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The fines fraction in mechanical pulp, produced during wood processing can impact the mechanical properties of the resulting paper positively or negatively, making them potential additives for paper strength improvement at the right loading level. To enhance fines' effectiveness as paper strength additives that have heterogeneous surface chemistries, this work employed a regioselective surface esterification method conducted under mild conditions in acetone, with the addition of succinic anhydride and imidazole. This approach converted surface hydroxyl groups of fines into carboxylic acid groups, resulting in a final content of near 0.5 mmol g−1. This modification increased fines' hydrophilicity, as evidenced by enhanced moisture absorption capacity in dynamic vapor sorption analysis. These fines with additional functionality strengthened intermolecular bonding, leading to over 150% enhancement in tensile strength and Young's modulus when cast into thin films. Fines were substituted at 10–20 wt.% concentration to the fiber fraction of softwood thermomechanical pulp (TMP) and bleached chemi-thermomechanical pulp (BCTMP) forming handsheets. It was observed that fines modified with succinic anhydride and imidazole were more effective in enhancing paper strength, including tensile (up to 30%), burst (up to 39%) and tear (up to 4%) indices. This improvement was likely due to enhanced intermolecular bonding between modified fines and the fiber surfaces. By modifying mechanical pulp fines with succinic anhydride and imidazole, we have converted a potential heterogeneous waste product from the industry into a valuable by-product to enhance paper performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Kinase interacting with stathmin (KIS) is a serine/threonine kinase involved in RNA processing and protein phosphorylation. Increasing evidence has suggested its involvement in cancer progression. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of KIS in the development of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). Dual luciferase assay was used to explore the relationship between KIS and SOX4, and its effect on ID1/β-catenin pathway. Methods: Real-time qPCR and western blot were used to assess the levels of KIS and other factors. Cell proliferation, migration, and invasion were monitored, and xenograft animal model were established to investigate the biological functions of KIS in vitro and in vivo. Results: In the present study, KIS was found to be highly expressed in LUAD tissues and cell lines. KIS accelerated the proliferative, migratory and invasive abilities of LUAD cells in vitro, and promoted the growth of LUAD in a mouse tumor xenograft model in vivo. Mechanistically, KIS activated the β-catenin signaling pathway by modulating the inhibitor of DNA binding 1 (ID1) and was transcriptionally regulated by SOX4 in LUAD cells. Conclusion: KIS, a target of SOX4, regulates the ID1-mediated enhancement of β-catenin to facilitate LUAD cell invasion and metastasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Xylans are the most abundant plant heteropolysaccharides and can account for over one-third of the content of cell walls in biomass. Xylans crystallize from dilute aqueous solution into crystal hydrates. Since lignin is closely associated with xylans in cell walls, we investigated the effect of residual lignin on crystal formation. We used β-(1 → 4) xylans from esparto grass, with and without 15% co-precipitated lignin. The xylan sample with lignin formed quasi-hexagonal platelets 605 nm in diameter, which were similar in morphology to those from the delignified xylan preparation. Crystallization, in this case, could serve as a mechanism for acquiring highly homogeneous and purified xylans. We then used Arabidopsis xylans that either contained or were deficient in glucuronic and 4-O-methylglucuronic acid sidechains—from wild-type and gux1/gux2 mutant plant lines, respectively—to test the effect of sidechains on xylan crystallization. We found that sidechains significantly impacted crystal dimensions, as xylans from wild-type Arabidopsis with sidechains formed smaller but highly crystalline nanoscale platelets with an average diameter of 412 nm. Xylans from the Arabidopsis mutant lacking sidechains formed spherulitic superstructures up to 5 microns in diameter. These spherulitic structures could be fragmented into crystallites measuring 46 nm by 27 nm. This study builds upon earlier xylan crystallization research, reporting, for the first time, on the preparation of a nanoparticle other than nanocellulose from a mutant plant line. Xylan hydrate crystals described herein expand the bioproduct repertoire for xylans and show that crystals with varying morphologies can be formed from a variety of xylan structures and purities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) remains a dreaded complication in the cardiac diagnostic and interventional area. We investigated the relationship between red blood cell distribution width-to-albumin ratio (RAR) and CIN in elderly patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing emergency percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods: A total of 1532 elderly patients were enrolled and divided into the CIN group and the non-CIN group. The risk factors of CIN were evaluated by univariate and multivariate regression analysis. Receiver–operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to identify the best predictive value. Results: CIN occurred in 129 (8.42%) patients. Patients in the CIN group had significantly higher RAR than those in the non-CIN group (4.69 ± 0.73 vs. 3.18 ± 0.64, P < 0.001). In multivariate regression analysis, RAR was an independent risk factor for the development of CIN (OR: 1.506, 95% CI: 1.227–2.083, P = 0.025), along with age, creatinine, eGFR, hs-CRP and contrast agent dose. The AUC of RAR was 0.755 (95% CI 0.703–0.807), and an optimal cutoff value of 3.64 or higher predicted CIN with a sensitivity of 76.2% and specificity of 65.7%. Conclusion: As a combined inflammatory-related index, RAR was an independent risk factor for the development of CIN in elderly patients with STEMI undergoing emergency PCI. The RAR could be a simple but relatively reliable parameter for identifying high-risk patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a common complication in diabetic patients. The molecular mechanisms of DCM remain to be fully elucidated. The intronic long noncoding RNA of DACH1 (lncDACH1) has been demonstrated to be closely associated with heart failure and cardiac regeneration. In this study, we investigated the role of lncDACH1 in DCM and the underlying molecular mechanisms. The expression of lncDACH1 was increased in DCM hearts and in high glucose-treated cardiomyocytes. Knockout of lncDACH1 reduced mitochondrial oxidative stress, cell apoptosis, cardiac fibrosis and hypertrophy, and improved cardiac function in DCM mice. Overexpression of lncDACH1 exacerbated mitochondria-derived reactive oxygen species (ROS) level and apoptosis, decreased activity of manganese superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD); while silencing of lncDACH1 attenuated ROS production, mitochondrial dysfunction, cell apoptosis, and increased the activity of Mn-SOD in cardiomyocytes treated with high glucose. LncDACH1 directly bound to sirtuin3 (SIRT3) and facilitated its degradation by ubiquitination, therefore promoting mitochondrial oxidative injury and cell apoptosis in mouse hearts. In addition, SIRT3 silencing abrogated the protective effects of lncDACH1 deficiency in cardiomyocytes. In summary, lncDACH1 aggravates DCM by promoting mitochondrial oxidative stress and cell apoptosis via increasing ubiquitination-mediated SIRT3 degradation in mouse hearts. Inhibition of lncDACH1 represents a novel therapeutic strategy for the intervention of diabetic cardiomyopathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background: Although non-invasive liver fibrosis scores (LFSs) have already been considered as effective tools for estimating cardiovascular risk, their roles in predicting disease severity and cardiovascular event (CVEs) in patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD) are not comprehensively evaluated. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether non-alcoholic fatty liver disease fibrosis score (NAFLD-FS) and fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) are associated with CVEs in a large cohort with long-term follow-up. Methods: A cohort of 5143 patients with angiography-proven stable CAD were consecutively enrolled and followed up for CVEs. The degree of coronary severity was assessed using the number of diseased vessels, Gensini, Syntax, and Jeopardy scores. The predictive values of NAFLD-FS and FIB-4 scores to coronary severity, coronary calcification (CAC), and CVEs were assessed, respectively. Results: During a median follow-up of 7 years, 435 CVEs were recorded. Both NAFLD-FS and FIB-4 were predictors for the presence of CAC. The degree of coronary stenosis was significantly higher in high NAFLD-FS categories while FIB-4 was only positively associated with the number of diseased vessels and Gensini score. In Kaplan–Meier analysis, the patients with intermediate and high NAFLD-FS and FIB-4 had higher risk of CVEs and cardiovascular mortality. In multivariate Cox regression analysis, NAFLD-FS and FIB-4 were independently associated with CVEs [hazard ratio (95% confidence interval): 1.150 (1.063–1.244), p < 0.001 and 1.128 (1.026–1.240), p = 0.012]. Conclusion: The current data first indicated that both NAFLD-FS and FIB-4 scores were not only significantly related to coronary severity but also associated with CAC and CVEs. Clinical trials registration: None. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Antihypertensive treatment is the most important method to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events in hypertensive patients. However, there is scant evidence of the benefits of levoamlodipine maleate for antihypertensive treatment using a head-to-head comparison in the real-world. This study aims to examine the effectiveness of levoamlodipine maleate used to treat outpatients with primary hypertension compared with amlodipine besylate in a real-world setting. Methods: This was a pragmatic comparative effectiveness study carried out at 110 centers across China in outpatients with primary hypertension treated with levoamlodipine maleate or amlodipine besylate, with 24 months of follow-up. The primary outcomes used for evaluating the effectiveness were composite major cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE), adverse reactions, and cost-effectiveness. Results: Among the included 10,031 patients, there were 482 MACCE, 223 (4.4%) in the levoamlodipine maleate group (n = 5018) and 259 (5.2%) in the amlodipine besylate group (n = 5013) (adjusted hazard ratio = 0.90, 95%CI: 0.75-1.08, P = 0.252). The levoamlodipine maleate group had lower overall incidences of any adverse reactions (6.0% vs. 8.4%, P < 0.001), lower extremity edema (1.1% vs. 3.0%, P < 0.001) and headache (0.7% vs. 1.1%, P = 0.045). There was a nearly 100% chance of the levoamlodipine maleate being cost-effective at a willingness to pay threshold of 150,000 Yuan per quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) gained, resulting in more QALYs (incremental QALYs: 0.00392) and cost savings (saving 2725 Yuan or 28.8% reduction in overall costs) per patient. Conclusion: In conclusion, levoamlodipine maleate could reduce cost by 29% with a similar MACCE incidence rate and lower occurrence of adverse reactions (especially edema and headache) compared with amlodipine besylate. Trial Registration: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT01844570 registered at May 1, 2013. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve the flame retardancy of knitted cotton fabrics and investigate the flame-retardant mechanism of the system formed by ammonium polyphosphate (APP) and chitosan (CS), flame-retardant knitted cotton fabrics coated with APP and CS were successfully prepared by layer by layer assembly. APP and CS formed the intumescent flame-retardant system, in which CS acted as the carbon source agent and APP acted as both the acid source and foaming agent. The surface micromorphologies before and after flaming of coated knitted cotton fabrics were exploited by scanning electron microscopy. The flammability, combustion behaviors, thermal degradation properties and flame-retardant mechanism of this system were investigated by vertical burning test, cone calorimetry test and thermogravimetric analysis coupled with Fourier transform infrared analysis in N2 atmosphere, respectively. Compared with the control sample, the deposition of APP and CS endowed the knitted cotton fabrics with improved flame retardancy, higher residual chars, lower heat release rate and total heat release, while increased the smoke production. Improved flame-retardant behaviors are attributed to the thermally stable residual chars, more release of inflammable gases and potential free radical scavengers (PO·) in the gaseous products, named the combination of the condensed-phase and gaseous-phase flame-retardant mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The four species of carp present in China (grass carp, black carp, silver carp and bighead carp) are all commercially important freshwater fish species. However, the construction of large-scale hydraulic projects, such as dams, along with other anthropogenic changes to river systems has resulted in the rapid decline in abundance of all four carp species. Indeed, the effect of dams on the reproduction of the four species has become a highly sensitive issue in China. Historically, the Ganjiang River contained 12 spawning grounds for the four species. After the construction of the Wan'an Dam, however, four of these spawning areas were flooded. Three additional dams are currently under construction below the Wan'an Dam. While it is clear that these dams will further alter the hydrological regime in the river, there is currently little information available for the management and protection of carp in this river. In this study, we review published studies to characterize the patterns of larval abundance of the four species of carp in relation to environmental correlates in the Ganjiang River to provide baseline information that can be used to conserve these species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether common polymorphisms in the C-terminus of SCNN1B gene encoding the β-subunit of epithelial sodium channel are associated with essential hypertension (EH) in Chinese hypertensive families. A total of 433 subjects from 102 EH families were recruited. Biochemical and anthropometric indices and systematic screening of the C-terminus of SCNN1B were performed. Four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were found. Homozygotes for the common A allele at rs3743966 had on average a 12.06 mmHg higher SBP and a 7.43 mmHg higher DBP than homozygotes for the rarer T allele. AA + AT genotype of rs3743966 was also found to maybe a risk factor of hypertension by logistic regression and transmission/disequilibrium test. AA + AT genotype of rs3743966 maybe a risk factor of EH. In conclusion, there was a significant association between the rs3743966 SNP in intron 12 and EH in Chinese hypertensive families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We evaluated the temporal association between aortic arterial stiffness and subclinical target organ damage, including renal function decline, left ventricular geometric remodeling, and left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in patients with mild hypertension. Automatic pulse wave velocity (PWV) measuring system was applied to examine carotid-femoral PWV (CFPWV) reflecting aortic arterial stiffness in 644 essential hypertensive patients. Clinical data were collected, and cardiac structure and function were assessed by echocardiography. CFPWV was significantly and positively associated with left ventricular mass index ( r = 0.153, P = 0.018), relative wall thickness ( r = 0.235, P < 0.001), and left atrial diameter ( r = 0.192, P = 0.003), and negatively with E/A ratio ( r = −0.361, P < 0.001) and creatinine clearance ( r = −0.248, P < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that CFPWV remained significantly correlated with renal function decline ( P = 0.011), left ventricular diastolic dysfunction ( P = 0.009) and left ventricular geometric remodeling ( P = 0.020). Higher CFPWV was independently associated with greater burden of subclinical disease in renal impairment, left ventricular geometric remodeling and diastolic dysfunction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To assess whether late remote ischemic preconditioning (L-RIPC) is effective in myocardial protection in patients with ischemic heart disease undergoing elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). L-RIPC is exerted by newly synthesized cardioprotective proteins. The cardioprotective effects of L-RIPC are more durable. 200 consecutive patients undergoing elective PCI were randomized to receive L-RIPC (induced by three 5-minute inflations of a blood pressure cuff to 200 mmHg around the upper arm, followed by 5-min intervals of reperfusion) or control (an uninflated cuff around the arm) at 18 h before PCI. Creatine phosphokinase (CK), its cardiac isoenzyme (CK-MB), troponin I (TNI), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels were measured at 24 h after PCI. Adverse events' rates at 6 months were assessed. Compared with the control group, patients in L-RIPC group were observed with significantly lower incidences in Chest pain score >1 and ECG ST deviation >1 mm ( P < 0.05). The median TNI, CK, and CK-MB concentrations at 24 h were lower in the L-RIPC group (0.009 vs. 0.036 ng/mL, 123 vs. 186 IU/L, 15 vs. 27 IU/L; P < 0.05). There was no statistical difference in hs-CRP between two groups. At 6 months, the adverse events' rate was lower in the L-RIPC group ( P = 0.036). L-RIPC is effective in myocardial protection in patients undergoing elective PCI and reduces adverse events' rate at 6 months. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inflammatory responses are an important element in the atherosclerotic process. Therefore, inflammatory markers can potentially serve as predictors of cardiovascular risk. However, the existing data are limited and controversial. We conducted a prospective cohort study with 263 patients with first acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) who were admitted to our Hospital within 6 h after the symptoms onset. Clinical data were recorded and serum admission levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1), soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1), and soluble P-selectin (sP-selectin) were determined. The patients were then followed up for 3 years to document cardiovascular mortality. During the follow-up, 34 patients died from cardiovascular causes. The admission levels of IL-6 were significantly higher in these patients, whereas sICAM-1, sVCAM-1, and sP-selectin were comparable between these and the survived patients. The Kaplan-Meier plots revealed a significant increase in cardiovascular mortality with increasing levels of IL-6 ( P = 0.0002, χ test). The logistic regression analysis indicated that IL-6 was an independent predictor for cardiovascular mortality. To conclude, our findings indicate that elevated admission levels of IL-6, but not soluble adhesion molecules, provide valuable information for risk assessment of long-term cardiovascular mortality in patients with STEMI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Micro-droplet deposition manufacture is a novel direct metal rapid prototyping for building the miniaturized parts. In this paper, the relationship between the droplet diameter and the operating parameters is investigated to obtain the optimal condition for the accurate droplet generation. The droplet generator is designed to adjust the parameters such as the infinitesimal disturbance and the jet velocity. Experiments with the different materials have been conducted to study the feasibility of the accurate droplet generation for the manufacturing. Spherical and uniform water micro-droplets within 2.4% variation are generated using an orifice diameter of 150 μm, and tin–lead alloy droplets are produced with an orifice diameter of 100 μm in the argon environment. The results show that the generator can produce accurate micro-droplets which meet the requirements of fabricating the miniaturized parts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract  Genetic effects and genotype by environment (GE) interaction effects for some important agronomic traits of Chinese vegetable mustard were analyzed by using a genetic model including additive, dominance, additive × additive effects and their interaction effects with the environment. Four variations of Chinese vegetable mustard as parental lines and their F1s, F2s were evaluated in two locations. It was revealed that the agronomic traits of Chinese vegetable mustard were mainly controlled by genetic effects except plant weight (PW) and leaf weight (LW) were observed to be more affected by GE interaction effects. Among the genetic effects, additive effects took the main proportion for tiller number (TN), leaf number (LN), leaf breadth (LB) and LW; dominance effects were the main components of PW, leaf length (LL), root weight (RW) and plant height (PH); additive × additive effects were the main components of plant breadth (PB). Among the GE interaction effects, additive × environment interaction effects mainly affected LB, LW and RW, while PW, LL, PH and PB were mainly controlled by dominance × environment interaction effects. Besides, additive × additive × environment interaction was the main factor, which controlled TN and LN of Chinese vegetable mustard. For heterosis analyses, TN, LN, LB and LW of Chinese vegetable mustard showed positive HPM and negative HPB. The other traits showed positive HPM and HPB. Heterosis arising from GE interaction was found to varying degree for different environments. It was shown that genetic heterosis and GE interaction effects were important factors for agronomic traits in Chinese vegetable mustard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract  To investigate the antifouling secondary metabolites from marine-derived fungi, we used bioassay-guided column chromatography techniques, such as HPLC, to separate and purify compounds from Cladosporium sp. F14. Extensive spectral analyses including 1D NMR spectra and MS were employed for structure elucidation of the compounds. Antilarval activity of the compounds was evaluated in settlement inhibition assays with laboratory-reared Balanus amphitrite and Bugula neritina larvae, while antibacterial activity was assessed with disc diffusion bioassay on growth inhibition of six marine bacterial species. In total, nine compounds were obtained. Among them, 3-phenyl-2-propenoic acid, cyclo-(Phe-Pro) and cyclo-(Val-Pro) had various antibacterial activities against three fouling bacteria, furthermore, 3-phenyl-2-propenoic acid and bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate effectively inhibited larval settlement of B. neritina and B. amphitrite larvae, respectively, indicating that the two compounds are potential natural antifouling agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract  In present investigation, we studied how mitochondrial–nuclear interactions may give rise to the third abnormal whorl floral organ in cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) stem mustard, which exhibited complete conversion of homeotic transformations of stamens into other floral organ structures. In this system, expressions of AP3-like, PI-like and AG-like genes, the counterpart of the Arabidopsis nuclear ABC model genes related to floral organ development, were specifically altered in floral organs of CMS plants. When mitochondrial-specific inhibitor was applied to wild type fertile stem mustard plants, expressions of AP3-like, PI-like and AG-like genes were repressed. As a consequence, abnormal floral organs were observed in its maintainer line treated with mitochondrial-specific inhibitor. Thereby, we suggest that nuclear MADS-box transcription factors subject to mitochondrial retrograde regulation were associated with cytoplasmic homeosis in CMS stem mustard and could be mimicked by specifically inhibiting mtETC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract  Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) analysis was used to evaluate the genetic relationships and diversities of Chinese vegetable mustards. Fourteen pairs of primers generated a total of 366 scorable fragments among 16 accessions of Brassica juncea studied, of which 296 bands were polymorphic with an average of 21.1% polymorphic bands per primer combination. Genetic similarities were obtained using Nei and Li similarity coefficients, and a dendrogram of the 16 accessions was made by UPGMA clustering method. The Nei and Li Similarity coefficient value ranged from 0.63 to 0.88. This result indicated that the 16 accessions of B. juncea possessed high level genetic variations. The cluster analysis showed that the vegetable mustards could be grouped into two main groups and some minor rami, which was partially in accordance with the traditional classification that based on different edible organs of vegetable mustards. The incongruity between morphological and molecular classification might be attributed to the high selection pressure during domestication of Chinese vegetable mustards, producing some accessions with similar genetic backgrounds evolving into abundant morphological variations. The great diversification among Chinese vegetable mustards not only provides an excellent object for molecular evolution research of B. juncea but also is of great value for widening the genetic basis of breeding programs and breeding materials selection. Besides, our study also indicates that AFLP are informative and can provide significant insights for genetic diversity research in B. juncea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract  Sequence variation of nuclear internal transcribed spacer regions of ribosomal DNA (ITS1, 5.8S rRNA and ITS2) from Chinese vegetable mustards (AB-genome) and its putative parents Brassica rapa (the A-genome) and Brassica nigra (the B-genome) were used to investigate the molecular phylogeny and the probable evolutional pattern of this amphidiploid species that uniquely formed in China. Totally, 16 accessions of Chinese vegetable mustard those covering nearly all the diverse variations were included in this study, and together with three accessions of B. rapa and one accession of B. nigra. The results disclosed two strongly supported clades, one containing four accessions of vegetable mustard which have closer relationship with B-genome species “B.nigra” lineage and the other containing 12 accessions of B. juncea and three A-genome accessions. This classification was in disagreement with the evidence from chloroplast DNA, mitochondrial DNA, nuclear DNA restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP), which suggested that B. juncea was closely related to the A-genome type. For the incongruence, we speculated that the B. juncea crops derived from Chinese have evolved through different recombined events of the diploid morphutypes and evolved unidirectional concerted evolution. The traditional phenotypic classification of B. juncea was not wholly supported by ITS results, and hence the phylogenetic relationships among these subspecies need to be reconsidered on molecular level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DNA sequencing analysis was used to investigate genetic alterations in therpoB, katG, andinhAregulatory region andembBin 66Mycobacterium tuberculosisisolates recovered from Central China. Of the 36 multidrug-resistant isolates, 33 (92%) had mutations in the amplified region ofrpoB. The most frequent mutation (58%, 19/36) was S531L (TCG→TTG). At least one mutation was found in thekatGandinhAregulatory region in 83% (30/36) of the multidrug-resistant isolates, and mutations atkatGcodon 315 were identified in 78% (28/36). Alterations atembB306 may not confer resistance to EMB, andembB306 mutants were more frequently accompanied byrpoBmutations (100%, 16/16) than bykatG315 mutations (75%, 12/16). Our results show that geographic variation in the molecular genetic mechanism is responsible for drug resistance in multidrug-resistantM. tuberculosis. This observation will facilitate the development of a rapid molecular drug resistance screening approach for drug-resistantM. tuberculosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a new metal forming technology, the liquid infiltration and semi-solid extrusion process can produce various composite parts, such as tubes, bars, and shaped products, in a single process. In this paper, the liquid infiltration and semi-solid extrusion process for forming a composite tube is simulated by means of thermal rigid-plastic quasi-coupling FEM method. The key technologies such as the handling of liquid phase zone, the transition between liquid and solid phase zones, the grid re-meshing method and the establishment of the boundary condition have also been studied. Based on the FEM simulation software developed by the authors and the grid re-meshing technology, the distribution of stress field, strain field and deformation force in the liquid infiltration and semi-solid extrusion process for forming composite tubes are obtained. The deformation force simulation results accord with the experimental data, indicating the reliability of the system. Therefore, the present research is theoretically valuable in the product quality control and the process parameter choice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eastern and southern coastal zones of Laizhou Bay are the most representative seawater intruded areas in the world, with two intrusion sources of contemporary seawater and paleobrine. In order to reveal the complicated hydrochemical changing process and the mechanism of fresh groundwater being polluted by saltwater, we conducted long-term observation and hydrochemical analysis at four observing sections of typical salt-fresh water transitional zone. The study indicates that seawater and brine intrusion processes have different hydrochemical features, and that ion exchange and adsorption actions between water and aquifer produce great influence on the intrusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Angiogenesis involves endothelial cell invasion and migration into the surrounding tissue where cells differentiate, to form new lumen-containing vessels. We have investigated the role of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3-kinase) in vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)- and fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-induced angiogenesis. Angiogenesis in vivo in chick embryos was inhibited by treatment with the PI3-kinase inhibitors wortmannin and LY294002. Stimulation of primary bovine capillary endothelial (BCE) cells with FGF-2, VEGF-A165, or a combination of the two induced PI3-kinase activity in vitro and subsequent activation of the serine/threonine kinase Akt. The combination of FGF-2 and VEGF-A165 led to an additive response. Activation of PI3-kinase was strictly required for FGF-2- and VEGF-A165-induced migration and DNA synthesis of BCE cells. Tubular morphogenesis was unaffected by treatment with wortmannin or LY294002, but survival of the tubular structures was dependent on PI3-kinase activity. VEGF-A165 and FGF-2 induced increased stability of the tubular structures in a synergistic manner. These data indicate that PI3-kinase activity is required for migration, mitogenicity and survival but not for differentiation of endothelial cells during angiogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Embryonic stem (ES) cells, derived from the inner cell mass (ICM) of a blastocyst, can differentiate into almost all kinds of cells of the body under certain circumstances. These so-called pluripotent cells have great potential in cell therapy treating many intractable human diseases. However, its derivation is by no means an easy task. Isolation of ICM is one of the crucial steps of the procedure. Most currently-existed ES cells were derived from the ICM isolated from a blastocyst by immunosurgery. This technique is not only time-consuming, but also has a danger contaminating ES cells with animal materials, which may cause unpredicted diseases if transplanted into human being in cell therapy. The authors invented a new method of isolation by micro surgical technique with the aid of an inverted microscope (Olympus IX71) equipped with micromanipulators (Eppendorf Transferman NK2). This method has three steps: 1) Holding needle anchored the embryo on the side of ICM with suction supplied by a micrometer syringe; 2) cutting off the zona pellucida, and 3) tearing off the trophoblastic layer from the nudity blastocyst. They compared their method with traditional immunosurgery in isolating time, ICM adherence time, as well as the successful rates of derivation. ICR mouse blastocysts of 3.5dpc were harvested by means of superovulation. Fifty of Grade blastocysts were randomly divided into the microsurgery group and the immunosurgery group, 25 each. The isolated ICM from both methods were cultured on the mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEF) cell feeder layers for 3 to 5 days. The ES cell-like colonies were sub-cloning cultured twice and further passaged. The pluripotent properties of the cell lines obtained were analyzed on the basis of their alkaline phosphatase activity and their capacity to form complex embryonic bodies with rhythmically contracting cardiomyocytes. In results, using this improved micromanipulation procedure, the adherence time is almost the same with immunosurgery method, but the adherence and success rate of establish embryonic stem cell lines were greatly increased compared with immunosurgery method. Thirteen stable ES clones were obtained and were passaged to 13th generation. These cell lines were characterized as nest like in morphology, positive for alkaline phosphatatse staining and expression of markers of undifferentiated mES cells, keep normal karyotype. The differentiation of ES cells were outgrowth from embryonic bodies in vitro, while three embryonic derms were formed from ES cells in vivo. In conclusion, this improved microsurgical method of ICM isolation is more efficient and super in derivation of ES cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]