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The purpose of this study was to clarify the correlation between pre-treatment anterior disc displacement and mandibular stability after orthognathic and orthodontic treatment among patients with a skeletal class II malocclusion and without pre-treatment condylar resorption. Thirty-seven patients were included (7 male, 30 female). The mean length of follow-up was 6.76 ± 3.06 years. Patients with condylar resorption before treatment were excluded. Magnetic resonance images and lateral cephalometric radiographs were taken before treatment (T0), after treatment (T1), and at follow-up (T2). Patients were classified according to the degree of disc displacement: −10–10° ‘normal’, 11–50° ‘slight to mild’, ≥51° ‘moderate to severe’. Results showed the condyle moved posterosuperiorly after treatment, and then moved anteriorly to a more concentric location during the long follow-up period. Condylar movement was found not to correlate with disc displacement. The degree of disc displacement before treatment did not correlate with the post-surgical mandibular positional change in either the sagittal or vertical direction. To conclude, the mandibular bilateral sagittal split ramus osteotomy was stable in the long-term after orthognathic and orthodontic treatment. In the absence of pre-treatment condylar resorption, the degree of initial anterior disc displacement did not have a significant influence on the stability of mandibular advancement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Allergens from dust mites play a critical role in the pathogenesis of airway allergy. The mechanism by which dust mite allergens induce allergic diseases is not fully understood yet. Objective This study tests a hypothesis that the eighth subtypes of Dermatophagoides farina allergen (Derf8) play an important role in the induction of airway allergy. Methods The protein of Derf8 was synthesized via molecular cloning approach. Dendritic cells ( DC) were stimulated with Derf8 in the culture, and then, the expression of T cell immunoglobulin mucin domain 4 ( TIM4) in dendritic cells ( DC) was analysed. The role of Derf8 in the induction of airway allergy was evaluated with a mouse model. Results Exposure to Derf8 markedly induced the TIM4 expression in DCs by modulating the chromatin at the TIM4 promoter locus. Derf8 played a critical role in the expansion of the T helper 2 response in the mouse airway via inducing DCs to produce TIM4. Administration with Derf8-depleted dust mite extracts ( DME) inhibited the allergic inflammation and induced regulatory T cells in mice with airway allergy. Conclusion Derf8 plays an important role in the initiation of dust mite allergy. Vaccination with Derf8-deficient DME is more efficient to inhibit the dust mite allergic inflammation than using wild DME. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different row spacing can affect the canopy structure, and then affect the environment of crop growth and the yield. The research aimed to investigate the effects of row spacing on light interception ratio and leaf water status of summer maize (Zea mays L.), and to select the reasonable planting pattern. The experiment comprised five planting population distribution patterns in the same plant population density (62500 plant/ha) in northern China from 2011 to 2013. The following row spacing × spacing between the plant schemes were used: 40 cm × 40 cm (RS40), 50 cm × 32 cm (RS50), 60 cm × 27 cm (RS60), 70 cm × 23 cm (RS70), and 80 cm × 20 cm (RS80). A significant negative correlation was observed between row spacings and leaf relative water content (LRWC), water potential (Ψ) and yield during 3 years. RS40 and RS50 had the high total photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) capture ratio (CR) and upper CR (>100 cm) than the others. The yield of RS50 was higher than the others during three years study. The narrow row spacing (RS40 and RS50) was beneficial to the CR of PAR, LRWC, and However, compared with RS50, the RS40 could increase the evapotranspiration and decrease the lower-CR. So RS50 could be the reasonable row spacing of summer maize in Huang-huai-hai Plain in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: To compare the different expressions of CD27, CD28, IL-17A, IFN-γand TNF-α in the peripheral blood sampled from patients with colorectal carcinoma and healthy volunteers. ATIENTS AND METHODS: Vδ 2 T cells were isolated from the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of patients with the colorectal carcinoma (CRC, n = 30) and healthy controls (HC, n = 21). The proportion of CD27, CD28, IL-17A, IFN-γ and TNF-α of Vδ 2 T cells was detected by the flow cytometry. RESULTS: We found that the proportion of IL- 17A of Vδ 2 T cells in PBMCs was higher in the CRC vs. the HC group (p < 0.05). A significant positive correlation was observed between the expression of IFN-γ and TNF-α of Vδ 2 T cells. In the CRC patients, the proportions of IL-17A of CD27- Vδ 2 T cells and CD28+ Vδ 2 T cells were higher than those of CD27+ Vδ 2 T cells and CD28- Vδ 2 T cells, whereas the expression of IFN-γ and TNF-α of CD27-Vδ 2 T cells was lower than that of CD27+ Vδ 2 T cells. CONCLUSIONS: Vδ 2 T cells from PBMCs had higher expression of IL-17A in CRC patients than that in the HC group. The expression of IFN-γ and TNF-α of Vδ 2 T cells from PBMCs was positively correlated. The cytokine profiles of peripheral Vδ 2 T cells were likely determined by a CD27 and CD28 involving mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We theoretically demonstrate that the two-dimensional porous C2N sheet exhibits an extremely high selectivity and large permeance in favour of H2 among other atmospheric gases. This experimentally available porous C2N is superior to traditional membranes, such as polymers and silica, and could have great potential for hydrogen separation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the effects of planting patterns and pre-sowing soil moisture on the yield of summer soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] in northern China from 2009 to 2010. The experiment comprised three planting patterns, namely, 30 cm uniform row spacing pattern (U), "20 + 40" wide-narrow row planting pattern (WN), and "20 + 40" furrow planting pattern (F). Three pre-sowing soil moisture treatments were performed at 90, 135, and 180 mm and involved irrigation during the winter wheat growth season. The leaf area index and chlorophyll content index of F were higher than those of U and WN under the same pre-sowing soil moisture treatment (P < 0.05). The accumulation of dry matter and the grain yield of F were significantly higher than those of U and WN (P < 0.05) irrespective of water content. The increase in grain yields of summer soybean was significant in 2009 (P < 0.05) but not in 2010 (P > 0.05) for 135 and 180 mm pre-sowing soil moisture under F. In conclusion, F and 180 mm pre-sowing soil moisture treatments were good agronomic measures to increase the yield of summer soybean in northern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Winter wheat is an important food crop in northern China. To achieving higher yields with less water has been the focus of researchers. Four planting patterns [row spacing (RS) x plant spacing], namely, 7x7 cm (RS7), 14 x 3.5 cm (RS14), 24.5 x 2 cm (RS24.5), and 49 x 1 cm (RS49), and four irrigation regimes, namely, 0, 60, 120, and 180 mm, were studied under field conditions during 2006-07 and 2007-08 at the Agronomy Experimental Station (36°09'N, 117°09'E) of Shandong Agricultural University in Tai'an, Shandong Province, China. This experiment aimed to study the effect of row spacing and irrigation on leaf area index (LAI), dry matter weight (DM), photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) capture ratio at different levels above the ground surface, grain yield and radiation use efficiency (RUE) of winter wheat. Results revealed higher average LAI and DM of RS14 than those of other treatments with all irrigation conditions. The canopy light interception of RS49 was significantly lower than those of other patterns. The PAR capture ratio of RS14 at 0-40 cm aboveground was lower than that at 40-80 cm aboveground, similar to those of RS7 and RS24.5 but not to that of RS49. Increased irrigation resulted in declines of PAR capture ratio at 0-40 cm aboveground but increased at 60-80 cm aboveground. Increasing amounts of irrigation resulted in increased yields of winter wheat, and the order RS14 " RS7 > RS24.5 > RS49 was observed. Grain yields of RS7 and RS14 were significantly higher than those of RS24.5 and RS49 (P < 0.01). RS14 with irrigation at 120 mm may be the best option to increase yields and save water in northern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large electrocaloric effect (ECE) near room temperature is reported in Sn doped BaTiO3 ceramics. By tuning Ba(Ti1-xSnx)O3 compositions which also exhibit relaxor ferroelectric response to near the invariant critical point, the Ba(Ti1-xSnx)O3 bulk ceramics at x ~ 0.12 exhibit a large EC coefficient (△T/△E=0.27*10-6K.m V-1) over a 50 K temperature range. In addition to that, the diffuse phase transition is successfully applied to broaden the EC peaks under low electric field. These properties added together indicate a general solution of the electrocaloric materials with high performance for practical cooling applications [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]