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Squirrels of temperate zones commonly store nuts or seeds under leaf litter, in hollow logs, or even in holes in the ground; however, in the humid rainforests of Jianfengling in Hainan, South China, we show that some flying squirrels cache elliptical or oblate nuts by hanging them securely in vegetation. These small flying squirrels were identified as Hylopetes phayrei electilis (G. M. Allen, 1925) and Hylopetes alboniger (Hodgson, 1870), in video clips captured of their behavior around focal nuts. Squirrels chewed grooves encircling ellipsoid nuts or distributed on the bottoms of oblate nuts, and then used these grooves to fix nuts tightly between small twigs 0.1-0.6 cm in diameter that were connected at angles of 25-40°. The grooves carved on the nuts (concave structure) connected with Y-shaped twigs (convex structure) and thus firmly affixed the nuts to the plant in a way similar to a mortise-tenon joint used in architecture and carpentry. Cache sites were on small plants located 10-25 m away from the closest potentially nut-producing tree, a behavior that likely reduces the discovery and consumption of the nuts by other animals. The adaptive squirrel behavior that shapes and fits nuts between twigs seems to be directed at providing more secure storage that increases food supply during dry periods in a humid tropical rainforest. In addition to providing such benefits for the squirrels, we suggest that this behavior also impacts the distribution of tree species in the forest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tourism integration is a trend in regional tourism economic development and cultural integration. Tourism economic linkages greatly influence regional tourism integration, becoming progressively obvious with the strength of linkages. However, their influence on regions with rich tourism resources and underdeveloped economies are understudied. This article takes the national tourism resources above 3A level in the Poyang Lake region, Jiangxi Province, as the research object, analysing the evolution of regional tourism economic linkages and the development process of tourism integration in the past 17 years by constructing a new gravity model of regional tourism economic linkages and research methods of transportation network accessibility. The results show that the evolution of regional tourism economic linkages and the accessibility of transportation networks significantly impact regional tourism economies and tourism integration evolution. The evolution process of regional tourism development had different stage models; four theoretical models of regional tourism integration evolution were extracted: point‐core model, point‐axis corridor model, multi‐centre ring‐axis model, and network integration model. The construction of the new regional tourism economic linkages model and the proposal of the evolutionary model for tourism integration provide references for study and for formulating the sustainable development of regional tourism integration locally and abroad. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Singapore currently has one of highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Southeast Asia. To curb the further spread of COVID-19, Singapore government announced a temporary nationwide lockdown (circuit breaker). In view of restrictions of patients' mobility and the enforcement of safe distancing measures, usual in-person visits were discouraged. Here we describe how diabetes care delivery was ad hoc redesigned applying a telehealth strategy. We describe a retrospective assessment of subjects with diabetes, with and without COVID-19 infection, during the circuit breaker period of 7th April to 1st June 2020 managed through Tan Tock Seng Hospital's telehealth platform. The virtual health applications consisted of telephone consultations, video telehealth visits via smartphones, and remote patient monitoring. The TTSH team intensively managed 298 diabetes patients using a telehealth strategy. The group comprised of (1) 84 inpatient COVID-19 patients with diabetes who received virtual diabetes education and blood glucose management during their hospitalisation and follow-up via phone calls after discharge and (2) 214 (n=192 non-COVID; n=22 COVID-positive) outpatient subjects with suboptimal glycaemic control who received intensive diabetes care through telehealth approaches. Remote continuous glucose monitoring was applied in 80 patients to facilitate treatment adjustment and hypoglycaemia prevention. The COVID-19 pandemic situation mooted an immediate disruptive transformation of healthcare processes. Virtual health applications were found to be safe, effective and efficient to replace current in-person visits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • miR-204-3p is downregulated in Aβ-injected mice. • miR-204-3p upregulation alleviates neuroinflammation in Aβ-injected mice. • Dex upregulates miR-204-3p to alleviate neuroinflammation in Aβ-injected mice. • miR-204-3p targets and inhibits FBXL7 expression. • Dex eases neuroinflammation in AD model by the miR-204-3p/FBXL7 axis. Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a prevalent neurodegenerative disorder characterized by neuroinflammation. Dexmedetomidine (Dex) is known for its neuroprotective properties in clinical settings. In this study, we investigated the potential of Dex in protecting against neuroinflammation in an AD mouse model induced by amyloid-beta (Aβ) injection. First, in the AD mouse model, Aβ injection were administered, and the model was confirmed through behavioral tests, including the Morris water maze and Y-maze. Neuroinflammatory states in Aβ-injected mice were assessed using hematoxylin and eosin staining and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Expression levels of microRNA (miR)-204-3p and F-box/LRR-repeat protein 7 (FBXL7) in mouse tissues were determined through real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blot. The binding interaction between miR-204-3p and FBXL7 was elucidated using dual-luciferase analysis. Aβ-injected mice exhibited cognitive impairment, neuroinflammation, and downregulated miR-204-3p. Upregulation of miR-204-3p reduced inflammatory infiltration and mitigated neuroinflammation in Aβ-injected mice. Dex treatment reduced inflammation in hippocampal tissues of Aβ-injected mice. Dex treatment upregulated miR-204-3p, leading to suppressed FBXL7 expression in tissues. Inhibition of miR-204-3p or overexpression of FBXL7 reversed the alleviating effect of Dex on neuroinflammation in Aβ-injected mice. Overall, Dex increased miR-204-3p expression, resulting in the inhibition of FBXL7, and subsequently alleviated neuroinflammation in Aβ-injected mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a non-classical post-translational modification, O-linked β-N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) modification (O-GlcNAcylation) is widely found in human organ systems, particularly in our brains, and is indispensable for healthy cell biology. With the increasing age of the global population, the incidence of neurodegenerative diseases is increasing, too. The common characteristic of these disorders is the aggregation of abnormal proteins in the brain. Current research has found that O-GlcNAcylation dysregulation is involved in misfolding or aggregation of these abnormal proteins to mediate disease progression, but the specific mechanism has not been defined. This paper reviews recent studies on O-GlcNAcylation's roles in several neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Huntington's disease, Machado-Joseph's disease, and giant axonal neuropathy, and shows that O-GlcNAcylation, as glucose metabolism sensor, mediating synaptic function, participating in oxidative stress response and signaling pathway conduction, directly or indirectly regulates characteristic pathological protein toxicity and affects disease progression. The existing results suggest that targeting O-GlcNAcylation will provide new ideas for clinical diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elms (Ulmus spp.) are iconic street and landscape trees, but their use is currently limited by susceptibility to disease, especially Dutch elm disease (DED). Improved access to disease-resistant germplasm will be of great benefit for ongoing breeding and selection programs, but these programs have been limited historically by uncertain relationships among Ulmus species, especially the North American species and their putative Old World relatives. Estimates of genome size from 28 species representing both subgenera of Ulmus (subg. Ulmus and subg. Oreoptelea) and six species in the related small genera Zelkova, Hemiptelea, and Planera were estimated using flow cytometry. Genome-size estimates were calibrated using seven elms with known chromosome counts. Results strongly supported the subgeneric classification of Wiegrefe et al. Monoploid genome size was found to be quite constant within the subgenera of Ulmus they recognized and within the small genera, and polyploidy is uncommon in these plants. However, there are consistent differences in genome size between the subgenera of Ulmus and between them and the smaller genera, and these differences can be used to place species in their proper taxon, knowledge which can be useful in identifying disease-resistant germplasm that may be compatible with Ulmus americana and other North American taxa. Two Asian species that have sometimes been considered to be related to North American species now placed in subg. Oreoptelea were tested. The Himalayan Ulmus villosa has a much smaller genome than either of the subgenera, indicating that its relationship with other elms is rather remote. It may be a source of novel genes in Ulmus, but our results indicate it is not close to U. americana or other New World species. In contrast, results from the rare Chinese species Ulmus elongata support its placement in subg. Oreoptelea. It is the only close relative of the North American elms that is native to Asia, where DED is believed to have originated, and its response to DED infection should be evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To investigate the changes in serum Myeloid-Related Protein 8/14 (MRP8/14) and Eosinophil Cationic Protein (ECP) levels in patients with different types of coronary artery diseases (CAD) and assess the value of MRP8/14 and ECP detection in predicting CAD. Methods. 178 patients were divided into CAD group including unstable angina pectoris (UAP), acute myocardial infarction (AMI), and stable angina pectoris (SAP). Thirty-six individuals with normal coronary artery served as the control group. Serum MRP8/14 and ECP were measured by ELISA. The severity of coronary artery stenosis was assessed by the numbers of involved coronary artery branches and the sum of Gensini scores. Results. The MRP8/14 levels were significantly higher in AMI and UAP group than SAP and control group (𝑃 < 0.05). The levels of MRP8/14 in AMI group were also obviously higher than UAP group (𝑃 < 0.05). The ECP levels were obviously increased in AMI group, but there was no difference between SAP and UAP group (𝑃 > 0.05). The ECP was significantly increased in three impaired coronary arteries and obviously correlated with Gensini score (𝑃 < 0.01), whereas the MRP8/14 was obviously positively correlated with CRP (𝑃 < 0.01). Conclusions. Increased MRP8/14 levels suggest the instability of the atherosclerotic plaque. ECP reflects the severity of coronary arteries stenosis, predicting atherosclerosis burden. They may become the new biomarkers of CAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A sensitive and efficient method of high performance liquid chromatography using 1-(2-naphthyl)-3-methyl-5-pyrazolone (NMP) as pre-column derivatization reagent coupled with UV detection (HPLC-UV) and online mass spectrometry identification was established for determination of the most common N -Acetylhexosamines ( N -acetyl- d -glucosamine (GlcNAc) and N-acetyl- d -galactosamine (GalNAc)) and N-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5Ac). In order to obtain the highest liberation level of the three monosaccharides without destruction of Neu5Ac or conversion of GlcNAc/GalNAc to GlcN/GalN in the hydrolysis procedure, the pivotal parameters affecting the liberation of N -acetylhexosamines/Neu5Ac from sample were investigated with response surface methodology (RSM). Under the optimized condition, maximum yield was obtained. The effects of key parameters on derivatization, separation and detection were also investigated. At optimized conditions, three monosaccharides were labeled fast and entirely, and all derivatives exhibited a good baseline resolution and high detection sensitivity. The developed method was linear over the calibration range 0.25–12 μM, with R 2 > 0.9991. The detection limits of the method were between 0.48 and 2.01 pmol. Intra- and inter-day precisions for the three monosaccharides (GlcNAc, GalNAc and Neu5Ac) were found to be in the range of 3.07–4.02% and 3.69–4.67%, respectively. Individual monosaccharide recovery from spiked milk was in the range of 81%–97%. The sensitivity of the method, the facility of the derivatization procedure and the reliability of the hydrolysis conditions suggest the proposed method has a high potential for utilization in routine trace N -acetylhexosamines and Neu5Ac analysis in biological samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Steroids was considered as one of the bioactive components in Inonotus obliquus , while this kind of secondary metabolites are less accumulated in cultured mycelia. In this study, effect of extracts from bark and core of host-related species, birch ( Betula platyphylla Suk.), on steroid production of I. obliquus in submerged culture were evaluated. The results showed that all dosages (0.01 and 0.1 g/L) of aqueous extracts and methanol extracts from birch bark and birch core possessed significantly stimulatory effect on steroid production of I. obliquus ( P < 0.05). Among the eight extracts, the aqueous extract (0.01 g/L) from birch bark gave the highest steroid production (225.5 ± 8.7 mg/L), which is 97.3% higher than that of the control group. The aqueous extract (0.01 and 0.1 g/L) from birch bark could simultaneously stimulated mycelial growth and steroid content, while the methanol extract from birch bark only elevated the steroid content. High performance liquid chromatography analysis showed that productions of betulin, ergosterol, cholesterol, lanosterol, stigmasterol, and sitosterol in I. obliquus simultaneously increased in the presence of aqueous extract and methanol extract from birch bark. The results presented herein indicate that extracts from birch bark could act as an inducer for steroid biosynthesis of I. obliquus . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Intrathecal application of α2 noradrenergic receptor agonists effectively alleviates the pathological pain induced by peripheral tissue injury. However, the spinal antinociceptive mechanisms of α2 noradrenergic receptors remain to be characterized. The present study performed immunohistochemistry and western blot to elucidate the signaling pathway initiated by α2 noradrenergic receptors in spinal dorsal horn of mice, and identified calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) as an important target for noradrenergic suppression of inflammatory pain. Our data showed that intraplantar injection of Complete Freund's Adjuvant (CFA) substantially enhanced CaMKII autophosphorylation at Threonine 286, which could be abolished by intrathecal administration of α2 noradrenergic receptor agonist clonidine. Gi protein-coupled α2 noradrenergic receptor might inhibit cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) to disturb CaMKII signaling. We found that pharmacological activation of PKA in intact mice also enhanced spinal CaMKII autophosphorylation level, which was completely antagonized by clonidine. Moreover, direct PKA inhibition in CFA-injected mice mimicked the suppressive effect of α2 noradrenergic receptors on CaMKII. PKA inhibition has been shown to downregulate CaMKII by enhancing protein phosphatase activity. Consistent with this notion, spinal treatment with protein phosphatase inhibitor okadaic acid ruled out clonidine-mediated CaMKII dephosphorylation in CFA-injected mice. Through PKA/protein phosphatase/CaMKII pathway, clonidine noticeably decreased CFA-evoked phosphorylation of N-methyl-d-aspartate subtype glutamate receptor GluN1 and GluN2B subunit as well as α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionic Acid subtype glutamate receptor GluA1 subunit. These data suggested that interference with CaMKII signaling might represent an important mechanism underlying noradrenergic suppression of inflammatory pain. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A rapid and sensitive method was optimized and validated for the separation and quantification of derivatized monosaccharides in polysaccharide from Potentilla anserine L. using 1-naphthyl-3-methyl-5-pyrazolone (NMP) as precolumn derivatization reagent by capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE). On the basis of the optimum conditions, nine NMP-derivatized monosaccharides achieve baseline resolution within 16 min. The developed method has been successfully applied to analyze component monosaccharides of three Potentilla anserine L. samples, which were obtained by gradational precipitation with 50, 70, and 90% aqueous ethanol, respectively. The polysaccharide precipitated from 50% ethanol solvent was composed of fucose, mannose, xylose, glucuronic acid, glucose, rhamnose, galacturonic acid, galactose, arabinose in molar proportion of 1:1.65:1.99:5.08:7.38:8.14:13.05:27.41:39.02; the corresponding molar proportions for polysaccharide obtained from 70% ethanol solvent were 1:1.64:1.65:4.52:13.96:9.13:26.30:10.52:18.00; fucose and galacturonic acid were not found in the polysaccharide precipitated from 90% ethanol solvent, and mannose, xylose, glucuronic acid, glucose, rhamnose, galactose and arabinose were determined with molar proportion of 1:0.87:1.77:2.78:1.69:2.58:2.49. Quantitative recoveries of the component monosaccharides in the polysaccharide were in the range of 93.3–105.1% and the relative standard deviation (RSD) values fell within 3.4–6.3%, respectively. The results demonstrated that the proposed CZE method was precise and sensitive for the analysis of the composition of polysaccharide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Previous studies for determining the roughness coefficient are applicable to problems similar to the specific physical conditions under which the guidance is developed. The present study attempts to find a general relationship between Manning’s n and velocity distribution and determines the roughness coefficient based on the theoretical velocity distribution of natural channels. In this study, an equation is developed for estimating Manning’s roughness coefficient using cross-sectional data and velocity observations without slope observations. The simple measurement of stream flow is usually made by taking velocity measurement at several verticals at two-tenths and eight-tenths of the total channel depth. These measurements, averaged to give the mean velocity in the vertical, can be used to estimate Manning’s n. It provides an easy way to determine the roughness of streams using cross-sectional data and velocity observations, and therefore eliminating the need for slope observations. It is concluded that this equation for computing Manning’s n in natural channels gives stable results and satisfactory accuracy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A simple, sensitive, and mild method for the determination of amines based on a condensation reaction with 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-carbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC · HCl) as the dehydrant with fluorescence detection has been developed. Amines were derivatized to their acid amides with labeling reagent 4-s(1-methyl-1H-phenanthro[9,10-d]imidazole-2-) benzoic acid (MPIBA). Studies on derivatization conditions indicated that the coupling reaction proceeded rapidly and smoothly in acetonitrile to give the corresponding sensitively fluorescent derivatives with a maximum excitation at λex 260 nm and a maximum emission at λem 446 nm. The labeled derivatives exhibited high stability and were enough to be efficiently analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography. Identification of derivatives was carried out by online post-column mass spectrometry (LC/APCI-MS/MS) and showed an intense protonated molecular ion corresponding m/z [MH]+ under APCI in positive-ion mode. At the same time, the fluorescence properties of derivatives in various solvents were investigated. The method, in conjunction with a gradient elution, offered a baseline resolution of the common amine derivatives on a reversed-phase Eclipse XDB-C8 column. Liquid chromatography separation for the derivatized amines showed good reproducibility with acetonitrile-water as mobile phase. Detection limits calculated from 90.00 pmol to 88 fmol injection, at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3, were 10.5-53.4 fmol. Excellent linear responses were observed with coefficients of >0.9996. The established method for the determination of aliphatic amines from real wastewater was satisfactory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: An improved r-factor algorithm for TVD schemes on structured and unstructured grids within a finite volume method framework is proposed for numerical approximation to the convective term. The new algorithm is tested by a problem of pure convection with a double-step profile in an oblique uniform velocity field. The computational results are then compared with the results of Darwish’s r-factor algorithm using Superbee and Osher limiters on both structured and unstructured grids. The numerical results show that the new algorithm can mitigate the oscillation behavior efficiently while still maintaining the boundedness of the solutions. When using a deferred correction technique to handle the non-linear term arising from the high resolution schemes, the proposed algorithm showed a smoother and faster convergence history on structured grids than Darwish’r-factor algorithm, while on unstructured grids the presented one is more accurate with a similar convergence history. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Simple Summary: The Asian corn borer (ACB), Ostrinia furnacalis, is an important economic pest of corn and other crops, and is widely distributed in China. Depending on the climate, ACB may have one or up to seven generations each year, from north to south, respectively. The degree of crop damage is closely related to its phenology and number of generations per year (voltinism). Climate warming may result in an alternation of voltinism in the ACB. In the present study, we investigated the voltinism of different populations under different simulated environments. From the diapause response, both the uni- and multivoltine ecotypes were coexisting in the Harbin (H) population collected from action sites of ACB moths in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China. Diapause incidence declined given the climate-warming scenario, which was temporally specific and could be overridden by significantly low daily average temperatures. Elevated CO2 did not directly impact voltinism. On the basis of voltinism, the H population reflected sympatric uni- and multivoltine ecotypes, with multivoltinism being dominant. The univoltinism trait was recessive. Climate warming could significantly override photoperiod effects. Warmer temperatures and declining latitude (reduced daylength), and their interaction, are estimated to drive ACB evolution to increased homogeneity and multivoltinism. In the Asian corn borer (ACB), Ostrinia furnacalis (Guenée), diapause is governed by a multigenetic constitution that responds to daylength and temperature with seasonality. The ACB displays uni- or multivoltinism, depending on its geographic specificity. Hence, warmer temperatures may result in alternation of voltinism in the ACB, which will help in understanding the ecological consequences of climate warming on insects. In the present study, we investigated the voltinism in two natural populations from Harbin (H) and Gongzhuling (G) as well as a laboratory (L) population (established from the H population in 2017) of the ACB, at ambient and elevated atmospheric CO2 (aCO2 390 μL/L and eCO2 750 μL/L) and temperature (aT and Et = At + 2 °C). From the diapause response, both the uni- and multivoltine ecotypes were coexisting in the H population. The neonate occurrence date of 50% individuals that induced diapause was ca. 10 days later in the G population than in the H population, but it was about 10 days earlier than in the L population. Comparing to the dates of onset and the peak of diapause induction, the G and L populations were less variable than the H population in response to a short and/or shortening daylength in the field. The univoltine individuals could not be eliminated completely after 19 generations of selection. Diapause incidence decreased with a climate-warming scenario, which was temporally specific and could be overridden by significantly low daily average temperatures. The eCO2 did not directly impact the voltinism. On the basis of voltinism, the H population was sympatric for uni- and multivoltine ecotypes, with multivoltinism being dominant. The univoltinism trait was recessive. Climate warming could significantly override the effect of photoperiod, which was yearly dependent. Warmer temperatures and a decreased latitude (shortened daylength), and their interaction, would drive ACB evolution toward diapause homogeneity for multivoltinism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the effect of aspirin on fractalkine (FKN) in rats with pulmonary embolism (PE). Methods: Sprague Dawley rats were divided into control group, sham operation group, PE model group and PE + aspirin group. PE was established by injecting self-embolus into the right jugular vein of the rats. Aspirin was administered orally 1 day and 40 min before PE surgery, and daily thereafter. At 4 and 72 h following embolism, the rat lung tissues were obtained for hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining as well as measurement of mRNA expression of FKN, TNF-a and IL-1ß. Additionally, serum FKN, IL-8, TNF-a, and IL-1ß were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results: The serum levels of FKN, IL-8, TNF-a and IL-1ß were significantly decreased by treatment with aspirin compared with the PE group (p < 0.05). Furthermore, mRNA expressions of lung FKN, TNF- a and IL-1ß in PE group were markedly decreased by treatment with aspirin compared with that in PE group. PE-induced lung injury was alleviated by treatment with aspirin based on the results of pathological examination. Conclusion: Aspirin has protective effects against PE-induced lung injuries, which is probably mediated by the suppression of the expression of IL-8, TNF-a, IL-1ß, and FKN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective The 2% lignocaine gel has long been used for male urethral catheterization, but aqueous gel as lubricant has been used for females. However, studies report that females experience pain during urethral catheterization. We compared the effectiveness of 2% lignocaine gel (intervention) and aqueous gel (control) for female urethral catheterization in reducing procedural pain. Methods A double-blinded, randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted from November 2011 to April 2012 in an acute care hospital in Singapore. In total, 52 adult female inpatients (26 interventions vs. 26 controls) requiring urethral catheterization were included in the study. The intervention included patients receiving 2% lignocaine gel as a lubricant for urethral catheterization. Patients' pre- and postprocedural visual analog scale ( VAS) were collected prospectively and nonparametric tests were used for data analysis. Results There was a significant reduction from the preprocedure pain score (Median = 22.0 mm) to the postprocedural pain score (Median = 6.6 mm) in the 2% lignocaine group (Z = −3.8, P < 0.001), but not in the aqueous gel group (pre vs. post: 16.5 mm vs. 18.2 mm; Z = −0.36, P = 0.716). Subjects using 2% lignocaine gel had significantly more reduction in the postprocedural pain score than the aqueous gel group (U = 209.5, P = 0.019). Conclusions The 2% lignocaine gel significantly reduces the procedural pain of female urethral catheterization as compared with aqueous gel. This study provides evidence for the hospital to change the current practice in the hope of reducing procedural pain for female patients during urethral catheterization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of non-circular helical gears has been largely restricted to their manufacturing techniques. For realization of their hobbing, a kind of hobbing strategy based on a four-axis linkage and some fundamental hobbing models have been buiit by a generating method of helical tooting rack. This method includes profile-linkage models and extra rotation models. Based on the strategy and the models achieved, eighteen kinds of schemes and functional models have been developed according to the variety of hobbing processes in profile movement, axial movement, and extra rotation, which have an effect on profile precision, axial precision and control performance. The effect is analyzed from the aspects of profile-hobbing performance, axial movement performance and extra rotation performance, by using a 3D machining simulation. Excellent strategy and models have been singled out progressively. Finally, the excellent strategy and model (constant revolving velocity of hob & constant axial speed for workpiece & extra rotation of workpiece) is obtained with the characteristics of high precision, high efficiency and ease of control. The excellent strategy and model have been demonstrated to be valid by hobbing tests. The results between the test for tooth flanks and the computer simulations are in good agreement. This work provides the options of schemes for the manufacture of non-circular helical gears, and will promote its application significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: To further investigate the effect of a combination of genistein with survivin of RNA interference on the proliferation and apoptosis of DU-145 cells, the effect of genistein on the proliferation of DU-145 cells was detected by the MTT method and cytometry, and the apoptosis of cells was observed with fluorescence microscopy. In order to test combined genistein with transfection of small interfering RNA (siRNA) against survivin, a survivin siRNA plasmid was constructed and transfected into DU-145 cells. Genistein inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis of cancerous DU-145 and Hela cells, whereas genistein had minimal effects for normal L-O2 cells. The stable transfected cell lines of DU-145, knockdown survivin by siRNA, displayed stronger apoptotic than untransfected DU-145, the transfected cell of DU-145 treated with genistein demonstrated the inhibition of proliferation and induction of apoptosis significantly; it showed genistein synergistic effect with RNAi in survivin for inhibition of prostate cancer cells. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The GLP‐1 receptor agonist exendin‐4 has recently shown good effects in a phase II clinical trial in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. Here, a comparison of the new GLP‐1/GIP dual receptor agonist DA5‐CH and NLY01, a 40 kDa pegylated form of exendin‐4, on motor impairments and reducing inflammation in the 1‐methyl‐4‐phenyl‐1,2,3,6‐tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) PD mouse model is provided. The drug groups received either DA5‐CH or NLY01 (25 nmol/kg) i.p. after daily MPTP intraperitoneal injection. Both drugs showed improvements in motor activity, open field experiments, rotarod tests, and gait analysis, but DA5‐CH was more potent. Tyrosine hydroxylase expression in dopaminergic neurons was much reduced by MPTP and improved by DA5‐CH, while NLY01 showed weak effects. When analyzing levels of α‐synuclein (α‐Syn), DA5‐CH reduced levels effectively while NLY01 had no effect. When measuring the levels of the inflammation markers Toll‐like receptor 4 (TLR4), specific markers of microglia activation (Iba‐1), the marker of astrocyte activation glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), nuclear factor‐κB (NF‐κB), tumor necrosis factor (TNF‐α), and transforming growth factor β1 (TGF‐β1), DA5‐CH was very effective in reducing the chronic inflammation response, while NLY01 did not show significant effects. Levels of key growth factors such as Glial cell‐derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) and Brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) were much reduced by MPTP, and DA5‐CH was able to normalize levels in the brain, while NLY01 showed little effect. The levels of pro‐inflammatory cytokines (IL‐6 and IL‐Iβ) were much reduced by DA5‐CH, too, while NLY01 showed no effect. In a separate experiment, we tested the ability of the two drugs to cross the blood‐brain barrier. After injecting fluorescin‐labelled peptides peripherally, the fluorescence in brain tissue was measured. It was found that the pegylated NLY01 peptide did not cross the BBB in meaningful quantities while exendin‐4 and the dual agonist DA5‐CH did. The results show that DA5‐CH shows promise as a therapeutic drug for PD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In view of the deficiency of the paper or email submission and review, an online contribution system based on .NET platform was developed to shorten the manuscript circulation, improve the work efficiency of the editorial department. Taking Jiangsu finance and economics as an example, we designed such a system which adopts three layer architecture. The demand analysis and the function design of system are discussed in detail in this paper. According to the system design principle the platform realizes online submission, online manuscript editing, online experts review and other functions. The trial running of the system test shows that the system has stable performance, simple operation and safe operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and glucose are important to human health, and their abnormal levels are closely related to angiocardiopathy and hypoglycaemia. Therefore, the simultaneous determination of ATP and glucose with a single test mode is highly desirable for disease diagnostics and early recognition. Herein, a new fluorescence on/off switch sensing platform is developed by carbon nanodots (CNDs) to detect ATP and glucose simultaneously. The fluorescence of CNDs can be quenched by Cu2+ and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), due to the formation of hydroxyl radicals (·OH) produced in the Cu-Fenton reaction. Based on the high affinity of Cu2+ with ATP, the fluorescence of CNDs will recover effectively after adding ATP. Additionally, glucose can be efficiently catalyzed by glucose oxidase (GOx) to generate H2O2, so the platform can also be utilized to analyze glucose. Under optimum conditions, this sensing platform displays excellent sensitivity and the linear ranges are from0.1 to 7 μM for ATP with a limit of detection (LOD) of 30.2 nM, and from 0.1 to 7 mM for glucose with a LOD 39.8 μM, respectively. Benefiting from the high sensitivity and selectivity, this sensing platform is successfully applied for simultaneous detection of ATP and glucose in human serum samples with satisfactory recoveries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In traditional processing, a large number of G01 blocks are adopted to discretize free surface or curve for NC machining. But, the continuity of G01 line segments is only C0, which may lead to discontinuity of axis acceleration, resulting in the frequent fluctuation of tool motion at the junctions in high-speed machining, deteriorating the quality of work piece, and reducing processing efficiency. To solve this problem, a local smoothing interpolation method is proposed in this paper. At first, the analytic relationship between the continuity of the trajectory and the continuity of the axes motion is first systematically described by formula. Based on this relationship, a local smoothing algorithm and a feed-rate scheduling method are proposed to generate a C2 continuous tool path motion with axis-acceleration continuity. The local smoothing algorithm smoothes the corners of G01 blocks by the cubic B-spline according to the cornering error tolerance specified by the user. After the feed rate at critical points of smoothed tool path was determined by a modified bidirectional scanning algorithm by considering constrains of chord error and kinematic property, an iterative S-shape feed rate scheduling is employed to minimize residual distance caused by round of time while ensuring the continuity of feed rate and acceleration. Then, a look-ahead interpolation strategy combined with smoothing algorithm and feed-rate scheduling as mentioned is proposed for real-time interpolation of short line segments. At last, simulations are conducted to verify the effectiveness of the proposed methods. Compared with the traditional G01 interpolation, it can significantly improve the processing efficiency and shorten the processing time within error tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple and sensitive fluorescent assay for detecting alkaline phosphatase (ALP) based on the inner filter effect (IFE) has been proven, which is conceptually different from the previously reported ALP fluorescent assays. In this sensing platform, N-doped carbon dots (CDs) with a high quantum yield of 49% were prepared by one-pot synthesis and were directly used as a fluorophore in IFE. p-Nitrophenylphosphate (PNPP) was employed to act as an ALP substrate, and its enzyme catalytic product (p-nitrophenol (PNP)) was capable of functioning as a powerful absorber in IFE to influence the excitation of fluorophore (CDs). When in the presence of ALP, PNPP was transformed into PNP and induced the absorption band transition from 310 to 405 nm, which resulted in the complementary overlap between the absorption of PNP and the excitation of CDs. Because of the competitive absorption, the excitation of CDs was significantly weakened, resulting in the quenching of CDs. The present IFE-based sensing strategy showed a good linear relationship from 0.01 to 25 U/L (R2 = 0.996) and provided an exciting detection limit of 0.001 U/L (signal-to-noise ratio of 3). The proposed sensing approach was successfully applied to ALP sensing in serum samples, ALP inhibitor investigation and phosphatase cell imaging. The presented IFE-based CDs fluorescence sensing strategy gives new insight on the development of the facile and sensitive optical probe for enzyme activity assay because the surface modification or the linking between the receptor and the fluorophore is no longer required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Infection with certain types of human papillomaviruses (HPVs) is a risk factor for the development of cervical cancer. HPV type 58 (HPV 58) is prevalent among Chinese women. The intratype sequence variants differ in oncogenic potential and their prevalences vary across geographic regions. The objective of this study was to analyze the variations of HPV 58 E6, E7, L1 genes and long control region (LCR) in a large samples collected from northeastern Chinese women with cervical lesions. A total of 2938 cervical samples were collected and tested for HPV type using a chip hybridization assay. The E6, E7, L1 genes and LCR of HPV 58 strains were amplified and the amplicons were subjected to direct nucleotide sequencing for variation identification. A total of 235 specimens were HPV 58 positive. High proportions of HPV 58 E6 (83.8%), E7 (76.7%), L1 (90.8%) genes and LCR (91.4%) variants were identified in strains from Chinese women. The most frequently observed variations were C307T (52.4%) in E6, T744G (74.9%) in E7, A6014C (56.9%) in L1 genes and C7266T, A7714G (55.2%) in LCR. For the E6 gene, nine nucleotide variations were identified. Among them, the A140G (T11A), A184C (E25D), G266C (V53L) and A313G were novel variations. Sequencing of the E7 gene revealed four typical nucleotide changes: G761A (G63D), G694A (G41R), T803C (V77A) and T744G. In the L1 gene, 39 nucleotide variations and 13 amino acid substitutions were identified. Among these mutations, 21 variations are reported here for the first time. Lineage A of HPV 58 was found in 142 of 174 strains (81.6%). The most prevalent HPV 58 variants in Chinese northeastern women belongs to lineage A. Novel variations in E6 and L1 genes were also reported. These findings provide new data regarding E6 and L1 gene variations of HPV 58 from women in northeast China. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The extraction parameters for oil extraction from Lycium barbarum seed including extraction pressure, temperature and time were optimized using an orthogonal test design. The optimum conditions for supercritical CO2 extraction were as follows: extraction pressure, 30MPa; extraction temperature, 45°C; dynamic extraction time, 60min; CO2 flow, 25kg/h. The oil yield under the conditions proposed was 19.28g/100g. The effect of cell wall breakage pretreatment was investigated by supercritical CO2 rapid depressurization, and results indicated this pretreatment could result in a rapid and efficient extraction. A sensitive fluorescent reagent 2-(11H-benzo[a]carbazol-11-yl) ethyl 4-methylbenzenesulfonate (BCETS) was utilized as pre-column labeling regent to determine fatty acids (FA) from Lycium barbarum seed oils obtained by different extraction methods. The main FA were: C18:2, C18:1, C16, C20:6, C18:3, and C20. The oil from L. barbarum seed exhibited excellent antioxidant activity in 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl（DPPH）radical scavenging assay and β-carotene bleaching test, and its antioxidant activity compared well with the references ascorbic acid and α- tocopherol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]