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Annealing treatment is adopted for studying the changes of structure and low temperature superconducting performance of YBCO thin film on MgO Substrate. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis results show that c axis orientation of YBCO thin film is optimized with the rise of annealing temperature. It reaches the optimum value at 720 °C. The c axis orientation of YBCO thin film shows recession when the annealing temperature is higher than 720 °C. The change trend of increasing firstly and decreasing subsequently is also discovered with annealing temperature, the optimal critical current density value is obtained at about 730 °C. Research results show that the YBCO thin film structure and low temperature superconducting performance can be effectively improved through optimizing annealing temperature.

Changes in glacial melt and river runoff directly impact upon water resources and utilization. Glacier area data provide the basis of analysing glacier change. In this study, Landsat images from the end of the 2014 melt season were analysed using remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS) technology. We compared the band ratio method and Normalized Difference Snow Index (NDSI) method for extracting glacial parameters. The results show that the band ratio method is better for glacier boundary extraction. However, for debris covered glaciers, textural analysis is needed for area extraction and needed to revise boundary extraction results through the visual interpretation of the remote sensing image Accurate area extraction is particularly important for glaciers, as these are major contributors to runoff.

Summary form only given. The intentional and unintentional radiations are of great importance to wireless power transfer at the low frequency regime and antenna signal transportation at the higher frequency regime. Due to the rising speed of digital systems and thereby broad bandwidth of signal channels at all levels of electronic devices, it becomes more essential than ever to quantitively analyze, model, and illustrate how the energy is leaked out and which part is a greater contributor to the wanted or unwanted radiation. However, conventional computational methods seem to be not sufficient to answer these questions. They mostly focused on characterizing port based properties such as matching condition and insertion losses, or gave general efficiency description and radiation patterns. But it is not clear how the energy is radiated and coupled from different parts of the radiator. For computational electromagnetics algorithms, they blended all physical phenomena together and made the radiation property extraction and analysis not straightforward. In this work, we extend the partial element equivalent circuit (PEEC) method to distributive radiation analysis so that the radiation and coupling contributions from each segment of the whole radiator can be singled out. Instead of focusing on the conventional circuit modeling method of PEEC, we focus on distributive radiated power and transferred power calculation. To fully stick to the first principle without sacrificing reliability, dynamic Green's function is used throughout the proposed method, not only for the coupling term, but also for the self term. A great significance of this work is that it can help to provide eligible lossy model of antenna structures and meta surfaces more accurately, which avoids approximations and curve fitting methods frequently used in RF and microwave engineering designs to make the circuit model more physical. For example, we can benchmark the idea through the coupling and radiation mechanism of arbitrarily electrical radiators and magnetic radiators. The radiated power and coupled power between coupled structure will be systematically calculated and analyzed using the proposed method. It gives much more insights than the conventional radiation impedance concept. This work was supported in part by Hong Kong GRF 713011, GRF 712612, and NSFC 61271158.

Review on RPS6KA6, with data on DNA/RNA, on the protein encoded and where the gene is implicated.

Acquiring water is essential for all animals, but doing so is most challenging for desert-living animals. Recently Przewalski's horse has been reintroduced to the desert area in China where the last wild surviving member of the species was seen before it vanished from China in the 1960s. Its reintroduction placed it within the range of a close evolutionary relative, the con-generic Khulan. Determining whether or not these two species experience competition and whether or not such competition was responsible for the extinction of Przewalski's horses in the wild over 50 years ago, requires identifying the fundamental and realized niches of both species. We remotely monitored the presence of both species at a variety of water points during the dry season in Kalamaili Nature Reserve, Xinjiang, China. Przewalski's horses drank twice per day mostly during daylight hours at low salinity water sources while Khulans drank mostly at night usually at high salinity water points or those far from human residences. Spatial and temporal differences in water use enables coexistence, but suggest that Przewalski's horses also restrict the actions of Khulan. Such differences in both the fundamental and realized niches were associated with differences in physiological tolerances for saline water and human activity as well as differences in aggression and dominance.

Review on HSPA8, with data on DNA/RNA, on the protein encoded and where the gene is implicated.

Seventeen N'-tert-butyl-N'-aroyl-N-(alkoxycarbonylmethyl)-N-aroylhydrazines were synthesized, and their insecticidal activities against armyworm (Leucania separata (Walker)) were tested. The conformation and structure of compound 1b was studied by 1H NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography. The crystal structure belongs to the orthorhombic system and the N—N bond adopts a gauche conformation, which was assumed to be the active conformation, with a dihedral angle of 69.9°.Key words: N'-tert-butyl-N'-aroyl-N-(alkoxycarbonylmethyl)-N-aroylhydrazine, syntheses, insecticidal activity, conformation, crystal structure.

TiO2 powder samples with an average particle size of 50 nm were sintered in air at 1200°C at different heating rates of 1, 3, 5 K min–1. The apparent sintering activation energy was determined from dilatometer shrinkage data using the Arrhenius theory. The results give an activation energy of 115 ± 10 kJ mol–1 for the present material, which is in good agreement with values reported in the literature. It is concluded that the constant rate of heating method can be used to measure activation energy.

Cao S, Cox KL, Berquist W, Hayashi M, Concepcion W, Hammes GB, Ojogho OK, So SKS, Frerker M, Castillo RO, Monge H, Esquivel CO. Long-term outcomes in pediatric liver recipients: Comparison between cyclosporin A and tacrolimus. Pediatr Transplantation 1999: 3: 22–26. © Munksgaard, 1999 In recent years, Tacrolimus® (FK506, TAC) has been increasingly utilized in liver transplantation. However, long-term risks and benefits as compared with conventional cyclosporin A (CsA) have not been fully elucidated. This retrospective study examined the potential outcome differences between TAC- and CsA-based immunosuppressive therapy in pediatric liver transplant recipients. From March 1988 to December 1996, 218 children (aged 0.1 – 17 yr) underwent 238 orthotopic liver transplantations; 58.7% (128/218) were under 2 yr old at time of transplant. Initially, the maintenance immunosuppressive regimen consisted of CsA and prednisone, with antilymphocytic preparations (MALG, ATGAM, and OKT3) as induction therapy. Subsequently, TAC was used first as rescue therapy for steroid refractory rejection in CsA patients and then as maintenance immunosuppression. Fifty-seven out of the 147 CsA patients were converted to TAC for various reasons while 71 patients were placed on TAC as primary maintenance immunosuppression. 62.6 per cent (92/147) of liver recipients on CsA experienced at least one biopsy-proven acute rejection episode as compared to 50.7% (36/71) for TAC patients (p = 0.09); likewise, 34% (50/147) of CsA patients had more than one episode of rejection vs. 18.3% (13/71) for patients on TAC (p

The role of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) in pollen germination was investigated in several plant species. It was found that ACC stimulated in vitro pollen germination in all five species of plants tested. EGTA and phenothiazine inhibited the increase in the germination rate induced by ACC. Free Ca2+ levels in the cytosol ([Ca2+]cyt) in ungerminated and germinated pollen were 136 and 287 nm, respectively. Adding 0.25 mm ACC to the germination medium increased the [Ca2+]cyt in germinated pollen up to 450 nm. When pollen was treated with both 0.25 mm ACC and 3.6 μm inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate, the [Ca2+]cyt increased to 850 nm, and pollen germination was also stimulated. In the presence of Li+, an inhibitor of inositol monophosphatase, the [Ca2+]cyt was reduced to 155 nm, and the ACC-stimulated pollen germination was inhibited. The data provided evidence for the involvement of Ca2+ as a messenger in the stimulative effect of ACC on pollen germination.

Background. Fas (Apo-1/CD95), a member of the tumor necrosis factor receptor family, can mediate apoptosis when engaged by its ligand or by anti-Fas anti-body. Fas is expressed by cells of the immune system and by some nonlymphoid tissues. Numerous studies have suggested that the Fas pathway may play a role in the rejection of allografts. Functional, soluble forms of the Fas receptor are produced by activated peripheral blood mononuclear cells and some transformed cell lines. The purpose of this study was to determine if soluble variants of Fas are produced in the liver and to determine if blockade of the Fas pathway, by liver-derived soluble Fas, inhibits Fas-mediated apoptosis. Methods. Liver and purified hepatocyte specimens were analyzed for Fas transcripts by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction with primers that span the transmembrane region of the molecule. Bile and cell lysates were analyzed for soluble Fas by specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Lysates were prepared from normal liver and hepatocytes and utilized to block Fas-mediated apoptosis of Jurkat cells as determined by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling and flow cytometry. Results. A variant form of Fas is abundantly expressed in normal liver and purified hepatocytes. This variant form of Fas is expressed in all normal liver specimens but only in half of the liver specimens obtained during allograft rejection. The levels of soluble Fas diminish in patients undergoing liver allograft rejection in contrast to patients with stable grafts. Importantly, a soluble form of Fas is produced in the liver by hepatocytes and can specifically inhibit Fas-mediated apoptosis. Conclusion. These data raise the possibility that soluble Fas, produced by hepatocytes, may influence the immune response by blocking Fas-mediated apoptosis and, thus, may have a role in liver transplantation.

With the continued, growing disparity between the numbers of organ donations and patients waiting for liver transplantation, various efforts have been made to optimize the allocation of organs, as well as to devise means to support the failing liver. Over the years, the development of bioartificial liver-assist devices has aimed at replacing the three main functions of hepatocytes, which are synthetic, metabolic, and excretory. The application of porcine hepatocytes in humans to carry out biotransformation, as well as other metabolic functions and refinement of the membrane separator, have yielded some promising results in supporting patients with acute liver failure. Further advances will need to be made before these bioartificial devices can be considered for routine application in clinical settings.

Based on glacier mass-balance records collected, compiled and published by the World Glacier Monitoring Service (WGMS), an attempt is made here to determine whether there were abrupt decadal-scale changes in annual balance on glaciers in the Tien Shan Mountains. There appears to have been an abrupt change in the mid-1970s; two-thirds of the change was caused by an increase in annual ablation and the other one-third by a decrease in the annual accumulation. Thus, the change was caused mainly by a summer-temperature increase, supplemented by a decrease in annual snowfall. Climate records suggest that this event, in effect, is in response to a shift hi the background state of the coupled Ocean -atmosphere system over the Tropical Pacific during the mid-1970s.

A series of 1,4-benzoxathiin 4,4-dioxide derivatives have been prepared by a new synthetic route. The reactions of 2-chloro-4-nitrobenzenethiol 1 with l-aryl-2-chloroethanones 2 in the presence of sodium hydroxide give l-aryl-2-(2-chloro-4-nitrophenylthio)ethanones 3 which on oxidation with 30% aqueous hydrogen peroxide afford l-aryl-2-(2-chloro-4-nitrophenylsulfonyl)ethanones 4. By the reactions of compounds 4 with 2-[3 or 4-(bromomethyl)phenyl]benzoxazole in the potassium carbonate, triethylbenzyl-ammonium chloride and dimethylformamide system, 2-aryl-3-arylmethyl-7-nitro-1,4-benzoxathiin 4,4-dioxides 5 or 6 are obtained via a tandem alkylation-cyclization process.

Recent advancements in liver transplantationhave resulted in extended survival both for grafts andrecipients. Such improvement, together with the shortageof donor organs has prompted expansion of the donor pool to include less than ideal donors,especially in life-threatening situations. The use ofolder liver donors has been associated with lowerlong-term survival. However, potential morbidity such as gallstone formation has not been explored.We analyzed bile composition in a child who developedcholesterol gallstones in the proximal bile duct twoyears after undergoing emergency liver transplantation with a liver from a 78-year-old donor. Oraladministration of ursodeoxycholic acid (ursodiol)shifted the cholesterol composition of the bile from asupersaturated, potentially crystallized state to aliquid (micellar) state. Unlike cyclosporin A, FK506showed an increase in the proportion of chenodeoxycholicacid and a decrease in the proportion of cholic acid,and thus may exhibit minimal or no hepatotoxic effect. Thus, in donor livers with factorsknown to be associated with cholesterol gallstoneformation (such as age, sex, or obesity), one mayconsider analyzing the bile composition at the time ofprocurement. Depending on cholesterol and bile acidcomposition, the use of FK506 with or without additionof ursodeoxycholic acid may be warranted.

We observe an unusual combination of normal and superconducting state properties without any signature of strong spin fluctuations in single-crystal Ir3Te8. The electrical resistivity does not saturate by 700 K but exhibits a low-resistivity ratio, and it exhibits two extended linear regimes (approximately 20-330 and 370-700 K) with the same slope, separated by a small hysteretic interval marking a strong first-order phase transition from cubic to rhombohedral lattice symmetry at T-S = 350 K. The electronic heat-capacity coefficient (11 mJ mol(-1) K-2) is consistent with a net diamagnetic, rather than a Pauli paramagnetic, normal state that yields to superconductivity below a critical temperature T-C = 1.8 K. The size of the heat-capacity jump near T-C indicates bulk superconductivity.

The number of mobile-connected devices has been growing at a tremendous rate in recent years. These increasingly powerful tablets and smartphones are portable and personal, giving advertisers the potential to reach consumers on a one-on-one basis with personalized advertisements based on location, recent behaviors, and much more. A substantial difference between mobile media usage and mobile advertising spending suggests a significant growth opportunity in the mobile advertising market. Our work involves improving the decision-making technology used by Advertising.com, a large online advertising network, as it attempts to increase its presence in the mobile advertising market. We examined the factors that differentiate mobile consumers in order to target them more effectively, and drive the direction of Advertising.com's future mobile optimization technology development. Data was available to us from Advertising.com's back-end database, as well as in its front-end campaign reporting system. To investigate this data and determine the most valuable mobile variables, we performed data analysis utilizing tools including Microsoft Excel, R, SQL, and Minitab. We also leveraged Advertising.com's existing decision algorithm, AdLearn, as well as looked to existing mobile advertising studies. Our analyses indicate several factors are influential in the effectiveness of mobile advertisements including hour of day, day of week and device type. We found that mobile campaigns perform best during the morning hours and late at night in terms of both impressions and conversions. Also, we found that weekends have statistically superior conversion rates.

Human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-B27 is closely associated with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). However, the exact correlation between HLA-B27 subtypes and AS manifestations remains unknown. This study aimed to investigate the correlation between HLA-B27 polymorphism and the clinical features of AS. This study included 846 patients with AS and 959 healthy controls. Direct sequencing was used to identify the HLA-B27 genotype. Clinical parameters, including age, age of onset, family history, low back pain, peripheral arthritis, hip joint involvement, dactylitis, uveitis, and sex ratio, were compared among patients with various HLA-B27 subtypes. In total, 741 AS patients (87.6%) and 39 healthy controls (4%) were HLA-B27-positive. The most prevalent subtypes were HLA-B*2704 (88%) and HLA-B*2705 (10.1%) in patients with AS. Compared with HLA-B*2704-positive patients, HLA-B*2705-positive patients demonstrated a significant increase in the incidence of uveitis (16% vs 6.13%, P = 0.002) and dactylitis (9.3% vs 3.8%, P = 0.028) and they had an older age of onset (22.9 ± 8.0 vs 20.7 ± 6.7 years, P = 0.028). Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that presence of uveitis was significantly associated with HLA-B*2705 (P = 0.008; odds ratio, 2.63; 95% confidence interval, 1.283-5.393). There were no significant differences in family history, low back pain, peripheral arthritis, or hip joint involvement among HLA-B27 subtypes. Specific HLA-B27 subtypes were positively associated with particular clinical features of AS. AS patients with HLA-B*2705 demonstrated an older age of onset and had a higher risk of uveitis and dactylitis than did AS patients with HLA-B*2704.

This study is to explore whether YGW has an impact on sperm fertilising ability in mice. Twenty male mice were randomly divided into two groups. In vivo experiments, one group of animals were orally administrated with YGW decoction and another group administered with saline for 14 days. Afterwards, the animals were mated with their female partners. Percentages of retrieved zygotes were then compared. In vitro experiments, in vitro fertilisation (IVF) assay, sperm acrosome reaction and acrosin activity were used to compare sperm fertilising ability between the two groups. The YGW-treated group had a significantly higher percentage of zygotes than the saline controls (P = 0.005). The IVF rates induced by spermatozoa from the herb-treated mice were also significantly higher than those from the control animals (P = 0.015). The sperm acrosin activity of the herb-treated group was significantly higher than that of the saline-treated group (P = 0.048), although there was no significant difference in testicular weight, sperm count and sperm motility. These data suggest that YGW decoction has a significant effect on normal sperm fertilising ability both in vivo and in vitro, which may be due to, at least in part, increments in the sperm acrosin activity.

After a short review of electron tomography techniques for materials science, this overview will cover some recent results on different shape memory and nanostructured metallic systems obtained by various three-dimensional (3D) electron imaging techniques. In binary NiTi, the 3D morphology and distribution of Ni4Ti3 precipitates are investigated by using FIB/SEM slice-and-view yielding 3D data stacks. Different quantification techniques will be presented including the principal ellipsoid for a given precipitate, shape classification following a Zingg scheme, particle distribution function, distance transform and water penetration. The latter is a novel approach to quantifying the expected matrix transformation in between the precipitates. The different samples investigated include a single crystal annealed with and without compression yielding layered and autocatalytic precipitation, respectively, and a polycrystal revealing different densities and sizes of the precipitates resulting in a multistage transformation process. Electron tomography was used to understand the interaction between focused ion beam-induced Frank loops and long dislocation structures in nanobeams of Al exhibiting special mechanical behaviour measured by on-chip deposition. Atomic resolution electron tomography is demonstrated on Ag nanoparticles in an Al matrix.

The dynamic response of flat horizontal plates vibrating in air and under water has been investigated experimentally and analytically. The effect of the boundary conditions and the depth of submergence of the plates has been studied. Excellent agreement was obtained between the analytical solution and the experimental results. An approximate expression for the evaluation of the modal added masses for rectangular plates has been derived. This can be used to estimate the natural frequencies of plating constituting the internal structure within the cargo spaces in tankers and liquid cargo carriers.

A new rational regime theory for stable alluvial channels is developed in this paper. Based on the concepts of stream power and fluvial process probability, a basic regime equation with a modified aspect ratio relationship is analytically derived. Most existing explicit regime equations can be transformed into the format of the proposed basic regime equation. A relationship for the basic regime coefficient is derived after introducing the concept of a 'fluvial processes index'. A suitable resistance relationship and a sediment transport formula are then coupled with the basic regime equation to determine depth, width and slope of the regime channel. The new regime theory is compared with existing regime equations and is also appied to field data and laboratory data. The predicted channel dimensions are in good agreement with observed values.

A combination of a low 37 GHz brightness temperature and a negative 19 and 37 GHz spectral gradient can be an effective discriminant for frozen and thawed soil. SSM/I data for 1988 are used to study the freeze/thaw of soil in the Northern Tibetan Plateau, China. In this study, a previously derived freeze/thaw classification scheme was tested for this unique geographic location. It was found that the 37 GHz threshold needed to be refined for this region. It was also found that the 37 GHz emission is sensitive to the scattering centers embedded in the soil, which may account for the observed low brightness temperature. The selection of the 37 GHz brightness temperature threshold depends on the atmospheric and soil conditions inherent in a particular region.

Background Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) is the prototype of spondyloarthritis, with inflammatory back pain (IBP) as its most typical clinical characteristic and others including peripheral arthritis, anterior uveitis, dactylitis and so on. Human leucocyte antigen B27 (HLA-B27) status, gender and some other factors have been reported to be related with the disease clinical characteristics. Objectives We aim to describe the clinical spectrum of Chinese AS patients and investigate the influence of HLA-B27 status, gender and age at disease onset factors on the clinical features. Methods Chinese AS patients with complete clinical data and fulfilling the 1984 Modified New York criteria are studied. The recorded parameters include age, sex, HLA-B27 status, family history, age at AS onset, symptom at onset, disease pattern and presence of IBP, peripheral arthritis, hip joint involvement, anterior uveitis, dactylitis and enthesitis. Chi-square test and independent samples t-test are applied between groups of categorical and continuous variables respectively, using SPSS version 13.0 software. Results (1) A total of 1630 Chinese AS patients with a gender ratio of 3.36:1, average age of 27.84±9.07 and age at disease onset of 22.03±7.62 are included.17.2% have positive family history and 18.3% have juvenile onset AS (JoAS). (2) The overall HLA-B27 prevalence is 84.2%. HLA-B27 positive group has a younger age at onset (21.86±7.48 vs 22.92±8.31,p=0.041), higher presence of IBP (86.62% vs 78.35%, p=0.001) and hip joint involvement (53.12% vs 43.25%, p=0.004) than B27 negative group. (3) However, HLA-B27 positivity still shows some differences within different gender cohort. In the male group HLA-B27 positivity only shows higher prevalence of family history and IBP (86.62% vs 78.35%, p=0.001), while in the female B27 positivity has higher prevalence of hip joint involvement (48.98% vs 32.43%, p=0.011). (4) From the aspect of age at onset, although the JoAS and AoAS group have similar B27 positive rate and gender ratio, JoAS group has obviously higher prevalence of peripheral symptom at onset (52.70% vs 24.00%), enthesitis (34.38%vs23.17%) and peripheral pattern (68.56% vs 42.07%), with all P value Conclusions HLA-B27 status, gender as well as age at disease onset are associated with the clinical manifestations of AS patients, which indicates the disease complexity and requires further attention in disease diagnosis. Larger scale studies and immunogenetic technology development are needed for better understanding of disease spectrum and mechanism. References Ho, H. H., Chen, J. Y. Ankylosing spondylitis: Chinese perspective, clinical phenotypes, and associated extra-articular systemic features. Current rheumatology reports 2013;15:344 Chung, H. Y., Machado, P., van der Heijde, D., D9Agostino, M. A. & Dougados, M. HLA-B27 positive patients differ from HLA-B27 negative patients in clinical presentation and imaging: results from the DESIR cohort of patients with recent onset axial spondyloarthritis. Annals of the rheumatic diseases 2011;70: 1930–1936 O9Shea, F. D., Boyle, E., Riarh R. et al. Comparison of clinical and radiographic severity of juvenile-onset versus adult-onset ankylosing spondylitis. Annals of the rheumatic diseases 2009;68:1407–1412 Disclosure of Interest None declared

A well mixed indoor recirculating channel was adopted to investigate aerobic heterotrophic biodegradation kinetics and microbial communities in drainage systems with suspended and attached biomass. Experiments were run with synthetic substrate. The biofilm function was distinguished from the suspended biomass by using the Biological Oxygen Monitor (BOM) to measure suspended biomass activity. The microbial community was overall dominated by filaments (mainly Sphaerotilus natans ) due to the selection pressure of the soluble organic substrate; the biofilm was surface film-dominated because of the low flow velocity and shear stress. The channel processes were dominated by the biofilm function. However, it was found that the intrinsic Monod kinetic constants were μ max =2.8 d −1 , K s =1.8 mg/l for the suspended biomass, 1.4 d −1 , 2.7 mg/l for the biofilm biomass, both at 28°C; and 0.76 d −1 , 2.5 mg/l, 0.52 d −1 and 2.9 mg/l respectively for the two types of biomass, both at 200°C. The specific activity of suspended biomass was 50-100% higher than the biofilm biomass, but no significant difference was found between surface and base film biomass. Biofilm oxygen uptake rates (BUR) were around 25 gO 2 /m 2 .d at 28°C, 18 gO 2 /m 2 .d at 20°C, and velocity dependent. The observed oxygen consumption coefficient of biofilm Y o/s (gO 2 /ggluc) decreased from 50 to 10% when biofilm surface loading increased from 50 to 300 ggluc/m 2 .d. The relationship between the biomass population, intrinsic kinetics and biofilm performance is discussed.

The thermal conductivity of a SiC ceramic was measured as 270 W·m−1·K−1 at room temperature. At low temperatures (T < 25 K), the decrease in the conductivity was proportional to T3 on a logarithmic scale, which indicated that the conductivity was controlled by boundaries. The calculated phonon mean free path in the ceramic increased with decreased temperature, but was limited to ∼4 μm, a length almost equal to the grain size, at temperatures below 30 K. We concluded that the thermal conductivity of the ceramic below 30 K was influenced significantly by grain boundaries and grain junctions.

The aim of the study was to investigate and compare the clinical manifestations between HLA-B27(+) and HLA-B27(-) ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients in order to obtain knowledge of the impact of HLA-B27 status on AS, and to inform clinical treatment. A nationwide epidemiological investigation was performed from November 2008 to October 2010. The demographic data and clinical characteristics, and the status of HLA-B27 were collected using questionnaires and laboratory assay, respectively. A total of 2144 patients (78.5% males and 78.4% HLA-B27(+) AS patients) participated in this study. The percentages of males, patients with family history, and involvement of lumbar spine, thoracic spine and hip joints, were observed to be significantly higher in the HLA-B27(+) AS patients than in their HLA-B27(-) AS peers.

Whether arterial elasticity is reduced in preeclampsia has been investigated only rarely. This study aimed to characterize in vivo the carotid arterial intima–media thickness (IMT) and mechanical properties in women with pre-eclampsia by employing a radiofrequency ultrasound technique.We included 22 late-onset pre-eclamptic pregnant women and 28 normotensive pregnant women who were matched for age (29 ± 6 vs. 27 ± 3, P=0.09) and gestational age (36.0 ± 3.2 vs. 35.8 ± 2.4 weeks, P=0.802). All women were nulliparous with singleton pregnancy. The pre-eclamptic women had a significantly higher arterial pressure than did the normotensive women (P0.0001). All women underwent right common carotid arterial measurements with an ultrasound machine equipped with automatic Quality IMT (QIMT) and Quality Arterial Stiffness (QAS) capability. At follow-up examination 18 months after parturition, measurements were repeated in 10 of the pre-eclamptic women and 11 of the normotensive women.In pre-eclamptic compared with normotensive pregnancy, carotid arterial IMT (459 ± 95 vs. 351 ± 85 μm, P=0.0001), internal diameter (7.8 ± 0.5 vs. 7.2 ± 0.4 mm, P0.0001), pulse wave velocity (7.1 ± 1.7 vs. 6.0 ± 1.5 m/s, P=0.007), augmentation index (7.9 ± 9.2 vs. −5.0 ± 5.6%, P0.0001) and arterial wall tension (55.0 ± 6.5 vs. 38.6 ± 4.9 mmHg/cm, P0.0001) were significantly greater, and the distensibility coefficient (0.020 ± 0.009 vs. 0.029 ± 0.011 1/kPa, P=0.006) was significantly smaller, remaining so after adjusting for body mass index and carotid arterial pressure. Eighteen months after parturition, carotid arterial internal diameter, pressure and wall tension remained greater in the pre-eclamptic group.Carotid arterial remodeling, including changes in arterial internal diameter and wall thickness, and arterial stiffening occur in pre-eclampsia but this may reverse, to some extent, postpartum. QIMT and QAS techniques together could provide a comprehensive assessment of carotid arterial remodeling.

Sr${}_{2}$IrO${}_{4}$ is a magnetic insulator driven by spin-orbit interaction (SOI) whereas the isoelectronic and isostructural Sr${}_{2}$RhO${}_{4}$ is a paramagnetic metal. The contrasting ground states have been shown to result from the critical role of the strong SOI in the iridate. Our investigation of structural, transport, magnetic, and thermal properties reveals that substituting 4$d$ Rh${}^{4+}$ (4${d}^{5}$) ions for 5$d$ Ir${}^{4+}$ (5${d}^{5}$) ions in Sr${}_{2}$IrO${}_{4}$ directly reduces the SOI and rebalances the competing energies so profoundly that it generates a rich phase diagram for Sr${}_{2}$Ir${}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}$Rh${}_{x}$O${}_{4}$ featuring two major effects: (1) Light Rh doping (0 \ensuremath{\le} $x$ \ensuremath{\le} 0.16) prompts a simultaneous and precipitous drop in both the electrical resistivity and the magnetic ordering temperature ${T}_{C}$, which is suppressed to zero at $x$ $=$ 0.16 from 240 K at $x$ $=$ 0. (2) However, with heavier Rh doping [0.24 $x$ 0.85 ($\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}$0.05)] disorder scattering leads to localized states and a return to an insulating state with spin frustration and exotic magnetic behavior that only disappears near $x$ $=$ 1. The intricacy of Sr${}_{2}$Ir${}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}$Rh${}_{x}$O${}_{4}$ is further highlighted by comparison with Sr${}_{2}$Ir${}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}$Ru${}_{x}$O${}_{4}$ where Ru${}^{4+}$ (4${d}^{4}$) drives a direct crossover from the insulating to metallic states.

Objective: To use a meta-analysis approach to evaluate the efficacy and safety of purine analogues, azathioprine (AZA) and 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP), in the prevention of postoperative recurrence of Crohn's disease (CD), as compared with mesalamine or 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA). Methods: The Pubmed, Cochrane Library, and Embase literature databases were searched for relevant studies with the key words "azathioprine", "6-mercaptopurine", "purine analogue", "mesalamine", or "5-ASA". The efficacy and safety of purine analogues in the retrieved randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were evaluated with RevMan 5.0.25 (The Cochrane Collaboration, Oxford, England) and STATA 12.0 (Stata Corporation, College Station, TX, USA). The outcome measures of AZA and 6-MP, compared to mesalamine and 5-ASA (control arms), were: clinical recurrence, endoscopic recurrence, and adverse event rates. Results: Five RCTs, comprised of 429 patients, were analyzed. The effect of purine analogues for preventing clinical recurrence for year 1 and 2 were similar to controls (year 1: n = 390; recurrence rate: 18.6% vs. 20.9%; RR: 0.88, 95% CI: 0.60-1.30, p = 0.53; year 2: n = 270; recurrence rate: 29.9% vs. 38.2%; RR: 0.76, 95% CI: 0.55-1.05, p = 0.10). In contrast, purine analogues were more effective than controls in preventing severe endoscopic recurrence (i2-4) for year 1 (n = 289; 32.4% vs. 46.1%; RR: 0.71, 95% CI: 0.53-0.94, p = 0.02). However, purine analogues were associated with more adverse events leading to drug withdrawal than the controls (20.1% vs. 7.9%; RR: 2.57, 95% CI: 1.47-4.51, p = 0.0010). Conclusion: Purine analogues are more effective than controls in preventing endoscopic postoperative recurrence in CD, but are associated with more adverse events.

A semi-active controller for excessive transient vibrations of resonant flexible structures is presented. The suggested controller technique is based upon using an impact damper with a variable clearance. Numerical simulations were employed to investigate the design parameters. Simple experiments were performed to demonstrate the feasibility of the damper.

Modeling of sediment deposition in three dimensions is accomplished by taking quanta of sediments, released at different locations on a basinal slope, and allowing the sediments to flow constrained by the existing topography of basin slope and previously deposited sediment flows. Sediments released in each quanta are transported downslope and deposited when their flow energy drops below a critical value. The sediment flow also can cause erosion of the existing basin slope, and the total mass of sediments then follows the transport rules. Each quantum of sediment can be composed of variable fractions of up to ten lithologic types, ranging from very fine-grained material to coarse-grained sediments. Deposition takes place dependent upon the parameter values assigned to each lithologic type; default values are arranged so that coarse-grained material is deposited first and fine-grained material last. The computer program, named MOSED3D (MOdel of SEdiment Deposition in 3-Dimensions), is written in C with an X Window System Toolkit, which provides a user-friendly interface for MOSED3D. Model results can be displayed in contour map form, as isopachs, and also as 2 D cross sections drawn in arbitrary, user-defined, directions across the system. The code is fast, requiring about 2 min CPU time on a SUN SPARC 3 for a typical run, so that many different geological scenarios with multiple parameter assignments can be investigated quickly for accordance with either required behaviors or with observed patterns of deposition. This paper describes the mathematical formulation, program structure, and some test cases designed to illuminate individual factors the code is capable of handling.

Thermal history reconstruction, as seen by buried kerogen samples, relies upon both a kinetic scheme for kerogen break down in the sub-surface as well as paleoheat flux information. A numerical model to invert S2 data from routine Rock-Eval pyrolysis was developed and tested against synthetic data sets and real data from two wells. The synthetic tests show that the S2 inverse model is sensitive to the present day heat flux (Q0, to parameters describing paleoheat flow, to the number of probability channels for activation energy, and to the range of activation energy. The synthetic tests also show that for a given S2 data set, there can be different sets of kinetic parameters which give not only the same degree of fit between the calculated and measured S2 values, but also similar S2 evolution patterns with burial paths, i.e. there is no unique kinetic solution for a given set of data. The applications of the S2 inverse model to two real well data sets show that the S2 data can be used as a thermal indicator to determine the paleoheat flow and that the results are as useful as those from other thermal indicators, provided high quality S2 data are available. For an S2 data set with a mixture of kerogen types, it is first necessary to perform an un-mixing procedure prior to using the inverse model in order to obtain equivalent single type kerogen contributions, or else results obtained will not be trustworthy.

A facile tool is suggested for cutting the protruding flange of photoresist (PR) along the edge of a small substrate surface, which is caused by the spin-coating process in lithography. When the dimension of the substrate reduces to a few millimeters, the edge problem of PR cannot be ignored. Since the PR's thickness along the edge of the sample is much larger than that in the middle, a traditional double exposure method does not work well. The cutter proposed here consists of a blade and a sample holder, which are installed in a base. By adjusting the blade at a suitable dip angle and pushing it to the flange of PR along the edge of substrate fixed by the sample holder, the flange of PR of small samples will be eliminated completely with great ease.

Background Pigs play a critical role in Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) transmission between mosquitos and humans. In 2009, lots of piglets developed symptom of viral encephalitis in a pig farm in Yunchen, Shanxi province. Methods Virus isolation was carried out in BHK-21 cells. Immunohistochemistry, RT-PCR and indirect immunofluorescent assay were used to identify the newly isolated virus. The complete genome of one isolate (SX09S-01 strain) was sequenced and analyzed. Two phylogenetic trees were constructed on the basis of the 24 full-length JEV genomes and 62 E genes mostly selected from China. Results JEV SX09S-01 strain was isolated from piglets. Sequence analysis indicates that the completed genome sequences of this strain consists of 10965 nucleotides and there are 13 nucleotides deletion in the 3' nontranslated variable region. Compared with other JEV strains, homology ranges from 99.1% (XJ69) to 74.1% (XZ0934) and 99.6% (XJ69) to 91.1% (XZ0934) on the level of nucleotide and amino acid sequences, respectively. Phylogenetic trees show that SX09S-01 strain belongs to genotype I and it is most closely related to the XJ69 strain. Conclusions Genotype I of JEV still circulates in Yuncheng and it is thus important for active surveillance on genotype I of JEV from the swine population.

To study the method of using BRL conditioned medium in ES cells culture.ES cells were cultured in BRL conditioned medium, MEF feeder layer, and BRL conditioned medium plus MEF feeder layer respectively. Both the numbers of ES cells and embryonic bodies and the differentiated cells around the ES cell colonies at certain stages were studied to find the differences of growing speed of ES cells in three culture mediums.On promoting the growth and maintaining the undifferentiated state of ES cells at the early stage after recovery, the effects of BRL conditioned medium were less than those of MEF feeder layer and those of BRL conditioned medium plus MEF feeder layer (P0.01), and there was no difference between MEF feeder layer and BRL conditioned medium plus MEF feeder layer (P0.05).ES cells should be cultivated on MEF feeder layer or in BRL conditioned medium plus MEF feeder layer at the early stage after recovering.

To explore the effects of three intermittent artificial gravity on simulated weightlessness rats.30 male SD rats were divided into 5 groups: control group (C), tail-suspension group (S) and standing group (G1), 1.5 G group (G2), 2.6 G (G3) group; randomly and equally. G groups were given 1 h/d standing, 1.5 G or 2.6 G artificial gravity each day. The effects of 3 weeks artificial gravity on tail-suspension rats were evaluated by measuring physical and mechanical parameters of femur.Compared to S rats, elastic ultimate load (EUL), the ultimate load (UL) and bending rigidity coefficient (BRC) of G1 rats (P0.05) improved significantly; Diameter (P0.01), mass (dry) and density (P0.05), EUL and UL (P0.05) of G2 rats raised significantly; EUL and UL of G3 rats (P0.01) improved markedly.By using intermittent artificial gravity, the mechanical parameters of weight loading bones of simulated weightlessness rats were all improved apparently, and the one using 1.5 G 1 h/d artificial gravity was the best.

Ni4Ti3 precipitates with a heterogeneous distribution growing in a polycrystalline Ni50.8Ti49.2 alloy have been investigated in a Dual-Beam FIB/SEM system. The volume ratio, mean volume, central plane diameter, thickness, aspect ratio and sphericity of the precipitates in the grain interior as well as near to the grain boundary were measured or calculated. The morphology of the precipitates was classified according to the Zingg scheme. The multistage martensitic transformation occurring in these kinds of samples is interpreted in view of the data of this heterogeneous microstructure of matrix and precipitates.

The Er(3+)-Yb(3+)-Li(+) codoped TiO(2) powders have been prepared by sol-gel method. The strong enhancement of green and red upconversion emissions were obtained for Er(3+)-Yb(3+) codoped TiO(2) by additional Li(+) codoping and investigated using 976 nm semiconductor laser diode excitation. The enhanced upconversion emissions by the addition of Li(+) resulted from the formation of Li compound with lower crystal field symmetry. The fluorescence intensity ratio (FIR) of green upconversion emissions from the transitions of (2)H(11/2) > 4I(15/2) and (4)S(3/2) -> (4)I(15/2) of Era in the Er(3+)-Yb(3+)-Li(+) codoped TiO2 has been studied as a function of temperature in the range of 300-925 K, and the maximum sensitivity was determined to be 0.0025 K(-1). Er(3+)-Yb(3+)-Li(+) codoped TiO(2) material with the highest operating temperature up to 925 K, has higher temperature sensitivity and fluorescence efficiency being a promising candidate for applications in optical high temperature sensor.

SUMMARY A P-SV finite difference method is used to calculate seismic wave propagation in the crust and upper mantle. The anelastic effect is excluded from the calculation and therefore any wavefield changes can be attributed to either geometrical or structural effects. Snapshots of displacement distrihutions within, and synthetic seismograms at the free surface of different models revealed that the inclusion of a water column over an appropriate section of the crust is necessary to explain the severe Lg attenuation widely observed in many parts of the world, in particular for an oceanic propagation path. They clearly show that the effect of a water column over the crust is an important factor in blocking Lg piupagation. A propagation path of more than 100 km over an oceanic crust can completely block the transmission of Lg waves originating in a neighbouring continental crust. The energy of the Lg wavetrain is redistributed at continental margins. Most of the incoming energy is either converted to waves which propagate into the mantle or is backscattered to form waves which propagatc in the continental crust in the opposite direction. Very little energy is presented at the expected arrival times at the other side of the oceanic crust, which is consistent with the Lg-blocking phenomena. Simplified 2-D models of the North Sea Central Graben are used to simulate Lg propagation in a laterally varying continental path. The inclusion of a water column over the crust enhances the attenuation of Lg. The deeper the water column, the greater the attenuation. The undulation of sea bottom can further enhance the attenuation of Lg.

Oxygen consumption and organics decomposition in drainage systems with attached biofilm were investigated using a batch reactor. In order to distinguish the relative contribution of suspended biomass and biofilm parallel experiments were performed. The reactors with low and high glucose concentrations simulated lightly polluted rivers and sewers. The dynamic behaviour was different for the systems dominated by biofilm and the systems with only suspended biomass due to different controlling mechanisms. The biofilm played a major role for the biodegradation only when the suspended biomass concentration was below a certain value. The ratio of wetted area on which biofilm grows over the water volume (WA/V) is closely correlated with the biofilm oxygen consumption rate, is also important to respirometer design. The relative contribution of the suspended biomass and biofilm was not sensitive to the change of initial glucose concentration.

Young adult male Fischer rats maintained on a reduced calorie diet (60% of ad libitum food consumption) for 6 weeks showed a decrease in the binding of aflatoxin B 1 (AFB 1 ) to hepatic or renal nuclear DNA and a reduction of AFB 1 -induced hepatocellular damage. Repeated dosing of rats with AFB 1 resulted in the inhibition of hepatic and renal DNA synthesis measured by [ 3 H]thymidine incorporation. However, the rate of DNA synthesis was greater in ad libitum (AL) rats than in calorically restricted (CR) animals. Three days after AFB 1 dosing, the rate of DNA synthesis had recovered to the control level. Cell cycle analyses measured by a flow cytometric method on kidney cells of both AL and CR rats showed that there were no significant changes in cell populations in the S phase between these two groups of rats. AFB 1 inhibited the cell proliferation on an average of 33%. The restoration of the cell proliferation in kidney cells was found on the third day after AFB 1 dosing. The rate of the regenerative cell proliferation was found to be slightly greater in AL rats than in CR animals. The AFB 1 -induced regenerative DNA synthesis in both liver and kidney was retarded by CR.