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Change of water environment is strongly associated with mosquito breeding. Because of long-term effectiveness, low cost and high environmental compatibility, ecological pollution control systems have been widely used in water pollution control projects. However, the potential effects of mosquito breeding are likely to cause expansion of mosquito populations and an increase in the risk of transmission of vector-borne diseases, which may become an urgent problem to be solved during the water environment "post-remediation" period. This review summarizes the physical, chemical and biological factors affecting mosquito breeding caused by water environment changes and analyzes the effects of water pollution control approaches on mosquito breeding and the underlying mechanisms, so as to promote the interdisciplinary connections between water pollution control and vector control, and avoid secondary disasters caused by ecological environment restoration, such as mosquito infestation. This review may provide insights into the use of technology combinations and water pollution control approaches in vector control.

The ProtoDUNE-SP detector is a single-phase liquid argon time projection chamber (LArTPC) that was constructed and operated in the CERN North Area at the end of the H4 beamline. This detector is a prototype for the first far detector module of the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE), which will be constructed at the Sandford Underground Research Facility (SURF) in Lead, South Dakota, U.S.A. The ProtoDUNE-SP detector incorporates full-size components as designed for DUNE and has an active volume of 7 x 6 x 7.2 m3. The H4 beam delivers incident particles with well-measured momenta and high-purity particle identification. ProtoDUNE-SP's successful operation between 2018 and 2020 demonstrates the effectiveness of the single-phase far detector design. This paper describes the design, construction, assembly and operation of the detector components.

The velocity/pressure (V/P) switching time, the transition from the filling phase to the holding phase during the injection molding cycle, plays a crucial role in ensuring the quality of the injection molding. Improper settings can lead to a variety of defects, including oversize/undersize, excessive residual stress, flash, warpage, and the like. There are currently many V/P switching methods to choose from. For example, when the injection time or the screw position reaches a prescribed value, that is, when a specified percentage of the cavity is filled with the molten resin, the switching time can be started. These traditional V/P switching methods should work well using precision injection molding machines to ensure accurate and repeatable motion control. However, the quality of shot-to-shot injection molding still varies with environmental changes, such as varying mold/melt temperatures. In this study, we propose a V/P switching adjustment method involving part weight or maximum clamping force increments. It was found that the weight of the injection molded part was highly correlated with the maximum clamping force increment and the V/P switching time. Experimental verification by considering various settings such as V/P switching time, injection speed and holding pressure show that the adjustment method is a feasible means of assuring quality consistency.

The observation of 236 MeV muon neutrinos from kaon-decay-at-rest (KDAR) originating in the core of the Sun would provide a unique signature of dark matter annihilation. Since excellent angle and energy reconstruction are necessary to detect this monoenergetic, directional neutrino flux, DUNE with its vast volume and reconstruction capabilities, is a promising candidate for a KDAR neutrino search. In this work, we evaluate the proposed KDAR neutrino search strategies by realistically modeling both neutrino-nucleus interactions and the response of DUNE. We find that, although reconstruction of the neutrino energy and direction is difficult with current techniques in the relevant energy range, the superb energy resolution, angular resolution, and particle identification offered by DUNE can still permit great signal/background discrimination. Moreover, there are non-standard scenarios in which searches at DUNE for KDAR in the Sun can probe dark matter interactions.

This paper aims to investigate the shear strength of cross-anisotropic Toyoura sand by three-dimensional (3D) discrete-element simulation with non-spherical particles. Twenty true triaxial tests with constant mean pressure, different intermediate principal stress ratio [b = (σ2 − σ3)/(σ1 − σ3)] and different bedding angle δ (the angle between the bedding plane and the horizontal plane) were simulated. The results show that an increase in b induces a decrease in shear strength when δ is fixed. As the major principal stress direction changes from perpendicular to parallel with respect to the bedding plane, the shear strength decreases. The shear strength was characterised by a modified Mohr–Coulomb strength criterion by considering the influence of the material fabric. The characteristic of peak shear strength decreasing with b and δ can be well captured by the modified criterion. A 3D failure surface in φ–b–δ space was obtained from the simulated results; the combined influences of b and δ on the friction angle were investigated in detail. These varying characteristics of friction angle with b and δ can be captured by the modified strength criterion.

A Fresnel lens is characterized by a micrometer-sized v-grooved structure, and its microstructure quality and curvature accuracy strongly influence its illuminance performance. In this study, a mold is designed for fabricating a Fresnel flash lens involving injection compression molding (ICM). The Taguchi method and parametric analysis are applied to examine the effect of process parameters (mold temperature, melt temperature, injection speed, packing pressure, compression pressure, and time) on the molding quality. Increasing the mold temperature and packing pressure generally improves the polymer melt fill in microsized cavities. ICM enables the realization of v-grooved microstructures with an accurate height replication rate (96.1%) as well as high curvature accuracy (6 μm), creating good optical qualities of the fabricated Fresnel lens with respect to maximum illuminance and illuminance uniformity.

A series of polycrystalline La0.5Ca0.5Mn1−xFexO3 (x = 0.010, 0.025, 0.050, 0.075, 0.100, 0.125, 0.150, 0.175 and 0.200) was synthesized using a solid state reaction. We investigated the electrical resistivity, thermopower, and magnetization as a function of temperature. La0.5Ca0.5MnO3 exhibits a large thermal hysteresis in its electrical resistivity, thermopower, and magnetization, which can be attributed to the charge density waves pinned by impurities. The thermal hysteresis decreases with increasing Fe content up to x = 0.050 and disappears at even higher x. La0.5Ca0.5MnO3 shows nonmetal-like behavior in terms of its electrical resistivity within the entire investigated temperature range of 80–300 K, while the x = 0.010 and 0.025 samples show metal–nonmetal transitions in their electrical resistivity at about 137–149 K. The metal–nonmetal transition can be attributed to the reduction of charge ordering at small Fe content values. However, there is no metal–nonmetal transition observed for x ≥ 0.050, which arises from the suppression of the double exchange mechanism at high Fe content values. The activation energy derived from electrical resistivity differs from that derived from thermopower, indicating that the conduction mechanism is polaronic transport in La0.5Ca0.5Mn1−xFexO3. The magnetic transition temperature is observed at ∼168 K and ∼135 K for x = 0.010 and 0.025, respectively. There is no magnetic transition observed for x = 0.100 and 0.200.

Background The deep neural network assisted in automated echocardiography interpretation joint to cardiologist final confirmation has now been gradually emerging. There were applications applied in echocardiography views classification, chamber size and myocardium mass evaluation, and certain disease detections already published. Our aim, instead of frame-by-frame “image-level” interpretation in previous studies, is to apply deep neural network in echocardiography temporal relationship analysis – “video-level” – and applied in automated left ventricle myocardium regional wall motion abnormalities recognition. Methods We collected all echocardiography performed in 2017, and preprocessed them into numeric arrays for matrix computations. Regional wall motion abnormalities were approved by authorized cardiologists, and processed into labels whether regional wall motion abnormalities presented in anterior, inferior, septal, or lateral walls of the left ventricle, as the ground truth. We then first developed a convolutional neural network (CNN) model to do view selection, and gathered parasternal long/short views, and apical four/two chamber views from each exam, as well as developing view prediction confidence for strict image quality control. Within these images, we annotated part of images to develop the second CNN model, known as U-net, for image segmentation and mark each regional wall. Finally, we developed the major three-dimensional CNN model with the inputs composed of four views of echocardiography videos and then output the final label for motion abnormalities in each wall. Results In total we collected 13,984 series of echocardiography, and gathered four main views with quality confidence level above 90%, which resulted in 9,323 series for training. Within these images, we annotated 2,736 frames for U-net model and resulted in dice score of segmentation 73%. With the join of segmentation model, the final three-dimensional CNN model predict regional wall motion with accuracy of 83%. Conclusions Deep neural network application in regional wall motion recognition is feasible and should mandate further investigation for promoting performance. Acknowledgement/Funding None

The adoption of the superposition principle for pile group may not be of sufficient accuracy when applied to a very large pile group. To solve the inherent defect, this paper has proposed a linear approximate method considering the interaction effect for both small and large pile groups in layered soil. In this method, a new theory for understanding the ‘pile group reinforcing effect’ for pile group is proposed to eliminate the error generated by the superposition principle. The result shows that the two-pile interaction factor and the efficiency of a large pile group are both significantly decreased by this ‘pile group reinforcing effect’.

Objective To explore the genetic polymorphism of Y chromosome D-M174 haplogroup and sub-haplogroups in East Asia. Methods The samples of 1 426 unrelated male individuals from East Asia were collected, and then 7 Y chromosome haplogroup D-M174 and the Y-SNP of its sub-haplogroups were detected with mini-sequencing. The 22 Y-STR genotypes were detected with DNA Typer™ Y26 kit. The haplogroup was analyzed using direct counting method, heatmap, phylogenetic cluster and network graph cluster, and then distribution of genetic polymorphism and the clustering relation between populations and samples of Y chromosome D haplogroup were discussed. Results Haplogroup D-M174 were distributed mostly among Tibetans （40.96%）and Japanese （35.71%）, while less or none were distributed among the surrounding areas of Tibet and other areas. Conclusion The geographical distribution of Y chromosome D-M174 haplogroup in East Asian populations has significant characteristics.东亚族群中Y染色体D-M174单倍群的遗传多态性.目的 研究Y染色体D-M174单倍群及下游分支在东亚族群的遗传多态性。 方法 收集东亚1 426份无关男性样本，用微测序技术检测7个Y染色体D-M174单倍群及下游分支的Y-SNP位点，用DNA Typer™Y26试剂盒检测22个Y-STR基因座，通过直接计数法、热图、系统发育聚类和网络图聚类进行单倍群分析，探讨Y染色体D单倍群遗传多态性分布、群体及样本间聚类关系。 结果 D-M174单倍群高频分布于西藏藏族人和日本人，分别为40.96%和35.71%，在西藏周边地区及其他地区呈现低频分布或无分布。 结论 Y染色体D-M174单倍群在东亚族群中具有明显的族群地域分布特征。.法医遗传学；遗传学，群体；Y染色体；多态性；单倍群；D-M174；东亚.

The authors present an interesting paper on the use of the interaction factor method (IFM) for settlement analysis of large pile groups. peer-reviewed

Summary The reproductive-derived serine protease inhibitor Kazal-type (Spink) has been identified in seminal plasma, and Spink–spermatozoa binding has been illustrated in many mammalian species including human. We used mice as experimental animal to study the mode of Spink action in the modulation of mammalian sperm activity. A Spink3-binding zone was cytochemically stained on the sperm head at apical hook separated from intact acrosome, whether the cells were capacitated or not. The Spink3–spermatozoa binding neither changed the population of cells in the uncapacitated, capacitated and acrosome-reacted status nor affected the capacitation-related protein phosphorylation and cell motility enhancement. Despite that, the Spink–spermatozoa interaction resulted in decreasing the intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) of the cell head and suppressing both the acrosome reaction induced by Ca+2 ionophore A23187 and the cell fertility. Furthermore, Spink3 seen on the head of spermatozoa in the uterine cavity after coitus could be removed by the trypsin-like activity in the uterine fluid of oestrous females, and free Spink3 in the uterine cavity suppressed the protease activity. We integrated our data to shed light on the molecular mechanism of how Spink and its inhibiting protease are interplayed to modulate the activity of mammalian spermatozoa during their transit in the reproductive tract.

This study presents a decentralised intelligent double integral sliding-mode control (IDISMC) system, which consists of five IDISMCs, to regulate and stabilise a fully suspended five-degree-of-freedom (DOF) active magnetic bearing (AMB) system. The system structure and drive system with differential driving mode (DDM) are introduced first. Then, the decoupled dynamic model of the five-DOF AMB is analysed for the design of the decentralised control. Moreover, a decentralised integral sliding-mode control (ISMC) system is designed based on the decoupled dynamic model to control the five-DOF AMB considering the existences of the uncertainties. Furthermore, since the control characteristics of the five-DOF AMB are highly non-linear and time varying, the decentralised IDISMC system is proposed to further improve the control performance of the five-DOF AMB. In each IDISMC, the adopted double integral sliding surface reinforces the control law with the integral (I) control feature. In addition, the control gains of the IDISMC can be adjusted on-line and the system uncertainty can also be observed simultaneously by using of a modified proportional–integral–derivative neural network (MPIDNN) observer. Thus, the proposed IDISMC combines the merits of the ISMC, adaptive control and neural network (NN). Finally, the experimental results illustrate the validities of the proposed control systems using various operating conditions.

This study elucidates the effects of key injection moulding and sintering factors on the dimensions and mechanical properties of 316L stainless steel metal injection moulded compact. Sintered parts of optimal quality can be produced by properly setting the process parameters. Taguchi method and principal component analysis are performed initially to elucidate and optimise the key control factors that affect the qualities of metal injection moulded compact. Next, a feasible process window is tested by observing the powder and binder distribution of green parts, for various control factors of injection moulding. Experimental findings show that, first, a proper injection speed facilitates mould filling during injection moulding and so improving the quality of sintered parts; second, temperature critically determines the rate of dimensional shrinkage, density and hardness of sintered parts; Third, optimal parameters setting can efficiently improve the quality of 316L metal injection moulded compact.

Accurate prediction of shear band formation in geomaterials is crucial in the solution of various stability problems in geotechnical engineering. The initiation of shear band is strongly dependent on the constitutive description of the prelocalization homogeneous deformation. Conventional plasticity models assume that coaxiality exists between the directions of principal stresses and the directions of plastic strain increments. Accumulating evidence has however shown that this assumption is not appropriate. In this paper, a noncoaxial constitutive modeling platform is presented in a general three-dimensional stress space. It is shown that the classical vertex-like structure, which has been widely adopted to describe the noncoaxial constitutive response, only represents the two-dimensional condition. Examples are presented to demonstrate the capability of the modeling platform in capturing the initiation and orientation of shear band in a granular soil. The significance of the noncoaxiality effects is illustrated by comparisons of the predictions produced by coaxial and noncoaxial (both two-dimensional and three-dimensional) plasticity models.

The field-weakening control of an indirect field-oriented (IFO) induction motor (IM) drive with good dynamic and static performances is studied. First, the operating characteristics of an IFO induction motor drive under conventional field-weakening control are studied to comprehend its limitations. In the proposed field-weakening control scheme, the normal d-axis flux current command is the first set. It consists of a major component generated based on conventional 1/wr approach and a loading compensating component. Then the normal command is augmented with transient and static compensating components to automatically further improve its defects. During the transient period, the former component is generated from the torque current tracking error and added to adaptively further adjust the field such that the current tracking control performance is improved; hence, the transient torque generating capability is also enhanced accordingly. Finally, a robust current controller and a detuning compensator are de...

Our objective was to examine and correlate 99mTc-diethylenetriaminopentaacetic acid (99mTc-DTPA) ventilation and 99mTc-macroaggregated albumin (99mTc-MAA) perfusion (V/Q) lung scans with spirometry in asymptomatic asthmatic children. We evaluated 89 subjects (age range, 6-15 years; mean age, 9.4 years), all with at least 70% predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV(1)). There were four V/Q scan patterns: normal in 38 (42.7%), inhomogeneous ventilation in 11 (12.4%), matched defects in 25 (28.3%) and mismatched perfusion defects in 13 (14.6%). The maximal mid-expiratory flow rate (MMEF) of the normal scan group was significantly different from that in the other groups. The MMEF of the inhomogeneous group was significantly different from that in the matched defect group and the mismatched perfusion defect group. No other significant differences in spirometric indices were found. In two children with perfusion defects, pulmonary arteriograms demonstrated no obstructive lesions. In conclusion, lung scans provide diagnostic information in asymptomatic asthmatic children, even when they are uncooperative. Abnormal scans are common in these children and are significantly correlated with reduced MMEF (% predicted), reflecting small airway flow obstruction. The pathophysiology of V/Q defects in asymptomatic asthmatic children warrants further investigation.

The InGaN/sapphire-based photovoltaic (PV) cells with Al0.14Ga0.86N/In0.21Ga0.79N superlattice structures that serve as absorption layers were grown on patterned sapphire substrates (PSSs). Under global air-mass 1.5 conditions, the short-circuit current density, the open-circuit voltage, and the fill factor obtained from the PV cells were 1.21 mA/cm2, 2.18 V, and 0.65, respectively, corresponding to a conversion efficiency of 1.71%. Compared with PV devices grown on flat sapphire substrates, the photocurrent of PSS-grown PV devices was enhanced by 26%. The improved PV performance was attributable to the positive effects of the PSS on the material quality.

The excavation face stability of shield tunnel under seepage condition was studied by 3D numerical simulation. By using elasto-plastic deformation/seepage finite element analysis, the deformation process when support pressure reduces from earth pressure at rest to limit state under seepage condition was obtained, and the failure mechanism of tunnel face and the limit support pressure were determined. The influence of the cohesion and friction angle of soil on the failure mechanism of tunnel face and limit support pressure under specific water table line were investigated. The results showed that the soil strength parameters affect the value of limit support pressure; however, only the friction angle of soil would change the failure mechanism obviously, but the soil cohesion would not. Furthermore, the influence of the water level change which is caused by tide on the face stability was studied. The results showed that the change of water table leads to the redistribution of pore water pressure around the tunnel face and results in the fluctuation of the limit support pressure.

Totally implantable venous access ports (TIVAPs) are frequently used in oncology patients who require long-term courses of chemotherapy. We report a silent, but potentially hazardous complication of catheter fracture and hepatic migration in a 64-year-old male. The patient presented with a painful, rapid swelling of subcutaneous tissue around the port area during a saline flush. A chest radiograph showed that the disconnected catheter had separated from the port and was no longer in its original location. A chest CT scan revealed that the disconnected catheter was found to be embolized to the right atrium, inferior vena cava and right hepatic vein. The patient was treated successfully with percutaneous transfemoral retrieval of the catheter under fluoroscopic guidance. To our knowledge, there have been no previous reports of migration of the fractured catheter of a TIVAP into the right hepatic vein. This case highlights that the integrity of TIVAPs should be ascertained before chemotherapeutic drugs are administered.

In this paper the active control of beam deflection through heating and cooling of Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) wires is examined. A phenomenological constitutive law for SMA wires is coupled with beam theory to provide predictions of beam shape upon temperature change in the SMA actuator. Both the linear and nonlinear beam theory are presented, enabling calculation of large deflections. Examples for a single wire attached at the tip of a uniform beam are given, but the procedure can easily be generalized for other configurations and utilized in control algorithms. Issues of design constraints for shape control with shape memory wires are addressed and the model is qualitatively verified by experiments.

Here we will present a simplification of the form of one popular shape memory alloy (SMA) constitutive model. This simplification allows a more compact written form and hence easier calculations with the one-dimensional SMA constitutive law first developed by Tanaka, later modified by Liang and Rogers, and again by Brinson. In addition, a new derivation of the model will be given based on micromechanics. In this context, comparisons between the Tanaka and two other models will be presented and implications discussed. It will be shown that the constitutive models are in fact quite similar, and that the important distinction between these SMA models is primarily in the formulation of the transformation kinetics. Several examples will be presented utilizing the models.

Retrovirus-mediated gene transfer of the human beta-globin gene into hematopoietic stem cells is an attractive approach to the therapy of human beta-globin gene disorders. However, expression of the transduced beta-globin gene linked to its proximal cis-acting sequences (-0.8 to +0.3 kb from the cap site) is considerably below the level required for a significant therapeutic effect. The discovery of the beta-locus control region (beta-LCR), organized in four major DNase I hypersensitive sites far upstream of the human beta-like globin gene cluster, provided a potential means to achieve a high level of expression of a linked human beta-globin gene, but initial attempts to incorporate beta-LCR derivatives in retroviral vectors resulted in the production of low-titer viruses with multiple rearrangements of the transmitted proviral structures. We now describe how extensive mutagenesis of the transduced beta-globin gene, eliminating a 372 bp intronic segment and multiple reverse polyadenylation and splicing signals, increases viral titer significantly and restores stability of proviral transmission upon infection of cell lines and bone marrow-repopulating cells. These optimized vectors have enabled us to analyze the expression properties of various retrovirally transduced beta-LCR derivatives in dimethylsulfoxide-induced murine erythroleukemia cells and to achieve ratios of human beta-globin/murine beta maj-globin mRNA, on a per gene basis, as high as 80%.

We report measurements of resistance and thermopower of RE 1.2 Sr 1.8 Mn 2 O 7+ δ (RE=Nd, Pr) ceramics up to a magnetic field of 5 T. Nitrogen annealing has dramatic effects on the transport in reducing the resistivity, shifting peak resistivity to a higher temperature, and shifting thermopower to more negative values. The value of Δ JT increases as a result of nitrogen annealing, indicating an enhanced Jahn–Teller distortion due to the increased Mn 3+ concentration. These results are consistent with the effects of nitrogen annealing on the transport of RE=La.

Adverse drug events (ADE) have been studied widely in hospitalised and emergency department (ED) patients. Less is known about the ED visits of drug-related injury in Taiwan. This study seeks to determine the incidence, risk and patient outcomes of ADE in an ED population.We conducted a prospective observational cohort study of patients 18 years and older presenting to the ED of an urban, tertiary medical centre. ED visits between 1 March 2009 and 28 February 2010 identified by investigators for suspected ADE were further assessed by using the Naranjo Adverse Drug Reaction probability scale. Outcomes (ED disposition, injury severity and preventability) and associated variables (triage, gender, drug category, number of drugs, Charlson comorbidity index score and ADE mechanism) were measured.Of 58,569 ED visits, 452 patients (0.77%) had physician-documented ADE. 24% of patients with ADE were hospitalised with life-threatening conditions, with a mortality rate of 10.0%. The majority of ADE were considered preventable (73.4%), and the unintentional overdose was the most common cause. Cardiovascular agents accounted for the most ADE (25.8%) and consisted of 65.3% of ADE in patients aged 65,years and older. Risk factors for ADE-related hospitalisation were elderly age (odds ratio (OR) 1.9, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.1-3.4), severity of ADE (OR 6.9, 95% CI 3.3-14.5) and higher Charlson comorbidity index scores (OR 3.4, 95% CI 2.0-5.7).ADE-related ED visits are not uncommon in Taiwan and many cases are preventable. ED-based surveillance may provide useful information for monitoring outpatient ADE.

The reproductive-derived serine protease inhibitor Kazal-type (Spink) has been identified in seminal plasma, and Spink-spermatozoa binding has been illustrated in many mammalian species including human. We used mice as experimental animal to study the mode of Spink action in the modulation of mammalian sperm activity. A Spink3-binding zone was cytochemically stained on the sperm head at apical hook separated from intact acrosome, whether the cells were capacitated or not. The Spink3-spermatozoa binding neither changed the population of cells in the uncapacitated, capacitated and acrosome-reacted status nor affected the capacitation-related protein phosphorylation and cell motility enhancement. Despite that, the Spink-spermatozoa interaction resulted in decreasing the intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca(2+)](i)) of the cell head and suppressing both the acrosome reaction induced by Ca(+2) ionophore A23187 and the cell fertility. Furthermore, Spink3 seen on the head of spermatozoa in the uterine cavity after coitus could be removed by the trypsin-like activity in the uterine fluid of oestrous females, and free Spink3 in the uterine cavity suppressed the protease activity. We integrated our data to shed light on the molecular mechanism of how Spink and its inhibiting protease are interplayed to modulate the activity of mammalian spermatozoa during their transit in the reproductive tract.

Several studies have suggested that the association between obesity and asthma may be stronger in females than in males, but the reason is still unclear.The aim of this study was to investigate whether differences in high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels explain why obesity is associated with asthma in females but not in males.This study prospectively enrolled 754 subjects ≥ 18 years old from hospital-based asthma patients and population-based controls. We measured adiposity factors [body mass index (BMI), waist circumference and waist-hip ratio], hs-CRP and total IgE levels.After adjusting for potential confounding factors, we found a significant association between BMI and asthma in females with a significant interaction of gender and BMI on asthma (χ(2) =10.2, P=0.004). If hs-CRP was added to the logistic model, the interaction was attenuated but still significant (χ(2) =7.02, P=0.03). After adjusting for BMI, we did not find that circulating hs-CRP concentrations were significantly associated with asthma in males and females.We found that BMI was associated with asthma in females, but our results do not support the suggestion that hs-CRP levels contribute significantly to the link between obesity and asthma with respect to gender disparity.

In this paper, a simplified analytical method was developed for the axial harmonic response of partially embedded pile groups in layered soil. Based on pile-to-pile interaction factors, a transfer matrix method was used to setup the dynamic model of partially embedded pile groups. A comprehensive parameter study focused on the influence of length ratio(L1/L2), pile spacing(s/d) and vibration frequency(f) on the dynamic response of pile groups, and following conclusions could be got: (1) the increase of length ratio(L1/L2) would reduce vertical dynamic impedance of single and pile groups; (2) the pile-pile interaction factors vary with the pile spacing and vibration frequency, and will be seriously weaken for length ratio (L1/L2); (3) the length ration (L1/L2) has evident influence on dynamic response of pile foundations with the rise of vibration frequency.

We demonstrate for the first time that cellular aging in vitro is accompanied by a dramatic elevation in the levels of ryanodine receptor-bearing Ca2+ channels. These channels normally reside within microsomal membranes and gate Ca2+ release from intracellular stores. We therefore measured cytosolic Ca2+ levels in 'young' (30 mean population doublings, MPDs) and 'senescent' (53 to 58 MPDs) human diploid fibroblasts (HDFs). Application of the known ryanodine receptor modulators, caffeine or cyclic adenosine diphosphate-ribose (cADPr), triggered cytosolic Ca2+ signals in both young and senescent cells. The signal magnitude however was significantly greater in senescent compared with young HDFs. In parallel, incubation with a highly specific anti-ryanodine receptor antiserum resulted in specific immunofluorescence only in senescent HDFs. We envisage that elevated levels of functional ryanodine receptors may underlie the defective Ca2+ handling and cellular degeneration that occurs with aging.

The high bond strength between restorative resin and dentine plays an important role in long-term performance of restorations in the oral environment. A variety of treatment techniques have been described to enhance the bond strength of composite resin to dentine. Unfortunately, few studies have reported available bond durability of adhesive resins to dentine. The purpose of this research was to study the shear bond strength of composite resin to dentine pre-treated with phosphoric acid, self-etching agent or Nd:YAP laser irradiation. The durability of bond strength between resin and dentine stored in the artificial saliva thermocycling between 5 and 55 degrees C was also evaluated. The scanning electron microscope was used to assess the treated-dentine surfaces. The mean value of the shear bond strength in the acid-etching group (18.2 +/- 4.9 MPa) was the highest among the three dentine treatments (self-etching system: 12.6 +/-3.0 MPa, Nd:YAP laser: 13.4 +/- 3.3 MPa) prior to thermocycling. After thermocycling, shear strength values of all treated dentines decreased with increasing number of the cycles. When subjected to 3000 thermocycles, the mean bond strengths of these pre-treated samples to composite resin became 9.1 +/- 1.4, 7.8 +/- 1.8, and 8.1 +/- 1.7 MPa for acid-etching, self-etching and laser-irradiation, respectively, with a significant reduction of 38-50%.

NK cells destroy microbe-infected cells while sparing healthy cells, and are controlled, in part, by inhibitory receptors specific for class I Ag-presenting molecules. CD1d1, a β2-microglobulin-associated class I-like molecule, binds glycolipids and stimulates NKT cells. We previously demonstrated that target cell lysis by IL-2-activated mouse NK cells is inhibited by target cell expression of CD1d1, suggesting that IL-2-activated NK cells may express a CD1d1-specific inhibitory receptor. We now report that a significant subset of mouse IL-2-activated NK cells specifically binds cell size beads displaying either naturally expressed or recombinant CD1d1. In contrast, although tetramers of soluble recombinant CD1d1 loaded with α-galactosylceramide identify NKT cells, binding of this reagent to resting or IL-2-activated NK cells was undetectable, even with activated NK cells sorted with CD1d1 beads. Cytotoxicity by the CD1d1 bead-separated NK subset was strongly inhibited by CD1d1, compared with the NK cell subset not bound to CD1d1 beads. An Ab that blocks NKT cell recognition of CD1d1 also reverses CD1d1 inhibition of NK lysis, suggesting that TCRs of NKT cells and NK inhibitory receptor(s) may interact with a similar site on CD1d1. These results provide direct evidence for a physical interaction of NK cells with CD1d1, mediated by a functional, CD1d1-specific low-affinity inhibitory NK receptor. Display of ligands on cell size beads to maximize multivalent interaction may offer an alternative approach to examine NK cell receptor-ligand interactions, particularly those of lower expression and/or lower affinity/avidity that may go undetected using tetrameric reagents.

To evaluate epithelial-mesenchymal interactions in morphological homeostasis through histologically orientated observations on the reduced enamel in epithelium.Specimens were taken from impacted molar sites in 20 patients using the surgery. These were processed using standard histological, pathological and biochemical techniques. Slides were observed with a Nikon Eclipse E-600, Plan Apo piece, Microscopy, and photography was done using a Nikon Coolpix 990 digital camera.Radiolucent lesions displayed the supporting fibrous connective tissue wall with stratified squamous epithelium lining mostly. None of the specimens displayed prominent CAM 5.2, and anti-human K7 reacuvity, and PAS positive staining.While the results of this study suggest that the reduced enamel epithelium showed a lower tendency in cell cycle, it does indicate that a histologically oriented study of reduced enamel epithelium is needed for the understanding of epithelial-mesenchymal interactions in morphogenesis.

We present our studies on: (1) absolute frequency measurement of Nd:YAG laser locked to Cs/sub 2/ transitions; (2) Nd:YAG laser locked to Doppler-broadened lines of iodine; and (3) Nd:YAG laser locked to CO/sub 2/ overtone transition.

The difference in histologic patterns of lung cancer between men and women in Taiwan may be associated with the heterogeneity in causal factors of lung cancer between the sexes. A sex- and age-matched case-control study was designed to investigate such a relationship.Cases consisted of 236 male and 291 female incident cases with newly diagnosed and histologically confirmed primary carcinoma of the lung, and were compared to one or two individually matched controls.Cigarette smoking, occupations, and previous tuberculosis history were found to independently correlate with an elevated risk of squamous/small cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma for male patients. However, there was little difference in the effect of these risk factors except smoking. The use of fume extractors in the kitchen, and the habit of waiting to fry after the fumes were emitted, separately explained the majority of the attributable fraction of female squamous/small cell carcinoma (28.2%) and adenocarcinoma (47.7%). With the exception of a kitchen with fume extractors and a clinical history of tuberculosis, the environmental causal factors of lung cancer were heterogeneous between these two histologic cell groups.Our results suggested that the causal factors of lung cancer might be specific for the type of tumor concerned. The gender-specific risk factors of lung cancer could partly explain the difference in cell-type distribution between men and women.

Environmental and occupational exposure to vanadium (V) dusts results in inflammation mainly confined to the respiratory tract. Macrophages apparently play an important role in mediating the inflammation via the production of many chemokines. In the current study, we investigated whether vanadium can regulate the gene expression of a CXC chemokine macrophage inflammatory protein-2 (MIP-2), and to determine the molecular mechanisms controlling MIP-2 gene expression. A mouse macrophage cell line RAW 264.7 was treated with sodium metavanadate (NaVO3) at the dose of 0.5, 5, or 10 microg/mi V. Northern blot analysis showed that induction of MIP-2 mRNA expression was in a dose-dependent manner. To define the time course of the inflammatory response, RAW 264.7 cells were exposed to 5 microg/ml V, MIP-2 mRNA in macrophages increased markedly as early as 1 h after treatment, maximally induced at 4 h and reduced to 2-fold above control levels by 6 and 8 h. The protein levels of MIP-2 in conditioned media, measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), was well correlated with the levels of MIP-2 mRNA following all of the treatments in the study. In addition, the increase in MIP-2 mRNA expression by vanadium was attenuated by co-treatment with the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC), at the doses of 10 and 20 mM, suggesting that the induction of MIP-2 mRNA is mediated via the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). To further investigate transcriptional regulation of the MIP-2 gene expression by vanadium, we performed RNA decay assay by measuring the half-life of MIP-2 mRNA. Co-treatment of macrophages with the transcriptional inhibitor actinomycin D at 5 microg/ml following exposure to 5 microg/ml V for 4 h revealed complete stabilization of vanadium-induced MIP-2 mRNA and no sign of mRNA degradation, at least, for 6 h, in comparison to the half-life of MIP-2 mRNA was approximately 2.5 h by bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treatment, supporting post-transcriptional stabilization as the predominant role of MIP-2 gene expression. In conclusion, these observations demonstrate that in vitro vanadium can induce MIP-2 mRNA expression, mediating, at least in part, via the production of ROS. In addition, the increase in MIP-2 mRNA level involves, most likely, post-transcriptional control via increased mRNA stability.

HGF is a pulmotrophic factor in the regeneration of an injured lung. However, the physiological role of HGF in vivo remains largely unknown. We studied HGF in patients with inflammatory lung diseases to investigate the clinical significance of HGF and compared with C-reactive protein (CRP) in inflammatory lung diseases. Forty-seven patients with inflammatory lung diseases (16 tuberculosis, 18 pneumonia, and 13 chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)) were studied. Fifty normal, healthy individuals were analyzed as normal control subjects. Serum HGF levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). Serum CRP levels were also performed. The mean +/- SE numbers of serum HGF levels in the patients with inflammatory lung diseases (4.33 +/- 0.41 ng/ml) were significantly elevated when compared with those in normal control subjects (0.36 +/- 0.02 ng/ml) (p0.0001). Serum HGF levels in patients with COPD was significantly lower than those were with tuberculosis or pneumonia (p0.05). There was a significant correlation between serum HGF levels and CRP in inflammatory pulmonary diseases (r = 0.48, p = 0.00087). The significantly decreased serum HGF levels in patients with improved inflammatory lung diseases were also observed subsequently. Our results suggest that secreted HGF may play an important role in bronchial epithelium reconstruction during respiratory inflammation.

Using a rabbit cornea model, our recent study demonstrated that Chen Medium (CM), an isotonic media enriched with nonlactate-generating high-energy substrates, is very effective for organ preservation. In the present study, the efficacy of CM is further evaluated with human corneasThe effectiveness of CM and Optisol for preserving the endothelial integrity of human corneas in vitro was evaluated by scanning electron microscopy. Clinical efficacy was evaluated in a total of 83 patients: 10 patients with keratoconus grafted randomly with either CM- or Optisol-stored cornea of the same donor, and 73 patients with various conditions grafted with CM-stored corneas. After surgery, visual acuity and quality of the graft were monitored for up to 4.6 years.The scanning electron microscopic study revealed that after 11-day storage at 4 degrees C, the CM-stored cornea had only marginal disruptive changes, 9.4+/-1.1%, in endothelial cells, as opposed to 42.4+/-4.6% of the Optisol-stored cornea. All 78 CM-stored corneas, including 67 with 12.2- to 17.7-hr death-to-storage time, 3-7.6 days of storage time, and initial marginal quality before storage, were successfully transplanted. These grafts were thin and clear, with an excellent epithelial integrity and without significant changes in endothelial cell density. Five Optisol-stored corneas were also successfully grafted; one of them, however, was edematous for about 4 weeks, and all the grafts were slightly thicker with substantial endothelial cell loss.Using a cornea model, present and recent studies show that CM is very effective for preserving tissue viability and endothelial integrity. Previous study revealed that CM-stored tissues maintained high levels of ATP and metabolic function, with suppression of lactate formation and accumulation. Thus, these findings support the concept that preservation of tissue viability is closely associated with the ability of the tissues to retain metabolic activity, to generate ATP efficiently, and to prevent acidosis effectively during storage.

Transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-alpha), a member of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) family that binds to the EGF receptor (EGFR), is thought to function in an autocrine manner in non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC). Heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor (HB-EGF), a novel member of the EGF family, also binds to EGFR. To compare the expression of HB-EGF, TGF-alpha and EGFR genes in NSCLC and normal lung tissue, we measured the levels of messenger RNA (mRNA) for these genes in human NSCLC and normal lung tissues by Northern hybridization, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and in situ hybridization. A total of eight specimens (paired tumor tissue and normal lung tissue) were harvested from four patients who underwent resection of primary resectable NSCLC. HB-EGF was not expressed in either tumor tissue or normal lung tissue, while EGFR and TGF-alpha were expressed in all samples. TGF-alpha was overexpressed in all tumor tissue samples by several hundred-fold, while the expression of EGFR was not significantly different in tumor tissue and normal lung tissue. There was no correlation between the expression of TGF-alpha and EGFR. In situ hybridization showed that TGF-alpha mRNA was localized mainly in the cancer cells of tumor tissues and in the macrophages of alveoli in normal lung tissue. Our results showed that HB-EGF plays no role in the growth of NSCLC, and that there was no significant overexpression of EGFR in tumor tissue. TGF-alpha may play a major role in the growth of NSCLC. This supports a new direction in rational NSCLC treatment.