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The energy levels and transition properties of In-like ions are investigated by using the multi-configuration Dirac–Hartree–Fock method. The results for the energy levels, transition probabilities, wavelengths, line strengths and lifetimes of In-like Cs VII—Pm XIII are reported. Relativistic effects and electron correlation are included. Our calculations agree well with the experimental and other theoretical values. The new data of energy levels and transition parameters are predicted. The level crossing happens between the configurations 5s 24f and 5s 25p with increasing nuclear charge. The transition frequencies are within the range of usual lasers because of the level crossing. In-like ions may be developed into atomic clock.

Genetic analyses of the lupus-prone NZM2410 mouse have identified multiple susceptibility loci on chromosome 7, termed Sle3 and Sle5. Both of these loci were contained within a large congenic interval, originally termed as Sle3 that strongly impacts a variety of myeloid and T-cell phenotypes and mediates fatal lupus nephritis when combined with Sle1. We have now produced two subcongenic strains, B6.Sle3 and B6.Sle5, carrying the Sle3 and Sle5 intervals separately and characterized their phenotypes as monocongenic strains and individually in combination with Sle1. Neither B6.Sle3 nor B6.Sle5 monocongenic strain develop severe autoimmunity; however, both of these intervals cause the development of severe glomerulonephritis when combined with Sle1. Thus, B6.Sle1Sle3 and B6.Sle1Sle5 exhibit splenomegaly, expansion of activated B and CD4+ T-cell populations and high levels of IgG and IgM autoantibodies targeting multiple nuclear antigens, intact glomeruli and various other autoantigens. In addition, B6.Sle1Sle3 mice also produced higher levels of IgA antinuclear autoantibodies, which were implicated in the development of IgA nephropathy. Our results indicate that Sle3 and Sle5 can independently complement with Sle1, through shared and unique mechanisms, to mediate the development of severe autoimmunity.

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationships between adipocyte hormones acylation stimulating protein (ASP), adiponectin, complement C3 (C3) (ASP precursor) and insulin, C-reactive protein (CRP), lipid profiles and insulin resistance in lean vs obese type 2 diabetes subjects.Lean type 2 diabetes subjects (DL n = 27) vs obese type 2 diabetes subjects (DO n = 55) were compared to age-matched nondiabetic groups (Obese, OB n = 55 and control, CTL n = 50).The DO group demonstrated significant increases in plasma ASP and C3 with decreases in plasma adiponectin as compared to CTL. Interestingly, these increases in ASP and C3 were as high, or greater, in the DL group in spite of normal weight. By contrast adiponectin in the DL group was comparable to CTL, in spite of marked insulin resistance. C3 correlated with insulin, glucose and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR); ASP correlated with body mass index (BMI), glucose, insulin and plasma lipid parameters (non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), triglyceride, cholesterol and apolipoprotein B). Adiponectin correlated with BMI, glucose, NEFA, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and apolipoprotein A1 but not HOMA-IR, ASP or C3. CRP correlated only with HOMA-IR.Increased ASP and C3 are both associated with diabetes and related lipid factors but are not regulated coordinately. Adiponectin appears to be more closely related to body size (decreased in obese subjects) than insulin resistance in these subjects.

A stream of water drops colliding on a rotating cylindrical Teflon surface was observed. The collision resulted in partial rebound, deposition, and split deposition. The collision outcome was found to depend on the normal Weber number and the tangential Weber number, which represent the collision momentum in the normal and the tangential direction, respectively. The extent of influence of the centrifugal acceleration induced by the rotation was kept negligibly under 2% compared with the impact momentum change. Through careful measurements on the elongation of the liquid drop after impact, the impact regime boundaries are seen to be governed by the long and short axes of the elliptical-disk shape at the maximal spread. Partial rebound first changes to deposition when the long axis is 1.1 times the short axis; and then changes to split deposition when the long axis is 1.46 times the short axis. Furthermore, the dimensionless excess spread area was found to be directly proportional to the tangential Weber number.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the possible involvement of nitric oxide and its toxic metabolite – peroxynitrite – in the pathogenesis of recurrent tonsillitis. Tonsil specimens with recurrent inflammation were obtained from patients who required tonsillectomies as surgical treatment for their conditions. The relatively normal tonsils were obtained from patients who underwent uvulo-palato-pharyngoplasty for habitual snoring or obstructive sleep apnea. The sites of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression in the tonsil specimens were examined with an immunohistochemical technique. The possible production of peroxynitrite was evaluated by immunolabeling of 3-nitrotyrosine (3-NT) as its biological footprint. Each section was given a score of 0 to 4 according to the labeling intensity seen, with the highest number representing the highest labeling intensity. We found that tonsils with recurrent inflammation had iNOS expression mainly in the mucosal epithelium, subepithelial regions and vascular endothelium. The parenchyma of the tonsils, where T- and B-cell clones are located, showed little iNOS immunoreactivity. The accumulation of 3-NT had a similar distribution pattern to that of iNOS expression. However, the normal tonsils showed limited iNOS expression on mucosal epithelium and rare 3-NT accumulation. Recurrently inflamed tonsils had significantly higher labeling scores for both iNOS and 3-NT compared to normal tonsils. Further, a higher iNOS score correlated with a higher 3-NT accumulation. These data suggest that iNOS expression and the formation of peroxynitrite may have an important role in the pathogenesis of recurrent tonsillitis.

The erosive wear in an alkaline slurry containing alumina particles of three typical engineering materials, the mild steel BS 6323 (Fe-C), the AISI 410 stainless steel (Fe-Cr-C), and the AISI 304 stainless steel (Fe-Cr-Ni), was carried out, by means of rotating cylinder, three-electrode erosion-corrosion test, with a view to investigation into the roles of the typical elements and the mechanical and chemical properties in the erosive wear under simultaneous controlled corrosion. The total weight loss of erosion-corrosion was obtained by precision weighing and the result was compared and interpreted, for each material, by a full microscopical examination of the erosion-corrosion scars using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). It was found that the overall performance under erosion-corrosion in an descending order was the stainless steels AISI 304, AISI 410, and the mild steel, although the precise difference in performance was dependent upon the process conditions. Such a ranking of performance was not in total consistence with that expected only from the mechanical or the chemical property differences of the materials concerned. The individual contribution of each erosion and corrosion process was thus further separated through corrosion charge conversion using the Faraday's second law and the results were interpreted by discussion, on basis of the experimental and microscopical evidences, of the main factors that influenced the mechanical and wear behaviour, in conjunction with those influencing corrosion and passivity. Finally, schematic diagrams were proposed to outline the typical erosion and corrosion features thus obtained for all the three materials during erosion-corrosion.

Lead zirconate titanate (PZT) ceramic powder has been synthesized from metal nitrate solutions using the EDTA-gel method with different nitric acid/EDTA ratios. It was found that the thermal decomposition of the precursor was strongly affected by the nitric acid/EDTA ratio, the amount of sample, the atmosphere, and the heating rate. Crystallization of the perovskite PZT phase initiated at external temperatures as low as 250°C, as a result of the exothermic decomposition reaction of the nitrate-EDTA complexes. Possible reaction schemes are suggested and discussed to describe the thermal decomposition of PZT-EDTA precursors under different experimental conditions.

In this study we employed retrograde axonal transport of (E)-2,2'-vinylendi-benzofuran-5-carboxamidin-diaceturate+ ++ or true blue (TB) to study the peripheral autonomic innervation of the canine nasal mucosa. After injection of TB into the nasal mucosa, labeled neurons were found in the ipsilateral sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG) and the superior cervical ganglion (SCG). There were no labeled neurons in the middle cervical or stellate ganglia. This indicated that the origin of the postganglionic sympathetic fibers of the nasal mucosa was only from the ipsilateral SCG. When TB was injected into the nasal mucosa of dogs following a caudal or ethmoidal neurectomy, labeled neurons could still be found in the SPG and SCG. When TB was injected into the nasal mucosa of dogs following ethmoidal and vidian neurectomies or with maxillary neurectomy added, some labeled neurons could still be found in both the ipsilateral SPG and SCG. These results support the concept that another pathway--perhaps perivascular--exists for postganglionic sympathetic fibers other than the vidian and ethmoidal nerves. Labeled neurons were still observed in SPG when TB was applied to the canine nasal mucosa following neurectomy of either the ethmoidal or the caudal nasal nerve. However, retrograde labeled neurons could not be found in SPG following simultaneous neurectomies of the ethmoidal and caudal nasal nerves. These results show that the postganglionic parasympathetic fibers originating in the SPG travel along the ethmoidal and caudal nasal nerves.