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All living organisms require thiamine, a water-soluble vitamin, which is also reported to play a role in response to various abiotic stresses. However, the impact of thiamine on the growth of Wickerhamomyces anomalus under ethanol stress is still not completely understood. In this study, we investigated the effects of exogenous thiamine application on the growth of W. anomalus under ethanol stress. We also investigated how thiamine affected the differentially expressed metabolites (DEMs) using a non-targeted metabolomics approach. The results showed that exogenous thiamine application improved the growth of ethanol-stressed W. anomalus. The DEMs affected by exogenous thiamine application were significantly enriched as ABC transporters process, glycerophospholipid metabolism, purine metabolism, and one carbon pool via folate and sulfur relay system using Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomics (KEGG) enrichment analysis. Several pathways, such as arginine biosynthesis, cell cycle, oxidative phosphorylation, etc., were also regulated by thiamine because they were not enriched after exogenous thiamine application. Therefore, thiamine helped to protect W. anomalus from the effects of ethanol stress. These findings offer a theoretical basis for further understanding the regulatory mechanism of thiamine-mediated ethanol stress tolerance in W. anomalus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dynamic loads with different peak accelerations often lead to slope damage and failure. The dynamic responses of slopes must be analyzed, and the degree of damage evaluated. Here, the dynamic response and failure mode of a weathered rock slope under the action of harmonic waves with different peak accelerations was studied using the shaking table test. Three quantitative indexes of slope damage were then proposed. The main result is that the acceleration response of the slope is characterized by "elevation" and "aspect" effects. Slope failure can be divided into four stages: 1) the elastoplastic change of the rock and soil, 2) the occurrence of cracks inside the slope body, 3) the fracture was connected stage, and 4) the movement of the sliding body. Slope damage was identified firstly according to the change of average natural frequency, secondly according to slope displacement, and thirdly the test phenomena. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exopolysaccharides (EPS)-producing strain B8 isolated from Sichuan paocai was identified as Lactiplantibacillus pentosus. The complete genome of L. pentosus B8 was sequenced with 329× coverage and a total size of 3772175 bp. Genome analysis identified 7 biosynthetic gene clusters relevant to EPS production. The culture conditions for EPS production (EPS-B8) were optimized by single factor trials and response surface methodology (RSM). Sucrose at 4% concentration, beef extract and soybean peptone combination at 1% concentration, initial pH of 6.28, fermentation time of 35.7 h, and inoculation amount 3.8% were found optimal conditions leading to the EPS-B8 production of 1401.5 ± 9.5 mg/L, approximately 1.4-fold higher than that under the initial non-optimized conditions. TLC analysis revealed mannose, glucose and galactose as the components of EPS-B8. Solubility, water holding capacity, and oil holding capacity of EPS were 95.1 ± 1.4, 20.3 ± 0.6, and 965.5 ± 12.3%, respectively. EPS-B8 also exhibited high emulsifying activity against various edible oils. EPS-B8 efficiently coagulated sucrose-supplemented milk in a concentration-dependent manner. Besides, the treatment of rice seeds with EPS-B8 solution increased the length of shoots and roots. Our study provides evidence supporting the use of EPS-B8 as a functional food ingredient and plant-growth regulator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A three-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationship (3D-QSAR) model of 45 sulfonylurea herbicidals is established using the Topomer comparative molecular field analysis (Topomer CoMFA). The results show that correlation coefficient (q2), non-cross-validation correlation coefficient (r2), and external validation (Qext2) are 0.884, 0.908, and 0.857 respectively. The biological evaluation demonstrates that the obtained model has the excellent external predictive ability and good estimation stability. The methodology of the fragment-based drug design is also applied to design new sulfonylurea herbicides using the Topomer Search technology. Compound 11 with the highest activity is chosen as the template molecule. By adding three substitutional groups selected from the ZINC database to the template molecule, 36 new compounds with an activity more than that of the template molecule are obtained. The template molecular and designed compounds are used to explore the binding relationship of the ligands with the receptor protein in molecular docking. The result shows that hydrogen bonding interactions form between the ligands and amino acid residues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fifty indolocarbazole series as cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors (CDKs) are used to establish a threedimensional quantitative structure-activity relationship (3D QSAR) model based on docking conformations resulting from the Topomer comparative molecular field analysis (Topomer CoMFA). The statistic parameters show that the cross-validation (q2), the multiple correlation coefficient of fitting (r2), and external validation statistic (Qext2) are 0.953, 0.968, and 0.954, respectively. It is demonstrated that this Topomer CoMFA model has good stability and prediction ability. The methodology of the fragment-based drug design (FBDD) was also used to virtually screen new CDKs by the Topomer Search technology. Four similar substitutional groups selected from the ZINC database were added to the basic scaffold. As a result, 18 new CDKs with high activities were obtained. The template molecule and new designed compounds are used to study the binding relationship between the ligands and the receptor protein with Surflex-Dock. The docking results suggest good binding interactions of the designed compounds with protein. There are several hydrogen bondings between CDKs with amino acid residues of LYS33, LYS89, ASP86, LEU83, GLU81. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Aims Abundance of connexin 43 (Cx43), a transmembrane protein that forms hemichannels (HCs) and gap junctions (GJs), is dynamically regulated in human gingival fibroblasts (GFBLs) during wound healing. This may be important for fast and scarless gingival wound healing as Cx43 is involved in key cell functions important during this process. Our aim was to uncover the factors that regulate Cx43 expression and abundance in GFBLs. We hypothesized that cytokines and growth factors released during wound healing coordinately regulate Cx43 abundance in GFBLs. Results TGF-β1, -β2, -β3, PGE2 and IL-1β significantly upregulated, while TNF-α and IFN-γ downregulated Cx43 in cultured GFBLs. TGF-β1, -β2, -β3, IL-1β and IFN-γ modulated Cx43 abundance at both mRNA and protein levels, while TNF-α and PGE2 regulated only Cx43 protein abundance, suggesting involvement of distinct transcriptional/post-transcriptional and translational/post-translational mechanisms, respectively. TGF-β1-induced upregulation of Cx43 was mediated by TGFβRI (ALK5) and SMAD2/3 signaling, and this was potently suppressed by PGE2, IL-1β, TNF-α and IFN-γ that inhibited SMAD2/3 phosphorylation. Conclusion Regulation of Cx43 abundance in GFBLs involves transcriptional/post-transcriptional and translational/post-translational mechanisms that are distinctly modulated by an interplay between TGF-β isoforms and PGE2, IL-1β, TNF-α and IFN-γ. Highlights ● Wound healing-associated cytokines modulate connexin 43 abundance in human gingival fibroblasts. ● Interplay between these cytokines distinctly determines connexin 43 abundance via transcriptional/post-transcriptional and translational/post-translational mechanisms. ● TGF-β-induced upregulation of connexin 43 is mediated by SMAD2/3 pathway. ● TNF-α, IL-1β, IFN-γ and PGE2 inhibit TGF-β-induced connexin 43 upregulation by suppressing SMAD2/3 phosphorylation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We theoretically analyse the existence and propagation properties of self-similar parabolic pulse in varying nonlinearity fibre with an exponential nonlinearity profile. As well as the normal dispersion decreasing fibre with a hyperbolic dispersion profile, the varying nonlinearity fibre is equivalent to the fibre amplifier, which can generate the self-similar parabolic pulses with strictly linear chip. In addition, the influence of the initial pulse energy, pulse width, the nonlinearity coefficients and the second-order dispersion on the self-similar region, the best self-similar region for different initial pulses and fibre parameters are investigated numerically and analytically. The results indicate that the self-similar parabolic pulses can be generated in varying nonlinearity fibre, the best initial pulses and fibre parameters are helpful for obtaining the ideal self-similar parabolic pulses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: An 8‐week feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of fish meal (FM) replacement by rice protein concentrate (RPC) with supplementation of microcapsule lysine (ML) or crystalline lysine (CL) on growth performance, muscle development and flesh quality of blunt snout bream. Four isonitrogenous and isoenergetic diets were formulated, including FM diet (containing 50 g/kg FM), RPC diet (FM replaced by RPC), MRPC diet (FM replaced by RPC with ML supplementation) and CRPC diet (FM replaced by RPC with CL supplementation). Fish fed FM diet had significantly higher weight gain, feed efficiency, protein efficiency ratio and nitrogen and energy utilization than that of RPC group, but showed no statistical difference with other treatments. In addition, fish fed RPC diet showed higher muscle fibre frequency in the 20‐ to 50‐μm class but lower >50‐μm class and higher cooking loss than that of the other groups. Furthermore, no significant difference was found in whole‐body proximate compositions, frequency distribution of <20‐μm‐diameter fibres, texture, muscle content, collagen, pH 24 hr post‐mortem and sensory quality. The results showed that RPC supplemented with ML or CL could replace fishmeal without any adverse effects on growth performance and flesh quality for blunt snout bream. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With greater optical penetration depth and lower ablation threshold fluence, it is difficult to directly fabricate large scales of laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSSs) on indium-tin-oxide (ITO) films. This study proposed an approach to obtain optimized LIPSSs by sputtering an Au thin film on the ITO film surface. The concept behind the proposal is that the upper layer of the thin Au film can cause surface energy aggregation, inducing the initial ripple structures. The ripples deepened and become clear with lower energy due to optical trapping. The effective mechanism of Au film was analyzed and verified by a series of experiments. Linear sweep, parallel to the laser polarization direction, was performed using a Nd:VAN laser system with 10-ps Q-switched pulse, at a central wavelength of 532 nm, with a repetition rate of 1 kHz. The complete and clear features of the nanostructures, obtained with the periods of approximately 320 nm, were observed on ITO films with proper laser fluence and scanning speed. The depth of ripples was varying in the range of 15-65 nm with clear and coherent ITO films. The preferred efficiency of fabricating nanostructures and the excellent results were obtained at a scanning speed of 2.5 mm/s and a fluence of 0.189 J/cm. In this way, the ablation and shedding of ITO films was successfully avoided. Thus, the proposed technique can be considered to be a promising method for the laser machining of special nonmetal films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An 8-week feeding trial was performed to investigate effects of dietary selenium (sodium selenite, Na2SeO3; selenium nanoparticle, Nano-Se; selenium yeast, Se-yeast) on the growth, selenium status, antioxidant activities, muscle composition and meat quality of blunt snout bream. Na2SeO3 and Nano-Se were supplemented at 0.2 mg Se kg−1, and Se-yeast was supplemented at 0.1, 0.2, 0.4 and 0.8 mg Se kg−1 in basal diet; no Se was added as a control. The results indicated that groups of 0.2 and 0.4 mg kg−1 Se-yeast had significantly higher weight gain and Nano-Se, 0.2, 0.4 mg kg−1 Se-yeast had significantly lower feed conversation ratio compared with the control group. The Se concentrations of whole body, muscle and liver linearly increased with increasing dietary Se-yeast levels. Group of 0.4 mg kg−1 Se-yeast significantly increased activities of catalase and glutathione peroxidase. Muscle colour of Nano-Se, 0.2, 0.4 mg kg−1 Se-yeast groups, the water-holding capacity of 0.4, 0.8 mg kg−1 Se-yeast groups showed significant differences compared with the control group. The results suggest that Se-yeast and Nano-Se had a better growth performance than Na2SeO3 at 0.2 mg Se kg−1, and supplementing appropriate Se-yeast in diet can increase antioxidant activities and enhance meat quality of blunt snout bream. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: OnabotulinumtoxinA (onabotA) attenuates peripheral nociceptive transduction and consequently neuronal firing. The aim of this mechanistic study was to evaluate the effect of intra-articular (IA) onabotA in patients with painful knee osteoarthritis (OA).Method: We conducted a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, 12-week trial using a single ultrasound-guided IA injection of onabotA (200 U). Patients (N = 121) were randomized to receive onabotA (n = 61) or placebo (n = 60). Mechanistic pain biomarkers and clinical outcomes were used for profiling the effect. The biomarkers were pressure pain thresholds (PPTs) from the knee joint (localized sensitization) and extra-articular sites (widespread sensitization), and wind-up pain (central sensitization). Clinical assessments included the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), average daily pain (ADP), patient global impression of change (GIC), and rescue medication. The painDETECT questionnaire (PD-Q) was used for subgrouping patients (nociceptive, neuropathic, and mixed/uncertain).Results: The nociceptive and non-nociceptive groups were identical with respect to all baseline data. No significant differences in clinical efficacy parameters were found between onabotA and placebo in the entire population. The nociceptive group showed significant improvement after IA onabotA at week 8 for all WOMAC outcomes, ADP at weeks 9 and 10, and patient GIC at week 12, and significant reduction in rescue medication counts within each 14-day period at weeks 9 and 10. After 4, 8, and 12 weeks, significant correlations were obtained in the onabotA group between ADP (both the entire group and the nociceptive group) and various sensitization parameters. The nociceptive group showed pronounced effects on widespread sensitization.Conclusions: Intra-articular onabotA given to patients with nociceptive knee OA reduced pain sensitization together with improvement in pain and function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Correlation-Delay-Shift-Keying (CDSK), the reference signal and the information-bearing signal are added together during a certain time delay. Because the reference signal is not strictly orthogonal to the information-bearing signal, the cross-correlation between the adjacent chaotic signal (Intra-signal Interference, ISI) will be introduced into the demodulation at the receiver. Therefore, the Bit-Error Ratio (BER) of CDSK is higher than that of Differential-Chaos-Shift-Keying (DCSK). To avoid the ISI component and enhance the BER performance of CDSK in multiuser scenario, Multiple-Access CDSK with No Intra-signal Interference (MA-CDSK-NII) is proposed. By constructing the repeated chaotic generator and applying the Walsh code sequence to modulate the reference signal, in MA-CDSK-NII, the ISI component will be eliminated during the demodulation. Gaussian approximation method is adopted here to obtain the exact performance analysis of MA-CDSK-NII over additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channel and Rayleigh multipath fading channels. Results show that, due to no ISI component and lower transmitting power, the BER performance of MA-CDSK-NII can be better than that of multiple-access CDSK and Code-Shifted Differential-Chaos-Shift-Keying (CS-DCSK). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigates undoped indium gallium phosphide layers grown on gallium arsenide substrate by liquid phase epitaxy. Application of photoluminescence and Raman spectroscopies; Dependence of emission energies on temperature and excitation intensity; Energy range of the photoluminescence measurement.

After altering the wetness of porous media from preferentially liquid-wet to preferentially gas-wet, gas well production will increase greatly in gas condensate reservoirs. Since the gas-wet degree seriously affects the production, it has both theoretical and practical value to study quantitative measurement and effect factors for gas wettability. In the study, using the sessile drop and the captive bubble, the gas-wet quantitative evaluation methods and criteria have been put forward. Glass slides, treated by the fluorocarbon polymer Zonyl8740, were used as gas-wetness measurement substrates in order to eliminate the roughness effect. The calculation of slide surface free energy and slide/water interface free energy was determined by two models, respectively, Owens-Wendt and the captive bubble two-probe method. The results show that, if the solid surface free energy is less than solid/liquid interface free energy, the surface or the interface will be preferential gas-wetting, otherwise, non gas-wetting; with the decrease of surface free energy and interface free energy, the gas-wetting gets strong. Thus, it is effective to realize gas-wetness by lowering the value of surface free energy or surface tension. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objectives: To examine the trends in epidemiological transition of stroke over the last two decades in Tianjin, and investigate the subtypes of stroke. Study design: A population-based epidemiological study using data from the Stroke Incidence Surveillance System of the Tianjin Centres for Disease Control and Prevention from 1988 to 2010. Methods: Almost 500,000 cases were analysed to examine changes in the incidence of stroke between 1988 and 2010 by age, sex, subtype, year and urban/rural status. Results: The incidence of stroke amongst males increased from 136.8/100,000 in 1988 to 387.0/100,000 in 2010, and the incidence amongst females increased from 65.9/100,000 in 1988 to 249.7/100,000 in 2010. Over the study period, the proportion of haemorrhagic strokes decreased and the proportion of ischaemic strokes increased sharply in both men and woman; the differences were significant. Conclusion: The distribution of stroke subtypes changed dramatically over the study period. Changes in trend and subtypes of stroke have raised new challenges and there is a need for adjustment for stroke prevention in Tianjin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enhancement of image quality is a primary requirement before visual based information can be used in various real-world and engineering applications. With regard to a faithful reproduction of the scene information, degradations resulting in losses of contrast have to be rectified where the efficient histogram equalization is frequently employed. Moreover, it is also necessary to maintain the brightness of the corrected image in order to truly represent the scene characteristics. In this work, an approach is proposed to specify a proper histogram profile such that image intensity values are adjusted accordingly and the output brightness is maintained close to the input image. Specifically, the equalization profile is shaped by finding a balancing control threshold through carrying out an integration of rectangular and triangular sections. Experiments are conducted using a large number of natural color images and compared to other available histogram based image enhancement methods. Results have shown that the proposed approach is able to accomplish a wide set of performance goals including information content, sharpness and color quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. This study aimed to study the preventive and therapeutic effects of andrographolide (Andro) during Mycoplasma gallisepticum HS strain (MG) infection in ArborAcres (AA) broilers. 2. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of Andro against MG was measured. Broiler body weight, feed efficiency, morbidity, cure rate and mortality were recorded during the experiment. Air sac lesion scores and immune organ index were calculated. Expression of pMGA1.2 in lung tissue and serum biochemical indices were examined. Histopathological examinations of immune organs, liver, trachea and lung tissue were conducted by Haematoxylin and Eosin stain. 3. MIC was 3.75 μg/mL and Andro significantly inhibited the expression of pMGA1.2 (P ≤ 0.05). Compared with control MG-infected group, Andro low-dose and high-dose prevention reduced the morbidity of chronic respiratory disease in 40.00% and 50.00%, respectively. Mortality of C, D and E group was 16.67%, 10.00% and 6.67%, respectively. Cure rate of E, F, G and H group was 92.00%, 92.86%, 93.33% and 100.0%, respectively. Compared with control MG-infected group, Andro treatment significantly increased average weight gain (AWG), relative weight gain rate (RWG) and feed conversion rate (FCR) at 18 to 24 days (P ≤ 0.05). Compared with control group, Andro alone treatment significantly increased AWG in broilers (P ≤ 0.05). 4. Compared with control MG-infected group, Andro significantly attenuated MG-induced air sac lesion, immune organs, liver, trachea and lung damage in broilers. Andro alone treatment did not induce abnormal morphological changes in these organs in healthy broilers. Serum biochemical analysis results showed, comparing with control MG-infected group, Andro significantly decreased the content of total protein, albumin, globulin, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, total bilirubin, urea, creatinine, uric acid, total cholesterol, and increased the albumin/globulin ratio and content of alkaline phosphatase, apolipoprotein B and apolipoprotein A-I in a dose-dependent manner (P ≤ 0.05). 5. Andro could act as a potential agent against MG infection in broilers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The productivity of the condensate gas reservoir could be enhanced significantly with the gas-wetting reversal method. However, changes in the wettability have been shown to affect electrical properties of the core. With the gas-wetting realized on the artificial cores by the reversal agent FC-1, core resistivity change with wettability and gas saturation have been studied in this article. The conductive paths of water-wetting core and gas-wetting core are similar when the gas saturation is low but different when the gas saturation is high. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

With the unique structure of fluorocarbon chain, (meth)fluoroacrylate copolymer could dramatically reduce the rock surface free energy and transfer the wettability into amphiphobic; thus, the liquid liquidity and productivity of the reservoir could be enhanced. The relation between copolymer molecular structure and the wettability reversal degree are discussed by measuring the contact angle, surface free energy, and the scanning electron microscopy. The length and structure of a fluorocarbon chain has a great effect on the wettability reversal, while the methyl in the main chain contributes little. The contact angle of distilled water and hexadecane on the natural core surface maximum is up to 123.5 and 60.0°, respectively, after being treated by the (meth)fluoroacrylate copolymer, and the surface free energy is reduced to 8.21719 mJ/m2. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The enhancement of image contrast and preservation of image brightness are two important but conflicting objectives in image restoration. Previous attempts based on linear histogram equalization had achieved contrast enhancement, but exact preservation of brightness was not accomplished. A new perspective is taken here to provide balanced performance of contrast enhancement and brightness preservation simultaneously by casting the quest of such solution to an optimization problem. Specifically, the non-linear gamma correction method is adopted to enhance the contrast, while a weighted sum approach is employed for brightness preservation. In addition, the efficient golden search algorithm is exploited to determine the required optimal parameters to produce the enhanced images. Experiments are conducted on natural colour images captured under various indoor, outdoor and illumination conditions. Results have shown that the proposed method outperforms currently available methods in contrast to enhancement and brightness preservation. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Environmental sensitivity areas need more investment to treat and process environmental pollution from waste drilling fluids than non-sensitivity areas because the former was closer to rivers, villages, farmlands, etc., which not only increased the burden of enterprises, but also constrained the sustainable development for oilfields. In order to overcome the challenge of treating waste drilling fluids in environmental sensitivity areas, harmless treatment technology and formulas for waste drilling fluids were developed and determined in this study. The basic formula was: 10.0% SD-4 + 2.5% SD-5 + 9.0% SD-6 + 7.0% SD-7. This technology broke through the traditional curing processing technology and it was successfully applied to two oil wells in Wenmi environmental sensitivity areas. The results showed that the main pollutants were below the requirements of related state environmental protection standard limits and had some porosity and soil-like characteristics. Therefore, the aim of harmless treatment and restoring drilling of waste drilling fluids was realized and the ecological environment of environmental sensitivity areas was well protected. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

To address the problems of current drilling-in fluids and the particularity of formation damage in low and extra low permeability reservoirs, two kinds of additives (fluoroacrylate polymer FCS-08 and acrylate polymer LCM-08) have been developed, and a novel approach, which combined wettability reversal, water lock prevention, and film-forming, has been put forward. By adding in the FCS-08 and LCM-8, drilling-in completion fluid characterized by “rock surface properties improvement” is invented. This drilling-in fluid had better effect on reservoir protection and achieved the “zero damage” near the borehole. The daily oil production has been increased by 20%. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

PURPOSE: The aim was to evaluate the safety, feasibility and efficacy of computed tomography (CT)-guided percutaneous interstitial brachytherapy using radioactive iodine-125 (125I) seeds for the treatment of lung cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Included in this study were 45 male and 35 female patients aged 52-85 years (mean 72-year) who were diagnosed with lung cancer. Of the 80 cases of lung cancer, 38 were pathologically confirmed as squamous cell carcinoma, 29 as adenocarcinoma, 2 as small cell lung cancer, and 11 as metastatic lung cancer. Percutaneous interstitial implantation of radioactive 125I seeds was performed under CT guidance. The treatment planning system was used to reconstruct three-dimensional images of the tumor to determine the quantity and distribution of 125I seeds to be implanted. Under CT guidance, 125I seeds were embedded into the tumor, with the matched peripheral dose set at 100-130 Gy. Follow-up CT scan was done in 2-month to explore the treatment efficacy. RESULTS: The procedure was successful in all patients. No major procedure-associated death occurred. The duration of follow-up was 6-month. Complete response (CR) was seen in 38 cases (47.5%), partial response (PR) in 27 cases (33.75%), stable disease (SD) in 10 cases (12.5%), and progressive disease in 5 cases (6.25%), with a local control rate (CR + PR + SD) of 93.75%. The 2-, 4- and 6-month overall response rate (CR + PR) was 78%, 83% and 81%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Implantation of CT-guided 125I seeds is a safe and effective alternative option for the treatment of lung cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein we report on a study on the inhibition effect of potassium methylsiliconate on hydration swelling of montmorillonite. The results of linear swelling tests showed that potassium methylsiliconate exhibits a high performance as an effective shale inhibitor in drilling fluids. The inhibition mechanism was investigated by means of a variety of methods including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and zeta potential measurements. The high degree of inhibition is a result of the synergy of action of potassium cations and methylsiliconate anions. Methylsiliconate anions form a hydrophobic shell around each montmorillonite particle through the adsorption on the edge sites, thus inhibiting the penetration of water into the interlayer. The potassium ions promote the formation of a less hydratable structure of montmorillonite through cation-exchange interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background:Conditionally replicating adenoviruses (CRAds) represent a novel class of oncological therapeutic agents. One strategy to ensure tumour targeting is to place the essential viral genes under the control of tumour-specific promoters. Ki67 has been selected as a cancer gene therapy target, as it is expressed in most malignant cells but is barely detectable in most normal cells. This study aimed to investigate the effects of a Ki67 promoter-controlled CRAd (Ki67-ZD55-IL-24) on the proliferation and apoptosis of melanoma cells.Methods:Melanoma cells were independently treated with Ki67-ZD55-IL-24, ZD55-IL-24, Ki67-ZD55, and ZD55-EGFP. The cytotoxic potential of each treatment was assessed using cell viability measurements. Cell migration and invasion were assayed using cell migration and invasion assays. Apoptosis was assayed using the annexin V-FITC assay, western blotting, reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR), haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining, and the TUNEL assay.Results:Our results showed that Ki67-ZD55-IL-24 had significantly enhanced anti-tumour activity as it more effectively induced apoptosis in melanoma cells than the other agents. Ki67-ZD55-IL-24 also caused the most significant inhibition of cell migration and invasion of melanoma cells. Furthermore, apoptosis was induced more effectively in melanoma xenografts in nude mice.Conclusions:This strategy holds promising potential for the further development of an effective approach to treat malignant melanoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Waste oil–based drilling fluids are hazardous wastes containing oil, heavy metals, and organic pollutants. The common treatment methods include pool storage, use of a secure landfills, heat treatment, and use of eel-roasting treatment technology. However, these methods not only waste many useful resources (because the oil is discarded rather than recovered) but also increase the pro-environment cost of oil companies. This article discusses the features of waste oil–based drilling fluids and develops a useful recycling and safe disposal technology for waste oil–based drilling fluids that not only recycles useful oil but also reuses and disposes of the rest of the mud and wastewater. A novel formula of oil recovering agent and sludge treatment processing formula of the waste oil–based drilling fluids was developed. In addition, a cost-effective way to deal with and recover waste oil–based drilling fluids was found. The rate of oil recovery is greater than 90%, and the quality of the recycled oil is very good and meets the requirements for No. 10 diesel for cars according to GB/T 19147-2003. The concentrations of oil, chemical oxygen demand (COD), and heavy metals in liquid of the processed mud are lower than the secondary standard number in GB8978-1996. The treated wastewater meets the requirements of sewage comprehensive emission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT On the basis of the Bauschinger effect, a relationship between the elastic space defined in this study and the accumulated plastic strain is measured in uniaxial ratcheting tests of 304 stainless steel at room temperature. According to this relationship, a new model of uniaxial ratcheting is established and used to simulate uniaxial ratcheting behavior. The results of simulation agree well with the experimental results. These results demonstrate that the relationship between the elastic space and the accumulated plastic strain plays an important role in uniaxial ratcheting simulation. Furthermore, by taking into account the interaction of ratcheting and viscoplasticity, the relationships among elastic space, accumulated plastic strain and loading cases are discussed. It can be seen that, when the stress ratio R of valley stress versus peak stress is not less than zero, the accumulated plastic strain is a function of the peak stress. So, a constitutive curve is obtained to describe the stable states of plastic shakedown for 304 stainless steel material under the stress ratio R ≥ 0. It can be used to determine the accumulated plastic strain of engineering structures under cyclic loading only by an elastic-plastic analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural vegetable gum drilling fluids with high-temperature resistance are developed for environmental protection. The vegetable gum is chosen as raw material. All agents such as major treatment agent TLJ-1 and auxiliary treatment agents LV-CMC, PEG, and QS-2 are friendly to environment. By changing the physical and chemical environment of the fluid, temperature resistance capability of the fluid is studied. Laboratory tests show the performance of the fluid. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Oil resources are abundant in the offshore area that is an important channel for the human to obtain oil and gas. With oil exploration and development, the marine ecological environment has been influenced increasingly. Through a large number of laboratory tests, the evaluation indexes of the environmental offshore drilling fluid system were established, which are consisted of heavy metal, petroleum, acute biological toxicity, biodegradability, and so on. Four types of agents for environmental offshore drilling fluid and a novel environmental offshore drilling fluid system were developed on the basis of establishing the evaluation indexes. The basic formulation of the novel drilling fluid system is: 400 mL Seawater + 0.3% Na2CO3+ 0.2% NaOH + 4% Bentonite +0.5% HXB-1 + 2% MMF + 1.5% SDR-30 + 1%HXJ + 1% SDE-1 + 2%NFA-25, and the system has been applied successfully to Bohai Bay in Shengli oil field. The results showed that the environmental offshore drilling fluid system had favorable drilling performances, met the requirements of drilling engineering and marine environmental protection, and realized the source control of the environmental contamination from offshore drilling, the environmental performances of which were superior to sulfonated polymer drilling fluid and oil-based drilling fluid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gas-well production will be increased greatly after altering the wettability of porous media from preferential liquid-wetting to preferential gas-wetting in gas-condensate reservoirs. Moreover, the degree of gas wetness strongly affects the production. Thus, the study of gas-wet quantitative measurement methods is of great significance. The wetting ability parameter of gas versus liquid ζG-Lis calculated from the proposed formula in the sessile drop method, and the gas contact angle θGin the captive bubble method was separately used to measure gas wettability and propose the wettability criteria. Also, the concept of gas wettability was defined. After treated by fluorocarbon polymer (Zonyl8740), glass slides, and glass capillary tubes got tested on gas wetness. The results show that with the increase of the concentration of Zonyl8740 solution, the surface free energy of glass slides decreases and gas-wetness of them is enhanced. And capillary tube rise tests showed the same conclusion, demonstrating the rationality and applicability of quantitative methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PURPOSE: The aim was to evaluate the safety, feasibility and efficacy of computed tomography (CT)-guided percutaneous interstitial brachytherapy using radioactive iodine-125 (125I) seeds for the treatment of lung cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Included in this study were 45 male and 35 female patients aged 52-85 years (mean 72-year) who were diagnosed with lung cancer. Of the 80 cases of lung cancer, 38 were pathologically confirmed as squamous cell carcinoma, 29 as adenocarcinoma, 2 as small cell lung cancer, and 11 as metastatic lung cancer. Percutaneous interstitial implantation of radioactive 125I seeds was performed under CT guidance. The treatment planning system was used to reconstruct three-dimensional images of the tumor to determine the quantity and distribution of 125I seeds to be implanted. Under CT guidance, 125I seeds were embedded into the tumor, with the matched peripheral dose set at 100-130 Gy. Follow-up CT scan was done in 2-month to explore the treatment efficacy. RESULTS: The procedure was successful in all patients. No major procedure-associated death occurred. The duration of follow-up was 6-month. Complete response (CR) was seen in 38 cases (47.5%), partial response (PR) in 27 cases (33.75%), stable disease (SD) in 10 cases (12.5%), and progressive disease in 5 cases (6.25%), with a local control rate (CR + PR + SD) of 93.75%. The 2-, 4- and 6-month overall response rate (CR + PR) was 78%, 83% and 81%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Implantation of CT-guided 125I seeds is a safe and effective alternative option for the treatment of lung cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rock wettability near wellbore plays a key role to the productivity of the condensate gas reservoir. In order to research the wettability reversal extent, a novel gas-wetting reversal FC-1 and its effect have been studied. After the core is treated by FC-1, both water/gas and oil/gas spontaneous imbibition proved that FC-1 has superior gas-wetting reversing performance (wettability converted from amphiphilic to intermediate gas-wetting). Wettability reversal effect is enhanced after 100°C aging treatment, which proved that better hydrophobicity and oleophobicity of low FC-1 concentration could be obtained under that condition. Contact angles have no obvious change after 15 days, suggesting that FC-1 has a good durability and could realize the durable conversion on the condensate gas reservoir core. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A 12-week feeding trial was conducted to determine dietary choline requirement for juvenile Megalobrama amblycephala. The basal diet was formulated to contain 310 g kg−1 diet from vitamin-free casein and gelatine. Choline chloride was supplemented to the basal diet to formulate six purified diets containing 0, 250, 500, 1000, 2000 and 4000 mg kg−1, respectively. Each diet was randomly fed to quadrupled groups of Megalobrama amblycephala with initial average weight 1.84 ± 0.04 g in a flow-through system. Results showed weight gain was increased significantly with increasing dietary choline levels ( P < 0.01). Lipid content of liver decreased significantly as dietary choline concentration increased ( P < 0.01), whereas lipid content of dressed carcass showed opposite trend ( P < 0.01), and lipid content of whole-body was unaffected by dietary choline supplementation. Broken- line regression of weight gain, liver and muscle choline concentration showed choline requirements of Megalobrama amblycephala of 1198, 1525 and 1365 mg kg−1, respectively. In addition, dietary choline supplementation significantly improved lipid content of dressed carcass but not the content of whole body of blunt snout bream. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the separation process of oil dehydration and wastewater deoiling, a very stable and viscous colloid layer is formed on the oil-water interface, which is high in viscosity and water content, and also contains more oil ingredient, which is difficult to deal with and achieve dehydration. As a result the work of equipment is greatly affected. In the meantime, a direct landfill or open pile will affect the surrounding environment, soil environment, and underground water condition. This will make it difficult to retrieve crude oil from the flocculate, which causes a waste of crude oil. The authors studied the formation process, stable factors, and formation mechanism of flocculate in crude oil gathering and transferring. On this basis, drying treatment for burning was developed according to the characteristics of oilfield flocculate. By using the drying treatment technology, flocculate can be used as the additive agent in burning coal, which improves the calorific value of coal because the drying flocculate has a high combustion value, which is more than 7,000 Kcal/Kg. After burning the flocculate, the generated ash and pollutant content in the gas are lower than the relevant national control standards of pollutants. They are safe and will not cause additional environment pollution. In this way, flocculate in oil field realizes harmless treatment and resource recycling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing perceptual researches on stereoscopic image mainly focus on proving the effectiveness of binocular suppression theory in reducing bandwidth during asymmetrical coding. However, they care little about the threshold below which the phenomena exist. To determine the threshold as visible in the asymmetrical stereoscopic image coding, the relationship between visibility threshold and coding parameter or objective quality under practical viewing conditions is investigated in this paper. Perceptual experiments are designed by using the paired comparison methods. Experimental results show that the visible threshold is dependent on stereoscopic image content, coding parameter and objective quality of the left (dominant) view in asymmetrical stereoscopic image coding. Furthermore, we model the visible threshold as a linear function of the quantisation parameter of the left (dominant) view for asymmetrical coding. Then based on the model, we build a looking-up table for practical coding. The concise linear model can serve as an upper bound for controlling perceived quality of asymmetrical coding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oil sludge mainly includes oil sludge from tank (at the bottom of tank), grease trap sediment, wastewater treatment plants residue, remainder of activated sludge remainder, and so on. The treatment and application of oil sludge is essential to environmental protection in oil and gas industry, but it is very hard to solve this problem. The oil sludge contains oil, benzene series, phenols, anthracene, pyrene, and other substances that are stinky and toxic. They are dangerous wastes defined by national laws. On the other hand, oil sludge contains plenty of hydrocarbons, whose potential energy is tremendous and high in calorific value, which is 5,000 kcal/kg on average. The great amount of oil sludge and its special components determine the necessity of recycling and innocuous treatment for the hydrocarbons. Based on lots of experiments, a new oil sludge fueling treatment agent is developed, which is composed of demulsifier, dispersing agent, ignition agent, and catalyst, so it can make the oil sludge break the emulsion quickly. The sludge after dehydration is not adherent and caked for one another. The sludge is easy to burn after drying and burns with coal as well. Both the boiler ash of dry oil sludge and the exhaust gas after burning with coal satisfy relevant emission standard in our country, and do not have influence on environment. Meanwhile, the authors also studied the functional mechanism of oil sludge treatment agent (drying agent) and analyze the effect and mechanism of every component of drying agent acting on oil sludge fueling. Using the oil sludge fueling technology, oil sludge can be processed into powder, and then burned with coal or used as shaped coal directly. This technology not only realizes zero emission of oil sludge required by environmental objectives, but also takes full advantage of the energy contained in residual oil in oil sludge, which realizes reutilization of oil sludge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through the study of photoluminescence spectra, fluorescence decay curves, concentration-dependent luminescence and low temperature luminescence, the energy transfer from isolated $\mathrm{VO}_{4}^{3-}$ group to Yb is investigated in Yb doped YPVO. The experimental results show that the energy transfer from $\mathrm{VO}_{4}^{3-}$ group to Yb is very efficient. Cooperative energy transfer, through which one high-energy photon absorbed by $\mathrm{VO}_{4}^{3-}$ group is converted to two near-infrared photons emitted by Yb ions, is proposed to be the energy transfer process. This efficient ultra-violet to near-infrared downconversion could have potential application in improving the efficiency of silicon-based solar cell. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interference of alternative current (AC) on corrosion of X65 steel was investigated in soil. It was observed that the unfavorable effect of interfering AC was able to be effectively inhibited by increasing the direct current density of the cathodic protection (CP) system. A clear correlation was established between the CP current density and the tolerable AC current density. This led to a new criterion for assuring the effectiveness of CP of buried pipelines being interfered with AC. Field experimental results on a buried pipeline running below a 500 kV transmission line showed that the criterion could satisfactorily predict the risk of AC interfering on the CP system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the multi-configuration Dirac-Fock (MCDF) and relativistic configuration interaction (RCI) methods have been used to calculate the transition wavelengths, electric dipole transition probabilities, line strengths and absorption oscillator strengths for the K α X-ray from Mg III to Mg XI. We also take the contributions from the Breit interaction, finite nuclear mass corrections and quantum electrodynamics corrections to the initial and final levels, into account. The present values for Mg X and Mg XI were in good agreement with the previous experimental and theoretical results. The new data in this work provide reference values for the level lifetimes, charge state distributions, and average charge of magnesium plasmas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: An improvement in interconnect performance implies a reduction of the resistance–capacitance (RC) time constant. Instead of scaling the capacitance at each technology node through a reduction in the dielectric constant of the interlayer dielectric (ILD), the interconnect aspect ratios could be scaled holding the ILD fixed. In this case, the material properties of the ILD must be robust to process-induced damage and amenable to the creation of high aspect ratio features. In addition, a metallization scheme that can provide void free Cu fill in high aspect ratio features is required. Characterization, patterning, and integration results collected on such an ultra-low-k (ULK) ILD material and void free metallization is presented. A measured reduction in the resistance of a 22nm node interconnect in this ILD was observed as a function of increasing aspect ratio. The copper seed deposition process, capable of enabling the fill of even higher aspect ratio features, is also discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This article investigates the disadvantages of polymer sulfonate and oil-based drilling fluids after use, such as pollutants seriously exceeding current standards and poor degradation. After the later stage treatments, like landfill and solidification, waste drilling fluids also have secondary pollution. Based on laboratory experiments, we established the green performance evaluation standards and specifications of drilling additives and drilling fluid systems, including chemical toxicity, biological toxicity, and biodegradability. We developed a green drilling fluid additive and drilling fluid system that are nontoxic, biodegradable, and reservoir protective. The green drilling fluid additive and drilling fluid system can effectively control the production of environmental pollutants from the source. The green drilling fluid system was successfully applied in Tarim oilfield and Karamay oilfield for the first time, fulfilling the pollution-free disposal of throwing waste drilling fluid onto the soil. This technique could be used in improving and enriching soil. The laboratory experiments and field applications indicated that the drilling fluid system had low chemical toxicity. The contents of heavy metals Cd, Hg, Pb, Cr, and As are respectively below 0.3, 0.02, 3.7, 4.9, and 3.1 mg/kg; the acute biotoxicity EC50 was greater than 30,000 mg/l; and the biodegradation index BC (Biological oxygen demand [BOD5]/Chemical oxygen demand [COD]) was greater than 0.35. Soil organic matter and the major fertility indexes, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, were increased by 40% after throwing waste drilling fluid onto the soil. The core permeability recovery value was greater than 80%. This drilling fluid system realizes the organic unity of low toxicity, biodegradability, improving soil conditions after throwing, and reservoir protection. This is an important advancement for the coordinated development of Chinese oil industry and environmental protection. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this study, an image coding algorithm based on directional lifting wavelet transform (DLWT) and universal trellis-coded quantisation (UTCQ) is presented, and the coding performance is evaluated with three objective image quality metrics. Compared to the discrete wavelet transform, DLWT performing prediction and update along the direction of the local region can provide an efficient representation of edges in images, but shows a similar ability in representing the smooth region. To further improve the visual quality of the smooth background regions, UTCQ is adopted to quantising the wavelet coefficients. The proposed algorithm is measured with not only the dominant peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR), but also new metrics multi-scale structural similarity index measure (MSSIM) and visual information fidelity (VIF) which provide a better approximation to the perceived image quality than PSNR by taking the property of human visual system (HVS) into account. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm has the best MSSIM and VIF performance among the compared algorithms (including JPEG2000) for the typical test images, and its decoded images at low bit-rate are visually more appealing in both edges and smooth background regions. For image Barbara, the proposed algorithm outperforms JPEG2000 up to 24.63% relatively in VIF and 1.93 dB in PSNR at 0.5 bpp, at most 3.62% relatively in MSSIM at 0.125 bpp. The experimental results also show that UTCQ does perform better than scalar quantisation (SQ) in MSSIM and VIF and improves the subjective visual quality, although UTCQ is not necessarily better than SQ in PSNR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transition energies, absorption oscillator strengths, line strengths and transition probabilities between computed levels are reported for the He-like to Ne-like Silicon ion sequences. Wavefunctions were determined relativistic configuration interaction (RCI) and multi-configuration Dirac-Fock (MCDF) technique included the Breit interaction, quantum electrodynamic (QED) corrections and nuclear mass corrections. The calculated values are in good agreement with the available experimental data and the recent theoretical values obtained from other methods. These data provide reference values for the level lifetimes, charge state distributions, and average charge of silicon plasmas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy levels and oscillator strengths have been calculated for the fine-structure transitions among the levels of the (1s2) 2s²2p², 2s2p³, 2p4, 2s²2p3s, 2s²2p3p, and 2s²2p3d configurations of Ni XXIII using the graspVU and FAC program. The extensive configuration interaction and relativistic effects have been included while generating the wave functions. The results are compared with other recent theoretical estimates, and their accuracy is assessed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) linked climate has been known to be associated with several rodent species, but its effects on rodent community at both spatial and temporal scales are not well studied. In this study, we investigated the possible causal chain relating ENSO, precipitation, temperature, and vegetation index (normalized difference vegetation index, NDVI) to rodent abundance for 14 sympatric rodent species in 21 counties of semiarid grasslands in Inner Mongolia, China, from 1982 to 2006. We found that both precipitation and temperature showed a generally direct positive effect on rodent abundance in many species in the current year, but indirect effects that operate through NDVI in the current or following year could have a reverse effect on abundance. We described one ENSO-linked precipitation bottom-up chain and three ENSO-linked temperature bottom-up chains. These observed bottom-up links reveal that in El Niño years, or 1 year after La Niña years, or 2 years after El Niño years, ENSO-driven climate or vegetation factors tend to increase population abundances of many sympatric rodent species in this region. We also found time-lag effects and the life-history strategy (i.e., functional groups of hibernating behavior, activity rhythm, or food habits) also contribute to the observed complicated effects of SOI on precipitation, temperature, NDVI, and ultimately rodent abundance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent reports challenge the widely accepted idea that drought may offer protection against ozone (O3) damage in plants. However, little is known about the impact of drought on the magnitude of O3 tolerance in winter wheat species. Two winter wheat species with contrasting sensitivity to O3 (O3 tolerant, primitive wheat, T. turgidum ssp. durum; O3 sensitive, modern wheat, T. aestivum L. cv. Xiaoyan 22) were exposed to O3 (83ppb O3, 7h d−1) and/or drought (42% soil water capacity) from flowering to grain maturity to assess drought-induced modulation of O3 tolerance. Plant responses to stress treatments were assessed by determining in vivo biochemical parameters, gas exchange, chlorophyll a fluorescence, and grain yield. The primitive wheat demonstrated higher O3 tolerance than the modern species, with the latter exhibiting higher drought tolerance than the former. This suggested that there was no cross-tolerance of the two stresses when applied separately in these species/cultivars of winter wheat. The primitive wheat lost O3 tolerance, while the modern species showed improved tolerance to O3 under combined drought and O3 exposure. This indicated the existence of differential behaviour of the two wheat species between a single stress and the combination of the two stresses. The observed O3 tolerance in the two wheat species was related to their magnitude of drought tolerance under a combination of drought and O3 exposure. The results clearly demonstrate that O3 tolerance of a drought-sensitive winter wheat species can be completely lost under combined drought and O3 exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: Few studies have addressed the relationship between starting hemoglobin (Hb) value and early phase prognosis after liver transplantation (OLT). The aim of our study was to determine the relationship between the starting Hb value and the early phase prognosis after OLT by retrospectively reviewing the medical records of 102 consecutive recipients. Within this cohort, 47 patients had pulmonary complications after OLT, including eight cases of pulmonary edema, 12 cases of acute lung injury, six cases of acute respiratory distress syndrome, and 21 cases of pneumonia. According to whether the patients had pulmonary complications or not, they were categorized into the “no” versus the pulmonary complication groups. Twenty-two perioperative variables were analyzed in both groups to screen for variables that affected early pulmonary complications. A starting Hb ≤100 g/L was an independent risk factor for postoperative pulmonary complications. The duration to initial passage of flatus and the intensive care unit length of stay were significantly prolonged in patients with starting Hb values ≤100 g/L; these patients had poorer arterial blood gas analyses. The starting Hb value predicted the early phase prognosis after OLT for cirrhosis-associated hepatocellular carcinoma. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We report on large ab initio calculation for the $4s^2$- 4s4p transitions in the Zinc-like sequence, using the multi-configuration Dirac-Hartree-Fock method. Results for fine-structure energy levels, the wavelengths, transition rates and lifetimes between Z = 70 (Yb) and Z= 92 (U) are presented and compared with other theories and experiments. The calculated values including core-valence correlation are found to be similar and to compare very well with other theories and experiments values. We believe that our extensive calculated values can guide experimentalists in identifying the fine-structure levels in their future work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Introduction: Vertebral fractures in the elderly are often assumed to be “osteoporotic” and require anti-osteoporosis therapy. However, some of these fractures may represent traumatic injuries to vertebrae that have comparatively normal bone mineral density (BMD). We hypothesize that radiographic appearances can be used to differentiate between “osteoporotic” fractures of vertebrae with low BMD and strength, and “traumatic” fractures of vertebrae with normal BMD and strength. Methods: 73 cadaveric specimens (each comprising two vertebrae with the intervening intervertebral disc and ligaments) were obtained from donors aged 42 to 91 (mean 74) years. Areal BMD was measured in the lateral projection for each vertebral body, using DXA. Each specimen was secured in metal cups containing dental plaster, and compressed to failure at 3mm/s on a computer-controlled materials testing machine. Mechanical failure was detected by a reduction in the gradient of the load-deformation curve. Compressive deformation for each specimen was limited to 4mm in order to prevent gross destruction of the vertebra. Radiographs, obtained before and after mechanical loading, were assessed by an experienced radiologist (GJ) who was blinded to BMD and mechanical data. The algorithm-based qualitative method (ABQ) was used to assign each specimen to two possible outcomes: no discernible fracture of either vertebra, or fracture. The latter were further classified into specimens with osteoporotic fracture and those with traumatic fracture, by applying additional criteria for differential diagnosis. The relationship of failure load to BMD was tested using correlation. BMD and failure load for the three diagnostic outcomes were compared using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results: Failure load was proportional to BMD (R =0.63, p <0.001). “Osteoporotic,” “traumatic” and “no discernible” fractures were reported in 16, 26 and 31 specimens respectively. “Traumatic” fracture specimens had higher BMD and failed at higher loads than “osteoporotic” fracture specimens (p <0.05). Conclusions: Some vertebral fractures in the elderly may be traumatic rather than osteoporotic in origin. Our radiological criteria help to differentiate between them. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background/aim: This study aimed to assess the effectiveness and safety of naloxone in the management of hepatic encephalopathy (HE). Methods: Cochrane collaboration methodology was used in a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials of naloxone therapy for HE. Results: Seventeen randomized trials were identified with 15 studies involving 1054 patients meeting criteria for inclusion. Naloxone use was associated with a significant improvement in HE [relative risk (RR) 1·46; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1·27–1·67; P = 0·0005]. This comparison showed statistical heterogeneity ( P < 0·10, and χ2 = 44·93). Subgroup analysis indicated naloxone administered parenterally by intermittent or continuous infusions to be effective (RR 1·34; 95% CI 1·17–1·53; P < 0·0001). A significant in trials by infusion route (RR 1·42; 95% CI 1·19–1·69; P < 0·0001) interaction was observed. Conclusions: Naloxone may improve HE. However, published data are limited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]