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Polymer-based composite reinforced by fibrous filler has aroused wide concern in the field of tribology and material science. In this manuscript, the effect of carbon fiber (CF) as filler on the structure, mechanical and tribological properties of the polyamide6/polyphenylene sulfide (PA6/PPS) composites were investigated carefully in order to provide a practical guidance for the use of the polymer-based composites. It was found that the introducing of carbon fibers improved strength, modulus and hardness of the PA6/PPS blend apparently while breaking elongation rate and impact strength just decreased in a small degree. Average friction coefficient value of the carbon fiber-reinforced PA6/PPS composites (PA6/PPS-CF) was lower than PA6/PPS blend at the stable stage. As the content of carbon fiber increased, the wear rate of the PA6/PPS-CF composites trended to increase. Under the friction condition of high applied load or high sliding speed, the friction coefficient of the PA6/PPS-CF composites inclined to decrease while wear rate increased. When slided under a relatively high load of 20 N or high speed of 1500 r/min, the wear resistance of PA6/PPS-CF behaved was better as the content of carbon fiber increased. Scanning electron microscopy of worn surface morphology has revealed that the main wear mechanism of the PA6/PPS-CF composites were adhesive wear.

The Chinese National Twin Registry (CNTR), established in 2001, is the first and largest population-based twin registry in China. Based on the CNTR, a new twin cohort was recruited from 2011 to study the relationship between environmental risk factors and chronic diseases. So far, 33,874 twin pairs from nine provinces have been recruited, in which hundreds of disease-discordant twin pairs and even thousands of exposure-discordant twin pairs were found in this cohort. The updates of the CNTR will be introduced in detail in this article.

Tail pipe is a most common structure in mufflers to silence low frequency noise from an engine for its acoustic performance of low-pass filter. Based on the typical structure, a muffler with an interconnecting hole on the tail pipe was proposed to improve its acoustic performance in the present research. Acoustic performances of the proposed muffler were studied experimentally and theoretically in frequency and time domain. It was found that the interconnecting hole enabled the proposed muffler to have a noise attenuation performance of Helmholtz resonator. So the proposed muffler can attenuate the noise of low frequency and middle frequency at the same time. The frequency equation of this structure was derived using the acoustic-electronic analogy. It is useful for estimating the attenuation performance at the stages of predesign or tuning. The influence of structure parameters of the proposed muffler on its acoustic performance was studied. According to the results, the design guideline of this muffler was concluded in the present research.

In microfluidic mixing, great attention has been devoted to the structural design to enhance mixing efficiency. However, the influence of the variant viscosity in the mixing process is rarely discussed due to the practical challenges originated from the strong and complex couplings between species concentration and other fluid properties such as density, viscosity and diffusion coefficient. In this work, a group of coupling relationships among concentration, density, viscosity, as well as diffusion coefficient are introduced to accurately simulate the mixing process with a viscous flow involved. Compared with the traditional linear approximation, the new approach is more suitable to simulate the concentration-dependent viscous mixing in microfluidics. Furthermore, a planar passive micromixer is designed to validate the coupling approach from both modeling and experiment perspectives. By comparing experimental and numerical results, it turns out that the coupling approach achieves higher accuracy than the traditional linear approximation. In addition, four derived models are experimentally tested and numerically simulated by adopting the new method. The results of each model reach a good agreement between modeling and experiment.

To establish and manage of multicentral collection bio-sample banks of malignant tumors from digestive system, the paper designed a multicentral management system, established the standard operation procedures (SOPs) and leaded ten hospitals nationwide to collect tumor samples. The biobank has been established for half a year, and has collected 695 samples from patients with digestive system malignant tumor. The clinical data is full and complete, labeled in a unified way and classified to be managed. The clinical and molecular biology researches were based on the biobank, and obtained achievements. The biobank provides a research platform for malignant tumor of digestive system from different regions and of different types.

Background Intraoperative awareness is a dreaded complication that leads to psychological sequelae such as posttraumatic stress disorder, especially in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. This study investigated the incidence of awareness among patients receiving cardiac surgery and sought to identify the risk factors contributing to intraoperative awareness. Methods Patients with informed consent undergoing cardiac surgery from June to September in 2012 were enrolled. At least one structured interview was performed postoperatively with the modified Brice Interview Questionnaire to identify intraoperative awareness as confirmed awareness, possible awareness, and no awareness. Confirmed awareness events reported by patients were classified into different categories with the Michigan Awareness Classification Instrument. The questionnaire results were combined with the patient medical records. A logistic regression model was used to analyze the risk factors that may have led to intraoperative awareness. Results An estimated 2136 patients were included, and 1874 patients completed at least one interview. 83 patients (4.4 %) were identified as possible or confirmed awareness, among which 46 (2.5 %) reported confirmed awareness. Patients who experienced confirmed awareness were mostly of Class 1 and 2, 15 and 24 patients respectively, which represented isolated auditory and tactile perceptions. And 11 patients reported feelings of distress intraoperatively. Hyperlipidemia was associated with intraoperative awareness (OR = 0.499, 95 % CI = 0.252–0.989, p = 0.043) and using chi-square test, however, no significance was found with logistic regression. Conclusion Patients undergoing cardiac surgery are at high risk for intraoperative awareness. Distress is a common feeling in patients with intraoperative awareness. Hyperlipidemia is a potential protective factor for intraoperative awareness in cardiac surgery.

Background China is experiencing a marked increase in ST ‐segment elevation myocardial infarction hospitalizations, with 30% occurring among women and higher risk of in‐hospital death in relatively younger age groups (ST ‐segment elevation myocardial infarction presentation and management. Methods and Results In a nationally representative sample of patients with ST ‐segment elevation myocardial infarction admitted to 162 Chinese hospitals in 2001, 2006, and 2011, we examined sex differences in hospitalization rates, clinical profiles, and quality of care. Among 11 986 patients, the proportion of women was unchanged between 2001 and 2011. The estimated national rates of hospital admission per 100 000 people increased from 4.6 in 2001 to 18.0 in 2011 among men (3.9‐fold increase) and from 1.9 to 8.0 among women (4.2‐fold increase) ( P trend P trend P trend =0.48). After accounting for age, women had a higher frequency of comorbidities. Although there were significant sex differences in the time interval of >12 hours between symptom onset and admission time in 2001, since 2006 delays in presentation were comparable between women and men. Fewer women without contraindications received evidence‐based therapies than men, including reperfusion (57.5% versus 44.2%), early aspirin (88.8% versus 85.9%), and clopidogrel (56.9% versus 52.5%, P Conclusions Women experienced a higher increase in hospitalization rates for ST ‐segment elevation myocardial infarction in China between 2001 and 2011 and were less likely to receive evidence‐based therapies, especially reperfusion. In addition to efforts to improve quality of care generally, understanding the reasons for this sex disparity and addressing these differences in care should be a priority. Clinical Trial Registration URL : https://www.clinicaltrials.gov . Unique identifier: NCT 01624883.

Sodium butyrate (NaBu), a histone deacetylase inhibitor, has been shown to inhibit cell growth, induce cell differentiation and apoptosis in multiple cell lines. In present study, we revealed the dual effects of NaBu in regulating hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. In two different HCC cell lines, SK-Hep1 and SMMC-7721, low concentrations of NaBu induced a significant increase in cell growth ratio and S-phase cell percentage, accompanied by a reduced p21 Cip1 expression at both mRNA and protein levels, while dissimilarly, high concentrations of NaBu inhibited cell growth and induced G1 arrest through up-regulation of p21 Cip1 and p27 Kip1 protein expression. The reduction of p45 Skp2 expression further indicated that the ubiquitin-mediated protein degradation might play a role in NaBu-induced up-regulation of p21 Cip1 and p27 Kip1. Moreover, the high concentration of NaBu was also able to trigger HCC cell apoptosis. Taken together, these results demonstrate the distinct effects of NaBu at different dosages. This finding may contribute to develop more effective tumor therapeutic protocols of NaBu in HCC.

The tail pipe noise from a commercial automotive muffler was studied experimentally and numerically under the condition of wide open throttle acceleration in the present research. The engine was accelerated from 1000 to 6000 rpm in 30 s at the warm up condition. The transient acoustic characteristics of its exhaust muffler were predicted using one dimensional computational fluid dynamics. To validate the results of the simulation, the transient acoustic characteristics of the exhaust muffler were measured in an anechoic chamber according to the Japanese Standard (JIS D 1616). It was found that the results of simulation are in good agreement with experimental results at the 2nd order of the engine rotational frequency. At the high order of engine speed, differences between the computational and experimental results exist in the high revolution range (from 5000 to 6000 rpm at the 4th order, and from 4200 to 6000 rpm at the 6th order). According to these results, the differences were caused by the flow noise which was not considered in the simulation. Based on the theory of one dimensional CFD model, a simplified model which can provide an acceptable accuracy and save more than 90% of execution time compared with the standard model was proposed for the optimization design to meet the demand of time to market.

A cylindrical ultrasonic reactor radiated by a BLT (bolted Langevin transducer) with a large horn operated at 27.3 kHz was employed to investigate the behaviors of bubbles in the present research. The characteristics of this reactor were analyzed using experimental methods. It was found that traveling transient bubbles can eliminate the effect of standing wave on cleaning efficiency. Fresh tap water and degassed water were employed as test liquids. In tap water, a conical cavitation structure was observed as the input voltage of transducer was increased over 100 V. The detail of the conical cavitation structure was anatomized and its shape varied with the change of input voltage. In degassed water, ultrasonic fireworks were observed and special attention was paid to their subsequences, snowflake bubble clouds and water jet.

ADAM23, belonging to ADAM (A Disintegrin And Metalloprotease) protein family, is mainly expressed in brain. P19 cells could differentiate into neuroectodermal cell lineage after cell aggregates have been induced by retinoic acid (RA). In this report, we show that the post-transcriptional and post-translational processes of ADAM23 are regulated during the differentiation of P19 cells. In P19-derived neurons, ADAM23 is polarized distributed in the proximal part. To explore the possible roles of ADAM23 during P19 cell neuronal differentiation, ADAM23-RNAi P19 cell lines were established. These transfected cells could differentiate into neurofilament-expression neurons in the absence of RA, whereas wild-type P19 cell can not. These results suggest ADAM23 may play roles in both early and later stage of neuronal differentiation.

Noise from cooling fans is main noise source of the electronic instrument. It consists of rotation noise superimposed by the discrete tones which is related to blade rotation. The aim of present research is to realize the feasibility of using a single loudspeaker to cancel rotation-locked tones with a duct. A photoelectric rotating speed sensor, a loudspeaker which would be located under the PVC pipe and a digital signal processor are employed. An adaptive feedforward system is implemented experimentally to drive the secondary source. The waveform synthesis method is used to adaptively abate noise with traditional least mean square (LMS) algorithm based on steepest descent principle. And simulations have been conducted to verify the convergence and stability of the novel system. Noise characteristics of the cooling fan with/without our active noise controller are compared experimentally. It was found in the experiments that reduction of sound power level is 20dB at the fan's blade passing frequency (BPF) .

To improve DMFC (direct methanol fuel cell) performance, a new method using ultrasonic radiation is proposed and a novel DMFC structure is designed and fabricated in the present paper. Three ultrasonic transducers (piezoelectric transducer, PZT) are integrated in the flow field plate to form the ultrasonic field in the liquid fuel. Ultrasonic frequency, acoustic power, and methanol concentration have been considered as variables in the experiments. With the help of ultrasonic radiation, the maximum output power and limiting current of cell can be independently increased by 30.73% and 40.54%, respectively. The best performance of DMFC is obtained at the condition of ultrasonic radiation (30 kHz and 4 W) fed with 2M methanol solution, because both its limiting current and output power reach their maximum value simultaneously (222 mA and 33.6 mW, respectively) under this condition. These results conclude that ultrasonic can be an alternative choice for improving the cell performance, and can facilitate a guideline for the optimization of DMFC.

To explore the condition on bike lanes and the relationship with GDP of the related cities, residential of regions and prosperity of streets in 12 selected cities in China.Eexistence and maintenance of bike lanes were examinedin in all the streets under survey in 333 blocks of 12 cities (Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Qingdao, Hangzhou, Shaoxing, Suzhou, Nantong, Zhenjiang, Chengdu, Xining and Harbin). Data were collected on GDP of the related cities, together with the sizes of population and proportion of the 333 blocksand the numbers of stores and restaurants in those streets.A total of 4 202 streets were included in the study. In the 12 cities, 32.6% of the streets were equipped with bike lanes. Bike-lane-equipmentsseemed better in Nantong (46.5%), Tianjin (39.6%) and Shanghai (39.4%), but the scores were lower in Xining (2.0%), Qingdao (5.4%), and Harbin (27.1%). The higher GDP was, the better bike lanes were equipped. In the meantime, the isolation of bike lanes were worse and the streets more crowded. Density of the residential area was negatively correlated with the score on bike lane-equipments.Differences of the condition of bike lanes in the 12 cities indicated that improvement should be made on bike lanes. More attention should be paid to those cities with high GDPs and crowded residential regions on setting up the isolated bike lanes and reasonable equipments.

In plants, microRNA (miRNA)-based virus-induced gene silencing, dubbed MR VIGS, is a powerful technique to delineate the biological functions of genes. By targeting to a specific sequence, miRNAs can knock down expression of genes with fewer off-target effects. Here, using a modified Cabbage leaf curling virus (CaLCuV) and Tobacco rattle virus (TRV) as vectors, we describe two virus-based miRNA expression systems to perform MR VIGS for plant functional genomics assays.

International audience; In plants, microRNAs (miRNAs) play essential roles in growth, development, yield, stress response and interactions with pathogens. However no miRNA has been experimentally documented to be functionally involved in fruit ripening although many miRNAs have been profiled in fruits. Here we show that SlymiR157 and SlymiR156 differentially modulate ripening and softening in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). SlymiR157 is expressed and developmentally regulated in normal tomato fruits and in those of the Colourless non-ripening (Cnr) epimutant. It regulates expression of the key ripening gene LeSPL-CNR in a likely dose-dependent manner through miRNA-induced mRNA degradation and translation repression. Viral delivery of either pre-SlymiR157 or mature SlymiR157 results in delayed ripening. Furthermore, qRT-PCR profiling of key ripening regulatory genes indicates that the SlymiR157-target LeSPL-CNR may affect expression of LeMADS-RIN, LeHB1, SlAP2a and SlTAGL1. However SlymiR156 does not affect the onset of ripening, but it impacts fruit softening after the red ripe stage. Our findings reveal that working together with a ripening network of transcription factors, SlymiR157 and SlymiR156 form a critical additional layer of regulatory control over the fruit ripening process in tomato.

Naturally-occurring epimutants are rare and have mainly been described in plants. However how these mutants maintain their epigenetic marks and how they are inherited remain unknown. Here we report that CHROMOMETHYLASE3 (SlCMT3) and other methyltransferases are required for maintenance of a spontaneous epimutation and its cognate Colourless non-ripening (Cnr) phenotype in tomato. We screened a series of DNA methylation-related genes that could rescue the hypermethylated Cnr mutant. Silencing of the developmentally-regulated SlCMT3 gene results in increased expression of LeSPL-CNR, the gene encodes the SBP-box transcription factor residing at the Cnr locus and triggers Cnr fruits to ripen normally. Expression of other key ripening-genes was also up-regulated. Targeted and whole-genome bisulfite sequencing showed that the induced ripening of Cnr fruits is associated with reduction of methylation at CHG sites in a 286-bp region of the LeSPL-CNR promoter and a decrease of DNA methylation in differentially-methylated regions associated with the LeMADS-RIN binding sites. Our results indicate that there is likely a concerted effect of different methyltransferases at the Cnr locus and the plant-specific SlCMT3 is essential for sustaining Cnr epi-allele. Maintenance of DNA methylation dynamics is critical for the somatic stability of Cnr epimutation and for the inheritance of tomato non-ripening phenotype.

In plants, microRNA (miRNA)-based virus-induced gene silencing, dubbed MR VIGS, is a powerful technique to delineate the biological functions of genes. By targeting to a specific sequence, miRNAs can knock down expression of genes with fewer off-target effects. Here, using a modified Cabbage leaf curling virus (CaLCuV) and Tobacco rattle virus (TRV) as vectors, we describe two virus-based miRNA expression systems to perform MR VIGS for plant functional genomics assays.

International audience; In plants, genomic DNA methylation which contributes to development and stress responses can be actively removed by DEMETER-like DNA demethylases (DMLs). Indeed, in Arabidopsis DMLs are important for maternal imprinting and endosperm demethylation, but only a few studies demonstrate the developmental roles of active DNA demethylation conclusively in this plant. Here, we show a direct cause and effect relationship between active DNA demethylation mainly mediated by the tomato DML, SlDML2, and fruit ripening- an important developmental process unique to plants. RNAi SlDML2 knockdown results in ripening inhibition via hypermethylation and repression of the expression of genes encoding ripening transcription factors and rate-limiting enzymes of key biochemical processes such as carotenoid synthesis. Our data demonstrate that active DNA demethylation is central to the control of ripening in tomato.

The receptor for human endothelial differentiation gene-1 protein (EDG-1) was C-terminally tagged with green fluorescent protein and expressed in the methylotrophic yeast, Pichia pastoris. EDG-1 expression was driven by the highly inducible alcohol oxidase 1 promoter. Expression of EDG-1 recombinant protein was detected by Western blot analysis and confocal microscopy. The recombinant EDG-1 receptor protein was located in the plasma membrane. Radioligand binding assays demonstrated that the EDG-1 receptors expressed in Pichia pastoris have specific and saturation binding of (32)P-labeled sphingosine 1-phosphate.

Metazoans possess complicated multicellular structure among the multicellularities of eukaryotes. One evolutionary pressure that permits such complexity relates to the directed and precise informational transmission performed by numerous synapses in neuron system. Neurotransmitter inactivations play essential roles in the termination of synaptic transmission and are thus crucial for precise synaptic transmission. Here, we performed a genomic comparison among 11 eukaryotic organisms including five bilaterian species and six pan-unicellular eukaryotes to search for genes related to metazoan multicellular function. The result showed that the majority of genes related to neurotransmitter inactivation in the synaptic cleft endured high and stable selective pressure and were specifically present in bilaterians, whereas genes related to transmitter release and postsynaptic transmitter receptors did not show these properties. From these data we conclude that neurotransmitter inaction may play a critical role in the origin of the nerve system encountered in the early evolution of metazoan. In addition, we suggest that neurotransmitter inactivation probably participates in the formation or refinement of the synapse, following the concept of "ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny." Further experimental evidence is needed to support the suggestion and to explain the importance of neurotransmitter inactivation to metazoan multicellular function.

Deficiency of human glycerate kinase leads to d-glycerate acidemia/d-glyceric aciduria. Through PCR cloning assisted by in silico approach, we isolated the human glycerate kinase genes—Glycerate Kinase 1 (GLYCTK1) and its alternatively splicing variant—Glycerate Kinase 2 (GLYCTK2), which might be associated with d-glycerate acidemia/d-glyceric aciduria. The locus of GLYCTK gene is mapped to 3p21. PCR amplification in seventeen human tissue cDNAs revealed that both GLYCTK1 and GLYCTK2 are expressed widely almost in all these tissues. The expression of mouse Glyctk in various tissues was demonstrated by in situ hybridization. Both GLYCTK1 and GLYCTK2 proteins are localized in cytosol, and GLYCTK2 proteins are specifically localized in mitochondria. Present results revealed the characteristic expression pattern of murine Glyctk in neural system, skeleton muscle, supporting that glycerate kinase is implicated in d-glycerate acidemia/d-glyceric aciduria.

The molecular machinery required for autophagy is highly conserved in all eukaryotes as seen by the high degree of conservation of proteins involved in the formation of the autophagosome membranes. Recently, both yeast Apg8p and its rat homologue Map1lc3 were identified as essential constituents of autophagosome membrane as a processed form. In addition, both the yeast and human proteins exist in two modified forms produced by a series of post-translational modifications including a critical C-terminal cleavage after a conserved Gly residue, and the smaller processed form is associated with the autophagosome membranes. Herein, we report the identification and characterization of three human orthologs of the rat Map1LC3, named MAP1LC3A, MAP1LC3B, and MAP1LC3C. We show that the three isoforms of human MAP1LC3 exhibit distinct expression patterns in different human tissues. Importantly, we found that the three isoforms of MAP1LC3 differ in their post-translation modifications. Although MAP1LC3A and MAP1LC3C are produced by the proteolytic cleavage after the conserved C-terminal Gly residue, like their rat counterpart, MAP1LC3B does not undergo C-terminal cleavage and exists in a single modified form. The essential site for the distinct post-translation modification of MAP1LC3B is Lys-122 rather than the conserved Gly-120. Subcellular localization by cell fractionation and immunofluorescence revealed that three human isoforms are associated with membranes involved in the autophagic pathway. These results revealed different regulation of the three human isoforms of MAP1LC3 and implicate that the three isoforms may have different physiological functions.

Growth-arrest and DNA-damage inducible (GADD) genes and Myeloid differentiation primary response (MyD) genes represent a family of genes that play a key role in negative control of cell growth. In the present study, following clone and location of human GADD45 γ (MyDL) gene, we have found that its mRNA expression level was down-regulated in 15/23 cases of clinic hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by comparing the northern hybridization results between the tumor tissues and adjacent normal tissues. Transient transfection of GADD45 γ cDNA with intact open reading frame sequence into the human hepatoma cells Hep-G2 resulted in dramatic growth suppression in colony formation assays. Furthermore, flow cytometry analysis indicated that GADD45 γ caused cell cycle arrest at G2/M transition when transfected into Hep-G2 cells. Therefore, the possible role of GADD45 γ in cell growth control was further confirmed in this paper.

Human Aurora/Ipl1-related kinase 2 (Aurora-B) is a key regulator of mitosis. Here human proteasome α-subunit C8 (HC8) was identified to interact with the Aurora-B by yeast two-hybrid screen. This finding was confirmed by GST pull-down assays and immunoprecipitation experiments. The Aurora-B protein level increased in HeLa cells cultured with proteasome inhibitor ALLN. Our data suggest that Aurora-B might undergo degradation by binding to HC8 in a proteasome-dependent manner during mitosis.

The human NUDT9 gene has been mapped to 4q22 and shown to give rise to two alternatively spliced mRNAs, NUDT9alpha and NUDT9beta, that encode a member of the Nudix hydrolase family. Both transcripts were readily detected in heart and skeletal muscle and also in liver, kidney and pancreas. NUDT9alpha protein was expressed in Escherichia coli and shown specifically to hydrolyse ADP-ribose and IDP-ribose to the corresponding nucleoside 5'-monophosphates and ribose 5-phosphate. No other nucleotide substrates were hydrolysed significantly. NUDT9alpha was inhibited by fluoride and by N-acetyl-p-benzoquinoneimine and had K(m) and kcat values of 180 microM and 8 s(-1) respectively with ADP-ribose as substrate. The full-length 39.1 kDa NUDT9alpha has a potential mitochondrial leader sequence, which would give rise to a mature 34.2 kDa mitochondrial protein. Apart from the high K(m) value, the properties of NUDT9alpha are close to those of the known mammalian 40 kDa cytoplasmic ADPRibase-1 and 35 kDa mitochondrial ADPRibase-m. However, any relationship between the NUDT9 species and the previously reported ADPRibases remains to be established.

The longitudinal–torsional ultrasonic vibration machining process is popular for machining hard and brittle materials. A longitudinal–torsional ultrasonic vibration system with diagonal slits was designed for the ultrasonic vibration machining process based on the principle of acoustics propagation in this study. Four uniform diagonal slits were cut off on the horn cylinder to transform the longitudinal ultrasonic vibration into a longitudinal–torsional composite motion. A finite element analysis was used to optimize the mechanical structure of the vibration system. Dynamic characteristics of the vibration system were numerically studied, and the relationship of diagonal slits versus the resonance frequency and amplitudes of longitudinal–torsional vibration was analyzed, so that the longitudinal–torsional output amplitude can be optimized by rational choice of structure parameters of diagonal slits. Moreover, the movement locus of the system output end was obtained by utilizing the Origin software, which was proved to be elliptical, and the accuracy of the finite element model was confirmed by comparing numerically and experimentally determined resonant characteristics. In addition, the verification of longitudinal–torsional ultrasonic vibration was proved for the designed ultrasonic vibration system.

In order to overcome the defects of the slow convergence rate of the traditional Genetic Algorithm and basic Particle Swarm Optimization drops into local optimum easily, an improved Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm based on hybrid algorithm is proposed and applied to the signal detection for MIMO-OFDM system. The algorithm optimizes the basic Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm and some problems were solved by means of Particle Swarm Optimization combined with Genetic Algorithm for signal detection. Through the theoretical analysis and the simulation research, this improved algorithm is superior to basic Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm 0.5dB under the same number of iterations and is better than traditional Genetic Algorithm 0.5dB under the same bit error rate. This algorithm improves the system signal detection performance effectively with less iteration and reduces the bit error rate. It has rapid speed of convergence and strong capability of global search. DOI : http://dx.doi.org/10.11591/telkomnika.v12i5.5105

Being one of the most used materials for fabrication of microfluidic devices, Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) attracts great attention for years since G M Whitesides’ group introduced soft lithography ...

Poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) surface modification via gradient-induced transport of embedded amphiphilic molecules is a novel, easy, flexible, and environmentally friendly approach for reducing protein adsorption on PDMS in microfluidic applications. To better understand the processing and the potential use in the viability-sensitive applications such as manipulation and culturing of primary neural cells, we systematically investigate how embedded molecules interact with a PDMS matrix and its surface in aqueous environments by studying the wetting angle over time under various processing conditions, including water exposure time, water exposure temperature, curing master materials, in addition to comparing different embedded amphiphilic molecules. The results indicate that the water exposure time clearly plays an important role in the surface properties. Our interpretation is that molecular rearrangement of the surface-embedded molecules improves surface coverage in the short term; while over a longer period, the transport of molecules embedded in the bulk enhance its coverage. However, this improvement finally terminates when molecules transported from the bulk to the surface are not sufficient to replace the molecules leaching into the water.

OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to investigate the impact of body mass index (BMI) on short- and long-term outcomes after initial revascularization with coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. METHODS: 4916 Chinese who consecutively underwent isolated, primary CABG at the Cardiovascular Institute of Fuwai Hospital from January 1, 1999 to December 31, 2005 were included in this study. They were classified based on BMI as follows: underweight: 32 kg/m2. Short (in-hospital) and long-term (5-years) major post-operative complications and mortalities were compared among various BMI groups after initial revascularization. RESULTS: Multiple regression analysis of five years follow-up of clinical end points indicated that various BMI groups were not associated with significant differences in 5 years mortality and MACCE, however, old age, smoking, hypertension, myocardial infarction and heart failure were the risk factor for the mortality. CONCLUSIONS: In this large-scale study with long term follow-up after primary CABG in an exclusively ethnic Chinese population, we found that different BMI groups were not significantly associated with 5-years mortality and MACCE, however, old age, smoking, hypertension, myocardial infarction and heart failure were the risk factors of post-operative mortality, and old age, hypertension and heart failure increased the rate of MACCE.

Most kelch family proteins contain two conserved domains, the BTB domain and the kelch repeat domain. Here we describe the cloning and characterization of a novel human KLHL5 gene. The 3488 bp cDNA encodes a kelch family protein homologous to the Drosophila kelch protein. It also contains the two conserved domains. Northern blot analysis reveals a single transcript. It is abundantly expressed in ovary, adrenal gland, and thyroid and less abundantly expressed in trachea, prostate, testis, lymph node, and spinal cord. KLHL5 was mapped to 4p13–4p15.1.

Virus-induced gene complementation (VIGC), a plant virus technology based on Potato virus X for transient overexpression of endogenous genes complemented tomato mutants, resulting in non-ripening fruits to ripen. This efficient “gain-of-function” approach involves no stable transformation, and reveals a fruit-specific transcriptional network that may exist among key transcription factors in modulating tomato ripening. Thus, VIGC represents a novel and feasible strategy for gene functional analysis in plants.

As conventional methods deal with channel estimation and synchronization separately, they can’t achieve the best performances because the unknown parameters will interfere with each other. Besides, the convergence speed is slow using expectation maximization algorithm. Thus in this paper, we propose a joint synchronization and channel estimation method in MIMO-OFDM systems. The algorithm achieves coarse estimation by using a preamble. Then by combining this algorithm with SAGE algorithm and using joint iteration technology, time-frequency synchronization and channel estimation is achieved. Consequently, the performance of the system is enhanced. Theoretical researches and simulation results show that the algorithm can obtain relatively perfect result of time-frequency synchronization and channel estimation with fewer iterative times. Meanwhile our algorithm can approach the ideal case of perfect channel estimation and synchronization with lower complexity. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.11591/telkomnika.v11i12.3679

Crystal structures of the murine cytokine-inducible nitric oxide synthase oxygenase dimer with active-center water molecules, the substrate l -arginine ( l -Arg), or product analog thiocitrulline reveal how dimerization, cofactor tetrahydrobiopterin, and l -Arg binding complete the catalytic center for synthesis of the essential biological signal and cytotoxin nitric oxide. Pterin binding refolds the central interface region, recruits new structural elements, creates a 30 angstrom deep active-center channel, and causes a 35° helical tilt to expose a heme edge and the adjacent residue tryptophan-366 for likely reductase domain interactions and caveolin inhibition. Heme propionate interactions with pterin and l -Arg suggest that pterin has electronic influences on heme-bound oxygen. l -Arginine binds to glutamic acid–371 and stacks with heme in an otherwise hydrophobic pocket to aid activation of heme-bound oxygen by direct proton donation and thereby differentiate the two chemical steps of nitric oxide synthesis.

The oxygenase domain (amino acids 1-498) of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOSox) is a hemeprotein that binds L-arginine (L-Arg) and tetrahydrobiopterin (H4B). During NO synthesis, the heme iron must bind and activate O2, but it also binds self-generated No to form an inactive complex. To better understand how L-Arg and H4B affect heme iron function in iNOSox, we utilized stopped-flow spectroscopy to study heme reactivity with CO and NO and the properties of the resulting CO and NO complexes. CO and NO binding to ferrous and ferric (NO only) iNOSox and subsequent complex stability was studied under four conditions: in the absence of L-Arg and H4B and in the presence of either or both molecules. Ferric iNOSox without L-Arg or H4B was dimeric and contained low-spin heme iron, while in H4B- or L-Arg-saturated iNOSox, the heme iron was partially or almost completely high-spin, respectively. In the presence of L-Arg or H4B, the rate of CO binding to ferrous iNOSox was slowed considerably, indicating that these molecules restrict CO access to the heme iron. In contrast, rates of NO binding were minimally affected. Under all conditions, the off rates for CO and NO were very high as compared to other hemeproteins. The six-coordinate FeII-CO and -NO complexes that initially formed were unstable and converted either slowly (CO) or quickly (NO) to their respective 5-coordinate complexes. However, this transition was largely prevented by either L-Arg or H4B and was reversed upon air oxidation of the complex in the presence of these molecules. Thus, H4B and L-Arg both promote a conformational change in the distal heme pocket of iNOSox that can greatly reduce ligand access to the heme iron. The ability of H4B and L-Arg to prevent formation of a five-coordinate heme Fe-NO complex, along with the high off rates observed for NO, help explain why iNOS can remain active despite forming a complex with NO during its normal catalysis.

The nitric oxide synthase oxygenase domain (NOS ox ) oxidizes arginine to synthesize the cellular signal and defensive cytotoxin nitric oxide (NO). Crystal structures determined for cytokine-inducible NOS ox reveal an unusual fold and heme environment for stabilization of activated oxygen intermediates key for catalysis. A winged β sheet engenders a curved α-β domain resembling a baseball catcher's mitt with heme clasped in the palm. The location of exposed hydrophobic residues and the results of mutational analysis place the dimer interface adjacent to the heme-binding pocket. Juxtaposed hydrophobic O 2 - and polar l -arginine–binding sites occupied by imidazole and aminoguanidine, respectively, provide a template for designing dual-function inhibitors and imply substrate-assisted catalysis.

The oxygenase domain of inducible NO synthase (residues 1-498, iNOSox) is the enzyme's catalytic center. Its active form is a homodimer that contains heme and tetrahydrobiopterin (H4biopterin) and binds l-arginine [Ghosh, D. K.,Stuehr, D. J. (1995) Biochemistry 34, 801]. To help identify protein residues involved in prosthetic group and dimeric interaction, we expressed H4biopterin-free iNOSox in Escherichia coli. The iNOSox was 80% dimeric but contained a low-spin heme iron that bound DTT as a sixth ligand. The iNOSox bound H4biopterin or L-arginine with high affinity, which displaced DTT from the heme and caused spectral changes consistent with a closing up of the heme pocket. The H4biopterin-replete iNOSox could catalyze conversion of Nomega-hydroxyarginine to citrulline and NO in a H2O2-supported reaction. Limited trypsinolysis of the H4biopterin-free iNOSox dimer cut the protein at a single site in its N-terminal region (K117). H4biopterin protected against the cleavage whereas l-arginine did not. The resulting 40 kDa protein contained thiol-ligated low-spin heme, was monomeric, catalytically inactive, showed no capacity to bind H4biopterin or l-arginine, and did not dimerize when provided with these molecules, indicating that residues 1-117 were important for iNOSox dimerization and H4biopterin/l-arginine interaction. A deletion mutant missing residues 1-114 was partially dimeric but otherwise identical to the 40 kDa protein regarding its spectral and catalytic properties and inability to respond to l-arginine and H4biopterin, whereas a deletion mutant missing residues 1-65 was equivalent to wild-type iNOSox, narrowing the region of importance to amino acids 66-114. Mutation of a conserved cysteine in this region (C109A) decreased H4biopterin affinity without compromising iNOSox dimeric structure, L-arginine binding, or catalytic function. These results suggest that residues 66-114 of iNOSox are involved in productive H4biopterin interaction and subunit dimerization. H4biopterin binding appears to stabilize the protein structure in this region, and through doing so activates iNOS for NO synthesis.

Present work reported a novel domain – D8C (domain with conserved eight cysteines in liver-specific ZP domain-containing protein, glycoprotein 2 (GP-2) and uromodulin (UMOD)), present in liver-specific LZP, UMOD, GP-2 and some uncharacterized proteins, most of which are membrane proteins, extracellular proteins or nuclear membrane proteins. D8C contains eight well-conserved cysteine residues, which were predicted to form four pairs of disulfide bridges. D8C is composed mainly of β-strands. Mutation in the D8C at Cys217 in human UMOD is associated with familial juvenile hyperuricaemic nephropathy, which might be due to the disruption of the disulfide bridge. Identification of D8C would further the understandings of related proteins.

Introduction Collection of high-quality data from large populations is considered essential to generate knowledge that is critical to an era of precision medicine. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of mortality in China and is a suitable focus of an initiative to discover factors that would improve our ability to assess and modify individual risk. Methods and analysis The pilot phase of China PEACE (Patient-centered Evaluative Assessment of Cardiac Events) Million Persons Project is being conducted during 2014–2015 in four provinces across China to demonstrate the feasibility of a population-based assessment. It is designed to screen 0.4 million community-dwelling residents aged 40–75 years with measurements of blood pressure, height and weight, a lipid blood test, and a questionnaire on cardiovascular-related health status. Participants identified at high risk of CVD receive further health assessments, including ECG, ultrasound scan, blood and urine analysis, and a questionnaire on lifestyle and medical history. Collection of blood and urine samples is used to establish a biobank. High-risk subjects are also counselled with suggestions regarding potential lifestyle changes. In addition, high-risk subjects are followed-up either in a return clinic visit or by telephone interview, with measurement of blood pressure, weight, ECG, and a questionnaire on survival status, hospitalisations and lifestyle. The first 0.1 million participants screened were used to conduct a preliminary analysis, with information on baseline characteristics, health-related behaviours, anthropometric variables, medical history, and prevalence of high-risk subjects. Ethics and dissemination The central ethics committee at the China National Center for Cardiovascular Disease (NCCD) approved the pilot. Written informed consent is obtained from all participants on entry into the project. Findings will be disseminated in future peer-reviewed papers and will inform strategies aimed at developing precise methods of assessing and modifying risk. Trial registration number NCT02536456.

Breast cancer metastasis suppressor 1 (BRMS1) was originally identified as an active metastasis suppressor in human breast cancer. Loss of BRMS1 expression correlates with tumor progression, and BRMS1 suppresses several steps required for tumor metastasis. However, the role of BRMS1 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains elusive. In this study, we found that the expression level of BRMS1 was significantly down-regulated in HCC tissues. Expression of BRMS1 in SK-Hep1 cells did not affect cell growth under normal culture conditions, but sensitized cells to apoptosis induced by serum deprivation or anoikis. Consistently, knockdown of endogenous BRMS1 expression in Hep3B cells suppressed cell apoptosis. We identified that BRMS1 suppresses osteopontin (OPN) expression in HCC cells and that there is a negative correlation between BRMS1 and OPN mRNA expression in HCC tissues. Moreover, knockdown of endogenous OPN expression reversed the anti-apoptosis effect achieved by knockdown of BRMS1. Taken together, our results show that BRMS1 sensitizes HCC cells to apoptosis through suppressing OPN expression, suggesting a potential role of BRMS1 in regulating HCC apoptosis and metastasis.

We have cloned a novel human gene ( C14orf5) from a fetal brain cDNA library that is located on chromosome 14 and consists of 4 exons. It encodes a protein of 170 amino acids that shares homology with human p25 alpha and bovine p25. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis indicated that it is highly expressed in liver and pancreas. Its transcripts could not be detected in adult brain but could be found in fetal brain.

Gastric cancer is the second most common fatal malignancy in the world. Proteomics studies of clinical tumor samples have led to the identification of specific protein markers of gastric cancer detection and better understanding the carcinogenesis of gastric cancer. Gastric cancer tissue of epithelial origin and adjacent normal mucosa were examined in pair by fluorescence 2-D differential in-gel electrophoresis proteomics analysis utilizing 2-D PAGE protein separation. Intensity changes of 33 spots were detected with statistical significance. Twenty-two out of the 33 spots were identified by MALDI-TOF MS or MS/MS. Of the 9 up-regulated proteins, 7 were identified, including heat shock protein 60 (HSP60), mutant desmin, effector cell proteinase receptor 1 splice form 1b, hypothetical protein, unnamed protein product, and manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD), a protein similar to alpha-actin. Of the 20 down-regulated proteins, 16 were identified, including selenium binding protein 1, fibrinogen gamma, HSP27, tubulin alpha 6, zinc finger protein 160, prostaglandin F synthase, and eukaryotic translation elongation factor 1 alpha 1. Our results suggest that MnSOD may be a potential serum marker for molecular diagnosis of gastric carcinoma, and DIGE is a useful technique for screening differentially expressed proteins in cancer tissues.

Human EFCBP/NECAB family consists of important participants in neuronal calcium signaling, including EFCBP1/NECAB1, EFCBP2/NECAB2 and EFCBP3/NECAB3. In the present study, we identified the full-length 5229 bp EFCBP1 cDNA which was not described before. Human EFCBP1 encodes a 351 amino acid protein containing two EF-hand motifs and an antibiotic biosynthesis monooxygenase (ABM) domain, sharing 49.9 and 56.8% global homology with human EFCBP2 and EFCBP3. Northern hybridization revealed that EFCBP1 is specifically expressed in brain and its abundance varies in different brain regions. EFCBP1's abundance in temporal lobe, frontal lobe and occipital pole is about 3.4, 1.9 and 1.5 folds of the average abundance in cerebral cortex, respectively. The expression level of EFCBP1 equals in putamen and cerebral cortex, while no hybridization signal was detected in spinal cord. In addition, we found that EFCBP1, EFCBP2 and EFCBP3 share a similar exon distribution mode, though their chromosomal localizations, genomic sizes and intron sizes are diverse.

Lysozymes, especially c-type lysozymes, are well-recognized bacteriolytic factors widely distributed in the animal kingdom and play a mainly protective role in host defense. The relatives of c-type lysozymes, alpha-lactalbumins, however, are only found in mammalian milk and possess a distinct biological function. These two proteins, having similar amino acid sequences, gene structure, and dimensional conformation, belong to the c-type lysozyme/alpha-lactalbumin family. Using human lysozyme as an information probe, we cloned four human cDNAs encoding homologues of human lysozyme; these were named LYZL2, LYZL4, LYZL6, and SPACA3 by the HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee. Of these four, SPACA3 has been reported to code an intra-acrosomal sperm protein SLLP1. To our knowledge, the other three are reported here for the first time. Using Northern blot hybridization, including 16 different human tissues, we found that these four lysozyme-like genes were all highly expressed in the testis/epididymis. Further analysis of one, LYZL4, by in situ hybridization revealed that its mRNA was only detected in the epithelium of human epididymis, most abundantly in the caput, suggesting that LYZL4 plays a physiological role in male reproduction. By sequence analysis, we found that two essential catalytic residues of the human lysozyme were conserved in LYZL2 and LYZL6, whereas one site in LYZL4 and two sites in SPACA3 were replaced. The LYZL2, LYZL4, LYZL6, and SPACA3 genes were mapped to human chromosome 10p11.23, 3p21.33, 17q11.2, and 17q12, respectively, and displayed a similar genomic structure. Our data suggest that these four lysozyme-like genes, which have arisen from a common progenitor gene, play a major role in human reproduction.

We identified a cadherin-like domain (CHDL) using computational analysis. The CHDL domain is mostly distributed in Proteobacteria and Cyanobacteria, although it is also found in some eukaryotic proteins. Prediction of three-dimensional protein folding indicated that the CHDL domain has an immunoglobulin beta-sandwich fold and belongs to the cadherin superfamily. The CHDL domain does not have LDRE and DxNDN motifs, which are conserved in the cadherin domain, but has three other motifs: PxAxxD, DxDxD and YT-V/I-S/T-D, which might contribute to forming a calcium-binding site. The identification of this cadherin-like domain indicates that the cadherin superfamily may exhibit wider sequence and structural diversity than previously appreciated. Domain architecture analysis revealed that the CHDL domain is also associated with other adhesion domains as well as enzyme domains. Based on computational analysis and previous experimental data, we predict that the CHDL domain has calcium-binding and also carbohydrate-binding activity.

Bladder carcinoma is the most common urological malignancy in China. Gene mutation may be one of causes of carcinogenesis in the cancer. We therefore investigated the mRNA expression of RTKN gene in clinic malignant bladder carcinoma and explored the relationship between the novel gene and the cancer.Total RNA was extracted from 33 surgically resected specimens of bladder carcinoma and 19 specimens of tumor-free bladder tissues. After the optimal reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction condition was established, the mRNA expression levels of the RTKN gene in the lesions and tumor-free bladder tissues were examined semiquantitatively, and the relationships between expression levels of RTKN and clinical pathological features were analyzed.The expression of RTKN gene mRNA in 33 human bladder carcinoma tissues was significantly higher than that in 19 human tumor-free bladder tissues (0.937+/-0.103 vs. 0.350+/-0.082). The average ratio of RTKN expression in neoplasms to that in tumor-free bladder tissues was 0.350+/-0.164. Based on this ratio the 33 patients were divided into three groups: a down-regulated expression group (n=2), an up-regulated expression group (n=22), and an unchanged group (n=9). Although the chi(2) test demonstrated a statistically nonsignificant differences in RTKN expression between tumor stages Ta, T(1), and T(2) overall in the 33 human bladder carcinoma, the t test showed that there were statistically significant differences between solitary and multiple tumors, between the paired group aged younger or older than 70 years in 27 de novo bladder carcinoma patients, and between the groups with tumor larger or smaller than 2.25 cm(3).These results suggest that the RTKN gene is involved in bladder carcinogenesis and progression in bladder carcinoma, indicating that RTKN gene could be a molecular target in cancer therapy.