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Purpose Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) represents the most common subtype of thyroid cancer (TC). This study was set out to explore the potential effect of CHD1L on PTC and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods We searched for T2DM susceptibility genes through the GWAS database and obtained T2DM-related differentially expressed gene from the GEO database. The expression and clinical data of TC and normal samples were collated from the TCGA database. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was subsequently applied to assess the sensitivity and specificity of the CHD1L for the diagnosis of PTC. The MCP-counter package in R language was then utilized to generate immune cell score to evaluate the relationship between CHD1L expression and immune cells. Then, we performed functional enrichment analysis of co-expressed genes and DEGs to determine significantly enriched GO terms and KEGG to predict the potential functions of CHD1L in PTC samples and T2DM adipose tissue. Results From two genes (ABCB9, CHD1L) were identified to be DEGs (p 1, p

Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) represents the most common subtype of thyroid cancer (TC). This study was set out to explore the potential effect of CHD1L on PTC and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).We searched for T2DM susceptibility genes through the GWAS database and obtained T2DM-related differentially expressed gene from the GEO database. The expression and clinical data of TC and normal samples were collated from the TCGA database. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was subsequently applied to assess the sensitivity and specificity of the CHD1L for the diagnosis of PTC. The MCP-counter package in R language was then utilized to generate immune cell score to evaluate the relationship between CHD1L expression and immune cells. Then, we performed functional enrichment analysis of co-expressed genes and DEGs to determine significantly enriched GO terms and KEGG to predict the potential functions of CHD1L in PTC samples and T2DM adipose tissue.From two genes (ABCB9, CHD1L) were identified to be DEGs (p 1 * 10CHD1L may potentially serve as an early diagnostic biomarker for PTC, and a target of immunotherapy for PTC and T2DM.

To discuss the role and mechanism of β4GalT1 both in vivo and in vitro glioma, observe whether pathophysiological processes of glioma can be improved after β4GalT1 is knocked down, and study whether β4GalT1 plays a role in malignant biological processes of glioma by regulating the apoptosis and immune processes.Firstly, the distribution difference of β4GalT1 in tumor tissues and normal tissues was analyzed by Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) tumor analysis system to deduce the possible role of β4GalT1 in glioma. Secondly, whether the malignant degree of glioma was related to the expression of β4GalT1 and its immunity using human tumor tissues and blood lymphocyte subsets was analyzed. Thirdly, interfere lentivirus vector with β4GalT1 and knockdown β4GalT1 was analyzed to observe whether the malignant degree of glioma has changed. Fourthly, interfere lentivirus vector with recombinant β4GalT protein and β4GalT1 was analyzed to verify the effect of β4GalT in vitro test. Fifth, interfere lentivirus vector with recombinant β4GalT protein and β4GalT1 was analyzed to verify effect of β4GalT in vivo test. Finally, we discuss whether β4GalT is involved in the biological process of glioma through inflammatory reaction.In the GEPIA tumor analysis system, the expression in tumor was significantly higher than that in normal tissues. The expression of β4GalT1 in glioma tissues was higher than that in normal tissues, and the higher the malignancy of the tumor, the higher the expression of β4GalT1 in the glioma tissues, and the lower the immune level was. The expression of IDH1, MGMT, and ki-67 was reduced, and the survival rate of the mice with glioma was improved after β4GalT1 was knocked down. In vitro tests, the activity of tumor cells and their reproductive ability can be reduced after β4GalT1 was knocked down, the immune level of the body can be improved, and the level of tissue apoptosis can be reduced. After recombinant β4GalT1 was given alone, the result was opposite to that of β4GalT1 knocked down group. In vivo tests, gross tumor volume can be reduced after β4GalT1 was knocked down, the immune level of the body can be improved, and the level of tissue apoptosis can be reduced. After recombinant β4GalT1 was given alone, the result was opposite to that of β4GalT1 knocked down group. After knocking down β4GalT1, the expression of inflammatory factors can be reduced both in vivo and in vitro, and the inflammatory microenvironment of tumors can be improved. After recombinant β4GalT1 was given alone, the result was opposite to that of β4GalT1 knocked down group.The level of β4GalT1 expression in tumor tissues was increased. The malignant degree of glioma is related to the expression of β4GalT1 and its immunity. The level of tumor marker can be decreased, and the survival rate of glioma model mice can be increased after β4GalT1 is knocked down. Apoptosis and immune injury caused by tumor can be improved and gross tumor volume can be deduced after β4GalT1 is knocked down. During the development of glioma, β4GalT1 may play a malignant biological role through inflammatory response.

This work aims at finding a HfO2-based resistive random-access memory (RRAM) structure suitable for the integration of one RRAM with one InGaZnO thin film transistor (TFT) for large-area applications such as flexible electronic circuits. One of the major concerns is that the compliance current (CC) required for the formation of stable and strong conductive filaments in the forming and set processes as well as the maximum current required in the reset process in a large-size RRAM should be lower than that of the maximum current a TFT can deliver. In this work, an ultrathin Al2O3 layer of 2 nm was inserted between the HfO2 switching layer and the reactive Ti layer of the top electrode in the RRAM with the structure of Pt (bottom electrode)/HfO2/Al2O3/Ti/TiN (top electrode). With the ultrathin Al2O3 layer, the forming voltage was greatly reduced, and the CC for stable forming and set operations and maximum reset current can reach a low current level that an InGaZnO TFT is able to provide, while the device-to-device variation of the forming operation and cycle-to-cycle resistance variations of the set and reset operations are improved significantly.

In this paper, Moving Bed Bioreactor (MBBR) reactor was used as the research object to explore the effects of carbon source type on phosphorus removal performance of MBBR system and the changes of microbial metabolic characteristics in typical cycles. The results showed that the absorption and release of phosphorus by sodium propionate and starch were obvious. The accumulation and degradation of PHA and glycogen were observed in the three reactors, and PHA was prior to glycogen decomposition. When sodium acetate was used as carbon source, glycogen decreased during the stationary phase, and the other two did not change significantly. The intensity of fluorescent substances varies greatly with the type of carbon source. The fluorescent substances in the effluent are mainly tyrosine-like and protein-like substances, fulvic acid-like substances and humic acid-like substances. Therefore, the suitable carbon source type should be selected according to the microbial characteristics in the water treatment process to improve the treatment efficiency.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between muscle water properties, water-holding capacity (WHC), and woody breast (WB) severity in intact raw broiler breast fillets. Broiler pectoralis major deboned at 3 h postmortem was collected from a commercial plant and categorized as normal (NORM), moderate WB (MOD), or severe WB (SEV). Meat drip loss was calculated based on weight loss during overnight storage at 4°C. Water properties of the intact fillets were determined with time domain nuclear magnetic resonance and the T2 relaxation times were determined using an inverse Laplace algorithm (CONTIN). Three T2 water components, hydration water (T2b), intra-myofibrillar water (T21), and extra-myofibrillar water (T22), were identified. With increasing WB severity, the time constant of each water component and the relative content of T22 (P22) increased while the relative areas of T2b and T21 (P2b and P21, respectively) decreased. Spearman correlation analysis showed that there were significant correlations between the WB condition score and either the time constant or normalized area for each T2 component. T22 normalized areas (A22) were most strongly correlated with the WB score (r = 0.75); however, the weakest correlation was found between the WB score and T21 areas (A21). Pearson correlation analysis revealed that the strongest correlation (r = 0.64) was found between A22 and drip loss; however, there was no correlation between A21 and drip loss. Within the NORM group, drip loss was significantly correlated to the time constants for both T2b and T21. Within the SEV group, only the A22 was significantly correlated to drip loss. These data indicate that the WB condition has a significant impact on the distribution of water within the intact muscle tissue. The content of extra-myofibrillar water in broiler breast fillets may be a key factor responsible for the poor WHC measurements in WB meat.

The effects of miR-145 (microRNA 145) on M. pneumoniae (MP)-infected MRC-5 (Medical Research Council cell strain 5) cell TGF-β/Smad (transforming growth factor beta/Smad) fibrosis pathway were explored through constructing MP-infected MRC-5 cell models. In addition, the qPCR (quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction) and Western blot were applied to detect the mRNA and protein expressions of miR-145, TGF-β1 (transforming growth factor beta 1), Smad3, Smad4, MMP2 (matrix metalloproteinase 2), FN1 (fibronectin 1), ELN (elastin) and COLI α1 (collagen type I alpha 1) signaling molecules in TGF-β/Smad fibrosis pathway. The results showed that the expression of miR-145 in MRC-5 cells was significantly increased after MP infection. In addition, miR-145 inhibited the fibrosis promoting TGF-β/Smad pathway by targeting Smad3, a key factor in the TGF-β/Smad pathway. It can be concluded that, in the process of MP infection, the expression of miR-145 is stimulated to negatively regulate the fibrosis-promoting pathway of TGF-β/Smad.

Environmentally benign non-lead-based dielectric thin film capacitors with high electrostatic energy density, long-term stability, and fast charge/discharge capability are strongly demanded in advanced electrical and pulsed power devices. Here, we propose that insufficient crystallization is an effective method to achieve high energy storage performance. A high efficiency of 84.3%, together with a good energy density of 41.6 J / cm 3 and an excellent fatigue endurance, is obtained in a lead-free Nd-doped Bi 4 Ti 3 O 12 film of low crystallization. An increase in the annealing temperature increases the crystallinity and grain size, which improves the ferroelectric polarization of a thin film. A narrow hysteresis loop with large maximum polarization and small remnant polarization is obtained in the insufficiently crystallized film, which is annealed in the intermediate temperature. This film also shows a lower leakage current compared with the fully crystallized counterpart due to the less defective microstructure. This work provides a straightforward and executable method to design ferroelectric materials for the applications of energy storage capacitors.

The aim of the present study was to explore the prognostic value of long non-coding RNA CPS1-IT1 (CPS1-IT1) expression in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) patients and identify the effect of CPS1-IT1 on cell proliferation and apoptosis of EOC cells.Expression levels of CPS1-IT1 in tissues and cells were detected by the Real-time quantitative RT-PCR assay. The χ2-test was used to analyze the relationship between CPS1-IT1 expression and the clinicopathological characteristics. Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox's proportional hazards model. The capacity for cellular proliferation was measured with cell counting Kit-8. Cell apoptosis assays were performed using flow cytometry. Western blot was used to detect the expression levels of cell apoptosis-related proteins.We observed that CPS1-IT1 was significantly downregulated in EOC cell lines and tissue samples. The expression of CPS1-IT1 was significantly associated with FIGO stage and lymph node metastases. In addition, EOC patients in the low tissue CPS1-IT1 expression group had significantly shorter 5-year overall survival time than those in the high tissue CPS1-IT1 expression group. Furthermore, univariate and multivariable Cox regression analysis identified low CPS1-IT1 expression in EOC tissues as an independent poor prognostic marker of overall survival. It was also found that over-expression of CPS1-IT1 markedly promoted proliferation of EOC cells. Further studies revealed that over-expression of CPS1-IT1 induced cell apoptosis by through regulating apoptosis-related proteins.CPS1-IT1 may be a functional tumor suppressor in EOC. It may also serve as an independent prognostic factor for patients with EOC.

This study aimed to investigate the role of three-dimensional color tomographic ultrasound (3D-CTU) and three-dimensional color power Doppler (3D-CPD) imaging in diagnostics of liver lesions. Based on 3D-anatomical sectional structures of the liver, we used 3D-CTU and 3D-CPD techniques to reconstitute 3D-images of lobes, segments, and intra-segmental blood vessels, and lesions of the liver. With the use of this technique, we were able to generate 3D vascular patterns of liver lobes, segments and tumor lesions, and their spatial relationship. The observed vascular patterns of intra- and peri-tumor (including surrounding lobes and segments) and the spatial relation can be used for accurate positioning of liver lesions.

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of physical restraint and electrical stunning on plasma corticosterone, postmortem metabolism, and quality of broiler breast muscle. Before slaughter, a total of 160 Arbor Acres broilers were randomly categorized into 2 replicate pens (80 broilers per pen) and every pen was randomly divided into 4 groups (free struggle, physical restraint, free struggle and electrical stunning, and physical restraint and electrical stunning; n=20 per group). Glucose, lactate, and corticosterone were determined on blood plasma samples. Pectoralis major were removed after evisceration and used for determination of meat quality, energy metabolism, and calpain activity. In this study, reducing free struggle by physical restraint combined with electrical stunning improved (P

Analytic equation of state and thermodynamic quantities of solid fcc Rb3C60 are derived by using an analytic mean field potential method. For intermolecular forces, the double-exponential potential is utilized. Four potential parameters are determined by fitting experimental compression data of Rb3C60 up to 14 GPa at 296 K. Various physical quantities including isothermals, thermal expansion, isochoric heat capacity, Helmholtz free energy and internal energy are calculated and analyzed. Calculated results are consistent with available experimental data in literature. Furthermore, spinodal temperature for Rb3C60 is found to be 2,860 K. Results verify that analytic mean field potential method is a useful approach to consider the anharmonic effect at high temperatures. Numerous reasonable predictions and the change trend of the properties for Rb3C60 at high temperature and pressure have been given.

Based on digital photogrammetric measurements, the antenna panels of the Delingha 13.7m radio telescope are adjusted to make the main dish have an optimal paraboloidal surface at the elevation of 52∘, thus the overall antenna efficiency is optimized for different observing elevations. Observations indicate that the aperture efficiency of the telescope has been improved approximately twice in comparison with the antenna panels adjusted on the basis of theodolite measurements. According to the results of the measurements at different elevations, the models of antenna gravity deformation are built, including the displacement and tilt angle of the subreflector, as well as the focal length and surface error of the main reflector, as functions of elevation angle. In the process of modeling the gravity deformation of the main dish, instead of the direct calculation method, the least square fitting on the measured surface errors at different elevation angles is adopted, in order to reduce the effect of measurement errors on the accuracy of the model.

The Serpens filament, as one of the nearest infrared dark clouds, is regarded as a pristine filament at a very early evolutionary stage of star formation. In order to study its molecular content and dynamical state, we mapped this filament in seven species. Among them, HCO$^{+}$, HNC, HCN, and CS show self-absorption, while C$^{18}$O is most sensitive to the filamentary structure. A kinematic analysis demonstrates that this filament forms a velocity-coherent (trans-)sonic structure, a large part of which is one of the most quiescent regions in the Serpens cloud. Widespread C$^{18}$O depletion is found throughout the Serpens filament. Based on the Herschel dust-derived H$_{2}$ column density map, the line mass of the filament is 36--41~M$_{\odot}$~pc$^{-1}$, and its full width at half maximum is 0.17$\pm$0.01~pc, while its length is ~1.6~pc. The inner radial column density profile of this filament can be well fitted with a Plummer profile with an exponent of 2.2$\pm$0.1, a scale radius of $0.018\pm 0.003$ pc, and a central density of $(4.0\pm 0.8)\times 10^{4}$~cm$^{-3}$. The Serpens filament appears to be slightly supercritical. The widespread blue-skewed HNC and CS line profiles and HCN hyperfine line anomalies across this filament indicate radial infall in parts of the Serpens filament. C$^{18}$O velocity gradients also indicate accretion flows along the filament. The velocity and density structures suggest that such accretion flows are likely due to a longitudinal collapse parallel to the filament's long axis. Both the radial infall rate and the longitudinal accretion rate along the Serpens filament are lower than all previously reported values in other filaments. This indicates that the Serpens filament lies at an early evolutionary stage when collapse has just begun, or that thermal and non-thermal support are effective in providing support against gravity., 22 pages, 14 figures, 4 tables, accepted for publication in A&A; for the draft showing figures with full resolution, see http://gongyan2444.github.io/pdf/absfil.pdf

Nanostructured surface layer was synthesized on the end face of Ti–4Al–2V alloy and 0Cr18Ni9Ti austenite stainless steel rods by means of Surface self-nanocrystallization(SSNC). Making treated end surfaces as bonding interfaces, transition joint of Ti–4Al–2V alloy and 0Cr18Ni9Ti stainless steel bars was prepared by pluse pressuring diffusion bonding (PPDB) on Gleeble-1500D tester at 850°C for 80 s, the maximum and minimum pluse pressuring were 8 MPa and 50 MPa respectively, and cycle (N) and frequency (f) of pulse load were 40 times and 0.5 Hz respectively. Bonded joints were tensed on CMT5105 style instron. Microstructure of transition joint was investigated by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray energy dispersive spectroscope (EDS). The reaction products on the fracture were detected using X-ray diffraction (XRD). Research results showed that the maximum tensile strength reached 384.0 MPa, cleavage fracture took place while tension test of joints. Brittle intermetallic compounds such as Fe2Ti, FeTi and σ phase presented on the fracture, and on the titanium alloy side, α-Ti transformed into β-Ti in the vicinity of interface while diffusion bonding.

Nanostructured surface layers were synthesized on the end face of Ti–4Al–2V titanium alloy and 0Cr18Ni9Ti austenite stainless steel rods by means of high energy shot peening (HESP). Making treated end surfaces as bonding interfaces, Ti–4Al–2V and 0Cr18Ni9Ti rods were bonded by pulse pressuring diffusion bonding (PPDB) on Gleeble-1500D tester at 650–750°C. Joints were tested on tensile testing machine, the fractures and microstructures of joints were researched. Results showed that the maximum tension strength of 262.0 MPa was achieved, cleavage fracture took place while tension test of joints, and the grains in the vicinity of the diffusion layer are fined. But, brittle intermetallic compounds were absence on the bonding interface.

We present a study of molecular outflows using high-resolution mapping of the CO (1-0) line emission toward eight relatively nearby 6.7 GHz methanol masers, which are associated with massive star forming regions. Outflows were detected in seven out of eight sources, and five of them clearly show bipolar or multiple outflow morphologies. These outflows have typical masses of a few solar masses, momenta of tens of $M_{\odot}$ km s$^{-1}$, kinetic energies of $\sim$ 10$^{45}$ ergs, and the mass entrainment rate of a few $10^{-5} M_{\odot}$ yr$^{-1}$. They have significantly more mass and kinetic energy than their low-mass counterparts. In some of the sources, the massive outflow is obviously associated with a particular massive star in the cluster, while in others the origin remains uncertain. The high detection rate of outflows toward methanol masers suggests that the outflow phase of massive protostars encompasses the methanol maser phase., Comment: 16 pages, 3 figures, To appear in AJ (July 2006)

Helicoverpa armigera single nucleocapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus (HearSNPV) is a single embedded NPV pathogenic to the bollworm, which is a major agricultural pest in many areas around the world. Ha128 homologues have been identified in all completely sequenced lepidopteran NPV's, but no homologue has been found in a granulovirus (GV) and it is thus considered as a lepidopteran NPV-specific gene. In the HearSNPV-C1 genome Ha128 is located between 120,252 and 121,052 bp and encodes a putative protein of 266 amino acid residues with a predicted molecular weight of 30.5 kDa. Ha128 transcripts in HearSNPV-infected HzAM1 cells could be detected from 24 to 120 h post-infection (p.i.) by Northern blot. The Ha128 protein was detected at 24 h p.i. and remained detectable until 120 h p.i. by western blot using an anti-GST-Ha128 antiserum. The expression of Ha128 was inhibited in the presence of Ara-C, an inhibitor of viral DNA synthesis. These results together indicated that Ha128 was a late gene. The product of Ha128 was found to have an Mr of about 31 kDa, in agreement with the predicted molecular weight. Immunoflorescence using anti-GST-Ha128 serum showed that Ha128 was located in cytoplasm. GST pull-down and co-immunoprecipitation showed that at least two potential host proteins interacted with Ha128. In conclusion, Ha128 is a late protein localized in the cytoplasm of infected cells that may interact with host proteins.

Treatment of dewaxed oil palm frond fiber; fast‐growing poplar wood; maize stems; and barley, wheat, rice, and rye straws with 2.0% H2O2 at pH 11.6 for 16 hr at 45°C solubilized 85.7%, 49.5%, 78.2%, 79.7%, 87.1%, 92.7%, and 79.4% of the original hemicelluloses and 72.1%, 24.9%, 87.3%, 70.9%, 85.7%, 88.6%, and 89.8% of the original lignin, respectively. The results indicated that hydrogen peroxide at pH 11.6 had a significant effect on the release of hemicelluloses and delignification from oil palm frond fiber and cereal straws such as maize stems and barley, wheat, rice, and rye straws under the condition used. All the hemicellulosic preparations were much lighter in color and had relatively lower amounts of associated lignin than those obtained using traditional alkaline extraction in the absence of peroxide from the corresponding lignified materials. Xylose is the dominant sugar component in the hemicellulosic preparations isolated from oil palm frond fiber, fast‐growing poplar wood, maize stem...

Sugarcane bagasse was esterified with acetic anhydride using N-bromosuccinimide as a catalyst under mild conditions in a solvent free system. The extent of acetylation was measured by weight percent gain, which varied from 2.1% to 24.7% by changing the reaction temperature (25-130 degrees C) and duration (0.5-6.0 h). N-Bromosuccinimide was found to be a novel and highly effective catalyst for acetylation of hydroxyl groups in bagasse. At a concentration of 1% of the catalyst in acetic anhydride, a weight percent gain of 24.7% was achieved at 120 degrees C for 1 h, compared with 5.1% for the un-catalyst reaction under the same reaction condition. FT-IR and CP-MAS 13C-NMR studies produced evidence for acetylation. The thermal stability of the products decreased slightly upon chemical modification, but no significant decrease in thermal stability was observed for WPG > or = 24.7%. More importantly, the acetylation significantly increased hydrophobic properties of the bagasse. The oil sorption capacity of the acetylated bagasse obtained at 80 degrees C for 6 h, was 1.9 times higher than the commercial synthetic oil sorbents such as polypropylene fibres. Therefore, these oil sorption-active materials can be used to substitute non-biodegradable materials in oil spill cleanup.

The esterification of sugarcane bagasse with acetic anhydride using N-bromosuccinimide (NBS) as a catalyst under mild conditions in a solvent free system has been investigated. The extent of acetylation was measured by weight percent gain, which increased with an increment of reaction temperature (30–120°C) and time (0.5–72.0 h) and NBS concentration from 0.5 to 1.5%. In comparison with four tertiary amine catalysts (4-dimethylamino pyridine, pyridine, N-methyl pyrrolidine, and N-methyl pyrrolidinone) and one acidic catalyst (0.5% H2SO4), N-Bromosuccinimide was found to be the most effective and inexpensive catalyst for acetylation of hydroxyl groups in the cell walls of bagasse under mild reaction conditions. At a concentration of 1.5% of the NBS catalyst in acetic anhydride, a weight percent gain of 22.3% was achieved at 80°C for 2 h. FT-IR and CP-MAS 13C-NMR studies produced evidence for acetylation. More importantly, the acetylation substantially increased hydrophobic properties of the bagasse. The oil sorption capacity of the acetylated bagasse (18.8 g machine oil/g of bagasse fibre at room temperature), obtained at 80°C for 2 h, was approximately 1.9 times higher than those of the commercial synthetic oil sorbents such as polypropylene fibres. Cyclic sorption/desorption studies showed that a simple squeezing operation was sufficient to remove most of the oil absorbed on the fibre and the sorbents can be used several times. These novel oil sorption-active materials could be used to substitute those of non-biodegradable materials in oil spill cleanup.

Through the introduction of , the present employment status of Chinese college students in the year 2013 was understood. By analyzing the employment factors influencing college students' employment, comparing domestic and foreign food professional education and food program characteristics, the influence and inspiration on the reform of China's higher education in food program were discussed. Keywords—employment status, college student employment report, employment factors, higher education in food program 就业现状对我国食品专业高等教育的影响与启示

An upgraded version of the control system for the Delingha 13.7m millimeter wavelength telescope is recently introduced. This new control system adapts the new installed multi-beam receiver operated between 85 and 115 GHz. This paper presents a general overview of this new control system, which performs many operational functions including star acquisition and tracking, receiver setting and monitoring, spectra analyzing and data storage, and observation scheduling based on a distributed computing system. Special descriptions are given to the frontend and backend control of the multi-beam receiver.

Biochemical techniques, including pH variation, outsalting, ultracentrifugation, gel filtration chromatography and electrophoresis, etc., have been employed together with instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) to study the rare earth elements (REE) bound proteins in the natural plant fern,Dicranopteris dichitoma. INAA was also used to identify whether the proteins were bound firmly with REE. The results obtained show that two REE bound proteins (RBP-I and RBP-II) have been separated. The molecular weight of RBP-I on Sephadex G-200 gel column is about 8·105 Daltons and that of RBP-II is less than 12,400 Daltons, respectively. However, SDS-PAGE of the two proteins shows that they mainly have two protein subunits with MW 14,100 and 38,700 Daltons. They are probably conjugated proteins, glycoproteins with different glyco-units.

As an analytic approximation to the free volume theory (FVT), the analytic mean field potential (AMFP) approach is applied to the multi-exponential model solid. The analytic expressions for the equation of state (EOS) and thermodynamic quantities are derived. The formalism for the case of the double-exponential (DE) model is applied to the solid fcc C60. The four potential parameters are determined by fitting the experimental data of cohesive energy, lattice constant and compression curve of solid C60. The numerical results calculated show that the Girifalco potential is too hard and gives compression curve prominently deviated from experiments at high pressure, whereas the DE potential can well describe the thermo-physical properties of C60 system within wide pressure range. The calculated variation of lattice constant versus temperature relationship and compression curve for solid C60 by using the DE potential agree well with experimental data available. Especially the AMFP with DE potential predicted that the fcc C60 solid is stable up to 2440 K, the spinodal temperature, in good agreement with the result from molecular dynamic (MD) simulation. The AMFP is a useful approach to consider the anharmonic effects at high temperature for solid C60.

Three-dimensional numerical modeling has been performed to account for possible earthquake migration phenomena along a northwestern Pacific subduction slab, on the assumption that the lithosphere is a linear visco-elastic body, but the asthenosphere and the mesosphere respond to the applied stress as non-linear Newtonian materials obeying the power law of creep. On the basis of a three-dimensional thermal structure of the northwestern Pacific region, the preliminarily computed stress regimes show that: 1) to induce a stick-slip type trench event, prefailures at a depth of about 40 km in the front of the locked zone between two lithospheric plates are required; 2) the compositional density contrast due to phase change at typical depths is prerequisite of stress concentration to cause a dislocation type deep-focus earthquake; and 3) the co-seismic change in gravitational potential is a controlling factor for earthquake migration downward along the subduction slab.

Liver X receptors (LXRs) are important transcriptional regulators of lipid homeostasis and proliferation in several cell types. However, the roles of LXRs in pancreatic beta cells have not been fully established. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of LXRs on pancreatic beta cell proliferation.Gene expression was analysed using real-time RT-PCR. Transient transfection and reporter gene assays were used to determine the transcriptional activity of LXRs in pancreatic beta cells. Cell viability and proliferation were analysed using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT), DNA fluorometric, BrdU labelling and [(3)H]thymidine incorporation assays. Cell cycle distribution was investigated by flow cytometry analysis. Adenovirus-based RNA interference was used to knockdown LXRalpha, LXRbeta and p27 in MIN6 cells and mouse islets.We found that both Lxralpha (also known as Nr1h3) and Lxrbeta (also known as Nr1h2) were expressed and transactivated the LXR response element in HIT-T15 and MIN6 cells. Activation of LXRs dose-dependently inhibited pancreatic beta cell viability and proliferation. This was accompanied by beta cell cycle arrest at the G1 phase. Furthermore, LXR activation increased levels of the p27 protein by inhibiting its degradation. Knockdown of p27 reversed these effects of LXR activation on growth inhibition and cell cycle arrest.Our observations indicate that LXR activation inhibits pancreatic beta cell proliferation through cell cycle arrest. A well-known regulator of pancreatic beta cell cycle progression, p27, is upregulated and mediates the effects of LXRs on growth inhibition in beta cells. These observations suggest the involvement of aberrant activation of LXR in beta cell mass inadequacy, which is an important step in the development of type 2 diabetes.

One of the hotspots in the analysis of ECG is heart rate variability (HRV). In the present, the method mostly used for the analysis of HRV signal is linear analysis, and nonlinear analysis seldom used. Research progress of several methods of HRV analysis is presented. Principles and characteristics of using nonlinear analysis for the study of HRV are analyzed in detail. Fractal dimension, complexity and approximate entropy are discussed.

Tumor angiogenesis is critically important to tumor growth and metastasis. We have shown that pentosan polysulfate (PPS) is an effective inhibitor of heparin-binding growth factors in vitro and can effectively inhibit the establishment and growth of tumors in nude mice. Following completion of our Phase I trial of s.c. administered PPS, we performed a Phase I trial of p.o. administered PPS in patients with advanced cancer to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and toxicity profile and to search for any evidence for biological activity in vivo. Patients diagnosed with advanced, incurable malignancies who met standard Phase I criteria and who did not have a history of bleeding complications were enrolled, in cohorts of three, to receive PPS p.o. t.i.d., at planned doses of 180, 270, 400, 600, and 800 mg/m2. Patients were monitored at least every 2 weeks with physical exams and weekly with hematological, chemistry, stool hemoccult, and coagulation blood studies, and serum and urine samples for PPS and basic fibroblastic growth factor (bFGF) levels were also taken. The PPS dose was escalated in an attempt to reach the MTD. Eight additional patients were enrolled at the highest dose to further characterize the toxicity profile and biological in vivo effects of PPS. A total of 21 patients were enrolled in the three cohorts of doses 180 (n = 4), 270 (n = 3), and 400 (n = 14) mg/m2. The most severe toxicities seen were grade 3 proctitis and grade 4 diarrhea; however, 20 of the 21 patients had evidence of grade 1 or 2 gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding. These toxicities became evident at a much earlier time point as the dose was increased, but their severities were similar at all dose levels. There were no objective responses, although three patients had prolonged stabilization of previously progressing disease. Pharmacokinetic analysis suggested marked accumulation of PPS upon chronic administration. Serum and urine bFGF levels failed to show a consistent, interpretable pattern; however the data suggested an inverse relationship between PPS and bFGF levels in vivo. A MTD could not be determined using the daily t.i.d. dosing schedule due to the development of grade 3/4 GI toxicity (proctitis) at all dose levels studied. PPS, administered p.o. at doses of 400 mg/m2 t.i.d., did not cause significant systemic toxicity, but most patients developed moderate-to-severe GI toxicity within 1-2 months. The cause of the GI toxicity was unclear, but it was readily reversible upon cessation of the agent. The suggestion of an inverse relationship between PPS and bFGF supports further study of PPS as an antiangiogenic agent. The tested doses and schedule cannot be recommended for further study. Subsequent murine experiments showed PPS to be more effective as an anticancer agent when it is given intermittently. We propose a study of PPS given on a weekly schedule in further clinical trials.

The wave aberration theory of non-symmetrical optical systems is useful for understanding the misalignment in symmetrical systems and designing of off-axis mirror systems. A theory about the third-order aberrations for sub-aperture plane symmetric optical system is developed by using the aberration theory for full-aperture axially symmetric spherical systems. This paper proves the nodal aberration theory, namely, the points in the field with zero third-order aberration will deviate from the field center except for spherical aberration. It also reveals that the nodal aberrations arise from the transformation of the aberrations in full-aperture systems. This theory can be efficiently used in non-symmetric optical system designing process.

A three-parameter equation of state (EOS) without physically incorrect oscillations is proposed based on the generalized Lennard-Jones (GLJ) potential and the approach in developing linear isotherm regularity (LIR) EOS of Parsafar and Mason [J. Phys. Chem., 1994, 49, 3049]. The proposed (GLIR) EOS can include the LIR EOS therein as a special case. The three-parameter GLIR, Parsafar and Mason (PM) [Phys. Rev. B, 1994, 49, 3049], Shanker, Singh and Kushwah (SSK) [Physica B, 1997, 229, 419], Parsafar, Spohr and Patey (PSP) [J. Phys. Chem. B, 2009, 113, 11980], and reformulated PM and SSK EOSs are applied to 30 metallic solids within wide pressure ranges. It is shown that the PM, PMR and PSP EOSs for most solids, and the SSK and SSKR EOSs for several solids, have physically incorrect turning points, and pressure becomes negative at high enough pressure. The GLIR EOS is capable not only of overcoming the problem existing in other five EOSs where the pressure becomes negative at high pressure, but also gives results superior to other EOSs., Comment: 9 pages, 3 figures