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A subgroup H of a finite group G is called c-normal if there exists a normal subgroup N in G such that G = HN and H ∩ N ≤ c o r e G (H) , the largest normal subgroup of G contained in H. c-Normality is a weaker form of normality, introduced by Y.M. Wang, that has led to interesting results and structural criteria of finite groups. In this paper we study c-normality in the coprime action setting so as to obtain several solvability and p-nilpotency criteria in terms of certain subsets of maximal invariant subgroups of a group or of its Sylow subgroups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, hydrodynamic model has been analytically solved to investigate the nonlocal plasmons in cylindrically curved graphene layers. Within the quasi-static approximation, the dispersion relations for both local and nonlocal cases have been derived; the nonlocal effect is found to shift the dispersion relations upwards. High-order azimuthal modes possess different cutoff frequencies due to such nonlocality, which may occur even in large-scale highly doped structures. In periodically doped cases, the nonlocal effect can modify the corresponding plasmonic band structures, i.e., moving the locations of the bandgaps. The periodicity has made the material more sensitive to the plasmon nonlocality. Our investigations may lead to more attentions to the nonlocal plasmonic responses in graphene which are important for graphene-plasmon-based photonic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We find the existing empirical relations based on monotonic tensile properties and/or hardness cannot satisfactorily predict the low-cycle fatigue (LCF) performance of materials, especially for twinning-induced plasticity (TWIP) steels. Given this, we first identified the different deformation mechanisms under monotonic and cyclic deformation after a comprehensive study of stress-strain behaviors and microstructure evolutions for Fe-Mn-C alloys during tension and LCF, respectively. It is found that the good tensile properties of TWIP steel mainly originate from the large activation of multiple twinning systems, which may be attributed to the grain rotation during tensile deformation; while its LCF performance depends more on the dislocation slip mode, in addition to its strength and plasticity. Based on this, we further investigate the essential relations between microscopic damage mechanism (dislocation-dislocation interaction) and cyclic stress response, and propose a hysteresis loop model based on dislocation annihilation theory, trying to quickly assess the LCF resistance of Fe-Mn-C steels as well as other engineering materials. It is suggested that the hysteresis loop and its evolution can provide significant information on cyclic deformation behavior, e.g., (point) defect multiplication and vacancy aggregation, which may help estimate the LCF properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sclerotinia stem rot caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is a devastating disease in Brassica spp. Here we proposed a method to indicate the susceptibility of Brassica spp. or Brassica genus against S. sclerotiorum by detecting expression of a gene from host with qRT-PCR technique. After filtering a set of transcriptome data from B. oleracea leaf infected by S. sclerotiorum, twelve genes that exhibited successive increase or decrease expression after inoculation were chosen to screen the dynamic expression changes in S. sclerotiorum-inoculated B. napus leaf. Among the genes tested, Bol024541 showed a continuous increase from the outer region to the inoculation site from 12 to 36 hours after infection (hai). No significant difference was found in qRT-PCR for the expression of Bol024541 in the samples added with various amount of cDNA of S. sclerotiorum, and significant linear correlation (r = 0.921, P < 0.01) was detected for the expression of Bol024541 at 12 hai with the lesion size at 72 hai among six Brassica accessions. Our data suggest that Bol024541 may be considered as an indicator to predict susceptibility to S. sclerotiorum in Brassica spp. via qRT-PCR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Our objective was to investigate the associations between polymorphisms in Wnt pathway genes and peak bone mineral density (BMD) and body composition in young Chinese men. Our study identified that WNT5B and CTNNBL1 for both BMD and body composition, and WNT4 and CTNNB1 gene polymorphisms contribute to the variation in BMD and body composition in young Chinese men, respectively. Introduction: Our objective was to investigate the associations between polymorphisms in WNT4, WNT5B, WNT10B, WNT16, CTNNB1, and CTNNBL1 genes and peak bone mineral density (BMD), lean mass (LM), and fat mass (FM) in young Chinese men. Methods: Using SNPscan kits, 51 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) located in the 6 genes were genotyped in a total of 1214 subjects from 399 Chinese nuclear families. BMD, total lean mass (TLM), and total fat mass (TFM) were measured using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). The associations between the 51 SNPs and peak BMD and body composition [including the TLM, percentage lean mass (PLM), TFM, percentage fat mass (PFM), and the body mass index (BMI)] were analyzed through quantitative transmission disequilibrium tests (QTDTs). Results: For peak BMD, we found significant within-family associations of rs2240506, rs7308793, and rs4765830 in the WNT5B gene and rs10917157 in the WNT4 gene with the lumbar spine BMD (all P < 0.05). We detected an association of rs11830202, rs3809269, rs1029628, and rs6489301 in the WNT5B gene and rs2293303 in the CTNNB1 gene with body composition (all P < 0.05). For the CTNNBL1 gene, six SNPs (rs6126098, rs6091103, rs238303, rs6067647, rs8126174, and rs4811144) were associated with peak BMD of the lumbar spine, femoral neck, or total hip (all P < 0.05). Furthermore, two of the six SNPs (rs8126174 and rs4811144) were associated with body composition. Conclusions: This study identified WNT5B and CTNNBL1 for peak BMD and body composition in males from the Han Chinese ethnic group, and the results suggest a site-specific gene regulation. The WNT4 and CTNNB1 gene polymorphisms contribute to the variation in peak BMD and body composition, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tensile properties, high-cycle fatigue properties, and microstructure evolutions during fatigue process of as-received and pre-strained Fe-30Mn-0.9C twinning-induced plasticity (TWIP) steel were investigated. It is found that the fatigue lives of the TWIP steel can be effectively improved through pre-straining, since the deformation twins induced by pre-straining could effectively lead to the improved yield strength and the homogenized deformation. This study may provide possible ways for improving the high-cycle fatigue properties of TWIP steels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tumor-stromal interaction is a dynamic process that promotes tumor growth and metastasis via cell-cell interaction and extracellular vesicles. Recent studies demonstrate that stromal fibroblast-derived molecular signatures can be used to predict disease progression and drug resistance. To identify the epigenetic role of stromal noncoding RNAs in tumor-stromal interactions in the tumor microenvironment, we performed microRNA profiling of patient cancer-associated prostate stromal fibroblasts isolated by laser capture dissection microscopy and in bone-associated stromal models. We found specific upregulation of miR-409-3p and miR-409-5p located within the embryonically and developmentally regulated DLK1-DIO3 (delta-like 1 homolog-deiodinase, iodothyronine 3) cluster on human chromosome 14. The findings in cell lines were further validated in human prostate cancer tissues. Strikingly, ectopic expression of miR-409 in normal prostate fibroblasts conferred a cancer-associated stroma-like phenotype and led to the release of miR-409 via extracellular vesicles to promote tumor induction and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in vitro and in vivo. miR-409 promoted tumorigenesis through repression of tumor suppressor genes such as Ras suppressor 1 and stromal antigen 2. Thus, stromal fibroblasts derived miR-409-induced tumorigenesis, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and stemness of the epithelial cancer cells in vivo. Therefore, miR-409 appears to be an attractive therapeutic target to block the vicious cycle of tumor-stromal interactions that plagues prostate cancer patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cyclic deformation and damage behavior of a Ni-free high-nitrogen austenitic stainless steel with a composition of Fe-18Cr-18Mn-0.63N (weight pct) were studied, and the internal stress and effective stress were estimated by partitioning the hysteresis loop during cyclic straining at total strain amplitudes ranging from 3.0 × 10 to 1.0 × 10. It is found that immediate cyclic softening takes place at all strain amplitudes and subsequently a saturation or quasi-saturation state develops and occupies the main part of the whole fatigue life. The internal stress increases with increasing strain amplitude, while the variation of effective stress with strain amplitude is somewhat complicated. Such a phenomenon is discussed in terms of dislocation structures and the short-range ordering caused by the interaction between nitrogen atoms and substitutional atoms. The relationship of fatigue life vs plastic strain amplitude ( N−Δ ε/2) follows a bilinear Coffin-Manson rule, resulting from the variation in slip deformation mode with the applied strain amplitude. At the low strain amplitude, cracks initiate along slip bands, and planar slip dislocation configurations dominate the major characteristic of internal microstructures. At high strain amplitudes, intergranular (mostly along grain boundaries and few along twin boundaries) cracks are generally found, and the deformation microstructures are mainly composed of dislocation cells, stacking faults and a small amount of deformation twins, in addition to planar slip dislocation structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alendronate is an antiosteoporotic drug that targets the mevalonate pathway. To investigate whether the genetic variations in this pathway affect the clinical efficacy of alendronate in postmenopausal Chinese women with osteopenia or osteoporosis, 23 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 7 genes were genotyped in 500 patients treated with alendronate for 12 months. Bone mineral density (BMD) was measured at baseline and after 12 months. The rs10161126 SNP in the 3′ flanking region of MVK and the GTCCA haplotype in FDFT1 were significantly associated with therapeutic response. A 6.6% increase in BMD in the lumbar spine was observed in the GG homozygotes of rs10161126; AG heterozygotes and AA homozygotes experienced a 4.4 and 4.5% increase, respectively. The odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of G allele carriers to be responders in lumbar spine BMD was 2.06 (1.08-6.41). GTCCA haplotype in FDFT1 was more frequently detected in the group of responders than in the group of non-responders at the total hip (2.6 vs 0.5%, P=0.009). Therefore, MVK and FDFT1 polymorphisms are genetic determinants for BMD response to alendronate therapy in postmenopausal Chinese women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bone marrow mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (BM-MSCs) can infiltrate into tumors and subsequently evolve into tumor resident MSCs in tumor microenvironment. In this study, using a mouse lymphoma model, we showed that the lymphoma resident MSCs (L-MSCs) are able to confer tumor-promoting property to the naïve cocultured BM-MSCs. Examination of cytokines and chemokines showed that post exposure to L-MSCs, BM-MSCs acquired an expression profile that is similar to that in L-MSCs. In vivo, BM-MSCs educated by L-MSCs (BM-L-MSCs) possess a greatly enhanced ability in promoting lymphoma growth. Consistent with an elevated CCL-2 expression in BM-L-MSCs, the tumor-promoting effect of BM-L-MSCs largely depends on CCR2-mediated macrophage recruitment to tumor sites. We further showed that the transmission of tumor-promoting effect is partially mediated by soluble factors. Our findings thus revealed a novel reinforcing mechanism in the maintenance of tumor microenvironment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The "Driving force - Pressure - State - Impact - Response" modeling framework is adopted to consider the formation mechanisms of environmental risks and the requirements of ecological environment protection. Moreover, a systematical index system and evaluation model for the measurement of the coastal ecological security level is put forward in this paper to assess the state of coastal ecological environment security. The results show that the security level of the Tianjin coastal ecological environment exhibits an overall downward trend, with the coastal ecological environment security value (E) falling from 0.7491 in 2005 (in good condition) to 0.2773 in 2010 (in a poor state) , and the value will continue to decline into a bad state in the next decade. The increasing use of coastal areas, growing population and increasing emissions of pollutants into the sea are the primary phenomena leading to environmental degradation of coastal ecosystems, which further leads to the degeneration of the ecological and environmental conditions of the coastal zone in Tianjin. The inshore marine ecosystem is always in the sub-healthy and unhealthy state, which has affected the balance of the marine ecosystem and led to poor biomes structure. At present, the marine ecosystem conservation actions, including pollution control, monitoring and surveillance system and emergency management mechanism, are not enough to offset the impacts on the marine ecosystem caused by driving force and pressure changes. It is necessary to establish a coordinated integration management system for the land and sea and an ecological compensation mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The expression and function of ribosomal s6 protein kinase 4 (RSK4) in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) are unknown.Methods: Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of RSK4 in RCC, and the relationship between RSK4 expression and clinicopathological features as well as prognosis of RCC patients was statistically analysed. Ectopic RSK4 expression in RCC cell lines was performed to determine its effect on cell cycle regulation, tumour invasiveness, and metastatic capability.Results: RSK4 was overexpressed in RCCs (P=0.003), compared with normal tissues, and the expression varied in different RCC subtypes (P=0.021), especially in two subtypes of papillary RCCs (P=0.001). RSK4 expression was positively correlated with high pT stage (P<0.001), high Fuhrman grade (P<0.001), lymph node involvement (P<0.001), and presence of distant metastasis (P=0.039), and could predict poor outcome in RCC patients. Molecular studies showed that overexpression of RSK4 could promote cell cycle progression and enhance the invasive and metastatic capability of RCC cell lines and vice versa.Conclusion: The expression pattern and molecular mechanisms of RSK4 in RCCs indicate that it could be a potential independent prognostic factor and serve as a new potential therapeutic target for RCC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor commenting on a study related to specific deletion of TRAF3 in B lymphocytes leading to B-lymphoma development in mice is presented.

Background:Radiation-induced bystander effect (RIBE) has important implication in tumour radiotherapy, but the bystander signals are still not well known.Methods:The role of cytochrome-c (cyt-c) and free radicals in RIBE on human hepatoma cells HepG2 was investigated by detecting the formation of bystander micronuclei (MN) and the generation of endogenous cyt-c, inducible nitric oxide (NO) synthase (iNOS), NO, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) molecules.Results:When HepG2 cells were cocultured with an equal number of irradiated HepG2 cells, the yield of MN in the nonirradiated bystander cells was increased in a manner depended on radiation dose and cell coculture time, but it was diminished when the cells were treated with cyclosporin A (CsA), an inhibitor of cyt-c release. Meanwhile the CsA treatment inhibited radiation-induced NO but not ROS. Both of the depressed bystander effect and NO generation in the CsA-treated cells were reversed when 5 μM cyt-c was added in the cell coculture medium. But these exogenous cyt-c-mediated overproductions of NO and bystander MN were abolished when the cells were pretreated with s-methylisothiourea sulphate, an iNOS inhibitor.Conclusion:Radiation-induced cyt-c has a profound role in regulating bystander response through an iNOS-triggered NO signal but not ROS in HepG2 cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Prostate cancer cells can switch from an androgen-dependent state to an androgen-independent state after a continuous androgen ablation therapy. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this switch are still unclear. Therefore, we explored the change in androgen receptor (AR)-related gene expression during this transition in a novel cell model. Material and methods: Prostate cancer cells were continuously treated with competitive androgen receptor inhibitor hydroxyflutamide for 1.5 years, which yielded an flutamide-insensitive LNCaP subline, LNCaP-flu, as confirmed by MTT assays, flow cytometry, and electron microscopy. We analyzed the differences in gene expression in LNCaP-flu cells and LNCaP cells using gene chips and follow-up RT-PCR. Results: Over 2,428 genes were differentially expressed between these cell lines: 1,194 were down-regulated and 1,234 were up-regulated. Three genes in particular were considered related to the androgen-dependent transition: NCOR1, TIF2 (NCOA2), and ARA70 (NCOA4). There were no apparent changes in expression of the androgen receptor or prostate-specific antigen. Conclusion: ARs and associated coregulators play a central role in the flutamide-insensitive transition of prostate cancer cells. Although AR expression does not change during this transition, the change in AR coregulators may be a critical factor in the development of antiandrogen insensitivity [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the measurements of relative cross sections for multielectron processes in collisions of Xe ions with argon atoms in the velocity range of 0.65-1.32 a.u. By means of the coincidence time-of-flight (TOF) technique, the final charge states of both the projectile and target ions for each collision event are determined. The present experimental data are compared with the scaling law by Selberg et al. [Phys. Rev. A 54, 4127 (1996)] and the extended classical over-barrier (ECB) model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

biological microbeam for precisely positioned single-ion/single cell irradiation is built in the Institute of Modern Physics in Fudan University, Shanghai, China, based on the tandem accelerator (2 × 3MV) in the laboratory. In this paper, the developing progress of the FUDAN microbeam is reported, including the newly constructed beam line, the microbeam collimator, the ion detection system, and the cell-imaging and targeting systems. Statistical models are proposed for evaluating the spatial resolution and dosage precision of the microbeam. By taking the collimated ions as a Gaussian beam, the spatial resolution can be evaluated by the full width at half maximum of the 2-D Gaussian distribution, which is determined by fitting the proportions of peripheral pits outside specific radii in the pit clusters etched on ion track detectors to a 2-D Gaussian distribution. In the preset hitting of defined ion number, by taking the real delivered number of ions as an independent identically distributed random variable (iidrv), according to the Law of Large Numbers and Central Limit Theorem, the expected value μ and standard deviation σ of the real delivered ion number in a preset N-ion hitting can be determined by approaching the normal distribution of N ( μ, σ/ n) with the proportions of the mean counts of pits in multiple pit clusters on ion track detectors. By the values of μ, σ and additional assumptions, statistical dosage precision evaluations can be made on the preset hitting. From the linear fit curve of μ( N) and the power function fit curve of σ( N) on different preset ion numbers, characteristic factors k, b, A, p can be extracted for a precision evaluation independent of the specific preset ion number. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents a synthesis of a new energy harvest system that consists of a hula-hoop transformer, a micro-generator and an interface energy harvest circuit. The hula-hoop transformer mainly comprises a main mass sprung in one translational direction and a free-moving mass attached at one end of a rod, the other end of which is hinged onto the main mass. The transformer is capable of transforming linear reciprocating motions to rotary ones based on the concepts similar to the hula hoop motions. The transformer is subsequently integrated with a miniaturized rotary generator in size of 10 × 10 × 2 mm and its compact energy harvest circuit chip. The designed generator consists of patterned planar copper coils and a multi-polar hard magnet ring made of NdFeB. The genetic algorithm (GA) is next applied to optimize the critical dimensions of the miniaturized generator. The optimized generator offers 4.5 volt and 7.23 mW in rms at 10,000 rpm. With micro-generator successfully fabricated, a novel energy harvest circuit employing a new dual phase charge pump, power management circuit, a low dropout regulator and battery charger is designed and fabricated via the 0.35 μm process. This charge pump circuit owns the merit of automatic conversion of low-power AC signals by the micro-generator to DC ones. Experiments were conducted to show the favorable performance of the proposed energy harvest system. This is the first work that invents a motion transformer from ubiquitous reciprocating to rotational motions. In this way, higher-efficient energy conversion via compact-sized rotational electromagnetic generators can be realized as opposed to popular piezoelectric structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tumor suppressor p53 has a crucial role in cellular response to DNA damage caused by ionizing radiation, but it is still unclear whether p53 can modulate radiation-induced bystander effects (RIBE). In the present work, three different hepatoma cell lines, namely HepG2 (wild p53), PLC/PRF/5 (mutation p53) and Hep3B (p53 null), were irradiated with γ-rays and then co-cultured with normal Chang liver cell (wild p53) in order to elucidate the mechanisms of RIBE. Results showed that the radiosensitivity of HepG2 cells was higher than that of PLC/PRF/5 and Hep3B cells. Only irradiated HepG2 cells, rather than irradiated PLC/PRF/5 or Hep3B cells, could induce bystander effect of micronuclei (MN) formation in the neighboring Chang liver cells. When HepG2 cells were treated with 20 μM pifithrin-α, an inhibitor of p53 function, or 5 μM cyclosporin A (CsA), an inhibitor of cytochrome-c release from mitochondria, the MN induction in bystander Chang liver cells was diminished. In fact, it was found that after irradiation, cytochrome-c was released from mitochondria into the cytoplasm only in HepG2 cells in a p53-dependent manner, but not in PLC/PRF/5 and Hep3B cells. Interestingly, when 50 μg/ml exogenous cytochrome-c was added into cell co-culture medium, RIBE was significantly triggered by irradiated PLC/PRF/5 and Hep3B cells, which previously failed to provoke a bystander effect. In addition, this exogenous cytochrome-c also partly recovered the RIBE induced by irradiated HepG2 cells even with CsA treatment. Our results provide new evidence that the RIBE can be modulated by the p53 status of irradiated hepatoma cells and that a p53-dependent release of cytochrome-c may be involved in the RIBE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of malignant prostate cancer involves multiple genetic alterations. For example, alterations in both survivin and p53 are reported to have crucial roles in prostate cancer progression. However, little is known regarding the interrelationships between p53 and survivin in prostate cancer. Our data demonstrate that the expression of survivin is inversely correlated with that of wtp53 protein (rs=0.548) in prostate cancer and in normal prostate tissues. We have developed a therapeutic strategy, in which two antitumor factors, small interfering RNA-survivin and p53 protein, are co-expressed from the same plasmid, and have examined their effects on the growth of PC3, an androgen-independent prostate cancer cell line. When p53 was expressed along with a survivin-specific short hairpin RNA (shRNA), tumor cell proliferation was significantly suppressed and apoptosis occurred. In addition, this combination also abrogated the expression of downstream target molecules such as cyclin-dependent kinase 4 and c-Myc, while enhancing the expression of GRIM19. These changes in gene expression occurred distinctly in the presence of survivin-shRNA/wtp53 compared with control or single treatment groups. Intratumoral injection of the co-expressed construct inhibited the growth and survival of tumor xenografts in a nude mouse model. These studies revealed evidence of an interaction between p53 and survivin proteins plus a complex signaling network operating downstream of the wtp53-survivin pathway that actively controls tumor cell proliferation, survival and apoptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents an approach based on wavelet correlation modelling for health state monitoring of fluid dynamic bearings in brushless DC motors. This approach involves two stages: (1) extracting of features from the motor-stator current signatures by analysing discrete wavelet transform coefficients; and (2) building of the simplest correlation model between the extracted features and the bearing wear using a multivariable regression technique. The correlation model can be used to detect and predict the bearing wear of brushless DC motors. Experiments were carried out using brushless DC motors with fluid dynamic bearings to verify the proficiency of this approach. Good agreement between the prediction result and the real motor health condition demonstrated the viability of the approach for bearing prognostic applications. The correlation equations obtained have acceptable detectability and accuracy based on a desired 95% level of confidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have an inhibitory effect on tumor proliferation, but the precise mechanisms are not fully understood. Here, we identified DKK-1 (dickkopf-1), secreted by MSCs and acting as a negative regulator of WNT signaling pathway, to be one of the molecules responsible for the inhibitory effect. When DKK-1 was neutralized by anti-DKK-1 antibodies, or when the expression of DKK-1 was downregulated by RNA interference (RNAi), the inhibitory effects of MSCs on K562 cell proliferation were attenuated. We also provide evidence that the expression of DKK-1 by MSCs is regulated by NANOG, a transcriptional factor ubiquitously expressed in some stem cells. Using the Cellmax artificial capillary modules that eliminate the immunosuppressive properties of MSCs, we further showed that MSCs were able to inhibit proliferation of K562 cells in a humoral microenvironment. Meanwhile, we recapture this effect of MSCs on primary leukemic hematopoietic progenitors from patients. MSCs probably have a general inhibitory effect on their neighboring cells, including malignant cells, en route to achieving tissue homeostasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the recoupling theorem and graph calculation in loop quantum gravity, it is demonstrated that the action of metric matrix operator on Gaussian weave state is an eigenaction, the representation matrix elements of the metric operator and their expectation values are calculated. The values of length of tangent vectors of edges adjacent to the vertex of Gaussian weave state, as well as the angles between them are also obtained in the cases of k=0 and k=2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The radiation-induced bystander effect (RIBE) increases the probability of cellular response and therefore has important implications for cancer risk assessment following low-dose irradiation and for the likelihood of secondary cancers after radiotherapy. However, our knowledge of bystander signaling factors, especially those having long half-lives, is still limited. The present study found that, when a fraction of cells within a glioblastoma population were individually irradiated with helium ions from a particle microbeam, the yield of micronuclei (MN) in the nontargeted cells was increased, but these bystander MN were eliminated by treating the cells with either aminoguanidine (an inhibitor of inducible nitric oxide (NO) synthase) or anti-transforming growth factor β1 (anti-TGF-β1), indicating that NO and TGF-β1 are involved in the RIBE. Intracellular NO was detected in the bystander cells, and additional TGF-β1 was detected in the medium from irradiated T98G cells, but it was diminished by aminoguanidine. Consistent with this, an NO donor, diethylamine nitric oxide (DEANO), induced TGF-β1 generation in T98G cells. Conversely, treatment of cells with recombinant TGF-β1 could also induce NO and MN in T98G cells. Treatment of T98G cells with anti-TGF-β1 inhibited the NO production when only 1% of cells were targeted, but not when 100% of cells were targeted. Our results indicate that, downstream of radiation-induced NO, TGF-β1 can be released from targeted T98G cells and plays a key role as a signaling factor in the RIBE by further inducing free radicals and DNA damage in the nontargeted bystander cells.Oncogene (2008) 27, 434–440; doi:10.1038/sj.onc.1210653; published online 9 July 2007 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A narrow strip has been introduced as a control element to suppress vortex shedding from a cylinder. The strip is set parallel to the cylinder axis, and the key parameter of control in this study is the strip position, which is determined by the angle of attack of the strip and the distance between the strip and the cylinder axis. A circular cylinder and a square cylinder were tested respectively. Flow visualization and hot-wire measurement were performed in a low turbulence wind tunnel in the range of Reynolds number Re=4.0 × 10 ∼ 2.0 × 10. Test results show that, vortex shedding from both sides of the cylinder can be effectively suppressed if the strip is located in a certain zone in the wake. The effective zones in circular cylinder wakes at different Reynolds numbers have been found out, and the mechanism of the suppression has been discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A photocatalytic film reactor with a titanium dioxide film was used for oxidation of gaseous ethanol at 253.7 nm. The influences of partial pressures of oxygen and water vapour in different carrier gases were studied. The rate of photocatalytic oxidation of ethanol was significantly affected by the content of oxygen but water vapour had no effect. It was suggested that the photocatalytic transformation of ethanol follows a direct oxidation mechanism where the interaction of ethanol with positive hole gives first cationic free radical of ethanol, which is converted by multipathway reactions with oxygen to acetaldehyde, ethyl formate, and ethyl acetate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Up to now, the studies in the world have demonstrated that CT-guided percutaneous neurolytic celiac plexus block (PNCPB) is an invaluable therapeutic modality in the treatment of refractory abdominal pain caused by cancer. Its efficacy of pain relief varied in reported studies. The main technical considerations which would affect the analgesic effects on abdominal pain included the patients' cooperation, needle entry approaches, combined use of blocking approaches, localization of the target area, dosage of the blocker, and so on. A success of PNCPB depends greatly on close cooperation with patients. The patient should be educated about the purpose and steps of the procedure, and trained of breathing in and breathing hold. The needle entry can be divided into the posterior approach and the anterior approach. The former one is the most commonly used in clinical practice, but the latter one is rarely used except in the cases that the posterior approach becomes technically difficult. Bilateral multiple blocking of celiac plexus and splanchnic nerves is often required to achieve optimal analgesia. The needle entry site, insertion course, and depth should be preselected and simulated on CT monitor prior to the procedure in order to ensure an accurate and safe celiac plexus block. The magnitude of analgesic effect is closely related to the degree of degeneration and necrosis of the celiac plexus. Maximally filling with blocker in the retropancreatic space is an indication of sufficient blocking. We also provided an overview of indications and contraindications, preoperative preparations, complications and its treatment of PNCPB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In-doped zinc oxide (ZnO:In) nanorods were grown onto SiO2/n-Si substrate without catalyst in aqueous solution. The ZnO:In nanorods/SiO2/n-Si heterostructure photovoltaic device was prepared. The structural and photoelectric properties of the as-grown ZnO:In nanorods were analyzed. ZnO:In nanorods had a strong and broad UV surface photovoltage response in the range of 300–400 nm, and the bands were identified. The photoelectric conversion properties of ZnO:In nanorods/SiO2/n-Si heterostructure were investigated. ZnO:In/SiO2/n-Si heterostructure showed a wide range photocurrent spectral response with high intensity in the UV and visible region. The rectifying behavior of this heterostructure was observed. Moreover, the device had a low turn-on voltage and a high breakdown voltage. Current–voltage characteristic was studied for the heterostructure, and the open-circuit voltage and short-circuit current were obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we report on the fabrication and characteristics of light-emitting diodes based on p-GaN/i-ZnO/n-ZnO heterojunction. A 30 nm i-ZnO layer was grown on p-GaN by rf reactive magnetron sputtering, then a n-ZnO was deposited by the electron beam evaporation technique. The current-voltage characteristic of the obtained p-i-n heterojunction exhibited a diode-like rectifying behavior. Because the electrons from n-ZnO and the holes from p-GaN could be injected into a i-ZnO layer with a relatively low carrier concentration and mobility, the radiative recombination was mainly confined in i-ZnO region. As a result, an ultraviolet electro-emission at 3.21 eV, related to ZnO exciton recombination, was observed in a room-temperature electroluminescence spectrum of p-i-n heterojunction under forward bias. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) is a common and devastating pneumonia. We developed a novel antiinfective vaccine that couples the potent Ag-presenting capacity of dendritic cells (DCs) with paracrine delivery of interleukin-12 (IL-12) to local immune response sites. Our results showed that DCs engulfed Aspergillus conidia through coiling phagocytosis. Transfection of DCs with adenovirus encoding the cDNA of IL-12 did not affect their morphology and capacity to engulf conidia. The transduced DCs secreted IL-12, which was biologically active, to induce the production of gamma interferon (IFN-?) from spleen cells. Adoptive transfer of DCs pulsed with heat-inactivated Aspergillus fumigatus (HAF) to naïve mice induced the Ag-specific production of IFN-?; the transduced HAF-pulsed DCs augmented this immune response further. Animals receiving HAF-pulsed DCs had lower fungal burdens, a more than three-fold higher survival rate at day 3. This protection was associated with a pronounced enhancement in the Aspergillus-specific IFN-?response. IL-12-engineered DCs augmented this protection strikingly as judged by a higher survival, and almost no Aspergillus could be detected in the lung of mice that had received IL-12-transduced HAF-pulsed DCs. These results suggest that antigen-pulsed DCs and IL-12 gene therapy could be used as adjunct therapy for aspergillosis.Genes and Immunity (2005) 6, 103-114. doi:10.1038/sj.gene.6364167 Published online 27 January 2005 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asthma is caused by bronchial inflammation. This inflammation involves mucus overproduction and hypersecretion. Recently, a mouse model of asthma showed that gob-5 is involved in the pathogenesis of asthma. The gob-5 gene is involved in mucus secretion and its expression is upregulated upon antigen attack in sensitized mice. The observation suggests that human homologue of gob-5, hCLCA1 (human calcium-dependent chloride channel-1), may be involved in human disease. We screened for single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in hCLCA1 in the Japanese population. We identified eight SNPs, and performed association studies using 384 child patients with asthma, 480 adult patients with asthma, and 672 controls. In haplotype analysis, we found a different haplotype distribution pattern between controls and childhood asthma (P<0.0001) and between controls and adult asthma (P=0.0031). We identified a high-risk haplotype (CATCAAGT haplotype; P=0.0014) and a low-risk haplotype (TGCCAAGT haplotype; P=0.00010) in cases of childhood asthma. In diplotype analysis, patients who had the CATCAAGT haplotype showed a higher risk for childhood asthma than those who did not (P=0.0011). Individuals who had the TGCCAAGT haplotype showed a lower risk for childhood asthma than those who did not (P<0.0001). Our data suggested that variation of the hCLCA1 gene affects patients'susceptibility for asthma.Genes and Immunity (2004) 5, 540-547. doi:10.1038/sj.gene.6364124 Published online 19 August 2004 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims/hypothesis. Retinal vascular leakage is an early pathological feature in diabetic retinopathy and can lead to macular oedema and loss of vision. Previously we have shown that plasminogen kringle 5 (K5), an angiogenic inhibitor, inhibits retinal neovascularisation in the rat model of oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR). The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of K5 on vascular leakage in the retina. Methods. Neonatal rats were exposed to hyperoxia to induce OIR. Diabetes was induced in adult rats by injecting streptozotocin. Vascular permeability was measured by Evans blue method. Expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was evaluated using immunohistochemistry and western blot analysis. Results. Rats with OIR and diabetes showed abnormal vascular hyperpermeability in the retina and iris. Intravitreal injection of K5, reduced vascular permeability in both animal models, but did not affect permeability in normal rats. K5 reduced vascular permeability at doses substantially lower than that required for inhibition of retinal neovascularisation. The K5-induced reduction in vascular permeability correlated with its down-regulation of VEGF expression in the retina. Moreover, K5 inhibited IGF-1-induced hyperpermeability, which is known to arise through up-regulation of endogenous VEGF expression. However, K5 had no effect on the hyperpermeability induced by injection of exogenous VEGF. Conclusions/interpretation. Very low doses of K5 reduce pathological vascular leakage in the retina. K5 thus has therapeutic potential in the treatment of diabetic macular oedema. This effect can be ascribed, at least in part, to the down-regulation of endogenous VEGF expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims/hypothesis. Kallikrein-binding protein (KBP) is a serine proteinase inhibitor (serpin). It specifically binds to tissue kallikrein and inhibits kallikrein activity. Our study was designed to test its effects on retinal neovascularization and vascular permeability. Methods. Endothelial cell proliferation was determined by [3H] thymidine incorporation assay and apoptosis quantified by Annexin V staining and flow cytometry. Effect on retinal neovascularization was determined by fluorescein angiography and count of pre-retinal vascular cells in an oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR) model. Vascular permeability was assayed by the Evans blue method. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was measured by Western blot analysis and ELISA. Results. Kallikrein-binding protein specifically inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis in retinal capillary endothelial cells. Intravitreal injection of KBP inhibited retinal neovascularization in an OIR model. Moreover, KBP decreased vascular leakage in the retina, iris and choroid in rats with OIR. Blockade of kinin receptors by specific antagonists showed significantly weaker inhibition of endothelial cells, when compared to that of KBP, suggesting that the anti-angiogenic activity of KBP is not through inhibiting kallikrein activity or kinin production. KBP competed with 125I-VEGF for binding to endothelial cells and down-regulated VEGF production in endothelial cells and in the retina of the OIR rat model. Conclusion/interpretation. Kallikrein-binding protein is a multi-functional serpin, and its vascular activities are independent of its interactions with the kallikrein-kinin system. Inhibition of VEGF binding to its receptors and down-regulation of VEGF expression could represent a mechanism for the vascular activities of KBP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the flat Minkowski space-time background, using the perturbative expansion of the metric density, we calculate the expressions of the leading terms of several two-point curvature vacuum correlation functions in N-dimensional R-gravity, resulting in that the contributions of the leading terms of the curvature vacuum correlation functions are all vanishing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With a model system of pBR322 plasmid DNA solution in vitro, the dose effects of radiation- induced single- and double-strand breaks (SSB and DSB) were measured and DSB was distinguished into α- and β-types. Under the condition of low scavenging capacity existing in the irradiated DNA solution, SSB and αDSB were mainly induced by hydroxyl radicals (·OH). Moreover, a certain relationship was obtained between the SSB and αDSB yields and the DNA concentration. It was found that when the DNA solution was irradiated in the presence of 2.5 mmol dm–3 mannitol, the reciprocals of G(SSB) and G(αDSB), respectively, were linearly related to the reciprocal of the DNA concentration, i.e. the competition reactions of DNA and mannitol for ·OH radicals can be described by second-order kinetics. The rate coefficients and the efficiencies of the ·OH radical inducing SSB were deduced. Also, the reaction rate coefficients and the efficiencies for the induction of αDSB from SSB by the ·OH radical transfer mechanism, were first derived from the competition kinetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By the method of gel electrophoresis, radiation-induced DNA single- and double-strand breaks (SSB, DSB) were studied with a model system of pBR322 solution in vitro in the presence of ·OH radical scavengers, mannitol and TE (10–2 mol dm–3 Tris and 10–3 mol dm–3 ethylene diamine tetra-acetic acid). Experiments showed that SSB resulted from one-hit events of radiation energy deposition and DSB resulted from both one-hit and two-hit energy deposition events and so were distinguished into two classes of αDSB and βDSB. Moreover, α/β, where α is the number of DSB per unit dose induced in one irradiation event and β the number of DSB per unit squared dose induced by the combination of two independent SSB, was related to the scavenging capacity, σ, and for σ>108 s–1,αDSB predominate over DSB. On the other hand, if σ<2×108 s–1, the measured G(αDSB) decreased in parallel with G(SSB), i.e., G(αDSB)/G(SSB) was a constant. When σ>2×108 s–1, G(αDSB) decreased slightly so that the ratio of αDSB to SSB evidently increased. Therefore, αDSB could be induced by the radical transfer mechanism for σ<2×108 s–1 and contrarily produced by the local multiply damaged sites (LMDS) mechanism for σ larger than this value. In addition, the distance for two independent complementary SSB forming a DSB was deduced, but no apparent variation of it was found in the wide σ range from ∼105 to ∼109 s–1, which shows that the DNA steric structure was not influenced by mannitol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new acids 1 and 2, together with a known compound, purpactin A ( 3), were isolated from endophytic fungus No. ZZF13. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of 1D, 2D NMR, and HREIMS spectra. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite having significant applications in the construction of controlled delivery systems with high anti-interference capability, to our knowledge dual-controlled molecular release has not yet been achieved based on small molecular/supramolecular entities. Herein, we report a dual-controlled release system based on coordination cages, for which releasing the guest from the cage demands synchronously altering the coordinative metal cations and the solvent. The cages, Hg 5 L 2 and Ag 5 L 2 , are constructed via coordination-driven self-assembly of a corannulene-based ligand. While Hg 5 L 2 shows a solvent-independent guest encapsulation in all the studied solvents, Ag 5 L 2 is able to encapsulate the guests in only some of the solvents, such as acetone-d 6 , but will liberate the encapsulated guests in 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane-d 2 . Hg 5 L 2 and Ag 5 L 2 are interconvertible. Thus, the release of guests from Hg 5 L 2 in acetone-d 6 can be achieved, but requires two separate operations, including metal substitutions and a change of the solvent. Dual-controlled systems as such could be useful in complicated molecular release process to avoid those undesired stimulus-responses., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Recent advances in the genomics of glioblastoma (GBM) led to the introduction of molecular neuropathology but failed to translate into treatment improvement. This is largely attributed to the genetic and phenotypic heterogeneity of GBM, which are considered the major obstacle to GBM therapy. Here, we use advanced human GBM-like organoid (LEGO: Laboratory Engineered Glioblastoma-like Organoid) models and provide an unprecedented comprehensive characterization of LEGO models using single-cell transcriptome, DNA methylome, metabolome, lipidome, proteome, and phospho-proteome analysis. We discovered that genetic heterogeneity dictates functional heterogeneity across molecular layers and demonstrates that NF1 mutation drives mesenchymal signature. Most importantly, we found that glycerol lipid reprogramming is a hallmark of GBM, and several targets and drugs were discovered along this line. We also provide a genotype-based drug reference map using LEGO-based drug screen. This study provides new human GBM models and a research path toward effective GBM therapy., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are the main precursors to soot particles in combustion systems. A lack of direct experimental evidence has led to controversial theoretical explanations for the transition from gas-phase species to organic soot clusters. This work focuses on sampling infant soot particles from well-defined flames followed by analysis using state-of-the-art mass spectrometry. We found that PAH molecules present in soot particles are all stabilomers. Kinetic Monte Carlo simulations and thermodynamic stability calculations further identify the detected PAHs as peri-condensed and without aliphatic chains. Van der Waals forces can easily link PAHs of such size and shape to form PAH dimers and larger clusters under the specified flame conditions. Our results provide direct experimental evidence that soot inception is initiated by a physical process under typical flame conditions. This work improves our understanding of aerosol particulates, which has implications for their environmental and climate change impacts., (© 2023. Springer Nature Limited.)

SiC semiconductor is the focus of recent international research. It is also an important raw material for China to achieve carbon emission peak and carbon neutrality. After nearly 20 years of research and development, we focus on the three types SiC crystals, n-type, p-type and semi-insulating, indicating the development of Shandong University for crystal growth. And defects control, electrical property, atomic polishing, and corresponding device authentication all obtain great progress. Total dislocation density of 6-inch n-type substrates decreases to 2307 cm -2 , where BPD (Basal Plane Dislocation) lowers to 333 cm -2 and TSD (Threading Screw Dislocation) 19 cm -2 . The full width at half maximum (FWHM) (0004) rocking curves is only 14.4 arcsec. The resistivity reaches more than 1E + 12 Ω·cm for semi-insulating SiC and lower than 20 mΩ·cm for n-type SiC. The impurity concentrations in 6-inch high-purity semi-insulating (HPSI) SiC crystals reach extreme low levels. The devices made of various substrate materials have good performance., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Objectives: To compare tumor size measurements using CT and MRI in pancreatic cancer (PC) patients with neoadjuvant therapy (NAT)., Methods: This study included 125 histologically confirmed PC patients who underwent NAT. The tumor sizes from CT and MRI before and after NAT were compared by using Bland-Altman analyses and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). Variations in tumor size estimates between MRI and CT in relationship to different factors, including NAT methods (chemotherapy, chemoradiotherapy), tumor locations (head/neck, body/tail), tumor regression grade (TRG) levels (0-2, 3), N stages (N0, N1/N2) and tumor resection margin status (R0, R1), were further analysed. The McNemar test was used to compare the efficacy of NAT evaluations based on the CT and MRI measurements according to RECIST 1.1 criteria., Results: There was no significant difference between the median tumor sizes from CT and MRI before and after NAT (P = 0.44 and 0.39, respectively). There was excellent agreement in tumor size between MRI and CT, with mean size differences and limits of agreement (LOAs) of 1.5 [-9.6 to 12.7] mm and 0.9 [-12.6 to 14.5] mm before NAT (ICC, 0.93) and after NAT (ICC, 0.91), respectively. For all the investigated factors, there was good or excellent correlation (ICC, 0.76 to 0.95) for tumor sizes between CT and MRI. There was no significant difference in the efficacy evaluation of NAT between CT and MRI measurements (P = 1.0)., Conclusion: MRI and CT have similar performance in assessing PC tumor size before and after NAT., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Nutrient availability is a determining factor for crop yield and quality. While fertilization is a major approach for improving plant nutrition, its efficacy can be limited and the production and application of fertilizers frequently bring problems to the environment. A large number of soil microbes are capable of enhancing plant nutrient acquisition and thereby offer environmentally benign solutions to meet the requirements of plant nutrition. Herein we provide summations of how beneficial microbes enhance plant acquisition of macronutrients and micronutrients. We also review recent studies on nutrition-dependent plant-microbe interactions, which highlight the plant's initiative in establishing or deterring the plant-microbe association. By dissecting complex signaling interactions between microbes within the root microbiome, a greater understanding of microbe-enhanced plant nutrition under specific biotic and abiotic stresses will be possible., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Purpose: To develop and validate a radiomics nomogram for the preoperative prediction of lymph node (LN) metastasis in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC)., Materials and Methods: In this retrospective study, 225 patients with surgically resected, pathologically confirmed PDAC underwent multislice computed tomography (MSCT) between January 2014 and January 2017. Radiomics features were extracted from arterial CT scans. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator method was used to select the features. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to develop the predictive model, and a radiomics nomogram was built and internally validated in 45 consecutive patients with PDAC between February 2017 and December 2017. The performance of the nomogram was assessed in the training and validation cohort. Finally, the clinical usefulness of the nomogram was estimated using decision curve analysis (DCA)., Results: The radiomics signature, which consisted of 13 selected features of the arterial phase, was significantly associated with LN status (p < 0.05) in both the training and validation cohorts. The multivariable logistic regression model included the radiomics signature and CT-reported LN status. The individualized prediction nomogram showed good discrimination in the training cohort [area under the curve (AUC), 0.75; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.68-0.82] and in the validation cohort (AUC, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.69-0.94) and good calibration. DCA demonstrated that the radiomics nomogram was clinically useful., Conclusions: The presented radiomics nomogram that incorporates the radiomics signature and CT-reported LN status is a noninvasive, preoperative prediction tool with favorable predictive accuracy for LN metastasis in patients with PDAC., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

This study developed microstructure-based finite element (FE) models to investigate the behavior of cold-sprayed aluminum-alumina (Al-Al 2 O 3 ) metal matrix composite (MMC) coatings subject to indentation and quasi-static compression loading. Based on microstructural features (i.e., particle weight fraction, particle size, and porosity) of the MMC coatings, 3D representative volume elements (RVEs) were generated by using Digimat software and then imported into ABAQUS/Explicit. State-of-the-art physics-based modeling approaches were incorporated into the model to account for particle cracking, interface debonding, and ductile failure of the matrix. This allowed for analysis and informing on the deformation and failure responses. The model was validated with experimental results for cold-sprayed Al-34 wt.% Al 2 O 3 and Al-46 wt.% Al 2 O 3 metal matrix composite coatings under quasi-static compression by comparing the stress versus strain histories and observed failure mechanisms (e.g., matrix ductile failure). The results showed that the computational framework is able to capture the response of this cold-sprayed material system under compression and indentation, both qualitatively and quantitatively. The outcomes of this work have implications for extending the model to materials design and for applications involving different types of loading in real-world application (e.g., erosion and fatigue)., (© ASM International 2021.)

Ecosystem respiration is a major component of the global terrestrial carbon cycle and is strongly influenced by temperature. The global extent of the temperature-ecosystem respiration relationship, however, has not been fully explored. Here, we test linear and threshold models of ecosystem respiration across 210 globally distributed eddy covariance sites over an extensive temperature range. We find thresholds to the global temperature-ecosystem respiration relationship at high and low air temperatures and mid soil temperatures, which represent transitions in the temperature dependence and sensitivity of ecosystem respiration. Annual ecosystem respiration rates show a markedly reduced temperature dependence and sensitivity compared to half-hourly rates, and a single mid-temperature threshold for both air and soil temperature. Our study indicates a distinction in the influence of environmental factors, including temperature, on ecosystem respiration between latitudinal and climate gradients at short (half-hourly) and long (annual) timescales. Such climatological differences in the temperature sensitivity of ecosystem respiration have important consequences for the terrestrial net carbon sink under ongoing climate change.