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Previous preliminary clinical trials have confirmed that edoxaban can be efficacious for venous thromboembolism (VTE). This meta-analysis was considered to evaluate edoxaban's short-term efficacy and safety for venous thromboembolism after arthroplasty.A comprehensive search was performed in these databases: PubMed, MEDLINE, Web of Science, and EMBASE on March 2022. All eligible trials should be randomized controlled trials (RCTs) when evaluating short-term efficacy and safety outcomes of edoxaban for VTE after total hip or knee arthroplasty.Nine RCTs with 4274 patients were involved in this meta-analysis. Edoxaban in the VTE group prevented the incidence of VTE and indicated valuable clinical efficacy. The incidence of adverse events (AEs) and adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in the edoxaban group was decreased than that in other groups. Edoxaban increased the incidence of all bleeding events. However, in the edoxaban group and other groups, there was no statistical difference between major bleeding events and clinically relevant non-major or minor bleeding events. Edoxaban subgroups included edoxaban 15 mg, edoxaban 30 mg and edoxaban 60 mg prevented the incidence of VTE. Edoxaban 30 mg and 60 mg group increased the risk of all bleeding events. Edoxaban 30 mg can increase the incidence of major bleeding events. There was no difference in clinically relevant non-major or minor bleeding events. Edoxaban 30 mg can decrease the incidence of AEs.Edoxaban was an efficacious and safe option to prevent and treat VTE in patients undergoing arthroplasty. However, we need further trials to explore edoxaban's long-term efficacy and safety.

Synthetic hydroxyapatite (HA) and its related materials have made great progress in basic research and clinical application in spinal repair and reconstruction. However, the effect of HA and its composites used in spinal fusion still remained controversial. This meta-analysis aimed at evaluating the efficacy and safety of HA compared with autologous bone.A systematic search in PubMed, MEDLINE, China National Knowledge Internet, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library was conducted for relevant studies from inception until May 2021. Studies investigating the application of HA and its related composites in spinal fusion were selected for analysis.The operation time of patients treated with artificial bone containing HA was less than that of patients with autologous bone (p = 0.02). The amount of operative blood loss in patients in the HA group was less than that in the autograft group (p = 0.007). Patients treated with autologous bone got a more significant advantage in fusion rate at 6 months (p = 0.009). Nevertheless, there was no significant difference in the fusion rate between patients in the two groups at 12 months or no less than 24 months postoperatively (p = 0.24; p = 0.87). Compared to the autograft group, the HA group significantly decreased postoperative adverse events (p = 0.03). Furthermore, there was no significant difference in the Oswestry Disability Index (p = 1.00) nor the Visual Analogue Scale score (p = 0.94) between the two groups.This meta-analysis suggests that the clinical application of HA and its related composite materials in spinal reconstruction is comparable to that of autologous bone, with satisfactory efficacy and safety.

A mesoscopic model was established to investigate thermo-fluid dynamic behavior in selective laser melting of 316L stainless steel. A powder packing model, including particle size distribution based on the discrete element method, was developed to describe the relative density variation of the powder bed with different layer thicknesses. A finite element method model with Gaussian laser beam was established to predict the dynamic thermal behavior and flow mechanism of the particles for a single-line scanning. The level-set method was used to trace the free surface of the molten metal with temperature-dependent surface tension. A function to describe the relative density of the powder bed with its thickness was obtained. An evaporation model considering the influence of mass, energy loss, and evaporation on the surface morphology of the molten pool was established. According to the temperature and velocity field in the molten pool, a vortex formed by the Marangoni effect might decrease the depth and increase the width of the molten pool. The molten pool was not disconnected by Plateau–Rayleigh instability due to the small length/diameter ratio at low scanning speeds. The model assuming regularly arranged powder bed underestimates the maximum temperature as compared to the model considering a randomly packed powder bed because a higher relative density of the former facilitates heat conduction. The simulated results are consistent with experimental results, including porosity, material loss, and surface defects.

Today’s small rotor helicopter vehicles mostly use electric motors and batteries as power sources. Most helicopter power configurations are either front powered or rear powered, causing the center of the helicopter to be offset. This kind of offset should be overcome by structural compensation or by adjusting the angle of attack of the blades, but some lift of the angle of attack will be sacrifice at the same time. This paper proposes a new type of electric helicopter powertrain design. The advantage of new type helicopter design is setting the centre of gravity at the centre position of helicopter. The main shaft of the helicopter through the power transmission method of the electric motor built into the internal gear of the star gear, which improves the design of the center offset of the helicopter. That is improved the flight stability of the helicopter. At the same time, in terms of power transmission, the motor power consumed by the primary gear power of the star gear, while the traditional helicopter power transmission method has three or four gear power losses. The new concept of electric motor with star gear structure proposed in this paper can effectively reduce the transmission power loss of the gear. In addition, the distributed power control system proposed in this paper also reduces the possibility of helicopter crash due to motor failure.

Aims. We present secular multiwavelength broadband photometry, spanning over 93 days, performed at the Yaoan High Precision Telescope on comet 64P/Swift-Gehrels in its 2018–2019 apparition. Our aim is to study its dust activity, coma properties, and the accidentally discovered mini-outburst. Methods. We used aperture photometry to measure the Afρ value and correct the back-scattering effect based on phase angle. We deployed azimuthally averaged image enhancement methods to identify the coma morphology and the outburst. Secular color measurement was also conducted on the comet. Results. We identified a −0.5 mag mini-outburst around January 3, 2019, with coma morphology study showing an obvious dust jet feature strengthened during the outburst. The maximum A(0)fρ value of 64P/Swift-Gehrels recorded is 313 cm at the top of the fitted curve and 334 cm at the outburst event. Both volatile-driven pressure mechanisms and nonvolatile-driven mechanisms could be the major explanation for the outburst. We obtain a mean color B − V = 0.68 ± 0.03 and V − R = 0.08 ± 0.01. The B − V color is similar to the mean value for Jupiter Family comets, but the V − R color turns out to be bluest among all the recorded short-period comets. The cause of this anomaly remains unknown.

The necrotrophic pathogen

To explore the influence of micro ribonucleic acid (miR)-34a on renal ischemia-reperfusion by regulating Kruppel-like factor 4 (KLF4).A total of 36 Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats weighing 180-200 g were randomly divided into sham operation group (n=12), model group (n=12), and miR-34a inhibitor group (n=12). Renal ischemia-reperfusion modeling was performed in rats of model group and miR-34a inhibitor group. Those in the sham operation group received the same procedures without ligation. 200 μL of miR-34a inhibitor was pre-injected before modeling in rats of miR-34a inhibitor group. An automatic biochemical analyzer was used to detect serum creatinine and urea nitrogen levels in each group of rats, thus reflecting renal functions. The expressions of B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2), an apoptotic protein, and KLF4, a transcription factor, were detected via Western blotting. Quantitative Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR) assay was conducted to measure the expression levels of miR-34a and KLF4 in rat renal tissues in each group. Immunohistochemistry was employed to determine the expressions of inflammatory factors tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-10 (IL-10). Additionally, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining was utilized to determine the apoptotic rate in rat kidney tissues in each group.Compared with those in the sham operation group, serum creatinine level, urea nitrogen level, expressions of miR-34a, TNF-α and Bcl-2 (p0.05) increased, while the levels of KLF4 and IL-10 (p0.05) decreased in the model group. Apoptosis rate was also higher in the model group than the controls. In comparison with the model group, miR-34a inhibitor group had lowered serum creatinine level, urea nitrogen level, expressions of miR-34a, TNF-α and Bcl-2, and apoptotic rate (p0.05), but raised levels of KLF4 and IL-10 (p0.05), showing statistically significant differences.Downregulation of miR-34a ameliorates inflammatory response and apoptosis induced by renal ischemia-reperfusion by promoting KLF4 level, thus improving renal functions in rats.

Because of the small square dimension, a soldered-stacked-square (3S) high-temperature superconducting (HTS) wire with 1 mm width is considered as a candidate for cabling large current conductors through twist process. For studying the twist structure, in this work, we prepared several twisted 3S wire samples fabricated from the same piece of the 3S wire with 10 m length. For the 3S wire, the uniformity of critical current was evaluated. As well, we investigated basic electrical and mechanical characteristics for the twisted 3S wire. The main results show that the critical current distribution for the 3S wire is relatively uniform at the average value of 90 A; the allowable minimum twist pitch of the twisted 3S wire is about 60 mm; the critical current of the twisted 3S wire shows isotropy characteristics; through the test for frequency dependence of self-field loss, we can know the eddy-current loss in the twisted 3S wire can be ignored, and the measured losses are identical to the calculated one from the thin strip equation; the minimum bending diameter and allowable tensile force for the twisted 3S wire are approximately 80 mm and 400 N, respectively.

The influence of various concentrations of imazapic residues (0–800 μg kg–1) on the growth, chlorophyll content, and photosynthetic characteristics of maize seedlings was studied in a greenhouse pot experiment. Plant height, root length, shoot dry mass, root dry mass, and total dry mass of maize declined with the increase of imazapic residue concentrations. The root/shoot ratio initially decreased and then increased in presence of imazapic, which indicated that the effects of imazapic residues on plant height and root length might differ in maize seedlings. Lowered chlorophyll content and net photosynthetic rate were observed in leaves of maize seedlings in all treatments and indicated a dose-response relationship to imazapic concentrations. Intercellular carbon dioxide concentration, transpiration rate, and stomatal conductance also declined to varying extents, but the chlorophyll a/b ratio increased gradually together with the increase of imazapic residue concentrations. Generally, the maize seedlings were negatively affected by the imazapic residues in soil. Response of root length and biomass to imazapic residues could be the important index for maize variety selection.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) exhibit important roles in a variety of biological properties of tumors. LncRNA HCG18 (HCG18) is a newly identified lncRNA whose roles in tumor progression remains largely unclear. The objective of our current research was to explore the roles and the underlying mechanisms of HCG18 in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) was used to determine the levels of HCG18 in NPC tissue and cell lines. Clinical significances and prognostic values of HCG18 were analyzed using the statistical methods. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assays, clonogenic survival assays, flow cytometry, wound-healing assays, and transwell assays were used to examine the tumorigenesis functions of HCG18 in vitro. Insights of the mechanism of ceRNAs were gained from bioinformatic methods and Luciferase analysis. Western blot was performed to determine the expression of tumor-related pathways.We found that HCG18 expression was upregulated in both NPC specimens and cell lines. Higher levels of HCG18 were associated with positive lymph node metastasis and poor prognosis of NPC patients. Importantly, the multivariate analysis confirmed that HCG18 was an independent risk factor for outcome. Functionally, the downregulation of HCG18 exhibited tumor-suppressive effects via the inhibition of cell proliferation and metastasis. Mechanistically, HCG18 may directly bind to miR-140 and effectively act as a ceRNA for miR-140 to increase the expression of cyclin D1 (CCND1). In addition, HCG18 may contribute to NPC progression via modulating Wnt/β-catenin signaling and Hedgehog pathway.Our findings suggested that HCG18 served as an oncogenic lncRNA in NPC progression, which may provide a novel biomarker of an unfavorable outcome and a potential therapeutic target for NPC.

In recent years, more and more studies on the strength of interpersonal relationship show that there are some positive social connections in online social networks. In addition, in the process of information dissemination, there may be some key nodes. In order to determine the key nodes of online social networks, we propose a method of edge weight recognition based on historical interaction records. According to the forwarding quantity, the influence of nodes is quantified, and the top node is selected as the key node. We apply our method to a real network and get good results.

Internal spiral groove dry gas seal (ISGDGS) are used to seal special positions of rotating machinery. There is an urgent need to address the problems caused by contacting of rotating and static rings during high-speed rotation of ISGDGS. The main aim of this study is to investigate the influence of spiral groove structural parameters on ISGDGS sealing performance. Fluid-solid-thermal coupling method was used to analysis the relationship of sealing performance (opening force, leakage, friction power, and gas film stiffness) and spiral-groove structural parameters. The test analysis method is used to study the sealing performance under four different structural parameters, and the obtained trends are the same as the analysis results. According to the analysis results, the value range of structural parameters for optimal sealing performance is proposed This thesis has provided a deeper insight into the influence of the structural parameters of end face on the sealing performance, and provides a basis for its optimal design.

Compared with the metal bristles, the flexible bristles can reduce the heat and wear caused by the friction between the bristles bundle and the rotor, and improve the working stability and working life of the brush seal. In this paper, the L-shaped numerical mode is established to analyze leakage characteristics of flexible bristle brush seal. The flow field of brush seal is analyzed, and the effects of differential pressure, rotating speed and temperature on the leakage rate were studied as well. The leakage rate of the flexible bristles brush seal under different pressure and rotating speed was measured and compared with the numerical results. The results show that: Pressure drop mainly occurred in bristles pack; Small pressure difference, high temperature and high speed can improve the sealing performance, which, shows that the flexible bristles brush seal can well adapt to high temperature and high speed conditions; The leakage rate after running-in is slightly lower than that before running-in, and has better sealing performance, and the brush bristles arrangement is complete and tight after test, indicating that the flexible bristle brush seal has the ability of lasting and stable seal; The error between experimental results and numerical simulation results is less than 10%, and the variation trend is consistent, confirming the accuracy of the leakage rate obtained by numerical simulation.

To study the secular evolution of the activity of Centaur 166P/2001 T4 (Near Earth Asteroid Tracking, NEAT) and its physical properties, we present the results of optical observations of the Centaur taken on 2009 March 29 with the Keck 10-m telescope located atop Mauna Kea, Hawaii. It was still active at r(h) = 11.9 au post-perihelion. An upper limit of the nucleus radius of a(N) < 14.32 km is derived. The colour index is B - R = 1.59 +/- 0.05. The Af rho value is measured to be 288 +/- 19 cm and the corresponding dust production rate is 252 kg s(-1). Finally, a possible mechanism of activity is discussed.

In a high-voltage dc (HVDC) transmission system, a high-temperature superconducting (HTS) dc cable is a feasible candidate due to its high power density. However, the dc in the grid includes ac ripple generated from switching devices and the environment, which can cause ac losses. In this paper, two pentagonal conductors consisting of second-generation (2G) wires are prepared, and their ac losses are investigated under the application of current with ac and dc components. Moreover, a numerical analysis is performed for both conductors to compare the measured losses. The results show that the measured ac losses correspond well with the numerical ones calculated by our models. The dc offset current does not affect the ac losses when the total current is smaller than the critical current, and the ac losses depend on the amplitude of the ac component. All measured losses are verified by evaluating the dependence on the arrangement of the voltage leads, the contact position, and the frequency.

We presentphotometric investigations of three distant active comets, 228P/LINEAR, C/2006 S3 Lowell Observatory Near-Earth-Object Search (LONEOS) and 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1. The data were obtained with the 1-m optical telescope at Lulin Observatory in Taiwan on 2011 February 5 and 6. These comets were observed at heliocentric distances larger than 3 au, all of them appeared to be active. By cometary morphological and photometric studies, the upper limits of the nuclei radii were derived. Also, the surface brightness profiles, Af rho parameters, mass production rates and the coma colours were measured. Finally, we discussed possible driver of activity in comets.

Seedlings of the hypoxia-sensitive cucumber cultivar were hydroponically grown under hypoxia for 7 d in the presence or absence of 24-epibrassinolide (EBR, 2.1 nM). Hypoxia significantly inhibited growth, while EBR partially counteracted this inhibition. Leaf net photosynthetic rate (PN), stomatal conductance, transpiration rate, and water-use efficiency declined greatly, while the stomatal limitation value increased significantly. The maximum net photosynthetic rate was strongly reduced by hypoxia, indicating that stomatal limitation was not the only cause of the PN decrease. EBR markedly diminished the harmful effects of hypoxia on PN as well as on stomata openness. It also greatly stimulated CO2 fixation by the way of increasing the carboxylation capacity of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco), ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate regeneration, Rubisco activity, and the protection of Rubisco large subunit from degradation. Our data indicated that photosystem (PS) II was damaged by hypoxia, while EBR had the protective effect. EBR further increased nonphotochemical quenching that could reduce photodamage of the PSII reaction center. The proportion of absorbed light energy allocated for photochemical reaction (P) was reduced, while both nonphotochemical reaction dissipation of light energy and imbalanced partitioning of excitation energy between PSI and PSII increased. EBR increased P and alleviated this imbalance. The results suggest that both stomatal and nonstomatal factors limited the photosynthesis of cucumber seedlings under hypoxia. EBR alleviated the growth inhibition by improving CO2 asimilation and protecting leaves against PSII damage.

Hu sheep is one of the most important species in China; it is also listed as one of the 78 nationally protected domestic animals by the Chinese government in 2000. The construction of cDNA expression library of Hu sheep is of great significance for protecting individual genomes, generating transgenic sheep, and conducting clinical research using cDNA from Hu sheep. In this study, the total RNA from the ear tissue of Hu sheep was extracted, and a cDNA expression library was constructed using the SMART(TM) technique. The titer of amplified cDNA library was 1.09 x 10(10) PFU/mL, the rate of recombination was above 91.6%, and the average size of fragments was 1.1 kb. This study has an important significance for the preservation of Hu sheep resources at the genome level.

Using the self-consistent field approach, the effect of asymmetry of the coil block on the microphase separation is focused in ABC coil-rod-coil triblock copolymers. For different fractions of the rod block $f_{\text B}$, some stable structures are observed, i.e., lamellae, cylinders, gyroid, and core-shell hexagonal lattice, and the phase diagrams are constructed. The calculated results show that the effect of the coil block fraction $f_{\text A}$ is dependent on $f_{\text B}$. When $f_{\text B}=0.2$, the effect of asymmetry of the coil block is similar to that of the ABC flexible triblock copolymers; When $f_{\text B}=0.4$, the self-assembly of ABC coil-rod-coil triblock copolymers behaves like rod-coil diblock copolymers under some condition. When $f_{\text B}$ continues to increase, the effect of asymmetry of the coil block reduces. For $f_{\text B}=0.4$, under the symmetrical and rather asymmetrical conditions, an increase in the interaction parameter between different components leads to different transitions between cylinders and lamellae. The results indicate some remarkable effect of the chain architecture on self-assembly, and can provide the guidance for the design and synthesis of copolymer materials., 9 pages, 3 figures

Possible masking of tuberculosis (TB) in treatment of community-acquired respiratory infection by newer fluoroquinolones has not been examined in randomised controlled trials. We undertook a randomised, open-label controlled trial involving adults with community-acquired pneumonia or infective exacerbation of bronchiectasis encountered in government chest clinics in Hong Kong. 427 participants were assigned by random permutated blocks of 20 to receive either amoxicillin clavulanate (n = 212) or moxifloxacin (n = 215). Participants were followed for 1 yr for active pulmonary TB. Excluding three participants with positive baseline culture, 13 developed active pulmonary TB: 10 (4.8%) out of 210 were given amoxicillin clavulanate, and three (1.4%) out of 214 were given moxifloxacin. The difference was significant by both proportion and time-to-event analysis. Post hoc analysis showed a significant decrease in the proportion with active pulmonary TB from 4.8% to 2.4% and 0% among participants given amoxicillin clavulanate (n = 210), moxifloxacin for predominantly 5 days (n = 127) and 10 days (n = 87), respectively. The log rank test for trend also showed a significant difference between the three subgroups. Regression models reaffirmed the linear effect; the adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of active pulmonary TB after moxifloxacin exposure up to predominantly 10 days was 0.3 (0.1-0.9). Newer fluoroquinolones appear to mask active pulmonary TB.

A Silkie Bantam embryo fibroblast line (named SBF59 line) was successfully established by using direct explant culture and cryopreservation techniques. Cell morphology, viability, dynamic growth and contamination were tested and the Karyotype and levels of isoenzymes of lactic dehydrogenase and malic dehydrogenase were analyzed. Four kinds of fluorescent protein extro-genes, including pEGFP-N 3 , pECFP-N 1 , pEYFP-N 1 and pDsRedl-Ni were transfected into the cells. The results showed that the cells were healthy and possessed a fibrous structure without a change in morphology. The average viability of the cells was 96% before freezing and 90.5% after thawing. The growth curve appeared as typical "S" shape and the cell growth passed through a detention phase, a logarithmic phase and a platform phase; the estimated population doubling time (PDT) was 38.5 h; assays for the presence of bacteria, fungi, viruses and mycoplasmas were negative; the cell line showed no cross contamination when assessed by isoenzyme analysis; the chromosome number was 2n = 78 on more than 88% of occasions; four kinds of fluorescent protein extro-genes appeared to be expressed effectively with a high transfection efficiency between 18.3% and 42.3%. The cell line met the required quality control standard. It not only preserves the genetic resources of the important Silkie Bantam at the cellular level but also provides valuable materials for genomic, post-genomic, somatic cell cloning research and other applications.

Lipopolysaccharide binding protein (LBP) and CD14 protein play important roles in the defense against infection of Gram-negative bacteria. In the present study, tissue distribution and polymorphism of porcine LBP and CD14 genes were analyzed. Real-time PCR results showed that the porcine LBP gene was especially highly expressed in liver, while CD14 gene was highly expressed in liver and spleen tissues. A 1,732 bp cDNA fragment of porcine LBP gene and a 1,682 bp genomic DNA fragment of CD14 gene were isolated. Polymorphisms were identified in these two fragments and showed that there were 14 potential SNPs in the porcine LBP gene and 3 potential SNPs in the porcine CD14 gene. Three SNPs, 292G/A (Gly/Ser), 1168G/A (Ala/Thr) of the LBP gene and -61G/A of the CD14 gene, were genotyped using restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) method. Association analyses indicated that polymorphism of the 292G/A locus was significantly associated with porcine immune traits hematocrit (HCT), IgG and delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) (p

Egg production traits are economically important both for egg-laying and broiler lines of chicken. In sheep, the Q249R mutation in BMPR-IB is associated with ovulation rate. The present study cloned a partial chicken BMPR-IB fragment which contained the corresponding ovine Q249R mutation, including partial exon 6 and exon 7 and full-length intron 6. Five nucleotide changes were identified by alignment of the fragment amplified from Jining Bairi and Zang chickens. Among these nucleotide substitutions, the C/T transition at the base position of 35 and the A/G transition at the base position of 287 were found to be highly polymorphic, and named as SNPs C35T and A287G, respectively. For the SNP C35T, 331 hens of a synthetic broiler line were genotyped by a PCR-SSCP approach and allele C was found to be dominant. For the SNP A287G, 604 birds from the synthetic broiler line, a commercial egg-laying line, as well as three Chinese indigenous chicken breeds were genotyped by a PCR-RFLP technique. The associations of these two SNPs with egg production traits in the broiler line were analyzed. The results indicated that both the C35T and the A287G SNPs were not associated with egg production at 33wks and from 33wks to 42 wks (p>0.1), whereas the SNP A287G was associated with egg production from 47 to 56 wks (p

Machining force regulation provides significant benefits in productivity and part quality. Adaptive techniques have typically been utilized due to the tremendous parameter variations that are found in machining processes. While adaptive controllers provide greater stability as compared to fixed-gain controllers, they have found very little headway in industry due to complexity in design, implementation, and maintenance. Recently, model-based techniques, with and without process compensation (i.e., the ability to directly adjust controller gains given known changes in process parameters), have been explored. This paper provides a comparison of four model-based machining force controllers; namely, linearization, log transform, nonlinear, and robust. These controllers are compared to an adaptive machining force controller in terms of transient performance and stability robustness with respect to parameter variations, and in terms of stability robustness with respect to unmodeled dynamics via simulation and experimental studies. The developed stability analyzes for the model-based controllers provide excellent predictions of the stability boundaries in the parameter space. Thus, stability robustness in terms of both model parameter variation and controller parameter adjustments can be systematically explored. Also, the results demonstrate that the stability robustness of the model-based controllers is insensitive to unmodeled servomechanism dynamics. While each force control approach performed satisfactorily in a laboratory environment, it can be generally concluded that their implementation should be dictated by the economics of the production environment.

The Debao pony ear marginal tissue fibroblast cell line (NDPEM 2/2) was successfully established using either primary explant technique or collagenase technique. The characterizations of the cell line were identified as following: the cells were adherent and of density limitation; population doubling time (PDT) of cells made with the two techniques were 35.9 h and 48 h, respectively; chromosome analysis showed that the frequency of cell chromosome number to be 2n=64 was 91.3%-92.8%. Confirmed by isoenzyme analysis, this cell line had no cross- contamination. Tests for microbial contamination from bacteria, fungi, virus or mycoplasma were negative. This newly established cell line meets all the standard quality controls of ATCC. It will provide a precious genetic resource for the conservation of the Debao pony breed, as well as effective experimental material for genetic studies on Debao ponies. (Asian-Aust. J. Anim. Sci. 2004. Vol 17, No. 10 : 1338-1343)

Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle with embedded membrane reactor modules (IGCC-MR) represents a new technology option for the coproduction of electricity and pure hydrogen endowed with enhanced environmental performance capacity. It is viewed as an alternative to conventional coal- and gas-fired power generation technologies. An IGCC-MR power plant needs to be techno-economically evaluated in the presence of irreducible regulatory and fuel market uncertainties for the potential deployment of an initial fleet of demonstration plants at the commercial scale. This paper applies a systematic methodological framework to assess the economic value of flexible alternatives in the design and operation of an IGCC-MR plant under the aforementioned sources of uncertainty. The main objective is to demonstrate the potential value enhancements associated with the long-term economic performance of flexible IGCC-MR project investments, by managing the uncertainty associated with future environmental regulations and fuel costs. The paper provides an overview of promising design flexibility concepts for IGCC-MR power plants and focuses on operational and constructional systems flexibility. Operational flexibility is realized through temporary plant shutdown with considerations of regulatory and market uncertainties. Constructional flexibility is realized by considering the installation of a Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) unit at three strategic periods: (1) installation at the initial construction phase, (2) retrofitting at a later stage, and (3) retrofitting at a later stage with preinvestment. Monte Carlo simulations and financial analysis demonstrate that, in the presence of irreducible uncertainty, the most economically advantageous flexibility option is to install CCS in the initial IGCC-MR construction phase.

In this work, ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) is introduced to improve the properties of high-density polyethylene (HDPE)/magnesium hydroxide (MH) composites. The thermal stability, flame retardancy and mechanical properties of HDPE/EVA/MH composites are investigated and discussed. With increasing content of EVA, the limiting oxygen index (LOI) of the composites increases. The thermal stability analysis shows that the initial decomposition temperature begins at a low temperature; however, the residues of the composites at 600°C increase when HDPE is replaced by small amounts of EVA. The early degradation absorbs heat, dilute oxygen and residue. During this process, it protects the matrix inside. Compared with the HDPE/MH and EVA/MH composites, the ternary HDPE/EVA/MH composites exhibit better flame retardancy by increasing the LOI values, and reducing the heat release rate (HRR) and total heat release (THR). With increasing content of EVA, the mechanical properties can also be improved, which is attributed to the good affinity between EVA and MH particles.

In the present study, real time-polymerase chain reaction was applied to analyze the expression of IGF-I and MyoG genes in Hu sheep longissimus dorsi at different growth stages and their association with meat traits. Expression of the IGF-I gene in Hu sheep differed significantly between males and females at the two day-old (0.01P0.05), one-month old (0.01P0.05), and three month-old (P0.01) stages. IGF-I gene expression in male longissimus muscles was higher than that of females at all growth stages, except for the three month-old stage. There was no significant difference (P0.05) between males and females at any growth stage in expression of the MyoG gene. MyoG gene expression in male longissimus muscles tended to be higher than that of females at all growth stages, except for the six month-old stage. IGF-I gene expression was significantly and positively correlated with live weight (P0.01) and carcass weight (0.01P0.05), and was non-significantly positively correlated with net meat weight (P0.05). In contrast, MyoG gene expression was non-significantly and positively correlated with live weight, carcass, and net meat weight (P0.05). Carcass traits showed highly significant positive correlations (P0.01). Furthermore, expressions of IGF-I and MyoG genes showed highly significant positive correlations (P0.01). We conclude that the expressions of IGF-I and MyoG genes are significantly and positively correlated with early muscle traits of Hu sheep.

Besides stimulating GH release, some GH secretagogues also release ACTH and adrenal steroids. Several novel classes of potent GH secretagogues have recently been described, and we have now tested their ability to release corticosterone in conscious normal rats. All analogs that released GH also stimulated corticosterone release to some degree, though the relative effects on GH and corticosterone varied somewhat. The corticosterone responses for some analogs were in the range of those obtained with CRF (2 μg, iv), whereas closely related analogs inactive for GH release failed to release corticosterone. Activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis with GH release by GHRPs could be a highly diabetogenic combination in susceptible individuals. Therefore, a potent GHRP pentapeptide analog (G7039, 100μ g/day, sc, bid) was given to young obese male Zucker diabetic fatty rats (ZDF, n = 8/group) for 24 days. Other groups received hGH (500 μg/day, sc, bid), recombinant human insulin-like growth factor (rhI...

Sorption experiments with H2, CO2, CH4 and iso-C4H10 were performed on microporous SiO2 and SiO2/TiO2 (30 mol% TiO2) non-supported membrane top-layers using volumetric and gravimetric techniques. For silica, the sorption capacity decreases in the order CO2>iso-C4H10>CH4>H2 at temperatures

Das Enschi-Gebiet in der Provinz Hubei ist geochemisch eine der beiden selenreichen Regionen Chinas. Hier werden die grunen und schwarzen Selen-Tees produziert. Drei Proben eines grunen Tees mit verschieden hohen Se-Gehalten sowie eine selenarme Probe wurden in dieser Arbeit untersucht. Die Mineralstoffe und Spurenelemente K, Ca, Mg, Na, P, S, Al, Mn, Fe, Ba, Sr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Mo und Cr wurden mittels Atomemissionsspektrometrie mit induktiv gekoppelter Plasmaanregung (ICP-AES) bestimmt. Auser Mo, Co und Cr wurden alle oben genannten Elemente in den Aufgussen der untersuchten Selen-Tees ebenfalls mit der ICP-AES gemessen. Die Se-Gehalte in den Teeproben sowie in den Aufgussen wurden mit Graphitrohr-Atomabsorptionsspektrometrie (GFAAS) bestimmt. Zur Kontrolle der Richtigkeit der Se-Messung wurden die Se-Gehalte in unaufgeschlossenen Teeproben zusatzlich mit instrumenteller Neutronenaktivierungsanalyse (INAA) bestimmt. Es wurden Se-Gehalte im Bereich von 1 bis 8,5 μg/g Trockengewicht gemessen. Auser Se wurden insgesamt 17 Elemente im Tee und 14 in dessen Aufgus quantitativ bestimmt. Daraus wurde der Auslaugungsgrad fur die einzelnen Elemente berechnet. Bis zu 10% des Se konnten in einem ersten Aufgus ausgelaugt werden.

5 pages; International audience; This article documents the addition of 411 microsatellite marker loci and 15 pairs of Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) sequencing primers to the Molecular Ecology Resources Database. Loci were developed for the following species: Acanthopagrus schlegeli, Anopheles lesteri, Aspergillus clavatus, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus oryzae, Aspergillus terreus, Branchiostoma japonicum, Branchiostoma belcheri, Colias behrii, Coryphopterus personatus, Cynogolssus semilaevis, Cynoglossus semilaevis, Dendrobium officinale, Dendrobium officinale, Dysoxylum malabaricum, Metrioptera roeselii, Myrmeciza exsul, Ochotona thibetana, Neosartorya fischeri, Nothofagus pumilio, Onychodactylus fischeri, Phoenicopterus roseus, Salvia officinalis L., Scylla paramamosain, Silene latifo, Sula sula, and Vulpes vulpes. These loci were cross-tested on the following species: Aspergillus giganteus, Colias pelidne, Colias interior, Colias meadii, Colias eurytheme, Coryphopterus lipernes, Coryphopterus glaucofrenum, Coryphopterus eidolon, Gnatholepis thompsoni, Elacatinus evelynae, Dendrobium loddigesii Dendrobium devonianum, Dysoxylum binectariferum, Nothofagus antarctica, Nothofagus dombeyii, Nothofagus nervosa, Nothofagus obliqua, Sula nebouxii, and Sula variegata. This article also documents the addition of 39 sequencing primer pairs and 15 allele specific primers or probes for Paralithodes camtschaticus.

Objective: We needed to establish an embryonic fibroblast cell line from the Langshan chicken (LSCEF61) to preserve their important genetic resources at the cellular level. Material and methods: The cell line was established from 9‐day‐old embryos by direct explant culture and cryopreservation techniques. Cell morphology, dynamic proliferation and any contamination present were tested, and the karyotype and levels of isoenzymes of lactic dehydrogenase and malic dehydrogenase were analysed. Four types of fluorescent protein exogenous genes for pEGFP‐C(1), pEGFP‐N(3), pEYFP‐N(1) and pDsRed1‐N(1) were transfected into the cells. Results: Showed that the cells were healthy and were of spindle shaped structure, without change in morphology. Cell growth curves were of typical S‐shape. Assays for microbial contamination were negative. The LSCEF61 line showed no cross‐contamination when assessed by isoenzyme analysis. Chromosome number (2n) = 78 on more than 90% of occasions. The four types of fluorescent protein extro‐genes appeared to be expressed effectively with high transfection efficiency between 15.6% and 38.6%. Conclusion: The cell line met each of the quality control standards required for the American Type Culture Collection. It had not only preserved the genetic resources of the important Langshan chicken at the cellular level, but also provided valuable material for genomic, post‐genomic and somatic cell cloning research and other applications.

Nepal borders India in the south and China in the north. Four distinct indigenous domestic sheep breeds, i.e. Bhyanglung in the alpine region, Baruwal in the high hills, Kage in the mid hills and Lampuchhre in the low lands are distributed in the country. In this study, the mitochondrial DNA control region of 111 sheep from these four breeds was directly sequenced to determine their genetic variations and phylogenetic relationships. High mitochondrial DNA diversity among these breeds was observed and all haplotypes were classified into three haplogroups (A to C). Among the four breeds, three residing in middle to high hills had all three haplogroups while Lampuchhre sheep in low land only carried haplogroups A and B. This study revealed that a south-western route of gene flow in sheep might have come from China to India via Nepal. It can be concluded that these indigenous sheep breeds have isolated breeding paths. Lack of crossbreeding among Nepalese sheep breeds is unique, and it is important for the decision making on utilization and conservation of Nepalese sheep genetic resources. Tropical Agricultural Research Vol. 26 (4): 632 – 641 (2015)

To construct transgenic mice bearing human Fas ligand (FasL/CD95L) cDNA, and further explore the physiological effects of ubiquitous expression of FasL on such animals.Transgenic mice were produced by pronuclei microinjection method. Integration and transmission of transgene were identified by nest-PCR and Southern-blot analysis. Level of FasL mRNA was evaluated by semi-quantitative RT-PCR analysis. FasL protein was detected by immunofluorescence analysis. Morphological alterations in tissues were analyzed by histological examination. The percentage of alphabetaT cells in the spleen was determined by flow cytometry analysis.Two independent founder mice bearing human FasL cDNA under the control of CMV promoter were generated healthily. Human FasL was moderately expressed in the majority of tissues examined in F1 heterozygotic mice. Although developing normally, adult transgenic mice exhibited a slight form of graft-versus-host (GVH)-like disease characterized by many morphological abnormalities occurring locally in the spleen, testis, lung and liver. In addition, the percentage of alphabetaT cells in the spleen was respectively decreased approximately by 32 % and 24 % in two independent transgenic lines, relative to wild-type mice.Ubiquitous expression of Fas ligand can lead to slight GVH-like disease

To explore the physiological role of gamma-aminobutyric acid transporter subtype I (GAT1) in cognition.Transgenic mice were produced by pronuclei microinjection method. Integration of transgene was identified by Southern-blot and PCR analysis in various generations. Level of GAT1 mRNA in a variety of tissues was evaluated by semi-quantitative RT-PCR analysis. GAT1 protein was detected by immunofluorescence and histochemistry analysis. Associative learning capacity was analyzed by conditioned avoidance task. Memory retention was assessed by novel object recognition test. Morphology of synaptosomes was examined by electron microscope.Four independent founder mice bearing various copies of transgene were generated. GAT1 was evidently overexpressed at both mRNA and protein level in a variety of tissues from transgenic mice. In comparison with wild-type mice, transgenic mice exhibited significantly declined associative learning capacity (P0.01) and decreased memory retention (P0.01 in 1-h-retention, and P0.05 in 1-d-retention). In addition, the amount of asymmetric synapses in the brain of transgenic mice was reduced approximately by 24 %, relative to wild-type mice.Overexpression of GAT1 in mice results in cognitive deterioration, indicating that the alteration in the expression of gamma-aminobutyric acid transporters is involved in the pathophysiological mechanism underlying some cognitive deficiencies.

To explore the effect of antisense alpha(1,3) galactosyltransferase alpha(1,3) GT cDNA on production of Gal alpha(1,3) Gal (Gal epitope) xenoantigen in vivo.Transgenic mice bearing the porcine antisense alpha(1,3) GT cDNA (nt 1alpha-640) were generated by pronuclei microinjection method. The integration of transgene was identified by PCR and Southern-blot analysis. The expression of murine alpha(1,3) GT was characterized by RT-PCR. Morphology of the spleen was examined by histological technique. Gal epitope was detected by immunofluorescent analysis. Binding of human natural xenoantibodies (IgM and IgG) and complement (C3c) to cells from mice was determined by flow cytometric assay.Transgenic mice bearing the porcine antisense alpha(1,3) GT cDNA were born healthy and developed normally. However, necrosis occurred in the spleen of some mice heterozygous for transgene. Cell surface Gal epitope in transgenic heterozygotes was evidently reduced. Substantially less (30 % - 60 %) xenoantibodies in human serum bound to cells from a variety of tissues of transgenic heterozygotes compared with wild-type controls. Consequentially, human complement activation on cells from these mice was reduced by 40 % - 50 %.Human xenoreactivity could be effectively reduced by inhibiting the expression of alpha(1,3) galactosyltransferase with an antisense gene.

Besides stimulating GH release, some GH secretagogues also release ACTH and adrenal steroids. Several novel classes of potent GH secretagogues have recently been described, and we have now tested their ability to release corticosterone in conscious normal rats. All analogs that released GH also stimulated corticosterone release to some degree, though the relative effects on GH and corticosterone varied somewhat. The corticosterone responses for some analogs were in the range of those obtained with CRF (2 microg, iv), whereas closely related analogs inactive for GH release failed to release corticosterone. Activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis with GH release by GHRPs could be a highly diabetogenic combination in susceptible individuals. Therefore, a potent GHRP pentapeptide analog (G7039, 100 microg/day, sc, bid) was given to young obese male Zucker diabetic fatty rats (ZDF, n = 8/group) for 24 days. Other groups received hGH (500 microg/day, sc, bid), recombinant human insulin-like growth factor (rhIGF)-1 (750 microg/day, sc, infusion) or excipient, alone or in combination. Both G7039 and hGH increased weight gain, markedly raised serum glucose (G7039, 542 +/- 37; hGH, 725 +/- 30; excipient, 330 +/- 57 mg/dl) and doubled insulin levels but had opposite effects on serum triglycerides (G7039, 1412 +/- 44; hGH 501 +/- 46; excipient 1058 +/- 73 mg/dl) and fat depot weights. In contrast, treatment with IGF-1, alone or in combination with hGH or G7039, improved the diabetic state and stimulated growth. Thus, both G7039 and hGH treatment stimulated growth in ZDF rats, but greatly worsened diabetes, unless IGF-1 was coadministered. Some of the effects ofG7039 could be explained by GH release, but the effects on blood lipids and body fat were not seen with hGH and may reflect the additional activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis by the secretagogue. The magnitude of these adverse effects in the ZDF animals suggest that chronic administration of GHRP analogs with cortisol-releasing activity to obese or diabetes-prone individuals warrants careful evaluation.

We have operated the 22.9-kV high temperature superconductor cable system installed at Icheon Substation of Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO), which consists of a conductor and a shield using YBCO-NiW wires. We prepared the same 5-m cable sample as the Icheon Substation in order to understand its ac loss characteristic. Especially, the contact resistance between copper current leads and YBCO wires was minimized through the increased soldering surface between them. Besides, four voltage leads are attached to both the conductor and the shield with an equal angle of 90°. Under ac transport current, which was supplied to the conductor and shield in opposite direction, losses of the 5-m sample were tested for various contact positions of voltage leads, frequencies, and transport periods. The result shows that the measured ac losses for various contact positions in the conductor and shield are the same. However, their loss exponents are very different. More details will be presented in this work.