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Taurine upregulated gene 1 (TUG1) has been found to promote bladder cancer cell growth in our recent research. In this study, TUG1-depleted bladder cancer cells were used to identify potent players in bladder cancer. Human gene expression arrays were used for transcriptome profiling of TUG1-depleted bladder cancer cells. Cell proliferation was analyzed by MTT assay. Cell apoptosis and cell cycle were analyzed by flow cytometry. Colony formation assay was used to observe the changes of colony formation rates. Xenograft formation assay was performed in nude mice. Immunohistochemical staining was used to test the gene expression levels in tissues from bladder cancer patients. We found that deregulated genes were strongly enriched in cell cycle or pathways in cancer in TUG1-depleted bladder cancer cells. Structural maintenance of chromosomes 2 (SMC2) was inhibited after TUG1 knockdown. The depletion of TUG1 or SMC2 led to G2/M phase arrest in bladder cancer cells. SMC2 depletion inhibited bladder cancer cell proliferation, promoted apoptosis, decreased colony formation, and reduced tumor growth in xenograft nude mice. Overexpression of SMC2 restored the growth of TUG1-depleted cells. The expression levels of SMC2 were higher in human bladder cancer tissues than that in paired normal tissues. Our data suggest that SMC2 is an oncogene in bladder cancer and depletion of SMC2 might have potential therapeutical significance in bladder cancer.

The microstructures were observed in C–Mn steel and statistical analysis of the inclusions produced when trace amounts of rare earth were added to the steel. The results show that the content of intragranular acicular ferrite decreased in the order of being treated with La+Ce/La/Ce in C–Mn steel after the treatment of different kinds of rare earths. The optimum mass ratio of La and Ce for La+Ce combined treatment is 3:1.The best incubation time after Le+Ce (3:1) treatment is 5 min. The size of inclusion nuclei favouring intragranular acicular ferrite nucleation concentrates in the range of 1–4 μm. The disregistries between rare earth inclusions and α-Fe are small, which plays an important role in rare earth inclusions inducing intragranular acicular ferrite nucleation.

The trnS/psbC region of chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) was sequenced for 18 Elymus polyploid species, Hordelymus europaeus and their putative diploid ancestors. The objective was to determine the maternal origin and evolutionary relationships of these polyploid taxa. Phylogenetic analysis showed that Elymus and Pseudoroegneria species formed a highly supported monophyletic group (100 % bootstrap values), suggesting that Pseudoroegneria is the maternal genome donor to polyploid Elymus species studied here. The phylogenetic tree based on cpDNA sequence data indicates that E. submuticus contains a St-genome. Taking into consideration of our previously published RPB2 data, we can conclude that hexaploid E. submuticus contains at least one copy of St and Y genomes. Our Neighor-joining analysis of cpDNA data put Psathyrostachys juncea, Hordeum bogdanii and Hordelymus europaeus into one group, suggesting a close relationship among them.

Study of the thermal behavior of iron pnictides mixed with Sn flux was performed using differential thermal analysis (DTA) to obtain the optimum conditions for crystal growth. Our results indicate that both polycrystalline powders of BaFe 2 As 2 /Ba 1− x K x Fe 2 As 2 and initial mixtures of pure metals of Ba, Fe, and As can be used to grow single crystals. Analysis of the DTA indicates that crystallization temperature decreases with the increase in Sn flux content in the initial mixtures. Single crystals as large as several cm 3 were grown under the modified growth conditions and show a sharp superconducting transition at T c ∼30 K

We demonstrate the preparation of large, free-standing iron pnictide single crystals with a size up to 20×10×1 mm3 using solvents in zirconia crucibles under argon atmosphere. Transport and magnetic properties have been investigated to study the effect of potassium doping on the structural and superconducting property of the compounds. The spin density wave (SDW) anomaly at Ts∼138 K in BaFe2As2 single crystals from self-flux shifts to Ts∼85 K due to Sn solvent growth. We show evidence for an incorporation of Sn on the Fe site. The electrical resistivity data show a sharp superconducting transition temperature Tc∼38.5 K for a single crystal of Ba0.68K0.32Fe2As2. A nearly 100% shielding fraction and the bulk nature of the superconductivity for the single crystal are confirmed by magnetic susceptibility data. A sharp transition Tc∼25 K occurs for the single crystal of Sr0.85K0.15Fe2As2. There is direct evidence for a coexistence of the SDW and superconductivity in the low doping regime of Sr1−xKxFe2As2 single crystals. Structural implications of the doping effects as well as the coexistence of the two order parameters are discussed.

Three genetic similarity coefficients were estimated and compared for their usefulness: simple matching (SSM), Jaccard’s (SJ) and Dice’s (SD), all based on dominant markers data from individuals representing predominantly self-pollinating species. AFLP markers were used to analyze 139 Phaseolus vulgaris L. (common bean) and 67 Lactuca saligna L. (least lettuce) accessions, and RAPD markers were used to analyze 110 Triticum dicoccoides Koern. (wild emmer wheat) accessions. Similar discriminating structure and power based on the three genetic similarity coefficients was found for each of the three species. This discriminating power was high for both P. vulgaris and L. saligna but moderate for T. dicoccoides. With closely related individuals, as in our study, the absence of a band in two individuals should be due to an identical cause inherited from the same ancestor. Accordingly we propose the use of SSM, which alone out of the three examined coefficients involved shared absence of DNA bands, as contributing to genetic similarity. When RAPDs are employed, inferences about population structure and nucleotide divergence should be made with prudence as the nature of genetic variation uncovered by RAPDs is often unclear.

9-11%Cr heat-resistant steels are widely used in high-temperature and high-pressure boilers of advanced power plants. In the current paper, high-temperature creep behaviors of T91 and T92 steels have been investigated. Creep tests were performed for both steels at varied temperatures. The creep mechanisms of T91 and T92 steels were elucidated by analyzing the creep rupture data of the two steels. In addition, Manson-Haferd model was employed to predict the creep life of T91 and T92 steels, the results of which indicate that the Manson-Haferd model works well for the two steels.

The Ca1-xSrxFe2As2 (0

The transport and superconducting properties of Ba_{1-x}K_xFe_2As_2 single crystals with T_c = 31 K were studied. Both in-plane and out-of plane resistivity was measured by modified Montgomery method. The in-plane resistivity for all studied samples, obtained in the course of the same synthesis, is almost the same, unlike to the out-of plane resistivity, which differ considerably. We have found that the resistivity anisotropy \gamma=\rho_c /\rho_{ab} is almost temperature independent and lies in the range 10-30 for different samples. This, probably, indicates on the extrinsic nature of high out-of-plane resistivity, which may appear due to the presence of the flat defects along Fe-As layers in the samples. This statement is supported by comparatively small effective mass anisotropy, obtained from the upper critical field measurements, and from the observation of the so-called "Friedel transition", which indicates on the existence of some disorder in the samples in c-direction., Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures

Here we apply high resolution angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) using a wide excitation energy range to probe the electronic structure and the Fermi surface topology of the Ba 1− x K x Fe 2 As 2 ( T c = 32 K) superconductor. We find significant deviations in the low energy band structure from that predicted in calculations. A set of Fermi surface sheets with unexpected topology is detected at the Brillouin zone boundary. At the X -symmetry point the Fermi surface is formed by a shallow electron-like pocket surrounded by four hole-like pockets elongated in Γ − X and Γ − Y directions.

Wide crosses and synthetic amphiploids have played an important role in introgressing desirable traits from related species into cultivated wheat. Hybrids between Triticum aestivum cv. 'J-11' and Psathyrostachys huashanica were treated with colchicine, to produce a new intergeneric amphiploid (PHW-SA). The morphological characteristics of PHW-SA resembled the parent 'J-11'. PHW-SA plants have purple internodes and pubescence in the basal spikelet, inherited from the P. huashanica parent. Somatic chromosome numbers varied from 2n = 51 to 2n = 56, with 70.59% of plants having 56 chromosomes. At metaphase I, PHW-SA (2n = 56) plants showed an average of 1.15 univalents, 27.34 bivalents, 0.03 trivalents and 0.02 tetravalents per cell; complete chromosome pairing occurred in 50% of the pollen mother cells. A survey of disease resistances revealed that the stripe rust resistance from P. huashanica was expressed, but powdery mildew resistance was suppressed. The fertility of PHW-SA was 60%.

YBa2Cu4O8 is a stoichiometric oxide superconductor of T-c similar to 80 K. Unlike YBa2Cu3O7-delta, this compound is free from oxygen vacancy or twin formation and does not have any microscopic disorder in the crystal. Doping with Ca raises its T, to 90 K. The compound is a promising Superconductor for technological application. Up to now, single crystals have not been grown without using specialized apparatus with extremely high oxygen pressure up to 3000 bar and at over 1100 degrees C due to the limited range of reaction kinetics of the compound. This fact has delayed the progress in the study of its physical properties and potential applications. We present here a simple growth method using KOH as flux that acts effectively for obtaining high-quality single crystals in air/oxygen at the temperature as low as 550 degrees C. As-grown crystals can readily be separated from the flux and exhibit a perfect orthorhombic morphology with sizes up to 0.7 x 0.4 x 0.2 mm(3). Our results are reproducible and suggest that the crystals can be grown using a conventional flux method under ambient condition. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Objectives Stereotactic radiosurgery (RS) is a potential option for some patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). The aim of this meta-analysis was to determine the pooled seizure-free rate and the time interval to seizure cessation in patients with lesions in the mesial temporal lobe, and who were eligible for either stereotactic or gamma knife RS. Materials & Methods We searched the Medline, Cochrane, EMBASE, and Google Scholar databases using combinations of the following terms: RS, stereotactic radiosurgery, gamma knife, and TLE. Results We screened 103 articles and selected 13 for inclusion in the meta-analysis. Significant study heterogeneity was detected; however, the included studies displayed an acceptable level of quality. We show that approximately half of the patients were seizure free over a follow-up period that ranged from 6 months to 9 years [pooled estimate: 50.9% (95% confidence interval: 0.381–0.636)], with an average of 14 months to seizure cessation [pooled estimate: 14.08 months (95% confidence interval: 11.95–12.22 months)]. Nine of 13 included studies reported data for adverse events (AEs), which included visual field deficits and headache (the two most common AEs), verbal memory impairment, psychosis, psychogenic non-epileptic seizures, and dysphasia. Patients in the individual studies experienced AEs at rates that ranged from 8%, for non-epileptic seizures, to 85%, for headache. Conclusion Our findings indicate that RS may have similar or slightly less efficacy in some patients compared with invasive surgery. Randomized controlled trials of both treatment regimens should be undertaken to generate an evidence base for patient decision-making.

The aberrant expression of tissue factor (TF) in acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) cells has been implicated in the pathogenesis of the APL coagulopathy. In this study, we found that in APL patients receiving ATRA or As2O3 treatment, the improvement in hypercoagulobility and hyperfibrinolysis paralleled the correction of plasma fibrinogen level and amelioration of bleeding symptoms. Notably, clinical improvement was also correlated to ATRA/As2O3-induced rapid decrease of membrane procoagulant activity (PCA) and TF contents of APL blasts. Consistent with the in vivo findings, the membrane PCA, TF antigen and its mRNA level within NB4 cells were rapidly down-regulated by 1 microM ATRA or As2O3, while 0.2 microg/ml DNR increased these TF parameters prior to its effect upon apoptosis induction. The down-regulation of TF mRNA by ATRA was partially de novo protein synthesis-dependent and at least partially attributed to a mechanism of destabilizing TF mRNA. On the other hand, in addition to its modulation on mRNA, As2O3 could also induce an accelerated TF protein turnover. These distinct effects were corroborated with the properties of these agents in causing the degradation of PML-RARalpha protein. All three therapeutic agents, however, enhanced the potential of NB4 cells to stimulate the expression of TF and PCA in endothelium. Taken together, our data suggest that the rapid and distinct regulation of TF on APL cells by these therapeutic agents might at least partially contribute to their effects on APL coagulopathy.

Local fluctuations in the distribution of dopant atoms are thought to cause the nanoscale electronic disorder or phase separation in pnictide superconductors. Atom probe tomography has enabled the first direct observations of dopant species clustering in a K-doped 122-phase pnictide. First-principles calculations suggest the coexistence of static magnetism and superconductivity on a lattice parameter length scale over a wide range of dopant concentrations. Our results provide evidence for a mixed scenario of phase coexistence and phase separation, depending on local dopant atom distributions.

In the search for the mechanism of high-temperature superconductivity, intense research has been focused on the evolution of the spin excitation spectrum upon doping from the antiferromagnetic insulating to the superconducting states of the cuprates. Because of technical limitations, the experimental investigation of doped cuprates has been largely focused on low-energy excitations in a small range of momentum space. Here we use resonant inelastic x-ray scattering to show that a large family of superconductors, encompassing underdoped YBa$_2$Cu$_4$O$_8$ and overdoped YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{7}$, exhibits damped spin excitations (paramagnons) with dispersions and spectral weights closely similar to those of magnons in undoped cuprates. %The results are in excellent agreement with the spin excitations obtained by exact diagonalization of the $\bf t-J$ Hamiltonian on finite-sized clusters. The comprehensive experimental description of this surprisingly simple spectrum permits quantitative tests of magnetic Cooper pairing models. A numerical solution of the Eliashberg equations for the magnetic spectrum of YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{7}$ reproduces its superconducting transition temperature within a factor of two, a level of agreement comparable to Eliashberg theories of conventional superconductors., Main text (11 pages, 4 figures) + supplementary information (4 pages, 4 figures, 1 table). An updated version will appear in Nature Physics

Local fluctuations in the distribution of dopant atoms are thought to cause the nanoscale electronic disorder or phase separation in pnictide superconductors. Atom probe tomography has enabled the first direct observations of dopant species clustering in a K-doped 122-phase pnictide. First-principles calculations suggest the coexistence of static magnetism and superconductivity on a lattice parameter length scale over a wide range of dopant concentrations. Our results provide evidence for a mixed scenario of phase coexistence and phase separation, depending on local dopant atom distributions.

We report that the (Ba,K)Fe2As2 crystal with Tc =3 2 K shows a pinning potential, U0, as high as 104 K, with U0 showing very little field dependence. The (Ba,K)Fe2As2 single crystals become isotropic at low temperatures and high magnetic fields, resulting in a very rigid vortex lattice, even in fields very close to Hc2. The isotropic rigid vortices observed in the two-dimensional (2D) (Ba,K)Fe2As2 distinguish this compound from 2D high-Tc cuprate superconductors with 2D vortices. The vortex avalanches were also observed at low temperatures in the (Ba,K)Fe2As2 crystal. It is proposed that it is the K substitution that induces both almost isotropic superconductivity and the very strong intrinsic pinning in the (Ba,K)Fe2As2 crystal.

We probe the correlation regime of ${\text{Ba}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\text{K}}_{x}{\text{Fe}}_{2}{\text{As}}_{2}$ single crystals by x-ray photoemission spectroscopy. Although the data explicitly confirm the itinerant character of the electrons, the satellite features observed at the ${L}_{3}$ threshold indicate at the same time local behavior. This dichotomy suggests that, although the pnictides appear to be unusually weakly correlated, local electronic excitations cannot be neglected for the correct description of the material.

We report on Raman scattering experiments of the undoped SrFe2As2 and superconducting Sr0.85K0.15Fe2As2 (Tc=28K) and Ba0.72K0.28Fe2As2 (Tc=32K) single crystals. The frequency and linewidth of the B1g mode at 210 cm-1 exhibits an appreciable temperature dependence induced by the superconducting and spin density wave transitions. We give estimates of the electron-phonon coupling related to this renormalization. In addition, we observe a pronounced quasi-elastic Raman response for the undoped compound, suggesting persisting magnetic fluctuations to low temperatures. In the superconducting state the renormalization of an electronic continuum is observed with a threshold energy of 61cm-1., 6 pages, 5 figures

We present a detailed temperature-dependent Raman light scattering study of optical phonons in ${\text{Ba}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\text{K}}_{x}{\text{Fe}}_{2}{\text{As}}_{2}$ ($x\ensuremath{\sim}0.28$, superconducting ${T}_{c}\ensuremath{\sim}29\text{ }\text{K}$), ${\text{Sr}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\text{K}}_{x}{\text{Fe}}_{2}{\text{As}}_{2}$ ($x\ensuremath{\sim}0.15$, ${T}_{c}\ensuremath{\sim}29\text{ }\text{K}$), and nonsuperconducting ${\text{BaFe}}_{2}{\text{As}}_{2}$ single crystals. In all samples we observe a strong continuous narrowing of the Raman-active Fe and As vibrations upon cooling below the spin-density wave transition ${T}_{s}$. We attribute this effect to the opening of the spin-density wave gap. The electron-phonon linewidths inferred from these data greatly exceed the predictions of ab initio density-functional calculations without spin polarization, which may imply that local magnetic moments survive well above ${T}_{s}$. A first-order structural transition accompanying the spin-density wave transition induces discontinuous jumps in the phonon frequencies. These anomalies are increasingly suppressed for higher potassium concentrations. We also observe subtle phonon anomalies at the superconducting transition temperature ${T}_{c}$ with a behavior qualitatively similar to that in the cuprate superconductors.

We investigate the magnetic penetration depth lambda in superconducting Ba1-xKxFe2As2 (Tc approximately 32 K) with muon-spin rotation (microSR) and angle-resolved photoemission (ARPES). Using microSR, we find the penetration-depth anisotropy gamma lambda=lambda c/lambda ab and the second-critical-field anisotropy gammaHc2 to show an opposite T evolution below Tc. This dichotomy resembles the situation in the two-gap superconductor MgB2. A two-gap scenario is also suggested by an inflection point in the in-plane penetration depth lambda ab around 7 K. The complementarity of microSR and ARPES allows us to pinpoint the values of the two gaps and to arrive to a remarkable agreement between the two techniques concerning the full T evolution of lambdaab. This provides further support for the described scenario and establishes ARPES as a tool to assess macroscopic properties of the superconducting condensate.

We investigate the low energy electronic structure of Ba1-xKxFe2As2 (x=0; 0.3, T_{c}=32 K) single crystals by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy with a focus on the renormalization of the dispersion. A kink feature is detected at E approximately 25 meV for the doped compound which vanishes at T=200 K but stays virtually constant when T_{c} is crossed. Our experimental findings rule out the magnetic resonance mode as the origin of the kink and render conventional electron-phonon coupling unlikely. They put stringent restrictions on the dominant source of the electronic interaction channel.

Here we present a combined study of the slightly underdoped novel pnictide superconductor Ba1� xKxFe2As2 by means of x-ray powder diffraction, neutron scattering, muon-spin rotation (� SR), and magnetic force microscopy (MFM). Static antiferromagnetic order sets in below Tm � 70 K as

The precise momentum dependence of the superconducting gap in the iron-arsenide superconductor ${\text{Ba}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\text{K}}_{x}{\text{Fe}}_{2}{\text{As}}_{2}$ (BKFA) with ${T}_{c}=32\text{ }\text{K}$ was determined from angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) via fitting the distribution of the quasiparticle density to a model. The model incorporates finite lifetime and experimental resolution effects, as well as accounts for peculiarities of BKFA electronic structure. We have found that the value of the superconducting gap is practically the same for the inner $\ensuremath{\Gamma}$ barrel, $\mathrm{X}$ pocket, and ``blade'' pocket, and equals 9 meV, while the gap on the outer $\ensuremath{\Gamma}$ barrel is estimated to be less than 4 meV, resulting in $2\ensuremath{\Delta}/{k}_{B}{T}_{c}=6.8$ for the large gap and $2\ensuremath{\Delta}/{k}_{B}{T}_{c}l3$ for the small gap. A large $(77\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}3\text{ }%)$ nonsuperconducting component in the photoemission signal is observed below ${T}_{c}$. Details of gap extraction from ARPES data are discussed in Appendixes A,B.

We investigate the magnetic penetration depth lambda in superconducting Ba1-xKxFe2As2 (Tc approximately 32 K) with muon-spin rotation (microSR) and angle-resolved photoemission (ARPES). Using microSR, we find the penetration-depth anisotropy gamma lambda=lambda c/lambda ab and the second-critical-field anisotropy gammaHc2 to show an opposite T evolution below Tc. This dichotomy resembles the situation in the two-gap superconductor MgB2. A two-gap scenario is also suggested by an inflection point in the in-plane penetration depth lambda ab around 7 K. The complementarity of microSR and ARPES allows us to pinpoint the values of the two gaps and to arrive to a remarkable agreement between the two techniques concerning the full T evolution of lambdaab. This provides further support for the described scenario and establishes ARPES as a tool to assess macroscopic properties of the superconducting condensate.

Here we present a combined study of the slightly underdoped novel pnictide superconductor Ba1-xKxFe2As2 by means of x-ray powder diffraction, neutron scattering, muon-spin rotation (microSR), and magnetic force microscopy (MFM). Static antiferromagnetic order sets in below T{m} approximately 70 K as inferred from the neutron scattering and zero-field-microSR data. Transverse-field microSR below Tc shows a coexistence of magnetically ordered and nonmagnetic states, which is also confirmed by MFM imaging. We explain such coexistence by electronic phase separation into antiferromagnetic and superconducting- or normal-state regions on a lateral scale of several tens of nanometers. Our findings indicate that such mesoscopic phase separation can be considered an intrinsic property of some iron pnictide superconductors.

We investigate the low energy electronic structure of Ba1-xKxFe2As2 (x=0; 0.3, T_{c}=32 K) single crystals by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy with a focus on the renormalization of the dispersion. A kink feature is detected at E approximately 25 meV for the doped compound which vanishes at T=200 K but stays virtually constant when T_{c} is crossed. Our experimental findings rule out the magnetic resonance mode as the origin of the kink and render conventional electron-phonon coupling unlikely. They put stringent restrictions on the dominant source of the electronic interaction channel.

We have performed 75 As nuclear magnetic resonance measurements on a single crystal of the hole-doped superconductor Ba 0.72 K 0.28 Fe 2 As 2 ( T c = 31.5 K). The spin–lattice relaxation rate 1/ T 1 decreases below T c with no coherence peak and shows a step-wise variation at low temperatures, which is indicative of multiple superconducting gaps. In the normal state, we find that Fe antiferromagnetic spin fluctuations are anisotropic.

All-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA), chemotherapy, and arsenic trioxide (As2O3) have been found to be effective in the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). Here we present a single institutional retrospective study with long-term follow-up to better define the prognostic factors and a rationale for the use of ATRA, chemotherapy, and As2O3 in the treatment of newly diagnosed and relapsed APL patients.Newly diagnosed patients with APL entering complete remission were followed up for 3 to 95 months (n = 120). Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify potential prognostic factors, including age and sex; initial white blood cell (WBC) count and peak WBC level of hyperleukocytosis during induction therapy; dose of ATRA in induction; days from induction therapy to remission; postremission therapy; type of PML-RAR alpha isoform; and follow-up of reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).The median relapse-free survival (RFS) was 26 months, and median overall survival (OS) was still not reached. The estimated 5-year RFS and OS were 34.0% +/- 6.0% and 52.5% +/- 7.9%, respectively. Initial WBC count (or = 20 x 10(9)/l), peak level of WBC during induction, and type of postremission therapy were significantly related to survival. Our multivariate study showed that only peak level of WBC count during induction therapy and type of postremission therapy were associated with RFS and that initial WBC count was associated with OS. In relapsed patients, As2O3 was very effective and remained as the most important factor for their entering remission and survival after relapse.Through this retrospective study with long-term follow-up, some conclusions can be drawn: 1) Low-dose ATRA is as effective as the standard dose in terms of survival; 2) Initial and peak levels of WBC count during induction therapy are associated with survival; 3) A combination of chemotherapy and ATRA is better than chemotherapy or ATRA alone as postremission therapy; 4) Patients with the long form of PML-RAR alpha tend to have a more favorable OS but not RFS when compared with patients with the short form; 5) Persistent negative RT-PCR in remission is associated with favorable RFS and OS; 6) As2O3 is an effective agent for relapsed patients.

Genetic diversity of 33 Elymus caninus accessions was investigated using isozyme, RAPD, and microsatellite markers. The three assays differed in the amount of polymorphism detected. Microsatellites detected the highest polymorphism. Six microsatellite primer pairs generated a total of 74 polymorphic bands (alleles), with an average of 15.7 bands per primer pair. Three genetic similarity matrices were estimated based on band presence or absence. Genetic diversity trees (dendrograms) were derived from each marker technique, and compared using Mantel's test. The correlation coefficients were 0.204, 0.267, and 0.164 between isozyme and RAPD distance matrices, RAPD and microsatellite distance matrices, and between isozyme and microsatellite distance matrices, respectively. The three methodologies gave differing views of the amount of variation present but all showed a high level of genetic variation in E. caninus. The following points may be drawn from this study whether based on RAPD, microsatellite, or isozyme data: (i) The Icelandic populations are consistently revealed by the three dendrograms. The congruence of the discrimination of this accession group by RAPD, microsatellite, and isozyme markers suggests that geographic isolation strongly influenced the evolution of the populations; (ii) The degree of genetic variation within accessions was notably great; and (iii) The DNA-based markers will be the more useful ones in detecting genetic diversity in closely related accessions. In addition, a dendrogram, which took into account all fragments produced by isozymes, RAPDs, and microsatellites, reflected better the relationships than did dendrograms based on only one type of marker.

A size-selected genomic library from Elymus alaskanus was screened for the presence of (GA)n, (GT)n, (CAC)n, and (TCT)n microsatellite sequences. A total of 28 positive clones were found for the two dinucleotide repeats, whereas no positive clones were found for the trinucleotide repeats. Positive clones were sequenced to validate the presence of microsatellites and to generate polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers, based on the sequences flanking the microsatellite. Primer pairs were designed and evaluated for 18 selected microsatellites. The resulting loci were analysed by PCR for their usefulness as molecular markers in an array of 18 accessions representing E. alaskanus and 10 other Elymus species. PCR amplification revealed alleles for the 18 loci, which varied in having 1-10 alleles in these accessions. In the 18 accessions tested, 7 of the 18 loci were polymorphic, with gene diversity values ranging from 0.54 to 0.80 among all species. Within E. alaskanus, gene diversity values ranged from 0.20 to 0.72, with a mean of 0.48. Polymorphism was also detected within accessions. No clear relationship between total repeat length and the degree of polymorphism was observed in this study. Primer pairs designed to amplify microsatellites in E. alaskanus can be used to generate polymorphism products in other species within the genus. Hence, microsatellites are useful markers for studying both inter- and intra-specific genetic variability within Elymus.

An experiment which a diffractive microlens array on germanium is used for enhancing the fill factor of infrared focal plane array has been described in this paper. In order to achieve higher effective fill factor, the diffractive efficiency of each microlens and the transmissivity of the final element must be emphasized. The fabrication and the anti-reflection film evaporation for the diffractive microlens array have been studied. Based on a precise mechanics we have designed, a coupling experiment has been done and the main performance has been discussed. The fill factor of 80% is expected to be reached for the detector with original fill factor of 25%.

The therapeutic effect of arsenic trioxide (As2O3) in the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) was evaluated among 15 APL patients at relapse after all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) induced and chemotherapy maintained complete remission (CR). As2O3 was administered intravenously at the dose of 10 mg/d. Clinical CR was achieved in nine of 10 (90%) patients treated with As2O3 alone and in the remaining five patients treated by the combination of As2O3 and low-dose chemotherapeutic drugs or ATRA. During the treatment with As2O3, there was no bone marrow depression and only limited side effects were encountered. Pharmacokinetic studies, which were performed in eight patients, showed that after a peak level of 5.54 micromol/L to 7.30 micromol/L, plasma arsenic was rapidly eliminated, and the continuous administration of As2O3 did not alter its pharmacokinetic behaviors. In addition, increased amounts of arsenic appeared in the urine, with a daily excretion accounting for approximately 1% to 8% of the total daily dose administered. Arsenic contents in hair and nail were increased, and the peak content of arsenic could reach 2.5 to 2.7 microg/g tissue at CR. On the other hand, a decline of the arsenic content in hair and nail was observed after withdrawal of the drug. We conclude that As2O3 treatment is an effective and relatively safe drug in APL patients refractory to ATRA and conventional chemotherapy.

It is critically important to study the dynamic response of materials under a combined compression-shear loading for developing constitutive laws more accurately and fully. We present a novel technique to achieve the combined compression and shear loadings at high strain rates. The main apparatus consists of a strike bar, an incident bar, and two transmission bars. The close-to-specimen end of the incident bar is wedge-shaped with 90°. In each experiment, there are two identical specimens, respectively, agglutinated between one side of the wedge and one of transmission bars. When a loading impulse travels to specimens along the incident bar, because of the special geometrical shape, the specimen-incident bar interface gets an axial and a transverse velocity. Specimens endure a combined compression-shear loading at high strain rates. The compression stress and strain of the specimens are deduced from signals recorded by strain gages mounted on the bars. The shear stress is measured by two piezoelectric transducers of quartz (Y-cut with rotation angle 17.7°) embedded at the close-to-specimen end of transmission bars; the shear strain is measured with a novel optical technique, which is based on the luminous flux method. An analytic model was proposed and validated by the numerical simulations. The simulation results yield good agreement with the analytic results. The proposed technique was then validated through experiments carried out on lead specimens, by comparing experimental results with that of the split Hopkinson pressure bar experiments.

From January 1986 to April 1991, 107 consecutive patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) were treated with retinoic acid (RA) at an oral dose of 45-60mg/m2/d, alone or in combination with chemotherapy. In 91 cases treated with RA alone, 74 (81.3%) achieved complete remission (CR). The CR rate was 75% in 16 cases treated with combined therapy. Among 50 patients closely followed for a median of 36 months (4-60), 10 received RA as continuation therapy (Group A), 10 received chemotherapy (Group B) and 30 were treated with RA and chemotherapy alternately in regular sequence (Group C). The mean survival time was 8.4, 9.7 and 21.6 months, respectively, for the 29 cases who died. The survival probability was higher in Group C than in Group A and B (P0.01). RA did not provoke or aggravate DIC, it did not cause marrow hypoplasia or aplasia. The side effects were relatively mild as compared with chemotherapy. CFU-GM markedly reduced before treatment was restored to normal level after CR, while the result for L-CFU was reversed. In 40 cases examined for in vitro induction of differentiation, 39 responders were culminating in CR. Aberrant karyotype t (15; 17) was positive in all 47 cases examined prior to the treatment. It disappeared in all of the 20 cases studied after achieving CR, and reappeared in 3 cases following relapse. The best regimen to maintain a longer CR duration and survival time in this study was to use RA and chemotherapy alternately as continuation therapy.

Recent data have shown that the PML-RAR alpha fusion gene resulting from translocation t(15;17) is a highly reliable molecular marker of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). In this study performed on 97 Chinese patients with APL, the retrotranscriptase/polymerase chain reaction (RT/PCR) was used to evaluate the clinical relevance of the long (L) or short (S) PML-RAR alpha fusion mRNA isoforms and to study minimal residual disease during clinical remission (CR). There were more early deaths during the all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) induction treatment and more relapses within 2 years of CR in the S-type (6 of 19 cases) than in the L-type group (2 of 33 cases) (P.025). Among 12 cases analyzed before and after the ATRA-induced CR, 9 cases (75%) showed positive RT/PCR, whereas only 3 cases showed a negative result, justifying the need for chemotherapy after ATRA-induced CR. Eleven of 62 APL patients in CR, after ATRA-induced CR and chemotherapy consolidation (follow-up, from 3 to 72 months), showed positive RT/PCR. Five of them relapsed within 1 to 6 months after the positive test; one converted to negative after further chemotherapy; and 5 remained in CR status without further PCR data. However, the latter 5 cases all received further intensive consolidation therapy after the PCR positivity. These results show that a positive RT/PCR of PML-RAR alpha is a sensitive predictor of relapse in APL.

From January 1986 to April 1991, 100 consecutive patients with APL received oral ATRA at a dose of 60-100 mg/d alone or in combination with chemotherapy. In 84 cases treated with ATRA, 74 (88.1%) achieved CR; in the 16 cases treated with combined therapy, the CR Rate was 75%. Among the 50 patients followed up for a median of 36 months, 10 used ATRA (Group B) as continuation therapy, 10 chemotherapy (Group C), and 30 cases ATRA and chemotherapy alternatively (Group A). The mean survival was 8, 9, 21 months, respectively. For the 29 cases who died, the overall 3-year survival rate was higher in the group A (46.7%) than in the group B and C. ATRA did not provoke or aggravate DIC, nor did it cause bone marrow hypoplasia. The main side effects were dryness of the lip or skin, headache, nausea or vomiting and liver dysfunction. Severe scrotum exfoliative dermatitis with ulceration was seen in one case. In vitro induction of differentiation, GM-CFU, L-CFU assay and cytogenetic studies were performed. The results were discussed together with clinical observation regarding the mechanism of action of ATRA on APL. ATRA used as an inducer of differentiation is an alternative effective drug in the induction of remission in de novo APL as well as in cases in relapse.

Genomic DNA probes generated from the retinoic acid receptor alpha (RARA) gene located on chromosome 17 and from the MYL gene located on chromosome 15 were used to study the chromosome 15 breakpoints resulting from the t(15; 17) translocation in 26 patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). In 20 out of 22 patients with a detectable MYL rearrangement, the breakpoints were clustered within a 4.4 kb segment designated MYLbcr. The two remaining patients exhibited a more 5' rearrangement at about 10 kb upstream of the MYLbcr region, implying the lack of at least one MYL gene exon in the resulting MYL-RARA fusion gene. The variation of chromosome breakpoints within the MYL gene may explain size heterogeneity previously observed in some MYL-RARA fusion transcripts expressed in APL cells.

We report the first ^{75}As-NMR study on a single crystal of the hole-doped iron-pnictide superconductor Ba_{0.7}K_{0.3}Fe_2As_{2} (T_c = 31.5 K). We find that the Fe antiferromagnetic spin fluctuations are anisotropic and are weaker compared to underdoped copper-oxides or cobalt-oxide superconductors. The spin lattice relaxation rate 1/T_1 decreases below T_c with no coherence peak and shows a step-wise variation at low temperatures, which is indicative of multiple superconducting gaps, as in the electron-doped Pr(La)FeAsO$_{1-x}$F$_{x}$. Furthermore, no evidence was obtained for a microscopic coexistence of a long-range magnetic and superconductivity.

Here we present a calculation of the temperature-dependent London penetration depth, λ(T), in Ba1-xKxFe2As2 (BKFA) on the basis of the electronic band structure (Zabolotnyy et al 2009 Nature 457 569, Zabolotnyy et al 2009 Physica C 469 448) and momentum-dependent superconducting gap (Evtushinsky et al 2009 Phys. Rev. B 79 054517) extracted from angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) data. The results are compared to the direct measurements of λ(T) by muon spin rotation (μSR) (Khasanov et al 2009 Phys. Rev. Lett. 102 187005). The value of λ(T=0), calculated with no adjustable parameters, equals 270 nm, while the directly measured one is 320 nm; the temperature dependence λ(T) is also easily reproduced. Such agreement between the two completely different approaches allows us to conclude that ARPES studies of BKFA are bulk-representative. Our review of the available experimental studies of the superconducting gap in the new iron-based superconductors in general allows us to state that most of them bear two nearly isotropic gaps with coupling constants 2Δ/kBTc=2.5±1.5 and 7±2., New Journal of Physics, 11 (5), ISSN:1367-2630

The t(15;17)(q22;q11-q21) translocation, a hallmark for acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), has recently been shown to disrupt the retinoic acid-alpha receptor (RARA) gene localized on band 17q21. Leukemic cell DNAs from 16 Chinese patients with APL were analysed by Southern blot hybridization with probes covering the 5' and the 3' parts of the gene. In ten patients, the breakpoints were concentrated within a 5.5 kb EcoRI fragment containing part of intron 1, whereas no rearrangement was detected in the six remaining patients. Genomic amplification of the RARA gene was observed in one case. When RNA was available (six patients), abnormal-sized RARA gene transcripts were observed. Interestingly, no rearranged transcript was found in cells from a patient during a 6-day treatment with all-trans retinoic acid, while bone marrow cells still possessed the translocation.

The growth of YBa2Cu4O8 single crystals was performed using KOH flux under ambient pressure. By testing five sorts of crucible material, ZrO2 and Al2O3 are found to be suitable for the growth. A stepwise-cooling method was applied to increase the size of the crystals. The as-grown crystals could be separated from the residual flux by methanol solvent. The crystals showed a plate-like morphology with dimensions 1.2 × 0.5 × 0.3 mm3. Study of the structure in the (001) plane indicated that the formation of the crystal occurred by a two-dimensional nucleation or spiral growth mechanism, depending on the supersaturation of the solution. Defects in the crystals were revealed by etching, which exhibited an interesting feature of etch pits with an orthorhombic structure consisting of {001}, {100} and {010} faces. The superconducting property of the crystals shows very sharp transition at a Tc of 82.9 K.

Pretreatment to guinea pigs with sc isoprenaline (Iso) 10 micrograms/kg tid x 7 d reduced the effect of Iso on protecting histamine-induced asthma and decreased its pD2 values in relaxing isolated tracheal strip. This treatment did not change the asthmatic effect induced by histamine and the effect of Iso on positive chronotropic action, but elevated the blood pressure. These results suggest that it is easier to develop the tolerance of beta 2-adrenoceptors of respiratory smooth muscles than that of beta 1-adrenoceptors of heart. Radioligand binding assay showed that the treatment decreased the number of binding sites of beta-adrenoceptors on lungs of guinea pigs but did not change the binding affinity.

Seventy patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) were entered in this study. Fifty-seven cases received all-trans retinoic acid (RA) as sole agent and 48 cases (84.2%) attained complete remission (CR) in about 42 days. While the other 8 cases (14%) obtained partial remission (PR) during some time. Thirteen patients received combinations of RA and chemotherapy. 9 cases (69.2%) attained CR in about two months and 4 other cases (30.8%) got PR. Total CR rate reached 95.9% after continuing the treatment. Fifty cases were closely followed after CR. Three kinds of continuation therapy were administered including RA as sole agent (Group A), chemotherapy alone (Group B) and RA and chemotherapy alternatively (Group C). The results showed Group C gave the longest duration of CR and longest duration of survival.

A novel cool plasma surface activation method has been developed for high quality SOI/SDB (Silicon wafer Direct Bonding) preparation. The activation effectiveness of different plasma gases, espetially of O 2 plsma gases were investigated. The measurements of H. V-PMOS and L.V.-NMOS devices made on the SOI/SDB and on a bulk Silicon indicate that ratios of electron and hole mobility of SOI to those of bulk Silicon are 0.92 and 0.88., respectively. It was proved that our SOI substrate produced by SDB is of device level quality.