Search

THIS ARTICLE WAS WITHDRAWN BY THE PUBLISHER IN NOV 2023

The resurgence and outbreaks of mumps occur frequently in many countries worldwide in recent years, even in countries with high vaccination coverage. In this study, a descriptive and spatiotemporal clustering analysis at the township level was conducted to explore the dynamic spatiotemporal aggregation and epidemiological characteristics of mumps in Wuhan. During 2005 and 2019, there were 40 685 cases reported in Wuhan, with an average annual morbidity of 28.11 per 100 000 populations. The morbidity showed a fluctuating tendency, and peaked in 2010 and 2018. Bimodal seasonality was found, with a large peak between May and July, and a mild peak from November to January in the following year. Male students aged 5–9-year-old were the main risk group of mumps infection. Significant global spatial auto-correlation was detected except in 2007, 2009 and 2015. The spatial and temporal scan statistics indicated that the hot-spots mainly located at the western and southern areas of Wuhan with variations almost every year. Our findings could assist the public health authorities to develop and improve targeted health strategies, and allocate health resources rationally.

Recently, the efficiency of CdTe thin film solar cell has been improved by using new type of window layer Mg x Zn1−x O (MZO). However, it is hard to achieve such a high efficiency as expected. In this report a comparative study is carried out between the MZO/CdTe and CdS/CdTe solar cells to investigate the factors affecting the device performance of MZO/CdTe solar cells. The efficiency loss quantified by voltage-dependent photocurrent collection efficiency (η C(V′)) is 3.89% for MZO/CdTe and 1.53% for CdS/CdTe solar cells. The higher efficiency loss for the MZO/CdTe solar cell is induced by more severe carrier recombination at the MZO/CdTe p–n junction interface and in CdTe bulk region than that for the CdS/CdTe solar cell. Activation energy (E a) of the reverse saturation current of the MZO/CdTe and CdS/CdTe solar cells are found to be 1.08 eV and 1.36 eV, respectively. These values indicate that for the CdS/CdTe solar cell the carrier recombination is dominated by bulk Shockley–Read–Hall (SRH) recombination and for the MZO/CdTe solar cell the carrier recombination is dominated by the p–n junction interface recombination. It is found that the tunneling-enhanced interface recombination is also involved in carrier recombination in the MZO/CdTe solar cell. This work demonstrates the poor device performance of the MZO/CdTe solar cell is induced by more severe interface and bulk recombination than that of the CdS/CdTe solar cell.

In this paper, we propose the novel iterative detection which operates iteratively on blocks of the received signal in downlink in massive MIMO (Massive Multiple-input Multiple-output) system. This article will combine the equivalent channel with soft detection and soft decoder, and finally propose a new structure for the iterative detection in downlink based on 5G simulation test platform of NCRL and analysis the performance of the novel structure. The simulation result shows iterative algorithm performs better than conventional detection with lower amount of iterations.

Rhinophyma, the final stage of acne rosacea, severely influences the patient's appearance and can only be treated by surgical methods. This case reports a simple, safe, effective, and economical surgical method-five-blade scratcher. After the surgical treatment, the overall nasal contour of the patient, a male with severe rosacea, was restored without scar formation. Thus, this surgical method reported in this case is feasible and easy to operate, and worthy of clinical promotion.

Arctiin is the most abundant bioactive compound contained in the Arctium lappa plant. In our previous study, we isolated one single bacterium capable of bioconverting arctigenin, an aglycone of arctiin, to 3′-desmethylarctigenin (3′-DMAG) solely. However, to date, a specific bacterium capable of producing other arctiin metabolites has not been reported. In this study, we isolated one single bacterium, which we named Eggerthella sp. AUH-JLD49s, capable of bioconverting 3′-DMAG under anaerobic conditions. The metabolite of 3′-DMAG by strain AUH-JLD49s was identified as 3′-desmethyl-4′-dehydroxyarctigenin (DMDH-AG) based on electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI–MS) and 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The bioconversion kinetics and bioconversion capacity of strain AUH-JLD49s were investigated. In addition, the metabolite DMDH-AG showed an inhibitory effect on cell growth of human colon cancer cell line HCT116 and human breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231.

The rice leaffolder, Cnaphalocrocis medinalis Guenee, is an important lepidopteran pest of rice in Asia. Insect olfactory proteins, including olfactory receptors (ORs), ionotropic receptors (IRs), odorant-binding proteins (OBPs), chemosensory proteins (CSPs) and sensory neuron membrane proteins (SNMPs), are responsible for perception of sex pheromones and host plant volatiles, and thus regulate insect behavior. In the present study, transcriptome sequencing was conducted for C. medinalis antennae to identify genes involved in olfaction. A total of 45800 unigenes were assembled from the transcriptome dataset. Of these, 19696 (43.0%) unigenes were annotated by searching against the NCBI non-redundant database. Functional classification of these unigenes were also conducted by using the Gene Ontology (GO) and Cluster of Orthologous Groups (COG) databases. We identified 90 putative olfactory genes (including 37 novel ones): 46 ORs, 15 IRs, 12 OBPs, 15 CSPs and two SNMPs. BLASTX best hit results indicated that these genes were most identical to their respective orthologs from other lepidopteran insects. Quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (qRT-PCR) assays were performed to investigate the expression profiles of newly identified OR genes. All of the OR genes were antennae-specific or antennae-enriched. Of these, CmedOR28 and CmedOR31 were mainly expressed in male antennae, while CmedOR27 and CmedOR32 were enriched in female antennae. Our results establish a solid foundation for future functional studies of these genes.

In this study, two full-length cDNA sequences (Cmace1 and Cmace2) encoding putative acetylcholinesterases (AChEs) were cloned and characterized from the rice leaffolder, Cnaphalocrocis medinalis, an important lepidopteran rice pest in Asia. Cmace1 encodes a CmAChE1 consisting of 689 amino acid residues, while Cmace2 encodes a 639 amino acids CmAChE2. The two CmAChEs both have N-terminal signal peptides and conserved motifs including the catalytic triad, choline-binding sites, oxianion hole, acyl pocket, peripheral anionic subsite, and the characteristic FGESAG motif and conserved 14 aromatic amino acids. Phylogenetic analysis showed that Cmace1 and Cmace2 are clustered into distinct clusters that are completely diverged from each other. Reverse-transcription quantitative PCR analysis revealed that Cmace1 and Cmace2 were predominately expressed in the larval brain and at the fifth-instar larvae stage, and the transcription levels of Cmace1 were significantly higher than those of Cmace2 in all the tested samples. Recombinant CmAChE1 and CmAChE2 were heterologously expressed in baculovirus system. Using acetylthiocholine iodide (ATChI) as substrate, the Michaelis constant (Km ) values of rCmAChE1 and rCmAChE2 were 39.81 ± 6.49 and 68.29 ± 6.72 μmol/l, respectively; and the maximum velocity (Vmax ) values of the two rCmAChEs were 0.60 ± 0.02 and 0.31 ± 0.06 μmol/min/mg protein, respectively. Inhibition assay indicated that rCmAChE1 was more sensitive to the organophosphate insecticides chlorpyrifos and triazophos than rCmAChE2. This study is the first report of molecular cloning and biochemical characterization of two acetylcholinesterase genes/enzymes in C. medinalis.

The yellow mealworm beetle, Tenebrio molitor (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), is a common insect pest that damages stored grain. The insect olfactory co-receptor (Orco) is a transmembrane protein localized on the surface of the dendrites of olfactory sensory neurons and plays an essential role in the olfactory perception. In this study, an Orco ortholog (named as Tmol\Orco) in T. molitor was characterized. The deduced amino acid sequence of Tmol\Orco shared significant high identities with Orcos in other insect species from distinct Orders. Reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) analysis showed that Tmol\Orco was predominantly expressed in the antennae of both male and female adults, and the difference between male antennae and female antennae was not significant. Double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) directly against the Tmol\Orco mRNA was synthesized and injected into the T. molitor male adults, RT-qPCR results demonstrated that the transcription level of Tmol\Orco was significantly reduced at 6 d after the injection. The mate-seeking behavior of Tmol\Orco-silenced beetles was significantly inhibited. Compare to the control individuals, the percentage of Tmol\Orco-silenced beetles successfully find mates was significantly decreased and the average time they spent for searching were significantly increased. These results provided first direct evidence that suppression of Tmol\Orco transcription contributes to the decline in mate recognition of T. molitor.

In this article, the joint detection in uplink are studied in Massive MIMO (Massive Multiple-input Multiple-output) system. This article will combine several precoding techniques such as ZF (Zero Force), MMSE (Minimum Mean Square Error), BD (Block Diagonalization) in interference estimation and propose a new structure for joint detection in uplink based on 5G simulation test platform of NCRL (National Mobile Communications Research Laboratory of SEU). Finally, this article will analysis feasibility of the new structure and give out simulation results.

In this article, the joint detection in uplink are studied in Massive MIMO (Massive Multiple-input Multiple-output) system. This article will combine interference estimation with soft detection, and finally propose a new structure for joint detection in uplink based on 5G simulation test platform of NCRL (National Mobile Communications Research Laboratory of SEU) and analysis feasibility of the new structure and give out simulation results.

Objective: To study the value of serum glucagon like peptide-1 detection in assessment of Alzheimer’s disease. Methods: A total of 35 cases of patients with Alzheimer’s disease were enrolled in AD group, 35 cases of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus were enrolled in T2DM group, 35 cases of Alzheimer’s disease patients complicated with type 2 diabetes mellitus were enrolled in AD+T2DM group, and 35 cases of healthy subjects were enrolled in control group. Serum was collect to detect A β, Tau, GLP-1, IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, IFN-γ, MDA, AOPP, SOD and GSH contents. Results: Contents of serum A β(1-42) and Tau protein, content of GLP-1 after taking glucose as well as contents of IL-1 β, IL-6, TNF-α, IFN-γ, MDA, AOPP, SOD and GSH of four groups had differences; contents of serum A β(1-42), Tau protein as well as contents of IL-1 β, IL-6, TNF-α, IFN-γ, MDA and AOPP of AD group, T2DM group and AD+T2DM group were higher than those of control group, content of GLP-1 after taking glucose and SOD, GSH contents were lower than those of control group, and changes of above indexes in serum of AD+T2DM group were more significant than those of AD group and T2DM group; 0.5 h, 1.0 h, 1.5 h and 2.0 h after taking glucose, serum GLP-1 content was negatively correlated with serum A β(1-42) and Tau protein contents. Conclusion: After taking glucose, serum glucagon like peptide-1 content decreases in patients with Alzheimer’s disease, and it has assessed value in changes of A β(1-42) and Tau protein contents as well as degree of inflammation and oxidative stress.

Ubiquitin‑like with plant homeodomain (PHD) and RING‑finger domain 1 (UHRF1) maintains methylation patterns following DNA replication and is expressed at high levels in various types of human cancer. UHRF1 has been identified as a novel oncogene involved in the pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma. Previous studies have demonstrated that inhibition of the expression of UHRF1 suppresses the proliferation of cancer cells. However, the role of UHRF1 in human osteosarcoma has not been investigated. The present study examined the expression levels of UHRF1 and retinoblastoma 1 (Rb1) in human osteosarcoma cell lines by western blot analysis. Stable overexpression of UHRF1 or knockdown of Rb1 was achieved by lentiviral transfection. Subsequently, a Cell Counting Kit-8 assay and a cell invasion assay were performed to detect the biological functions of UHRF1 in vitro. The results of the present study demonstrated that UHRF1 promoted the proliferation of human osteosarcoma cells. The present study also reported that UHRF1 was able to enhance the invasion of osteosarcoma cells in a retinoblastoma 1 (Rb1)‑dependent manner. UHRF1 promoted invasion in Rb1‑positive osteosarcoma cells, but not in Saos‑2 cells with homozygous loss of Rb1. Similarly, knockdown of Rb1 in Rb1‑positive osteosarcoma cells enhanced levels of invasion and eliminated the regulation of invasion by UHRF1. UHRF1 was found to inhibit the mRNA and protein expression levels of Rb1. Furthermore, deletion of Rb1 was found to suppress the expression of E‑cadherin and promote epithelial‑to‑mesenchymal transition (EMT). In addition, the overexpression of UHRF1 inhibited the expression of E‑cadherin and promoted EMT via the suppression of Rb1. These data demonstrated that UHRF1 promotes osteosarcoma cell invasion by downregulating the expression of E‑cadherin and increasing EMT in an Rb1‑dependent manner.

Survivin is essential to angiogenesis and revascularization, but its role in coronary collateral formation remains unclear. The role of survivin in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of coronary chronic total occlusion (CTO) patients was investigated. Coronary CTO patients (n=46; mean age 60.1±8.5, male 54.3%) (CTO group) and normal control patients (n=18; mean age 58.0±10.0, male 55.6%) underwent angiographic collateral vessel grading by Rentrop classification (C0 – C3) and provided peripheral blood between June 2006 and February 2007. Rat hind limb ischemia models were constructed using four equal groups of Sprague-Dawley rats (n=36): normal control, sham operation, operation and granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF). PBMC numbers and characteristics, collateral vessels, survivin, CD4, CD8, CD44, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) expression were determined using RT-PCR, flow cytometry, immunocytochemistry and western blot analysis. PBMC survivin mRNA and protein expression levels were higher in patients with good collateral circulation (C2 + C3) than in patients with no collateral flow (C0) (all P

In higher eukaryotes, one of the two arginyl-tRNA synthetases (ArgRSs) has evolved to have an extended N-terminal domain that plays a crucial role in protein synthesis and cell growth and in integration into the multisynthetase complex (MSC). Here, we report a crystal structure of the MSC subcomplex comprising ArgRS, glutaminyl-tRNA synthetase (GlnRS), and the auxiliary factor aminoacyl tRNA synthetase complex-interacting multifunctional protein 1 (AIMP1)/p43. In this complex, the N-terminal domain of ArgRS forms a long coiled-coil structure with the N-terminal helix of AIMP1 and anchors the C-terminal core of GlnRS, thereby playing a central role in assembly of the three components. Mutation of AIMP1 destabilized the N-terminal helix of ArgRS and abrogated its catalytic activity. Mutation of the N-terminal helix of ArgRS liberated GlnRS, which is known to control cell death. This ternary complex was further anchored to AIMP2/p38 through interaction with AIMP1. These findings demonstrate the importance of interactions between the N-terminal domains of ArgRS and AIMP1 for the catalytic and noncatalytic activities of ArgRS and for the assembly of the higher-order MSC protein complex.

The disaster-carrying bodies’ comprehensive vulnerability is a key to the risk research of urban disaster. Vulnerability is a comprehensive attribute of the hazard-carrying bodies and is affected deeply by society, economic and environment. The index system of the vulnerability assessment is worked out with the method of variable fuzzy clustering. The comprehensive vulnerability index model is structured, and the comprehensive vulnerability is calculated in the following example. Comparative to the existing research, variable fuzzy clustering and comprehensive vulnerability index model are more objective in data processing and the influence of the clustering categories is reduced.

Depression is a complicated etiological pattern, and its pathology and effective treatments are highly limited.C1q-tumor necrosis factor-related protein-3 (CTRP3) is an adipokine, playing crucial roles in metabolic regulatory properties. However, the effects of CTRP3 on depression are largely unknown. In the present study, we found that CTRP3 expression levels were markedly reduced in hippocampus of mice with depression induced by chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS). In mouse model with depression, CTRP3-deficient mice aggravated depression-associated behaviors, as evidenced by the reduced locomotor activity and sucrose consumption, while the elevated immobility time in the tail suspension test (TST) and forced swimming test (FST). Moreover, CUMS-induced neuron death and increased expression of cleaved Caspase-3 were significantly accelerated by CTRP3 knockout. Furthermore, CTRP3 deletion intensified pro-inflammatory response in CUMS-exposed mice, which was associated with the activation of nuclear factor-κB(NF-κB) signaling. The activity of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), including p38 and JNK, was further promoted in hippocampus of CTRP3-knockout mice with CUMS exposure. In contrast,CTRP3 over-expression showed anti-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory effects in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated microglial cells. Importantly, the in vitro experiments demonstrated that CTRP3 knockdown-exacerbated apoptosis and inflammatory responsewere remarkably abrogated by the blockage of p38 and JNK signaling pathways in microglia stimulated by LPS. Next, in CUMS-exposed mice with CTRP3 deficiency, suppressing p38 and JNK markedly alleviated depressive-like behavior,hippocampal neuron death, apoptosis and inflammation. Therefore, CTRP3 may be an innovative therapeutic target for treating patients with depression through regulating p38 and JNK signaling.

Aims Arrhythmogenesis of chronic myocardial infarction (MI) is associated with the prolongation of action potential, reduction of inward rectifier potassium (IK1, Kir) channels and hyper-activity of Calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinase II (CaMKII) in cardiomyocytes. Zacopride, a selective IK1 agonist, was applied to clarify the cardioprotection of IK1 agonism via a CaMKII signaling on arrhythmias post-MI. Methods Male SD rats were implanted wireless transmitter in the abdominal cavity and subjected to left main coronary artery ligation or sham operation. The telemetric ECGs were monitored per day throughout 4 weeks. At the endpoint, isoproterenol (1.28 mg/kg, i.v.) was administered for provocation test. The expressions of Kir2.1 (dominant subunit of IK1 in ventricle) and CaMKII were detected by Western-blotting. Key findings In the telemetric rats post-MI, zacopride significantly reduced the episodes of atrioventricular conduction block (AVB), premature ventricular contraction (PVC), ventricular tachycardia (VT) and ventricular fibrillation (VF), without significant effect on superventricular premature contraction (SPVC). In provocation test, zacopride suppressed the onset of ventricular arrhythmias in conscious PMI or sham rats. The expression of Kir2.1 was significantly downregulated and p-CaMKII was upregulated post-MI, whereas both were restored by zacopride treatment. Significance IK1/Kir2.1 might be an attractive target for pharmacological controlling of lethal arrhythmias post MI.

The maximum intensity of Lushan earthquake in Sichuan Province is IX degree and the area of influence regions above VI degree is 18,682 square kilometers, which resulting in a large number of buildings destructed. Based on seismic field data collected from works of damage investigation, loss assessment and intensity survey in the first time, seismic damage phenomena and characteristics as well as damage photographs for different structural types of buildings are summarized and analyzed, and some suggestions are put forward to structure anti-seismic designs.

Based on actual load conditions, the transient temperature field and thermal stress field of rail wheel under the conditions of service braking, emergency braking and ramp braking are calculated by means of the finite element theory. As a result, the inner side of web hole is in a prolonged condition of tensile stress, while the outside of web hole is in the condition of compressive stress, where the value of tensile stress is maximal under ramp braking. Furthermore, the value of thermal stress for worn 20mm wheel is obviously higher than that for non-worn wheel.

Arrhythmogenesis in acute myocardial infarction (MI) is associated with depolarization of resting membraine potential (RMP) and decrease of inward rectifier potassium current (IK1) in cardiomyocytes. However, clinical anti-arrhythmic agents that primarily act on RMP by enhancing the IK1 channel are not currently available. We hypothesized that zacopride, a selective and moderate agonist of the IK1/Kir2.1 channels, prevents and cures acute ischemic arrhythmias. To test this viewpoint, adult Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were subjected to MI by ligating the left main coronary artery. The antiarrhythmic effects of zacopride (i.v. infusion) were observed in the settings of pre-treatment (zacopride given 3 min prior to coronary occlusion), post-treatment (zacopride given 3 min after coronary occlusion) and therapeutic treatment (zacopride given 30 s after the onset of the first sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT)/ventricular fibrillation (VF) post MI). In all the three treatment modes, zacopride (15 μg/kg) inhibited MI-induced ventricular tachyarrhythmias, as shown by significant decreases in the premature ventricular contraction (PVC) and the duration and incidence of VT or VF. In Langendorff perfused rat hearts, the antiarrhythmic effect of 1 μmol/L zacopride were reversed by 1 μmol/L BaCl2, a blocker of IK1 channel. Patch clamp results in freshly isolated rat ventricular myocytes indicated that zacopride activated the IK1 channel and thereby reversed hypoxia-induced RMP depolarization and action potential duration (APD) prolongation. In addition, zacopride (1 μmol/L) suppressed hypoxia- or isoproterenol- induced delayed afterdepolarizations (DADs). In Kir2.x transfected Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, zacopride activated the Kir2.1 homomeric channel but not the Kir2.2 or Kir2.3 channels. These results support our hypothesis that moderately enhancing IK1/Kir2.1 currents as by zacopride rescues ischemia- and hypoxia- induced RMP depolarization, and thereby prevents and cures acute ischemic arrhythmias. This study brings a new viewpoint to antiarrhythmic theories and provides a promising target for the treatment of acute ischemic arrhythmias.

With higher cleanness upgraded steadily, surface failure of metallic materials in very high cycle fatigue (VHCF) regime beyond 107 cycles has been reported one after another. The occurrence of surface crack initiation to failure in VHCF regime is closely related to the following factors: (i) surface finishing condition of specimen, i.e. whether some grinding scratches, grooves and cavities with a relatively larger size than the subsurface defect exist at the surface of specimen; (ii) type, size, location, distribution and density of metallurgical defects such as inclusion contained in the subsurface of material; (iii) degree of persistent slip band (PSB) deformation induced by surface roughening of specimen, mainly corresponding to the some ductile single-phase metallic materials. Furthermore, the effect of environment such as humidity also accelerates surface crack initiation and propagation in VHCF regime. In the present paper, the authors briefly reviewed surface failure modes of metallic materials in VHCF regime beyond 107 cycles, and analyzed the surface crack initiation and propagation mechanisms from the viewpoints of the fracture mechanics and statistics.

In this study, two full-length cDNA sequences (Cmace1 and Cmace2) encoding putative acetylcholinesterases (AChEs) were cloned and characterized from the rice leaffolder, Cnaphalocrocis medinalis, an important lepidopteran rice pest in Asia. Cmace1 encodes a CmAChE1 consisting of 689 amino acid residues, while Cmace2 encodes a 639 amino acids CmAChE2. The two CmAChEs both have N-terminal signal peptides and conserved motifs including the catalytic triad, choline-binding sites, oxianion hole, acyl pocket, peripheral anionic subsite, and the characteristic FGESAG motif and conserved 14 aromatic amino acids. Phylogenetic analysis showed that Cmace1 and Cmace2 are clustered into distinct clusters that are completely diverged from each other. Reverse-transcription quantitative PCR analysis revealed that Cmace1 and Cmace2 were predominately expressed in the larval brain and at the fifth-instar larvae stage, and the transcription levels of Cmace1 were significantly higher than those of Cmace2 in all the tested samples. Recombinant CmAChE1 and CmAChE2 were heterologously expressed in baculovirus system. Using acetylthiocholine iodide (ATChI) as substrate, the Michaelis constant (K

Earthquake damage prediction is a fundamental topic for working out the urban earthquake disaster prevention planning, improving earthquake emergency plans and preparedness, establishing seismic fortification criterion, and achieving the goal of earthquake preparedness and disaster reduction. It’s significant to carry out urban seismic damage prediction. To display and apply the results of damage prediction more scientifically, intuitively, integrally, objectively and fully, the technical methods and ideas of using virtual simulation technology are proposed and studied, and the system requirements, functional design and structural framework are also described in this paper. These studies will provide effective technical support for the damage prediction to serve the urban disaster reduction, improvement of people's awareness of disaster prevention and refuge and so on, and have good application prospects.

As the starting point of the movie, the invisible art of film and television with visible clothing art to be expressed, this is the perfect combination of art. The inseparable relationship between clothing and movies, as an art form, clothing is a national and regional cultural and aesthetic appeal of the carrier. Dress as important elements of costume elements, which lead the development of garment industry. The purpose of this paper is to dress in reproduction from the montage and the screen even as the story two dress designs innovation of new ideas on dress innovative design.

The effect of substitution of recycled aggregate by natural aggregate on related properties of blended aggregate (without asphalt and mineral filler) and asphalt mixture was investigated in this paper. Demolition waste obtained from Wenchuan earthquake-damaged buildings was used as recycled aggregate in AC-25 asphalt mixture. The absorption, specific gravity and strength of both blended aggregate and asphalt mixture were tested. Results indicate that fine recycled aggregate is not suitable to be used in asphalt mixture because of its high absorption. The substitution of recycled aggregate by natural limestone aggregate can decrease the asphalt absorption and increase the effective specific gravity and indirect tensile strength of asphalt mixture. The quantitative relationship between related properties of blended aggregate and asphalt mixture was obtained. It was concluded that the substitution of recycled aggregate by natural aggregate is a feasible way to use recycled aggregate in asphalt mixture.

In this paper, the kinetics of a cloned special glucosidase, named ginsenosidase type III hydrolyzing 3-O-glucoside of multi-protopanaxadiol (PPD)-type ginsenosides, were investigated. The gene (bgpA) encoding this enzyme was cloned from a Terrabacter ginsenosidimutans strain and then expressed in E. coli cells. Ginsenosidase type III was able to hydrolyze 3-O-glucoside of multi-PPD-type ginsenosides. For instance, it was able to hydrolyze the 3-O-β-D-(1-->2)-glucopyranosyl of Rb1 to gypenoside XVII, and then to further hydrolyze the 3-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl of gypenoside XVII to gypenoside LXXV. Similarly, the enzyme could hydrolyze the glucopyranosyls linked to the 3-O- position of Rb2, Rc, Rd, Rb3, and Rg3. With a larger enzyme reaction Km value, there was a slower enzyme reaction speed; and the larger the enzyme reaction Vmax value, the faster the enzyme reaction speed was. The Km values from small to large were 3.85 mM for Rc, 4.08 mM for Rb1, 8.85 mM for Rb3, 9.09 mM for Rb2, 9.70 mM for Rg3(S), 11.4 mM for Rd and 12.9 mM for F2; and Vmax value from large to small was 23.2 mM/h for Rc, 16.6 mM/h for Rb1, 14.6 mM/h for Rb3, 14.3 mM/h for Rb2, 1.81mM/h for Rg3(S), 1.40 mM/h for Rd, and 0.41 mM/h for F2. According to the Vmax and Km values of the ginsenosidase type III, the hydrolysis speed of these substrates by the enzyme was Rc>Rb1>Rb3>Rb2>Rg3(S)>Rd>F2 in order.

Based on the observation of fracture surfaces for a low-alloy high strength steel under rotating bending in very high cycle regime, a newly defined method about inspection plane under rotating bending was developed in this paper. By using the statistics of extreme values (SEV) method, the maximum sizes of inclusion and FGA corresponding to the control volume of specimen are evaluated to be about 41.38 μm and 58.51 μm on the basis of this newly defined inspection plane, and the corresponding values of fatigue limit are evaluated to be 690 MPa and 654 MPa, respectively. It should be noted that fatigue design based on former involves a certain amount of risk in very high cycle regime.

In this work, the kinetics of ginsenosidase type IV hydrolyzing the 6- O -multi-glycosides of protopanaxatriol type ginsenosides (PPT) from Aspergillus sp.39g strain were investigated. The enzyme molecular weight was about 56 kDa. The enzyme hydrolyzes the 6- O -α- l -(1 → 2)-rhamnoside of ginsenoside Re and 6- O -β- d -(1 → 2)-xyloside of R1 into Rg1, and subsequently hydrolyzes 6- O -β- d -glucoside of Rg1 into F1. The enzyme hydrolyzes 6- O -α- l -(1 → 2)-rhamnoside of Rg2 and 6- O -β- d -(1 → 2)-glucoside of Rf into Rh1, and subsequently hydrolyzes 6- O -β- d -glucoside of Rh1 into its aglycone. The enzyme K m and V max for Re were 22.2 mM, and 7.94 mM/h; the K m and V max for R1 were 7.06 mM and 1.61 mM/h; the enzyme transformation velocity ( V 0 ) at 5 mM substrate was 1.46 mM/h for Re, and 0.67 mM/h for R1. Therefore, the enzyme hydrolysis on the Re rhamnoside was faster than that on R1 xyloside. The enzyme V 0 on Rg1 was 0.05 mM/h that indicated the enzyme hardly hydrolyzed the 6- O -β- d -glucoside of Rg1. The enzyme kinetic parameters of Rg2 and Rf were 5.74 and 9.43 mM for K m ; 2.70 and 2.84 mM/h for V max ; 1.26 and 0.98 mM/h for V 0 at 5 mM substrate, respectively. Thus the enzyme hydrolysis on Rg2 rhamnoside was faster than that on the glucoside of Rf.

Based on the operating mode of the domestic apparel industry chain statistics and research on new integrated industry-in-depth study of telemedicine, summarizes the development of the domestic industry chain status and future trends-supply relationships within the industry more and more sub-modules of different gradual strengthening of cooperation between industries, integrated across multiple disciplines the rise of new industries, analyze the problems encountered in the development process and make recommendations accordingly to solve.

Some properties of asphalt mastic containing recycled cement mortar powder (CMP) were investigated in this paper. CMP was used as filler in asphalt mastic. The investigated mastic consisted of asphalt and filler at a mass ratio of 1:1. Penetration, softening point and high-temperature viscosity were tested. Dynamic Shear Rheometer (DSR) was used to conduct frequency sweep test of asphalt mastic. The introduction of CMP resulted in reduced penetration, increased softening point, apparent activation energy, complex shear modulus in the low frequency area and high-temperature viscosity. Results indicate that CMP may have some positive effect on high-temperature properties but some negative effect on low-temperature properties of asphalt mastic. It is also believed that the average mixing and compacting temperature of asphalt mixture containing CMP is higher than that containing limestone mineral filler (LMF).

Two classification methods for coarse recycled aggregate used in asphalt concrete were investigated in this paper, respectively classifying by coarse recycled aggregate properties and asphalt concrete properties. When classifying by coarse recycled aggregate properties, coarse recycled aggregate was classified into three types by the apparent specific gravity, water absorption, crushed value, Los Angeles abrasion value and brick content of coarse recycled aggregate. When classifying by asphalt concrete properties, coarse recycled aggregate was used to prepare asphalt concrete; and coarse recycled aggregate was classified into three types by the optimum asphalt content ratio (ROAC), theoretical maximum specific gravity ratio (RTMSG) and indirect tensile strength ratio (RITS) of asphalt concrete containing coarse recycled aggregate. The proposed classification criterions of the two classification methods were respectively given.

In this paper, the vulnerability of the multi-storey reinforced concrete is classified and analyzed according to three control factors: construction age, story and uses. And the different categories vulnerability matrices of multi-story reinforced concrete are obtained from the monomer sample buildings which are already evaluated. The proportion of construction area of different categories can be attained from buildings census statistics. Then the vulnerability matrix of concrete building group in study region can be established by sum-product of construction area ratio of each vulnerability class in study region and each class vulnerability matrix. Finally, the vulnerability matrix of reinforced concrete structure of Xi'an Yanliang District was obtained using this approach. After comparing with the traditional earthquake damage prediction method, it is shown that this method is feasible, simple idea and high reliable and can be used for rapid assessment of post earthquake.

To study whether urotensin II (UII), a potent vasoconstrictive peptide, is involved in the development of cardiac hypertrophy and fibrogenesis of rats induced by isoproterenol (ISO).Thirty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 3 groups. Group 1 was the healthy control group, group 2 was the ISO group, and group 3 was the ISO+UII group. In groups 2 and 3, ISO (5 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1)) was given (sc) once daily for 7 d. Group 3 was also given UII in the first day [3 nmol/kg (5 microg/kg), iv], followed by sc (1.5 microg/kg) twice daily. Group 1 received 0.9% saline. UII receptor (UT) mRNA expression was determined by RT-PCR. The contents of UII and angiotensin II (Ang II) were determined by radioimmunoassay. In vitro, the effects of UII on DNA/collagen synthesis of cardiac fibroblasts were determined by [3H]thymidine/[3H]proline incorporation.The ratio of heart weight/body weight, plasma lactate dehydrogenase activity, myocardial malondialdehyde and hydroxyproline concentration increased significantly in the ISO group, as well as UT mRNA expression, plasma and cardiac UII and ventricular Ang II, compared with the control group (P0.01). ISO induced significant myocardial fibrogenesis. Moreover, UII+ISO co-treatment significantly increased the changes of biochemical markers of injury and the degree of cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis. In vitro, 5 x 10(-9 )-5 x 10(-7 ) mol/L UII stimulated [3H]thymidine/[3H] proline incorporation into cardiac fibroblasts in a dose-dependent manner (P0.01).These results suggest that UII was involved in the development of cardiac fibrosis and hypertrophy by synergistic effects with ISO.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is an age-related disease with poorly understood pathogenesis. Recent studies have demonstrated that miRNA might play a key role in OA initiation and development. We reviewed recent publications and elucidated the connection between miRNA and OA cartilage anabolic and catabolic signals, including four signaling pathways: TGF-β/Smads and BMPs signaling, associated with cartilage anabolism; and MAPK and NF-KB signaling, associated with cartilage catabolism. We also explored the relationships with MMP, ADAMTS and NOS (NitricOxide Synthases) families, as well as with the catabolic cytokines IL-1 and TNF-α. The potential role of miRNAs in biological processes such as cartilage degeneration, chondrocyte proliferation, and differentiation is discussed. Collective evidence indicates that miRNAs play a critical role in cartilage degeneration. These findings will aid in understanding the molecular network that governs articular cartilage homeostasis and in to elucidate the role of miRNA in the pathogenesis of OA.

Objective - The aim of this paper was to investigate the association between levels of HO-I expression and angiographic morphology as well as the quantity of coronary lesions in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD).Methods - 110 patients with CHD were diagnosed by coronary angiography which contained coronary lesions in some way. Firstly, the patients were divided into 3 groups according to the angiographic morphology of their coronary lesions: type I (smooth borders) group (n 2 = 36), type II (irregular borders) group (n 2 = 48) and type III (long and irregular lesions) group (n 3 = 26). Secondly, the patients were split into a further 3 groups, named: single-vessel group (SV, 38 cases), double-vessel group (DV, 44 cases) and multi-vessel group (MV, 28 cases) according to the number of coronary lesions. Another 30 patients with normal coronary arteries (diagnosed by coronary angiography) were selected as the control group. The levels of HO-I protein expression in monocytes and lymphocytes from the subjects were tested by immunohistochemistry and Western blot. A computer picture analysing system was also used to measure the levels of HO-I protein expression. Results-HO-I protein was located in cell plasma and the levels of HO-I protein expression in patients with CHD were significantly higher than in those without CHD (p < 0.01).There were significant differences of HO-I expression among patients with CHD. Patients with type III lesions had the highest levels, followed by those with type II lesions and the lowest levels were found in patients with type I lesions (p < 0.01). Also, levels of HO-I protein expression in patients with multi-vessel disease and double-vessel disease were significantly higher than in those with single-vessel disease (p

Background: Heme oxygenase (HO) is a rate-limiting enzyme of endogenetic carbon monoxide (CO) that degrades heme into carbon monoxide, bilirubin, and iron. These products have important physiologic effects: bilirubin is a potent antioxidant that can act against ischemia/reperfusion injury; there is a negative correlation between the content of HO-1 and the incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD). Hypothesis: This study was undertaken to investigate the changes of HO-1 in patients with CHD. Methods: Thirty-five patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), 40 patients with unstable angina pectoris (UAP, diagnosed by coronary angiography), and 30 patients with stable angina pectoris (AP, diagnosed by coronary angiography) were selected for the study; another 30 patients with normal coronary artery (diagnosed by coronary angiography) were selected as controls. The levels of HO-1 protein expression in monocyte and lymphocyte in the subjects were tested by immunohistochemistry and western blot. Computer picture analyzing systems were also used to measure the levels of HO-1 protein expression. Results: Heme oxygenase-1 protein is located in cell plasma. The levels of HO-1 protein expression in patients with CHD were significantly higher than in those without CHD (p

The magnetic property in a material is induced by the unpaired electrons. This can occur due to defect states which can enhance the magnetic moment and the spin polarization. In this report, CdS and CdTe thin films are grown on FTO glass substrates by chemical bath deposition and close-spaced sublimation, respectively. The magnetic properties, which are introduced from oxygen states, are found in CdS and CdTe thin films. From the hysteresis loop of magnetic moment it is revealed that CdS and CdTe thin films have different kinds of magnetic moments at different temperatures. The M–H curves indicate that from 100 K to 350 K, CdS and CdTe thin films show paramagnetism and diamagnetism, respectively. A superparamagnetic or a weakly ferromagnetic response is found at 5 K. It is also observed from ZFC/FC curves that magnetic moments decrease with temperature increasing. Spin polarized density functional calculation for spin magnetic moment is also carried out.

To localize the sensory motor cortex of human brain by analyzing the power change in Gamma band (60 Hz) of electrocorticography (ECoG) data.Eight patients with intractable epilepsy underwent temporary placement of subdural electrodes. After surgery, sensory evoked potential (SEP), electrocortical stimulation (CES) and event-related synchronization analysis of Gamma band (Gamma ERS analysis) were performed to reduce the risk of complications. The results of Gamma ERS analysis were compared with those of SEP and CES.The results of Gamma ERS analysis had 80.7% electrodes fitting perfectly those of CES and SEP. And the percentage reached 92.3% if electrodes were superimposed or added adjacently.The Gamma ERS analysis is a new sensitive and precise method for cortical function mapping.

Herein, a novel ginsenosidase, named ginsenosidase type IV, hydrolyzing 6-O-multi-glycosides of protopanaxatrioltype ginsenosides (PPT), such as Re, R1, Rf, and Rg2, was isolated from the Aspergillus sp. 39g strain, purified, and characterized. Ginsenosidase type IV was able to hydrolyze the 6-O-alpha-L-(1-->2)-rhamnoside of Re and the 6-O-beta-D- (1-->2)-xyloside of R1 into ginsenoside Rg1. Subsequently, it could hydrolyze the 6-O-beta-D-glucoside of Rg1 into F1. Similarly, it was able to hydrolyze the 6-O-alpha-L-(1-->2)- rhamnoside of Rg2 and the 6-O-beta-D-(1-->2)-glucoside of Rf into Rh1, and then further hydrolyze Rh1 into its aglycone. However, ginsenosidase type IV could not hydrolyze the 3-O- or 20-O-glycosides of protopanaxadioltype ginsenosides (PPD), such as Rb1, Rb2, Rb3, Rc, and Rd. These exhibited properties are significantly different from those of glycosidases described in Enzyme Nomenclature by the NC-IUBMB. The optimal temperature and pH for ginsenosidase type IV were 40°C and 6.0, respectively. The activity of ginsenosidase type IV was slightly improved by the Mg(2+) ion, and inhibited by Cu(2+) and Fe(2+) ions. The molecular mass of the enzyme, based on SDS-PAGE, was noted as being approximately 56 kDa.