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Purpose: Despite the potentially destructive effect of sympathetic activity on bone metabolism, its impact on bone microarchitecture, a key determinant of bone quality, has not been thoroughly investigated. This study aims to evaluate the impact of sympathetic activity on bone microarchitecture and bone strength in patients with pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma (PPGL). Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 38 PPGL patients (15 males and 23 females). Bone turnover markers serum procollagen type 1 N-terminal propeptide (P1NP) and β-carboxy-terminal crosslinked telopeptide of type 1 collagen (β-CTX) were measured. 24-h urinary adrenaline (24hUE) and 24-h urinary norepinephrine levels (24hUNE) were measured to indicate sympathetic activity. High-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT) was conducted to evaluate bone microarchitecture in PPGL patients and 76 age-, sex-matched healthy controls (30 males and 46 females). Areal bone mineral density (aBMD) was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) simultaneously. Results: PPGL patients had a higher level of β-CTX. HR-pQCT assessment revealed that PPGL patients had notably thinner and more sparse trabecular bone (decreased trabecular number and thickness with increased trabecular separation), significantly decreased volume BMD (vBMD), and bone strength at both the radius and tibia compared with healthy controls. The deterioration of Tt.vBMD, Tb.Sp, and Tb.1/N.SD was more pronounced in postmenopausal patients compared with the premenopausal subjects. Moreover, subjects in the highest 24hUNE quartile (Q4) showed markedly lower Tb.N and higher Tb.Sp and Tb.1/N.SD at the tibia than those in the lowest quartile (Q1). Age-related bone loss was also exacerbated in PPGL patients to a certain extent. Conclusions: PPGL patients had significantly deteriorated bone microarchitecture and strength, especially in the trabecular bone, with an increased bone resorption rate. Our findings provide clinical evidence that sympathetic overstimulation may serve as a secondary cause of osteoporosis, especially in subjects with increased sympathetic activity.

Purpose: We aim to detect serum DKK1 level of pediatric patients with OI and to analyze its relationship with the genotype and phenotype of OI patients. Methods: A cohort of pediatric OI patients and age-matched healthy children were enrolled. Serum levels of DKK1 and bone turnover biomarkers were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Bone mineral density (BMD) was measured by Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Pathogenic mutations of OI were detected by next-generation sequencing and confirmed by Sanger sequencing. Results: A total of 62 OI children with mean age of 9.50 (4.86, 12.00) years and 29 healthy children were included in this study. The serum DKK1 concentration in OI children was significantly higher than that in healthy children [5.20 (4.54, 6.32) and 4.08 (3.59, 4.92) ng/mL, P< 0.001]. The serum DKK1 concentration in OI children was negatively correlated with height (r = − 0.282), height Z score (r = − 0.292), ALP concentration (r = − 0.304), lumbar BMD (r = − 0.276), BMD Z score of the lumbar spine and femoral neck (r = − 0.32; r = − 0.27) (all P< 0.05). No significant difference in serum DKK1 concentration was found between OI patients with and without vertebral compression fractures. In patients with spinal deformity (22/62), serum DKK1 concentration was positively correlated with SDI (r = 0.480, P< 0.05). No significant correlation was observed between serum DKK1 concentration and the annual incidence of peripheral fractures, genotype and types of collagen changes in OI children. Conclusion: The serum DKK1 level was not only significantly elevated in OI children, but also closely correlated to their skeletal phenotype, suggesting that DKK1 may become a new biomarker and a potential therapeutic target of OI.

Purpose: To evaluate the genotypic and phenotypic relationship in a large cohort of OI patients and to compare the differences between eastern and western OI cohorts. Methods: A total of 671 OI patients were included. Pathogenic mutations were identified, phenotypic information was collected, and relationships between genotypes and phenotypes were analyzed. Literature about western OI cohorts was searched, and differences were compared between eastern and western OI cohorts. Results: A total of 560 OI patients were identified as carrying OI pathogenic mutations, and the positive detection rate of disease-causing gene mutations was 83.5%. Mutations in 15 OI candidate genes were identified, with COL1A1(n = 308, 55%) and COL1A2(n = 164, 29%) being the most common mutations, and SERPINF1and WNT1being the most common biallelic variants. Of the 414 probands, 48.8, 16.9, 29.2 and 5.1% had OI types I, III, IV and V, respectively. Peripheral fracture was the most common phenotype (96.6%), and femurs (34.7%) were most commonly affected. Vertebral compression fracture was observed in 43.5% of OI patients. Biallelic or COL1A2mutation led to more bone deformities and poorer mobility than COL1A1mutation (all P< 0.05). Glycine substitution of COL1A1or COL1A2or biallelic variants led to more severe phenotypes than haploinsufficiency of collagen type I α chains, which induced the mildest phenotypes. Although the gene mutation spectrum varied among countries, the fracture incidence was similar between eastern and western OI cohorts. Conclusion: The findings are valuable for accurate diagnosis and treatment of OI, mechanism exploration and prognosis judgment. Genetic profiles of OI may vary among races, but the mechanism needs to be explored.

Objectives: Endothelial dysfunction, the earliest vascular alteration, is a consequence of metabolic disorders associated with obesity. However, it is still unclear whether a proportion of obese individuals without metabolic alterations associated with obesity, defined as “metabolically healthy obesity (MHO)”, exhibit better endothelial function. We therefore aimed to investigate the association of different metabolic obesity phenotypes with endothelial dysfunction. Methods: The obese participants without clinical cardiovascular disease from the MESA (Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis) were allocated to the different metabolic obesity phenotypes based on their metabolic status, including MHO and metabolically unhealthy obesity (MUO). Associations of metabolic obesity phenotypes with the biomarkers of endothelial dysfunction, including soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) and soluble E-selectin (sE-selectin), were evaluated using multiple linear regression models. Results: Plasma levels of sICAM-1 and sE-selectin were respectively measured in 2371 and 968 participants. Compared to the non-obese participants, those with MUO were associated with higher concentrations of sICAM-1 (β 22.04, 95% CI 14.33–29.75, P< 0.001) and sE-selectin (β 9.87, 95% CI 6.00–13.75, P< 0.001) after adjusting for confounders. However, no differences were found for the concentrations of sICAM-1 (β 0.70, 95% CI − 8.91 to 10.32, P= 0.886) and sE-selectin (β 3.69, 95% CI − 1.13 to 8.51, P= 0.133) in the participants with MHO compared to the non-obese participants. Conclusions: Individuals with MUO were associated with elevated biomarkers of endothelial dysfunction, but the association with endothelial dysfunction was not found in those with MHO, indicating that the individuals with MHO might exhibit better endothelial function.

Purpose: Lipocalin 2 (LCN2) is a newly recognized bone-derived factor that is important in regulation of energy metabolism. We investigated the correlation of serum LCN2 levels and glycolipid metabolism, and body composition in a large cohort of patients with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI). Methods: A total of 204 children with OI and 66 age- and gender-matched healthy children were included. Circulating levels of LCN2 and osteocalcin were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Serum levels of fasting blood glucose (FBG), triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), and low- and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C, HDL-C) were measured by automated chemical analyzers. The body composition was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Grip strength and timed-up-and-go (TUG) were tested to evaluate the muscle function. Results: Serum LCN2 levels were 37.65 ± 23.48 ng/ml in OI children, which was significantly lower than those in healthy control (69.18 ± 35.43 ng/ml, P< 0.001). Body mass index (BMI) and serum FBG level were significantly higher and HDL-C levels were lower in OI children than healthy control (all P< 0.01). Grip strength was significantly lower (P< 0.05), and the TUG was significantly longer in OI patients than healthy control (P< 0.05). Serum LCN2 level was negatively correlated to BMI, FBG, HOMA-IR, HOMA-β, total body, and trunk fat mass percentage, and positively correlated to total body and appendicular lean mass percentage (all P< 0.05). Conclusions: Insulin resistance, hyperglycemia, obesity, and muscle dysfunction are common in OI patients. As a novel osteogenic cytokine, LCN2 deficiency may be relevant to disorders of glucose and lipid metabolism, and dysfunction of muscle in OI patients.

Objective: Nonsurgical hypoparathyroidism (ns-HP) is a rare disease. There are few studies on Quality of Life (QoL) among patients with ns-HP. This study aimed to investigate the QoL among ns-HP patients with regular conventional treatment, and explore the influence factors affecting QoL among these Chinese ns-HP patients. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study comparing 101 patients identified as ns-HP and 101 healthy controls. The questionnaires of Short Form 36 Health Survey questionnaire version 2(SF-36v2) were used to evaluate QoL. Results: Scores of all eight subdomains of SF-36v2 and physical component scores (PCS), mental component scores (MCS) were significantly lower in the ns-HP group compared with the healthy controls. The indices of all subdomains of SF-36v2 between Q1 (the lowest quartile) and Q4 (the highest quartile) groups were compared, suggesting higher percentages of detectable parathyroid hormone (PTH) before treatment in Q4 group among all QoL indices except two subdomains (physical function and body pain). Conclusion: Both mental and physical QoL were impaired in the ns-HP patients even with regular conventional treatment for hypocalcemia, which were more severe in cases with lower baseline PTH levels.

Purpose: Patients with tumor-induced osteomalacia (TIO) often suffer from irreversible height loss due to vertebral deformity. However, the prevalence of vertebral deformity in TIO patients varies among limited studies. In addition, the distribution and type of vertebral deformity, as well as its risk factors, remain unknown. This study aimed to identify the prevalence, distribution, type and risk factors for vertebral deformity in a large cohort of TIO patients. Methods: A total of 164 TIO patients were enrolled in this retrospective study. Deformity in vertebrae T4–L4 by lateral thoracolumbar spine radiographs was evaluated according to the semiquantitative method of Genant. Bone microstructure was evaluated by trabecular bone score (TBS) and high-resolution peripheral QCT (HR-pQCT). Results: Ninety-nine (99/164, 60.4%) patients had 517 deformed vertebrae with a bimodal pattern of distribution (T7–9 and T11–L1), and biconcave deformity was the most common type (267/517, 51.6%). Compared with patients without vertebral deformity, those with vertebral deformity had a higher male/female ratio, longer disease duration, more height loss, lower serum phosphate, higher bone turnover markers, lower TBS, lower areal bone mineral density (aBMD), lower peripheral volumetric BMD (vBMD) and worse microstructure. Lower trabecular vBMD and worse trabecular microstructure in the peripheral bone and lower spine TBS were associated with an increased risk of vertebral deformity independently of aBMD. After adjusting for the number of deformed vertebrae, we found little difference in clinical indexes among the patients with different types of vertebral deformity. However, we found significant correlations of clinical indexes with the number of deformed vertebrae and the spinal deformity index. Conclusion: We reported a high prevalence of vertebral deformity in the largest cohort of TIO patients and described the vertebral deformity in detail for the first time. Risk factors for vertebral deformity included male sex, long disease duration, height loss, abnormal biochemical indexes and bone impairment. Clinical manifestation, biochemical indexes and bone impairment were correlated with the number of deformed vertebrae and degree of deformity, but not the type of deformity.

Aims: To investigate genotype and phenotype of congenital nephrogenic diabetes insipidus caused by AVPR2mutations, which is rare and limitedly studied in Chinese population. Methods: 88 subjects from 28 families with NDI in a department (Beijing, PUMCH) were screened for AVPR2mutations. Medical records were retrospectively reviewed and characterized. Genotype and phenotype analysis was performed. Results: 23 AVPR2mutations were identified, including six novel mutations (p.Y117D, p.W208R, p.L313R, p.S127del, p.V162Sfs*30 and p.G251Pfs*96). The onset-age ranged from 1 week to 3 years. Common presentations were polydipsia and polyuria (100%) and intermittent fever (57%). 21% and 14% of patients had short stature and mental impairment. Urine SG and osmolality were decreased, while serum osmolality and sodium were high. Urological ultrasonography results showed hydronephrosis of the kidney (52%), dilation of the ureter (48%), and thickened bladder wall or increased residual urine (32%), led to intermittent urethral catheterization (7%), cystostomy (11%) and binary nephrostomy (4%). Urological defects were developed in older patients. Genotype and phenotype analysis revealed patients with non-missense mutations had higher levels of serum sodium than missense mutations. Conclusion: In the first and largest case series of NDI caused by AVPR2mutations in Chinese population, we established genetic profile and characterized clinical data, reporting six novel mutations. Further, we found genotype was associated with phenotype. This knowledge broadens genotype and phenotype spectrum of rare congenital NDI caused by AVPR2mutations, and provides basis for studying molecular biology of AVPR2.

Purpose: Primary hypertrophic osteoarthropathy (PHO) is an inherited disease characterized by digital clubbing, periostosis and pachydermia with defects in the degradation of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). Mutations in SLCO2A1 gene-encoding prostaglandin transporter (PGT) resulted in PHO, autosomal recessive 2 (PHOAR2). The spectrum of mutations and variable clinical complications of PHOAR2 has been delineated. In this study, we investigated a Chinese PHO family with a manifestation of Bartter-like hypokalemia. Methods: Clinical manifestations were collected and genetic analyses were performed in the PHO family. Results: The 33-year-old male proband had severe hypokalemia due to potassium loss from the kidney, while his brother had mild hypokalemia. After being treated with etoricoxib, the serum potassium level of the patient increased rapidly to the normal range which corresponded with the reduction in his serum PGE2 and PE2 metabolite (PGEM) levels. A novel SLCO2A1 compound heterozygous mutation of p.I284V and p.C459R was identified in two PHO patients in this family. Conclusions: The present findings supported that the Bartter-like hypokalemia is a new complication of PHOAR2 caused by the high level of PGE2. Etoricoxib was demonstrated to be effective for the renal hypokalemia in PHO patients.

The Yes-associated protein (YAP) is an effector that transduces the output of the Hippo pathway to transcriptional modulation. Considering the role of YAP in cancers, this protein has emerged as a key node in malignancy development. In this study, we determined that Aurora A kinase acts as a positive regulator for YAP-mediated transcriptional machinery. Specifically, YAP associates with Aurora A predominantly in the nucleus. Activation of Aurora A can impinge on YAP activity through direct phosphorylation. Moreover, aberrant expression of YAP and Aurora A signaling is highly correlated with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). We herein provide evidence to establish the functional relevance of this newly discovered regulatory axis in TNBC.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors worldwide. Currently, the clinical strategies available for the treatment of HCC remain insufficient for the poor prognosis. Sodium/iodide symporter (NIS)-based radioiodine therapy is proposed as a promising therapeutic strategy for the treatment of HCC. However, it is difficult for HCC cells to trap iodine for the lower expression of NIS. Small activating RNA (saRNA) is a newly identified small double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) that can induce endogenous gene expression by targeting promoter sequences. Here, we designed an saRNA (saRNA-482) that targeted the NIS promoter sequences. In the cultured HepG2 cells and Hep3B cells, the expressions of NIS were upregulated after transfection of saRNA-482. In addition, the uptake of 125I increased in the cultured HepG2 and Hep3B cells transfected with saRNA-482. Furthermore, the cell viabilities were significantly inhibited in the saRNA-482-transfected HepG2 and Hep3B cells after 131I treatment. Meanwhile, the apoptosis of saRNA-482-transfected HepG2 and Hep3B cells significantly increased after 131I treatment. The results suggest that RNA activation-mediated upregulation of NIS may have an endoradiotherapeutic potential in the treatment of HCC.

Inflammation has been shown to play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis and development of hypertensive vascular injury. Neopterin is a novel marker of immune activation produced mainly by activated macrophages. Few data are available to show the association between neopterin and vascular function in hypertension. The present study was designed to investigate the relationship between neopterin levels related to arterial stiffness and endothelial function in patients with hypertension, and their changes after blood pressure-lowering treatment. Twenty-four hypertensive patients and 30 age- and gender-matched healthy volunteers were recruited. Plasma neopterin levels were higher in hypertensive patients compared with their counterparts (log-neopterin: 0.77±0.18 versus 0.61±0.16, P=0.003). Increased neopterin levels were correlated with increased brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV; control: r=0.659, P<0.001; hypertension: r=0.487, P=0.021), and inversely associated with impaired brachial flow-mediated dilation (FMD; control: r=−0.735, P<0.001; hypertension: r=−0.557, P=0.005). Fifteen hypertensives received 3 months of standard antihypertensive treatment. Three months later, their plasma neopterin levels decreased (log-neopterin: 0.63±0.17 versus 0.50±0.19, P=0.001), whereas arterial elasticity (baPWV: 1764±101 versus 1685±96 cm s−1, P=0.272) and endothelial function (FMD: 5.92±1.43% versus 7.73±1.31%, P<0.05) were improved. The decline in neopterin levels was linearly correlated with baPWV decrease (r=0.800, P<0.001), FMD improvement (r=0.670, P=0.006) and blood pressure reduction (r=0.548, P=0.042). Our present study demonstrated for the first time that neopterin is closely correlated with vascular dysfunctions, and measurement of plasma neopterin levels might be used as a surrogate biomarker for the clinical evaluation of vascular damage and risk stratification of future atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in patients with hypertension.

Purpose:A diarrhoea outbreak occurred in a kindergarten, which caused 21 relevant infected cases. Our object was to confirm the pathogens and their molecular characterisation. Materials and Methods:Faecal samples from 21 patients were collected on the 3rdday after their symptom onset, and a regular epidemiological investigation was conducted. Bacterial isolation was performed in accordance with standard laboratory protocol, serological and molecular characterisations were determined by serum agglutination test and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method, respectively. The pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and 16S rRNAs were conducted to determine the homology. Results:Eleven enteroinvasive Escherichia coli(EIEC) O136:K78 strains were isolated. The serum agglutination test showed that all strains’ serotypes were E. coli(EIEC) O136:K78. Real-time PCR showed that 10 (91%) strains carried the invasion plasmid antigen H gene (ipaH), carried by all four Shigellaspecies and EIEC. The strain that didn’t carry the ipaHgene had different biochemical reactions of L-lizyna and L-rhamnose with the other strains. The complete 16S rRNA sequences showed 98.4% identity between ipaH-negative isolate and the others, and the PFGE indicated that the ipaH-negative isolate was not homological with other isolates in this diarrhoea outbreak. Conclusions:The diarrhoea outbreak was caused by E. coli(EIEC) O136:K78.

A new laser welding process with the local cooling was presented and applied to two automotive dual phase steels, DP780 and DP980. The microstructure, microhardness, tensile properties of welded joints and limiting dome height (LDH) of welded blanks were investigated. It is observed that the local cooling during laser welding process can greatly reduce the martensite tempering and thus reduce the heat affected zone softening. The laser welded joints with the local cooling all failed at the base metal, and exhibit the comparable strength and ductility with the base metal. For the welded blanks with the local cooling, LDH is increased significantly, and failure initiates from the weld and propagates perpendicular to the weld.

In the present study, ultrafine grained (UFG) Al alloy chips with average grain sizes of ~200 nm were successfully prepared by large strain extrusion machining (LSEM) process using a combined cutting tool with rake angle of 10° and chip compression ratio of 1.0. The tests showed that the Vickers hardness of the UFG Al alloy is significantly improved due to grain size reduction. To understand effect of heat on the microstructure and mechanical properties, the UFG chips were subjected to heat treatment at different temperatures and different annealing time durations. When annealed <100°C, most of fine grains within the UFG chips were found to be replaced by elongated grains whose grain sizes increased with a significant increase in the aspect ratio as the annealing time increased. Despite such increase in grain size, the Vickers hardness was not reduced as expected because of the precipitation of secondary phases. When annealed at temperatures up to 200°C, recrystallisation occurred, along with grain growth, but the Vickers hardness did not deteriorate because of precipitation of secondary phases, as before. However, annealing at temperatures of 300°C and above resulted in significant reduction in hardness of the chips due to dominance of grain growth over secondary precipitation. These results indicated that UFG Al alloy chips have a good thermal stability at temperatures <200°C.

The present paper reports work in development of biocomposite boards compression moulded from wheat straw. Unlike most traditional wood based fibre/chip boards with addition of adhesives or bonding agents, attempt was made to utilise the lignin–hemicellulosic natural resin within straw as bonding agent, resulting in a class of ‘binderless’ and more natural biocomposite boards. The effects of straw preparation and compression moulding conditions on structural and mechanical properties of the binderless straw boards were studied systematically in terms of size of chopped straw, pretreatment and the combination of pressure and temperature during compression moulding. The bonding mechanisms of the natural resin in the straw biocomposites were investigated in terms of its mobilisation using NaOH pretreatment of straw and its redistribution to the straw interfaces during compression moulding process. Without any fractionation of straw or any additional adhesive bonding agent, the mechanical properties of the binderless straw boards were comparable to some commercially available wood and straw board products using addition of adhesives.

Background:The basic studies showed that Pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) plays an important role in inflammation. Aim:This study aims to investigate the association of serum PEDF with high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Methods:Ninety-six PCOS women and 63 healthy, age-matched controls were enrolled in this study. Serum levels of PEDF, hs-CRP, Complement C3 (C3), glucose, insulin, lipids, and total testosterone were measured. Ninety-six PCOS women and 20 controls underwent hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp to assess their insulin sensitivity, which was expressed as M value. Results:Serum PEDF levels and hs-CRP levels were much higher in PCOS women than in controls. In PCOS women, PEDF positively correlated with body mass index (BMI), hs-CRP, C3, LDL cholesterol (LDL-c), and systolic blood pressure (SBP), and negatively correlated with M value and HDL cholesterol (HDL-c). After controlling for BMI, PEDF was still positively correlated with hs-CRP. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that in PCOS women, hs-CRP, SBP, LDL-c and M value were independent determinants of serum PEDF. Conclusion:The serum PEDF levels are closely associated with hs-CRP in women with PCOS. PEDF may play a role in the development of chronic inflammation in PCOS.

Background:Circulating asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) concentration is elevated in patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Aim:To assess the relationship between plasma ADMA concentration and carotid atherosclerosis in patients with T2DM. Subjects and methods:A total of 72 newly diagnosed and untreated T2DM individuals and 72 healthy controls were studied. Carotid atherosclerosis was determined by ultrasonographically evaluated intima-media thickness (IMT) and plaque score. Plasma concentration of ADMA was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. Results:Plasma ADMA, mean IMT, and plaque score were higher in diabetic patients compared with controls. Univariate and multivariate analyses demonstrated an independent association between ADMA and mean IMT in diabetic patients. On a multiple logistic regression analysis, ADMA was the sole predictor of carotid plaque formation (plaque score ≥1.1) (odds ratio 2.43, 95% confidence interval 1.19 to 4.94, p<0.05). Conclusion:Our results suggest that increased levels of ADMA might be involved in the development of carotid atherosclerosis in T2DM.

Current imaging modalities are often not able to detect early stages of breast cancer with high imaging contrast. Visualizing malignancy-associated increased hemoglobin concentrations might improve breast cancer diagnosis. Photoacoustic imaging can visualize hemoglobin in tissue with optical contrast and ultrasound resolution, which makes it potentially ideal for breast imaging. The Twente Photoacoustic Mammoscope (PAM) has been designed specifically for this purpose. Based on a successful pilot study in 2007, a large clinical study using PAM has been started in December 2010. PAM uses a pulsed Q-switched Nd:YAG laser at 1064 nm to illuminate a region of interest on the breast. Photoacoustic signals are detected with a 1MHz, unfocused ultrasound detector array. Three dimensional data are reconstructed using an acoustic backprojection algorithm. Those reconstructed images are compared with conventional imaging and histopathology. In the first phase of the study, the goal was to optimize the visualization of malignancies. We performed sixteen technically acceptable measurements on confined breast malignancies. In the reconstructed volumes of all malignancies, a confined high contrast region could be identified at the expected lesion depth. After ten successful measurements, the illumination area was increased and the fluence was substantially decreased. This caused a further significant increase in PAM lesion contrast.

Silica microspheres self-assembled on the outer surface of a standard single-mode silica optical fiber are investigated. The three dimensional colloidal crystals of FCC structure coating on the cylindrical substrate are fabricated through isothermal heating evaporation induced self-assembly. The resulting photonic crystal cylindrical annulus is characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The SEM images illustrate the [111] and [100]-oriented regions, besides the two zones regularly intercrossed pattern. Qualitative analysis and discussion are carried out for the arrangement of various oriented regions.

Auf dem Weg zu einer Markteinführung von PEMBrennstoffzellen gibt es trotz intensiver Forschung der letzten Jahrzehnte noch zahlreiche Herausforderungen zu überwinden. So besteht Bedarf an verbesserten, stabilen Elektrokatalysatoren, optimierten Elektrodenstrukturen sowie an geeigneten Methoden zur Aufklärung der Prozesse in arbeitenden Gasdiffusionselektroden. In diesem Beitrag werden Möglichkeiten diskutiert, diesen Herausforderungen zu begegnen. Vorgestellt werden Elektrokatalysatoren auf Basis von KohlenstoffNanoröhren CNTgeträgerten Edelmetallen und Stickstoffmodifizierten CNTs. Vorschläge zu einem gezielten Aufbau von Gasdiffusionselektroden mit Hilfe elektrochemischer Abscheidung der Aktivkomponente sowie ortsaufgelöste Methoden zur Charakterisierung von Gasdiffusionselektroden werden ebenfalls dargestellt.

Two functionally graded layers between the electrolyte and adjacent electrodes were prepared by atmospheric plasma spraying (APS) for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). Both the porosity and material compositions gradually vary in the two graded layers. The SOFC with the graded layers has higher electronic conductivity and far lower interface resistance than that without graded layers.

Abstract: This paper presents a study on the temperature profile in the bending process of glass pipettes. To prevent undesirable deformation of the pipette at its bending section, such as kink and constriction, several factors influencing the bending quality are investigated, including the width and temperature of the heating element, heating and bending time. Taguchi method is used to study the key factors and to identify an optimal parameter combination. ANSYS is also employed to study the heat transfer and temperature distribution in the heating zone. It is concluded that the temperature distribution in the bending area is critical to the bending quality, and the width of the heating element decisively determines the temperature distribution.

Aufgrund ihrer einzigartigen Strukturen und Eigenschaften sind Kohlenstoff-Nanoröhren (carbon nanotubes, CNTs) für die heterogene Katalyse von großem Interesse. Um Kohlenstoff-Nanoröhren als Katalysator oder Trägermaterial einsetzen zu können, ist es nötig, deren Oberfläche und Morphologie geeignet zu verändern. In diesem Beitrag wird die Modifizierung von Kohlenstoff-Fasern verschiedener Größe beschrieben, ausgehend von Nanoröhren bis hin zu Mikrofasern. Es wird die Rolle von Oberflächengruppen bei der Präparation von geträgerten Palladiumkatalysatoren durch chemische Gasphasenabscheidung erläutert, und es wird gezeigt, wie sich durch Verzweigungen die spezifische Oberfläche von Kohlenstoff-Nanoröhren erhöhen lässt. Die Entwicklung von hierarchisch strukturierten Kohlenstoff-Nanoröhren-Kompositmaterialen wird detailliert beschrieben.

ZrO2/SiO2nanocomposites with Zr loadings in the range 0.88 wt % to 12.2 wt % were prepared by a two‐step metal‐organic (MO)CVD process in a fluidized‐bed reactor with the Zr alkoxide [Zr(OiPr)2(tbaoac)2] as the precursor. The high surface area of silica was hardly diminished by the deposition, and the deposited zirconia species were highly dispersed, as indicated by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) investigations. The XPS data reveal a linear increase of the Zr surface concentration with increasing Zr loading. The high degree of dispersion is attributed to a strong interaction between the zirconia species and the support through the formation of Si‐O‐Zr bonds. Correspondingly, the intensity of the isolated silanol bands detected by diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) was found to decrease with increasing Zr loading.

The imbalance of C, N, and P caused by the spilled oil could be regulated by the addition of nitrogen and phosphorous. Moreover, different kinds of N and P sources were used in order to stimulate oil biodegradation under laboratory and field conditions, but the results were conflicting. To evaluate the effectiveness of nutrient supplementation, N sources (NO3‐N and NH4‐N) and P sources (PO4‐P) were applied to the simulated diesel‐polluted seawater in the N/P ratio of 10:1 and 20:1, respectively. The results showed that the addition of nutrients increased the oil biodegradation rate and the counts of petroleum degrading bacteria (PDB) and heterotrophic bacteria (HB). A strongly positive correlation existed (the interrelated coefficient was nearly 0.9) between the percentage ratio of PDB/HB and the oil biodegradation rates, and therefore the percentage ratio of PDB/HB could be used as a good indicator to predict oil biodegradation. Among the four samples treated with nutrients, the biodegradation efficiency of the group amended with NO3‐N and PO4‐P in the ratio of 10:1 (10NO3‐P group) was as much as 75.8 %, while in the 10NH4‐P, 20NO3‐P and 20NH4‐P groups this value was 61.3 %, 52.4 % and 40.5, respectively. It would take natural degradation without nutrient supplementation about 78 days to achieve the result obtained within 14 days with 10NO3‐P amendment.Chemical and microbiological analyses confirmed that the addition of nutrients in the same N/P ratio remarkably enhanced the biodegradation rate and the counts of microorganisms in the NO3‐N treated groups, indicating that the microorganisms tend to utilize NO3‐N rather than NH4‐N as their growth N source. When the same kind of N source was added to the system, the promoted efficiency in the 10:1 (N/P ratio) groups was notable compared to the 20:1 groups, i.e., adding nutrients in the ratio of 10:1 is superior in the stimulation of oil biodegradation to the ratio of 20:1.

Objective and Design:To determine if inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) gene could affect Achilles tendon healing using iNOS gene knockout mice.

The synthesis of homogeneously distributed carbon nanofibers with well-defined morphology on vapor-grown carbon nanofibers was achieved by a sequence of gas-phase steps, thus fully avoiding wet chemistry:  first, carbon nanofibers were exposed to oxygen plasma to introduce oxygen-containing functional groups. Then, the chemical vapor deposition of ferrocene was carried out under oxidizing conditions, yielding nanofiber-supported iron oxide nanoparticles. Secondary carbon nanofibers with diameters in the range from 10 to 20 nm were subsequently grown from cyclohexane catalyzed by the sintered metallic iron nanoparticles under reducing conditions. XPS was applied to monitor the chemical changes of the surface composition and the sintering of the metallic iron particles in hydrogen. The morphology and the height distribution of the sintered iron oxide nanoparticles was derived by a unique combined application of scanning electron microscopy and scanning tunneling microscopy. The specific surface area of the nanocomposite was enhanced strongly due to the growth of secondary nanofibers, and it was possible to tune the morphology of the nanofiber−nanofiber composites by the process parameters. Thus, a significant advance in the reproducible synthesis of branched carbon fiber nanocomposites was achieved.

The synthesis and materials properties of a new liquid crystalline phthalocyanine, octakis (2-benzyloxyethylsulfanyl) copper (II) phthalocyanine, 2, are reported. This phthalocyanine possesses eight benzyl-terminated side chains with thioether links to the Pc core, which promote greater interaction between the discotic mesogens than has been seen in previous Pcs reported from this group which had benzyl-terminated alkoxy-based side chains. The use of thioether links to these side chains promotes a red-shift in the Q-band absorbance spectrum, small decreases in first oxidation potential, increased solution aggregation constants, and significantly higher K→LC transition temperatures than seen in conventional alkoxy-based side-chain-modified Pcs. Powders and single crystals of this material were characterized by X-ray diffraction and found to represent two closely related polymorphs. Room-temperature XRD of powders of 2 showed a monoclinic unit cell:  a = 22.81(1) Å, b = 9.780(5) Å, c = 19.314(6) Å, α = 90°, β = 106.918(14)°, γ = 90°, V = 4472 ų, two molecules per unit cell, with a helical twist of the Pcs along the b-axis. The packing architecture in these powders showed a transition to an oblique (distorted rectangular, Colrd) phase at temperatures in the LC regime, which was reversible upon cooling. The single-crystal diffraction data showed a monoclinic unit cell:  a = 23.911 (18) Å, b = 5.224(3) Å, c = 39.17(3) Å (c ≈ √3a); α = 90°, β = 96.971(14)°, γ = 90°, volume = 4903(8) ų, and AFM characterization of the 〈001〉 plane of these single crystals clearly showed evidence for layered growth in this material. Langmuir−Blodgett films of 2, characterized by AFM, X-ray reflectivity, and X-ray diffraction, showed hexagonal close packing of parallel Pc columns in the as-deposited film, and upon annealing, showed formation of at least two different domains, with column−column spacings of ca. 21 Å and 26 Å, corresponding to the 〈10〉 and 〈01〉 faces of a 2D lattice, closely related to the unit cell found for the polycrystalline material.

The n = 0, 1, and 2 ketones shown above undergo Yang photocyclization in solution, but only the n = 1 analogues react this way in the solid state. Based on X-ray crystallography, these differences in reactivity are attributed to an unusually large distance for 1,4-hydroxybiradical cyclization in the solid state for the n = 0 and 2 ring systems, which leads to predominant reverse hydrogen transfer (rht). Enantiomeric excesses of up to 99% can be achieved in the case of the n = 1 system through the use of the solid-state ionic chiral auxiliary method of asymmetric synthesis.