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For practical applications of supercritical water oxidation to wastewater treatment, the deposition of inorganic salts in supercritical phase must be controlled to prevent a reactor from clogging. This study investigated enhanced removal of sodium salts with titanium particles, serving as a salt trapper and a catalyst precursor, and sodium recovery by sub-critical water. When Na2CO3 was tested as a model salt, sodium removal efficiency was higher than theoretically maximum efficiency defined by Na2CO3 solubility. The enhanced sodium removal resulted from in-situ synthesis of sodium titanate, which could catalyse acetic acid oxidation. The kinetics of sodium removal was described well by a diffusion mass-transfer model combined with a power law-type rate model of sodium titanate synthesis. Titanium particles showed positive effect on sodium removal in the case of NaOH, Na2SO4 and Na3. However, they had negligible effect for NaCI and negative effect for Na2CrO4, respectively. More than 99% of trapped sodium was recovered by sub-critical water except for Na2CrO4. In contrast, sodium recovery efficiency remained less than 50% in the case of Na2CrO4. Reused titanium particles showed the same performance for enhanced sodium removal. Enhanced salt removal supported by in-situ catalyst synthesis has great potential to enable both salt removal control and catalytic oxidation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dysregulation of β-catenin turnover due to mutations of its regulatory proteins including adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) and p53 is implicated in the pathogenesis of cancer. Thus, intensive effort is being made to search for alternative approaches to reduce abnormally activated β-catenin in cancer cells. Nur77, an orphan member of the nuclear receptor superfamily, has a role in the growth and apoptosis of cancer cells. Here, we reported that Nur77 could inhibit transcriptional activity of β-catenin by inducing β-catenin degradation via proteasomal degradation pathway that is glycogen synthase kinase 3β and Siah-1 independent. Nur77 induction of β-catenin degradation required both the N-terminal region of Nur77, which was involved in Nur77 ubiquitination, and the C-terminal region, which was responsible for β-catenin binding. Nur77/ΔDBD, a Nur77 mutant lacking its DNA-binding domain, resided in the cytoplasm, interacted with β-catenin, and induced β-catenin degradation, demonstrating that Nur77-mediated β-catenin degradation was independent of its DNA binding and transactivation, and might occur in the cytoplasm. In addition, we reported our identification of two digitalis-like compounds (DLCs), H-9 and ATE-i2-b4, which potently induced Nur77 expression and β-catenin degradation in SW620 colon cancer cells expressing mutant APC protein in vitro and in animals. DLC-induced Nur77 protein was mainly found in the cytoplasm, and inhibition of Nur77 nuclear export by the CRM1-dependent nuclear export inhibitor leptomycin B or Jun N-terminal kinase inhibitor prevented the effect of DLC on inducing β-catenin degradation. Together, our results demonstrate that β-catenin can be degraded by cytoplasmic Nur77 through their interaction and identify H-9 and ATE-i2-b4 as potent activators of the Nur77-mediated pathway for β-catenin degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The three-dimensional instantaneous flow organization in the near wake of a micro-ramp interacting with a Mach 2.0 supersonic turbulent boundary layer is studied using tomographic particle image velocimetry. The mean flow reveals a wake with approximately circular cross section dominated by a pair of counter-rotating streamwise vortices generating a focused upwash motion at the symmetry plane. In the instantaneous flow organization a flow instability of Kelvin-Helmholtz (K-H) type is observed in the shear layer between the wake and outer flow. Intermittent arc-shaped vortices are visualized that locally accelerate the outer fluid and further decelerate the inner region. The streamwise vortex pair displays an undulating behavior. Their interaction with the K-H vortices considerably increases the overall complexity of the wake. It appears that the streamwise vortex filaments under the K-H vortex train approach each other due to the focused ejection activity resulting from the K-H vortex. The statistical properties of turbulent fluctuations yield maximum activity at the core of the streamwise vortex and within the upwash region, and the Reynolds stresses peak within the shear layer. The topological organization of the wake vortices is formulated through a conditional average over the vorticity field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Long-term xenograft survival is limited by delayed xenograft rejection, and monocytes are thought to play an important role in this process. Although typically considered a T cell surface marker, interleukin 2 the receptor chain CD25 is also functional on monocytes. We hypothesized that CD25 expression on monocytes functions to augment monocyte activation in xeno-specific cellular responses. Xenogeneic mixed lymphocyte-endothelial cell reactions were used to study the role of CD25 in facilitating xenogeneic cell-mediated immune responses an in vitro. We also tested the effect of the anti-CD25 antibody daclizumab on monocyte-mediated T cell activation during xeno-specific cellular responses. Co-culture with porcine endothelial cells (PEC) elicited a pronounced proliferative response by human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) that was accompanied by upregulation of CD25 and CD40 on CD14+ monocytes. CD4+ cells proliferated in response to PEC-conditioned monocytes, while blockade of CD25 with daclizumab reduced CD4+ cell proliferation in the presence of PEC-conditioned monocytes. In addition, daclizumab inhibited proliferation of PBMC in responses to PEC. Analysis of monocytes from PBMC-PEC cocultures by flow cytometry indicated that daclizumab inhibited CD40 upregulation on PEC-activated monocytes. These data demonstrate that CD25 blockade prevents xenogeneic cellular responses by directly blocking CD25 expression on both activated T cells and monocytes. CD25 blockade on T cells or monocytes may indirectly affect upregulation of CD40 on xenoreactive monocytes. Our data strengthen the rationale for incorporating CD25 directed therapy in discordant xenotransplantation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Coronary CT angiography has been increasingly used in the diagnosis of coronary artery disease owing to rapid technological developments, which are reflected in the improved spatial and temporal resolution of the images. High diagnostic accuracy has been achieved with multislice CT scanners (64 slice and higher), and in selected patients coronary CT angiography is regarded as a reliable alternative to invasive coronary angiography. With high-quality coronary CT imaging increasingly being performed, patients can benefit from an imaging modality that provides a rapid and accurate diagnosis while avoiding an invasive procedure. Despite the tremendous contributions of coronary CT angiography to cardiac imaging, study results reported in the literature should be interpreted with caution as there are some limitations existing within the study design or related to patient risk factors. In addition, some attention must be given to the potential health risks associated with the ionising radiation received during cardiac CT examinations. Radiation dose associated with coronary CT angiography has raised serious concerns in the literature, as the risk of developing malignancy is not negligible. Various dose-saving strategies have been implemented, with some of the strategies resulting in significant dose reduction. The aim of this review is to present an overview of the role of coronary CT angiography on cardiac imaging, with focus on coronary artery disease in terms of the diagnostic and prognostic value of coronary CT angiography. Various approaches for dose reduction commonly recommended in the literature are discussed. Limitations of coronary CT angiography are identified. Finally, future directions and challenges with the use of coronary CT angiography are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A steel-fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composite bar (SFCB) is a novel reinforcing rebar made of an inner steel bar and outer FRP integrated in a pultrusion process. To promote the application of this new reinforcing rebar, this paper explores the mechanical properties of SFCBs and the performance of SFCB-reinforced concrete structures. Test results of SFCBs under uniaxial and cyclic tensile loading show that SFCB has a high elastic modulus, a stable post-yield modulus and a high ultimate strength. The tensile characteristics of SFCBs calculated according to the mixture law are found to be in good agreement with test results. A direct pullout test between SFCBs and concrete was conducted. The failure modes included SFCB pullout before or after inner steel bar yielded, which depended on factors like the steel/FRP ratio, effective bond length, and concrete strength. With its high-performance, especially with regard to anti-corrosion, and low cost, SFCBs are an ideal near-surface mounted (NSM) material to strengthen concrete beams. Experimental results show that NSM-SFCB strengthening can significantly increase both the section stiffness of the flexural members in the service stage and the bearing capacity in the ultimate stage. Concrete columns reinforced by SFCBs under horizontal cyclic loading were also tested, and the results show that concrete columns reinforced by SFCBs possess high initial stiffness, acceptable bearing capacity and good ductility. More importantly, SFCB columns had an obvious post-yield stiffness, which resulted in smaller residual displacement and, therefore, better post-earthquake reparability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study addresses the stabilisation problem for networked control systems with random time delays. Depending on the prior knowledge, two kinds of time delays are considered. One is the Markov delay, and the other one is the arbitrary-bounded delay. By making full use of the most recent delay information, a novel controller with delay-dependent control gains is constructed, and the stability conditions of the closed-loop system with either Markov delays or arbitrary-bounded delays are derived. Cone complementarity linearisation approach is employed to design the stabilising controllers. Finally, simulation and experimental results are given to illustrate the effectiveness of the obtained results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visual pattern of human iris provides rich texture information for personal identification. However, it is challenging to match intra-class iris images with large variations in applications. This study proposes a perturbation-enhanced feature correlation filter (PFCF) for robust iris matching. PFCF is developed based on quad-phase minimum average correlation energy filter, but it has two significant improvements. First, PFCF is performed on Gabor filtered iris images to encode both local and global features. On the one hand, Gabor images can enhance the local details of iris texture. On the other hand, correlation filters describe the regional appearance information and measure the global similarity between iris images efficiently. Secondly, artificially perturbed iris images are generated to model intra-class variations. Also, a set of additional correlation filters are developed accordingly as the gallery templates. The decision is determined by the fusion result of multiple correlation filters. Therefore PFCF not only takes the advantages of Gabor images and correlation filters but also enlarges the amount of enrolled templates for robust iris matching. Extensive experiments on three challenging iris image databases demonstrate that the proposed method outperforms the state-of-the-art methods according to its robustness against deformation, rotation, occlusion, blurring and illumination changes in iris images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Ultrafast lasers play an increasingly important role in many applications. Nanotubes and graphene have emerged as promising novel saturable absorbers for passive mode-locking. Here, we review recent progress on the exploitation of these two carbon nanomaterials in ultrafast photonics. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Purpose: To investigate whether the multislice CT scanning protocols of head, chest and abdomen are adjusted according to patient's age in paediatric patients. Materials and Methods: Multislice CT examination records of paediatric patients undergoing head, chest and abdomen scans from three public hospitals during a one-year period were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were categorised into the following age groups: under 4 years, 5-8 years, 9-12 years and 13-16 years, while the tube current was classified into the following ranges: < 49 mA, 50-99 mA, 100-149 mA, 150-199 mA, > 200 mA and unknown. Results: A total of 4998 patient records, comprising a combination of head, chest and abdomen CT scans, were assessed, with head CT scans representing nearly half of the total scans. Age-based adjusted CT protocols were observed in most of the scans with higher tube current setting being used with increasing age. However, a high tube current (150-199 mA) was still used in younger patients (0-8 years) undergoing head CT scans. In one hospital, CT protocols remained constant across all age groups, indicating potential overexposure to the patients. Conclusion: This analysis shows that paediatric CT scans are adjusted according to the patient's age in most of the routine CT examinations. This indicates increased awareness regarding radiation risks associated with CT. However, high tube current settings are still used in younger patient groups, thus, optimisation of paediatric CT protocols and implementation of current guidelines, such as age-and weight-based scanning, should be recommended in daily practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kurut (fermented yak milk) made by natural fermentation is a very important dairy food for the local people in Tibet (China). It is important to fully understand the bacterial composition of kurut for quality improvement and industrial production. Because more than 99% of prokaryotes cannot be cultured and identified by methods currently used in taxonomy, we applied a culture-independent approach to explore the microbial biodiversity of this traditional food. In this study, a bacterial 16S rRNA gene clone library, including 460 clones, was constructed using total DNA extracted from 30 samples of kurut. After screening by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis, 56 operational taxonomic units (OTU) with unique RFLP patterns were obtained. Then, 1 representative sequence of every OTU was sequenced and phylogenetically analyzed. The representative phylotypes were affiliated with 5 groups, including Lactococcus lactis ssp. lactis, Lactobacillus helveticus, Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus, and Acetobacter. In addition, nearly one-third of the representative clones (132 clones) had low similarity to species in GenBank (<97%), and these phylotypes were regarded as unknown bacteria. The characteristics of kurut are determined not only by lactic acid bacteria well known by the culture-dependent approach but also by bacteria that have not yet been identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photon activation analysis (PAA) includes extensive data evaluation that is sensitive to error. In order to save time and minimize human error, a new computer program-photon activation analysis system (PAAS)-was designed, built and implemented using the SQL language and Asp.net technology to analyze PAA data. Given peak information from PAA spectra and aided by a photonuclear data library, the program identifies the product isotopes, recognizes the possible nuclear reactions, and evaluates the concentration of target elements. Uncertainties of concentrations are estimated using standard error propagation techniques. The program can be accessed conveniently anywhere the internet is available and gives a fast and reliable determination of the trace elemental content of samples. Furthermore, this program also allow one to search its database for the information of general photonuclear reactions (e.g. energy lines, line intensities, target and product nuclides, photonuclear reactions, cross sections, natural abundance, etc.) and estimating the activity even before the activation begins. By switching the nuclide libraries, the program could also be expanded to neutron activation analysis and charged particle activation analysis (CPAA) without any difficulty. This program can be a versatile tool for the daily use of the nuclear and radiochemistry laboratories that conduct activation analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The projectile fragmentation reactions of 40Ar at 57 MeV/nucleon on 9Be and 181Ta targets have been studied by the Radioactive Ion Beam Line in Lanzhou (RIBLL) at the Heavy-Ion Research Facility in Lanzhou (HIRFL). The momentum distributions of fragments have been measured and the competition between different mechanisms are observed. The production cross sections have been obtained and compared with the empirical parametrization of fragmentation cross section (EPAX), abrasion-ablation (AA), and heavy-ion phase space exploration (HIPSE) models, and the target dependence of fragment cross sections has also been discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives:We report two cases of congenital salivary fistula of an accessory parotid gland, and we discuss its occurrence in Goldenhar syndrome.Methods:Two teenagers complained of a congenital cheek fistula with constant salivary discharge. Computed tomography fistulography and sialography were performed. The diagnosis of Goldenhar syndrome was established based on clinical and imaging findings. Previously reported cases are reviewed and the clinical and radiological features summarised.Results:In these two patients, a salivary fistula of an accessory parotid gland was demonstrated on computed tomography fistulography, and did not communicate with Stensen's duct. Deformity of Stensen's duct and hypoplasia of the ipsilateral mandibular ramus were present. Tragal appendices have frequently been reported in such cases.Conclusion:A congenital cheek salivary fistula of an accessory parotid gland should be considered indicative of Goldenhar syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The root system of potato ( Solanum tuberosum L. cv. Favorita) plants was treated with different O and CO concentrations for 35 d in aeroponic culture. Under 21 or 5 % O in the root zones, the thickness of leaves and palisade parenchyma significantly increased at 3 600 μmol(CO) mol in the root zone, compared with CO concentration 380 μmol mol or low CO concentration (100 μmol mol). In addition, smaller cells of palisade tissue, more intercellular air spaces and partially two layers of palisade cells were observed in the leaves with root-zone CO enrichment. Furthermore, there was a significant increase in the size of chloroplasts and starch grains, and the number of starch grains per chloroplast due to elevated CO only under 21 % O. In addition, a significant decline in the thickness of grana and the number of lamellas, but no significant differences in the number of grana per chloroplast were observed under elevated CO concentration. The accumulation of starch grains in the chloroplast under elevated CO concentration could change the arrangement of grana thylakoids and consequently inhibited the absorption of sun radiation and photosynthesis of potato plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The International Breast Cancer Study Group Trial VIII compared long-term efficacy of endocrine therapy (goserelin), chemotherapy [cyclophosphamide, methotrexate and fluorouracil (CMF)], and chemoendocrine therapy (CMF followed by goserelin) for pre/perimenopausal women with lymph-node-negative breast cancer.Patients and methods: From 1990 to 1999, 1063 patients were randomized to receive (i) goserelin for 24 months (n = 346), (ii) six courses of ‘classical’ CMF (cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, 5-fluorouracil) chemotherapy (n = 360), or (iii) six courses of CMF plus 18 months goserelin (CMF→ goserelin; n = 357). Tumors were classified as estrogen receptor (ER) negative (19%), ER positive (80%), or ER unknown (1%); 19% of patients were younger than 40. Median follow-up was 12.1 years.Results: For the ER-positive cohort, sequential therapy provided a statistically significant benefit in disease-free survival (DFS) (12-year DFS = 77%) compared with CMF alone (69%) and goserelin alone (68%) (P = 0.04 for each comparison), due largely to the effect in younger patients. Patients with ER-negative tumors whose treatment included CMF had similar DFS (12-year DFS CMF = 67%; 12-year DFS CMF→ goserelin = 69%) compared with goserelin alone (12-year DFS = 61%, P= NS).Conclusions: For pre/perimenopausal women with lymph-node-negative ER-positive breast cancer, CMF followed by goserelin improved DFS in comparison with either modality alone. The improvement was the most pronounced in those aged below 40, suggesting an endocrine effect of prolonged CMF-induced amenorrhea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Incorporating prior knowledge (PK) into learning methods is an effective means to improve learning performance. The consistency and error theories of PK-based methods, which are of great theoretical importance, are still far from well established. Concentrating on the PK-based kernel regression, this paper proposes a methodology of analyzing the consistency and error. This methodology converts the specific methods firstly to a unified optimization problem and then to a unified solution expression, and a general consistency and error analysis tool is proposed and applied. A few examples are given to illustrate the analysis procedure. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper presents a dual-band rat-race coupler with arbitrary power dividing ratio. The dual-band and unequal power dividing characteristics are obtained by using a dual-frequency 180 degree phase shifter with the conventional coupler. Closed-form design equations are derived. The proposed structure can support large power dividing ratio with a wide frequency ratio range. The measured results show that good matching, isolation, power transmission and phase balance can be achieved at two operating frequency bands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The benefit of adjuvant chemotherapy in postmenopausal patients with estrogen receptor (ER)-positive lymph node-negative breast cancer is being reassessed.Patients and methods: After stratification by ER status, 1669 postmenopausal patients with operable lymph node-negative breast cancer were randomly assigned to three 28-day courses of ‘classical’ CMF (cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, 5-fluorouracil) chemotherapy followed by tamoxifen for 57 months (CMF→tamoxifen) or to tamoxifen alone for 5 years.Results: ERs were positive in 81% of tumors. At a median follow-up of 13.1 years, patients with ER-positive breast cancers did not benefit from CMF [13-year disease-free survival (DFS) 64% CMF→tamoxifen, 66% tamoxifen; P = 0.99], whereas CMF substantially improved the prognosis of patients with ER-negative breast cancer (13-year DFS 73% versus 57%, P = 0.001). Similarly, breast cancer-free interval (BCFI) was identical in the ER-positive cohort but significantly improved by chemotherapy in the ER-negative cohort (13-year BCFI 80% versus 63%, P = 0.001). CMF had no influence on second nonbreast malignancies or deaths from other causes.Conclusion: CMF is not beneficial in postmenopausal patients with node-negative ER-positive breast cancer but is highly effective within the ER-negative cohort. In the future, other markers of chemotherapy response may define a subset of patients with ER-positive tumors who may benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Fatigue tests are performed on the Cu–2.16Ni–0.72Si alloy, at different stress ratios, R, at room temperature and 473K. For R =0.4 the fatigue strength decreases when temperature is increased. The observation of intergranular cracking on fracture surfaces shows that this phenomenon is related to dynamic embrittlement. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Electronic phases with stripe patterns have been intensively investigated for their vital roles in unique properties of correlated electronic materials. How these real-space patterns affect the conductivity and other properties of materials (which are usually described in momentum space) is one of the major challenges of modern condensed matter physics. By studying the electronic structure of La2-2xSr1+2xMn2O7 (x ∼ 0.59) and in combination with earlier scattering measurements, we demonstrate the variation of electronic properties accompanying the melting of so-called bi-stripes in this material. The static bi-stripes can strongly localize the electrons in the insulating phase above Tc ∼ 160 K, while the fraction of mobile electrons grows, coexisting with a significant portion of localized electrons when the static bi-stripes melt below Tc. The presence of localized electrons below Tc suggests that the melting bi-stripes exist as a disordered or fluctuating counterpart. From static to melting, the bi-stripes act as an atomic-scale electronic valve, leading to a "colossal" metal-insulator transition in this material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A test device has been developed at P′ Institute in order to investigate the mechanical behaviour of structural materials under high pressure of gaseous hydrogen. In this paper, preliminary results on fatigue crack propagation in a martensitic stainless steel are presented. A tremendous fatigue crack growth enhancement is observed at high pressure (9 MPa). This enhancement is dependent of pressure. It is noticed that the maximum enhancement is associated with a brittle fracture mode. However no intergranular decohesion is noticed in this regime. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article focuses on the technological advancements in biomedical imaging. It says that ultrasound, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are offering many opportunities for the performance of functional assessment of body systems due to technological developments. It adds that multiphoton microscopy, optical coherence tomography, and total internal reflection fluorescence are included in the new optical imaging techniques.

This phase II clinical trial compared the efficacy and safety of two types of treatment in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who had previously been treated with chemotherapy. Patients diagnosed with NSCLC (with either measurable or evaluable lesions) and had been treated with chemotherapy were eligible for this study. They were randomly assigned to two groups. The DOCp53 group received trans-tracheal Adp53 injection (1 × 1012 vp dosage) on day1 and day8, as well as docetaxel at 75 mg m−2 on day 2. The DOC group only received docetaxel at 75 mg m−2 on day 1. Patients in each group received treatment for two cycles before reevaluation. Between February 2005 and December 2006, 40 patients were recruited for this study. In all, 19 of them were assigned to the DOCp53 group and 21 were assigned to the DOC group. After a mean follow-up of 12 months, the median survival time (MST) was 7.7 months (95% CI, 4.53 to 10.84) for patients in the DOCp53 group and 5.9 months (95% CI, 4.11 to 7.68) in the DOC group (P=0.44, log-rank test). In the DOCp53 group, two patients with diffuse metastatic disease of lung had partial response (PR) in addition to eight with stable disease (SD). No PR and 13 SD were observed in the DOC group. Toxic reactions that could be attributed to the Adp53 vector were transient fever and limited hemoptysis. For patients with relapsed NSCLC, trans-tracheal injection of Adp53 in addition to docetaxel did not improve overall survival or efficacy. However, direct trans-tracheal injection of Adp53 proved to be a safe procedure, with tolerable levels of toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The MAX phases are a group of layered ternary compounds with the general formula Mn+1AXn (M: early transition metal; A: group A element; X: C and/or N; n51-3), which combine some properties of metals, such as good electrical and thermal conductivity, machinability, low hardness, thermal shock resistance and damage tolerance, with those of ceramics, such as high elastic moduli, high temperature strength, and oxidation and corrosion resistance. The publication of papers on the MAX phases has shown an almost exponential increase in the past decade. The existence of further MAX phases has been reported or proposed. In addition to surveying this activity, the synthesis of MAX phases in the forms of bulk, films and powders is reviewed, together with their physical, mechanical and corrosion/oxidation properties. Recent research and development has revealed potential for the practical application of the MAX phases (particularly using the pressureless sintering and physical vapour deposition coating routes) as well as of MAX based composites. The challenges for the immediate future are to explore further and characterise the MAX phases reported to date and to make further progress in facilitating their industrial application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the importance of circadian epigenomic remodeling controlled by histone deacetylase 3 (HDAC3) for homeostasis of the lipogenic process in liver. It cites a study to determine if HDAC3's occupancy on the genome is circadian by conducting chromatin immunoprecipitation with an HDAC3-specific antibody in mouse liver. It suggests that circadian expression of hepatic lipogenic genes is orchestrated by HDAC3 via rhythmic epigenomic remodeling and histone deacetylation.

We investigate the crystallization of monodisperse hard spheres confined by two square patterned substrates (possessing the basic character of the body-centered cubic (bcc) crystal structure) at varying substrate separations via molecular dynamics simulation. Through slowly increasing the density of the system, we find that crystallization under the influence of square patterned substrates can set in at lower densities compared with the homogeneous crystallization. As the substrate separation decreases, the density, where crystallization occurs ( i.e., pressure drops), becomes small. Moreover, two distinct regimes are identified in the plane of bcc particle fraction and density for the separation range investigated. For large substrate separations, the bcc particle fraction displays a local maximum as the density is increased, and the resulting formed crystals have a polycrystalline structure. However, and more importantly, another situation emerges for small substrate separations: the capillary effects (stemming from the presence of two substrates) overwhelm the bulk driving forces (stemming from the spontaneous thermal fluctuations in the bulk) during the densification, eventually resulting in the formation of a defect-free bcc crystal (unstable with respect to the bulk hard-sphere crystals) by using two square patterned substrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spin transfer torque in an all-metal dual spin valve, in which two antiparallel-aligned pinned ferromagnetic layers are on the two sides of a free ferromagnetic layer with two thin normal metal spacers in between, is studied in the ballistic regime. It is argued that, similar to the results in the diffusive regime, the spin transfer torque is dramatically enhanced in comparison to that in a conventional spin valve in the ballistic regime. Within the Slonczewski approach, an analytical expression of the torque on the free magnetic layer is obtained, which may serve as a theoretical model for the micromagnetic simulation of the spin dynamics in a dual spin valve. Depending on the orientation of the free layer and the degree of electron polarization, the spin transfer torque enhancement could be tenfold. The general cases when transmission and reflection probabilities of the free layer are different from zero or one are also numerically calculated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective:There have been few previous reports of intraosseous schwannomas within the mandible with extension into the cranium. We report two such cases and discuss the relevant clinical features, radiological manifestations and treatment protocols.Method:Two case reports of trigeminal schwannoma of the mandible with intracranial extension, including analysis of clinical, radiological and pathological aspects.Results:Panoramic radiographs showed both tumours as multilocular radiolucencies. Solid and cystic components were seen on computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. The two tumours extended into the cranium through the pterygomandibular space and an obviously expanded foramen ovale.Conclusion:Trigeminal schwannoma of the mandible can develop to involve intracranial extension. Radiological identification of an expanded foramen ovale may facilitate pre-operative identification. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to investigate the diagnostic value of SPECT, PET and PET/CT in the diagnosis of coronary artery disease, based on a systematic review. Material and Methods: A search of PubMed/Medline and Sciencedirect databases in the English-language literature published over the last 24 years was performed. Only studies with at least 10 patients comparing SPECT, PET or combined PET/CT with invasive coronary angiography in the diagnosis of coronary artery disease (50% stenosis) were included for analysis. Sensitivities and specificities estimates pooled across studies were analysed using a Chisquare test. Results: Twenty-five studies met the selection criteria and were included for the analysis. Ten studies were performed with SPECT alone; while another six studies were performed with PET alone. Five studies were carried out with both PET and SPECT modalities, and the remaining four studies were investigated with integrated PET-CT. The mean value of sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of these imaging modalities for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease was 82% (95%CI: 76 to 88), 76% (95%CI: 70 to 82) and 83% (95%CI: 77 to 89) for SPECT; 91% (95%CI: 85 to 97), 89% (95%CI: 83 to 95) and 89% (95%CI: 83 to 95) for PET; and 85% (95%CI: 79 to 90), 83% (95%CI: 77 to 89) and 88% (95%CI: 82 to 94) for PET/CT, respectively. The diagnostic accuracy of these imaging modalities was dependent on the radiotracers used in these studies, with ammonia resulting in the highest diagnostic value. Conclusion: Our review shows that PET has high diagnostic value for diagnosing coronary artery disease, and this indicates that it is a valuable technique for both detection and prediction of coronary artery disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oral Diseases (2011) , 328-334 The aim of this study was to assess the expression levels of two proteins, such as PRDX6 and cyclophilin A (CypA), and to evaluate their relationship with clinicopathologic features and survival in tongue squamous cell carcinomas (TSCCs). An immunohistochemical study was performed comprising a total of 42 tissue samples of patients suffering from TSCCs as well as 10 corresponding adjacent normal tissues. After detection of PRDX6 and CypA, their expression levels were semiquantitatively evaluated and correlated with clinicopathologic variables. Both PRDX6 and CypA expressions were significantly higher in tissue samples of TSCCs compared with the 10 corresponding adjacent normal tissues ( < 0.01). A statistically significant correlation in TSCCs regarding the expression of PRDX6 and CypA was revealed ( P = 0.005), and the lymphadenectasis was correlated with PRDX6 ( P < 0.05). Results of a multivariate analysis revealed age, CypA expression, cervical lymph node metastases, and tongue cancer differentiation to be independent prognostic variables in respect of the overall survival rate ( P < 0.05). It could be detected that PRDX6 and CypA are associated with tumorigenesis in TSCCs. High levels of CypA expression may predict reduced survival time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pattern patterns, or phyllotaxis, the arrangements of phylla (flowers, leaves, bracts, florets) in the neighborhood of growth tips, have intrigued natural scientists for over four hundred years. Prominent amongst the observed features is the fact that phylla lie on families of alternately oriented spirals and that the numbers in these families belong to subsets { m} of the integers defined by the Fibonacci rule m = m + m. The corresponding patterns, which we call Fibonacci patterns, are widespread and universal on plants. Our goal in this paper is to ask if they may also be seen in other physical structures and to try to quantify the circumstances under which one may expect Fibonacci patterns to occur. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate current-driven domain wall (DW) propagation in magnetic nanowires in the framework of the modified Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation with both adiabatic and nonadiabatic spin torque (AST and NAST) terms. By employing a simple analytical model, we can demonstrate the essential physics that any small current density can drive the DW motion along a uniaxial anisotropy nanowire even in absence of NAST, while a critical current density threshold is required due to intrinsic anisotropy pinning in a biaxial nanowire without NAST. The DW motion along the uniaxial wire corresponds to the asymptotical DW oscillation solution under high field/current in the biaxial wire case. The current-driven DW velocity weakly depends on the NAST parameter β in a uniaxial wire and it is similar to the β = α case ( α: damping) in the biaxial wire. Apart from that, we discuss the rigid DW motion from both the energy and angular momentum viewpoints and point out some physical relations in between. We also propose an experimental scheme to measure the spin current polarization by combining both field- and current-driven DW motion in a usual flat (biaxial) nanowire. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study addresses the stabilisation problem for a class of networked control systems (NCSs) with time delays and packet losses. Motivated by the fact that static state feedback control shows offset in the plant output when non-zero disturbance acts on NCSs, the proposed method emphasises the implementation issue and employs state feedback integral control to achieve non-zero disturbance rejection and zero steady-state error. The resulting closed-loop system is transformed into a discrete-time switched system, and the stability conditions are derived in terms of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs). The corresponding stabilising controller design technique is also developed based on the stability conditions. Simulation and experimental examples are given to illustrate the effectiveness of the obtained results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrochemical dechlorination of 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) in aqueous solution was investigated on palladium-loaded meshed titanium (Pd/Ti) electrode at ambient temperature. Pd/Ti electrode was prepared with an electrodepositing method. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) micrographs show that Pd microparticles uniformly disperse on the meshed Ti supporting electrode with spheroidal structure. Dechlorination experimental results indicate that, in aqueous solution, with the current efficiency of 24.3%, the removal efficiency of 100 mg/L 2,4-DCP on Pd/Ti electrode was 93.2% under the conditions of the dechlorination current of 5 mA and dechlorination time of 90 min. The effect of initial 2,4-DCP concentration was also investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to the application characteristics of low-earth-orbit satellite-borne global positioning system (GPS) receiver, the influence of GPS measurement data error on cycle-slip detection is analyzed. Then a modified TurboEdit preprocessing method is proposed. In the modified method, a weighted factor which closely relates to the GPS satellite elevation angle is introduced in the cycle-slip detection process. The weighted factor estimates the error of measurement data based on the variation of GPS elevation angle and establishes a relationship between the cycle-slip detection process and error of measurement data. Then the cycle-slip detection judgment is adjusted by the weighted factor. The modification algorithm not only reduces the fault rate of cycle-slip detection, but also promotes the autonomous ability of orbit determination by increasing the quantity of measurement data that will participate in low-earth-orbit-satellite orbit determination. Finally, the modified algorithm is verified by GPS measurement data of GRACE satellite formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background : Aneurysms of the posterior cerebral artery (PCA) are a distinct rarity and present with some peculiar morphologic features and specific clinical findings. These aneurysms can be managed endovascularly with good results. Objective : To evaluate the clinical features and endovascular management of PCA aneurysms. Material and Methods : Between 2000 and 2008, we treated 24 patients (14 male and 10 female; mean age: 36 years) with PCA aneurysms. Clinical presentations, radiologic images, and endovascular management were reviewed. Results : There were 11 saccular aneurysms, including 4 giant or large aneurysms, and 13 dissecting aneurysms, including 11 giant or large aneurysms. Of the 24 patients, 13 presented with hemorrhage and 6 with neurologic deficits. Five patients presented with headaches without any neurologic deficits. Parent vessel occlusion was performed in 12 patients, selective coil embolization was performed in 11 patients, and 1 patient conservatively. Eighteen patients had a good recovery, 5 had a moderate disability (one with 1 visual deficit after the treatment) related to hemorrhage, vasospasm, or infarction before aneurysm trapping, and 1 patient died because of rebleeding. The conservatively treated patient made a good recovery. Conclusion : PCA aneurysms have specific clinical characteristics compared with aneurysms located elsewhere. Endovascular technique can achieve good outcomes despite the aneurysmal site and size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under quasi-steady-state conditions, we investigated the photo-heat conversion in a gold nanoshell by calculating the local equilibrium temperature distribution. In a thinner gold shell, the hot spots take place near the poles of both shell-surrounding and core-shell interface, perpendicularly to the incident field. In a thicker gold shell, the hot spots only take place near the core-shell interface. The maximum local temperature also depends greatly on the core media and shell thickness. Optimal heat generation can be obtained with small core dielectric constant and thin shell thickness. The mechanism of this local heating distribution is explained by the local field enhancement that is induced by the plasmon coupling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A neural network (NN) implementation of an adaptive optimal stochastic output feedback control is developed to stabilize the resistive wall mode (RWM), a critically important instability in fusion machines like tokamaks. The design of an adaptive optimal stochastic output feedback control was discussed and reported earlier by Sun, Sen, and Longman. The system dynamics is experimentally determined via the extended least square method with an exponential forgetting factor and covariance resetting. The optimal output feedback controller is redesigned periodically online based on the system identification. The output measurements and past control inputs are used to construct new control inputs. These are achieved by an architecture of NNs consisting of a pool of sequentially linked Hopfield networks and implemented in hardware with digital NN processors made by the Accurate Automation Corporation. The simulations have shown that the NN adaptive output controller can stabilize the time-dependent RWM in a slowly evolving tokamak discharge. This is accomplished within a time delay of the inverse of the nonlinear growth rate, which is the time scale of the development of the possibly dangerous levels of fluctuations. This stabilization is similar to that of the simulation with a C++ implementation. It is expected that significant gains can be achieved for the systems of a higher order, which are to be found in future fusion devices. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Quantitative measurements of acetylene (CH) molecules as a combustion intermediate species in a series of rich premixed CH/air flames were non-intrusively performed, spatially resolved, using mid-infrared polarization spectroscopy (IRPS), by probing its fundamental ro-vibrational transitions. The flat sooty CH/air premixed flames with different equivalence ratios varying from 1.25 to 2.50 were produced on a 6 cm diameter porous-plug McKenna type burner at atmospheric pressure, and all measurements were performed at a height of 8.5 mm above the burner surface. IRPS excitation scans in different flame conditions were performed and rotational line-resolved spectra were recorded. Spectral features of acetylene molecules were readily recognized in the spectral ranges selected, with special attention to avoid the spectral interference from the large amount of coexisting hot water and other hydrocarbon molecules. On-line calibration of the optical system was performed in a laminar CH/N gas flow at ambient conditions. Using the flame temperatures measured by coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy in a previous work, CH mole fractions in different flames were evaluated with collision effects and spectral overlap between molecular line and laser source being analyzed and taken into account. CH IRPS signals in two different buffering gases, N and CO, had been investigated in a tube furnace in order to estimate the spectral overlap coefficients and collision effects at different temperatures. The soot-volume fractions (SVF) in the studied flames were measured using a He-Ne laser-extinction method, and no obvious degrading of the IRPS technique due to the sooty environment has been observed in the flame with SVF up to ∼2×10. With the increase of flame equivalence ratios not only the SVF but also the CH mole fractions increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early secretory antigen target 6 (ESAT-6) is a dominant target for cell-mediated immunity in the early phase of tuberculosis (TB) in patients with TB, causing T-cell proliferation and gamma interferon (IFN-γ) production, which has been considered to be a protective antigen that can be used for future vaccine development. Ag85A is the most essential component for bacterial survival within macrophages and has been used in numerous vaccine preparations, which can induce strong cellular immune responses. In this study, we constructed a new recombinant bacilli Calmette -Guérin (BCG) strain (rBCG-AE) that could express fusion protein Ag85A-ESAT-6 of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and evaluated its immunogenicity in BALB/c mice. There was no evidence for increased virulence of this rBCG. Our experiments illustrated that the rBCG-AE was able to induce higher titer of antibody and elicit more long-lasting and stronger Th1 type cellular immune responses than the parental BCG strain, or rBCG-A (expressing Ag85A) strain, or rBCG-E (expressing ESAT-6) strain, which are characterized by the strong antibody response, the proliferation rate of splenocytes, the ratio of CD4+ T and CD8+ T cells stimulated by tuberculin-purified protein derivative and elevated levels of IFN-γ in antigen-stimulated splenocyte cultures. The results show that rBCG-AE is an improved TB vaccine for further study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) carries the worst prognosis among lung cancer diagnoses. Combined radiation and chemotherapy is the standard of care; however, treatment outcomes vary. Variability in the rate at which chemotherapy agents are metabolized and in the capacity of repairing DNA damage has been hypothesized to be partly responsible for the treatment response variation. Genes in the glutathione metabolism and DNA repair pathways were tested through tag single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to assess their association with survival in SCLC.Patients and methods: Blood DNA from 248 patients with primary SCLC was genotyped for 419 tag SNPs from 49 genes in the glutathione and DNA repair pathways. Association analyses with patient survival were carried out at single-SNP, whole-gene, and haplotype levels after adjusting for age, gender, tumor stage, treatment modalities, and smoking history.Results: Among the 375 SNPs successfully genotyped, 21 SNPs, located on 11 genes, showed significant association with survival. Whole-gene analyses confirmed 3 of the 11 genes: GSS, ABCC2, and XRCC1. Haplotype analyses of these three genes identified haplotype combinations and genomic locations underlying the observed SNP associations.Conclusion: Genetic variations in genes involved in the glutathione and DNA repair pathways are associated with SCLC survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

El estudio se realizó para investigar los efectos de fuentes de Zn y Mn en el uso de elementos traza en cabras en crecimiento. Se utilizaron cuatro cabras macho castrados (20.0 ±0.5 kg) de la raza Liuyang Black de 6 meses de edad en un experimento de cuadrado latino 4x4. Los animales se sometieron a cuatro tratamientos dietéticos: (1) control, (2) control + cubierta de lípido quelato Met-Zn y cubierta de lípido quelato Lis-Mn (PML), (3) control +Met-Zn quelato y Lis-Mn quelato (CML), (4) control + ZnSO4-7H2O y MnSO4-H2O (FML). Las cantidades de Zn y Mn en los tratamientos PML, CML y FML fueron de 0.020 g y 0.029 g por 100 g de concentrado (base MS), respectivamente. Los resultados mostraron que el consumo de concentrado y forraje de maíz y la retención y tasa de absorción aparente de Fe y Cu no se afectaron por las fuentes de cinc y manganeso dietéticos. La tasa de absorción aparente en todo el tracto del Zn y Mn en FML fue menor que en la de PML, CML y control. La retención de Zn por día en PML y CML fue mayor que la del control (P < 0.05), y la retención de Mn por día en PML, CML y FML fue mayor que la del control (P < 0.05). Los resultados indicaron que el suplemento de Met-Zn y Lis-Mn puede mejorar la tasa de absorción aparente de Zn y Mn en cabras en crecimiento pero no tiene impactos en la tasa de absorción aparente de Fe y Cu. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aortic dissection is a common vascular disease which has high morbidity and mortality if it presents with acute onset. Early diagnosis, characterisation of the type of dissection and identification of intimal tear (entry site) is important for patient management. CT angiography, especially with widely-used multislice CT imaging technique, is the method of choice for diagnosis of aortic dissection. This article presents the additional value of 3D visualisation, using virtual intravascular endoscopy, for assessment of aortic dissection when compared to conventional 2D views. The article focuses particularly on identifying the entry site of dissection with the aid of virtual intravascular endoscopy in three selected cases. It is expected that the intraluminal findings will assist radiologists to accurately diagnose and treat patients with suspected aortic dissection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The richness of optical and electronic properties of graphene attracts enormous interest. Graphene has high mobility and optical transparency, in addition to flexibility, robustness and environmental stability. So far, the main focus has been on fundamental physics and electronic devices. However, we believe its true potential lies in photonics and optoelectronics, where the combination of its unique optical and electronic properties can be fully exploited, even in the absence of a bandgap, and the linear dispersion of the Dirac electrons enables ultrawideband tunability. The rise of graphene in photonics and optoelectronics is shown by several recent results, ranging from solar cells and light-emitting devices to touch screens, photodetectors and ultrafast lasers. Here we review the state-of-the-art in this emerging field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low temperature significantly influences chloroplast development and chlorophyll (Chl) biosynthesis, so effect of coldness on Chl content and Chl fluorescence characteristics was investigated in C. bungeana ( Chorispora bungeana Fisch. & C.A. Mey). The levels of transcript and protein of an enzymatic step during Chl biosynthesis in response to chilling (4°C) and freezing (−4°C) were also examined in this work. Significant reduction in total Chl content was observed, but the reduction was much less at 4°C than that at −4°C. Moreover, the maximal quantum efficiency of photosystem II (PSII) photochemistry, indicated by F/F, decreased in the first 12 h, but then started to increase and reached higher levels than the control at 24 h and 48 h at 4°C, but decreased continuously at −4°C. Whereas quantum yield of PSII (Φ) showed no significant difference between the chilling-stressed and the control seedlings, at −4°C, Φ was markedly reduced with the prolonged treatment. In general, there were no significant responses of photochemical quenching (q) and non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) to cold treatment. Meanwhile, the full-length cDNA of NADPH:protochlorophyllide oxidoreductase (POR, EC 1.3.1.33) was isolated and termed CbPORB (GenBank Accession No. FJ390503). Its transcript and protein content only slightly declined at 4°C, but dramatically reduced at −4°C with the time. These results strongly suggest that CbPORB possesses certain resistant characteristics and is a major player in Chl biosynthesis process involved in plant growth and development of C. bungeana under cold environmental conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lactobacillus casei Zhang, isolated from koumiss in Inner Mongolia of China, is known from previous findings to be tolerant to bile salts. Bile salts secreted by mammals act as a natural antibacterial barrier and may serve as a component of innate immunity, as they have limited antagonistic effect against resident microflora. In this work, we compared the growth and protein expression patterns of L. casei Zhang with and without bile salts. Twenty-six proteins were found to be differentially expressed using 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Peptide mass fingerprinting was used to identify these proteins. Further verification by using real-time, quantitative reverse transcription-PCR and bioinformatics analysis showed that the implicated pathways are involved with a complex physiological response under bile salts stress, particularly including cell protection (DnaK and GroEL), modifications in cell membranes (NagA, GalU, and PyrD), and key components of central metabolism (PFK, PGM, CysK, LuxS, PepC, and EF-Tu). These results provide insight on the protein expression pattern of L. casei under bile salts stress and offer a new perspective for the molecular mechanisms involved in stress tolerance and adaptation of bacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The solidification structure, austenite and precipitates in a quenched compact strip processing (CSP) medium thin slab (170 mm thick) of Nb–V–Ti microalloyed steel have been studied. It was found that secondary dendrite arm spacing and austenite grain size are slightly larger than that of similar steel produced by CSP thin slab. This is partially attributed to the slower cooling rate caused by the increased slab thickness. On the other hand, the formation of carbonitride during solidification reduces the width of secondary dendrite arm spacing, while TiN particles and alloying elements in solution may inhibit the growth of austenite grain during solidification and subsequent cooling. In addition to the semidendritic, larger cubic and fine cubic precipitates, which can be observed in CSP thin slab, dendritic precipitates were also found in CSP medium thin slab. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new oleanolic acid saponins, namely celosin C (1) and celosin D (2), were isolated from the ethanol extract of Semen celosiae. Their structures were identified as celosin C (1) and celosin D (2) by spectroscopic and chemical analyses. The hepatoprotective activity of 1 and 2 with oral dose 1.0, 2.0 and 4.0 mg/kg, respectively, were investigated by carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4))-induced hepatotoxicity in mice. The results indicate that they have significant hepatoprotective effects (p<0.01). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A multi-domain finite element formulation has been applied to determine the semi-solid permeability of an equiaxed granular structure. The granular model was constructed from a Voronoï tessellation algorithm. The liquid–solid interface is represented implicitly by a level set function, and an anisotropic meshing technique is employed for an accurate description of the interface geometry with reasonable computation resources. The liquid phase is considered as an incompressible Newtonian fluid, and permeability is computed based on Darcy’s law. A good agreement is found with available literature data and with the Kozeny–Carman prediction. The proposed method, associating the finite element method with a level set framework, is shown to be an effective technique for examining microstructure effects on the semi-solid permeability. This is illustrated by considering the influence of the Gibbs–Thomson effect. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]