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1α-Hydroxycholecalciferol (1α-OH-D3) is a vitamin D derivative. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of 1α-OH-D3 on the growth and the mRNA expression of vitamin D receptor (VDR) in the small intestine and kidney of chickens. A total of 240 males of one-day-old Ross 308 broilers was randomly assigned to 4 treatments with 5 replicates of 12 birds per replicate. Three levels of 1α-OH-D3 (1.25, 2.5, and 5 µg/kg) were added to a basal diet containing 0.50% calcium (Ca), 0.25% non-phytate phosphorus (NPP), and without supplemental cholecalciferol (vitamin D3). The control diet contained 1.00% Ca, 0.45% NPP, and 25 µg/kg cholecalciferol. Dietary 1α-OH-D3 levels linearly improved the average daily feed intake (ADFI), average daily gain (ADG), femur and tibia mineralization, and plasma Ca concentration, and retained Ca and total phosphorus (tP) amounts in broilers from 1 to 21 d of age (P < 0.05). In addition, 1α-OH-D3 also linearly up-regulated the mRNA expression levels of VDR in the duodenum as well as those of VDR and sodium-phosphate cotransporter NaPi-IIa and NaPi-IIc in the kidney of broilers (P < 0.05). However, 1α-OH-D3 did not affect the mRNA levels of 25-hydroxylase in the liver or NaPi-IIb in the duodenum (P > 0.05). No differences were observed in the ADFI, ADG, bone length, plasma mineral concentration, retained tP amount, or the mRNA levels of the above genes (except for VDR in the kidney) between the birds fed the diet with 5 µg/kg 1α-OH-D3 and the birds fed the control diet (P > 0.05). By contrast, the weight, ash weight, ash percentage, and Ca percentage of the bone, retained Ca amount, and the mRNA level of VDR in the kidney were lower in the birds fed the diet with 5 µg/kg 1α-OH-D3 than in the birds fed the control diet (P < 0.05). These data indicate that 1α-OH-D3 up-regulates the gene expression of VDR in the small intestine and kidney at the transcriptional level, thereby improving the growth performance and bone mineralization of broiler chickens from 1 to 21 d of age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CO2 leakage through the caprock of a CO2 sequestration site to the groundwater system is an important topic in the field of geo-environmental engineering. This problem can be described by a fully coupled model among the two-phase flow, caprock deformation, gas diffusion and CO2 sorption. The main purpose of this paper is to present such a model for investigating the caprock sealing efficiency. Firstly, a conceptual model is proposed for the flow in a composite body consisting of the fracture network and shale matrix. In this model, two-phase flow of brine water and CO2 is observed only in the fracture network but the CO2 in the fractures further diffuses into shale matrix through a much slower diffusion process. This diffusion process makes shale matrix swell/shrink through CO2 sorption and significantly alters the porosity and permeability of the fracture network. The interaction between the CO2-brine flow and shales induces shale deformation and modifies the sorptive chemistry of the shale matrix. Then, this conceptual model is formulated by the partial differential equations and full coupling of those processes, thus forming a fully coupled mathematical model. Finally, this fully coupled mathematical model is applied to a caprock layer to investigate the combined effects of two-phase flow, shale deformation, gas diffusion and CO2 sorption on the caprock sealing efficiency. The mechanism for self-enhancing or self-limiting in the CO2-brine mixing zone is explored. It is also applied to a caprock layer embedded a vertical fracture and the CO2 migration in the storage space. These examples demonstrate that this model is able to numerically simulate the CO2 storage relevant geological systems. This work may enrich the contents of the emerging computational geoscience discipline through geoscience modeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This study explored an effective method for repairing cranio-maxillofacial soft-tissue defects following radical craniofacial surgery in four patients with malignant tumours involving the skull base and frontal region. The large cranio-maxillofacial soft-tissue defects were reconstructed using an extended vertical lower trapezius island myocutaneous flap based on the transverse cervical artery. The flap was 8–12cm long and 5–7cm wide. No major flap failure occurred, and there was no shoulder dysfunction. The patients were followed for 3–12 months. One patient suffered a local recurrence, and another died of lung metastasis 12 months postoperatively. The extended vertical lower trapezius island myocutaneous flap is a simple, reliable and large flap. It is preferred for reconstructing cranio-maxillofacial soft-tissue defects when a pedicled flap is used following craniofacial surgery for cancer. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study was conducted to evaluate the relative biological value (RBV) of 1α-hydroxycholecalciferol (1α-OH-D3) to 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25-OH-D3) in one- to 21-day-old broiler chickens fed calcium (Ca)- and phosphorus (P)-deficient diets. On the d of hatch, 450 male Ross 308 broiler chickens were weighed and randomly allotted to 9 treatments with 5 replicates of 10 birds per replicate. The basal diet contained 0.50% Ca and 0.25% non-phytate phosphorus (NPP) but was not supplemented with cholecalciferol (vitamin D3). The levels of Ca and NPP in basal diets were lower than those recommended by NRC (1994). 25-OH-D3 was fed at zero, 1.25, 2.5, 5.0, and 10.0 μg/kg, and 1α-OH-D3 was fed at 0.625, 1.25, 2.5, and 5.0 μg/kg. The RBV of 1α-OH-D3 to 25-OH-D3 based on vitamin D intake was determined by the slope ratio method. Results showed that 25-OH-D3 or 1α-OH-D3 improved the growth performance and decreased the mortality in one- to 21-day-old broilers. A linear relationship was observed between the level of 25-OH-D3 or 1α-OH-D3 and mineralization of the femur, tibia, or metatarsus. The RBV of 1α-OH-D3 to 25-OH-D3 were 234, 253, and 202% when the weight, ash weight, and Ca percentage of femur were used as criteria. The corresponding RBV of 1α-OH-D3 to 25-OH-D3 were 232 to 263% and 245 to 267%, respectively, when tibia and metatarsus mineralization were used as criteria. These data indicate that when directly feeding a hormonally active form of vitamin D as 1α-OH-D3 proportionally less is needed than when using the precursor (25-OH-D3) in diets deficient in Ca and P. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to study the influence of cyclic mining stress on gas-containing coal seams during mining, the seepage properties, acoustic emission (AE) characteristics and energy dissipation of coal under tiered cyclic loading were experimentally investigated. Permeability recovery rate, damping ratio, AE energy rate and ring count rate were defined to describe this process. A new equation was established for the damage variable of coal with dissipation energy. These results indicate that, with tiered cyclic loading and unloading, the following occurred. 1) The absolute recovery of permeability first decreased gradually, and then increased while the relative recovery rate of permeability gradually increased. 2) AE ring count rate and AE energy rate all showed a volatility change in the initial stage, with significant increases in the yielding stage, and rapid increases in the failure stage. When the stress level was low, the AE signal disappeared after unloading to the last peak stress. When the stress level was high, the AE signal appeared in the whole unloading process. 3) The cumulative dissipation energy increased with an exponential function, and the damping ratio of coal first decreased and then increased. The damage variable also increased and reached its critical damage variable value of Dc ≈ 0.9 at coal failure [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Aim: To investigate the significance and changes of Aquaporin 2 (AQP2) in the rat renal graft of acute rejection (AR). Methods: Wistar recipients of Spraque-Dawley or Wistar renal grafts were treated with cyclosporine (CsA). Renal grafts were harvested at various times after transplantation for analysis of the levels of AQP2 mRNA and protein of by RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry. Results: The expression of AQP2 mRNA and protein in the acutely rejecting were grafts significantly decreased (P < 0.05) compared with the control group. But the expression of AQP2 mRNA and protein in the syngeneic grafts (sTX) versus the immunosuppression group (aTX+CsA) showed no difference compared with a control group (P > 0.05). Furthermore, at day 5 and day 7 after transplantation the expressions of AQP2 expression in the allogeneic group (aTX) were decreased significantly compared with day 3 after transplantation (P < 0.05). In addition, there was no remarkable difference at day 5 or 7 after transplantation. Conclusion: AQP2 mRNA and protein expressions were down-regulated during renal transplant acute rejection, which had no relationship to the ischemia reperfusion injury and denervation damage. Furthermore, CsA administration after kidney transplantation blunted this down-regulation (P > 0.05). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Adrenomedullin (ADM) is a vasodilator and inhibits salt appetite. An A-to-G substitution at position −1984 in the promoter region of the ADM gene likely increases transcription. We therefore investigated this polymorphism in relation to blood pressure and urinary sodium in a Chinese population. We genotyped 427 Chinese enrolled in a family-based population study. We measured blood pressure by conventional sphygmomanometry and ambulatory monitoring. The frequencies of the ADM AA, AG, and GG genotypes were 50.6, 38.2, and 11.2%, respectively. In adjusted analyses, G allele carriers, compared to AA homozygotes, had significantly lower conventional (45.3 versus 48.5 mm Hg, P=0.004) and 24-h (42.6 versus 44.3 mm Hg, P=0.03) pulse pressures and urinary sodium excretion (143.8 versus 159.4 mmol/day, P=0.03). In parents, but not offspring, both systolic pressure and pulse pressure were significantly (P<0.01) lower in G allele carriers. The genotypic difference in sodium excretion was consistent across the age range. In 68 informative offspring, transmission of the G allele was associated with lower urinary sodium excretion (effect size, 40.1 mmol/day, P=0.01). In 81 healthy volunteers, the plasma ADM concentration was 15.2% higher in GG homozygotes than in sex- and age-matched AA subjects (11.4 versus 9.9 pmol/l, P=0.10). In conclusion, in Chinese, the ADM −1984G allele is associated with lower sodium excretion and in older subjects also with lower systolic pressure and narrower pulse pressure.Kidney International (2006) 69, 1153–1158. doi:10.1038/sj.ki.5000213; published online 22 February 2006 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The high spin states of 112In has been investigated with γ-ray spectroscopic methods using the 110Pd(7Li, 5n)112In reaction at 50MeV 7Li beam energy. A level scheme with 10 new band structures has been established. The positive yrast magnetic dipole band is suggested as configuration and its properties are discussed in the framework of the shears coupling model. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]