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The influence of annealing on the morphological, structural, and optical properties of ZnO:Tb thin films on Si substrate grown by magnetron cosputtering is investigated. It has been found that the ZnO:Tb thin films with structures of tetrapod and screwlike nanorod are formed after annealing at temperature of 950 °C. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, and Raman analyses prove that the tetrapod-aiguille zinc oxide (T-A-ZnO) and the screwlike nanorods are composed of Zn, Tb, and O elements. The photoluminescence spectra of the ZnO:Tb thin films with the T-A-ZnO structure and the screwlike nanorods are featured with two ultraviolet emission peaks and one strong green emission band, and the photoluminescence intensity increases with increasing annealing temperature. The surface defects in the T-A-ZnO structure and the screwlike nanorods are considered to be responsible for enhanced green emission in the annealed ZnO:Tb thin films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression characteristics and the potential role of euchromatic histone-lysine N-methyltransferase 2 (EHMT2) in the clinical pathology and prognosis of prostate cancer (PCa). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Quantitative Real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was performed to detect the expression of EHMT2 in 55 pairs of PCa tissues and adjacent normal tissues. The relationship between EHMT2 expression and the pathological features, as well as the prognosis of PCa patients was analyzed. EHMT2 expression in PCa cells was determined by qRT-PCR as well. In addition, EHMT2 knockdown model was constructed by transfection of the small interfering RNA in PCa cell lines PC-3 and DU-145. The regulatory effects of EHMT2 on the behaviors of PCa cells were evaluated through cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), 5-Ethynyl-2’-deoxyuridine (EdU), colony formation assay and flow cytometry. Finally, we detected the protein levels of relative genes in PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway through Western blot. RESULTS: QRT-PCR results showed that the expression level of EHMT2 in PCa tissues was markedly higher than that in adjacent normal tissues. Compared with PCa patients with low expression of EHMT2, those with high expression of EHMT2 had higher pathological grade and lower overall survival. EHMT2 was also highly expressed in PCa cell lines. Knockdown of EHMT2 inhibited the proliferative potential and induced apoptosis of PCa cells. Western blot results revealed that PCa cells with EHMT2 knockdown presented downregulated p-PI3K, p-AKT and p-mTOR. CONCLUSIONS: EHMT2 was highly expressed in PCa, and its expression is closely correlated with tumor stage and poor prognosis of PCa patients. EHMT2 promoted the malignant progression of PCa by inhibiting PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), activated sludge is thickened in secondary settling tanks and recycled into the biological reactor to maintain enough biomass for wastewater treatment. Accurately estimating the activated sludge concentration in the lower portion of the secondary clarifiers is of great importance for evaluating and controlling the sludge recycled ratio, ensuring smooth and efficient operation of the WWTP. By dividing the overall activated sludge-thickening curve into a hindered zone and a compression zone, an empirical model describing activated sludge thickening in the compression zone was obtained by empirical regression. This empirical model was developed through experiments conducted using sludge from five WWTPs, and validated by the measured data from a sixth WWTP, which fit the model well (R2 = 0.98, p <0.001). The model requires application of only one parameter, the sludge volume index (SVI), which is readily incorporated into routine analysis. By combining this model with the conservation of mass equation, an empirical model for compression settling was also developed. Finally, the effects of denitrification and addition of a polymer were also analysed because of their effect on sludge thickening, which can be useful for WWTP operation, e.g., improving wastewater treatment or the proper use of the polymer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to explore the radiological features associated with the motor deficits in patients with metastatic epidural spinal cord compression (MESCC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: The patients with MESCC admitted in our department from July 2006 to December 2008 were included in this analysis. The data on the radiological features of affected vertebrae showed by computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging scan and the motor deficits level assessed as paralysis or non-paralysis according to Frankel Classification Grading System were collected. A multiple regression model was established to indentify the radiological features associated with the paralysis status of MESCC patients. RESULTS: A total of 56 patients with MESCC were included in this study. All patients had invasion of vertebral body, main affected vertebrae was consecutive in 75% (8/12) of patients with lesions of upper thoracic spine and/or cervicothoracic junction and 18.18% (8/44) of patients with lesions of cervical spine, middle thoracic spine, lower thoracic spine, and lumbar spine. The paralysis status was consisted with the finding of epidural space involvement. A linear relationship between paralysis status and the radiological features including lamina involvement, retropulsion of posterior wall, and location in upper thoracic spine and/or cervicothoracic junction was detected by the "optimal" regression equation, of them lamina involvement has the greatest impact on paralysis status. CONCLUSIONS: The radiological features including lamina involvement, retropulsion of posterior wall, and location in upper thoracic spine and/or cervicothoracic junction were significantly associated with the motor deficits of patients with MESCC, which might be helpful to identify these patients who were susceptible to motor deficit, especially lamina involvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanocrystalline compound thin films of ZnO-TiO2 with different Zn/Ti atomic ratios were prepared by radio frequency magnetron reactive sputtering. The optical constants and the optical band gap were investigated using spectroscopic ellipsometry and the optical absorption spectrum. It was found that the cubic ZnTiO3 phase can be obtained with the atomic ratio of Zn to Ti of about 1:1, and transforms to rhombohedral ZnTiO3 phase and a phase mixture of rhombohedral ZnTiO3 and ZnO with increasing Zn content. The refractive index decreases with the increase of Zn content, and the extinction coefficient in the visible range is near zero. The optical band gap was derived from the modeling of ellipsometry data and extinction coefficient spectra, and compared with that obtained from optical absorption spectrum, and it was found that the optical band gaps obtained by these three methods are consistent with each other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrogen-incorporated SnO2 thin films have been grown on Si(100) and quartz substrates by reactive sputtering of a Sn target in gas mixtures of N2–O2. The structure of the nitrogen-incorporated SnO2 thin films was studied by X-ray diffraction, and the changes in the chemical bonds and atomic binding states of the nitrogen-incorporated SnO2 thin films were analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. It was found that the binding energy of Sn 3d and O 1s shifts 0.65 eV and 0.35 eV, respectively, toward the lower-energy side after nitrogen was incorporated into the SnO2 thin films as a comparison with that of pure SnO2 film. The indirect optical band gap gradually decreases from 3.42 eV to 3.23 eV, i.e. from the UV to the edge of the visible-light range, with increasing nitrogen flux content in the N2–O2 gas mixtures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the optical properties of amorphous GaAs1-xNx films grown by radio frequency magnetron sputtering method with different N2 partial pressures. The surface morphology, the optical absorption, the Raman spectra, and optical constants of the films with different N2 partial pressures are reported. The appearance of the Raman peak at 245 cm-1 of “GaAslike” and a shoulder at about 750 cm-1 related to GaN indicates the formation of GaN clusters in GaAs matrix. The roughness decreases and the optical band gap of amorphous GaAs1-xNx films moves to short wavelength with increasing N2 partial pressure. The refractive index and the extinction coefficient of the films decrease with increasing N2 partial pressure, and it has been found that the amorphous GaAs1-xNx films with nonzero N2 partial pressure are transparent in red and near infrared wavelength regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The optical properties of δ-Bi2O3 thin films were investigated using spectroscopic ellipsometry and optical absorption spectrum. δ-Bi2O3 thin films were grown on Si and quartz substrates under different oxygen flow ratios (OFR) by radio frequency reactive magnetron sputtering. The Tauc-Lorentz dispersion method was adopted to model the optical dispersion functions of the thin films. The optical bandgap was obtained by three different methods. It was found that refractive index and extinction coefficient decrease, and the optical bandgap has a slight blue shift with increasing the OFR. Factors influencing the optical constants and optical bandgap are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A correction to the article "Note: A New Angle-Resolved Proton Energy Spectrometer," by Y. Zheng, L.N. Su, and M. Liu that was published in a November 2013 issue of the journal "Review of Scientific Instruments" is presented.

In typical laser-driven proton acceleration experiments Thomson parabola proton spectrometers are used to measure the proton spectra with very small acceptance angle in specific directions. Stacks composed of CR-39 nuclear track detectors, imaging plates, or radiochromic films are used to measure the angular distributions of the proton beams, respectively. In this paper, a new proton spectrometer, which can measure the spectra and angular distributions simultaneously, has been designed. Proton acceleration experiments performed on the Xtreme light III laser system demonstrates that the spectrometer can give angle-resolved spectra with a large acceptance angle. This will be conductive to revealing the acceleration mechanisms, optimization, and applications of laser-driven proton beams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been proven that maternally expressed 3 (MEG3), a long non-coding RNA (LncRNA), is down-regulated and inversely correlated with prognosis in various types of cancer, including bladder cancer (BC). Nevertheless, the role of MEG3 in BC has not been fully identified. Herein, we found that MEG3 expression was reduced in 21 BC tumor tissue samples compared to corresponding adjacent tissues. We then established T24 and 5637 cells with a stably integrated expression of MEG3 by G418 resistance screening, and data revealed that the BC cells over-expressing MEG3 displayed weaker migration and invasion ability than control cells. The expression and activity of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)2 and MMP9 were down-regulated when MEG3 was over-expressed. Moreover, MEG3 over-expression sensitized BC cells to the chemotherapy drug cisplatin (DDP). DDP treatment significantly induced cell apoptosis, down-regulated bcl2 expression, and up-regulated cleaved-caspase-3 and bax expression in BC cells with MEG3 over-expression. MEG3 and p53 can also stimulate mutual expression in BC cells, thus indicating a potential positive feedback loop of MEG3 and p53. Our combined results suggest that over-expression of MEG3 inhibits migration and invasion and enhances DDP chemo-sensitivity in bladder cancer cells.

Experiments were done to observe the coalescence of highly viscous liquid droplets (87 wt% glycerin-in-water solutions) deposited onto a flat, solid steel plate. Droplets were deposited sequentially in straight lines or square droplet arrays. Droplet center-to-center distance was varied and the final dimensions of lines and sheets measured from photographs. When overlapping droplets were deposited surface tension forces pulled impacting droplets towards those already on the surface, a phenomena known as drawback. A dimensionless drawback index, quantifying the extent of droplet displacement, was calculated from experimental measurements for different values of droplet overlap. At large overlaps droplets deposited in a line or square array coalesced to form a circular film. When the droplet center-to-center distance increased, leading to less interaction, long, thin lines and square sheets were formed. As overlap was further decreased lines and sheets became discontinuous. A simple model was developed to predict the conditions under which rupture occurred. The lowest droplet overlap ratio (defined as droplet overlap distance divided by droplet spread diameter) at which a continuous liquid film could be formed was λ=0.293. At large overlap ratios (λ>0.6) droplets deposited in a square array formed a circular film. The minimum thickness of a continuous film formed by coalescence of droplets was shown to vary from 5% to 70% of the initial droplet diameter while increasing impact Weber and Reynolds number reduced the film thickness., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Some phenol derivatives are known to block volume-sensitive Cl(-) channels. However, effects on the channel of the bisphenol phloretin, which is a known blocker of glucose uniport and anion antiport, have not been examined. In the present study, we investigated the effects of phloretin on volume-sensitive Cl(-) channels in comparison with cyclic AMP-activated CFTR Cl(-) channels and Ca(2+)-activated Cl(-) channels using the whole-cell patch-clamp technique. Extracellular application of phloretin (over 10 microM) voltage-independently, and in a concentration-dependent manner (IC(50) approximately 30 microM), inhibited the Cl(-) current activated by a hypotonic challenge in human epithelial T84, Intestine 407 cells and mouse mammary C127/CFTR cells. In contrast, at 30 microM phloretin failed to inhibit cyclic AMP-activated Cl(-) currents in T84 and C127/CFTR cells. Higher concentrations (over 100 microM) of phloretin, however, partially inhibited the CFTR Cl(-) currents in a voltage-dependent manner. At 30 and 300 microM, phloretin showed no inhibitory effect on Ca(2+)-dependent Cl(-) currents induced by ionomycin in T84 cells. It is concluded that phloretin preferentially blocks volume-sensitive Cl(-) channels at low concentrations (below 100 microM) and also inhibits cyclic AMP-activated Cl(-) channels at higher concentrations, whereas phloretin does not inhibit Ca(2+)-activated Cl(-) channels in epithelial cells.