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A system thermal-hydraulics model for a fluoride-salt-cooled high-temperature reactor (FHR) based on the small modular advanced high-temperature reactor (SmAHTR) design concept is developed, using RELAP5-3D. The SmAHTR components modelled in the simulations include: the reactor core, lower plenum, upper plenum, top plenum, three Primary Heat Exchangers (PHX's) equipped with three primary pumps, and three Director Reactor Auxiliary Cooling System (DRACS) equipped with three fluid diodes. Flows through the reactor core are represented by 19 individual fuel channels, one reflector-hole channel, and one downcomer channel. In each of the 19 SmAHTR fuel block channels, the fuel elements are modeled in 5 groups using 5 heat structures, each with their corresponding power level. The total reactor power is 125 MWth. Using representative core power distributions for the SmAHTR at beginning-of-cycle (BOC) and at end-of-cycle (EOC), two steady-state system thermal-hydraulic model simulations with RELAP5-3D were performed using a default pressure drop loss factor of 1.5 for all 19 fuel channels. Exit coolant temperatures ranged from 688°C to 739°C (BOC) and from 696°C to 721°C (EOC), while peak fuel centerline temperatures in the highest power block were 1,249°C (BOC) and 1,029°C (EOC). By adjusting the loss factors to modify coolant flow rates in each channel, a more uniform exit coolant temperature was possible.

Bacterial cellulose (BC) is a promising biopolymer, but its three-dimensional structure needs to be controllable to be used in multiple fields. BC has some advantages over other types of cellulose, not only in terms of purity and properties but also in terms of modification (in situ modification) during the synthesis process. Here, starches from different sources or with amylose/amylopectin content were added to the growth medium to regulate the structural properties of BC in-situ. The obtained BC membranes were further modified by superhydrophobic treatment for oil-water separation. Starches alter the viscosity of the medium, thus affecting bacterial motility and cellulose synthesis, and adhere to the microfibers, limiting their further polymerization and ultimately altering the membrane porosity, pore size, and mechanical properties perpendicular to the BC fibril layer direction. The average pore diameter of the BC/PS membrane increased by 1.94 times compared to the initial BC membrane. The chemically modified BC/PS membrane exhibited super-hydrophobicity (water contact angle 167°), high oil-water separation flux (dichloromethane, 23,205 Lm

To evaluate the effect of sonication, repeated freeze-thaw cycles, calcium salt solution and their combination on the content of related growth factors (GFs) released by platelet rich plasma (PRP).Twenty PRPs from healthy blood donors were divided into 9 groups, including sonication group, freeze-thaw group, calcium gluconate group, calcium chloride group, sonication + calcium gluconate group, sonication + calcium chloride group, freeze-thaw + calcium gluconate group, freeze-thaw + calcium chloride group, and sonication + freeze-thaw group. After PRP activated by above 9 methods, the content of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB) were detected by ELISA.The platelet concentration of the samples was (966.7±202.6)×10Among the 9 activated methods of PRP, there is no difference between two calcium salt solutions. And the combination of repeated freeze-thaw cycles and sonication may be the best treatment method to promote PRP to release GFs, while calcium gluconate is the weakest way.不同处理方式对富血小板血浆相关生长因子的影响.探究超声、冻融、钙离子及其组合等处理方法对富血小板血浆（PRP）释放生长因子含量的影响.20份PRP来自健康献血者，根据不同处理方式将每份分为9组，即超声组、冻融组、葡萄糖酸钙组、氯化钙组、超声+葡萄糖酸钙组、超声+氯化钙组、冻融+葡萄糖酸钙组、冻融+氯化钙组、超声+冻融组，采用ELISA检测每组处理后的PRP中转化生长因子β1（TGF-β1）、血管内皮生长因子（VEGF）、血小板衍生生长因子BB（PDGF-BB）的含量.样本的血小板浓度为(966.7±202.6)×109种PRP处理方式中，两种钙离子激活剂无差异；反复冻融及超声处理可能是促进PRP释放生长因子的最佳方式，葡萄糖酸钙则是作用最弱的方式.

Objective To understand the characteristics of DNA methyltransferase 3a (DNMT3a) in thymoma associated Myasthenia Gravis reveal its transcriptional regulator network as while as analyze the effect of DNMT3a on Rel/ nuclear factor-kappaB family (RelA/RelB) and its downstream autoimmune regulatory factor (Aire). Methods Tissues of 30 patients with thymoma, with or without myasthenia gravis (MG), were collected and the DNMT3a protein expression were evaluated through immunohistochemistry. We performed mRNA expression profiling microarray detection and analysis, and integrated the analysis by constructing protein-protein interaction networks and the integration with other database. We identified molecular difference between low and high DNMT3a in the thymoma by heatmap. We also performed PCR validation in thymoma tissues. The DNMT3a-shRNA plasmid was transfected into TEC cells, and these cells were treated with 5-aza-2-deoxycytidine, a blocker of DNMT3a. After the down-regulation of DNMT3a in TEC cells, the transcript and protein levels of RelA, RelB, Aire, and CHRNA3 were evaluated by western blotting. In addition, changes in gene expression profiles were screened through microarray technology. We performed differential gene analysis in the thymoma cohort by heatmap with R (v.4.3.0) software. Results In 30 matched tissue specimens, the expression of DNMT3a protein in thymoma with MG was lower than that in thymoma. Through mRNA expression profiling analysis, we constructed a co-expression network of DNMT3a and found direct interaction between IKZF1 and DNMT3a, and this co-expression relationship was overlappted with Cistrome DB database. We found up-regulation of 149 mRNAs and repression of 177 mRNAs in thymoma with MG compared with thymoma. Gene ontology and pathway analysis show the involvement of a multitude of genes in the mis-regulation of MG-related pathways. RNA interference significantly reduced the level of mRNA of DNMT3a, which proved that plasmid DNMT3a was effective. In comparison to the control group, the levels of DNMT3a, Aire, and CHRNA3 mRNA and protein in TEC cells transfected with DNMT3a-shRNA interference plasmid were significantly decreased, while the expression level of RelA and RelA/RelB was significantly increased. Conclusions Our study reveals the DNMT3a-NF-κB pathway has a major effect on MG, and can be used as a marker for diagnosis as well as a target for MG treatment.

Pullulan is an important polysaccharide. Although its synthetic pathway in Aureobasidium melanogenum has been elucidated, the mechanism underlying its biosynthesis as regulated by signaling pathway and transcriptional regulator is still unknown. In this study, it was found that the expression of the UGP1 gene encoding UDPG-pyrophosphorylase (Ugp1) and other genes which were involved in pullulan biosynthesis was controlled by the transcriptional activator Msn2 in the nuclei of yeast-like fungal cells. The Ugp1 was a rate-limiting enzyme for pullulan biosynthesis. In addition, the activity and subcellular localization of the Msn2 were regulated only by the cAMP-PKA signaling pathway. When the cAMP-PKA activity was low, the Msn2 was localized in the nuclei, the UGP1 gene was highly expressed, and pullulan was actively synthesized. By contrast, when the cAMP-PKA activity was high, the Msn2 was localized in the cytoplasm and the UGP1 gene expression was disabled so that pullulan was stopped, but lipid biosynthesis was actively enhanced. This study was the first to report that pullulan and lipid biosynthesis in yeast-like fungal cells were regulated by the Msn2 and cAMP-PKA signaling pathway. Elucidating the regulation mechanisms was important to understand their functions and enhance pullulan and lipid biosynthesis.

The challenge to improve the clinical efficacy and enlarge the population that benefits from immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is significant. Based on whole-exosome sequencing analysis of biopsies from NSCLC patients before anti-programmed cell death protein-2 (PD-1) treatment, we identified NLRP4 mutations in the responders with a longer progression-free survival (PFS). Knockdown of NLRP4 in mouse Lewis lung cancer cell line enhanced interferon (IFN)-α/β production through the cGAS-STING-IRF3/IRF7 axis and promoted the accumulation of intratumoral CD8

Innate and adaptive immune factors play significant roles in the pathophysiology of endometriosis. T helper 17 (Th17) cells, a pro-inflammatory T cell subset, were considered to contribute to the progression of endometriosis lesions. However, the regulatory mechanisms of Th17 cells in endometriosis remain unidentified, partially due to the difficulty in recovering live Th17 cells from endometriosis patients. In this study, by flow cytometry analysis of a set of chemokine receptors including CXCR3, CCR4, CCR10, and CCR6, live RORγt-and-IL-17A-expressing Th17 cells were enriched from peritoneal fluid (PF) of patients with different stages of endometriosis for the first time, RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq) of these PF Th17 cells revealed significantly up-regulated genes and down-regulated genes in stage I-II and stage III-IV endometriosis, compared with their counterparts in normal PF. In conclusion, this study provides a novel method to isolate live Th17 cells from endometriosis patients, unveils an array of differentially expressed genes in endometriosis Th17 cells, and offers valuable gene expression profile information for endometriosis clinical research.

Trisulfide bond enhances the stability and GSH sensitivity of doxorubicin dimeric prodrug nanoassemblies., Rational design of nanoparticulate drug delivery systems (nano-DDS) for efficient cancer therapy is still a challenge, restricted by poor drug loading, poor stability, and poor tumor selectivity. Here, we report that simple insertion of a trisulfide bond can turn doxorubicin homodimeric prodrugs into self-assembled nanoparticles with three benefits: high drug loading (67.24%, w/w), high self-assembly stability, and high tumor selectivity. Compared with disulfide and thioether bonds, the trisulfide bond effectively promotes the self-assembly ability of doxorubicin homodimeric prodrugs, thereby improving the colloidal stability and in vivo fate of prodrug nanoassemblies. The trisulfide bond also shows higher glutathione sensitivity compared to the conventional disulfide bond, and this sensitivity enables efficient tumor-specific drug release. Therefore, trisulfide bond–bridged prodrug nanoassemblies exhibit high selective cytotoxicity on tumor cells compared with normal cells, notably reducing the systemic toxicity of doxorubicin. Our findings provide new insights into the design of advanced redox-sensitive nano-DDS for cancer therapy.

Long-term immunoreactivity to mycobacterial antigens in Bovis Calmette-Guérin (BCG)-vaccinated population is not well investigated. Herein, 361 volunteer healthy donors (HDs) with neonatal BCG vaccination from Shanghai region (China) were enrolled. They were subdivided into ESAT-6/CFP10- (E6C10-) and ESAT-6/CFP10+ (E6C10+) groups based on gamma-interferon release assays (IGRAs). Three mycobacterial antigens, including Rv0934, Rv3006, and Rv3841, were subjected to the determination of immunoreactivity by ELISPOT assay. The immunoreactivities to three mycobacterial antigens were firstly compared among TB patients (N=39), E6C10+ HDs (N=78, 21.61% of HDs) and E6C10- HDs (N=283, 78.39% of HDs). It was revealed that Rv3006 was dominant upon M.tb infection, while Rv3841 was likely to be more responsive upon latent TB infection. In E6C10- population, the immunoreactivity to Rv3841 maintained along with aging, whereas those to Rv3006 and Rv0934 attenuated in E6C10- HDs older than 45 years old. Our study implies the shift of dominant antigens at different infection statuses, providing the clues for the selection of mycobacterial antigens in vaccine development and precision revaccination in the future.

Melanoma is a malignant skin cancer type associated with a high mortality rate, but its treatment is currently not ideal. Both microRNA (miR)-214 and cell adhesion molecule 1 (CADM1) are differentially expressed in melanoma, but their role in this cancer type remains unknown. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the role of CADM1 and miR-214 in melanoma to identify novel targets for its treatment. The expression levels of CADM1 and miR-214 in cells were detected by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). Moreover, cell viability, migration and invasion were measured by MTT, wound healing and Transwell assays, respectively. In addition, the relative expression levels of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related proteins in cells were detected by RT-qPCR and western blotting. It was found that the expression of CADM1 was inhibited in melanoma cells, while miR-214 expression was increased during melanoma tumorigenesis. Furthermore, miR-214 mimics promoted the viability, migration and invasion of melanoma cells. It was also demonstrated that the downregulation of CADM1 reversed the inhibitory effect of the miR-214 inhibitor in melanoma. Moreover, overexpression of CADM1 inhibited the EMT process in melanoma, while the miR-214 inhibitor suppressed the EMT process. The results also indicated that miR-214 promoted the EMT process by downregulating CADM1, which may represent a novel mechanism for the progression of melanoma.

Microscopic interactions between phycosphere microbiota and host algae play crucial roles in aquatic ecosystems. Despite their significance, there is a scarcity of available genome sequences derived from the phycosphere microbiome. Here, we report the draft genome sequences of nine heterotrophic proteobacterial strains isolated from the toxic dinoflagellate Alexandrium catenella LZT09 during execution of our Phycosphere Microbiome Project. Further exploration of the genomic features of the alga-associated bacterial community will profoundly help in deeply deciphering the processes and mechanisms governing the host-microbe interactome within algal holobionts in the ocean.

To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on learning and memory ability, hippocampal hypoxia inducible factor-1α(HIF-1α) and apoptosis in postoperative cognitive dysfunction(POCD) rats, and to investigate its mechanism underlying improvement of POCD.A total of 90 aged male SD rats were randomized into a sham-operation group, a model group and an EA group, 30 rats in each group, which were further divided into 3 time-point subgroups (1, 3 and 7 days after intevention, 10 rats in each subgroup). In the model group and the EA group, left hepatectomy was adopted to establish the model of POCD. In the sham-operation group, the skin was sectioned and no hepatectomy was operated. In the EA group, EA was applied at "Siguan" ["Hegu" (LI 4) and "Taichong" (LR 3)] with dilatational wave, 2 Hz/100 Hz in frequency, 1 mA in intensity, 20 min each time, once a day. Morris water maze test was adopted to observe the cognitive functions. Real-time PCR and Western blot were used to measure the hippocampal level of HIF-1α. TUNEL method was used to evaluate the hippocampal level of neurons apoptosis. Double immunofluorescence labeling was used to detect the colocalization of HIF-1α and apoptosis in the EA group.Compared with the sham-operation group, the escape latency was prolonged and the frequency of platform leaping was reduced in the model group (Electroacupuncture improves cognitive functions in postoperative cognitive dysfunction rats, which may be related to its effect in down-regulating the expression of hippocampal HIF-1α and inhibiting the neurons apoptosis.

Human platelets play important roles in several physiologic and pathologic processes. Any defects in platelet number and function can lead to a variety of bleeding complications; platelet transfusions are commonly used to improve platelet count and hemostatic function in these cases. However, transfusions are complicated by the short storage life of donated platelets and contamination risks. Synthetic platelet substitutes can render efficient hemostasis while allowing advantages of large-scale preparation, minimum contamination risk via effective sterilization, longer shelf-life, no need for blood type matching, and reduced risks of biologic or pathologic side effects. Recent efforts in synthetic platelet design have additionally focused on applications including hemostasis, drug delivery, and targeted delivery of cancer therapeutics. In the present review, we summarize the advancement of platelet-inspired nanomedicine for artificial blood component, tumor research, and treatment of thrombi.

In recent years, many histogram equalization algorithms have been proposed for the consumer electronics field. However, many of these algorithms are hard to realize. Even, for example, some algorithms may cause an effect on brightness saturation. Therefore, a range limited adaptive brightness preserving multi-threshold histogram equalization(RLAMHE) algorithm is presented in this paper. First, the input image is smoothed appropriately to obtain the number of its histogram peak points (N+1). Then the Otsu algorithm is extended by the N-threshold, and N segmentation thresholds of the image are obtained in this way, so that the image is segmented according to this threshold. In order to maximize the brightness of the input image, a range of the equalized image is recalculated according to the minimum Absolute Mean Brightness Error(AMBE) criterion of the input and the output image. Finally, all sub-images are equalized separately using the new equalization range. Test results show that the proposed algorithm is more efficient than other algorithms and can obtain sharper image details. Meanwhile, the overall brightness of the image is also ideal. Using this algorithm to process Lena graphs, the absolute mean luminance error is 0.416 4, which is obviously better than that obtained using RLBHE algorithm(0.629 5).

To study the coagulation properties the refrigerated whole blood stored at 4℃.Ten units of whole blood were obtained from healthy volunteer donors and stored at 4±2℃ for 21 days. Samples were collected on the day after donation and on days 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 14 and 21 for delection including complete blood count, electrolyte, APTT, PT, Fg, blood coagulation factors, and thromboelastography(TEG).The levels of Hb, WBC, Plt, sodium and potassium in each sample accorded with standard of storing whole blood. The level of Hb, WBC, Plt and NaThe whole blood stored for 10 days possesses normal coagulation function showing important significance for treatment of hemorrhage from war injury and surgical openation of heart and chest.

In order to obtain the optimum method for content determination of Forsythia Fructus (FF), a variety methods for the sample preparation of FF were evaluated by the content determination methods of Chinese Pharmacopoeia. And an optimum method was screened and as follows: 30 times with 70% ethanol solution in ultrasonic extractor for half an hour. The method can achieve the best effect of simultaneously extracting forsythoside A and forsythin. Then, a HPLC method for simultaneous determination of forsythoside A and forsythin was established by methodology. The HPLC chromatographic conditions: the mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile (A)-0.4% acetic acid solution (B) with gradient elution [0-33 min，15%A，33-43 min，15%-25%A，43-60 min，25% A] was at the flow rate of 1 mL·min⁻¹, the column temperature was 25 °C, and the detection wavelength was 330 and 277 nm. Moreover, the contents of forsythoside A and forsythin for 10 Green Forsythia Fructus (GF) and 5 Old Forsythia Fructus (OF) were determined by this method and Chinese Pharmacopoeia. The result not only displayed that the established method is effective, rapid, and simple, but also showed that the contents of forsythoside A and forsythin for GF and OF were significantly different. Which implied that the forsythoside A and forsythin limit standard for GF and OF should be controled by different values. This studies provide an important basis for the establishment of the content determination of FF and the quality control standard for GF and OF.

Two coordination polymers, formulated as {[Cd(1,4-BDC)(ppene)]·CH3CN}n (1) and [Cd(H2O)(1,2,4-HBTC)(ppene)0.5]n (2) have been synthesized through the solvothermal reactions between Cd(NO3)2·4H2O and 4-pyr-poly-2-ene (ppene) in the presence of 1,4-benzenedicarboxylic acid (1,4-H2BDC) or its derivative 1,2,4-benzenetricarboxylic acid (1,2,4-H3BTC). These two compounds were structurally characterized by infrared spectroscopy, elemental analysis, single crystal X-ray diffraction and powder X-ray diffraction. Compound 1 exhibits a three-dimensional two-fold interpenetrating 41263-pcu network. The coordination network of 2 shows a three-dimensional (4,5)-connected framework with rare (4462)(4466) tcs topology. Owing to the linkage of hydrogen bonding interactions between protonated carboxylic groups, 2 further displays a three-dimensional (5,5)-connected supramolecular network with an unprecedented Schlafli symbol (4862)(4664). Thermal stability and photoluminescence properties of 1 and 2 were also investigated.

To engineer multifunctional nanomedicines for simultaneous imaging and therapy of cancer cells, we have prepared Gambogenic acid (GNA) loaded folic acid (FA) armed MNPs (FA-GNA-MNPs) to target the folate receptor (FR) positive cancer cells. The FA-GNA-MNPs have been prepared by a facile method, which have been further characterized by SEM, TEM, IR and UV-vis spectra. And the cytotoxicity of FA-GNA-MNPs to HeLa and A549 cells was assessed using the MTT assay. The FA-GNA-MNPs (with loading efficiency of 4.35%) showed sustained liberation of GNA molecules (with 73.46% release in 96 h). The mean particle diameter (MD) of FA-GNA-MNPs and the polydispersity index (PDI) are 254.3 nm and 0.139, respectively. The cytotoxicity of free GNA and FA-GNA-MNPs toward HeLa cells showed that FA-GNA-MNPs was more cytotoxic than GNA. Based on these findings, it suggests that FA-GNA-MNPs would be as a novel multifunctional nanomedicine/theranostic for concurrent targeting, imaging and therapy of the FR-positive cancer cells.

Four aliphatic dicarboxylic acids azelaic acid (H2AZA), pimelic acid (H2PIA), adipic acid (H2ADA) and muconic acid (H2MUA) have been selected as O-donor ligands to build ZnII fluorescent coordination polymers in the presence of 1,4-bis[2-(4-pyridyl)ethenyl]-2,3,5,6-tetramethylbenzene. All these compounds were characterized by IR spectroscopy, elemental analysis, single-crystal X-ray diffraction and powder X-ray diffraction. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses for these complexes reveal that they are formulated as [Zn(AZA)(1,4-bpetmb)0.5]n (1), [Zn(PIA)(1,4-bpetmb)]n (2), [Zn(H2O)(ADA)(1,4-bpetmb)]n (3) and [Zn(MUA)(1,4-bpetmb)]n (4). Complexes 1–3 are 2D (4, 4) nets with different types of secondary building blocks. Complex 4 exhibits a 3D sixfold interpenetrating diamondoid framework. Thermal stability and photoluminescent properties of 1–4 were also investigated.

Mass production of carbon dots (CDs) derived from chondroitin sulfate (CS) was developed by the facile hydrothermal approach for the first time. The CS derived CDs (CSCDs) possessed good dispersibility and water solubility, bright blue and green luminescence, and relative pH- and photo-stable properties. Moreover, the multicolor CSCDs could be efficiently uptaken by SAS cells and exhibited low cytotoxicity. Therefore, the responses of human oral squamous cell carcinoma SAS cells to CSCDs were further investigated by evaluating their proliferation and invasion. Compared to CS, CSCDs not only provided higher efficiency for proliferation of SAS cells, and up-regulated expression of matrix metalloproteinases to mimic extracellular matrix secretion, but also portrayed fluorescence for labeling SAS tumor cells. Hence, the multifunctional CSCDs are expected to have potential for biomedical applications.

Two coordination polymers with three-dimensional (3D) architectures, formulated as {[Zn2(H2O)(2,5-tdc)2(bpa)2]·H2O}n (1) and [Zn2(2,5-tdc)2(dpbd)]n (2) [2,5-H2tdc = 2,5-thiophenedicarboxylic acid, bpa = 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)-ethane, and dpbd = 1,4-bis(4-pyridyl)-1,3-butadiene] were synthesized from the hydrothermal reactions of Zn(NO3)2·6H2O, 2,5-H2tdc, and bpa or dpbd, respectively. The two complexes were characterized by IR, elemental analysis, powder X-ray diffraction, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. 1 exhibits a fivefold interpenetrating diamondoid framework with two types of 4-connecting nodes. The structure of 2 shows a threefold interpenetrating pcu net. Thermal stability and photoluminescent properties of 1 and 2 were also investigated.

This paper proposes a new path planning algorithm based on the CNN model. The path planning problem is completed with the dynamics of CNN by establishing a relationship between path control points and CNN cells. Based on the analysis of one dimensional space of CNN algorithm, a CNN equation is constructed and the path updating algorithm under the curvature constraint is obtained, then the stability of the algorithm is discussed. Path planning simulation based on two-dimensional space shows that this algorithm can avoid re-planning or falling into the local minimum, which means it can be successfully used in the path planning and maintenance of robots on the ground in dynamic environment.

According to the differences in melting point between aluminum alloy and steel, 6013-T4 aluminum alloy was joined to galvanized steel by large spot Nd:YAG laser + MIG arc hybrid brazing-fusion welding with ER4043(AlSi5) filler wire. The microstructures and mechanical properties of the brazed–fusion welded joint were investigated. The joint is divided into two parts of fusion weld and brazed seam. There is a zinc-rich zone at fusion weld toe, which consists of α(Al)–Zn solid solution and Al–Zn eutectic. The brazed seam is the Fe–Al intermetallic compounds (IMCs) layer of 2–4 μm in thickness, and the IMCs include FeAl 2 , Fe 2 Al 5 and Fe 4 Al 13 . FeAl 2 and Fe 2 Al 5 are located in the compact reaction layer near the steel side, and Fe 4 Al 13 with tongue shape or sawtooth shape grows towards the fusion weld. The tensile strength of the joint firstly increases and then decreases as the welding current and laser power increase, the highest tensile strength can be up to 247.3 MPa, and the fracture usually occurs at fusion zone of the fusion weld. The hardness is the highest at the brazed seam because of hard Fe–Al IMCs, and gradually decreases along the fusion weld and galvanized steel, respectively.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between oxygen sensitivity of trophoblast and hypoxia in preeclamptic placenta by the study on the expressions of hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl 4-hydroxylase (PHD) and hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) in placentas from normal pregnant women and patients with pre-eclampsia. Methods: Subjects were chosen from the in-patients or the out-patients from May 2003 to May 2004. They were divided into 5 groups: early pregnancy group (EP), 13 cases; middle pregnancy group (MP), 9 cases; late pregnancy group (LP, or control group), 12 cases; preeclampsia (PE) group, 20 cases; gestational hypertension group (GH), 10 cases. The mRNA expressions of PHD-1 and -2 and -3 in placentas from all the subjects were assessed by in situ hybridization and Real-time PCR. The expressions of HIF-1α and -2α in placentas from different groups were assessed by immunohistochemistry and western blot. Results: PHD-1,-2 and -3 mRNA were mainly expressed in cytoplasm of trophoblast, especially strongly expressed in extravillous trophoblast. During the progress of pregnancy, the expression of PHD-1 increased significantly (R=0.616, P

A 26-year-old woman (G2P1A1) presented with a 5-week history of multiple red marks on her body after a therapeutic abortion. A physical examination found 15 palpable red marks on her head, neck, chest, arms and legs. Proliferating endothelial cells, which expressed CD31, CD34, von Willebrand factor, but not Glut-1 and merosin, were observed in the lesional area by histopathological analyses. Histocompatibility antigen typing of 2 lesions was identical to a sample from peripheral blood. Accelerated regression was observed in 2 lesions treated by intralesional injection of betamethasone, while spontaneous regression was observed within 9 months in the remaining lesions without any treatment. Rapid growth, spontaneous regression and histological analyses in this case support the diagnosis of ‘infantile hemangioma-like vascular lesion'.

Late Quaternary shallow-biogenic gas reservoirs are well-developed in the Qiantang River incised valley, eastern China. They present as sand bodies in the floodplain–estuary facies. Silty clay beds of floodplain–estuary facies and mud beds of estuarine–shallow marine facies serve as the direct and indirect cap beds, respectively, and the former has much better sealing ability. Capillary pressure sealing, pore water pressure sealing, and hydrocarbon concentration sealing contribute to the conservation of shallow-biogenic gas in the reservoirs, in which the pore water pressure sealing may be the most important factor. Here the capillary pressure sealing mechanism is clarified by an indirect method, i.e., the difference of permeability between the cap beds and reservoirs, as the displacement pressure of late Quaternary sediments which is unconsolidated is difficult to be tested. The cap beds have higher capillary pressure than the reservoirs for the far lower permeability. Pore water pressure of cap beds exceeds the total of pore water pressure and original gas pressure of underlying reservoirs. Disequilibrium compaction, swelling of clay minerals and gas generation are responsible for the generation of high pore water pressure. In addition, the hydrocarbon content of the cap beds is higher than that of the reservoirs which could restrain the flow up of gas in the reservoirs.

In order to improve the technical level of the rapid detection of liquor fermented grains, in this paper, use near infrared spectroscopy technology to quantitative analysis moisture, starch, acidity and alcohol of liquor fermented grains. Using CARS, iPLS and no information variable elimination method (UVE), realize the characteristics of spectral band selection. And use the multiple scattering correction (MSC), derivative and standard normal variable transformation (SNV) pretreatment method to optimize the models. Establish models of quantitative analysis of fermented grains by PLS, and in order to select the best modeling method, using R2, RMSEP and optimal number of main factors to evaluate models. The results showed that the band selection is vital to optimize the model and CARS is the best optimization of the most significant effect. The calculation results showed that R2 of moisture, starch, acidity and alcohol were 0.885, 0.915, 0.951, 0.885 respectively and RMSEP of moisture, starch, acidity and alcohol were 0.630, 0.519, 0.228, 0.234 respectively. After optimization, the model prediction effect is good, the models can satisfy the requirement of the rapid detection of liquor fermented grains, which has certain reference value in the practical.

Induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells are a potential cell source for regenerative medicine. However, the tumorigenicity of iPS cells is a big concern for clinical application. In addition to the genetic manipulation of the reprogramming process and the greater risk of tumor formation, it is unclear whether iPS cells with normal development potential are still tumorigenic. Here, we investigated 3 mouse iPS cell lines, including one line that is able to generate full-term mice via tetraploid blastocyst complementation. We found that a small number of undifferentiated iPS cells could be steadily isolated and expanded after long-term differentiation of cells in vitro or in vivo. The residual undifferentiated iPS cells could be expanded and redifferentiated, and undifferentiated pluripotent stem cells could again be isolated after further rounds of differentiation, suggesting that residual undifferentiated iPS cells could not be eliminated by extended cell differentiation. The residual undifferentiated cells could form teratomas in vivo, indicating that they are a potential tumorigenic risk during transplantation. These findings prompt us to reconsider the strategies for solving the tumorigenic problem of iPS cells, not only focusing on improving the reprogramming process.

With increasing commercial demand for its delicacy, Procambarus clarkii has become an important fishery resource of Poyang Lake in recent years. However, habitat loss, overfishing, and the crayfish plague have diminished P. clarkii populations throughout their area of distribution. In consequence, this study systemically analyses the population structure and dynamics of P. clarkii in the wetland of Poyang Lake using the analytical methods of Bhattacharya and Von Bertalanffy. The main purpose was to collect biological data necessary for the management of this species. The present study showed that the population structure consisted of a maximum of 5.58 age classes for females and 3.25 for males, which indicated that P. clarkii is a relatively short-lived species. The Y′/R analysis showed that Epresent > E0.5, which exceeded the optimization (Eopt) criterion of 0.5 for sustainable exploitation of fisheries, so this species was overexploited in Poyang Lake. The Lc (mean length at first capture) equals 67.5 mm. The estimated mesh size for catching the red swamp crayfish is 13.5 cm. The virtual population analysis model (VPA) showed that the largest annual catch of P. clarkii is 3.43 × 104 t. The Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) is 1.18 × 104 t. The low natural mortality rate range of 0.68-1.11 year−1 suggested that it is ecologically worthwhile to allow the individuals of P. clarkii to grow to larger sizes in order to contribute to the biomass for biologically optimal exploitation. This could be facilitated by the adoption of measures involving a closed season, which would help to conserve the fishery.

A type of pyrotechnic compositions battery was developed to meet the requirements of a subminiature and fastactivated reservoir battery which would be applied to shell fuze. This battery was activated by the pyrotechnic compositions contained in the electrodes. Once the ignition impulse worked, the pyrotechnic compositions took fire immediately and melted the electrolyte. Then the rest pyrotechnic compositions served as anode and cathode. The battery began to discharge. Electrical property tests taken on the prototype cells indicated that the performance of the pyrotechnic compositions batteries were improved greatly compared with common fuze batteries. Such property parameters contained volume, activation time and energy density.

Pseudomonas stutzeri ZWLR2-1 utilizes 2-chloronitrobenzene (2CNB) as a sole source of carbon, nitrogen, and energy. To identify genes involved in this pathway, a 16.2-kb DNA fragment containing putative 2CNB dioxygenase genes was cloned and sequenced. Of the products from the 19 open reading frames that resulted from this fragment, CnbAc and CnbAd exhibited striking identities to the respective α and β subunits of the Nag-like ring-hydroxylating dioxygenases involved in the metabolism of nitrotoluene, nitrobenzene, and naphthalene. The encoding genes were also flanked by two copies of insertion sequence IS 6100 . CnbAa and CnbAb are similar to the ferredoxin reductase and ferredoxin for anthranilate 1,2-dioxygenase from Burkholderia cepacia DBO1. Escherichia coli cells expressing cnbAaAbAcAd converted 2CNB to 3-chlorocatechol with concomitant nitrite release. Cell extracts of E. coli /pCNBC exhibited chlorocatechol 1,2-dioxygenase activity. The cnbCDEF gene cluster, homologous to a 3-chlorocatechol degradation cluster in Sphingomonas sp. strain TFD44, probably contains all of the genes necessary for the conversion of 3-chlorocatechol to 3-oxoadipate. The patchwork-like structure of this catabolic cluster suggests that the cnb cluster for 2CNB degradation evolved by recruiting two catabolic clusters encoding a nitroarene dioxygenase and a chlorocatechol degradation pathway. This provides another example to help elucidate the bacterial evolution of catabolic pathways in response to xenobiotic chemicals.

The concentrations of 12 heavy metals (Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, Mo, Sn, Sb, Tl, Pb, Bi) in the marine near‐shore sediment cores of the Yellow Sea, China were investigated. Core A sediments had significantly lower concentrations of heavy metals than those of both Cores B and C according to the Bonferronic multiple comparison method. Based on multivariate statistic approaches (factor analysis and cluster analysis), two factors were identified controlling the heavy metal variability in the sediments. The enrichment factor (EF) and geo‐accumulation index (I geo) indicated Sb contamination from three sediment cores in this study area.

In 1994, C.Thomassen proved that every planar graph is (namely ). In 1993, M.Voigt shown that there are planar graphs which are not . But no one know whether every planar graph is . In this paper, we give a important property on planar graph that “Every planar graph is ” and “Every planar graph is free ” are equivalent.

MYRICA RUBRA Sieb. et Zucc. leaves are commonly used in folk medicine to treat inflammatory disorders in China. Present studies on the anti-inflammatory effect of myricetin from MYRICA RUBRA Sieb. et Zucc. leaves was evaluated with various IN VIVO models of both acute and chronic inflammations such as xylene-induced ear edema, acetic acid-induced vascular permeability, carrageenan-induced paw edema, leukocyte migration assay, and cotton pellet granuloma models. Myricetin showed a significant inhibition on ear edema and hind paw edema caused by xylene and carrageenan, respectively. Furthermore, it also inhibited the increase in capillary permeability induced by the production of acetic acid in the human body. Myricetin significantly decreased the serum levels of MDA and, in turn, increased the serum levels of SOD in the carrageenan-induced paw edema model. Concurrently, myricetin also significantly decreased leukocyte count. During chronic inflammation, myricetin inhibited the formation of granuloma tissue. These results, collectively, demonstrate that myricetin possesses a potent anti-inflammatory function on acute and chronic inflammation. Its anti-inflammatory mechanisms are probably associated with the inhibition of antioxidant activity. These results also support the claims of traditional Chinese medicine practitioners about the use of MYRICA RUBRA Sieb. et Zucc. leaves in the treatment of inflammatory diseases.

As an essential metal for sustaining life, iron is involved in a number of metabolic processes, including DNA synthesis, electron transport, oxygen delivery, and so on. Iron metabolism involves the absorption, transport, and use of iron and is strictly regulated. Numerous studies have found a positive correlation between iron storage and the risk of tumors, such as colorectal carcinoma, hepatic cancer, renal carcinoma, lung cancer, and gastric cancer. In tumor cells, iron metabolism changes by several mechanisms, such as regulating the growth of tumor cells by transferrin, accelerating the uptake of iron by the overexpressions of transferrin receptors 1 and 2 (TfR1 and TfR2), synthesizing or secreting ferritin by some malignant tumor cells, and upregulating the level of hepcidin in patients with cancer. Some advances on diagnosis and treatment based on iron metabolism have been achieved, such as increasing the transfection and target efficiency of transferrin-polyethylenimine (PEI), inducing cell apoptosis by beta-guttiferin through interacting with TfR1.

Pandoraea sp. strain MCB032 was isolated as an emerging chlorobenzene degrader from a functionally stable bioreactor where species succession had occurred. In this study, two gene clusters encoding chlorobenzene metabolic functions have been cloned. Within the cbs gene cluster, CbsA and CbsB are similar to the chlorobenzene dioxygenase and the cis-chlorobenzene dihydrodiol dehydrogenase in Ralstonia sp. JS705 and shown to transform chlorobenzene to 3-chlorocatechol. The clc gene cluster shows strong similarity to the clc genes of Ralstonia sp. JS705 and encodes chlorocatechol 1,2-dioxygenase (ClcA) and other enzymes, which catalyze the conversion of chlorocatechol to 3-oxoadipate. The Michaelis constants (K m) values of ClcA for catechol, 3-methylcatechol and 3-chlorocatechol were determined as 10.0, 8.9 and 3.4 μM, respectively. CbsX, a putative transport protein present in the cbs cluster of strain MCB032 but not in those of other chlorobenzene degraders, shows 76 and 53% identities to two previously identified transport proteins involved in toluene degradation, TbuX from Ralstonia pickettii PKO1 and TodX from Pseudomonas putida F1. The presence of the transport protein in strain MCB032 likely provides a mechanistic explanation for its higher chlorobenzene affinity and may well be the basis for the competitive advantage of this strain in the bioreactor.

Myrica rubra Sieb. et Zucc. leaves are commonly used as an astringent, antidiarrheic, and analgesics in folk medicine in China. In the present study, the analgesic activity of myricetin, a major compound in Myrica rubra Sieb. et Zucc. leaves was evaluated in vivo. The analgesic effect of myricetin was tested by a serial of models, such as acetic acid-induced writhing response, formalin-induced paw licking and hot plate test. The sedative activity was evaluated by pentobarbital-induced sleep time. Platelet aggregation induced by collagen and arachidonic acid was also performed in vitro. Myricetin showed a significant inhibition on chemical nociceptive models such as the acetic acid-induced writhing response and the licking time on the late phase in the formalin test in a dose-dependent manner, but did not manifest a signicant effect in hot plate test. Myricetin was also not able to increase the sleeping time induced by pentobarbital, which further indicated that the analgesic effect of myricetin was unrelated to sedation. In addition, myricetin inhibited the content of PGE2 in the peritoneal fluid and platelet aggregation induced by collagen and arachidonic acid in vitro. These results collectively demonstrated that myricetin possessed potent analgesic activity, which was related with peripheral analgesia, but, not with the opioid system. Myricetin may be a potent COX-1 inhibitor with anti-platelet activity.

Marine Streptomyces are potential candidates for novel natural products and industrial catalysts. In order to set up biosynthesis approach for a holomycin-producing strain M095 isolated from Jiaozhou Bay, China, a genetic transformation system was established using intergeneric conjugation. The plasmid pIJ8600 consists of an origin of replication for Escherichia coli, a phage integrase directing efficient site-specific integration in bacterial chromosome, thiostrepton-induced promoter and an attP sequence. Using E. coli ET12567 (pUZ8002) carrying pIJ8600 as a conjugal donor, while it was mated with strain M095, pIJ8600 was mobilized to the recipient and the transferred DNA was also integrated into the recipient chromosome. The frequency of exconjugants was 1.9+/-0.13x10(-4) per recipient cell. Analysis of eight exconjugants showed pIJ8600 was stable integrated at a single chromosomal site (attB) of the Streptomyces genome. The DNA sequence of the attB was cloned and shown to be conserved. The results of growth and antimicrobial activity analysis indicated that the integration of pIJ8600 did not seem to affect the biosynthesis of antibiotics or other essential amino acids. To demonstrate the feasibility of above gene transfer system, the allophycocyanin gene (apc) from cyanobacterium Anacystis nidulans UTEX625 was expressed in strain M095, and the results indicated heterologous allophycocyanin could be expressed and folded effectively.

Pseudomonas sp. strain WBC-3 utilized methyl parathion or para-nitrophenol (PNP) as the sole source of carbon, nitrogen, and energy, and methyl parathion hydrolase had been previously characterized. Its chemotactic behaviors to aromatics were investigated. The results indicated that strain WBC-3 was attracted to multiple aromatic compounds, including metabolizable or transformable substrates PNP, 4-nitrocatechol, and hydroquinone. Disruption of PNP catabolic genes had no effect on its chemotactic behaviors with the same substrates, indicating that the chemotactic response in this strain was metabolism-independent. Furthermore, it was shown that strain WBC-3 had a constitutive beta-ketoadipate chemotaxis system that responded to a broad range of aromatic compounds, which was different from the inducible beta-ketoadipate chemotaxis described in other Pseudomonas strains.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a common preventable and treatable disease, is characterized by airflow limitation that is usually progressive and associated with an enhanced chronic inflammatory response in the airways. Its main pathological manifestations include airway inflammation, mucus hypersecretion, oxidative stress and apoptotic epithelial cells. Recent research suggests that MAP kinases and Keap1-Nrf2-ARE signaling pathway are involved in the pathological process of inflammation and oxidative stress. This review explores the potential role of the cross talk of these signaling pathways in airway inflammation, mucus hypersecretion, oxidative stress and apoptotic epithelial cells. To clarify the roles of cross talk between MAP kinases and Keap1-Nrf2-ARE signaling pathway, we also focus on the drugs related to that in the treatment of COPD, and it provides ideas for more drug research in the treatment of COPD.