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Insects that are pests of stored products are highly tolerant to low O2 levels (hypoxia) and high carbon dioxide levels (hypercapnia) for long periods, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. In the present study, we investigated the metabolic profiles of Callosobruchus chinensis (L.) larvae held under 2% O2+18% CO2 (both v/v) for 24, 48, and 96 h using gas chromatography–time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC-TOF-MS), their corresponding control groups under normoxia were also investigated simultaneously. We found that the relative quantity of 91, 24, and 48 metabolites were altered at these three time periods, respectively. The metabolites were principally carbohydrates, organic acids, amino acids, and free fatty acids, 30 of these metabolites with high accuracy of qualitative identification and biological functions were chosen for further analyses. These were intermediates of the citric acid cycle, glycolysis, fatty acid synthesis, and amino acid metabolism. Based on our results, levels of organic acids increased, while levels of amino acids decreased, suggesting that metabolism was shifting from aerobic to anaerobic. Lipid metabolism may be relatively less important; the number of fatty acids exhibiting significant changes in level was quite small. The metabolic profiles changed dynamically over time, with the largest changes evident for 24 h of hypoxia/hypercapnia, followed by 96 h, and only a little change has been shown on 48 has revealed by heatmap and pathway topological analysis. Therefore, we present direct evidence that the metabolism of insect pests of stored products is influenced by complex environmental stressors.

Rationally designing and engineering electrodes with multiple components and favorable architectures is an effective way to modulate their electrochemical performance. Here, we present the tailored synthesis of a novel 3D macroporous electrode with hierarchical lollipop-like MnCo2S4/FeCo2S4 heterostructures immobilized on a flexible N-doped carbon matrix, which delivers a high specific capacitance of 2806 F g−1 (capacity of 1403 C g−1) at 1 A g−1 and excellent cycling stability (85.1% of its initial value after 5000 cycles). Moreover, a hybrid supercapacitor device based on the self-supported MnCo2S4/FeCo2S4/N-CMF electrode achieves a high energy density of 87.3 W h kg−1 at a power density of 799.9 W kg−1 and great electrochemical stability under bending conditions. This remarkable capacitive performance is attributed to the collaborative contribution from three components involving the enhanced charge transfer on the 3D interconnected carbon matrix, the unique ion-diffusion “short-cuts” provided by the hollow interior of the carbon skeleton, the abundant void space and electroactive sites in sheet-built MnCo2S4 spheres and rough FeCo2S4 nanoneedles, and great structural stability of firmly connected MnCo2S4/FeCo2S4 “lollipops”. Thus, this work offers insight into the rational construction of transition metal sulfide complexes for next-generation high-performance supercapacitors.

Due to the load characteristics of electric vehicles (EVs), a large number of charging and replacing power stations connecting to the power grid will have certain influence on the power grid. Therefore, it is necessary to study the impact of EV access on the distribution network power flow and voltage. This paper analyzes the charging and discharging behavior characteristics of electric private cars and the influence factors of vehicle charging load, and proposes a charging method modeling method for EVs considering different charging and discharging behaviors. This method can simulate the charging behavior habits of EV users. According to the data of private car travel in a city in 2018, taking the IEEE33 node system as an example, the distribution network model of EV access was established by using MATLAB software. This paper analyzes the influence of EV access on the distribution network under two charging modes, including transformer load, line current and node voltage, which provides references for the development planning of EV and the coping strategy of the power grid.

The ever-increasing global demand for green energy resources calls for more research attention on the development of cheap and efficient energy storage systems. Herein, we propose the rational design of a 3D carbon foam electrode deposited with perpendicularly oriented FeCo2 S4 nanotubes arrays (FeCo2 S4 /CMF) for high-performance asymmetric supercapacitors. In this work, the macroporous CMF served as conducting backbone not only to enhance the electrical conductivity of the composite, but also to promote the uniform growth of FeCo2 S4 nanotubes. Deposited hierarchical FeCo2 S4 nanotubes arrays with open hollow structures can afford numerous exposed electroactive sites for Faradaic redox reaction and provide short interior channels for fast electrolyte transmission. Due to these unique features, obtained 3D hierarchical FeCo2 S4 /CMF composite foam exhibits a high specific capacitance of 2430 F g-1 (specific capacity of 337.5 mAh g-1 ) at 1 A g-1 , and excellent capacitance retention of 91 % after 5000 cycles at a high current density of 9 A g-1 , which is superior to most of those previously reported binary metal sulfide-based electrodes. Moreover, asymmetric supercapacitor device assembled using the FeCo2 S4 /CMF as positive electrode also delivers a high energy density of 78.7 W h kg-1 at a power density of 800.3 W kg-1 . Therefore, this work provides a new strategy for the low-cost synthesis of 3D foam electrodes towards high-performance supercapacitor devices.

The ever-increasing requirements for renewable energy supply have pushed forward the development of low-cost and high performance energy storage systems. Here, we introduce the facile synthesis of a membrane-like electrode material by the uniform deposition of ultrathin NiMoO4 nanosheets on carbon nanofiber (CNF) membrane through electrospinning and solvothermal reaction. Under the templating of macroporous CNF substrate, obtained hierarchical CNF/NiMoO4 composite membrane with perpendicularly grown NiMoO4 nanosheets can offer substantial exposed electroactive sites for Faradaic redox reaction, and also provide interconnected conducting CNF networks for efficient charge transfer. Benefiting from these unique characteristics, the CNF/NiMoO4 composite membrane electrode exhibits a high specific capacitance of 1675 F g-1 at 1 A g−1, which outperforms most of the previously reported NiMoO4-based electrodes. Moreover, the asymmetric supercapacitor device is also fabricated utilizing the CNF/NiMoO4 composite membrane as the binder-free positive electrode, which also delivers a superior cycling stability (83.6% capacity retention after 3000 cycles) and high energy density of 44.4 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 800 W kg−1. Hence, current study provides a new protocol for the low-cost fabrication of membrane-like electrodes towards practical supercapacitor applications.

Exploration of high-performance Pt-free electrochemical catalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) mainly depends on the catalyst design and system construction. Here, a unique flexible HER catalyst of few-layered MoSe2 nanosheets perpendicularly grown on 3D elastic carbonized melamine foam (CMF) is fabricated through a solvothermal reaction. The rationally designed 3D hierarchical CMF/MoSe2 composite foam with conductive 3D networks and fully exposed MoSe2 active edges can provide efficient and rapid pathways for ion and electron transport, thus delivering largely enhanced HER catalytic performance with a low onset potential (−0.071 V vs. RHE), small tafel slop (49.3 mV dec−1), as well as excellent long-term stability. This research may pave the way for the development of flexible, lightweight, and low-cost catalysts for high-performance HER.

Octahedral nickel ferrite oxide (NiFe2O4) nanocrystals with average sizes of 81, 69, 63 and 46 nm were fabricated using hexamethylenetetramine as adscititious alkali via a facile hydrothermal route at various temperatures. The formation mechanism of octahedral nickel ferrite oxide nanocrystals was discussed in detail. Interestingly, the nanocrystalline size decreased with the increase in the hydrothermal reaction temperature. We studied the influence of hydrothermal temperatures on the evolution of the nanocrystalline and analyzed the relationship between the sizes of the nanocrystalline and their capacitive properties. Compared to the large-sized counterpart (81, 69 and 63 nm), the small-sized nanocrystals (46 nm) presented a maximum specific capacitance (562.1 F g−1) and remarkable cycling stability (80.3% capacity retention after 1500 cycles) at 4 A g−1. The excellent performance of the NiFe2O4 nanocrystals (46 nm) was mainly attributed to the unique octahedral nanostructures with a small size (fully exposing more electroactive sites and providing more sufficient expressways for rapid charge transfer) and their compositional advantages of nickel and cobalt (multiple oxidation states for redox reactions and relatively desirable electroconductivity). More remarkably, an asymmetric supercapacitor composed of NiFe2O4 (as the positive electrode) and activated carbon (as the negative electrode) displayed an ultrahigh energy density (34.91 Wh kg−1 at 1100 W kg−1) and an advanced cycling stability (84.5% capacity retention after 1000 cycles), which suggested that the decreased crystal size played a pivotal role in size-dependent capacitive performance enhancement.

A 3D hierarchical NiCo2O4/PANI/MF composite foam with a macroporous 3D skeleton, a conductive PANI coating and highly electrochemically active NiCo2O4 nanosheets is synthesized as a lightweight and low-cost electrode material. Due to the collaborative contribution of all the components, the prepared composite foam exhibits excellent capacitive performances when incorporated into an asymmetric supercapacitor.

The mounting challenges of global energy shortage and climate change call for the development of low-cost and high performance energy storage systems. Here, we propose the facile preparation of a 3D sponge electrode material by the uniform deposition of NiMoO4 nanorods on a carbonized melamine sponge (CMS) during a solvothermal reaction. Under the templating of a macroporous CMS backbone, the obtained 3D hierarchical NiMoO4/CMS composite sponge can offer numerous electrochemical sites for faradaic redox reactions and also provide interconnected conducting carbon networks for direct and rapid charge transfer. Particularly, the unique ant-nest-like interior channels in the NiMoO4/CMS composite sponge can ensure fast ion transportation and also buffer the volume change of NiMoO4 during the long-term cycling. Benefiting from these advantages, the NiMoO4/CMS composite electrode exhibits a high specific capacitance of 1689 F g−1 at 1 A g−1, which outperforms most of the previously reported NiMoO4-based electrodes. Moreover, the asymmetric supercapacitor device fabricated utilizing the composite sponge as a binder-free positive electrode also delivers a superior cycling stability (91.9% capacity retention after 2500 cycles) and a high energy density of 48.8 W h kg−1 at a power density of 800 W kg−1. Hence, the current study provides a new protocol for the low-cost fabrication of 3D sponge-like electrodes towards practical supercapacitor applications.

Exploring non-precious-metal-based oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) electrocatalysts featuring high efficiency, low cost, and environmental friendliness is of great importance for the broad applications of fuel cells and metal-air batteries. In this work, ultrathin NiCo2 O4 nanosheets deposited on 1D SnO2 nanotubes (SNT) were successfully fabricated through a productive electrospinning technique followed by a sintering and low-temperature coprecipitation strategy. This hierarchically engineered architecture has ultrathin NiCo2 O4 nanosheets uniformly and fully erected on both walls of tubular SNTs, which results in improved electrochemical activity as an ORR catalyst, in terms of positive onset potential and high current density, as well as superior tolerance to crossover effects and long-term durability with respect to the commercial Pt/C catalyst. The excellent performance of SNT@NiCo2 O4 composites may originate from their rationally designed hierarchical tubular nanostructure with completely exposed active sites and interconnected 1D networks for efficient electron and electrolyte transfer; this makes these composite nanotubes promising candidates to replace platinum-based catalysts for practical fuel cell and metal-air battery applications.

Aim To investigate the role of CXC chemokine receptor (CXCR)-7 and CXCL12 in lymph node and liver metastasis of gastric carcinoma. Methods In 160 cases of gastric cancer, the expression of CXCR7 and CXCL12 in tumor and matched tumor-adjacent non-cancer tissues, in the lymph nodes around the stomach and in the liver was detected using immunohistochemistry to analyze the relationship between CXCR7/CXCL12 expression and clinicopathological features and to determine whether CXCR7 and CXCL12 constitute a biological axis to promote lymph node and liver metastasis of gastric cancer. Furthermore, the CXCR7 gene was silenced and overexpressed in human gastric cancer SGC-7901 cells, and cell proliferation, migration and invasiveness were measured by the MTT, wound healing and Transwell assays, respectively. Results CXCR7 expression was up-regulated in gastric cancer tissues (P = 0.011). CXCR7/CXCL12 expression was significantly related to high tumor stage and lymph node (r = 0.338, P = 0.000) and liver metastasis (r = 0.629, P = 0.000). The expression of CXCL12 in lymph node and liver metastasis was higher than that in primary gastric cancer tissues (χ2 = 6.669, P = 0.010; χ2 = 25379, P = 0.000), and the expression of CXCL12 in lymph node and liver metastasis of gastric cancer was consistent with the positive expression of CXCR7 in primary gastric cancer (r = 0.338, P = 0.000; r = 0.629, P = 0.000). Overexpression of the CXCR7 gene promoted cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Silencing of the CXCR7 gene suppressed SGC-7901 cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Human gastric cancer cell lines expressed CXCR7 and showed vigorous proliferation and migratory responses to CXCL12. Conclusion The CXCR7/CXCL12 axis is involved in lymph node and liver metastasis of gastric cancer. CXCR7 is considered a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of gastric cancer.

In this paper, we propose an analytical model for the variable drift region width (VDRW) silicon-on-insulator lateral double-diffused MOS (SOI LDMOS) device. Using the proposed model, for example, the breakdown voltage 375 V of VDRW SOI LDMOS is obtained with a 18- $\mu \text{m}$ drift region length, while the average value of the surface electric field can reach 20.8 V/ $\mu \text{m}$ . A 3-D device simulator, Sentaurus, is used to investigate the performance of the VDRW structure. By analyzing the simulation results and the analytical values, it is proven that the proposed model can effectively optimize the doping profile and accurately forecast the breakdown voltage.

In this work, the preliminary study and a design method for the VLW (Variation of Lateral Width) SOI LDMOS device have been proposed. A capacitance-based analytical model and the adjusted critical electric model have been presented for this special structure. The relationship between the optimized drift doping concentration and the breakdown voltage with the other parameters of the VLW structure have been presented in detail.

The ever-increasing global demand for green energy resources calls for more research attention on the development of cheap and efficient energy storage systems. Herein, we propose the rational design of a 3D carbon foam electrode deposited with perpendicularly oriented FeCo

Under the climatic conditions of the central Yunnan, with oriental lily cultivar 'Sorbonne' as material, the influences of different degrees of drought stress on physiological and biochemical changes of leaf and on quality of cut flowers after re-watering during the growth of bud were studied. The results showed that as the period of drought stress extended, the levels of leaf relative water content and chlorophyll content decreased significantly, while the stomatal density, MDA and proline content increased. Under mild drought, MDA increased slowly while it rose rapidly in the later stage of moderate drought stress, indicating that severe drought aggravated harm to the plasma membrane and ultimately affect the synthesis of MDA. Proline only experienced some slight changes in early period of mild drought, however, it increased sharply under severe drought conditions, which indicated that the sensitivity of proline to water deficit was lower than that to MDA. From re-watering to flowering, the effects of drought during bud growth reflected abnormal flowering traits. Compared with the normal group, there were significant differences in shoot growth, plant height, flower diameter, length and width of petal and flower pigment content. All indicators were in verse relation with the length of drought stress period because a longer drought period resulted in shorter plants, smaller flowers, shallower color. The differences among seven treatments during the flowe-ring stage of leaf morphology (length and width) were not significant. The drought during bud stage resulted in the delay of the flowering time, and the flowering quality of plants experiencing severe drought stress could not return to the normal levels even after re-watering. Overall, mild drought during early period had small influence on the quality of lily cut flowers as well as the grade of flo-wering branches. Under moderate or severe drought, the quality of cut flowers declined dramatically and even lost their commercial values.以东方百合品种‘Sorbonne’为材料,在滇中气候条件下研究蕾期不同程度干旱对百合叶片生理生化指标和复水后切花质量的影响.结果表明: 随着干旱时间的延长,百合叶片的相对含水量和叶绿素含量大幅下降,气孔密度、丙二醛(MDA)和脯氨酸含量均上升.轻度干旱下,MDA含量上升缓慢,中度干旱后期上升较快,重度干旱使质膜受到的损害加重,最终影响MDA的合成.脯氨酸在轻度干旱早期变化微小,至重度干旱时增幅骤然加大,说明其对水分亏缺的敏感性较MDA低.复水至开花期,蕾期干旱对植株花期性状的影响表现为: 新梢生长量、株高、花径、花瓣长、宽和花色素含量均与对照差异显著,各性状指标与植株经历的干旱胁迫时间呈反比,即蕾期干旱时间越长,切花植株越矮,花朵越小,花色越浅.7个处理间花期叶部形态(长和宽)变化不显著.蕾期干旱使花朵开放时间延后,经历中、重度干旱的植株复水后花枝质量无法恢复到正常水平.综上,早期轻度干旱对百合切花质量影响较小,尚未造成花枝等级降低,中、重度干旱使切花质量严重下降,失去商品价值.

A 3D hierarchical NiCo2O4/PANI/MF composite foam with a macroporous 3D skeleton, a conductive PANI coating and highly electrochemically active NiCo2O4 nanosheets is synthesized as a lightweight and low-cost electrode material. Due to the collaborative contribution of all the components, the prepared composite foam exhibits excellent capacitive performances when incorporated into an asymmetric supercapacitor.

Two premium threaded connections with buttress threads and torque shoulders are established in this paper. One premium threaded connection uses the taper difference fit model and the other uses the arc and straight line fit model for the sealing surfaces of the pipe body and the collar body. 3D models are established to consider the frictional shear stress during the make-up process. The finite element analyses of the two connection models are performed to obtain the stress distribution and deformation-induced space variation on the connection models. In addition, the characteristics of the designed structures are analyzed and the tubing and casing make-up curves are deduced based on these characteristics. Finally, an experimental test with the arc and straight line fit model is carried out. As a result, the arc and straight line fit model shows good gas seal performance in the make-up and break-out operation tests. This study is expected to provide a theoretical guide to practical operations in China, thereby reducing the damage probability of tubing and casing during make-up.

A photo-fermentative bacterium for hydrogen production, Rhodopseudomonas sp. nov. strain A7, was isolated from sludge in a running bioreactor. The strain A7 has a flagellum and capsule. The hydrogen production performance exhibited by the strain A7 under several key parameters was investigated in batch culture. The maximum hydrogen yield achieved was160 ml-H2/60 ml-vessel using 60 mmol/l acetate, 15 mmol/l glutamate at a pH 7.0 and an inoculum time of 14 h. This study determined that the strain A7 can utilize glucose and, especially, fructose and sucrose for cell growth and hydrogen production. The hydrogen yield obtained with these substrates reached 33, 30 and 43 ml-H2/60 ml-vessel, respectively. These results imply that the strain A7 possesses a wide range of substrate utilization capabilities and is a potential candidate for photo-hydrogen production.

According to environmental lead exposure data and dietary survey data of lead and zinc smelting area,blood lead levels of children (2~7years old) in study area were predicted with IEUBK model. The children's blood lead concentration predicted value was compared with the corresponding measured value,by comparing the differences, measured the prediction ability of model. The results showed that predicted value and measured value of 2~7 years old children's blood lead concentration in A village were higher than the other villages, they were 33.5μg/dL,30.8μg/dL, respectively; predicted value and measured value of 2~7 years old children's blood lead concentration in I village were the lowest among all villages,they were14.5μg/dL,13.1μg/dL, respectively.By paired T-test showed that the predicted value were higher than the measured value about 1.4~3.4μg/dL,model calculation results slightly overestimated the children's blood lead level.But in general, the predicted value and measured value had a good consistency,through the model prediction could better reflect the children's blood lead levels in the study area.

The focus of the study was to establish an UPLC-ESI-MS/MS method for the qualitative and quantitative determination of VLPVPR in rat plasma. The method was as follows: Protein impurities in the rat plasma samples were precipitated with methanol; A Waters Acquity BEH C18 column (100 mm×2.1 mm, 1.7 μm) was adopted; the column temperature was 25°C; the mobile phase consisted of methanol-water with gradient elution at the steady flow rate of 0.3 mL·min-1; the detection wavelength was 202 nm. Mass spectrometry applied selected ion monitoring mode with m/z 255 (quantitative ion) and m/z 169 (qualitative ion). It was found that excellent linear relationship was obtained from the range of 10~200 ng·mL-1 (r=0.9991), the limit determination (LOD) of VLPVPR was 1.8 ng·mL-1, the recovery rate was 96.33%~100.76%, The inter and intre-day RSD were less than 7%. We thus conclude that a rapid and sensitive UPLC-ESI-MS/MS method was developed and validated for the determination of recombinant antihypertensive peptide VLPVPR in rat plasma. It can be applied to evaluate the pharmacokinetics of VLPVPR.

Exploring non-precious-metal-based oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) electrocatalysts featuring high efficiency, low cost, and environmental friendliness is of great importance for the broad applications of fuel cells and metal-air batteries. In this work, ultrathin NiCo

A novel disk photo-bioreactor was employed to produce hydrogen continuously byRhodopseudomonas faecalisRLD-53. The ability of hydrogen production was investigated in different feeding times and HRTs. The maximum total hydrogen yield in the photo-bioreactor reached 2.68 mol H2/mol acetate at 48h HRT and 4d feeding time. Experimental results indicated that feeding times and HRTs are two key factors determined biomass in the photo-bioreactor and hydrogen production capacity. Moreover, the photo-fermentation hydrogen production is strongly dependent on light energy supply, the light conversion efficiency of the novel photo-bioreactor was 1.6%, it is higher than that that of most of reported photobioreactors. Therefore, these results demonstrated that the disk photo-bioreactor was a useful and efficient reactor in entire continuous hydrogen production.

Engineering nanostructured architecture with a hierarchically arranged active surface is regarded as an effective strategy to develop advanced electrode materials. Herein, nanosheet-built MnCo2S4 micro-disks with abundant nano-pores are synthesized and uniformly dispersed on a three-dimensional nitrogen-doped carbon matrix (3DNC). In the resultant 3DNC@MnCo2S4 composite architecture, N-doped carbon network provides interconnected and shortened pathways for fast ion transmission and charge transfer, and the nanosheet-built MnCo2S4 disks allow the efficient Faradaic redox process through the increased active surface. Due to the compositional and structural advantages, prepared 3DNC@MnCo2S4 composite architecture delivers a superior electrochemical capacitive performance than 3DNC@MnCo2O4 and other sulphospinel-based electrodes (including a high specific capacitance of 1812 F g−1 at 1A g−1, and a high rate performance of 82.9% capacitance retention at 20 A g−1). When assembled into hybrid supercapacitor device, the 3DNC@MnCo2S4//AC HSC also exhibits a high energy density of 68.8 Wh kg−1 at the power density of 800 W kg−1 and excellent cycling stability (82% capacitance retention after 5000 cycles at the current density of 10 A g−1). The facile yet efficient construction of this 3D porous electrode provides an innovative method for developing high-performance energy storage devices.

The main content revolves round the on-state characteristics of the variation of a lateral width (VLW) LDMOS device. A three-dimensional numerical analysis is performed to investigate the specific on-resistance of the VLW LDMOS device, the simulation results are in good agreement with the analytical calculation results combined with device dimensions. This provides a theoretical basis for the design of devices in the future. Then the self-heating effect of the VLW structure with a silicon-on-oxide (SOI) substrate is compared with that of a silicon carbide (SiC) substrate by 3D thermoelectric simulation. The electrical characteristic and temperature distribution indicate that taking into account the SiC as the substrate can mitigate the self- heating penalty effectively, alleviating the self heating effect and improving reliability.

This paper discusses the application research on high-tech tax preference policy of manufacturing. Analyzing high-tech tax preference policy of the current manufacturing;The disadvantages of high-tech tax preference policy in production manufacturing;Suggestions for further implementing the high-tech tax preference policy of manufacturing.

Background: The association between the tumor necrosis factor-alpha gene (TNF-a) -238G/A polymorphism and the breast cancer has been analyzed in several studies, but the results have been inconclusive. We then performed a meta-analysis to get a precise estimation of the association. Methods: Eight case–control studies with a total of 37,257 cases and 39,564 controls were identified by searching the ISI Web of Knowledge database and the PubMed database up to August 2014. Results: Overall, no association was found between TNF-alpha-238G/A polymorphism and breast cancer in any of genetic model (additive model OR = 1.06, 95%CI: 0.94–1.21, Pheterogeneity = .02; homozygous model OR = 1.04, 95%CI: 0.83–1.30, Pheterogeneity = .98; dominant model OR = 1.06, 95%CI: 0.92–1.21, Pheterogeneity = .01; recessive model OR = 1.04, 95%CI: 0.83–1.30, Pheterogeneity = .98). Furthermore, no significant association was identified when stratified by ethnicity (Caucasian, Asian). Conclusion: This meta-analysis indicated that the TNF-alpha-238G/A polymorphism is not associated with breast cancer risk in the overall population.

To prepare the high titer and specific anti-serum against mouse Foxp3 and then use them to identify Foxp3 expression in normal mouse tissues.The Foxp3 fragment was amplified by polymerase chain reactions(PCR) and cloned into the prokaryotic expression vector pGEX-6p-2. The recombinant plasmid pGEX-6p-2/Foxp3 was transformed into E.coli BL21(DE3) to be expressed. The expressed fusion protein GST-Foxp3 was analyzed by SDS-PAGE and Western blot. The polyclonal clanti-serum was obtained by immunizing New Zealand rabbits with the purified fusion protein as antigen. The Foxp3 expression in normal mouse tissues was detected by Western blot with the anti-serum.The expressed products were analyzed by SDS-PAGE and Western blot. The results showed that the molecular weight of the expressed protein was about 45 000. The titer of the anti-serum was above 1:12 800. We observed that the anti-serum could recognize Foxp3 protein expressed in NIH3T3 cells by immunoblotting. Western blot results showed that the Foxp3 protein was expressed highly in spleen, thymus and lymph nodes, less expressed in stomach, but not expressed in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue.High titer antiserum against mouse Foxp3 is produced and can be used to identify the Foxp3 expression in normal mouse tissues.

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of a levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system (LNG-IUS) for the treatment of dysmenorrhea associated with adenomyosis.We recruited 48 women with moderate or severe dysmenorrhea associated with adenomyosis. All women were inserted of LNG-IUS into their uterine cavity from days 5 - 7 of their periods and maintained for 12 months. We compared the visual analogue scale (VAS) scores and verbal rating scale (VRS) scores of their dysmenorrhea and dyspareunia at baseline and 12 months follow-up.Forty-four women completed the study. There were significant differences between mean VAS and VRS scores changes of dysmenorrhea and dyspareunia at baseline and 12 months follow-up, those of dysmenorrhea dropping from 75 +/- 13 to 11 +/- 11 and 2.3 +/- 0.4 to 0.4 +/- 0.3, those of dyspareunia dropping from 54 +/- 19 to 4 +/- 4 and from 1.6 +/- 0.8 to 0.2 +/- 0.2 respectively. Overall 29 women (66%) were very satisfied or satisfied with the one-year treatment.Insertion of LNG-IUS alleviates moderate or severe dysmenorrhea associated with adenomyosis remarkably.

To assess the state of glucose metabolism and beta-cell function in obese and overweight children.Levels of glucose and insulin were detected during oral glucose tolerance test in 52 obese and overweight children aged 11.3 +/- 1.8 years with body mass index (BMI) 30.2 +/- 19.2 kg/m(2). Insulin resistance index (IR = FIN x FPG/22.5), insulin sensitivity index (IS = 1/FIN x FPG) and ratio of insulin increment to glucose increment at 30' (I(30)-I(0)/G(30)-G(0)) post oral glucose were measured. (FIN = fasting insulin. FPG = fasting plasma glucose). The IR, IS and the ratio post oral glucose were compared among groups with varying BMI and between groups of impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and control. Serum triglyceride determination and B ultrasonography of liver were performed.(1) one patient with type 2 diabetes (1.9%) and 5 patients with IGT (9.6%) were found. (2) IR (or = 2.8) was observed in 76.9% of the cases. (3) The IR, IS and their ratio showed no difference between the compared groups. (4) IR and IS did not show significant difference but there was significant difference in ratio between the IGT and control group. (5) Increased serum triglyceride and fatty liver were noted in 36.5% and 53.3% of the cases, respectively.The results indicated that insulin resistance and reduced insulin sensitivity in obese and overweight children are common, and these changes seemed not to correlated with the varying degree of BMI. Beta-cells function was obviously impaired in obese children with IGT and disorder of lipid metabolism exists in many obese and overweight children revealed.

Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is an example of a human genetic disorder that involves imprinting genes on the proximal long arm of chromosome 15 and SNRPN gene as a candidate gene for this syndrome. The purpose of this study was to show the molecular genetic defects and genomic imprinting basis in Chinese PWS patients and to evaluate the clinical applications of a differential diagnostic test for PWS.Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and methylation-specific PCR (MSPCR) techniques were applied for 4 clinically suspected PWS patients. Using three probes, including SNRPN probe for identification of the critical locus in PWS region, D15Z1 and PML control probes for identification of the 15p arm and 15q arm, the authors detected the deletions 15q in PWS. MSPCR was based on sodium bisulfite treatment of DNA and PCR primers specific for the maternal and paternal allele.When hybridized with mixed probes, it was found in 2 patients that the central specific signal was absent, but both the flanking control signals were retained, indicating SNRPN gene deletion of chromosome 15q11-13. Bisulfite-modified DNA from all PWS children amplified with methylated allele-specific primer pair showed only maternal 131bp PCR product, indicating the maternal uniparental disomy (UPD15).Genomic imprinting plays an important role in the molecular pathogenesis of PWS that caused by paternal microdeletions of 15q11-q13 or maternal UPD of chromosome 15. The basic defect seemed to be an absence of function of PWS genes that are normally expressed only from the paternal chromosome 15. MSPCR is a rapid and simple PCR-based assay compared with other cyto-molecular tests and its results were consistent with the clinical diagnosis of PWS, so it seems to be a reliable diagnostic method for PWS patients who show abnormal methylation at SNRPN. The genetic differential tests for PWS are important in determining familial recurrence risk.

There are nearly 1000 rice landrace varieties in the Taihu basin, China. To assess the genetic diversity of the rice, 24 intragenic molecular markers (representing 17 starch synthesis-related genes) were investigated in 115 Taihu basin rice landraces and 87 improved cultivars simultaneously. The results show that the average genetic diversity and polymorphism information content values of the landraces were higher than those of improved cultivars. In total, 41 and 39 allele combinations (of the 17 genes) were derived from the landraces and improved cultivars, respectively; only two identical allele combinations were found between the two rice variety sources. Cluster analysis, based on the molecular markers, revealed that the rice varieties could be subdivided into five groups and, within these, the japonica improved rice and japonica landrace rice varieties were in two separate groups. According to the quality reference criteria to classify the rice into grades, some of the landraces were found to perform well, in terms of starch quality. For example, according to NY/T595-2002 criteria from the Ministry of Agriculture of China, 25 and 33 landraces reached grade 1, in terms of their apparent amylose content and gel consistency. The varieties that had outstanding quality could be used as breeding materials for rice quality breeding programs in the future. Our study is useful for future applications, such as genetic diversity studies, the protection of rice variety and improvment of rice quality in breeding programs.