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Objective: To establish a rat model of low calcium diet related hyperoxaluria and explore its features., Methods: By means of randomized blocks design, totally 24 SD male rats were divided into low calcium diet group, medium calcium diet group, and high calcium diet group. Each group was sequentially fed on different calcium diets for 3 days. The urinary volume within 24 hours was recorded, the consistency of urinary oxalate by high-efficiency liquid chromatography, and the consistency of urine creatinine by automatic biochemical analyzer. The consistency was corrected to the output of urinary oxalate of rats in 24 hours, and the results were evaluated by repeated measurement of variance analysis and multivariate analysis of variance., Results: The output of urinary oxalate of rats in 24 hours varied with time (F=7.893, P0.05). The output of urinary oxalate of rats in 24 hours varied with group division (F=3.565, P<0.05). The output of urinary oxalate in 24 hours in three groups on the third day was significantly higher than that on the first day (P<0.05)., Conclusion: By controlling the calcium intake, we successfully established the model of low calcium diet related hyperoxaluria in rat.

Sinistrals differ from dextrals in the size of certain cortical folds. For instance, handedness has an impact on central sulcus surface area: the sulcus is larger in the dominant left hemisphere of dextrals and vice versa for sinistrals. However, the impact of handedness on the shape of the central sulcus is largely unexplored. In this paper, we propose first an original strategy based on manifold learning to quantify the shape of the central sulcus. Using this approach we show that the "hand knob", a major landmark of the hand motor representation, is sited more dorsally in the left hemisphere in dextrals than in sinistrals. Sinistrals forced to write with their non-preferred right hand display a pattern of central sulcus size asymmetry which is typical of dextrals, yet forced dextrality does not shift the handedness-specific location of the "hand knob". Hence, cortical morphology in adults holds an accumulated record of both innate biases and early developmental experience. Characterizing normal variation of cortical morphology provides a means of systematically correlating behavior with cortical development., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To analyze and summarize the medical treatment experience following separation of thoracopagus conjoined twins., Method: The clinical manifestations and the medical therapy of a pair of thoracopagus conjoined twins were analyzed. The conjunction of the female twins was from 5 cm above the nipple to the umbilicus. They also suffered from complex congenital heart diseases. At the 17th day of their lives, they were surgically separated. One girl died after the operation, the other survived but experienced heart failure, sepsis and multiple organ dysfunction (including liver, blood and kidney et al). In order to protect or maintain the main organ function, the vital signs and the objective indexes were monitored continually, such as blood routine test, C reactive protein, hepatorenal function, bacterial culture, and galactomannan test, blood gas analysis and chest radiogram., Conclusion: It is important to protect the main organ function and prevent or control infection. The early surgical correction of congenital heart disease may contribute to recovery of the children.

Objective: To investigate the drug-resistance rates of community-acquired respiratory tract pathogens isolated from adults in China during 2009 and 2010., Methods: A total of 1793 strains (S. aureus 421, S. pneumoniae 420, K. pneumoniae 404, H. influenzae 313, other Streptococcus. spp 149, and M. catarrhalis 86) of non-duplicated community-acquired respiratory tract pathogens were isolated from 11 hospitals in 6 cities. The MIC values were determined by the broth microdilution method, and the production of β-lactamase was tested using a nitrocefin-based test., Results: All of the S.aureus isolates were methicillin-sensitive (MSSA). Of the MSSA isolates, less than 1% (4/421) was resistant to β-lactamase inhibitor combinations, about 13.1% (55/421) and 9% (38/421) resistant to levofloxacin and moxifloxacin, and 57% (240/421), 53.2% (224/421), and 88.7% (373/421) resistant to azithromycin, clarithromycin, and penicillin, respectively. No S. aureus isolates resistant to vancomycin were detected in this study. Based on different criteria, the percentages of penicillin-sensitive S. pneumoniae (PSSP), penicillin-intermediate S. pneumoniae (PISP), and penicillin-resistant S. pneumoniae (PRSP) were 24.4% (102/420), 27.3% (115/420), 48.3% (203/420) (Oral) and 1.9% (8/420), 9% (38/420), 89.1% (374/420) (parenteral), respectively. The resistance rates of S. pneumonia to azithromycin, clarithromycin, cefaclor, cefuroxime, ceftriaxone and amoxicillin with clavulanic acid were 88.2% (370/420), 87.4% (367/420), 45.3% (190/420), 41.9% (176/420), 10.2% (43/420), and 5.2% (22/420), respectively. About 2.6% (11/420) and 0.2% (1/420) of S. pneumonia isolates were resistant to levofloxacin and moxifloxacin. More than 70% (104/149) of β-hemolytic streptococci isolates were resistant to azithromycin and clarithromycin, and about 10.1% (15/149) of isolates were resistant to levofloxacin. The resistance rates of K.pneumonia to most antibiotics were > 20% (81/404), and that of ceftazidime was lower than cefuroxime, cefaclor, and ceftriaxone. The mean prevalence value of ESBL producing K. pneumonia was 38.8% (157/404), with significantly regional variations. More than 90% of H. influenza and M. catarrhalis were susceptible to most antibiotics, with resistance rate of < 5% (16/313, H. influenza; 4/86, M. catarrhalis). The mean productions of β-lactamase in H. influenza and M. catarrhalis were 13.1% (41/313) and 91.7% (79/86), respectively., Conclusions: The percentage of PRSP increased significantly, and the resistance rates of community-acquired respiratory tract pathogens to common antibiotics such as macrolide and cephalosporins increased gradually. New fluoroquinolones such as moxifloxacin showed a high antimicrobial activity against most of the respiratory pathogens.

Cyclic hydroxyamidines were designed and validated as isosteric replacements of the amide functionality. Compounds with these structural motifs were found to be metabolically stable and to possess highly desirable pharmacokinetic profiles. These designs were applied in the identification of γ-secretase modulators leading to highly efficacious agents for reduction of central nervous system Aβ(42) in various animal models.

Objective: The effect of local administration of hirudin on random pattern skin flap survival was investigated in a porcine model., Methods: Three random pattern skin flaps (4 × 14 cm) were created on each flank of five Chinese minipigs. The experimental group (10 flaps) received 20 antithrombin units of hirudin, injected subdermally into the distal half immediately after surgery and on days 1 and 2; a control group (10 flaps) was injected with saline and a sham group (10 flaps) was not injected. All flaps were followed for 10 days postoperatively., Results: Macroscopically, the congested/necrotic length in the experimental group was significantly decreased compared with the other two groups by day 3. Histopathological evaluation revealed venous congestion and inflammation in the control and sham groups from day 1, but minimal changes in the experimental group. By day 10, the mean ± SD surviving area was significantly greater in the experimental group (67.6 ± 2.1%) than in the control (45.2 ± 1.4%) or sham (48.3 ± 1.1%) groups., Conclusions: Local administration of hirudin can significantly increase the surviving area in overdimensioned random pattern skin flaps, in a porcine model.

Objective: A retrospective evaluation of the clinical outcome and technical feasibility of kyphoplasty for the treatment of very severe osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture (vsOVCF)., Methods: Patients with vsOVCF were treated with kyphoplasty and followed-up for 1 year. Vertebral body height variation, kyphotic angle, back pain (visual analogue scale [VAS]) and Oswestry disability index (ODI) were evaluated preoperatively, postoperatively, 1 month, 3 months and 1 year after treatment., Results: In total, 35 patients (49 vertebrae) were treated with kyphoplasty. There were no cases of spinal or extraspinal injury, infection, bleeding, pulmonary embolism, epidural cement leakage, stroke or cardiac arrest as a result of treatment. There were significant postoperative improvements in all outcome measures (vertebral body height variation, kyphotic angle, VAS and ODI); these improvements were maintained during the follow-up period., Conclusion: Kyphoplasty is an effective and minimally invasive procedure for the treatment of vsOVCF.

Background: Her-2/neu gene overexpression has been found in several malignancies, and is associated with poor prognosis; while its role in the tumorigenesis and progression of prostate cancer (PCa) is still controversial. This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of Her-2/neu protein expression and clinicopathologic factors in antiandrogen-treated Chinese men with PCa for disease progression and PCa-specific death., Methods: Her-2/neu protein expression was determined using immunohistochemistry (IHC) in specimens collected from 124 prostate biopsies and transurethral resection of prostate (TURP) from seven prostate cancer patients., Results: Her-2/neu protein expression was 0, 1+, 2+, and 3+ in 40 (30.5%), 8 (6.1%), 67 (51.1%), and 16 (12.2%) cases, respectively. Her-2/neu protein expression showed significant correlation as judged by Gleason score (P = 0.049), clinical tumor-node-metastases (cTNM) stage (P = 0.018) and disease progression (P = 0.001), but did not correlate with prostate-specific antigen (PSA) (P = 0.126) or PCa-specific death (P = 0.585). PSA (P = 0.001), Gleason score (P = 0.017), cTNM (P = 0.000) and Her-2/neu protein expression (P = 0.001) had prognostic value for evaluating the progression of PCa in univariate analysis. In Kaplan-Meier plots, both Gleason score (P = 0.035) and cTNM (P = 0.013) correlated with PCa-specific death. In multivariate analysis, only cTNM was significant for both disease progression (P = 0.001) and PCa-specific death (P = 0.031)., Conclusions: Her-2/neu protein expression is significantly correlated with Gleason score, cTNM and disease progression, although it is not an independent predictor of disease progression and PCa-specific death. cTNM staging serves as an independent prognostic factor for disease progression and PCa-specific death.

An efficient process for the production of fuel ethanol from bamboo that consisted of hydrolysis with concentrated sulfuric acid, removal of color compounds, separation of acid and sugar, hydrolysis of oligosaccharides and subsequent continuous ethanol fermentation was developed. The highest sugar recovery efficiency was 81.6% when concentrated sulfuric acid hydrolysis was carried out under the optimum conditions. Continuous separation of acid from the saccharified liquid after removal of color compounds with activated carbon was conducted using an improved simulated moving bed (ISMB) system, and 98.4% of sugar and 90.5% of acid were recovered. After oligosaccharide hydrolysis and pH adjustment, the unsterilized saccharified liquid was subjected to continuous ethanol fermentation using Saccharomycescerevisiae strain KF-7. The ethanol concentration, the fermentation yield based on glucose and the ethanol productivity were approximately 27.2 g/l, 92.0% and 8.2 g/l/h, respectively. These results suggest that the process is effective for production of fuel ethanol from bamboo., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

We develop a mesoscale nonequilibrium simulation model to study the effect of steady shear on the hierarchical self-assembly of soft disklike particles in dilute solutions. By properly tuning shear rates and solvent conditions, soft disklike particles can self-assemble into flexible threads and bundle-like structures along the flow direction. Shear flow facilitates the self-assembly of soft disklike particles into one-dimensional long threads along the flow direction; however, it suppresses the formation of flexible bundles from the threads while decreasing the solvent quality. The relatively well-defined bundle structures along the flow direction can only be obtained when the solvent condition becomes even worse. Our study elucidates how the solvent condition and shear rate can be utilized to control the shear-induced self-assembled structures, which would enable designed nanofabrication., (© 2011 American Chemical Society)

Objective: To evaluate the relationship between endometriosis fertility index (EFI) and pregnancies after laparoscopic surgery in endometriosis-associated infertility., Methods: From Jan. 2005 to Jan. 2010, medical documents of 350 infertile patients due to endometriosis undergoing laparoscopic surgery were studied retrospectively. Pregnancy outcomes were followed up by telephone. EFI was calculated by history factors, least function score and some aspects of the revised American Fertility Society (r-AFS) endometriosis stage. The cumulative pregnancy rate was calculated and compared by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis., Results: Within 3 years after surgery, the cumulative pregnancy rates among patients with EFI score 8, 9, 10 were 62.5%, 69.8% and 81.1%, respectively. There was no significant difference in pregnancy rates among those three groups of patients (P = 0.24). The cumulative pregnancy rates among patients with EFI score 5, 6, 7 were 49.8%, 43.9% and 41.6%, respectively, which did not reach statistical difference (P = 0.83). The cumulative pregnancy rates of EFI score 8 - 10 was significantly higher than that of EFI score 5 - 7 (71.8% vs. 44.4%, P = 0.000). The patients with EFI score 0 - 4 was quite small with only 33 cases, among which 15 cases were pregnant., Conclusions: There is relationship between EFI and pregnancy in patients with endometriosis-associated infertility. EFI is meaningful to guide post-surgical treatment.

Broadly neutralizing antibodies such as 2F5 are directed against the membrane-proximal external region (MPER) of HIV-1 GP41 and recognize well-defined linear core sequences. These epitopes can be engrafted onto protein scaffolds to serve as immunogens with high structural fidelity. Although antibodies that bind to this core GP41 epitope can be elicited, they lack neutralizing activity. To understand this paradox, we used biophysical methods to investigate the binding of human 2F5 to the MPER in a membrane environment, where it resides in vivo. Recognition is stepwise, through a paratope more extensive than core binding site contacts alone, and dynamic rearrangement through an apparent scoop-like movement of heavy chain complementarity-determining region 3 (CDRH3) is essential for MPER extraction from the viral membrane. Core-epitope recognition on the virus requires the induction of conformational changes in both the MPER and the paratope. Hence, target neutralization through this lipid-embedded viral segment places stringent requirements on the plasticity of the antibody combining site.

Polymer gel exists ubiquitously in our daily life, as in food, cosmetics, drugs, and so on. From the structural point of view, the 3D network can be found in a structural gel. In most experimental work, the gel is identified by the sharp increase in modules; that is, the gel should have similar properties as those of a solid, which is named as mechanical gel. However, not all structural gels have strong mechanical responses. Therefore, studying the relationship between structural gel and mechanical gel is very important. In this work, we investigate the structure and mechanical properties of symmetric ABA copolymers with solvophobic end blocks during the sol-gel transition. Three typical systems with weak, middle, and strong solvophobicities are simulated. It is found that the gelation concentration, gel structure, and mechanical response of structural gel are strongly affected by the solvophobicity of ABA block copolymer. We also find that only the gel formed in strong solvophobic systems has a strong mechanical response. Furthermore, the influence of solvophobicity of A-block on the static and dynamic properties of ABA block copolymers in solutions is also studied to give a molecular understanding of physical gelation., (© 2011 American Chemical Society)

The declining level of androgen during aging, associated with an inclining level of estrogen, has been hypothesized to be important in the development of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Within physiologic range, increasing estrogen levels can stimulate prostate to develop and permanently increase prostate size. As an estrogenic endocrine disruptor, bisphenol A (BPA) might be stimulatory to prostate development. We further hypothesized that low dose BPA could induce hyperplasia prostate to proliferate and aggravate the symptom of BPH in male SD rats. BPH was induced by testosterone and then treated with BPA (10, 30, or 90 μg/kg, i.g., daily), 17β-estradiol (E(2); 50.0 μg/kg, s.c., daily), or vehicle for 4 weeks. We found that weight and volume in rats treated with low dose BPA (10 μg/kg) was higher than that of model control, and BPA significantly increased the relative weight of prostate (p < 0.01). For prostate lobes, BPA 10 μg/kg/day significantly increased relative weight of ventral prostate (VP), weight and relative weight of dorsolateral prostate (DLP) (p < 0.05). And histopathology results showed that height of epithelial cell (HEC) of VP and DLP in BPA group were significantly higher than that of model control (p < 0.01). BPA could also decrease testosterone level and increase prostate-specific antigen level. E(2) treatment also showed an obvious effect on relative weight of VP and DLP, HEC, and hormone levels. We concluded that environment exposure to low dose of BPA may induce prostate to proliferate and aggravate testosterone-induced benign hyperplasia prostate in rats.

Objective: This study explored the subjective quality of life in children with Tourette syndrome (TS) in order to provide a basis for more effective interference of TS., Methods: A total of 174 children with TS (≥ 8 years old) and 186 aged-matched healthy children as controls were enrolled. The subjective quality of life was investigated by a case-control study., Results: The total score of subjective quality of life in the TS group (156.6 ± 21.1) was lower than that in the control group (164.2 ± 21.2; P<0.01). The scores of family life, school life, cognitive component, anxiety experience and depression experience (19.1 ± 3.5 vs 20.7 ± 3.0, 24.1 ± 4.4 vs 26.6 ± 3.2, 90.6 ± 13.3 vs 97.9 ± 15.3, 24.0 ± 4.6 vs 25.1 ± 3.1 and 23.8 ± 4.4 vs 24.7 ± 3.5) in the TS group were lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). The correlation analysis showed that the total score of subjective quality of life in children with TS was negatively related to the age, the course of disease, the severity of symptoms, the total score of child behavior problem and family conflict (r=-0.432, -0.213, -0.869, -0.137, -0.257; P<0.01), while it was positively related to family active-cultural orientation (r=0.084, P<0.01). The multiple step regression analysis indicated that the factors influencing the subjective quality of life in children with TS included the severity of symptoms, age, family conflict and family active-cultural orientation (β'=-0.787, -0.171, -0.109, 0.106; P<0.01)., Conclusions: The subjective quality of life is not well in children with TS. It is important to control clinical symptoms and improve family environment for the improvement of the subjective quality of life in children with TS.

We report a case of cerebriform intradermal naevus (CIN) of the scalp in a 17-year-old girl. The clinical and histopathological presentations of the case are described and the diagnostic and therapeutic aspects presented.

The concept of soliton management has been explored in the Bose-Einstein condensate and optical fibers. In this paper, our purpose is to investigate whether a similar concept exists for a variable-coefficient modified Korteweg-de Vries equation, which arises in the interfacial waves in two-layer liquid and Alfvén waves in a collisionless plasma. Through the Painlevé test, a generalized integrable form of such an equation has been constructed under the Painlevé constraints of the variable coefficients based on the symbolic computation. By virtue of the Ablowitz-Kaup-Newell-Segur system, a Lax pair with time-dependent nonisospectral flow of the integrable form has been established under the Lax constraints which appear to be more rigid than the Painlevé ones. Under such Lax constraints, multisoliton solutions for the completely integrable variable-coefficient modified Korteweg-de Vries equation have been derived via the Hirota bilinear method. Moreover, results show that the solitons and breathers with desired amplitude and width can be derived via the different choices of the variable coefficients.

It has been suggested that adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and 12 AMPK-related kinases (ARK), including novel (nua) kinase family 1 (NUAK1), are activated by master kinase LKB1, a major tumor suppressor. Apart from evidence to suggest that NUAK1 participates in induction of tumor survival, invasion and p53-independent cellular senescence, its detailed biological functions remain unclear. Here we showed that in the presence of wild-type LKB1, NUAK1 directly interacts with and phosphorylates p53 in vitro and in vivo. The phosphorylation of p53 induced by LKB1 required the kinase activity of NUAK1 and phosphorylation of NUAK1 at Thr211 by LKB1 was essential for its kinase activity, which leads to the conclusion that LKB1 activates NUAK1 and regulates phosphorylation of p53 through the NUAK1 kinase, at least partially. LKB1/NUAK1 activation leads to cell cycle arrest at the G(1)/S border by inducing expression of p21/WAF1. Under the regulation of LKB1, NUAK1 interacts with p53 in the nucleus and binds to the p53-responsive element of p21/WAF1 promoter. These findings have highlighted a novel role for NUAK1 in LKB1-related signaling pathways; NUAK1 can regulate cell proliferation and exert tumor suppression through direct interaction with p53.

Study Design: A retrospective study, analyzing the risk factors for postoperative wound infections of the sacral chordoma after surgical excision., Objective: To determine the preoperative, intraoperative, and patient characteristics that contribute to an increased risk of postoperative wound infection in patients undergoing sacral chordoma resection., Summary of Background Data: Postoperative wound infection after spinal operations is a dreaded complication. The risk factors have been investigated earlier, but the patients with sacral chordoma may be distinct., Methods: Between January 1992 and December 2007, 45 patients with sacral chordomas were treated with surgical resection. Data regarding preoperative and intraoperative risk factors for postoperative wound infection were evaluated using univariate analysis and multivariable conditional logistic regression. Odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals and P values were calculated., Results: Of the 45 patients with sacral chordoma, 16 (35.6%) acquired postoperative wound infection. Significant risk factors associated with postoperative wound infection in the univariate analysis included the following: albumin <3.0, previous surgery, operating time, instrumentation, and surgical team. Albumin<3.0, operating time >6 hours, and previous surgery were statistically significant in the multivariable model., Conclusions: Patients undergoing sacral tumor surgery may be at greater risk for developing wound complications. In this study, it seems that albumin<3.0, operating time >6 hours, and previous surgery may predict those patients that were more prone to developing postoperative wound infection. Using a single surgical team and no instrumentation seems to provide protection against postoperative wound infection in this patient population.

Objective: To study the cell apoptosis and the expression of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) in the retina of diabetic rats and to explore their contributions to the changes of microcirculation., Methods: It was a experiment study. Fifty-five adult male Wistar rats were divided into two groups, normal control group (CON, 10 rats) and diabetes mellitus group (DM, 45 rats). The 30 surviving rats in the DM group were further divided into 3 groups based on the time of observation, 2 month (DM2), 4 month (DM4) and 6 month (DM6) groups, with 10 rats in each group. Cell apoptosis was detected by TdT-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL). Expression of CTGF was determined by immunohistochemical study. Retinal vessels were observed by retinal digest stretched periodic acid Schiff (PAS) staining., Results: Immunohistochemical staining and TUNEL staining revealed negative results in normal control group. Retinal cell apoptosis index increased gradually from DM2 to DM6, the differences between any two groups were statistically significant (t(2-4, 2-6, 4-6) = 21.432, 50.843, 29.410; P < 0.05). Expression of CTGF in the retina increased from DM2-DM6, the differences between any two groups were statistically significant (t(2-4, 2-6, 4-6) = 15.345, 26.316, 10.971; P < 0.05). PAS staining of retinal blood vessels obtained negative results in the CON and DM2 groups. Part of retinal capillaries were slightly stiff and narrow in DM4 group. Retinal capillaries in DM6 group were trunk stiff and were narrowed obviously. The number of pericytes was reduced in DM4, and progressed following the course of diabetes. The number of pericytes in the DM2 group did not different from that in the CON group (t = 0.875, P = 0.387). The number of pericytes in the DM4 and DM6 group were significantly decreased as compared to the CON group (t = 3.367, 6.667; P < 0.05). Retinal cellular apoptosis index had a significant positive correlation to the expression of CTGF (r = 0.958, P < 0.05). Number of pericytes was significantly correlated (negative correlation) with retinal cellular apoptosis index and the expression of CTGF (r = -0.540, -0.595; P < 0.05)., Conclusions: The appearances of cellular apoptosis and fibrosing factor CTGF in the retina of diabetic rats occurred earlier than the changes of microcirculation and the number of capillary pericytes.

We investigate the crystallization of monodisperse hard spheres confined by two square patterned substrates (possessing the basic character of the body-centered cubic (bcc) crystal structure) at varying substrate separations via molecular dynamics simulation. Through slowly increasing the density of the system, we find that crystallization under the influence of square patterned substrates can set in at lower densities compared with the homogeneous crystallization. As the substrate separation decreases, the density, where crystallization occurs (i.e., pressure drops), becomes small. Moreover, two distinct regimes are identified in the plane of bcc particle fraction and density for the separation range investigated. For large substrate separations, the bcc particle fraction displays a local maximum as the density is increased, and the resulting formed crystals have a polycrystalline structure. However, and more importantly, another situation emerges for small substrate separations: the capillary effects (stemming from the presence of two substrates) overwhelm the bulk driving forces (stemming from the spontaneous thermal fluctuations in the bulk) during the densification, eventually resulting in the formation of a defect-free bcc crystal (unstable with respect to the bulk hard-sphere crystals) by using two square patterned substrates.

Under investigation is a generalized variable-coefficient forced Korteweg-de Vries equation in fluids and other fields. From the bilinear form of such equation, the N-soliton solution and a type of analytic solution are constructed with symbolic computation. Analytic analysis indicates that: (1) dispersive and dissipative coefficients affect the solitonic velocity; (2) external-force term affects the solitonic velocity and background; (3) line-damping coefficient and some parameters affect the solitonic velocity, background, and amplitude. Solitonic propagation and interaction can be regarded as the combination of the effects of various variable coefficients. According to a constraint among the nonlinear, dispersive, and line-damping coefficients in this paper, the possible applications of our results in the real world are also discussed in three aspects, i.e., solution with the constraint, solution without the constraint, and approximate solution., (© 2011 American Physical Society)

The human Mediator coactivator complex interacts with many transcriptional activators and facilitates recruitment of RNA polymerase II to promote target gene transcription. The MED25 subunit is a critical target of the potent herpes simplex 1 viral transcriptional activator VP16. Here we determine the solution structure of the MED25 VP16-binding domain (VBD) and define its binding site for the N-terminal portion of the VP16 transactivation domain (TADn). A hydrophobic furrow, formed by a β-barrel and two α-helices in MED25 VBD, interacts tightly with VP16 TADn. Mutations in this furrow prevent binding of VP16 TAD to MED25 VBD and interfere with the ability of overexpressed MED25 VBD to inhibit VP16-dependent transcriptional activation in vivo. This detailed molecular understanding of transactivation by the benchmark activator VP16 could provide important insights into viral and cellular gene activation mechanisms.

The seasonal variation of Chlorophyll a (Chla) in Xiaojiang river backwater area from May 2007 to April 2008 with 115 water samples was studied. Three trophic states i.e. Chla < or = 5 microg x L(-1), 5 microg x L(-1) < Chla < or = 19 microg x L(-1) and Chla >19 microg x L(-1), were applied to represent the potential relationship of Chla, algal cell density (CellD) and biomass (BioM) in Xiaojiang river backwater area. The results showed that the algal cell density, biomass and Chla had significantly positive correlations (r > 0.70, Sig. < or = 0.01) and their seasonal variation processes are synchronous. The average values of Chla and biomass of chlorophyta, diatoms, cyanobacteria, dinoflagellate during the study period in Xiaojiang river backwater area were (9.58 +/- 10.77), (1605 +/- 647), (707 +/- 124), (511 +/- 266) and (4019 +/- 1345) microg x L(-1), respectively. When Chla < or = 5 microg x L(-1), chlorophyta, diatoms and Chla were significantly positively correlated; while under 5 microg x L(-1) < Chla < or = 19 microg x L(-1) level, only cyanophytes and Chla showed a significantly positive correlation; At Chla > 19 microg x L(-1) level, Chla was positively correlated to dinoflagellate, and there were no significant correlations among Chla and other algae.

Mass excesses of short-lived A=2Z-1 nuclei (63)Ge, (65)As, (67)Se, and (71)Kr have been directly measured to be -46,921(37), -46,937(85), -46,580(67), and -46,320(141)  keV, respectively. The deduced proton separation energy of -90(85)  keV for (65)As shows that this nucleus is only slightly proton unbound. X-ray burst model calculations with the new mass excess of (65)As suggest that the majority of the reaction flow passes through (64)Ge via proton capture, indicating that (64)Ge is not a significant rp-process waiting point.

Ecological memory (EM) is defined as the capability of the past states or experiences of a community to influence the present or future ecological responses of the community. As a relatively new concept, EM has received considerable attention in the study of ecosystem structure and function, such as community succession, ecological restoration, biological invasion, and natural resource management. This review summarized the definition, components, and categories of EM, and discussed the possible mechanisms and affecting factors of EM. Also, the potential applications of EM were proposed, in order to further understand the mechanisms of community succession and to guide ecological restoration.

Phytoplankton function classification came from the physiological characteristics and habitat adaption of specific phytoplankton species, matching the growth strategy of the species with the habitat template. The phytoplankton functional groups were classified based on the C-R-S growth strategy and its favored habitat. Phytoplankton function classification was applied in this study to the backwater area of Xiaojiang (Pengxi) River (XBA) of the Yangtze in the Three Gorges Reservoir. 26 functional groups were classified based on the phytoplankton species data from May, 2007 to April, 2009. J/F/H1/P/Lo/LM/B/Y/G/C was the major functional groups in the 2-year survey, while functional groups of MP/D/X1/X2/W1/W2 were also dominant and frequently detected. The succession traits among 5 sampling spots were generally the same. Succession series of the functional groups between the 2 years showed distinct. However, seasonal succession of functional groups based on the C-R-S strategy showed to have some in common: S/CS type dominated in the spring, while in the summer flood season a co-occurrence of S/CS type and R/CR type was evident. From autumn, the succession from S/CS type to R/CR type which dominated in winter was remarkable. In the February to March, the shift from R/CR type in winter to S/CS type in the early spring was completed in a relatilve short time span.

Biodegradable copolymers with molecule inclusion ability was prepared by introduction of β-cyclodextrin into poly(aspartic acid) matrices. The ibuprofen loading and dissolution properties of poly(aspartic acid)-β-cyclodextrin were investigated.

Background: Apoptosis plays an important role in central neural diseases and trauma. B-cell lymphoma/Leukemia-2 (Bcl-2) can inhibit apoptosis in a wide variety of cells including neurons. In this experiment, by studying Bcl-2 over-expression transgenic (TG) mice subjected to spinal cord injury (SCI), we investigated whether Bcl-2 could reduce posttraumatic neuronal apoptosis, reduce the range of damage, and improve the behavioral functional recovery after contusive SCI., Methods: Nine Bcl-2 TG mice and nine control mice were subjected to SCI of moderate severity at T10, with the use of weight dropping (WD) method (impact force 2.5×3.0 g/cm). At times up to 1 day, 7 days and 14 days after SCI, functional deficits were evaluated with Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan (BBB) scales, and apoptosis of neurons was investigated by using the TUNEL method. Another three control mice only underwent lamina opening, but were not subjected to SCI, to provide blank comparison., Results: The mean functional scores for the control mice (5.05 ±0.35) were lower than those for the Bcl-2 TG mice (5.45 ±0.15), although the unpaired T-test revealed no significant difference (P=0.67). On the other hand, the number of TUNEL positive neurons and integrated option density (IOD) scores for the Bcl-2 TG mice were both significantly lower than those for the control mice (P<0.05)., Conclusions: This experiment suggests that overexpression of Bcl-2 may suppress neuronal apoptosis after SCI. Bcl-2 may be an important factor within the central nervous system that can relieve the damage after trauma.

We present our experience with immunophenotypic characteristics of benign and malignant myeloid populations, with emphasis on differential diagnosis especially between eosinophils, dysplastic granulocytes, neoplastic promyelocytes, and monocytes. Eosinophils are characterized by bright CD45, high side scatter (SSC), very low forward scatter (FSC), positive CD11b, CD11c, CD13, CD15, and CD33. They are negative for CD10, CD14, CD16, CD56, CD64, and HLA-DR. Mature monocytes are positive for CD11b, CD11c, CD13, CD14, CD33, and CD64, and may express CD2 and CD4. Blasts in acute myeloid leukemias (AML) with minimal differentiation have low SSC and moderate CD45 expression and are positive for CD34, CD117, CD13, HLA-DR, and CD33 and may be positive for TdT, CD4, and CD11c. In acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), four FC patterns can be recognized. The majority of cases represented classical (hypergranular) APL and were characterized by high SSC, positive CD117, usually negative CD34, heterogeneous CD13, and bright CD33 (pattern 1). The second most common type, corresponding to hypogranular (microgranular) variant of APL, differed from classical APL by low SSC and frequent coexpression of CD2 and CD34 (pattern 2). Rare cases of APL (pattern3) showed mixture of neoplastic cells (SSC(low)/CD2(+)/CD13(+)/CD33(+)/CD34(+)/CD117(+)) and prominent population of benign granulocytes/maturing myeloid precursors (SSC(high)/CD10(+/-)/CD16(+/()/CD117(()). One case showed two APL populations, one with hypogranular and one with hypergranular characteristics (pattern 4). Detailed phenotypic characteristics of neoplastic monocytes and dysplastic granulocytes with their differential diagnosis are also presented., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To analyze the clinical value of multiple sequences derived from dual-source computed tomography (DSCT) dual-energy scan mode in detecting pancreatic adenocarcinoma., Methods: Totally 23 patients with clinically or pathologically diagnosed pancreatic cancer were enrolled in this retrospective study. DSCT (Definition Flash) was used and dual-energy scan mode was used in their pancreatic parenchyma phase scan (100kVp/230mAs and Sn140kVp/178mAs) . Mono-energetic 60kev, mono-energetic 80kev, mono-energetic 100kev, mono-energetic 120kev, linear blend image, non-linear blend image, and iodine map were acquired. pancreatic parenchyma-tumor CT value difference, ratio of tumor to pancreatic parenchyma, and pancreatic parenchyma-tumor contrast to noise ratio were calculated. One-way ANOVA was used for the comparison of diagnostic values of the above eight different dual-energy derived sequences for pancreatic cancer., Results: The pancreatic parenchyma-tumor CT value difference, ratio of tumor to pancreatic parenchyma, and pancreatic parenchyma-tumor contrast to noise ratio were significantly different among eight sequences (P<0.05) . Mono-energetic 60kev image showed the largest parenchyma-tumor CT value [ (77.53 ± 23.42) HU] , and iodine map showed the lowest tumor/parenchyma enhancement ratio (0.39?0.12) and the largest contrast to noise ratio (4.08 ± 1.46) ., Conclusions: Multiple sequences can be derived from dual-energy scan mode with DSCT via multiple post-processing methods. Integration of these sequences may further improve the sensitivity of the multislice spiral CT in the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.

Background: Apoptosis is regulated in an orderly fashion by a series of genes, and has a crucial role in important physiological processes such as growth development, immunological response and so on. Recently, substantial studies have been undertaken on apoptosis in model animals including humans, fruit flies, and the nematode. However, the lack of genomic data for silkworms limits their usefulness in apoptosis studies, despite the advantages of silkworm as a representative of Lepidoptera and an effective model system. Herein we have identified apoptosis-related genes in the silkworm Bombyx mori and compared them to those from insects, mammals, and nematodes., Results: From the newly assembled genome databases, a genome-wide analysis of apoptosis-related genes in Bombyx mori was performed using both nucleotide and protein Blast searches. Fifty-two apoptosis-related candidate genes were identified, including five caspase family members, two tumor necrosis factor (TNF) superfamily members, one Bcl-2 family member, four baculovirus IAP (inhibitor of apoptosis) repeat (BIR) domain family members and 1 RHG (Reaper, Hid, Grim, and Sickle; Drosophila cell death activators) family member. Moreover, we identified a new caspase family member, BmCaspase-New, two splice variants of BmDronc, and Bm3585, a mammalian TNF superfamily member homolog. Twenty-three of these apoptosis-related genes were cloned and sequenced using cDNA templates isolated from BmE-SWU1 cells. Sequence analyses revealed that these genes could have key roles in apoptosis., Conclusions: Bombyx mori possesses potential apoptosis-related genes. We hypothesized that the classic intrinsic and extrinsic apoptotic pathways potentially are active in Bombyx mori. These results lay the foundation for further apoptosis-related study in Bombyx mori.

Objective: To study the related factors of patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) so as to guide treatment and predict prognosis., Methods: The prognostic factors of 463 cases with intracerebral hemorrhage were analyzed with single factor and Logistic regression analyses., Results: Age, Glasgow coma scale, amount of hemorrhage, NIHSS score, mean arterial blood pressure, with or without ventricular breakage, with or without midline shift and the incidence of complications at random blood glucose levels were analyzed for the correlation with the prognosis of patients. The poor prognosis group had significant differences with the good prognosis group with regards to these factors. The average age of patients with a poor prognosis was 71 years old, the average hematoma volume 29 ml and the average GCS score 11.2 versus 65 years old, 15 ml, 15.1 for those with a good prognosis (P < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that age, amount of hemorrhage and disturbance of consciousness was an independent adverse prognostic factor for cerebral hemorrhage at three months. The OR values were 1.32, 8.66 and 1.08 respectively., Conclusion: The etiologies of ICH are diverse. Maintaining normal blood pressure is an important preventive measure for ICH. Hematoma volume, disturbance of consciousness and age may be used to predict the prognosis of cerebral hemorrhage.

Pre-operative embolization of hypervascular spinal tumors can be helpful in tumour resection; however, few studies have been reported on its effectiveness in sacral tumors. We aimed to investigate the value of surgical excision with pre-operative transarterial embolization for primary sacral tumors and evaluate the long-term follow-up outcomes. Data were obtained from a consecutive series of 60 patients (33 female, 27 male) who had sacral tumors and who, between 1992 and 2007, underwent surgical excision in conjunction with arterial embolization. The evaluation parameters included intraoperative blood loss, transfusion, treatment, local recurrence and complications associated with surgery. All tumor masses were resected without intraoperative shock or death. The mean intraoperative blood loss was 1168.3mL (range: 200-5700mL) and the mean transfusion amount was 5.2 units (range: 0-35 units). Radical wide excision was performed on eight patients, marginal excision was conducted for 34 patients and intralesional excision was undertaken for the remaining 18 patients. The mean follow-up period was 75.2months (range: 15-180months). Nineteen (31.7%) patients developed local recurrences. Of the patients who had at least the second sacral roots and the unilateral S3 preserved, 33 (84.6%) had normal bladder function and 34 (87.2%) had normal bowel control. Pre-operative arterial embolization may significantly reduce the likelihood of intraoperative hemorrhage, and has the potential to assist surgeons in completing tumor resection and improving the outcomes for these patients., (Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To investigate antimicrobial resistance among gram-positive cocci in China in 2009., Methods: From June to December 2009, 1169 consecutive and non-repetitive gram-positive cocci were collected from 12 teaching hospitals at 9 cities. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of antibacterial agents was determined by agar dilution method., Results: The prevalences of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative Staphylococci (MRCoNS) were 45.3% (211/466) and 89.5% (214/239), respectively. The isolation rate of MRSA was 33.3% - 68.1% from different samples. All Staphylococci isolates were susceptible to vancomycin, teicoplanin and linezolid. Five point five percent (7/128) E.faecium strains were resistant to vancomycin. All E. faecalis strains were susceptible to vancomycin. About 99.1% (108/109) of E.faecalis and E.faecium were susceptible to linezolid. The prevalence of penicillin-intermediate Streptococcus pneumoniae (PISP) was 21.6% (48/222). Only 1 (0.5%, 1/222) Streptococcus pneumoniae strain was resistant to penicillin. Teicoplanin, vancomycin, linezolid and tigecycline were the most active agents against Streptococcus pneumoniae (susceptible rate 100%)., Conclusions: The high prevalence of methicillin-resistance is among Staphylococcus strains. Different samples show a different MRSA prevalence. Teicoplanin, vancomycin and linezolid show very high activity to Staphylococci, E. faecalis, E. faecium and Streptococcus pneumoniae.

The alphabeta TCR has recently been suggested to function as an anisotropic mechanosensor during immune surveillance, converting mechanical energy into a biochemical signal upon specific peptide/MHC ligation of the alphabeta clonotype. The heterodimeric CD3epsilongamma and CD3epsilondelta subunits, each composed of two Ig-like ectodomains, form unique side-to-side hydrophobic interfaces involving their paired G-strands, rigid connectors to their respective transmembrane segments. Those dimers are laterally disposed relative to the alphabeta heterodimer within the TCR complex. In this paper, using structure-guided mutational analysis, we investigate the functional consequences of a striking asymmetry in CD3gamma and CD3delta G-strand geometries impacting ectodomain shape. The uniquely kinked conformation of the CD3gamma G-strand is crucial for maximizing Ag-triggered TCR activation and surface TCR assembly/expression, offering a geometry to accommodate juxtaposition of CD3gamma and TCR beta ectodomains and foster quaternary change that cannot be replaced by the isologous CD3delta subunit's extracellular region. TCRbeta and CD3 subunit protein sequence analyses among Gnathostomata species show that the Cbeta FG loop and CD3gamma subunit coevolved, consistent with this notion. Furthermore, restoration of T cell activation and development in CD3gamma(-/-) mouse T lineage cells by interspecies replacement can be rationalized from structural insights on the topology of chimeric mouse/human CD3epsilondelta dimers. Most importantly, our findings imply that CD3gamma and CD3delta evolved from a common precursor gene to optimize peptide/MHC-triggered alphabeta TCR activation.

Electronic structures, spontaneous polarization, dynamical and nonlinear optical (NLO) properties of polar oxide ZnSnO(3) with LiNbO(3) (LN)-type structure have been investigated in the framework of density functional theory. By analyzing the Born effectives of LN-type ZnSnO(3), we find that Z* of Zn atoms show relatively large anomalous behavior. The spontaneous polarization is attributed to the large displacement of Zn atoms because of the mixed ionic-covalent character between the Zn-O bonds. The optical dielectric tensor is nearly the same; however the static dielectric tensor shows strongly anisotropy. Furthermore, the nonlinear optical properties are calculated by using 2n + 1 theorem applied to an electric-field dependent energy functional. The large dielectric constants and NLO susceptibilities indicate that the LN-type ZnSnO(3) would be a candidate as a high-performance dielectric and nonlinear optical material.

We perform lattice Monte Carlo simulation using the bond-fluctuation model to examine the conformation and dynamic properties of a single small flexible ring polymer in the matrix of linear chains as functions of the degree of polymerization of the linear chains. The average conformation properties as gauged by the mean-square radius of gyration and asphericity parameter are insensitive to the chain length for all the chain lengths examined (30, 100, 300, and 1000). However, in the longer chain (300 and 1000) samples, there is an increased spread in the distribution of the value of these quantities, suggesting structural heterogeneity. The center-of-mass diffusion of the ring shows a rapid decrease with increasing chain length followed by a more gradual change for the two longer chain systems. In these longer chain systems, a wide spread in the value of the apparent self-diffusion coefficient is also observed, as well as qualitatively different square displacement trajectories among the different samples, suggesting heterogeneity in the dynamics. A primitive path analysis reveals that in these long chain systems, the ring can exist in topologically distinct states with respect to threading by the linear chains. Threading by the linear chain can dramatically slow down and in some cases stall the diffusive motion of the ring. We argue that the life times for these topological conformers can be longer than the disentanglement time of the linear chain matrix, so that the ring exhibits nonergodic behavior on time scales less or comparable to the life time of these conformers. Our results suggest a picture of the ring diffusion as one where the diffusion path consists of distinctive segments, each corresponding to a different conformer, with slow interconversion between the different conformers.

Heteronuclear direct-detection experiments, which utilize the slower relaxation properties of low gamma nuclei, such as (13)C have recently been proposed for sequence-specific assignment and structural analyses of large, unstructured, and/or paramagnetic proteins. Here we present two novel (15)N direct-detection experiments. The CAN experiment sequentially connects amide (15)N resonances using (13)C(alpha) chemical shift matching, and the CON experiment connects the preceding (13)C' nuclei. When starting from the same carbon polarization, the intensities of nitrogen signals detected in the CAN or CON experiments would be expected four times lower than those of carbon resonances observed in the corresponding (13)C-detecting experiment, NCA-DIPAP or NCO-IPAP (Bermel et al. 2006b; Takeuchi et al. 2008). However, the disadvantage due to the lower gamma is counteracted by the slower (15)N transverse relaxation during detection, the possibility for more efficient decoupling in both dimensions, and relaxation optimized properties of the pulse sequences. As a result, the median S/N in the (15)N observe CAN experiment is 16% higher than in the (13)C observe NCA-DIPAP experiment. In addition, significantly higher sensitivity was observed for those residues that are hard to detect in the NCA-DIPAP experiment, such as Gly, Ser and residues with high-field C(alpha) resonances. Both CAN and CON experiments are able to detect Pro resonances that would not be observed in conventional proton-detected experiments. In addition, those experiments are free from problems of incomplete deuterium-to-proton back exchange in amide positions of perdeuterated proteins expressed in D(2)O. Thus, these features and the superior resolution of (15)N-detected experiments provide an attractive alternative for main chain assignments. The experiments are demonstrated with the small model protein GB1 at conditions simulating a 150 kDa protein, and the 52 kDa glutathione S-transferase dimer, GST.

Nck is a functionally versatile multidomain adaptor protein consisting of one SH2 and three SH3 domains. In most cases, the SH2 domain mediates binding to tyrosine-phosphorylated receptors or cytosolic proteins, which leads to the formation of larger protein complexes via the SH3 domains. Nck plays a pivotal role in T-cell receptor-mediated reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton as well as in the formation of the immunological synapses. The modular domain structure and the functionality of the individual domains suggest that they might act independently. Here we report an interesting intramolecular interaction within Nck that occurs between a noncanonical yet conserved (K/R)x(K/R)RxxS sequence in the linker between the first and second SH3 domain (SH3.1/SH3.2) and the second SH3 domain (SH3.2). Because this interaction masks the proline-rich sequence binding site of the SH3.2 domain, the intramolecular interaction is self-inhibitory. This intramolecular interaction could, at least partially, explain the remarkable specificity of Nck toward proteins with proline-rich sequences. It may prevent nonspecific low-affinity binding while keeping the site available for high-affinity bivalent ligands that can bind multiple sites in Nck. This indicates that Nck does not simply adopt a "beads on a string" architecture but incorporates a higher-order organization for improved specificity and functionality.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of inappropriate antibiotic use on inpatients' cost during hospitalization., Methods: 1 000 cases with antibiotic treatment were extracted from 10 hospitals of 5 provinces in China in 2005. We created multivariate linear regression model for hospital cost and Logistic regression model for evaluation of rationality in antibiotic use., Results: We collected 946 valid cases. Rate of inappropriate antibiotic use was 58.4%. Costs of inpatients with inappropriate antibiotic use was 1.55 times of the ones with appropriate use (P<0.001). Risk factors included antibiotic prophylaxis (OR=2.929), medication for surgery (OR=2.44), long hospital stay (OR=1.021 for every prolonged day) and regional factors. Protection factor was in tertiary hospital (OR=0.510)., Conclusion: Inappropriate antibiotic use could add 55% unnecessary cost on inpatients. Efforts to control misuse of antibiotics such as regulating antibiotic prophylaxis and medication for surgery, and decreasing length of stay should be pursued.

Objective: To evaluate the one-hole method for high ligation of the internal spermatic vein by embryonic natural orifice transumbilical laparoscopy., Methods: We used the one-hole method for high ligation of the internal spermatic vein by embryonic natural orifice transumbilical laparoscopy in the treatment of 15 cases of varicocele, 13 in the left and 2 in the right side, and appraised the treatment results by follow-up 1 month after the surgery., Results: All the operations succeeded and no complications developed. The average operation time was 28 minutes and the mean hospital stay was 4 days. Symptoms were significantly relieved in all the patients and the scars were inconspicuous at follow-up., Conclusion: The one-hole method is a novel option for high ligation of the internal spermatic vein by embryonic natural orifice transumbilical laparoscopy in the treatment of varicocele. It is recommendable for its advantages of simple procedure, less pain, few complications, quick recovery, mini-invasiveness and cosmetic acceptability.

We present a (13)C direct detection CACA-TOCSY experiment for samples with alternate (13)C-(12)C labeling. It provides inter-residue correlations between (13)C(alpha) resonances of residue i and adjacent C(alpha)s at positions i - 1 and i + 1. Furthermore, longer mixing times yield correlations to C(alpha) nuclei separated by more than one residue. The experiment also provides C(alpha)-to-sidechain correlations, some amino acid type identifications and estimates for psi dihedral angles. The power of the experiment derives from the alternate (13)C-(12)C labeling with [1,3-(13)C] glycerol or [2-(13)C] glycerol, which allows utilizing the small scalar (3)J(CC) couplings that are masked by strong (1)J(CC) couplings in uniformly (13)C labeled samples.

We report a numerical investigation of the crystallization of monodisperse hard spheres on different patterned substrates. We find that the duration of a metastable fluid state, which may last for relatively long time in the homogeneous crystallization, can be deeply reduced or almost eliminated when a substrate is used as the seed of crystallization. In the presence of the square patterned substrate, which has the basic character of the body-centered cubic (bcc) crystal structure, a transient bcc crystal phase was observed, suggesting that the bcc structure could be possible to be stabilized by the square patterned substrates. The process of crystallization becomes complicated when the patterned substrate is incommensurate with the bulk crystal. Furthermore, a purely face-centered cubic or hexagonal close packed crystal phase with stacking faults can be generated by using a certain patterned substrate without other factors such as gravity.

We report a numerical study of the close packing of monodisperse hard spheres. The close packings of hard spheres are produced by the Lubachesky-Stillinger (LS) compression algorithm and span the range from the disordered states to the ordered states. We provide quantitative evidence for the claim that the density and structural order of the arrested close packing can be determined by the compression rate, i.e., with slower rates producing denser and more ordered structures. Through deeply analyzing the structure of the resulting arrested close packings, a transition region has been identified in the plane of density and reciprocal compression rate, in between what have been historically thought of as amorphous and crystalline packings. We also find clear system size dependences in studying the structural properties of the packings from the disordered ones to the ordered ones. These detailed investigations, on the structure of the arrested close packings, may provide a link between the glassy states and the crystalline states in the hard spheres.

Spectroscopic factors have been extracted for proton-rich 34Ar and neutron-rich 46Ar using the (p, d) neutron transfer reaction. The experimental results show little reduction of the ground state neutron spectroscopic factor of the proton-rich nucleus 34Ar compared to that of 46Ar. The results suggest that correlations, which generally reduce such spectroscopic factors, do not depend strongly on the neutron-proton asymmetry of the nucleus in this isotopic region as was reported in knockout reactions. The present results are consistent with results from systematic studies of transfer reactions but inconsistent with the trends observed in knockout reaction measurements.