Search

Study design A comprehensive bioinformatics analysis of genes which may have correlations with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Objective To study the mechanisms of AS by analyzing microarray of GSE25101. Summary of background data AS is an inflammatory arthritis that can lead to chronic pain and disability. Materials and methods GSE25101 was downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus including 16 AS patients and 16 normal controls. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened using limma package in Bioconductor and miRNAs targeted DEGs were predicted. Then, gene ontology and pathway enrichment analysis of DEGs was performed using Database for Annotation, Visualization, and Integrated Discovery. Besides, the interaction relationships of the proteins encoded by DEGs were searched by STRING, and the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was visualized by Cytoscape. Moreover, modules analysis of PPI network was performed using Clique Percolation Method in CFinder. Results A total of 284 DEGs were screened and 1899 miRNA-mRNA regulatory pairs were obtained. Both myosin heavy chain 9 (MYH9) and B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia/lymphoma 11B (BCL11B) were targeted by has-miR-124 and has-miR-363. Function enrichment analyze indicated that these DEGs, especially, downregulated protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor-type C (PTPRC), cluster of differentiation 3γ (CD3G), cluster of differentiation 247 (CD247), cluster of differentiation 4 (CD4), interleukin 7 receptor (IL7R), MYH9, and BCL11B were associated with regulation of immune response. Meanwhile, CD4 (degree=25), perforin 1 (PRF1) (degree=15), PTPRC (degree=13), and CD247 (degree=9) had higher connectivity degrees in the PPI network for the DEGs. And they might be involved in AS by interacting with other genes in module B (eg, PTPRC-IL7R, CD3G-CD247, and PRF1-PTPRC). Conclusion MYH9, BCL11B, PTPRC, CD3G, CD247, CD4, IL7R, and PRF1 might have a correlation with AS.

Treatment of sulfoxides with the HfCl4/Zn system in acetonitrile at room temperature has been shown to provide the corresponding sulfides in high yields. This new methodology is highly chemoselective, tolerating several functional groups such as –Br, –Cl, –OCH3, –CHO and double bond.

OBJECT The object of this study was to review the effectiveness in treating severe and rigid scoliosis with posterioronly spinal release combined with derotation, translation, segmental correction, and an in situ rod-contouring technique. METHODS Twenty-eight patients with severe and rigid scoliosis (Cobb angle > 70° and flexibility < 30%) were retrospectively enrolled between June 2008 and June 2010. The average age of the patients was 17.1 years old (range 12–22 years old), 18 were female, and 10 were male. Etiological diagnoses were idiopathic in 24 patients, neuromuscular in 2 patients, and Marfan syndrome in 2 patients. All patients underwent posterior spinal release, derotation, translation, segmental correction, and an in situ rod-contouring technique. The scoliosis Cobb angle in the coronal plane, kyphosis Cobb angle, apex vertebral translation, and trunk shift were evaluated preoperatively and postoperatively. RESULTS The average operative time was 241.8 ± 32.1 minutes and estimated blood loss was 780.5 ± 132.6 ml. The average scoliosis Cobb angle in the coronal plane was corrected from 85.7° (range 77°–94°) preoperatively to 33.1° (range 21°–52°) postoperatively, with a correction ratio of 61.3%. The average kyphosis Cobb angle was 64.5° (range 59°–83°) preoperatively, which was decreased to 42.6° (range 34°–58°) postoperatively, with a correction ratio of 33.9%. After an average of 24 months of follow-up (range 13–30 months), no major complications were observed in these patients, except screw pullout of the upper thoracic vertebrae in 2 patients and screw penetration into the apical vertebrae in 1 patient. CONCLUSIONS Posterior spinal release combined with derotation, translation, segmental correction, and an in situ rod-contouring technique has proved to be a promising new technique for rigid scoliosis, significantly correcting the scoliosis and accompanied by fewer complications.

In the last several decades, a couple of fuzzy power flow algorithms were presented to deal with the uncertainties in power grid. But there is no a functional simulation tool introduced to simplify the calculation. This paper presents a simulation tool, Matpower, under one of the algorithms to do the fuzzy power flow calculation. The algorithm gives the user the possibility to specify fuzzy numbers to represent the possible behavior of loads and generations and outputs fuzzy membership functions for voltage magnitudes and phases, active and reactive power flows and generations. Matpower, as a simulation tool, was modified to handle fuzzy numbers and show fuzzy results. In a final section, we present results obtained with a case study based on a real power system to illustrate and highlight details of the proposed algorithm. Suggestions for future implementation of the fuzzy Matpower are also summarized.

The present study aimed to investigate the articular cartilage and chondrocytes of dexamethasone (DXM)-induced cartilage injuries in rats in response to treatment with icariin, as well as the implicated molecular mechanism. Effects of icariin on bone metabolism and articular cartilage in experimental rats were investigated. Subsequently, the present study assessed dysregulated microRNA (miRNA) in the articular cartilage of experimental rats, and validated the significant miRNA and their targets. Finally, the effects of icariin on chondrocytes in experimental rats and the implicated molecular mechanism were explored. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction demonstrated that icariin significantly reversed DXM-induced bone degradation and stimulated bone regeneration. In addition, some notable changes in articular cartilage were also observed following continuous administration of icariin to DXM-treated rats, including enhanced cartilage area (revealed by safranin-O staining), substantial decrements in serum concentrations of deoxypyridinoline and C-terminal telopeptide of type II collagen, reduced expression of collagen type I and matrix metalloproteinase-13, as well as elevated expression of transforming growth factor-β. Furthermore, miR-206 was determined to be significantly upregulated in the icariin group compared with the DXM-treated group. A luciferase assay further validated cathepsin K as the target RNA of miR-206. Additionally, icariin (100 µM) facilitated the viability of chondrocytes and reduced apoptotic chondrocytes. More importantly, icariin (100 µM) not only abolished the inhibition effect of DXM on miR-206 expression in chondrocytes, but also eliminated the enhancing effect of DXM on cathepsin K expression. Overall, the present study identified icariin as a novel therapeutic agent in DXM-induced cartilage injury in rats, and revealed that the activation of miR-206 targeting of cathepsin K may be responsible for the chondroprotective efficacy of icariin.

A new napthalenone, rumexone A (1), was isolated from the roots of Rumex nepalensis. The structure of 1 was elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analyses, including 1D and 2D NMR spectra and MS data. Its cytotoxic effect was evaluated using four clinically relevant human cancer cell lines, gastric carcinoma SGC7901, breast carcinoma MDA-MB-231, lung carcinoma A549, and hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2.

In view of the flow particularity of fractured horizontal wells in dual permeability layers in volcanic gas reservoirs, based on the equivalent flowing resistance method and superposition principle, a new productivity forecasting method for fractured open-hole horizontal wells with multi-transverse fractures in volcanic gas reservoirs is established using a new pseudo-pressure function, with the comprehensive effect of gas slippage effect, starting pressure gradient, stress sensitivity effect and turbulence effect in fractures taken into consideration. The simulation results show that in the production process of fractured open-hole horizontal wells, and the starting pressure gradient has the most remarkable impact on gas well productivity, followed by pressure-sensitive effect and turbulence effect. The slippage effect has the lowest influence. Production pressure difference in gas reservoirs with strong pressure-sensitive effect should be reduced. Gas well production increases as the fracture half-length increases. With the increase of fracture number, the increase of gas production slows down, there exists an optimal number of cracks. The factor affecting gas well production most significantly is fracture conductivity capacity. Different gas reservoirs have different optimal fracture conductivity capacity. Key words: volcanic gas reservoir, dual permeability, open hole fracturing horizontal well, starting pressure gradient, stress sensitivity, turbulence effect

The surface uplift history of the Tibetan Plateau (TP) offers a key testing ground for evaluating models of collisional tectonics and holds important implications for processes ranging from global cooling to the onset of the Asian monsoon. Various models have been proposed to reveal the surface uplift history of the TP, but controversies remain. We evaluate these models using data from sedimentology and stratigraphy, structural geology, magmatism, exhumation, and paleoaltimetry studies. Structural analyses indicate that thrust belts, which spread from the central TP outward toward its surrounding margins, accommodated most of the India–Asia convergence, and facilitated crustal shortening and thickening in the central TP. Eocene adakitic rocks located in the Qiangtang and the Lhasa blocks likely were generated by partial melting of an eclogitic source. Paleogene (50–30 Ma) potassic rocks only occur in the Qiangtang block, whereas Late Oligocene–Late Miocene (26–8 Ma) potassic rocks occur both in the Qiangtang and Lhasa blocks. Low-temperature thermochronologic ages in the central TP are older than 40–35 Ma, whereas those in the margins are younger than 20 Ma (mostly Late Miocene, and Pliocene/Pleistocene in age). Independent paleoaltimetry estimates suggest that the Lhasa and Qiangtang terranes attained their current elevations during the Eocene, most likely due to the initial collision between India and Lhasa, whereas the Hoh Xil basin area to the north and Himalayas to the south were still low, even below sea level in the latter case. We argue for an inside-out growth pattern for the Tibetan Plateau. The TP grew southward and northward from a nucleus of high topography and is likely to continue expanding along the Mazar Tagh fault to the northwest, the Kuantai Shan-Hei Shan-Longshou Shan to the northeast, the Longquan Shan to the east and the Shillong plateau to the south if the northward force of India would not diminished.

In the present work, 2024Al alloy was rolled before solid solution, between solid solution and aging, and after aging treatments. Precipitation sequence in 2024 Al has not been altered by the rolling treatment. However, peak aging temperature of S’ phase was decreased from 264 to 254 oC, implying that the process of S’precipitation was accelerated by the deformation. After thermo-mechanical treatments, precipitates werefiner dispersed, and finest precipitate distribution was observed after treatment III (rolling between solid solution and aging), while precipitate size was all smaller than 240nm and more than 95% precipitates was smaller than 200nm. The highest dislocation density was found in 2024Al alloy after treatment III since the dislocations generated during deformation was slightly decreased during following low temperature aging treatment. Therefore, in order to improve the mechanical properties, it is suggested that the rolling treatment should be performed between solid solution and aging treatment.

In distributed optical fiber pipeline pre-warning system, the sampling rate is very high for threatening event location, so vast data will be generated which is inconvenient for transfer or storage. This paper adopts the compressive sensing approach to reduce the data quantity. The sparsity of each segment of the signal is important for signal recovery, and it controls the measurement number needed. However, the sparsity of every segment is difficult to achieve. In this paper, the sequential approach is used to fix the measurement number of each segment of the optical fiber pipeline data. This segment sequential approach further reduces the amount of data on the basis of compressive sensing. Simulation is carried out on the actual optical fiber pipeline pre-warning data, and the experimental results show that the reconstruction SNR could exceed 26dB using this algorithm.

Background: Osteopontin (OPN) is reportedly involved in bone desorption, formation and ectopic calcification. We sought to investigate the role of OPN gene polymorphism in the susceptibility to Cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) and in predicting the outcome anterior cervical corpectomy and fusion (ACF). Methods: A total of 187 patients diagnosed with CSM and 233 sex and age matched healthy controls were enrolled in this study. All CSM patients received ACF and were followed up for 24 months. The polymorphisms of OPN gene at 3 loci, namely, -156 G>GG, -443 C>T and -66T>G were determined. Results: The -66T>G genotype was significantly different between CSM patients and controls. Compared to the -66TT carriers, the -66GG genotype carriers had a higher risk for developing CSM (adjusted Odd Ratio=2.58, adjusted P=0.001). In contrast, the genotype distributions of the -156G/GG and -443C/T loci were not significantly different between the CSM and control groups. OPN gene polymorphism did not determine the pre-operative severity of CSM patients, but the -66T>G genotype was significantly associated with the clinical outcome of CSM after ACF treatment. The -66T>G did not affect the serum OPN level, but affect the local expressions of OPN and a serious of key inflammatory factors in the intervertebral disc samples. Conclusion: Our study shows the OPN -66T>G genetic polymorphism contributes to patients' susceptibility to CSM and could be indicative of the outcome of ACF surgery.

INTRODUCTION Posterior hemivertebra resection combined with multisegmental or bisegmental fusion has been applied successfully for congenital scoliosis. However, there are several immature bones and their growth can be influenced by long segmental fusion in congenital patients. Posterior hemivertebra resection and monosegmental fusion was therefore suggested for treatment of congenital scoliosis caused by hemivertebra. METHODS Between June 2001 and June 2010, 60 congenital scoliosis patients (aged 2–18 years) who underwent posterior hemivertebra resection and monosegmental fusion were enrolled in our study. A standing anteroposterior x-ray of the whole spine was obtained preoperatively, postoperatively and at the last follow-up appointment to analyse the Cobb angle in the coronal and sagittal planes as well as the trunk shift. RESULTS The mean preoperative coronal plane Cobb angle was 41.6°. This was corrected to 5.1° postoperatively and 5.3° at the last follow-up visit (correction 87.3%). The compensatory cranial curve was improved from 18.1° preoperatively to 7.1° postoperatively and 6.5° at the last follow-up visit while the compensatory caudal curve was improved from 21.5° to 6.1° after surgery and 5.6° at the last follow-up visit. The mean sagittal plane Cobb angle was 23.3° before surgery, 7.3° after surgery and 6.8° at the last follow-up visit (correction 70.1%). The trunk shift of 18.5mm was improved to 15.2mm. CONCLUSIONS Posterior hemivertebra resection and monosegmental fusion seems to be an effective approach for treatment of congenital scoliosis caused by hemivertebra, allowing for excellent correction in both the frontal and sagittal planes.

This study aims to evaluate the clinic value of ultrasound, computed tomography (CT) and serological testing in the differentiation between hepatic Cystic Echinococcosis (CE) types 1 and simple hepatic cysts. Totally 50 patients with CE Types 1 and 50 patients with simple hepatic cysts were included. All patients examined by ultrasound, CT and serological testing respectively. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of diagnosis methods was drawn and their sensitivity, specificity, Youden index, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, positive predictive value and negative predictive value were compared. Pathology result was used as golden standard. The area under ROC curve of ultrasound was 0.97 and of CT and serological testing was 0.79 and 0.71 respectively. The sensitivity of ultrasound in the diagnosis of CE Types 1 was 96.00%, specificity was 98.00%, the positive likelihood ratio was 48.00, and negative likelihood ratio was 0.04. Disease prevalence was 50%, positive predictive value was 97.96%, and negative predictive value was 96.08%. The sensitivity of CT was 80.00%, specificity was 62.00%, positive likelihood ratio was 2.11, and negative likelihood ratio was 0.32. Disease prevalence was 50%, positive predictive value was 67.80%, and negative predictive value was 75.61%. The sensitivity of immunological test was 86.00%, specificity was 72.00%, positive likelihood ratio was 3.07, and negative likelihood ratio was 0.19. Disease prevalence was 50%, positive predictive value was 75.44%, and negative predictive value was 83.72%. Combined ultrasound and immunological test, the sensitivity and the specificity was 82% and 100% respectively. Combined CT and immunological test, the sensitivity the specificity was 70% and 82% respectively. In the differentiate diagnosis of CE Types 1 and simple hepatic cyst, ultrasound is better than CT with high sensitivity and specificity, therefore recommended. Immunological examination is an important complement to the imaging examination.

Objective: This study evaluated two surgical procedures, total splenectomy and spleen-preserving surgery, for the treatment of spleen cystic echinococcosis (CE). Methods: A total of 21 patients who underwent surgery for removal of spleen CE were evaluated retrospectively. Patients were divided into two groups, those who received a total splenectomy (n = 7) and those who underwent spleen-preserving surgery (n = 14). Results: Total splenectomy surgery took 127.1 ± 11.1 min and spleen-preserving surgery took 104.3 ± 25.3 min (p

When IOT of agriculture combined with the social media, by drawing support of social media, agricultural IOT could be promote from industrial application tosocial applications level, make full use of social media platforms for the information of agricultural crops and products got from Internet of Things, and spread the information to get the user's attention, thus a favorable mechanism for social media marketing would be built.

With the rise and development of cloud technology, cloud-based systems has been widely used in various fields of Internet-based applications. This paper discusses the application model of cloud technology in media platforms. The second section of the paper presents the operating environment of the cloud media platform. Finally, this paper analysis specifically the implementation of the web E-mail system based on the cloud media platform presented above.

Based on the principle of catalytic combustion type gas sensor, a kerosene gas sensor with micro twin-bridge structure is fabricated using silicon micromachining technology. A pair of platinum film resistor is fabricated by film processing, and its nominal resistance is 20Ω at 0°C. The nano-alumina catalytic carrier and noble metal catalyst are coated on the surface of sensitive resistance in order to form the sensitive bridge and compensating bridge. The monolithic integration of catalytic element and compensating element is achieved on the silicon micro twin-bridge for fabrication of kerosene sensor. The simulation result shows that once temperature of one bridge rises to 650K, the other bridge may increases about 10°C. The test on kerosene sensor by calibration device indicates that the sensor can detect the kerosene volume fraction ranging from 0 to 7000×10-6 and the sensor output property is linear.

Growing geologic evidence documents incremental Mesozoic and early Cenozoic shortening and thickening of the Tibetan crust prior to the onset of the main Cenozoic orogenic event. The Tibetan crust shows spatial and temporal variability in thickness, style, and timing of thickening, and in plateau-forming processes. The Songpan–Ganzi area of northeastern Tibet provides evidence for shortening and thickening of the crust in Late Triassic time. An oil exploratory well (HC-1) of 7012.4 m located in the area shows at least six tectonic repetitions, resulting in more than ∼46% thickening of the Triassic sequence. It indicates that the true thickness of the Songpan–Ganzi Triassic flysch is not 10–15 km as previously assumed, but not more than 3–5 km. Based on this evidence, combined with prior tectonostratigraphic studies, we propose that substantial crustal shortening and thickening, leading to initial plateau formation in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau, had already occurred during the Late Triassic.

The non-linear seepage mechanisms in volcanic gas reservoirs were studied using experiment results of rate-controlled Hg penetration, nuclear magnetic resonance, and core displacement tests. According to types of storage space and throats, combined with dynamic production characteristics, the volcanic gas reservoirs were classified into four storage-seepage modes, pore type, inter-granular pore type, micro-pore type and fracture-dissolution pore type. Slippage effect and stress sensitivity influence the seepage characteristics of volcanic gas reservoirs. Slippage effect is obvious in micro-pore type reservoirs, medium in pore type reservoirs, and insignificant in inter-granular pore type reservoirs. Stress sensitivities vary greatly in different storage-seepage modes. Fracture-dissolution pore type reservoirs have the strongest stress sensitivity, pore type reservoirs come second, and inter-granular pore type reservoirs have the weaker. In combination of dynamic production data, a relay gas supply mechanism model of multi-media volcanic gas reservoirs was established. In the high and stable yield period, when differential pressure dominates, gas is supplied from large pores and large fractures, and the single well production is high. In the yield decline period, when compaction plays a leading role, gas is supplied from medium pores and small fractures. In the low and stable yield period, when imbibition and diffusion are the main driving force, gas is supplied from small pores and micro-fractures. Key words: volcanic gas reservoir, percolation mechanism, slippage effect, stress sensitivity, relay gas production

The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical efficiency of chemotherapy for the treatment of human alveolar echinococcosis (AE). Twenty-four patients who suffered from late-stage AE were enrolled in this study. The classification of the disease stages was performed according to the PNM (parasite lesion, neighboring organ invasion, metastases) classification system established by the World Health Organization Informal Working Group on Echinococcosis and classification standards. Radical surgery (n = 3), palliative surgery plus chemotherapy (n = 11), and sole chemotherapy (n = 10) were given, respectively. For those with AE metastasis with spleen and kidney, radical surgery was effective for the treatment. However, the treatment efficiency for those with AE metastasis to bone tissues was unfavorable. Significant improvement was noted in those with cerebral lesions after chemotherapy. Stable health conditions were observed in those with pulmonary lesions after chemotherapy. For those with liver lesion, long stable health conditions were noted after chemotherapy. However, surgical interventions were needed as the occurrence of bile duct complications. With regards to the other lesions, radical surgeries were recommended. Satisfactory treatment outcomes were obtained in those with AE after chemotherapy.

New application requirements like “real-time” and “multimedia” is formed gradually with the trend of convergence of the Internet, web 2.0 and telecommunication network. In the era of Internet and web 2.0, users hope to communicate under multimedia context, to which Weibo and other SNS have adapted a lot. Users of web community wish to demand real-time videos and share with others instantly. Network convergence, IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystems) and VoLTE deployment all make the telecom operators long for new multimedia services. In terms of the users, they want to receive multimedia service anywhere and anytime, while the service and content providers also want to build a barrier-free channel for offering and distributing service. Taking the related technologies and user requirements into consideration, a multimedia sharing service and application is proposed and demonstrated in this paper. The system technique schema and deployment solution could help understanding the multimedia sharing service framework and modules in the convergence network. Samples of signal flows and processes are demonstrated in 3 typical application scenarios. Business application, product perspective and business model analysis shows the great market potential of this new multimedia sharing application and service in the near future.

Background: The aim of the study was to retrospectively investigate the changes in pulmonary function and its influencing factors in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) undergoing preoperative brace treatment or not. Methods: Total 237 AIS patients (43 boys, 194 girls) who underwent operations and had a complete record of pulmonary function tests were enrolled and were divided into preoperative brace treatment group (brace treatment group, n = 60) and without preoperative brace treatment group (control group, n = 177). The pulmonary function parameters were compared between the 2 groups. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to explore whether the variables, including age at operation, height, coronal Cobb's angle of main curve, number of involved vertebrae, sagittal Cobb's angle of thoracic curve, brace treatment time per day and brace treatment duration, influenced pulmonary function in the brace treatment group. Results: No significant differences were observed in both predicted and actually measured value of forced vital capacity (FVC) and predicted value of forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) between 2 groups (P > 0.05), but actually measured FEV1, the percentage of actually measured and predicted value of FVC (FVC%) and FEV1 (FEV1%) were significantly lower in the brace treatment group than those in the control group (P

The conversion of the cellular prion protein (PrPC) to the protease-resistant isoform is the key event in chronic neurodegenerative diseases, including transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). Increased iron in prion-related disease has been observed due to the prion protein-ferritin complex. Additionally, the accumulation and conversion of recombinant PrP (rPrP) is specifically derived from Fe(III) but not Fe(II). Fe(III)-mediated PK-resistant PrP (PrPres) conversion occurs within a complex cellular environment rather than via direct contact between rPrP and Fe(III). In this study, differentially expressed genes correlated with prion degeneration by Fe(III) were identified using Affymetrix microarrays. Following Fe(III) treatment, 97 genes were differentially expressed, including 85 upregulated genes and 12 downregulated genes (≥1.5-fold change in expression). However, Fe(II) treatment produced moderate alterations in gene expression without inducing dramatic alterations in gene expression profiles. Moreover, functional grouping of identified genes indicated that the differentially regulated genes were highly associated with cell growth, cell maintenance, and intra- and extracellular transport. These findings showed that Fe(III) may influence the expression of genes involved in PrP folding by redox mechanisms. The identification of genes with altered expression patterns in neural cells may provide insights into PrP conversion mechanisms during the development and progression of prion-related diseases.

Growth year is one of the important factors for the quality of mountain cultivated ginseng (MCG). For age differentiation of MCG, rhizome extracts of ginseng aged from 11 to 15 years were analyzed using a non-targeted approach with ultra-performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF/MS)-based on plant metabolomics technique. Multivariate statistical methods such as principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal partial least squared discrimination analysis (OPLS-DA) were used to compare the derived patterns among the samples. The results showed that the chemical constituents of MCG rhizome extracts of ginseng aged from 11 to 15 years were different. The data set was subsequently applied to metabolite selection by variable importance in the projection (VIP) for sophisticated classification with the optimal number of metabolites. The OPLS-DA model of MCG has a high interpretability and predictive capability, which established by selecting metabolites of MCG aged from 11 to 15 years. By this approach, MCG samples aged from 11 to 15 years, which are the most in demand in the Chinese ginseng market, can be precisely differentiated on the basis of selected metabolites. This proposed analytical method is fast, accurate, and reliable for discriminating the growth year of MCG. Moreover, this study supplies a new method for the age discrimination of other Chinese medicinal materials.

Background High glucose (HG) often induces unfavorable effects on proliferation and differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). This study aimed to explore potential molecular pathways underlying HG functional mechanism during osteogenic differentiation of MSCs, involving lncRNA AK028326 and CXCL13. Methods Murine bone marrow-derived MSCs were cultured in osteogenic-inducing medium supplemented with high glucose level at 25 mM or 5.5 mM as normal control. Expression levels of lncRNA AK028326 and CXCL13 were measured by using real-time PCR. The mineralized nodule formation and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity were detected after 21 and 7 days of incubation respectively. Western blot were also performed to determine the expression of CXCL13 and osteogenic gene markers. Plasmid pcDNAs and small interference RNAs were transfected as indicated for functional analysis of AK028326 and CXCL13. Results HG suppressed the expression of AK028326 and CXCL13 in MSCs in a time-dependent manner, and also the mineralization, ALP activity, and osteogenic gene expression, which could be reversed by overexpression of AK028326 or CXCL13. CXCL13 expression was positively regulated by AK028326 at both mRNA and protein levels. Moreover, CXCL13 mediated the positive regulation of AK028326 on osteogenic gene expression in MSCs and MC3T3-E1 cells, mineralization and ALP activity in MSCs and also HG-induced inhibitory effects during MSCs differentiation into osteoblast. Conclusion HG could inhibit osteogenic differentiation of MSCs via inhibited expression of CXCL13 mediated by lncRNA AK028326, thereby providing new insights into the molecular mechanism of many osteogenesis-related diseases especially for patients with hyperglycemia.

The black shale of the lower Sinian (Neoproterozoic) Doushantuo Formation, located in the Yangtze area (Hubei, China), has a great potential to contain shale gas. The main depositional environments of the region included tidal flats, shelf lagoons, shelf margins, and slopes. While black shale formed from deposits in a shelf lagoon setting, the sediments from the tidal flats were dolomitic. Several factors affect the sediments deposited in these environments, including sediment surface energy (i.e., quiescent or turbulent), salinity, and the presence of either oxic or reducing conditions. The depositional environments of segments B and D of the Doushantuo Formation in the Jiulongwan section were significantly different; specifically, segment D was anoxic to euxinic. As a result, the total organic carbon (TOC) in the segment D shale is higher than that in segment B. This study also used field emission scanning electron microscopy to show that pores in organic matter are the main gas storage space and that the organic matter pores in segment D have diameters less than 100 nm. The increasing of the organic matter content increases organic pore and porosity of the reservoir. TOC is not only the main controlling internal factors of the micropores of the shale in Doushantuo Formation but also provides the important storage space for shale gas. The quiet and hypoxia environment of the black shale in Doushantuo Formation is the main factor controlling the enrichment of organic matter, and the enrichment of organic matter is beneficial to improve the physical property of the shale reservoir. Therefore, black shale formed in the quiet and anoxic depositional environment has better reservoir physical property.

The characteristic remanent magnetizations (ChRMs) of the late Paleozoic in the Lhasa Terrane reported previously were not widely used for paleogeographical reconstructions because the rocks have been obliterated significantly by multiphase orogeny. This study reports the paleomagnetic data of 131 samples collected from 17 sites in the Permian and the late Triassic rocks from the Zhakang section of the Xainza area, where the relative undeformed Paleozoic strata were preserved. Consequently, the ChRMs of high temperature with the different paleomagnetic directions were isolated from the Permian sandstones, limestones, dolomites and the late Triassic silicalites. Without the constraints with the spatial and temporal limitation of the chemical remagnetization derived from the fluids driven by the Neogene strike-slip faults and the Paleogene thrusting faults in the study area, the ChRMs carried by hematite in early Permian sandstones away the faults have potentially preserved a primary magnetization, which has a paleomagnetic direction of D = 46.6°, I = − 31.2°, κ = 69.0, α95 = 9.3°, N = 5 sites after tilt correction, corresponding to a pole at 24.5°N, 219.3°E with A95 = 7.8°. The new corresponding paleomagnetic pole with the former Carboniferous poles shows the Lhasa Terrane drifted into the middle-lower latitude and isolated in the Paleo-Tethys Ocean rather than adjacent to the northern margin of Gondwanaland during the early Permian after being rifted from the Australian continent in the late Carboniferous.

The northern dimension of Greater India, defined as the continental part of India from which the Himalayan fold–thrust belt was derived, is difficult to determine due to major tectonic deformations of the Himalaya during the Tertiary caused by the India–Eurasian collision. Paleomagnetic data from the Tethyan Himalaya can potentially help determine this dimension. However, the tectonic deformations also led to widespread remagnetization of rocks there and thus previously published paleomagnetic poles from the lower Mesozoic Himalayan rocks may not accurately reflect their original paleomagnetic directions. To better understand the Triassic history of India in a Gondwana configuration, we report new paleomagnetic data (after tilt correction D = 345.5°, I = −43.0°, α95 = 12.0°, k = 17.3, N = 10 sites and the corresponding paleopole at 34.5°N, 282.2°E with A95 = 11.7°) of Triassic limestone and sandstone from the Tulong Group in the Tethyan Himalaya. The primary features of the magnetization are supported by the positive fold test. Our new Triassic paleomagnetic pole overlaps with 230–250 Ma poles from India, suggesting the close affinity between the Tethyan Himalaya and cratonic India since the Triassic. Assuming that the Tethyan Himalaya was a part of the Great India since Triassic, the differences between the Tethyan Himalaya paleolatitude obtained by this study and those previously reported for the cratonic India imply ∼1300 km dimension of the Tethyan Himalaya has been absorbed after the Eurasia–India collision.

A novel type of compact and high selectivity dual-band bandpass filter (BPF) incorporating a dual-mode defected ground structure resonator (DDGSR) and a dual-mode open-stub loaded stepped impedance resonator (DOLSIR) is proposed in this paper. Utilizing capacitive source-load coupling and the intrinsic characteristics of the two types of dual-mode resonators, compact dual-band BPF with multi transmission zeros near the passband edges as well as a wide stopband which can be used to achieve high selectivity is realized. An experimental dual-band BPF located at 2.4 and 3.2 GHz was designed and fabricated. The validity of the design approach is verified by good agreement between simulated and measurement results.

A new phenylethanoid glycoside, 3'''-O-methylcampneoside I (1), was isolated from the 90% ethanolic extract of the roots of Incarvillea compacta, together with three known compounds, campneoside I (2), ilicifolioside A (3), and campneoside II (4). Their structures were determined spectroscopically and compared with previously reported spectral data. Compound 1 existed as epimers and displayed better 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH)-free radical scavenging activity using di-tert-butyl-4-methylphenol (BHT) as the positive control. In addition, pretreatment of human HepG2 cells with compound 1 significantly increased the viability on CCl4-induced cell death.

Biodegradable copolymer α-TCP/poly(amino acid) composite artificial lamina was prepared and used in goat cervical vertebra resection repair. Cervical 4 was removed by laminectomy, and a vertebra defect of 27 × 9 mm was made. α-TCP/poly(amino acid) composite artificial lamina was inserted in the test group. The efficiency of the copolymer during repair and reconstruction of the goats' vertebra was tested by using X-ray, CT scanning, and histological and biomechanical measurements. In the 24 weeks following the operation, the artificial lamina refrained from shifting, and no dural adhesion pressure was observed. In contrast, the control group suffered from infiltration of soft tissue in the spinal canal, dural pressure and α-TCP/poly(amino acid) degradation. In conclusion, α-TCP/poly(amino acid) composite artificial lamina can significantly prevent scar tissue from infiltrating the spinal canal.

An example of the rule-based expert system applied to the fan fault diagnosis is presented. The architecture and function of the fault diagnosis system are introduced. The expression of the fault diagnosis knowledge and the attribute of knowledge base based on the relational database have been studied. The hybrid reasoning technology was applied to the implementation of the diagnosis inference engine in the expert system. The presented fault diagnosis system is easy to modify the knowledge base with the experience accumulated in practice, and it has the advantages of expansibility, portability, concision, and high efficiency.

A novel and compact dual-mode defected ground structure (DGS) resonator is presented. Distinct characteristics of the proposed resonator are investigated. Using this type of resonator, a bandpass filter with the center frequency of 2.38GHz and the fractional bandwidth of 6.7% is simulated and fabricated. The results show that this filter not only has an inherent transmission zero near the passband, but also has a very wide upper stopband with rejection better than 20 dB up to about 12 GHz.

To evaluate the prognostic value of the metabolic tumor volume measured on 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) imaging and other clinical factors in patients treated for locally advanced head-and-neck cancer (HNC) at a single institution.Between June 2005 and August 2008, 59 patients with HNC that underwent pretreatment FDG-PET studies received neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Metabolically active tumor regions were delineated on the pretreatment PET scans by a fixed SUV of 2.5. We evaluated the relationship of the 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose-PET maximum standardized uptake value (SUV) and the metabolic tumor volume (MTV) with the progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS).The MTV and lymph node metastasis were predictive of the PFS and OS. The lymph node status did not correlate with the MTV. A higher MTV of 9.3 cm(3) was significantly associated with an increased risk of recurrence (2.19-fold, p = 0.006) and death (1.62-fold, p = 0.051). Separation of patients with tumor volumesor= 9.3 cm(3) and no lymph node disease vs. any other combination was strongly predictive of the PFS and the OS.MTV and lymph node status were prognostic values associated with survival. Quantitative measurement of tumor volume separates patients with a good prognosis from those with a poorer prognosis. A subset of patients with relatively small tumors and no lymph node involvement did very well.

Target: The purpose of the study was to investigate the association between the histamine H4 receptor (HRH4) polymorphisms and the susceptibility to ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Methods: Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method was used to analyze the HRH4 rs8088140 and rs657132 polymorphisms. Linkage disequilibrium and haplotype analyses were conducted with Haploview software. The genotypes distributions of HRH4 polymorphisms in the control group were tested by Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE), allele, genotype and haplotype frequencies between the cases and control groups were compared by χ2 test. The controls were matched with cases by age and gender. The relative risk of AS with HRH4 polymorphisms was represented by odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) calculated by χ2 test. Results: The genotypes distributions of HRH4 rs8088140, rs657132 polymorphisms in controls conformed to HWE. The frequency of rs657132 AA genotype in the case group was obviously higher than that in the control group (P=0.040), and so was the A allele (OR=2.572, 95% CI=1.475-4.486, P=0.022). The frequency differences of A-A haplotype between two groups had statistical significance (P=0.011, OR=2.071, 95% CI=1.172-3.660) through haplotype analysis, indicating A-A might be the susceptible haplotype to AS. Conclusion: The AA genotypes of HRH4 rs657132 polymorphism may be the susceptible factors for AS, and rs657132 plays a role in generation of AS. In addition, A-A haplotype in rs8088140-rs657132 is also increased the risk of AS.

A comprehensive bioinformatics analysis of genes which may have correlations with ankylosing spondylitis (AS).To study the mechanisms of AS by analyzing microarray of GSE25101.AS is an inflammatory arthritis that can lead to chronic pain and disability.GSE25101 was downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus including 16 AS patients and 16 normal controls. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened using limma package in Bioconductor and miRNAs targeted DEGs were predicted. Then, gene ontology and pathway enrichment analysis of DEGs was performed using Database for Annotation, Visualization, and Integrated Discovery. Besides, the interaction relationships of the proteins encoded by DEGs were searched by STRING, and the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was visualized by Cytoscape. Moreover, modules analysis of PPI network was performed using Clique Percolation Method in CFinder.A total of 284 DEGs were screened and 1899 miRNA-mRNA regulatory pairs were obtained. Both myosin heavy chain 9 (MYH9) and B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia/lymphoma 11B (BCL11B) were targeted by has-miR-124 and has-miR-363. Function enrichment analyze indicated that these DEGs, especially, downregulated protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor-type C (PTPRC), cluster of differentiation 3γ (CD3G), cluster of differentiation 247 (CD247), cluster of differentiation 4 (CD4), interleukin 7 receptor (IL7R), MYH9, and BCL11B were associated with regulation of immune response. Meanwhile, CD4 (degree=25), perforin 1 (PRF1) (degree=15), PTPRC (degree=13), and CD247 (degree=9) had higher connectivity degrees in the PPI network for the DEGs. And they might be involved in AS by interacting with other genes in module B (eg, PTPRC-IL7R, CD3G-CD247, and PRF1-PTPRC).MYH9, BCL11B, PTPRC, CD3G, CD247, CD4, IL7R, and PRF1 might have a correlation with AS.

Electromagnetic scattering by an inhomogeneous plasma anisotropic sphere is formulated and obtained, where the inhomogeneous plasma anisotropic sphere is divided into (s-1) homogeneous anisotropic spherical layers. The electromagnetic fields in the inner spherical multilayers and outer free space of the inhomogeneous plasma anisotropic spherical structure can be expanded in terms of the spherical vector wave functions in plasma anisotropic medium and in isotropic medium, respectively. By applying the continuous boundary conditions of electromagnetic fields on the spherical interfaces of the (s-1)-layered homogeneous anisotropic plasma medium, the unknown expansion coefficients of fields in the multilayered plasma spherical structure are obtained, and then the electromagnetic field distributions are calculated. Numerical results for the very general inhomogeneous plasma dielectric material sphere are given and the data in a special case are obtained using the present method and the method of moments accelerated with the conjugate-gradient fast-Fourier-transform approach and compared to each other to verify the correctness and applicability of the present analysis.

We present a novel asynchronous RSFQ digital circuit, Test-Timed RSFQ digital circuit and system(TT), in this paper. With this asynchronous approach, data is transferred in a delay-insensitive fashion to avoid the overhead of global clock distribution and the timing uncertainty. According to the scheme, the timing signal of the logic module is generated by a test logic module. The delay module can be removed from our circuit which should be used in previous asynchronous circuits. Finally, the simulation results for the Test-Timed data processing pipeline based on TT scheme are presented.

The scattering fields from an anisotropic uniaxial-coated conducting sphere by a plane wave are derived. The electromagnetic fields in uniaxial anisotropic medium and free space can be expressed in terms of spherical vector wave functions in uniaxial anisotropic media and isotropic medium. Applying the boundary condition in the interface between the uniaxial anisotropic medium and free space, the surface of the conducting sphere, the expansion coefficients of electromagnetic fields in uniaxial anisotropic medium are obtained, and then the expansion coefficients of scattering fields and radar cross sections can be obtained. Numerical results between this method and Mie theory are in good agreement as we expect. some numerical results are given in this paper.