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The effects of bio-optical feedback through chlorophyll on future tropical cyclone (TC) activity are not well understood. Here we use Earth system model simulations with the biogeochemical feedback turned on and off to investigate the influence of chlorophyll changes on projections of TCs over the western North Pacific (WNP). An increase in chlorophyll in the tropical eastern Pacific and a decrease in the tropical western Pacific lead to a La Niña-like sea surface temperature warming. This pattern plays a crucial role in enhancing the genesis potential index over the southeastern WNP by 10.16% through strengthening of the Walker and local Hadley circulations. The enhanced genesis potential index is further supported by an additional higher-resolution atmospheric model experiment that shows a 71% increase in TC genesis over the southeastern WNP (from 2.00 to 3.43 yr−1) and a 27.02% enhancement in TC landfall frequency in East Asia (from 4.33 to 5.50 yr−1).

Area postrema syndrome (APS) is recognized as a core feature in neuromyelitis optica (NMO) diagnosis. Isolated APS can occur at NMO onset and frequently results in a delay of diagnosis, along with devastating secondary neurologic deficits. To date, few studies have characterized APS-onset neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (APSO-NMOSD).

L’imagerie médicale computationnelle (ou radiomique) est une discipline récente et extrêmement prometteuse. Elle consiste en l’analyse informatique d’images médicales et les traduit en données quantitatives complexes. Ces données de haute-dimension permettent une caractérisation et une analyse plus en profondeur du phénotype tumoral. L’imagerie médicale computationnelle présente l’avantage d’être non-invasive, de pouvoir évaluer la maladie tumorale dans sa globalité, et de pouvoir être répétée dans le temps pour suivre l’évolution tumorale au cours du temps. L’imagerie médicale computationnelle a pour objectif final de déterminer des biomarqueurs d’imagerie apportant une aide à la décision médicale et permettant aussi de mieux comprendre la biologie du cancer.

La réaction de rappel d’irradiation ou « radiation recall dermatitis » est une réaction cutanée inflammatoire survenant sur un territoire irradié, des semaines à des années après la radiothérapie, le plus souvent après une prise médicamenteuse. Nous rapportons le cas d’une patiente ayant présenté une réaction de rappel d’irradiation 5 mois après une radiothérapie de la pyramide nasale, sans facteur déclenchant identifié.

To determine the clinical non-inferiority of recombinant glargine-Basalin vs glargine-Lantus, in treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) using continuous glucose monitoring system (CGMS). One hundred patients with T2DM were recruited. They were either regularly taking Basalin (Basalin group) or Lantus (Lantus group) (n= 50 each). CGMS was employed to real-time monitor blood glucose profile for 4 days (from day 1 to day 5). To exclude the effect of patient background, the study design was to have a blinded crossover from glargine-Basalin to glargine-Lantus on day 3, and vice versa. 24-hour mean blood glucose (24hMBG), 24-hour standard deviation of blood glucose (24hSDBG), 24-hour mean amplitude of glycemic excursion (24hMAGE), and number of glycemic excursion (NGE) every 24 h (24hNGE) were calculated for each glargine from 100 patients. No significant difference of 24hMBG, 24hSDBG, 24hMAGE, and 24hNGE (p> 0.05 for all) was found between Basalin and Lantus treatments. The glucose area under the curve and time when blood glucose was below 3.9 mmol/L, between 3.9 and 10.0 mmol/L, or above 10.0 mmol/L were similar between Basalin and Lantus treatment. The frequency of hypoglycemic episodes was also similar. However, the mean cost of Basalin was only 72% of Lantus’s in one treatment course. Glargine-Basalin is non-inferior in clinical efficacy compared to glargine-Lantus. In view of the large difference in the cost of glargine-Basalin, it would be much more cost-effective for our patients.

Production of high-quality meat is important to satisfy the consumer and allow the pork industry to be competitive. It is evident that different muscle fiber types in different breeds greatly influence the pork quality, but the underlying molecular mechanism remains unclear. We used Ribo-Zero RNA-Seq and miRNA-Seq to examine global expressions of protein-coding transcripts and non-coding RNAs including miRNA, lncRNA, and circRNA in the longissimus dorsi of Landrace and Lantang pigs. Of the 22,469 identified coding transcripts, only 547 candidates were differentially expressed, including 461 upregulated and 86 downregulated transcripts in the Lantang pigs compared with Landrace. Gene ontology analysis of these differentially-expressed transcripts further revealed 17 genes involved in myogenesis. In addition, 5,566 lncRNA and 4,360 circRNA candidates were found to be differentially expressed. Of these, 3,976 lncRNAs and 1,401 circRNAs were upregulated in the Lantang library, while 1,590 lncRNAs and 2,959 circRNAs were downregulated. Of the differentially expressed circRNAs, 236 candidates were edited from 93 functional hosting-genes related to myogenesis. We found 96 showed upregulation and 140 showed downregulation. By analyzing Ribo-Zero RNA-Seq data in combination with matched miRNA profiles, we identified 68 sponge modulators participating in 26 miRNA-mediated ceRNA interactions, including 19 lncRNAs, 40 circRNAs, and 9 mRNAs. Our study uncovered a novel post-transcriptional regulation layer which could help in the understanding of the mechanisms that underlie porcine myofiber development in different breeds.

Background: Copy Number Variations (CNVs) are an important genetic cause of a number of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDs). However, the association between CNVs and the development and prognosis of fetal isolated mild ventriculomegaly (IMV) is unclear. Objectives: To investigate possible associations between CNVs and the development of fetal IMV. Methods: This retrospective study recruited 154 subjects with ultrasound-confirmed fetal IMV and 190 subjects in a control cohort who underwent a high-risk prenatal serum screening program. The exclusion criteria included fetus G-banding chromosomal abnormality or positive fetus TORCH infection. DNA samples from all 344 fetuses were examined by an SNP-array. Developmental outcomes were assessed during postnatal follow-up. Results: Fourteen pathogenic CNVs (pCNVs) were identified in 13 out of 154 IMV fetuses. Three pCNVs were found in 3 out of 190 subjects in the prenatal screening high-risk cohort, with a significant difference (P value=0.016, X2 test). Notably, the 14 pCNVs detected in the IMV cohort were all associated with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDs), including autism, intellectual disability. Among the 13 IMV fetuses carrying pCNVs, five subjects were found in the postnatal follow-up to manifest NDs, including two with autism and three with mild neurodevelopmental delay. The other 8 subjects consisted of three normal infants younger than 12-months old, two lost in the follow-up, and three with the termination of pregnancy. Out of 141 IMV subjects without detectable pCNVs, 123 subjects showed normal development, 16 were lost in the follow-up, 2 subjects terminated the pregnancy due to fetal hydrocephalus or congenital heart disease in the late fetus development. Conclusions: This study suggests an association between pCNVs and fetal IMV. pCNVs may be involved in the pathological process of fetal IMV and postnatal NDs. Identifying specific genomic alterations may provide an insight into pathogenetic mechanism and aid better diagnosis and prognosis of neurodevelopmental outcomes in fetal IMV.

Fluoridated hydroxyapatite (FHAp) coating was directly fabricated on AZ91D magnesium alloy without using any chelating agents by a facile hydrothermal method. The results show that the as-prepared coating is mainly composed of FHAp and magnesium whitlockite. The morphology of the FHAp coating is changed with the increase of the F−ion doping amount, and the FHAp-0.04 coating has a much uniform and dense structure than the FHAp-0.02 coating. The FHAp coating can remarkably reduce the corrosion rate of the substrate in simulated body fluid (SBF) solution, particularly during the initial immersion stages. Moreover, the FHAp coating can also induce the formation of apatite particles after being immersed in SBF, indicating the good bioactivity of the coating.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common cancer of the head and neck and is associated with a high rate of lymph node metastasis. The initial step in the metastasis and transition of tumors is epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT)-induced angiogenesis, which can be mediated by angiopoietin 2 (ANG2), a key regulatory factor in angiogenesis. In the present study, immunohistochemistry and real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase (qRT-PCR) were used to measure the expression of ANG2 in OSCC tissues. Plasmids encoding ANG2 mRNA were used for increased ANG2 expression in the OSCC cell line TCA8113. The short interfering RNA (siRNA)-targeting ANG2 mRNA sequences were used to inhibit ANG2 expression in TCA8113 cells. Subsequently, transwell assays were performed to examine the effects of ANG2 on TCA8113 cell migration and invasion. Furthermore, in vivo assays were performed to assess the effect of ANG2 on tumor growth. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assays and immunohistochemistry were used to examine cell apoptosis and angiogenesis in tumor tissues, respectively. Finally, western blot analysis was performed to evaluate tumor formation-related proteins in OSCC tissues. We found that protein expression of ANG2 was remarkably upregulated in OSCC tissues. Overexpression of ANG2 increased the migration and invasion of TCA8113 cells by regulating EMT. Further investigations showed that overexpression of ANG2 increased tumor growth in nude mice, and angiogenesis of OSCC tissues increased in the presence of ANG2 overexpression. Overexpression of ANG2 also reduced cell apoptosis in tumor tissue cells. Finally, we found that overexpression of ANG2 resulted in changes in the expression of tumor formation-related proteins including vimentin, E-cadherin, Bim, PUMA, Bcl-2, Bax, Cyclin D1, PCNA and CD31. Our findings show that ANG2 has an important role in the migration and invasion of OSCC. More importantly, further investigations suggested that overexpression of ANG2 might increase OSCC metastasis by promoting angiogenesis in nude mice. This stimulatory effect could be achieved by inducing abnormal EMT and by reducing apoptosis and increasing proliferation of cells.

X-linked intellectual disability (XLID) is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous disorder. During the past two decades in excess of 100 X-chromosome ID genes have been identified. Yet, a large number of families mapping to the X-chromosome remained unresolved suggesting that more XLID genes or loci are yet to be identified. Here, we have investigated 405 unresolved families with XLID. We employed massively parallel sequencing of all X-chromosome exons in the index males. The majority of these males were previously tested negative for copy number variations and for mutations in a subset of known XLID genes by Sanger sequencing. In total, 745 X-chromosomal genes were screened. After stringent filtering, a total of 1297 non-recurrent exonic variants remained for prioritization. Co-segregation analysis of potential clinically relevant changes revealed that 80 families (20%) carried pathogenic variants in established XLID genes. In 19 families, we detected likely causative protein truncating and missense variants in 7 novel and validated XLID genes (CLCN4, CNKSR2, FRMPD4, KLHL15, LAS1L, RLIM and USP27X) and potentially deleterious variants in 2 novel candidate XLID genes (CDK16 and TAF1). We show that the CLCN4 and CNKSR2 variants impair protein functions as indicated by electrophysiological studies and altered differentiation of cultured primary neurons from Clcn4−/−mice or after mRNA knock-down. The newly identified and candidate XLID proteins belong to pathways and networks with established roles in cognitive function and intellectual disability in particular. We suggest that systematic sequencing of all X-chromosomal genes in a cohort of patients with genetic evidence for X-chromosome locus involvement may resolve up to 58% of Fragile X-negative cases.

The latitude of lifetime maximum intensity (LMI) location (ϕLMI) of Atlantic tropical cyclones (TCs) is related to the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) with a significant negative correlation for 1948–2018. We objectively classify TC tracks into four patterns, to evaluate the effects of variations in dominant track patterns (track ϕLMI) and intra‐pattern ϕLMI(pure ϕLMI) on the total ϕLMIvariation. During the warm phases of AMO, the prevailed south‐origin track patterns and equatorward pure ϕLMIshifts have almost equally contributed to the equatorward migration of the total ϕLMI. The negative anomaly of potential intensity in the subtropics is responsible for the equatorward shift of pure ϕLMI. Moreover, weak vertical wind shear in the tropics increases the south‐origin track patterns. These environmental conditions are associated with the east‐strong and west‐weak relative sea surface temperature warming during the warm phases that causes anomalous upward and downward motions in the eastern and western Atlantic, respectively. The location where tropical cyclone (TC) attains their lifetime maximum intensity is an important factor to determine the magnitude of its societal impact. Considering the land‐sea distribution in the Atlantic, poleward migration of the location means that the TC can grow longer until it closer to the land. Besides, the location of lifetime maximum intensity is generally better observed than any other development stage. For these reasons, many previous studies investigated its long‐term variation. According to some studies, in the North Atlantic, the location has shifted toward the equator for a recent decade, which appeared to be a part of the multidecadal variability known as the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO). Here, we also found that the location significantly varies by multidecadal time scales, which is well attributable to the AMO. In addition, we revealed that the migration of the location is equally controlled by the track pattern and the in‐track‐pattern location change, all of which are well explained by the large‐scale circulation related with the AMO. Our finding can be helpful to foresee near‐future variation of the location of tropical cyclones lifetime maximum intensity. The negative correlation between the Atlantic multidecadal oscillation (AMO) and latitudinal variation of Atlantic tropical cyclone lifetime maximum intensity (LMI) is reaffirmedEffects of variations in dominant track patterns and intra‐pattern LMI location are almost equally importantBoth variations of track patterns and intra‐pattern LMI location are attributable to the AMO‐related environments The negative correlation between the Atlantic multidecadal oscillation (AMO) and latitudinal variation of Atlantic tropical cyclone lifetime maximum intensity (LMI) is reaffirmed Effects of variations in dominant track patterns and intra‐pattern LMI location are almost equally important Both variations of track patterns and intra‐pattern LMI location are attributable to the AMO‐related environments

Spontaneous small-bowel hematomas most commonly involve the jejunum, followed by the ileum and duodenum, and occur in patients who receive excessive anticoagulation with phenprocoumon/warfarin or who have additional risk factors for bleeding.Spontaneous small-bowel hematomas most commonly involve the jejunum, followed by the ileum and duodenum, and occur in patients who receive excessive anticoagulation with phenprocoumon/warfarin or who have additional risk factors for bleeding.

The old saw about artificially intelligent systems is that they have no common sense. Among the various methods currently studied to remedy this defect is the integration of rule-based and […]

Cadmium sulfide (CdS), indium sulfide (In2S3) and zinc sulfide (ZnS) thin films have been deposited by chemical bath deposition (CBD) for buffer layer applications in Cu–chalcopyrite‐based thin film solar cells. Films were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV–Vis transmission, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), grazing‐incidence X‐ray diffraction (GIXRD), and spectroscopic ellipsometry. Results indicate CdS can be deposited with low oxygen content and high light transmission over 245–1700 nm. CBD‐ZnS and CBD‐InS both exhibit 5–10% less light transmission than CdS in the same thickness range. In terms of light transmission and degree of impurities CdS appears to be a better buffer material than CBD‐ZnS or CBD‐InS.

It is important to characterize conditions under which atrial fibrillation (AF) is likely to terminate spontaneously. A novel method is proposed here. Eleven features are first extracted to characterize RR interval and Poincaré plot from a statistical viewpoint and a geometric viewpoint respectively. Then sequential forward search (SFS) algorithm is utilized for feature selection. Finally, a fuzzy support vector machine (FSVM) with a new fuzzy membership is applied for AF termination prediction. The method is studied with an AF database of electrocardiogram (ECG) recordings provided by PhysioNet for the Cardiology Challenge 2004. It is divided into a training set and two testing sets (A and B). Experiment results show that 100 per cent of testing set A and 100 per cent of testing set B are correctly classified, together with 92.3 per cent of non-terminating and soon-terminating AF correctly classified. It demonstrates that the proposed method can predict spontaneous termination of AF effectively.

Continuous quality improvement efforts have become a central focus of leading health care organizations. The transplant community has been a pioneer in periodic review of clinical outcomes to ensure the optimal use of limited donor organs. Through data collected from the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) and analyzed by the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR), transplantation professionals have intermittent access to specific, accurate and clinically relevant data that provides information to improve transplantation. Statistical process control techniques, including cumulative sum charts (CUSUM), are designed to provide continuous, real-time assessment of clinical outcomes. Through the use of currently collected data, CUSUMs can be constructed that provide risk-adjusted program-specific data to inform quality improvement programs. When retrospectively compared to currently available data reporting, the CUSUM method was found to detect clinically significant changes in center performance more rapidly, which has the potential to inform center leadership and enhance quality improvement efforts.

We investigated the relationship between tropical cyclones (TCs) and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) over the western North Pacific (WNP) during 1982–2018, focusing on an area surrounding the Korean Peninsula and Japan. The frequency of TCs passing through this area (TCm) in the negative PDO phase was approximately 50% higher than that in the positive phase in September. Higher TC track density was observed around the Korean Peninsula and Japan in the negative PDO phase because the large‐scale environments were favorable for TC activity. However, TCmand PDO were not related in August because the location of WNP subtropical high was not significantly different. In addition, large‐scale environments, which were associated with TC activity, provided more favorable conditions in September than in August. Tropical cyclones (TCs) are destructive natural hazards in Far East Asia due to strong winds, storm surges, and heavy precipitation, which could lead to considerable casualties and property damage. The relationship between TCs and Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) was examined over the western North Pacific (WNP) during 1982–2018. We focused on an analysis area from 30–45°N and 120–150°E, which included the Korean Peninsula and Japan. The frequency of TCs passing through the analysis area (TCm) and PDO had a negative correlation in September. In the negative PDO phase, large‐scale environments, including sea‐surface temperature, vertical wind shear, and steering winds, were favorable for TC activity in the mid‐latitudes. Large‐scale environments in the positive phase showed the opposite trend. However, TCmand PDO were not related in August because the difference in WNP subtropical high was insignificant. Furthermore, the anomalies of large‐scale environments (e.g., vertical wind shear and steering wind) over the mid‐latitudes were not significant in August compared to those in September. A negative correlation exists between the frequency of TCs affecting the Far East Asia and Pacific Decadal Oscillation in SeptemberTC activity around the Korean Peninsula and Japan could be influenced by large‐scale environmental conditionsThe different effects of PDO in August and September could be because of the expansion of the western North Pacific subtropical high A negative correlation exists between the frequency of TCs affecting the Far East Asia and Pacific Decadal Oscillation in September TC activity around the Korean Peninsula and Japan could be influenced by large‐scale environmental conditions The different effects of PDO in August and September could be because of the expansion of the western North Pacific subtropical high

The purpose of this study is to explore the osteoinductivity of the composite materials (calcium phosphate ceramics/PLA or collagen composites) with similar physical character of osteoinductive calcium phosphate ceramics and the influence of the chemical composition of the composite materials on osteoinductivity, and also to provide an experimental evidence for optimizing the design of the composite materials. Two kinds of composite materials were prepared. One (BCP/PLA) is fabricated with different ratio of BCP (biphasic calcium phosphate) ceramics powder and PDLLA powder through the particulateleaching technique. The other (BCP/collagen) is that BCP ceramics sintered at 1250oC and modified with collagen. The porous materials cylinders with Φ 5×8 mm were prepared. SEM was used to observe the microstructure and physical morphology of the composite materials. The two groups of composite materials cylinders were implanted in the dorsal muscles of four dogs. Six samples of each group were implanted in each dog respectively. The specimens were harvested at 2, 4, 12 and 24 weeks post operation, and thin decalcified sections were prepared for light microscopy (LM) analysis to evaluate their osteoinductivity and compare the capability of osteoinduction. The fibro-tissue and bone-like tissue were observed in the two composites, but no obvious bone formation was found in the tested periods. The results indicated that the composite materials could modify the mechanical property of ceramics. However, if the composite materials were biodegraded soon, new bone could not form into the scaffold, and the calcium phosphate should be the major component of osteoinductive materials.

Background: Avian influenza A virus H5N1 has caused widespread infections that have resulted in severe disease or death in poultry and wild birds as well as human beings. This virus has the potential to emerge as a pandemic threat and H5N1 vaccines are being developed in many countries. Our aim was to assess the safety and immunogenicity of an inactivated adjuvanted whole-virion H5N1 vaccine. Methods: A stratified randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind phase I clinical trial was done in 120 volunteers aged 18-60 years. Volunteers were assigned to receive two doses of placebo (n=24) or an inactivated whole-virion influenza A (H5N1) vaccine with 1.25 @mg (24), 2.5 @mg (24), 5 @mg (24), or 10 @mg (24) haemagglutinin per dose with aluminium hydroxide adjuvant on day 0 and 28. Serum samples were obtained on day 0, 14, 28, 42, and 56 for haemagglutination inhibition and virus neutralisation assays. This trial is registered with the ClinicalTrials.gov registry with the number NCT00356798. Findings: All four formulations of vaccines were well tolerated. No serious adverse event was reported and most local and systemic reactions were mild and transient. All formulations induced antibody responses after the first dose; the highest immune response of 78% seropositivity was seen in the 10 @mg group after two vaccine doses. Two individuals dropped out: one in the 1.25 @mg group (withdrew consent) and one in the 10 @mg group (discontinued); one individual was also excluded from the final analysis. Interpretation: A two-dose regimen of an adjuvanted 10 @mg inactivated whole-virion H5N1 vaccine met all European regulatory requirements for annual licensing of seasonal influenza vaccine. Lower doses of this vaccine could achieve immune responses equivalent to those elicited by adjuvanted or non-adjuvanted split-virion vaccines. The use of a whole virion vaccine could be more adaptable to the antigen-sparing strategy recommended by WHO for protection against an influenza pandemic.

The chemical composition and fiber morphology of Caragana korshinskii were investigated in this study. Isolation of cellulose was performed in a nonsulfur acetic acid/nitric acid system under various conditions. The influence of three factors, i.e., nitric acid concentration (0, 2, 4, 6, 8, or 10%), temperature (95, 100, 110, 115, 120, or 130°C), and reaction time (30, 40, 50, 60, or 90 min) on the cellulose properties (viscosity, yield, and molecular weight) was studied. The cellulose isolated was characterized by using Fourier transform infrared, gas chromatography, high performance liquid chromatography, solid‐state cross‐polarization magic angle spinning carbon‐13 nuclear magnetic resonance, wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction, and thermogravimetric analysis/differential scanning calorimetry techniques. The results showed that the treatment using 80% acetic acid and nitric acid as a catalyst under the given conditions resulted in slight acetylation of the cellulose and increased the degree of crystallinity of cellulose except for significant degradation of lignin and hemicellulosic polymers. The thermal stability of the cellulose declined with an increase in nitric acid concentration. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 101: 3251–3263, 2006

Highly purified cellulose preparations were obtained by pretreatment of dewaxed barley straw, oil palm frond fiber, poplar wood, maize stems, wheat straw, rice straw, and rye straw with 2.0% H2O2 at 45°C and pH 11.6 for 16 h, and sequential purification with 80% acetic acid–70% nitric acid (10/1, v/v) at 120°C for 15 min. The purified cellulose obtained was relatively free of bound hemicelluloses (2.3–3.2%) and lignin (0.4–0.6%) and had a yield of 35.5% from barley straw, 39.6% from oil palm frond fiber, 40.8% from poplar wood, 36.0% from maize stems, 34.1% from wheat straw, 23.4% from rice straw, and 35.8% from rye straw. The weight‐average molecular weights of the purified cellulose ranged from 39,030 to 48,380 g/mol. The thermal stability of the purified cellulose was higher than that of the corresponding crude cellulose. In comparison, the isolated crude and purified cellulose samples were also studied by Fourier transform IR and cross‐polarization/magic‐angle spinning 13C‐NMR spectroscopy. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 97: 322–335, 2005

A controlled cross-linking polymerization system was designed, and soluble chemically cross-linked polyurethane was synthesized using laurylamine, n-octylamine, n-pentylamine, and ethylenediamine chain extenders. The mechanical analysis showed that the polyurethane materials synthesized in this paper have very excellent mechanical properties with a breaking elongation of 1914% and a tensile strength of 4303 N/cm². Such good mechanical properties must enable it to have good longevity when used as biomaterials. The polyurethane materials with n-pentylamine and n-octylamine chain extenders show reduced platelet adhesion than that with an ethylenediamine chain extender after sustaining 200 000 times of load cycles, indicating that polyurethanes introduced with an alkyl side chain onto the hard segments keep good antithrombogenic properties after sustaining load cycles. This might be because the hard segments are shielded by the alkyl side chain when the micro-phase-separation structure is destroyed in the repeated deformation of the polyurethane materials. The present investigation reveals that the influence of introducing long alkyl side chains into the backbone of the polyurethane macromolecule has been shown to reduce platelet deposition and to enhance in vitro albumin adsorption. However, in this paper, it has been observed that the polyurethane material introduced with a proper-length alkyl side chain onto the hard segment has the best antithrombogenic properties after the fatigue test.

Negotiation is of critical importance in e-commerce applications where the supply chain is dynamic and reconfiguring. In this research supply chain negotiation problems are addressed as constraint-satisfaction problems. In general each negotiation is handled in the largest scope possible to avoid the sub-optimality that can result from many local solutions. This global approach, however, must be balanced with time constraints that apply in e-commerce supply chain execution. In this paper, we describe a new approach for e-commerce supply chain negotiation via constraint evaluation. As well, results from prototype software, distributed across the internet, are discussed. Beyond the general formulation, we describe a more particular problem of kitted demand where a collection of purchased items must be acquired within the same time horizon. To address slow convergence a time-based penalty function is proposed.

After ultrasonic irradiation of sugar‐cane bagasse (SCB) in distilled water at 55 °C for 40 min and continuing stirring for 80 min, the irradiated SCB was sequentially treated with 0.5 M NaOH, 0.5 %, 1.0 %, 1.5 %, 2.0 % and 3.0 % H2O2 at pH 11.5, and 2 M NaOH at 55 °C for 2 h, which solubilized 3.3, 59.7, 15.5, 4.4, 5.5, 1.7, 0.6 and 0.6 % of the original lignin, and 13.4, 38.2, 11.9, 4.5, 9.0, 2.4, 1.2, and 11.3 % of the original hemicelluloses, respectively. In total, the sequential extractions resulted in a release of 91.2 % of the original lignin and 91.9 % of the original hemicelluloses, which were higher than in the case of corresponding extractions without ultrasound pre‐treatment. The eight lignin fractions were comparatively characterized by chemical composition, structural features, molecular weights, and thermal stability using alkaline nitrobenzene oxidation, acid hydrolysis, UV, FT‐IR, 1H and 13CNMR spectroscopy, GPC, and thermal analysis. Compared to the lignins obtained without ultrasound, the lignin fractions prepared with the assistance of ultrasound had the same primary structure, composition, and similar or slightly higher purity. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry

Background & Aims: Hepatic lymphocytes are composed mainly of natural killer (NK) cells and NKT cells, which play key roles in innate immune responses against pathogens and tumors in the liver. This report analyzes the effects of activation of innate immunity by viral infection or the toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) ligand on liver regeneration. Methods: The partial hepatectomy (PHx) method was used as a model of liver regeneration. Murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) infection and the TLR3 ligand polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid [poly(I:C)] were used to activate innate immunity. Results: NK cells are activated after PHx, as evidenced by producing interferon (IFN)-@c. Infection with MCMV or injection of poly(I:C) further activates NK cells to produce IFN-@c and attenuates liver regeneration in the PHx model. Depletion of NK cells or disruption of either the IFN-@c gene or the IFN-@c receptor gene enhances liver regeneration and partially abolishes the negative effects of MCMV and polyI:C on liver regeneration, whereas NKT cells may only play a minor role in suppression of liver regeneration. Adoptive transfer of IFN-@c^+^/^+ NK cells, but not IFN-@c^-^/^- NK cells, restores the ability of polyI:C to attenuate liver regeneration in NK-depleted mice. Finally, administration of polyI:C or IFN-@c enhances expression of several antiproliferative proteins, including STAT1, IRF-1, and p21cip1/waf1 in the livers of partially hepatectomized mice. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that viral infection and the TLR3 ligand negatively regulate liver regeneration via activation of innate immunity (NK/IFN-@c), which may play an important role in the pathogenesis of viral hepatitis.

Recently we showed [1] that polymer network renders chirality to racemic SmCP structures of bent-shaped molecules. It was observed that the polymer network (chiral or non-chiral) favors a chiral state over the thermodynamically stable racemic state due to the inversion symmetry breaking at the polymer - liquid crystal interfaces. The chirality transfer can be locally suppressed by exposing the liquid crystal to a strong electric field treatment. Here we report detailed observations about the surface effects on a banana-shaped liquid crystal material 1,3-phenylenebis [3- fluoro-4-noctyloxy-phenyliminomethyl) benzoate] (PBFOB). The surface effects are controlled either by sandwiching the bent-shaped molecules in glass cells with different thickness and having different coatings on the glass substrates, furthermore by filling the material in cells containing various polymer network structures. The magnitude of electric polarization, conductivity and the switching dynamics of the material were investigated when filled in such cells. We observe that macroscopic chirality can also be induced partially when the material was filled in empty cells with thickness of about 1.5 w m or less. The surface anchoring properties have an important influence on the dynamics of the polarization switching, too. Our studies indicate that surfaces prefer anticlinic director structures.

To study whether African-Americans are less likely than whites to present with cryptosporidiosis as an AIDS-defining condition (ADC), a case-control study was conducted using a large, population-based surveillance registry of AIDS patients in California. Data from January 1980 through June 1999 were analysed using risk factor stratification and multivariate logistic regression to evaluate confounding by other risk factors such as gender, injection drug use (IDU), CD4 counts, age and sexual orientation. Cases included 1373 subjects with cryptosporidiosis as an ADC and controls included 97419 subjects with other ADC. The results indicate a significantly lower risk for presentation with cryptosporidiosis as an ADC among African-Americans compared with whites (OR vs. whites = 0·5, 95% CI 0·4, 0·7). Additionally, there is evidence that heterosexuals are less likely than homosexual/bisexual males to present with cryptosporidiosis (OR = 0·5, 95% CI 0·4, 0·7). Our analyses also suggest a decreasing risk with increasing age. The possibility that there may be biologic factors or differential lifetime exposures that account for the difference between the racial/ethnic groups merits further investigation.

Ground penetrating radar (GPR) and high-resolution shallow seismic reflection have been carried out to delineate the subsurface pattern and paleoseismic facies of the active Chihshang Fault, a segment of the Longitudinal Valley Fault, eastern Taiwan. Optimum radar results were obtained along streets in the Chinyuan village. A total of 720m GPR profiles were acquired with 200MHz antenna. Two seismic sections were collected using Mini-Sosie sources, providing a frame to the radar profiles.

The photoinduced surface wettability conversion reactions of ZnO and TiO2 thin films were investigated by means of water contact angle measurement and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Before ultraviolet (UV) illumination, ZnO and TiO2 films exhibited water contact angles of ~109 and ~54°, respectively. UV illumination turned both surfaces to highly hydrophilic with water contact angles smaller than 10°. Storage in the dark reconverted the highly hydrophilic films to their original states. Reversible surface wettability conversion reactions were achieved by alternate UV illumination and storage in the dark on both the films. The similar behaviors of wettability conversion observed on ZnO and TiO2 surfaces suggest that they follow a similar conversion mechanism. Preferential adsorption of water molecules on the photogenerated surface defective sites is ascribed to the formation of highly hydrophilic ZnO and TiO2 surfaces. Achievement of highly hydrophilic ZnO and TiO2 surfaces by high-temperature annealing and Ar⁺ sputtering provided supporting evidence for the explanation that surface defective sites play crucial roles in causing the surface wettability conversion reactions.