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It is known that Ni-based superalloys experience microstructural rafting during high temperature straining. This paper presents a comparative study of the different rafting models by means of finite element modeling and experimentation investigation. It was found that uniaxial elastic loading does not alter the misfit or misfit isotropy of the structure, but causes repartitioning of the misfit into elastic strains in the γ and γ' phases. This causes an elastic strain energy anisotropy and hydrostatic stress anisotropy among the vertical and horizontal γ phase channels. Both anisotropies predict a raft structure that is contrary to the experimental observation. Through a carefully designed pre-treatment at 750 °C and under a uniaxial stress of 750 MPa, an anisotropic dislocation structure was created on the {001} γ'/γ interfaces without altering the cuboidal morphology of the γ' phase. This allows the evaluation of the influence of dislocations on the rafting behavior of the alloy. It was found that rafting occurred in the pre-treated samples containing anisotropic dislocation structures during thermal exposure without applied stress, instead of isotropic corsening, and that the raft structures conform to the expectations base don the anistropic dislocation strucutres. This demonstrates that an anisotropic dislocation structure on the {001} γ'/γ interfaces is a direct cause of rafting. This is attributted to the fact that dislocations on γ'/γ interfaces help to relax the local misfit strains, causing some to expand at the expense of others. At the same time, the formation of the anisotropic dislocation structure is a direct result of the anisotropy of elastic strains induced by the applied bia stess in during the pre-treatment. These explain the complex interplay of the elastic and plastic models reported the literature.

Modern in situ oxidation processes can be observed down to the nanoscale using environmental transmission electron microscope (TEM), and this technology has been applied to conventional corrosion science to provide more detailed intrinsic information on the oxidation properties of materials. The influence of chromium (0–10 at.%) addition on the microstructure and oxidation properties of a γ/γ′ two-phase Co82Al9W9-based superalloy was systematically investigated. The in situ oxidation behaviour of Cr-containing alloys was studied using environmental TEM, and the addition of moderate Cr amounts is suggested for the alloy design.

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is the principal cause of end-stage renal disease worldwide and few treatments are available. Because immunomodulators are pivotal to DKD pathophysiology, anti-inflammatory agents may be useful for treating DKD. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of micheliolide (MCL), a novel guaianolide sesquiterpene lactone with well-known anti-inflammatory effects, on DKD. Treatment with dimethylaminomicheliolide (DMAMCL), the pro-drug of MCL currently under clinical trial in oncology, protected the kidneys against proteinuria, renal failure, histopathological injury, and inflammation in db/db mice. This effect was associated with metadherin (Mtdh) downregulation. We observed aberrant upregulation of Mtdh in the kidneys of db/db mice and high-glucose (HG)-induced mouse tubular epithelial cells (mTECs). Downregulation of Mtdh obviously inhibited nuclear factor-κB signaling activation and suppressed its downstream inflammatory cytokines, such as monocyte chemotactic peptide-1, interleukin-1β, tumor necrosis factor-α, and interleukin-6 in HG-induced mTECs, which was similar to the effect of MCL. Mtdh overexpression largely reversed the anti-inflammatory role of MCL. Moreover, MCL downregulated Mtdh by both inhibiting the transcription level and promoting ubiquitin-mediated degradation. These findings suggest that DMAMCL is a promising anti-inflammatory agent useful for preventing renal injury in DKD by inhibiting Mtdh-mediated renal inflammation.

Micheliolide (MCL), derived from parthenolide (PTL), is known for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects and has multiple roles in inflammatory diseases and tumours. To investigate its effect on renal disease, we intragastrically administrated DMAMCL, a dimethylamino Michael adduct of MCL for in vivo use, in two renal fibrosis models-the unilateral ureteral occlusion (UUO) model and an ischaemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) model and used MCL in combination with transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1) on mouse tubular epithelial cells (mTEC) in vitro. The expression of fibrotic markers (fibronectin and α-SMA) was remarkably reduced, while the expression of the epithelial marker E-cadherin was restored after DMAMCL treatment both in the UUO and IRI mice. MCL function in TGF-β1-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in mTEC was consistent with the in vivo results. Metadherin (Mtdh) was activated in the fibrotic condition, suggesting that it might be involved in fibrogenesis. Interestingly, we found that while Mtdh was upregulated in the fibrotic condition, DMAMCL/MCL could suppress its expression. The overexpression of Mtdh exerted a pro-fibrotic effect by modulating the BMP/MAPK pathway in mTECs, and MCL could specifically reverse this effect. In conclusion, DMAMCL/MCL treatment represents a novel and effective therapy for renal fibrosis by suppressing the Mtdh/BMP/MAPK pathway.

A closed-loop supply chain system consisting of one manufacturer with random yield and one retailer with random demand is discussed in this paper. The models of expected profit of supply chain system are founded under centralized decision and decentralized decision, respectively. The optimal strategies of yield and order are obtained in two modes. It is proved that the order of retailer is not affected by yield randomness. That is showed by numerical example, the results show: the scheduled production of new product for manufacture will decrease and the total profit and each participant of supply chain will increase as recovery price increases, when the cost of remanufacturing production is lower than the new product.

Inflammation is a relevant factor in the pathogenesis of diabetes nephropathy (DN). Sesquiterpene lactones (SLs), originally isolated fromTanacetum parthenium, have been reported to exhibit anti-inflammatory effects but few studies have examined their effects on DN. To determine whether advanced oxidation protein products (AOPPs) can induce the expression of chemokine monocyte chemoattractant protein- (MCP-) 1 in cultured mouse podocytes and to explore the mechanisms of the potential renoprotection of SLs, we treated podocytes with AOPPs and SLs (parthenolide and its derivatives micheliolide, compound 1, and compound 2). MCP-1 mRNA and protein expression were tested using quantitative real-time PCR and ELISA, respectively, and the protein levels of IKKβ, phospho-IKKβ, IκBα, NF-κB p65, phospho-NF-κB p65, and tubulin were analyzed by Western blotting. AOPPs activated the expression of MCP-1 mRNA and protein in a dose- and time-dependent manner, activated IKKβand NF-κB p65, and promoted IκBαdegradation. The IKK/NF-κB inhibitor parthenolide decreased AOPP-induced MCP-1 expression. Pretreatment with SLs inhibited MCP-1 mRNA and protein expression and suppressed IKKβand NF-κB p65 phosphorylation and IκBαdegradation. Taken together, these findings provide a novel explanation for the anti-inflammatory effects of SLs that will ultimately benefit DN and potentially other inflammatory and immune renal diseases.

This paper reports a study of time-resolved deformation process at the atomic scale of a nanocrystalline Pt thin film captured in situ under a transmission electron microscope. The main mechanism of plastic deformation was found to evolve from full dislocation activity-enabled plasticity in large grains (with grain size d > 10 nm), to partial dislocation plasticity in smaller grains (with grain size 10 nm d d

Using state-of-the-art atomic scale super energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and high angle annular dark field imaging this study reveals the elemental partitioning preference between the γ′ and γ phases in a Co-Al-W-Ti-Ta superalloy and the site preference of its alloying elements in the ordered L12 γ′ phase. A semi-quantitative analysis of atomic column compositions in the ordered L12 γ′ structure is provided. Co atoms were found to occupy the {1/2, 1/2, 0} face-center positions whereas Al, W, Ti and Ta atoms prefer to occupy the {0, 0, 0} cube corner positions in the L12 γ phase. These findings agree well with predictions from first principles simulations in the literature.

The northern root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne hapla) is a damaging nematode that has caused serious economic losses worldwide. In the present study, a sensitive, simple and rapid method was developed for detection of M. hapla in infested plant roots by combining a Flinders Technology Associates (FTA) card with loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP). The specific primers of LAMP were designed based on the distinction of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences between M. hapla and other Meloidogyne spp. The LAMP assay can detect nematode genomic DNA at concentrations low to 1/200 000, which is 100 times more sensitive than conventional PCR. The LAMP was able to highly specifically distinguish M. hapla from other closely related nematode species. Furthermore, the advantages of the FTA-LAMP assay to detect M. hapla were demonstrated by assaying infected root galls that were artificially inoculated. In addition, M. hapla was successfully detected from six of forty-two field samples using FTA-LAMP technology. This study was the first to provide a simple diagnostic assay for M. hapla using the LAMP assay combined with FTA technology. In conclusion, the new FTA-LAMP assay has the potential for diagnosing infestation in the field and managing the pathogen M. hapla.

For sedentary endo-parasitic nematodes, parasitism genes encoding secretory protein expressed in the subventral glands cells always play an important role during the early parasitic process. A new acid phosphatase gene (Ha-acp1) expressed in the subventral glands of the cereal cyst nematode (Heterodera avenae) was cloned and the characteristics of the gene were analyzed. Results showed that the gene had a putative signal peptide for secretion and in situ hybridization showed that the transcripts of Ha-acp1 accumulated specifically in the subventral gland cells of H. avenae. Southern blot analysis suggested that Ha-acp1 belonged to a multigene family. RT-PCR analysis indicated that this transcription was strong at the pre-parasitic juveniles. Knocking down Ha-acp1 using RNA interference technology could reduce nematode infectivity by 50%, and suppress the development of cyst. Results indicated that Ha-acp1 could play an important role in destroying the defense system of host plants.

Glyphosate-resistant (GR) transgenic soybean has never been cultivated commercially in China. It is essential to develop the separation measures required to prevent out-crossing between GR and conventional soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) by characterizing the transgene flow before GR soybean is released. In this study, the transgene flow from a GR transgenic soybean AG5601 to conventional soybeans was characterized. First, natural out-crossing rate was evaluated using 36 conventional soybean varieties interplanted with GR soybean AG5601 transformed with a cp4 EPSPS gene conferring the resistance to herbicide glyphosate in the field in 2007 and 2008 in China. Second, drift distance of cp4 EPSPS gene from GR soybean AG5601 to soybean cv. Zhonghuang13 was evaluated using the progenies harvested from eight directions at different distance. Third, the relationship of gene flow of GR soybean AG5601 with flowering synchronization days or insect pollinators of each variety was analyzed using regression analysis. Thirty-two of 36 tested conventional soybean varieties had surviving progenies after two times of sprays of glyphosate, and 49 of 41,679 progenies were verified to be glyphosate-tolerant heterozygous offspring. The out-crossing rates in positive varieties (having surviving offspring after two times of sprays of glyphosate) ranged from 0.039 to 0.934 %. The farthest distance (drift distance) between soybean AG5601 and cv. Zhonghuang13 at which out-pollinating was still able to be observed was 15 m, with an out-crossing rate of 0.012 %. Regression analysis showed that there was a positive relationship between cross-pollination frequency and flowering synchronization days or pollinator insects. Therefore, when GR soybean is released to the field, it should be critically separated with the conventional soybean in space and cultivation time with efficient insect control during flowering.

This work for the first time demonstrated that hierarchically meso–mesoporous silicas can be facilely prepared in a simple ternary non-ionic surfactant templating system (TEOS/HCl(aq.)/P123) based on a previously reported partitioned cooperative self-assembly (PCSA) principle. As a result, unique clew-like hierarchically meso–mesoporous (HMM) silica particles with the first mode of worm-like mesostructures (3D-interconnected wormholes with pore size of 7–10 nm) and the second mode of 3D-interconnected intra-particulate mesochannels (16–32 nm in sizes) can be obtained in a controllable way without resorting to complicated synthesis procedures or special additives or multi-templates. Associated with the large mesopore sizes in both modes, very large mesoporosity (up to 2.37 cm3 g−1) can be achieved. Based on systematic investigations on the synthesis conditions, synthesis domains for preparation of such HMM silicas were also presented. It is proposed that the formation of two mode mesoporosities follows different mechanisms: the first mode mesoporosity results from the self-assembly between P123 and silicate, though it is shown to be disordered due to the partitioning effect, while the formation of the second mode mesoporosity starts from loosely packed silicate/P123 hybrid aggregates/flocs formed upon the 1st addition of TEOS, and then is initiated and finished by the 2nd TEOS addition. This synthesis protocol therefore constitutes a new, simple and reliable pathway to prepare HMM silicas.

Various appealing applications of mesoporous TiO2 continuously spur research on related mesostructural design as well as innovations in preparation. This paper reports a novel high temperature and water-based evaporation-induced self-assembly (HW-EISA) approach based on a simple ternary templating system (peroxotitanic acid/P123/H2O), enabling the facile and rapid synthesis of nanocrystalline mesoporous TiO2 with unusual structures: high surface areas (140–240 m2 g−1), ultra-large mesopores (20–30 nm)/pore volumes (0.7–1.0 cm3 g−1) and tunable bicrystallinity (anatase plus rutile). The unusual templating and subsequent decomposition behaviors of P123 were newly unveiled to play crucial and multiple roles in inducing self-assembly between peroxotitanic acid and P123 for final meso-TiO2 with ultra-large mesopores/pore volumes during the HW-EISA and helping preserve the integrity of mesostructures during calcination and rendering bicrystallinity in the titania frameworks as well. Other PEO-based nonionic surfactants were also demonstrated to be applicable in producing similar mesostructures. The photocatalytic testing results showed that both high surface areas and the synergistic effects of bicrystallinity of anatase plus rutile are of great significance in enhancing the photocatalytic properties of meso-TiO2.

Plant-parasitic nematodes have developed a series of enzymes to degrade the rigid plant cell wall; β-1,4-endoglucanase is a very important component. Ditylenchus destructor is a migratory endoparasite for which few molecular data have been published. Two novel β-1,4-endoglucanases (Dd-eng-1a and Dd-eng-2) were cloned and characterised from D. destructor. The DD-ENG-1A putative protein consists of a signal peptide, a catalytic domain and a carbohydrate-binding module (CBM). By contrast, the CBM domain is absent from DD-ENG-2. The exon/intron structure and phylogenetic tree indicate that both cellulase genes could have evolved from common ancestral genes. Southern blotting confirmed that the β-1,4-endoglucanases were of nematode origin and a member of a small multi-gene family. In situ hybridisation localised the expression of Dd-eng-1a and Dd-eng-2 to the subventral pharyngeal glands. RT-PCR showed that both genes were expressed in the adult female and second-stage juvenile. The stylet secretions of D. destructor showed clear cellulase activity in carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) plate assay, and similar results were observed in total homogenates and DD-ENG-1A and DD-ENG-2 recombinant proteins. These results demonstrated that D. destructor can produce and secrete functional cellulases. Silencing the putative β-1,4-endoglucanases by double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) resulted in an average decrease in infection of 50%. Successful RNAi in vitro was demonstrated in this study, which confirmed that Dd-eng-1a and Dd-eng-2 play important roles in nematode parasitism.

Rationale:The incidence exercise-induced rhabdomyolysis is increasing in the healthy general population. Rhabdomyolysis can lead to the life-threatening systemic complications of acute kidney injury (AKI), compartment syndrome, and disseminated intravascular coagulopathy.Patient concerns:A 2

This study investigated a novel hypothesis on the influences of residual or pre-dislocation structures on creep life of Ni-based single crystal superalloys. Different types of anisotropic dislocation structures were created by pre-straining the samples at a relatively low temperature under different constant bias load conditions. After such pre-straining treatment, the samples were subjected to creep testing at higher temperatures under uniaxial tension. It was found that the pre-straining treatment was effective in creating different anisotropic dislocation structures without affecting the γ′ phase cuboid morphology and that the samples containing different anisotropic dislocation structures have all significantly reduced creep lives. The difference in the anisotropy of the dislocation structures has little influence on the reduction of the creep life or the rafting morphology of the γ′ phase cuboids. By using a Re-free alloy, the influence of the TCP phase precipitation on creep life is also clarified. These observations suggest that interruption to high temperature straining is the main contributor to the reduced creep lives. This finding raises a serious concern on the validity, or reliability, of creep life assessment based on continuous laboratory creep tests for real life applications, where the services are almost always interrupted into intermittent sessions. Keywords: Ni-based superalloys, Creep, Dislocation structures, Anisotropy, Pre-straining treatment

Background: Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) plays an important role in extracellular matrix accumulation through macrophage recruitment and activation in the development and progression of diabetic nephropathy. Therefore, this study examined whether advanced oxidation protein products (AOPPs) are involved in nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activation and MCP-1 mRNA and protein expression in mesangial cells (MCs) and evaluated the effects of derivatives of sesquiterpene lactones (SLs) on AOPP-induced renal damage. Methods: MCP-1 mRNA and protein expression in MCs were determined by quantitative real-time PCR and ELISA, respectively. The level of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) was determined by flow cytometry. The protein expression of tubulin, P47, NF-κB p65, phospho-NF-κB p65, IκB, phospho-IκB, IKKß and phospho-IKKß was evaluated by Western blot. Results: AOPPs caused oxidative stress in MCs and activated the NF-κB pathway by inducing IκBa phosphorylation and degradation. Inhibition of ROS by SOD (ROS inhibitor) blocked the AOPP-mediated NF-κB pathway. Moreover, the inhibition of AOPP-induced overproduction of MCP-1 mRNA and protein was associated with inhibition of IκBa degradation by SLs. Conclusion: AOPPs induce MCP-1 expression by activating the ROS/NF-κB pathway and can be inhibited by SLs. These findings may provide a novel approach to treat inflammatory and immune renal diseases, including diabetic nephropathy.

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is one of the most common and serious chronic complications of diabetes mellitus, however, no efficient clinical drugs exist for the treatment of DN. We selected and synthesized several sesquiterpene lactones (SLs), and then used the MTT assay to detect rat mesangial cells (MCs) proliferation, ELISA to measure the expression level of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β1) and fibronectin(FN), real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR analysis to measure the MCP-1 and TGF-β1 gene expression, western blot to detect the level of IκBα protein and EMSA to measure the activation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB). We discovered that SLs, including parthenolide (PTL), micheliolide (MCL), arglabin, and isoalantolactone (IAL), as well as several synthetic analogs of these molecules, could effectively attenuate the high glucose-stimulated activation of NF-κB, the degradation of IκBα, and the expression of MCP-1, TGF-β1 and FN in rat mesangial cells (MCs). These findings suggest that SLs and their derivatives have potential as candidate drugs for the treatment of DN.

The receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL) and its receptor RANK are overexpressed in focal segmental glomerular sclerosis (FSGS), IgA nephropathy (IgAN), and membranous nephropathy (MN). However, the expression and the potential roles of RANKL and RANK in diabetic nephropathy (DN) remain unclear. Irbesartan (Irb) has beneficial effects against diabetes-induced renal damage, but its mechanisms are poorly understood. Our present study investigated the effects of Irb in DN and whether the renal protective effects of Irb are mediated by RANKL/RANK and the downstream NF-κB pathway in db/db mice. Our results showed that db/db mice revealed severe metabolic abnormalities, renal dysfunction, podocyte injury, and increased MCP-1; these symptoms were reversed by Irb. At the molecular level, RANKL and RANK were overexpressed in the kidneys of db/db mice and Irb downregulated RANKL and RANK and inhibited the downstream NF-κB pathway. Our study suggests that Irb can ameliorate DN by suppressing the RANKL-RANK-NF-κB pathway.

Apoptosis, one of the major causes of podocyte loss, has been reported to have a vital role in diabetic nephropathy (DN) pathogenesis, and understanding the mechanisms underlying the regulation of podocyte apoptosis is crucial. Metadherin (MTDH) is an important oncogene, which is overexpressed in most cancers and responsible for apoptosis, metastasis, and poor patient survival. Here we show that the expression levels of Mtdh and phosphorylated p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) are significantly increased, whereas those of the microRNA-30 family members (miR-30s) are considerably reduced in the glomeruli of DN rat model and in high glucose (HG)-induced conditionally immortalized mouse podocytes (MPC5). These levels are positively correlated with podocyte apoptosis rate. The inhibition of Mtdh expression, using small interfering RNA, but not Mtdh overexpression, was shown to inhibit HG-induced MPC5 apoptosis and p38 MAPK pathway, and Bax and cleaved caspase 3 expression. This was shown to be similar to the effects of p38 MAPK inhibitor (SB203580). Furthermore, luciferase assay results demonstrated that Mtdh represents the target of miR-30s. Transient transfection experiments, using miR-30 microRNA (miRNA) inhibitors, led to the increase in Mtdh expression and induced the apoptosis of MPC5, whereas the treatment with miR-30 miRNA mimics led to the reduction in Mtdh expression and apoptosis of HG-induced MPC5 cells in comparison with their respective controls. Our results demonstrate that Mtdh is a potent modulator of podocyte apoptosis, and that it represents the target of miR-30 miRNAs, facilitating podocyte apoptosis through the activation of HG-induced p38 MAPK-dependent pathway.

Aims The aim of this research was to investigate the effects of cyclopropanyldehydrocostunolide (also named LJ), a derivative of sesquiterpene lactones (SLs), on high glucose (HG)-induced podocyte injury and the associated molecular mechanisms. Methods Differentiated mouse podocytes were incubated in different treatments. The migration and albumin filtration of podocytes were examined by Transwell filters. The protein and mRNA levels of MCP-1 were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and quantitative real-time PCR (q-PCR). Protein expression and phosphorylation were detected by western blot, and the nuclear translocation of NF-κB was performed with a confocal microscope. The gene expression of the receptor activator for NF-κB (RANK) was silenced by small interfering RNA (siRNA). Results Our results showed that HG enhanced migration, albumin filtration and MCP-1 expression in podocytes. At the molecular level, HG promoted the phosphorylation of NF-κB/p65, IKKβ, IκBα, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and the nuclear translocation of p65. LJ reversed the effects of HG in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, our data provided the first demonstration that the receptor activator for NF-κB ligand (RANKL) and its cognate receptor RANK were overexpressed in HG-induced podocytes and were downregulated by LJ. RANK siRNA also attenuated HG-induced podocyte injury and markedly inhibited the activation of NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways. Conclusions LJ attenuates HG-induced podocyte injury by suppressing RANKL/RANK-mediated NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways.

Pectate lyases are known to play a key role in pectin degradation by catalyzing the random cleavage of internal polymer linkages (endo-pectinases). In this paper, four novel cDNAs, designated Hg-pel-3, Hg-pel-4, Hg-pel-6 and Hg-pel-7, that encode pectate lyases were cloned and characterized from the soybean cyst nematode, Heterodera glycines. The predicted protein sequences of HG-PEL-3, HG-PEL-4 and HG-PEL-6 differed significantly in both their amino acid sequences and their genomic structures from other pectate lyases of H. glycines (HG-PEL-1, HG-PEL-2 and HG-PEL-7). A phylogenetic study revealed that the pectate lyase proteins of H. glycines are clustered into distinct clades and have distinct numbers and positioning of introns, which suggests that the pectate lyase genes of H. glycines may have evolved from at least two ancestral genes. A Southern blot analysis revealed that multiple Hg-pel-6-like genes were present in the H. glycines genome. In situ hybridization showed that four novel pectate lyases (Hg-pel-3, Hg-pel-4, Hg-pel-6 and Hg-pel-7) were actively transcribed in the subventral esophageal gland cells. A semi-quantitative RT-PCR assay supported the finding that the expression of these genes was strong in the egg, pre-parasitic second-stage juvenile (J2) and early parasitic J2 stages and that it declined in further developmental stages of the nematode. This expression pattern suggests that these proteins play a role in the migratory phase of the nematode life cycle. Knocking down Hg-pel-6 using in vitro RNA interference resulted in a 46.9% reduction of the number of nematodes that invaded the plants and a 61.5% suppression of the development of H. glycines females within roots compared to the GFP-dsRNA control. Plant host-derived RNAi induced the silencing of the Hg-pel-6gene, which significantly reduced the nematode infection levels at 7 Days post inoculation (dpi). Similarly, this procedure reduced the number of female adults at 40 dpi, which suggests the important roles of this gene in the early stages of parasitism. Our combined data suggest that two types of pectate lyases are present in the H. glycines genome and may have different roles during infection.

Prior studies have shown that the levels of some platelet (PLT) indices were associated with mortality in patients undergoing hemodialysis. We aimed to investigate whether the changes in PLT indices associated with mortality in patients on peritoneal dialysis (PD). A single-center, retrospective observational cohort study was conducted in incident PD patients from 1 January 2006 to 31 December 2012, and followed up until 31 December 2014. Cox proportional hazard models were used to examine the relationships between the levels of PLT indices including PLT, plateletcrit (PCT), mean platelet volume (MPV), platelet distribution width (PDW), platelet large cell ratio (PLCR), and mortality. Of 1324 patients, 276 (20.8%) died during follow-up (median, 37; IQR, 3-107.4 months), among which 134 were due to cardiovascular diseases (CVD). The highest tertile of PLT levels at baseline was associated with increased risk for cardiovascular mortality after adjustment for demographic, clinical characteristics, and laboratory variables (hazard ratio [HR]:1.93; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.16-3.20). The similar treads were also observed in the middle and the highest tertile of the PCT level (HR: 1.68, 95%CI: 1.00-2.81 and HR: 1.89, 95%CI: 1.14-3.14, respectively). In addition, the highest tertile of PCT was associated with increased all-cause mortality (HR: 1.41, 95%CI: 1.01-1.96). However, none of the associations in MPV, PDW, and PLCR analyses reached statistical significance (HR: 0.71, 95%CI: 0.43-1.16; HR: 0.72, 95%CI: 0.45-1.18 and HR: 0.74, 95%CI: 0.46-1.19, respectively). These results suggest that higher PLT and PCT may be associated with higher risk for cardiovascular mortality in incident PD patients. Additional studies are needed to investigate whether correction of these two PLT indices reduces the risk.

Parasitism genes encoding secretory proteins expressed in the pharyngeal glands of plant-parasitic nematodes play a crucial role in nematode parasitism of plants. Two new β-1,4-endoglucanase genes (Ha-eng-2 and Ha-eng-3) expressed in the pharyngeal glands of the sedentary cyst nematode, Heterodera avenae, were cloned. Both of the predicted proteins have a putative signal peptide for secretion and a catalytic domain. Neither peptide linkers nor cellulose binding domains were present. In situ hybridization showed that the transcripts of Ha-eng-2 and Ha-eng-3 accumulated specifically in the two subventral gland cells of H. avenae. RT-PCR analysis confirmed that their transcriptions were strong in the preparasitic and early parasitic second-stage juveniles, and were undetectable at the late parasitic stages of the nematode. Cellulase activities of the recombinant proteins HA-ENG-2 and HA-ENG-3 were confirmed in vitro. Knocking down Ha-eng-2 using RNA interference reduced nematode infectivity by 40%. The results indicate that these β-1,4-endoglucanases can be secreted into plant tissues and play an important role in the wall degradation of plant cells during penetration and the migration of second-stage juveniles in host roots.

Secretory proteins encoded by genes expressed in the pharyngeal gland cells of plant-parasitic nematodes have key roles in nematode parasitism of plants. A new β-1,4-endoglucanase gene (designated Ha-eng-1a) was isolated from the cereal cyst nematode Heterodera avenae. The cDNA of Ha-eng-1a encoded a deduced 463-amino acid sequence containing a catalytic domain and a cellulose binding module separated by a linker. The genomic DNA of Ha-eng-1a is 2,129-bp long, containing eight introns ranging from 56 bp to157 bp and nine exons ranging from 70 bp to 299 bp. Southern blot analysis revealed that the Ha-eng-1a gene has two copies. In situ hybridization showed that the Ha-eng-1a transcriptsspecifically accumulated in the two subventral gland cells of the second-stage juveniles. There was evidence for cellulase activity of the recombinant protein Ha-eng-1a in vitro. The results indicated that this β-1,4-endoglucanase gene may play a crucial role in plant cell wall-degradation during penetration and migration of nematodes in the host roots.

Parasitism genes encoding secretory proteins expressed in the pharyngeal glands of plant-parasitic nematodes play important roles in the parasitic process. A new expansin gene (Ha-expb1) expressed in the subventral glands of the sedentary cyst nematode, Heterodera avenae, was cloned. Southern blot analysis suggested that Ha-expb1 is a member of a multigene family. The deduced protein Ha-EXPB1 consists of a signal peptide, a CBM II and an expansin domain, and was significantly similar to expansins and expansin-like proteins from the potato cyst nematode, Globodera rostochiensis, and the pine wood nematodes, Bursaphelenchus spp. In situ hybridisation showed that Ha-expb1 transcript specifically accumulated in the two subventral gland cells of the second-stage juveniles. Developmental expression confirmed that its transcript abundances were high in the motile juvenile stages and low in the sedentary stage of the nematode, implying a role in the early parasitic-stage process, most likely in aiding migration within the plant.

In November 2015, an unknown leaf spot was observed during a survey of Capsicum frutescens L. var. longum Bailey growing in Tanniu town of Wenchang city. Small, water-soaked, grayish spots were present on the infected leaves initially. Typical symptoms showed irregular dark-brown lesions surrounded by a black halo between veins. The infected leaves eventually became wilted and dry. Symptomatic tissues from the junction of diseased and healthy leaf tissue were surface sterilized in 70% ethanol for 30 s, 0.1% mercuric chloride solution for 1 min, and washed three times with sterile distilled water, then placed on potato dextrose agar plates, incubated at 28 ± 1°C. The cultures were initially gray-white and then developed from gray-brown to dark brown. The colonies developed straight or slightly curved brown conidiophores. Conidia were also brown, 7.0 to 14.5 × 13.1 to 26.8 μm (avg. 10.8 × 21.5 μm) (n = 200) with three septa, curved at the third cell from the base that is the longest and darkest of the four cells. The apical and basal cells were subhyaline and shorter than the two middle cells. Morphological characteristics were similar to the descriptions for Curvularia lunata (Wakk.) (Ellis 1971). A pathogenicity test was conducted by spraying a conidial suspension (1 × 10⁶ conidia/ml) with 0.1% (v/v) Tween 20 on six healthy capsicum plants at early florescence, while another six healthy plants were sprayed with sterile water to serve as controls. The inoculated plants were covered by plastic bags then placed in plastic boxes filled to a depth of 5 cm water to maintain high relative humidity. After inoculation, the plants were incubated in a greenhouse at 28°C, 80% RH with a 12-h photoperiod for 72 h, and then removed from the plastic bags and boxes. About 7 days after inoculation, small water-soaked grayish spots began to appear on the inoculated plants. Seven to 14 days after inoculation, the spots quickly coalesced to form larger, irregular lesions surrounded by a black halo between the veins. Lesion color changed from gray-brown to dark brown, which was similar to those originally observed in the field. After 14 days, the inoculated plants began to wilt and the plants died 2 months after the inoculation, while the control plants remained healthy. The fungus was reisolated from the inoculated plants as described above, and the morphological characteristics of the reisolate were identical to the original isolate. Genomic DNA of the isolate was extracted from mycelium with a CTAB protocol (Xu and Leslie 1996). PCR amplification of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions from ribosomal DNA was performed with primers ITS1 and ITS4 (White et al. 1990). A 558-bp fragment was amplified and sequenced (GenBank accession no. KY971620). It showed 100% identity to C. lunata (KY077531.1). A pair of primers, ef-1f2 and ef-1r2, were also designed using the published sequence of elongation factor 1-alpha (EF1a) gene of the Curvularia species. An 881-bp fragment was amplified with these primers, which was sequenced (MF422530) and showed 100% identity to C. lunata (KX100866.1). On the basis of morphological and molecular characteristics, the isolate was identified as C. lunata (Wakk.). To our knowledge, this is the first report of leaf spot caused by C. lunata on C. frutescens in China.

We report the systematic study and design optimization of CMOS-compatible on-chip ferrite-integrated inductors, including detailed quantitative analysis by simulation and circuit modeling, new ferrite fabrication and characterization, ferrite-integrated-inductor design, measurement, and optimization. A new ferrite nanopowder-mixed-photoresist spin-coating/inkjetting technique is discussed. The design and characterization of ferrite-integrated inductors with various ferrite-filling structures are presented. Measurement shows substantial improvement of up to +160% in inductance (L) and + 220% in quality factor (Q) across the multigigahertz frequency spectrum with a self-resonance frequency (f 0) over 20 GHz for the new ferrite-integrated inductors. This study clearly suggests that the new ferrite-integrated inductor technique is a potential solution to the realization of radio-frequency systems-on-a-chip requiring high-performance compact on-chip inductors. This work is presented in two parts. Part I discusses the design and simulation of ferrite-integrated inductors. This paper is Part II, presenting experimental results for material research and device implementation.

We report a systematic investigation and design optimization of CMOS-compatible on-chip ferrite-integrated inductors, including a detailed quantitative analysis by simulation and circuit modeling, new ferrite material fabrication and characterization, and ferrite-integrated-inductor design, characterization, and optimization. A new ferrite nanopowder-mixed-photoresist spin-coating/inkjetting technique is discussed. The design and characterization of ferrite-integrated inductors with various ferrite-filling structures are presented. Measurement shows substantial improvement of up to +160% in inductance (L) and + 220% in quality factor (Q) across the multigigahertz frequency spectrum with a self-resonance frequency (f 0) of over 20 GHz for the new ferrite-integrated inductors. This paper clearly suggests that the new ferrite-integrated-inductor technique is a potentially viable solution to the realization of radio-frequency systems-on-a-chip requiring high-performance compact on-chip inductors. This work is presented in two parts. This paper is Part I, discussing the design and simulation of ferrite-integrated inductors. Part II discusses the experimental work, including material research and device implementation.

Ferrite thin-film RF integrated inductors using IC compatible processes are proposed and also demonstrated by experiments. Ferrites (Co-based, MnZn-based, NiZn-based and YFe garnet) for RF integrated inductors are investigated, and CoZrO ferrite shows the suitable high-frequency performance for RF applications. Various inductors with different kinds of ferrite thin-films have been fabricated using fully integrated processes. A typical inductor sample with COZrO thin-film is presented. The L and Q values of the sample are 2.05 nH and 20.5 at 2 GHz, respectively. The inductance is raised by 17% and the quality factor is raised by 41%, compared with the inductor, which doesn’t include ferrite thin-film. With the improvement of L and Q, the size of ferrite thin-film inductors can be reduced significantly.

This paper presents a new modeling technique, entitled extended MagPEEC model, which can be used to simulate arbitrary three-dimensional conductor-magnet structures of any geometry with direct conductor-magnet interfaces included. The new model was validated using a sample coaxial transmission line structure and was applied to investigate a group of super compact six-layer stacked spiral radio frequency integrated circuits (RFICs) inductor structures with various magnetic media integrated inside. This new modeling technique can be used to assist design of complex conductor-magnet structures including various magnetic-enhanced inductors for RFIC applications.

This paper presents magPEEC, a new 3D electro-magnetic modeling technique that extends the existing PEEC approach to analyze arbitrary conductor-magnet structures by accounting for fictitious magnetized currents on a magnetic material surface. Applications for magnetic-cored/layered spiral inductors demonstrate validity and accuracy of magPEEC. Possible solutions to improve RF IC inductors using magnetic cores are discussed. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 38: 237–240, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com).DOI 10.1002/mop.11025

An accurate model is presented for micromachined on-chip spiral inductors, in which the high-frequency current crowding effects in metal traces are considered by simplified partial element equivalent circuits, and the substrate parasitics are extracted by the parametric modeling method. The model has been confirmed by both measurements and the results from the 3-dimensional finite element method. This equivalent circuit model enables the prediction and optimization of high-Q micromachined spiral inductors in gigahertz frequencies. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J RF and Microwave CAE 13: 229–238, 2003.

Rakicidin A is a cyclic depsipeptide that has exhibited unique growth inhibitory activity against chronic myelogenous leukemia stem cells. Furthermore, rakicidin A has five chiral centers with unknown stereochemical assignment, and thus, can be represented by one of 32 possible stereoisomers. To predict the most probable stereochemistry of rakicidin A, calculations and structural comparison with natural cyclic depsipeptides were applied. A total synthesis of the proposed structure was subsequently completed and highlighted by the creation of a sterically hindered ester bond (C1-C15) through trans-acylation from an easily established isomer (C1-C13). The analytic data of the synthetic target were consistent with that of natural rakicidin A, and then the absolute configuration of rakicidin A was assigned as 2S, 3S, 14S, 15S, 16R. This work suggests strategies for the determination of unknown chiral centers in other cyclic depsipeptides, such as rakicidin B, C, D, BE-43547, and vinylamycin, and facilitates the investigations of rakicidin A as an anticancer stem cell agent.

To investigate the effect of the serum of rats fed with Shenkang pill in regulating monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1) expression induced by advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP) in mouse podocyte clone 5 (MPC5) and explore the underlying mechanism.MPC5 cultured in vitro were incubated for different time lengths in the presence of different concentrations of serum of rats medicated with Shenkang pill, and the cell proliferation was assessed using MTT assay. In MPC5 treated with AOPP prior to exposure to the rat serum, the changes in the protein expressions of p38MAPK and IκBα were examined with Western blotting, NF-κB p65 nuclear translocation was analyzed with immunofluorescence assay, and MCP-1 expression in the supernatant was determined using ELISA kits.The medicated rat serum time- and concentration-dependently promoted the proliferation of MPC5, with the optimal serum concentration of 5% and incubation time of 24 h. AOPP significantly increased MCP-1 expression in the cell supernatant in a time-and concentration-dependent manner; pretreatment with SB203580 (a p38 inhibitor) or parthenolide (a NF-κB inhibitor) significantly decreased MCP-1 expression, and treatment with the medicated serum significantly decreased AOPP-induced MCP-1 expression. AOPP concentration-dependently increased the protein expression of P-p38 but decreased that of IκBα. Both the medicated serum and SB203580 increased IκBα protein in AOPP-induced cells, but the effect was more obvious with the medicated serum. The medicated serum also decreased NF-κB p65 nuclear translocation in AOPP-induced MPC5.Shenkang pill-medicated serum can decrease AOPP-induced expression of MPC-1 in MPC5 by regulating p38MAPK/NF-κB to mediate its anti-inflammatory effect. This finding provides a new theoretical basis for the application of Shenkang pill to treat diabetic nephropathy.

The soybean cyst nematode, Heterodera glycines, is an important pest of soybeans. Although resistance is available against this nematode, selection for virulent races can occur, allowing the nematode to overcome the resistance of cultivars. There are abundant field populations, however, little is known about their genetic diversity. In order to elucidate the differences between races, we investigated the transcriptional diversity within race 3 and race 4 inbred lines during their compatible interactions with the soybean host Zhonghuang 13. Six different race-enriched cDNA libraries were constructed with limited nematode samples collected from the three sedentary stages, parasitic J2, J3 and J4 female, respectively. Among 689 putative race-enriched genes isolated from the six libraries with functional annotations, 92 were validated by quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR), including eight putative effector encoding genes. Further race-enriched genes were validated within race 3 and race 4 during development in soybean roots. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis of all the race-enriched genes at J3 and J4 female stages showed that most of them functioned in metabolic processes. Relative transcript level analysis of 13 selected race-enriched genes at four developmental stages showed that the differences in their expression abundance took place at either one or more developmental stages. This is the first investigation into the transcript diversity of H. glycines races throughout their sedentary stages, increasing the understanding of the genetic diversity of H. glycines.

To explore the effects of parthenolide (PTL) on high glucose-stimulated cell proliferation, NF-κB activation and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) expression in rat mesangial cells (MCs).MCs were cultured in normal glucose (5.6 mmol/L), high glucose (30 mmol/L), or high glucose with PTL. MTT assay was used to detect the cell proliferation. MCP-1 content in the supernatant was measured by ELISA, and the level of IκBα was detected by Western blotting to reflect NF-κB activity. EMSA method was used to measure the activation of NF-κB.MC proliferation, MCP-1 expression and NF-κB activation were significantly enhanced and the expression of NF-κB-binding protein IκBα was obviously reduced in cells cultured in high glucose. Application of PTL obviously abolished the effects of high glucose.PTL can suppress high glucose-stimulated NF-κB activation and MCP-1 expression in rat MC. These data provide a theoretical basis for the clinical application of PTL in prevention and control of diabetic nephropathy.

Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. niveum (Fon) is one of the major limiting factors for watermelon production worldwide. Rapid and accurate detection of the causal pathogen is the cornerstone of integrated disease management. In this paper, a real-time fluorescence loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RealAmp) assay was developed for the rapid and quantitative detection of Fon in soil. Positive products were amplified only from Fon isolates and not from any other species or formae speciales of F. oxysporum tested, showing a high specificity of the primer sets. The detection limit of the RealAmp assay was 1.2 pg μL(-1) genomic DNA or 10(3) spores g(-1) of artificially inoculated soil, whereas real-time PCR could detect as low as 12 fg μL(-1) or 10(2) spores g(-1). The RealAmp assay was further applied to detect eight artificially inoculated and 85 field soil samples. No significant differences were found between the results tested by the RealAmp and real-time PCR assays. The RealAmp assay is a simple, rapid and effective technique for the quantitative detection and monitoring of Fon in soil under natural conditions.

The Cathepsin L-like cysteine proteinase genes (cpls) are multifunction genes related to the parasitic abilities of plant parasitic nematodes. A new cathepsin L-like cysteine proteinase gene (Dd-cpl-1) (GenBank Accession GQ 180107) was cloned from Ditylenchus destructor by RT-PCR and RACE. The cDNA sequence consisted of a 1 131 bp open reading frame (ORF) encoding 376 amino acid residues that were franked by a 29 bp 5'-untranslated region (UTR) and a 159 bp 3'-UTR. Genomic sequence analysis showed that Dd-cpl-1 contained 7 introns, obeyed the GT/AG rule in the splice-site junctions. Homology analysis showed that the identity was 77% between Dd-cpl-1 deduced protein Dd-CPL-1 and cathepsin L-like cysteine proteinase of Bursaphelenchus xylophilus. Multi-sequence alignment indicated that there were the catalytic triad (Cys183, His322 and Asn343) and two motifs ERFNIN motif and GNFD motif in deduced protein Dd-CPL-1. Cysteine proteinases phylogenetic analysis showed that Dd-cpl-1 belonged to the sub-clade of cathepsin L-like cysteine proteinases.

With the rapid development of technology, online instruction has emerged as an alternative mode of teaching and learning, or at least a substantial supplement to traditional teaching. On-line teaching gives us opportunity to open a broader world and disadvantages to online teaching and learning include factors that result from the impersonal nature that is afforded by a class that exists only in cyberspace. This can cause students to feel disconnected from the rest of the students and from the instructor. Without the traditional human to human interaction, the technology can impose a barrier that has an inhibitory effect on the learning process database accesses, is the solution to all of these grand challenges. This paper describes the current situation of the lack of sensation in on-line teaching and it's reasons, suggest that not recognition teaching should be focus in on-line teaching so does sensation teaching and rises countermeasures for the problems.

This paper presents an extended MagPEEC modeling technique used to simulate arbitrary three-dimensional structures including dispersive media. It remains the high precision of modeling with acceptable total computational complexity increase. This approach is verified by using a piece of coaxial transmission line and applied in modeling magnetically enhanced RFIC inductors up to multi-GHz, considering the significant frequency dependence of permeability of magnet in this band. The efficiency of the proposed method is validated by comparing its results with some commercial EM simulating software's.

This, paper presents a new peec (partial element equivalent circuit)-based inductor simulation tool, entitled L-Simulator, which employs a novel magPEEC modeling algorithm and an existing FastCap modeling algorithm to address both magnetic and electrical coupling effects, respectively, in 3D conductor+magnet+dielectric geometries, hence, being capable to simulate and design 3D magnetic-enhanced RF IC inductors. Applications on micromachined inductors in a 0.2 /spl mu/m GaAs HEMT process and magnetic-cored micro inductors in a 0.18 /spl mu/m CMOS technology are discussed.