Search

Impact electrochemistry allows for the investigation of the properties of single entities, ranging from nanoparticles (NPs) to soft bio-particles. It has introduced a novel dimension in the field of biological analysis, enhancing researchers' ability to comprehend biological heterogeneity and offering a new avenue for developing novel diagnostic devices for quantifying biological analytes. This review aims to summarize the recent advancements in impact electrochemistry-based biosensing over the past two to three years and provide insights into the future directions of this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new Zn(II) metal–organic framework (MOF) with the formula [Zn(BBIP)(2,6-NDC)]n (JXUST-44, BBIP = 3,5-bis(1H-benzo[d]imidazol-1-yl)pyridine and 2,6-H2NDC = 2,6-naphthalic acid) was synthesized under solvothermal conditions. The adjacent Zn(II) ions are connected by BBIP ligands to form one-dimensional (1D) chains, which are further linked by carboxylate groups of 2,6-NDC2− ligands to obtain a two-dimensional layer structure, resulting in a 2D → 3D polycatenated MOF. JXUST-44 can be simplified as a 4-connected sql topology and shows good chemical stability in a wide pH range from 2 to 12 at room temperature. The fluorescence experiments indicate that JXUST-44 presents sensitive and selective detection of salicylaldehyde (SA), acetylacetone (acac) and H2PO4− with the detection limits of 0.074, 10.311 and 0.011 ppm, respectively. It is worth noting that JXUST-44 shows turn-on fluorescence toward acac and H2PO4−, as well as good recyclability and stability for acac, SA and H2PO4−. Therefore, JXUST-44 can be considered as a good fluorescent sensor for acac, SA and H2PO4−. The sensing mechanism has also been studied in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To assess the efficacy and safety of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) and portal vein radioactive seed insertion (RSI) combination in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT). The relevant databases were searched from the earliest to January 2021. The endpoints included treatment response, treatment side effects, and overall survival (OS). Nine studies were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled total response (TR, p = 0.55) and disease control (DC, p = 0.13) rates for HCC were similar between the two treatment groups. The pooled TR (p = 0.0004) and DC (p < 0.0001) rates for PVTT were both significantly higher in the TACE with portal vein RSI group than in the TACE without portal vein RSI group. The pooled HR for OS was significantly better in the TACE with portal vein RSI group than in the TACE without portal vein RSI group (p < 0.00001). The pooled rates of fever (p = 0.97), vomiting (p = 0.64), and myelosuppression (p = 0.65) were similar between the two groups. Compared to traditional TACE, TACE combined with portal vein RSI can effectively prolong the patients' OS and decrease PVTT disease progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The aim of the study is to evaluate the feasibility, safety, and effectiveness of preoperative computed tomography (CT)-guided trans-scapular coil localization (TSCL) of scapula-blocked pulmonary nodules (PNs). Methods Between November 2015 and May 2020, 11 patients underwent preoperative CT-guided TSCL procedures owing to PN occlusion by scapula. Results A 100% technical success rate was achieved for CT-guided TSCL, with one coil being used for each PN. One patient (9.1%) developed pneumothorax. Successful video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS)-guided wedge resection of these scapula-blocked PNs was conducted in all patients. Conclusion CT-guided TSCL can be simply and safely used to facilitate successful VATS-guided wedge resection of scapula-blocked PNs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review emphasizes the significance of combining regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) with woody crops, as they have higher water productivity (WP) and are tolerant to mild water deficits. After conducting the analysis, it was found that for most woody crops, reducing irrigation water by 20.0–30.0% has a negligible impact on yield, typically within a variation range of 10.0%, and it leads to an increase in WP of 10.0–30.0%. When irrigation water is reduced by 40.0–50.0%, the impact on yield varies significantly depending on the species, but the WP generally approaches its highest value; in general, it can increase by 25.0% or more and sometimes even exceed 50.0%. However, when irrigation water is further reduced, it significantly affects yield, and there is a limited increase or even decrease in WP. Moreover, adjusting irrigation amounts during noncritical water demand periods minimizes the impact on yield and fruit size, enhancing water-saving effectiveness. Water-saving techniques trigger various plant responses, improving resistance to water deficits, promoting reproductive growth, and protecting against drought-related damage. Despite potential yield reductions, ongoing research demonstrates positive outcomes in WP, crop yield, and fruit quality in various woody crops. Water-saving techniques offer economic benefits through cost savings and pest reduction, while finding the appropriate balance between water use, yield, and quality is vital for agricultural success and sustainable water resource management. Moreover, water-saving techniques optimize nutrient uptake and heavy metal absorption in woody crop agricultural systems, addressing heavy metal stress, soil salinization, and emissions. Combining multiple irrigation methods, such as partial root-zone drying (PRD), shows immense potential in water conservation and impact on fruits. Integrating PRD with innovative techniques, such as precision irrigation or sensor-based systems, promises remarkable water savings and optimized crop yields, revolutionizing agricultural practices and addressing water scarcity challenges for sustainable irrigation management. • Regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) boosts water productivity, reduces yield impact. • RDI trigger plant responses, improving stress tolerance, and reproductive growth. • RDI balancing water use, fruit yield and quality, providing economic advantages. • RDI optimize nutrient uptake, limit heavy metal absorption, reduce N2O emissions. • Combining partial root-zone drying with other method is promising for water saving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The endosymbionts play vital roles in growth, development and reproduction in insects. Yeast‐like endosymbionts (YLSs) have been well studied in Nilaparvata lugens (N. lugens), but little is known about the tissue‐specific bacterial microbiomes, especially on the microbial intersection among internal tissues. Here, the correlation of microbial composition, structure, dispersal ability and functional profiling were illuminated in two tissues, the fat body and ovary in N. lugens. A total of 11 phyla and 105 genera were captured from all samples; Firmicutes and Proteobacteria were the most predominant and accounted for more than 99% in all samples. However, the relative abundance of Firmicutes and Proteobacteria was significantly different in ovary and fat body through Fisher's Least Significant Difference test. Microbial diversity but not the richness index in the two tissues exhibited significant difference. Furthermore, the microbial community structure of the ovary and fat body were primarily determined by tissue quality. Firmicutes showed strong dispersal ability between ovary and fat body based on the quantitative null model assessing, indicating the frequent interaction of these microbiomes in the two tissues. In addition, the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways of microbial participation were delineated. The ten most abundant pathways counted for over 46% of the annotation and were shared between the two tissues, mainly containing Energy Metabolism and Amino Acid Metabolism/Biosynthesis. The results will provide insights into the correlation of microbial community structure between ovary and fat body of N. lugens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HLA‐B*52:110N differs from HLA‐B*52:01:01:01 by one nucleotide in exon 3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The abnormal expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) or protein‐coding genes (PCGs) have been found to be associated with the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. Using bioinformatics analysis methods including Cox's proportional hazards regression analysis, the random survival forest algorithm, Kaplan–Meier, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, we mined the gene expression profiles of 469 HCC patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas (n = 379) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GSE14520; n = 90) public database. We selected a signature comprising one protein‐coding gene (PCG; DNA polymerase μ) and three miRNAs (hsa‐miR‐149‐5p, hsa‐miR‐424‐5p, hsa‐miR‐579‐5p) with highest accurate prediction (area under the ROC curve [AUC] = 0.72; n = 189) from the training data set. The signature stratified patients into high‐ and low‐risk groups with significantly different survival (median 27.9 vs. 55.2 months, log‐rank test, p < 0.001) in the training data set, and its risk stratification ability were validated in the test data set (median 47.4 vs. 84.4 months, log‐rank test, p = 0.03) and an independent data set (median 31.0 vs. 46.0 months, log‐rank test, p = 0.01). Multivariable Cox regression analysis showed that the signature was an independent prognostic factor. And the signature was proved to have a better survival prediction power than tumor–node–metastasis (TNM) stage (AUC signature = 0.72/0.64/0.62 vs. AUC TNM = 0.65/0.61/0.61; p < 0.05). Moreover, we validated the expression of these prognostic genes from the PCG‐miRNA signature in Huh‐7 cell by real‐time polymerase chain reaction. In conclusion, we found a signature that can predict survival of HCC patients and serve as a prognostic marker for HCC. Using bioinformatics analysis methods including Cox's proportional hazards regression analysis, the random survival forest algorithm, Kaplan–Meier and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, we mined the gene expression profiles of 469 hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas (n = 379) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GSE14520; n = 90) public database and found a prognostic protein‐coding gene‐microRNA signature that predicts survival in patients with HCC patients. The signature has a bright clinical significance to be a potential prognostic biomarker. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The physiological functions of insect foregut, especially in xenobiotic detoxification, are scarcely reported because of unimportance in appearance and insufficient molecular information. The cockroach Periplaneta americana, an entomological model organism, provides perfect material to study physiological functions of foregut tissue due to its architectural feature. Through Illumina sequencing of foregut tissue from P. americana individuals (control) or insects treated with cycloxaprid, as a novel neonicotinoid insecticide, 54 193 166 clean reads were obtained and further assembled into 53 853 unigenes with an average length of 366 bp. Furthermore, the number of unigenes involved in xenobiotic detoxification was analyzed, mainly including 70 cytochrome P450s, 12 glutathione S‐transferases (GSTs), seven carboxylesterases (CarEs) and seven adenosine triphosphate‐binding cassette (ABC) transporters. Compared to control, the expression of 22 xenobiotic detoxification unigenes was up‐regulated after cycloxaprid application, mainly containing 18 P450s, one GST, two CarEs and one ABC adenosine triphosphate transporter, indicating that the oxidation‐reduction was the major reactive process to cycloxaprid application. Through quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction analysis, the expression of selected unigenes (six P450s, one GST and one CarE) was up‐regulated at least two‐fold following cycloxaprid treatment, and was generally in agreement with transcriptome data. Compared to the previous midgut transcriptome of P. americana, it looks like the expressive abundance of the xenobiotic detoxification unigenes might be important factors to the detoxifying functional differences between foregut and midgut. In conclusion, insect foregut would also play important roles in the physiological processes related to xenobiotic detoxification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly sensitized NIR emission was modulated using an ESIPT ligand in a Nd-complex, to achieve a substantially elongated NIR lifetime in cyclohexane suspension with a value of 16.89 μs at RT, and anomalous themally-activated NIR emission with the temperature increasing from 77 to 300 K for the first time, which was further designed into a remote and in situ optical fiber sensing device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Total flavones of Rhododendron simsii Planch flower (TFR) have a significant protective effect against cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury. However, its mechanism is unclear. This study investigated the protection of TFR against cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury via cystathionine-γ-lyase- (CSE-) produced H2S mechanism. CSE-/- mice and CSE-siRNA-transfected rat were used. Relaxation of cerebral basilar artery (CBA), H2S, and CSE mRNA were measured. TFR significantly inhibited cerebral ischemia-reperfusion-induced abnormal neurological symptom and cerebral infarct in the normal rats and the CSE+/+ mice, but not in the CSE-/- mice, and the inhibition was markedly attenuated in CSE-siRNA-transfected rat; TFR elicited a significant vasorelaxation in rat CBA, and the relaxation was markedly attenuated by removal of endothelium or CSE-siRNA transfection or coapplication of NO synthase inhibitor L-NAME and PGI2 synthase inhibitor Indo. CSE inhibitor PPG drastically inhibited TFR-evoked vasodilatation resistant to L-NAME and Indo in endothelium-intact rat CBA. TFR significantly increased CSE mRNA expression in rat CBA endothelial cells and H2S production in rat endothelium-intact CBA. The increase of H2S production resistant to L-NAME and Indo was abolished by PPG. Our data indicate that TFR has a protective effect against the cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury via CSE-produced H2S and endothelial NO and/or PGI2 to relax the cerebral artery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethnopharmacological relevance The medicinal plant Morinda officinalis How. (MO) and its root have long been used in traditional medicines in China and northeast Asia as tonics for nourishing the kidney, strengthening the bone and enhancing immunofunction in the treatment of impotence, osteoporosis, depression and inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and dermatitis. Aim of the review This review aims to sum up updated and comprehensive information about traditional usage, phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicology of MO and provide insights into potential opportunities for future research and development of this plant. Methods A bibliographic investigation was performed by analyzing the information available on MO in the internationally accepted scientific databases including Pubmed, Scopus and Web of Science, SciFinder, Google Scholar, Yahoo, Ph.D. and M.Sc. dissertations in Chinese. Information was also obtained from some local and foreign books on ethnobotany and ethnomedicines. Results The literature supported the ethnomedicinal uses of MO as recorded in China for various purposes. The ethnomedical uses of MO have been recorded in many regions of China. More than 100 chemical compounds have been isolated from this plant, and the major constituents have been found to be polysaccharides, oligosaccharides, anthraquinones and iridoid glycosides. Crude extracts and pure compounds of this plant are used as effective agents in the treatment of depression, osteoporosis, fatigue, rheumatoid arthritis, and infertility due to their anti-depressant, anti-osteoporosis, pro-fertility, anti-radiation, anti-Alzheimer disease, anti-rheumatoid, anti-fatigue, anti-aging, cardiovascularprotective, anti-oxidation, immune-regulatory, and anti-inflammatory activities. Pharmacokinetic studies have demonstrated that the main components of MO including monotropein and deacetyl asperulosidic acid are distributed in various organs and tissues. The investigation on acute toxicity and genotoxicity indicated that MO is nontoxic. There have no reports on significant adverse effect at a normal dose in clinical application, but MO at dose of more than 1000 mg/kg may cause irritability, insomnia and unpleasant sensations in individual cases. Conclusion MO has emerged as a good source of traditional medicines. Some uses of this plant in traditional medicines have been validated by pharmacological investigations. However, the molecular mechanism, structure-activity relationship, and potential synergistic and antagonistic effects of its multi-components such as polysaccharides, oligosaccharides, anthraquinones and iridoid glycosides need to be further elucidated, and the structural feature of polysaccharides also need to be further clarified. Sophisticated analytical technologies should be developed to comprehensively evaluate the quality of MO based on HPLC-fingerprint and content determination of the active constituents, knowing that these investigations will help further utilize this plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To achieve accurate detection of cancer biomarkers with nanopore sensors, the precise recognition of multi-level current blockage events (signature) is a pivotal problem. However, it remains rather a challenge to identify the multi-level current blockages of target biomarkers in nanopore experiments, especially for the nanopore analysis of serum samples. In this work, we combined a modified DBSCAN (Density-Based Spatial Clustering of Applications with Noise) algorithm with the Viterbi training algorithm of the hidden Markov model (HMM) to achieve intelligent retrieval of multi-level current signatures from microRNA in serum samples. The results showed that the developed intelligent data analysis method is highly efficient for processing the large-scale nanopore data, which facilitates future application of nanopores to the clinical detection of cancer biomarkers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objective In human-machine (HM) hybrid control systems, human operator and machine cooperate to achieve the control objectives. To enhance the overall HM system performance, the discrete manual control task-load by the operator must be dynamically allocated in accordance with continuous-time fluctuation of psychophysiological functional status of the operator, so-called operator functional state (OFS). The behavior of the HM system is hybrid in nature due to the co-existence of discrete task-load (control) variable and continuous operator performance (system output) variable. Methods Petri net is an effective tool for modeling discrete event systems, but for hybrid system involving discrete dynamics, generally Petri net model has to be extended. Instead of using different tools to represent continuous and discrete components of a hybrid system, this paper proposed a method of fuzzy inference Petri nets (FIPN) to represent the HM hybrid system comprising a Mamdani-type fuzzy model of OFS and a logical switching controller in a unified framework, in which the task-load level is dynamically reallocated between the operator and machine based on the model-predicted OFS. Furthermore, this paper used a multi-model approach to predict the operator performance based on three electroencephalographic (EEG) input variables (features) via the Wang-Mendel (WM) fuzzy modeling method. The membership function parameters of fuzzy OFS model for each experimental participant were optimized using artificial bee colony (ABC) evolutionary algorithm. Three performance indices, RMSE, MRE , and EPR , were computed to evaluate the overall modeling accuracy. Results Experiment data from six participants are analyzed. The results show that the proposed method (FIPN with adaptive task allocation) yields lower breakdown rate (from 14.8% to 3.27%) and higher human performance (from 90.30% to 91.99%). Conclusion The simulation results of the FIPN-based adaptive HM (AHM) system on six experimental participants demonstrate that the FIPN framework provides an effective way to model and regulate/optimize the OFS in HM hybrid systems composed of continuous-time OFS model and discrete-event switching controller. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the equivalent block two-by-two real linear systems and relaxing technique, we establish a new block preconditioner for a class of complex symmetric indefinite linear systems. The new preconditioner is much closer to the original block two-by-two coefficient matrix than the Hermitian and skew-Hermitian splitting (HSS) preconditioner. We analyze the spectral properties of the new preconditioned matrix, discuss the eigenvalue distribution and derive an upper bound for the degree of its minimal polynomial. Finally, some numerical examples are provided to show the effectiveness and robustness of our proposed preconditioner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photo-induced carbon dioxide conversion presents one of the basic reactions of natural photo-syntheses in green plants, which has inspired researchers to develop artificial materials and devices for efficient CO 2 photo-reduction into useful products and chemical fuels via light-driven photochemical reactions. This review article focuses on recent advances in visible-light-driven CO 2 photo-catalytic reduction studies based on Ru(II) and Ir(III) coordination complexes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We fabricated fully transparent hafnium indium zinc oxide (HfInZnO) thin film transistors (TFTs) with ZnO:Al(AZO)/Ag/ZnO:Al multilayer source/drain (S/D) electrodes. The effect of Ag interlayer thickness on the electrical and optical properties of AZO(60 nm)/Ag/AZO(60 nm) multilayer films was investigated. The AZO(60 nm)/Ag(10 nm)/AZO(60 nm) multilayer film shows a low sheet resistance of 10.5 Ω/square and a transmittance of 87%. Compared with HfInZnO-TFT with AZO electrode, the performance of the device with AZO/Ag/AZO multilayer electrode was significantly improved. The field effect mobility increased from 3.2 to 5.8 cm 2 /V s, and the threshold voltage reduced from 2.3 to 0.1 V. The improvement was attributed to the lower resistivity of AZO/Ag/AZO multilayer film. The result indicates that AZO/Ag/AZO multilayer electrode is a promising S/D electrode for fully transparent HfInZnO-TFTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon spheres (CSs) with an average diameter of around 500 ∼ 700 nm are prepared by a extended Stöber method. Urchin-like MnO 2 nanorods were deposited on the carbon spheres by hydrothermal method and the thickness of α-MnO 2 shell is about 700 ∼ 800 nm. Pd particles with a diameter of around 8 ∼ 15 nm are dispersed on the surface of vertically aligned α-MnO 2 rods which have a diameter of 40 ∼ 50 nm. Three-dimensional (3D) Pd-MnO 2 /CS shows better activity and stability than Pd/CS and MnO 2 /CS for anodic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in water electrolysis, which shows that Pd-doped urchin-like CS-MnO 2 core-shell structure material would be a superiority catalyst for the OER. The onset potential shifts negatively and current density improves on the Pd-MnO 2 /CS for the OER, showing a synergistic effect between Pd and MnO 2 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jasminum lanceolarium Roxb is an important traditional Chinese medicine. Its stems and roots have been used for the treatment of rheumatism and fever while the leaves are used as an anti-inflammatory agent to relieve pain. In order to support its traditional Chinese medicinal uses, five animal models were designed and the anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties of the 70% EtOH–H 2 O extracts of J. lanceolarium (EJL) were investigated. Meanwhile, biochemical parameters such as cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX) in blood serum of rats exposed to acute (carrageenan) inflammation model were evaluated. At doses of 400 mg/kg, EJL exhibited higher anti-inflammation effect than that of indomethacin and better analgesic activity than that of aspirin ( P <0.001). Furthermore, eleven isolated compounds including six lignanoids ( 1 , 2 , 6 , 7 , 8 , and 11 ) and five iridoids ( 3 , 4 , 5 , 9 , and 10 ) were isolated from the active extracts and showed significant anti-inflammatory activities with the IC 50 values of 1.76–5.22 mg/mL, respectively, when testing their inhibitory effects on phospholipase A 2 in vitro . The results demonstrated that the possible anti-inflammatory mechanisms might be attributed to inhibit the hydrolysis of membrane phospholipids, production on both COX-2 and 5-LOX, and then finally inhibit the release of prostaglandins (PGs), which suggested that EJL had a non-selective inhibitory effect on the release or actions of these mediators, and might be a dual LOX–COX inhibitor for the treatment of inflammation from the natural resource. The studies on the animals and the inflammatory mediators, along with the bioactive compounds presumed that the existences of iridoids and lignanoids could be response for their bioactivities of the whole plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

R2464 --> 806.2 --> Neuropathic pain is a chronic disorder resulting from damage to the afferent nerve fibers or central pain pathways and is often a complication in pathological conditions such as diabetes, shingles, multiple sclerosis, and stroke. The opioid epidemic has elucidated the need for more efficacious treatments for neuropathic pain. In 2019 alone, nearly 1.6 million people were diagnosed with an opioid use disorder and 48,000 people died from a synthetic opioid overdose. Despite the addictive properties, opioids are still the most frequently prescribed pain medication, even for chronic neuropathic pain. Heterotrimeric G‐proteins consisting of the α, β, and γ subunits convey extracellular signals sensed by G‐protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) to intracellular effectors. The Gβ5 subunit is a divergent member of the G‐protein β subunit family as it does not bind to traditional γ subunits. Instead, Gβ5 complexes with the R7 subfamily of the regulators of G‐protein signaling (R7‐RGS) containing 4 members: RGS6, 7, 9 and 11. The Gβ5/R7‐RGS complex acts as a GTPase accelerating protein (GAP) for G‐protein αi/o (Gαi/o) subunits. Previous studies have established the integral role of R7‐RGS proteins in pain transmission via their interactions with Gαi/o‐coupled receptors including opioid and metabotropic gamma‐aminobutyric acid (GABA‐B) receptors. Our lab has shown the lack of Gβ5 in sensory ganglia diminishes mechanical, thermal, and chemical nociception. However, the conditional knockout of Gβ5 in Rgs7 expressing neurons reduces only mechanical nociception. This Gβ5/RGS7‐dependent mechanical nociception relies on GABA‐B receptor signaling as indicated by the rescue of mechanical nociception in Rgs7‐Cre; Gnb5 fl/fl mice after treatment with 2‐hydroxysaclofen, a GABA‐B antagonist. We also established that Rgs9 expressing neurons regulate thermal nociception via a Gβ5‐dependent pathway as assayed by the hotplate test in Rgs9‐Cre; Gnb5 fl/fl mice. The purpose of this project has been to understand the molecular role of each R7‐RGS member in the regulation of pain transmission. First, we confirmed co‐localization between the Gnb5 transcript and all four R7‐RGS mRNA transcripts in murine dorsal root ganglia (DRG) using the RNAscope HiPlex assay, a novel in situ hybridization technique. We then established the co‐localization patterns between each R7‐RGS member and various pain related receptors including Mrgprd, Trpa1, and Trpv1. Our RNAscope results support the behavioral tests since Rgs7 transcripts highly co‐express with Mrgprd, a mechanical nociceptor, while Rgs9 transcripts most frequently co‐express with Trpv1, a thermosensitive receptor. These results suggest that each R7‐RGS member might regulate unique types of nociception. We have also shown that Rgs11 transcripts co‐localize with Trpv1 and Trpa1 receptor transcripts which indicates Rgs11 might regulate the chemical nociception as tested by capsaicin and mustard oil administration in the eye‐wipe test. Next, we aim to study the possible roles of Rgs6 and Rgs11 in regulating chemical nociception using conditional Gβ5 knockout mice mediated by Rgs6‐cre and Rgs11‐cre, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Increased fructose consumption predisposes the liver to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), but the mechanisms are elusive. Thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP) links oxidative stress to NOD-like receptor family, pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation and this signaling axis may be involved in fructose-induced NAFLD. Here, we explore the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS)-induced TXNIP overexpression in fructose-mediated hepatic NLRP3 inflammasome activation, inflammation, and lipid accumulation. Results: Rats were fed a 10% fructose diet for 8 weeks and treated with allopurinol and quercetin during the last 4 weeks. Five millimolars of fructose-exposed hepatocytes (primary rat hepatocytes, rat hepatic parenchymal cells [RHPCs], HLO2, HepG2) were co-incubated with antioxidants or caspase-1 inhibitor or subjected to TXNIP or NLRP3 siRNA interference. Fructose induced NLRP3 inflammasome activation and pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion, janus-activated kinase 2/signal transducers and activators of transcription 3-mediated inflammatory signaling, and expression alteration of lipid metabolism-related genes in cultured hepatocytes and rat livers. NLRP3 silencing and caspase-1 suppression blocked these effects in primary rat hepatocytes and RHPCs, confirming that inflammasome activation alters hepatocyte lipid metabolism. Hepatocellular ROS and TXNIP were increased in animal and cell models. TXNIP silencing blocked NLRP3 inflammasome activation, inflammation, and lipid metabolism perturbations but not ROS induction in fructose-exposed hepatocytes, whereas antioxidants addition abrogated TXNIP induction and diminished the detrimental effects in fructose-exposed hepatocytes and rat livers. Innovation and Conclusions: This study provides a novel mechanism for fructose-induced NAFLD pathogenesis by which the ROS-TXNIP pathway mediates hepatocellular NLRP3 inflammasome activation, inflammation and lipid accumulation. Antioxidant-based interventions can inhibit the ROS-TXNIP pathway. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 22, 848-870. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work demonstrates the photocurrent enhancement in planar heterojunction (PHJ) photovoltaics via structural templating by a thin layer of dinaphthothienothiophene (DNTT) or 3,4,9,10-perylene-tetracarboxylic-dianhydride (PTCDA). The use of a 10-nm-thick DNTT templating layer leads to a 43%, 13%, and 9% enhancement in the short-circuit current for the subphthalocyanine (SubPc), copper phthalocyanine and chloroaluminum phthalocyanine based PHJs, respectively. A 1-nm-thick PTCDA templating layer also results in a 9% enhancement in the photocurrent from the SubPc/C60 PHJ cell, though less significant than the DNTT template. The mechanism of the photocurrent enhancement by introducing the two templating layers is discussed. A thin templating layer is introduced between the MoO3 and subphthalocyanine layers to enhance the photocurrent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genomic engineering by the guide RNA (gRNA)-directed CRISPR/CAS9 is rapidly becoming a method of choice for various biological systems. However, pressing concerns remain regarding its off-target activities and wide variations in efficacies. While next generation sequencing (NGS) has been primarily used to evaluate the efficacies and off-target activities of gRNAs, it only detects the imperfectly repaired double strand DNA breaks (DSB) by the error-prone non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) mechanism and may not faithfully represent the DSB activities because the efficiency of NHEJ-mediated repair varies depending on the local chromatin environment. Here we describe a reporter system for unbiased detection and comparison of DSB activities that promises to improve the chance of success in genomic engineering and to facilitate large-scale screening of CAS9 activities and gRNA libraries. Additionally, we demonstrated that the tolerances to mismatches between a gRNA and the corresponding target DNA can occur at any position of the gRNA, and depend on both specific gRNA sequences and CAS9 constructs used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To explore the etiology, management and prevention of uroseptic shock after endoscopic lithotripsy for upper urinary tract stones. Methods The clinical data were retrospective analyzed which collected from 12 patients (2 men, 10 women) with uroseptic shock after endoscopic lithotripsy for upper urinary tract stones from January 2005 to May 2014. Their age ranged from 37 to 68 years with a mean of 50 years. 9 patients were treated with PCNL, and 3 patients were treated with rigid ureteroscopic lithotripsy. The patients were characterized by a temperature over 39 °C, a blood pressure below 90/60 mmHg and a heart rate over 110 BPM within 3-16 hours after the operation. All patients were diagnosed with uroseptic shock according to the clinical manifestation. All patients underwent anti-shock and anti-infection therapies rapidly. Results 10 patients were cured in the end. The vasopressors were gradually stopped within 72-120 hours, and patients' temperature and blood routine tests returned to normal within 2 weeks. 2 patients died of multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) after 2 or 3 days of operation. Conclusion Uroseptic shock is one of serious complications after endoscopic lithotripsy for upper urinary tract stones. The improvement in the prevention can effectively prevent the post-operation severe infections. The key to the successful treatment depends on early diagnosis and proper treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this study, a novel process was explored for cassava ethanol fermentation. In the process, a portion of thin stillage was mixed with the effluent from anaerobic digestion of residual thin stillage and was then reused as process water for the following ethanol fermentation. This process was evaluated at the lab and a pilot scale was performed for anaerobic digestion and ethanol fermentation performance. Ethanol production was enhanced in the recycling batch compared with the first batch (freshwater was used). Anaerobic digestion of the thin stillage also showed high efficiency and stability with a chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal rate above 97% and a methane yield of 300 mL/g COD removed at both the lab and pilot scale. In addition, the COD and conductivity of the thin stillage remained consistent after the 6th and 3rd batch, respectively. In conclusion, in this novel process, energy consumption was reduced, and wastewater was utilized for value-added products, thereby contributing to the sustainable development in the cassava ethanol industry. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We investigate the electrical performance and negative bias stability of thin film transistors (TFTs) using double active layer. Double active layer is consisting of low oxygen content HfInZnO film as bottom channel and high oxygen content HfInZnO film as back channel. The HfInZnO-TFT with double channel layer shows a high mobility of 6.8cm2/Vs, a low threshold voltage of −0.3V, and a threshold voltage shifts of 0.65V under −20V gate bias for 7200s. The results suggest that HfInZnO with low oxygen content as the bottom channel could provide high carrier concentration and good HfInZnO/Al2O3 interface to improve field-effect mobility and negative bias stress stability. HfInZnO with high oxygen content as back channel can control the conductivity to reduce the off current of TFT. Thus, a double-active-layer structure is an effective way to improve the electrical performance of HfInZnO-TFT. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Controversy still exists about the need for pyloric drainage procedures after esophagectomy with gastric conduit reconstruction. Although pyloric drainage may prevent postoperative delayed gastric emptying (DGE), it may also promote dumping syndrome and bile reflux. The aims of this study were to audit the incidence and management of DGE in patients without routine pyloric drainage after esophagectomy in a university medical center. Patients and Methods: From July 2006 to June 2012, data from 356 consecutive patients who underwent esophagectomy with a gastric conduit without pyloric drainage for esophageal or gastric cardia carcinoma were reviewed. Major observation parameters were the incidence, management, and outcomes of DGE. Results: Overall incidence of DGE was 15.7% (56 of 356). Early DGE developed in 26 patients, and late DGE developed in 30 patients. There were no differences in demographic and intraoperative data between the two groups with or without DGE. More DGE was documented in patients with an intra-right thoracic gastric conduit ( P=.031). A higher incidence of postoperative pneumonia was observed in patients exhibiting early DGE, but without significance ( P=.254). There were also no significant impacts on respiratory failure ( P=.848) and anastomotic leakage ( P=.257). There was an increased postoperative hospital stay with DGE, but without significance ( P=.089). Endoscopic balloon dilatation of the pylorus was used to manage 33.9% of patients with DGE, yielding a 78.9% (15 of 19) success rate without complications. In 3 patients endoscopy showed the pylorus was open, and their symptoms improved over time. One patient with tumor-related DGE was treated by pyloric stent. The remaining patients were adequately treated with conservative management. Conclusions: Omitting the operative drainage procedure does not lead to an increased frequency of DGE after esophagectomy with a gastric conduit. Many patients responded to conservative management, and endoscopic balloon pyloric dilatation can be effective in managing the DGE postoperatively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Sputtered AlO x film as the gate insulator. [•] Effect of rf power on the electrical properties of AlO x insulator. [•] Electrical performance and bias stability of InGaZnO-TFTs. [•] Interfacial properties using C–V method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research work was performed to investigate the possibility of using composted herb residues (C1), co-composted sewage sludge with sawdust (C2), co-composted pig manure with sawdust (C3), and co-composted pig manure with spent mushroom (C4) in the production of horticultural seedlings to replace part of peat in the growing media. The proportions of each compost in the mixtures elaborated with peat were 50%, 75%, and 100% (v/v), respectively. The substrate of 100% commercial peat was used as the control. First, some physical, physical-chemical, and chemical properties of these substrates were determined. Second, four kinds of plants tomato, cucumber, bermudagrass, and impatiens were used to evaluate the possibility of different composts to replace part of peat. The seed germination rate, fresh weight and nutrient concentrations of seedling were then measured. We found that the physical, physical-chemical and chemical properties of these substrates were statistically influenced by the type and the proportion of compost in the substrates. The substrates elaborated with C1 and C2 showed adequate physical and chemical properties for their use as substrate in horticultural seedlings production. The highest germination of cucumber, tomato, bermudagrass and impatiens all occurred at C1 based substrate. Seedling grown in the C1 and C2 based substrate reached better growth and nutrition than peat. Our results suggested that the C1 and C2 were good alternative to peat-based substrate for seedling production, especially at the rate of 75% and 100% of C1 and 50% of C2, which have shown beneficial effects on the seedling production of cucumber, tomato, bermudagrass and impatiens compared to the control. However, C3 and C4 were not always adequately used in substituting expensive peat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this study, we examined the alterations in canopy size and reproduction of Caragana stenophylla along the climatic drought gradient on the Inner Mongolia Plateau, China. We found that the canopy area and height of C. stenophylla increased gradually with increase of drought stress from the semi-arid zone to the strongly arid zone. The proportions of sexual reproduction decreased and the asexual reproduction increased with increase of the climatic drought stress. The majority of C. stenophylla offspring grew (separately) outside shrubs in the semi-arid (63.9%) and the arid zones (45.8%). But in the strongly arid zone, C. stenophylla offspring only grew inside shrubs. With the increase of climatic drought stress the ramet radius increased, while the spacer length decreased. In both the semi-arid and arid zones, the spacer length was more than 2 times of the ramet radius. Thus, some spaces were kept between the crowns of ramets. On the other hand, the spacer length was less than 2 times of the ramet radius in the strongly arid zone, so that the crowns were closely intertwined. Our results demonstrate that with the increase of climatic drought stress and associated desertification, the reproduction of C. stenophylla changes from more sexual reproduction to more clonal propagation; offspring establishment strategy changes from having more outside-shrub offspring to having only inside-shrub offspring; the clonal architecture changes from guerrilla type to phalanx type. Alterations in the reproduction of C. stenophylla along the climatic drought gradient result due to an increase of its canopy size from the northeast to the southwest on the Inner Mongolia Plateau. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The objective of this paper is to investigate the effects of assisted ultrasonic vibration in the operation of micro end milling. Based upon numerical analysis for the trajectory of a tool tip of a two-flute end mill, it was found that the assisted feed direction ultrasonic vibration can achieve separate-type milling that is different from conventional operation by reasonable parameter matching. To validate theoretical analysis and investigate the influence of ultrasonic vibration on milling process, a slot-milling experiment was conducted on an aluminum alloy work piece. The desired ultrasonic vibration was applied in the feed direction by an ultrasonic vibrator. Through investigating and comparing some experimental results involving cutting force, chip formation, surface topography, surface roughness, and machining dimensional accuracy, the authors found that micro end milling with ultrasonic vibration in the feed direction leads to a pulse-like cutting force and produces uniform small chips. Assisted ultrasonic vibration in the feed direction has a negative effect on the surface roughness of the slot bottom, but a positive effect on the dimensional accuracy of the slot width. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this paper, the activity and stability of glycerol oxidation on Au electrode have been investigated by cyclic voltametry, chronoamperometry and chronopotentiometry methods in alkaline medium. The glycerol shows a remarkable activity and better performance than methanol, ethanol, n-propanol, isopropanol and ethylene glycol on the Au electrode in alkaline medium. The activity and stability of glycerol oxidation on the Au electrode are higher than that of glycerol oxidation on Pd electrode. The stability of glycerol oxidation on the Au electrode is higher than that of methanol and glycerol oxidation on Pt electrode. The results show that glycerol is an excellent fuel applied in direct alcohol fuel cells with Au as anode catalyst. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

J. Neurochem. (2011) 119, 544-554. Abstract Gβ5 is a divergent member of the signal-transducing G protein β subunit family encoded by GNB5 and expressed principally in brain and neuronal tissue. Among heterotrimeric Gβ isoforms, Gβ5 is unique in its ability to heterodimerize with members of the R7 subfamily of the regulator of G protein signaling proteins that contain G protein-γ like domains. Previous studies employing Gnb5 knockout (KO) mice have shown that Gβ5 is an essential stabilizer of such regulator of G protein signaling proteins and regulates the deactivation of retinal phototransduction and the proper functioning of retinal bipolar cells. However, little is known of the function of Gβ5 in the brain outside the visual system. We show here that mice lacking Gβ5 have a markedly abnormal neurologic phenotype that includes impaired development, tiptoe-walking, motor learning and coordination deficiencies, and hyperactivity. We further show that Gβ5-deficient mice have abnormalities of neuronal development in cerebellum and hippocampus. We find that the expression of both mRNA and protein from multiple neuronal genes is dysregulated in Gnb5 KO mice. Taken together with previous observations from Gnb5 KO mice, our findings suggest a model in which Gβ5 regulates dendritic arborization and/or synapse formation during development, in part by effects on gene expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As we know, air breakdown would occur if the power of a microwave pulse, which radiates from an aperture antenna, was high enough, the transmission of microwave could be hindered. Based upon this assumption, this paper intends to report on the mathematical deduction of the maximum power radiated from an aperture antenna before air breakdown in the near-field region. It also presents the calculations in the power density enhancement factors corresponding to different kinds of aperture field distributions in the near-field region of a circular cophasal aperture. In addition, this paper also proposes a formula by the field equivalence principle for calculating the normalized power density on axis. The results showed that the air breakdown in the near-field region could be a limiting factor for the maximum power, depending on aperture radius, the field distribution in the aperture plane, the frequency, and the pulse width of a microwave pulse. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: Obstructive sleep apnea and other sleep-related breathing disorders result in recurrent periods of oxygen deprivation (hypoxia), hypercapnia and an increase in the cellular production of reactive oxygen species (oxidative stress-related injury). Individuals with these disorders suffer from a variety of cellular abnormalities that result in cardiopulmonary dysfunctions, disturbances in sleep and other pathologies. In the present experiment, using an animal model of sleep apnea, we determined that the degeneration of neurons and glia, due to apoptosis, occurs in specific regions of the pons and medulla. Adult guinea pigs, which were divided into control (normoxic) and experimental (hypoxic) groups, were anesthetized with α-chloralose and immobilized with Flaxedil. Apnea (hypoxia) was induced by ventilatory arrest in order to desaturate the oxyhemoglobin to 75% SpO2. A sequence of apnea, followed by ventilation with recovery to >95% SpO2, was repeated for a period of 3h. At the end of the period of recurrent apnea, the animals were perfused and brain sections were immunostained with a mouse monoclonal antibody raised against single-stranded DNA (ssDNA). Apoptotic neurons and glia, which were not found in the control group of animals, were present in brainstem regions in hypoxic group of animals; these regions involved in the control of respiration (e.g., the parafacial respiratory group and the ventral respiratory group), cardiovascular functions (e.g., the nucleus ambiguus, the nucleus tractus solitarius and the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus) as well as REM sleep (the nucleus pontis oralis) and wakefulness (e.g., the dorsal raphe and locus ceruleus). We suggest apoptotic neurons and glia in critical areas of the pons and medulla results in many of the comorbidities experienced by patients with sleep-disordered breathing pathologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The present study was designed to investigate the effects of recurrent periods of apnea/hypoxia on the morphology of neurons in sites that control NREM and REM sleep. In addition, we determined whether the administration of a GABA agonist, eszopiclone, was capable of preventing the degenerative, i.e., apoptotic, sequelae of hypoxia in these sleep-promoting neurons. Adult guinea pigs were divided into control (normoxic) and hypoxic groups; a separate group of hypoxic animals was administered eszopiclone. Recurrent periods of hypoxia and normoxia lasted for a duration of 3h. Subsequently, the brains were sectioned, and areas in the CNS that control NREM sleep as well as REM sleep were examined after staining with an antibody raised against single-stranded DNA, which labels apoptotic neurons. In the group of control (normoxic) animals, apoptotic neurons were not observed in CNS regions that control NREM or REM sleep. In hypoxic animals, a large number of apoptotic neurons were found in the preceding regions. In the hypoxic animals that were administered eszopiclone, there were almost no apoptotic neurons in the brain regions that control NREM or REM sleep. These results demonstrate that recurrent periods of apnea induce extensive apoptosis in CNS nuclei that control NREM and REM sleep and that eszopiclone is capable of preventing neuronal degeneration in these sites. We suggest that the degeneration of neurons in sites that control the states of sleep is responsible for those sleep disturbances that arise as a consequence of hypoxia in individuals with sleep-related breathing disorders. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The soft deposition of Cu13 and Co13 clusters and their subsequent diffusion behaviors on the Cu(001) surface have been studied via molecular dynamics simulations with many-body potential based on the tight-binding model. Terrace-step-kink structures are used for the description of the substrate geometries. The results show that the final morphologies and the binding energies of the deposited clusters depend sensitively on the substrate surface geometries. The diffusion behaviors of the clusters on the substrate are investigated via annealing the cluster–substrate systems at 300K, 500K and 800K. It is shown that the significantly different diffusion behaviors of Cu13 and Co13 clusters are associated with different interactions between Cu–Cu, Co–Co, and Cu–Co atoms. Our results also reveal that the Cu13 and Co13 clusters collapse on the terrace at 800K via the solid-on-solid settling mechanism. A new collapse mechanism is also discovered during the collapse process of Co13 cluster, which suspends the transformation from a three-dimensional adsorbed cluster to a two-dimensional one. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) can result in impaired cognition and mental acuity, and the generation of mood disorders, including depression. However, the mechanisms of neuronal damage for these complications have not been elucidated. Accordingly, using immunohistochemical technique with monoclonal antibody against single-stranded DNA, we examined the morphological effects of chronic recurrent apnea on neurons in the hippocampus and related forebrain sites in guinea pigs. Our results show that a large number of neurons labeled by anti-ssDNA antibody were present in the cingulate, insular and frontal cortices, the hippocampus and the amygdala in conjunction with periods of recurrent apnea. However, no labeling was observed in comparable regions of the brain in control guinea pigs. In the cortices of experimental animals, labeled neurons were detected mainly in the superficial layers (II–III) in the frontal, insular and cingulate cortex. In the hippocampus, most labeled neurons were located in the CA1 region, in which most of stained neurons were observed in strata pyramidal, while only a few positive neurons were located in the strata radiatum and the strata oriens. In addition, a large number of labeled neurons were also detected in the central nucleus of amygdala in the guinea pigs underwent recurrent periods of apnea. The present data indicate that recurrent apnea results in cell death in the hippocampus and related forebrain regions via mechanisms of apoptosis, which may represent the basis for the clinical complications of obstructive sleep apnea and sleep-disordered breathing. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Parafibromin is a tumor suppressor protein encoded by HRPT2, a gene recently implicated in the hereditary hyperparathyroidismjaw tumor syndrome, parathyroid cancer, and a subset of kindreds with familial isolated hyperparathyroidism. Human parafibromin binds to RNA polymerase II as part of a PAF1 transcriptional regulatory complex. The physiologic targets of parafibromin and the mechanism by which its loss of function can lead to neoplastic transformation are poorly understood. We show here that RNA interference with the expression of parafibromin or Paf 1 stimulates cell proliferation and increases levels of the c-myc protooncogene product, a DNA-binding protein and established regulator of cell growth. This effect results from both c-myc protein stabilization and activation of the c-myc promoter, without alleviation of the c-myc transcriptional pause. Chromatin immunoprecipitation demonstrates the occupancy of the c-myc promoter by parafibromin and other PAF1 complex subunits in native cells. Knockdown of c-myc blocks the proliferative effect of RNA interference with parafibromin or Paf 1 expression. These experiments provide a previously uncharacterized mechanism for the antiproliferative action of the parafibromin tumor suppressor protein resulting from PAF1 complex-mediated inhibition of the c-myc proto-oncogene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The small brown planthopper, Laodelphax striatellus (Fallén), is an important agricultural pest that causes significant losses by sucking and transmitting multiple plant viruses, such as rice black-streaked dwarf virus (RBSDV). Insecticides are commonly used to control planthoppers and cause the induction or overexpression of cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (P450s) from the CYP3 and CYP4 clades after insecticide application. However, little is known about the roles of insecticides and P450s in the regulation of viral replication in insects. In this study, RBSDV-infected L. striatellus were injected with imidacloprid, deltamethrin, pymetrozine, and buprofezin, respectively. The insecticide treatments caused a significant decrease in RBSDV abundance in L. striatellus. Treatment of piperonyl butoxide (PBO), an effective inhibitor of P450s, significantly increased the RBSDV abundance in L. striatellus. Fourteen P450 candidate genes in the CYP3 clade and 21 in the CYP4 clade were systematically identified in L. striatellus, and their expression patterns were analyzed under RBSDV infection, in different tissues, and at different developmental stages. Among the thirty-five P450 genes, the expression level of CYP6CW1 was the highest, while CYP6AY3 was the lowest after RBSDV infection. Knockdown of CYP6CW1 and CYP6AY3 significantly increased the virus abundance and promoted virus replication in L. striatellus. Overall, our data reveal that CYP6CW1 and CYP6AY3 play a critical role in the regulation of virus replication in L.striatellus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this paper, we prove that every bijective map preserving Lie products from a factor von Neumann algebra into another factor von Neumann algebra is of the form , where is an additive isomorphism or the negative of an additive anti-isomorphism and is a map with for all . [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper we report an adaptive regularization network (ARN) approach to realizing fast blind separation of cerebral evoked potentials (EPs) from background electroencephalogram (EEG) activity with no need to make any explicit assumption on the statistical (or deterministic) signal model. The ARNs are proposed to construct nonlinear EEG and EP signal models. A novel adaptive regularization training (ART) algorithm is proposed to improve the generalization performance of the ARN. Two adaptive neural modeling methods based on the ARN are developed and their implementation and performance analysis are also presented. The computer experiments using simulated and measured visual evoked potential (VEP) data have shown that the proposed ARN modeling paradigm yields computationally efficient and more accurate VEP signal estimation owing to its intrinsic model-free and nonlinear processing characteristics. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this note, it is shown that every Jordan derivation of triangular algebras is a derivation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Let be a nest on a complex separable Hilbert space H, and be the associated nest algebra. In this paper, we prove that every biderivation of is an inner biderivation if and only if dim0+ ≠1 or , and that every generalized biderivation of is an inner generalized biderivation if dim0+ ≠1 and . [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Douchi, a soybean product originating in China, produces angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors with the potential to lower blood pressure. The ACE inhibitory activities of douchi qu pure-cultured by Aspergillus Egyptiacus for 48h, and 72h were compared with douchi secondary-fermented for 15d. The results showed that ACE inhibitory activities were improved following the fermentation. ACE inhibitory activities of 48h-primary-fermented douchi qu did not change dramatically after preincubation with ACE, but increased greatly after preincubation with gastrointestinal proteases. The results suggest they were pro-drug-type or a mixture of pro-drug-type and inhibitor-type inhibitors. The ACE inhibitors in 48h-fermented douchi qu were fractionated into four major peaks by gel filtration chromatography on Sephadex G-25. Peak 2, which had the highest activity, had only one peptide, composed of phenylalanine, isoleucine and glycine with a ratio of 1:2:5. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper, it is proved that every weakly continuous local 2-cocycle of a nest subalgebra of a factor von Neumann algebra with coefficients in the factor von Neumann algebra is a 2-cocycle. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Let be a nest on a complex separable Hilbert space , and be the associated nest algebra. In this paper, we prove that every Lie triple derivation from into itself is of the form X → XT − TX + h(X)I, where and h is a linear mapping from into such that h([[A, B], C])=0 for all . [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The efficacy of the suicide gene therapy by using the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase/ganciclovir (HSVtk/GCV) system for the treatment of cancer is limited because of the insufficient gene transfer and the low killing activity. To enhance the anti-tumor activity, we probed into whether recombinant retroviral expression vector PLXSN expressing both HSVtk and TNF-alpha genes could potentiate the destruction of SGC7901. The pL(tk-TNF-alpha)SN harboring HSVtk and TNF-alpha genes in sequence was constructed with a bicistronic unit including the internal ribosomal entry site, the recombinant retroviruses were transferred into SGC7901 cells by lipofectamine, and pEGFP and Western blot analysis were used to detect the expression of fusion genes in transfected SGC7901 cells, and then apoptosis of the transfected cells were detected by using the TdT-mediated dUTP nick end labeling, flow cytometric analysis and transmission electron microscopy. In vitro study, the transfected gastric cancer cells were maintained in the GCV-contained medium, to assay the cell killing effect and bystander effect. In vivo experiments, retroviral serum plasmids were transfected into tumor-bearing nude mice, to observe the changes of tumor volumes and survival of the mice. In vitro there was no significant difference of cell survival rate between the three groups. However, in vivo results showed that tk/GCV, tk-TNF-alpha/GCV and TNF-alpha could inhibit the tumor growth, and the obvious anti-tumor effect was shown in tk-TNF-alpha/GCV group, and TNF-alpha obviously enhanced the anti-tumor effect in vivo. The pathologic examination showed necrosis of the cancer in the treated groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The efficacy of the suicide gene therapy by using the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase/ganciclovir (HSVtk/GCV) system for the treatment of cancer is limited because of the insufficient gene transfer and the low killing activity. To enhance the anti-tumor activity, we probed into whether recombinant retroviral expression vector PLXSN expressing both HSVtk and TNF-α genes could potentiate the destruction of SGC7901. The pL(tk-TNF-α)SN harboring HSVtk and TNF-α genes in sequence was constructed with a bicistronic unit including the internal ribosomal entry site, the recombinant retroviruses were transferred into SGC7901 cells by lipofectamine, and pEGFP and Western blot analysis were used to detect the expression of fusion genes in transfected SGC7901 cells, and then apoptosis of the transfected cells were detected by using the TdT-mediated dUTP nick end labeling, flow cytometric analysis and transmission electron microscopy. In vitro study, the transfected gastric cancer cells were maintained in the GCV-contained medium, to assay the cell killing effect and bystander effect. In vivo experiments, retroviral serum plasmids were transfected into tumor-bearing nude mice, to observe the changes of tumor volumes and survival of the mice. In vitro there was no significant difference of cell survival rate between the three groups. However, in vivo results showed that tk/GCV, tk-TNF-α/GCV and TNF-α could inhibit the tumor growth, and the obvious anti-tumor effect was shown in tk-TNF-α/GCV group, and TNF-α obviously enhanced the anti-tumor effect in vivo. The pathologic examination showed necrosis of the cancer in the treated groups. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper, it is shown that every norm continuous linear local derivation from an arbitrary CSL algebra whose lattice is generated by finitely many independent nests into any ultraweakly closed subalgebra which contains the algebra is an inner derivation, and that every norm continuous linear local derivation from an arbitrary CSL algebra whose lattice is completely distributive into any ultraweakly closed subalgebra which contains the algebra is a derivation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]