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BACKGROUND Observational studies suggest inverse associations between serum vitamin levels and the risk of heart failure (HF). However, the causal effects of vitamins on HF have not been fully elucidated. Here, we conducted a Mendelian randomization (MR) study to investigate the causal associations between genetically determined vitamin levels and HF. METHODS Genetic instrumental variables for circulating vitamin levels, including vitamins A, B, C, D, and E, which were as- sessed as either absolute or metabolite levels were obtained from public genome-wide association studies. Summary statistics for single-nucleotide-polymorphisms and HF associations were retrieved from the HERMES Consortium (47,309 cases and 930,014 controls) and FinnGen Study (30,098 cases and 229,612 controls). Two-sample MR analyses were implemented to assess the causality between vitamin levels and HF per outcome database, and the results were subsequently combined by meta-analysis. RESULTS Our MR study did not find significant associations between genetically determined circulating vitamin levels and HF risk. For absolute vitamin levels, the odds ratio for HF ranged from 0.97 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.85-1.09, P = 0.41) for vitamin C to 1.05 (95% CI: 0.61-1.82, P = 0.85) for vitamin A. For vitamin metabolites, the odds ratio ranged between 0.94 (95% CI: 0.75-1.19, P = 0.62) for α-tocopherol and 1.11 (95% CI: 0.98-1.26, P = 0.09) for γ-tocopherol. CONCLUSION Evidence from our study does not support the causal effects of circulating vitamin levels on HF. Therefore, there may be no direct beneficial effects of vitamin intake on the prevention of primary HF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, computer simulation technology was used to design the pre-polymerization system of Tebuconazole Molecularly Imprinted Polymer (TBZ-MIPs). The simulation results illustrated that the best functional monomer was MAA, the polymerization solvent was acetonitrile, and the ratio of TBZ to MAA was 1:3. Thermodynamic analysis showed that the self-assembly process of TBZ-MAA was a non-spontaneous endothermic reaction, and the appropriate pre-polymerization temperature was 30 ℃. Based on the computer simulation results, the TBZ-MIPs nanospheres were prepared by precipitation polymerization with TBZ as template molecule, MAA as functional monomer, EGDMA as crosslinking agent, AIBN as initiator, and acetonitrile as solvent. The nanospheres had a uniform particle size, and the average diameter was 188.83 nm. Adsorption experiments indicated that the TBZ-MIPs had good specific adsorption capacity for TBZ and its structural analogs, the maximum dynamic adsorption capacity could reach to 1.8 mg/g in 60 min. Further, the TBZ-MIPs nanospheres were used as the filler of the solid phase extraction tube to pretreat the tobacco samples, and the method of TBZ-MISPE-UHPLC-MS/MS was established to detect trace tebuconazole, myclobutanil and triadimenol in tobacco leaves simultaneously. Their average recovery rates and RSD were 70.5% ~ 110.17%, and 0.78% ~ 12.71% (n = 3) respectively, which realized trace detection of triazole fungicides in tobacco leaves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the idea of sample-specific metabolites library with retention neighbor was presented for better identification and quantitation of metabolites. Compared with universal libraries, the established library was found to have significantly improved match indices (similarity, reverse, and probability), indicating better identification of metabolites. For quantitative metabolic profiling of temperature treated tobacco samples, the established method integrated and aligned 175 metabolites with no missing value, better than the widely used metabolomics software including XCMS Online, MetaboliteDetector, SpectConnect, and ChromaTOF. Partial least squares discriminant analysis models were also used for quantitative evaluation and the established method produced better values of model parameters than the compared software, indicating a better model was established using the present method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Remanufacturing is a product recovery strategy resulting in end-of-life (EoL) products being returned to recondition and equivalent to or better than the original. At present, the method of EoL time point determination for product remanufacturing is not available in considering the factors of life cycle energy and cost consumptions. This study proposes an optimal prediction method of EoL time point for product remanufacturing based on life cycle assessment and life cycle cost. First, life cycle assessment and life cycle cost theories are applied to analyze the life cycle energy and cost consumptions. Second, data regression fitting of life cycle energy and cost consumption is applied to obtain the functions of annual energy and cost consumption. Finally, a multi-objective optimization method is used to process the bi-objective functions, and the optimal EoL time point for product remanufacturing is determined. The proposed method is applied to a scroll compressor and obtained an optimal EoL time point for remanufacturing of 7.88 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Targeting‐induced local lesions in genomes (TILLING) is a powerful reverse‐genetics tool that enables high‐throughput screening of genomic variations in plants. Although TILLING has been developed for many diploid plants, the technology has been used in very few polyploid species due to their genomic complexity. Here, we established an efficient capillary electrophoresis‐based TILLING platform for allotetraploid cultivated tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) using an ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS)‐mutagenized population of 1,536 individuals. We optimized the procedures for endonuclease preparation, leaf tissue sampling, DNA extraction, normalization, pooling, PCR amplification, heteroduplex formation, and capillary electrophoresis. In a test screen using seven target genes with eight PCR fragments, we obtained 118 mutants. The mutation density was estimated to be approximately one mutation per 106 kb on average. Phenotypic analyses showed that mutations in two heavy metal transporter genes, HMA2S and HMA4T, led to reduced accumulation of cadmium and zinc, which was confirmed independently using CRISPR/Cas9 to generate knockout mutants. Our results demonstrate that this powerful TILLING platform (available at http://www.croptilling.org) can be used in tobacco to facilitate functional genomics applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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ABSTRACT To effectively improve the affinity of polyethylene (PE) separators with liquid electrolyte without causing a serious pore blockage and to develop a more suitable technology for the industrial production process, porous polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) layer-coated PE separators are prepared by the dip-coating method followed by a dry-cast process. Different from previous investigations, a less volatile solvent and a relatively volatile nonsolvent are used to yield a preferable pore structure. A brief introduction on the pore formation mechanism during the dry-cast process is provided. The pore structure of coating layer is found to be successfully controlled by changing evaporation temperature, nonsolvent content, and PVDF concentration. The porous PVDF coating layer-modified separators show better affinity with liquid electrolyte and thermal stability. Especially, the ionic conductivity of the modified separator/liquid electrolyte system with a suitable porous coating layer on the separator could reach two times as that of PE separator/liquid electrolyte system, and the cell assembled with modified PE separator shows better cycle performances. This modification process is proved to be a facile, controllable, and effective method for PE separator modification. Meanwhile, this work could provide some theoretical and technical guidance for the production process. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014, 131, 41036. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kalman filtering requires the calculation of Jacobian matrix in integrated navigation, when the model is too complex or Jacobian matrix cannot be obtained it is difficult to deal with the issue, the UKF sequential filtering method was proposed. To solve these problems, the method used the UKF filter, the GPS information and navigation information, successively using new information to make correction estimates. The method was used in ship navigation, and the simulation results proved the effectiveness of the algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT The blending of a block copolymer into the membrane matrix is a convenient and efficient way to modify membranes. In this study, high-density polyethylene/polyethylene- b-poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) membranes were prepared via a thermally induced phase separation process, and the extractant effect was investigated. An interesting finding was that the nonpolar extractant ( n-hexane) was more conducive to the surface enrichment of the PEG chains than the polar solvent (ethanol). The reason was deemed to be the combined effect of the entropy drive, interfacial energy, and swelling behavior. In addition, the membrane performance related to the surface chemical properties was studied. The results suggest that the prepared blend membranes extracted by n-hexane showed enhanced the hydrophilicity, antifouling properties, and water flux. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 130: 3816-3824, 2013 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Blending the block copolymer into the membrane matrix is a convenient and efficient way for membrane modification. In this study, HDPE/PE- b-PEG membranes were prepared via TIPS process, and the extractant effect was investigated. An interesting finding was that a non-polar extractant ( n-hexane) was more conducive to the surface enrichment of PEG chains than a polar solvent (ethanol). The reason was deemed to be the combined effect of entropy drive, interfacial energy, and the swelling behavior. Besides, membrane performances related to the surface chemical properties were studied. Results suggested that the prepared blend membranes extracted by n-hexane showed enhanced hydrophilicity, anti-fouling property and water flux. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 130: 2680-2687, 2013 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the performances of HDPE-based separators, polyether chains were incorporated into HDPE membranes by blending with poly(ethylene- block-ethylene glycol) (PE- b-PEG) via thermally induced phase separation (TIPS) process. By measuring the composition, morphology, crystallinity, ion conductivity, etc, the influence of PE- b-PEG on structures and properties of the blend separator were investigated. It was found that the incorporated PEG chains yielded higher surface energy for HDPE separator and improved affinity to liquid electrolyte. Thus, the stability of liquid electrolyte trapped in separator was increased while the interfacial resistance between separator and electrode was reduced effectively. The ionic conductivity of liquid electrolyte soaked separator could reach 1.28 × 10 S·cm at 25°C, and the electrochemical stability window was up to 4.5 V (versus Li/Li). These results revealed that blending PE- b-PEG into porous HDPE membranes could efficiently improve the performances of PE separators for lithium batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Puerarin, the main isoflavone glycoside extracted from Radix Puerariae, is an isoflavone traditional Chinese herb. Previous studies have demonstrated that puerarin could regulate osteoblast proliferation and differentiation to promote bone formation. However, the effect of puerarin on the process of human osteoblasts (hOBs) apoptosis is still unclear. In this study, we detected the function of puerarin on serum-free-induced cell apoptosis using ELISA and TUNEL arrays and then found that the mortality of hOBs was significantly decreased after exposure to 10-10-10-6M puerarin and reached the maximal antiapoptotic effect at the concentration of 10-8M. In addition, compared with the control group, puerarin notably increased the Bcl-2 protein levels while it decreased the Bax protein levels in the hOBs in a dose-dependent way. 10-7Mpuerarin decreased the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio with a maximal decrease to 0.08.Moreover, puerarin activated ERK signaling pathways in hOBs, and the antiapoptotic effect induced by puerarin was abolished by incubation of ERK inhibitor PD98059. Similarly, the estrogen receptor antagonist ICI182780 also suppressed the inhibitory effect of puerarin on hOBs apoptosis. In conclusion, puerarin could prevent hOBs apoptosis via ERK signaling pathway, which might be effective in providing protection against bone loss and bone remolding associated with osteoporosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The very low density lipoprotein receptor gene (VLDLR), a member of the low density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) gene family, plays a crucial role in the synthesis of yolk protein precursors in oviparous species. Differential splicing of this gene has been reported in human, rabbit and rat. In chicken, studies showed that the VLDLR protein on the oocyte surface mediates the uptake of yolk protein precursors into growing oocytes. However, information on the VLDLR gene in duck is still scarce. Methods: Full-length duck VLDLR cDNA was obtained by comparative cloning and rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE). Tissue expression patterns were analysed by semi-quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Association between the different genotypes and egg performance traits was investigated with the general linear model (GLM) procedure of the SAS® software package. Results: In duck, two VLDLR transcripts were identified, one transcript (variant-a) containing an O-linked sugar domain and the other (variant-b) not containing this sugar domain. These transcripts share ∼70 to 90% identity with their counterparts in other species. A phylogenetic tree based on amino acid sequences showed that duck VLDLR proteins were closely related with those of chicken and zebra finch. The two duck VLDLR transcripts are differentially expressed i.e. VLDLR-a is mainly expressed in muscle tissue and VLDLR-b in reproductive organs. We have localized the duck VLDLR gene on chromosome Z. An association analysis using two completely linked SNP sites (T/C at position 2025 bp of the ORF and G/A in intron 13) and records from two generations demonstrated that the duck VLDLR gene was significantly associated with egg production (P < 0.01), age of first egg (P < 0.01) and body weight of first egg (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Duck and chicken VLDLR genes probably perform similar function in the development of growing oocytes and deposition of yolk lipoprotein. Therefore, VLDLR could be a candidate gene for duck egg performance and be used as a genetic marker to improve egg performance in ducks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High density polyethylene (HDPE)/polyethylene- block-poly(ethylene glycol) (PE- b-PEG) blend porous membranes were prepared via thermally induced phase separation (TIPS) process using diphenyl ether (DPE) as diluent. The phase diagrams of HDPE/PE- b-PEG/DPE systems were determined by optical microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). By varying the content of PE- b-PEG, the effects of PE- b-PEG copolymer on morphology and crystalline structure of membranes were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD). The chemical compositions of whole membranes and surface layers were characterized by elementary analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy-attenuated total reflection (FTIR-ATR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Water contact angle, static protein adsorption and water flux experiments were used to evaluate the hydrophilicity, antifouling and water permeation properties of the membranes. It was found that the addition of PE- b-PEG increased the pore size of the obtained blend membranes. In the investigated range of PE- b-PEG content, the PEG blocks could not aggregate into obviously separated domains in membrane matrix. More importantly, PE- b-PEG could not only be retained stably in the membrane matrix during membrane formation, but also enrich at the membrane surface layer. Such stability and surface enrichment of PE- b-PEG endowed the blend membranes with improved hydrophilicity, protein absorption resistance and water permeation properties, which would be substantially beneficial to HDPE membranes for water treatment application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To determine whether Ca2+/calcineurin mediated the inhibitory effects of nitric oxide/cGMP-dependent protein kinase (NO/PKG) on the proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC).Proliferation and viability of primary VSMC from rat aorta were measured using [3-(4,5-dimethyl thiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide] (MTT) assay and acridine orange and ethidium bromide staining, respectively. Cytosolic Ca2+ was determined by Fluo-3/AM. Calcineurin protein and its activity were assayed using immunoblotting and free inorganic phosphate analysis, respectively.(±)-S-nitroso-N-acetyl-penicillamine (SNAP) and Sp-8-(4-chlorophenylthio)-guanosine-3′,5′-cyclic monophosphorothioate (Sp-8-pCPT-cGMPS) decreased phenylephrine (PE)-induced proliferation of VSMC by 27.3% and 36.6%, respectively, but Rp-8-[(4-chlorophenyl)thio]-guanosine-3′,5′-cyclic monophosphorothioate (Rp-8-pCPTcGMPS) increased PE-induced proliferation of VSMC. SNAP, Sp-8-pCPT-cGMPS, and Rp-8-pCPT-cGMPS did not affect the viability of VSMC. Calcineurin protein was decreased by 63.1% and its activity was decreased by 59.7% in smooth muscle cells (SMC) pretreated with verapamil (Ver) and then stimulated by PE. In SMC pretreated with Ver, the absorbance of cells stimulated by PE decreased by 22.0% and was further inhibited by the additional treatment of SNAP and Sp-8-pCPTcGMPS. In SMC pretreated with cyclosporin A (CsA), the absorbance of cells stimulated by PE decreased by 36.7%, but could not be further altered by the additional treatment of SNAP, Sp-8-pCPT-cGMPS, and Rp-8-pCPT-cGMPS. In addition, Ver inhibited PE-induced intracellular Ca2+ variations, which could be further inhibited by SNAP and Sp-8-pCPT-cGMPS, but not by Rp-8-pCPT-cGMPS. Moreover, the increase in calcineurin activity induced by PE was inhibited by SNAP and Sp-8-pCPT-cGMPS, but was promoted by Rp-8-pCPT-cGMPS.NO/PKG regulates calcineurin activity via the modulation of intracellular Ca2+ concentration, and thus partially inhibits the proliferation of VSMC without affecting their viability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background:The aim of this study was to determine whether baseline C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and CRP kinetics predict the overall survival in metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (mNPC) patients. Methods:A total of 116 mNPC patients from January 2006 to July 2011 were retrospectively reviewed. Serum CRP level was measured at baseline and thereafter at the start of each palliative chemotherapy cycle for all patients. Results:Patients with higher values of baseline CRP (≥ 3.4 mg/L) had significantly worse survival than those with lower baseline CRP values (< 3.4 mg/L). Patients were divided into four groups according to baseline CRP and CRP kinetics: (1) patients whose CRP < 3.4 mg/L and never elevated during treatment; (2) patients whose CRP < 3.4 mg/L and elevated at least one time during treatment; (3) patients whose CRP ≥ 3.4 mg/L and normalized at least one time during treatment; and (4) patients whose CRP ≥ 3.4 mg/L and never normalized during treatment. The patients were further assigned to non-elevated, elevated, normalized, and non-normalized CRP groups. Overall survival rates were significantly different among the four groups, with three-year survival rates of 68%, 41%, 33%, and 0.03% for non-elevated, elevated, normalized, and non-normalized CRP groups respectively. When compared with the non-elevated group, hazard ratios of death were 1.69, 2.57, and 10.34 in the normalized, elevated, and non-normalized groups (P < 0.001). Conclusions:Baseline CRP and CRP kinetics may be useful to predict the prognosis of metastatic NPC patients treated with palliative chemotherapy and facilitate individualized treatment. A prospective study to validate this prognostic model is still needed however. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]