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Although GHRH and GHRH-R are recognized as key factors in placental development, little is known about the mechanism(s) of the regulation in trophoblastic cells during placental development. The objective of this study is to determine the potential relationship between the expression levels of GHRH-R and the placental and JEG-3 cell function. Furthermore, we aim to investigate the downstream pathways of GHRH/GHRH-R axis in the control of the JEG-3 cell viability and apoptosis. In this study, we detected the expression pattern of GHRH-R in human chorionic villous tissues and JEG-3 cell. Then, we evaluated the effects of GHRH/GHRH-R and the downstream pathways by using GHRH antagonist (JMR-132) on JEG-3 cell. Our present study found the expressions of GHRH-R in placental villous tissues and JEG-3 cell, and the expression levels of GHRH-R was significantly lower in villous tissues of early pregnancy loss when compared to normal controls. JMR-132 inhibited cellular viability and induced apoptosis in JEG-3 cell in a time and dosedependent manners through activation of caspase-3, p38, and p53, as well as inhibition of phosphorylation of Akt. Interestingly, ER stress markers such as GRP78, ubiquitinated proteins and phospho-eIF2α were significantly increased in JEG-3 cell after being treated with JMR-132. Conversely, pretreated with salubrinal (a selective inhibition of protein phosphatase 1-mediated eIF2α dephosphorylation), JEG-3 cells were rescued from JMR-132-mediated cell growth inhibition, and abolished JMR-132-induced cleaved caspase-3, CHOP, phospho-p53, and ubiquitinated proteins accumulation. Knockdown of endogenous GHRH-R significantly abolished the JMR-132-induced cleaved caspase-3 and activation of p38. In conclusion, our results, for the first time, demonstrated the expression levels of GHRH-R were closely related to the placental function. Inhibition of GHRH-R by using GHRH antagonist in JEG-3 cell may reduce cell viability and induce apoptosis through inactivation of Akt and ER stress via phosphorylation of eIF2α. These observations have enriched our understanding on the function of GHRH/GHRH-R axis and the downstream pathways in the control of the placental development. The Most Important Aspect of the Paper: Our present study for the first time provided evidences that GHRH and GHRH-R loops involve in JEG-3 cell viability and apoptosis through Akt and eIF2α pathways.

In this work, barium ferrite films were deposited onto sapphire substrates by radio frequency magnetron sputtering. A thin amorphous barium ferrite film of about 20 nm was deposited at low temperature as a buffer layer. Barium ferrite films with thicknesses of 100 nm, 1 μm and 8 μm have been prepared. The results show that the 8-μm-thick barium ferrite films have no cracks whereas the barium ferrite films without amorphous buffer layer break and peel off. The barium ferrite films with a thickness of 100 nm show good c-axis orientation and strong magnetic anisotropy. The c-axis orientation deteriorates, and the magnetic anisotropy disappears gradually with the increase of the thickness of the barium ferrite films. The barium ferrite films with a thickness of 8 μm orientate randomly and show magnetic isotropy. The thickness effects may be explained by the increase of the random nucleation sites.

Monosialotetrahexosylganglioside (GM₁) prepared from the brain of pig or bovine is an effective clinical drug in the treatment of different nervous system diseases. Generally, polysialogangliosides are transformed into GM₁ by enzymic or chemical hydrolysis due to the very poor level of natural GM₁.To continuously obtain GM₁ by cell immobilization in a packed-bed reactor.Brevibacterium casei, which is Gram-positive bacteria belonging to the order Actinomyces and family Brevibacteriaceae, can produce high-activity sialidase, are encapsulated in silk fibroin hydrogel, and subsequently packed into a reactor. The crude ganglioside is pumped into the reactor and continuously turned to GM₁.The optimal silk fibroin concentration for hydrogel preparation is 6.0% (w/v). The optimal initial biomass for immobilization is ~12% (wet weight). The optimal conversion conditions are 35 °C and 6 mL/min of flow rate. Under above conditions, the maximum GM₁ productive strength and conversion ratio can reach to 4.2 g/L·h and 313.5%, respectively.Silk fibroin is a promising material for cell immobilization because it has predominant characteristics of higher permeability and intensity. Cell immobilization for continuous GM₁ transformation could eliminate the asialo GM₁ and decrease the foreign matter from transfer medium and metabolism product.In the packed-bed reactor, continuous production of GM₁ had been under effective running at least for 15 days indicating a potential for industrial production. It is significant that this is a first report on cell immobilization for GM₁ production.

Micrometer sized particles of lizardite-1T phase are observed in toluene solvent. Phase identification is carried out by selected-area electron diffraction experiment and simulation. TEM study shows that the particles are in flake forms with the (001) preferred orientation. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectra reveal some particles containing Mg and Si, and others containing Al and Si. Structural deterioration of the lizardite-1T phase occurs under relative higher dose of electron beams. The results of this characterization of lizardite-1T particles show the importance of beam-induced deterioration and emphasize the potential importance of such deterioration in the characterization of nano scale systems.

In order to elucidate the effects of chilling-stress at night on photosystem 2 (PS2) efficiency under dim irradiance (DI), mango leaves were chilled to varied extent (8–3 °C) and for varied duration (0–12 h) in growth cabinets in the dark, and then exposed to DI (20 μmol m−2 s−1 PPFD) at each chilling-temperature for 1 h. Chilling in the dark had little effect on Fv/Fm of mango leaves. But both the extent and duration of chilling pre-treatments significantly affected Fv’/Fm’ when leaves were exposed to DI. This down-regulation of PS2 efficiency was closely related to xanthophyll de-epoxidation, assessed as photochemical reflectance index (PRI) and calculated from leaf spectral reflectance [(R531 − R570)/(R531 + R570)], and non-photochemical quenching (NPQ). The down-regulation of PS2 is a defence mechanism initiated at predawn in winter to alleviate the damage of PS2 by the sudden and strong irradiation at sunrise. Mango leaves, transferred suddenly from warm and dark room to DI and chilling showed a slight down-regulation of PS2 efficiency, in spite of an increased xanthophyll de-epoxidation. This might have been due to the unavailability of some cofactors required for NPQ.

Whether polymer cords embedded in rubber under compression have a reinforcing function is still an important question in the analysis of tire structures. In this paper, on the basis of experimental results, it is confirmed that polymer cords embedded in rubber present some stiffness, thus playing a reinforcing role to a certain extent. When the cord volume fraction in the cord-rubber composite is sufficiently large, the reinforcing function of the polymer cords is so significant that the properties of the cord-rubber composite are mainly influenced by those of the cord. When the compressive stress reaches a certain value, the cord-rubber composite specimen yields by buckling if the cord volume fraction is large enough and the cord angle is within a certain small range. The buckling stress, which may be considered to be a failure stress, decreases with an increase in temperature. On the other hand, the effect of the cord angle on the buckling stress is found to be insignificant.

Wastewater produced during the yeast production has high COD concentration, chroma and turbidity and it is difficult to dissolve the water, which has constrained the development of yeast industry. This thesis researched the process of pretreatment of wastewater from yeast production wastewater. Membrane filtering was introduced to hold back the yeast existed in the wastewater. The filtered water was sent to produce hydrogen in anaerobic environment, while the residue was sent to extract protein. The filtering process utilized the PVDF membrane with an aperture of 0.2μm can hold back the yeast sufficiently. According to the transmembrane pressure, 10days worked as a period to clean the membrane at the aeration of 0.15m3•h-1. The cost as well as the profit is compared, which showed that for a yeast factory which had a daily wastewater production of 1 000m3, the profit could be as high as 1 090 yuan•d-1. Intermittent shake flask tests were conducted to study the difference of hydrogen production between direct anaerobic digestion and anaerobic digestion after filtration. When influent pH was 5.00, the hydrogen percentage of filtered group was 49.69%, which exceeded the group without filtration by 20.34%. The HRT and OLR were tested for CSTR to get the highest hydrogen production through anaerobic fermentation of the filtered yeast industry wastewater. Results showed that, when HRT was 8h and OLR was 24kgCOD•m-3•d-1, the system can get the highest biohydrogen production rate at 13.2L•d-1. This test suggested that MF-CSTR pretreatment process can simultaneously treat yeast industry wastewater effectively and realize resource recovery from yeast protein and energy recovery and utilization from hydrogen, which provides the theoretical foundation for the treatment and resource utilization from yeast industry wastewater.

Micrometer sized particles of lizardite-1T phase are observed in toluene solvent. Phase identification is carried out by selected-area electron diffraction experiment and simulation. TEM study shows that the particles are in flake forms with the (001) preferred orientation. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectra reveal some particles containing Mg and Si, and others containing Al and Si. Structural deterioration of the lizardite-1T phase occurs under relative higher dose of electron beams. The results of this characterization of lizardite-1T particles show the importance of beam-induced deterioration and emphasize the potential importance of such deterioration in the characterization of nano scale systems.

Hotien prefecture, Xinjiang Province, China, in the Taklamakan Desert, is an area of severe iodine deficiency. Because usual methods of iodine supplementation failed here, we began supplementation in 1992 with potassium iodate, which was added to irrigation water (Lancet 1994; 334:107-110). We report 4 y experience with this method in 3 townships that contained a total treated population of 37,000. Potassium iodate was dripped into irrigation water (to a concentration 10-80 microg/l) during a 2- to 4-wk period. During the 3 y that followed, no further supplementation was made, and iodine concentrations increased several fold in crops and plants, sheep and chicken thyroid glands, and meat and in urine of children 2-6 y of age and of women who were of childbearing age. Infant mortality decreased 50%, and sheep production increased 43%. Iodine repletion of soil through irrigation water is an effective and cost-efficient way of providing iodine in appropriate situations.

Summary The lipid profile of Pleurotus sajor caju was studied in relation to mycelial and sporophore growth and different cultural factors. The growth was characterised by lipid synthesis during mycelial growth and utilisation during sporophore growth. The degree of instauration increased during mycelial growth and decreased during sporophore formation. The fatty acid composition of mycelium and sporophore was similar, linoleic acid (C18:2) being the most dominant acid in both. C:N ratio had a significant (P