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Purpose: The association between aldehyde exposure and bone health in humans remains unclear. This study was to evaluate the association of serum aldehydes with bone mineral density (BMD) and osteopenia/osteoporosis. Methods: We analyzed the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey cross-sectional data from 2013 to 2014. Weighted multivariate-adjusted linear regression and logistic regression models were used to assess the association between specific aldehydes and osteopenia/osteoporosis. Associations between aldehyde combinations and BMD were also evaluated using the restricted cubic spline (RCS) method. Results: Compared with men in the first tertile, those in the third tertile of propanaldehyde concentration were negatively associated with proximal femur and lumbar spine BMD. Significant inverse associations were observed between benzaldehyde exposure and trochanter BMD in women. Benzaldehyde increased the risk of osteopenia/osteoporosis 2.75-fold [95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.06, 7.11] in the highest tertile in women compared to the lowest tertile concentration. In males, the prevalence of total femur, femur neck, and trochanter osteopenia/osteoporosis was significantly higher in the highest versus the lowest tertile of propanaldehyde exposure, with odds ratios (ORs) of 6.84 (95% CI = 2.33, 20.04), 2.72 (95% CI = 1.18, 6.27), and 3.26 (95% CI = 1.25, 8.56), respectively. RCS regression also showed decreased BMD continuously with increasing serum mixed aldehyde levels. Conclusions: Serum aldehyde concentrations were associated with low BMD and high osteopenia/osteoporosis risk in adults, with propanaldehyde and benzaldehyde being the most critical. Co-exposure to aldehyde combinations was negatively correlated with BMD.

ABSTRACTIn addition to manganese, carbon partitioning has been proposed in a new medium Mn-TRIP steel by two-step partitioning during the first batching annealing and the final continuous annealing. In the second-step partitioning, the cementite dissolves and blocky austenite forms with carbon enrichment, while the partition of manganese is negligible from prior lath austenite back into ferrite due to short duration. The combined partition of carbon and manganese improves both fraction and stability of retained austenite. The alloy has exhibited the product of strength and elongation of approximately 50 GPa%. It is highlighted that there is no Lüder strain in tensile curves. The microstructure evolution and relationship of microstructure and properties have been investigated and characterised carefully in this research.This paper is part of a Thematic Issue on Medium Manganese Steels.

ABSTRACTThe effect of the Al content on the microstructure and mechanical behaviour of Mg–8Li–xAl–0.5Ca alloys is investigated. The experimental results show that an as-cast Mg–8Li–0.5Ca alloy is mainly composed of α-Mg, β-Li and granular Mg2Ca phases. With the addition of Al, the amount of α-Mg phase first increases and then decreases. In addition, the intermetallic compounds also obviously change. The microstructure of the test alloys is refined due to dynamic recrystallisation that occurs during extrusion. The mechanical properties of extruded alloys are much more desirable than the properties of as-cast alloys. The as-extruded Mg–8Li–6Al–0.5Ca alloy exhibits good comprehensive mechanical properties with an ultimate tensile strength of 251.2 MPa, a yield strength of 220.6 MPa and an elongation of 23.5%.

ABSTRACTImproving strength may lightweight car bodies by thinning the structure gauge while bearing the same crash loads. Development of the third generation advanced high-strength steels aiming to boost material ductility to over 30% total elongation has become the common sense of potential solutions for stamping. Not only total elongation but also several other parameters, involving presswork hardening, anisotropy ratio, strain rate sensitivity, uniform elongation, edge sensitivity and internal stress between phases, are critical in determining the formability under the complex stress and strain distributions during stamping. We clarify here the logic of formability and difficulties in this context of three types of steel: quenching and partitioning, δ-transformation-induced plasticity and medium Mn-TRIP.

The mammalian intestine is not only an organ for food digestion and nutrient absorption but also an integral part of the immune and endocrine systems. The intestinal epithelium under stressful environments requires epithelial cells to rapidly elicit changes in gene expression patterns to regulate their survival, adapt to stress, and maintain epithelial homeostasis. Recently, miRNAs have emerged as a novel class of posttranscriptional gene regulators that are fundamentally involved in many aspects of intestinal epithelial differentiation, architecture, and barrier function. In this review, we highlight the critical roles of miRNAs in both the crypt-villus axis of cellular self-renewal and inflammation in the mammalian intestinal mucosa and their impact on the microbiota. We also discuss the functions of specific miRNAs within the intestine to better understand the cellular mechanisms that promote intestinal homeostasis, and the influence of dietary components in the regulation of endogenous miRNA in the study of nutrition and gene regulation in intestinal health.

Myanmar is drawing rapidly increasing attention from the world for its seismic hazard. The Sagaing Fault (SF), an active right‐lateral strike‐slip fault passing through Myanmar, has been being the source of serious seismic damage of the country. Thus, awareness of seismic hazard assessment of this region is of pivotal significance by taking into account the interaction and migration of earthquakes with respect to time and space. We investigated a seismic series comprising10 earthquakes with M> 6.5 that occurred along the SF since 1906. The Coulomb failure stress modeling exhibits significant interactions among the earthquakes. After the 1906 earthquake, eight out of nine earthquakes occurred in the positively stress‐enhanced zone of the preceding earthquakes, verifying that the hypothesis of earthquake triggering is applicable on the SF. Moreover, we identified three visible positively stressed earthquake gaps on the central and southern SF, on which seismic hazard is increased. Unveiled earthquake interaction and verified earthquake triggering on Sagaing Fault, MyanmarIdentified three positively stressed earthquake gaps on the Sagaing Fault with high seismic hazardThe buildup of ΔCFS on two seismic gaps is equivalent to a tectonic loading over 10 years, even if conservatively estimated

Nutritional exchanges and cooperation between bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract and the mammalian host play an important role in health and disease. Ethanolamine is an essential dietary lipid nutrient for animals and is abundant in both intestinal and bacterial cell membranes. Ethanolamine can be utilized by intestinal eukaryotic cells via the cytidine phosphoethanolamine pathway for de novo synthesis of phosphatidylethanolamine, and certain bacteria are able to catabolize it as a major carbon and/or nitrogen source with the help of ethanolamine utilization proteins. In addition, ethanolamine utilization dramatically affects lipid metabolism and short-chain fatty acid biosynthesis. Ethanolamine metabolism plays a significant role in the renewal and proliferation of intestinal cells and intestinal inflammation, and ethanolamine may be a nutritional target to diagnose or treat diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease. This review summarizes the mechanisms of ethanolamine metabolism in the mammalian gastrointestinal tract and its influence on intestinal health and immunity, thus providing a theoretical reference for further studies on mammalian nutrition and disease.

A novel carbon and copper fibre knitted fabric (Cf/Cu) reinforced contact strip (Cf/Cu–C) was fabricated by pyrolytic carbon deposition and resin impregnation–carbonisation process. The interface characteristics of the composite were characterised by a scanning electron microscope and a metallographic microscope; resistivity, mechanical strength and wear properties with electric current were also investigated. The results indicated that the Cf/Cu–C material with density of 1.73 g cm− 3combined quite well between phase contacting areas for each interface. With resistivity of 10.16 μΩ m and bending strength of 123 MPa, the as prepared composite outperformed the present AR129 carbon contact strip (density, 1.70 g cm− 3, resistivity, 33 μΩ m; bending strength, 40 MPa). The wear mechanisms of Cf/Cu–C with electric current were proved to be slightly arc erosion and abrasive wear.

Addition of alloying elements usually moves eutectoid point to left whilst aluminium enhances eutectoid carbon content. The carbon expands lattice parameters of austenite. High aluminium addition in steels led to volume expansion at pearlite-to-austenite transformation since specific volume of austenite is larger than that of mother phases, which is proposed to determine the volume expansion or contraction. It has been proven by calculations based on thermodynamics as well as accurate experimental observations of dilatometry study.

A novel low-density steel with high aluminium content was, for the first time, manufactured as coils by the conventional industry process consisting of continuous casting followed by hot-rolling and cold-rolling. The duplex d-TRIP microstructure, comprising a mixture of blocky retained austenite and both d- and a-ferrite, was then produced by laboratory-scale heat treatments. The microstructure generation was achieved by an intercritical annealing followed by direct quenching, which was the same process as that for producing conventional dual-phase steels. The alloy exhibits quite interesting mechanical properties with a combination of 930 MPa tensile strength and of 21% total elongation, both in rolling and transverse directions. The formability of this novel alloy was assessed and discussed.

Tryptophan enhances antioxidant activity and intestinal development. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether Trp could improve intestinal barrier integrity in weaned piglets. Twenty-one weaned piglets were randomly assigned to 3 groups: a control group (a basal feed containing 0.1% Trp) and 2 Trp-supplemented groups (a basal feed plus 0.1 or 0.2% Trp). Tryptophan, 0.2%, increased serum diamine oxidase activity (P< 0.05) and 0.1% Trp increased the serum endotoxin concentration (P< 0.05), suggesting that Trp increased intestinal permeability. Compared with the control group, 0.2% Trp significantly decreased the abundance of occludin, zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1), and claudin-1 in the ileum of weanling piglets, whereas 0.1% Trp decreased only the abundance of occludin. Furthermore, compared with the control group, 0.2% Trp significantly decreased the mRNA expression of occludin, ZO-1, and claudin-1 in the ileum of weanling piglets. In conclusion, Trp above the recommended intake increased intestinal permeability and decreased the intestinal expression of tight junction proteins in weanling piglets.

This study was conducted to determine the effect of dietary sanguinarine supplementation on serum metabolites in growing pigs. A total of 240 (Yorkshire ´ [Duroc ´ Landrace]) pigs at 6 wk of age were randomly allotted to 3 dietary treatments, with 8 replicates per treatment and 10 piglets per replicate. The dietary treatments were as follows: the basal diet (BD) control group, the sanguinarine group (BD + 0.04 g/kg), and the antibiotic group (BD + 0.2 g/kg colistin). On d 7 and 14 after initiation of the treatment, BW, ADG, ADFI, feed efficiency (F/G), and serum levels of amino acids were measured. Dietary sanguinarine and antibiotic supplementation increased ADG, ADFI, and BW compared with the control group (P< 0.05). The data showed that the serum contents of amino acids, such as Gly, Ile, Lys, Met, Arg, Ala, and Thr, increased (P< 0.05) in the sanguinarine group compared with those in the colistin group and/or control group. These findings indicate a beneficial effect of dietary sanguinarine supplementation on the serum concentrations of some essential and nonessential amino acids, which improves growth performance of growing pigs.

This study was conducted to determine the effects of different dietary protein contents on jejunal epithelial cells along the crypt-villus axis in nursing piglets. A total of 54 crossbred weaned piglets were randomly assigned to 3 dietary groups (14%, 17%, or 20% CP diets). Six piglets were randomly selected from each treatment and killed for tissue sampling at 10, 25, and 45 d after weaning. Jejunal epithelial cells were sequentially isolated along the crypt-villus axis and yielded 3 “cell fractions” (upper villus, middle villus, and crypt cells), and amino acid contents and the mRNA expression of amino acid transporters and genes related to protein degradation in jejunal epithelial cells were measured. At 10 d after weaning, dietary supplementation with 17% CP significantly increased (P< 0.05) the contents of Tau, Gly, Glu, and Cys in the upper villus compared with 14% or 20% CP. At 25 d after weaning, the 14% CP group had greater (P< 0.05) contents of Glu, Gly, Ala, Thr, Ser, Leu, and Tyr in the upper villus and Thr, Ala, Val, Ile, Tyr, and Lys in the middle villus compared with the 17% or 20% CP group. There was a similar response to feeding 14% low CP content with age, in which there was upregulation in expression, which occurred as early as 10 d postweaning for some genes (L amino acid transporter 1 [LAT1] in the middle villus and excitatory amino acid carrier 1 [EAAC1] in crypt cells) and at 25d postweaning for others (peptide transporter 1 [PEPT1] in the upper villus, B0neutral amino acid transporter [B0,+AT1] in middle villus and Y+LAT1 in crypt cells). However, the mRNA expression of cationic amino acid transporter 1 (CAT1) in the upper villus and CAT2 in the middle villus was highest (P< 0.05) in the 17% CP group compared with the 14% and 20% CP groups at 10 d after weaning. In addition, the mRNA expression of LAT2 in the middle villus was highest (P< 0.05) in the 17% CP group compared with the 14% and 20% CP groups at 25 d after weaning. The PEPT1 mRNA in the middle villus of the 17% and 20% CP groups was greater (P< 0.05) than that in the 14% CP group at 45 d after weaning. The present study showed that the different CP content levels differentially affected the amino acid content and mRNA expression of the amino acid transporter in enterocytes along the crypt-villus axis and may help identify optimal CP contents in diets for nursery piglets.

A novel low-density steel with high aluminium content was, for the first time, manufactured as coils by the conventional industry process consisting of continuous casting followed by hot-rolling and cold-rolling. The duplex δ-TRIP microstructure, comprising a mixture of blocky retained austenite and both δ- and α-ferrite, was then produced by laboratory-scale heat treatments. The microstructure generation was achieved by an intercritical annealing followed by direct quenching, which was the same process as that for producing conventional dual-phase steels. The alloy exhibits quite interesting mechanical properties with a combination of 930 MPa tensile strength and of 21% total elongation, both in rolling and transverse directions. The formability of this novel alloy was assessed and discussed.

RNF126 is an E3 ubiquitin ligase. The deletion of RNF126gene was observed in a wide range of human cancers and is correlated with improved disease-free and overall survival. These data highlight the clinical relevance of RNF126 in tumorigenesis and cancer therapy. However, the specific functions of RNF126 remain largely unknown. Homologous recombination (HR)-mediated DNA double-strand break repair is important for tumor suppression and cancer therapy resistance. Here, we demonstrate that RNF126 facilitates HR by promoting the expression of BRCA1, in a manner independent of its E3 ligase activity but depending on E2F1, a well-known transcription factor of BRCA1 promoter. In support of this result, RNF126 promotes transactivation of BRCA1 promoter by directly binding to E2F1. Most importantly, an RNF126 mutant lacking 11 amino acids that is responsible for the interaction with E2F1 has a dominant-negative effect on BRCA1 expression and HR by suppressing E2F1-mediated transactivation of BRCA1 promoter and blocking the enrichment of E2F1 on BRCA1 promoter. Lastly, RNF126 depletion leads to the increased sensitivity to ionizing radiation and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibition. Collectively, our results suggest a novel role of RNF126 in promoting HR-mediated repair through positive regulation on BRCA1 expression by direct interaction with E2F1. This study not only offers novel insights into our current understanding of the biological functions of RNF126 but also provides a potential therapeutic target for cancer treatment.

Diabetic Nephropathy (DN) is believed to be a major microvascular complication of diabetes. The hallmark of DN includes deposition of Extracellular Matrix (ECM) proteins, such as, collagen, laminin and fibronectin in the mesangium and renal tubulo-interstitium of the glomerulus and basement membranes. Such an increased expression of ECM leads to glomerular and tubular basement membranes thickening and increase of mesangial matrix, ultimately resulting in glomerulosclerosis and tubulointerstitial fibrosis. The characteristic morphologic glomerular mesangial lesion has been described as Kimmelstiel–Wilson nodule, and the process at times is referred to as diabetic nodular glomerulosclerosis. Thus, the accumulation of ECM proteins plays a critical role in the development of DN. The relevant mechanism(s) involved in the increased ECM expression and their regulation in the kidney in diabetic state has been extensively investigated and documented in the literature. Nevertheless, there are certain other mechanisms that may yet be conclusively defined. Recent studies demonstrated that some of the new signaling pathways or molecules including, Notch, Wnt, mTOR, TLRs and small GTPase may play a pivotal role in the modulation of ECM regulation and expression in DN. Such modulation could be operational for instance Notch through Notch1/Jagged1 signaling, Wnt by Wnt/β- catenin pathway and mTOR via PI3-K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathways. All these pathways may be critical in the modulation of ECM expression and tubulo-interstitial fibrosis. In addition, TLRs, mainly the TLR2 and TLR4, by TLR2- dependent and TGF--dependent conduits, may modulate ECM expression and generate a fibrogenic response. Small GTPase like Rho, Ras and Rab family by targeting relevant genes may also influence the accumulation of ECM proteins and renal fibrosis in hyperglycemic states. This review summarizes the recent information about the role and mechanisms by which these molecules and signaling pathways regulate ECM synthesis and its expression in high glucose ambience in vitro and in vivo states. The understanding of such signaling pathways and the molecules that influence expression, secretion and amassing of ECM may aid in developing strategies for the amelioration of diabetic nephropathy.

Polyamines are necessary for normal integrity and the restitution after injury of the gastrointestinal epithelium. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of oral administration of putrescine and proline during the suckling period on epithelial restitution after early weaning in piglets. Eighteen neonatal piglets (Duroc × Landrace × Large Yorkshire) from 3 litters (6 piglets per litter) were assigned to 3 groups, representing oral administration with an equal volume of saline (control), putrescine (5 mg/kg BW), and proline (25 mg/kg BW) twice daily from d 1 to weaning at 14 d of age. Plasma and intestinal samples were obtained 3 d after weaning. The results showed that oral administration of putrescine or proline increased the final BW and ADG of piglets compared with the control (P< 0.05). Proline treatment decreased plasma D-lactate concentration but increased the villus height in the jejunum and ileum, as well as the percentage of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) positive cells and alkaline phosphatase (AKP) activity in the jejunal mucosa (P< 0.05). The protein expressions for zonula occludens (ZO-1), occludin, and claudin-3 (P< 0.05) but not mRNA were increased in the jejunum of putrescine- and proline-treated piglets compared with those of control piglets. The voltage-gated K+channel (Kv) 1.1 protein expression in the jejunum of piglets administrated with putrescine and the Kv1.5 mRNA and Kv1.1 protein levels in the ileum of piglets administrated with proline were greater than those in control piglets (P< 0.05). These findings indicate that polyamine or its precursor could improve mucosal proliferation, intestinal morphology, as well as tight junction and potassium channel protein expressions in early-weaned piglets, with implications for epithelial restitution and barrier function after stress injury.

This study was conducted to determine the effect of dietary supplementation of a low dose of chito-oligosaccharide (COS) on intestinal morphology, immune response, antioxidant capacity, and barrier function in weaned piglets. A total of 120 weaned pigs (21 d of age; 7.86 ± 0.22 kg average BW) were randomly assigned (6 pens/diet; 10 pigs/pen) to 2 dietary treatments consisting of a basal diet (negative control) or the basal diet supplemented with COS (30 mg/kg) for a 14-d period. Six randomly selected piglets from each treatment were killed for blood and tissue sampling. No significant differences were observed in ADG, ADFI, and G:F between treatment and the control group. Piglets fed the COS-supplemented diet had greater (P< 0.05) stomach pH than those fed the control diet on d 14 postweaning. Dietary supplementation with COS reduced villus height (P< 0.05) and villus height:crypt depth (P< 0.05) in the ileum. Dietary COS supplementation tended to reduce villus height in the duodenum (P= 0.065) and jejunum (P= 0.058). There was no effect on crypt depth in the intestinal segments of treatment group. Piglets fed the COS-supplemented diet increased (P< 0.05) the number of intraepithelial lymphocytes in duodenum or jejunum and goblet cells of ileum. However, COS decreased (P< 0.05) the number of intraepithelial lymphocytes in ileum of weaned piglets. The concentrations of IL-10 (duodenum, jejunum, and ileum) and secretory immunoglobulin (SIgA; duodenum and ileum) were higher in piglets fed the COS-supplemented diet compared with control (P< 0.05). Dietary COS supplementation reduced (P< 0.05) the concentration of total antioxidant capacity and superoxide dismutase of the jejunum or ileum. The mRNA expression of occludin in the ileum and ZO-1 in jejunum and ileum had a significant change in piglets fed the COS-supplemented diet compared with the control group (P< 0.05). In conclusion, these results indicated that dietary COS supplementation at 30 mg/kg had no effects on promoting growth performance and tended to reduce villus height in the duodenum or jejunum of weaned piglets. The results further showed that supplemental COS at this level may cause an immune and oxidative stress response in small intestine and have compromised the intestinal barrier integrity in weaned piglets. The research will provide guidance on the low dosage of COS supplementation on weaning pigs.

ABSTRACTType III phosphatidylinositol-4-kinase beta (PI4KIIIβ) was previously implicated in hepatitis C virus (HCV) replication by small interfering RNA (siRNA) depletion and was therefore proposed as a novel cellular target for the treatment of hepatitis C. Medicinal chemistry efforts identified highly selective PI4KIIIβ inhibitors that potently inhibited the replication of genotype 1a and 1b HCV replicons and genotype 2a virus in vitro. Replicon cells required more than 5 weeks to reach low levels of 3- to 5-fold resistance, suggesting a high resistance barrier to these cellular targets. Extensive in vitroprofiling of the compounds revealed a role of PI4KIIIβ in lymphocyte proliferation. Previously proposed functions of PI4KIIIβ in insulin secretion and the regulation of several ion channels were not perturbed with these inhibitors. Moreover, PI4KIIIβ inhibitors were not generally cytotoxic as demonstrated across hundreds of cell lines and primary cells. However, an unexpected antiproliferative effect in lymphocytes precluded their further development for the treatment of hepatitis C.

MicrorRNA are small noncoding RNA molecules that regulate the posttranscriptional expression of target genes. In addition to being involved in many biologic processes, microRNAs are important regulators in innate and adaptive immune responses. Distinct sets of expressed microRNAs are found in different cell types and tissues and aberrant expression of microRNAs is associated with many disease states. MicroRNA expression was examined in a model of heterotopic heart transplantation by microarray analyses and a unique profile was detected in rejecting allogeneic transplants (BALB/c → C57BL/6) as compared to syngeneic transplants (C57BL/6 → C57BL/6). The microRNA miR‐182 was significantly increased in rejecting cardiac allografts and in mononuclear cells that infiltrate the grafts. Forkhead box (FOX) proteins are a family of important transcription factors and FOXO1 is a target of miR‐182. As miR‐182 increases after transplant, there is a concomitant posttranscriptional decrease in FOXO1 expression in heart allografts that is localized to both the cardiomyocytes and CD3+T cells. The microRNA miR‐182 is significantly increased in both peripheral blood mononuclear cells and plasma during graft rejection suggesting potential as a biomarker of graft status. Our results identify microRNAs that may regulate alloimmune responses and graft outcomes.

Yttrium silicate coating for SiC precoated C/C composite was prepared by a hydrothermal electrophoretic deposition process. The yttrium silicate coating was sealed with a borosilicate glass outer layer. Phase compositions, surface and cross-section microstructures of the as prepared multilayer coatings were characterised by X-ray diffractometer and scanning electron microscopy. The influences of hydrothermal electrophoretic deposition factors on the phase, microstructure and oxidation resistance of the multilayer coated C/C composites were particularly investigated. Results show that the hydrothermal electrophoretic resulting coating is composed of crystallites with a main phase of Y2Si2O7and Y2SiO5. The thickness and density of the coatings are improved with the increase in deposition voltage and hydrothermal temperature. Compared with the pack cementation SiC monolayer coating, the as prepared multilayer coatings exhibit better antioxidation property. When oxidation in air and combustion atmosphere, the coated C/C composites lose weight by a linear and a parabolic law respectively. The prepared multilayer coating can effectively protect the C/C composites in combustion atmosphere at 1773 K for 85 h. The flexural strength of the coated specimen arrives at the lowest value at about 1123 K in combustion atmosphere.

ABSTRACTWhile viral load testing has gained widespread acceptance, a primary limitation remains the variability of results, particularly between different laboratories. While some work has demonstrated the importance of standardized quantitative control material in reducing this variability, little has been done to explore other important factors in the molecular amplification process. Results of 185 laboratories enrolled in the College of American Pathologists (CAP) 2009 viral load proficiency testing (PT) survey (VLS) were examined. This included 165 labs (89.2%) testing for cytomegalovirus (CMV), 99 (53.5%) for Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), and 64 (34.6%) for BK virus (BKV). At the time of PT, laboratories were asked a series of questions to characterize their testing methods. The responses to these questions were correlated to mean viral load (MVL) and result variability (RV). Contribution of individual factors to RV was estimated through analysis of variance (ANOVA) modeling and the use of backward selection of factors to fit those models. Selection of the quantitative calibrator, commercially prepared primers and probes, and amplification target gene were found most prominently associated with changes in MVL or RV for one or more of the viruses studied. Commercially prepared primers and probes and amplification target gene made the largest contribution to overall variability. Factors contributing to MVL and RV differed among viruses, as did relative contribution of each factor to overall variability. The marked variability seen in clinical quantitative viral load results is associated with multiple aspects of molecular testing design and performance. The reduction of such variability will require a multifaceted approach to improve the accuracy, reliability, and clinical utility of these important tests.

Post-transcriptional gene silencing mechanism using small interfering RNA (siRNA) as a potential therapeutic modality has generated great interest in recent years. However, significant hurdles such as off-target effects, possible immunogenicity, in vivo instability and effective delivery to the cellular and intracellular site of action following systemic administration should be overcome before synthetic siRNA can be used as an effective therapeutic agent. Development of several siRNA delivery systems as well as chemical modification of the siRNA structure has been pursued to combat problems associated with therapeutic use of siRNA. Among different structures, polymeric micelles have attracted tremendous attention in recent years as promising carriers for targeted siRNA delivery. The aim of this manuscript is to review different polymeric micelles of siRNA developed to date and provide an overview on the extent of in vitro/in vivo success in siRNA delivery, targeted gene silencing or therapeutic activity by these siRNA delivery systems.

MODIS-Terra is one of the key sensors in the suite of remote sensing instruments in the Earth Observing System (EOS). MODIS on the Terra platform was launched into orbit in December of 1999 and has successfully completed eleven plus years of operation. MODIS has 36 spectral channels with wavelengths varying from 0.4 m to 14.4 m. The native spatial resolutions for the reflective channels are 2 bands at 0.25 km, 5 bands at 0.5 km and 29 bands at 1km. However, the MODIS L1B product allows the high spatial resolution bands to be aggregated into 1km resolution. All the thermal channels in MODIS (i.e. 3.75m - 14.24m) have a native spatial resolution of 1 km. Over the eleven plus years of mission lifetime, the sensor degradation has been carefully monitored using various On-Board Calibrators (OBC). In particular, the thermal channels are monitored using the on-board Black-Body (BB) which is traceable to NIST standards. MODIS also has a unique feature for calibration reference in terms of lunar irradiance. The lunar observations are scheduled for MODIS periodically (at least 9 observations in a calendar year). Based on the lunar observations, it was found that there was a possible signal leak for band 27 from its neighboring bands located on the Long-Wave Infrared (LWIR) focal plane. Further investigations revealed a possible leak from bands 28, 29 and 30. The magnitude of the leak was trended and correction coefficients were derived. In this paper, we demonstrate the across-band signal leak in MODIS band 27, its potential impact on the retrieved Brightness temperature (B.T.). Also, the paper explores a correction methodology to relieve the artifacts due to the across-band signal leak. Finally, the improvement in the band 27 image quality is quantified.

The MODIS instruments onboard the Terra and Aqua spacecraft, launched in December 1999 and May 2002, respectively, have successfully operated through the present time. MODIS collects the Earth view (EV) data via a twosided paddle wheel scan mirror at angles of incidence (AOI) from 10.5 to 65.5 degrees. Reflective properties between the two mirror sides are not identical with large differences seen in Terra MODIS reflective solar bands (RSB). This paper describes a methodology to calculate and monitor MODIS RSB mirror side differences using EV observations. The longterm trends of response differences between two mirror sides are evaluated using different EV targets. Results show that the on-orbit changes in the properties of the scan mirror are wavelength and AOI dependent with large mirror side differences observed at shorter wavelengths in larger AOI. Starting from 2005, the mirror side difference has gradually exhibited a seasonally dependent feature in Terra MODIS visible spectral bands, which is mainly due to the changes in the scan mirror polarization property. In addition to fully characterizing on-orbit changes of the MODIS scan mirror properties, results and discussions provided in this paper will help clarify their impacts on the Level 1B data products and support future efforts to maintain MODIS data quality.

The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) is a key sensor carried on the NPOESS (National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System) Preparatory Project (NPP) mission [1] (http://jointmission.gsfc.nasa.gov/viirs.html), and is scheduled to launch in October 2011. VIIRS sensor design draws on heritage instruments including AVHRR, OLS, MODIS, and SeaWiFS. It has on-board calibration components including a solar diffuser (SD) and a solar diffuser stability monitor (SDSM) for the reflective solar bands (RSB), a V-groove blackbody for the thermal emissive bands (TEB), and a space view (SV) port for background subtraction. These on-board calibrators are located at fixed scan angles. The VIIRS response versus scan angle (RVS) was characterized prelaunch in lab ambient conditions and will be used on-orbit to characterize the response for all scan angles relative to the calibrator scan angle (SD for RSB and blackbody for TEB). Since the RVS is vitally important to the quality of calibrated radiance products, several independent studies were performed and their results were compared and validated. This document provides RVS results from three groups: the NPP Instrument Calibration Support Team (NICST), Raytheon, and the Aerospace Corporation. A comparison of the RVS results obtained using a 2nd order polynomial fit to measurement data is conducted for each band, detector, and half angle mirror (HAM) side. The associated RVS fitting residuals are examined and compared with the relative differences in RVS found between independent studies. Results show that the agreement is within 0.1% and comparable with fitting residuals for all bands except for RSB band M9, where a difference of 0.2% was observed. Band M9 is highly sensitive to the atmospheric water vapor variations during the sensor ambient testing at Raytheon, and its correction might be a contributor to the observed RVS uncertainty differences. In general, NICST results have shown slightly larger RSB RVS uncertainties but still well within the 0.3% total uncertainty allowed for the RVS characterization defined in the Performance Verification Plan.

Monetite coatings were produced on H2O2treated carbon/carbon composites by induction heating deposition in the presence or absence of ultrasonic agitation of the bath and then converted to hydroxyapatite coatings undoped with other cations by ammonia hydrothermal treatment. The phase, morphology and chemical composition of the as achieved monetite and hydroxyapatite coatings in the presence/absence of ultrasound were characterised by XRD, SEM and TR-XRF. The adhesion of monetite and hydroxyapatite to the H2O2treated carbon/carbon substrates was evaluated by a scratch test. The results showed that no obvious differences in the phase and composition for the as obtained coatings were found. However, ultrasonic bath could produce denser and better bonded coatings. The ultrasonicated coatings showed an average critical load of 38 N, which is nearly three times as high as that of the hydroxyapatite coating without ultrasonic bath. The failure position of the hydroxyapatite coating occurred in the coating, and no delamination was observed.

Ethanolamine (Etn) is the base constituent of phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), a major phospholipid in animal cell membranes. Although Etn is toxic at relatively high levels, many types of epithelial cells require Etn for proliferation. The present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation with Etn on intestine development and growth performance of weaned piglets. A total of 180 piglets were weaned at age 21 d and assigned randomly to 1 of 3 treatments, consisting of a basal diet, the basal diet with 100 ppm Etn supplementation, or the basal diet with 150 ppm Etn supplementation, for a 14-d period with 6 pens per treatment and 10 piglets per pen. On d 14, 1 piglet was randomly selected from each pen for tissue sampling. Dietary supplementation with Etn enhanced stomach weight, small intestine (SI) weight, SI length, SI weight/SI length, and SI weight/BW of weaned piglets. Moreover, dietary supplementation with Etn improved ADG and ADFI of weaned piglets. In conclusion, the results of the present experiment indicated that Etn benefited intestine development and growth performance of weaned piglets, which suggests that Etn can be explored as a feed additive to improve intestine development of weaned animals.

Using high‐resolution MMS data, we report the observations of broadband electrostatic waves associated with parallel electron temperature anisotropy (Te∥>Te⊥${T}_{e{\Vert} } > {T}_{e\perp }$) behind a dipolarization front (DF). These electrostatic waves include electrostatic solitary waves and electron cyclotron waves. To quantify electron anisotropy, we define the parallel flux anisotropy parameter Q=F∥/F⊥−1$Q={F}_{{\Vert} }/{F}_{\perp }-1$, where F$F$is phase space densities at each energy. By performing correlation analyses between parallel flux anisotropies (Qs$Qs$) and power spectral densities (PSDs) of these waves, we find that: (a) Qs$Qs$in 0.8–20 keV are positively correlated with the parallel electric field fluctuations in 50–3,000 Hz; (b) Qs$Qs$in 0.8–20 keV are positively correlated with perpendicular electric field fluctuations in all frequency ranges; (c) the correlation between parallel flux anisotropies and perpendicular electric field fluctuations is more significant in this case. We also discuss the possibility of electron firehose instability and wave–particle interactions. Our study promotes the understanding of the properties and dynamics of DFs. Dipolarization fronts (DFs), the leading edge of the earthward high speed plasma jets in the Earth’s magnetotail, are characterized by a sudden increase of northward magnetic field. It plays crucial roles in global flux transport and energy conversion during substorm. Behind DFs, there are various plasma waves related to the electron temperature anisotropies. For example, the whistler waves excited by perpendicular electron temperature anisotropy have been widely observed. However, few studies on the relationship between parallel electron temperature anisotropy and waves are reported behind DFs. In this study, using MMS data, we report the observations of broadband electrostatic waves associated with parallel electron temperature anisotropy behind a DF, and quantitatively investigate the correlation between parallel electron anisotropies and power spectral densities of these waves. Broadband electrostatic waves are observed behind a dipolarization frontThese waves include electrostatic solitary waves and electron cyclotron wavesThese electrostatic fluctuations are positively correlated with electron parallel flux anisotropies in 0.8–20 keV Broadband electrostatic waves are observed behind a dipolarization front These waves include electrostatic solitary waves and electron cyclotron waves These electrostatic fluctuations are positively correlated with electron parallel flux anisotropies in 0.8–20 keV

The objective of this study was to evaluate seasonal differences in bermudagrass response to N fertilization and irrigation by using optical sensing. A second objective was to determine if optical sensing could measure N status when the turf response to N was confounded by differences in moisture status. Bermudagrasses (Cynodon dactylonL.) ‘Rivera’ and ‘Yukon’ were managed under three irrigation treatments and six N treatments during the growing seasons in 2003 and 2004. Turf quality, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), green normalized difference vegetation index (GNDVI), red light reflectance in relation to near infrared reflectance (R/NIR), and green light reflectance in relation to near infrared reflectance (G/NIR) were measured. Bermudagrass demonstrated a noticeable third‐order polynomial seasonal trend in response to N and irrigation treatment, and this trend was characterized as early‐, peak‐, mid‐ and late‐season responses. Normalized difference vegetation index and GNDVI demonstrated a better relationship with turf quality and N status than R/NIR and G/NIR. A comparison among the four indices showed NDVI to be more closely correlated with irrigation, N fertilization, and turf quality. Minimum acceptable and target NDVI were developed by seasonal period based on visual turf quality assessment. It was also found that NDVI response to N fertilization was not strongly affected by irrigation treatment and could be used as an indicator of N status and need regardless of irrigation treatment.

Copper is an important micronutrient and trace amounts are essential for crop growth. However, high concentrations of copper will produce toxic effects. Australia is increasingly developing production of crops in water repellent soils. Clay amendment, a common amelioration techniques used in Australia, has demonstrated agronomic benefits in increased crop or pasture production. The sorption and desorption of copper and the effect of clay treatment on copper behaviour in a water repellent soil collected from an experimental farm in South Australia is studied. We found that the water repellent soils amended with clay have an increased adsorption capacity of copper. Also the clay-amended soils had an increased ratio of specific sorption to total sorption of copper. The implications of this study to the sustainable agro-environmental management of water repellent soils is discussed.

Australia is a water-stressed nation and demand on potable water supply is increasing. Consequently water conservation and reuse are increasingly becoming important. Irrigation of recycled wastewater on water repellent soils is a technology that is being trialled as a means of improving crop production and conserving potable supply. However, recycled water contains potentially harmful heavy metals. This paper reports the competitive sorption and desorption of several common heavy metals found in soils collected from a farm located in the south-east of South Australia. The soil from this location is severely water repellent, but some sites were amended with kaolinite clay (Si4Al4O10(OH)8) about 7 and 15 years ago. The metals studied were Cu, Pb, Cd, Cr, Ni, and Zn. Competitive sorption of the metals was distinctly observed. For all heavy metals, the quantity of metal sorbed was higher in amended soil, and there was a strong correlation between the specific sorption to total sorption ratio and the amount of clay in the soil. The sorption intensities varied with metal, Cr, Pb, and Cu having a high sorption tendencies and Zn, Cd, and Ni having comparatively low sorption tendencies. The total sorption capacity for all metals increased in clay-treated soils compared with non-treated soils. On average, clay-amended water repellent soils had a 20?40% increased capacity to adsorb total metals; however, this increase was largely caused by the increased capacities to adsorb Zn, Cd, and Ni. The effect of clay treatment largely enhanced the sorption capacity of relatively weakly adsorbing heavy metals. The implications for using recycled wastewater on the long-term sustainable agro-environmental management of these soils are discussed.

Bohlmann−Rahtz pyridine synthesis of a chiral nonracemic enamine and thiazolylpropynone gives a terminal-protected pyridine-containing γ-amino acid in high optical purity in a sequential one-pot multicomponent reaction that proceeds with total control of regiochemistry and with minimal racemization. Further elaboration has established the synthesis of the γ-lactam acidic hydrolysate of the macrocyclic thiopeptide antibiotic cyclothiazomycin, a selective renin inhibitor, in only four steps and 30% overall yield and has confirmed its structure.

Poly(lactic acid)s (PLA) were grafted to both ends of Pluronic F127 (PEO−PPO−PEO) to produce novel amphiphilic PLA−F127−PLA block copolymers. The hydrolytic degradation of PLA−F-127−PLA block copolymers in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) (pH 7.4) solution at 37 °C was studied using a combination of physical techniques, such as dynamic light scattering (DLS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). It was found that the morphologies and particle size of PLAF127-23 nanoparticles changed dramatically because of the initial rapid degradation of PLA blocks. The morphology of the microstructure transformed from the regular onionlike vesicles to large compound vesicles. With increasing time, the degradation rate of LA−LA linkage was reduced, and the degradation mainly occurred at the interface of F127 and PLA blocks. The morphologies of PLAF127-23 nanoparticles changed from the regular larger compound vesicles to irregular compound vesicles, and to regular large compound vesicles as degradation progresses. Accordingly the particle size of PLAF127-23 nanoparticles decreased initially and remained constant for a certain time period, and it then increased again.

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) were grafted to both ends of Pluronic F127 (PEO−PPO−PEO) to produce novel amphiphilic PLA-F127−PLA block copolymers. The aggregation behaviors of three different modified polymers were examined by laser light scattering and transmission electron microscopic techniques. The structure of aggregates produced from moderate to long PLA segments (PLAF127−29 (230 units of PLA) and PLAF127−48 (500 units of PLA) systems, respectively) was found to be normal bi-layer vesicles. Polymer with the shortest PLA segment (PLAF127−23 (142 units of PLA)) produces aggregates with complicated onion-like vesicles containing three layers. These vesicles possess microstructure similar to many biological systems, and they exhibit desirable properties for potential applications as drug delivery vehicles.