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The mandarin fish Siniperca chuatsi is a commercially important cultured freshwater fish in China. However, little information is available regarding the intestinal microbiota of S. chuatsi. Intestinal samples of the pond- and recirculating ponds aquaculture system (RAS)-farmed Siniperca chuatsi were collected, and characterized by16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Fusobacteria and Firmicutes were the predominant bacterial phyla found in the RAS- and pond-farmed perch. The principal bacterial genera recorded were Cetobacterium and Mycoplasma in the farmed mandarin fish. Compared to pond-farmed perch, the RAS-farmed perch had a higher abundance of Fusobacteria. The number and composition of gut microbes might play crucial roles in farmed mandarin fish nutrient metabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Germanene has attracted significant attention due to its novel electronic properties and strong spin-coupling effect. However, the tiny band gap of the germanene dramatically limits its application in field-effect transistors (FETs). Inspired by the utilization of the substrates and electric fields to adjust the band gaps of two-dimensional materials, we investigated the fundamental mechanism of electric fields on the atomic structures and electronic properties of germanene supported by MS2 (M = Mo or W) substrates through first-principles calculation. The results show that the substrates can induce a symmetry breaking in the germanene sublattice via van der Waals interaction, leading to a sizable band gap at the Dirac point. In addition, the band gaps of the germanene/MS2 heterostructures can be effectively modulated by applying an external electric field. Under suitable electric fields, the considerable band gap values of CMo germanene/MoS2 and TGeL-W germanene/WS2 configurations can open the maximum band gaps with 263 and 247 meV, which satisfy the requirements of FETs at room temperature. Meanwhile, the evolutions of charge transfers under electric fields were explored to illustrate how electric fields and substrates promote the electronic properties of germanene. More interestingly, a Schottky–Ohmic transition can occur when a specific electric field is imposed on the germanene/MS2 heterostructures. Note that the hole and electron carrier mobilities of germanene/MS2 heterostructures are still significantly preserved, showing some superior electronic performances than some heterostructures. The results provide a critical theoretical guide for improving the electronic properties of germanene, and demonstrate the designed germanene/MS2 heterostructures with the tunable band gaps and higher carrier mobilities as germanene-based FETs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last two decades, silicon nanowire field-effect transistors (SiNW-FETs) with prominent merits of high surface-to-volume ratio, excellent biocompatibility and mature fabrication with standard silicon technology, have been widely studied as ultrahigh sensitive biosensors for the detection of target biomolecules, such as proteins, nucleic acids, cells and viruses so on. Herein we present a comprehensive review of the fundamental aspects of SiNW-FET biosensors, involving the working principle and the device fabrication, surface functionalization, and system integration with fluid exchange and electrical detection. Futhermore, we emphatically discuss the electrical detection of cardiac-specific biomarkers related to acute myocardial infarction disease. SiNW-FET biosensors are being increasingly exploited as promising diagnostic devices, which provide high sensitivity, high integration density, high speed sampling, strong specificity, and real-time and label-free detection for simple and cheap clinical testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selective engineering of the interface between nanoscale components and the electrical properties of heterojunctions is key to the development of next-generation nanoscale circuit elements. In this paper, we show how laser processing of a metal-P type semiconductor nanoscale heterojunction between Ag and CuO nanowires can be used to control the nature of the electrical contact by reducing the Schottky barrier at the Ag–CuO interface to Ohmic contact. Elimination of the Schottky barriers occurs in response to lattice matching of Ag(111)∥CuO(111) planes at the interface induced by controlled irradiation with femtosecond (fs) laser pulses. An interdiffusion region with a mixed Ag/CuO composition is also present over a localized area of the interface between the Ag and CuO nanowires after fs laser processing, but both Ag and CuO nanowires remain crystalline away from the heterojunction. In addition, the Ag nanowire becomes totally embedded in the larger CuO nanowire after irradiation. Fabricated nanowire devices from Ag–CuO nanowire heterojunctions transition from a double-Schottky contact configuration prior to laser processing to a rectifying behavior as irradiation time increases. This study illustrates that fs laser processing can be highly effective in the engineering of electrical performance in metal–semiconductor nanoscale heterojunction devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our current understanding of the cosmic star formation history at z > 3 is primarily based on UV-selected galaxies (Lyman-break galaxies, i.e., LBGs). Recent studies of H-dropouts (HST-dark galaxies) have revealed that we may be missing a large proportion of star formation that is taking place in massive galaxies at z > 3. In this work, we extend the H-dropout criterion to lower masses to select optically dark or faint galaxies (OFGs) at high redshifts in order to complete the census between LBGs and H-dropouts. Our criterion (H > 26:5 mag & [4.5] < 25 mag) combined with a de-blending technique is designed to select not only extremely dust-obscured massive galaxies but also normal star-forming galaxies (typically E(B V) > 0:4) with lower stellar masses at high redshifts. In addition, with this criterion, our sample is not contaminated by massive passive or old galaxies. In total, we identified 27 OFGs at zphot > 3 (with a median of zmed = 4:1) in the GOODS-ALMA field, covering a wide distribution of stellar masses with log(MM) = 9:411:1 (with a median of log(Med/M) = 10.3). We find that up to 75% of the OFGs with log(M/M) = 9:510:5 were neglected by previous LBGs and H-dropout selection techniques. After performing an optical-to-millimeter stacking analysis of the OFGs, we find that rather than being limited to a rare population of extreme starbursts, these OFGs represent a normal population of dusty star-forming galaxies at z > 3. The OFGs exhibit shorter gas depletion timescales, slightly lower gas fractions, and lower dust temperatures than the scaling relation of typical star-forming galaxies. Additionally, the total star formation rate (SFRtot = SFRIR + SFRUV) of the stacked OFGs is much higher than the SFRcorr UV (SFRUV corrected for dust extinction), with an average SFRtot/SFRcorr UV = 8 ± 1, which lies above (~0.3 dex) the 16-84th percentile range of typical star-forming galaxies at 3 z 6. All of the above suggests the presence of hidden dust regions in the OFGs that absorb all UV photons, which cannot be reproduced with dust extinction corrections. The effective radius of the average dust size measured by a circular Gaussian model fit in the uv plane is Re(1:13 mm) = 1:01 ± 0:05 kpc. After excluding the five LBGs in the OFG sample, we investigated their contributions to the cosmic star formation rate density (SFRD). We found that the SFRD at z > 3 contributed by massive OFGs (log(MM) > 10:3) is at least two orders of magnitude higher than the one contributed by equivalently massive LBGs. Finally, we calculated the combined contribution of OFGs and LBGs to the cosmic SFRD at z = 45 to be 4 102 M yr1 Mpc3, which is about 0.15 dex (43%) higher than the SFRD derived from UV-selected samples alone at the same redshift. This value could be even larger, as our calculations were performed in a very conservative way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Nanocomposite coatings that can achieve daytime radiative cooling and plasmonic structural coloration are developed. • A calculation model on radiative properties considering the dependent scattering effects among Y 2 O 3 scatterers and localized surface plasmon resonance of metallic nanoparticles is established. • The coatings can theoretically achieve 2.0–3.9 °C below ambient under direct sunlight, and has a variety of colors. • The effect of polydispersion of metallic nanoparticles on the coloration and cooling capability is investigated. Daytime radiative cooling is an innovative passive cooling technology to realize energy saving and counter global warming. To fulfill the demand for aesthetic appearance and effective display in real-life situations, coloration should be incorporated with daytime radiative cooling. Moreover, all of the reported subambient daytime colorful radiative coolers rely on the metal layered reflector, which prevents them from many applications. In this work, we propose a series of colorful radiative cooling coatings consisting of metallic nanoparticles (plain Ag and TiO 2 @Ag core–shell nanoparticles) for coloration, Y 2 O 3 submicron particles with 30% volume fraction for solar radiation reflection, and polymethyl methacrylate resin as the matrix. A theoretical model on radiative properties of these cooling coatings is proposed by considering the dependent scattering effects among Y 2 O 3 scatterers and localized surface plasmon resonance of metallic nanoparticles. Afterwards, we conduct a parametric study on the coloration and cooling performance of these coatings with different volume fractions and size distributions of embedded particles. Based on numerical simulations, we show these coatings can present a variety of colors and realize temperature drops of 2.0–3.9 °C and net cooling power of 23–47 W/m2 at a total metallic nanoparticles volume fraction of 0.0002%. This work provides pathway for large-scale-manufacturable colorful radiative cooling coatings with potential applications in eco-friendly buildings and outdoor facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We compare two commonly used procedures, namely, the iterative rank-dependent reordering (IRDR) procedure and the translation process based procedure, for simulating homogeneous/nonhomogeneous non-Gaussian fields. We identify the limitations and the implicit assumptions of the procedures. We provide a new interpretation of the IRDR procedure, point out that there is no guarantee that the algorithm converges, and suggest modifications in terms of the initial samples, iteration involving decomposition, and convergence requirement to the IRDR procedure for it to become more efficient and robust. The numerical results show that, depending on the prescribed marginal probability distribution, the use of the IRDR procedure may not achieve a prescribed correlation function, a feature that is well-known if the translation process (i.e., Nataf translation system) based procedure is employed. It is shown that the performance of the modified IRDR procedure is comparable to that of the translation process based procedures in terms of limitations and matching the prescribed correlation function. The numerical results also show that the suggested modifications to IRDR in the present study make the algorithm more efficient and robust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study estimated the wind gust factor and turbulence intensity for hurricane winds that are modeled as a nonstationary non-Gaussian process. The estimation considered the time-varying mean wind velocity, and the time–frequency decomposition using S-transform characterized the time-varying amplitude and frequency content of the fluctuating wind. Winds simulated by applying a newly developed algorithm were used to augment the sample size. Results indicate that the standardized power spectral density function of hurricane winds can be represented in terms of the reduced frequency but with time-varying mean wind velocity. The standardized fluctuating wind is only weakly non-Gaussian; the average skewness and kurtosis coefficients are not very sensitive to whether the 10-or 60-min time-varying mean wind speed is considered. The assessed relation between the gust factor and turbulence intensity indicates that such a relationship is influenced by whether the instantaneous aspect of the nonstationary process is considered. There is large uncertainty in the developed relationship. By removing samples associated with a low mean wind velocity, the largest value of the estimated gust factor decreases. The consideration of the non-Gaussian aspect of the fluctuating wind to estimate the gust factor could be important as turbulence intensity increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the discovery of a compact star-forming galaxy at z = 9.380 in the GOODS-North field (named GN-z9p4), which shows numerous strong UV-optical emission lines and a single UV line, N IV] λ1486. This makes GN-z9p4 the third-highest redshift N-emitter known to date. We determined the nebular abundances of H, C, N, O and Ne, along with the size and other physical properties of this object, then compared them to those of the other N-emitters known so far and to other star-forming galaxies. Using the direct method, we found a metallicity of 12 + log(O/H) = 7.37 ± 0.15, which stands as one of the lowest among N-emitters. The N/O abundance ratio is highly super-solar, while C/O and Ne/O are normal compared to other galaxies at low metallicity. We show that the compactness of GN-z9p4 (with an effective radius of 118 ± 16 pc at 2 μm) and other N-emitters translates to very high stellar mass and star formation rate (SFR) surface densities, which could serve as a criterium for identifying other N-emitters. Future studies and larger samples are needed to understand these rare, and enigmatic objects that have only recently been discovered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The face-centered cubic (FCC)/hexagonal close-packed (HCP) dual-phase structure is a new design strategy proposed in recent years to achieve high strength and excellent plasticity of high-entropy alloys (HEAs). Here, the effect of HCP phase thickness, strain rate, and temperature on the interaction mechanism between screw dislocation and the HCP phase in the FCC structured CoCrFeMnNi HEAs is investigated by molecular dynamics simulation. The results show that there are two types of interaction modes between dislocations and the HCP phase: one is the dislocation passing through the HCP phase, that is, the penetration mechanism, and the other is the dislocation being absorbed by the HCP phase, that is, the absorption mechanism. The generation of these two mechanisms mainly depends on the relative ability of the HCP phase to prevent dislocation slip, which is closely related to the HCP phase thickness, strain rate, and temperature. When the relative ability of the HCP phase to block dislocation is large, the interaction between dislocations and the HCP phase presents an absorption mechanism; otherwise, it presents a penetration mechanism. The research can provide theoretical guidance for the development and design of new high-performance HEAs to achieve high strength and high ductility of materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the Borel version of the σ -finite chain condition of Horn and Tarski for a class of posets T(X) which have been used in the solution of their well-known problem. More precisely, we show that the poset T (π Q) does not have the σ -finite chain condition witnessed by Borel pieces. More precisely, we define a condition on the topological spaces X under which the corresponding Todorcevic ordering T(X) does not have the σ -bounded chain condition witnessed by a countable Borel decomposition although it might satisfy the σ -finite chain condition witnessed by a non Borel decomposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PARP10 is an intracellular mono-ADP ribosyltransferase and recent reports suggest that it regulates proliferation of some cell types. However, its effect on the proliferation of colorectal carcinoma cells has not yet been systematically reported. We explored the influence of PARP10 on the proliferation of several colorectal carcinoma cell types and carried out initial studies on the underlying mechanisms. Inhibition of the enzymatic activity of PARP10 led to significantly decreases in proliferative ability in LoVo cells and CT26 cells in vitro and suppressed growth of CT26 tumours in the subaxilliary region in Balb/c mice in vivo. Cell-cycle arrest accompanied these observations. Expression of the nuclear transfer factor β-catenin and it translocation to the nucleus were also affected and the expression of its associated signal proteins Axin2 and c-Myb were increased and decreased, respectively. We demonstrate that PARP10 promotes proliferation of those colorectal carcinoma cells which express significant levels of PARP10. This promotion is suppressed when the enzymatic activity is inhibited. β-Catenin is likely to be the mediator of the antiproliferative effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Northern snakehead Ophiocephalus argus Cantor is an endemic freshwater species in China. This species is widely distributed in the lower Yellow and Yangtze river systems in eastern China. In the present study, six cDNA libraries of Ophiocephalus argus were sequenced using Illumina HiSeq4000 paired-end sequencing technology. 67 564 sequences from 79 500 964 paired-end reads were generated. A total of 7182 unigenes were clustered into 25 functional categories by searching against the COG database, and BLAST2GO search assigned 33 710 unigenes to 59 GO terms. From the 67 564 assembled unique sequences, 21 464 SSRs were identified in 14 997 unique sequences. Among the 7992 with compound formation (SSRs), 100 primer pairs were successfully designed for further validation, and 42 of them produced polymorphic products in Ophiocephalus argus individuals. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 5 to 19, the observed and expected heterozygosity estimates ranged from 0.178 to 0.985 and from 0.421 to 0.929, respectively. The generation of such larges cale sequence data in the present study provides a valuable resource for gene discovery and molecular marker development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate influence of the intrinsic and external uniaxial strains on the electronic properties of GaN/InN core/shell nanowires (CSNWs) with hexagonal and triangular shapes using the first-principle density functional theory. It is found that the band gap of the GaN core in CSNW differs from that of the pure GaN nanowire due to the intrinsic strain &eh;i between GaN and InN layers. When the external uniaxial strain &eh;e is applied on GaN/InN CSNWs, the direct band gap changes and the efficient creation and dissociation of excitons is improved. &eh;i and &eh;e substantially influence electronic and optical properties of CSNWs, which may benefit for the efficiency of GaN and InN based photovoltaic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve the organizational performance of Ni-P-Cu-Co chemical plating layer, the response surface center combined experiment was conducted to establish a mathematical model for analysis, with Cu and Co as the main index of variation. The impact of the content of Cu and Co on the microhardness and corrosion resistance of the chemical plating layer was explored, so as to obtain the optimal concentration combination. The results showed that the coating had the highest microhardness, best corrosion resistance and best comprehensive performance when the concentration of Cu and Co was combined into 18g/L of cobalt sulfate and 4g/L of copper sulfate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated molecular mechanisms responsible for azole resistance in Candida tropicalis isolates. We studied 507 C. tropicalis isolates causing invasive candidiasis from ten hospitals over 5 years. Antifungal susceptibility was determined by broth microdilution methods. Point mutations in the C. tropicalis ERG11 gene that may confer azole resistance were explored and verified. The expression levels of ERG11 , CYTb , MDR1 and CDR1 genes were compared in 20 fluconazole-susceptible and 20 fluconazole-resistant isolates. Fluconazole-susceptible, -susceptible dose-dependent and -resistant strains accounted for 76.7% (389/507), 10.5% (53/507) and 12.8% (65/507) of C. tropicalis isolates, respectively. The ERG11 mutation A395T/W occurred in 10.7% (54/507) of isolates, all of which were resistant to fluconazole. The nucleotide mutation C461T/Y was the second most common (50/507 isolates, 9.9%), and all isolates carrying C461T/Y also had the mutation A395T/W. However, the presence of C461T did not contribute to the azole-resistant phenotype. Substitutions V125A, Y257H and G464S (<2% of isolates), which were reported for the first time in C. tropicalis , also conferred fluconazole non-susceptible phenotypes. Compared with fluconazole susceptible isolates, fluconazole-resistant isolates had higher ERG11 (fold expression level 1.42 versus 0.79, p < 0.01) but lower CYTb (fold expression level 1.26 versus 2.67, p < 0.01) gene expression levels. Three azole-resistant isolates carrying the wild-type ERG11 gene had higher levels of CDR1 and MDR1 expression. ERG11 missense mutations were the major mechanism responsible for azole resistance in C. tropicalis isolates, but overexpression of ERG11 , CDR1 and MDR1 , as well as reduced expression of CYTb , also contributed to resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research article, orthogonal experiments were performed in a proposed diameter-varying spray tower system to evaluate the importance of operating parameters and analyse the relationship between factors and the mass transfer evaluation indices (the CO 2 removal rate and overall absorption rate). Two different spray methods such as dual-nozzle opposed impinging and spray in the middle method were discussed for performance comparison. Optimal operating conditions for different evaluation indices were obtained by using range analysis. After analysis it was found that the absorption performance was mainly affected by two parameters, monoethanolamine concentration and CO 2 concentration. The effects of different operating parameters on the CO 2 removal rate and overall absorption rate were also discussed by using trend analysis. Furthermore, gas phase mass transfer coefficient and effective contacting area were determined by experimental data. A comparison with reported conventional reactor systems demonstrated a great application potential for proposed spray tower in CO 2 capture. Finally, simulation results were illustrated which shows that the gas phase and liquid phase distributions for the dual-nozzle opposed impinging spray method enhance CO 2 absorption performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is prone to metastasis and has a poor prognosis, with lower survival rates than other breast cancer subtypes. MicroRNAs have recently emerged as powerful regulators of cancer processes and become a promising target in cancer therapy. Methods Expression of miR-128 was examined in invasive ductal breast cancer, and its relationship with clinicopathological features analysed. A series of in vitro and in vivo experiments were performed to investigate the function and mechanism of miR-128 in the development of invasive ductal breast cancer. Results A cohort of 110 women with TNBC and 117 with non-TNBC were included in the study. In multivariable Cox regression analysis, overall and disease-free survival were significantly associated with lymph node metastasis, histological grade and molecular subtype. Subgroup analysis showed that low expression of miR-128 correlated with shorter overall and disease-free survival in TNBC ( P < 0·001), and shorter overall but not disease-free survival in non-TNBC. In addition, miR-128 was able to inhibit glucose metabolism, mitochondrial respiration and proliferation of TNBC cells. These effects were consistent with miR-128 targeting inhibition of the insulin receptor and insulin receptor substrate 1. Conclusion MiR-128 might be a prognostic marker and possible molecular target for therapy in patients with TNBC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two media, A and B, are discussed to illustrate the media requirements and properties for the 230 Gb/in2 demonstration. A and B had similar layer structures except that the recording layers had different oxide compositions and that the exchange break layer thicknesses were 21 and 13 nm, respectively. They had similar coercivity and intrinsic switching field but showed large difference in writability. Consequently, even though they achieved similar performance for heads down to a track width of 150 nm, medium A could not be saturated adequately for heads with a track width of 120 nm. On the other hand, medium B possessed the desirable properties for high density recording and formed the base for the media that were used in the 230 Gb/in2 demonstration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recording performance as a function of write current is studied for single-pole and trailing-shield heads. Optimal write current is not obvious from saturation curves. Media noise, jitter, and error rate give better guidance. For a single-pole head, there is an optimal write current, beyond which, the field strength may continue to increase, but field gradient degrades leading to higher noise. For trailing shield achieved by reverse-flying longitudinal heads, the field magnitude and gradient from the main pole continue to improve with increasing write current. However, the return pole erasure also increases. There is a critical current, above which, partial erasure from the return pole leads to excessive noise. Finite-element modeling of these two types of write poles has been performed to confirm and understand the experimental findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effects of the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF),Glomus mosseae, on growth, antioxidant, osmoregulation, and nutrition were investigated in “Britewell” (Vaccinium ashei) and “Misty” (Vaccinium corymbosum) plants exposed to low temperature (10°C). At low temperature, the two cultivars showed similar decreases in leaf concentrations of soluble sugars, phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). However, similar increases were observed in levels of leaf antioxidants, malondialdehyde (MDA), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), superoxide anion radical (), and proline. AM inoculation increased leaf activities of superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase, guaiacol peroxidase, ascorbate, and glutathione, but decreased leaf concentrations of, MDA, and H2O2in the two cultivars. AMF caused greater changes in leaf composition in “Britewell.” AM-inoculated “Britewell” and “Misty” plants had higher concentrations of soluble sugar, proline, P, and K than non-AM-inoculated plants, especially in the former cultivar. These results indicate thatG. mosseaehas the potential to enhance resistance of “Britewell” blueberry plants against low-temperature stress. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Aims To demonstrate a nonempirical workflow to select host-specific probiotics for aquaculture industry. Methods and Results Using both culture-dependent and culture-independent methods, we have systematically investigated, for the first time, the gut microbiota of twelve subtropical aquatic animal species. We found that the diversity, abundance and distribution of gut micro-organisms of these animals were host-specific and that lactic acid bacteria ( LAB) were predominant among the indigenous probiotic microbes. Using culturing method, we isolated and characterized ninety-eight LAB strains; however, only a few strains was representative of the dominant LAB OTUs recovered by culture-independent analysis. Conclusions Two cultured LAB strains, Enterococcus faecalis LS1-2 and Enterococcus faecium Z1-2 , capturing the major LAB OTUs in the sequencing data set of the most animal samples and showing significant antimicrobial activities against shrimp pathogens, were suggested to be the candidates of shrimp probiotics. Significance and Impact of Study Disease outbreak and the consequential abuse of antibiotics have been the constraints to the aquaculture industry. However, the selection of probiotic bacteria is currently still an empirical process due to our limited knowledge on the gastrointestinal microbiota of aquatic organisms. Our study points to a nonempirical selection process by which host-specific probiotics can be developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bio-functionalization means to endow biomaterials with bio-functions so as to make the materials or devices more suitable for biomedical applications. Traditionally, because of the excellent mechanical properties, the biomedical metals have been widely used in clinic. However, the utilized functions are basically supporting or fixation especially for the implantable devices. Nowadays, some new functions, including bioactivity, anti-tumor, anti-microbial, and so on, are introduced to biomedical metals. To realize those bio-functions on the metallic biomedical materials, surface modification is the most commonly used method. Surface modification, including physical and chemical methods, is an effective way to alter the surface morphology and composition of biomaterials. It can endow the biomedical metals with new surface properties while still retain the good mechanical properties of the bulk material. Having analyzed the ways of realizing the bio-functionalization, this article briefly summarized the bio-functionalization concepts of six hot spots in this field. They are bioactivity, bony tissue inducing, anti-microbial, anti-tumor, anticoagulation, and drug loading functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on a study which discussed radiative and nonradiative transitions in GaAs:Er. Method used for the analysis of the growth of erbium doped GaAs; Estimation of the nonradiative Auger-type process based on a simple model for the excitation dependence of the emission; Factor dominant in temperature induced quenching of the emission.

Lipoxins are host anti-inflammatory molecules that play a vital role in restoring tissue homeostasis. The efficacy of lipoxins and their analog epilipoxins in treating inflammation and its associated diseases has been well documented. Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) and primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) are two well-known inflammation related diseases caused by Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV). Controlling inflammation is one of the strategies adopted to treat KS and PEL, a primary motivation for exploring and evaluating the therapeutic potential of using lipoxins. This study documents how KSHV manipulates and downregulates the secretion of the anti-inflammatory lipoxin A4 in host cells and the viral factors involved in this process using in vitro KS and PEL cells as models. The presence of the lipoxin A4 receptor/formyl peptidyl receptor (ALX/FPR) in KS patient tissue sections and in vitro KS and PEL cell models offers a novel possibility for treating KS and PEL with lipoxins. Treating de novo KSHV-infected endothelial cells with lipoxin and epilipoxin creates an anti-inflammatory environment by decreasing the levels of NF-κB, AKT, ERK1/2, COX-2, and 5-lipoxygenase. Lipoxin treatment on CRISPR/CAS9 technology-mediated ALX/FPR gene deletion revealed the importance of the lipoxin receptor ALX for effective lipoxin signaling. A viral microRNA (miRNA) cluster was identified as the primary factor contributing to the downregulation of lipoxin A4 secretion in host cells. The KSHV miRNA cluster probably targets enzyme 15-lipoxygenase, which is involved in lipoxin A4 synthesis. This study provides a new insight into the potential treatment of KS and PEL using nature's own anti-inflammatory molecule, lipoxin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Fabrication effects of S690 cold-formed square tubes (CFST) were examined. • Eight stocky columns of these S690 CFST were tested under compression. • Twenty-four slender columns of these S690 CFST were tested under compression. • Structural behaviour and deformed modes of all these S690 CFST were evaluated. • Improvements to design rules of EN 1993-1 for these S690 CFST were identified. An experimental investigation into the structural behaviour of both stocky and slender columns of high strength S690 cold-formed square tubes (CFST) under compression is presented in this paper. A total of 8 stocky columns with two section types of four different cross-sectional dimensions were tested. Moreover, a total of 24 slender columns with two section types of six different cross-sectional dimensions were tested. Typical residual stresses of these two section types were also obtained. As expected, all of these columns of S690 CFST failed under compression similar to those stocky and slender columns of S355 CFST, namely, i) local plate buckling in stocky columns, and ii) overall axial buckling in slender columns. Hence, these tests may be regarded to be confirmatory tests to provide experimental evidence and test data on cross-section resistances of the stocky columns, and member resistances of the slender columns of these S690 CFST. In addition, the measured resistances of these columns were directly compared with those design resistances determined according to Structural Eurocode EN 1993-1-1 based on measured geometrical dimensions and mechanical properties. It is demonstrated that the measured resistances of these columns are significantly larger than those design values, and hence, these test data provide a scientific basis to enhance structural efficiency of the design rules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The isolation and development of 15 polymorphic dinucleotide microsatellite loci were described for Ophicephalus argus from the Huaihe River. All loci were polymorphic in the 30 individuals tested. The number of alleles per variable locus ranged from nine to seventeen, with a mean of 12.00. These novel microsatellite loci showed high level of polymorphism. Observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.793 to 0.929 and from 0.841 to 0.952, respectively. Two loci were found deviated from HWE in the sampled population after Bonferroni correction. These microsatellite loci will be useful for revealing population structure, genetic diversity, and phylogeography of Ophicephalus argus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[D-Lys3]-GHRP-6 is regarded as a highly selective growth-hormone secretagogue receptor (GHSR) antagonist and has been widely used to investigate the dependency of GHSR-1a signalling mediated by acylated ghrelin. However, [D-Lys3]-GHRP-6 has been reported to influence other cellular processes which are unrelated to GHSR-1a. This study aimed to examine the effects of [D-Lys3]-GHRP-6 on autophagic and apoptotic cellular signalling in skeletal muscle. [D-Lys3]-GHRP-6 enhanced the autophagic signalling demonstrated by the increases in protein abundances of beclin-1 and LC3 II-to-LC3 1 ratio in both normal muscle and doxorubicin-injured muscle. [D-Lys3]-GHRP-6 reduced the activation of muscle apoptosis induced by doxorubicin. No histological abnormalities were observed in the [D-Lys3]-GHRP-6-treated muscle. Intriguingly, the doxorubicin-induced increase in centronucleated muscle fibres was not observed in muscle treated with [D-Lys3]-GHRP-6, suggesting the myoprotective effects of [D-Lys3]-GHRP-6 against doxorubicin injury. The [D-Lys3]-GHRP-6-induced activation of autophagy was found to be abolished by the co-treatment of CXCR4 antagonist, suggesting that the pro-autophagic effects of [D-Lys3]-GHRP-6 might be mediated through CXCR4. In conclusion, [D-Lys3]-GHRP-6 exhibits pro-autophagic effects on skeletal muscle under both normal and doxorubicin-injured conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the census of H  |$\beta$|  + [ |${\rm O\, {\small III}}$| ] |$4960,5008\rm{\mathring{\rm\,A}}$| emitters at |$6.8\lt z\lt 9.0$| from the JWST FRESCO survey over 124 arcmin |$^2$| in the GOODS-North and GOODS-South fields. Our unbiased spectroscopic search results in 137 spectroscopically confirmed galaxies at |$6.8\lt z\lt 9.0$| with observed [ |${\rm O\, {\small III}}$| ] fluxes |$f_{\rm { [{\rm O\, {\small III}}]}}\gtrsim 1\times 10^{-18}\ \rm {ergs}\ \rm {s}^{-1} \ \rm {cm}^{-2}$|⁠. The rest-frame optical line ratios of the median stacked spectrum (median |$M_{\rm {UV}}=-19.65^{+0.59}_{-1.05}$|⁠) indicate negligible dust attenuation, low metallicity (⁠|$12+\log (\rm {O/H})= 7.2-7.7$|⁠) and a high ionization parameter |$\log _{10}U \simeq -2.5$|⁠. We find a factor |$\times 1.3$| difference in the number density of |$6.8\lt z\lt 9.0$| galaxies between GOODS-South and GOODS-North, which is caused by a single overdensity at |$7.0\lt z\lt 7.2$| in GOODS-North. The bright end of the UV luminosity function of spectroscopically confirmed [ |${\rm O\, {\small III}}$| ] emitters is in good agreement with HST dropout-selected samples. Discrepancies between the observed [ |${\rm O\, {\small III}}$| ] LF, [ |${\rm O\, {\small III}}$| ]/UV ratio, and [ |${\rm O\, {\small III}}$| ] equivalent widths, and that predicted by theoretical models, suggest burstier star-formation histories and/or more heterogeneous metallicity and ionizing conditions in |$z\gt 7$| galaxies. We report a rapid decline of the [ |${\rm O\, {\small III}}$| ] luminosity density at |$z\gtrsim 6\!-\!7$| which cannot be explained by the evolution of the cosmic star-formation rate density. Finally we find that FRESCO detects in only 2h galaxies likely accounting for |$\sim 10-20{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$| of the ionizing budget at |$z=7\!-\!8$| (assuming an escape fraction of |$10{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$|⁠), raising the prospect of directly detecting a significant fraction of the sources of reionization with JWST. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The full expression of runaway electron radiation in a tokamak is calculated accurately without any additional simplifications in this letter. By comparing the synchrotron radiation spectra of runaway electrons based on the full expression, their asymptotic expressions, and pure circular orbit expressions, it is analyzed how radiation spectra and total radiation power of runaway electrons in Tokamak can be analyzed correctly and efficiently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accumulating evidence suggests that proinflammatory cytokines play an important role in white matter injury in preterm infants, a condition in which oligodendrocyte (OL) progenitor cells are preferentially injured. We investigated the role of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) and its death (TRAIL-R1, TRAIL-R2) and decoy (TRAIL-R3, TRAIL-R4) receptors in periventricular white matter injury (PWMI). We hypothesized that the maturation-dependent vulnerability of OLs to TRAIL is due to the differential TRAIL receptor expression. We previously investigated TRAIL/TRAIL receptor expression levels in rat OLs in vivo in the context of PWMI. We found that during different developmental stages, human OLs differentially express TRAIL receptors; and there is a progressive loss of sensitivity to TRAIL as OLs proceed through the maturation process. Our results show that both TRAIL-R1 and -R2 are highly expressed on human OL progenitors and pre-OLs, while TRAIL-R3 and TRAIL-R4 are mainly expressed on immature and mature human OLs. Our results suggest that TRAIL-R1 and TRAIL-R2 might mediate the death signal in human OL precursor cells and pre-OLs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polycrystalline Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) films were deposited on ITO conductive glass substrates by one-step pulsed laser deposition. The influence of laser pulse energy on the microstructure and optical properties was investigated. The results indicate that all the films are rich in Sn, poor in S and well crystallized with dominant (1 1 2) preferred orientation. At laser pulse energies of 130, 165 and 180 mJ, SnS2 impurity phase exists in CZTS films, which is probably the reason for their larger bandgaps (1.61-1.67 eV) compared with that of a stoichiometric CZTS film (around 1.50 eV). While at the laser pulse energy of 150 mJ, an attractive Cu-poor and Zn-rich, large grain size and single-phase CZTS film can be obtained. In such a film, excess Cu vacancies reduce the valence band maximum (VBM) of CZTS, leading to the blue shift of its bandgap (1.60 eV). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, performance of a full-scale combined treatment plant for oilfield wastewater from alkaline/surfactant/polymer flooding was investigated. The combined process consisted of chemical coagulation, hydrolysis/acidification, and bio-contact oxidation. The experimental results demonstrated that chemical coagulation treatment with polymeric ferric sulfate proved to be the most effective in removing the chemical oxygen demand (>80%) from the wastewater under the dosage of 600 mg/m3. The highest acidification efficiency in hydrolysis acidification tank was 25.8% at hydraulic retention time of 20 h. The average values of chemical oxygen demand, biochemical oxygen demand, oil, and NH3-N of the combined process could be reduced to 116, 19, 4, 11, and 20 mg/L, respectively. The final effluent could meet the class II national wastewater discharge standard of petrochemical industry of China. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Absorptionin amine solutions and adsorption on supported amineadsorbents are typical CO2capture routes. However, amine-solutionabsorption normally consumes substantial amounts of energy, and supported-amineadsorption suffers from low capture capacity. Herein, a CaCl2-supported amine adsorbent was prepared to combine the high capturecapacity and low energy consumption of a packed-bed system. Gas- andsolid-phase models coupled with a changing-particle-size model weredeveloped to predict the adsorption/desorption behavior. A new indexof synergy angle distribution gradient (SADG) was used to characterizethe synergistic effects. Experiments were performed to determine theadsorption/desorption reaction kinetics and validate the model. Theimproved field synergy theory determined that diffusion and reactiondominated the CO2capture by the CaCl2-supportedamine adsorbent. This process improved the capture capacity and energyconsumption by 30% and 10%, respectively, compared to the conventionalCO2capture process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Doxorubicin is an effective chemotherapeutic agent used to treat malignancies, but it causes cardiomyopathy. Preliminary evidence suggests that desacyl ghrelin might have protective effects on doxorubicin cardiotoxicity. This study examined the cellular effects of desacyl ghrelin on myocardial fibrosis and apoptosis in a doxorubicin cardiomyopathy experimental model. Adult C57BL/6 mice received an intraperitoneal injection of doxorubicin to induce cardiomyopathy, followed by 4-day treatment of saline (control) or desacyl ghrelin with or without [D-Lys3]-GHRP-6 (a growth hormone secretagogue receptor or GHSR1a antagonist). Ventricular structural and functional parameters were evaluated by transthoracic echocardiography. Molecular and cellular measurements were performed in ventricular muscle to examine myocardial fibrosis and apoptosis. Cardiac dysfunction was induced by doxorubicin, as indicated by significant decreases in ventricular fractional shortening and ejection fraction. This doxorubicin-induced cardiac dysfunction was prevented by the treatment of desacyl ghrelin no matter with or without the presence of [D-Lys3]-GHRP-6. Doxorubicin induced fibrosis (accumulated collagen deposition and increased CTGF), activated apoptosis (increased TUNEL index, apoptotic DNA fragmentation, and caspase-3 activity and decreased Bcl-2/Bax ratio), and suppressed phosphorylation status of prosurvival signals (ERK1/2 and Akt) in ventricular muscles. All these molecular and cellular alterations induced by doxorubicin were not found in the animals treated with desacyl ghrelin. Notably, the changes in the major markers of apoptosis, fibrosis, and Akt phosphorylation were found to be similar in the animals following the treatment of desacyl ghrelin with and without GHSR antagonist [D-Lys3]-GHRP-6. These findings demonstrate clearly that desacyl ghrelin protects the cardiomyocytes against the doxorubicin-induced cardiomyopathy by preventing the activation of cardiac fibrosis and apoptosis, and the effects are probably mediated through GHSR-independent mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In a GaAs single quantum dot, the relaxation time T 1 between spin triplet and singlet states has been measured for the last few even electron numbers. The singlet–triplet energy separation E ST is tuned as a control parameter for the comparison of T 1 between different electron numbers. T 1 steadily decreases with increasing electron numbers from 2-electrons to 6-electrons. This implies an enhancement of the spin–orbit coupling strength due to multi-electron interaction in a quantum dot. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Epoxy (EX) is widely used as insulating materials in electric devices with its excellent insulating properties in spite of its weak ability of thermal conduction. One possible way to obtain high thermal conductivity for Epoxy is the use of an inorganic filling material. Tracking failure is a typical dielectric breakdown performance on polymer surface. Thermal conductivity is associated with the tracking failure performance. In this paper, it is attempted to clarify whether the addition of Boron Nitride (BN) particles can achieve the aim of improving resistance to tracking failure of Epoxy by the way of increasing its thermal conductivity. Prior to test, samples were prepared by dispersing BN particles into EX with shear force. Tracking failure tests were performed at room temperature. The thermal conductivity effects on the time to tracking failure, the discharge quantity of discharge current and the thermal photographs were discussed. Obtained results show that with increasing the concentration of BN particles, the maximum temperature and the discharge quantity decrease, but the time to tracking failure increases. The experimental results suggest that the concentration of BN particles plays a main role in the result of the tracking failure. The resistance to tracking is improved by the filler of BN particles, which is due to the improvement of thermal conductivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) have been shown to disrupt thyroid hormone (TH) functions on experimental animals, and one of the proposed disruption mechanisms is the competitive binding of PBDE metabolites to TH transport proteins. In this report, a nonradioactive, site-specific fluorescein-thyroxine (F-T4) conjugate was designed and synthesized as a fluorescence probe to study the binding interaction of hydroxylated PBDEs to thyroxine-binding globulin (TBG) and transthyretin (TTR), two major TH transport proteins in human plasma. Compared with free F-T4, the fluorescence intensity of TTR-bound conjugate was enhanced by as much as 2-fold, and the fluorescence polarization value of TBG-bound conjugate increased by more than 20-fold. These changes provide signal modulation mechanisms for F-T4 as a fluorescence probe. Based on fluorescence quantum yield and lifetime measurements, the fluorescence intensity enhancement was likely due to the elimination of intramolecular fluorescence quenching of fluorescein by T4 after F-T4 was bound to TTR. In circular dichroism and intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence measurements, F-T4 induced similar spectroscopic changes of the proteins as T4 did, suggesting that F-T4 bound to the proteins at the T4 binding site. By using F-T4 as the fluorescence probe in competitive binding assays, 11 OH-PBDEs with different levels of bromination and different hydroxylation positions were assessed for their binding affinity with TBG and TTR, respectively. The results indicate that the binding affinity generally increased with bromine number and OH position also played an important role. 3-OH-BDE-47 and 3'-OH-BDE-154 bound to TTR and TBG even stronger, respectively, than T4. With rising environmental level and high bioaccumulation capability, PBDEs have the potential to disrupt thyroid homeostasis by competitive binding with TH transport proteins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: For the rapid detection of Laribacter hongkongensis, which is associated with human community-acquired gastroenteritis and traveller's diarrhoea, we developed a duplex species-specific PCR assay. Methods and Results: Full-length of the 16S-23S rRNA intergenic spacer region (ISR) sequences of 52 L. hongkongensis isolates were obtained by PCR-based sequencing. Two species-specific primer pairs targeting 16S rRNA gene and ISR were designed for duplex PCR detection of L. hongkongensis. The L. hongkongensis species-specific duplex PCR assay showed 100% specificity, and the minimum detectable level was 2·1 × 10−2 ng μl−1 genomic DNA which corresponds to 5000 CFU ml−1. Conclusions: The high specificity and sensitivity of the assay make it suitable for rapid detection of L. hongkongensis. Significance and Impact of the Study: This species-specific duplex PCR method provides a rapid, simple, and reliable alternative to conventional methods to identify L. hongkongensis and may have applications in both clinical and environmental microbiology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The underlying mechanisms of adaptation from staying physically active are not completely revealed. This study examined the effects of 8 and 20 weeks of habitual voluntary exercise on the susceptibility of lymphocytes to oxidant-induced DNA damage, antioxidant enzyme activities in cardiac and skeletal muscles, and circulatory antioxidant profile. Forty young adult rats were randomly assigned to sedentary control and exercise groups for an experimental period of 8 or 20 weeks. Animals assigned to exercise groups were subjected to 24 h daily free access to an in-cage running wheel with circumference of 1.19 m. A magnetic digital counter was attached to the running wheel to record daily exercise distance run by the animals. Control rats were housed in cages without a running wheel, located next to the exercised animals. Body weight and food intake were recorded weekly. After the experimental periods of 8 and 20 weeks, blood, left ventricle, soleus and plantaris muscles were collected for analysis. No significant difference was found in plasma total antioxidant capacity between exercised and control animals in the 8 and 20 week groups according to our ferric reducing/antioxidant power (FRAP) analysis. However, modified FRAP for ascorbic acid (FRASC) analysis indicated that plasma ascorbic acid content was significantly increased by 46 and 34% in 8 and 20 week exercise groups, respectively, when compared with the corresponding control groups. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was significantly elevated by 39% in erythrocytes of animals exercised for 8 weeks relative to control animals. In the 20 week exercise group, Glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity in ventricle and plantaris was significantly upregulated by 477 and 290%, respectively, relative to control values. As demonstrated by comet assay, the oxidant-induced DNA damage was significantly reduced by 21 and 45% in lymphocytes of animals exercised for 8 and 20 weeks, respectively, when compared with the corresponding control lymphocytes. Our qRT-PCR analysis showed that the transcript expression of SOD2 was significantly elevated by 939% in lymphocytes of animals exercised for 8 weeks relative to control animals. Increased expressions of SOD2 (by 19%), catalase (25%), APEX nuclease (multifunctional DNA repair enzyme) 1 (APEX1; 46%), Protein kinase, DNA-activated, catalytic polypeptide (Prkdc; 9%) and O-6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (Mgmt; 26%) were found in lymphocytes of animals exercised for 20 weeks relative to control rats. These results demonstrate that habitual exercise confers increased resistance of lymphocytes to oxidant-induced DNA damage, and this protective effect is possibly attributed to the regular exercise-induced elevated expression of antioxidant and DNA repairing enzymes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clin Microbiol Infect 2011; 17: 1246-1253 Abstract The prevalence of the newly discovered pneumococcal serotype 6C has increased in some countries since the introduction of seven-valent conjugate pneumococcal vaccine (PCV7). The distribution of invasive serogroup 6 serotypes, in Australia, including 6C and 6D, has not been reported previously. During the period 1999 to 2008, 6097 isolates were referred to the New South Wales Pneumococcal Reference Laboratory for serotyping. Of these, 847 were identified by Quellung reaction as belonging to serogroup 6 and 702 were available for further study. Serotypes were determined by serotype-specific PCR as follows: 6A, 197 (28.1%); 6B, 452 (64.4%); 6C, 52 (7.4%) and one 6D. The average numbers of invasive serogroup 6 isolates, per annum, fell from 62.2 before (2000-2005) to 49.7 after (2006-2008) the introduction of PCV7. The proportions of invasive 6B fell (from 72.4% to 47.3%, p 0.03), those of 6C rose (from 3.3% to 17%, p 0.02) significantly and those of 6A remained fairly constant (24.3% vs 27%, p 0.69) between the two periods. All 6C and 6D and selected 6A and 6B isolates were further characterized by multilocus sequence typing and sequence analysis of cps genes cpsA-cpsB ( wzg-wzh) and wchA-wciN beta -wciO, wciP. Results showed considerable diversity within serotype 6C, apparently as a result of both mutation and recombination. Sequence typing indicates that, in Australia, 6C has been largely derived from 6A. The genetic diversity and rapid increase in incidence of serotype 6C causing invasive pneumococcal disease has potential implications for vaccine efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Three-colour continuous-variable (CV) entanglement can be directly generated by an injection-seeded nondegenerate optical parametric oscillator (INOPO). The quantum correlations among the pump, signal, and idler beams are calculated and discussed by applying sufficient inseparability criteria for CV entanglement. The results clearly show that strong three-colour CV entanglement can be produced by operating the pump above the oscillation threshold. The INOPO is easier to realize experimentally and more steady in comparison to that without an injected signal since the injected signal can increase the nonlinear conversion efficiency and the stability, as well as allow a large degree of tunability. This scheme can be very useful for the applications in quantum communication and computation networks. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Excitotoxicity, induced either by N-Methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) or kainic acid (KA), promotes irreversible loss of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). Although the intracellular signaling mechanisms underlying excitotoxic cell death are still unclear, recent studies on the retina indicate that NMDA promotes RGC death by increasing phosphorylation of cyclic AMP (cAMP) response element (CRE)-binding protein (CREBP), while studies on the central nervous system indicate that KA promotes neuronal cell death by decreasing phosphorylation of CREBP, suggesting that CREBP can elicit dual responses depending on the excitotoxic-agent. Interestingly, the role of CREBP in KA-mediated death of RGCs has not been investigated. Therefore, by using an animal model of excitotoxicity, the aim of this study was to investigate whether excitotoxicity induces RGC death by decreasing Ser133-CREBP in the retina. Death of RGCs was induced in CD-1 mice by an intravitreal injection of 20 nmoles of kainic acid (KA). Decrease in CREBP levels was determined by immunohistochemistry, western blot analysis, and electrophoretic mobility gel shift assays (EMSAs). Immunohistochemical analysis indicated that CREBP was constitutively expressed in the nuclei of cells both in the ganglion cell layer (GCL) and in the inner nuclear layer (INL) of CD-1 mice. At 6 h after KA injection, nuclear localization of Ser133-CREBP was decreased in the GCL. At 24 h after KA injection, Ser133-CREBP was decreased further in GCL and the INL, and a decrease in Ser133-CREBP correlated with apoptotic death of RGCs and amacrine cells. Western blot analysis indicated that KA decreased Ser133-CREBP levels in retinal protein extracts. EMSA assays indicated that KA also reduced the binding of Ser133-CREBP to CRE consensus oligonucleotides. In contrast, intravitreal injection of CNQX, a non-NMDA glutamate receptor antagonist, restored the KA-induced decrease in Ser133-CREBP both in the GCL and INL, and inhibited loss of RGCs and amacrine cells. These results, for the first time, suggest that KA promotes retinal degeneration by reducing phosphorylation of Ser133-CREBP in the retina. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Vegetation is closely related to groundwater depth in the arid inland areas. In this study we investigate the relationship between vegetation and depth of the groundwater table in June 2000 in the Ejina area, northwestern China, by combining remote sensing with in-situ groundwater observations. Our results demonstrate that the groundwater depth suitable for vegetation in this region ranges from 2 to 5 m, depending on species composition. Hardly any vegetation occurs when the groundwater depth is below 5.5 m because the rooting depth of the present species is limited and therefore cannot maintain adequate water supplies to their canopies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by airway obstruction that is not fully reversible, and there is evidence of a hereditary component in COPD. We aimed to determine whether the polymorphisms -2548G/A of leptin ( LEP) gene were associated with COPD and its severity in Chinese. A total of 456 subjects with COPD and 422 healthy controls from West China Hospital were enrolled in this study. COPD patients had been undergone a spirometry and a physical examination to refer the GOLD I-IV stages. The polymorphisms in the leptin promoter region at position -2548 G/A were detected by Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. The genotypes and alleles were scored, and the frequencies of the alleles and genotypes in patients and controls were compared. A significantly higher risk for COPD was observed for carriers of the LEP -2548 AA genotype [odds ratio (OR) = 7.87, 95% confidence interval (CI) 4.19-14.77, P < 0.001] and carriers of the LEP -2548 GA genotype (OR = 2.98, 95% CI 1.57-5.66, P = 0.001). The LEP -2548 A allele: frequency was significantly higher in the patient group compared with the control group (OR = 2.75, 95% CI: 2.20-3.44, P < 0.001). We also found a significant relationship between leptin gene polymorphism and the severity of COPD. In the present case-control study, we found an association between the -2548 G/A variant of the leptin gene and pathogenesis, severity of COPD in the Chinese population. It suggests that leptin -2548 G/A should be used as a genetic marker of COPD severity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the design of a linear voltage-controlled 360° analog phase shifter operating at 2.2 GHz. It is a reflection-type with a simple and compact structure, using a λ/4-coupled-line coupler with the output ports terminated with identical parallel-tuned varactor-diode circuits for a full 360°-phase shift. Formulas are derived for making use of the dimensions of the transmission lines to linearize the phase shift against the control voltage. Simulation and measurement results on the linearity and insertion loss are presented. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 52: 1821–1825, 2010; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.25314 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article proposes a reflection-type wideband 360° analogue phase shifter in microstrip form. It employs a 3-dB branch-line coupler circuit to achieve a wideband operation and two varactor-diode circuits to achieve 360° phase shift. Formulas are derived to optimize the dimensions of the microstrip lines in the coupler and the varactor-diode circuits for wideband operation and minimizing frequency dependency of the output phase. Experimental results show that the design has a 360° phase-shift range and 1 dB insertion loss, with a 500-MHz operation bandwidth at the center frequency of 6.5 GHz. ©2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 52: 355–359, 2010; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.24938 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4; CD152) is a secondary receptor of B7 (CD80 and CD86) and shares homology with the CD28 receptor. Although the structures of CTLA-4 and CD28 are very similar, they deliver different costimulatory signals. A functional polymorphism in CTLA-4 exon 1 position +49 that can affect the T-cell response has been reported by several groups. Previous case–control studies also revealed this polymorphism contribute to the risk of autoimmune diseases and common cancers. However, the relationship between CTLA-4 functional polymorphism and nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) susceptibility has not yet been explored. In this study, we performed a case–control study in a Chinese population. Our result showed that the CTLA-4 +49 A>G polymorphism is associated with NPC susceptibility. The subjects carrying the CTLA-4 +49 AA genotype have a ∼1.8-fold increased risk of NPC (adjust OR 1.83; 95% CI, 1.16–2.93) when compared with the GG genotype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A series of sulfonated poly(fluorenyl ether ketone) with different hydrophilic block lengths were synthesized via a two-step one-pot polymerization from 9,9''-bis(4-Hydroxypheyl) fluorine, 3,3''-disulfonated-4,4''-difluorobenzophenone, and 4,4''-difluorobenzophenone. The resulting sulfonated block polymers with high inherent viscosity (0.8–1.37dL/g) were very soluble in polar organic solvents and can form flexible and transparent membranes by casting from their solutions. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) was used to examine the microstructure of the membranes and the results revealed that significant hydrophilic/hydrophobic microphase separation was produced. The effects of the multiblock structure and/or length were investigated by comparison of the properties of the multiblock copolymer and the corresponding random structure. The multiblock structure can provide enhanced proton transport, especially under partially hydrated conditions. The as-made membranes can also exhibit better oxidative stability and single cell performance than random copolymer. The multiblock structure design method provides a useful way to prepare proton exchange membrane used in PEM fuel cells. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]