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Treatment with exogenous melatonin can raise postharvest fruit cold tolerance and alleviate cold injury. However, the mechanism, by which melatonin mediate cold tolerance, is still to be explored. So in this paper, the conjugated polyamines in tonoplast and vacuole structure were illuminated in the flesh cells of apple fruit subjected to cold stress, which were pretreated with exogenous melatonin. The results showed that under cold condition, fruit firmness decreased and flesh browning area increased, and vacuole structure changed. The cold injury could be alleviated by pretreatment with exogenous melatonin, as judged by stabilization of the vacuole structure, increased fruit firmness and reduced flesh browning area. Furthermore, the cold alleviation was coupled with the increases of the levels of covalently conjugated putrescine and non-covalently conjugated spermidine and spermine in the tonoplast. The results suggested that these conjugated polyamines in tonoplast and vacuole structure might be involved in melatonin-mediated cold tolerance. The suggestion was further verified by applications with inhibitors, phenanthroline and methylglyoxal-bis (guanylhydrazone) (MGBG). Phenanthroline and MGBG could restrain the melatonin-induced increases of covalently and non-covalently conjugated polyamines mentioned above in the tonoplast, respectively, and increase flesh browning area, decrease fruit firmness and vacuole structure stabilization. So, we can conclude that exogenous melatonin alleviates cold injury in apple fruit via elevating the contents of the polyamines conjugated to the tonoplast and thereby maintaining vacuole structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exogenous polyamines can enhance postharvest fruit cold resistance and alleviate cold injury. However, the mechanism underlying polyamine-mediated cold resistance remains to be eluciated. Therefore, in this research, polyamines conjugated to plasma membrane (PLM) and membrane conformation were detected in the putrescine pretreated peach fruits under cold condition. The results showed that cold stress resulted in the changes in the PLM conformation and cause the cold injury as judged by the increased plasma membrane permeability and the decreased sulphydryl content. Pretreatment with putrescine mitigated the cold injury of the fruits and resulted in the stabilization of PLM, coupled with the increased contents of non-covalently (NC)-conjugated spermidine (Spd) and spermine (Spm), and covalently-conjugated (C) putrescine (Put) and Spd in PLM. From the results, it could be inferred that polyamines conjugated to PLM and membrane conformation stabilization might be involved in the putrescine-mediated resistance of the harvested peach fruits to cold stress. This inference was confirmed by the complementary experiments with methylglyoxal-bis(guanylhydrazone) (MGBG) and phenanthroline, which inhibited S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase and transglutaminase activities, respectively. MGBG restrained the putrescine-induced increases in NC-conjugated Spd and Spm and phenanthroline declined the increases in C-conjugated putrescine in PLM induced by exogenous putrescine. Furthermore, both MGBG and phenanthroline reversed the mitigation effects of putrescine on fruit cold injury, in parallel with the decrease of membrane conformation stabilization. Collectively, we could conclude that putrescine-mediated fruit cold resistance involved in the increases in the polyamines conjugated to PLM and the maintenance of membrane conformation. The relationship between the conjugated polyamines and membrane conformation stabilization was discussed in the research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The focus was on the length-weight relationships of three schizothoracinae species endemic to Tibet, including Schizothorax oconnori Lloyd, 1908, Ptychobarbus dipogon (Regan, 1905) and Schizopygopsis younghusbandi Regan, 1905, all of which are characterized by slow growth, late maturation and vulnerability to the environment (Ma et al., 2010, 2012; Duan et al., 2014). Among them, Schizothorax oconnori is an endangered fish and listed in the China species Red List (Wang and Xie, 2004, 2009). Samples were obtained by drift net fishing (mesh size 2 cm × 3 cm; 50 m net length) in November 2008. The r2 value was 0.94, 0.97, 0.98 and the b value 3.51, 3.12, 3.16, representing Schizothorax oconnori, Ptychobarbus dipogon, and Schizopygopsis younghusbandi, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), which is closely associated with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), is a metastasis-prone epithelial cancer. We previously showed that tumor necrosis factor α-induced protein 2 (TNFAIP2) is highly expressed in NPC tumor tissues and is correlated with metastasis and poor survival in NPC patients. However, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we demonstrate that the EBV oncoprotein, latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1), can transcriptionally induce TNFAIP2 expression via NF-κB. Quantitative RT-PCR and western blotting revealed that LMP1 induces TNFAIP2 expression through its C-terminal-activating region (CTAR2) domain, which is required for transduction of NF-κB (nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells) signaling. Inhibition of NF-κB activation or depletion of p65 (a component of NF-κB) by RNA interference abolished the LMP1-induced expression of TNFAIP2, whereas ectopic expression of p65 was sufficient to induce TNFAIP2 expression. Luciferase reporter assays showed that LMP1 transcriptionally induces TNFAIP2 expression through a newly identified NF-κB-binding site within the TNFAIP2 promoter (−3 869 to −3 860 bp). Immunohistochemical analysis of NPC biopsy specimens further revealed a significant correlation between the protein levels of TNFAIP2 and activated p65 (R=0.689, P<0.001), indicating that our findings are clinically relevant. Immunofluorescence microscopy and co-immunoprecipitation assays showed that TNFAIP2 associates with actin and is involved in the formation of actin-based membrane protrusions. Furthermore, transwell migration assays demonstrated that TNFAIP2 contributes to LMP1-induced cell motility. Collectively, these findings provide novel insights into the regulation of TNFAIP2 and its role in promoting NPC tumor progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents a design method of an energy control strategy for parallel hybrid electric vehicles by using fuzzy multi-objective optimisation. By converting the electric energy consumed by the electric motor into an equivalent fuel consumption, the overall vehicle fuel economy and the corresponding emissions could be treated as the optimisation objectives. Then a minimum average weighted deviation method is proposed and intends to find the Pareto optimal solution, considering that its flexibility could content the variations in emission requirement in different districts. The simulation results reveal that, compared with the conventional rule-based control strategy and fuzzy logical control strategy, the proposed fuzzy multi-objective control strategy not only improves fuel economy and emission level but also maintains the battery state of charge within its operation range effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. The Bliss Rapids snail is a federally listed yet poorly known small caenogastropod which lives in the Snake River drainage (main stem river and spring-fed tributaries) of south-central Idaho. The construction of three large dams along this portion of the Snake River during the 20th century is thought to have fragmented a single, ancestral population of this species into genetically isolated subunits that are vulnerable to extinction. We assessed variation of 11 microsatellite loci within and among 29 samples (820 snails) from across the entire range of the Bliss Rapids snail to assess genetic structure and test whether habitat fragmentation resulting from dam construction has impacted population connectivity. 2. The overall FST (0.15133, P < 0.05) and pairwise comparisons among samples (384/406 significant) indicated extensive population subdivision in general. A consistent trend of isolation by distance trend was not detected by Mantel tests. We found no evidence of reduced genetic diversity attributable to segmentation of the Snake River, and genetic variation among portions of drainage separated by the dams was not significant. Population structuring in spring–tributary habitats was considerably greater than in the main stem river as evidenced by differences in FST (0.18370, 0.06492) and the number of private alleles detected (16, 4), and by the results of an assignment test (69.4%, 58.7% correctly classified to sample of origin) and Bayesian genetic clustering algorithm. 3. Our results provide no evidence that dam construction has genetically impacted extant populations of the Bliss Rapids snail. We speculate that the generally weaker genetic structuring of riverine populations of this species is a result of passive dispersal within the water column, which may enable occasional passage through the dams. The somewhat stronger structuring observed in a portion of the river (Shoshone reach) which receives discharge from many springs may be due to local mixing of main stem and more highly differentiated tributary populations. Our findings parallel recent, genetically based studies of other western North American freshwater gastropods that also demonstrate complex population structure that conflicts with traditional concepts of dispersal ability and sensitivity to putative barriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors present the theory and implementation of a novel sensorless control method for the interior permanent magnet (IPM) brushless DC motor (BLDCM). The proposed new sensorless technique can accurately detect the zero-cross point (ZCP) of back electromotive force (BEMF), which is based on a comparison of the terminal voltage of the unconducting phase during the first and second part of a pulse width modulation (PWM) cycle. Compared with the conventional BEMF sensorless approach, the proposed new sensorless method solves the problem of the sensorless BLDCM drives at very low speeds. Experimental results confirm the validity of the new method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cytoplasmic level of heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein K (hnRNP K) is significantly correlated with the elevated expression of thymidine phosphorylase (TP), and high levels of both proteins are predictive of a poor prognosis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). We herein show that TP is highly induced by serum deprivation in NPC cells, and that this is due to an increase in the half-life of the TP mRNA, as shown by nuclear run-on and actinomycin D assays. We further show that the CU-rich element of the TP mRNA directly interacts with hnRNP K, as demonstrated by immunoprecipitation RT–PCR assays, and the nucleus-to-cytoplasm translocation of hnRNP K. Blockade of hnRNP K expression reduces TP expression, suggesting that hnRNP K acts in the upregulation of TP. Mechanistically, both MEK inhibitor and the hnRNP K ERK-phosphoacceptor-site mutant decrease cytoplasmic accumulation of hnRNP K, suggesting that ERK-dependent phosphorylation is critical for TP induction. Furthermore, we found that hnRNP K-mediated TP induction allows NPC cells to resist hypoxia-induced apoptosis. Our results collectively establish the regulation and role of ERK-mediated cytoplasmic accumulation of hnRNP K as an upstream modulator of TP, suggesting that hnRNP K may be an attractive candidate as a future therapeutic target for cancer.Oncogene (2009) 28, 1904–1915; doi:10.1038/onc.2009.55; published online 30 March 2009 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two different methods for estimating the corrosion resistance of low alloy stainless steels are compared: critical pitting temperature according to a modified ASTM G150 with a low chloride concentration (0·1M), and pitting potentials from polarisation curves acquired using the novel Avesta multicell. The methods were tested on the lean duplex stainless steel grade LDX 2101, which has a corrosion resistance in the low end of the standard critical pitting temperature scale. The results from both methods correlated well with Charpy V impact energies and with the formation of carbides and intermetallics in the microstructure after annealing. In this study, the most consistent results for the sensitised material were obtained using pitting potentials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report an experimental study of the multiphoton dissociation dynamics of CF3I performed on a home-built femtosecond laser pump-probe system, with time-of-flight mass spectrometer. The first repulsive A band and the 5pπ37sσ υ2=1 Rydberg state of CF3I were accessed by one- and two-photon transitions at 267 nm, respectively, with the latter two-photon absorption followed by a further two-photon probe transition at 401 nm to the $\widetilde{B}$ state of the parent ion. The observed signals from the CF3 + and I+ fragments show similar multi-component exponential decay patterns but the former is 4 times stronger than the latter. However, the parent CF3I+ signal was observed to evolve in a very different manner, decreasing sharply when probed in the first 289 fs following excitation and subsequently rising again after 860 fs to a constant level below that measured at negative pump-probe delay times when the pump and probe pulses exchange roles. This dip observed in the parent ion profile, is very different from that previously reported at shorter pump wavelengths of 264 nm or 265 nm, and is interpreted as the competition between two different ionization channels. One from the vibrationally excited υ2=1 of the irradiated Rydberg state and the other from the dissociative vibrational origin of the same electronic state which is populated by internal vibrational relaxation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The retinoblastoma (Rb) tumour suppressor promotes cell cycle exit, terminal differentiation and survival during normal development and is functionally inactivated in most human cancers. We have identified a novel myeloid-specific form of retinoblastoma protein (pRb), termedΔRb-p70, that existsin vivoas an N-terminally truncated form of full-length pRb.ΔRb-p70 appears to be the product of alternative translation and is expressed in primary myeloid cells in fetal liver, bone marrow and spleen. It is also expressed in the human myelomonocytic cell line U937 and is down-regulated as U937s are induced to differentiate. We have also detectedΔRb-p70 expression in primary human breast tumours and we have determined thatΔRb-p70 is specifically expressed in tumour-associated macrophages. These data identify a novel mechanism for regulating pRb expression that is unique to the myeloid system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For a high-speed electrical alternator, the rotor outer banding and stator inner liner are typically made of high strength graphite epoxy composites due to their high strength and stiffness. Machine structural integrity at high rotating speeds degrades significantly as the composite resins lose their strength at high temperatures. The magnitude of the frictional windage losses generated in the air gaps and the splits of the windage losses between the rotor and stator become crucial to the machine design since these windage losses greatly influence the rotor outer and stator inner surface temperatures. Splits of windage losses generated by an enclosed high-speed composite rotor in low air pressure environments were investigated by The University of Texas at Austin Center for Electromechanics and described in a companion paper. The windage splits are dictated by the air temperature gradients at the rotor outer and stator inner surfaces. Unique heating, cooling, and component material properties of a typical high-speed alternator during repetitive-discharge events make its transient air-gap windage splits very much different from those of the test setup. This paper describes transient windage splits in integrated rotor and stator thermal analyses of a high-speed alternator designed for multiple discharges. The transient windage splits in the air-gap air flow were obtained through multiple iterations on windage losses, air-gap air temperatures, and rotor and stator surface temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The University of Texas at Austin Center for Electromechanics (UT-CEM) has designed and conducted a series of composite rotor spin tests to measure the windage losses and temperature distributions of a test setup at high rotor speeds and low air pressures. The intent of the windage tests is to validate the windage loss predictions and investigate how the air-gap windage is distributed between the rotor and stator. The findings of the spin tests will then be used to perform windage-related thermal design and analysis of a high-speed electrical machine. The radial air-gap flows under the test conditions, a low rotor cavity air pressure of 1 torr and high rotor surface velocities of 333 and 614 m/s, were in a laminar flow regime. Transient rotor and stator finite-element thermal analyses, using the measured windage losses and predicted laminar-flow windage splits, have been carried out to analyze the rotor and stator temperature distributions. This paper shows the detailed thermal analysis and compares the predictions with the measurements. The predicted and measured transient rotor and stator temperatures are in good agreement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The stochastic stability and H∞ disturbance attenuation is studied for Markovian jump linear singularly perturbed systems (MJLSPS) via a matrix inequality approach. Both analysis and synthesis problems are investigated. In analysis, the stochastic stability and H∞ performance conditions are derived and recast in the formulation of a set of coupled linear matrix inequalities. In synthesis, the sufficient conditions under which the closed-loop H∞ disturbance attenuation performance turn out to be in the form of a set of coupled bilinear matrix inequalities and are solved with a proposed heuristic algorithm, and an ε-independent H∞ controller can then be obtained. The reduced controller which is independent of the fast states is also developed. The results proposed apply not only to standard, but also to nonstandard MJLSPS. An example is presented to illustrate the proposed algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on a study wherein detailed three-dimensional (3D) transient electromagnetic (EM) analyses with temperature-dependent material properties were performed using a state-of-the-art tool to calculate current densities and body forces densities. Information on the electromagnetic analysis conducted; Structural analysis and results of the study.

Presents a study that introduced a modified amplified spontaneous emission technique to measure the radial distributions of the optical gain and saturation energy density of a copper bromide laser. Details of the technique; Application of the technique; Experimental setup and procedure.

Ischemic injury to the bowel is a disease entity that has a wide spectrum of pathological and clinical findings. Patients with chronic ischemia present with colicky abdominal pain, obstructive symptoms and signs of ischemic colonic stricture. We reported the first case of ischemic colitis arising from a superior rectal artery (SRA) aneurysm. Colonoscopy showed non-resolving colitis complicated by sigmoid stricture. CT angiogram with 3D reconstruction showed a dissecting SRA aneurysm measuring 2 cm by 1.2 cm by 1.3 cm. The patient underwent laparoscopic-assisted low anterior resection, which was converted to open because of adhesions and made a full recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We developed and tested microsatellite markers to investigate population structure of a threatened North American freshwater gastropod, Taylorconcha serpenticola. Of the 21 primer pairs that were evaluated, 11 were readily optimized and scored, providing amplification of 12 loci that were screened for 820 specimens from 29 populations. The number of alleles across 11 of these polymorphic loci ranged from three to 20 and the observed heterozygosity varied from 0.0061 to 0.7561. All loci yielded suitable amplification products in the second species of Taylorconcha ( T. insperata) and three proved to be diagnostic for these congeners, demonstrating that these markers are also useful for species identification studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Incisional recurrence after thoracoscopic surgery has been reported infrequently. In recent years, several reports of port-site recurrence after laparoscopic oncologic procedures have been published. This study evaluates the incidence of incisional recurrence among patients with intrathoracic malignancy after diagnostic and therapeutic thoracoscopy.Methods: The medical records of all patients with intrathoracic malignancies who underwent thoracoscopic procedures between 1992 and 1998 at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital Linkou Medical Center were reviewed. Information includes preoperative tumor status, thoracoscopic findings, primary tumor location, tumor pathology, procedures performed, and perioperative complications were recorded.Results: A total of 1,069 patients with known intrathoracic malignancies underwent thoracoscopy. The mean follow-up time was 17.1 months (range, 1-68 months). Two recurrences at the incision were identified (0.19%). Both patients with incision-site recurrence had advanced intrathoracic disease at the time of thoracoscopy. The one patient had a malignant pleural effusion (T4), and the other had diffuse pleural metastasis.Conclusion: The incidence of incisional recurrence after thoracoscopic oncologic surgery is very low. When recurrence occurs at the incision, it is associated most commonly with advanced intrathoracic disease. Additional patients and a longer follow-up evaluation are required, however, to confirm this observation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Empyema frequently complicates the hospitalization of children; and in advanced stages, it often requires surgical intervention. In this study, we investigated the use of video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) for the management of postpneumonic empyema in children who have had an unsatisfactory medical response. Methods: We did a retrospective review of the medical records of 51 consecutive patients with loculated empyema (mean age, 5 years; range, 2 months to 15 years) hospitalized at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital between 1995 and 2000. All patients underwent debridement of the necrotic lung tissue and evacuation of the loculated empyema cavity using a VATS approach. Results: The mean operating time for the 51 patients was 90 min (range, 50–210); mean blood loss was 70 cc. Fever subsided within 72 h postoperatively in all patients. On average, chest tubing was removed on the 7th postoperative day (range, 4–18 days). However, in one patient who suffered from a prolonged air leak, the chest tube was not removed until day 18. The mean postoperative stay for all patients was 13.7 days (range, 9–23). No deaths occurred, and all of the children made a good recovery. A follow-up revealed that one of the 51 children patient suffered a left upper lung abscess 7 months after discharge. Left upper lobectomy was performed in this case, and the patient was discharged uneventfully 10 days after the operation. Conclusions: VATS is a safe and effective treatment for pediatric empyema. Thoracoscopic-assisted surgery facilitates visualization, evacuation, and debridement of the necrotizing lung tissue. Early surgical intervention can avoid lengthy hospitalization and prolonged intravenous antibiotic therapy, and it can accelerate clinical recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Length-weight relationships ( LWRs) were determined for two endemic fish species from the Maquan River, the upper of the Yarlung Zangbo River: ( Ptychobarbus dipogon Regan, 1905 , Schizothorax waltoni Regan, 1905). All the specimens were collected between May and September of 2014. Length-weight relationships for these two fish species were determined for the first time, and new maximum body weights were recorded for these two species. These results will be useful for fishery research, management and conservation of the Yarlung Zangbo River. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deoxyribonucleic acid-protein (DNAP) of the cell nucleus was purified from developing wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) embryo cells under drought stress, with two cultivars differing in drought tolerance as experimental materials – Longmai No. 079 (drought-tolerant) and Wanmai No. 52 (drought-sensitive). Levels of polyamines (PAs) non-covalently conjugated to the DNA and covalently conjugated to the proteins of DNAP were detected. After soil drought treatment for 10 days, in drought-tolerant Longmai No. 079, the increases in the levels of spermine and spermidine non-covalently conjugated to DNA of DNAP were more statistically significant (P<0.05) than in drought-sensitive Wanmai No. 52. Treatment of Wanmai No. 52 with exogenous Spm could not only enhance the tolerance of the cultivar to drought stress, as judged by flag leaf water content, plasma membrane permeability and grain growth, but also elevate the levels of spermine and spermidine non-covalently conjugated to the DNA of the cultivar. On the contrary, treatment of Longmai No. 079 with methylglyoxyl-bis guanylhydrazone, an inhibitor of S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase, could significantly (P<0.05) aggravate the drought stress to this cultivar, accompanied by a marked decreases in the levels of spermine and spermidine non-covalently conjugated to the DNA of the cultivar. On the other hand, the content of putrescine covalently conjugated to the proteins of DNAP rose more markedly (P<0.05) in Longmai No. 079 than in Wanmai No. 52. The transglutaminase inhibitor, o-phenanthrolin, could markedly reduce the drought-induced increase in the level of putrescine covalently conjugated to the proteins of DNAP and aggravate drought stress to the two cultivars. Collectively, it could be inferred that spermine and spermidine non-covalently conjugated to the DNA and putrescine covalently conjugated to the proteins of DNAP in the developing grain embryo cell nucleus might enhance the tolerance of wheat plants to soil drought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been well documented that polyamine is associated closely with environmental stresses and melatonin pretreatment enhances the resistance of fruit to cold stress. However, mechanism underlining melatonin-mediated chilling resistance remains to be explored. Therefore, in the research, flesh browning degree, relative plasma membrane permeability, malondialdehyde and protein sulfhydryl content in plasma membrane were used to assess the resistance of apple fruit to chilling stress. The polyamine conjugated to plasma membrane of melatonin-pretreated apple (Malus pumila Mill.) fruit flesh cell was elucidated under chilling stress. The results showed that melatonin pretreatment led to obvious increases in the contents of conjugated non-covalently spermidine and spermine, and conjugated covalently putrescine and spermine in plasma membrane of apple fruit under chilling stress, compared with the apple fruit without melatonin pretreatment. Methylglyoxyl-bis (guanylhydrazone) pretreatment could inhibit the melatonin-induced increases of conjugated non-covalently spermidine and spermine by inhibiting the activity of S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase and free spermidine and spermine contents in flesh, coupled with the decrease in chilling resistance. Similarly, phenanthrolin pretreatment could inhibit the melatonin-induced increases in putrescine and spermidine covalently conjugated to plasma membrane by inhibiting transglutaminase activity in flesh, simultaneously aggravating chilling damage. From the results collectively, it should be suggested the melatonin pretreatment could enhance chilling resistance by increasing non-covalently conjugated spermidine and spermine, and covalently conjugated putrescine and spermine in plasma membrane of apple fruit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous experimental work has shown that a phase transition in C60 multifragmentation induced by nanosecond laser occurs at almost constant temperature covering a wide range of laser fluency. Here the relative yields of ionic fragments (IFs) Cn+ (n = 1-20) resulting from the multifragmentation are measured within the phase transition region. By excluding two small IFs and magic IFs due to their abnormal behavior, the data for residual IFs are used to estimate the size distributions of primary intermediate-mass IFs in the multifragmentation regime. The distributions are found to obey power laws n- T . Furthermore, the exponent T values have sensitive dependence on lower laser fluency and converge to a constant of about 2.4 ± 0.2 for larger fluencies. These observations are in good agreement with an explanation based on the Fisher droplet model, offering the tantalizing possibility of a liquid-to-gas phase transition in C60 systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mitochondrion conformation and the contents of conjugated polyamines were investigated using the embryos of developing wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grains of two cultivars differing in drought tolerance as experiment materials. After drought stress treatment for 7 days, the relative water content of embryo and relative increase rate of embryo dry weight of the drought-sensitive Yangmai No. 9 cv. decreased more significantly than those of the drought-tolerant Yumai No. 18 cv. Furthermore, the changes in mitochondrion conformation of Yangmai No. 9 were more marked. Meanwhile, the increases of the contents of conjugated non-covalently spermidine (CNC-Spd) and conjugated covalently putrescine (CC-Put) of Yumai No. 18 were more obvious than those of Yangmai No. 9. Treatment with exogenous Spd not only alleviated the injury of drought stress to Yangmai No. 9, but also enhanced the increase of CNC-Spd content and inhibited the change in the mitochondrion conformation of this cultivar. The treatments of Yumai No. 18 with two inhibitors, methylglyoxyl-bis (guanylhydrazone) and phenanthrolin, significantly inhibited the drought stress-induced increases of CNC-Spd and CC-Put contents of the cultivar, respectively. Meanwhile, the treatments with the two inhibitors aggravated the injury of drought stress to Yumai No. 18 and enhanced the change in the mitochondrion conformation of this cultivar. These results mentioned above suggested that the CNC-Spd and CC-Put in embryo mitochondrion membrane isolated from developing grains could enhance the wheat tolerance to drought stress by maintaining the mitochondrion conformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The contents of conjugated covalently polyamines (CC-PAs) and conjugated non-covalently polyamines (CNC-PAs) in embryo tonoplast, and the vacuole conformation were investigated using the embryos of developing maize (Zea mays L.) grains of two cultivars differing in drought-tolerance as experiment materials. The results indicated that after drought stress treatment for seven days, relative water content of embryo (RWCE) and relative increase rate of embryo dry weight (RIREDW) of the drought-sensitive cultivar 'Xund-an no. 22' decreased more significantly than those of the drought-tolerant 'Zhengdan No. 958'. Furthermore, the changes in vacuole conformation of 'Xundan no. 22' were more marked. Meanwhile, the increases of the contents of CNC-spermidine (CNC-Spd) and CC-putrescine (CC-Put) in embryo tonoplast from 'Zhengdan no. 958' were more obvious than those from 'Xundan no. 22'. Treatment with exogenous Spd not only alleviated the injury of drought stress to 'Xundan no. 22', but also enhanced the increases of CNC-Spd content and inhibited the changes in the vacuole conformation of this cultivar. The treatments of 'Zhengdan no. 958' with two inhibitors, methylglyoxyl-bis (guanylhydrazone) and phenanthrolin, significantly inhibited the drought stress-induced increases of CNC-Spd and CC-Put contents of the cultivar, respectively. Meanwhile, the treatments significantly aggravated the injury of drought stress to 'Zhengdan no. 958' and the changes in the vacuole conformation of this cultivar. All the results mentioned above suggest that the CNC-Spd and CC-Put in embryo tonoplast isolated from developing grains could enhance the tolerance of maize to drought stress by maintaining the vacuole conformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Longstanding debates on the tectonic setting and provenance of the Lower Cretaceous Lingshandao Formation have hindered basin analysis and tectonic studies of the collision of the Yangtze Craton and the North China Craton, and thus the evolution of the Sulu Orogen. Thin-section analysis, identification of rock particles, cathodoluminescence, heavy minerals and trace-element analysis have, in addition to field investigations, been applied to reconstruct the source area and transport pathways of the sediments that build the Lower Cretaceous Laiyang Group on the Lingshan Island, western Yellow Sea. These analyses indicate that the Laiyang Group consists mainly of material derived from a recycled orogen and from transitional continental sediments. The Laiyang Group on Lingshan Island has been sourced from igneous and metamorphic rocks. Comparing analyses of detrital minerals with rocks from surrounding areas leads to the conclusion that the main source area is the Sulu Orogen that supplied sediment to rift basin rather than a residual basin between the Yangtze Craton and the North China Craton. A recycled orogenic belt is the source area for the Laiyang Group on Linshan Island. Felsic metamorphic and igneous rocks form the most probable sources. The rift basin was filled by sediments supplied from the Sulu Orogen on both sides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This prospective self-controlled study was designed to evaluate the influences of head flexion on airway seal, quality of ventilation, and orogastric tube placement through the ProSeal™ laryngeal mask airway (ProSeal LMA™) in 80 anaesthetised, paralysed adult patients. After the ProSeal LMA was inserted and the cuff pressure was set at 5.9 kPa, ventilation quality, airway seal pressure, fibreoptic positions of the cuff and the drainage tube, orogastric tube placement and efficacy of intermittent positive pressure ventilation (IPPV) were assessed in two randomly selected positions: neutral and flexed position. When compared to the neutral head position, the head flexed significantly improved the airway seal pressure and the quality of ventilation of the ProSeal LMA (p < 0.05). Fibreoptic scores of the cuff position did not correlate with either the ability to obtain excellent or adequate ventilation through the ProSeal LMA or the ability to generate an airway seal pressure of ≥ 2 kPa. Orogastric tube placement via the drainage tube was successful on the first attempt in all patients in the neutral position compared with seven failures following three attempts in the flexed position (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences between the two head positions in the volume of air required to obtain an intracuff pressure of 5.9 kPa, fibreoptic score of the drainage tube position, and expiratory tidal volume and peak inspiratory pressure during IPPV (p > 0.05). In conclusion, head flexion improves airway seal and ventilation quality of the ProSeal LMA. However, placement of an orogastric tube via the drainage tube is impaired in the flexed position compared to the neutral position. Fibreoptic scoring of the ProSeal cuff position is not an accurate test to assess the airway seal and ventilation function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current controversy over the need for an experimental test of String Theory is considered. We report recent experiments on quasi-bound electrons in crossed electric and magnetic fields, in which states of very large electric dipole moment are excited. The excited electron is confined to one side of the atomic nucleus in the outer well of a controllable double-well potential. These states are discussed in relation to a recent theoretical proposal to test the spatial non-commutativity underpinning String Theory by studying Penning orbits of Rydberg atoms in crossed electric and magnetic fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article addresses several concerns on the erroneous application and interpretation of morphometric, genetic and ecologic data in animal conservation. According to the authors, they used a consistent hypothesis-testing approach to test the taxonomic validity of Preble's meadow jumping mouse Zapus hudsonius preblei as a subspecies and its uniqueness as a distinct population segment.

Allozymes and mitochondrial cytochromecoxidase subunit I (mtCOI) sequences were analysed to determine whether populations of the western North American gastropodTryonia porrecta(from California, Nevada, Utah, and northwest Mexico) are strongly differentiated in accordance with traditional interpretation of regional fauna as ancient relicts inhabiting isolated fragments of late Tertiary palaeodrainages. These data were also used to assess whether this species, for which males have not been recorded, is a rare example of a molluscan parthenogen. Both data sets strongly supported monophyly ofT. porrectapopulations. Five of the nine sampled populations consisted of a single monoallelic allozyme genotype while the others contained two to 10 distinct genotypes. Allozymic data for genetically diverse Utah populations provided evidence of clonal and sexual reproduction.mtCOIhaplotypes ofT. porrectaformed two subgroups which differed by 1.99–2.60%. The common haplotype was found in seven populations with rare haplotypes observed in single populations. Based on these results and an availablemtCOImolecular clock for related hydrobiid snails,T. porrectais interpreted as a primarily parthenogenetic species that undergoes occasional sexual reproduction and has accumulated substantial diversity following its mid-Pliocene to mid-Pleistocene origin. Our results also suggest that the distribution of present-day populations of these gill-breathing snails did not result from fragmentation of an ancient, well-integrated drainage but instead reflects overland colonization of habitats which only recently became available following desiccation of late Quaternary pluvial lakes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The standard open technique for exposure of the upper thoracic spine, T1-T4, usually requires a difficult thoracotomy. From November 1, 1995 to June 30, 1997, eight patients underwent video-assisted thoracoscopic spinal surgery in our institute to treat their upper thoracic spinal lesions endoscopically.Methods: A new approach, the so-called "extended manipulating channel method," was used in this series that allows the combined use of video-assisted thoracoscopy and conventional spinal instruments to enter the chest cavity freely for the procedures. Patients' ages ranged from 44 to 89 years (average, 60 years). Definitive diagnoses included two pyogenic spondylitis and six spinal metastases. Five patients presented initially with myelopathy.Results: There were no deaths or neurologic injuries associated with this technique. The mean surgical time was 3.1 h. The mean duration of chest tube retention was 3.3 days. The mean total blood loss was 1,038 ml, and two patients had a blood loss of more than 2,000 ml owing to bleeding from epidural veins or raw osseous surfaces. Complications included one superficial wound infection and one subcutaneous emphysema that resolved spontaneously. In this series, there was no need of conversion to open thoracotomy for the patients.Conclusions: The thoracoscopy-assisted spinal technique using the extended manipulating channels, usually 2.5-3.5 cm, allows variable instrument angulations for manipulation. The mean surgical time (3.1 h) was considered no longer than for an open technique for the equivalent anterior procedure. Such an approach can achieve less procedure-related trauma and has proved to be a good alternative to other treatment modalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The endoscopic treatment of spinal lesions in the thoracolumbar junction (T11-L2) poses a great challenge to the surgeon. From November 1, 1995 to December 31, 1996, we successfully used a combination of video-assisted thoracoscopy and conventional spinal instruments to treat 38 patients with anterior spinal lesions. Twelve of them had lesions in the thoracolumbar junction.Methods: The so-called extended manipulating channel method was used to perform vertebral biopsy, discectomy, decompressive corpectomy, interbody fusions, and/or internal fixations in these patients. The size of the thoracoscopic portals was greater than usual in order to allow conventional spinal instruments and a thoracoscope to enter the chest cavity freely and be manipulated by techniques similar to those used in standard open surgical procedures. In this series, the procedures were performed by using either a three-portal approach (2. 5-3.5 cm) or a modified two-portal technique involving a 5-6 cm larger incision and a small one for introducing the scope.Results: None of the operations resulted in injury to the great vessels, internal organs, or spinal cord. The total time for the operation ranged from 1.5 to 4.5 h (average, 3); and the total blood loss ranged from 50 to 3000 cc (average, 1050). One patient was converted to an open procedure due to severe pleural adhesion. Complications included two instances of transient intercostal neuralgia, one superfical wound infection, and one residual pneumothorax.Conclusions: The video-assisted technique with the extended manipulating channel method presented in this report simplifies thoracoscopic spinal surgery in the thoracolumbar junction and makes it easier. It avoids division of the diaphragm, removal of the rib, and wide spread of the intercostal space, and it allows greater control of intraoperative vessel bleeding. Using this technique, the number of portals required during the procedure can be reduced. In addition, the technique reduces the endoscopic materials required, thus lowering overall cost. It is an effective and promising approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report repeatable AlGaN/GaN resonant tunneling diodes (RTDs) grown on a sapphire substrate by metal organic chemical vapor deposition. The RTDs exhibit clear negative differential resistance at low temperature in both bias directions. Peak-to-valley current ratios of 1.4 and 1.08 and peak current densities of 6 kA/cm2 and 0.65 kA/cm2 are extracted at 6.5 K for forward and reverse bias, respectively. The polarization fields in III-nitrides are found to affect the diode electrical behaviors by modulating the symmetry of the two barriers and altering the thickness of the depletion region, which eventually triggers asymmetric resonant tunneling transport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To elucidate the relationship between polyamines and anaerobic respiration of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) seedling root under water-logging stress, the contents of polyamines (PAs), lactate and alcohol, and the activities of anaerobic respiration enzymes were investigated in seedling roots of two wheat cultivars, Yumai no. 18 and Yangmai no. 9. On the 5th day after water-logging treatment, spermidine (Spd) and spermine (Spm) contents increased significantly, pyruvate decarboxylase (PDC) activity increased and there was no difference between two cultivars. Alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) activity and alcohol content in Yangmai no. 9 increased more markedly than Yumai no. 18, while lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity and the lactate content in the Yumai no. 18 increased more markedly than Yangmai no. 9. Treatments with exogenous Spd and Spm resulted in enhancing the increases in ADH activity, alcohol content, and the levels of Spd and Spm. This concomitantly inhibited the increases in LDH activity and lactate content in Yumai no. 18 under water-logging stress, alleviating stress-induced injury to the seedlings. Treatment with exogenous inhibitor methylglyoxyl-bis-guanylhydrazone (MGBG), resulted in reducing the increases in ADH activity, alcohol content, and Spd and Spm levels, promoting the increases in LDH activity and lactate content in Yangmai no. 9 under water-logging stress, and aggravating the stress-induced injury to the seedlings. The results suggested that under water-logging stress, increased Spd and Spm could facilitate the tolerance of wheat seedling to the stress by enhancing the increases in ADH activity and alcohol content, and inhibiting the increases in LDH activity and lactate content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have investigated magnetic and electrical properties of amorphous Co-Fe-Zr-B alloy films with A1 and O additions, deposited on rotating Si substrates by dc magnetron sputtering. Microstructural characterization carried out on these films shows the amorphous nature of films. The Co-Fe-Zr-B-A1-O films do not exhibit any uniaxial anisotropy in magnetization behavior in the as-deposited condition. However, a strong uniaxial anisotropy is introduced in the film plane by annealing at 200 °C for 2 h and in an applied field of ∼ 150 Oe. The observed in-plane uniaxial anisotropy field (H[sub k]) is as high as ∼ 38 Oe and the easy-axis coercivity is less than 1.5 Oe for the Co-Fe-Zr-B-A1-O film with 7 at. % A1. The ferromagnetic resonance frequency reaches a high value of ∼ 2.05 GHz, as a result of this large anisotropy field. It is also found that the soft magnetic properties of amorphous films have a strong dependence on the film composition. This is attributed to the change in the microstructure of films, which is closely related to the film composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To control the semiconductor device under low magnetic field is still a great challenge for semiconductor magnetoelectronics. In this work, we report the observation of the magnetophotogalvanic effect in periodic GaAs dot arrays. With an increase in magnetic field from 0 to 1500 Oe, the photovoltage increases linearly for a wide temperature range from 80 to 430K. Compared with GaAs without the dot arrays, periodic GaAs dot arrays have a hundredfold increase of the magnetic-field-modulated photovoltage at room temperature. By changing the magnetic field orientation, the angular dependence of photovoltage reveals that the magnetophotogalvanic effect stems from the Hall electric field caused by optical current, and the enhancement of magneto-photogalvanic effect is attributed to the p-n junction coupling between GaAs dots. When the coupling between the GaAs dots is broken at the high temperatures, i.e., T?430K, we demonstrate that the enhancement effect disappears as expected. Our results not only illustrate the magnetic control of energy flow in light harvest, but also provide an applicable way for semiconductor magnetoelectronics by utilizing p-n junction coupling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ZnO nanosheets were synthesised by a facile hydrothermal method using egg white as bio-template and dispersing agent. X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy investigation show that the ZnO nanosheets have a hexagonal wurtzite structure with a diameter of 10 to 25 nm. Moreover, egg white played an important role in controlling the morphology and size of nano ZnO, while ZnO changed from nanorods to nanosheets when adding egg white in a hydrothermal system. The gas sensing measurements revealed that the response of the sensor made from the templated ZnO nanosheets to ethanol gas is nearly 6·9 times higher than that of ZnO without using egg white as template, and its response and recovery time are 3 and 5 s respectively. Furthermore, it shows an excellent antibacterial activity againstStaphylococcus aureus. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

SUMMARY The optimal treatment for patients with local esophageal cancer (cT2N0 disease) has not yet been defined. We sought to determine whether neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT) can improve prognosis compared with direct esophagectomy in this patient group. Between 1994 and 2005, patients with cT2N0 esophageal squamous cell carcinoma who underwent either neoadjuvant CRT or surgery as first-line treatment were retrospectively reviewed. We collected information on their demographic characteristics, staging modality, clinical and pathological stages, perioperative course, and survival. The study endpoints included tumor recurrence, disease-specific survival (DSS), and overall survival rate. Of the 71 eligible patients, 14 received an esophagectomy first, whereas the remaining 57 received neoadjuvant CRT first. Despite the high pathological complete response (pCR) rate of 37% after neoadjuvant CRT, routine neoadjuvant CRT did not translate into better survival compared to direct surgery (5-year DSS: 39% vs. 68%, P= 0.17). The dramatic survival difference between pCR and non-pCR patients (5-year DSS: 85% vs. 4%, P < 0.001) accounts for these unsatisfactory results. In our series, the administration of neoadjuvant CRT to patients with clinical stage T2N0 esophageal squamous cell carcinoma did not significantly improve outcomes compared with direct esophagectomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study attempted to determine the presence, distribution and levels of digestive proteases, pepsin, amylase and lipase in the homogenates of digestive tract of a freshwater, cold-adapted, carnivorous teleost of Tibet, Glyptosternum maculatum ( n = 10, mean weight: 129.6 ± 28.9 g, mean length: 195.1 ± 16.6 mm, approximately 6 years old), at different temperatures and pH levels. The descending order of protease activity was as follows: stomach (pepsin, 16.16 ± 0.96 U/mg protein), anterior intestine (3.18 ± 0.25 U/mg protein), posterior intestine (1.76 ± 0.21 U/mg protein) and middle intestine (1.52 ± 0.23 U/mg protein). Amylase activity levels in descending order were as follows: anterior intestine (0.0062 ± 0.0007 U/mg protein), stomach (0.0032 ± 0.0009 U/mg protein), middle intestine (0.0023 ± 0.0005 U/mg protein) and posterior intestine (0.0023 ± 0.0004 U/mg protein). The highest lipase activity was found in the anterior intestine (0.83 ± 0.25 U/mg protein), followed by posterior intestine (0.51 ± 0.19 U/mg protein), middle intestine (0.48 ± 0.09 U/mg protein) and stomach (0.39 ± 0.10 U/mg protein). The optimal temperature and pH level for protease were 50 °C and 9.0-10.0, respectively, along the intestine. The pepsin optima in the stomach were 30 °C and 2.0 respectively. The optimal temperature for amylase was found to be 30 °C along the digestive tract and the optimal pH was 7.0 in the intestine and 6.0 in the stomach. The optimal temperature and pH levels of lipase were 30 °C, pH 6.0 for the stomach and 40-50 °C, pH 8.0 for the intestine, respectively. Hepato-somatic index was 1.35 ± 0.2% and relative intestine length was 0.90 ± 0.19. The weight ratio of the stomach and intestine to body weight was 1.63 ± 0.43% and 1.57 ± 0.24% respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

XRCC1 plays a central role in mammalian DNA repair processes. Two polymorphisms of XRCC1, rs1799782 (Arg>Trp at codon 194) and rs25487 (Arg>Gln at codon 399), are common in the Han Chinese population. Our objective was to analyze the relationship between these two functional single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in the Taiwanese Han Chinese population. Genotyping was performed by polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) on 172 SLE patients and 160 normal controls. Our data indicate that the frequency of A/G at codon 399 differed between patients and controls (p=0.01; odds ratio: 1.80; 95% confidence interval: 1.17-2.75), but the allelic frequency analysis did not reveal significant differences. For the SNP at codon 194, there were no differences in either allelic or genotype frequencies between SLE patients and normal subjects. Clinical association studies of SLE symptoms revealed the involvement of the A/G polymorphism at codon 399 in SLE pathogenesis. Our results indicate that a functional SNP at codon 399 of XRCC1 is associated with the development of SLE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The anaesthetic management of children with craniofacial abnormalities often presents unique challenges because soft tissue and bony abnormities can affect the airway and influence airway management. We report four paediatric patients with predicted difficult airways due to craniofacial abnormalities. They all had a laryngeal view of Cormack–Lehane grade IV and were impossible to intubate using direct laryngoscopy. Fibreoptic intubation was also repeatedly attempted but was not successful. All the tracheal intubations were completed using a lightwand on the first attempt in less than 30 s. We consider that lightwand guided intubation technique may be a useful alternative approach to fibreoptic intubation technique in managing the difficult paediatric airway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unlabelled: We retrospectively analysed the clinical features and outcome of children under 17 years of age with necrotising pneumonitis (NP). The radiographs and CT scans of the chest of children under 17 years of age between July 1995 and March 1999 who had complicating community-acquired pneumonia were reviewed. CT scans were obtained for persistent fever, respiratory distress and sepsis despite empiric antibiotic therapy and closed tube drainage. A total of 21 children had the radiographic features of NP of whom 11 (52%) patients were successfully managed using antibiotic therapy with or without closed tube drainage. Ten patients required thoracoscopic decortications and/or lysis of pleural adhesions or debridement of empyema due to refractory pleural sepsis, failure of pulmonary re-expansion and persistent air-leaks. The most common pathogens identified were Streptococcus pneumoniae (n = 3), Staphylococcus aureus (n = 2), and Haemophilus influenzae type b (n = 2). The days of hospital stay, duration of fever and days of C-reactive protein return to normal were significantly less for the medically versus the surgically treated children (P < 0.05).Conclusion: The clinical course of necrotising pneumonitis in children following complicated pneumonia is often prolonged despite adequate antibiotic therapy. Necrotising pneumonitis with co-existing multiple loculations, pneumothorax/ bronchopleural fistula in the empyema and extensive pleural peel are poor prognostic factors for medical therapy. Thoracoscopic removal of loculated empyema, lysis of adhesions and/or decortication are effective in relieving tachypnoea, chest pain, and controlling fever and improve the outcome, especially in children with empyema. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The literature contains few reports on negative outcomes after thoracoscopic spinal surgery. Methods: From November 1995 to February 1998, 90 patients underwent minimally invasive spinal surgery by thoracoscopic assistance as treatment for their anterior spinal lesions. The diagnoses included 41 spinal metastases, 13 cases of scoliosis, 12 burst fractures, 10 cases of tuberculous spondylitis, 8 cases of pyogenic spondylitis, 2 thoracic disc herniations, 2 cases of ankylosing spondylitis with discitis, 1 osteoporotic compression fracture, and 1 case of thoracolumbar kyphosis. The procedures included biopsy only (3 patients); thoracic discectomy (3 patients); multilevel anterior releases, discectomy, and fusion (14 patients); corpectomy for decompression (6 patients); corpectomy and interbody fusion (32) patients; and internal instrumentation (28 patients). Results: A total of 30 complications were noted in 22 patients (24.4%). Two fatal complications occurred, resulting from massive blood transfusion in one case and postoperative pneumonia in another. Other nonfatal complications included four cases of transient intercostal neuralgia, three superficial wound infections, three cases of pharyngeal pain, two cases of lung atelectasis, two cases of residual pneumothorax, two cases of subcutaneous emphysema, one inadvertent pericardial penetration due to adhesion, one chylothorax that resolved after conservative management, one vertebral screw malposition, and one graft dislodgement that needed late revision surgery. Three patients required ventilatory support for longer than 72 hours. Five patients with spinal metastases had an estimated intraoperative blood loss of more than 2,000 ml. No injury to the internal organs or spinal cord was observed. There were four conversions to open procedures due to two cases of severe pleural adhesions and two poorly tolerated one-lung ventilation. At the latest follow-up, nine patients had died as a result of cancer dissemination. Conclusions: (a) Well-selected patients and attention to details are essential to optimizing surgical results. (b) A refined technique for less invasive tumor surgery has been developed. (c) Surgeons had better experience with the standard anterior spinal approach and showed no hesitation in converting to an open procedure when necessary. A procedure failure does not mean a treatment failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]