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Chlorinated paraffins (CPs) are ubiquitous anthropogenic contaminants that have been found in various environmental media. The objective of this study was to determine concentrations, spatial distribution, possible sources and potential health risk of SCCPs and MCCPs in urban road dust collected from Shanghai, China. The concentrations ranged from 9.74 to 11,400 ng g

Seasonal reproduction contributes to increased chances of offspring survival in some animals. Dairy goats are seasonal breeding mammals. In this study, adult male Guanzhong dairy goats (10–12 months old) were used. Testis size, semen quality, hormone level, apoptosis of germ cells, and autophagy of Sertoli cells were analyzed in dairy goats during the breeding (October) and nonbreeding (April) seasons. We found that, during the nonbreeding season for dairy goats, semen quality, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels, and testosterone levels were reduced, and the number of apoptotic germ cells increased. The proliferation with decrease activity of germ cells in dairy goat during the nonbreeding season was significantly affected. However, the testis size did not change seasonally. Interestingly, Sertoli cell autophagy was more active during the nonbreeding season. The expression levels of FSH receptor, wilms tumor 1, androgen binding protein, glial cell derived neurotrophic factor, and stem cell factor decreased in dairy goats during the nonbreeding season. In summary, our results indicate that spermatogenesis in dairy goats during the nonbreeding season was not completely arrested. In addition, germ cell apoptosis and the morphology of Sertoli cells considerably changed in dairy goats during the nonbreeding season. Sertoli cell autophagy is involved in the seasonal regulation of spermatogenesis in dairy goats. These findings provide key insights into the fertility and spermatogenesis of seasonal breeding animals. Summary sentence Spermatogenesis is regulated seasonally in dairy goats. During the nonbreeding season, Sertoli cell autophagy was more active, and the proliferation activity of germ cells was reduced. Graphical Abstract

Background Goat milk is very similar to human milk in terms of its abundant nutrients and ease of digestion. To derive greater economic benefit, farmers require more female offspring (does); however, the buck-to-doe offspring sex ratio is approximately 50%. At present, artificial insemination after the separation of X/Y sperm using flow cytometry is the primary means of controlling the sex of livestock offspring. However, flow cytometry has not been successfully utilised for the separation of X/Y sperm aimed at sexing control in dairy goats. Results In this study, a novel, simple goat sperm sexing technology that activates the toll-like receptor 7/8 (TLR7/8), thereby inhibiting X-sperm motility, was investigated. Our results showed that the TLR7/8 coding goat X-chromosome was expressed in approximately 50% of round spermatids in the testis and sperm, as measured from cross-sections of the epididymis and ejaculate, respectively. Importantly, TLR7/8 was located at the tail of the X-sperm. Upon TLR7/8 activation, phosphorylated forms of glycogen synthase kinase α/β (GSK3 α/β) and nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) were detected in the X-sperm, causing reduced mitochondrial activity, ATP levels, and sperm motility. High-motility Y-sperm segregated to the upper layer and the low-motility X-sperm, to the lower layer. Following in vitro fertilisation using the TLR7/8-activated sperm from the lower layer, 80.52 ± 6.75% of the embryos were XX females. The TLR7/8-activated sperm were subsequently used for in vivo embryo production via the superovulatory response; nine embryos were collected from the uterus of two does that conceived. Eight of these were XX embryos, and one was an XY embryo. Conclusions Our study reveals a novel TLR7/8 signalling mechanism that affects X-sperm motility via the GSK3 α/β-hexokinase pathway; this technique could be used to facilitate the efficient production of sexed dairy goat embryos.

To find symmetries, symmetry groups and group invariant solutions are fundamental and significant in nonlinear physics. In this paper, the finite point symmetry group of the combined KP3 and KP4 (CKP34) equation is found by means of a direct method. The related point symmetries can be obtained simply by taking the infinitesimal form of the finite point symmetry group. The point symmetries of the CKP34 equation constitute an infinite dimensional Kac-Moody–Virasoro algebra. The point symmetry invariant solutions of the CKP34 equation are obtained via the standard classical Lie point symmetry method.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), as a class of important environmental pollutants, have received considerable concern due to their widespread existence and biological toxicity. The main purpose of this study was to determine concentrations, spatial distribution, possible sources, and potential health risk of PAHs in urban road dust in Shanghai, China. The concentration of Σ26PAHs ranged from 53.0 to 28,700 ng g-1 in road dust samples from Shanghai, which is at the low to medium level compared with other areas around the world. PAHs with 4-5 rings were predominant components in road dust. The level of PAHs in road dust was significantly higher than those in soil and river sediment in Shanghai. Six possible sources of PAHs were apportioned by PMF model. The contribution of pyrogenic PAHs accounted for 91.3% of the total PAHs in road dusts. The motor vehicular emission, natural gas, and coal combustion were main sources for urban road dust PAHs from Shanghai. Four dibenzopyrene (DBP) isomers were contributed averagely 75% of total TEQBaP concentration. DBalP, BaP, DBaiP, BbF, and DBA were main contributors to total carcinogenic potency, which totally contributed from 69.6 to 91.8% (median 89.1%) to total TEQBaP in urban road dusts of Shanghai. The results of incremental lifetime carcinogenic risk (ILCR) assessment showed that the total risk values exposed to 24 PAHs in road dust were lower than 10-4 at all sampling sites, indicating that exposure to dust-bound PAHs at present level was unlikely to result in high carcinogenic risk for both children and adults in Shanghai.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) damage mammalian sperm during liquid storage. Notoginsenoside R1 (NR1) is a compound isolated from the roots of Panax notoginseng; it has powerful ROS-scavenging activities. This work hypothesized that the antioxidant capacity of NR1 could improve boar sperm quality and fertility during liquid storage. During liquid storage at 17°C, the supplementation of semen extender with NR1 (50 μM) significantly improved sperm motility, membrane integrity and acrosome integrity after 5 days of preservation. NR1 treatment also reduced ROS and lipid peroxidation (LPO) levels at day 5 (p

Spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) are the only adult stem cells that pass genes to the next generation and can be used in assisted reproductive technology and stem cell therapy. SSC cryopreservation is an important method for the preservation of immature male fertility. However, freezing increases the production of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and causes oxidative damage to SSCs. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of melatonin on goat SSCs during cryopreservation and to explore its protective mechanism. We obtained SSCs from dairy goat testes by two-step enzymatic digestion and differential plating. The SSCs were cryopreserved with freezing media containing different melatonin concentrations. The results showed that 10-6 M of melatonin increased significantly the viability, total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), and mitochondrial membrane potential of frozen-thawed SSCs, while it reduced significantly the ROS level and malondialdehyde (MDA) content ( P < 0.05 ). Further analysis was performed by western blotting, flow cytometry, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Melatonin improved significantly the enzyme activity and protein expression of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) ( P < 0.05 ), thereby activating the antioxidant defense system of SSCs. Furthermore, melatonin inhibited significantly the expression of proapoptotic protein (Bax) and increased the expression of antiapoptotic proteins (Bcl-2 and Bcl-XL) ( P < 0.05 ). The mitochondrial apoptosis pathway analysis showed that the addition of melatonin reduced significantly the mitochondrial swelling and vacuolation, and inhibited the release of cytochrome C from mitochondria into the cytoplasm, thereby preventing the activation of caspase-3 ( P < 0.05 ) and inhibiting SSC apoptosis. In addition, melatonin reduced significantly the autophagosome formation and regulated the expression of autophagy-related proteins (LC3-I, LC3-II, P62, Beclin1, and ATG7) ( P < 0.05 ), thereby reversing the freeze-induced excessive autophagy. In summary, melatonin protected goat SSCs during cryopreservation via antioxidant, antiapoptotic, and autophagic regulation.

Continuous spermatogenesis depends on the self-renewal and differentiation of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs). SSCs, the only male reproductive stem cells that transmit genetic material to subsequent generations, possess an inherent self-renewal ability, which allows the maintenance of a steady stem cell pool. SSCs eventually differentiate to produce sperm. However, in an in vitro culture system, SSCs can be induced to differentiate into various types of germ cells. Rodent SSCs are well defined, and a culture system has been successfully established for them. In contrast, available information on the biomolecular markers and a culture system for livestock SSCs is limited. This review summarizes the existing knowledge and research progress regarding mammalian SSCs to determine the mammalian spermatogenic process, the biology and niche of SSCs, the isolation and culture systems of SSCs, and the biomolecular markers and identification of SSCs. This information can be used for the effective utilization of SSCs in reproductive technologies for large livestock animals, enhancement of human male fertility, reproductive medicine, and protection of endangered species.

Although the follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) plays a vital role in male reproduction, the molecular relationships among FSH, autophagy, and the secretory function of Sertoli cells remain largely undetermined. In this study, we sought to investigate the effects of FSH on dairy goat Sertoli cell autophagy and the role of autophagy in protein clearance. FSH treatment of primary Sertoli cells was found to enhance the expression level of LC3-II, reduce p62 degradation and the number of lysosomes, and downregulate the levels of LAMP2 protein and lysosomal gene mRNAs. Further analyses revealed that starvation-induced autophagy promotes the translocation of transcription factor EB (TFEB) from the cytoplasm to nucleus and its binding to the promoter region of LAMP2, whereas FSH suppresses the nuclear translocation of TFEB. Moreover, we found that the FSH-mediated inhibition of autophagy extends the biological half-lives of androgen-binding protein (ABP), glial-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), and stem cell factor (SCF) and promotes the secretion of these proteins. Collectively, these observations indicate that FSH inhibits autophagy by reducing lysosomal biogenesis, which is associated with the suppression of TFEB nuclear translocation via activation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway, thereby extending the biological half-lives and enhancing the expression of ABP, GDNF, and SCF in dairy goat Sertoli cells.

Cashmere goats, a unique biological resource in China, have the highest cashmere yield and best fiber quality in the world. The goal of this study was to determine the effects of cryopreserving with lycopene (LP) and alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) on the physiological characteristics of Cashmere goat spermatozoa. The results showed that sperm motility, acrosome integrity, membrane integrity, and mitochondrial activity of goat spermatozoa were greater in extenders containing 1.0 mg/mL LP and 10 μg/mL ALA (P 0.05). Furthermore, higher SOD, CAT, and GSH-Px levels in semen occurred for extenders with 1.0 mg/mL LP and 10 μg/mL ALA compared with that of other treatments and the control group (P 0.05). Interestingly, this study also combined LP + ALA in the extender. The results showed that the sperm motility, membrane integrity, and acrosome integrity in 1.0 mg/mL + 5 μg/mL in the LP + ALA group were significantly elevated compared with that of the control group (P 0.05). Moreover, 1.0 mg/mL + 5 μg/mL LP + ALA addition increased SOD, CAT, and GSH-Px in spermatozoa more than 1.0 mg/mL LP and 10 μg/mL ALA (P 0.05). In addition, the results of AI showed that the pregnancy rates were higher in the 1.0 mg/mL + 5 μg/mL LP + ALA group than the control group (P 0.05). In conclusion, the addition of LP + ALA to extender solutions protects goat spermatozoa from ROS attack by improving antioxidant enzymes activity, and the results suggested that freezing extenders supplemented with 1.0 mg/mL + 5 μg/mL LP + ALA would be beneficial to the Cashmere goat breeding industry.

To evaluate contamination by polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in market hens and human PBDE exposure via hen consumption in Guangzhou, hens were collected and their muscle, liver, fat, blood, yolk, and ingluvies tissues were analyzed for 13 PBDE congeners. The median highest concentration of ∑PBDEs was found in the ingluvies (5.30 ng/g lw), followed by the muscle (2.53 ng/g lw), with the lowest located in the yolk (0.09 ng/g lw). The concentrations of PBDEs in the muscle tissue of market hens in Guangzhou were at medium levels compared to others reported around the world. BDE-47, −153, −99, and −183 were the predominant congeners. The daily intake concentrations of PBDEs from hen muscle were estimated to range from 0.08 to 0.31 ng/kg/day in this study, with a Hazard Quotient (HQ) below 1.0. These results suggest that the health risk of PBDEs for the general population, through the consumption of market hens in Guangzhou, was generally low. However, the intake of PBDEs via food consumption may be one major exposure pathway for the general population of Guangzhou.

Spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) have been used for the production of transgenic animals and for the recovery of male fertility. However, the proliferation of SSCs in vitro is still immature, and the mechanisms and pathways involved in the proliferation of SSCs are not clear. Here, the effects of platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) on the proliferation of dairy goat SSCs in vitro were detected. The results showed that 20 ng/ml PDGF-BB or 25 ng/ml EGF was the optimum concentration, and that the BCL2 in the experimental groups was significantly higher than that in the control (P 0.05), while BAX and BAD were dramatically downregulated (P 0.05). The pERK1/2 in the experimental groups was about 3-5 times higher than that in the control. After the specific MEK1/2 inhibitor was added, BCL2 was reduced significantly (P 0.001), while BAX and BAD were upregulated (P 0.001). The expression of pERK1/2 decreased by 10%-30%. We speculated that these two growth factors may be mediated through the Ras/ERK1/2 signaling pathway to regulate the expression of pERK1/2 protein, and thus enhance the resistance of SSCs to apoptosis. However, further studies are needed to verify this hypothesis.

Sulfanilamide (SA) is an effective broad-spectrum antibacterial agent in human and veterinary medicine. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of SA on boar sperm quality during liquid storage at 17°C and determine the optimal concentration of SA and its effects on bacterial growth, microbial composition, and maternal fertility. Boar ejaculates were diluted with a basic extender, containing different concentrations of SA, and stored in a 17°C incubator for 6 days. The sperm motility, plasma membrane integrity, and acrosome integrity were measured daily. The results showed that when the concentration of SA was 0.02 g/L, the sperm quality parameters were significantly higher than those of all other treatment groups (p < .05). We also monitored the bacterial growth and compared the differences in the microbial species between the 0.02 g/L SA group and the control by 16S rDNA sequencing. The results revealed that some bacteria, such as Staphylococcus and Pseudomonas, were considerably lower in the 0.02 g/L SA group than in the control group (p < .05). In addition, preserved semen was used for artificial insemination, and results showed that 0.02 g/L SA group had a higher litter size, and its pregnancy rate was 92.5%.

The sperm flagella 2 (SPEF2) gene is essential for normal sperm tail development and male fertility. To fully characterize the structure of the mutation and to further study the function of the pig SPEF2 gene, we explored the insertion/deletion (indel) and novel single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the pig SPEF2 gene, and tested their associations with the testicular sizes in male Large White (LW) and Landrace (LD) pigs from China. Herein, a large insertion located at the SPEF2 gene in chromosome 16 was found, and two alleles of "I" (insertion) and "D" (deletion) were designated. Allele "D" was dominant in all analyzed pigs. Two novel SNPs (namely (NC_010458) g.19642G > A, resulting in AfaI aCRS PCR–PFLP, and g.19886C > G, resulting in EcoRI aCRS PCR–PFLP) were found in LW and LD pigs. Association testing revealed that g.19886C > G was significantly associated with the testis long circumference (TLC) in LW pigs (P SPEF2 gene had significant effects on male reproduction traits. These findings could not only extend the spectrum of genetic variations in the pig SPEF2 gene but also contribute to implementing MAS in genetics and breeding in pigs.

This article contextualizes the decline of the Buddhist death ritual, the Guangdong Yuqie Yankou (廣東瑜伽焰口), through an examination of external and internal factors that might have affected its development in contemporary Hong Kong. During the last two decades, its popularity has dramatically declined, so much so that it now occupies an insignificant place among the pool of local funeral rituals. Its waning is not only a result of changing socioeconomic factors, such as contemporary lifestyles, commercialization of the funeral industry, ‘fast-food’ mortuary practices, and diminished religiosity of the Hong Kong laity, but is also caused by the scarcity of presiding Buddhist masters and competition from Buddhist rituals imported from other provinces of China. These intertwining factors have worked together to foster the decline of the ritual. The data for this ethnographic study were mainly collected in interviews and through the observation of participants.

Cashmere goat is known for the highest cashmere yield and best fiber quality. Here, the effects of Lycium barbarum polysaccharide (LBP) and Laminaria japonica polysaccharide (LJP) on goat sperm quality were investigated. Results showed that the sperm motility, mitochondrial activity, and membrane and acrosome integrity were significantly higher with 4.0 mg/mL LBP and 1.0 mg/mL LJP supplementations than in the control (P 0.05), respectively. Higher SOD, CAT, and GSH-Px levels were observed in 4.0 mg/mL LBP and 1.0 mg/mL LJP groups than control group (P 0.05). Sperm characteristics with 2.0 + 1.0 mg/mL LBP + LJP supplementation significantly improved compared to that with other treatments (P 0.05). Compared to the control treatment, the non-return rate (NRR) were higher in the LBP + LJP (2.0 + 1.0 mg/mL) group (P 0.05). These results suggest that LBP and LJP enhance cryo-protective effects on goat spermatozoa, and that 2.0 + 1.0 mg/mL LBP + LJP addition to the extender during cryopreservation is beneficial to the Cashmere goat breeding industry.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a malignancy with a high metastatic ability. Recent studies have implicated the role of chromodomain helicase/ATPase DNA binding protein 1-like (CHD1L) gene as a novel oncogene; however, the functional role of CHD1L in NPC remains unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical significance of CHD1L positivity in NPC. CHD1L protein expression was examined by performing western blot analysis of 30 fresh NPC tissues and conducting immunohistochemistry tests of 133 NPC samples between December 1, 2005 and December 1, 2009. The correlations of CHD1L expression status with clinicopathological features and prognosis were investigated. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that 88 of 133 (66.2%) paraffin-embedded NPC biopsies exhibited positive expression of CHD1L, but all non-cancerous nasopharyngeal specimens were negative for CHD1L expression. In addition, positive CHD1L expression was strongly associated with an advanced clinical stage (P=0.016), recurrence (P=0.002) and the metastasis status (P=0.031) of NPC. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis demonstrated that patients with CHD1L-positive NPC had significantly shorter overall survival (P

Background The aim of the present study was to compare the reported efficacy and safety of glucagon-like peptide-l receptor agonist (GLP-1RA) and insulin glargine (IGlar) for poorly controlled type 2 diabetes. Methods Medline, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and clinicaltrials.gov were carried out. References and cited papers of relevant articles were also checked. Results Seven trials met the inclusion criteria. GLP-1RA showed equivalent or superior efficacy to IGlar for reducing hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), with a greater proportion of patients achieving HbAlc

Background contamination is a major problem in the analysis of organophosphate esters (OPEs). In this study, the possible sources of OPEs pollution were screened, and several different ways were applied to minimize the blank contamination. Under the strict quality control conditions, the cleanup efficiency of different solid phase extraction (SPE) was investigated. On the basis of this, a method was developed for the determination of 7 OPEs in dust, soil and sediment samples by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The target compounds were extracted by hexane-dichloromethane (1:1, V/V ) followed by aminopropyl silica gel SPE column cleanup for dust, and target compounds in soil and sediment were Soxhlet extracted and cleanuped by two-step SPE. The results showed that aminopropyl silica gel SPE column displayed the best purification performance among the three employed columns. Instrumental detection limits of the 7 OPEs ranged from 2.5 to 25.8 μg L −1 , and method limits of quantification (MLOQs) in dust and soil sample ranged from 1.4 to 15.7 ng g −1 and 0.3 to 2.9 ng g −1 , respectively. The average recoveries of 7 OPEs in different matrices (dust and soil) at two spiked concentration levels ranged from 67.9% to 117.4%. The proposed method was successfully applied to analyze OPEs in different environmental samples collected in Shanghai.

As a key factor of cellular reprogramming, Oct4 is one of vital transcription factors for induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Loss of its function or deletion causes apoptosis in primordial germ cells (PGCs), which affect reproductive traits in mammals. In this study, a novel 12-bp insertion/deletion (indel) polymorphism (NC_010449:g.2759-2760insGGTTTTTGTCTA) within the Oct4 gene was identified in 442 pigs of Large White (LW) and Landrace (LD) breeds, showing three genotypes designated as II, ID, and DD. The frequencies of allele "I" in LW and LD pigs were 0.587 and 0.648, respectively. The male piglets with homozygous II or DD genotypes of Oct4 gene exhibited better reproductive traits than those with heterozygous ID genotype. Moreover, there were two significant associations between this 12-bp indel polymorphism and testis long circumference (TLC) (P=0.005) and testis short girth (TSG) (P=0.003) as well as 15-day testis weight (TW) (P=0.013) in the LW male piglets. These findings suggest that the 12-bp indel polymorphism of the Oct4 gene might be a potential DNA marker for selecting preferred individuals in relation to reproductive traits in pig marker-assisted selection (MAS) breeding, which could contribute to the breeding and genetics in male piglets.

LiMn2O4 thin films were prepared by spin coating through intermediate amorphous layer route (IALR) and intermediate crystallized layer route (ICLR). The phase identification, surface morphology, and electrochemical properties of the films prepared by different crystallization routes were studied by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and galvanostatic charge–discharge experiments. The results show that both films prepared by different crystallization routes are homogeneous and crack free. Compared with the film prepared by IALR, the film prepared by ICLR shows smaller grain size and is smoother and denser. The LiMn2O4 film prepared by ICLR delivers the specific capacity of 39.8 μAh cm−2 μm−1, which is higher than 35.6 μAh cm−2 μm−1 for the one prepared by IALR. The capacity loss of the film prepared by ICLR after being cycled 100 times is 3.4 %, which is smaller than that of 5.5 % for the film prepared by IALR. The film prepared by ICLR shows higher specific capacity and better cycling behavior than the one prepared by IALR.

Li1.3Al0.3Ti1.7(PO4)3 films were comparatively prepared by rapid thermal annealing (RTA) and conventional furnace annealing(CFA). The phase identification and surface morphology of the prepared films were characterized by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The electrochemical window, ionic conductivity, activation energy, and electronic conductivity were conducted by cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and four-probe technique. The results show that the films prepared by RTA and CFA are homogenous and crack-free. The film prepared by RTA shows smaller grains and is denser than the one prepared by CFA. The electrochemical windows of the two films are beyond 2.4 V. The ionic conductivities of the films prepared by RTA and CFA are 2.7 × 10−6 S cm−1 and 1.4 × 10−6 S cm−1, respectively. The activation energy of the film prepared by RTA is 0.431 eV, which is slightly smaller than the one prepared by CFA. The electronic conductivity of the two films is about 10−10 S cm−1.

Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), a member of the lipocalin family, has been found to be overexpressed in a variety of tumors, including lung adenocarcinomas. However, the mechanism by which NGAL expression is regulated in lung carcinoma needs further evaluation. In this study, immunohistochemistry was employed to analyze the expression of NGAL in lung carcinoma tissue samples, including lung squamous carcinomas, adenocarcinomas, adenosquamous carcinomas and bronchial alveolar cell carcinomas. The results showed that NGAL was expressed in 82.61% (19/23) of the samples. RT-PCR and immunofluorescent staining showed that NGAL was localized to the cytoplasm in lung carcinoma cell lines. To explore the transcriptional regulation mechanism of NGAL basal expression in lung carcinoma, a 1515-bp fragment (−1431 to +84) of the NGAL promoter region was cloned and a series of deletion and mutation constructs were generated. These constructs were analyzed using the luciferase reporter assay. The results indicated that the cis-acting elements important for the basal activity of NGAL transcription were likely located between −152 and −141. Further analysis using site-directed mutagenesis and the luciferase reporter assay suggested that the C/EBP binding sites were responsible for the activity of the NGAL promoter. Finally, the binding ability and specificity of the transcription factors were determined by electrophoretic mobility-shift assay (EMSA). The results showed that C/EBPβ was able to bind to the −152 and −141 segments. Taken together, these findings suggest that NGAL is expressed in lung carcinomas and that NGAL expression is mediated by the binding of C/EBPβ to the −152 and −141 segment of the NGAL promoter.

Li4Ti5O12 thin films were prepared by solution deposition followed by rapid thermal annealing (RTA). The structural and electrochemical properties of the film were comparatively studied with the one prepared by conventional furnace annealing (CFA) through X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic lithium insertion–extraction experiments, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The results show that the film prepared by RTA is homogeneous, crack-free, and pure spinel phase, and its grain size is smaller than that of the film prepared by CFA. The lithium extraction capacity of the film prepared by RTA is 59.5 μAh cm−2 μm−1, which is higher than 55.9 μAh cm−2 μm−1 of the film prepared by CFA. The capacity loss of the film prepared by RTA after being cycled 50 times is 3.1 %, which is 3.2 % lower than that of 6.3 % for the film prepared by CFA.

LiNi0.05Mn1.95O4 powders were prepared by manganese tetraoxide (MTO) and electrolytic manganese dioxide (EMD). The phase identification, surface morphology, and electrochemical properties of the prepared powders were studied by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, cyclic voltammetry, and galvanostatic charge–discharge experiments. Compared to LiNi0.05Mn1.95O4 powders prepared by EMD, LiNi0.05Mn1.95O4 powders prepared by MTO show better crystallinity. Both powders possess a typical cubic structure with uniform particle size. The specific capacity and coulombic efficiency of LiNi0.05Mn1.95O4 powders prepared by MTO are higher than the one prepared by EMD. The capacity retention of LiNi0.05Mn1.95O4 powders prepared by MTO cycled 30 times at room temperature and 55 °C are 98.3% and 90.6%, respectively, which are much higher than those of 86.63% and 77.7% for the one prepared by EMD. LiNi0.05Mn1.95O4 powders prepared by MTO show higher specific capacity and better cycling performance than the one prepared by EMD.

Combined with the current product image research status and development trend, based on the conception and relationship of the enterprise image and product image, we propose a method which is from different product image differentiation and the product image consistency to construct product image system and realize the consistency of the corporate brand image and product image expression.

Ezrin, which cross-links the cytoskeleton and plasma membrane, was involved in a wide variety of cellular processes. Here, to investigate the distribution of ezrin, tissue microarray technology was employed to perform immunohistochemical experiments on human embryos, fetuses at 4 to 22 weeks’ gestation, and adult tissue specimens. Results showed that ezrin was widely expressed in the gastrointestinal tract throughout the human developmental stages studied. At 6 to 8 weeks’ gestation, ezrin was found in epithelial cells, and this staining pattern was particularly pronounced in the brush border of mature absorptive cells lining the villus in later developmental stages and adult tissues. Throughout neural development, ezrin was only expressed in the neural tube at 4 weeks’ gestation. Ezrin was also detected in the cortex and medulla of the adrenal gland at 8 to 12 weeks’ gestation, whereas its immunoreactivity was increased from the zona glomerulosa through the zona reticularis and was essentially undetectable in the adrenal medulla of adult tissues. Significant expression of ezrin was seen throughout development in the kidney, spleen, lymph nodes, and cells of stratified squamous epithelia. However, ezrin was undetectable in lung, liver, heart, and blood vessels. These results demonstrated that the expression pattern of ezrin was highly time specific and tissue specific.

In a curing process, there is an intensive residual stress in a cylinder with a reinforced part wrapped by hybrid composite due to the kinds of fibers and mismatch material properties. The development of residual stress in the cylinder is investigated by a finite element model combing with the classical laminate theory and heat conduction. The level of residual stress at the ends of reinforced part is higher than else location, a cure cycle with a lower cure temperature would reduce the residual stress. An improved cure cycle is proposed by comparing the simulational results of the cylinder cured with different cure cycle.

This article demonstrates the buckling behavior of an advanced grid stiffened (AGS) composite plate under an axial loading. The experimental results acquired by a fringe projection profilometry system shows that the buckling of the AGS plate would gradually evolved from a local skin buckling to a global ribs buckling during the experiment. Kinds of failure mode would arise while the loading increasing, though an impressive peak loading was recorded before the AGS plate was crush. The whole-field deformation of the AGS plate during the experiment was retrieved by the fringe projection profilometry system.

Lock-in infrared thermography method was gradually being used in fatigue studies because of its advantages such as real-time, quick-reaction, non-contact, non-destructive and so on. In this paper, non-destructive testing was applied to fatigue specimen with defects, based on lock-in infrared thermography. In parallel, the result was analyzed by using lock-in infrared thermography system developed by Cedip in French. The results show that more information of internal detects can be found from phase image than that from amplitude image. The experiment procedure indicated that a proper testing frequency was the key to the non-destructive testing. The data revealed that deeper depth and larger area of defect led to a precise testing result.

This article demonstrates the co-curing process for AGS plate. Based on the phenomenological models of resin flow and cure kinetic, the variations of temperature, cure degree and pressure were illustrated during the process by a 2D FEA program. Some valuable results were obtained that the distribution of coupling fields could be more uniform with a proper cure cycle and mold, and the resin flow action would be completed in 6000s since the pressure was applied.

Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), a member of the lipocalin family, is related to imflammation and tumour. Recently, a specific cell-surface receptor (24p3R/NGALR) for lipocalin 24p3 was reported. However, the characteristics of NGALR expression in colorectal carcinoma (CRC) are not known. The objectives of this study were to investigate the expression of NGAL and NGALR in CRC specimens, and determine any relationship between the expression of these proteins and tumour progression. In the present study, CRC specimens of 102 patients were obtained, and the expression of NGAL, NGALR, ferritin and Ki67 was analyzed in paraffin sections by immunohistochemistry. Statistical analyses of the data collected were performed with SPSS software. We found that the cytoplasmic staining of NGAL, NGALR and ferritin, as well as the nuclear staining of Ki67 were significantly up-regulated in CRC tissues compared with normal colorectal tissues. Expression of NGAL was related to the deeper invasion of CRC (P=0.026), while NGALR was significantly associated with a deeper invasion (P=0.018) and a high degree of Tumor, Node and Metastasis stages (P=0.042) in CRC. The NGAL/NGALR co-expression was associated with poor cellular differentiation (P=0.004). Positive correlations between NGAL and NGALR (r=0.432, P