Search

Chiu-fen-erh-shan landslide is a remarkable slope failure occurred during the Chi-Chi earthquake in 1999. In November of 2002, abnormal geomorphologic features, including buckling and ground subsidence, were observed on the lower slope of the Chiu-fen-erh-shan landslide. This study attempts to assess the constrained area of a future collapsing on the slope using a dynamic discrete numerical analysis method, discontinuous deformation analysis (DDA). The simulation results show that the depression in front of the toe of the slope provides a space for arresting the whole sliding rocks when only the unstable lower slope fails. However, as the whole slope slides, the rock fragments move farther into the memorial park and can impact other facilities resulting in the enlarging of constrained area. The authority should prohibit people from entrancing the constrained area in the rainy season. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Barren badlands lacking vegetation and consisting of sharp-edged ridges and v-shaped gullies are widely formed by rapid incision on silt−clay fine sediments, especially in weakly consolidated mudstones around the world. The development of these badlands has been explained in terms of the repeated drying and wetting of rocks, and high salt contents in pore water. Water contents and salt concentration were monitored, for the first time, by measuring dielectric permittivity and pore water electrical conductivity (EC) beneath a badland slope in southern Taiwan. The rock slope is composed of Plio-Pleistocene marine mudstone and has a subtropical climate with distinct dry and wet seasons. The monitoring revealed that salt water at depth migrated to the slope surface in the dry season and deposited salt in desiccation cracks. During the following rainy season, rainwater dissolved the salts, diluted pore water near the slope surface, and closed desiccation cracks, consequently slowing the downward movemen...

A three-dimensional (3D) rock slope toppling occurred in a discontinuous rock mass. To simulate the failure process and study the mechanism of this rock failure with contact and large displacement in 3D, a new discrete numerical method has been developed called the 3D discontinuous deformation analysis (DDA). This article first introduces the basic principles and then derives the formulas in detail. Finally, the slope failure simulation is applied as an example to investigate the applicability of this new method to rock slope failure research. The simulation results indicate the advantages of using this new method to study the mechanism of a rock slope failure with 3D behavior.

This paper presents the results of a field study of using thermography to identify the existence of eroded caves behind shotcrete-protected slopes. The temperature variation calculated from the highest and lowest temperatures measured at each point on the shotcrete surface is utilized to evaluate the integrity of the rock mass behind the concrete. In addition, ground penetration radar (GPR) is performed at three selected locations near the toe of the slope of concern; while the necked eye observation and knocking tests are conducted at two of the selected areas. The soils taken out from the rock mass and the abnormal echo, as well as strong GPR reflection patterns, confirm the existence of eroded caves behind the shotcrete surface. The agreement of the locations that show both strong GPR reflection and large temperature variation verifies the applicability of thermography in evaluating the integrity of rock mass behind the shotcrete surface.

The Chiu-fen-erh-shan landslide was a huge dip-slope avalanche triggered by the devastating Chi-Chi earthquake in central Taiwan in 1999. Anomalous geomorphic precursors, such as ground subsidence and thrust, which are signs of slope instability, were subsequently observed on the lower slope of the Chiu-fen-erh-shan landslide in November, 2002. Post-failure behavior and affected area of the lower part of the landslide must be investigated to provide adequate countermeasures. This study presents the results of the post-failure behavior simulation of the lower slope of the Chiu-fen-erh-shan landslide using Discontinuous Deformation Analysis (DDA). The simulation results show that the surface rocks in the sliding mass move faster and further than the rocks at great depth. The angle of internal friction is found to have a great influence on the failure process than does the cohesion. The sliding rocks are accumulated in the depression in front of the toe of the landslide except under the conditions of very low internal friction. The depression performs as a buffer zone when the lower slope fails.

Discontinuous deformation analysis (DDA), a discrete numerical analysis method, is used to simulate the behaviour of falling rock by applying a linear displacement function in the computations. However, when a block rotates, this linear function causes a change in block size called the free expansion phenomenon. In addition, this free expansion results in contact identification problems when the rotating blocks are close to each other. To solve this problem of misjudgment and to obtain a more precise simulation of the falling rock, a new method called Post-Contact Adjustment Method has been developed and applied to the program. The basic procedure of this new method can be divided into three stages: using the linear displacement function to generate the global matrix, introducing the non-linear displacement function to the contact identification, and applying it to update the co-ordinates of block vertices. This new method can be easily applied to the original DDA program, demonstrating better contact identification and size conservation results for falling rock problems than the original program. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

This article presents a new vertex-to-face contact searching algorithm for the three-dimensional (3-D) discontinuous deformation analysis (DDA). In this algorithm, topology is applied to the contact rule when any two polyhedrons are close to each other. Attempt is made to expand the original contact searching algorithm from two-dimensional (2-D) to 3-D DDA. Examples are provided to demonstrate the new contact rule for vertex-to-face contacts between two polyhedrons with planar boundaries.

During the 1999 Chi-Chi, Taiwan earthquake, many sand boiling phenomena were observed in central Taiwan, which caused severe ground settlement and structure damages. According to the installed accelerograms, the peak ground surface horizontal accelerations in the liquefaction-affected areas range from 774.42 to 121.3 gal. The writers carried out an extensive investigation of soil liquefaction in this earthquake. In this paper, we present results of the CPT exploration and post-earthquake liquefaction analysis. Two hundred and seventy five (275) cone penetration test data were collected from the liquefaction-affected areas, and 46 liquefaction case histories and 88 non-liquefaction case histories were derived that can be used to evaluate the accuracy of existing liquefaction evaluation models. In addition, the strength of the liquefied soils after earthquake and the implication of its liquefaction potential in the future event are discussed.

The cell cycle phase distributions of Hz-AM1 cells grown in monolayer culture were G1 = 49.7 +/- 3.3%, S = 22.7 +/- 3.8% and G2/M = 27.8 +/- 4.2% without >4N DNA content. The culture doubling time was about 40 h and the duration of the G1, S and G2/M phases was estimated to be 10, 14 and 16 h, respectively. HaSNPV infection of Hz-AM1 cells resulted in both unsynchronized and synchronized G1 phase arrest at G2/M phase. HaSNPV infection also resulted in the appearance of more than 4N DNA content, which accumulated to the highest levels 72 h post-infection. We also found that the expression level of cyclin B1 increased significantly after 16 h post-infection, while cyclin A did not show any change. This observation supports the Hz-AM1-infected arrest at the G2/M phage. Cytoplasm location of cyclin B1 indicated that the Hz-AM1 cell cycle arrest was at the G2 phase.

Numerical analysis methods are considered very important in the field of geotechnical engineering, particularly in the area of disaster prevention. Discontinuous Deformation Analysis (DDA) is a type of discontinuous numerical analysis method that is frequently used in this topic. Since most geotechnical engineering problems are three-dimensional, Two-Dimensional Discontinuous Deformation Analysis (2D DDA) computations have exhibited limited accuracy. In order to simulate three-dimensional block behavior more accurately, the Three-Dimensional Discontinuous Deformation Analysis (3D DDA) theory for blocks with general shape was developed. This paper describes the basic principles of 3D DDA, and goes a step further by developing a new 3D DDA method. This new 3D DDA method proposed by authors is applied to an actual example site. In order to demonstrate the capability of this new method in the numerical analysis of discontinuous rock masses, the simulation results were compared and examined with the actual monitoring of the displacement behavior proceeding that led to the failure at the field site. The results show the applicability of 3D DDA in determining the deformation and failure mechanisms of rock masses.

To elucidate the impact of radical hysterectomy upon the urodynamic findings of patients with cervical cancer, 20 patients with cervical cancer at stage IB to IIA who underwent radical hysterectomy were recruited. Each patient underwent a 20-min pad test and urodynamic study prior to and 3 months after radical hysterectomy. ANOVA, Bonferroni test and paired t -test were utilized for analysis. The mean age of the 20 patients was 50.2+/-8.7 years with a mean parity of 3.5+/-1.5. Four (20%) of the 20 cases revealed normal urodynamic findings preoperatively, and the urodynamic findings became abnormal after surgery. Comparing the urodynamic parameters of both bladder voiding and storage functions pre- and post-surgery, we found significant impairments postoperatively in all 20 cases. Our data demonstrate that abnormal urodynamic findings may pre-exist for some patients with cervical cancer prior to surgical treatment. These findings may worsen, and/or additional abnormal states may arise subsequent to radical hysterectomy.

A tunnel excavation in an inclined brick‐type jointed rock mass is simulated by the trap‐door tests in this paper. Besides, a discrete analysis method, named discontinuous deformation analysis (DDA), is employed to study the block displacements during tunnel excavations. The simulation results of surface subsidences are in good agreement with the trap‐door experiments. According to DDA simulations, the displacements of blocks affect the features of surface subsidences and could be the reason for arching close to the trap‐door. In addition, both surface subsidence and arching are strongly affected by the dip angle of the joint. These results demonstrate that DDA could be a powerful method to investigate the behaviors of jointed rock masses during tunnel excavation.

In this paper, the mechanical behavior of inclined jointed rock masses during tunneling is considered. Such rock masses can be considered as an assembly of discrete blocks with the discontinuities having a significant influence on the mechanical behavior. To simulate this situation, a discrete numerical analysis method, Discontinuous Deformation Analysis (DDA), is applied. The DDA results show the existence of stress arching in the rock masses during tunneling. This stress arching is the primary influence on the stress distribution and surface subsidence. In addition, the stress arching is affected by the dip angle of the jointed rock masses. Moreover, the DDA results are in good agreement with experiments, explaining the reason for the asymmetrical vertical stress and surface subsidence obtained in laboratory tests. These results suggest that DDA can be applied to model the tunneling behavior of complicated discontinuous rock masses.

Since the orientations of discontinuities in the field are not truly perpendicular to the two dimensional (2D) blocks of simulation, the applications of 2D discontinuous deformation analysis (2D DDA) computations have limited accuracy. In order to simulate the three dimensional (3D) block behaviors more accurately, Shi (2001) developed the 3D DDA theory to the blocks with general shape. In this paper, the basic formulations of contributed components of 3D DDA are presented briefly, and a new 3D DDA program developed by the authors is applied to rock-slope toppling failure at the Amatoribashi-Nishi site to demonstrate the capability of this new method. The results show the ability of 3D DDA to study the mechanisms of slope failure.

Background Centipeda minima (Ebushicao) has been used for the treatment of various diseases, such as nasal allergies, rhinitis and sinusitis, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, cough, and headache. This study aims to investigate the anticancer activities of Centipeda minima ethanol extracts (CME) against nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell CNE-1 and their underlying mechanism. Methods CNE-1 cells were treated with different concentrations (15–50 μg/mL) of CME for different time intervals (24, 48, and 72 h). Cytotoxicity of CME was determined by MTT assay. Cell morphological changes were observed by fluorescence microscopy after HO 33258 staining. Cell cycle status was evaluated by flow cytometry following propidium iodide staining. Apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry following annexin V-FITC/PI staining. The levels of apoptosis-associated and PI3K-Akt-mTOR signaling related proteins were measured by western blotting analysis. Results CME (15–50 μg/mL) significantly inhibited the proliferation of CNE-1 in a dose- and time-dependent manner (P = 0.026 for 15 μg/mL, P

In this article, pollen grains were for the first time used as a hydrophilic solid-phase extraction (HILIC-SPE) sorbent for the determination of 16 plant growth regulators (PGRs) in fruits and vegetables. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) and nitrogen sorption porosimetry (NSP) were used to investigate the chemical structure and the surface properties of the pollen grains. Pollen grains exhibited an excellent adsorption capacity for some polar compounds due to their particular functional groups. Several parameters influencing extraction performance were investigated. A green and simple HILIC-SPE-method using pollen grain cartridge for purification of fruit and vegetable extractions, followed by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) was established. Good linear relationships were obtained for 16 PGRs with correlation coefficients (R) above 0.9980. The limits of detection (LODs) of 16 PGRs in cucumber were in the range of 0.01-1.10 μg · kg(-1). Reproducibility of the method was evaluated by intra-day and inter-day precisions with relative standard deviations (RSDs), which were less than 14.4%. We successfully applied this methodology to analyze 16 PGRs in 8 different kinds of fruits and vegetables. The recoveries from samples spiked with 16 PGRs were from 80.5% to 119.2%, with relative standard deviations less than 15.0%.

The rhizome of Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort. (LC), also known as chuanxiong, is a very common herb widely used to treat cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. It is also used as a major ingredient in soups for regular consumption to promote good health. To study the protective effect of LC ethanolic extract (LCEE, 600 mg per kg per day, p.o.) on the integrity of the vascular system, ovariectomized (OVX) rats were fed with a high-fat diet (HFD) plus LCEE for 12 weeks. The animal model was used to mimic the dyslipidemic condition seen in postmenopausal women. LCEE was found significantly to reduce the body weight gain, improve serum lipid profiles (by lowering total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein cholesterol but raising high density lipoprotein cholesterol) and protect vascular endothelium in the HFD-fed OVX rats. It is postulated that LCEE could exert its vascular protective effect through multiple targets by (1) improving serum lipid profiles to reduce the detrimental effects of cholesterol; (2) reducing the ROS level in the body via enhancing the hepatic anti-oxidative activity or antioxidant level to scavenge the reactive oxygen species generated in the postmenopausal hypercholesterolemic condition; (3) stimulating eNOS-derived nitric oxide production; (4) counteracting the up-regulation of inflammatory cytokine (TNF-α, VCAM-1 and ICAM-1) expressions so as to reduce endothelium damage.

Background Brassinosteriods (BRs) are a group of important phytohormones that have major effects on plant growth and development. To fully elucidate the function of BRs, a sensitive BR assay is required. However, most of the previously reported methods are tedious and time-consuming due to multiple pretreatment steps. Therefore, it is of great significance to develop a method to increase the throughput and detection sensitivity of BR analysis. Results We established a novel analytical method of BRs based on magnetic solid phase extraction (MSPE) combined with in situ derivatization (ISD). TiO2-coated magnetic hollow mesoporous silica spere(TiO2/MHMSS) was served as a double identity- a microextraction sorbent and “microreactor” for the capture and derivatization of BRs in sequence. BRs were first extracted onto TiO2/MHMSS through hydrophilic interaction. The BR-adsorbed TiO2/MHMSS was then employed as a “microreactor” for the derivatization of BRs with 4-(N,N-dimethyamino)phenylboronic acid (DMAPBA). The MSPE-ISD method was simple and fast, which could be accomplished within 10 min. Furthermore, the derivatives of BRs showed better MS response because they were incorporated with tertiary amino groups. Uniquely, endogenous BRs were detected in only 100 mg fresh weight plant tissue. Conclusion Our proposed MSPE-ISD method for the determination of endogenous BRs is rapid and sensitive. It can be applied to the analysis of endogenous BRs in 100 mg fresh plant tissue (Brassica napus L. (B. napus L)). The proposed strategy for plant sample preparation may be extended to develop analytical methods for determination of a wide range of analytes with poor MS response in other complex sample matrices.

The title compound, [Cd(C(8)H(18)NO(8)P(2))(2)](n), synthesized by hydrothermal methods, exhibits a layered structure in which the Cd(II) ion, occupying a centre of symmetry, is coordinated by six O atoms from four phosphonate ligands. The crosslinkage of CdO(6) octahedra by bridging phosphonate ligands results in a cadmium(II) phosphonate layer. Within the layer, there exists a 16-membered ring incorporating four -Cd-O-P-O- linkages. The uncoordinated carboxyl group of the ligand is oriented so that it penetrates the adjacent layer, taking part in hydrogen bonding to two uncoordinated phosphonate O atoms to form a CO(2)H/HO(2)P motif.

This study investigated the effect of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) on differentiation of naive CD4(+) T cells and the role of the receptor of AGEs (RAGE) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) activity in the process in order to gain insight into the mechanism of immunological disorders in diabetes. AGEs were prepared by the reaction of bovine serum albumin (BSA) with glucose. Human naive CD4(+) T cells, enriched from blood of healthy adult volunteers with negative selection assay, were cultured in vitro and treated with various agents including AGEs, BSA, high glucose, PGJ2 and PD68235 for indicated time. In short hairpin (sh) RNA knock-down experiment, naive CD4(+) T cells were transduced with media containing shRNA-lentivirus generated from lentiviral packaging cell line, Lent-X(TM) 293 T cells. Surface and intracellular cytokine stainings were used for examination of CD4(+) T cell phenotypes, and real-time PCR and Western blotting for detection of transcription factor mRNA and protein expression, respectively. The suppressive function of regulatory T (Treg) cells was determined by a [(3)H]-thymidine incorporation assay. The results showed that AGEs induced higher pro-inflammatory Th1/Th17 cells differentiated from naive CD4(+) T cells than the controls, whereas did not affect anti-inflammatory Treg cells. However, AGEs eliminated suppressive function of Treg cells. In addition, AGEs increased RAGE mRNA expression in naive CD4(+) T cells, and RAGE knock-down by shRNA eliminated the effect of AGEs on the differentiation of CD4(+) T cells and the reduction of suppressive function of Treg cells. Furthermore, AGEs inhibited the mRNA expression of PPARγ, not PPARα PPARγ agonist, PGJ2, inhibited the effect of AGEs on naive CD4(+) T cell differentiation and reversed the AGE-reduced suppressive function of Treg cells; on the other hand, PPARγ antagonist, PD68235, attenuated the blocking effect of RAGE shRNA on the role of AGEs. It was concluded that AGEs may promote CD4(+) T cells development toward pro-inflammatory state, which is associated with increased RAGE mRNA expression and reduced PPARγ activity.

To characterize the human primary cyclins (D1, E, A, B1) expressed in gastric carcinoma, and to clarify the relationship between the types of expressed primary cyclins and clinicopathological features of gastric carcinoma.Primary cyclins (D1, E, A, B1) expressed in single cells separated from 68 cases gastric carcinoma tissues were analyzed by flow cytometry. We classified the gastric carcinomas by different types of the expressed primary cyclins, and explore the roles of primary cyclins expressed in cell cycle and the expression patterns of the cyclins. The results were analyzed together with clinicopathological features.The patterns of expressed primary cyclins could be classified into five types. The proportion was 10.3% (7/68), 22.1% (15/68), 25.0% (17/68), 29.4% (20/68), and 13.2% (9/68), respectively, from type I to type V. Each type could be, according to the degree of in-cycle cyclins expressed, divided into different sub-types. The types of primary cyclins expressed were strongly linked to invasive depth and lymph node metastasis of the gastric carcinoma (P0.01). The rates of lymph node metastasis were 26.6%, 43.8%, 82.3%, 95.0%, and 100.0%, respectively, from type I to type V. The type of primary cyclins expressed was also significantly associated with disease stage (TNM stage). The proportion of stage IV disease was 0, 6.7%, 17.6%, 25.0% and 55.6%, respectively, from type I to type V. It was shown that there were relationships between the sub-types of primary cyclins expressed and different growth-types, degree of cell differentiation, or, the tumor gross types (P0.01).The types of primary cyclins expression are different in the process of the occurrence, development and metastasis of gastric carcinoma, and are correlated with clinicopathological features of gastric carcinoma.

X-ray cross complementing group 1 (XRCC1) polymorphisms and bladder cancer risk has been investigated for years, but the result in Asian population is till inconclusive. Thus, we performed this meta-analysis to determine the association of XRCC1 Arg194Trp, Arg280His, and Arg399Gln polymorphisms with bladder cancer risk in the Asian population. PubMed, EMBASE, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure were searched up to January 2013 to identify eligible studies. The association strength was measured with odd ratios (ORs) and 95 % confidence intervals (95 % CIs). A total of nine eligible studies, including 1,931 bladder cancer patients and 2,192 controls, were identified. Significant increased risk of bladder cancer was observed for Arg194Trp polymorphism (allele comparison OR = 1.20, 95 % CI: 1.06-1.36, P heterogeneity = 0.11; dominant model OR = 1.20, 95 % CI: 1.02-1.41, P heterogeneity = 0.37) and Arg280His polymorphism (heterozygote comparison OR = 1.87, 95 % CI: 1.21-2.90, P heterogeneity = 0.01; dominant model OR = 1.75, 95 % CI: 1.05-2.90, P heterogeneity = 0.01); however, Arg399Gln was not associated with susceptibility to bladder cancer. No evidence of publication bias was detected. Our meta-analysis results suggest that XRCC1 Arg194Trp and Arg280His polymorphisms are associated with significantly increased risk of bladder cancer in Asians.

To investigate the clinical effects of limited decomression, fixation, and fusion in treating degenerative scoliosis with spinal stennosis.From June 2002 to January 2009, 26 patients of degenerative scoliosis with spinal stenosis were treated with limited decomression, fixation, and fusion. There were 6 males and 20 females with an average age of 61.3 years (ranged, 51 to 72 years). Course of disease of spinal stenosis was from 11 months to 6 years with an average of 36 months. X-ray, CT, MRI examination were performed preoperatively for all the cases and myelography was performed for 6 cases. Preoperative Cobb's angle,focal lordosis angle,the distance between C7 plumb line (C7PL) and upper edge of S1 vertebral body (SVA), and the distance between C7PL and center sacral vertical line (CSVL) were (22.0 +/- 10.1) degrees, (21.6 +/- 10.2) degrees, (7.6 +/- 6.4) cm, (6.8 +/- 5.6) cm respectively. Measured Cobb's angle, focal lordosis angle, SVA, CSVL after operation and final follow-up were compared with preoperative data. JOA score system were used to evaluate clinical effects.The operative time All the patients were followed up from 1.3 to 5 years with an average of 2.5 years. Postoperative and final follow-up, Cobb's angle was (10.5 +/- 8.2) degrees, (8.8 +/- 5.2) degrees, respectively; focal lordosis angle was (25.4 +/- 14.2) degrees, (31.6 +/- 13.2) degrees, respectively; SVA was (0.6 +/- 3.3) cm, (-1.2 +/- 2.5) cm,respectively; CSVL was (2.8 +/- 1.3) cm, (1.6 +/- 1.2) cm, respectively. There was significant difference in data before and after operation. Preoperative, instantly postoperative, final follow-up, JOA score was 11.0 +/- 1.7, 22.4 +/- 2.4, 24.0 +/- 2.1, respectively; 13 cases obtained excellent results, 8 good, 3 fair, 2 poor. Loss of correction occurred in one case. No collapse of intervertebral space, nerve injury, breakage of fixation system were found.Surgical treatment with limited decompression, pedicle screw fixation and fusion is effective method for degenerative scoliosis with spinal stenosis, individualized surgery design should be made according to clinical symptoms, signs and imaging features.

The aim of the present study was to identify novel methylation markers for cervical cancer screening and to test the clinical application of the most promising biomarker in cervical scrapings. Methylated-CpG island recovery assay-based microarray analysis was carried out on a discovery set consisting of cervical cancer tissue and normal cervical tissue to identify significantly hypermethylated genes. Five hundred and four CpG islands, corresponding to 378 genes, were differentially methylated between cervical cancer tissue and normal cervical tissue. Among them, 30 genes were significantly hypermethylated. Of the 30 genes, SOX9, PKLR and DLX4 were selected for further validation by direct bisulfite sequencing. The SOX9 gene revealed complete methylation in the cervical cancer tissue and complete non-methylation in the normal control tissue. A TaqMan-based real-time PCR assay was performed to detect the methylation levels of the SOX9 gene in 156 cervical scrapings, including 48 normal cervical scrapings, 30 scrapings with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 1 (CIN1), 30 scrapings with CIN2-3 and 48 scrapings with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). The methylation levels (methylation score) of the SOX9 gene increased significantly with the severity of cervical squamous lesions. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) revealed that the methylation score of the SOX9 gene could be used to segregate SCC/CIN2-3 from CIN1/normal (AUC, 0.961; p=0.000). At the optimal cut-off value, a sensitivity of 92.3% and a specificity of 89.7% were obtained. In conclusion, SOX9 methylation is frequently involved in cervical carcinogenesis, and may provide a valuable molecular biomarker for early detection of cervical cancer.

To evaluate the impact of closed high-pressure suction drainage on the healing of the perineal wound after abdominoperineal resection.Patients undergoing rectal abdominoperineal resection in the Wuhan Tongji Hospital from January 2009 to January 2011 were randomized into two groups including the study group(n=61, closed high-pressure suction drainage) and the control group(n=59, presacral drainage). The drainage volume, primary healing rate, and the healing time of perineal wounds were compared.The total volume of the drainage in the first 3 days was (448.1±142.9) ml in the study group and (548.3±190.6) ml in the control group, the volume of the drainage on the third day was (28.1±12.7) ml and (125.9±84.3) ml respectively. The primary healing rate was 93.4%(57/61) in the study group and 74.6% (44/59) in the control group, the healing time was (13.5±3.5) days and (20.1±5.1) days respectively.Closed high-pressure suction drainage may promote perineal wound healing following rectal abdominoperineal resection.

To review the effect of stem cells in erectile dysfunction as well as their application to the therapy of erectile dysfunction.The data used in the present article were mainly from PubMed with relevant English articles published from 1974 to 2011. The search terms were "stem cells" and "erectile dysfunction".Articles regarding the role of stem cells in erectile dysfunction and their application to the therapy of erectile dysfunction were selected.Stem cells hold great promise for regenerative medicine because of their ability to self-renew and to differentiate into various cell types. Meanwhile, in preclinical experiments, therapeutic gene-modified stem cells have been approved to offer a novel strategy for cell therapy and gene therapy of erectile dysfunction.The transplantation of stem cells has the potential to provide cell types capable of restoring normal function after injury or degradation in erectile dysfunction. However, a series of problems, such as the safety of stem cells transplantation, their application in cell therapy and gene therapy of erectile dysfunction need further investigation.

We describe herein the development of a matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time-of-flight-mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) approach for screening of protein kinase inhibitors (PKIs). MS quantification of phosphopeptides, the kinase-catalyzed products of nonphosphorylated substrates, is a great challenge due to the ion suppression effect of highly abundant nonphosphorylated peptides in enzymatic reaction mixtures. To address this issue, a novel type of titania coated magnetic hollow mesoporous silica spheres (TiO(2)/MHMSS) material was fabricated for capturing phosphopeptides from the enzymatic reaction mixtures prior to MS analysis. Under optimized conditions, even in the presence of 1000-fold of a substrate peptide of tyrosine kinase epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), the phosphorylated substrates at the femtomole level can be detected with high accuracy and reproducibility. With a synthetic nonisotopic labeled phosphopeptide, of which the sequence is similar to that of the phosphorylated substrate, as the internal standard, the MS signal ratio of the phosphorylated substrate to the standard is linearly correlated with the molar ratio of the two phosphopeptides in peptide mixtures over the range of 0.1 to 4 with r(2) being 0.99. The IC(50) values of three EGFR inhibitors synthesized in our laboratory were then determined, and the results are consistent with those determined by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The developed method is sensitive, cost/time-effective, and operationally simple and does not require isotope/radioative-labeling, providing an ideal alterative for screening of PKIs as therapeutic agents.

Consumption of functional foods for lowering serum cholesterol has globally gained acceptance by the general public. Turtle jelly (TJ), also called gui-ling-gao, is a popular traditional functional food in southern China. The hypocholesterolemic effect of consuming TJ was investigated in rats fed with normal diet, high-cholesterol diet or high-cholesterol diet supplemented with simvastatin (3 mg/kg bw per day, p.o.) or TJ (3.3 or 10 mL/kg bw per day, p.o.) for 30 days. TJ markedly reversed the increased serum total cholesterol, increased high-density lipoprotein, and decreased high-density lipoprotein induced by hypercholesterolemic diet with a dose-dependent improvement on the atherogenic index. It also demonstrated good hepatoprotective function by reducing fat depositions and overall lipid contents in the liver and increasing the activities of hepatic antioxidative enzymes. The blunted nitric oxide/endothelium-mediated aortic relaxation in rats fed with hypercholesterolemic diet was partially restored after TJ consumption. It is postulated that the hypocholesterolemic effect is the primary beneficial effect given by TJ; it then leads to secondary beneficial effects such as vasoprotective and hepatoprotective functions. The results revealed that TJ could block the downregulation of LDLR and PEPCK and upregulation of PPARαmRNA and protein expressions in the livers of rats fed with hypercholesterolemic diet.

The single cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE) assay, more commonly known as the comet assay, due to the "comet-like" appearance of the cells, was originally developed as a technique to measure the presence of DNA single-strand breaks. The assay is performed on single cells embedded in agar and placed in an electrical field at alkaline pH, so that fragments of negatively charged single-stranded DNA move through the gel toward the positively charged anode. Undamaged DNA moves relatively slowly, forming the head of the comet, while DNA fragmented due to the presence of single-strand breaks, moves more quickly giving the appearance of the tail. The extent of DNA migration is a measure of the DNA damage present. Since it was first developed, the comet assay has been adapted for measuring other types of DNA damage. The neutral comet assay has been employed for DNA double-strand breaks, while techniques using DNA repair enzymes to cleave specific adducts, UvrABC for ultraviolet radiation induced adducts, for example, have also been described. Here, we describe a modified version of the comet assay for the measurement of interstrand crosslinks (ICLs). Interstrand crosslinking agents include the chemotherapeutic agents mitomycin C and cis-platin, psoralen plus UVA light (PUVA) used to treat hyperproliferative skin disorders and diepoxybutane, a metabolite of 1,3-butadiene used in industrial processes and an environmental pollutant. ICLs are a potent and cytotoxic form of DNA damage as they prevent DNA strand separation, thereby preventing DNA replication. Their removal requires several different DNA repair processes including translesion synthesis and homologous recombination. As ICLs prevent separation of the DNA strands, their presence results in less DNA migration in the comet assay. To successfully measure ICLs, it is necessary to incorporate a step that induces single-strand breaks (using a defined dose of ionizing radiation) that allows the crosslinked DNA to migrate.

The single cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE) assay, more commonly known as the comet assay, due to the "comet-like" appearance of the cells, was originally developed as a technique to measure the presence of DNA single-strand breaks. The assay is performed on single cells embedded in agar and placed in an electrical field at alkaline pH, so that fragments of negatively charged single-stranded DNA move through the gel toward the positively charged anode. Undamaged DNA moves relatively slowly, forming the head of the comet, while DNA fragmented due to the presence of single-strand breaks, moves more quickly giving the appearance of the tail. The extent of DNA migration is a measure of the DNA damage present. Since it was first developed, the comet assay has been adapted for measuring other types of DNA damage. The neutral comet assay has been employed for DNA double-strand breaks, while techniques using DNA repair enzymes to cleave specific adducts, UvrABC for ultraviolet radiation induced adducts, for example, have also been described. Here, we describe a modified version of the comet assay for the measurement of interstrand crosslinks (ICLs). Interstrand crosslinking agents include the chemotherapeutic agents mitomycin C and cis-platin, psoralen plus UVA light (PUVA) used to treat hyperproliferative skin disorders and diepoxybutane, a metabolite of 1,3-butadiene used in industrial processes and an environmental pollutant. ICLs are a potent and cytotoxic form of DNA damage as they prevent DNA strand separation, thereby preventing DNA replication. Their removal requires several different DNA repair processes including translesion synthesis and homologous recombination. As ICLs prevent separation of the DNA strands, their presence results in less DNA migration in the comet assay. To successfully measure ICLs, it is necessary to incorporate a step that induces single-strand breaks (using a defined dose of ionizing radiation) that allows the crosslinked DNA to migrate.

A magnetite/oxidized carbon nanotube composite, Fe(3)O(4)@SiO(2)/OCNT, was fabricated in a simple way, and it was successfully used as a magnetic solid-phase extraction sorbent and a significant matrix of the matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) for the detection of benzo[a]pyrene (BaP).

Prostate stromal cells are known to regulate epithelial growth as well as support and maintain epithelial function. However, how stromal cells regulate epithelial cells and what differences among various histological/pathological prostate stromal cells in prostate cancer progression still remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the different phenotypes of human various histological/pathological prostate stromal cells, and their role in tumor promotion.The different phenotypes of the human normal prostatic peripheral zonal primary stromal cells (NPPF), transitional zonal primary stromal cells (NPTF), and prostate cancer associated primary stromal cells (CAF) were examined with growth curves and Annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) assay. The different effects on prostate cancer cell line C4-2B by NPPF, NPTF, and CAF were examined with MTT assay and Annexin V-FITC assay. The gene expression of different histological/pathological prostate stromal cells was profiled by microarray and hierarchical cluster analysis.The growth rate of NPPF, NPTF and CAF gradually increased, followed by decreasing apoptosis. In vitro stromal-C4-2B cell line co-culture models, the proliferation and apoptosis of C4-2B cell line were differently affected by human various histological/pathological prostate stromal cells. CAF showed the most powerful effect to C4-2B cell line, as opposed to a weakest effect of NPTF. Microarray and hierarchical cluster analysis showed that the differentially expressed genes of CAF and NPPF were less than NPPF and NPTF, or CAF and NPTF. This was consistent with clinical observations that prostate cancer mostly derived from the peripheral zone and does not usually occur in the transitional zone.NPPF, NPTF and CAF possess extremely different biological characteristics and gene expression, which may play an important role in genesis and development of prostate cancer.

Cell division is closely related to telomerase activity (hTERT mRNA). Lower expression of lymphocitic hTERT mRNA may easily cause cell aging, which is not beneficial to maintaining a durable lymphocyte division. To date, there is no study to investigate IFNα therapy on hTERT mRNA expression in PBMCs of patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). We quantitatively detected hTERT mRNA from study subjects and made each hTERT mRNA normalized (NhTERT mRNA). Mean NhTERT mRNA level was lower in either CHB group, but it significantly increased in IFNα-treated group compared with CHB control group, and a longer duration of IFNα therapy could increase the level. Moreover, the mean NhTERT mRNA in subgroup with HBeAg loss was significantly higher than that in subgroup without. NhTERT mRNA was markedly correlated with CD3+T lymphocyte count and CD4+/CD8+ratio. The results showed that IFNα therapy could upregulate the expression of hTERT mRNA in PBMCs.

Titania coated magnetic hollow mesoporous silica spheres with high surface area were created, which can be used in efficient and rapid capture of phosphopeptides from peptide mixtures.

A MALDI-TOF mass spectrometric method for rapid screening of protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) inhibitors has been developed. To circumvent the ion suppression of phosphorylated substrate peptides caused by the presence of high abundant non-phosphorylated peptides in the enzymatic reaction mixtures, a separation and enrichment process of the phosphorylated peptides from complex mixtures was carried out by using an in-house fabricated TiO(2) nanoparticle-coated capillary column prior to the MS analysis. With a synthetic phosphopeptide (DAIpYAAPFAKKK), of which the sequence is similar to that of the substrate (EAIYAAPFAKKK) of the Abelson tyrosine kinase (Abl), as the internal standard, the signal ratio of the phosphorylated substrate to the standard detected by MALDI-TOF MS is linearly correlated with the molar ratio of the two phosphopeptides over the range of 0.3 to 3 with r(2) = 0.99. We validated the MS method by determining the IC(50) value of imatinib, an Abl inhibitor for clinical treatment of chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML). The obtained IC(50) value (234 nM) is consistent with that determined by ELISA (291 nM). Then, six analogues of imatinib synthesized in our laboratory were screened using the method, giving rise to inhibitory potential results which are in good agreement with the docking analysis data. The developed method is sensitive, operationally simple, does not require isotope-labelling and is cost/time effective, providing an alterative method for rapid screening of PTK inhibitors as therapeutic agents for tumours.

Ceria-zirconia composites at different molar ratios were synthesized. Several methods were used to characterize these composites, including X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, surface area and surface acid-base property detection. A one-step method for isolation and identification of phosphopeptides from peptide mixture was created using these ceria-zirconia composites. Using tryptic digest of standard phosphorylated protein, we have shown that these enrichment and dephosphorylation activities are effective. The adsorption capacity and catalytic property of ceria-zirconia composites at different molar ratios and calcinated temperatures were studied. In combination with MALDI-TOF-based peptide mass finger printing technique, we have established a method to utilize the enrichment/dephosphorylation dual properties of these ceria-zirconia composites for the analysis of phosphoprotein in nonfat milk successfully.

In our current work, we describe how open tubular-immobilized metal-ion affinity chromatography (OT-IMAC) capillary columns connected to a solid phase microextraction (in-tube SPME) device can be used for the enrichment of phosphopeptides. A phosphonate modified silica nanoparticle (NP)-deposited capillary was prepared by liquid phase deposition (LPD), and used for the immobilization of Fe(3+), Zr(4+) or Ti(4+). The enrichment capacities of three different OT-IMAC capillary columns were compared by using tryptically digested alpha-casein as sample. The improved extraction efficiency in our technique was demonstrated by comparing to a directly modified capillary, and a comparison of phosphopeptide extraction from simple and complex samples was tested for both modes. Our results show that the NP-IMAC-Zr(4+) capillary column can be used to selectively isolate phosphopeptides from real samples, and can enrich for beta-casein phosphopeptides from concentrations as low as 1.7x10(-9) M.

We present a method to analyze mosaic gratings' error in order to make large scale grating. The gratings' rotation condition and phase condition are designed to be controlled by the Moire fringes formed on the reference grating. The orientation and period of the Moire fringes can show the grating's rotation condition, and the phase can express the grating's phase condition. The phase congruence of the Moire fringes and the mosaic gratings is researched when the planes of reference grating and the mosaic grating's substrate are not parallel. In addition mosaic gratings' phase error brought by the drift of optical path difference is presented. And mosaic gratings' errors caused by the movement of workbench during the two exposure are analyzed. Considering all of the errors above the mosaic gratings' error is about 0.15λ. And the value is near the request of mosaic grating which is designed to be used for pulse compressor. Finally the precision of mosaic gratings' error is confirmed by the experiment. The analysis of holographic mosaic gratings' error provides the theoretical support for making large scale gratings.

To preliminarily explore the effect of combination of volar buttress plate with external fixator for the distal radial fractures of type C3 caused by high-energy injuries.From January 2001 to June 2007, 13 patients with distal radial fracture of type C3, 9 males and 4 females aged from 26 to 47 (average 37 years), were treated with volar buttress plate combined with external fixator plus the techniques of K-wires and bone grafting as necessary, whose effects were evaluated preliminarily through comparing the volar tilt, radial inclination, radial shortening and wrist function.Followed up from 7 to 29 months (average 18 months), the volar tilt, radial inclination, radial shortening and wrist function of all patients recovered remarkably. Nine patients achieved excellent and 4 good according to Sarmiento score (modified by Stewart) in the radiological manifestation, while 5 patients displayed excellent, 6 good, and 2 fair according to Gartland-Werley functional assessment system.1) Volar buttress plate could support the valor cortex in order to prevent comminuted fragment from displacing and maintain volar tilt and to provide the volar fulcrum for external fixator. 2) External fixator, with the assistance of volar fulcrum, could maintain the volar tilt and the height of distal radius and help unload the fossa. 3) Supplemental K-wires fixation and the bone graft may assist fracture stable.

To make analytes amenable for fluorescence (FL) detection, polymer monolith microextraction (PMME) coupled to high-performance liquid chromatography with FL detection was developed for the simultaneous determination of catechols and 5-hydroxyindoleamines (5-HIAs) from urine samples. In this method, a two-step pre-column derivatization method was employed to derivatize the analytes and a poly(methacrylic acid-co-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) monolithic capillary column was used as the extraction medium for PMME. The conditions for the derivatization and subsequent extraction of 5-HIAs and catechols derivatives were optimized. Using our optimum conditions, the detection limit of the target analytes were 0.11–21 nM. Reproducibility of the method was obtained with intra-day and inter-day relative standard deviations less than 12% and a recovery of higher than 82%. In this study, we show how our proposed method can be used as a rapid sensitive technique for the determination of catechols and 5-HIAs from urine samples.

A silica nanoparticle (NP)-deposited capillary fabricated by liquid-phase deposition (LPD) and modified with octadecyl groups was introduced for in-tube solid-phase microextraction coupled to high-performance liquid chromatography with UV detection (in-tube SPME–HPLC). The resultant capillary (60 cm × 50 μm I.D.) was demonstrated to be of higher extraction capacity by comparing with an octadecyl-grafted bare capillary and an octadecyl-grafted silica-coated capillary that was prepared by sol–gel chemistry. Two groups of compounds, endocrine disruptors and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, were used as model analytes to further evaluate extraction capacity of the silica NP-deposited capillary, and its reproducibility and stability was also investigated. The extraction time profiles were monitored for all the chemicals, and their limits of detection were calculated to be in the range of 0.42–0.78 and 0.034–0.19 ng/mL with RSD values of peak area less than 4.6%.

This paper was aimed at creating an empirical model in predicting highway slope failures associated with heavy rainfalls by artificial neural networks. The slope failure database for the model development in the Ali-shan area was established by the data collected from the Directorate General of Highways and field investigations. This database included 955 slope failure records from 1992 to 2001. The main factors extracted from the slope database belonged to three categories: topography, geology, and hydrology. The database was adopted to train and test the intended neural network. The learning and momentum rates used in the neural network are 0.7 and 0.3, respectively. The error rate of the trained neural network was 19.4%, which meant the slope failure model had an accuracy of greater than 80%. On the other hands, multivariate statistical analysis was also performed in analyzing the same slope failure database, and the accuracy is 75.29%. The accuracy comparison of the two models shows that the artificial neural networks performed better than the conventional multivariate statistical analysis.

Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) promoter-driven target gene could be specifically expressed in AFP-positive hepatoma. Escherichia coli purine nucleoside phosphorylase/6-methylpurine-2-deoxyriboside (PNP/MeP-dR) suicide gene system has powerful killing effects on tumor cells. This study was to investigate the specific killing effect of PNP/MeP-dR suicide gene system driven by an AFP promoter, AF0.3, on AFP-positive hepatoma cells.Inserting PNP gene into pAF0.3, a eukaryotic expression vector containing PNP gene, pAF0.3/PNP, was constructed. Then it was transfected into AFP-positive HepG2 and AFP-negative SMMC7721 hepatoma cell lines, respectively. Two cell lines HepG2/AF0.3-PNP and SMMC7721/AF0.3-PNP, stably transfected with PNP gene, were obtained with G418 selection. The expression of PNP gene was detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The proliferation of HepG2/AF0.3-PNP and SMMC7721/AF0.3-PNP cells was determined with trypan blue exclusion. The sensitivity of the cells to MeP-dR and the bystander effects were assessed with MTT assay and flow cytometry (FCM). The enzymatic activities of PNP gene products were determined with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).Whether hypoxia or normoxia, HepG2/AF0.3-PNP cells were sensitive to MeP-dR, whereas SMMC7721/AF0.3-PNP cells were not. Under both conditions, obvious cytotoxic effects on HepG2 cells were observed when the proportion of HepG2/AF0.3-PNP cells in the mixture reached 25%. But there were no similar effects on SMMC7721 cells under the same conditions. HPLC assay showed that the product of PNP gene driven by AF0.3 promoter could convert a spot of MeP-dR into 6-MP in HepG2 cells, but not in SMMC7721 cells.PNP/MeP-dR system, driven by AF0.3 promoter, has powerful killing effect on AFP-positive hepatoma HepG2 cells.

The beam sampling grating (BSG) is one of the important diffractive optical elements used in the final target system of the inertial confinement fusion (ICF). The BSG is designed in this paper. By use of optical holographic theory, achromatic optical system on recording holographic BSG mask is designed. Its aberration is analyzed by using optical design software. Meantime, the diffraction efficiency of the BSG is discussed by using rigorous coupled-wave theory. Maintaining spatial uniformity of the diffraction efficiency across the grating aperture (320mm×320mm) is the most challenging processing requirement. The results shows: there are duty cycle and groove depth in grating parameter, the groove depth is more important to spatial uniformity of diffraction efficiency. Some useful information for practical fabrication of the BSG is given also. A prototype beam sampling grating will be fabricated in late 2005.

Ataxia telangiectasis is caused by the mutation of AT gene (ATM) and it is characterized by hypersensitivity to the radiation. In order to investigate the relationship between ATM mRNA expression of K562 and SiHA two kinds of tumor cell lines and their cell cycle restardation after gamma-irradiation, their ATM mRNA expressions were measured by semi-quantitive RT-PCR and the cells were irradiated at the dose of 6, 10 and 15 Gy of (60)Co gamma ray and the change of the apoptosis and cell cycle arrest phenomenon were observed at the time of 6, 12, 24, 48 and 60 hours after irradiation. The results showed that the ATM mRNA relative expression level of K562 cell line was 0.04, that of SiHA cell line was 0.80, the ATM transcript levels in SiHA cells were 20 times as much as that in K562. In conclusion, the G(2)/M phase restardation after irradiation was observed in both cell lines, whereas SiHA exhibited a much stronger cell cycle restardation, a self-protection function, than that of K562.