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Objective: Surgical strategy for spinal kyphosis in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) has been challenging. Pedicle subtraction osteotomy (PSO) through a minimally invasive (MI) approach has been developed with promising clinical outcomes. We aimed to compare the effectiveness and safety of PSO via an MI approach and a standard posterior approach (SPA) for treating AS‐related spinal kyphosis. Methods: A total of 41 patients with AS‐related spinal kyphosis who underwent PSO through an MI approach (MI surgery [MIS] group: n = 25) or SPA (SPA group: n = 16) between January 2015 and July 2020 were retrospectively included. Spinopelvic parameters were evaluated before the surgery, immediately after the surgery, and at the 2‐year follow‐up. Clinical data including operative time, estimated blood loss, blood transfusion, level of fusion, incision length, bed rest period, length of hospitalization, and surgical complications were compared between the two groups. The Scoliosis Research Society outcomes instrument‐22 (SRS‐22) was administered to assess patients' quality of life at the latest follow‐up. Comparisons between the two groups were performed using independent sample t‐test or Chi‐square test. Results: Characteristics and baseline kyphosis of the two groups were matched. At the 2‐year follow‐up, in the MIS group, the average correction values of the sagittal vertical axis and global kyphosis (GK) were 9.5 cm and 44.3°, respectively. Compared with the SPA group, the MIS group had similar correction values and correction losses after surgery. No obvious differences were observed in any radiographic parameters, except for GK, immediately after surgery and at the 2‐year follow‐up between the two groups (p > 0.05). The MIS group had a significantly shorter operative time, lesser blood loss, lesser transfusion volume, shorter fusion level, and lesser time to mobilization than did the SPA group. Higher average functional activity scores of SRS‐22 were obtained in the MIS group than in the SPA group. Conclusion: Mini‐open PSO may be an effective alternative to the SPA for treating AS‐related spinal kyphosis, with comparable correction effect, lesser surgical trauma and faster recovery. This comparative study may provide valuable guidance for surgical decision‐making and patient counseling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, high-entropy oxides (HEOs) have gained significant attention due to their unique structure, yet the usage of HEOs in gas/humidity sensing is still a vast expanse of land worthy of vigorous cultivation. Here, HEOs were designed via high-entropy metal-organic frameworks (HE-MOFs) as sacrificial templates and then calcined at different temperatures to obtain (YTbDyErYb) 2 O 3 (named as HEO-600, HEO-700 and HEO-800). After material characterization, as-synthesized HEOs were explored as humidity sensing materials for the first time at a relative humidity (RH) range of 11%-97%. The HEO-700 sensor exhibits the optimized properties featured in a response of three orders of magnitude (2.8 × 103) and extremely short response time (2 s). The excellent humidity sensing performance of HEO-700 can be attributed to the large surface area (39.6 m2/g) and abundant oxygen vacancies (53.1%). In addition, the HEO-700 sensor demonstrates great potential in real-time human physiological moisture detection, such as finger, breath, and non-contact switch. It is believed that this contribution provides attracting humidity sensing candidate for practical applications, and moreover, will provide inspiration for design of new HEOs in this emerging field of solid-state sensory devices. • High-entropy oxides (HEOs) of (YTbDyErYb) 2 O 3 were synthesized via a MOF-templated method. • The HEOs are featured in large specific surface area and rich oxygen vacancy. • The HEOs were for the first time explored as humidity sensing materials showing high performance. • The oxygen vacancy higher than lattice oxygen is response for the enhanced humidity sensing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To compare the safety and efficacy of posterior minimally invasive surgery (MIS) to standard posterior spinal fusion (PSF) surgery for Lenke Type 1–4 adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). Methods: This multicenter retrospective study enrolled 112 patients with Lenke Type 1–4 AIS who treated with MIS (n = 64) or PSF (n = 48) between March 2007 and January 2015. Coronal and sagittal parameters were evaluated before surgery, immediately after surgery, and at the last follow-up. Operative time, level of fusion, intraoperative blood loss, blood transfusion, and intraoperative radiation exposure were recorded. 22-item Scoliosis Research Society questionnaire (SRS-22) was applied for assessment of life quality. The accuracy of pedicle screw placement was assessed according to postoperative computed tomography images, and the complications were collected in follow-up period. Results: The baseline characteristics of 2 groups were matched. There was no significant difference between 2 groups in terms of radiographic parameters immediately after surgery and at the last follow-up. The MIS group had significantly longer operative time, more level of fusion, less intraoperative blood loss, and lower blood transfusion rate (p < 0.001). The evaluation of pain using SRS-22 showed significantly lower score in MIS group (p < 0.05). No significant difference was found between 2 groups in terms of accuracy of pedicle screw placement and complications. Conclusion: Posterior MIS is a safe and effective alternative to standard open approach for Lenke Type 1–4 AIS patients with curves < 70° and reasonable flexibility. Mid-term results showed MIS had the advantages of less blood loss and pain with more fusion segments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To explore the correlations between postoperative hip pain and spino-pelvic/hip parameters in adult scoliosis patients after long-segment spinal fusion. Methods: We retrospectively identified adult scoliosis patients who underwent long-segment spinal fusions between December 2009 and August 2015. The patients were divided into a pain group (PG) and a control group (CG) based on whether hip pain was reported at the end of follow-up. There were 34 cases in the PG and 42 in the CG. The visual analogue scale was employed to assess the postoperative hip pain in PG patients. Two sets of parameters were recorded: one before and one after the surgery. Results: There were statistically significant differences in the variations in acetabular coverage and centre-edge (CE) angle between the two groups (p < 0.05), but there was no significant difference in the Tönnis angle, acetabular angle of Sharp, neck-shaft angle, lumbar lordosis (LL), sacral slope, pelvic incidence, pelvic tilt, coronal vertical axis, sagittal vertical axis or Cobb angle. The variation in acetabular coverage before and after operation in the PG was significantly correlated with that of LL (p < 0.05), while the changes in the CE angle and Tönnis angle were not significantly correlated with those in spino-pelvic parameters (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Postoperative hip pain among adult scoliosis patients after long-segment spinal fusion is significantly associated with the variation in acetabular coverage and CE angle, and the change in acetabular coverage is correlated with that in LL for those who develop hip pain after the surgery. These slides can be retrieved under Electronic Supplementary Material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study finds a significant positive correlation between the Pacific meridional mode (PMM) index and the frequency of intense tropical cyclones (TCs) over the western North Pacific (WNP) during the peak TC season (June-November). The PMM influences the occurrence of intense TCs mainly by modulating largescale dynamical conditions over the main development region. During the positive PMM phase, anomalous off-equatorial heating in the eastern Pacific induces anomalous low-level westerlies (and cyclonic flow) and upper-level easterlies (and anticyclonic flow) over a large portion of the main development region through a Matsuno-Gill-type Rossby wave response. The resulting weaker vertical wind shear and larger low-level relative vorticity favor the genesis of intense TCs over the southeastern part of theWNPand their subsequent intensification over the main development region. The PMM index would therefore be a valuable predictor for the frequency of intense TCs over the WNP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CREPT (cell-cycle related and expression-elevated protein in tumor) was reported to be associated with growth of several human cancers; however, its clinical significance and regulatory mechanism still remain unclear in human gastric cancer. In the present study, we found CREPT was significantly increased in gastric cancer tissues compared to the matched adjacent normal tissues. CREPT silence inhibited the proliferation of gastric cancer cells through inducing G0/G1 phase cell cycle arrest, which was linked to the reduction of Cyclin D1 and Cyclin D-dependent kinase 4 (CDK4), and the elevation of p53 and p21. In addition, CREPT knockdown (KD) decreased migration of gastric cancer cells through up-regulating E-cadherin and down-regulating vimentin, N-cadherin and matrix metalloproteinase 1 (MMP-1) expressions. Further, CREPT KD induced apoptosis in gastric cancer cells, as evidenced by the increase of cleaved Caspase-3 and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). Intriguingly, suppressing p53 expressions significantly abolished CREPT silence-induced apoptosis, and reduction of cell viability. Moreover, CREPT KD caused reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation using discounted cash flow (DCF) analysis, which was reversed by ROS scavenger, N-acetyl- l -cysteine (NAC), pretreatment. Of note, NAC pretreatment abrogated apoptotic cell death in CREPT KD gastric cancer cells. In vivo, suppressing CREPT reduced the gastric tumor growth in gastric cancer xenograft models. Altogether, our results provided a novel insight into CREPT in regulating gastric cancer progression through apoptosis regulated by ROS/p53 pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In recent decades, early rehabilitation after Achilles tendon rupture (ATR) repair has been proposed. The aim of this prospective cohort study was to compare different immobilisation durations in order to determine the optimal duration after open surgery for ATR repair. Methods: This study included 1088 patients (mean age, 34.9 ± 5.9 years) who underwent open surgery for acute ATR repair. The patients were categorised into four groups (A, B, C, and D) according to postoperative immobilisation durations of 0, 2, 4, and 6 weeks, respectively. All patients received the same suture technique and a similar rehabilitation protocol after brace removal,; they were clinically examined at 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, and 16 weeks postoperatively, with a final follow-up at a mean of 19.0 months. The primary outcome was the recovery time for the one-leg heel-rise height (OHRH). Secondary outcomes included the time required to return to light exercise (LE) and the recovery times for the range of motion (ROM). Data regarding the surgical duration, complications, the visual analogue scale (VAS) score for pain, the Achilles tendon Total Rupture Score (ATRS), and the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) Ankle-Hindfoot Scale score were also collected. Results: The recovery times for OHRH, LE, and ROM were significantly shorter in groups A and B than in groups C and D (P < 0.001). The VAS scores decreased over time, reaching 0 in all groups by 10 weeks. The mean scores in groups A and B were higher than those in the other groups at 2 and 4 weeks (P < 0.001), whereas the opposite was true at 8 weeks (P < 0.001). ATRS and the AOFAS Ankle-Hindfoot scale score increased across all groups over time, showing significant between-group differences from weeks 6 to 16 (P < 0.001) and weeks 6 to 12 (P < 0.001). The mean scores were better in groups A and B than in groups C and D. Thirty-eight complications (3.5%) were observed, including 20 re-ruptures and 18 superficial infections. All complications were resolved at the last follow-up, with no significant between-group differences. Conclusions: Immobilisation for 2 weeks after open surgery for ATR repair may be the optimal strategy for early rehabilitation with relatively minimal pain and other complications. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04663542). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Doxorubicin (DOX) is one of the most effective chemotherapeutic agents, but cardiotoxicity limits its clinical use. Although the mechanisms are not entirely understood, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and cardiomyocyte apoptosis appear to be involved in DOX cardiotoxicity. Protection or alleviation of DOX cardiotoxicity can be achieved by administration of natural phenolic compounds via activating endogenous defense systems and antiapoptosis. Naringenin-7-O-glucoside (NARG), isolated from Dracocephalum rupestre Hance, could protect from cardiomyocyte apoptosis and induce endogenous antioxidant enzymes against DOX toxicity, but the effects on intracellular ROS generation and cell membrane stability were not demonstrated. In the present study, we investigated the effects of NARG on H9c2 cell morphology, viability, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and creatine kinase (CK) leakage, glutathine peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity, intracellular Ca2+ concentration, and ROS generation. Compared with DOX alone treatment group, the morphological injury of the cells in groups treated by DOX plus NARG was alleviated, cell viability was increased, the amount of released LDH and CK was significantly decreased, the activity of GSH-Px was increased, the content of intracellular Ca2+ and ROS generation was lowered remarkably. These results suggest that NARG could prevent cardiomyocytes from DOX-induced toxicity by their property of stabilizing the cell membrane and reducing ROS generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to validate the safety and effectiveness of percutaneous doxycycline/albumin injection for spinal aneurysmal bone cysts (ABCs) as an alternative to open surgery.Methods: From January 2000 to December 2016, 25 patients who had no/minor neurological deficits (modified Frankel scale D or E) and acceptable local stability (spinal instability neoplastic score < 12) were included in the study, of whom 14 were treated with percutaneous doxycycline/albumin injection (injection group) and 11 were treated with open surgery (surgery group). The demographic and clinical information of the injection and surgery groups were recorded and compared.Results: In the injection group, lesion size was significantly reduced in all 14 patients, all patients showed complete neurological recovery, and 13 patients had complete relief of neck pain; their mean visual analogue scale (VAS) decreased from 3.4 to 0.5. No complication or recurrence was observed during the mean 30.7-month follow-up (range, 24-50 months). In the surgery group, 9 patients had complete neurological recovery and 2 patients had residual slight paresthesia; their mean VAS decreased from 3.4 to 0.5. Two had local recurrence during their follow-up at 66.5 months (range, 50-96 months). Compared with the surgery group, the injection group showed no significant difference in the rate of recurrence (P = 0.14) and complication (P = 0.36).Conclusions: Percutaneous doxycycline/albumin injection for spinal ABCs can be safely and effectively performed in well-selected cases. It could serve as an alternative treatment, especially for spinal ABCs lesions with acceptable local stability and in patients without severe neurological deficits. These slides can be retrieved under Electronic Supplementary Material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigating coherent acoustic vibrations in nanostructured materials provides fundamental insights into optomechanical responses and microscopic energy flow. Extensive measurements of vibrational dynamics have been performed for a wide variety of nanoparticles and nanoparticle assemblies. However, virtually all of them show that only the dilation modes are launched after laser excitations, and the acoustic bending and torsional motions, which are commonly observed in photoexcited chemical bonds, are absent. Unambiguous identification and refined characterization of these "missing" modes have been a long-standing issue. In this report, we investigated the acoustic vibrational dynamics of individual Au nanoprisms on free-standing graphene substrates using an ultrafast high-sensitivity dark-field imaging approach in four-dimensional transmission electron microscopy. Following optical excitations, we observed low-frequency multiple-mode oscillations and higher superposition amplitudes at nanoprism corners and edges on the subnanoparticle level. In combination with finite-element simulations, we determined that these vibrational modes correspond to out-of-plane bending and torsional motions, superimposed by an overall tilting effect of the nanoprisms. The launch and relaxation processes of these modes are highly pertinent to substrate effects and nanoparticle geometries. These findings contribute to the fundamental understanding about acoustic dynamics of individual nanostructures and their interaction with substrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first-in-class selective B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) inhibitor, ABT-199 (venetoclax), is well-known for having no effect on liver cancer cells. Here, we looked into the effectiveness and underlying molecular mechanisms of kaempferol derived from persimmon leaves' (KPL) sensitization effect on ABT-199-resistant HepG2 cells. The proliferation of HepG2 cells and the H22 liver tumour bearing animal model were both studied, along with the underlying mechanisms, in relation to different dosages of KPL combined with ABT-199. According to our research, ABT-199 alone, as opposed to KPL, had no discernible effect on the development of hepatoma cells either in vitro or in vivo. It's interesting that the combined therapy shown noticeably greater anti-hepatoma effectiveness. In HepG2 cells, combining KPL and ABT-199 may increase both early and late apoptosis and lower the mitochondrial membrane potential, according to mechanistic investigations. ABT-199 and KPL dramatically decreased the expression of the antiapoptotic proteins Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, and Mcl-1, increased the expression of Bax and cleaved caspase 3, and improved cytochrome C release and Bax translocation, according to a Western blot study. As a result, the combination of KPL and ABT-199 may one day be used to treat hepatocellular cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improvement in the tribological properties of the polyamide 6 (PA6) with various fillers, for example, talc, glass fiber (GF), combined solid lubricants such as graphite, and ultrahigh-molecular-weight polyethylene was systematically studied. The results revealed that GF could reduce the coefficient of friction (COF) and wear rate of pure PA6 more efficiently than talc, and the optimum content was 15 wt%. The COF and wear rate increased with the increase of load, except the wear rate of the composite with 20 and 25 wt% GF, which decreased with the increase of load. The incorporation of combined solid lubricants to PA6 contributed to increases in COF and wear rate. Further addition of 15 wt% GF enhanced the tribological properties remarkably. To further understand the wear mechanism, the worn surfaces were examined using scanning electron microscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The tribological properties of nano titanium dioxide filled polyamide 6(TiO2/PA 6 nanocomposite, 5/95 by weight) and its composites filled with single and combined solid lubricants were systematically investigated. It was found that all the solid lubricants except molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) could significantly enhance the tribological performance of TiO2/PA 6 nanocomposite; and the nanocomposite filled with polytetrafluroethylene (PTFE) exhibited lower friction coefficient and wear rate than that filled with ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE); but it was interesting that the nanocomposite filled with MoS2 combined with UHMWPE had better tribological performance than that filled with MoS2 combined with PTFE, and the nanocomposite filled with MoS2 together with both UHMWPE and PTFE performed the best among the combination solid lubricants. XPS and SEM results showed that the synergism of fillers in helping the formation of thin, uniform and continuous transfer film was responsible for the enhancement in tribological properties. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Ehrlichia chaffeensis, an obligatory intracellular bacterium, has two forms in mammalian cells: small dense-cored cells (DC) with dense nucleoid and larger reticulate cells (RC) with uniformly dispersed nucleoid. We have determined by electron microscopy that DC but not RC attaches to and enters into the host cells and RC but not DC multiples inside the host cells. Analysis of outer membrane protein expression by confocal microscopy showed that RC expressed the 28 kDa outer membrane protein (p28), the intermediate form, which were transforming from RC to DC, expressed both gp120 and p28, and the mature DC expressed gp120 only. The TCID50 of DC is 6 log10 higher than RC. We conclude that E. chaffeensis has a developmental cycle, in which the DC attaches to and enters into the host cells, and transforms into RC and the RC multiplies by binary fission for 48 h and then matures into DC at 72 h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: From an anthropological perspective of hominin communication, the human auditory system likely evolved to enable special sensitivity to sounds produced by the vocal tracts of human conspecifics whether attended or passively heard. While numerous electrophysiological studies have used stereotypical human-produced verbal (speech voice and singing voice) and nonverbal vocalizations to identify human voice-sensitive responses, controversy remains as to when (and where) processing of acoustic signal attributes characteristic of "human voiceness" per se initiate in the brain. Method: To explore this, we used animal vocalizations and human-mimicked versions of those calls ("mimic voice") to examine late auditory evoked potential responses in humans. Results: Here, we revealed an N1b component (96-120 ms poststimulus) during a nonattending listening condition showing significantly greater magnitude in response to mimics, beginning as early as primary auditory cortices, preceding the time window reported in previous studies that revealed species-specific vocalization processing initiating in the range of 147-219 ms. During a sound discrimination task, a P600 (500-700 ms poststimulus) component showed specificity for accurate discrimination of human mimic voice. Distinct acoustic signal attributes and features of the stimuli were used in a classifier model, which could distinguish most human from animal voice comparably to behavioral data--though none of these single features could adequately distinguish human voiceness. Conclusions: These results provide novel ideas for algorithms used in neuromimetic hearing aids, as well as direct electrophysiological support for a neurocognitive model of natural sound processing that informs both neurodevelopmental and anthropological models regarding the establishment of auditory communication systems in humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transcription factors (TFs) play critical roles in mediating defense of plants to abiotic stresses through regulating downstream defensive genes. In this study, a wheat C2H2-ZFP (zinc finger protein) type TF gene designated as TaZAT8 was functionally characterized in mediating tolerance to the inorganic phosphate (Pi)-starvation stress. TaZAT8 bears conserved motifs harboring in the C2H2-ZFP type counterparts across vascular plant species. The expression of TaZAT8 was shown to be induced in roots upon Pi deprivation, with a Pi concentration- and temporal-dependent manner. Overexpression of TaZAT8 in tobacco conferred plants improved tolerance to Pi deprivation; the transgenic lines exhibited enlarged phenotype and elevated biomass and phosphorus (P) accumulation relative to wild-type (WT) after Pi-starvation treatment. NtPT1 and NtPT2, the tobacco phosphate transporter (PT) genes, showed increased transcripts in the Pi-deprived transgenic lines, indicative of their transcriptional regulation by TaZAT8. Overexpression analysis of these PT genes validated their function in mediating Pi acquisition under the Pi deprivation conditions. Additionally, the TaZAT8-overexpressing lines also behaved enhanced antioxidant enzyme (AE) activities and enlarged root system architecture (RSA) with respect to WT. Evaluation of the transcript abundance of tobacco genes encoding AE and PIN proteins, including NtMnSOD1, NtSOD1, NtPOD1;2, NtPOD1;5, NtPOD1;6, and NtPOD1;9, and NtPIN1 and NtPIN4 are upregulated in the TaZAT8-overexpressing lines. Overexpression of NtPIN1 and NtPIN4 conferred plants to enlarged RSA and elevated biomass under the Pi-starvation stress conditions. Our investigation provides insights into plant adaptation to the Pi-starvation stress mediated by distinct ZFP TFs through modulation of Pi acquisition and cellular ROS detoxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CuO / Zn 0.384 Cd 0.616 S was prepared by an impregnation method, and its structure and optical properties were characterized using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, ultraviolet–visible diffuse-reflectance spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and their photocatalytic activity were evaluated based on photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange (MO) solution under visible light. The effects on photocatalytic degradation of the catalyst amount, MO concentration and pH were investigated. And the mechanism for enhancing the photocatalytic activity was also discussed. The results indicated that 0.5 wt% CuO / Zn 0.384 Cd 0.616 S showed the highest photocatalytic activity among the prepared samples. The mechanism for the degradation of MO occurring on the CuO/Zn 0.384 Cd 0.616 S surface differs from that on Zn x Cd 1− x S surfaces. The catalytic reaction under visible-light irradiation followed pseudo-first-order kinetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the basic assumptions in organic field-effect transistors, the most fundamental device unit in organic electronics, is that charge transport occurs two dimensionally in the first few molecular layers near the dielectric interface. Although the mobility of bulk organic semiconductors has increased dramatically, direct probing of intrinsic charge transport in the two-dimensional limit has not been possible due to excessive disorders and traps in ultrathin organic thin films. Here, highly ordered single-crystalline mono- to tetralayer pentacene crystals are realized by van der Waals (vdW) epitaxy on hexagonal BN. We find that the charge transport is dominated by hopping in the first conductive layer, but transforms to bandlike in subsequent layers. Such an abrupt phase transition is attributed to strong modulation of the molecular packing by interfacial vdW interactions, as corroborated by quantitative structural characterization and density functional theory calculations. The structural modulation becomes negligible beyond the second conductive layer, leading to a mobility saturation thickness of only ~3 nm. Highly ordered organic ultrathin films provide a platform for new physics and device structures (such as heterostructures and quantum wells) that are not possible in conventional bulk crystals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies suggested that green tea has the potential to protect against diet-induced obesity. The presence of caffeine within green tea has caused limitations. Cocoa tea (Camellia ptilophylla) is a naturally decaffeinated tea plant. To determine whether cocoa tea supplementation results in an improvement in high-fat diet-induced obesity, hyperlipidemia and hepatic steatosis, and whether such effects would be comparable to those of green tea extract, we studied six groups (n = 10) of C57BL/6 mice that were fed with (1) normal chow (N); (2) high-fat diet (21% butterfat + 0.15% cholesterol, wt/wt) (HF); (3) a high-fat diet supplemented with 2% green tea extract (HFLG); (4) a high-fat diet supplemented with 4% green tea extract (HFHG); (5) a high-fat diet supplemented with 2% cocoa tea extract (HFLC); and (6) a high-fat diet supplemented with 4% cocoa tea extract (HFHC). From the results, 2% and 4% dietary cocoa tea supplementation caused a dose-dependent decrease in (a) body weight, (b) fat pad mass, (c) liver weight, (d) total liver lipid, (e) liver triglyceride and cholesterol, and (f) plasma lipids (triglyceride and cholesterol). These data indicate that dietary cocoa tea, being naturally decaffeinated, has a beneficial effect on high-fat diet-induced obesity, hepatomegaly, hepatic steatosis, and elevated plasma lipid levels in mice, which are comparable to green tea. The present findings have provided the proof of concept that dietary cocoa tea might be of therapeutic value and could therefore provide a safer and cost effective option for patients with diet-induced metabolic syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antiresorptive drugs, alendronate and raloxifene, are effective in lowering bone mineral density (B MD) loss in postmenopausal women. However, long-termtreatment may be associated with serious side effects. Our research group has recently discovered that a Chinese herbal formula, ELP, could significantly reduce B MD loss in animal and human studies. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the potential synergistic bone-protective effects of different herb-drug combinations using ovariectomized rats. To assess the efficacy of different combinations, the total B MD was monitored biweekly in the 8-week course of daily oral treatment. Bone microarchitecture, bone strength, and deoxypyridinoline level were also determined after 8 weeks. From our results, coadministration of ELP and raloxifene increased the total tibial B MD by 5.26% (2.5 mg/kg/day of raloxifene; P = 0.014) and 5.94% (0.25mg/kg/day of raloxifene; P = 0.026) when compared with the respective dosage groups with raloxifene alone. Similar synergistic effects were also observed in B MD increase at distal femur (0.25mg/kg/day; P = 0.001) and reduction in urinary deoxypyridinoline crosslink excretion (2.5 and 0.25 mg/kg/day; both P = 0.02). However, such interactions could not be observed in all alendronate-treated groups. Our data provide first evidence that ELP could synergistically enhance the therapeutic effects of raloxifene, so that the clinical dosage of raloxifene could be reduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Runs distribution test is an important statistical test based on Golomb's randomness postulates. It is an important randomness test included in some famous evaluation standards and statistical test suites such as Application Notes and Interpretation of the Scheme (AIS20), the Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS140), CryptX, and so on. However, when it is applied on some well-known good Deterministic Random Bit Generators (DRBGs), the test results show apparent bias from randomness. This shows that there exist some inaccuracies in the runs distribution test. The problem is solved and the runs distribution test through two ways is corrected. First, the degree of freedom of statistical value V is adjusted. Secondly, the expected number of different lengths runs is modified. The experiment results show that the corrected runs distribution test is more accurate under two-level evaluation approach proposed by National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publication (SP) 800-22. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]