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Background: The use of nonintubated video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (NI-VATS) has been increasingly reported to yield favourable outcomes. However, this technology has not been routinely used because its advantages and safety have not been fully confirmed. The aim of this study was to assess the safety and feasibility of nonintubated spontaneous ventilation (NI-SV) anesthesia compared to intubated mechanical ventilation (I-MV) anesthesia in VATS by evaluating of perioperative complications and practitioners' workloads. Methods: Patients who underwent uniportal VATS were randomly assigned at a 1:1 ratio to receive NI-SV or I-MV anesthesia. The primary outcome was the occurrence of intraoperative airway intervention events, including transient MV, conversion to intubation and repositioning of the double-lumen tube. The secondary outcomes included perioperative complications and modified National Aeronautics and Space Administration Task Load Index (NASA-TLX) scores from anesthesiologists and surgeons. Results: Thirty-five patients in each group were enrolled in the intention-to-treat analysis. The incidence of intraoperative airway intervention events was greater in the NI-SV group than in the I-MV group (12 [34.3%] vs. 3 [8.6%]; OR = 0.180; 95% CI = 0.045–0.710; p = 0.009). No significant difference was found in the postoperative pulmonary complications between the groups (p > 0.05). The median of the anesthesiologists' overall NASA-TLX score was 37.5 (29–52) when administering the NI-SV, which was greater than the 25 (19-34.5) when the I-MV was administered (p < 0.001). The surgeons' overall NASA-TLX score was comparable between the two ventilation strategies (28 [21-38.5] vs. 27 [20.5–38.5], p = 0.814). Conclusion: The NI-SV anesthesia was feasible for VATS in the selected patients, with a greater incidence of intraoperative airway intervention events than I-MV anesthesia, and with more surgical effort required by anesthesiologists. Trial registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR2200055427. https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.html?proj=147872 was registered on January 09, 2022. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salt-doped block copolymers have widespread applications in batteries, fuel cells, semiconductors, and various industries, where their properties crucially depend on phase separation behavior. Traditionally, investigations into salt-doped diblock copolymers have predominantly focused on microphase separation, overlooking the segregation between ionic and polymeric species. This study employs weak segregation theory to explore the interplay between phase separation dominated by the polymer-modulated mode and the salt-out-modulated mode, corresponding to microscopic and macroscopic phase separations, respectively. By comparing diblock copolymers doped with salts to those doped with neutral solvents, we elucidate the significant role of charged species in modulating phase behavior. The phase separation mode exhibits a transition between the polymer-modulated and salt-out-modulated modes at different wavenumbers. In systems doped with neutral solvents, this transition is stepwise, while in salt-ion-doped systems, it is continuous. With a sufficiently large Flory-Huggins parameter between ions and polymers, the salt-out-modulated mode becomes dominant, promoting macrophase separation. Due to the solvation effect of salt ions, salt-doped systems are more inclined to undergo microphase separation. Furthermore, we explore factors influencing the critical wavenumber of phase separation, including doping level and the Flory-Huggins parameters between two blocks and between ions and polymeric species. Our findings reveal that in a neutral solvent environment, these factors alter only the boundary between micro- and macro-phase separations, leaving the critical wavenumber unchanged in microphase separation cases. However, in a salt-doped environment, the critical wavenumber of microphase separation varies with these parameters. This provides valuable insights into the pivotal role of electrostatics in the phase separation of salt-doped block copolymers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A major hurdle to the successful deployment of high‐energy‐density lithium metal based batteries is dendrite growth during battery cycling, which raises safety and cycle life concerns. Coating the Li metal anode with a soft polymer layer has been previously shown to be effective in suppressing dendrite growth, leading to uniform lithium deposition even at high current densities. A 3D coarse‐grained molecular model to study the mechanism of dendrite suppression is presented. It is found that the most effective coatings delay or even prevent dendrites from penetrating the polymer layer during deposition. The optimal deposition can be achieved by jointly tuning the polymer stiffness and relaxation time. Higher polymer dielectric permittivity and coating thickness are also effective, but the deposition rate and, therefore, the charging current density is reduced. These findings provide the basis for rational design of soft polymer coatings for stable lithium deposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction of a water intake along the wharf shoreline can realise the intensive and comprehensive utilisation of the shoreline. However, since the water intake will increase the lateral flow at the wharf and also the hydrodynamic forces on ships, it will bring risks to ships mooring and leaving. The effects of the water intake on ships are studied using a physical model, numerical model and standard formulas. The results show that it leads to an increase of the hydrodynamic forces acting on the ship when the standard formulas are used to calculate the forces without considering the water level difference between the two sides of the ship. The results of the physical model are closer to the real situation. Measures that can effectively reduce the influence of the water intake on ships are proposed by increasing the distance between the wharf front and the front of the water intake as well as the depth of the water inlet windows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fast and convenient headspace gas chromatographic (HS-GC) approach was described for the estimation of urea in human urine. The HS-GC could detect the generated carbon dioxide derived from the urease-catalyzed hydrolysis of urea. It was found that the hydrolysis of urea catalyzed by urease was completed within 40 min at 35 °C. The results proved the great accuracy (relative errors ≤ 8.48%) and precision (RSD ≤ 2.66%) of the HS-GC approach. Moreover, the recoveries ranged from 97.9% to 101.5%. The new approach is rapid and automated, which provides a new way to routinely analyze urea in urine for the control of metabolic disease. • A fast HS-GC method was described for the estimation of urea in human urine. • The HS-GC could detect the generated carbon dioxide from the hydrolysis of urea. • The new approach provides a new way to routinely analyze urea in urine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an efficient and robust technique based on reaction headspace gas chromatographic analysis for the quantification of urea in milk is presented, which is realized by measuring formed carbon dioxide from the enzymatic hydrolysis of urea under the catalysis of enzyme urease. It was observed that the headspace equilibration was finished in 40 min at 35 °C. The new technique was proved to be accurate (relative errors ≤7.17%) and precise (relative standard deviations ≤2.93%). In addition, compared with the reference spectrophotometric technique, the new technique has a higher sample throughput. The proposed approach is simple, fast and has the potential to be a practical tool for the batch analysis of urea in milk production and processing. Unlabelled Image • Quantitative analysis of urea in milk by headspace gas chromatography. • The new approach is based upon measuring formed carbon dioxide from the enzymatic hydrolysis of urea. • This approach has the potential to be used for the routine analysis of urea in milk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Efficient determination of iodate in iodized salt. • This approach is based on the oxidation reaction of iodate with sodium oxalate. • The generated CO 2 from the oxidation reaction is measured by GC. • The proposed approach can be applied in the analysis of iodate in iodized salt. Abstract This paper introduces a convenient approach for determining iodate in iodized salt by headspace gas chromatography (HS-GC). The analytical technique can measure the generated carbon dioxide from the redox reaction between iodate and sodium oxalate in the presence of strong acid. The formed carbon dioxide from this reaction in a closed vial is measured by GC. It was observed that the redox reaction in the vial was completed in 40 min at 95 °C. The results indicated that this analytical technique is precise (RSD ≤ 2.69%) and accurate (relative errors ≤ 7.21%). The present approach is fast and simple, providing a robust avenue to the routine estimation of iodate in iodized salt in a wide variety of applications from processing to quality monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been considerable interest in the use of polymer membranes for solvent nanofiltration. While the pore size of nanofiltration membranes is generally known to be within 0.5–2 nm, the precise control of pore size and quantitative understanding of the role of pore size are experimentally challenging. By molecular simulations, in this study, we investigate solvent nanofiltration through polybenzimidazole (PBI) membranes with different pore sizes. Five PBI model membranes are constructed and pretreated by methanol, with the mean pore size (MPZ) ranging from 3.53 to 6.38 Å. When the MPZ increases, large pores are more populated and connected in the membrane. It is revealed that methanol permeation is governed by the presence and interconnectivity of large pores. For the membrane with a MPZ of 6.38 Å, the permeation of methanol and water is simulated. Compared with methanol, water permeation is faster but slowed down at a later stage due to membrane compression. The rejection of a model solute, glucose, is found to be 100%. This simulation study highlights the crucial role of pore size, as well as pretreatment, in solvent permeation, and would facilitate the development of new membranes for high-performance solvent nanofiltration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A biological potassium channel is >1000 times more permeable to K+ than to Na+ and exhibits a giant permeation rate of ∼108 ions/s. It is a great challenge to construct artificial potassium channels with such high selectivity and ion conduction rate. Herein, we unveil a long-overlooked structural feature that underpins the ultra-high K+/Na+ selectivity. By carrying out massive molecular dynamics simulation for ion transport through carbonyl-oxygen-modified bi-layer graphene nanopores, we find that the twisted carbonyl rings enable strict potassium selectivity with a dynamic K+/Na+ selectivity ratio of 1295 and a K+ conduction rate of 3.5 × 107 ions/s, approaching those of the biological counterparts. Intriguingly, atomic trajectories of K+ permeation events suggest a dual-ion transport mode, i.e. two like-charged potassium ions are successively captured by the nanopores in the graphene bi-layer and are interconnected by sharing one or two interlayer water molecules. The dual-ion behavior allows rapid release of the exiting potassium ion via a soft knock-on mechanism, which has previously been found only in biological ion channels. As a proof-of-concept utilization of this discovery, we propose a novel way for ionic power generation by mixing KCl and NaCl solutions through the bi-layer graphene nanopores, termed potassium-permselectivity enabled osmotic power generation (PoPee-OPG). Theoretically, the biomimetic device achieves a very high power density of >1000 W/m2 with graphene sheets of <1% porosity. This study provides a blueprint for artificial potassium channels and thus paves the way toward next-generation electric-eel-mimetic ionic power generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The purpose of this work is to introduce a new method for quantitatively analyzing water absorption capacity in wheat flour by a headspace gas chromatographic technique. This headspace gas chromatographic technique was based on measuring the water vapor released from a series of wheat flour samples with different contents of water addition. According to the different trends between the vapor and wheat flour phase before and after the water absorption capacity in wheat flour, a turning point (corresponding to water absorption capacity in wheat flour) can be obtained by fitting the data of the water gas chromatography peak area from different wheat flour samples. The data showed that the phase equilibrium in the vial can be achieved in 25 min at desired temperature (35°C). The relative standard deviation of the reaction headspace gas chromatographic technique in water absorption capacity determination was within 3.48%, the relative differences has been determined by comparing the water absorption capacity obtained from this new analytical technique with the data from the reference technique (i.e., the filtration method), which are less than 8.92%. The new headspace gas chromatographic method is automated, accurate and be a reliable tool for quantifying water absorption capacity in wheat flour in both laboratory research and mill applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Roughness derived from micro/nanostructures is a prerequisite for achieving superhydrophobic surfaces. However, such surfaces are mechanically weak and readily abraded by abrasion. Retaining superhydrophobicity under abrasion remains the biggest challenge for developing superhydrophobic materials. In nature, the mammal skins can accommodate the external stress through efficient cross-scale structural deformations. Inspired by these biomechanics, we have created a durable superhydrophobic surface that takes abrasion itself as trigger to active cross-scale structural deformations from microscale to nanoscale, which makes immediate and in-situ self-repair to the damaged roughness, showing roughness regeneration capability with retained extraordinary superhydrophobicity after finger-wipe, hammer-punch, screwdriver-scratch, knife-cut and sandpaper abrasion. Guided by the revealed mechanisms, artificial superhydrophobic fabrics were fabricated that maintained superhydrophobicity and excellent water repellent properties after treated by various abrasions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates a new double sealing technique for increasing the precision of the headspace gas chromatographic method. The air leakage problem caused by the high pressure in the headspace vial during the headspace sampling process has a great impact to the measurement precision in the conventional headspace analysis (i.e., single sealing technique). The results (using ethanol solution as the model sample) show that the present technique is effective to minimize such a problem. The double sealing technique has an excellent measurement precision (RSD < 0.15%) and accuracy (recovery = 99.1%–100.6%) for the ethanol quantification. The detection precision of the present method was 10–20 times higher than that in earlier HS-GC work that use conventional single sealing technique. The present double sealing technique may open up a new avenue, and also serve as a general strategy for improving the performance (i.e., accuracy and precision) of headspace analysis of various volatile compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the preferential movement of water inside carbon nanotube is appealing for water purification, our understanding of the water transport mechanism through carbon nanotube (CNT)-based membrane is far from adequate. Here we conducted molecular dynamics simulations to study how the alignment of the CNTs in the membrane affects the water transport through the CNT membrane. It was shown that compared to the conventional CNT membrane where the alignment of CNTs was vertical to membrane surface, the 'italicized CNT membrane' in which the contact angel between membrane surface and the CNT alignment is not 90° offered a higher transmembrane flux of water. The expanded exposure of more carbon atoms to water molecules reduced the energy barrier near the entrance of this italicized CNT membrane, compared to the vertical one. For water flows through the italicized CNT membrane, the Lennard-Jones interaction between water and nanotube as function of central path of the CNT changes from 'U' to 'V' pattern, which significantly lowers energy barrier for filling water into the CNT, favoring the water transport inside carbon nanotube. Above simulation indicates new opportunities for applying CNT in water purification or related fields in which water transport matters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The classical density functional theory is incorporated with the Stokes equation to examine the thermodynamic efficiency of pressure-driven electrokinetic energy conversion in slit nanochannels. Different from previous mean-field predictions, but in good agreement with recent experiments, the molecular theory indicates that the thermodynamic efficiency may not be linearly correlated with the channel size or the electrolyte concentration. For a given electrolyte, an optimal slit nanochannel size and ion concentration can be identified to maximize both the electrical current and the thermodynamic efficiency. The optimal conditions are sensitive to a large number of parameters including ion diameters, valences, electrolyte concentration, channel size, and the valence- and size-asymmetry of oppositely charged ionic species. The theoretical results offer fresh insights into pressure-driven current generation processes and are helpful guidelines for the design of apparatus for the electrokinetic energy conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The differential capacitance of a model organic electrolyte in a cylindrical pore that is so narrow that the ions can form only a single file is studied by means of density functional theory (DFT). Kornyshev (2013), has studied this system and found the differential capacitance to have only a double hump shape (the so-called camel shape) whereas other geometries show this behavior only at low ionic concentrations that are typical for aqueous electrolytes. However, his calculation is rather approximate. In this DFT study we find that the double hump shape occurs only at low ionic concentrations. At high concentrations, the capacitance has only a single hump. Kornyshev considers a metallic cylinder and approximately includes the contributions of electrostatic images. Electrostatic images are not easily incorporated into DFT. As a result, images are not considered in this study and the question of whether Kornyshev’s result is due to his approximations or images cannot be answered. Simulations to answer this question are planned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Minimally invasive surgery has made rapid development in recent years and has become one of the most hot fields in procedural medicine. As science and medical technology have been improved, it has also made great progress in applications of gynecology. Although traditional open surgery is still has an important role in gynecology, minimally invasive surgery are attracting more and more attentions from researchers. As a representative of minimally invasive surgery, traditional laparoscopy has been a standard minimally invasive approach for gynecological diseases, which also can treat gynecological malignancies. Since traditional laparoscopy has been proven a mature technology, in this article, two evolving minimally invasive surgeries, endoscopic surgery through natural channels and robotic-assisted laparoscopic surgery are respectively reviewed. We review the main advances of these minimally invasive surgeries and their recent applications in gynecological treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Patients with cancer frequently develop autoantibodies, and the identification of panels of tumor autoantigens may have utility in early cancer diagnosis and immunotherapy. This study aims to exploit the autoantibody repertoire in pancreatic cancer and identify the possible serum marker for pancreatic cancer. Sera from 55 newly diagnosed patients with pancreatic cancer and 52 healthy controls were analyzed for antibody-based reactivity against Hep-2, a human larynx epithelioma cancer cell line, with one-dimensional immunoblot assay. From this analysis, we observed a prominent band with a molecular weight of 47kDa in 63.64% (35/55) patients, while in only 1.9% normal group (1/52). Using immunoblot analysis after two-dimensional electrophoresis combined with liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry, this target antigen was identified as DEAD-box protein 48 (DDX48). BLAST analysis showed that it was highly similar to eukaryotic initiation factor 4A and might play a role in pre-mRNA processing. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was performed using recombinant, purified DDX48 as an antigen to detect anti-DDX48 autoantibodies in sera. Reactivity was observed in 20 of 60 (33.33%) pancreatic cancer patients, 3 of 30 (10.00%) colorectal cancer patients, 2 of 30 (6.67%) gastric cancer patients, 2 of 30 (6.67%) hepatocellular cancer patients, while none of the 20 chronic pancreatitis patients, 30 lung cancer patients, and 60 normal individuals. Together, these results demonstrate that the detection of autoantibodies to DDX48 may have clinical utility for the improved diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The electrolytes for lithium metal batteries (LMBs) are plagued by a low Li+ transference number (T+) of conventional lithium salts and inability to form a stable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI). Here, we synthesized a self‐folded lithium salt, lithium 2‐[2‐(2‐methoxy ethoxy)ethoxy]ethanesulfonyl(trifluoromethanesulfonyl) imide (LiETFSI), and comparatively studied with its structure analogue, lithium 1,1,1‐trifluoro‐N‐[2‐[2‐(2‐methoxyethoxy)ethoxy)]ethyl]methanesulfonamide (LiFEA). The special anion chemistry imparts the following new characteristics: i) In both LiFEA and LiETFSI, the ethylene oxide moiety efficiently captures Li+, resulting in a self‐folded structure and high T+ around 0.8. ii) For LiFEA, a Li−N bond (2.069 Å) is revealed by single crystal X‐ray diffraction, indicating that the FEA anion possesses a high donor number (DN) and thus an intensive interphase "self‐cleaning" function for an ultra‐thin and compact SEI. iii) Starting from LiFEA, an electron‐withdrawing sulfone group is introduced near the N atom. The distance of Li−N is tuned from 2.069 Å in LiFEA to 4.367 Å in LiETFSI. This alteration enhances ionic separation, achieves a more balanced DN, and tunes the self‐cleaning intensity for a reinforced SEI. Consequently, the fast charging/discharging capability of LMBs is progressively improved. This rationally tuned anion chemistry reshapes the interactions among Li+, anions, and solvents, presenting new prospects for advanced LMBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electrolytes for lithium metal batteries (LMBs) are plagued by a low Li+ transference number (T+) of conventional lithium salts and inability to form a stable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI). Here, we synthesized a self‐folded lithium salt, lithium 2‐[2‐(2‐methoxy ethoxy)ethoxy]ethanesulfonyl(trifluoromethanesulfonyl) imide (LiETFSI), and comparatively studied with its structure analogue, lithium 1,1,1‐trifluoro‐N‐[2‐[2‐(2‐methoxyethoxy)ethoxy)]ethyl]methanesulfonamide (LiFEA). The special anion chemistry imparts the following new characteristics: i) In both LiFEA and LiETFSI, the ethylene oxide moiety efficiently captures Li+, resulting in a self‐folded structure and high T+ around 0.8. ii) For LiFEA, a Li−N bond (2.069 Å) is revealed by single crystal X‐ray diffraction, indicating that the FEA anion possesses a high donor number (DN) and thus an intensive interphase "self‐cleaning" function for an ultra‐thin and compact SEI. iii) Starting from LiFEA, an electron‐withdrawing sulfone group is introduced near the N atom. The distance of Li−N is tuned from 2.069 Å in LiFEA to 4.367 Å in LiETFSI. This alteration enhances ionic separation, achieves a more balanced DN, and tunes the self‐cleaning intensity for a reinforced SEI. Consequently, the fast charging/discharging capability of LMBs is progressively improved. This rationally tuned anion chemistry reshapes the interactions among Li+, anions, and solvents, presenting new prospects for advanced LMBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• C(sp2)–H bond activation reactions of N -(hetero)aryl-7-azaindoles. • Cross-coupling with α-carbonyl sulfoxonium ylides. • High regioselectivity. • Excellent chemical yields and good functional group tolerance. We described a protocol for rhodium-catalyzed C(sp2)–H bond activation reactions of N- (hetero)aryl-7-azaindoles and cross-coupling with α-carbonyl sulfoxonium ylides. In the C–H activation reaction, the 7-azaindole moiety acts as a directing group, which results in high regioselectivity. The protocol features excellent chemical yields and good functional group tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithium metal batteries have been plagued by the high reactivity of lithium. Reactive additives that can passivate the lithium metal surface and limit electrolyte accessibility to a fresh lithium surface have been widely explored, but can have limited utility with continuous consumption of the additive. In this work, an alternative strategy is explored. The use of nonreactive cosolvents such as nonpolar alkanes is studied and its is shown that hexane and cyclohexane addition to ether solvents (1,3‐dioxolane and 1,2‐dimethoxyethane) halves the nucleation and growth overpotentials for lithium deposition, increases the cell coulombic efficiency, improves the lithium deposition morphology, increases the electrolyte oxidative stability (>0.2 V), and doubles the cycle life—even when compared to a widely used fluorinated ether. The nonpolar alkanes modify the lithium‐ion solvation environment and reduce the solvation free energy; hence reducing the reaction barrier for lithium deposition. Exploration of nonpolar alkanes as part of the electrolyte mixture is a promising strategy for controlling metal deposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A collaborative binary-real DE is developed for optimization problem with mixed variables. • A two-stage approach is presented for optimizing simultaneously ANN architecture and weights. • The proposed approach can fast gain ANNs with compact architecture and good generalization ability. This paper presents a two-stage approach, denoted as CBRDE-LM, to evolve the architecture and weights of feedforward artificial neural networks. In the first stage, a collaborative binary-real differential evolution (CBRDE) is used to optimize simultaneously network architecture and connection weights of an ANN by a specific individual representation and evolutionary scheme, in which the structure is indirectly represented as binary coding and connection weights are directly encoded by real-valued coding. In the second stage, based on the resulting architecture and weights of an ANN, Levenberg-Marquardt (LM) backpropagation algorithm is adopted for fine-tuning ANN weights. The performance of the two-stage approach has been evaluated on several benchmarks. The results demonstrate that the two-stage approach can fast produce compact ANNs with good generalization ability at low computational cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Rapid determination of humic acid content in fertilizer by headspace GC. • This method is based on the oxidation of humic acid in strong acidic medium. • The CO 2 formed from the oxidation is measured by headapace GC. • This approach presents a practical tool for the humic acid estimation in fertilizer. A fast, convenient and commercially available approach for analyzing humic acid content in fertilizer using headspace gas chromatography (HS-GC) is presented in this paper. Humic acid is converted into carbon dioxide based on the oxidation of humic acid in strong acidic medium and can be measured via automatic HS-GC. Conditions for the alkaline extraction and the humic acid oxidation process are also optimized. The new technique proved to be precise (RSD ≤ 3.59%) and accurate (relative errors≤9.46% as compared with the spectrophotometric approach). The newly established technique presents a practical tool to routinely analyze humic acid content in fertilizer during the fertilizer production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: BACKGROUND: An automated and accurate headspace gas chromatographic (HS‐GC) technique was investigated for rapidly quantifying water content in edible oils. In this method, multiple headspace extraction (MHE) procedures were used to analyse the integrated water content from the edible oil sample. A simple vapour phase calibration technique with an external vapour standard was used to calibrate both the water content in the gas phase and the total weight of water in edible oil sample. After that the water in edible oils can be quantified. RESULTS: The data showed that the relative standard deviation of the present HS‐GC method in the precision test was less than 1.13%, the relative differences between the new method and a reference method (i.e. the oven‐drying method) were no more than 1.62%. CONCLUSION: The present HS‐GC method is automated, accurate, efficient, and can be a reliable tool for quantifying water content in edible oil related products and research. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We investigate a simple and accurate method for quantitatively analyzing dissolved inorganic carbon in environmental water by reaction headspace gas chromatography. The neutralization reaction between the inorganic carbon species (i.e. bicarbonate ions and carbonate ions) in environmental water and hydrochloric acid is carried out in a sealed headspace vial, and the carbon dioxide formed from the neutralization reaction, the self‐decomposition of carbonic acid, and dissolved carbon dioxide in environmental water is then analyzed by headspace gas chromatography. The data show that the headspace gas chromatography method has good precision (relative standard deviation ≤ 1.63%) and accuracy (relative differences ≤ 5.81% compared with the coulometric titration technique). The headspace gas chromatography method is simple, reliable, and can be well applied in the dissolved inorganic carbon detection in environmental water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this work is to introduce a rapid and practical method for quantitatively analyzing total acid number in biodiesel by a reaction headspace gas chromatography. In this method, the carbon dioxide formed by the reaction of acidic species (i.e., fatty acids) in biodiesel and sodium bicarbonate can be measured by GC. The results showed that the complete reaction can be achieved in 25 min at 75 °C. The relative standard deviation of this method in total acid number determination was within 2.93%, the relative differences has been determined by comparing the total acid number obtained from this new analytical technique with the data from the reference technique (i.e., potentiometric titration), which are less than 8.05%. The reaction HS-GC technique is automated, efficient and can be a reliable tool for quantifying the total acid number in biodiesel and related research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work investigates an automated technique for rapid detecting the glucose content in glucose injection by reaction headspace gas chromatography (HS-GC). This method is based on the oxidation reaction of glucose in glucose injection with potassium dichromate. The carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) formed from the oxidation reaction can be quantitatively detected by GC. The results show that the relative standard deviation (RSD) of the present method was within 2.91%, and the measured glucose contents in glucose injection closely match those quantified by the reference method (relative differences <6.45%). The new HS-GC technique is rapid, practical and can be used to the batch detection of the glucose content in glucose injection related applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposed a new reaction headspace gas chromatographic (HS-GC) method for efficiently quantifying the total starch content in wheat flours. A certain weight of wheat flour was oxidized by potassium dichromate in an acidic condition in a sealed headspace vial. The results show that the starch in wheat flour can be completely transferred to carbon dioxide at the given conditions (at 100 °C for 40 min) and the total starch content in wheat flour sample can be indirectly quantified by detecting the CO formed from the oxidation reaction. The data showed that the relative standard deviation of the reaction HS-GC method in the precision test was less than 3.06%, and the relative differences between the new method and the reference method (titration method) were no more than 8.90%. The new reaction HS-GC method is automated, accurate, and can be a reliable tool for determining the total starch content in wheat flours in both laboratory and industrial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work investigates a new reaction headspace gas chromatographic (HS-GC) technique for efficient quantifying average valence of manganese (Mn) in manganese oxides. This method is on the basis of the oxidation reaction between manganese oxides and sodium oxalate under the acidic condition. The carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) formed from the oxidation reaction can be quantitatively analyzed by headspace gas chromatography. The data showed that the reaction in the closed headspace vial can be completed in 20 min at 80 °C. The relative standard deviation of this reaction HS-GC method in the precision testing was within 1.08%, the relative differences between the new method and the reference method (titration method) were no more than 5.71%. The new HS-GC method is automated, efficient, and can be a reliable tool for the quantitative analysis of average valence of manganese in the manganese oxide related research and applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: GhSCL13-2A, a member of the PAT1 subfamily in the GRAS family, positively regulates cotton resistance to Verticillium dahliae by mediating the jasmonic acid and salicylic acid signaling pathways and accumulation of reactive oxygen species. Verticillium wilt (VW) is a devastating disease of upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) that is primarily caused by the soil-borne fungus Verticillium dahliae. Scarecrow-like (SCL) proteins are known to be involved in plant abiotic and biotic stress responses, but their roles in cotton defense responses are still unclear. In this study, a total of 25 GhPAT1 subfamily members in the GRAS family were identified in upland cotton. Gene organization and protein domain analysis showed that GhPAT1 members were highly conserved. GhPAT1 genes were widely expressed in various tissues and at multiple developmental stages, and they were responsive to jasmonic acid (JA), salicylic acid (SA), and ethylene (ET) signals. Furthermore, GhSCL13-2A was induced by V. dahliae infection. V. dahliae resistance was enhanced in Arabidopsis thaliana by ectopic overexpression of GhSCL13-2A, whereas cotton GhSCL13-2A knockdowns showed increased susceptibility. Levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and JA were also increased and SA content was decreased in GhSCL13-2A knockdowns. At the gene expression level, PR genes and SA signaling marker genes were down-regulated and JA signaling marker genes were upregulated in GhSCL13-2A knockdowns. GhSCL13-2A was shown to be localized to the cell membrane and the nucleus. Yeast two-hybrid and luciferase complementation assays indicated that GhSCL13-2A interacted with GhERF5. In Arabidopsis, V. dahliae resistance was enhanced by GhERF5 overexpression; in cotton, resistance was reduced in GhERF5 knockdowns. This study revealed a positive role of GhSCL13-2A in V. dahliae resistance, establishing it as a strong candidate gene for future breeding of V. dahliae-resistant cotton cultivars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We demonstrate a reaction headspace gas chromatographic method for quantifying anhydride groups in anhydride-based epoxy hardeners. In this method, the conversion process of anhydride groups can be realized by two steps. In the first step, anhydride groups in anhydride-based epoxy hardeners completely reacted with water to form carboxyl groups. In the second step, the carboxyl groups reacted with sodium bicarbonate solution in a closed sample vial. After the complete reaction between the carboxyl groups and sodium bicarbonate, the CO2 formed from this reaction was then measured by headspace gas chromatography. The data showed that the reaction in the closed headspace vial can be completed in 15 min at 55°C, the relative standard deviation of the reaction headspace gas chromatography method in the precision test was less than 3.94%, the relative differences between the new method and a reference method were no more than 9.38%. The present reaction method is automated, efficient and can be a reliable tool for quantifying the anhydride groups in anhydride-based epoxy hardeners and related research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon coating is an effective approach to enhance the electrochemical properties of transition metal oxide. Herein, we demonstrated that increasing rigidness of carbon coating by incorporating the analogue of Al oxide was able to improve the rate capability and cycling stability of Co 3 O 4 . Compared with carbon coating, a hybrid coating consisted of carbon and the analogue of Al oxide (COAl) showed increased rigidness and robustness, which can suppress the massive expansion of Co 3 O 4 upon lithiation, and accordingly, a conductive linkage of carbon over the electrode surface could be well preserved by using a thin hybrid coating. In this way, good electrode integration was obtained together with fast electric conduction and short Li + diffusion distance. AFM force curve, SEM observation and impedance measurement were carried out to demonstrate the feasibility of our strategy. During the tests of Li-ion batteries, C@Co 3 O 4 @COAl exhibited significantly improved rate capability (0.2–20 A g −1 ) and cycling stability (4000 cycles at 5 A g −1 ) as compared with C@Co 3 O 4 @C, thus manifesting the significant role by increasing the rigidness of carbon coating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Metabolic reprogramming has emerged as a core hallmark of cancer, and cancer metabolism has long been equated with aerobic glycolysis. Moreover, hypoxia and the hypovascular tumor microenvironment (TME) are major hallmarks of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), in which glycolysis is imperative for tumor cell survival and proliferation. Here, we explored the impact of interleukin 1 receptor-associated kinase 2 (IRAK2) on the biological behavior of PDAC and investigated the underlying mechanism. Methods: The expression pattern and clinical relevance of IRAK2 was determined in GEO, TCGA and Ren Ji datasets. Loss-of-function and gain-of-function studies were employed to investigate the cellular functions of IRAK2 in vitro and in vivo. Gene set enrichment analysis, Seahorse metabolic analysis, immunohistochemistry and Western blot were applied to reveal the underlying molecular mechanisms. Results: We found that IRAK2 is highly expressed in PDAC patient samples and is related to a poor prognosis. IRAK2 knockdown led to a significant impairment of PDAC cell proliferation via an aberrant Warburg effect. Opposite results were obtained after exogenous IRAK2 overexpression. Mechanistically, we found that IRAK2 is critical for sustaining the activation of transcription factors such as those of the nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) family, which have increasingly been recognized as crucial players in many steps of cancer initiation and progression. Treatment with maslinic acid (MA), a NF-κB inhibitor, markedly attenuated the aberrant oncological behavior of PDAC cells caused by IRAK2 overexpression. Conclusions: Our data reveal a role of IRAK2 in PDAC metabolic reprogramming. In addition, we obtained novel insights into how immune-related pathways affect PDAC progression and suggest that targeting IRAK2 may serve as a novel therapeutic approach for PDAC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In strong over soft two-layered clays, there is a potential for the footing to experience a punch-through failure, where the footing penetrates a large distance at a short time after the initial peak resistance is reached. Three-dimensional (3D) large deformation finite-element analyses using 3D RITSS method were conducted to simulate the penetration responses of square footings in strong over soft clays. The effects of surface soil heave and soil layer interface deformation during footing penetration were studied in weightless soils. Fitted equations were proposed to express the footing capacity response against the penetration depth. Based on the fitted equations, formulas to calculate footing peak bearing factor and the corresponding penetration depth were developed. The peak footing capacity factor and the corresponding penetration depth increases with the increasing of soil layer strength ratio, relative top soil layer thickness and soil weight factor, thus the potential of punch-through failure was reduced accordingly. It was also found that the soil weight effect can be a simple surcharge based on the formula developed in the weightless soil. Design charts for the peak footing capacity factor and the corresponding penetration depth were developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Plate anchors, such as suction embedded plate anchors and vertically driven plate anchors, offer economically attractive anchoring solutions for deep/ultra-deep water offshore developments. The rotation/keying processes of plate anchors will cause embedment losses, which lead to decreases of the uplift resistances of the anchors in normally consolidated soil. In the present paper, the keying processes of vertically installed strip and square plate anchors are simulated using the 3-D large deformation finite element method. The effects of loading eccentricity and pullout angle on the embedment loss during keying are investigated. Both the development of the uplift resistance and the soil flow mechanisms are presented. The numerical results show that the loading eccentricity e/B has a much larger effect on the embedment loss than the pullout angle does. The anchor shape has a minimal effect on the loss in anchor embedment. The shape factors (square/strip) are 1.05–1.09 for loss of embedment and 1.10–1.19 for capacity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Increasing evidence shows that CD40–CD40L interaction plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease. The mechanism of CD40–CD40L interaction might be related to signal transduction via receptor. The transduction pathway of the CD40 receptor may involve the activation of phospholipase C (PLC) which induces the production of inositol trisphosphate (IP3) leading to the increase of the intracellular free calcium on one hand, and of diacylglycerol (DAG) which stimulates the translocation to the membrane of protein kinase C (PKC). Methods: Endothelial cells were isolated from human umbilical vein and incubated with indicated concentrations of CD40 ligand (CD40L) for various periods. The DAG levels in HUVEC were studied with radioenzymatic assay. Quantitative measurements of 32P phosphatidic acid were performed by thin-layer chromatography and autoradiography. IP3 was quantitatively measured by the radioreceptor binding assay. The activity of PKC and [Ca2+]i induced by CD40L were measured by its ability to transfer phosphate from [γ-32P]ATP to lysine-rich histone and flow cytometric analysis loading with the Ca2+ dye fluo3/Am, respectively. Results: The DAG levels were raised by CD40L in a dose-dependent, biphasic manner. The early phase was rapid and transient, peaking at 20 s; and the late phase reached the maximal level at 10 min and then decayed slowly. CD40L increased the PKC total activity in a dose-dependent manner with phase peaking at 12 min, then decreased slowly and maintained for at least 20 min. The results also showed that CD40L induced PKC activity translocation from the cytosolic to membrane. Similarly, the CD40L-induced transient IP3 formation was coincident with the first peak of DAG formation. Moreover, CD40L also induced biphasic [Ca2+]i responses including the rapid initial transient phase and the sustained phase. Anti-CD40 monoclonal antibody can significantly suppress CD40L-induced DAG–PKC and IP3–[Ca2+]i signal pathway activation in HUVEC. Conclusions: CD40–CD40 ligand interaction can induce a robust stimulation of the DAG–PKC and inositol trisphosphate–Ca2+ signal transduction pathway in HUVEC. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper demonstrated a new approach for detecting pentosan content in wheat products enabled by phase‐transfer reaction technique. This approach was based on the phase‐transfer reaction of pentosans in wheat sample to furfural in an acidic medium. The hydrolysis reaction could be finished within 30 min at 90 °C, with a sulfuric acid concentration of 12.0 mol/L. The furfural generated from the hydrolysis of pentosan was then measured by headspace gas chromatography (HS‐GC) using a flame ionization detector (FID). The results showed that this method was precise (relative standard deviations (RSD)≤2.82 %) and accurate (relative differences (RD)≤6.49 % compared with the reference spectrophotometric method, the recoveries ranged from 98.1 to 102 %). Moreover, the developed approach is semi‐automated and efficient, which can be a good alternative method for the high‐throughput analysis of pentosan content in both laboratory and mill testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2D‐material‐based membranes with densely packed sub‐nanometer‐height fluidic channels show exceptional transport properties, and have attracted broad research interest for energy‐, environment‐, and healthcare‐related applications. Recently, light‐controlled active transport of ionic species in abiotic materials have received renewed attention. However, its dependence on inhomogeneous or site‐specific illumination is a challenge for scalable application. Here, directional proton transport through printed asymmetric graphene oxide superstructures (GOSs) is demonstrated under full‐area illumination. The GOSs are composed of partially stacked graphene oxide multilayers formed by a two‐step direct ink writing process. The direction of the photoinduced proton current is determined by the position of top graphene oxide multilayers, which functions as a photogate to modulate the horizontal ion transport through the beneath lamellar nanochannels. This transport phenomenon unveils a new driving mechanism that, in asymmetric nanofluidic structures, the decay of local light intensity in depth direction breaks the balance of electric potential distribution in horizontal direction, and thus generates a photoelectric driving force for ion transport. Following this mechanism, the GOSs are developed into photonic ion transistors with three different gating modes. The asymmetrically printed photonic‐ionic devices provide fundamental elements for light‐harvesting nanofluidic circuits, and may find applications for artificial photosynthesis and artificial electric organs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The results of the RV144 vaccine clinical trial showed a correlation between high level of anti-V1V2 antibodies (Abs) and a decreased risk of acquiring HIV-1 infection. This turned the focus of HIV vaccine design to the induction of elevated levels of anti-V2 Abs to increase vaccine efficacy. In plasma samples from HIV-1 infected Cameroonian individuals, we observed broad variations in levels of anti-V2 Abs, and 6 of the 79 plasma samples tested longitudinally displayed substantial deficiency of V2 Abs. Sequence analysis of the V2 region from plasma viruses and multivariate analyses of V2 characteristics showed a significant difference in several features between V2-deficient and V2-reactive plasma Abs. These results suggest that HIV vaccine immunogens containing a shorter V2 region with fewer glycosylation sites and higher electrostatic charges can be beneficial for induction of a higher level of anti-V2 Abs and thus contribute to HIV vaccine efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intramural pregnancy is a rare type of ectopic pregnancy, where the gestational sac is implanted inside the myometrium instead of the endometrial and fallopian tubes. Preoperative diagnosis remains very difficult. Ultrasonic findings vary according to the anatomical location or duration of pregnancy. In this study, we summarized the ultrasonic characteristics of intramural pregnancy by assessing three cases. We also propose a set of ultrasonic characteristics to facilitate differential diagnosis between intramural pregnancy and other types of ectopic pregnancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fusarium head blight ( FHB) in wheat and other small grain cereals is a globally devastating disease caused by toxigenic Fusarium pathogens. Controlling FHB is a challenge because germplasm that is naturally resistant against these pathogens is inadequate. Current control measures rely on fungicides. Here, an antibody fusion comprised of the Fusarium spp.-specific recombinant antibody gene CWP2 derived from chicken, and the endochitinase gene Ech42 from the biocontrol fungus Trichoderma atroviride was introduced into the elite wheat cultivar Zhengmai9023 by particle bombardment. Expression of this fusion gene was regulated by the lemma/palea-specific promoter Lem2 derived from barley; its expression was confirmed as lemma/palea-specific in transgenic wheat. Single-floret inoculation of independent transgenic wheat lines of the T3 to T6 generations revealed significant resistance (type II) to fungal spreading, and natural infection assays in the field showed significant resistance (type I) to initial infection. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis revealed marked reduction of mycotoxins in the grains of the transgenic wheat lines. Progenies of crosses between the transgenic lines and the FHB-susceptible cultivar Huamai13 also showed significantly enhanced FHB resistance. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis revealed that the tissue-specific expression of the antibody fusion was induced by salicylic acid drenching and induced to a greater extent by F. graminearum infection. Histochemical analysis showed substantial restriction of mycelial growth in the lemma tissues of the transgenic plants. Thus, the combined tissue-specific and pathogen-inducible expression of this Fusarium-specific antibody fusion can effectively protect wheat against Fusarium pathogens and reduce mycotoxin content in grain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tripartite motif protein (TRIM)5α/CypA fusion protein TRIMCyp in Old World monkeys is generally considered unable to restrict HIV-1 replication. Monkeys with TRIMCyp can serve as a unique animal model for studies of HIV-1 infection. The present study investigated the distribution and expression status of TRIMCyp in four species of macaques originating from China and its borderlands: pigtail macaques ( Macaca nemestrina), rhesus macaques ( Macaca mulatta), long-tailed macaques ( Macaca fascicularis), and Tibetan macaques ( Macaca thibetana). The results revealed that the frequencies of the TRIMCyp genotype were significantly different among different species and even within different populations of the same species. Interestingly, the TRIMCyp genotype was more prevalent among macaques originating from Yunnan and surrounding regions than those from other regions of China. Importantly, TRIMCyp individuals were first identified in Chinese M. mulatta originating from Yunnan, although multiple earlier studies failed to find CypA retrotransposition in this subspecies. Furthermore, TRIMe7-CypA, one of the splicing isoforms of the TRIMCyp transcript was expressed in M. nemestrina and M. mulatta but not M. fascicularis. The intra- and interspecies polymorphisms in the deduced TRIMCyp amino acid sequences of these macaques were also analyzed. Taken together, the data in this study provide important information about the genomic background of TRIMCyp among major species of Chinese macaques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the respiratory function and pulmonary hemodynamics in patients with portal hypertension (PHT). METHODS: A total of 148 patients with PHT were divided into three groups according to Child-Pugh classification. Results of blood biochemistry test, lung function test, arterial blood gas analysis, free portal pressure (FPP) and pulmonary hemodynamics measurements of the three Child-Pugh grade groups were compared with those of the control group. RESULTS: The overall incidence of arterial hypoxemia was 27.0% in PHT patients. Arterial oxygen tension (PaO2) had a significant negative correlation with FPP ( r = −0.76, P < 0.01) and Child-Pugh grade ( r = −0.42, P < 0.01), as well as a positive correlation with systemic vascular resistance (SVR, r = 0.24, P = 0.01). Alveolar-arterial oxygen difference (A-aDO2) increased in Child-Pugh grade C group when compared with Child-Pugh grade A and B groups ( P < 0.05). Restrictive impairment of lung function was seen in Child-Pugh grade C group. Direct measurement of the hemodynamics in PHT patients revealed a hyperdynamic disturbance in both systemic and portal venous systems, and was illustrated in pulmonary circulation as an increase of mean pulmonary arterial pressure (MPAP) and pulmonary arterial wedged pressure (PAWP) as well as a decrease of pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR). CONCLUSIONS: High output and low resistance are the key characteristics of pulmonary circulation in PHT patients and the decrease of PVR can be detected even when liver function is still compensated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: To investigate essential factors that determine the efficacy of vaccines against lentiviruses, an effective attenuated equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) vaccine strain and a proviral derivative of the vaccine were compared with respect to differences in inducing protective immunity. Although these two strains replicated equally well in vitro and in vivo, the proviral strain induced significantly less protection from disease and infection caused by viral challenge and significantly lower specific neutralizing capability. These findings indicated that the proviral strain had lost the ability to stimulate immune protection compared to the parental vaccine strain. A further analysis of the envelope gp90 gene variation revealed that compared to the proviral strain, the vaccine strain displayed a wide sequence diversity in immunogen composition. Thus, we inferred that the differences in immunogen composition might be the major cause for the failure of the proviral derivative to elicit the immune protection induced by the parental strain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A fowlpox virus expressing the chicken infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) S1 gene of the LX4 strain (rFPV-IBVS1) and a fowlpox virus co-expressing the S1 gene and the chicken type II interferon gene (rFPV-IBVS1-ChIFNγ) were constructed. These viruses were assessed for their immunological efficacy on specific-pathogen-free (SPF) chickens challenged with a virulent IBV. Although the antibody levels in the rFPV-IBVS1-ChIFNγ-vaccinated group were lower than those in the attenuated live IB vaccine H120 group and the rFPV-IBVS1 group, the rFPV-IBVS1-ChIFNγ provided the strongest protection against an IBV LX4 virus challenge (15 out of 16 chickens immunized with rFPV-IBVS1-ChIFNγ were protected), followed by the attenuated live IB vaccine (13/16 protected) and the rFPV-IBVS1 (12/16 protected). Compared to those of the rFPV-IBVS1 and the attenuated live IB vaccine groups, chickens in the rFPV-IBVS1-ChIFNγ group eliminated virus more quickly and decreased the presence of viral antigen more significantly in renal tissue. Examination of affected tissues revealed abnormalities in the liver, spleen, kidney, lung and trachea of chickens vaccinated with the attenuated live IB vaccine and the rFPV-IBVS1 vaccine. In rFPV-IBVS1-ChIFNγ-vaccinated chickens, pathological changes were also observed in those organs, but were milder and lasted shorter. The lesions in the mock control group were the most severe and lasted for at least 20 days. This study demonstrated that chicken type II interferon increased the immunoprotective efficacy of rFPV-IBVS1-ChIFNγ and normal weight gain in vaccinated chickens although it inhibited serum antibody production. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a recently discovered viral disease, characterized by fever, cough, acute fibrinous pneumonia and high infectivity. Specific pathogen-free (SPF) chickens were immunized with inactivated SARS coronavirus and their eggs were harvested at regular intervals. Yolk immunoglobulin (IgY) was extracted using the water dilution method, followed by further purification on a Sephadex G-75 column. SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), Western blot and neutralization test results showed that the IgY obtained was of a high purity and had a strong reactive activity with a neutralization titer of 1:640. Lyophilization and stability tests showed that lyophilized anti-SARS coronavirus IgY had promising physical properties, with no significant reduction in reactive activity and good thermal stability. All these data suggest that the anti-SARS coronavirus IgY could be a new useful biological product for specific antiviral therapy against SARS. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Background: Although it has been hypothesized that hypertension is in part an inflammatory disorder, clinical data linking inflammation with incident hypertension are scarce. There is evidence that have shown that CD40–CD40L interaction plays a pathogenic role in inflammatory disorders. We assessed whether CD40 system expressions were altered in patients including 30 with hypertension grade 1, 80 with hypertension grade 2 and 40 with hypertension grade 3. Methods: Twenty normal controls and 150 patients with essential hypertension were investigated. The expression of CD40 and CD40L on platelet was analyzed by indirect-immonofluorescence flow cytometry and soluble CD40L level was determined by a commercially available ELISA. C-reactive protein was also measured by ELISA. Results: All patients with hypertension showed a significant increase of CD40 (67.1±9.6 Mean Fluorescence Intensity, MFI) and CD40L (15.3±5.0 MFI) coexpression on platelets as well as sCD40L levels (12.8±3.9 ng/ml ) compared with controls (p&#60;0.0001). We found that CRP levels related to CD40–CD40L system. We also observed a slight correlation between sCD40L level and blood pressure. During 3 months follow-up, patients with enhanced levels of sCD40L (>15 ng/ml) indicated a tough control of blood pressure. Conclusion: Patients with essential hypertension show increased coexpression of CD40 system, which suggests that hypertension is in part an inflammatory disorder. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The IFCC Committee on Plasma Proteins has been investigating regional differences for commonly assayed plasma proteins to determine whether universal reference intervals can be applied. As a part of this study, we launched an Asian project analyzing the concentrations of 13 serum proteins whose values are standardized to CRM470, and five newer analytes: retinol-binding protein (RBP), cystatin C (CysC), light- chain-Κ (L-Κ), and light-chain-λ (L-λ). In Tokyo, Seoul, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Taipei and Shanghai, serum samples were collected from 146 to 415 apparently healthy individuals with nearly equal gender ratios. All assays were performed in Tokyo on a Behring Nephelometer II (BN II). Seven chemical analytes (aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine amino- transferase (ALT), -γ-glutamyltransferase (-γGT), creatinine, total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C)) were also measured. These results were used for excluding individuals with possible latent clinical disorders. Positive acute phase reactants were consistently lower, and negative ones were higher, in Tokyo than those in other cities. The most conspicuous difference was observed in C-reactive protein (CRP). There were no regional differences in transferrin, albumin, or CysC. Creatinine was much lower in Tokyo despite comparable CysC levels. ALT and -γGT were higher in Shanghai, Taipei and Seoul; -γGT and TG were higher in Shanghai; and HDL-C was higher in Tokyo. Gender-related differences in reference intervals were observed for immunoglobulin (Ig)M, haptoglobin, RBP, transferrin, α2-macroglobulin (A2M), transthyretin, α1-acid glycoprotein, CysC, and C4 in all cities. Slight age-related differences were observed, irrespective of the region, in IgA and ceruloplasmin (increase) and A2M (decrease). Environmental factors and lifestyle seem to have a great influence on many commonly measured analytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Increasing evidence shows that high expression of CD40L plays an important role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease. We evaluated the clinical predictive value of increased serum soluble CD40 ligand (CD40L) in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) and acute chest pain. Methods: Serum levels of soluble CD40 ligand were measured by ELISA in 128 patients with ACS and in 68 patients with acute chest pain. Platelet activation was assessed by flow cytometry. Results: The levels of soluble CD40 ligand were increased in 57.8% patients with ACS (>8.0 ng/ml) and in 35 patients with acute chest pain (>8.0 ng/ml), respectively. The level of soluble CD40 ligand was slightly correlated with measured levels of troponin T (r=0.21, p<0.05), and the increased soluble CD40L levels (>8.0 ng/ml) were associated with higher risk for AMI, sudden death and recurrent angina. Patients with elevated serum levels of sCD40L and cTnT showed a significantly increased risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (including AMI, sudden death and recurrent angina) in the two groups during 30 days and 6 months of follow-up. Conclusion: In patients with unstable coronary artery disease, elevation of serum soluble CD40L levels indicated an independent increased risk of major adverse cardiovascular events. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

OBJECTIVE: Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) or, more accurately, chronic non-suppurative destructive cholangitis, is a chronic cholestatic liver disease that is considered to have an autoimmune basis. In most patients, PBC is characterized by the presence of M2 antibodies. The major autoantigens recognized by M2 antibodies are members of the 2-oxo-acid dehydro­genase complex, including pyruvate dehydrogenase complex E2 (PDC-E2), branched chain 2-oxo-acid dehydrogenase complex E2 (BCOADC-E2), 2-oxo-glutarate dehydrogenase complex E2 (OGDC-E2), E1 subunits of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex and protein X of the PDC. The aim of this study was to express the immunodominant epitopes of BCOADC-E2, PDC-E2 and OGDC-E2 separately, to create a triple hybrid clone (designated as BPO) containing epitopes of three autoantigens, and to use BPO as a tool for the detection of M2 antibodies specific for primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). METHODS: The cDNA fragments from human sources encoding the M2-reactive epitopes of BCOADC-E2, PDC-E2 and OGDC-E2 were amplified using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction with total RNA extracted from human peripheral mononuclear blood cells. The fragments were cloned into pQE-30 and then transferred into plasmid Escherichia coli M15. Transformants were induced by isopropylthio-β-d-galactoside and confirmed with sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and western blotting. RESULTS: Four specific proteins produced from the transformants containing the fused plasmid were shown to have antigenic reactivity with PBC sera, but not with normal control sera. CONCLUSIONS: We succeeded in expressing three immunodominant epitopes and a hybrid clone, which can be used as a powerful and specific tool for the detection of M2-specific autoantibodies in the diagnosis of PBC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]