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Defective rock-salt (R) Ti1-xO → rutile (r) TiO2-x transformation twinning occurred in a thin film with preferred shape and crystallographic orientation when deposited on silica glass substrates, with or without a coating of fluorine-doped tin oxide, using pulsed laser ablation of a rutile polycrystal under specific pulse energies in the range of 200 to 800 mJ per pulse in vacuum. The films were characterized by X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy and shown to contain nanocrystallites of R, r, and minor hightemperature- stabilized hexagonal Ti1-xO all with preferred orientations adopted by close-packed planes. The R + r intimate intergrowth was found to form a butterfly twin following the optimum crystallographic orientation relationship [101]R//[111]r with close-packed (111)R and (011)r planes as the twin boundary and phase interface with a fair 2-D coincidence site lattice in accordance with the dense (111)R-specific R → r transformation route. The R + r predominant film with aliovalent point defects and paracrystalline distribution of defect clusters showed characteristic white light absorbance, violet + green double emission, and fine photoelectron chemical properties for potential photovoltaic, photocatalytic, and optoelectronic applications, in particular for multiple temperature- and oxygen-fugacity sensors in terms of the R → r transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increased leptin resistance and methylglyoxal (MG) levels are observed in obese patients. However, whether MG deposits contribute to leptin resistance, oxidative stress, and inflammation in peripheral tissues remains unclear. In addition, the edible fruit of Indian gooseberry (Phyllanthus emblica L.) contains abundant bioactive components such as vitamin C, b-glucogallin (b-glu), gallic acid (GA), and ellagic acid (EA). Water extract of Indian gooseberry fruit (WEIG) and GA has been shown to improve cognitive decline by suppressing brain MG-induced insulin resistance in rats administered a high-fat diet (HFD). Accordingly, this study investigated the functions of WEIG and GA in inhibiting MG-induced leptin resistance, oxidative stress, and inflammation in the peripheral tissues of HFD-fed rats. The results showed that MG, advanced glycation end products (AGEs), and leptin resistance accumulation in the liver, kidney, and perinephric fat were effectively restored by elevated glyoxalase-1 (Glo-1) activity after WEIG and GA administration comparable to that of alagebrium chloride (positive control) treatment in HFD-fed rats. Furthermore, WEIG and GA supplementation increased adiponectin and antioxidant enzymes (glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, catalase) and decreased inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-1b, TNF-a) in the peripheral tissues of HFD-fed rats. In conclusion, these findings demonstrated that MG may trigger leptin resistance, oxidative stress, and inflammation in peripheral tissues, which could be abolished by WEIG and GA treatment. These results show the potential of P. emblica for functional food development and improving obesity-associated metabolic disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Unusual or unexpected effect of treatment Background: Bronchobiliary fistulas (BBFs) are abnormal communications between the biliary tract and bronchial tree. Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) is a widely employed treatment for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). While TACE is generally considered safe, there have been reports of severe complications. This case report is about a 68-year-old man who developed a BBF 6 months after undergoing TACE for HCC. Case Report: A 68-year-old man was diagnosed with HCC and underwent TACE at a local medical department. Two months after TACE, he presented with a liver abscess, which was drained and catheterized. Subsequently, the patient was transferred to our hospital. Initial MRI revealed abscesses in the right hepatic lobe extending into the lung cavity. Intrahepatic catheter replacement was performed. Six months after TACE, the patient developed cough and yellow sputum. Subsequent MRI confirmed smaller lung and liver abscesses, along with a BBF. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and percutaneous catheter replacement were conducted, closing the BBF with a covered stent. Despite drainage, antibiotics, and nutritional support, the patient's condition deteriorated. Transition to hospice care was initiated, and the patient died due to sepsis and multiple organ failure. Conclusions: This case highlights the importance of obtaining a comprehensive patient history when a patient has bile in the sputum, and discusses the rare but previously reported BBF as a complication of TACE for HCC. The presence of bile collections in the lungs and liver can result in tissue necrosis, potentially leading to chronic infection, emphasizing the need for early diagnosis and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) infect the basal proliferating cells of the stratified epithelium, but the productive phase of the life cycle (consisting of viral genome amplification, late gene expression, and virion assembly) is restricted to the highly differentiated suprabasal cells. While much is known regarding the mechanisms that HPVs use to block activation of an innate immune response in undifferentiated cells, little is known concerning how HPV prevents an interferon (IFN) response upon differentiation. Here, we demonstrate that high-risk HPVs hijack a natural function of apoptotic caspases to suppress an IFN response in differentiating epithelial cells. We show that caspase inhibition results in the secretion of type I and type III IFNs that can act in a paracrine manner to induce expression of interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) and block productive replication of HPV31. Importantly, we demonstrate that the expression of IFNs is triggered by the melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (MDA5)-mitochondrial antiviral-signaling protein (MAVS)-TBK1 (TANK-binding kinase 1) pathway, signifying a response to double-stranded RNA (dsRNA). Additionally, we identify a role for MDA5 and MAVS in restricting productive viral replication during the normal HPV life cycle. This study identifies a mechanism by which HPV reprograms the cellular environment of differentiating cells through caspase activation, co-opting a nondeath function of proteins normally involved in apoptosis to block antiviral signaling and promote viral replication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern data-driven research has the power to promote novel biomedical discoveries through secondary analyses of raw data. Therefore, it is important to ensure data-driven research with great reproducibility and robustness for promoting a precise and accurate secondary analysis of the immunogenomics data. In scientific research, rigorous conduct in designing and conducting experiments is needed, specifically in scientific writing and reporting results. It is also crucial to make raw data available, discoverable, and well described or annotated in order to promote future re-analysis of the data. In order to assess the data availability of published T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire data, we examined 11,918 TCR-Seq samples corresponding to 134 TCR-Seq studies ranging from 2006 to 2022. Among the 134 studies, only 38.1% had publicly available raw TCR-Seq data shared in public repositories. We also found a statistically significant association between the presence of data availability statements and the increase in raw data availability (p = 0.014). Yet, 46.8% of studies with data availability statements failed to share the raw TCRSeq data. There is a pressing need for the biomedical community to increase awareness of the importance of promoting raw data availability in scientific research and take immediate action to improve its raw data availability enabling cost-effective secondary analysis of existing immunogenomics data by the larger scientific community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Congenital absence of the pericardium (CAP) is a rare cardiac abnormality. As pericardial defects are usually asymptomatic, most cases are diagnosed during surgery or on autopsy. The patient in this case was found to have CAP during thoracoscope. Case: We present the unusual case of a 69-year-old patient with CAP who experienced sudden ventricular arrhythmia and developed ventricular fibrillation during left upper lobectomy. Surgical operations, the lateral decubitus position, and other external stimuli may be important risk factors for ventricular fibrillation. The patient regained sinus rhythm soon after intrathoracic cardiac compression and pharmacological treatment, including lidocaine spray (2%, 10 ml) administered to the heart surface. The surgery was then completed without any additional instances of ventricular arrhythmia. Conclusions: Patients with CAP are more susceptible to cardiac-related adverse events during thoracotomy or thoracoscopy. Treatment of ventricular arrhythmias that occur during lung resection in patients with CAP should be emphasized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Myalgia is rare in acquired muscle diseases other than inflammatory myopathies. Thyrotoxic myopathy is usually painless. We reported here two patients with acute onset of thyrotoxicosis presenting with severe myalgia and mild proximal weakness. No other etiologies responsible for the myalgia was identified. The symptoms resolved in parallel with the achievement of euthyroidism, supporting hyperthyroidism as the cause of myalgia. Painless myopathy was well known to be related to hyperthyroidism, but the myalgia is scarcely reported. We summarized the previous literatures to elucidate the thyroid hormone effect on the muscle, such as increased energy expenditure in hyperthyroidism. We hypothesized that the myalgia is related to the muscle injury by the energy failure during an acute onset of thyrotoxicosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psychological stress has been linked to developmental problems and poor health in children, but it is unclear whether it is also related to otitis media (OM). As part of a long-term study surveying the characteristics of childcare and development in Taiwan, we analyzed the relationship between OM and sources of psychological stress in children, such as poor maternal mental health and harsh parental discipline. We analyzed the data of 1998 children from the “Kids in Taiwan: National Longitudinal Study of Child Development & Care (KIT) Project” at the age of 3 years. Using bivariate and multivariate logistic regression models, we tested several risk factors as potential independent predictors of two outcomes: parent-reported incidence of OM and child health. The proportion of children who had developed OM in the first 3 years of their life was 12.5%. Daycare attendance (odds ratio [OR]: 1.475; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.063–2.046), poor maternal mental health (OR: 1.913; 95% CI: 1.315–2.784), and harsh parental discipline (OR: 1.091; 95% CI: 1.025–1.161) correlated with parent-reported occurrence of OM. These findings suggest that providing psychosocial support to both parents and children might be a novel strategy for preventing OM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of China's economy, CO2 emissions have surged and environmental pollution has become increasingly serious, drawing broad attention domestically and overseas. To improve China's environmental quality, the Chinese government has set a series of ambitious goals to control carbon intensity and even cut total CO2 emissions. China's energy consumption structure relies heavily on coal, which is the largest contributor to CO2 emissions in China. However, so far research on the relationship between energy consumption structure and CO2 emissions in China remains scarce. This paper investigates this topic for the first time and calculates the input-output and alternative elasticities and impacts the energy consumption structure on carbon emissions per capita on the basis of the translog production function as the theoretical framework. The empirical results suggest that to substitute coal with oil or gas may decrease CO2 emissions significantly, and replacing coal with gas is the optimal choice. As such, improving China's energy structure by increasing the share of gas and decreasing the reliance on coal would cut China's CO2 emissions remarkably and benefit China's environmental quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The predesignable porous structures in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) render them quite attractive as a host-guest platform to address a variety of important issues at the frontiers of science. In this work, a perfluorophenylene functionalized metalloporphyrinic MOF, namely, PCN-624, has been rationally designed, synthesized, and structurally characterized. PCN-624 is constructed by 12-connected [Ni8(OH)4(H2O)2Pz12] (Pz = pyrazolide) nodes and fluorinated 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(2,3,5,6-tetrafluoro-4-(1H-pyrazol-4-yl)phenyl)-porphyrin (TTFPPP) linker with an ftw-a topological net. Notably, PCN-624 exhibits extinguished robustness under different conditions, including organic solvents, strong acid, and base aqueous solutions. The pore surface of PCN-624 is decorated with pendant perfluorophenylene groups. These moieties fabricate densely fluorinated nanocages resulting in the selective guest capture of the material. More importantly, PCN-624 can be employed as an efficient heterogeneous catalyst for the selective synthesis of fullerene-anthracene bisadduct. Owing to the high chemical robustness of PCN-624, it can be recycled over five times without significant loss of its catalytic activity. All of these results demonstrate that MOFs can serve as a powerful platform with great flexibility for functional design to solve various synthetic problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Communication networks are designed to meet the usage requirements of users for various network applications. The current studies of network topology optimization design mainly considered network traffic, which is the result of network application operation, but not a design element of communication networks. A network application is a procedure of the usage of services by users with some demanded performance requirements, and has obvious process characteristic. In this paper, we first propose a method to optimize the design of communication network topology considering the application process characteristic. Taking the minimum network delay as objective, and the cost of network design and network connective reliability as constraints, an optimization model of network topology design is formulated, and the optimal solution of network topology design is searched by Genetic Algorithm (GA). Furthermore, we investigate the inflence of network topology parameter on network delay under the background of multiple process-oriented applications, which can guide the generation of initial population and then improve the efficiency of GA. Numerical simulations show the effectiveness and validity of our proposed method. Network topology optimization design considering applications can improve the reliability of applications, and provide guidance for network builders in the early stage of network design, which is of great significance in engineering practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we examine the effects of different frequencies and implementation months of basket updates on the fixed-basket price index - the Lowe index, through theoretical analysis and empirical simulation using Canadian data from 2000 to 2013. We find that both an increased frequency of basket updates and a faster implementation of these new baskets will reduce substitution bias in the CPI. However, we also find that improvements to the method of accelerating frequency has diminishing marginal returns in practice - as each subsequent increase in the frequency with which the CPI basket is updated has a less pronounced effect; and the ideal link-month when a new basket is implemented is unpredictable, since the impact of the implementation lag depends upon the consistency between short-term price movements and long-term price trends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The goal of this study was to investigate the difference between the learning curves of different maneuvers in laparoscopic spleen-preserving splenic hilar lymphadenectomy for advanced upper gastric cancer. Methods: From January 2010 to April 2014, 53 consecutive patients who underwent laparoscopic spleen-preserving splenic hilar lymphadenectomy via the traditional-step maneuver (group A) and 53 consecutive patients via Huang's three-step maneuver (group B) were retrospectively analyzed. Results: No significant difference in patient characteristics were found between the two groups. The learning curves of groups A and B were divided into phase 1 (1-43 cases and 1-30 cases, respectively) and phase 2 (44-53 cases and 31-53 cases, respectively). Compared with group A, the dissection time, bleeding loss and vascular injury were significantly decreased in group B. No significant differences in short-term outcomes were found between the two maneuvers. The multivariate analysis indicated that the body mass index, short gastric vessels, splenic artery type and maneuver were significantly associated with the dissection time in group B. No significant difference in the survival curve was found between the maneuvers. Conclusions: The learning curve of Huang's three-step maneuver was shorter than that of the traditional-step maneuver, and the former represents an ideal maneuver for laparoscopic spleen-preserving splenic hilar lymphadenectomy. To shorten the learning curve at the beginning of laparoscopic spleen-preserving splenic hilar lymphadenectomy, beginners should beneficially use Huang's three-step maneuver and select patients with advanced upper gastric cancer with a body mass index of less than 25 kg/m² and the concentrated type of splenic artery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sublimation of blowing snow is an important parameter not only for the study of polar ice sheets and glaciers, but also for maintaining the ecology of arid and semi-arid lands. However, sublimation of near-surface blowing snow has often been ignored in previous studies. To study sublimation of near-surface blowing snow, we established a sublimation of blowing snow model containing both a vertical moisture diffusion equation and a heat balance equation. The results showed that although sublimation of near-surface blowing snow was strongly reduced by a negative feedback effect, due to vertical moisture diffusion, the relative humidity near the surface does not reach 100 %. Therefore, the sublimation of near-surface blowing snow does not stop. In addition, the sublimation rate near the surface is 3-4 orders of magnitude higher than that at 10 m above the surface and the mass of snow sublimation near the surface accounts for more than half of the total snow sublimation when the friction wind velocity is less than about 0.55ms-1. Therefore, the sublimation of near-surface blowing snow should not be neglected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The multidrug resistance of glioma impedes chemo-radiotherapy and leads to adverse outcomes. In the present study, the doxorubicin (DOX)-resistant glioma SHG44/DOX cell line was established to investigate the effects and mechanisms of Salvia miltiorrhiza ligustrazine (SML), a traditional Chinese medicine, on the reversal of DOX-resistance. The SHG44/DOX cells grew continually in 0.1 µg/ml DOX and expressed increased levels of mRNA of multidrug resistance genes [multidrug resistance 1 (MDR1), multidrug resistance-associated protein 1 (MRP1) and lung resistance protein (LRP)] compared with the parental SHG44 cells. Treatment with DOX plus SML suppressed proliferation and promoted early apoptotic rates in SHG44/DOX cells, although treatment with DOX alone failed to inhibit SHG44/DOX cells. In addition, the levels of MDR1, MRP1 and LRP were downregulated by this traditional Chinese medicine, coupled with increased intracellular DOX concentrations. Tumor-bearing nude mouse models were also established using SHG44/DOX cells, and it was demonstrated that the tumor volumes and proliferation indexes were lower in the DOX plus SML group compared with the DOX alone group. The present data demonstrated that treatment with SML was able to reverse the DOX resistance of SHG44/DOX cells, which suggests that SML may be a potential adjuvant agent for glioma chemo-radiotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have great potential serving as tumor biomarkers and therapeutic targets. As the rapid development of high-throughput experimental technology, gene expression experiments have become more and more specialized and diversified. The complex data structure has brought great challenge for the identification of biomarkers. In the meantime, current statistical and machine learning methods for detecting biomarkers have the problem of low reliability and biased criteria. Results: This study aims to select combinatorial miRNA biomarkers, which have higher sensitivity and specificity than single-gene biomarkers. In order to avoid exhaustive search and redundant information, miRNAs are firstly clustered, then the combinations of representative cluster members are assessed as potential biomarkers. Both the criteria for the partition of clusters and selection of representative members are based on Fisher linear discriminant analysis (FDA). The FDA-based criterion has been demonstrated to be superior to three other criteria in selecting representative members, and also good at refining clusters. In the comparison with eight common feature selection methods, this clustering-based method performs the best with regard to the discriminative ability of selected biomarkers. Conclusions: Our experimental results demonstrate that the clustering-based method can identify microRNA combinatorial biomarkers with high accuracy and efficiency. Our method and data are available to the public upon request. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) is widely used in the treatment of cervical degenerative disease; however, the variation of cervical sagittal alignment changes after ACDF has been rarely explored. The purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between changes of cervical sagittal alignment after ACDF and spino-pelvic sagittal alignment under Roussouly classification.Methods: A cohort of 133 Chinese cervical spondylotic patients who received ACDF from 2011 to 2012 was recruited. All patients were categorized with Roussouly Classification. Lateral X-ray images of global spine were obtained, and preoperative and postoperative parameters were measured and analyzed, including C2-C7 angles (C2-C7), C0-C7 angles (C0-C7), external auditory meatus (EAM) tilt, sacral slope (SS), thoracic kyphosis (TK), lumbar lordosis (LL), spinal sacral angles (SSA), Superior adjacent inter-vertebral angle (SAIV), inferior adjacent inter-vertebral angle (IAIV) and et al. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used for intragroup comparisons preoperatively and at postoperative 48 months.Results: Among the parameters, C2-C7 and C0-C7 showed significant increase, while EAM TK, and IAIV decreased significantly. In type I, EAM and TK decreased significantly, however SS showed a significant increase; in type II, TK showed a significant decrease, but SSA showed a significant increase; in type III, a significant increase of C0-C7 was observed with a significant decrease in EAM, nevertheless, LL, SS and SSA showed significant decreases; and in type IV, C2-C7 showed a significant increase and EAM decreased significantly. The percentage of lordotic alignment in cervical spine increased, which was presenting in type I, III and IV. Nevertheless, the amount of patients with straight cervical alignment increased in type II.Conclusion: The backward movement of head occurs is the compensatory mechanism in cervical sagittal alignment modifications after ACDF. The compensatory alteration of spino-pelvic sagittal alignment varied in different Roussouly type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pre-designable porous structures found in covalent organic frameworks (COFs) render them attractive as a molecular platform for addressing environmental issues such as removal of toxic heavy metal ions from water. However, a rational structural design of COFs in this aspect has not been explored. Here we report the rational design of stable COFs for Hg(II) removal through elaborate structural design and control over skeleton, pore size, and pore walls. The resulting framework is stable under strong acid and base conditions, possesses high surface area, has large mesopores, and contains dense sulfide functional termini on the pore walls. These structural features work together in removing Hg(II) from water and achieve a benchmark system that combines capacity, efficiency, effectivity, applicability, selectivity, and reusability. These results suggest that COFs offer a powerful platform for tailor-made structural design to cope with various types of pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preparation of two-dimensional layered materials (2DLM) nanosheets is critical for both fundamental studies and applications. Here we present a systematic study to explore the fundamental factors to control the exfoliation of graphite and MoS2 in aqueous N-methylpyrrolidinone (NMP) using water as the cosolvent. Detailed materials characterizations suggested that the cosolvency significantly influences the yield and the stability of exfoliated nanosheets. The dependence of exfoliation on cosolvency was examined by fundamental factors including solid-liquid interfacial parameters, Hansen Solubility Parameter (HSP), and intermolecular-interaction-sensitive physical parameters of the water-NMP mixed solvent system. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) study revealed that the water-NMP heteroassociated molecular structures, formed with the addition of water to NMP, could play an important role in the liquid exfoliation of layered materials. Our work provides a guide to rational design of a solvent system to improve the yield and stability of the exfoliated materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Overview. There is a deficit in clinical research on the potential risks involved in treating dental patients who use cannabis for either medicinal or recreational purposes. The aim of this case report is to illustrate the need for additional education for oral health care professionals so they can understand the wide variety of available cannabis options and their potential effects on dental treatment. Case Description. A 27-year-old man sought care at the dental clinic with a nonrestorable molar requiring extraction. During the review of his medical history, the patient reported taking a "dab" of marijuana approximately 5 hours before his appointment. Because of the admission of recent illicit drug use, no treatment was rendered. The patient was offered an appointment the next day but he refused, citing bias in regard to his cannabis use. Conclusions and Practical Implications. The number of Americans using marijuana is increasing rapidly. Twenty-three states and the District of Columbia have laws legalizing cannabis to some degree, and Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington have legalized marijuana for recreational use. This drastic upswing in availability and usage will require dentists to address the possible effects of cannabis on dental practices. It is imperative that dental care providers make clinical decisions based on scientific evidence regarding the pharmacologic and psychological effects of marijuana, not on the societal stigma associated with illegal drug use. Dentists should be familiar with popular delivery systems and understand the differences between various marijuana options. Clinical guidelines may need to be developed to help providers assess the patient's degree of cognitive impairment. Dentists should be able to advise patients on the potential consequences of this habit on their oral health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: YKL-40 is a secreted inflammatory protein that its overexpression has been reported to correlate with poor outcome of various malignant diseases, especially in cancer. However, the function of this protein is still unclear. Methods: The clinical prognosis of non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) patients and their clinical YKL-40 expressions were obtained from the Prognoscan database. The expressions of YKL-40 in patient samples were determined by Western Blotting assay. YKL-40 gene knockdown and overexpression were performed on NSCLC cancer cells (CL1-1 and CL1-5). The cells were investigated for their epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers gene modulation through Western Blotting and RT-PCR. Further cell metastatic abilities were assessed by transwell migration and invasion assay. Result: In this study, YKL-40 was observed to be highly expressed in NSCLC specimens. Furthermore, determined by the PrognoScan database analysis, patients with high expression levels of YKL-40 were found with poor prognosis. In the in vitro study, different characteristics of NSCLC cell lines (CL1-1, H23, H838, CL1-5, and H2009) were used as study models, where YKL-40 expression levels were determined to correlate with the phenotypic characteristics of cancer metastasis. In this study, YKL-40 was demonstrated to regulate EMT marker expressions such as Twist, Snail, Slug, N-cadherin, Vimentin, and E-cadherin. The protein's affects in cancer cell migration and invasion were also observed in YKL-40 overexpression or knock down NSCLC cell lines. Conclusion: All of results from this study suggest that YKL-40 is a major factor in NSCLC metastasis. Thus, YKL-40 may serve as therapeutic target for NSCLC patients in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: YKL-40 is a secreted inflammatory protein that its overexpression has been reported to correlate with poor outcome of various malignant diseases, especially in cancer. However, the function of this protein is still unclear. Methods: The clinical prognosis of non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) patients and their clinical YKL-40 expressions were obtained from the Prognoscan database. The expressions of YKL-40 in patient samples were determined by Western Blotting assay. YKL-40 gene knockdown and overexpression were performed on NSCLC cancer cells (CL1-1 and CL1-5). The cells were investigated for their epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers gene modulation through Western Blotting and RT-PCR. Further cell metastatic abilities were assessed by transwell migration and invasion assay. Result: In this study, YKL-40 was observed to be highly expressed in NSCLC specimens. Furthermore, determined by the PrognoScan database analysis, patients with high expression levels of YKL-40 were found with poor prognosis. In the in vitro study, different characteristics of NSCLC cell lines (CL1-1, H23, H838, CL1-5, and H2009) were used as study models, where YKL-40 expression levels were determined to correlate with the phenotypic characteristics of cancer metastasis. In this study,YKL-40 was demonstrated to regulate EMT marker expressions such as Twist, Snail, Slug, N-cadherin, Vimentin, and E-cadherin. The protein’s affects in cancer cell migration and invasion were also observed in YKL-40 overexpression or knock down NSCLC cell lines. Conclusion: All of results from this study suggest that YKL-40 is a major factor in NSCLC metastasis. Thus, YKL-40 may serve as therapeutic target for NSCLC patients in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Imine-linked covalent organic frameworks (COFs) were synthesized to bear content-tunable, accessible, and reactive ethynyl groups on the walls of one-dimensional pores. These COFs offer an ideal platform for pore-wall surface engineering aimed at anchoring diverse functional groups ranging from hydrophobic to hydrophilic units and from basic to acidic moieties with controllable loading contents. This approach enables the development of various tailor-made COFs with systematically tuned porosities and functionalities while retaining the crystallinity. We demonstrate that this strategy can be used to efficiently screen for suitable pore structures for use as CO2 adsorbents. The poresurface- engineered walls exhibit an enhanced affinity for CO2, resulting in COFs that can capture and separate CO2 with high performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wind-blown sand movement often occurs in a very complicated desert environment where sand dunes and ripples are the basic forms. However, most current studies on the theoretic and numerical models of wind-blown sand movement only consider ideal conditions such as steady wind velocity, flat sand surface, etc. In fact, the windward slope gradient plays a great role in the lift-off and sand particle saltation. In this paper, we propose a numerical model for the coupling effect between wind flow and saltating sand particles to simulate wind-blown sand movement over the slope surface and use the SIMPLE algorithm to calculate wind flow and simulate sands transport by tracking sand particle trajectories. We furthermore compare the result of numerical simulation with wind tunnel experiments. These results prove that sand particles have obvious effect on wind flow, especially that over the leeward slope. This study is a preliminary study on windblown sand movement in a complex terrain, and is of significance in the control of dust storms and land desertification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protection of metal nanoparticles from agglomeration is critical for their functions and applications. The conventional method for enhancing their stability is to cover them with passivation layers to prevent direct contact. However, the presence of a protective shell blocks exposure of the metal species to reactants, thereby significantly impeding the nanoparticles' utility as catalysts. Here, we report that metal nanoparticles can be prepared and used in a surface-exposed state that renders them inherently catalytically active. This strategy is realised by spatial confinement and electronic stabilisation with a dual-module mesoporous and microporous three-dimensional p-network in which surface-exposed nanoparticles are crystallised upon in situ reduction. The uncovered palladium nanoparticles serve as heterogeneous catalysts that are exceptionally active in water, catalyse unreactive aryl chlorides for straightforward carbon–carbon bond formation and are stable for repeated use in various types of cross couplings. Therefore, our results open new perspectives in developing practical heterogeneous catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a benzimidazole derivative named BMT-1 is revealed as a potential immunomodulatory agent. BMT-1 inhibits the activity of H+/K+-ATPases from anti-CD3/CD28 activated T cells. Furthermore, inhibition the H+/K+-ATPases by use of BMT-1 should lead to intracellular acidification, inhibiting T cell proliferation. To explore this possibility, the effect of BMT-1 on intracellular pH changes was examined by using BCECF as a pH-dependent fluorescent dye. Interestingly, increases in the pHi were observed in activated T cells, and T cells treated with BMT-1 showed a more acidic intracellular pH. Finally, BMT-1 targeted the H+/K+-ATPases and inhibited the proliferative response of anti-CD3/CD28-stimulated T cells. A cell cycle analysis indicated that BMT-1 arrested the cell cycle progression of activated T cells from the G1 to the S phase without affecting CD25 expression or interleukin-2 (IL-2) production; treating IL-2-dependent PBMCs with BMT-1 also led to the inhibition of cell proliferation. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that BMT-1 inhibits the proliferation of T cells by interfering with H+/K+-ATPases and down-regulating intracellular pHi. This molecule may be an interesting lead compound for the development of new immunomodulatory agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Snow sublimation is an important hydrological process and one of the main causes of the temporal and spatial variation of snow distribution. Compared with surface sublimation, drifting snow sublimation is more effective due to the greater surface exposure area of snow particles in the air. Previous studies of drifting snow sublimation have focused on suspended snow, and few have considered saltating snow, which is the main form of drifting snow. In this study, a numerical model is established to simulate the process of drifting snow sublimation in the saltation layer. The simulated results show 1) the average sublimation rate of drifting snow particles increases linearly with the friction velocity; 2) the sublimation rate gradient with the friction velocity increases with increases in the environmental temperature and the undersaturation of air; 3) when the friction velocity is less than 0.525 m/s, the snowdrift sublimation of saltating particles is greater than that of suspended particles; and 4) the snowdrift sublimation in the saltation layer is less than that of the suspended particles only when the friction velocity is greater than 0.625 m/s. Therefore, the drifting snow sublimation in the saltation layer constitutes a significant portion of the total snow sublimation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Whether health literacy is independently associated with processes or outcomes of diabetes-related care is controversial. We tried to demonstrate the interaction of health literacy and understanding of health education and instructions in achieving glycemic control. Methods: Five hundred and one consecutive patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) in the outpatient clinic of the metabolism department were recruited into this pilot study. The demographic data were collected from patients’ self-reports. The clinical background information was collected through electronic medical records. A questionnaire derived from part of the Mandarin Health Literacy Scale was used to measure numeracy and functional health literacy of people with diabetes. Health literacy levels were categorized into inadequate, marginal and adequate. Patient self-ratings of their perceived understanding of the health education information and instructions provided by their case manager in the past were categorized into two subgroups: better and poor. Patients with an HbA1c level equal to or below 7% were considered to have good glycemic control. Multivariate logistic regression was used to find associated factors of health literacy and understanding of health education and instructions. GENMOD procedures were used to analyze repeated outcome measurements of glycemic control. Results: Higher educational attainment and higher household income (odds ratios were 2.23 and 2.22, respectively) were significantly associated with patients who had adequate health literacy. Higher educational attainment and patients with a family history of DM (odds ratios were 4.99 and 1.85, respectively) were significantly associated with better understanding of health education and instructions. Adequate health literacy is not the only factor associated with good glycemic control. The effect of adequate health literacy in achieving good glycemic control might be masked by patients with better understanding of health education and instructions. Conclusions: Our results revealed that not only were patients with adequate health literacy associated with good glycemic control but patients with marginal health literacy were also able to achieve good glycemic control. Adequate health literacy and better understanding of health education is highly correlated. The role of adequate health literacy on glycemic control could be suppressed if variables are over-controlled during analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bimetallic particles were formed by pulsed laser ablation of bulk AuCu in a vacuum and characterized by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. The fcc-type AuCu3 and Cu-doped Au nanocondensates ca. 5 nm in size were coalesced over {001} and ~{111} vicinal surfaces to form quasi multiple twinned particles with solute/vacancy entrapped [110]{hkl} tilt boundaries with a symmetric {111}/{111} interface as well as asymmetric {001}/{111} and {331}/{112} interfaces. Polysynthetic {111} twinning due to strain relaxation and the shock effect was also observed for the alloyed particulates and nanocondensates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. The purpose of this study was to investigate how the degree of glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes associated with lifestyle interventions as well as sociodemographic factors and further examine the differences by gender. Methods. This was a retrospective study using data collected from a diabetes quality improvement plan that began in 2002 in a medical center in Taiwan. Statistic analysis was used to determine the associations of sociodemographic data, lifestyle intervention, and treatment regimens with changes in HbA1c levels (between the initial visit and the latest follow-up measured level), and the differences were then sorted by the sex of the patients. Results. Our results showed that HbA1c averaged 7.50% for males and 7.80% for females at the initial visit, compared to levels averaging 7.50% for males and 7.70% for females at the most recent follow-up visit. There was no significant change (P = 0.541) in HbA1c in males, but there was a 0.10% (P = 0.384) reduction in females. The duration of the diabetes and medication regimen was associated with the decrease seen in the females. Conclusions. The results of these analyses provide important insights for policy makers to formulate healthcare policies related to chronic diseases or illnesses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hydrolytic activity of secretory phospholipase A2(PLA2) is regulated by many factors, including the physical state of substrate aggregates and the chemical nature of phospholipid molecules. In order to achieve strong binding of PLA2on its substrates, many previous works have used anionic lipid dispersion to characterize the orientation and penetration depth of PLA2molecules on membrane surfaces. In this study, we applied monolayer technique with controllable surface area to investigate the PLA2s of Taiwan cobra venom and bee venom on zwitterionic phophatidylcholine monolayers and demonstrated an optimum hydrolytic activity at a surface pressure of 18 and 24 mN/m, respectively. By combining polarized attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and monolayer-binding experiments, we found that the amount of membrane-bound PLA2decreased markedly as the surface pressure of the monolayer was increased. Interestingly, the insertion area of the PLA2s decreased to near zero as the surface pressure increased to the optimum pressure for hydrolytic activity. On the basis of the measured infrared dichroic ratio, the orientation of the PLA2s bound to zwitterionic membranes was similar to that observed on a negatively charged membrane and was independent of the surface pressure. Our findings suggest that both PLA2s were located on the membrane surface rather than penetrating the membrane bilayer and that the deeply inserted mode is not a favorable condition for the hydrolysis of phospholipids in zwitterionic phospholipid membranes. The results are discussed in terms of the easy access of catalytic water for the PLA2activity and the mobilization of its substrate and product to facilitate the catalytic process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eight phenolic compounds including five glucuronides were isolated from the leaves of Cyclocarya paliurus (Batal.) Ijinskaja, which is used as a source of tea. Their structures were characterized by spectroscopic methods. The results of biological assay showed that compounds 1 and 5 had good activities against HIV-1 induced cytopathic effects in C8166 lymphocyte at non-cytotoxic concentrations, with EC50 values of 31.74 and 10.76 uM, and therapeutic index (TI) values of >13.02 and 25.46, respectively. Relationship between molecular structures and their bioactivities was discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The association of dietary advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs) intake with the oxidative and inflammatory status in type 2 diabetic patients was examined. Methods: Seventy-four healthy controls, 50 low AGEs intake and 68 high AGEs intake type 2 diabetic patients were requested to complete a 7-day dietary record. Blood levels of several oxidative and inflammatory biomarkers were determined. Results: Diabetic patients with high AGEs intake had significantly elevated plasma levels of AGEs, HbA1c, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), LDL-cholesterol and glycated LDL than low AGEs intake patients and controls ( P < 0.05). These high AGEs intake patients also had significantly increased plasma levels of 8-isoprostane, interleukin (IL)-1α, tumor necrosis factor-α, monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1 and lower superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity than low AGEs intake patients ( P < 0.05). Correlation coefficients of dietary AGEs versus plasma AGEs, HbA1c, 8-isoprostane, IL-1α and MCP-1 were >0.6; but the correlation coefficient of dietary AGEs versus plasma SOD activity was <−0.6. Conclusion: Increasing dietary AGEs intake might enrich circulating AGE level and contribute to oxidative and inflammatory progression under diabetic condition. The circulating 8-isoprostane, IL-1α and MCP-1 levels and SOD activity might be appropriate biomarkers used to evaluate dietary AGEs-associated oxidative and inflammatory stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Studies of sand saltation are currently concentrating on wind tunnel experiments, theoretical analyses and numerical simulations under ideal as well as controllable conditions. These theoretical analyses and numerical simulations cannot accurately predict sand movements in field environments. In this paper, we simulate wind field patterns for two different surfaces of complex microtopography using the computational fluid dynamic model, FLUENT. To demonstrate that the model can successfully reproduce wind patterns in complex microtopography, we first simulate a well-studied mesquite bush and coppice dune field from the Chihuahuan Desert. This is then followed by an analysis of the wind field pattern around a large barchan dune that is complex in shape. For this case, the wind pattern was linked with a sediment transport equation to estimate sediment flux and transport. Finally, as shown by the simulation results, the sand flux, from the right horn to the left horn of the dune, first increased then decreased after reaching its maximum at the intersection of the brink and the longitudinal centreline of the dune. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Antrodia camphorata, unique fungal specie, has been used as a folk medicine in Taiwan for many years. The purpose of this study was to compare the extracts from the solid-state culture of A. camphorata co-fermented with Chinese medicinal herb (AC-CF) with two other extracts from fruiting bodies (AC-FB) or solid-state culture (AC-SS), for their anti-tumor effects in human hepatoma HepG2 cells. We measured in vitro cell proliferation, percentage of apoptosis, population distribution of cell cycles, Western blot analysis of multiple drugs resistance-1 (MDR-1), and apoptosis-related proteins in HepG2 cells treated with three different preparations of A. camphorate extracts. Our results showed that AC-CF had better anti-proliferation effect on human hepatoma HepG2 cells than AC-FB or AC-SS dose-dependently. In addition, AC-CF in combination with anti-tumor agents (mitomycin C or methotrexate) showed better adjuvant anti-tumor effects than AC-FB or AC-SS. We further demonstrated the augmented adjuvant anti-tumor effects of AC-CF not only through down regulation of MDR-1 expression but also through a COX-2 dependent apoptosis pathway, involving down-regulation of COX-2 and p-AKT and up-regulation of PARP-1. In conclusion, in this study, we have demonstrated a novel strategy of fermenting A. camphorata with Chinese medicinal herb (AC-CF), which augmented their anti-tumor effects in human hepatoma HepG2 cells as compared to the traditional ones (AC-FB or AC-SS). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To study if luteal E2 pre-treatment before GnRH antagonist protocol improves IVF/ICSI outcomes compared with standard long GnRH agonist protocol. Design A prospective, randomized and controlled study. Setting ART center of a state public hospital Patient(s) Two hundred twenty infertile women underwent IVF/ICSI treatments. Intervention(s) Participants received oral Estradiol Valerate 4 mg/day preceding the IVF cycle from day 21 until day 2 of next cycle before GnRH antagonist protocol (E2 pre-treatment group n=109) or received standard long GnRH agonist protocol as control group (n=111). Main outcome measure(s) Number of oocytes collected, MII oocytes, fertilization, implantation, live birth and early pregnancy rate, and hormone profiles. Result(s) E2 pre-treatment exerted a significant suppressive effect on FSH but not LH secretion compared with basal FSH and LH levels. In E2 pre-treatment group serum LH level was significantly higher during COH and serum P was also significantly higher on the day of HCG injection compared with control group. Five patients from E2 pre-treatment group had elevated LH at all time (≥10 IU/L) and also a concomitantly high P (>1 ng/mL). Two of the five women achieved pregnancy but had early pregnancy loss. Overall, IVF/ICSI outcomes such as implantation, clinical pregnancy and live birth rates were similar between E2 pre-treatment and control groups. Conclusion(s) Luteal E2 pre-treatment before GnRH antagonist protocol significantly increases serum LH level and incidence rate of premature LH but no significant effect is observed on implantation, clinical pregnancy, live birth and early pregnancy loss rates compared with long GnRH agonist protocol. However, more studies in large numbers of cycles are needed to confirm that increased serum LH level by E2 pre-treatment during COH has no negative effect on the IVF/ICSI outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the role of extended intrinsic mean spin tensor introduced in this work for turbulence modelling in a non-inertial frame of reference. It is described by the Euclidean group of transformations and, in particular, its significance and importance in the approach of the algebraic Reynolds stress modelling, such as in a nonlinear K-ɛ model. To this end and for illustration of the effect of extended intrinsic spin tensor on turbulence modelling, we examine several recently developed nonlinear K-ɛ models and compare their performance in predicting the homogeneous turbulent shear flow in a rotating frame of reference with LES data. Our results and analysis indicate that, only if the deficiencies of these models and the like be well understood and properly corrected, may in the near future, more sophisticated nonlinear K-ɛ models be developed to better predict complex turbulent flows in a non-inertial frame of reference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is aimed at exploring the possible mechanism of hypnosis-enhancing effect of HgS or cinnabar (a traditional Chinese medicine containing more than 95% HgS) in mice treated with pentobarbital. We also examined whether the effect of HgS is different from that of the well-known methyl mercury (MeHg). After a short period (7 days) of oral administration to mice, a nontoxic dose (0.1 g/kg) of HgS not only significantly enhanced pentobarbital-induced hypnosis but also attenuated tolerance induction; while a higher dose (1 g/kg) of HgS or cinnabar exerted an almost irreversible enhancing effect on pentobarbital-hypnosis similar to that of MeHg (2 mg/kg) tested, which was still effective even after 10 or 35 days cessation of administration. To study comparatively the effects of different mercury forms from oral administration of MeHg and HgS on membrane ATPase activities of experimental mice, analysis of the Hg content in the cerebral cortex revealed that correlated with the decrease of Na+/K+-ATPase and Ca2+-ATPase activities. Furthermore, NO levels of blood but not that of cerebral cortex were also decreased by mercuric compounds. Although pentobarbital alone enhanced cytochrome p450–2C9 in time dependent manner, all of mercurial compounds tested had no such effect. All of these findings indicated that the mercurial compounds including cinnabar, HgS and MeHg exert a long-lasting enhancing hypnotic activity without affecting pentobarbital metabolism, which provides evidence-based sedative effect of cinnabar used in Chinese traditional medicine for more than 2,000 years. The nontoxic HgS dosing (0.1 g/kg/day) for consecutive 7 days is perhaps useful for delaying or preventing pentobarbital-tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on a revised version of inverse scattering transform for the derivative nonlinear Schrödinger (DNLS) equation with vanishing boundary condition (VBC), the explicit N-soliton solution has been derived by some algebra techniques of some special matrices and determinants, especially the Binet-Cauchy formula. The one- and two-soliton solutions have been given as the illustration of the general formula of the N-soliton solution. Moreover, the asymptotic behaviors of the N-soliton solution have been discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Skin ischemic necrosis due to vasospasm and/or insufficient vascularity is the most common complication in the distal portion of the skin flap in reconstructive surgery. This project was designed to test our hypothesis that preoperative subdermal injection of adenoviral vectors encoding genes for vascular endothelial growth factor-165 (Ad.VEGF-165) or endothelial nitric oxide (NO) synthase (Ad.eNOS) effectively augments skin viability in skin flap surgery and that the mechanism of Ad.VEGF-165 gene therapy involves an increase in synthesis/release of the angiogenic and vasodilator factor NO. PBS (0.5 ml) or PBS containing Ad.VEGF-165, Ad.eNOS, or adenovirus (Ad.Null) was injected subdermally into the distal half of a mapped rat dorsal skin flap (4 × 10 cm) 7 days preoperatively, and skin flap viability was assessed 7 days postoperatively. Local subdermal gene therapy with 2 × 107-2 × 1010 plaque-forming units of VEGF-165 increased skin flap viability compared with PBS- or Ad.Null-injected control (P < 0.05). Subdermal Ad.VEGF-165 and Ad.eNOS gene therapies were equally effective in increasing skin flap viability at 5 × 108 plaque-forming units. Subdermal Ad.VEGF-165 therapy was associated with upregulation of eNOS protein expression, Ca2+-dependent NOS activity, synthesis/release of NO, and increase in capillary density and blood flow in the distal portion of the skin flap. Injection of the NOS inhibitor Nω-nitro-ʟ-arginine (15 mg/kg im), but not the cyclooxygenase inhibitor indomethacin (5 mg/kg im), 45 min preoperatively completely abolished the increase in skin flap blood flow and viability induced by Ad.VEGF-165 injected subdermally into the mapped skin flap 7 days preoperatively, we have demonstrated for the first time that 1) Ad.VEGF-165 and Ad.eNOS mapped skin flap injected subdermally into the mapped skin flap 7 days preoperatively are equally effective in augmenting viability in the rat dorsal skin flap compared with control, 2) the mechanism of subdermal Ad.VEGF-165 gene therapy in augmenting skin flap viability involves an increase in NO synthesis/release downstream of upregulation of eNOS protein expression and Ca2+-dependent NOS activity, and 3) the vasodilating effect of NO may predominantly mediate subdermal Ad.VEGF gene therapy in augmenting skin flap blood flow and viability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Sperm-hyaluronan–binding assay (HBA) is one of the commercial kits being marketed for routine testing of sperm maturity and fertility. However, there is no report of whether the HBA can provide additional information over standard semen analysis for sperm-fertilizing ability. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between HBA and fertilization rate in conventional IVF. METHODS: A total of 175 IVF patients with ≥3 mature oocytes inseminated were included in the study. Both the standard semen analysis and the HBA were performed on the same ejaculated sperm samples used for IVF treatments. Relationships between the semen analysis and the HBA results and fertilization rate were analysed by both the Spearman test and the multivariate logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Both total and progressive sperm motility and normal morphology were highly correlated with HBA scores. While both normal sperm morphology and HBA scores were statistically significantly related to fertilization rates, the HBA was less significant than normal sperm morphology. The HBA does not provide additional information for identifying patients with a poor fertilization rate. CONCLUSION: HBA is highly significantly correlated with sperm motility and morphology but is less significant than sperm morphology in relation to the fertilization rate in IVF. Thus, the clinical predictive value of HBA for sperm-fertilizing ability in vitro is limited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the inverse scattering transform (IST), the reflectionless Jost solutions are combined by their analytic properties in the complex spectrum parameter plane, and then can be shown to satisfy the two Lax equations indeed by Liouville theorem. So the corresponding soliton solutions certainly satisfy the nonlinear equation by compatibility condition. Especially the multi-soliton solutions of DNLS equation can be demonstrated in this way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reported fluorescent labels which were made by encapsulating quantum dots (QDs) in polystyrene nanoparticles with carboxyl groups and used to stain cells. The fluorescent capsules were characterized by TEM and FTIR and the stained cells were studied under laser scanning confocal microscope. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The scattering of He atom from a single CO molecule adsorbed on a smooth metal surface is modeled with an ab initio average potential of He-CO interaction super-imposed on a perfect reflecting flat surface. Integral as well as differential cross sections are obtained from exact quantum mechanical calculations. Rayleigh oscillations are shown to be present in the energy dependence of the integral cross sections. Among many Fraunhoffer and reflection-symmetry oscillations in the differential cross sections, a single peak is identified as the rainbow oscillation. This parameter free calculation can explain the observed integral and differential cross sections better than the previously used hard hemisphere model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This note presents a theoretical study on Kolmogorov's -5/3 scaling law under a change of frame of reference and, in particular, its corresponding form in a non-inertial frame of reference. First, we show that the Kolmogorov scales in the universal equilibrium range and the turbulent kinetic energy spectrum function E (κ, t ) are not frame-indifferent, i.e., frame-dependent, in the sense of Truesdell and Noll (1965). Moreover, we investigate the aspects of the scaling coefficient C K under a change of frame of reference and arrive at a generalized Kolmogorov's -5/3 scaling law in a non-inertial frame of reference, which is frame-dependent and in an inertial frame of reference reduces to the form stemming from Kolmogorov's 1941 paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current cell tags using dyes lose their luminescence quickly and are not suitable for optical barcoding. Semiconductor quantum dots (QDs), on the other hand, can be engineered to emit different wavelengths, thus permitting tagging of various cells at the same time. Core/shell luminescent quantum dots, cadmium selenide (CdSe) and zinc sulphide (ZnS), were synthesized and incorporated into polystyrene (PS) particles grafted with carboxyl groups using microemulsion polymerization method. Highly luminescent monodispersed PS particles with diameters from 30 nm to 50 nm were chosen for subsequent surface modification. Two series of surface modifications were carried out with PS particles. One was modified with poly(L-Lysine) (PLL), polyethylenimine (PEI), Poly(Ethylene Glycol) (PEG) and folic acid (FA) side chains in sequence through chemical bonding. Another was conjugated with PEG and FA in sequence. The folic acid side chains can enter target cells via folate receptors and assisted in the uptake of the luminescent particles into the cells. This property allows them to be used as fluorescent labels for marking their ingress into cells and also for a cornucopia of biomedical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various laboratories have reported that local subcutaneous or subdermal injection of VEGF165 at the time of surgery effectively attenuated ischemic necrosis in rat skin flaps, but the mechanism was not studied and enhanced angiogenesis was implicated. In the present study, we used the clinically relevant isolated perfused 6 × 16-cm pig buttock skin flap model to 1) test our hypothesis that VEGF165 is a potent vasodilator and acute VEGF165 treatment increases skin perfusion; and 2) investigate the mechanism of VEGF165-induced skin vasorelaxation. We observed that VEGF165 (5 × 10165-5 × 10-11 M) elicited a concentration-dependent decrease in perfusion pressure (i.e., vasorelaxation) in skin flaps preconstricted with a submaximal concentration of norepinephrine (NE), endothelin-1, or U-46619. The VEGF165-induced skin vasorelaxation was confirmed using a dermofluorometry technique for assessment of skin perfusion. The vasorelaxation potency of VEGF165 in NE-preconstricted skin flaps (pD2 = 13.57 ± 0.31) was higher (P < 0.05) than that of acetylcholine (pD2 = 7.08 ± 0.24). Human placental factor, a specific VEGF receptor-1 agonist, did not elicit any vasorelaxation effect. However, a specific antibody to VEGF receptor-2 (1 µg/ml) or a specific VEGF receptor-2 inhibitor (5 × 10-6 M SU-1498) blocked the vasorelaxation effect of VEGF165 in NE-preconstricted skin flaps. These observations indicate that the potent vasorelaxation effect of VEGF165 in the skin vasculature is initiated by the activation of VEGF receptor-2. Furthermore, using pharmacological probes, we observed that the postreceptor signaling pathways of VEGF165-induced skin vasorelaxation involved activation of phospholipase C and protein kinase C, an increase in inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate activity, release of the intracellular Ca2+ store, and synthesis/release of endothelial nitric oxide, which predominantly triggered the effector mechanism of VEGF165induced vasorelaxation. This information provides, for the first time, an important insight into the mechanism of VEGF165 protein or gene therapy in the prevention/treatment of ischemia in skin flap surgery and skin ischemic diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Balb/cA mice were used to study the in vivo effect of N-acetyl cysteine, S-allyl cysteine, S-ethyl cysteine, S-methyl cysteine and S-propyl cysteine, all derived from garlic, on glutathione (GSH) concentration and catalase and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activities in plasma, kidney and liver. Cysteine was used for comparison. The effects of these compounds on the levels of fibronectin, triglyceride (TG), cholesterol and α-tocopherol were also evaluated. Cysteine or cysteine-containing compounds were added to drinking water at 1 g/L. After 4 wk of treatment, GSH levels in kidney and liver were greater (P < 0.05) than in controls. Cysteine decreased catalase and GPX activities in liver, and enhanced both Fe[sup 2+]- and glucoseinduced lipid oxidation in plasma, kidney and liver compared with the control group (P < 0.05). However, the administration of the five cysteine-containing compounds enhanced catalase and GPX activities in kidney and liver, and reduced Fe[sup 2+]- and glucose-induced lipid oxidation in plasma, kidney and liver compared with the control and cysteine-treated groups (P < 0.05). Intake of the five cysteine-containing compounds reduced fibronectin, TG and cholesterol concentrations in plasma and liver, and increased the α-tocopherol concentration in plasma, kidney and liver compared with the control and cysteine-treated groups (P < 0.05). The five cysteine-containing compounds derived from garlic had marked effects on antioxidant enzymes and spared α-tocopherol in mice. Furthermore, these compounds reduced fibronectin, TG and cholesterol concentrations in plasma. These data indicate that these compounds have a range of protective effects for cardiovascular disease prevention or therapy. KEY WORDS: cysteine-containing compounds; catalase; glutathione peroxidase; triglyceride. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]