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Pigs have undergone intense selective pressure throughout their domestication history, and their size is a desirable trait for humans. The objective of this research was to detect the strong selective signals for swine body size using the genome-wide association study (GWAS) approach for ten different pig breeds based on the values of breed genetic differentiation (Fst). Three strong signatures are associated with the size of the pig, with LAGA0046501 at 12.84 Mb on SSC8, ALGA0046498 at 12.51 Mb on SSC8 and a ∼600 kb interval from 82.10 to 82.70 Mb on SSC4. LCORL, NCAPG, IMPAD1, PLAG1 have been characterized as plausible candidate genes for body size in swine based on their genomic position and biological function. Our findings provide deeper insights into the genetic architecture of body size in pigs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strawberry seedlings are often subjected to strong light stress during breeding and strawberry production, leading to seedling death, sunburn and disease. We investigated the endogenous mechanism of strong light stress in strawberry by studying chlorophyll degradation. The activity of chlorophyll, intermediate products, chlorophyll degradation key enzymes and the expression of chlorophyll degradation related genes were measured in 'Xuelixiang' strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) under 12 hours of 30 000 xl and 100 000 xl light treatment respectively. It was found that the concentrations of chlorophyll, chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b in strawberry leaves decreased significantly and the ratio of chlorophyll a to b increased under strong light stress treatment; pheophytin pheophorbide hydrolase (PPH), pheophorbide a oxygenase (PAO) and red chlorophyll catabolite reductase (RCCR) activities were higher than those in the NL group; chlorophyll degradation-related genes (except FaMDCase) were all higher expressed than in the NL group. The degradation of strawberry chlorophyll was accelerated by strong light stress. In addition, showing that PPH and PAO are key factors in the chlorophyll degradation pathway of strawberry. This study lays the foundation for an in-depth study on chlorophyll degradation in strawberry under strong light stress and other related studies, aiming to provide a theoretical basis for light management during strawberry production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The space environment includes unique hazards like radiation and microgravity which can adversely affect biological systems. We assessed a multi-omics NASA GeneLab dataset where mice were hindlimb unloaded and/or gamma irradiated for 21 days followed by retinal analysis at 7 days, 1 month or 4 months post-exposure. We compared time-matched epigenomic and transcriptomic retinal profiles resulting in a total of 4178 differentially methylated loci or regions, and 457 differentially expressed genes. Highest correlation in methylation difference was seen across different conditions at the same time point. Nucleotide metabolism biological processes were enriched in all groups with activation at 1 month and suppression at 7 days and 4 months. Genes and processes related to Notch and Wnt signaling showed alterations 4 months post-exposure. A total of 23 genes showed significant changes in methylation and expression compared to unexposed controls, including genes involved in retinal function and inflammatory response. This multi-omics analysis interrogates the epigenomic and transcriptomic impacts of radiation and hindlimb unloading on the retina in isolation and in combination and highlights important molecular mechanisms at different post-exposure stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore physiological roles associated with early bolting (EB) of Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels, 48 re-green plants transplanted by two sources of seedlings were randomly sampled to observe their phenology. Synchronously, physiological characters in tender leaves of single plant were measured every 18 d or so until the end of EB. The results showed that anthocyanin and CAT activities in the potential EB plants firstly boosted 48.33 and 60.50% more than the normal ones, and thereafter they all decreased and then again increased with the EB occurrence, while they reversed exactly in the normal plants. The same reverse trends also found in SOD, POD and APX activities in the EB and normal plants. Stronger antioxidant enzyme activities triggered higher survival but also higher EB rates as well. The property of the significant relations of the anthocyanin and CAT activity to the EB varied with the individual phenology and was modulated by SOD, POD and APX activities in synergy. This conclusion is of great significance to improving our understanding early bolting and its physiological control mechanism in A. sinensis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reduced knee weight-bearing from prescription or sedentary lifestyles are associated with cartilage degradation; effects on the meniscus are unclear. Rodents exposed to spaceflight or hind limb unloading (HLU) represent unique opportunities to evaluate this question. This study evaluated arthritic changes in the medial knee compartment that bears the highest loads across the knee after actual and simulated spaceflight, and recovery with subsequent full weight-bearing. Cartilage and meniscal degradation in mice were measured via microCT, histology, and proteomics and/or biochemically after: (1) ~ 35 days on the International Space Station (ISS); (2) 13-days aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis; or (3) 30 days of HLU, followed by a 49-day weight-bearing readaptation with/without exercise. Cartilage degradation post-ISS and HLU occurred at similar spatial locations, the tibial-femoral cartilage-cartilage contact point, with meniscal volume decline. Cartilage and meniscal glycosaminoglycan content were decreased in unloaded mice, with elevated catabolic enzymes (e.g., matrix metalloproteinases), and elevated oxidative stress and catabolic molecular pathway responses in menisci. After the 13-day Shuttle flight, meniscal degradation was observed. During readaptation, recovery of cartilage volume and thickness occurred with exercise. Reduced weight-bearing from either spaceflight or HLU induced an arthritic phenotype in cartilage and menisci, and exercise promoted recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-order perturbation formulas of the electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) parameters for a 3d 9 ion in a tetragonally elongated octahedron (TEO) are applied to theoretical studies of the EPR parameters (i.e., g factors g | | , g ⊥ and the hyperfine parameters A | | , A ⊥) and local structure for Cu 2 + center in Mg(CH 3 COO) 2 · 4H 2 O (MAT). In the calculated formulas, the ligand orbital and spin–orbit coupling contributions are taken into account due to moderate covalency for the studied systems, and the related molecular orbital coefficients are acquired from the superposition model which enables to correlate the crystal-field parameters and hence the EPR parameters with the local structure of [CuO 6 ] 10 - cluster. According to the calculations, the octahedral [CuO 6 ] 10 - cluster is found to suffer the relative elongation by about 3.7% along C 4 axis in MAT crystal, due to the Jahn–Teller effect. The calculated results are in good agreement with the observed values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alpha(α)Klotho, a soluble transmembrane protein, facilitates calcium-phosphorus homeostasis through feedback between bone and kidney and is a potential systemic biomarker for bone-kidney health during spaceflight. We determined if: (1) plasma αKlotho was reduced after both spaceflight aboard the ISS and hindlimb unloading (HU); and (2) deficiency could be reversed with exercise. Both spaceflight and HU lowered circulating plasma αKlotho: plasma αKlotho recovered with exercise after HU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, confined explosions of HMX-based aluminized explosives in a spherical chamber are studied. The effects of aluminum particles on the afterburning reaction and explosive performance are obtained by changing the size of the particles and the gas environment. The results show that the concentration of oxygen in air is not sufficient to support complete combustion of aluminum particles. The estimated oxidation rate of aluminum particles is 87–93%, and it tends to decrease with increasing particle size. Part of aluminum particles oxidize with detonation products, and the reaction can last for hundreds of microseconds. However, the degree of oxidation between the large-sized aluminum particles and detonation products is small. A new method is used to estimate the initial energy of detonation by observing the time difference between sensing the initial light and the pressure wave. This method leads to a conclusion that some of the aluminum particles are oxidized during detonation and provide additional energy to the primary blast wave. Small micron-sized aluminum particles in the range of 48.9 nm to 46.7 m extend the duration of the fireball. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper develops a new empirical formula for the prediction of the triple point path in irregular shock reflection cases. Numerical simulations using a two-dimensional axisymmetric multi-material arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian formulation are employed to obtain the data of fluid density. Using the data of fluid density and nodal coordinates, the gradients of fluid density are determined and then used to generate numerical schlieren images. Based on these images, the triple point paths are derived and compared with the models of the Unified Facilities Criteria (UFC) and Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) as well as two models from the open literature. It is found that the numerically derived triple point paths are in good agreement with those predicted by a recently published model in the open literature for the typical ground range of shock wave propagation of up to 6 m. Considering the whole distance range, it is found that the agreement of different models of the triple point path with the numerical ones depends on the considered blast scenario, i.e., the scaled charge height. For small-scaled charge heights, the model of the UFC and the recently published model in the open literature are in better agreement with the numerical results than the other two models, whereas the NRDC model has the best agreement with the numerical results for large-scaled charge heights. Based on the numerical results, a new empirical formula is proposed for the prediction of the triple point path, which is valid for a wide range of the scaled charge heights from 0.5 to 3.5 m/kg1/3 and scaled ground distances up to 15 m/kg1/3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The optical absorption spectra and spin-Hamiltonian parameters (g factors g||, g⊥, and hyperfine structure constants A||, A⊥) of vanadyl in zinc phosphate glass are investigated, using the high-order perturbation formulas for a 3d1 ion in tetragonally compressed octahedra. In the calculations, the required crystal-field parameters are estimated from the superposition model, and the optical absorption bands and spin-Hamiltonian parameters are linked with the tetragonal distortion (characterized by ΔR = R⊥ – R||, where R⊥ and R|| denote the bond lengths perpendicular and parallel to the C4 axis). Based on the calculations, the tetragonal distortion ΔR (≈1.795 Å) was obtained, and negative signs of the hyperfine structure constants A|| and A⊥ are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high-order perturbation formulas of the electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) parameters for an orthorhombically elongated octahedral 3d9 cluster are adopted to analyze the local distortions of divalent copper in Ba2Zn(HCOO)6·4H2O (BZFA). The doped Cu2+ may substitute the host Zn2+ in the lattice, with different local environments from the original Zn2+, which can strongly affect its EPR parameters. In the calculations, the admixture of d-orbitals in the ground state for the impurity Cu2+ ion under orthorhombic symmetry is considered, and the required molecular orbital coefficients are determined from the cluster approach. The orthorhombic field parameters are correlated with the local lattice distortion (characterized by the axial elongation δz and the relative perpendicular bond length variation δr) and can be calculated from the superposition model. The theoretical EPR parameters based on the above local structure are in good agreement with the observed values, and the results are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study is devoted to the synthesis of Schiff base ligand, HL, by condensation of 5-aminosalicylic acid with o-vanillin, followed by preparing its Cu(II), Co(II), Mn(II), and Zn(II) complexes, and their characterization. The Schiff base behaves as a bidentate ligand which forms tetrahedral complexes with Cu(II) and Zn(II), unlike Co(II) and Mn(II) that give octahedral complexes. The Schiff base ligand and its complexes with Cu2+, Co2+, Mn2+, and Zn2+ exhibit considerable antibacterial activity against some drug resistant reference strains and local isolates of S. aureus, E. Coli, P. aersginosa. Overall, the metal complexes exhibit more potent antibacterial activity than the ligand HL alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: An azoxymethane/dextran sulfate sodium (AOM/DSS) protocol has been developed for the induction in an animal model of the precancerous stages of colitis-associated carcinogenesis, by modification of the established (AOM/DSS protocol for carcinogenesis.Methods: Female C57BL6 mice were treated with a single intraperitoneal dose (10 mg/kg of body weight) of AOM followed by three, 5-day, cycles of oral DSS, at different dosages, with each cycle interrupted by a 2-week rest period.Results: The 3 mice in the group that were given three, 5-day, cycles of oral 2.5 % DSS all developed colonic adenomas with dysplastic lesions, but none had developed adenocarcinoma at 60 days. In contrast, of 6 mice treated with AOM administration along with either three, 5-day, cycles of 3.0% DSS or three, 7-day, cycles of 2.5% DSS, 5 had developed cancer at day 84 of the experiment. These results suggest that the administration of three, 5-day, cycles of 2.5% DSS following an initial dose of AOM may successfully induce adenoma formation in female C57BL6 mice at day 60, without the concurrent presence of carcinoma.Conclusion: This modification of the widely used AOM/DSS protocol for induction of colonic carcinoma may constitute a novel approach for investigating colitis-related colonic adenomas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of Zn addition on the hot tearing susceptibilities of non-refined Al- xZn-2Mg-2Cu ( x = 2-12 wt pct) alloys was investigated via direct crack observations and load response measurements. The obtained experimental results were compared with the predictions made using a modified Rappaz-Drezet-Gremaud (RDG) hot tearing model. Both the minimum crack width and load at the non-equilibrium solidus (NES) temperature (which served as a good indicator of hot tearing response) were observed at a Zn concentration of approximately 4 wt pct, and the formation of cracks was highly correlated with the predictions made via the modified RDG hot tearing model (although the obtained relationship critically depended on the magnitude of fraction solid at which solid coalescence was expected to occur). Furthermore, it was confirmed from the load development pattern that the addition of Zn into the matrix of Al- xZn-2Mg-2Cu alloys promoted the formation of coalesced networks, which decreased their corresponding coalescence fraction solids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Banana bacterial sheath rot is a new disease causing significant economic losses in banana production in China. Pathogenic bacteria infect the middle and bottom parts of the leaf sheath and produce black and brown spots. These spots lead to folding and bending of the sheath, drooping of leaves, and eventual browning and rotting of the entire leaf sheath. In this work, twenty representative strains from five different provinces in China were confirmed by Koch's postulates, and two of them (XJ5-1 and XJ5-2) were characterized by morphological, physiological, biochemical, and molecular assays. Results showed that the strains were more similar to Dickeya dadantii and were less related to Dickeya paradisiaca and Dickeya zeae based on several phenotype characteristics. Phylogenetic analysis and comparison of strains from banana and Dickeya spp. were performed using concatenated partial sequences of the seven housekeeping genes dnaJ, dnaX, gyrB, recN, fusA, gyrA and recA1, indicating that the strains isolated from banana-sheath-rot tissues were closely related to D. dadantii and distinct from other Dickeya spp. Therefore, the banana pathogen was determined to be D. dadantii. This report is the first one on the banana-sheath-rot disease caused by D. dadantii in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Broccoli ( Brassica oleracea L. var. italica planck) has been highly valued because of its nutrient content, which has been attributed to both sulforaphane, a sulfur-containing compound, and selenium enrichment ability. The sulforaphane synthesis may be affected by Se/S metabolism because sulfate and selenate share the same initial pathway for uptake in plants. Selenocysteine methyltransferase ( SMT) plays a critical role in the Se/S metabolism system. In the present work, we analyzed the SMT expression level and sulforaphane content in transgenic broccoli under the conditions of overexpression and RNAi knockdown of SMT under normal and selenium-stressed conditions. The relative expression value of SMT in the overexpression line is 13.93 % higher than that in the untransformed control. Interestingly, the sulforaphane content of the overexpression line was 14.09 % lower after selenium treatment, while that of the empty vector (pCAMBIA1301) transformed and untransformed plants was 59.04 and 66.56 % lower than that of the non-selenium-treated, respectively. In the SMT-RNAi line, which has a relative expression value for SMT 15.60 % lower than that of the untransformed, we cannot detect sulforaphane after selenium treatment. These results showed that SMT plays a key role in sulforaphane synthesis in a selenium-rich environment. Specifically, overexpression of SMT decreases the negative effect of selenium on sulforaphane synthesis, while knockdown of SMT by RNAi enhances the negative effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is one of the major causes of liver inflammation. The aim of this study was to investigate the associations of T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain-3 (Tim-3) polymorphisms and the alternate reading frame protein (F protein) with the outcomes of HCV infection. Three single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs; rs10053538, rs12186731, and rs13170556) of Tim-3 were genotyped in this study, which included 203 healthy controls, 558 hepatitis C anti-F-positive patients, and 163 hepatitis C anti-F-negative patients. The results revealed that the rs12186731 CT and rs13170556 TC and CC genotypes were significantly less frequent in the anti-F-positive patients [odds ratio (OR) = 0.54, 95 % confidence interval (CI) = 0.35-0.83, p = 0.005; OR = 0.26, 95 % CI = 0.18-0.39, p < 0.001; and OR = 0.19, 95 % CI = 0.10-0.35, p < 0.001, respectively), and the rs13170556 TC genotype was more frequent in the chronic HCV (CHC) patients (OR = 1.70, 95 % CI = 1.20-2.40, p = 0.002). The combined analysis of the rs12186731 CT and rs13170556 TC/CC genotypes revealed a locus-dosage protective effect in the anti-F-positive patients (OR = 0.22, 95 % CI = 0.14-0.33, p < 0.001). Stratified analyses revealed that the frequencies of the rs12186731 (CT + TT) genotypes were significantly lower in the older (OR = 0.31, 95 % CI = 0.15-0.65, p = 0.002) and female (OR = 0.30, 95 % CI = 0.17-0.52, p < 0.001) subgroups, and rs13170556 (TC + CC) genotypes exhibited the same effect in all subgroups (all p < 0.001) in the anti-F antibody generations. Moreover, the rs13170556 (TC + CC) genotypes were significantly more frequent in the younger (OR = 1.86, 95 % CI = 1.18-2.94, p = 0.007) and female (OR = 2.38, 95 % CI = 1.48-3.83, p < 0.001) subgroups of CHC patients. These findings suggest that the rs12186731 CT and rs13170556 TC/CC genotypes of Tim-3 provide potential protective effects with the F protein in the outcomes of HCV infection and that these effects are related to sex and age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Automatic Crash Notification (ACN) system is an effective technology to decrease the crash response time, improve the level of post-accident rescue and alleviate the severity of injuries. To realize this system, a vehicle terminal is developed. And based on a moving window integral algorithm, the trigger algorithm of ACN system is designed. By comparing the effect of different window widths on the trigger algorithm, we select the window width of the moving window integral algorithm as 8 ms. After system is triggered, different notify types was determined according to the change of velocity in the moving window. A sled impact simulation test shows that the impact can be identified rapidly and also the notify types can be judged by the trigger algorithm. A vehicle road test proves that the ACN system has no false trigger cases. The outcomes of this study support identifications of accidents and crash severities for both occupants and emergency centers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clinically amyopathic dermatomyositis (CADM) is a unique subset of dermatomyositis, showing a high incidence of lung involvements. The aim of this study is to identify risk factors, other than melanoma differentiation-associated protein (MDA)-5, for developing rapidly progressive-interstitial lung disease (RP-ILD) in patients with CADM. Forty CADM patients, in whom 11 patients developed RP-ILD, were enrolled. Clinical features and laboratory findings were compared between the patients with and without RP-ILD. We found that skin ulceration, CRP, serum ferritin, anti-MDA5 Ab, and lymphocytopenia were significantly associated with ILD. Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that anti-MDA5 Ab, elevated CRP, and decreased counts of lymphocyte were independent risk factors for RP-ILD, which can provide a precise predict for RP-ILD in CADM patients. When anti-MDA5 Ab was removed from the multivariate regression model, using skin ulcerations, elevated serum ferritin and decreased counts of lymphocyte can also precisely predict RP-ILD. Except for MDA-5, more commonly available clinical characteristics, such as skin ulcerations, serum ferritin, and count of lymphocyte may also help to predict prognosis in CADM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major cause of chronic liver disease and the varied outcomes of the infection depend on both viral and host factors. We have demonstrated that the HCV alternate reading frame protein (F protein) is related to Th1/Th2 bias which is involved in virus persistence in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that genetic variants of TBX21 (T cell specific T-box transcription factor) were associated with the outcomes of HCV infection and F protein generation. Three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (rs17250932, rs2074190, rs4794067) in the TBX21 gene were genotyped in a case-control study in a cohort of a high-risk group, including 354 healthy controls and 747 CHC patients (190 anti-F protein antibody seronegative patients and 557 anti-F protein antibody seropositive patients). Results showed that the rs4794067 C allele in the TBX21 promoter was significantly more common in CHC patients (OR = 1.335, 95 % CI = 1.058-1.684, P = 0.015), exceptionally in anti-F protein seropositive patients (OR = 1.547, 95 % CI = 1.140-2.101, P = 0.005), compared with healthy controls. And the risk effect was also significantly high in patients with HCV 1b genotype and mild fibrosis ( P = 0.021, P = 0.010, respectively). Compared with the most frequent haplotype TAT, haplotype analysis showed that the distribution of TAC was significantly different between the chronic HCV carrier group and the healthy group, and so was the anti-F antibody seronegativity group and the anti-F antibody seronegativity group (all P < 0.001). Our results suggested that TBX21 variants may be involved in the etiology of this disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focussed on the analysis of season division and season length in Luan River Basin based on the data of daily mean temperature observed at 24 weather stations from 1957 to 2012. The whole basin was divided into three parts according to the surface roughness characteristics. The spatial and temporal variation of season division and season length was estimated by means of the definition of climatic season, linear regression analysis, and inverse distance weighted analysis. The results indicated that the starting dates of autumn and winter were delayed from upper to lower reaches, while that of spring was advanced. The season length of spring and winter generally decreased from upper to lower reaches, while that of summer increased. During the past 56 years, the starting dates of summer/autumn/winter were all 4~20d late, while spring was 10~15d earlier; the season length of winter decreased by 15~21d, whereas that spring and summer increased by 3~11d and 17~19d, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The progression of colorectal cancer (CRC) is a multistep process and metastatic CRC is always incurable; consequently, CRC is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths. There is therefore an urgent need for identifying useful biomarkers with enough sensitivity and specificity to detect this disease at early stages, which will significantly reduce the mortality for this malignancy. In this study, we performed an integrating analysis of different RNA-Seq data sets to find new candidate biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis and as therapeutic targets for this malignancy, as well as to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of CRC carcinogenesis. We identified 883 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) across the studies between CRC and normal control (NC) tissues by combining five RNA-Seq data sets. Gene function analysis revealed high correlation with carcinogenesis. The top 10 most significantly DEGs were further evaluated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) in both rectal cancer (RC) and colon cancer (CC), and the results matched well with integrating data, suggesting that the method of integrating analysis of different RNA-seq data sets is acceptable. Therefore, integrating analysis of different RNA-seq data sets may be a useful way to overcome the limitation of small sample size in a single RNA-seq study. In addition, our study showed that some genes, such as SIM2, ADAMTS6, FOXD4L4 and DNAH5, may have an important role in the development of CRC, which could be applied for diagnosis, prognosis and as therapy for this malignancy. Our findings would also help to understand the pathology of CRC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To compare the clinicoradiologic features of tumours with echinoderm anaplastic lymphoma kinase ( ALK) rearrangements, epidermal growth factor receptor ( EGFR) mutations, or wild type (WT) for both genes in a cohort of patients with lung adenocarcinoma to identify useful characteristics of different gene statuses. Methods: In 346 lung adenocarcinoma patients, ALK rearrangements were confirmed with fluorescence in situ hybridisation, and EGFR mutations were determined by pyrosequencing assay. Patients were divided into three groups: ALK rearrangement (ALK+ group, n = 48), EGFR mutation (EGFR+ group, n = 166), and WT for both genes (WT group, n = 132). Chest computed tomography (CT) examinations were performed in all patients. The percentages of ground-glass opacity volume (pGGO) and tumour shadow disappearance rate (TDR) were measured using semi-automated nodule assessment software. Results: The pGGO was significantly lower in the ALK+ group (25.1 % ± 24.3) than in the EGFR+ group (37.2 % ± 25.7, p < 0.001) and the WT group (36.1 % ± 24.6, p = 0.001). The TDR in the ALK+ group (17.3 % ± 25.1) was significantly lower than in the EGFR+ group (26.8 % ± 24.9, p = 0.002) and the WT group (25.7 % ± 24.6, p = 0.003). Conclusions: Solid pattern with lower incidence of lobulated border, finely spiculated margins, pleural retraction, and bubble-like lucency on CT imaging are the main characteristics of ALK rearrangement tumours. Key Points: • EGFR/ALK testing is recommended for lung adenocarcinoma patients for EGFR/ALK-targeted TKI therapy. • EGFR /ALK testing is restricted by limited tissue samples and cost pressures. • Lower pGGO and TDR are the main clinicoradiological characteristics of ALK+ tumours. • pGGO and TDR are predictive factors for selecting patients for ALK/EGFR testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents abstracts of various studies on incisional hernia management which includes chronic groin pain and physical disability after recurrent groin hernia repair, selective neurectomy for persistent groin pain and surgery for dysejaculation after routine inguinal herniorraphy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the sixth most common malignancy worldwide, and patient outcomes using current treatments remain poor. Tumor development is etiologically associated with tobacco or alcohol use and/or human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. HPV-positive HNSCCs, which frequently harbor wild-type p53, carry a more favorable prognosis and are a biologically distinct subgroup when compared with their HPV-negative counterparts. HPV E7 induces expression of the human DEK gene, both in vitro and in vivo. In keratinocytes, DEK overexpression is sufficient for causing oncogenic phenotypes in the absence of E7. Conversely, DEK loss results in cell death in HPV-positive cervical cancer cells at least in part through p53 activation, and Dek knockout mice are relatively resistant to the development of chemically induced skin papillomas. Despite the established oncogenic role of DEK in HPV-associated cervical cancer cell lines and keratinocytes, a functional role of DEK has not yet been explored in HNSCC. Using an established transgenic mouse model of HPV16 E7-induced HNSCC, we demonstrate that Dek is required for optimal proliferation of E7-transgenic epidermal cells and for the growth of HNSCC tumors. Importantly, these studies also demonstrate that DEK protein is universally upregulated in both HPV-positive and -negative human HNSCC tumors relative to adjacent normal tissue. Furthermore, DEK knockdown inhibited the proliferation of HPV-positive and -negative HNSCC cells, establishing a functional role for DEK in human disease. Mechanistic studies reveal that attenuated HNSCC cell growth in response to DEK loss was associated with reduced expression of the oncogenic p53 family member, ΔNp63. Exogenous ΔNp63 expression rescued the proliferative defect in the absence of DEK, thereby establishing a functional DEK-ΔNp63 oncogenic pathway that promotes HNSCC. Taken together, our data demonstrate that DEK stimulates HNSCC cellular growth and identify ΔNp63 as a novel DEK effector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of technologically important material zinc-blende ZnO has been hindered due to the difficulties inherent in obtaining a stable zinc-blende phase. In this paper, we fabricate the stable zinc-blende ZnO on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrate through phase transformation from the originally wurtzite to the zinc-blende phase. X-ray diffraction data in combination with high-resolution TEM measurements provide the direct evidence on the formation of the well-defined zinc-blende structure with predominated (202) orientation. According to the experimental results and first principles calculations, the incorporation of titanium dopants into ZnO system favors the formation of the zinc-blende structure. The platinum (Pt) surface stabilizes the ZnO zinc-blende structure at the interface (thin film) due to its low ZnO/Pt interface energy, preventing the decomposition in ZnO wurtzite and Zn2TiO4. Additionally, magnetic and optical properties of the ZnO zinc-blende thin films are investigated. Unexpectedly, the film is found to exhibit magnetization of ~75 emu/cm3, while its ZnO wurtzite counterpart is non-ferromagnetic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background:Controversial data on the association of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs, rs3787016G>A and rs10773338G>A) in long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) with prostate cancer risk were emerged. Considering possible genetic differences among populations, we conducted the present study to clarify these discrepancies and re-validate these results in an eastern Chinese population and thus provide clues for new therapeutic targets of prostate cancer.Methods:Genotypes of these two SNPs from 1015 ethnic Han Chinese patients with prostate cancer and 1032 cancer-free controls were determined by Taqman assays. Logistic regression models were used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for risk associations.Results:The association of rs3787016 A variant genotypes with a significantly higher prostate cancer risk were found (adjusted OR=1.418, 95% CI=1.090-1.844 for AA vs GG). Stratification analysis indicated that the risk of rs3787016 variant AG/AA genotypes was more evident in younger subjects, ever smoking, patients with Gleason score ⩾7(4+3) and highly aggressive status. All these risks were not present for rs10773338G>A.Conclusions:These findings suggested that lncRNA SNPs may contribute to prostate cancer risk in an eastern Chinese population. Larger and well-designed studies with different ethnic populations are warranted to validate our findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the development of crystal engineering, it remains a great challenge to predict the crystal structure even for the simplest molecules, and a clear link between molecular and crystal symmetry is missing in general. Here we demonstrate that the two- dimensional (2D) crystallization of heterocirculenes on a Au(111) surface is greatly affected by the molecular symmetry. By means of ultrahigh vacuum scanning tunneling microscopy, we observe a variety of 2D crystalline structures in the coverage range from submonolayer to monolayer for D8h-symmetric sulflower (C16S8), whereas D4h-symmetric selenosulflower (C16S4Se4) forms square and rectangular lattices at submonolayer and monolayer coverages, respectively. No long-range ordered structure is observed for C1h-symmetric selenosulflower (C16S5Se3) self-assembling at submonolayer coverage. Such different self-assembly behaviors for the heterocirculenes with reduced molecular symmetries derive from the tendency toward close packing and the molecular symmetry retention in 2D crystallization due to van der Waals interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple genetic alterations are associated with prostate carcinogenesis. Tumor-suppressor genes phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (Pten) and androgen upregulated gene 19 (U19), which encodes ELL-associated factor 2 (EAF2), are frequently inactivated or downregulated in advanced prostate cancers. Previous studies showed that EAF2 knockout caused tumors in multiple organs and prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) in mice. However, EAF2-knockout mice did not develop prostate cancer even at 2 years of age. To further define the roles of EAF2 in prostate carcinogenesis, we crossed the Pten+/− and EAF2+/− mice in the C57/BL6 background to generate EAF2−/−Pten+/−, Pten+/−, EAF2−/− and wild-type mice. The prostates from virgin male mice with the above four genotypes were analyzed at 7 weeks, 19 weeks and 12 months of age. Concomitant loss of EAF2 function and inactivation of one Pten allele induced spontaneous prostate cancer in 33% of the mice. Prostatic tissues from intact EAF2−/− Pten+/− mice exhibited higher levels of phospho-Akt, -p44/42 and microvessel density. Moreover, phospho-Akt remained high after castration. Consistently, there was a synergistic increase in prostate epithelial proliferation in both intact and castrated EAF2−/−Pten+/− mice. Using laser-capture microdissection coupled with real-time reverse transcription-PCR, we confirmed that co-downregulation of EAF2 and Pten occurred in >50% clinical prostate cancer specimens with Gleason scores of 8-9 (n=11), which is associated with poor prognosis. The above findings together demonstrated synergistic functional interactions and clinical relevance of concurrent EAF2 and Pten downregulation in prostate carcinogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gambogic acid (GA) has been reported to have potent anticancer activity and is authorised to be tested in phase II clinical trials for treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The present study aims to investigate whether GA would be synergistic with cisplatin (CDDP) against the NSCLC.Methods: 1-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-3,5-diphenylformazan (MTT), combination index (CI) isobologram, western blot, quantitative PCR, flow cytometry, electrophoretic mobility shift assay, xenograft tumour models and terminal deoxynucleotide transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labelling analysis were used in this study.Results: The cell viability results showed that sequential CDDP-GA treatment resulted in a strong synergistic action in A549, NCI-H460, and NCI-H1299 cell lines, whereas the reverse sequence and simultaneous treatments led to a slight synergistic or additive action. Increased sub-G1 phase cells and enhanced PARP cleavage demonstrated that the sequence of CDDP-GA treatment markedly increased apoptosis in comparison with other treatments. Furthermore, the sequential combination could enhance the activation of caspase-3, -8, and 9, increase the expression of Fas and Bax, and decrease the expression of Bcl-2, survivin and X-inhibitor of apoptosis protein (X-IAP) in A549 and NCI-H460 cell lines. In addition, increased apoptosis was correlated with enhanced reactive oxygen species generation. Importantly, it was found that, followed by CDDP treatment, GA could inhibit NF-κB and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) signalling pathways, which have been validated to reduce ROS release and confer CDDP resistance. The roles of NF-κB and MAPK pathways were further confirmed by using specific inhibitors, which significantly increased ROS release and apoptosis induced by the sequential combination of CDDP and GA. Moreover, our results indicated that the combination of CDDP and GA exerted increased antitumour effects on A549 xenograft models through inhibiting NF-κB, HO-1, and subsequently inducing apoptosis.Conclusion: Gambogic acid sensitises lung cancer cells to CDDP in vitro and in vivo in NSCLC through inactivation of NF-κB and MAPK/HO-1 signalling pathways, providing a rationale for the combined use of CDDP and GA in lung cancer chemotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background:The objective of this study is to analyse the factors affecting late toxicity for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT).Methods:Seven hundred and eighty-nine consecutive NPC patients treated with IMRT at our centre from January 2003 to February 2008 were retrospectively analysed. Radiotherapy-related complications were categorised using the RTOG Late Radiation Morbidity Scoring Criteria and the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (Version 3.0). Two hundred and thirty-three patients were treated with IMRT alone (group 1) and 556 patients underwent cisplatin-based chemotherapy (group 2).Results:Median follow-up was 65 months (range, 4-106 months). The 5-year major late toxicity rate was significantly greater in group 2 than group 1 (63.2% vs 42.0%, P<0.001). Multivariate analyses showed that N category, T category and chemotherapy were significant factors. The maximal dose (Dmax) to the temporal lobe was a significant factor affecting temporal lobe injury (TLI), with a hazard ratio of 1.26 (95% confidence interval (CI), 1.18-1.35; P<0.001) per 1-Gy increase. The 5-year TLI rate increased from 0.8% for 284 lobes with Dmax <65.77 Gy to 27.1% for 176 lobes with greater doses (P<0.001). Logistic regression showed that the hazard ratio attributed to the parotid gland mean dose was 1.36 (95% CI, 1.21-1.53; P<0.001) per 1-Gy increase. Chemotherapy was not a significant factor (P=0.211).Conclusion:With the application of IMRT, the incidence of radiation-related complications has been reduced except for TLI. The significant factors affecting the risk of TLI included T category, chemotherapy and Dmax. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microstructure and oxidation behaviors of near α-Ti-based alloys with small amount of iridium (Ir) additions were investigated. The microstructure of both Ir-free and Ir-containing alloys was observed to consist of α + β Widmanstätten colonies. The β lamellae gradually became continuous with increasing Ir additions since Ir acted as a β-stabilizer in the alloys. Isothermal oxidation test indicated that Ir addition reduced the oxidation resistance at 650 °C; while at 750 °C, the adherence of thermally grown oxides was enhanced, and a thin AlO-enriched layer on the oxide scale was promoted in the Ir-containing alloy, which suggests that Ir addition was effective in improving oxidation resistance of near-α-based alloys at 750 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Conditional survival (CS) offers more relevant prognostic information for patients once they have survived for some time. The objective of this study was to determine the CS for advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) patients treated with vascular endothelial growth factor-targeted therapy. Methods: A total of 345 patients treated between 2006 and 2011 fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were reviewed for analyses. The 1-year conditional and actual survival rates were calculated for survivors from treatment to month 24. Subgroup-specific CS rates were generated after adjustment of the covariate influence. The Cox proportional hazard models were used to assess the prognostic factors at baseline and 1-year landmark. Results: The probabilities of surviving an additional year given survival to 6, 12, 18, and 24 months were 72.2, 76.3, 78.2, and 78.6 %, respectively. Remarkable increase in CS was observed in patients initially classified as intermediate or poor risk according to Heng risk groups. For patients survived 24 months after treatment, the adjusted CS for the following year was over 80 % regardless of initial risk attribution. Compared to baseline analysis, Heng risk groups were less predictive of survivorship after surviving 1 year. The addition of disease control status to multifactorial model significantly improved survival estimation for 1-year survivors ( p < 0.01). Conclusions: CS provides useful information regarding life expectancy for survivors of advanced RCC treated with targeted therapy. Furthermore, disease control status within a specific period of time is critical to the prediction of subsequent survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Association between ten single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the human ALOX12 and ALOX15 genes and variations in peak bone mineral density (BMD) in a large sample of Chinese nuclear families with female offspring using the quantitative transmission disequilibrium test (QTDT). Our results suggest that the genetic polymorphisms in both human ALOX12 and ALOX15 may contribute to variations in the peak BMD of Chinese women. Introduction: The aim of this study was to investigate whether polymorphisms in the human ALOX12 and ALOX15 genes are associated with variations in peak BMD in Chinese nuclear families with female offspring. Methods: Each five SNPs in the ALOX12 and ALOX15 genes were genotyped in a total of 1,260 individuals from 401 Chinese nuclear families. The BMD of the lumbar spine, femoral neck and total hip was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. We tested whether a single SNP or a haplotype was associated with peak BMD variations using the QTDT. Results: Using QTDT to measure within-family associations in ALOX15, we observed a significant association between rs916055 and BMD in the lumbar spine ( p = 0.027 in the permutation 1,000 test). However, in ALOX12, rs312470 was significantly associated with BMD in the femoral neck ( p = 0.029 and p = 0.036 in the permutation 1,000 test). The results of a haplotype analysis supported the findings of the single locus test for ALOX15. Conclusions: Our results suggest that the genetic polymorphisms in both human ALOX12 and ALOX15 may contribute to variations in the peak BMD of Chinese women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of Ku Ding tea ( Lactuca taiwaniana Maxim) and milk powder on biochemical and immunological parameters of Sprague-Dawley rats were investigated and the possibility of use of Ku Ding tea to reduce physiological discomfort of drinking milk powder was assessed. Eighty rats were randomly assigned to four treatments: basal diet (control), basal diet plus whole milk powder (WM), basal diet plus Ku Ding tea (KD) and basal diet plus whole milk powder and Ku Ding tea (MK). Data was collected on animals' final body weight, hematological values, blood biochemical parameters, antioxidation parameters and immune organ weight index. Results showed that final body weight of male KD was significantly lower than that of WM. White blood cell count, monocyte count and granulocyte count of KD rats were significantly lower than those of WM. Compared to the control, single milk powder supplementation numerically increased plasma malondialdehyde. The malondialdehyde in the male KD and MK rats were lower than those in WM and control, although the differences were not significant. No significant differences were found in NaK-adenosine triphosphatase activity, spleen and thymus index in each group. Consumption of Ku Ding tea appeared to lower lipid peroxidation that was induced by milk powder in the rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electronic structures and magnetic properties for Rh-doped SnO crystals have been investigated by density functional theory. The results demonstrate a magnetic moment, which mainly arises from d orbital of Rhodium, of 1.0 μ per Rhodium with a little contribution from the Oxygen atoms surrounding it. The Rh-doped SnO system exhibits half-metallic ferromagnetism with high Curie temperature. Several doped configurations calculations show that there are some robust ferromagnetic couplings between these local magnetic moments. The p- d hybridization mechanism is responsible for the predicted ferromagnetism. These results suggest a recipe obtaining promising dilute magnetic semiconductor by doping nonmagnetic elements in SnO matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective:Arachidonate 12-lipoxygenase (ALOX12) is a member of the lipoxygenase superfamily, which catalyzes the incorporation of molecular oxygen into polyunsaturated fatty acids. The products of ALOX12 reactions serve as endogenous ligands for peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARG). The activation of the PPARG pathway in marrow-derived mesenchymal progenitors stimulates adipogenesis and inhibits osteoblastogenesis. Our objective was to determine whether polymorphisms in the ALOX12 gene were associated with variations in peak bone mineral density (BMD) and obesity phenotypes in young Chinese men.Methods:All six tagging single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the ALOX12 gene were genotyped in a total of 1215 subjects from 400 Chinese nuclear families by allele-specific polymerase chain reaction. The BMD at the lumbar spine and hip, total fat mass (TFM) and total lean mass (TLM) were measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. The pairwise linkage disequilibrium among SNPs was measured, and the haplotype blocks were inferred. Both the individual SNP markers and the haplotypes were tested for an association with the peak BMD, body mass index, TFM, TLM and percentage fat mass (PFM) using the quantitative transmission disequilibrium test (QTDT).Results:Using the QTDT, significant within-family association was found between the rs2073438 polymorphism in the ALOX12 gene and the TFM and PFM (P=0.007 and 0.012, respectively). Haplotype analyses were combined with our individual SNP results and remained significant even after correction for multiple testing. However, we failed to find significant within-family associations between ALOX12 SNPs and the BMD at any bone site in young Chinese men.Conclusions:Our present results suggest that the rs2073438 polymorphism of ALOX12 contributes to the variation of obesity phenotypes in young Chinese men, although we failed to replicate the association with the peak BMD variation in this sample. Further independent studies are needed to confirm our findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim of this study is to seek an association between markers of metastatic potential, drug resistance-related protein and monocarboxylate transporters in prostate cancer (CaP).Methods: We evaluated the expression of invasive markers (CD147, CD44v3-10), drug-resistance protein (MDR1) and monocarboxylate transporters (MCT1 and MCT4) in CaP metastatic cell lines and CaP tissue microarrays (n=140) by immunostaining. The co-expression of CD147 and CD44v3-10 with that of MDR1, MCT1 and MCT4 in CaP cell lines was evaluated using confocal microscopy. The relationship between the expression of CD147 and CD44v3-10 and the sensitivity (IC(50)) to docetaxel in CaP cell lines was assessed using MTT assay. The relationship between expression of CD44v3-10, MDR1 and MCT4 and various clinicopathological CaP progression parameters was examined.Results: CD147 and CD44v3-10 were co-expressed with MDR1, MCT1 and MCT4 in primary and metastatic CaP cells. Both CD147 and CD44v3-10 expression levels were inversely related to docetaxel sensitivity (IC(50)) in metastatic CaP cell lines. Overexpression of CD44v3-10, MDR1 and MCT4 was found in most primary CaP tissues, and was significantly associated with CaP progression.Conclusions: Our results suggest that the overexpression of CD147, CD44v3-10, MDR1 and MCT4 is associated with CaP progression. Expression of both CD147 and CD44v3-10 is correlated with drug resistance during CaP metastasis and could be a useful potential therapeutic target in advanced disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inactivation of U19/EAF2 has been shown previously to lead to tumorigenesis in multiple organs; however, the mechanism of U19/EAF2 tumor suppression remains unclear. In this paper, we report that the expression of an anti-angiogenic protein, thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) is down-regulated in the prostate and liver of U19/EAF2 knockout mouse. The U19/EAF2 knockout liver displayed increased CD31-positive blood vessels, suggesting that the TSP-1 down-regulation can contribute to increased angiogenesis. TSP-1 is reported to be a p53-target gene and p53 is a known binding partner of ELL, which binds to U19/EAF2. Here, we show that U19/EAF2 can co-localize and co-immunoprecipitate with p53 in transfected cells. In a TSP-1 promoter-driven luciferase reporter assay, p53 transfection suppressed the TSP-1 promoter activity and U19/EAF2 co-transfection blocked the p53 suppression of TSP-1 promoter. However, U19/EAF2 transfection alone had little or no effect on the TSP-1 promoter. The above observations together suggest that U19/EAF2 regulates the expression of TSP-1 via blocking p53 repression of the TSP-1 promoter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Altaids is one of the largest accretionary orogenic collages in the world with the highest rate of Phanerozoic continental growth and significant metallogenic importance. It is widely accepted that subduction-related orogenesis of the Altaids started in the late Precambrian and gradually migrated southward (present coordinates). However, it is uncertain when and how the building of the Altaids was finally completed. Based on structural geology, geochemical, geochronological, and paleomagnetic data, this paper presents late Paleozoic to early Mesozoic accretionary tectonics of two key areas, North Xinjiang in the west and Inner Mongolia in the east, together with neighboring Mongolia. The late Paleozoic tectonics of North Xinjiang and adjacent areas were characterized by continuous southward accretion along the wide southern active margin of Siberia and its final amalgamation with the passive margin of Tarim, which may have lasted to the end-Permian to early/mid-Triassic. In contrast, in Inner Mongolia and adjacent areas two wide accretionary wedges developed along the southern active margin of Siberia and the northern active margin of the North China craton, which may have lasted to the mid-Triassic. The final products of the long-lived accretionary processes in the southern Altaids include late Paleozoic to Permian arcs, late Paleozoic to mid-Triassic accretionary wedges composed of radiolarian cherts, pillow lavas, and ophiolitic fragments, and high-pressure/ultrahigh-pressure metamorphic rocks. Permian Alaskan-type zoned mafic-ultramafic complexes intruded along some major faults of the Tien Shan. We define a new Tarim suture zone immediately north of the Tarim craton that is probably now buried below the Tien Shan as a result of northward subduction of the Tarim block in the Cenozoic. The docking of the Tarim and North China cratons against the southern active margin of Siberia in the end-Permian to mid-Triassic resulted in the final closure of the Paleoasian Ocean and terminated the accretionary orogenesis of the southern Altaids in this part of Central Asia. This complex geodynamic evolution led to formation of giant metal deposits in Central Asia and to substantial continental growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanostructured α-MnO2 thin films with different morphologies are grown on the platinum substrates by a facile solution method without any assistance of template or surfactant. Microstructural characterization reveals that morphology evolution from dandelion-like spheres to nanoflakes of the as-grown MnO2 is controlled by synthesis temperature. The capacitive behavior of the MnO2 thin films with different morphologies are studied by cyclic voltammetry. The α-MnO2 thin films composed of dandelion-like spheres exhibit high specific capacitance, good rate capability, and excellent long-term cycling stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tracker thermal control system (TTCS) is an active-pumped two-phase carbon dioxide cooling loop, which is developed for the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) tracker front-end electronics. The evaporators in parallel, gathering waste heat from, and providing stable and uniform thermal boundary condition to the electronics, are the key components of the loop. Any abnormities to the parallel evaporators is unacceptable. In this paper, we observed self-sustained temperature oscillations at the outlet of the evaporators when the cooling loop is operated at low temperature with the pump rotation speed lower than 3,300 rpm. Analysis shows that the oscillation could be of density-wave origin, and the flow rate redistribution between the two parallel evaporators may result in the self-sustained temperature oscillations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tracker thermal control system (TTCS) is an active-pumped two-phase carbon dioxide cooling loop, which is developed for the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer tracker front-end electronics. The maintenance-free centrifugal pump is a critical component in the design mainly due to the limited pressure head with small mass flows. Therefore a correct pressure drop is required to predict the pressure drop for dynamic modeling. As the normal operational temperature of the carbon dioxide in the TTCS is from − 15°C to +15°C, which is very close to its critical point, 33°C, and many two-phase pressure drop correlations may not fit well here. In this paper, we attempt to correlate the pressure drops between the calculations and the experiment of the two-phase CO2 loop. The comparison will focus on one evaporator. Here, the Lockhart/Martinelli correlation is recorrelated with different definition C value for CO2 according to the test results. Comparison shows that, the new correlation can fit the test results well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Upregulated gene 19 (U19)/ELL-associated factor 2 (Eaf2) is a potential human tumor suppressor that exhibits frequent allelic loss and downregulation in high-grade prostate cancer. U19/Eaf2, along with its homolog Eaf1, has been reported to regulate transcriptional elongation via interaction with the eleven-nineteen lysine-rich leukemia (ELL) family of proteins. To further explore the tumor-suppressive effects of U19/Eaf2, we constructed and characterized a murine U19/Eaf2-knockout model. Homozygous or heterozygous deletion of U19/Eaf2 resulted in high rates of lung adenocarcinoma, B-cell lymphoma, hepatocellular carcinoma and prostate intraepithelial neoplasia. Within the mouse prostate, U19/Eaf2 deficiency enhanced cell proliferation and increased epithelial cell size. The knockout mice also exhibited cardiac cell hypertrophy. These data indicate a role for U19/Eaf2 in growth suppression and cell size control as well as argue for U19/Eaf2 as a novel tumor suppressor in multiple mouse tissues. The U19/Eaf2 knockout mouse also provides a unique animal model for three important cancers: lung adenocarcinoma, B-cell lymphoma and hepatocellular carcinoma.Oncogene (2008) 27, 1536–1544; doi:10.1038/sj.onc.1210786; published online 17 September 2007 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this research is to study the effect of the controlled releasing character of the salmon calcitonin (S-CT) loaded injectable calcium phosphate cement (CPC) modified by adding organic phase, chitosan oligosaccharide (CO) and collagen polypeptide (CP). The uniform design was used to determine the basic formulation with suitable injectable time for clinical application, and then the changes of the physical characters, the controlled releasing character of the modified CPC along with the ratio of the organic phase were also evaluated in vitro. The surface morphous of the modified CPC been implanted in the abdominal cavity or soaked into the serum of rat was also observed by scanning electron microscope (SEM). The result shows that a suitable formulation of modified CPC could be got, and the injectable time is 12 min, the compressive strength is 12 MPa, and the final setting time is 40 min. Comparing with the CPC without organic phase, the releasing rate of S-CT would increase along with the increase of the organic phase after 7th day. Therefore, a novel S-CT loaded bioactive injectable CPC for treating osteoporosis induced bone defect was obtained, and the release of the containing S-CT was controlled easily through adjusting the ratio of CO and CP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When antimony (mostly Sb4) is deposited on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG), in situ scanning tunneling microscopy images reveal that three-dimensional (3D) spherical islands, quasi-2D films and 1D nanowires (NWs) are formed. The spherical islands develop into faceted crystallites in the later growth stage. The lattice parameters of the 2D and 3D structures are close to those of α-Sb bulk, whereas the NWs appear in a compressed state. The Laplace pressure, which can reach the GPa range in a nanostructure, is considered the driving force for the compressive lattice structures of Sb NWs. We found conditions of controlling the dimensionality of Sb nanostructures in their self-assembly on HOPG to a certain extent. At room temperature and with a low Sb flux, 3D islands grow exclusively. At a substrate temperature of 100 °C, 2D and 1D structures are dominant when a high deposition flux is used, whereas only NWs are formed initially when a low flux is used. These results are explained in terms of different activation energies for Sb4 diffusion and conversion to a chemisorption or dissociation state on HOPG. As the temperature increases, the rate of conversion to the chemisorption or dissociation state increases more rapidly than that of diffusion since the chemisorption activation energy is much higher than the diffusion barrier of physisorbed Sb4, resulting in enhanced 2D and 1D structural nucleation and growth, which are further favored with the increase in deposition flux. The bonding nature of various Sb structures with a graphite surface and the conditions for growing aligned Sb NWs exclusively are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (CDK1) is a major component of the cell cycle progression engine. Recently, several investigations provided evidence demonstrating that unscheduled CDK1 activation may also be involved in apoptosis in cancerous cells. In this article, we demonstrate that X-ray irradiation induced G1 arrest in MOLT-4 lymphocytic leukemia cells, the arrest being accompanied by reduction in the activity of CDK2, but increased CDK1 activity and cell apoptosis in the G1 phase. Interestingly, this increase in CDK1 and apoptosis by ionizing radiation was prevented by pretreatment with the CDK1 inhibitor, roscovitine, suggesting that CDK1 kinase activity is required for radiation-induced apoptotic cell death in this model system. Furthermore, cyclin B1 and CDK1 were detected co-localizing and associating in G1 phase MOLT-4 cells, with the cellular lysates from these cells revealing a genotoxic stress-induced increase in CDK1 phosphorylation (Thr-161) and dephosphorylation (Tyr-15), as analyzed by postsorting immunoprecipitation and immunoblotting. Finally, X-irradiation was found to increase Bcl-2 phosphorylation in G1 phase cells. Taken together, these novel findings suggest that CDK1 is activated by unscheduled accumulation of cyclin B1 in G1 phase cells exposed to X-ray, and that CDK1 activation, at the wrong time and in the wrong phase, may directly or indirectly trigger a Bcl-2-dependent signaling pathway leading to apoptotic cell death in MOLT-4 cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mechanical and frictional properties of foods have received considerable attention in recent years as accurate material data are needed for the simulation of large scale processing operations as well as providing a basis for product quality and development. In this study, uniaxial compression tests were performed on bread flour/water dough. Cylindrical samples of various heights and diameters were tested under both lubricated and non lubricated conditions. The stress-strain data showed a dependency on sample dimensions when no lubricant was used due to surface friction effects. This dependency was eliminated when silicon oil of 500 centistokes viscosity was used as a lubricant and the true stress-strain data were obtained experimentally. A theoretical expression derived from an equilibrium analysis of a compressed disc under frictional conditions was used to determine the coefficient of friction and the true stress-strain curve from unlubricated data. The true stress-strain data were also determined by an empirical extrapolation procedure. Finally, an iterative numerical procedure based on Finite Element Analysis confirmed the calculated values for both the coefficient friction and the true stress-strain curve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One strategy for improving selectivity of gene therapy is the use of a replication-activated adenovirus vector that mediates transgene expression specifically in tumor cells through homologous recombination of viral genomes. In this study, we compared replication- activated adenovirus containing inverted repeats (Ad.IR-BG) with IR-deficient virus (Ad.BG) for selective gene expression in hepatocellular carcinoma and colon carcinoma metastases in the liver. We found that Ad.IR-BG conferred specific gene expression in both carcinoma cells, with minimal expression in hepatocytes and colon epithelial cells. This occurred through viral DNA recombination in Ad.IR-BG-infected tumor cells but not in normal cells. Hydroxyurea, which blocks DNA replication, inhibited DNA recombination and β-gal expression in Ad.IR-BG-infected but not Ad.BG-infected tumor cells. Finally, systemic injection of Ad.IR-BG into tumor xenografts in nude mice significantly improved selectivity of gene expression in tumors with minimal expression in normal tissues. Viral DNA recombination, which was absent in normal liver, was detected in Ad.IR-BG-infected tumors but not in Ad.BG-infected tissue. These findings demonstrated that replication-activated adenovirus can mediate tumor- specific gene expression through viral DNA recombination, which is otherwise deficient in normal cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]