Search

Ganodermataceae is one of the main families of macrofungi since species in the family are both ecologically and economically important. The double-walled basidiospores with ornamented endospore walls are the characteristic features of Ganodermataceae. It is a large and complex family; although many studies have focused on Ganodermataceae, the global diversity, geographic distribution, taxonomy and molecular phylogeny of Ganodermataceae still remained incompletely understood. In this work, taxonomic and phylogenetic studies on worldwide species of Ganodermataceae were carried out by morphological examination and molecular phylogenetic analyses inferred from six gene loci including the internal transcribed spacer regions (ITS), the large subunit of nuclear ribosomal RNA gene (nLSU), the second largest subunit of RNA polymerase II gene (rpb2), the translation elongation factor 1-αgene (tef1), the small subunit mitochondrial rRNA gene (mtSSU) and the small subunit nuclear ribosomal RNA gene (nSSU). A total of 1 382 sequences were used in the phylogenetic analyses, of which 817 were newly generated, including 132 sequences of ITS, 139 sequences of nLSU, 83 sequences of rpb2, 124 sequences of tef1, 150 sequences of mtSSU and 189 sequences of nSSU. The combined six-gene dataset included sequences from 391 specimens representing 146 taxa from Ganodermataceae. Based on morphological and phylogenetic analyses, 14 genera were confirmed in Ganodermataceae: Amauroderma, Amaurodermellus, Cristataspora, Foraminispora, Furtadoella, Ganoderma, Haddowia, Humphreya, Magoderna, Neoganoderma, Sanguinoderma, Sinoganoderma, Tomophagus and Trachydermella. Among these genera, Neoganoderma gen. nov. is proposed for Ganoderma neurosporum; Sinoganoderma gen. nov. is proposed for Ganoderma shandongense; Furtadoella gen. nov. is proposed to include taxa previously belonging to Furtadoa since Furtadoa is a homonym of a plant genus in the Araceae; Trachydermella gen. nov. is proposed to include Trachyderma tsunodae since Trachyderma is a homonym of a lichen genus in the Pannariaceae. Twenty-three new species, viz., Ganoderma acaciicola, G. acontextum, G. alpinum, G. bubalinomarginatum, G. castaneum, G. chuxiongense, G. cocoicola, G. fallax, G. guangxiense, G. puerense, G. subangustisporum, G. subellipsoideum, G. subflexipes, G. sublobatum, G. tongshanense, G. yunlingense, Haddowia macropora, Sanguinoderma guangdongense, Sa. infundibulare, Sa. longistipitum, Sa. melanocarpum, Sa. microsporum and Sa. tricolor are described. In addition, another 33 known species are also described in detail for comparison. Scanning electron micrographs of basidiospores of 10 genera in Ganodermataceae are provided. A key to the accepted genera of Ganodermataceae and keys to the accepted species of Ganoderma, Haddowia, Humphreya, Magoderna, Sanguinoderma and Tomophagus are also provided. In total, 278 species are accepted as members of Ganodermataceae including 59 species distributed in China.

The human heart is composed of various cell types with distinct embryonic origins and functions. Having an understanding of the components of the developing heart at a molecular level should provide better insights into its function in health and disease. Current single cell studies of human fetal hearts are limited by low cell numbers and poor cell type resolution. Here, we aimed to increase the number of cells studied while adding a spatial resolution. We analysed human hearts aged between post conception weeks of 8 and 11, where apex and base in each were processed, providing spatial resolution on cells constituting the myocardium and the great vessels. Our analysis suggests 6 main cell types in the developing hearts with a total of 28 subtypes and provides a differential expression signature for similar cell types with different origins and anatomical locations, including the smooth muscle cells and endothelial cells of the myocardium and the great vessels. Through immunohistochemistry, we validated our findings on these subtypes, as well as on the cells that were less clearly described before, such sinoatrial node cells or resident macrophages. Cell to cell interaction analysis inferred distinct molecular crosstalk across subtypes, including the cells of the great vessels or the vessels of the myocardium. Our findings suggest a list of transcription factors that might be involved in governing the identity of these cells. Collectively, our analysis provides a better understanding of human heart development, and will inform studies into disease modelling and disease progression. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: Foundation. Main funding source(s): British Heart Foundation

In the present work, Hall Effect gas sensors based on SnO2 nanowires for Hydrogen detection have been investigated. The SnO2 nanowires were synthesized on stainless steel mesh in a horizontal electrical furnace, and XRD, SEM, FESEM, XPS were employed to analyze the crystallographic structure, the morphology, and the SnO2 nanowires electron binding energy of SnO2 nanowires. The results indicate that the SnO2 nanowires synthesized at 950 °C are single crystals with rutile structure, 30 nm in diameter with hundreds of microns in length and composed of only Sn and O. The Hall Effect gas sensor fabricated from SnO2 nanowires showed the peak response of 7.81 towards 1000 ppm H2 under the optimal operating temperature of 125 °C and reversible response to H2 at different operating temperatures and H2 concentrations. In addition, the plausible response mechanism of the Hall Effect gas sensor based on SnO2 was discussed. The results demonstrate that the Hall Effect gas sensor based on SnO2 nanowires is very promising for the fabrication of cost effective and high-performance gas sensors.

We carried out a cyanopolyyne line survey towards a large sample of HMSFRs using the Shanghai Tian Ma 65m Radio Telescope (TMRT). Our sample consisted of 123 targets taken from the TMRT C band line survey. It included three kinds of sources, namely those with detection of the 6.7 GHz CH3OH maser alone, with detection of the radio recombination line (RRL) alone, and with detection of both (hereafter referred to as Maser-only, RRL-only, and Maser-RRL sources, respectively). We detected HC3N in 38 sources, HC5N in 11 sources, and HC7N in G24.790+0.084, with the highest detection rate being found for Maser-RRL sources and a very low detection rate found for RRL-only sources. Their column densities were derived using the rotational temperature measured from the NH3 lines. And we constructed and fitted the far-infrared (FIR) spectral energy distributions. Based on these, we derive their dust temperatures, H2 column densities, and abundances of cyanopolyynes relative to H2. The detection rate, the column density, and the relative abundance of HC3N increase from Maser-only to Maser-RRL sources and decrease from Maser-RRL to RRL-only sources. This trend is consistent with the proposed evolutionary trend of HC3N under the assumption that our Maser-only, Maser-RRL, and RRL-only sources correspond to massive young stellar objects, ultra-compact HII regions, and normal classical HII regions, respectively. Furthermore, a statistical analysis of the integrated line intensity and column density of HC3N and shock-tracing molecules (SiO, H2CO) enabled us to find positive correlations between them. This suggests that HC3N may be another tracer of shocks, and should therefore be the subject of further observations and corresponding chemical simulations. Our results indirectly support the idea that the neutral--neutral reaction between C2H2 and CN is the dominant formation pathway of HC3N., 23 pages, 5 figures, 4 tables, Accepted to A&A

This project aims to elucidate the diagnostic and prognostic values of PPM1D in osteosarcoma and the molecular mechanism.PPM1D levels in osteosarcoma and adjacent tissues were detected. Pathological information of included osteosarcoma patients was collected for analyzing the relationship between PPM1D and prognosis of osteosarcoma. Regulatory effects of PPM1D on in vivo and in vitro progressions of osteosarcoma were assessed by generating xenograft model in nude mice and PPM1D knockdown models in MG63 and U2OS cells, respectively. The involvement of PKP2, the target gene of PPM1D in osteosarcoma progression was finally evaluated.PPM1D was upregulated in osteosarcoma tissues than adjacent ones. High level of PPM1D indicated higher risks of distant metastasis and worse prognosis in osteosarcoma. In vivo knockdown of PPM1D contributed to a delay in tumor growth of osteosarcoma in nude mice. PKP2, as the downstream gene targeting PPM1D, was highly expressed in osteosarcoma tissues and positively correlated to PPM1D level. The overexpression of PKP2 was able to abolish the inhibited proliferative and migratory abilities in osteosarcoma cells with PPM1D knockdown.PPM1D triggers proliferative and migratory abilities of osteosarcoma by positively regulating PKP2, which can be served as an effective diagnostic marker for osteosarcoma in the early phase.

With the rapid development of microelectronics, computer, sensor and communication technology, the measuring and controlling of hydraulic structures has gradually realized automation and intelligent information collection will be more and more perfect. As a commonly used hydraulic structure, sluice gate needs to be combined with modern technology to provide basic data and control flow in more scientific and efficient ways. Different discharge methods are available to determine discharge under sluice gates. The present paper designs a new float type float and proposes a way to measure the discharge through the gate. This paper compares the new equation of (Q) with (e/H) under free flow condition with proposed equations by other researchers. The results shows that other equations fail to accurately determine the flow rate for the cases of free flow, while employing the new proposed equations can result in more accurate discharge estimation within the given ranges of the experimental study. The development of velocity profile under sluice gate is examined, and the effects of shear stress are studied. The new method can be used to predict the performance of sluice gates with different sizes under free -flow situations. These results may attract and guide numerical modelers of flow. A free flow automation measuring and controlling system based on single chip microcomputer and sensor can be designed, which will be application of computer, sensors and other modern technology. Thus realizing scientific water management, optimal allocation and accurate measurement of water resources.

Beta-glucosidase (GBA), also known as acid β-glucosidase, exhibits an activity of glucosylceramidase (EC 3.2.1.45). Three main isoforms of β-glucosidases have been identified in mammals: GBA1, GBA2, and GBA3. The deficiency of these enzymes leads to glucosylceramide accumulation, resulting in Gaucher's disease. The present study is focused on the cytosolic β-glucosidase, GBA3, and its relationship with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The expression of GBA3 mRNA in HCC was evaluated first using the TCGA database, and then by immunohistochemistry using tissue microarrays of 328 clinically characterized HCC samples and 151 non-tumor liver controls. Moreover, the presence of a correlation between GBA3 expression and clinicopathological characteristics of patients was examined. The obtained results indicated that the expression of GBA3 mRNA was significantly lower in HCC than in the adjacent non-tumor liver tissues. The expression of GBA3 was inversely related to the number of tumors (p=0.041), tumor size (p

Summary Kümmell’s disease (eponymous name for osteonecrosis and collapse of a vertebral body due to ischemia and non-union of anterior vertebral body wedge fractures after major trauma) cannot heal spontaneously. Bone-filling mesh container (BFMC) can significantly relieve pain, help the correction of kyphosis, and may prevent cement leakage. This pilot study may provide the basis for the design of future studies. Purpose To compare the effectiveness and safety of BFMC and percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP) for treatment of Kümmell’s disease. Methods From August 2016 to May 2018, 40 patients with Kümmell’s disease were admitted to Guizhou Provincial People’s Hospital. Among them, 20 patients (20 vertebral bodies) received PKP (PKP group) and the other 20 received BFMC (BFMC group). Operation time, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Cobb’s angle changes, and related complications were recorded. Results All patients underwent operations successfully. VAS scores and ODI of both groups at each postoperative time point were lower than preoperatively, with statistically significant difference (p p Conclusions Both PKP and BFMC technologies can significantly relieve pain and help the correction of kyphosis while treating Kümmell’s disease. Moreover, the BMFC may prevent cement leakage.

Four kinds of multi-walled carbon nanotubes pretreated by different methods were studied. Chemically functionalized (hydroxylation and carboxylation) CNTs were prepared by oxidizing original CNTs in H2SO4 solutions of different temperatures and concentrations by KMnO4. Graphitized CNTs were prepared by heat-treating original CNTs in an inert gas at 2800°C for 20 hours. CNTs Nickel plating on the surface was obtained by electroless plating. The effect of pretreatment on the surface state and microstructure of carbon nanotubes was also studied. The results showed that Chemical functionalization could form some functional groups on the surface of CNTs, which could not only improve the compatibility of CNTs with some solvents, but also purified CNTs, which had a positive effect on the preparation of composite materials. High-temperature graphitization treatment could significantly increase the degree of crystallization of carbon nanotubes and reduce structural defects. After electroless nickel plating, evenly distributed nano-sized metal particles were formed on the surface of the CNTs, and the interface between the two was well bonded.

By the analytical method of system engineering, the air-to-ground precise strike system is set up. Using DoDAF (Department of Defense Architectural Framework, DoDAF), the concept of air-to-ground precision strike is built. The organization is definite and the capability requirement is analyzed. On the basis, the intelligent applications of command and control system, aircraft platform and guided munition are summarized. At last, some suggestion is put forward for the intelligent development of air-to-ground precision strike system.

We aimed at analyzing the efficacy of low molecular heparin in the prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE) after resection of primary liver cancer and at exploring the correlation of VTE with P-selectin (CD62P), lysosomal granule glycoprotein (CD63), platelet activating factor (PAF) and plasma D-dimer (D-D).A total of 233 patients treated with primary liver cancer resection in our hospital from February 2014 to October 2016 were enrolled in this study. The patients were randomly divided into the observation group (n=117) and the control group (n=116). The observation group received a subcutaneous injection of low molecular weight heparin at 2-7 days after surgery, and the control group was not treated with anticoagulation. The prevalence of VTE and the changes of CD62P, CD63, PAF, and D-D before and after treatment were compared between the two groups. The VTE prevalence after surgery, the changes of CD62P, CD63, PAF, D-D before and after surgery and the correlation of the above indexes with VTE were analyzed.The prevalence of VTE in the observation group was 0.85% (1/117), which was lower than that of the control group (13.79%) (16/116); the difference was statistically significant (p0.05). There was no significant difference in blood coagulation function between the two groups before and after operation (p0.05). The CD62P, CD63, PAF, and D-D of the two groups were continuously decreased after the operation, and the serum CD62P, CD63 and plasma D-D of the observation group 6 d and 10 d after operation were lower than that of the control group; the difference was statistically significant (p0.05). The serum CD62P, CD63 and plasma D-D in the VTE group 6 d and 10 d after operation were lower than those in the non-VTE group; the differences were statistically significant (p0.05).Low molecular weight heparin can effectively prevent VTE after primary liver cancer resection. Regularly monitoring CD62P, CD63, PAF, and D-D in patients after the operation is pivotal for early diagnosis, evaluation and treatment of VTE.

Background The association of metabolic status with disease characteristics of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) remain controversial. Body composition (BC) instead of body mass index (BMI) has been more and more recommended to assess metabolic status. Objectives To investigate the characteristics of BC in RA patients and their association with RA disease characteristics. Methods BC was assessed in RA patients and control subjects by bioelectric impedance analysis. Overfat was defined by body fat percentage (BF%) as ≥25% for men and ≥35% for women. Sarcopenia was defined by skeletal muscle mass index (SMMI)≤8.87 kg/m2 in men and ≤6.42 kg/m2 in women. Clinical data including disease activity, function and radiographic assessment were collected. Results There were 457 RA patients and 1,860 control subjects recruited. In RA patients, there were 17.7%, 58.0%, 20.1% and 4.2% with underweight, normal weight, overweight, or obesity respectively, and 32.4% were overfat, 11.4% with sarcopenia. Comparisons to control subjects in age and gender stratification showed that male RA patients had significantly lower BMI and SMMI with higher percentage of underweight and sarcopenia in almost all age subgroups; female patients had lower SMMI in all age subgroups and lower BMI with higher prevalence of sarcopenia but higher BF% at age ≤30 and 51–60 years (all P Conclusions This study showed lower SMMI and higher prevalence of sarcopenia in RA patients which were positively associated with joint damage. Disclosure of Interest None declared

Novel species of fungi described in the present study include the following from Malaysia: Castanediella eucalypti from Eucalyptus pellita, Codinaea acacia from Acacia mangium, Emarcea eucalyptigena from Eucalyptus brassiana, Myrtapenidiella eucalyptorum from Eucalyptus pellita, Pilidiella eucalyptigena from Eucalyptus brassiana and Strelitziana malaysiana from Acacia mangium. Furthermore, Stachybotrys sansevieriicola is described from Sansevieria ehrenbergii (Tanzania), Phacidium grevilleae from Grevillea robusta (Uganda), Graphium jumulu from Adansonia gregorii and Ophiostoma eucalyptigena from Eucalyptus marginata (Australia), Pleurophoma ossicola from bone and Plectosphaerella populi from Populus nigra (Germany), Colletotrichum neosansevieriae from Sansevieria trifasciata, Elsinoë othonnae from Othonna quinquedentata and Zeloasperisporium cliviae (Zeloasperisporiaceae fam. nov.) from Clivia sp. (South Africa), Neodevriesia pakbiae, Phaeophleospora hymenocallidis and Phaeophleospora hymenocallidicola on leaves of a fern (Thailand), Melanconium elaeidicola from Elaeis guineensis (Indonesia), Hormonema viticola from Vitis vinifera (Canary Islands), Chlorophyllum pseudoglobossum from a grassland (India), Triadelphia disseminata from an immunocompromised patient (Saudi Arabia), Colletotrichum abscissum from Citrus (Brazil), Polyschema sclerotigenum and Phialemonium limoniforme from human patients (USA), Cadophora vitícola from Vitis vinifera (Spain), Entoloma flavovelutinum and Bolbitius aurantiorugosus from soil (Vietnam), Rhizopogon granuloflavus from soil (Cape Verde Islands), Tulasnella eremophila from Euphorbia officinarum subsp. echinus (Morocco), Verrucostoma martinicensis from Danaea elliptica (French West Indies), Metschnikowia colchici from Colchicum autumnale (Bulgaria), Thelebolus microcarpus from soil (Argentina) and Ceratocystis adelpha from Theobroma cacao (Ecuador). Myrmecridium iridis (Myrmecridiales ord. nov., Myrmecridiaceae fam. nov.) is also described from Iris sp. (The Netherlands). Novel genera include (Ascomycetes): Budhanggurabania from Cynodon dactylon (Australia), Soloacrosporiella, Xenocamarosporium, Neostrelitziana and Castanediella from Acacia mangium and Sabahriopsis from Eucalyptus brassiana (Malaysia), Readerielliopsis from basidiomata of Fuscoporia wahlbergii (French Guyana), Neoplatysporoides from Aloe ferox (Tanzania), Wojnowiciella, Chrysofolia and Neoeriomycopsis from Eucalyptus (Colombia), Neophaeomoniella from Eucalyptus globulus (USA), Pseudophaeomoniella from Olea europaea (Italy), Paraphaeomoniella from Encephalartos altensteinii, Aequabiliella, Celerioriella and Minutiella from Prunus (South Africa). Tephrocybella (Basidiomycetes) represents a novel genus from wood (Italy). Morphological and culture characteristics along with ITS DNA barcodes are provided for all taxa., Christian Lechat gratefully acknowledges Cesar Delnatte (DEAL, Martinique) fro the identification of the horst of Verrucostoma martinicensis. Alfredo Vizzini thanks Edmondo Grilli (Pescara, Italy), for comments on the text of Tephrocybella griseonigrescens. Dilnora Gouliamova was supported by a grant (D002-TK-176) from the Bulgarian Science Fund, EU F6 Synthesis program. She is grateful to K. Metodiev for permission to use the picture of Colchicum autumnale (http://www.bgflora. net/). Olga V. Morozova, Eugene S. Popov and Xiao-Lan He are grateful to V. Trunov, T.H. Li, C.Y. Deng, H. Huang and Y.W. Xia for valuable Entoloma collections. Alina V. Alexandrova was supported by the Russian Science Foundation (project N 14-50-00029). Ekaterina F. Malysheva, Olga V. Morozova, Alexander E. Kovalenko and Eugene S. Popov acknowledge financial support from the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (project 13-04-00838a and 15-04-04645a). Margarita Dueñas, María P. Martín and M. Teresa Telleria acknowledge financial support from the Plan Nacional I+D+I projects No. CGL2009-07231 and CGL2012-3559. They are also thankful to Marian Gleen (Seton Hall University, USA) for commenting on the text. Cony Decock gratefully acknowledges the financial support received from the FNRS / FRFC (convention FRFC 2.4544.10), the CNRS-French Guiana and the Nouragues staff, which enabled fieldwork in French Guiana, and the Belgian State – Belgian Federal Science Policy through the BCCMTM research programme. We also thank the CBS technical staff, A. van Iperen (cultures), M. Vermaas (photographic plates) and M. Starink-Willemse (DNA isolation, amplification and sequencing) for their invaluable assistance.

The CNTs/Al2009 composite powders were prepared by cryogenic milling method and then the CNTs/Al2009 matrix composites were fabricated by hot extrusion process or hot isostatic pressing (HIP)/hot extrusion process. The effects of HIP process on microstructure and interface structure of CNTs/Al2009 composites were studied by X-ray diffraction, raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscope. Finally, the effects of HIP process on the CNTs/2009Al composites were characterized by tensile strength at room temperature. The results showed that the cryogenic milling process could disperse 1.0 wt. % of CNTs into the aluminum matrix, and the composites prepared by HIP and hot extrusion process had uniform microstructure and excellent tensile properties at room temperature. The tensile strength, yield strength and elongation of the 1.0 wt.% CNTs/Al2009 composites prepared by HIP and hot extrusion process were 560 MPa, 443.3 MPa and 10.2%, respectively. Hot isostatic pressing process had an important influence on the interfacial bonding strength of CNTs/Al2009 composites. The strength of the composite prepared by HIP and hot extrusion process was 20 MPa higher than that of direct hot extrusion process, and the elongation was basically the same. The main reason was that the high temperature and high pressure conditions of hot isostatic pressing process could promote the reaction of carbon and aluminum at the interface between CNTs and aluminum matrix, so that a few CNTs with severe damage and defects in some CNTs formed Al4C3 phase with aluminum, thereby improving two compatibility, and enhanced interface bonding.

The effect of wall normal velocity on velocity distribution in unsteady flow has been investigated. We established a modified log-law model by adding the wake-term by Coles and deviation term together to depict the velocity deviation caused from classic log-low model. An empirical formula for deviation-correction factor α has been determined based on the present experimental data, and it yields a good agreement with other published experimental data. Experimental measurements of velocity distributions in unsteady open channel flows have been performed to prove this model.The cause of this addition was discussed and explained, and the theoretical velocity images from the improved model have been compared with the present data, they are well correlated.

In this paper, surface-conduction field emission (SCFE) device based on planar-gate triode with in-situ grown ZnO nanorods as the emitter has been fabricated. The ZnO nanorods are controlled to orientable grow by thermal evaporation on a substrate, and their microstructures are analyzed through XRD and SEM. The results show that the one-dimensional ZnO nanorods were rod-shaped, up to 200 nm in diameter and approximately 15 μm in length. They are of oriental growth, uniform in size and perpendicular to the substrate. With the screen-printing, a planar-gate surface conduction device is fabricated, and its field emission characteristics are tested. The test results indicate that the threshold voltage of the planar-gate ZnO-SCFE device decreases with the increase of the anode voltage. When the gate voltage is 62 V, the electron emission efficiency of the device is 36.1%, higher than the reported surface emission display (SED) emission efficiency. Besides, the proposed device has good modulated effect and stability, indicating that it is of good field emission characteristics.

Target leaf spot is a sorghum leaf disease caused by Bipolaris sorghicola, a species of fungus with a global distribution. In this study, we investigated the process by which B. sorghicola invades cells of barley, onion, Arabidopsis thaliana species, and sorghum. The results showed that within 8 h of coming into contact with host cells, the hyphal ends of B. sorghicola expand and form a uniform infective penetration pegbolt-like structure; a primary infection mycelium can be formed inside host cells within 24 h after contact, which can infect closed cells after 48 h. A mycelium can grow within the gap between cells and form infective hyphae. The pathogen infection process was the same in different host cells. B. sorghicola can affect root cells through soil infection, indicating that it may also have characteristics of soil-borne pathogens.

Sluice gates are commonly used in canals for control and measurement of the flow. The discharge under sluice gates can be determined through different discharge methods. The present study proposed a new equation to accurately predict the discharge through floating type sluice gate by reading the depth of water at upstream of the gate and it reveals relationship between the gate opening and water depth. It also derived a theoretical equation for variations of sluice gate discharge coefficient under free flow condition. Effects of factors on discharge coefficient were investigated. This new model can be used to predict the performance of sluice gates with different sizes under free-flow situations.

In the case of irrigation, to implement the water distribution plan, the flow needs to be changed through the gate which leads to the occurrence of unavoidable unsteady flow. In order to improve the level of irrigation management, it is necessary to understand the changes taking place in the canal water flow during the process of water distribution. The de Saint-Venant equations were solved based on the method of characteristics and a model was built to simulate the unsteady flow in the channel of the Yintang irrigation district. Then, the obtained results were validated by the employed model. On the basis of simulation results, a model for the variations in the gate opening was established based on the theory of under-gate discharge. In this study, the simulation results, as established from the model, are very consistent with the simulation results of existing commercial software and a simple design for the operation was conducted from the adjustment of gate openings and multi-stage gate operation modes. Overall, the established gate control model built in this study is reliable, which provides a basis for the decision-making process for the relevant staff.

Mucinous tubular and spindle cell renal cell carcinoma is a rare, recently described variant of renal cell carcinoma characterized by an admixture of cuboidal cells in tubules and sheets of spindle cells, and variable amounts of mucinous stroma. It has been recognized as a distinct entity in the 2004 World Health Organization tumor classification. Since then, several dozen of these tumor have been reported with additional complementary morphologic characteristics, immunohistochemical profile, and molecular genetic features that have further clarified its clinicopathologic aspects. Although originally considered as a low grade renal cell carcinoma on the basis of its bland appearing nuclear features and indolent clinical course, mucinous tubular and spindle cell renal cell carcinoma has currently been proven to be a tumor that has a histological spectrum ranging from low to high grade that includes sarcomatoid differentiation. In this review, we present a detailed summary of the current knowledge regarding the clinicopathologic, immunohistochemical, molecular genetic, and prognostic characteristics, as well as differential diagnoses of mucinous tubular and spindle cell renal cell carcinoma.

Mechanical stimulation and hormones act via interconnected signaling pathways to influence the function of bone cells. Estrogen receptor (ER) and β-catenin play important role in bone formation and have implicated in mechanotransduction in bone cells. To investigate the interaction between mechanotransduction and estrogenic signaling in mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), this study examined the effect of mechanical strain and estrogen on activation of β-catenin in MSCs, and the role of ER in response to mechanical strain and estrogen in MSCs.MSCs were exposed to mechanical strain (2%, 1 Hz) and estrogen (100 nM). The ER inhibitor, ICI182,780 was used to assess the role of ER in activation of β-catenin stimulated by mechanical strain and estrogen. Changes of activated β-catenin in the nuclei were determined by immunoflourescent test. The expression of β-catenin was detected by western blotting.Mechanical strain and estrogen augment, respectively, activation of β-catenin and accumulation of activated β-catenin in the nuclei of MSCs. Combined treatment with estrogen and mechanical strain had higher levels of activated β-catenin than the cells exposed to mechanical strain or estrogen. After MSCs were pre-treated by ICI182,780, the level of activated β-catenin expression induced by mechanical strain or estrogen was depressed. Meanwhile, ICI182,780 blocked effect of combined stimulation on activation of β-catenin in MSCs.Our study demonstrates that mechanical strain and estrogen both promote the levels of activated β-catenin in MSCs. Estrogen receptor implicates in activation of β-catenin stimulation by mechanical strain and estrogen in MSCs.

Different quantity and configurations of crystal defects were obtained in an austenite of Fe-30%Ni alloy and an ultra low carbon bainitic steel by different deformations and annealing times at high temperature. The boron segregation at grain boundaries and subgrain boundaries during air cooling were revealed by means of particle tracking autoradiography technique. It was found that the non-equilibrium segregation was resisted in the deformed grains after recovery and polygonization, the boron depletion was more in the recrystallized grains than in the deformed original grains during the cooling. The subgrain boundaries and polygonized dislocation cells had a significant effect on the boron non-equilibrium segregation during the air cooling, but the quantity of dispersed dislocations had not. The result indicated that during segregation process the interaction of boron atoms with dislocations was sensitive to the dislocations configuration rather than the total number of defects in grain.

In an attempt to address the complex and clinically challenging question of the causes of muscle wasting in patients with cachexia, we have developed a primary adult human skeletal muscle cell model. The cultured cells were characterised by immunocytochemistry using antibodies to the myofibrillar protein constituents desmin and titin. Myotube formation was confirmed biochemically by a fourfold increase in the activity of the muscle-specific enzyme creatinine kinase, and myoblast withdrawal from the cell cycle, which is essential for terminal differentiation, was associated with progressive retinoblastoma protein dephosphorylation. Having successfully confirmed the phenotype of these adult human muscle cells, we assessed their interaction with the insulin-like growth factor (IGF) system. IGF-I is known to stimulate myoblast survival, proliferation and differentiation in cell lines, and, like insulin, is a potent anabolic agent in the regulation of protein metabolism. We have shown that IGF-I stimulated both replication and differentiation of myoblasts, whilst fibroblast growth factor-2 stimulated replication but inhibited differentiation. Examining the IGF system during the process of terminal differentiation, we found that both myoblasts and myotubes expressed insulin, IGF-I and insulin-IGF-I hybrid receptors, with the levels of all three receptor types increasing on differentiation. The cells also produced a wide range of IGF binding proteins (IGFBPs) including IGFBP-2, IGFBP-4 and abundant IGFBP-3, which has not been shown to be produced by any other skeletal muscle cell line examined to date. Both insulin and IGF-I had anabolic effects on myotube protein metabolism at physiological concentrations. Insulin was more potent than IGF-I: use of the IGF analogue long R(3)IGF-I demonstrated that the effects of exogenous IGF-I on protein metabolism were not affected by the high levels of endogenous IGFBP production. In summary, we have developed and characterised a clinically relevant in vitro model with which to address the aetiology of muscle wasting associated with chronic catabolic conditions, and we anticipate that future work will enable the development of novel, effective therapeutic interventions.

Salicornia spp is one of the most salt-tolerant vascular plants and is native to salt marshes and estuaries. We developed expressed sequence tag derived-simple sequence repeat (EST-SSR) markers for estimating genetic diversity and marker-assisted Salicornia breeding. Six polymorphic EST-SSRs of 40 detected 27 alleles, ranging from three to five alleles per locus. The average number of alleles per locus was 4.33 and 4.17, and the major allele frequency at locus DY529765 was high, being 0.859 and 0.857 in S. bigelovii and S. europea, respectively. Gene diversity, heterozygosity and polymorphism information content were highest at locus DY529950 and similar in these two species. Gene diversity increased with increase in the number of alleles that had a low major allele frequency at a locus. Six polymorphic loci effectively discriminated 46 taxa into three clusters via different analyses. Significant deviation of F(ST) from zero in three suggested populations for six loci indicated population differentiation and limited gene flow among them. A reduced median network established that taxon SB65 is primitive. SMART (simple modular architecture research tool) analysis of peptide sequences of six EST-SSRs showed that loci DY529765, DY529950 and EC906203 contained transmembrane, TLC, AgrB and NTR domains and might be involved in salinity stress tolerance. These EST-SSRs are a valuable resource for marker development and may be useful in marker-assisted Salicornia breeding.

To observe the killing effects of ganciclovir (GCV) on the human pulmonary adenocarcinoma cell A549 transduced with Herpes simplex virus I type thymine kinase (HSV1-TK) gene in vitro and in vivo.A retroviral vector containing the TK gene was constructed and transduced into a pulmonary carcinoma cell A549 by electroporation, to observe the sensitivity of the transfected cell to GCV in vitro and the bystander effect (MTT assay). Tumor cell apoptosis caused by the TK/GCV system was observed with a flow cell meter (FCM) and a scan electronic microscope (SEM). Recombination and expression of the TK gene were examined with DNA PCR and in situ hybridization, respectively. The therapeutic effect of GCV on subcutaneous tumor growth between transfected and parental cells was also compared.The sensitivity of the transfected cell to GCV was 46 times higher than that of the parental cell, and the bystander effect was stronger in high cell density than in low cell density. The subG0G1 peak was shown on the DNA histogram after A549-Tk cell was treated with 50 micromol/L GCV for 3 days by FCM, but not in the A549 cell. A cell cycle analysis showed that the apoptotic cell in the A549-TK and A549 cells were (12.2+/-1.7) % and (1.3 +/- 0.3) %, respectively (P0.01). The cell apoptosis features of nuclear condensation, apoptotic vesicle, and nuclear showing semimoon feature were found in the A549-TK cell by SEM, but not in the A549 cell. Recombination and expression of the TK gene were positive in the transfected cell. In vivo, the growth of tumors formed by the transfected cell was apparently inhibited by GCV, but not in the control group.The transfected cell obtained sensitivity to GCV and the bystander effect was closely related to intercellular touch. The TK/GCV system killing tumor cell was related to cell apoptosis. GCV inhibited the growth of tumors which were inoculated by A549-TK cell in vivo.

For a long time Asian scorpion Buthus martensi Karsch (BmK) has been used in Chinese traditional medicine to cure many diseases of nervous system. Here we report the purification and characterization of a pharmacologically active neurotoxin from the scorpion BmK. This toxin had little toxicity in mice and insects but was found to have an anti-epilepsy effect in rats, and is thus named as BmK anti-epilepsy peptide (BmK AEP). Its amino-acid sequence was determined by lysylendopeptidase digestion, Edman degradation and mass spectrographic analysis. Based on the determined sequence, the gene coding for this peptide was also cloned and sequenced by the 3' and 5' RACE methods. It encodes a precursor of 85 amino-acid residues including a signal peptide of 21 residues, a mature peptide of 61 residues and three additional residues Gly-Lys-Lys at the C-terminus. The additional Gly sometimes followed by one or two basic residues is prerequisite for the amidation of its C-terminus. C-terminal amidation was also verified by the molecular-mass determination of BmK AEP. This anti-epilepsy peptide toxin shares homology with other depressant insect toxins. The remarkable difference between them was mainly focused at residues 6, 7 and 39; these residues might relate to the unique action of BmK AEP.