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In recent years, successive approximation register (SAR) analogue-to-digital converters (ADCs) have been widely applied in Internet of Things (IoT) sensor devices. To reduce the power consumption of ADCs, a bridged-switch energy-efficient switching scheme for SAR ADCs with a 2× input range is proposed. Due to the use of top-plate sampling, overall shift and bridged switch, the energy consumption of the first three comparisons and reset is zero, meanwhile the energy consumption of the fifth comparison is greatly reduced. The proposed switching scheme has an average energy consumption of 13.084CVref², which reduces the switching energy by 99.04% compared to the conventional switching scheme. The proposed switching scheme can achieve a 2× input range with the same supply voltage, effectively reducing ADC power consumption and making it more suitable for IoT applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blubber thickness (BT) has a seasonal pattern in most small cetaceans in temperate and polar regions, which may be a crucial adaptive mechanism in response to environmental temperature changes. However, BT and environmental temperature correlations have never been tested experimentally in any cetacean species owing to logistical difficulties in the aquatic environment. The Yangtze finless porpoise (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis asiaeorientalis, YFP) is one of the smallest cetacean species worldwide, which exclusively inhabits the middle and lower regions of the Yangtze River in China. Here, we investigated BT variation patterns in YFPs and their relationship to environmental temperature changes using ultrasound imaging technology by longitudinally monitoring four YFPs in human care. We found that blubber was not evenly distributed in the skin of YFPs. BT increased along the craniocaudal axis from the head to the umbilical girth, and decreased towards the fluke, with relatively thicker blubber in the dorsal region than in the ventral and lateral regions. Significant negative correlations between BT and seasonal water temperature changes were observed in YFPs. However, different body regions display different sensitivities to seasonal temperature changes. The BT in the anal girth region exhibited noticeable seasonal changes. In contrast, the umbilical lateral and ventral regions showed relatively blunt seasonal changes, indicating different adaptive functions of the blubber in different regions. BT in the dorsal region decreased linearly with increasing water temperature. In the lateral and ventral regions, BT significantly changed with water temperature at a threshold of 18 °C. The YFPs had relatively thinner BT than similar-sized harbor porpoises that inhabit relatively high latitudes with much lower water temperatures. This further demonstrates the adaptive function of BT in response to environmental temperatures in small cetaceans. This study elucidates the seasonal pattern of BT variation in small cetaceans and provides insight into adaptation mechanisms of small cetaceans to temperature changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aimed to reveal the detailed immune-related mechanisms underlying ischemic stroke (IS) and identify new immune-associated biomarkers for clinical management. Methods: Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between IS samples and normal controls were identified using the GSE16561 dataset. The feature genes of the immune cells were investigated using the GSE72642 dataset. Weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA) was performed to reveal module genes, followed by an investigation of common DEGs and a functional enrichment analysis. Potential biomarkers were identified based on hub genes in protein-protein interaction networks and WGCNA. Finally, GSE158312 was used for biomarker verification. Results: In total, 1230 DEGs were identified between the IS samples and normal controls. Seven clinically significant modules were identified using WGCNA. The yellow module genes were positively correlated with polymorphonuclear cells (PMNC), whereas the brown module genes were positively correlated with CD4+ T cells. Eight genes were selected as hub genes. These genes are mainly involved in functions such as the innate immune response. Upregulated TLR2 and ARG1 levels were significantly different between the two groups in the verification dataset. Conclusions: Our findings suggest ARG1 and TLR2 as novel biomarkers for IS. Upregulated TLR2 might play a role in IS development by participating in the innate immune response function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cognitive complications persist in persons with HIV during suppressive antiretroviral therapy (ART). Low levels of HIV during ART could contribute to these complications. In this study, we measured cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) HIV using a single-copy assay (SCA) to investigate a possible relationship between low-level HIV and cognition. Design/Methods: SCA data were analyzed from 3 consecutively paired CSF-plasma specimens collected over a mean of 456 days from 96 participants on suppressive ART. Using mixed models, the presence of CSF HIV by SCA as a risk factor for worse neurocognitive performance was examined. Results: At baseline on the SCA, 45.8% of participants had detectable plasma HIV RNA (median 8 copies/mL and interquartile range = 3-17 among detectable values) and 17.7% had detectable CSF HIV RNA (median CSF concentration= 3 copies/mL and interquartile range= 2-13 among detectable values). The frequency of CSF HIV RNA detection declined over time in CSF (P = 0.018) with a trend toward decline in plasma (P = 0.064). Detectable CSF HIV RNA during the study was associated with worse performance in the domains of recall (P = 0.014) and motor (P = 0.040) and a trend with worse overall global performance (P = 0.078). Integrase inhibitor use, although very infrequent in this cohort, was associated with better performance in 2 domains. Conclusions: Low-level CSF HIV RNA declines with time but is associated with worse cognitive performance in 2 domains. Addi Additional research is needed to better understand the relationship between HIV RNA persistence during long-term ART and central nervous system complications in persons with HIV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sensor placement problems need to take into account its performance, coverage, cost and other factors as well as practical applications. The location of the beacon nodes is important for reducing localization errors and avoid excessive deployment costs. In this paper, we present a framework named a cost sensitive minimum beacon set method based on constructing a quad tree-based model to place beacon nodes that is trade-off between high localization accuracy and node density. Specifically, we construct an alternative set using the indexing strategy to avoid the amount of computation becoming larger as the set becomes larger and then the set of beacon nodes is constructed by pruning. The set satisfies at least N unknown nodes can communicate with the beacon node set to determine their own location while at the same time satisfying the minimum number of nodes in the beacon node. Experimental results show that the algorithm can effectively solve the problem, and can provide the localization function as well as achieve the online inquiry very well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Graphical optimization (GO) and inverse planning simulated annealing (IPSA) are the main treatment planning optimization techniques used in patients undergoing 3D brachytherapy treatment. This study aims to compare the dosimetric difference of plans optimized by GO and IPSA in cervical cancer brachytherapy. Material and methods: 21 cervical cancer patients data sets consisted of computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), acquired with the Fletcher applicator in situ were transferred to the Oncentra brachytherapy planning system. For each patient, the treatment plan was initially optimized with GO to reach a maximal D90 tumor dose (6 Gy/fraction, 5 fractions), while keeping the dose to organs at risk (OARs) as low as possible. A second plan was then optimized with IPSA on the same CT images and data set (i.e., contours, catheters, and location of dwell points). Targets and OARs dose volume histograms and irradiation time were compared; data were analyzed with paired t-test; p value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The plans with both optimizations meet the clinical requirements. The mean D90 of the clinical target volume was comparable for GO and IPSA. Similar values (p > 0.05) of target V100, V150, V200, HI, and CI were registered for GO and IPSA optimizations. Bladder and rectum D1cc and D2cc obtained by GO resulted in larger values than those obtained by IPSA (p = 0.002). V75 for bladder and rectum were slightly higher for IPSA, but without statistical difference (p > 0.05). The irradiation time was comparable (p > 0.05). Conclusions: In 3D brachytherapy of cervical cancer, GO and IPSA optimizations do not present a significant difference in target dose coverage; nevertheless, IPSA may reduce the maximum dose to normal tissue when compared with GO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have investigated the mechanical properties of Al-5 wt%Mg using the first-principles method. The elastic constants, shear modulus, Young's modulus, Poisson's ratio and the brittle/ductile characteristics of Al-5 wt%Mg are successfully obtained. The stress-strain relations and ideal strengths under tension and compression loading of Al-5 wt%Mg have also been determined. Results show that Al-5 wt%Mg is found to have larger moduli and higher strengths than Al, which is consistent with its exploitation in Al precipitate-hardening mechanisms. The electronic structure is investigated to unveil the intrinsic mechanism for the mechanical properties of Al-5 wt%Mg. It turns out that the partly covalent-like bonding through Al p-Mg s hybridization is the origin of excellent mechanical properties of Al-5 wt%Mg. We expect that the present work should be helpful to the performance of Al-5 wt%Mg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A radon chamber is a standard apparatus for experimental research of radon that can simulate ambient conditions such as atmosphere, ground surface and subsurface, and the dynamic stabilization technology of radon concentration in a radon chamber is the core technology of radon chamber research. In this paper, an attenuation method was proposed based on a radon leakage attenuation model for calculation of leak rate, a kernel parameter of the stabilization technology of radon concentration in a closed radon chamber, as well as a bench method based on a radon replenishment model for calculation of the effective generation rate at radon source, another kernel parameter of stabilization technology. In this study, the present methods were applied to parameter calculation in an HD-6-type small/medium-sized radon chamber, achieving an excellent application effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic heart failure (CHF) is the end-stage of many cardiovascular diseases and severely affects the patients’ lifespan. Inhibiting ventricular remodeling is thus a primary treatment target for CHF patients. Astragaloside IV (AS-IV) can improve cardiac function and protect myocardial cells. The study aims to investigate the effects of AS-IV on ventricular remodeling and explore its role in regulating energy metabolism using a rat CHF model. Sprague–Dawley rats were divided into five groups (n=20 per group): CHF + benazepril hydrochloride (Benazepril HCL), CHF + low-dose (30 mg.kg−1.day−1) AS-IV, CHF + high-dose (60 mg.kg−1.day−1) AS-IV, and a sham control group. After 8 weeks of treatment, the cardiac structure and functional parameters were measured. Morphological changes in the myocardial tissue in five groups were evaluated. Protein and mRNA expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα), medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (MCAD), and muscle carnitine palmitoyl transferase-1 (MCPT1) were also analyzed. Our results showed that the left ventricular mass index (LVMI), collagen volume fraction (CVF), and free fatty acid (FFA) concentration of CHF group rats increased when compared with sham control group, while the protein and mRNA expressions of PPARα, MCAD, and MCPT1 decreased in CHF. Importantly, treatment with AS-IV (CHF + AS-IV group) showed improved heart function and structure, increased expression of PPARα, MCAD, and MCPT1 and improved FFA utilization in comparison with CHF group. In conclusion, our study shows that AS-IV inhibits ventricular remodeling, improves cardiac function, and decreases FFA concentration of CHF model rats. Our findings suggest a therapeutic potential of using AS-IV in CHF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Neprilysin (NEP) is the dominant Ab peptide--degrading enzyme in the brain. HIV-1 subtype B transactivator of transcription protein is known to interfere with NEP function, but whether this is true of HIV-1C transactivator of transcription, which has a defective chemokine motif, is not known. This study aimed to analyze the impact of HIV subtype on NEP-mediated cleavage of Ab by comparing cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum levels of NEP between HIV+ (27 patients with HIV-1B and 26 with HIV-1C), healthy HIV -- controls (n = 13), and patients with Alzheimer disease (n = 24). Methods: NEP and Aβ oligomers 38, 40, 42 levels were measured in CSF and serum by immunoassays. Ratios between NEP and Ab- 38, 40, 42, and total were calculated in CSF and serum. Comparisons between HIV(+) and HIV(-) were adjusted by linear regression for sex and age; HIV subtype comparisons were adjusted for nadir CD4 and plasma viral load suppression. Results: Levels of NEP and ratios in CSF were comparable for HIV-1C and B subtypes. The ratio of serum NEP/Aβ-40 was lower for HIV1-C than HIV1-B (P = 0.032). The CSF/serum index of NEP/Aβ-40, NEP/Aβ-42, and NEP/Aβ-total were lower for HIV1-B than HIV1-C (P = 0.008, 0.005, and 0.017, respectively), corroborating the findings for serum. CSF NEP was comparable for HIV+, HIV2, and AD. Conclusion: There was impact of HIV subtype on NEP. The ratio of NEP/Aβ-40 on serum was lower on HIV1-C than HIV1-B. These results are consistent with the results of CSF Aβ-42 levels decreased in HIV1-C compared with HIV1-B, suggesting higher amyloid b deposit on HIV1-C than HIV1-B. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study Question: What are the effects of high-glucose concentrations on DNA methylation of human oocytes?Summary Answer: High-glucose concentrations altered DNA methylation levels of Peg3 and Adiponectin in human in vitro maturation oocytes.What Is Known Already: Maternal diabetes has a detrimental influence on oocyte quality including epigenetic modifications, as shown in non-human mammalian species.Study Design, Size, Duration: Immature metaphase I (MI) stage oocytes of good quality were retrieved from patients who had normal ovarian potential and who underwent ICSI in the Reproductive Medicine Center of People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University. MI oocytes were cultured in medium with different glucose concentrations (control, 10 mM and 15 mM) in vitro and 48 h later, oocytes with first polar body extrusion were collected to check the DNA methylation levels.Participants/materials, Setting, Methods: MI oocytes underwent in vitro maturation (IVM) at 37°C with 5% mixed gas for 48 h. Then the mature oocytes were treated with bisulfite buffer. Target sequences were amplified using nested or half-nested PCR and the DNA methylation status was tested using combined bisulfite restriction analysis (COBRA) and bisulfite sequencing (BS).Main Results and the Role Of Chance: High-glucose concentrations significantly decreased the first polar body extrusion rate. Compared to controls, the DNA methylation levels of Peg3 in human IVM oocytes were significantly higher in 10 mM (P < 0.001) and 15 mM (P < 0.001) concentrations of glucose. But the DNA methylation level of H19 was not affected by high-glucose concentrations in human IVM oocytes. We also found that there was a decrease in DNA methylation levels in the promoter of adiponectin in human IVM oocytes between controls and oocytes exposed to 10 mM glucose (P = 0.028).Large Scale Data: N/A.Limitations Reasons For Caution: It is not clear whether the alterations are beneficial or not for the embryo development and offspring health. The effects of high-glucose concentrations on the whole process of oocyte maturation are still not elucidated. Another issue is that the number of oocytes used in this study was limited.Wider Implications Of the Findings: This is the first time that the effects of high-glucose concentration on DNA methylation of human oocytes have been elucidated. Our result indicates that in humans, the high risk of chronic diseases in offspring from diabetic mothers may originate from abnormal DNA modifications in oocytes.Study Funding/competing Interest(s): This work was supported by the fund of National Natural Science Foundation of China (81401198) and Doctor Foundation of Qingdao Agricultural University (1116008).The authors declare that there are no potential conflicts of interest relevant to this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structural, magnetic, electronic, dynamical and thermodynamic properties of PuN have been studied within the frameworks of the density-functional theory, DFT+U and hybrid DFT. The calculations have been performed using the full-potential-linearized augmented plane-wave method. The ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic configurations are considered in this work. The lattice constants, bulk moduli, densities of states, and thermodynamic data have been computed and compared to available experimental data and other theoretical calculations published in the literature. Total energy results obtained with DFT+U and hybrid DFT indicate that the ground state of PuN is antiferromagnetic, in agreement with experiment. The chemical bonds between Pu and N have a mixture of covalent and ionic components, but the ionic character is stronger than covalent character. The phonon dispersion curves and the optical-mode frequencies are also reported. At last, the effect of spin-orbit coupling on the structural, magnetic, and electronic properties of PuN has been discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The uranium deposit of the Early Cretaceous Xiangshan caldera (southeast China) represents the world’s third-largest volcanogenic uranium deposit. While the hydrothermal system defines uranium mineralization in shallow volcanic-intrusive complexes, we argue that the underlying magmatic system, identified in magnetotelluric data from the Xiangshan deposit, is equally crucial in controlling the origin and migration of ore-forming fluids and driving uranium element transport. As imaged by a three-dimensional resistivity model, a volcanic conduit containing ∼4% saline fluid underlies the Xiangshan peak, interpreted to control the formation of alkali fluids that aid the early alkaline uranium mineralization. A deep-seated intrusion also imaged beneath the northwestern Xiangshan caldera likely facilitates the formation of later acidic uranium mineralization and provides the requisite heat flux. Its enhanced conductivity is attributed to graphite liberalization along grain boundaries caused by CO2-bearing volatiles upwelling or igneous carbon injection. The merged zone of the volcanic conduit and intrusion, which is located at a depth of ∼10–15 km, functions as a high-level magma chamber. It is fed episodically by low partial melting of lower-crustal rocks and may contain significant uranium concentrations. Essentially, the transport and enrichment of uranium elements are enabled by such a vertical extensive trans-crustal magmatic system, resulting in the emplacement of the shallow volcanogenic uranium deposit. This work is a compelling example regarding the inherited structural control of the magmatic system on volcanic-related uranium metallogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zn0.7Co0.3(Ti1-xSnx)Nb2O8 (x = 0.1, 0.15, 0.2, 0.25, 0.3, 0.35) microwave ceramics were prepared by traditional solidstate reaction method. The influences of Sn substituted for Ti on the phase constitution, crystal structure and microwave dielectric properties of Zn0.7Co0.3(Ti1-xSnx)Nb2O8 ceramics were discussed. The XRD patterns revealed the main phase of ZnTiNb2O8 and little content of Zn0.17Ti0.5Nb0.33O2 secondary phase. With further substitution of Sn, the lattice constant, volume and apparent density of the ceramics increased, the ceramic structure reached a maximal compactness at x = 0.2 which was shown on SEM. Tremendous improvement of Q × f and a declining trend of ∊r and τf were obtained with increasing x value. Appropriate substitution value (x = 0.10) would ensure excellent microwave dielectric properties (∊r = 34.1, Q × f = 40562 GHz, τf = -5 ppm/°C) of the ceramics sintered at 1080 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mechanical, dynamical and thermodynamic properties of Al-3wt%Mg have been investigated using the first-principles method. The calculated structural parameter is in good agreement with previous works. Results for the elastic modulus, stress-strain relationships, ideal tensile and shear strengths are presented. Al-3wt%Mg is found to have larger moduli and higher strengths than Al, which is consistent with its exploitation in Al precipitate- hardening mechanisms. The partial density of states (PDOS) show that the partly covalent-like bonding through Al p-Mg s hybridization is the origin of excellent mechanical properties of Al-3wt%Mg. The phonon dispersion curves indicate that Al-3wt%Mg is dynamically stable at ambient pressure and 0 K. Furthermore, the Helmholtz free energy ΔF, the entropy S, the constant-volume specific heat CV and the phonon contribution to the internal energy ΔE are predicted using the phonon density of states. We expect that our work can provide useful guidance to help with the performance of Al-3wt%Mg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, flapping wing micro air vehicles have received great attention with the drive to make smaller and smaller devices. This paper describes a theoretical investigation and subsequent practical implementation of a specific type of flight motor structure for this type of micro air vehicle that uses a "click' mechanism to improve mechanical efficiency. Diptera, which may use the mechanism, are the inspiration for this work. It builds on previous research into the "click" mechanism, which has been studied both from the biological and engineering points of view. It is difficult to capture the important fine details using a simple analytical model; hence, a multi-body dynamic software is used to model the device and to aid the design of a large-scale prototype. Force-deflection curves of the structure and the displacement response are obtained numerically and experimentally. The experimental and numerical results compare reasonably well, enabling the model to be used for further development and potential miniaturization of the flight motor structure. In a practical device, asymmetry occurs in the up- and down-stroke. The effects of this asymmetry are compared with previous results from analytical models. It is found that asymmetry offers a marginal improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were synthesized in situ on wool powder (WP) under heating conditions. Wool powder not only reduced Au ions to AuNPs, but also provided a support for as-synthesized AuNPs. WPs were treated under different concentrations of Au ions, and corresponding optical features and morphologies of the treated WPs were investigated by UV-VIS diffuse reflectance absorption spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and transmission electron microscope (TEM) were also employed to characterize the WP treated with AuNPs. The results demonstrate that AuNPs were produced in the presence of WP and distributed over the wool particles. The porous structure led to the synthesis of AuNPs in the internal parts of WP. Acid conditions and high temperature facilitated the synthesis of AuNPs by WP in aqueous solution. The reducibility of wool was improved after being converted to powder from fibers, due to exposure of more active groups. Moreover, the obtained AuNP-WP complexes showed significant catalytic activity to accelerate the reduction reaction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) by sodium borohydride (NaBH4). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a decouple control method based on optimization of current distribution coefficients to decrease the coupling effects caused by uncertain current distribution coefficients between multi-degrees of freedom, this method can applied to multi-input multi-output (MIMO) system like 6-DOF fine stage of lithographic equipment. The minimum square of residual error between the measured output and the estimated output is proposed as the objective based on the analytical model of the fine stage. The step experiments are carried out to verify the decoupling effectiveness for MIMO system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: RNA interference is a very effective approach for studies on gene function and may be an efficient method for controlling pests. Trehalase is a key gene in the chitin biosynthesis pathway in insects. Five trehalase genes have been cloned in Tribolium castaneum, though it is not known whether the detailed functions of these trehalases can be targeted for pest control. Results: The functions of all five trehalase genes were studied using RNAi, and the most important results showed that the expression of all 12 genes decreased significantly from 12 to 72 h compared with the control groups, except GP1 at 72 h, when the expression of the TcTre2 gene was suppressed. The results also revealed different abnormal phenotypes, and the observed mortality rates ranged from 17 to 42 %. The qRT-PCR results showed that the expression of TPS, GS, two GP, CHS1a and CHS1b genes decreased significantly, while that of the CHS2 gene decreased or increased after RNAi after the five trehalases were silenced at 48 h. In addition, TPS gene expression decreased from 12 to 72 h after dsTcTre injection. Conclusions: These results demonstrate that silencing of any individual trehalase gene, especially Tre1-4 and Tre2 gene can lead to moulting deformities and a high mortality rate through the regulation of gene expression in the chitin biosynthesis pathway and may be a potential approach for pest control in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An off-line boron meter in a pressurized water reactor (PWR) nuclear power plant has the disadvantages of lagging data measurements and a long response time. This paper aims to shorten the response time and enhance the measurement accuracy of this type of device. First, the shortcomings of off-line boron meters were analyzed and the serpentuator system was proposed to replace the typical container system. Then, both FLUENT and GEANT simulation tools were used to demonstrate the merits of the serpentuator system. FLUENT was used to simulate the fluid response, while GEANT4 was used to obtain the f(P) curve. The simulation results from FLUENT indicate that the residence time of the fluid in the container system was approximately 9.5 times that in the serpentuator system. The simulation results obtained from GEANT4 manifest that the f(P) curve of the rectangular section was steeper than for the circular section. When the polyethylene was 8 cm thick, the f(P) curve was the steepest. Compared with a serpentuator made of titanium alloy, stainless steel, and brass, a serpentuator made of zirconium alloy or aluminum alloy achieved a steeper f(P) curve. Therefore, the serpentuator system is more applicable for PWRs using an off-line boron letdown through a chemical and volume control system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the feasibility of efficiently using a rigid image registration (RIR) algorithm or a deformable image registration (DIR) algorithm to match medical images and evaluate the impact of setup errors on intensity modulated radiation therapy of lung cancer patients. METHODS: Ten lung cancer patients were chosen randomly each day and were subjected to image-guided radiotherapy. The clinical registration between cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images and treatment planning system CT images was performed by applying both RIR and DIR; the clinical registration was evaluated on the basis of the contour index, including dice similarity coefficient, sensitivity, and positive predictive value; the optimal scheme of image registration was selected to ensure that the actual irradiation isocenter was consistent with the treatment planning isocenter. In each patient, the translational errors in the right-left (x), superior-inferior (y), and anterior-posterior (z) directions and the rotational errors in the u, υ, and w directions formed by the x, y, and z directions were calculated and analyzed daily in the whole course of treatment; margins were calculated according to this equation: M= 2.5Σ+ 0.7δ. RESULTS: The tumors and the surrounding soft tissues of the patients are shown more clearly in the CBCT images than in the CT images. DIR can be applied more efficiently than RIR to determine the morphological and positional changes in the organs shown in the images with the same or different modalities in the different period. The setup errors in translation in the x, y and z axes were 0.05±0.16, 0.09±0.32 and -0.02±0.13 cm, respectively; by contrast, the setup errors in rotation in u, υ and w directions were (0.41±0.64)º, (-0.08±0.57)º and (-0.03±0.62)º, respectively. The setup errors in the x, y and z axes of the patients indicated that the margins expansions were 0.82, 1.15 and 0.72 cm, respectively. CONCLUSION: CBCT with DIR can measure and correct the setup errors online; as a result, setup errors in lung cancer treatments can be significantly reduced and the accuracy of radiotherapy can be enhanced [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare the dosimetric characteristics for protection of the hippocampus between dual arc VMAT (volumetric modulated arc therapy) and 7 fields intensity-modulated radiation therapy (7F-IMRT) for patients with brain metastases from lung cancer under the whole brain radiotherapy. METHODS: Based on ten cases with brain metastases from lung cancer, two types of radiotherapy plans were designed, namely, dual arc VMAT and 7F-IMRT. Provided that the clinical requirements were satisfied, the comparisons of target dose distribution, conformity index (CI), homogeneity index (HI), dose of organs at risk (OARs), monitor units (MU) and treatment time between dual arc VMAT and 7F-IMRT were investigated for their dosimetric difference. RESULTS: Both treatment plans met the requirements of clinical treatments. However, the PTV-HA conformity and homogeneity of dual arc VMAT were superior to those of 7F-IMRT (P < 0.05). As to OARs, the mean maximum doses (Dmax) of hippocampus, eyes and optic nerves in the dual arc VMAT plan were all lower than those in 7F-IMRT plan (P < 0.05), but the result had no statistical significance (P < 0.05) for the maximum dose of lens. Compared with 7F-IMRT, dual arc VMAT reduced the average number of MU by 67% and the average treatment time by 74%.Therefore, treatment time was shortened by dual arc VMAT. CONCLUSION:With regards to the patients with brain metastases from lung cancer under the whole brain radiotherapy, the PTV-HA conformity and homogeneity of dual arc VMAT were superior to those of 7F-IMRT under the precise of meeting the clinical requirements. In addition, dual arc VMAT remarkably reduced the irradiation dose to OARs (hippocampus, eyes and optic nerves), MU and treatment time, as well, guaranteed patients with better protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

N-myc downstream-regulated gene 4 (NDRG4) is expressed weakly in heart and has been reported to modulate cardiac development and QT interval duration, but the role of NDRG4 in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury remains unknown. In the present study, we analyzed the expression as well as potential function of cardiac NDRG4 and investigated how NDRG4 expression is regulated by inflammation. We found that NDRG4 was weakly expressed in cardiomyocytes and that its expression increased significantly both in I/R injured heart and in hypoxia-reoxygenation (H/R) injured neonatal rat ventricular myocytes (NRVMs). The increased NDRG4 expression aggravated myocardial I/R injury by inhibiting the activation of the reperfusion injury salvage kinase (RISK) pathway. Forced over-expression of NDRG4 inhibited RISK activation and exacerbated injury not only in I/R injured heart, but also in H/R treated NRVMs, whereas short hairpin RNA (shRNA)-mediated knock-down of NDRG4 enhanced RISK activation and attenuated injury. Upon injury, myocardial NDRG4 expression was induced by tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) through nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), and we found that pre-treatment with inhibitors of either TNF-α or NF-κB blocked NDRG4 expression as well as I/R injury in vivo and H/R injury in vitro. Our study indicates that up-regulation of NDRG4 aggravates myocardial I/R injury by inhibiting activation of the RISK pathway, thereby identifying NDRG4 as a potential therapeutic target in I/R injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a novel rectangular voice coil motor (VCM) used in ultra-precision motion stage. The new analytical model of magnetic field is proposed to calculate the Lorentz force, this analytical model indicates that Lorentz force will change when coil of the VCM moves in the permanent magnet air gap. The result of finite element analysis and experiment are used to verify this analytical model. This method offers a theoretical basis for the design and optimization of the VCM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is an X-linked neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by severe intellectual disability and other symptoms including autism. Although caused by the silencing of a single gene, Fmr1 (fragile X mental retardation 1), the complexity of FXS pathogenesis is amplified because the encoded protein, FMRP, regulates the activity-dependent translation of numerous mRNAs. Although the mRNAs that associate with FMRP have been extensively studied, little is known regarding the proteins whose expression levels are altered, directly or indirectly, by loss of FMRP during brain development. Here we systematically measured protein expression in neocortical synaptic fractions from Fmr1 knockout (KO) and wild-type (WT) mice at both adolescent and adult stages. Although hundreds of proteins are up-regulated in the absence of FMRP in young mice, this up-regulation is largely diminished in adulthood. Up-regulated proteins included previously unidentified as well as known targets involved in synapse formation and function and brain development and others linked to intellectual disability and autism. Comparison with putative FMRP target mRNAs and autism susceptibility genes revealed substantial overlap, consistent with the idea that the autism endophenotype of FXS is due to a "multiple hit" effect of FMRP loss, particularly within the PSD95 interactome. Through studies of de novo protein synthesis in primary cortical neurons from KO and WT mice, we found that neurons lacking FMRP produce nascent proteins at higher rates, many of which are synaptic proteins and encoded by FMRP target mRNAs. Our results provide a greatly expanded view of protein changes in FXS and identify age-dependent effects of FMRP in shaping the neuronal proteome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The intestinal phase is the early invasion stage of Trichinella spiralis (T. spiralis), in which muscle larvae invade intestine epithelial cells and then develop into adult worms to breed newborn larvae. Thus, intestinal infective larvae are first exposed to the immune system of the host, and antigens from the worms may be the earliest marker in the diagnosis of trichinellosis and may contribute to vaccine development to prevent Trichinella infections in pigs. Methods: A cDNA library of intestinal infective larvae of T. spiralis at 6 hours post infection (p.i.) was constructed and immunoscreened using serum collected from pigs that were infected with T. spiralis at 26 days p.i. T. spiralis cystatin-like protein (Ts-CLP) gene encoding a 45.9 kDa protein was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. The rabbit antisera were generated and used to determine the location of Ts-CLP in the parasite. Transcription levels of Ts-CLP in different developmental stages of T. spiralis were observed by RT-PCR. The potential application of recombinant Ts-CLP in diagnosis against T. spiralis infection was tested by ELISA. The immune protection of recombinant Ts-CLP protein against T. spiralis infection was evaluated in mice. Results: Thirty-three positive clones were selected from cDNA library, among which 20 clones encoded the same novel cystatin-like protein (Ts-CLP). Immunolocalisation and real-time quantitative PCR revealed that native Ts-CLP was localised primarily to ß-stichocytes and that the Ts-clp gene was transcribed and expressed in all developmental stages of T. spiralis. The recombinant protein rTs-CLP was recognised by pig antiserum as early as 15 days p.i., and could induce protective immunity in mice, with a 61.21% reduction in the number of muscle larvae. Conclusions: These data preliminarily suggested that Ts-CLP may play an important role in the early infection of T. spiralis and that recombinant Ts-CLP protein is a candidate antigen for diagnosis and vaccine development in Trichinella infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports a fabrication process of a capacitive microelectromechanical system (MEMS) accelerometer with a highly symmetrical spring-mass structure for the high device performance, which is composed of eight springs and a central mass. The sandwich accelerometer is constituted by top layer, middle layer and bottom layer. The suspended spring-mass structure in the middle silicon layer is formed simply by double thermally grown oxide layers and the mask-maskless wet anisotropic etching, avoiding the generally adopted deep-groove photolithography when fabricating the thin spring. Moreover, the gap between electrodes can be determined by the thickness of the oxide layer in this process. The surfactant-modified TMAH is selected as the etchant because it not only provides the minimum undercutting at the mass corner, thus saving much space of the compensation parts, but also allows the good control of spring thickness at the low etch rate. The spring shape evolution during etching in surfactant-modified TMAH is simulated and the obtained rhombic cross-section has the advantage of easily identifying the thickness of the spring from its width according to their crystal orientation relation. The three silicon layers are bonded through silicon fusion bonding (SFB) at temperature >1000 °C to relax surface stresses that could be present in the material prior bonding. Preliminary test result shows the sensitivity of 60 mV/g with good linearity of R² = 0.99979 in a closed-loop interface circuit. The advanced accelerometer performance could be expected due to the symmetrical structure, the large proof mass, controllable spring shape, the narrow uniform capacitive gap, and the IC-compatible process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two-phase flow is closely linked with the efficiency and safety of industrial processes in many fields, and there are various instruments for measuring the two-phase distribution. Among them, γ-ray and ultrafast X-ray tomography systems are most promising to break the technical barrier of gas-liquid measurement in the flow channel of high-temperature and high-pressure (up to 15 MPa/342 °C) nuclear reactors. Hence, A CT measurement method has been developed for imaging a two-phase distribution of a central plane oriented in axial direction in a rectangular duct, which was tested theoretically using a numerical phantom and experimentally on a preliminary tomographic hardware with a mechanically traversed gamma source and a detector unit, as well as a static phantom simulating gas bubbles in the pipe. After completing experimental and numerical imaging of a multi-bubbles phantom, the two-phase contrast and locations of bubbles in the experimental and simulated reconstruction images showed a good agreement and supported the feasibility of applying the linear scanning technique to realize two-phase detection in rectangular channels. The sensitivity analyses of scanning range, photon-registering time and scanning step length conveyed the optimal experimental strategy for this system. Morphological operation has also been imposed on image processing achieving elimination of severe ringing artefacts. • An innovative CT method developed for imaging two-phase distribution in a rectangular channel. • A linear gamma-ray CT hardware for imaging static objects with large aspect ratio. • Sensitivity analyses of scanning range, photon-collecting time and step length. • Comparison of simulated and experimental imaging results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A two-dimensional axisymmetric particle-in-cell code with Monte Carlo collision conditions has been used to study particle energy transfer in plasmas and conversion in applied magnetic and electric fields appropriate to coaxial acceleration. The research incorporates a computation scheme with: a model of single particle magnetic interactions; a model of single particle interactions in electric and magnetic fields; and a model of multi-particle collisional interactions in order to understand the energy transfer processes and conversion mechanisms of charged plasma particles. This approach predicts electron and ion motions along with their energy variations for physical conditions that occur in the related models; the results allow comparison with experimental data for magnetic field strengths of 0.01-0.05 T and electrode voltages of 22.0-32.0 V. With the incorporation of magnetic and electric field effects on charged particles, the multi-particle model includes electron-neutral ionization collisions, ion-neutral charge exchange collisions, and electron-ion Coulomb collisions. This research presents a new approach to achieve an underlying understanding of the plasma energy transfer and conversion in the external electric and magnetic fields that is not possible using magnetohydrodynamics continuum representations. Results indicate the following innovative conclusions: (1) Radial and azimuthal energies of magnetized electrons are converted into an axial electron energy component in the diverging magnetic field, and the azimuthal kinetic energy of unmagnetized ions is converted into axial and radial components. (2) In electric and magnetic fields, electric field energy is primarily converted into axial kinetic energy of magnetized electrons by the energy transformation effects of magnetic fields, and for unmagnetized ions, the radial kinetic energy component dominates in the conversion of electric field energy. (3) For the collisional plasma, electron kinetic energy tends to increase (or decrease) to a terminal value since electrons lose energy in collisions then gain energy again from the field. Ions acquire most energy directly from the electric field, although part of the electric field energy arrives to the ions by collisions. Further, the ion axial energy component dominates the total ion energy. The collision processes are found to be integral and essential for the conversion of the plasma non-directed energy gain to be converted into the resultant axial energy, the magnitudes of which are found to be in agreement with experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The human norovirus (NV) circulates worldwide and is a major cause of epidemics, which have increased in Taiwan since 2002. NV in acute gastroenteritis (AGE) and non-acute gastroenteritis (asymptomatic) patients, including children and adults, have not been previously examined in Taiwan; therefore, we examined the epidemiology and phylogeny of NV in AGE and asymptomatic patients of all ages. Methods: 253 stool samples were collected from August 2011 to July 2012 (including 155 AGE and 98 asymptomatic samples in Taiwan) and analyzed using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for NV. Primers targeting the RNA-polymerase gene were used for RT-PCR to allow DNA sequencing of Taiwan NV strains and phylogenetic analyses. Results: NV was detected in 24 (9.5%) of 253 stool specimens using RT-PCR. NV was isolated from all age groups (1 to 86 y) and those NV-positive samples were major identified from inpatients (79.2%, 19/24). Statistical analysis showed that the NV infectious rate of AGE patients was statistically significant (P < 0.05) for age, season and water type, respectively. Phylogenetic analyses of the RdRp region sequence showed that 24 NV isolates belonged to Genogroup II Genotype 4 (GII.4). They were closely related to the epidemic strain in Taiwan in 2006, the GII.4-2006b pandemic strain in 2006, and the GII.4-New Orleans strain in 2010. Conclusion: This study is the first to examine NV in sporadic AGE and asymptomatic patients in Taiwan. Furthermore, epidemic strains of isolated GII.4 were predominant in Taiwan during 2011 and 2012. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Strain rate on the stress induced martensitic transformation was investigated. [•] The results show that the induced stress increases with the strain rate increasing. [•] Analysis shows that the microstructures are composed of needle sheet α″ and β. [•] The dependence of the induced stress on strain rate was explained. [•] It is in terms of the interface structure of martensitic dislocation model. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A novel domino sequence for the rapid assembly of 1,3-syn-substituted oxazines is reported. Mechanistically, the one-pot procedure is based on a three-step sequential process involving a hemiaminalization and Tsuji-Trost reaction. The process generates up to two new stereogenic centers in a concise and convergent fashion from simple and readily available starting materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Giant magnetostrictive actuators (GMA) used in vibration control and high precision positioning control have been studied widely in last decade. Recently, although many researchers commit themselves to modeling giant magnetostrictive actuators, there is still lack of simplified model of analyzing nonlinear properties to deal with the problems on active vibration control with giant magnetostrictive actuators. In this paper, a nonlinear constitutive model of a giant magnetostrictive actuator is put forward for the application of effectively suppressing vibration. The nonlinear constitutive model is established not only by combining linear constitutive equations with the Bouc–Wen equations but also by using Hamilton''s principle and the assumed mode method to analyze the hysteresis phenomena and quadric frequency property in the giant magnetostrictive actuator. In addition, a minimum variance self-turning regulator (MVSTR) is incorporated into the design of a controller, which may be used in suppressing low frequency (≤5Hz) and micron-level (≤5μm) disturbances. In the end of this paper, some simulations are performed in LABVIEW and experimental control tests are implemented using a giant magnetostrictive actuator prototype. Both the numerical simulations and experimental tests results show that the amplitudes of disturbances may be reduced up to no less than 90% averagely in the whole sampling processes. This proves that the giant magnetostrictive actuator has not only the capacity of controlling low-frequency and micro-level vibration but also the notable effectiveness of active control by the adaptive regulator. Moreover, the minimum variance self-tuning regulator is testified as a feasible controller for vibration control in the paper. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The electron dynamics in strong field non-sequential double ionization of nitrogen molecules is investigated with the three-dimensional (3D) classical ensemble model. The numerical results show that the longitudinal momentum spectrum of the doubly charged ions evolves from a wide single-hump structure at the near-infrared (NIR) regime into a double-hump structure when the wavelength enters the mid-infrared (MIR) regime. Back analysis reveals that in the MIR regime, the recollision excitation with subsequent ionization (RESI) is strongly suppressed with increasing wavelength, which results in the double-hump structure of the ions momentum spectra. This doublehump structure becomes more pronounced as the wavelength further increases because the contribution of the RESI further decreases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxaliplatin is included in a number of effective combination regimens used as first and subsequent lines of therapy for metastatic colorectal cancer. Accumulating evidence indicates that autophagy plays a significant role in response to cancer therapy. However, the role of autophagy in oxaliplatin-induced cell death remains to be clarified. In this study, we showed that oxaliplatin induced cell death and autophagy in Caco-2 colorectal cancer cells. The suppression of autophagy using either pharmacologic inhibitors (3-methyladenine, bafilomycin A1) or RNA interference in essential autophagy genes (ATG5 or Beclin1) enhanced the cell death and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production induced by oxaliplatin in Caco-2 cells. Blocking oxaliplatin-induced ROS production by using ROS scavengers (NAC or Tiron) decreased autophagy. Furthermore, numerous dilated endoplasmic reticula (ER) were present in oxaliplatin-treated Caco-2 cells, and blocking ER stress by RNA interference against candidate of metastasis-1 (P8) and C/EBP-homologous protein (CHOP) decreased autophagy and ROS production. Taken together, these data indicate that oxaliplatin activates autophagy as a cytoprotective response via ER stress and ROS in human colorectal cancer cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PVA/PA6 composite nanofibers were formed by electrospinning. Cu(II)-PVA/PA6 metal chelated nanofibers, prepared by the reaction between PVA/PA6 composite nanofibers and Cu² solution, were used as the support for catalase immobilization. The result of the experiments showed that PVA/PA6 composite nanofibers had an excellent chelation capacity for Cu² ions, and the structures of nanofibers were stable during the reaction with Cu² solution. The adsorption of Cu(II) onto PVA/PA6 composite nanofibers was studied by the Langmuir isothermal adsorption model. The maximum amount of coordinated Cu(II) (qm) was 3.731 mmol/g (dry fiber), and the binding constant (K₁) was 0.0593 L/mmol. Kinetic parameters were analyzed for both immobilized and free catalases. The value of Vmax (3774 µmol/mg·min) for the immobilized catalases was smaller than that of the free catalases (4878 μmol/mg·min), while the Km for the immobilized catalases was larger. The immobilized catalases showed better resistance to pH and temperature than that of free form, and the storage stabilities, reusability of immobilized catalases were significantly improved. The half-lives of free and immobilized catalases were 8 days and 24 days, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: High-precision-positioning technology with nanometric resolution plays a vital role in driving segmented mirrors in very large astronomical telescopes (VLAT). Current positioning actuators in VLAT are generally based on hydraulic technology, flexible-hinge principle and motor-reducer approaches. Although these actuators have their own merits in their specific applications, they cannot satisfy the high-precise-positioning requirements in active and adaptive optics because of their inherent drawbacks such as hydraulic leakage, lagging, solid friction and insufficient accuracy. To improve the performance of actuators and meet the needs for positioning resolution and accuracy in active and adaptive optics in VLAT, this paper presents the design and implementation of a giant magnetostrictive assembled actuator (GMAA). The actuator features stable nano-resolution positioning, large stroke, instant response, and high load capacity. The design is based on a combination of dual level, i.e. coarse and fine drive regimes. A new large stroke, nanometric positioning GMAA is realized. In this paper the integrated design of the actuator, the control system and the test results from the prototype are presented. The test results prove not only the capacity and positioning accuracy of the actuator in large strokes, but also the effectiveness of the control system and the control method. The tests performed on a single GMA show that when its stroke is 0.6mm, its positioning accuracy may reach to ±30nm and the GMAA positioning accuracy may reach up to ±90nm. The tests performed on the entire GMAA verify that it is able to perform a stroke of 2.2mm with approximately 60nm of displacement resolutions when 600N of external load is applied. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In order to improve the biomedical properties of a titanium alloy surface, electro-spark surface alloying was carried out using a graphite electrode in air, in a nitrogen gas atmosphere and in silicone oil. The morphology and microstructure of the strengthened layers were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The hardness distributions as a function of depth were measured by a micro-hardness tester. Corrosion resistance capacities of the modified layers were evaluated using potentiodynamic polarization measurements and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). In addition, wear resistance and corrosive wear properties in a simulated body fluid (SBF) were studied with a pin-on-disk tribometer. Alloyed layers, completely covering the substrate surface and about 40μm thick mainly composed of the TiC phase and with strong metallurgical bonding and adhesion to the substrate, were obtained. This can markedly improve hardness and wear resistance of the surface layer of the substrate. In comparison to coatings prepared in air and nitrogen gas atmospheres, the coating produced in silicone oil media exhibits a denser and more perfect surface structure. The wear resistance in air and corrosive wear resistance in SBF solution is the best for the coating produced in silicone oil. For instance, the wear rate in air with a GCr15 steel ball counterpart is reduced by a factor of 29 compared with the original titanium alloy and the corrosive wear rate in SBF solution with a corundum ball can decrease by a factor of 13.8. Simultaneously, the effect of electron-spark surface alloying of the titanium alloy surface on biocompatibility and biological activity was also investigated. The electron-spark surface strengthened layer treated in silicone oil shows good biocompatibility and biological activity, and can help cell attachment to the substrate surface. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The misfit and coherent elastic energy caused by ω particles in β matrix is quantitatively calculated in this study. First, the coherent strain matrixes for four ω variants are established including the misfit parameters based on Khachaturyan's theory. Then, the misfit and coherent elastic energy in athermal β → ω transition, and isothermal β → ω transition are calculated, respectively. The calculation results indicate that the coherent elastic energy gets maximum value when x = 0.08 (Nb content) and gets minimum value when x = 0.1518 in quenching Zr-Nb alloys, which are in fair agreement with experimental results. For isothermal β → ω transition, the misfit and coherent elastic energy depend on composition and aging temperature. The misfit caused by isothermal ω phase is much larger than the one caused by athermal ω phase. This results in larger coherent elastic energy in isothermal β → ω transition. In addition, the misfit is found as an approximate linear function of temperature and composition for Zr-Nb alloys, and the coherent elastic energy is revealed as an increasing function of |v -v | for the two kinds of transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During lactation, female small mammals frequently reduce their fat reserves to very low levels. The function of this reduction is unclear, as calculations suggest that the contribution of the withdrawn energy from fat to the total energy balance of lactation is trivial. An alternative hypothesis is that reducing fat leads to a reduction in circulating adipokines, such as leptin, that play a role in stimulating the hyperphagia of lactation. We investigated the role of circulating leptin in lactation by repleting leptin levels using miniosmotic pumps during the last 7 days of lactation in Brandt's voles (Lasiopodomys brandtii), a model small wild mammal we have extensively studied in the context of lactation energy demands. Repletion of leptin resulted in a dose-dependent reduction of body mass and food intake in lactating voles. Comparisons to nonreproducing individuals suggests that the reduced leptin in lactation, due to reduced fat stores, may account for ∼16% of the lactational hyperphagia. Reduced leptin in lactation may, in part, cause lactational hyperphagia via stimulatory effects on hypothalamic orexigenic neuropeptides (neuropeptide Y and agouti-related peptide) and inhibition of the anorexigenic neuropeptide (proopiomelanocortin). These effects were reversed by the experimental repletion of leptin. There was no significant effect of leptin treatment on daily energy expenditure, milk production or pup growth, but leptin repletion did result in a reversal of the suppression of uncoupling protein-1 levels in brown adipose tissue, indicating an additional role for reducing body fat and leptin during peak lacation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: In an earlier study, we found that hepatitis C virus core protein, HCV-C, participated in the malignant transformation of HCV-C transfected normal human biliary epithelial (hBE) cells by activating telomerase. Here we further investigated the signaling of the malignant transformation. Methods: Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), western blotting and immunoprecipitation were used to analyze the expression of HCV-C, human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT), nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and NF-κB inhibitor alpha (IκBα) genes and the phosphorylation level of IκBα protein. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA) and NF-κB-linked luciferase reporter assays were carried out to measure NF-κB activity. Results: The expression of HCV-C and hTERT was detected only in HCV-C-transfected hBE (hBE-HCV-C) cells but not in vector-transfected or parental hBE cells. More NF-κB protein accumulated in nuclear extracts of hBE-HCV-C cells rather than in those of control cells, though total NF-κB protein level showed no difference among these cells. DNA binding activity of NF-κB and the NF-κB-linked luciferase activity were much higher in HCV-C-transfected hBE cells than those in vector- or non-transfected hBE cells. In addition, the IκBα phosphorylation level, but not the IκBα mRNA or protein levels, was increased after HCV-C transfection. Conclusions: Hepatitis C virus core protein activates NF-κB pathway in hBE cells by increasing the phosphorylation of IκBα. The pathway may be responsible for HCV-C-induced malignant transformation of hBE cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Trehalase, an enzyme that hydrolyzes trehalose to yield two glucose molecules, plays a pivotal role in various physiological processes. In recent years, trehalase proteins have been purified from several insect species and are divided into soluble (Tre-1) and membrane-bound (Tre-2) trehalases. However, no functions of the two trehalases in chitin biosynthesis in insects have yet been reported. Principal Findings: The membrane-bound trehalase of Spodoptera exigua (SeTre-2) was characterized in our laboratory previously. In this study, we cloned the soluble trehalase gene (SeTre-1) and investigated the tissue distribution and developmental expression pattern of the two trehalase genes. SeTre-1 was expressed highly in cuticle and Malpighian tubules, while SeTre-2 was expressed in tracheae and fat body. In the midgut, the two trehalase genes were expressed in different locations. Additionally, the expression profiles of both trehalase mRNAs and their enzyme activities suggest that they may play different roles in chitin biosynthesis. The RNA interference (RNAi) of either SeTre-1 or SeTre-2 was gene-specific and effective, with efficiency rates up to 83% at 72 h post injection. After RNAi of SeTre-1 and SeTre-2, significant higher mortality rates were observed during the larva-pupa stage and pupa-adult stage, and the lethal phenotypes were classified and analyzed. Additionally, the change trends of concentration of trehalose and glucose appeared reciprocally in RNAi-mutants. Moreover, knockdown of SeTre-1 gene largely inhibited the expression of chitin synthase gene A (CHSA) and reduced the chitin content in the cuticle to two-thirds relative to the control insects. The chitin synthase gene B (CHSB) expression, however, was inhibited more by the injection of dsRNA for SeTre-2, and the chitin content in the midgut decreased by about 25%. Conclusions: SeTre-1 plays a major role in CHSA expression and chitin synthesis in the cuticle, and SeTre-2 has an important role in CHSB expression and chitin synthesis in the midgut. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In insects, hemocyanin superfamily proteins accumulate apparently to serve as sources of amino acids during metamorphosis, reproduction and development. Storage hexamerins are important members of the hemocyanin superfamily. Although insects possess storage hexamerins, very little is known about the character and specific functions of hexamerin 1 and storage protein 1 in insect development. Results: To gain insight into the function of storage proteins in insects, cDNAs for two storage proteins were cloned from the fat body of Spodoptera exigua. S. exigua hexamerin 1 (SeHex) cDNA contained an open reading frame of 2124 nucleotides encoding a protein of 707 amino acids with a predicted molecular weight of 82.12 kDa. S. exigua storage protein 1 (SeSP1) cDNA contained an open reading frame of 2256 bp encoding a protein of 751 amino acids with a predicted molecular weight of ~88.84 kDa. Northern blotting analyses revealed that SeHex mRNA is expressed in the fat body, cuticle, midgut and Malpighian tubules and SeSP1 in fat body, Malpighian tubules and tracheae. SeHex and SeSP1 mRNAs were expressed in fat body at different levels from first instar larvae to pupae, with expression was much lower from first instar larvae to first-day fifth instar larvae. SeHex transcript expression was high in fat body of wandering larvae (pre-pupae) and steadily decreased to the seventh pupal day. SeSP1 transcript expression was high in fat body of wandering larvae, 2-day-old fifth instar larvae and 2-, 4- and 7- day-old pupae. SeHex and SeSP1 mRNAs levels were expressed lower than control on the condition of starvation at 12 h. Of insects injected with SeHex and SeSP1 dsRNA, 38.7% and 24.3% survived to 204 h after treatment, respectively. This was significantly lower than in the controls groups. Conclusions: These findings provide new data on the tissue distribution, expression patterns and the function in starvation of storage proteins. RNA interference results revealed that storage protein genes are key in metamorphosis, reproduction and insect development. The results for SeHex and SeSP1 interference reveal that a potential method to control this pest is to disrupt the regulation of storage proteins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brandt's voles Lasiopodoinys brandtii exhibit large increases in nonshivering thermogenesis to cope with chronic cold exposure, resulting in compensatory hyperphagia and fat mobilization. These physiological events are accompanied by a remarkable reduction in serum leptin levels. However, the role of hypoleptinemia in cold adaptation in this species is still unknown. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that hypoleptinernia contributes to increases in food intake and brown adipose tissue (BAT) thermogenesis by modifying hypothalamic neuropeptides in cold-exposed Brandt's voles. Adult male voles were transferred to 5°C for 28 days. Accompanied by a decrease in serum leptin levels, hypothalamic agouti-related protein (AgRP) mRNA levels were significantly increased, but there were no changes in the long form of leptin receptor (Ob-Rb), suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3), neuropeptide Y (NPY) mRNA, proopiomelanocortin (POMC), and cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated peptide (CART) mRNA levels in the hypothalamus. When coldexposed voles were returned to warm (23°C) for 28 days, body mass, food intake, serum leptin, and AgRP mRNA were restored to control levels. Leptin administration in cold-exposed voles decreased food intake as well as hypothalamic AgRP mRNA levels. There were no significant effects of leptin administration on hypothalamic Ob-Rb, SOCS3, NPY, POMC, CART mRNA, and uncoupling protein I levels under cold conditions. These results suggest that hypoleptinemia partially contributes to cold-induced hyperphagia, which might involve the elevation of hypothalamic AgRP gene expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the Collins diffraction integral formula and the fact that a hard-edged-aperture function can be expanded into a finite sum of complex Gaussian functions, the propagation of a four-petal Gaussian beam passing through an apertured fractional Fourier transform (FRFT) optical system has been studied in detail. Some typical numerical examples are given to illustrate the properties of the four-petal Gaussian beam in the FRFT plane. The results indicate that the intensity distributions of the beam in the FRFT plane are closely related to not only the fractional order but also the beam parameters and the aperture parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the definition of the fractional Fourier transform (FRFT) in the cylindrical coordinate system and the fact that a hard-edged-aperture function can be expanded into a finite sum of complex Gaussian functions, the propagation properties of beams generated by Gaussian mirror resonator passing through FRFT optical systems have been studied in detail, and some typical numerical examples are given to compare the results obtained by the approximate analytical method with those by the numerical integral method, and it is shown that our method can significantly improve the numerical calculation efficiency. Further, the results indicate that the normalized intensity distributions in the FRFT plane are closely related to the fractional order, truncation parameter and initial beam parameters. The variation period of normalized intensity distributions with p is 2 whatever the value of the truncation parameter δ is. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined genome-wide expression datasets from human prefrontal cortex of normal and schizophrenic individuals ranging from 19 to 81 years of age. We found that changes in gene expression that are correlated with aging in normal subjects differ dramatically from those observed with aging in schizophrenic subjects. Only 2.5% of genes were correlated with age in both groups. Surprisingly, we also found a significant overlap (29–34%) between those genes whose expression was correlated with aging in normal subjects and those significantly altered in subjects with early-stage schizophrenia (within 4 years of diagnosis). This suggests that schizophrenia onset anticipates the normal aging process, and further, that some symptoms of aging, i.e. dementia and psychosis, might be explained by these common molecular profiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]