfin (VER), a photosensitizer used in macular degeneration therapy, has shown promise in controlling macrophage polarization and alleviating inflammation in acute lung injury (ALI)/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). However, its hydrophobicity, limited bioavailability, and side effects hinder its therapeutic potential. In this study, we aimed to enhance the therapeutic potential of VER through pulmonary nebulized drug delivery for ALI/ARDS treatment. We combined hydrophilic hyaluronic acid (HA) with an oil-in-water system containing a poly(lactic acid- co -glycolic acid) (PLGA) copolymer of VER to synthesize HA@PLGA-VER (PHV) nanoparticles with favorable surface characteristics to improve the bioavailability and targeting ability of VER. PHV possesses suitable electrical properties, a narrow size distribution (approximately 200 nm), and favorable stability. In vitro and in vivo studies demonstrated the excellent biocompatibility, safety, and anti-inflammatory responses of the PHV by suppressing M1 macrophage polarization while inducing M2 polarization. The in vivo experiments indicated that the treatment with aerosolized nano-VER (PHV) allowed more drugs to accumulate and penetrate into the lungs, improved the pulmonary function and attenuated lung injury, and mortality of ALI mice, achieving improved therapeutic outcomes. These findings highlight the potential of PHV as a promising delivery system via nebulization for enhancing the therapeutic effects of VER in ALI/ARDS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Proposed a novel advanced solar-driven combined heat and power system. • Constructed the overall heat current model and exergy analysis expression. • Analyzed the exergy loss and efficiencies of each component and the system. • Analyzed the influences of various parameters on the system exergy efficiency. Conducting research on advanced cycle of distributed energy system and improving energy utilization efficiency is an important approach to promote the development of distributed energy systems. The paper proposed a novel solar-driven supercritical carbon dioxide-heat pump cogeneration system based on solar power tower system and performed the overall modeling of the system using the heat current method. The overall exergy loss calculation model of the system was established by applying the exergy analysis method incorporating the standard thermal resistance-based entropy generation rate expression. The calculation results present that under rated condition, irreversible loss mainly occurs in the solar energy conversion part, accounting for 73.83 %, and the system exergy efficiency is 34.69 %. Besides, the paper investigated the steady state performance of the system under different working conditions and the influence of the turbine inlet temperature and the intermediate pressure on the system performance. When the direct normal irradiance increases, the proportion of exergy loss in solar energy conversion part increases by 62.13 %, while the change of system exergy efficiency depends on the operating state of the system. The optimum intermediate pressure is 11.72 kPa, when the net power output and the exergy efficiency of the whole system reaches the maximum. Finally, the proposed system contributes to the improvement of cascade utilization of energy, and the modeling method is effective for solar-driven supercritical carbon dioxide cogeneration systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tungsten carbide is widely used as the material of replication mold to produce small aspheric optics, and the polishing process determines the precision of these molds. However, for micro-aspheric tungsten carbide mold, the existing polishing methods are difficult to realize the form error modification during a polishing process due to the polishing tool is always larger than small mold. Therefore, a polishing tool using polyester fiber cloth to wrap small-size rigid ball is used in this paper. In order to predict the tool influence function (TIF) of this polishing tool, a series of theoretical analysis and experimental verification are carried out in this paper. Firstly, by analyzing the structural and viscoelastic characteristics of the fiber cloth, the pressure distribution in the polishing contact area is determined. And the polishing speed distribution is obtained by analyzing the kinematic movement of polishing tool; Then, combined with Preston equation, the TIF is derived; Afterward, through a series of single point polishing experiments, it is verified that the volume error between the theoretical removal model and the experimental removal is less than 6.9% when the polishing pressure is low; Finally, the TIF is applied to the form error corrective polishing of small size symmetric aspheric tungsten carbide mold. After a form error corrective polishing test, the PV value (peak to valley) of form error is decreased from 0.268 to 0.083 μm, which verifies the effectiveness of this polishing method for small size tungsten carbide mold in form error correction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sortase A (SrtA)‐mediated ligation, a popular method for protein labeling and semi‐synthesis, is limited by its reversibility and dependence on the LPxTG motif, where "x" is any amino acid. Here, we report that SrtA can mediate the efficient and irreversible ligation of a protein/peptide containing a C‐terminal thioester with another protein/peptide bearing an N‐terminal Gly, with broad tolerance for a wide variety of LPxT‐derived sequences. This strategy, the thioester‐assisted SrtA‐mediated ligation, enabled the expedient preparation of proteins bearing various N‐ or C‐terminal labels, including post‐translationally modified proteins such as the Ser139‐phosphorylated histone H2AX and Lys9‐methylated histone H3, with less dependence on the LPxTG motif. Our study validates the chemical modification of substrates as an effective means of augmenting the synthetic capability of existing enzymatic methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sortase A (SrtA)‐mediated ligation, a popular method for protein labeling and semi‐synthesis, is limited by its reversibility and dependence on the LPxTG motif, where "x" is any amino acid. Here, we report that SrtA can mediate the efficient and irreversible ligation of a protein/peptide containing a C‐terminal thioester with another protein/peptide bearing an N‐terminal Gly, with broad tolerance for a wide variety of LPxT‐derived sequences. This strategy, the thioester‐assisted SrtA‐mediated ligation, enabled the expedient preparation of proteins bearing various N‐ or C‐terminal labels, including post‐translationally modified proteins such as the Ser139‐phosphorylated histone H2AX and Lys9‐methylated histone H3, with less dependence on the LPxTG motif. Our study validates the chemical modification of substrates as an effective means of augmenting the synthetic capability of existing enzymatic methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyze the transition from innovative ideas to final marketed products. This transition occurs through two synergetic supply chains for innovation and products. Basic concepts are developed, tested, upscaled, and introduced to commercial use in the innovation supply chain. Then, the products are produced and delivered to the consumer through the product supply chain. We argue that product markets trace their birth to product innovations. These markets tend to start as noncompetitive, which rewards innovators. Credit access and risk determine the reliance on contracting and product diffusion over space and time. The innovation and product supply chains are encouraged and facilitated by public policies, such as support for research and education, intellectual property rights protection, low barriers to trade, science-based regulation, and well-functioning capital markets. We argue for multidisciplinary research incorporating knowledge from economics, business, and engineering to better understand the evolution of innovative companies and supply chains. This understanding will help the development of policies to address challenges of climate change and food security among others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND. The Delta and Omicron variants of SARS-CoV-2 are currently responsible for breakthrough infections due to waning immunity. We report phase I/II trial results of UB-612, a multitope subunit vaccine containing S1-RBD-sFc protein and rationally designed promiscuous peptides representing sarbecovirus conserved helper T cell and cytotoxic T lymphocyte epitopes on the nucleocapsid (N), membrane (M), and spike (S2) proteins. METHOD. We conducted a phase I primary 2-dose (28 days apart) trial of 10, 30, or 100 µg UB-612 in 60 healthy young adults 20 to 55 years old, and 50 of them were boosted with 100 µg of UB-612 approximately 7 to 9 months after the second dose. A separate placebo-controlled and randomized phase II study was conducted with 2 doses of 100 µg of UB-612 (n = 3,875, 18-85 years old). We evaluated interim safety and immunogenicity of phase I until 14 days after the third (booster) dose and of phase II until 28 days after the second dose. RESULTS. No vaccine-related serious adverse events were recorded. The most common solicited adverse events were injection site pain and fatigue, mostly mild and transient. In both trials, UB-612 elicited respective neutralizing antibody titers similar to a panel of human convalescent sera. The most striking findings were long-lasting virus-neutralizing antibodies and broad T cell immunity against SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VoCs), including Delta and Omicron, and a strong booster-recalled memory immunity with high cross-reactive neutralizing titers against the Delta and Omicron VoCs. CONCLUSION. UB-612 has presented a favorable safety profile, potent booster effect against VoCs, and long-lasting B and broad T cell immunity that warrants further development for both primary immunization and heterologous boosting of other COVID-19 vaccines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The regioselective ring‐opening of 1,2‐ and 1,3‐sulfamidates with fluorine anion is reported. Direct construction of monofluoro‐substituted amines and amino acid derivatives using inexpensive and easily available potassium fluoride (KF). The monofluorination process only needs 35 minutes under heating, which will be an attractive route for the synthesis of the PET fluorine‐18 radiotracer. The application of the product can be extended to the construction of fluorinated polypeptides after simple deprotection treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a simple and efficient finite-element (FE) model to accurately predict the structural response of lattice steel structures, which incorporates the effect of joint slip. The proposed model is validated by comparisons with experimental results and a conventional model. Comparisons between numerical predictions and experimental results demonstrate that joint slippage dramatically decreases the stiffness and considerably increases the displacement of lattice steel structures; however, the effect of joint slippage on the load-carrying capacity and failure mode is not significant when the structure is subjected to transverse loading. The conventional model, which does not account for the effect of joint slippage, significantly overestimates the stiffness and substantially underestimates the displacement of lattice structures, whereas the proposed model predicts the response of lattice steel structures with reasonable accuracy. The force-deflection relationship in the COMBIN39 element is one of the most critical factors that affect the accuracy of the predictions of the proposed model. The proposed model is useful in estimating the performance of lattice steel structures while considering joint slip without full- or reduced-scale testing and also has the potential to be used in the design stage for accurately assessing the reliability and safety of such lattice structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although mapping activities of urban land change have been widely carried out, detailed information on urban development in time over rapid urbanization areas would have been lost in most studies with multi-year intervals. Here we provide a two-stage framework of long-term mapping of urban areas at an annual frequency in Beijing, China, over the period from 1984 to 2013. Classification for each year was carried out initially based on a number of Landsat scenes within that year using spectral information from a base image plus NDVI time series derived from all scenes. A temporal consistency check involving both temporal filtering and heuristic reasoning was then applied to the sequence of classified urban maps for further improvement. We assessed this time-series of urban maps based on two schemes. One is change detection in rapidly developing areas over the past three decades, and the other is accuracy assessment over the whole region in four selected years (i.e., 1984, 1990, 2000 and 2013). Based on validation using independent samples, the OAs (overall accuracies) of these four years are 96%, 93%, 92% and 95%, respectively. Meanwhile, the average accuracy of change detection for all years is 83%. In addition, the proposed temporal consistency check was found to be able to make considerable improvements (about 6%) to the overall accuracies and results of change detection. The resultant urban land sequence revealed that the average growth rates were 47.51 ± 4.17 km 2 /year, 34.65 ± 2.90 km 2 /year and 99.48 ± 1.3 km 2 /year for 1984–1990, 1990–2000 and 2000–2013, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Dengue is an important public health concern in developing countries. As it is increasingly serious in mainland China, its spatiotemporal variations in this region must be further understood. Methodology: On the basis of the data on dengue cases in 2004-2013 collected from the China Information System for Disease Control and Prevention, examinations of spatiotemporal variations of local, imported, and total dengue cases were conducted to characterize this epidemic at the city scale in China. Results: Local cases in September and October accounted for more than half of the total cases in each year. The cities with more than 50 accumulative local cases were mainly distributed along the southeast coastal areas and southwest border regions of China. In 2004-2013, local dengue transmission (indicated by the number of local cases and the locally infected cities) increased yearly and was closely associated with epidemics (represented by the amount of imported cases and the cities with imported cases). At the city level, local transmission tended to be spatially clustered in the Zhejiang-Fujian coastal area, the Pearl River Delta, and Yunnan-Burma border region, especially in 2005, 2010, 2012, and 2013. Conclusions: The results showed that China's local dengue transmission is spatially and temporally featured, and that the prevalence of this epidemic is mostly related to imported cases from overseas epidemic areas. This study provides useful support for hygiene authorities of central and local governments to take effective measures to prevent and control this disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor is presented in response to the article "Economic impact of dyspepsia in rural and urban Malaysia: a population-based study," by S. Mahadeva, H. Yadav, S.M. Everett and L.K. Goh in a 2012 issue.

We present a theoretical analysis and a comparison to experimental results on self-mixing interference. From the theoretical analysis and experiment, the error of the velocity measurement, which is caused by a speckle pattern, has been investigated and optimization of the laser diode velocity system by selecting suitable experiment parameters and proper signal processing methods has been reported. The actual measurement error is <3.1over a wide velocity range (5.2–479 mms). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives We investigated the molecular epidemiology of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii from a Taiwanese hospital and determined the mechanisms responsible for resistance. Methods Ninety-two consecutive meropenem-resistant A. baumannii isolates collected between January 2005 and June 2007 were screened for genes encoding OXA carbapenemases, metallo-β-lactamases and for the carO gene encoding an outer membrane protein. PFGE was used to define clonal relatedness. PCR mapping was used to examine the linkage of insertion sequences and blaOXA genes. Southern hybridization of plasmid extracts and I-CeuI-restricted chromosomal DNA was used to locate blaOXA-24-like genes. Sequences of selected blaOXA-24-like and carO genes were determined and loss of CarO expression was confirmed by SDS–PAGE. Results Most (70/92, 76%) isolates belonged to one of three PFGE pulsotypes, indicating clonal spread. Fifty-nine isolates, including the majority of those of pulsotypes I and III, produced OXA-72 carbapenemase. The blaOXA-72 gene was located on a 54 kb plasmid in selected isolates. Thirty-three (36%) isolates, including all 16 of pulsotype II, had ISAba1 preceding the blaOXA-51-like gene, promoting its expression. In addition to OXA-72 carbapenemase, two pulsotype I and three pulsotype III isolates did not produce CarO protein as the carO gene was disrupted by insertion of an ISAba1 element. Two isolates of a minor pulsotype had a blaOXA-58-like gene and a single PFGE-unique isolate had a blaOXA-23-like gene. Conclusions Although diverse mechanisms were identified, production of OXA-72 carbapenemase was the most common mechanism of carbapenem resistance in A. baumannii from this Taiwanese hospital. The plasmidic location of the gene had facilitated its spread to multiple strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Carriage and subsequent infection with methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and its transmission between hospital and community settings have not been studied in dialysis patients and their contacts. Methods. Surveillance for nasal MRSA carriage and infection among dialysis patients, healthcare workers (HCWs) and their family members in a dialysis centre was prospectively undertaken during three time periods within 1 year. Molecular typing was used to determine epidemiological relationship. Results. Among 1687 samples collected, MRSA colonization rates were 2.41% (2/83) for peritoneal dialysis patients and 2.36% (12/509) for haemodialysis patients. Five (5/14) subjects subsequently had MRSA infection. The clinical MRSA isolates had the same molecular type as the colonized strains of the same person, indicating MRSA colonization preceded clinical infection. Significantly higher MRSA nasal carriage rates were observed among family members of HCWs than family members of dialysis patients (P = 0.0024). Only three major clones were observed. Pulmonary diseases (OR: 4.873, 95% CI: 1.668–14.235), recent admission to a hospital (OR: 2.797, 95% CI: 1.291–6.059) and recent antibiotics usage (OR: 2.319, 95% CI: 1.053–5.104) were also significantly associated with MRSA carriage. Conclusion. Transmission of MRSA among dialysis patients, HCWs and their family members in a dialysis unit could be inferred. Monitoring and eradication of MRSA from patients, HCWs and their family members should be considered to prevent continuous spread between healthcare facilities and the community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The title nitrogen-donor heterocyclic ligand, C25H22N4O2, contains a central (1,2,4-triazine) and three attached (two phenyl and a pyridine) rings, all of them having normal bond lengths and angles. The rings are not coplanar, but make dihedral angles with the central triazine ring of 35.96 (6) and 38.49 (8)° (phenyl groups) and 24.92 (3)° (pyridine). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The title compound, C15H17N7OS, is a new heterocyclic compound and this is the first time its synthesis has been reported. The compound, which contains a 1,2,4-triazole ring, a pyridine ring and a pyrazole ring, has potential biological activity and pharmacological properties. Molecules are linked by intermolecular N—H...N hydrogen bonds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider how to teleport two- and three-mode Einstein–Podolsky–Rosen entangled states (|η〉 and |pt, χ2, χ3〉 ) via a |pt,χ2,χ3〉 quantum channel for continuous variables. Using the complete and orthogonal representation of the entangled states, we can not only find the a complete basis set for the joint measurement but also propose the specific scheme of teleportation. Our calculation can be greatly simplified by using their Schmidt decompositions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition is used to fabricate compact tantalum (Ta)-doped titanium oxide (TiO2) thin films as electron transport layers (ETLs) and hole blocking layers for perovskite solar cells (PSCs). The effects of Ta-doped TiO2 with different annealing temperatures on film structure and electronic properties are researched. The experimental results exhibit that the substitutional Ta-doping into TiO2 (Ta content of ~1.5%) increases the stability of crystal structure and passivates the material defects, thereby improving the film quality. The annealed Ta-doped TiO2 films have a resistivity of approximately 6.5 $\boldsymbol {\Omega } \cdot $ cm which is three orders of magnitude lower than 3.4 $\times 10^{{3}}\,\, \boldsymbol {\Omega } \cdot $ cm of intrinsic TiO2. Finally, the annealing process eliminates the defects, and therefore, improves electron transport for PSCs, leading to a clearly enhanced fill factor (FF) of 0.77 and conversion efficiency of 19.62% when compared to that of undoped TiO2 ETL devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exopolysaccharide from Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides XG5 (XG5 EPS) is a linear dextran that is built by glucose units via α-1,6 glycosidic bond. The primary objective of this study was to investigate the yield of XG5 EPS and its application in set yogurt. In laboratory scale, the culture conditions of XG5 EPS production were optimized using the L9 (33) orthogonal test. Here, the optimized yield of XG5 EPS was 26.02 g/L under the conditions of 100 g/L sucrose, initial pH 7.0, 25°C incubation, and 100 rpm for 36 h in a shaking flask. Based on the optimized parameters of laboratory scale, a pilot fed-batch fermentation was performed in a 50-L bioreactor with an adjusted agitation speed of 20 rpm. The XG5 EPS yield reached 40.07 g/L in fed-batch fermentation, which was 54% higher than that achieved in laboratory scale. In addition, XG5 EPS was added into set yogurt to investigate its effect on the stability of set yogurt. Our data demonstrated that the XG5 EPS improved the water-holding capacity, texture profile, and viscosity of set yogurt during cold storage compared with the controls. In particular, addition of 0.5% XG5 EPS increased the structure of 3-dimensional network of set yogurt, which eventually improved the physical stability of the set yogurt. Overall, this study provided new insights for exploring the pilot scale production and application of dextran. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four thiophene derivatives were prepared by replacing the 3,4 positions of thiophene by -OCH, -CH -COOCH and -CN, respectively. The polycondensations via direct arylation took place between the four thiophene derivatives and 2,7-dibromo-9,9-dioctylfluorene under six various catalytic conditions to investigate the substituent effects. The substituent can affect the electron cloud density of the active C-H bond, which can be monitored by the NMR chemical shift. The experimental results show that the reactivity decreases with increasing the chemical shift of active C-H bonds in the four thiophene derivatives, and thus can promote the direct arylation polycondensation. This phenomenon is explained by the electrophilic aromatic substitution (SAr) mechanism. UV-Visible absorption and photoluminescence were studied to investigate the substituent effect on optical properties of the four copolymers. The results show that these alternating fluorene-thiophene copolymers with different substituents are good fluorescent materials and promising in PLED applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thefirst copper-catalyzed/promoted sp3-C Suzuki–Miyauracoupling reaction of gem-diborylalkanes with nonactivatedelectrophilic reagents is reported. Not only 1, 1-diborylalkanes butalso some other gem-diborylalkanes can be coupledwith nonactivated primary alkyl halides, offering a new method forsp3C–sp3C bond formation and, simultaneously,providing a new strategy for the synthesis of alkylboronic esters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background It is debated whether interferon-based therapy (IBT) would affect the incidence of active tuberculosis (TB) among hepatitis C virus (HCV) infected patients. Although some case reports have demonstrated a possible association, the results are currently inconclusive. Therefore, we conducted a nation-wide population study to investigate the incidence of active TB in HCV infected patients receiving IBT in Taiwan. Methods This 9-year cohort study was based on the Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2000 (LHID 2000) consisting of 1,000,000 beneficiaries randomly selected from all Taiwan National Health Insurance enrollees in 2000 (>23.7 million). This insurance program covers all citizens in Taiwan. We conducted a retrospective cohort study that identified subjects with HCV infection. IBTs were defined as regimens that included interferon a, peginterferon a2a and peginterferon a2b for at least 2 months. Among them, 621 subjects received IBT, and 2,460 age- and gender-matched subjects were enrolled for analysis. The Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) for active TB, and associated confidence intervals (CIs), comparing IBT cohort and untreated cohort. The endpoint in this study was whether an enrolled subject had a new diagnosis of active TB. Results During the 9-year enrollment period, the treated and untreated cohorts were followed for a mean (± SD) duration of 6.97 ± 0.02 years and 8.21 ± 0.01 years, respectively. The cumulative incidence rate of active TB during this study period was 0.150 and 0.151 per 100 person-years in the IBT treated and untreated cohorts, respectively. There was no significant difference in the incidence of active TB in either cohort during a 1-year follow-up (Adjusted Hazard Ratio (AHR): 2.81, 95% Confidence Interval (95% CI): 0.61- 12.98) or the long-term follow-up (AHR: 1.02, 95% CI: 0.28 - 3.78). The Cox proportional hazards model demonstrated that IBT was not a risk factor for active TB. The only risk factor for active TB was the occurrence of hepatic encephalopathy. Conclusion Our results showed that IBT is associated with increased hazard of active TB in HCV infected patients in 1-year follow-up; however, the effect sizes were not statistically significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As one of three gasotransmitters, the fundamental signalling roles of hydrogen sulphide are receiving increasing attention. New tools for the accurate detection of hydrogen sulphide in cells and tissues are in demand to probe its biological functions. We report the p-nitrobenzyl-based ratiometric fluorescent probe RHP-2, which features a low detection limit, high selectivity and good photostability. The emission intensity ratios had a good linear relationship with the sulphide concentrations in PBS buffer and bovine serum. Our probe was applied to the ratiometric determination and imaging of endogenous H2S in living cells. Furthermore, RHP-2 was used as an effective tool to measure endogenous H2S in the mouse hippocampus. We observed a significant reduction in sulphide concentrations and downregulated expression of cystathionine β-synthetase (CBS) mRNA and CBS protein in the mouse hippocampus in a chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS)-induced depression model. These data suggested that decreased concentrations of endogenous H2S may be involved in the pathogenesis of chronic stress depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optimal characteristic parameters and control strategies in the operation of urban heating systems are significant for carbon reduction and high efficiency. Considering load fluctuations and real-time outdoor temperature changes, this research constructs steady-state and dynamic heat current models of the heating system based on the standard thermal resistance model. Combined with genetic algorithms, an optimal setting method is proposed for the operating characteristic parameters of the heating system under variable operating conditions. To achieve the control of the optimal characteristic parameters, the dynamic heat current model is applied to derive the system energy state space equations and obtain the state space parameter matrix. Moreover, a holistic control strategy for the heating system based on the optimal node parameters is proposed. The control simulation results show that the proposed holistic control strategy based on the optimal node temperature can save energy by 25.4 % compared with the fixed node temperature. Meanwhile, the exergy efficiency of the heating system increases by 2.3 %. That is, the proposed asynchronous time-scale holistic control method is significant for the day-ahead optimal regulation strategy of the district heating system. • ➢Constructed a dynamic thermal power flow model of the heating system. • ➢Obtained the system energy state space equations and the state space parameter matrix. • ➢Proposed an asynchronous time-scale overall control method. • ➢The method improved exergy efficiency of the heating system by 2.3 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With large-scale penetration of renewable energy sources (RES) into the power grid, maintaining its stability and security of it has become a formidable challenge while the conventional frequency regulation methods are inadequate to meet the power balance demand. Energy storage systems have emerged as an ideal solution to mitigate frequent frequency fluctuations caused by the substantial integration of RES. Flywheel energy storage systems (FESS) are considered environmentally friendly short-term energy storage solutions due to their capacity for rapid and efficient energy storage and release, high power density, and long-term lifespan. These attributes make FESS suitable for integration into power systems in a wide range of applications. A comprehensive review of FESS on the generation side of the power systems, coal-fired thermal power units, wind turbine power plants, photovoltaic panels, and integrated energy systems have been presented. Furthermore, flywheel energy storage system array and hybrid energy storage systems are explored, encompassing control strategies, optimal configuration, and electric trading market in practice. These researches guide the developments of FESS applications in power systems and provide valuable insights for practical measurements ,shaping the future prospects of this technology. • Challenges of low-inertia and frequency stability and security while constructing a new power system are firstly summarized. • Optimal capacity configurations of FESS on power generations including dynamic characteristics, technical research, and capital investigations are presented. • Applications and field applications of FESS combined with various power plants are reviewed and conducted. • Problems and opportunities of FESS for future perspectives are identified and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Owing to the high virulence of mycobacterium kansasii and the increasing incidence in Kaohsiung, the present study aimed to analyze the spatial pattern of mycobacterium kansasii infection in Kaohsiung. Methods: We applied the Moran's I to estimate the spatial pattern of incidence risk and to identify the cluster core. The core of the cluster was confirmed by the spatial relative risk function with contouring an infection hotspot that the location of the comparative group were randomly sampled from the address database. Results: The positive and significant spatial autocorrelation based on the incidence risk of the basic statistical area was illustrated by the significance map with the cluster core locating in Xiaogang district. The spatial relative risk function indicated two hotspots, one located across Qianjin district and Yancheng district, and the other mainly sat in Xiaogang district. All the significant spatial relative risk ranged from 1.54 to 2.27. Conclusions: Two hotspots indicated that the mycobacterium kansasii infection not homogeneously distributes in Kaohsiung City. Infection sources may have specific spatial patterns, yet the susceptible host probably has other tendencies too. Therefore, our results should be interpreted as a combination of all factors related to this infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel style of biomimetic nanovehicle is constructed for epigenetic inhibitor delivery, by virtue of the hybrid membrane to camouflage the epigenetic inhibitor loaded nanoparticles. Efficient epigenetic inhibition is achieved, leading to effective inhibition of cancer metastasis. Our work opens a new avenue for the treatment of metastatic lung cancer with biomimetic nanovehicle mediated epigenetic inhibition. [Display omitted] Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACIs), such as vorinostat (suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid, SAHA), has become a promising approach for the treatment of metastatic lung cancer. However, HDACIs usually showed a short circulation lifetime, low specificity, and low bioavailability, which limited their therapeutic effect in this field. We supposed that the use of biomimetic nanoparticles enabled to overcome the disadvantages of HDACIs, and improved the inhibition of metastatic lung cancer. SAHA was encapsulated into a pH-sensitive core constructed with Poly(lactic- co -glycolic acid) (PLAG) and 1,2-dioleoyloxy-3-(trimethylammonium) propane (DOTAP), followed by the camouflage with hybrid membranes derived from red blood cells and metastatic NCI-H1299 lung cancer cells (HRPDS). The physical and chemical properties were characterized with Transmission electron microscope (TEM), Size & Zeta potential analyzer. The cellular uptake was analyzed with Confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) and Flow cytometry (FACS). The biological effect analysis was performed with Western blotting (WB), RNA-Sequencing (RNA-Seq), and ChIP-Sequencing (ChIP-Seq). HRPDS exhibited enhanced circulation lifetime in vivo and homotypic targeting to metastatic cells in the metastatic foci, which induced significant suppression of lung cancer liver metastasis. Our work opens a new avenue for the treatment of metastatic lung cancer by epigenetic inhibition based on this style of biomimetic nanovehicle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the predictive value of pulse oximetry plethysmography (POP) for the return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) in cardiac arrest (CA) patients.Methods: This was a multicenter, observational, prospective cohort study of patients hospitalized with cardiac arrest at 14 teaching hospitals cross China from December 2013 through November 2014. The study endpoint was ROSC, defined as the restoration of a palpable pulse and an autonomous cardiac rhythm lasting for at least 20 minutes after the completion or cessation of CPR.Results: 150 out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients and 291 in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) patients were enrolled prospectively. ROSC was achieved in 20 (13.3%) and 64 (22.0%) patients in these cohorts, respectively. In patients with complete end-tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO2) and POP data, patients with ROSC had significantly higher levels of POP area under the curve (AUCp), wave amplitude (Amp) and ETCO2 level during CPR than those without ROSC (all p < 0.05). Pairwise comparison of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis indicated no significant difference was observed between ETCO2 and Amp (p = 0.204) or AUCp (p = 0.588) during the first two minutes of resuscitation.Conclusion: POP may be a novel and effective method for predicting ROSC during resuscitation, with a prognostic value similar to ETCO2 at early stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(-)-Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCg)-rich extract (EGCg >700 mg g-1) was prepared from green tea leaves through a three-stage process consisting of liquid-liquid extraction and silica column purification. Crude tea extract was dissolved in ethyl acetate. After filtration, the solution was extracted by 10 gL-1 citric acid solution twice, and then passed through silica column. The catechins compounds in the ethyl acetate eluate were back extracted to the aqueous phase, then extracted with a mixed solution of n-hexane/ethyl acetate (2/5, v/v) 3 times, concentrated, and freeze dried. 12.8 g EGCg-rich extract containing 709 mg g-1 EGCg and 965 mg g-1 total catechins was obtained from 300 g green tea leaves, with an EGCg recovery of 26.1% and a yield of 4.3%. This method was suitable for bulk preparation of EGCg-rich catechins from green tea leaves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

GTPase-activating protein (GAP) is a negative regulator of GTPase protein that is thought to promote the conversion of the active GTPase-GTP form to the GTPase-GDP form. Based on its ability to regulate GTPase proteins and other domains, GAPs are directly or indirectly involved in various cell requirement processes. We reviewed the existing evidence of GAPs regulating regulated cell death (RCD), mainly apoptosis and autophagy, as well as some novel RCDs, with particular attention to their association in diseases, especially cancer. We also considered that GAPs could affect tumor immunity and attempted to link GAPs, RCD and tumor immunity. A deeper understanding of the GAPs for regulating these processes could lead to the discovery of new therapeutic targets to avoid pathologic cell loss or to mediate cancer cell death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current design practice of retaining wall is generally based on Rankine's and Coulomb's earth pressure theories that are subjected to some important limitations. In the present study, an analytical solution for displacement-dependent passive earth pressure on rigid walls is proposed by assuming a linear relationship between the passive earth pressure coefficient and displacement. Based on Coulomb's theory, the passive ultimate earth pressure coefficient is modified in order to adapt the earth pressure model to various wall movements. The proposed solution is verified with reported experimental data and shows good agreements. Based on the observed experimental data, the normalized passive ultimate displacements (s p / H) are obtained and found to be related to the n value which indicates the location of rotation center. By performing curve fitting, an exponential function of s p / H and the parameter n is proposed. Further, the influence of n value on the distribution of the proposed displacement-dependent passive earth pressure under various wall movements are studied. The proposed analytical model provides an effective approach to calculate the distribution of displacement-dependent passive earth pressure on rigid walls with various wall movements in cohesionless soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vacuum microwave drying (VMD) technique was applied for drying fresh navel orange peel (NOP) under different vacuum degrees including 0, 25, 45, 65, and 85 kPa. Compared with the traditional hot-air drying (HAD), the drying time of VMD was remarkably reduced by 90.7–94.7%. In addition, the drying time had a negative correlation to the vacuum degree, the drying time at 85 kPa was only 5.3% of HAD. The extraction yield of VMD pectin was significantly higher than that of HAD. Comparing to HAD, the extracted pectin by VMD exhibited an increase in the degree of methoxylation, but a decline in the average molecular weight and apparent viscosity. Moreover, the VMD can promote pectin adsorption capacities to the Pb2+ with the adsorption mechanism of the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. These findings indicated that VMD is a powerful, efficient, time-saving technology for drying fresh NOP and assisting extraction of pectin from NOP. • VMD significantly improved the drying efficiency of navel orange peel (NOP). • VMD with higher vacuum was an effective way to save drying time. • NOP tissue treated by VMD was more loose and porous than HAD. • VMD-treated pectin exhibited the lower molecular weight and apparent viscosity. • VMD-treated pectin had a larger DM and stronger Pb2+ removal rate than HAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A “Sandwich” type of neutron shielding composite reinforced by carbon fiber was currently studied in view of the rapidly growing need of nuclear protective materials. Comparison to Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analysis of a variety of carbon fiber surface treatment, a new technology, named acetone–resin ultrasonic pretreatment was better to ensure that the carbon fiber and the resin glue were solidified effectively by diffusion as a whole, and also worked out the traditional problem about full impregnation of carbon fiber. Meanwhile, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetic analysis (TGA) of the composite filled with boron carbide were observed. The conclusion was that the effect of the acid anhydride type curing agent (B-570) was better than the polyamide type (TY-203) in the field of heat resistance, and the carbon fiber was helpful to improve the thermal stability of the composite when the adding content was 28.2%. In addition, the “Sandwich” type of neutron shielding composite was prepared for the tensile performance test. Compared to the boron carbide particles added directly into the composite, it has a huge performance improvement in the mechanical properties when the content of boron carbide filled with 20%, meanwhile it significantly upgrade the neutron shielding performance with spraying with 0.4mm. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Thalassospiramides A and B are immunosuppressant cyclic lipopeptides first reported from the marine α-proteobacterium Thalassospira sp. CNJ-328. We describe here the discovery and characterization of an extended family of 14 new analogues from four Tistrella and Thalassospira isolates. These potent calpain 1 protease inhibitors belong to six structure classes in which the length and composition of the acylpeptide side chain varies extensively. Genomic sequence analysis of the thalassospiramide-producing microbes revealed related, genus-specific biosynthetic loci encoding hybrid nonribosomal peptide synthetase/polyketide synthases consistent with thalassospiramide assembly. The bioinformatics analysis of the gene clusters suggests that structural diversity, which ranges from the 803.4 Da thalassospiramide C to the 1291.7 Da thalassospiramide F, results from a complex sequence of reactions involving amino acid substrate channeling and enzymatic multimodule skipping and iteration. Preliminary biochemical analysis of the N- terminal nonribosomal peptide synthetase module from the Thalassospira TtcA megasynthase supports a biosynthetic model in which in cis amino acid activation competes with in trans activation to increase the range of amino acid substrates incorporated at the N terminus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of enantioselective synthetic routes to (-)-kinamycin F (9) and (-)-lomaiviticin aglycon (6) are described. The diazotetrahydrobenzo[b]fluorene (diazofluorene) functional group of the targets was prepared by fluoride-mediated coupling of a β-trimethylsilylmethyl-α,β-unsaturated ketone (38) with an oxidized naphthoquinone (19), palladium-catalyzed cyclization (39?37), and diazo transfer (37→53). The D-ring precursors 60 and 68 were prepared from m-cresol and 3-ethylphenol, respectively. Coupling of the β-trimethylsilylmethyl-α,β-unsaturated ketone 60 with the juglone derivative 61, cyclization, and diazo transfer provided the advanced diazofluorene 63, which was elaborated to (-)-kinamycin F (9) in three steps. The diazofluorene 87 was converted to the C2-symmetric lomaiviticin aglycon precursor 91 by enoxysilane formation and oxidative dimerization with manganese tris(hexafluoroacetylacetonate) (94, 26%). The stereochemical outcome in the coupling is attributed to the steric bias engendered by the mesityl acetal of 87 and contact ion pairing of the intermediates. The coupling product 91 was deprotected (tert-butylhydrogen peroxide, trifluoroacetic acid-dichloromethane) to form mixtures of the chain isomer of lomaiviticin aglycon 98 and the ring isomer 6. These mixtures converged on purification or standing to the ring isomer 6 (39-41% overall). The scope of the fluoride-mediated coupling process is delineated (nine products, average yield = 72%); a related enoxysilane quinonylation reaction is also described (10 products, average yield = 77%). We establish that dimeric diazofluorenes undergo hydrodediazotization 2-fold faster than related monomeric diazofluorenes. This enhanced reactivity may underlie the cytotoxic effects of (-)-lomaiviticin A (1). The simple diazofluorene 103 is a potent inhibitor of ovarian cancer stem cells (IC50 = 500 nM). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The association between the clinical severity of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) inpatients and socioeconomic status (SES) is important for quantifying SES inequality in HFMD disease burden and informing decision-makers regarding medical subsidy and reimbursement policies. Here, this association was investigated using a quantitative SES measurement. Methods Laboratory-confirmed HFMD cases hospitalized at Henan Children's Hospital from February 15, 2017, to February 15, 2018, were invited. We utilized the revised Family Affluence Scale for family affluence–based SES measurement. Clinical severity was diagnosed based on central nervous system (CNS) complications, treatments, and length of stay. We applied logistic regression for association analyses and multiple imputation for missing data. Results A total of 1229 laboratory-confirmed HFMD inpatients responded. Adjusted by age, sex, rural residence, EV-A71 infection, and health-seeking behavior, CNS complications (odds ratio [OR], 2.72; 95% CI, 1.41–5.31), intensive care unit (ICU) admission (OR, 7.30; 95% CI, 2.21–25.97), and prolonged hospitalization (OR, 4.28; 95% CI, 2.44–7.58) were significantly associated with lower family affluence–based SES. These associations increased as the SES category descended. For EV-A71-infected inpatients, severe HFMD was significantly associated with low and intermediate SES. For non-EV-A71-infected inpatients, only the association of prolonged hospitalization with low SES increased significantly. Also, severe HFMD inpatients, especially those admitted to the ICU, incurred high hospitalization costs. Conclusions The clinical severity of HMFD inpatients was significantly associated with family affluence–based SES. Severe HFMD inpatients were more likely to have lower SES than nonsevere inpatients and suffered a heavy economic burden. Therefore, medical subsidy and reimbursement policies should offer sufficient monetary support to severe HFMD inpatients to alleviate economic burden in low-SES populations and reduce potential SES inequality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacies of laser acupunctures with different laser irradiation doses for body weight loss and body fat reduction in obese persons. Twentyeight subjects with simple obesity were divided into four groups receiving laser acupunctures at 0, 358, 478, and 597 J/cm2, respectively, which were applied to the acupoints of Cv 8, St 25, and Sp 15, six times per week for four weeks. Body weight (BW), body mass index (BMI), body fat mass (BFM), body fat percent, waist girth, hip girth, and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) were measured before and after treatment. The laser groups receiving 358 and 597 J/cm² showed significant reductions in BW, BMI, BFM, waist girth, hip girth, and WHR after treatment compared with the placebo group. The percent reductions of BFM in the laser groups receiving 358 and 597 J/cm² were 4.29% and 3.94%, respectively, and the corresponding values of BW were 1.99% and 1.63%, respectively. In conclusion, laser acupuncture could reduce body fat mass and lower body weight in a dose-dependent manner in obese persons. Among the doses of 358, 478, and 597 J/cm2, both the 358 and 597 J/cm² doses were effective in the 4-week trial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Bacterial contamination of platelet (PLT) products is one of the most serious complications of transfusion. Culturing PLT components may detect the presence of bacteria, thus reducing the risk of a septic result after transfusion. Streptococcus bovis has previously been reported as a contaminating microorganism in PLT products. Here we report an asymptomatic donor diagnosed with occult colon malignancy after positive isolation of S. bovis from his apheresis PLTs (APs). We also review previous cases. CASE REPORT: The PLT donor was a 50-year-old man with more than 150 prior plateletpheresis or whole blood donations. Bacterial culture of his AP components yielded two positive results: group D Streptococcus was isolated in July 2008 and S. bovis was reported in April 2010. The donor received further testing, and colonofibroscopic examination revealed colonic neoplasm. Pathologic examination of the biopsied tissue led to a diagnosis of invasive adenocarcinoma. He underwent a left hemicolectomy in July 2010. Examination of the resection specimen confirmed adenocarcinoma, Stage III with regional lymph node metastatic adenocarcinoma. CONCLUSION: Donated AP products positive for S. bovis should not be presumed to be due to contamination during collection. This bacteremia originating from donor factors needs to be carefully evaluated. Colonofibroscopic examination is recommended for these donors to detect colonic malignancy as early as possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVES:Enhanced stress responsiveness is an important pathophysiological factor in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), suggesting the presence of a dysregulated hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. A possible mechanism involves maladaption of the feedback mechanism of the HPA axis. We hypothesized that hippocampus, a key brain region providing inhibitory feedback to the HPA axis, would exhibit reduced excitatory glutamatergic neurotransmission and reduced N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA; a marker of neuronal integrity) levels in IBS patients.METHODS:In this preliminary study, proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy was used to quantify absolute concentrations of metabolites in bilateral hippocampi of 15 IBS patients without significant psychiatric comorbidity and 15 age-matched controls.RESULTS:The main finding was a reduction in hippocampal glutamate-glutamine (Glx) in IBS patients. Furthermore, Glx concentrations were inversely related to emotional stress indicators in patients only. No difference was found between subject groups for other metabolite concentrations, including NAA. However, an elevated myo-inositol (mI)/NAA ratio was found in IBS patients.CONCLUSIONS:Our results provide preliminary evidence for the presence of abnormal hypofunction of hippocampal glutamatergic neurotransmission in IBS patients without psychiatric comorbidity, possibly as a result of the chronic pain. This supports the notion of an imbalance in regulatory brain regions in this subgroup of IBS patients. The inverse relationship between Glx and emotional stress indicators is in agreement with the inhibitory role of hippocampus on the stress system and suggests a sensitization of the mechanism to emotional arousal. The elevated mI/NAA ratio in IBS patients further suggests the presence of hippocampal glial proliferation and remodeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethyl acetate, n-butanol and n-hexane were used as solvents to separate catechins from green tea extract solution and the catechins were decaffeinated using citric acid solution. Ethyl acetate was confirmed to be an appropriate solvent for isolating catechins from tea extract, based on yield of catechins and concentrations of caffeine. The optimum extraction conditions were that 100 g tea was extracted in 3 L water at 80°C for 40 mm and the catechins in the extracted solution were isolated using 1.5 L ethyl acetate for three times. The extracted catechins in the ethyl acetate phase was then decaffeinated by washing the organic phase with 1.5 L of 10 g L-1 citric acid solution for three times. The obtained product contained 694.47 mg g-1 catehchins and 37.89 mg g-1 caffeine, with 78.8% caffeine being removed. The method is considered to be an alternative to replace traditional chloroform decaffeination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ABOUT THIS SUBJECT • Whether corticosteroid use induces peptic ulcer disease (PUD) remains uncertain. • Helicobacter pylori infection in steroid users has not been well evaluated in the past. WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS • Prednisolone 60 mg daily for 3 months caused few endoscopic ulcers (1.6%) and no ulcer complications in 60 nephrotic patients, which was comparative with the controls, with an odds ratio of 0.5. • Corticosteroid therapy did not to increase PUD in nephrotic syndrome patients. Further larger studies are needed to clarify the role of corticosteroid in PUD. AIMS Whether corticosteroids induce peptic ulcer disease (PUD) remains uncertain. The study evaluated and compared the occurrence of PUD between nephrotic patients receiving oral prednisolone therapy and nephritic patients without steroid therapy. METHODS The prospective case control study compared 60 nephrotic syndrome patients who received 60 mg daily prednisolone therapy for 3 months with 30 age-and sex-matched nephritic patients without steroid therapy. Each patient underwent endoscopic examination and tissue and blood sampling before and after the study. Examined parameters included Helicobacter pylori ( H. pylori) infection, and gastric and serum prostaglandin (PG) E2 and thromboxane (TX) B2 concentrations. The primary endpoint was the occurrence of endoscopic peptic ulcers between the two groups, while the secondary end point was the occurrence of ulcer complications. RESULTS The two groups were comparable in sex, age, smoking habits, alcohol drinking, past history of PUD, H. pylori infection rate and serum creatinine. There were no differences in the occurrence of endoscopic peptic ulcers (1.6% vs. 3.3%) and ulcer complications (0% vs. 0%), pre-therapy gastric PGE2, and pre- and post-therapy gastric TXB2, serum PGE2 and serum TXB2 between the two groups. However, there was significantly lower post-therapy gastric PGE2 concentrations in the prednisolone group. CONCLUSIONS Three-month therapy with 60 mg daily prednisolone caused few endoscopic ulcers (1.6%) and no ulcer complications in nephrotic patients. Corticosteroids therapy did not increase PUD in nephrotic syndrome patients [odds ratio 0.492 with 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.03, 8.142, P= 0.620]. Further larger studies are needed to clarify the role of corticosteroids in PUD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: Slow wave (SW) is an essential component in mediating stomach motility. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the SW characteristics in subjects with stomach remnant. Methods: We consecutively enrolled 58 distal radical subtotal gastrectomy (RSG) patients (male/female: 44/14, age: 33–79 years) to receive an electrogastrographic (EGG) measurement. Their Helicobacter pylori status and dyspeptic score were simultaneously assessed. In addition, EGG data of 58 age- and sex-matched healthy subjects were compared. Based on power spectral analysis, the following EGG parameters were derived: dominant frequency (DF)/power (DP), percentage of normal rhythm (2–4 cpm), power ratio (PR) referring the postprandial power change, etc. Results: Visual analysis occasionally found a short period of ∼11 cpm myoelectricity-like rhythm. Distal RSG patients had lower fasting (1.90 ± 0.69 vs 2.97 ± 0.58 cpm, P < 0.001) and postprandial (2.03 ± 0.72 vs 3.35 ± 0.27 cpm, P < 0.001) DF values, while their fasting (36.2 ± 22.3% vs 67.1 ± 23.4%, P < 0.001) and postprandial (33.4 ± 19.9% vs 82.2 ± 16.7%, P < 0.001) percentages of normal rhythms were diminished. In contrast, fasting DP, its meal response and PR (2.99 ± 2.40 vs 2.45 ± 2.63, NS) were comparable to those of controls. Neither gender, age, type of gastroenterostomy, Helicobacter pylori colonization, dyspeptic score nor elapsed time after surgery had an obvious influence on EGG parameters. Conclusions: Distal RSG patients may have decreased SW frequency and less meal ingestion changed EGG parameters in terms of SW frequency, normality and stability, whereas their EGG power remained unchanged irrespective of meal ingestion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: Obesity is one of the risk factors for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and a common disease that comprises simple steatosis and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), and can eventually lead to liver cirrhosis. Adiponectin is an adipocyte-derived protein that has anti-obesity, antidiabetic and anti-inflammatory properties, and is considered to possess a hepatoprotective function. Its role in the development and progression of NAFLD in morbidly obese patients is unknown. In this study, we examined the expression levels of adiponectin and its receptors in liver biopsies of morbidly obese patients and then determined whether there was an association with the disease severity. Methods: Liver biopsies from 30 morbidly obese patients (18 NASH vs 12 steatosis) were analyzed. The needle core biopsies were subjected to routine histological examination and stained immunohistochemically for adiponectin, adiponectin receptor I (adipoRI) and receptor II (adipoRII). Results: The two groups were comparable with respect to body mass index, age and gender distribution. The expression of adiponectin decreased in liver biopsies with NASH as compared to those with simple steatosis (1.61 ± 0.70 vs 2.25 ± 0.75, P = 0.028). Spearman's rank correlation coefficient analysis showed that the staining intensity of adiponectin negatively correlated with the grade of inflammation ( r = −0.368, P = 0.045) and stage of fibrosis ( r = −0.380, P = 0.038). There was no significant difference in expression of adipoRI and adipoRII between the two groups. Conclusion: These findings indicate that decreased liver adiponectin expression may play a role in the development and progression of NAFLD, from simple steatosis to NASH, in morbidly obese patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A tensile or compressive mechanical constraint was applied, during annealing, on the Pb(Zr0.6Ti0.4)O3 (PZT) ferroelectric films to investigate the effects of stress on its crystal structure and electric properties. The external stress was applied by bending the substrate into a circular section. By using both precrystallized film structure and high constraint strain (0.08%), the stress states of PZT during the crystallization process became controllable. Structural change of polycrystalline PZT was observed when crystallized under a compression constraint. Moreover, these films with compression constraint annealing exhibited enhanced remnant polarization by ∼70% and increased dielectric constant by ∼68%. The variations in ferroelectric behaviors were correlated to domain configuration, texture, amount of pyrochlore phase, grain size and residual stress, which are dependent on the stress state during annealing process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We studied coinfection with four genera of bacteria—Borrelia, Bartonella, Anaplasma,and Ehrlichia—in ticks collected between December 2005 and November 2006 from Zhejiang Province and Liaoning Province. Four hundred fifty Haemaphysalis longicornisand 86 Ixodes sinensisticks were collected and divided into 236 groups. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or nested PCR was used to detect the bacteria. The amplicons were sequenced and compared to published sequences. Phylogenic analysis was performed with MEGA3.1 and the data were analyzed using SPSS 11.0. Borrelia, Bartonella, Anaplasma,and Ehrlichiapositive rates were 30.1 (71236), 28.8 (68236), 1.3 (3236), and 0.8 (2236), respectively. One tick was coinfected with all four bacteria (Borrelia, Bartonella, Anaplasma,and Ehrlichia) and another group was coinfected with three bacteria, Borrelia, Bartonella,and Ehrlichia. Statistical analysis showed most coinfections were significant, indicating that once a tick was infected with one bacteria, there was a greater chance to be infected with another bacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) receptor activation has been demonstrated to inhibit cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo. These effects are dependent on the degree of receptor expression and the intracellular signaling protein milieu. The physiological and pathophysiological relevance is largely undefined, and its potential for exploitation in the treatment of specific malignancies is the subject of ongoing investigations. GnRH receptors are expressed in embryonic, juvenile and adult tissues, including brain, pituitary, gonads, accessory reproductive organs and placenta. The levels of receptor expression vary, from high in pituitary gonadotropes to low in peripheral tissues, although quantification of functional receptor protein has been determined in relatively few cell types. Roles for GnRH receptor signaling at different stages of animal development and its influence on reproductive health remain largely unexplored, except in cases of hereditary hypogonadal infertility. In addition to regulating hormone secretion, GnRH is postulated to act as a chemokine or a growth- and differentiation-inducing factor. Hence, receptor activation may influence the function of neuronal networks in the brain and the maturation of reproductive tissue epithelia. GnRH may also potentially influence the biology of cancerous cells in reproductive tissue since receptor activation may signal terminal differentiation, cell cycle arrest or apoptosis. In this context, the cell surface expression of GnRH receptor is important since it influences the intensity of intracellular signaling, and correlates with the ability to inhibit proliferation in transformed cells in vitro. Here, we review data on the effects of GnRH agonists on cell proliferation and apoptosis, and put forward hypotheses for investigation to determine whether the GnRH receptor acts as a tumor suppressor in neuroendocrine or epithelial cells. Copyright © 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract  Oral delivery, rather than parenteral administration, would be beneficial for treating diabetic mellitus owing to the need for a long-term regimen. The objectives of this study were to evaluate oral delivery tolerance and the effects on the bone of accumulated vanadium following the long-term administration of vanadyl acetylacetonate (VAC). Normal and diabetic rats were intragastrically administered VAC at a dose of 3 mg vanadium/kg body weight once daily for 35 consecutive days. VAC did not cause any obvious signs of diarrhea, any changes in kidney or liver, or deaths in any group. The phosphate levels in the bone were slightly increased, and the calcium levels in the bone were not obviously changed as compared with those of the rat group not receiving VAC. After administration of VAC, the decreased ultimate strength, trabecular thickness, mineral apposition rate, and plasma osteocalcin in diabetic rats were either improved or normalized, but reduced bone mineral density (BMD) in diabetic rats was not improved. None of the parameters evaluated in normal rats were altered. The results indicate that the oral VAC is tolerated and benefits the diabetic osteopathy of rats, but seems not to influence the bone of normal rats. They also suggest that VAC improves diabetes-related bone disorders, primarily by improving the diabetic state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]