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Introduction: Central venous catheter (CVC) placement is commonly performed in children. We aim to develop simple formulas to predict CVC intravascular length to minimise radiation exposure associated with the procedure. Methods: 124 paediatric patients who received tunnelled neck CVCs and subsequent CT thorax at Hong Kong Children's Hospital from January 2020 to July 2022 were reviewed retrospectively. Formula development cohorts were subdivided by insertion sites—9 right external jugular vein (REJV), 41 right internal jugular vein (RIJV), 14 left external jugular vein (LEJV), 10 left internal jugular vein (LIJV). Using measurements from CT by two radiologists, formulas predicting the CVC intravascular length based on height and insertion sites were developed using a linear regression model. These formulas were tested with validation cohorts (10 randomly selected cases in REJV and RIJV groups respectively). Validation cohorts were not available for LEJV and LIJV groups due to small sample sizes. Result: The goodness-of-fit (R^2) of all formulas are above 0.8. In the validation cohorts, the REJV formula was predictive of intravascular CVC length within 1 cm in 70% of CVC with mean absolute difference of 0.63 cm (SD 0.48 cm), and the RIJV formula was predictive of intravascular CVC length within 1 cm in 80% of CVC with mean absolute difference of 0.67 cm (SD 0.53 cm). Conclusion: Intravascular CVC length can be estimated using simple formulas based on height and insertion sites. Further prospective validation of the LEJV and LIJV formulas is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two novel tandem catalysis approaches for the chiral synthesis of S -alcohols from reduction of their prochiral ketones with Horse Liver Alcohol Dehydrogenase (HLADH), and selective C-H oxidation reactions with protein engineered Cytochrome P450s, are presented. We utilized a co-factor regeneration procedure with three biomimetic NAD + models that do not contain the pyrophosphate, nor the adenosine group, and either/or a ribose, N-1-benzylnicotinamide triflate, 1 , N-4-methoxybenzylnicotinamide triflate, 2 , and β-nicotinamide-5′-ribose methyl phosphate, 3 , in conjunction with in situ formed [Cp*Rh(bpy)H] + from [Cp*Rh(bpy)(H 2 O)] 2+ (Cp* = η 5 -C 5 Me 5 , bpy = 2,2'-bipyridyl) and the hydride source, sodium formate, to regioselectively provide their 1,4-NADH analogs, N -benzyl-1,4-dihydronicotinamide, 4 , N-4-methoxybenzyl-1,4-dihydronicotinamide, 5 , and 1,4-dihydronicotinamide-5′-ribose methylphosphate, 6 . Surprisingly, the 1,4-NADH biomimics, 4 and 6 , were recognized, in the second tandem catalysis approach, by the natural 1,4-NADH dependent enzyme, HLADH, for catalyzed, highly enantioselective conversions of prochiral ketones to chiral S -alcohols. For example, with phenethylmethyl ketone and benzylmethyl ketone, the corresponding chiral alcohols were formed in >93% ee ( S -enantiomer). Thus, 1,4-NADH biomimetic model recognition by HLADH does not significantly depend on the presence of the ribose, pyrophosphate, or adenosine groups to provide chiral products. We will also propose a plausible active site (HLADH)Zn-H intermediate, generated via a hydride transfer from bound 4 / 6 to Zn, for the enzymatic reduction of prochiral aryl/alkyl ketones to their chiral aryl/alkyl S-alcohols. Furthermore, the use of protein engineered cytochrome P450 enzymes provided improved molecular recognition of the above mentioned 1,4-NADH biomimetic co-factors, 4 and 5 , for selective C-H oxidation reactions. For example, 1,4-NADH dependent mutants of natural 1,4-NAD(P)H dependent P450 BM-3 and 1,4-NADH dependent P450 CAM, with biomimetic co-factors 4 and 5 , provided selective oxidation of p -nitrophenoxydecanoic acid to ω -oxydecanocarboxylic acid and p -nitrophenol, via C-H hydroxylation and β-hydrogen elimination, while oxidation of camphor provided hydroxycamphor, respectively. We will discuss the various parameters that effect molecular recognition of the biomimics, including protein engineering of both P450 BM-3 and P450 CAM enzymes, while determining the effect of the co-factor regeneration procedure on HLADH and P450 enzyme activity. These important observations have created new paradigms for the synthesis of organic compounds of interest, with the economically more favorable biomimics of NAD + , 1,4-NADH, and 1,4-NAD(P)H as co-factors, in tandem with the use of [Cp*Rh(bpy)(H)] + as a regioselective catalytic reagent for co-factor regeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The robust generation of quantum states in the presence of decoherence is a primary challenge for explorations of quantum mechanics at larger scales. Using the mechanical motion of a single trapped ion, we utilize reservoir engineering to generate squeezed, coherent, and displaced-squeezed states as steady states in the presence of noise. We verify the created state by generating two-state correlated spin-motion Rabi oscillations, resulting in high-contrast measurements. For both cooling and measurement, we use spin-oscillator couplings that provide transitions between oscillator states in an engineered Fock state basis. Our approach should facilitate studies of entanglement, quantum computation, and open-system quantum simulations in a wide range of physical systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have measured the radiative scattering from two-dimensional metallic arrays by using polarization-resolved reflectivity spectroscopy. We find the reflectivity spectra follow the Fano-like model that can be derived from temporal coupled mode theory and Jones matrix calculus. By orthogonally orienting the incident polarizer and the detection analyzer, reflectivity dips flip into peaks and the radiative scattering efficiency can be determined accordingly. The dependence of total radiative scattering efficiency on wavelength and hole diameter is found to agree well with Rayleigh scattering by single hole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, indium-tin-oxide (ITO) films were deposited on p-type GaP films with a AuBe-diffused metal layer to form ohmic contacts. Without the AuBe diffused into p-GaP films, the ITO deposited on p-GaP showed a non-ohmic characteristic. After the AuBe diffused, the ITO deposited on p-GaP displayed a linear current-voltage characteristic and the specific contact resistance showed 2.63\,\times 10^-4~\omega\-cm^2. Furthermore, the specific contact resistance could be improved to 1.57\,\times 10^-4~\omega\-cm^2 when the sample post-ITO-deposition annealed at 400^\circC. The transmittance of ITO film almost was kept at 90% in the wavelength range of 400–700 nm after thermal annealing. These results revealed that the ITO films can be a suitable transparent current spreading layer for the fabrication of AlGaInP-based light-emitting diodes with an AuBe-diffused metal layer. It was also found that the 20 mA forward voltages measured from LEDs with Device A, Device B, Device C and Device D were 1.97, 1.96, 1.95 and 2.66 V and the light output powers were 4.2, 5.7, 6.0 and 6.3 mW, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The authors applied a simple, low-cost, mass-producible contact-transferred and mask-embedded lithography (CMEL) to texture p-GaP window layer for the fabrication of AlGaInP light-emitting diodes (LEDs) emitting at 612 nm. Under 20 mA current injection, it was found that forward voltages were 2.25, 2.39, 2.29, 2.39, 2.24, 2.21, and 2.25-V while the 20 mA output powers were 1.43, 1.42, 1.38, 1.35, 1.28, 1.22, and 1.16 mW for CMEL-400-nm LED, CMEL-600-nm LED, CMEL-800-nm LED, CMEL-1-\mum LED, CMEL-2-\mum LED, CMEL-3-\mum, and the conventional LED without CMEL, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: The reaction of a precatalyst, [Cp∗Rh(bpy)(H2O)](OTf)2 (1), with sodium formate provided the hydride complex, [Cp∗Rh(bpy)(H)]+ (2), in situ, at pH 7.0, which was then evaluated in an aqueous, catalytic hydride transfer process with water soluble substrates that encompass 2-pentanone (3), cyclohexanone (4), acetophenone (5), propionaldehyde (6), benzaldehyde (7), and p-methoxybenzaldehyde (8). The initial rates, r i, of appearance of the reduction product alcohols at 23°C provided a relative rate scale: 8 > 7 ≈ 6 > 5 > 4 > 3, while the effect of concentration of substrate, precatalyst, and sodium formate on r i, using 7 as an example, implicates [Cp∗Rh(bpy)(H)]+ formation as the rate-limiting step. The experimental kinetic rate expression was found to be: d[alcohol]/dt = k cat[1][HCO2Na]; substrate being pseudo zero order in water. The steric effects were also analyzed and appeared to be of less importance intra both the ketone and aldehyde series, but an inter series comparison appeared to show that the aldehydes had less of a steric effect on the initial rate, i.e., 7 > 4 by a factor of 3.6, while the aldehyde series appeared to have some moderate electronic influence on rates, presumably via electron donation to increase binding to the Cp∗Rh metal ion center, in accordance with these proposed concerted binding/hydride transfer reactions. A proposed catalytic cycle will also be presented. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Objectives: Ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) of the rat pancreas induced acute pancreatitis with systemic inflammatory response syndrome. Activated inflammatory cells sequestered in the lung and the proteases released from the inflammatory pancreas both could induce lung inflammation and lung injury. Methods: Ischemia of the pancreas was induced by clamping the gastroduodenal and the splenic artery for 2 hours followed by reperfusion for 6 hours. We observed airway reactivity to methacholine. The pulmonary function test of Penh was used to reflect the airway responses. mRNA expression of iNOS and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα) in the lung tissue were measured by real time polymerase chain reactions. Results: This protocol resulted in significant elevations of the blood concentrations of nitric oxide, hydroxyl radical, amylase, TNFα, and white cells among the I/R group. The mRNA expressions of iNOS and of TNFα in the lung tissues were significantly increased after I/R. Pulmonary function data showed that I/R of the pancreas induced significant increases in the responses to methacholine challenge: Penh was significantly increased in the I/R group compared with the sham group. Lavage white cells were significantly increased in the I/R group. Conclusions: I/R of the pancreas induced systemic inflammatory responses and increased white cell sequestration in the lung. Hyperresponsive responses in the airways of the reperfusion group may be due to airways inflammation, which increased white cell sequesteration in the lung and the expressions iNOS and TNFα inflammatory mediators in lung tissues. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Small interfering RNA (siRNA) mediates sequence-specific RNA cleavage and represents a potential approach to treat the infection of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Expression of a single siRNA species frequently led to the emergence of HIV escape variants. Thus, multiple siRNAs targeted to different regions in the HIV-1 genome may be required. However, overexpression of different anti-HIV siRNA genes from multiple pol III promoters can induce cell toxicity, thus may not be a viable option in the setting of human gene therapy trials. In the current study, we evaluated the strategy of using pol II promoters to drive the expression of siRNAs against HIV-1. We replaced the stem sequence in the stem-loop structure of the well-characterized miR-30a with siRNA sequences and showed that designed microRNA (miRNA) could be expressed from pol II promoters. We demonstrated efficient inhibition of HIV-1 replication with such designed miRNA, but the efficacy was directly correlated with the expression level. Both the vector copy number and the promoter strength directly affected the ability of the siRNA to inhibit HIV-1 replication. We also showed that a combination of pol II and pol III promoters to express two different siRNAs increased the efficacy against HIV-1 replication without comprising cell viability.Gene Therapy (2007) 14, 1503–1512; doi:10.1038/sj.gt.3303011; published online 6 September 2007 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mucosal epithelial M cells provide an efficient portal of entry for microorganisms. Initially defined by their irregular microvilli and abundant transcytotic channels in the avian bursa of Fabricius, M cells also are found in the lymphoid follicle-associated epithelium of the mammalian appendix, Peyer's patches, and other mucosal surface- lymphoid interfaces. We describe here a previously unrecognized cathelicidin gene in chickens, chCATH-B1, that is expressed exclusively in the epithelium of the bursa of Fabricius. Like the mature peptides of previously identified cathelicidins, the carboxyl-terminal peptide of chCATH-B1 has broad antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. chCATH-B1 expression is restricted to the secretory epithelial cell neighbors of the M cells, whereas its mature peptide is transported to become concentrated on the fibrillar network surrounding basolateral surfaces of the M cells that overlie the bursal lymphoid follicles. We conclude that chCATH-B1 is well placed to serve a protective antimicrobial role at the M cell gateway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Re2O7, which is known primarily as a strong oxidant, was found to be a highly selective Lewis acid catalyst that affects the heteroacylative dimerization of THF at room temperature. This multicomponent reaction, which involves THF, trifluoroacetic anhydride (TFAA), and a carboxylic acid, produces a nonsymmetrical diester, RCO2(CH2)4O(CH2)4OCOCF3, in high yields. The reaction is quite general with respect to the carboxylic acid but is highly selective for unsubstituted THF in preference to other cyclic ethers. It is also highly selective for TFAA in preference to other anhydrides. Isotope labeling experiments indicate that two of the five oxygen atoms in the product originate from THF; one comes from rhenium oxide, and the two carbonyl oxygens originate from the carboxylic acid and from TFAA. The catalytic cycle, which is proposed on the basis of these experiments, involves a multistep sequence of nucleophilic attacks, starting with an attack of a rhenium oxo ligand on a coordinated THF, then attack of the resultant alkoxide ligand on a second coordinated THF, nucleophilic addition of the resultant alkoxide ligand to the coordinated carboxylic acid (an intramolecular metal-oxygen bond metathesis), and, finally, electrophilic cleavage of the other coordinated alkoxide by TFAA to produce the nonsymmetrical diester. This synthetically useful reaction highlights the unique, frequently avoided Lewis acidity of transition-metal oxides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The association between hypogonadism, quality of life (QoL), and erectile dysfunction (ED) among the middle-aged and aged male in Taiwan is evaluated. A total of 680 study subjects aged 40 years old were recruited from Northern (n=276), Middle (n=238), and Southern (n=202) Taiwan, respectively. ED was diagnosed by score of International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5). Taiwan version questionnaire for QoL includes domain 1 (physical domain), domain 2 (psychological domain), domain 3 (social relationship domain), and domain 4 (environmental domain) was used to measure QoL. Blood hormones, including FSH, LH, Prolactin, SHBG, total testosterone (TT), calculated free testosterone (cFT), and bioavailable testosterone (Bio-T), were determined. Logistic regression analysis was used to estimate crude and multivariate-adjusted odds ratio of risk factors and its 95% confidence interval. A significantly inverse association between concentration of serum cFT and Bio-T, and severity of ED was observed. Scores of QoL of Domain 1–4 were significantly decreased with the increament of severity of ED. Significant correlations were found between IIEF scores and four domains of QoL, respectively. After adjustment for age, cFT and Bio-T, study subjects with ED (IIEF21) would have significantly high risk of low level of QoL in four domains. In conclusion, a significant association between low levels of serum calculated cFT, Bio-T, and severity of ED was found. In addition, abnormal erectile function significantly associated with low level of QoL in four domains.International Journal of Impotence Research (2007) 19, 69–75. doi:10.1038/sj.ijir.3901480; published online 11 May 2006 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Is outpatient laparoscopic liver resection possible? Factors significantly correlated with the ultra-short LOS group included extent of resection (100% of patients with wedge resection or single segmentectomy vs 66.7% having a more extensive resection, P < 0.0001), mean specimen volume (146.4 cc vs 456.5, P < 0.0001), mean estimated blood loss (68.5 mL vs 246.2, P < 0.0001), and median operating time (186 minutes vs 265, P < 0.0001). B Conclusion: b Outpatient LLR appears to be a feasible and safe option in patients who undergo limited hepatectomy (wedge resections or single segmentectomies), have a smaller volume of specimen removed, lower estimated blood loss, and shorter operating time. [Extracted from the article]

Our previous study demonstrated that the fruiting bodies of Cordyceps sinensis, a traditional Chinese medicine, attenuated diabetes-induced weight loss, polydipsia, and hyperglycemia in rats. In the present study, we further compared the anti-hyperglycemic activity of the fermented mycelia and broth of Cordyceps sinensis with that of the fruiting bodies. Male Wistar rats orally administered a placebo (STZ group), fruiting bodies (FB group, 1 g/day), fermented mycelia (MCS group, 1 g/day), fermented broth (BCS group, 1 g/day), or fermented mycelia plus broth (XCS group, 0.5 g/day of each) of Cordyceps sinensis (d1 to d28) were injected with nicotinamide (200 mg/kg) and streptozotocin (65 mg/kg) on d15. Rats fed with a placebo and injected with saline served as the control (CON) group. The amount of water and food consumption (d15 to d29), the 2-hour-postprandial blood glucose concentrations (d21 and d28), and the serum concentrations of fructosamine (d29) were significantly lower in the FB, MCS, BCS, and XCS groups than in the STZ group (one-way ANOVA, p < 0.05). The diabetic rats had significantly higher blood glucose concentrations as measured by the oral glucose tolerance test than the control rats; moreover, these changes were significantly reduced by ingesting the fruiting bodies, fermented mycelia and/or broth of Cordyceps sinensis. Our results revealed that the fermented mycelia and broth of Cordyceps sinensis have anti-hyperglycemic activities similar to those of the fruiting bodies. Therefore, the fermented products of Cordyceps sinensis could be developed as potential anti-diabetic agents or functional foods for persons with a high risk of diabetes mellitus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emerging evidences suggest the existence of a new mode of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signalling pathway in which activated EGFR undergoes nuclear translocalization and subsequently regulates gene expression and potentially mediates other cellular processes. This signalling route is distinct from the better-characterized, traditional EGFR pathway that involves transduction of mitogenic signals through activation of multiple signalling cascades. Transcriptional activity of nuclear EGFR appears to depend on its C-terminal transactivation domain and its physical and functional interaction with other transcription factors that contain DNA-binding activity. Likely via its ability to upregulate gene expression, nuclear EGFR pathway is associated with major characteristics of more aggressive tumours: increased proliferative potential, nitric oxide synthesis, and accelerated G1/S cell cycle progression. A role of nuclear EGFR in prognostic prediction is further suggested in patients with breast carcinomas and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas. It is noted that significant advances were made towards the knowledge of the nuclear EGFR pathway; however, many aspects of this new pathway remain unresolved and will be discussed in this review. As a number of other receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) and cytokine receptors also undergo similar nuclear translocalization, a better understanding of the physiological and malignant nature of the nuclear EGFR pathway will likely shed light into the biology of cancer with nuclear RTKs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experience of the first 20 years of a community mental health service for the Asian communities in Toronto, the Hong Fook Mental Health Association, is presented within the context of the overall development of mental health services to ethnocultural minorities in Toronto and Canada. The various people involved and the relationships with other stakeholders are described. Through the discussion, the socio-political and cultural factors contributing to its successes and failures are highlighted. The future for Hong Fook, and the mental health system at large, is considered. The article finishes with an outline of the philosophical basis that has sustained Hong Fook's development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tremella mesenterica (TM), a yellow jelly mushroom, has been traditionally used as food and crude medicine to improve several kinds of symptoms in Chinese society for a long time. Recent studies have illustrated that the fractions of fruiting bodies of TM exhibit a significant hypoglycemic activity in diabetic mouse models, which usually suffer from sexual dysfunction. In a previous study, we showed that TM reduced plasma testosterone production in normal rats without any positive effect in diabetic rats. It evolved a question of TM directly regulating Leydig cell steroidogenesis. In this study, MA-10 mouse Leydig tumor cells were treated with vehicle, different dosages of TM with or without human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG 50 ng/ml) to clarify the effects. Results showed that TM at different dosages (0.01–10 mg/ml) did not have any effect on MA-10 cell steroidogenesis (p > 0.05). In the presence of hCG, there was an inhibitory trend that TA suppressed MA-10 cell progesterone production at 3 hr treatment with a statistically significant difference by the 10 mg/ml TM (p 0.05). However, TM did reduce hCG-treated MA-10 cell progesterone production at 1, 2 and 3 hr (p [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surgically induced abnormalities in atrial conduction could result in unusual P wave changes. A 31-year-old woman underwent concomitant mitral valve surgery and atrial compartment operation for mitral stenosis and atrial fibrillation (AF). After operation, the AF was successfully converted to sinus rhythm, whereas an unusual electrocardiogram (ECG) with a discrete negative deflection before the T wave in V1 was noted. Electrophysiological study showed a marked conduction delay from the high right atrium (HRA) to the right atrial appendage (RAA) compartment, which resulted in a separation of P waves. The P wave preceding the QRS complex represented the activation of sinus node and the left atrial compartments, and the P at the vicinity of T wave represented the activation of RAA compartment. The conduction from HRA to RAA was worsened on HRA pacing at a faster rate, and improved after isoproterenol infusion. This report demonstrated that conduction across a surgically created isthmus in the atrium could be severely impaired and result in unusual P wave separation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malignant lymphoma uncommonly manifests in the genitourinary tract. Primary penile lymphoma is extremely rare. A 77-year-old male presented with primary malignant B-cell lymphoma of the penis with the chief complaint of a painless and itching nodule on the penile glans for more than 2 months. The pathologic examination with immunohistochemical stain of penile biopsy revealed malignant B cell lymphoma, mixed cellular type. The physical examination and the computed tomography scan of chest, abdomen, and pelvis showed no evidence of superficial, thoracic, abdominal, or pelvic lymphadenopathy. This case was treated with local excision and systemic chemotherapy with good cosmetic and functional results. There was absence of recurrence 16 months after therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The P wave in the surface ECG represents atrial electrical activation and may be altered in certain pathological conditions. Atrial compartment operation has been used to convert chronic AF to sinus rhythm. However, this procedure may result in changes of impulse conduction in various atrial compartments and alters the P wave morphology. This study sought to elucidate the P wave changes after the atrial compartment operation for AF. Fifteen patients undergoing the atrial compartment operation for chronic AF were studied. In the operation, the atrium was divided into three compartments, namely the left atrium, the atrial septum including sinus and AV nodes, and the right atrial compartment. The anatomic connection between adjacent compartments were preserved at the posterior lower margin of incisions. The surface lead P waves were correlated with intracardiac recording and stimulation in various atrial compartments. Fifteen age- and sex-matched control patients without structural heart diseases were compared. The results showed that patients undergoing the atrial compartment operation had a prolonged P wave duration (190 +/- 27 v s95 +/- 14 ms, P < 0.001), a prolonged PR interval (207 +/- 23 vs 155 +/- 20 ms, P < 0.001), and a shortened PR segment (17 +/- 19 vs 60 +/- 17 ms, P < 0.001). The increase in P wave duration was primarily due to a conduction delay from the sinus node to the other atrial compartments as the conduction time from the high right atrium to the right atrial appendage was 132 +/- 57 ms(vs 21 +/- 6 ms for control,P < 0.001), and the conduction time from the high right atrium to the distal coronary sinus was 140 +/- 55 ms(vs 70 +/- 15 ms, P < 0.001). However, the conduction from the high right atrium to the low septal right atrium, which were located in the same compartment, was not impaired. Also, the conduction in the AV node and His-Purkinje system were not impaired. The mean axis of P waves varied greatly, but was not statistically different from that of the control group (60 +/- 48 degrees vs 52 +/- 18 degrees,P > 0.05). Although the patients undergoing atrial compartment operation had a larger left atrial size, their P wave amplitude was smaller (1.0 +/- 0.3 vs 1.3 +/- 0.3 mm, P < 0.01), and an increased negative terminal force in V1 was not seen (0.02 +/- 0.02 vs 0.02 +/- 0.01 mm/s, P > 0.05). Alteration in P wave morphology was seen in 14 patients. All the P waves showed a biphasic configuration with an initial positive and a terminal slurred negative deflection in leads II, III, and aVF. The terminal components represented the activation of right atrial appendage in 5 patients, the left atrium in 1, and the combined activation of right atrial appendage and the left atrium in 8 patients. The P wave morphology suggested that activation of both the right atrial appendage and the left atrial compartments proceeded in a caudocranial direction as a result of the atrial incisions. In conclusion, atrial compartment operation altered the conduction time and direction in the atria and resulted in characteristic P wave changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigates the reactivity of hydrido-trispyrazolylborate. Reductive coupling of the hydridoalkyl-metal complexes; Creation of alkane functionalization system; Transition state of methane loss.

Background: The related proteins Boi1 and Boi2, which appear to promote polarized growth in S. cerevisiae, both contain a PH (pleckstrin homology) and an SH3 (src homology 3) domain. Previously, we gained evidence that a PH domain-bearing segment of Boi1, which we call Boi1-PH, is sufficient and necessary for function. In the current study, we investigate the binding of Boi1's PH domain to the acidic phospholipids PIP2 (phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate) and PS (phosphatidylserine). Results: Boi1-PH co-sediments with PS vesicles. It does so more readily when these vesicles contain a small amount of PIP2. Boi1-PH is degraded in yeast extracts in a manner that is stimulated by PIP2. Amino-acid substitutions that diminish binding to PIP2 and PS impair Boi1 function. Fusion to a myristoyl group-accepting sequence improves to different degrees the ability of these different mutant versions of Boi1-PH to function. Boi1 and Boi2 are localized to the periphery of buds during much of the budding cycle and to necks late in the cell cycle. Amino-acid substitutions that diminish binding to PIP2 and PS impair localization of Boi1 to the bud, but do not affect the localization of Boi1 to the neck. Conversely, a mutation in the SH3 domain prevents the localization of Boi1 to the neck, but does not impair localization to the bud. Conclusions: Boi1's PH domain binds to acidic phospholipids, and this binding appears to be important for Boi1 function. The main role of binding to PS may simply be to promote the association of the PH domain with membrane. The higher-affinity binding to PIP2, which apparently promotes a conformational change in the PH domain, may play an important additional role. Boi1 and Boi2 are localized to sites of polarized growth. Whereas the SH3 domain is needed for localization of Boi1 to the neck, the phospholipid-binding portion of the PH domain is important for localization to the bud. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the reduction models for NAD[sup +] compound, 1-Benzylnicotinamide triflate and beta-nicotinamide ribose-5'-methyl phosphate. Occurrence of steric effect; Absence catalytic hydride transfer; Effect of the 1-benzyl substituent on the nitrogen atom.

Reports on a comparative synthetic, structural and thermodynamic study of coordinatively unsaturated chelate complexes. Clarification of the roles of carboxylato and sulfonamido ligands; Monomeric structure of the sulfonamide-containing complexes in solution and as solids; Oligomer or polymer structure of the oxalato complex.

Presents information on a study which identified T cell receptor rearrangement deletion circles in peripheral T cells using polymerase chain reaction-based assay. Materials and methods; Results and discussion.

Presents information on a study which developed a three-component measured equation of invariance (MEI) boundary condition and its application to hybrid edge/nodal vector finite element method. Theory and application of the three-component MEI boundary; Computational results; Conclusions.

The article presents research which compared confidence intervals for the distributions of logarithmic series. The researchers applied various statistical concepts including confidence intervals, shortness of interval and small sample case. They modified the criterion for the construction of a system of confidence intervals for the case of a discrete and single variable.

Nous supposons qu'un grand échantillon aléatoire de taille fixe n est Sélectionne d'une distribution de série logarithmique ayant 0 comme param$eGtreNous désirons estimer 0 à l'aide d'un intervale de confiance à deux cotés. En utilisant des résultats asymptotiques, des tables d'intervalles de confiance sont préparées pour m=50, 100, 200, 500 et 1000, et avec niveaux de confiance 0.90 et 0.95. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silicon nanotips with tip diameter and height measuring 1 nm and 1 μm, respectively, and density in the range of 10[sup 9]–3×10[sup 11] cm[sup -2], were fabricated monolithically from silicon wafers by electron cyclotron resonance plasma etching technique at a temperature of 200 °C. Field emission current densities of 3.0 mA/cm[sup 2] at an applied field of ∼1.0 V/μm was obtained from these silicon nanotips. High-resolution transmission electron microscope and Auger electron spectroscopy analyses concluded that the nanotips are composed of monolithic silicon and nanometer-size SiC cap at the top. A 0.35 V/μm turn-on field to draw a 10 μA/cm[sup 2] current density was demonstrated, which is much lower than other reported materials. The excellent field emission property demonstrated by these nanotips, which were fabricated by a process integrable to the existing silicon device technology at low temperatures, is a step forward in achieving low-power field emission displays and vacuum electronic devices. © 2003 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the catalyst function of alkanes. Activation of organometallic complex of pt(II); Insertion of metal into the carbon-hydrogen bond to eliminate alkane from the metal cancer; Observation on the heating effects through the spectral changes on the nuclear magnetic resonance.

A new configuration that employs a conducting conformal strip to excite the low-profile equilaterial-triangular dielectric resonator antenna (DRA) of very high permittivity is proposed. As compared with the previous aperture-coupling configuration, the new configuration has a wider impedance bandwidth (∼5.5%) and a higher front-to-back radiation ratio. The return loss, radiation patterns, and antenna gain are measured and discussed. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 29: 317–319, 2001. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sequential rotation technique is used for the design of circularly polarized (CP) dielectric resonator antenna (DRA) subarrays. Two configurations are considered. The first one employs linearly polarized (LP) DRA elements, whereas the other one uses CP DRA elements. The characteristics of the two configurations are compared and discussed. In the CP-element case, the performance of the subarray is also compared with that of the single-element configuration. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 27: 377–379, 2000. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The uniaxial tensile and cupping tests of cobalt‐chromium‐iron‐manganese‐nickel high entropy alloy were performed to investigate the effect of solid soluted carbon addition on the strengthening mechanism. The results revealed that at 0.5 at % carbon, the tensile strength, uniform elongation, and cupping strength of the sample were promoted. However, the brittleness fracture appeared by further increasing carbon to 1.0 at %, as caused by the carbides along grain boundary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We demonstrate control of a trapped-ion quantum harmonic oscillator in a squeezed Fock state basis, using engineered Hamiltonians analogous to the Jaynes-Cummings and anti-Jaynes-Cummings forms. We demonstrate that for squeezed Fock states with low n the engineered Hamiltonians reproduce the √n scaling of the matrix elements which is typical of Jaynes-Cummings physics, and also examine deviations due to the finite wavelength of our control fields. Starting from a squeezed vacuum state, we apply sequences of alternating transfer pulses which allow us to climb the squeezed Fock state ladder, creating states up to excitations of n=6 with up to 8.7 dB of squeezing, as well as demonstrating superpositions of these states. These techniques offer access to new sets of states of the harmonic oscillator which may be applicable for precision metrology or quantum information science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to study the effect of different color combinations of LED light on the quantity of primordia, the formation of the fruiting body, and the yield of bioactive ingredients produced in solid culture C. militaris. The results show that appropriate color combinations and light intensities of Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs) can significantly increase the quantity of primordia, promote the formation of fruiting bodies, and increase the yield of bioactive ingredients (cordycepin, adenosine, mannitol, and polysaccharides) in solid culture of Cordyceps militaris. LEDs have several advantages such as small size, long lifespan, fast response time, high efficiency and stability, and the ability to emit a narrow wavelength range of monochromatic light from a cold source. Our results show that both red and green-LEDs can shorten the period of primordia appearance. Red-LED increased the number of primordia and biological efficiency and red and blue LED combinations increased the biomass of the fruiting body. A light intensity of 1,000 Lux resulted in the fastest appearance of primordia, and the highest average fruiting body biomass and biological efficiency. Under different red and blue LED combinations, the highest amounts of cordycepin, adenosine, mannitol, and polysaccharide in the fruiting body of C. militaris were 15.63±0.72 (100 Lux), 23.17±1.22 (1,000 Lux), 19.84±0.84 (300 Lux), and 28.69±1.52 mg g-1 (1,000 Lux), respectively. Appropriate color combinations and intensities of LED light can significantly increase the quantity of the primordium, promote the formation of the fruiting body, and increase the yield of bioactive ingredients produced in solid culture C. militaris. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigates the interface and oxide-charge trapping characteristics of bombarded metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors. Interface state density decreases; Oxide charge trapping properties; Stress compensation.

This paper summarises the process, findings and recommendations of a recently completed joint university consultancy project that reviewed the annual traffic census (ATC) in Hong Kong. The results of a survey that assessed the usefulness of the census report are presented, together with an overview of the existing traffic data collection process and traffic detection equipment. Areas for improvement are then identified, including the sampling strategies for the collection of vehicle classification and occupancy data, the procedure for the development of group scaling factors, the method for the selection of core and coverage stations, the approaches to developing growth factors and traffic flow estimation, the presentation method and database structure of the census framework, and the manpower requirements. Based on these identified areas, a new computer program is developed to integrate all of the tasks of the census report and to produce the results in CD-ROM format. Finally, concluding remarks are given together with recommendations for further study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A low-profile equilateral-triangular dielectric resonator antenna (DRA) of very high permittivity (ℇr = 82) is excited with the use of a rectangular waveguide. It is found that the present configuration has a very wide impedance bandwidth of 11.4%, which is 3.8 times of that of the previous aperture-coupled DRA. The return loss, radiation patterns, and antenna gain of the new configuration are investigated. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 34: 157–158, 2002; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.10401 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A slot-line-excited equilateral-triangular dielectric resonator antenna (DRA) of very high permittivity (ℇr=82) is investigated experimentally. The triangular DRA is operated at its fundamental broadside TM1, 0, -1-mode. An improved bandwidth of ∼5%, which is 1.7 times higher than in the previous aperture-coupled version, is obtained for the new configuration. The return loss, radiation patterns, and antenna gain of the new configuration are presented. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 29: 230–231, 2001. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dear Editor, We would like to make the brief comment on the publication "Clinical evolution of monkeypox lesions".[1] Ordinola Navarro et al. mentioned about the evolution of the monkeypox skin lesions. However, the clinical presentations of syphilis such as maculopapular eruptions and nodular skin lesions may be similar to monkeypox.[2] The rapid differential diagnosis of maculopapular rash in the sexually transmitted infection may also be challenging in the clinical practice. The patient had unprotective sex history in the past, and physical examination revealed the anogenital warts from this patient. [Extracted from the article]

Objective We aimed at studying the role of the most deregulated miR-99a, identifying its downstream targets, and exploring the clinical potential of miR-99a and its target(s) in oral cancer. Subjects and Methods Following confirmation of miR-99a deregulation in nine oral lines and 26 pairwise clinical specimens, miR-99a-manipulated oral cancer cells were subjected to cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and in vivo murine metastasis assays. We characterized putative miR-99a target(s) using luciferase reporter assays and genetic manipulation. The inverse relation of miR-99a and its target(s) was examined in clinical specimens using real-time PCR and Western blot analysis. Results MiR-99a down-regulation was confirmed both in tested oral cancer cell lines and clinical specimens. Ectopic miR-99a expression inhibited oral cancer cell migration and invasion. Anti-miR-99a, silencing miR-99a functions, had the opposite effect. Myotubularin-related protein 3 ( MTMR3) with one evolutionarily conserved seed region in the 3′-untranslated region was a novel miR-99a target. Depleting MTMR3 expression significantly reduced cell proliferation, migration, or invasion. There was an inverse expression of miR-99a and MTMR3 protein in oral cancer lines and clinical specimens. Conclusion miR-99a repressed oral cancer cell migration and invasion partly through decreasing MTMR3 expression. MTMR3 may serve as a therapeutic target for oral cancer treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine aquaculture of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) is a relatively new industry where breeding programs have led to rapid genetic change in the captive populations that were built up alongside conspecific wild individuals. Throughout its 50-years history, marine aquaculture of Atlantic salmon has been associated with escapes, and studies have shown that escapees may enter rivers, spawn successfully, and this may lead to farmed-to-wild genetic introgression and maladaptation in wild populations. Yet, an open question is what factors can best explain the variability in the proportion of farmed escapees in wild populations, and when present, which additional factors lead to introgression. Here, we combine two large-scale data sets from monitoring escaped farmed salmon and introgression in Norwegian rivers between 2006 and 2018 to model how anthropogenic, environmental, and population factors influence proportion of escapees and level of introgression. We found that increasing farming intensity and river discharge increase the expected proportions of escaped farmed salmon in rivers, whereas a larger wild salmon population size reduces the expected proportion of escapees despite increasing the expected absolute numbers of escaped farmed salmon. On a large scale, introgression is primarily a function of proportions of escaped farmed salmon, and only to a minor extent a function of local environmental factors or salmon population characteristics. This suggests that as long as salmon aquaculture is based on technologies where non-sterile fish can escape, all anadromous wild Atlantic salmon populations are at risk. Large marine protected areas without salmon aquaculture may slow down the rate of intrusion and introgression by increasing the distance between intensive aquaculture and wild populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Interest in complex robotic systems is growing in new application areas. An example of such a robotic system is a dexterous manipulator mounted on an oscillatory base. In literature, such systems are known as macro/micro systems. This work proposes pseudo-inverse Jacobian feedback control laws and applies grey relational analysis for tuning outer-loop PID control parameters of Cartesian computed-torque control law for robotic manipulators mounted on oscillatory bases. The priority when modifying controller parameters should be the top ranking importance among parameters. Grey relational grade is utilized to investigate the sensitivity of tuning the auxiliary signal PID of the Cartesian computed-torque law to achieve desired performance. Results of this study can be feasible to numerous mechanical systems, such as mobile robots, gantry cranes, underwater robots, and other dynamic systems mounted on oscillatory bases, for moving the end-effector to a desired Cartesian position. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this paper, the DC characteristics of MOSFETs are investigated by means of an analytical approach with considerations of the source/drain parasitic resistance ( R S / R D ). Experimental data of MOS devices for DRAM design and results of TCAD simulation are used to verify the accuracy of theoretical calculation. It is found that both the R S and R D can induce a large reduction in the drain current in the linear region, but only the source resistance can cause a large reduction in the drain current in the saturation region. Moreover, the drain current deduction due to the R S / R D increases with decreasing channel length and oxide thickness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a procedure for the estimation of multiclass origin-destination (O-D) matrices for a highway network. The system consists of a number of vehicle classes. Demand is assigned to the network in a user equilibrium manner. An entropy maximization procedure is proposed to simultaneously estimate the O-D demand matrices of all vehicle classes, which are consistent with the multiclass traffic counts that are observed directly in the network. A case study of the Hong Kong highway network demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed methodology for a real large-scale network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acupuncture at the Neiguan (P6) point has been shown to lessen nausea and vomiting which are related to vagal modulation. This study investigated whether acupuncture at the P6 point could improve vagal modulation by using heart rate variability analysis. We compared the heart rate variability measures of 39 subjects receiving acupuncture at the P6 point, 38 subjects receiving sham acupuncture, and 34 subjects receiving no treatment at all. The normalized high-frequency power was used as the index of vagal modulation, and the low-/high-frequency power ratio was used as the index of sympathovagal balance. The normalized high-frequency power after acupuncture increased significantly from 28.1 +/- 12.6 nu (mean +/- SD) to 30.7 +/- 14.1 nu in the P6 acupuncture group, but not in the sham acupuncture (30.6 +/- 13.7 nu versus 31.8 +/- 13.8 nu) or no-treatment group (30.1 +/- 15.0 nu versus 30.1 +/- 15.7 nu). In both the P6 and sham acupuncture groups, the mean RR interval (the intervals between consecutive R waves in the electrocardiogram) increased significantly after acupuncture. In the no-treatment group, there was no statistical difference in all heart rate variability measures in the initial and later sessions. In conclusion, acupuncture at the P6 point can increase vagal modulation of the subjects. This result may be helpful in the understanding of the mechanism underlying the effect of acupuncture or acupressure at P6 on the lessening of nausea and vomiting in clinic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]