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The aim of this paper is to introduce a concept of type-2 L-preorders for L being a complete residuated lattice. It can be considered as a common framework of L-preorders and hemimetrics, and also contains various kinds of fuzzy metrics, including Morsi fuzzy metrics, KM-fuzzy metrics and modular metrics, as natural examples. It is shown that the category of L-preordered sets can be reflectively and coreflectively embedded in that of type-2 L-preordered sets. A type-2 L-preorder can be supplied as different models for further study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gamma-ray angular distributions in oriented 92 Mo produced via the 6 Li+ 89 Y reaction were studied in this work. The characteristic γ rays in 92 Mo were measured by means of the GALILEO array, which is composed of 25 Compton-suppressed HPGe detectors arranged in a nearly 2 π geometry. A detailed analysis of the spin-alignment attenuation factors ( α 2 ) for different excited states in 92 Mo was performed, by analyzing the measured angular distribution coefficients of several pure-E2 transitions. The relationship between α 2 and the spin was established in 92 Mo and the 244-keV transition between the 5 1 - and 4 1 + states resulted to have a E1 + M2 character with a mixing ratio (δ ) of - 0. 05 - 0.06 + 0.05 , consistent with shell model calculations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is important to understand the physical interaction between top-blown oxygen jet and liquid bath in basic oxygen furnaces (BOF). In the present study, cold model experiments were carried out to investigate the cavity depth and diameter. Images of the cavities were captured by high speed video camera to study cavity performances. The experimental results show that the depth of bath has little influence on the shape of the cavity and the critical jet flow. The cavity depth and diameter exhibit linear growth by raising the jet flow rate with a fixed jet height. At the same gas flow rate, the cavity diameter has little relation with the nozzle diameter, but the cavity depth becomes deeper with the decrease of the nozzle diameter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is important to understand the physical interaction between top-blown oxygen jet and liquid bath in basic oxygen furnaces (BOF). In the present study, cold model experiments were carried out to investigate the cavity depth and diameter. Images of the cavities were captured by high speed video camera to study cavity performances. The experimental results show that the depth of bath has little influence on the shape of the cavity and the critical jet flow. The cavity depth and diameter exhibit linear growth by raising the jet flow rate with a fixed jet height. At the same gas flow rate, the cavity diameter has little relation with the nozzle diameter, but the cavity depth becomes deeper with the decrease of the nozzle diameter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to evaluate the effect of penile enhancement, we retrospectively reviewed the data of the patients operated with autologous dermal graft implantation combined with a modified penile degloving procedure. The patients with the complaints of small penis, asking for penile augmentation, and normal erectile function were psychologically screened and enrolled. Data of follow-up visit including patient demographics, medical history, surgical procedure, patient-reported outcomes were analysed. In all, 30 eligible persons were operated. After degloving of the penis, the suspensory ligament was incised and the tunica albuginea was fixed to the proximal tunica dartos at the penile base. Then, the dermis graft was implanted on the dorsal surface of the tunica albuginea. The file of follow-up visit was available in 17 (57%) patients. The mean age was 23.7 years (19-35 years) and the mean follow-up was 13 months (range, 4-24 months). During the follow-up period, the average gain in the penis length was 2.7 cm in flaccid and 0.8 cm in erection, respectively. And the average gain in the penis circumference was 1.5 cm in flaccid and 1.2 cm in erection, respectively. Also, psychosexual sexual self-esteem and confidence of the patients were significantly improved ( p < 0.001). Overall, 13 (76%) patients reported satisfaction with the penile appearance. We believe that the surgery is both safe and effective in the enhancement of the penis, however, further clinical studies with a larger patient population are necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chagan Lake serves as an important ecological barrier in western Jilin. Accurate water quality series predictions for Chagan Lake are essential to the maintenance of water environment security. In the present study, a hybrid AutoRegressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) and Radial Basis Function Neural Network (RBFNN) model is used to predict and examine the water quality [Total Nitrogen (TN), and Total Phosphorus (TP)] of Chagan Lake. The results reveal the following: (1) TN concentrations in Chagan Lake increased slightly from 2006 to 2011, though yearly variations in TP were not significant. The TN and TP levels were mainly classified as Grades IV and V, (2) The hybrid ARIMA and RBFNN model's RMSE values for the observed and predicted data were 0.139 and 0.036 mg L-1 for TN and TP, respectively, which indicated that the hybrid model describes TN and TP variations more comprehensively and accurately than single ARIMA and RBFNN model. The results serve as a theoretical basis for ecological and environmental monitoring of Chagan Lake and may help guide irrigation district and water project construction planning for western Jilin Province. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a multisource thermal model, we detailedly show dihadron azimuthal correlations for 20-40% and 50-80% in Au-Au collisions at √sNN = 200GeV and over a centrality range from 10-15% to 70-80% in Pb-Pb collisions at √sNN = 2.76 TeV. The model can approximately describe the azimuthal correlations of particles produced in the collisions.The ρx amplitude of the corresponding source is magnified, and the source translates along the direction.The factor αx, in most cases, increases with the increase of the centrality in Pb-Pb collisions at √sNN = 2.76 TeV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Distribution state estimation (DSE) is becoming more and more important in distribution control center considering deregulation and introduction of renewable sources based distributed generations (REDGs). To realize the real-time estimation of the load and REDGs output values with limited monitoring devices in a distribution network, this paper presents a novel DSE approach by introducing a Modified Quantum-Inspired Evolutionary Algorithm (mQIEA) combining a QIEA with Greedy Randomized Adaptive Search Procedures (GRASP). Thirteen knapsack problems, which are well-known as NP-hard ones, with various items are used to compare mQIEA with four QIEA variants. IEEE34 and IEEE70 test systems with REDGs are applied to conduct DSE experiments. Results show that mQIEA outperforms four QIEA variants in terms of the solution quality and that mQIEA obtains better estimation results than eight optimization algorithms reported in the recent literature with respect to the maximally relative error, maximally absolute error, and estimation precision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Premature ejaculation (PE) is one of the most prevalent male sexual dysfunctions. Selective resection of the dorsal nerve (SRDN) of penis has recently been used for the treatment of PE and has shown some efficacy. To further clarify the efficacy and safety of SRDN on PE, we performed a preliminary, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical observational study. Persons with the complaints of rapid ejaculation, asking for circumcision because of redundant foreskin, intravaginal ejaculation latency time (IELT) within 2 min, not responding to antidepressant medication or disliking oral medication were randomly enrolled in two groups. From April 2007 to August 2010, a total of 101 eligible persons were enrolled, 40 of them received SRDN which dorsal nerves of the penis were selectively resected, and those ( n = 61) enrolled in the control group were circumcised only. IELT and the Brief Male Sexual Function Inventory (BMSFI) questionnaire were implemented pre- and post-operatively for the evaluation of the effect and safety of the surgery. There are no statistically significant differences in the baseline data including mean ages, mean IELTs, perceived control abilities and the BMSFI mean scores between the two groups. With regard to the post-operative data of the surgery, both IELTs and perceived control abilities were significantly increased after SRDN (1.1 ± 0.9 min vs. 3.8 ± 3.1 min for pre- and post-operative IELT, respectively, p < 0.01),whereas the post-operative results were not significantly improved for the control group (1.2 ± 0.7 min vs. 1.5 ± 1.1 min, p > 0.05). Also, there were no statistically significant differences both in BMSFI composite and subscale scores between the two groups after surgery. Hence, we conclude that SRDN is effective in delaying ejaculation and improving ejaculatory control, whereas erectile function is not affected. The results imply that SRDN may be an alternative method for the treatment of PE for some patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Twenty-seven domesticated yellow cattle breeds of China and three introduced cattle breeds were analysed by means of 30 microsatellite markers to determine the level of genetic variation within and among populations as well as the population structure. In all, 480 microsatellite alleles were observed across the 30 breeds with the mean number of alleles per locus of 9.093 for native breeds and 6.885 for the three introduced breeds. Mean F-statistics (0.08) for Chinese native cattle breeds implied that 92% of the total genetic variation was from genetic differentiation within each breed and 8% of the genetic variation existed among breeds. A phylogenetic tree was constructed based on Nei's genetic distances, and three clusters were obtained. According to the tree, the three introduced breeds were distinct from the 27 native breeds. The indigenous cattle breeds were divided into two clusters, one cluster including five humpless breeds and the other cluster containing 22 humped breeds. This study identifies multiple origins of yellow cattle of China from Bos taurus and Bos indicus. Furthermore, population structure analysis implies that there are possibly five independent original domestications for yellow cattle in China. Four of five origins were four different Bos indicus types, mainly in areas of the Chang Jiang, the Zhu Jiang River basin, the Yellow River and the Huai River basin. The other origin was for Bos taurus type of Mongolian descent, mainly located in Northwestern China, the Mongolian plateau and Northeastern China or north of the Great Wall. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interactions of Pt nanoparticles, deposited by evaporation onto highly oriented pyrolytic graphite surfaces modified by kiloelectronvolt Ar+ beam treatment, have been studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy core-level line shape analysis. The C1s and Pt4f7/2 peaks were each considered to be composed of one asymmetric peak, and changes in their asymmetry parameters were used to study their interfacial interactions. In addition to these changes, strong signal intensity changes with time were found for both the C1s and Pt4f peaks, indicating an initial crystalline orientational instability of the Pt nanoparticles, which is supported by time-dependent high-resolution electron microscopy studies at elevated temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to brittleness and hardness, optical glass is one of the materials that is most difficult to cut. Nevertheless, as the threshold value of the undeformed chip thickness is reached, brittle materials undergo a transition from the brittle to the ductile machining region. Below this threshold, it is believed that the energy required to propagate cracks is larger than the energy required for plastic deformation. Thus, plastic deformation is the predominant mechanism of material removal in machining these materials in this mode. An experimental study is conducted to diamond-cut BK7 glass in ductile mode. As an effective rake angle plays a more important role than a nominal rake angle does, a discussion about this effective angle is carried out in the paper. The investigation presents the feasibility of achieving nanometric surfaces. Power spectral density (PSD) analysis on the machined surfaces shows the difference between the characteristics of the two modes. During the experiments, it is recognised that tool wear is a severe problem. Further study is in process to improve the cutting tool life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to the hypothesis of ductile machining, brittle materials undergo a transition from brittle to ductile mode once a critical undeformed chip thickness is reached. Below this threshold, the energy required to propagate cracks is believed to be larger than the energy required for plastic deformation, so that plastic deformation is the predominant mechanism of material removal in machining these materials in this mode. An experimental study is conducted using diamond cutting for machining single crystal silicon. Analysis of the machined surfaces under a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and an atomic force microscope (AFM) identifies the brittle region and the ductile region. The study shows that the effect of the cutting edge radius possesses a critical importance in the cutting operation. Experimental results of taper cutting show a substantial difference in surface topography with diamond cutting tools of 0° rake angle and an extreme negative rake angle. Cutting with a diamond cutting tool of 0° rake angle could be in a ductile mode if the undeformed chip thickness is less than a critical value, while a ductile mode cutting using the latter tool could not be found in various undeformed chip thicknesses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Distinct subsets of dendritic cells (DCs) based on the origin, phenotypes, and the nature of the signals that promote DC maturation can determine polarized immune responses of T cells. In this study, DCs were cultured from mouse bone marrow (BM) progenitors in granulocyte–macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF). To generate mature DCs (mDCs), lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was used in the culture for 24 h. LPS-stimulated DCs were phenotypically mature, which exhibited strongly upregulated CD40, B7.1, and B7.2 compared to non-LPS-stimulated immature DCs (imDCs). Both mDCs and imDCs expressed high levels of MHC class II but low level of CD54. mDCs produced higher levels of IL-10 and lower IL-12 compared to imDCs. No IFN-γ or IL-4 was found in both groups. When mDCs were injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) to the mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), the severity of clinical signs and inflammation in the CNS was significantly suppressed compared to imDC-injected mice (p < 0.01) and PBS-injected mice (p < 0.02). Moreover, lymphocytes from mDC-injected mice produced lower level of IL-12, IFN-γ, but higher level of IL-10, compared to imDC-injected and non-DC-injected mice. We conclude that BM-mDCs, but not BM-imDCs, promote Th2 differentiation and have the potential for suppression of inflammatory demyelination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nasal administration of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AChR) to Lewis rats prior to myasthenogenic immunization with AChR plus Freund's complete adjuvant (FCA) resulted in prevention or marked decrease of the severity of EAMG, suppression of AChR-specific B cell responses and of AChR-reactive T cell functions. To examine the involvement of immunoregulatory cytokines and the underlying mechanisms involved in tolerance induction, in situ hybridization with radiolabelled synthetic oligonucleotide probes was adapted to enumerate mononuclear cells (MNC) expressing mRNA for the proinflammatory cytokine IFN-γ, the B cell stimulating IL-4 and the immune response-down-regulating TGF-β. Popliteal and inguinal lymph nodes from EAMG rats contained elevated numbers of AChR-reactive IFN-γ, IL-4 and TGF-β mRNA-expressing cells compared with control rats receiving PBS nasally and injected with FCA only. Nasal tolerance to EAMG was accompanied by decreased numbers of AChR-reactive IFN-γ and IL-4 mRNA expressing cells, and strong up-regulation of TGF-β mRNA-positive cells in lymphoid organs compared with non-tolerized EAMG control rats. The relative affinity of anti-AChR antibodies was lower, but muscle AChR amounts were higher in nasally tolerized rats compared with nontolerized EAMG control rats. The results suggest that IFN-γ and IL-4 are central effector molecules in the development of EAMG, and that TGF-β plays an important rote in tolerance induction to EAMG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We utilized a model of myelin basic protein (MBP) activation in vivo and MBP-stimulated cultures in vitro to study the influence of TGF-β1 on glial cell proliferation and ICAM-l/leucocyte function-associated antigen-1 (LFA-1) expression, and to observe the antagonistic effects of TGF-β1 and IFN-γ. TGF-β1 inhibited MBP-stimulated and MBP-activated glial cell proliferation, especially in MBP-stimulated separated microglia and astrocytes, and down-regulated the expression of ICAM-1 on MBP-stimulated glial cells and .separated microglia. ICAM-1 expression on MBP-activated glial cells was intensely suppressed, whereas its expression on MBP-stimulated astrocytes was not influenced. TGF-β1 had no effect on LFA-1 expression. In contrast, IFN-γ up-regulated ICAM-1 expression, but inhibited proliferative response on MBP-stimulated glial cells when cultured without TGF-Tbeta;1. Examination of TGF-β1 and IFN-γ interactions revealed that TGF-β1-mediated inhibition of proliferation and down-regulation of ICAM-1 on glial cells were prevented by IFN-γ. The suppressive effect was re-established with high doses of TGF-β1 in cultures, indicating that biological effects of TGF-β1 vary depending on nitric oxide (NO) production, its concentration in the microenvironment and regulation of the cytokine network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to climate change, extreme high temperature weather is occurred frequently, which may cause a serious decline in crop yield. The growth status of maize seedlings directly affects the formation of later yield. However, there are insufficient understanding and studies on the maize seedling growth and physiological characteristics of leaves under high temperature stress at present. Hence, this experiment was designed to investigate the effects of heat stress on the plant biomass, photosynthetic characteristics, antioxidant enzyme activities and osmotic adjustment substances in the two maize varieties (heat-resistant variety ZD958 and heat-sensitive variety HSV20), with its clear the response mechanism of heat stress to the physiological metabolism changes at seedling stage. The results showed that the plant height increased, while the photosynthetic green leaf area, dry matter accumulation, root surface area and total root length significantly decreased under heat stress. High temperature treatment reduced the Pn, Gs, Tr, Fv/Fm, Fv/F0, qP and SPAD, and increased the Ci and NPQ. As heat stress time increased, the antioxidant enzyme activities first increased and then decreased, while the MDA content continued to increase. Additionally, the free proline content first increased and then decreased. Comparatively, we revealed that ZD958 has stronger antioxidant enzyme activities and osmotic regulation abilities, stable chlorophyll content, higher photosynthetic rate and maximal photochemical efficiency under heat stress, which may be the reasons why the root and shoot growth of seedlings has slighter changes and greater adaptability to heat stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. Chicken primary myoblasts (CPMs) are precursors that form muscle fibres. The proliferation and differentiation of CPMs is an essential stage in muscle development. Previous RNA-seq analysis showed that phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (PHGDH) is a differentially expressed gene in chicken muscle tissue at different growth stages. Therefore, the following study explored the effect of PHGDH on the proliferation and differentiation of CPMs. 2. The effect on the proliferation of CPMs by RT–qPCR, CCK-8, and EdU assays after the overexpression and knockdown of PHGDH was evaluated. RT–qPCR, western blotting, and indirect immunofluorescence were used to detect the effect of PHGDH on the differentiation of the CPMs. The expression was observed at different time points for differentiation induced by the CPMs. 3. The results showed that PHGDH significantly promoted proliferation and differentiation in CPMs. The results showed that overexpression of PHGDH significantly upregulated CPM proliferation, while knockdown had the opposite effect. Marker genes showed that overexpression of PHGDH significantly upregulated the expression of P21, MYOG and MYOD genes, significantly downregulated the expression of the MSTN gene and promoted the expression of the MYHC protein. In contrast, PHGDH knockdown had the opposite effect. 4. Desmin immunofluorescence analysis of myotube differentiation in primary myoblasts showed that overexpression of PHGDH significantly increased the area of myotube differentiation and promoted the proliferation and differentiation of myoblasts. Knockdown of PHGDH had the opposite effect. 5. In summary, PHGDH was shown to play a positive role in regulating myoblast proliferation and differentiation. This provides a theoretical basis for further analysis of the regulatory mechanism of the PHGDH gene in chicken muscle development and for improving poultry production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. The goals of this study were to analyse the changes in microbiota composition of chilled chicken during storage and identify microbial biomarkers related to meat freshness. 2. The study used 16S rDNA sequencing to track the microbiota shift in chilled chicken during storage. Associations between microbiota composition and storage time were analysed and microbial biomarkers were identified. 3. The results showed that microbial diversity of chilled chicken decreased with the storage time. A total of 27 and 24 microbial biomarkers were identified by using orthogonal partial least squares (OPLS) and the random forest regression approach, respectively. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis indicated that the OPLS regression approach had better performance in identifying freshness-related biomarkers. The multiple stepwise regression analysis identified four key microbial biomarkers, including Streptococcus, Carnobacterium, Serratia and Photobacterium genera and constructed a predictive model. 4. The study provided microbial biomarkers and a model related to the freshness of chilled chicken. These findings provide a basis for developing detection methods of the freshness of chilled chicken. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The elastic scattering angular distributions were measured for 50- and 59-MeV 17F radioactive ion beam on a 89Y target. The aim of this work is to study the effect of the breakup of the proton halo projectile on the elastic scattering angular distribution. The experimental data were analyzed by means of the optical model with the double-folding São Paulo potential for both real and imaginary parts. The theoretical calculations reproduced the experimental data reasonably well. It is shown that the method of the data analysis is correct. In order to clarify the difference observed at large angles for the 59-MeV incident energy data, Continuum-Discretized Coupled-Channels (CDCC) calculations were performed to consider the breakup coupling effect. It is found that the experimental data show the Coulomb rainbow peak and that the effect of the coupling to the continuum states is not very significant, producing only a small hindrance of the Coulomb rainbow peak and a very small enhancement of the elastic scattering angular distribution at backward angles, suggesting that the multipole response of the neutron halo projectiles is stronger than that of the proton halo systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The measurement of one-neutron stripping cross sections for the 89Y(6Li,5Li)90Y* reaction at 22 MeV and 34 MeV is reported, using both in-beam and off-beam γ-ray spectroscopy methods. Characteristic γ lines of 90Y are clearly identified by both the γ-γ and proton-γ coincidence methods. The obtained cross section of one-neutron stripping at 34 MeV is found to be much smaller than that at 22 MeV. The one-neutron stripping cross sections measured for this system have the same order of magnitude as the one measured for the same reaction for the 6Li+96Zr system at energies around the Coulomb barrier. Parameter-free coupled reaction channel calculations agree quite well with the experimental data. Theoretical study of the effect of the one-neutron transfer on the elastic total fusion cross section is performed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Myostatin ( MSTN), or growth and differentiation factor 8 ( GDF8), is a member of the transforming growth factor (TGF)-β superfamily. This family functions as a negative regulator of skeletal muscle development and growth in mammals. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms in exon 1 of the Bian chicken myostatin gene were detected by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. A mutation (c.234G>A) in exon 1 was found. Female Bian chickens of genotypes AA and GA had significantly higher body weights than those of genotype GG ( P < 0.05 or P < 0.01) from 6 to 18 weeks of age. These results suggested that the mutation c.234G>A in exon 1 could be used as a genetic marker for Bian chicken growth traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quasi-elastic scattering angular distribution for the 94.5 MeV 17 F radioactive ion beam on the 208 Pb target has been measured. To describe the experimental quasi-elastic scattering angular distribution and explore the reaction dynamic, firstly, the optical potentials with the double-folding São Paulo and Akyüz Winther potentials for both real and imaginary parts were used to analyze the experimental data. It is observed that both theoretical angular distributions are very similar. The optical model results describe reasonably the experimental data until 100 ∘ but underpredict the data for larger angles. Secondly, the continuum discretized coupled channel method (CDCC) was used to study the effect of the breakup channel on the elastic scattering. The double-folding São Paulo and Akyüz Winther potentials were used as nuclear interactions giving again similar results. The agreement with the data is slightly improved at intermediate angles. The sensibility of the CDCC effects upon the nuclear interaction potential was checked. Finally, the influence of inelastic states of both projectile and target, the one-proton, one-neutron, two-neutron and α transfer channels on the quasi-elastic scattering angular distribution is analyzed in the frame of the coupled channel and coupled reaction channel methods, respectively. It is observed that the coupling to the first excited state of 17 F is the one that affects more the elastic scattering, although the inelastic channels of the target also influence it when compared with the optical model results. The effect of the transfer channels on the quasi-elastic angular distribution is negligible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lipopolysaccharide ( LPS) produced by Gram-negative bacteria induces tolerance and suppresses inflammatory responses in vivo; however, the mechanisms are poorly understood. In this study we show that LPS induces apoptosis of bone marrow-derived dendritic cells ( DCs) and modulates phenotypes of DCs. LPS treatment up-regulates expression of tolerance-associated molecules such as CD205 and galectin-1, but down-regulates expression of Gr-1 and B220 on CD11c+ DCs. Moreover, LPS treatment regulates the numbers of CD11c+ CD8+, CD11c+ CD11blow and CD11c+ CD11bhi DCs, which perform different immune functions in vivo. Our data also demonstrated that intravenous transfer of LPS-treated DCs blocks experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) development and down-regulates expression of retinoic acid-related orphan receptor gamma t (ROR-γt), interleukin ( IL)-17 A, IL-17 F, IL-21, IL-22 and interferon ( IFN)-γ in myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG)-primed CD4+ T cells in the peripheral environment. These results suggest that LPS-induced apoptotic DCs may lead to generation of tolerogenic DCs and suppress the activity of MOG-stimulated effector CD4+ T cells, thus inhibiting the development of EAE in vivo. Our results imply a potential mechanism of LPS-induced tolerance mediated by DCs and the possible use of LPS-induced apoptotic DCs to treat autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Desulfovibrio spp. is predominant member of sulphate‐reducing bacteria in human gut microbiota. Previous studies indicated that the isolation of Desulfovibrio strains from human faecal samples is very important to study the roles of human intestinal Desulfovibrio spp. in maintaining healthy states or causing diseases, as well as defining their biological characteristics. However, there are very few reports describing the isolation of Desulfovibrio spp. from human faecal samples. In this study, faecal samples were inoculated into various media containing different components. The enriched culture communities were identified using 16S rRNA gene high‐throughput sequencing analysis, enabling us to identify the specific components that enable the enrichment of Desulfovibrio. Using this information, we developed five specific media and identified an effective enrichment medium that produced the highest relative abundance of Desulfovibrio in communities cultured from four faecal samples (26·5, 73·5, 44·7 and 77·6% respectively). In addition, the major non‐Desulfovibrio genera were identified. Finally, three species of Desulfovibrio, D. desulfuricans, D. piger and D. legallii were isolated, representing the first time that has D. legallii been isolated from a human gastrointestinal source. Significance and Impact of the Study: ost of the human intestinal bacteria have not been cultured because of lack of appropriate culture method and appropriate media. Desulfovibrio spp. is associated with several clinical conditions like inflammatory bowel disease, but until now there are very few reports describing the isolation of Desulfovibrio spp. from human faecal samples. In this study, 16S rRNA gene high‐throughput sequencing analysis was applied to screen appropriate enrichment media and selective cultivation of Desulfovibrio. This sequencing‐based directed culture method described here can be used for the selective cultivation of gut bacteria of interest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parameters of the narrow gap gas metal arc welding (NG-GMAW) method are complex and strongly coupled, which can easily cause welding defects, such as poor sidewall fusion, overlap, gas pore and slag inclusion. So parameter optimization of NG-GMAW is very difficult. The common experimental analysis method is complex, especially take a long time and cost. In this paper, the simulation analysis method is used to analyse NG-GMAW welding process. After the analysis of the NG-GMAW welding mechanism, the dynamic simulation model of the rotating arc NG-GMAW welding process is established firstly. Then, the influence of key process parameters on the welding quality is analysed in detail, which include the rotation angular velocity, rotation angular amplitude, wire feed speed, welding speed, sidewall stay time and so on. The simulation and analysis results illustrate the role and influence of the above parameters. In short, this paper provides a flexible and efficient method for the analysis and optimization of NG-GMAW welding process parameters to discover new phenomena, improve efficiency and save cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The depletion of amoxicillin ( AMO) and its major metabolites, amoxicilloic acid ( AMA) and amoxicillin-diketopiperazine-2′,5′-dione ( DIKETO) in the albumen, yolk and whole egg was studied after the oral dose of AMO (25 and 50 mg/kg body weight) to laying hens once per day for five consecutive days. Egg samples were prepared by a simple liquid-liquid extraction procedure with acetonitrile and saturated methylene chloride and analysed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The results showed that AMO, AMA and DIKETO residues were mainly distributed in the yolk, where particularly high concentrations of AMO and DIKETO were found, whereas the albumen contained high concentrations of AMA. This distribution suggested that AMO and DIKETO were depleted slowly in yolk, whereas AMA was depleted slowly in albumen. The amount of AMO residue positively correlated with the dose, and the theoretical withdrawal times, which were calculated based on the residue level falling below a safe limit, were 5.21 and 7.67 days at AMO doses of 25 and 50 mg/kg, respectively. Moreover, the theoretical withdrawal times for all residues in the whole egg were 8.00 and 9.11 days at doses of 25 and 50 mg/kg, respectively. Our findings suggested that 9 days was an appropriate withdrawal time for the use of AMO in laying hens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an important transition domain between the thinnest continental crust and the initial oceanic crust, the ocean-continent transition zone (OCT) preserves a wealth of information on the processes of lithospheric extension and breakup. The northern margin of the South China Sea (SCS) is a non-typical, magma-poor passive continental margin with a particular structural pattern and sedimentary formation. The OCT in the northern margin of the SCS was developed by a series of continental rifting and seafloor spreading. Based on several multi-channel seismic reflection profiles, crustal-scale structural profiles extracted from gravity data and ocean-bottom seismometers (OBS) data, this paper studies the deep crustal structures, deformation and geodynamics of the OCT to further understand the structural patterns and tectonic process from the lithospheric extension to its breakup. The OCT of the northern margin of the SCS is characterized by a crustal thinning and high-velocity layer (HVL) in the lower crust. The OCT has three structural units: rift depression, volcanic zone and tilted fault blocks. The HVL is mainly limited in the eastern portion of the northern SCS. The HVL is distributed essentially within the OCT but does not clearly develop everywhere in the OCT. We propose a hybrid model of rifting to fit characteristics of the northern margin of the SCS. A crustal-scale largely symmetric process predominated at the initial rifting stage. The basin-controlling faults subsequently penetrated the entire crust, resulting in asymmetric tectonic evolution. Then, the OCT occupied this asymmetric location. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Sergyemla Mountains have unique timberline patterns. Abies georgei var. smithii (Viguie & Gaussen) and Juniperus saltuaria (Rehder & E. H. Wilson) dominate the north-facing and south-facing slopes of a U-shaped valley, respectively. Although these two timberlines represent the world's highest natural tree lines, little is known about the structure of their soil bacterial communities and the factors that control them. To characterize and compare the soil bacterial communities of two timberline ecotones with different spatial orientations, we investigated their structures by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis and sequencing methods. We found that the structures of the soil bacterial communities differed significantly between the two opposite slopes, and the difference between the bacterial communities correlated primarily with soil carbon:nitrogen ratios. This probably relates to differences in the microclimate (mean soil temperature) between the two aspects in the world's highest timberline ecotones. In addition, the structures of soil bacterial communities also differed significantly with soil depth, and total nitrogen content had the greatest effect on the bacterial communities. In this region, soil temperature rather than mean annual precipitation has a major effect on the structures of soil bacterial communities. Microclimate differences (mainly differences in soil temperature) between the two opposite slopes might indicate that an amplitude increase of 2°C in soil temperature could change the structures of soil bacterial communities by changing the status of soil carbon and nitrogen in these timberline ecotones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this work is to extract component spectra from unknown mixtures in the terahertz region. To that end, a method, hard modeling factor analysis (HMFA), was applied to resolve terahertz spectral matrices collected from the unknown mixtures. This method does not require any expertise of the user and allows the consideration of nonlinear effects such as peak variations or peak shifts. It describes the spectra using a peak-based nonlinear mathematic model and builds the component spectra automatically by recombination of the resolved peaks through correlation analysis. Meanwhile, modifications on the method were made to take the features of terahertz spectra into account and to deal with the artificial baseline problem that troubles the extraction process of some terahertz spectra. In order to validate the proposed method, simulated wideband terahertz spectra of binary and ternary systems and experimental terahertz absorption spectra of amino acids mixtures were tested. In each test, not only the number of pure components could be correctly predicted but also the identified pure spectra had a good similarity with the true spectra. Moreover, the proposed method associated the molecular motions with the component extraction, making the identification process more physically meaningful and interpretable compared to other methods. The results indicate that the HMFA method with the modifications can be a practical tool for identifying component terahertz spectra in completely unknown mixtures. This work reports the solution to this kind of problem in the terahertz region for the first time, to the best of the authors' knowledge, and represents a significant advance toward exploring physical or chemical mechanisms of unknown complex systems by terahertz spectroscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A residue depletion study of ampicillin ( AMP) was performed after oral dosing (60.0 mg/kg and 120.0 mg/kg body weight once a day for 5 days) to laying hens, through the use of reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection ( RP- HPLC- FLD) to achieve detection of ampicillin residue in eggs. Limit of detection was 0.5 ng/g, and limit of quantitation was 1.2 ng/g for ampicillin. Extraction recoveries of ampicillin from samples fortified at 5.0-125.0 ng/g levels ranged from 77.5% to 84.6% in albumen, 77.9% to 87.5% in yolk, and 77.9% to 88.6% in whole egg, with coefficients of variation ≤9.3%. The maximum concentrations of ampicillin in albumen, yolk, and whole egg were detected at 1, 2, and 1 day after the last administration of ampicillin, respectively. Ampicillin was not detectable in albumen at day 9 of withdrawal time, at day 10 and 11 in yolk, and day 9 and 11 in whole egg at each of those 2 dose levels. The theoretical withdrawal time of AMP in whole egg was 6.730 and 7.296 days for 60 and 120 mg/kg oral dosage, respectively. This method also proved to be suitable as a rapid and reliable method for the determination of ampicillin in other poultry eggs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we evaluated the meat flavor compounds of Yangzhou geese, including one group of pedigree strain (AA group) and 4 groups of 2-strain crossbreds (KA, KB, CA, and SA). Each group consisted of 100 geese comprised of 5 replicates of 10 males and 10 females each. Inosine 5-monophosphate (IMP), amino acid (AA), and fatty acid (FA) levels in breast and thigh muscle were determined. Results showed that AA group had the highest levels of total amino acid (TAA) and dissolved free amino acids (DFAA) in breast muscle and of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in thigh muscle (P<0.05). In SA group, the levels of C17:1, C22:0, C22:1, C20:4, and C24:1 in breast muscle were significantly higher in SA than in other groups (P<0.05). KB group had the lowest glycine levels in breast muscle (P<0.05) while MUFA levels were significantly higher in KB than in other groups (P<0.05). In KA, the levels of C18:3 in breast muscle in were higher than in CA and KB (P<0.05). CA had relevant higher IMPc levels in breast muscle than SA (P<0.05) and other groups (P>0.05); however, no significant differences were obtained in thigh muscle (P>0.05). In conclusion, Yangzhou AA goose has high levels of meat flavor compounds than its crossbreeds. Future efforts should focus on assessing meat flavor through measurement of sensory characteristics of Yangzhou geese. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We show that, while the Shirley background lacks a theoretical basis, its use satisfies the condition for the proper modeling of all these backgrounds when properly applied. We present these four conditions of applicability, discuss their use, and indicate where their lack of use gives misleading results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background It was recently reported that some 5-HT4-receptor agonists increased neuronal numbers and length of neurites in enteric neurons developing in vitro from immunoselected neural crest-derived precursors. We aimed to explore a novel approach in vivo to reconstruct the enteric neural circuitry that mediates a fundamental distal gut reflex. Methods The neural circuit insult was performed in guinea pigs by rectal transection and subsequent end-to-end one layer anastomosis. A 5-HT4-receptor agonist, mosapride citrate (10–100 μmol L−1) (applied for a patent) was applied locally at the anastomotic site. Key Results Mosapride promoted the regeneration of the neural circuit in the impaired myenteric plexus and the recovery of the defecation reflex in the distal gut. Furthermore, mosapride generated neurofilament (NF)-, 5-HT4-receptor- and 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine (BrdU)-positive cells and surprisingly formed neural network in the newly formed granulation tissue at the anastomotic site 2 weeks after enteric nerve circuit insult. Possible neural stem cell markers, anti-distal less homeobox 2 (DLX2)- and p75-positive and NF-positive cells increased during the same time period. All actions by mosapride were inhibited by the specific 5-HT4-receptor antagonist, GR113808 (10 μmol L−1). Conclusions & Inferences These results indicate that activation of enteric neural 5-HT4-receptors promotes reconstruction of an enteric neural circuit leading to the recovery of the defecation reflex in the distal gut, and that this reconstruction involves possibly neural stem cells. These findings indicate that treatment with 5-HT4 agonists could be a novel therapy for generating new enteric neurons to rescue aganglionic gut disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Glucokinase (GK) in pancreatic β cells is thought to be involved in insulin secretion and glucose homeostasis. This study investigates whether the long-acting agonist of the glucagon-like peptide 1, namely exendin-4, mediates stimulatory effects on GK gene expression through the Ca2+/calmodulin (CaM)-dependent protein kinase (CaMK) cascade. Methods: GK expression was examined by real-time PCR, western blot analysis and reporter gene assay in rat insulin-secreting INS-1 cells incubated with exendin-4. CaMKIV activity was assessed by detection of activation loop phosphorylation (Thr196) of CaMKIV. We investigated the effect of the constitutively active form (CaMKIVc) of CaMKIV on GK promoter activity. Results: Increased expression level of GK protein was noted in response to rising concentrations of exendin-4 with maximum induction at 10 nM. Real-time PCR analysis showed a significant increase in the amount of GK mRNA in response to rising concentrations of exendin-4. Exendin-4 also stimulated GK promoter activity but failed to do so in the presence of STO-609, a CaMKK inhibitor. This result is consistent with the observations that the upregulation of CaMKIV phosphorylation (at Thr196) peaked after 15 min of exposure to exendin-4 and that CaMKIVc enhanced or upregulated GK promoter activity in INS-1 cells. Furthermore, STO-609 significantly suppressed the exendin-4 – upregulated the expression of the GK protein. Conclusion: Activation of the CaMKK/CaMKIV cascade might be required for exendin-4-induced GK gene transcription, indicating that exendin-4 plays an important role in insulin secretion in pancreatic β cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Available treatments for multiple sclerosis (MS) require frequent injections and have significant side effects. Proteases generated during inflammation are involved in the induction of tissue damage during inflammatory demyelination in the central nervous system (CNS). The Bowman–Birk Inhibitor (BBI), a soy-derived protease inhibitor with anti-carcinogenic and anti-inflammatory properties, has been shown to be well tolerated in clinical trials for pre-cancerous conditions, such as oral leukoplakia and the inflammatory disease, ulcerative colitis. We hypothesized that BBI may modulate experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an animal model of MS. The BBI concentrate (BBIC), a soybean extract enriched in BBI, was administered to myelin basic protein (MBP)-immunized Lewis rats by gastric gavage in different treatment regimens, during the induction or the effector phase of disease. BBIC significantly delayed disease onset and suppressed disease severity, clinically and pathologically, in all treatment protocols. Both in vitro and ex vivo, BBIC inhibited MBP-specific proliferation of lymph node cells. BBIC reduced the activity of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and -9 in spleen cell supernatants and was detected in the CNS of treated rats. BBIC suppresses EAE, it can be administered orally, and it is safe and relatively inexpensive. It may have a therapeutic role in patients with MS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A reply to a letter to the editor is presented in response to an article on Removable uterine compression sutures for postpartum hemorrhage, published in a previous issue.

Objectives To explore the characteristics of Helicobacter pylori resistance in China and the association between antibiotic resistance and several clinical factors. Methods H. pylori strains were collected from patients in 13 provinces or cities in China between 2010 and 2016. Demographic data including type of disease, geographic area, age, gender and isolation year were collected to analyse their association with antibiotic resistance. Antibiotic resistance was detected using the Etest test and the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. Results H. pylori were successfully cultured from 1117 patients. The prevalence of metronidazole, clarithromycin (CLA), azithromycin, levofloxacin (LEV), moxifloxacin, amoxicillin (AMO), tetracycline and rifampicin resistance was 78.2, 22.1, 23.3, 19.2, 17.2, 3.4, 1.9 and 1.5%, respectively. No resistance to furazolidone was observed. The resistance rates to LEV and moxifloxacin were higher in strains isolated from patients with gastritis compared to those with duodenal ulcer and among women. Compared to patients ≥40 years old, younger patients exhibited lower resistance rates to CLA, azithromycin, LEV and moxifloxacin. The resistance rates to CLA and AMO were higher in strains isolated more recently, and we also found that the prevalence of resistance to metronidazole, CLA, azithromycin and AMO were significantly different among different regions of China. Conclusions The resistance rates to metronidazole, CLA and LEV were high in China. Patient age, gender, disease and location were associated with the resistance of H. pylori to some antibiotics. Furazolidone, AMO and tetracycline are better choices for H. pylori treatment in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To explore the altered spontaneous cerebral activity patterns and impaired functional regions in patients with diabetic retinopathy (DR) using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) based on the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) algorithm.Materials and Methods: Twenty-one patients with DR (mean age, 54.9±9.9 years; 11 females) and 17 healthy control subjects (54.8±5.7 years; 9 females) were prospectively studied. The DR patients underwent laboratory tests. All individuals underwent a neuropsychological test. The differences in the ALFF values between the two groups were compared. The relationships between ALFF values and clinical measurements were analysed using a multiple-factor analysis.Results: Compared to the controls, the DR group showed significantly increased ALFF values in the bilateral occipital gyrus, right lingual gyrus, and precuneus, and decreased values in the right posterior/anterior cerebellar lobe and the parahippocampal, fusiform, superior temporal, inferior parietal, and angular gyrus. Furthermore, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scores were negatively correlated with decreased ALFF values in the right occipital lobe of the DR group, while increased ALFF values in the right precuneus and lingual gyrus were found to be positively correlated with glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) levels.Conclusions: Patients with DR showed spontaneous cerebral activity abnormalities in many cerebral regions that were associated with cognitive impairments. HbA1c levels altered spontaneous cerebral activity in DR patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]