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BACKGROUND: At present, there are few studies related to mean nocturnal baseline impedance (MNBI), esophageal dynamic reflux monitoring, high-resolution esophageal manometry (HRM) parameter indexes, and its diagnostic value in gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). OBJECTIVE: To analyze the factors influencing MNBI and examine the diagnostic value of MNBI in GERD. Methods: A retrospective analysis on 434 patients with typical reflux symptoms who underwent gastroscopy, 24-hour multichannel intraluminal impedance and pH monitoring (MII/pH) and HRM. They were divided into the conclusive evidence group (103 cases), borderline evidence group (229 cases), and exclusion evidence group (102 cases) according to the level of diagnostic evidence of GERD based on the Lyon Consensus. We analyzed the differences in MNBI, esophagitis grade, MII/pH and HRM index among the groups; the correlation between MNBI and the above indexes and its influence on MNBI; and to evaluate the diagnostic value of MNBI in GERD. RESULTS: There were significant differences in MNBI, Acid Exposure Time (AET) 4%, DeMeester score, and total reflux episodes among the three groups (P< 0.001). EGJ contractile integral (EGJ-CI) of the conclusive evidence group and the borderline evidence group was significantly lower than that in the exclusion evidence group (P< 0.001). MNBI was significantly and negatively correlated with age, BMI, AET 4%, DeMeester score, total reflux episodes, EGJ classification, esophageal motility abnormalities, and esophagitis grade (all P< 0.05), and significantly and positively correlated with EGJ-CI (P< 0.001). Age, BMI, AET 4%, EGJ classification, EGJ-CI, and esophagitis grade had significant effects on MNBI (P< 0.05); MNBI was used to diagnose GERD with a diagnostic cutoff of 2061 Ω, and AUC was 0.792 (sensitivity 74.9%, specificity 67.4%); MNBI was used to diagnose exclusion evidence group with a diagnostic cutoff of 2432 Ω, AUC was 0.774 (sensitivity 67.6%, specificity 72%). CONCLUSION: AET, EGJ-CI, and esophagitis grade are the most important influence factors of MNBI. MNBI has good diagnostic value in identifying conclusive GERD.

The root-associated actinobacteria play important roles in plant growth, nutrient use, and disease resistance due to their functional diversity. Salvia miltiorrhiza is a critical medicinal plant in China. The root actinobacterial community structure has been studied; however, the functions of root-associated actinobacteria of S. miltiorrhiza have not been elucidated. This study aimed to decipher the diversity and function of the culturable root-associated actinobacteria in plant growth using culture-dependent technology and culturable microbe metagenomes. We isolated 369 strains from the root-associated actinobacteria, belonging to four genera, among which Streptomyces was dominant. Besides, the functional prediction revealed some pathways related to plant growth, nitrogen and phosphorus metabolism, and antagonistic pathogens. We systematically described the diversity and functions of the culturable root-associated actinobacteria community. Our results demonstrated that the culturable root-associated actinobacteria of S. miltiorrhiza have rich functionalities, explaining the possible contribution of culturable root-associated actinobacteria to S. miltiorrhiza’s growth and development. This study provides new insights into understanding the function of the culturable root-associated actinobacteria and can be used as a knowledge base for plant growth promoters and biological control agent development in agriculture.

Current evidence indicates that carotid atherosclerosis is an independent risk factor for cognitive impairment. Serum metabolomic analysis holds significant promise for uncovering the relationship between carotid atherosclerosis and cognitive impairment. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the profiling of serum carbonyl compounds in subclinical carotid atherosclerosis (SCA) patients and to explore the relationship between serum carbonyl compounds and cognitive performance. We enrolled 51 SCA patients and 45 healthy control individuals using carotid ultrasound assessment. All the participants were subjected to a neuropsychological assessment and their fasting serum samples were collected for untargeted stable isotope-labeling strategy combined with liquid chromatography-double precursor ion scan-mass spectrometry analysis. Compared with the control, the SCA group showed lower scores in global cognition, immediate memory, verbal fluency, executive function, and visual attention. For the isotope-labeling strategy combined with liquid chromatography-double precursor ion scan-mass spectrometry analysis, 149 potential carbonyl candidates were discovered in the pooled serum. In the SCA serum, 41 carbonyl compounds showed significantly increased levels and 14 carbonyl compounds showed significantly decreased levels. In addition, six carbonyl compounds involved in the oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids and vitamin E were correlated with cognitive performance. A negative correlation was observed between cognitive performance and the levels of octanal, nonanal, α-tocopherolquinone, and heptanal, respectively. A positive correlation was observed between cognitive performance and the levels of acetophenone and 1-(3-aminopropyl)-4-aminobutanal, respectively. In summary, the SCA individuals have poor cognitive performance, which may be reflected by aberrant serum carbonyl compound profiles.

Background: Burns are still regarded among severe health problems related to high morbidity and mortality rates globally. In essence, health problems associated with burns can cause significant economic burden to society. Regardless of treatment available options, no best treatment was considered adequate for treating severe burns. In particular, only a few studies have focused on the effect of autologous platelet-rich plasma to treat burn wounds. The present study aim to systematically review existing literature to examine the effectiveness and safety of autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) to treat burn wounds. Methods: For this study, we will conduct a systematic search using MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, CINAHL, as well as Scopus to discover randomised controlled trials (RCTs) for the examination of effectiveness and safety of autologous PRP to treat burn wounds from their inception to March 2021 with no language restrictions. Additionally, we will search Google Scholar, ClinicalTrials.gov, as well as the reference lists of studies considered in the research to ascertain possibly eligible studies. We used two independent authors to evaluate studies for inclusion and conduct data extraction. We intend to assess study bias and quality utilizing the Cochrane Collaboration's Risk of Bias Tool 2.0. Also, we will pool study results using the fixed-effects model or random-effects model. Finally, any disagreements emanating from the process will be addressed through discussion or using a third author to mediate situations leading to disagreement. Results: The study aims at assessing the effectiveness and safety of autologous PRP for treating burn wounds. Conclusion: The study will provide specific substantiation to assess autologous PRP's effectiveness and safety in treating patients with burn wounds. Ethics and dissemination: The study does not require ethical approval since no published studies are used in it. OSF registration number: March 29, 2021.osf.io/74z5u. (https://osf.io/74z5u/)

Arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi (AMFs) are a group of soil-dwelling fungi that form symbiotic associations with plants, to mediate the secondary metabolism and production of active ingredients in aromatic and medicinal plants. Currently, there is little research on Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge. inoculation with native AMFs and the concomitant effects on growth and secondary metabolites. In this study, S. miltiorrhiza was treated with eight AMFs, i.e., Glomus formosanum; Gl. tenebrosum; Septoglomus constrictum; Funneliformis geosporum; Rhizophagus manihotis; Ambispora gerdemanii; Acaulospora laevis; Ac. tuberculata, to investigate the influence of AMF inoculation on biomass and secondary production under greenhouse conditions in S. miltiorrhiza roots. The results showed that mycorrhiza formation rates were between 54.83 and 86.10%. Apart from Ac. laevis and Gl. tenebrosum treatment, the roots biomass of the other treatment groups was effectively increased, and the fresh and dry weight of the plant inoculated with Fu. geosporum were increased by 86.76 and 86.95%, respectively. Specifically, AMF treatments also impacted on phenolic acids production; inoculation with both Fu. geosporum or Ac. laevis significantly reduced total phenolic acids, whereas the other treatments effectively increased these levels, of which Gl. formosanum generated significant levels. Most AMF-plant symbiotic experiments facilitated phenolic acid accumulation in the secondary metabolites of S. miltiorrhiza (except Ac. laevis). This study showed that most native AMFs inoculation with S. miltiorrhiza promoted roots growth and increased secondary metabolites production (especially phenolic acids). Going forward, inoculation of native AMF is a promising method to improve the quality and yield of S. miltiorrhiza and should be considered during production.

Preferential flow pathways (PFPs) are key contributors for the ecological status of the hydrosphere in high mountain environments, as the precipitation will transfer to PFPs with rapid solute transport from soil to groundwater. This particularly refers to nutrient allocation from soils to groundwater and surface waters.To understand the effects of the pedogenesis and forest types on the soil PFPs, the soil preferential flow was studied by in situ dye tracing image analysis and elemental chemical analysis at the Hailuogou glacier chronosequence, Gongga Mountain on the eastern Tibetan Plateau. A soil chronosequence and a vegetation primary succession following the retreat of the Hailuogou glacier has been forming since ~1890. Three sites representing different exposure age (45, 85 and 125 years) in the Hailuogou glacier retreat area chronosequence and two sites typical forest lands (deciduous broadleaf forest and coniferous forest) were selected to carry out a brilliant blue dyeing experiment to visualize the distribution of water infiltration in soil.The tracer-infiltration patterns were parameterized by dye coverage (DC), preferential flow fraction (PF), length index (Li) and the variation coefficient of DC in the PFPs (CV). Furthermore, the distribution of PFPs, transported solute of soil PFPs was analyzed including Hailuogou glacier chronosequence and vegetation succession.According to the comparison of PFPs parameters, soil PFPs at the 125-year-old site extremely more developed than that at the younger site due to the fracture development between rock and soil on the process of soil development. The soil PFPs under broadleaf forest is more pronounced than that in coniferous forest soils, largely depending on the different root system.In general, PFPs in Gongga Mountain were important contributors to the potential translocation of bioavailable inorganic P (PBPi) and organic P translocation to the hydrosphere. The elements transported with PFPs could be divided into three categories, reactive, conservative, and both reacted and conservative elements for the concentration of the elements remain in the PFPs. The results indicated that Mg and Al are the reactive elements, while Na, K, Ca and Mn are the conservative elements in the PFPs. Iron is both reacted and conservative element in the PFPs. Zn, Na, K, Mg, PBPi, had a significant correlation with the variation coefficient of DC in the PFPs (CV).The results highlight the effects of the pedogenesis and forest types on the distribution of PFPs and solute transfer. Preferential flow contributes largely to elements flow at the Hailuogou glacier chronosequence and vegetation succession, Gongga Mountain.The financial support of this work was obtained from National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 41272220) and Natural Scientifc Foundation for Young Scientists of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of China (Grant No. 2017GXNSFBA198162). The first author was financially supported by the Sino-German (CSC-DAAD) Postdoc Scholarship Program funded by China Scholarship Council (CSC) and Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst (DAAD).

As a natural quinone compound, the medicinal value of cryptotanshinone (CT) has received increasing attentions, but there is no systematic literature review that describes the pharmacological activity of CT. This paper reviewed the pharmacology researches of CT, with a primary focus on its anti-tumor activity. We also discussed the underlying molecular mechanisms, and proposed future outlooks. In addition to anti-tumor activity, CT was found to have anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, cardioprotective, visceral protective, anti-metabolic disorders and other abilities. Furthermore, the potential molecular mechanisms contributing to the anti-tumor effect of CT likely involve the following aspects: the induction of apoptosis, targeting of ER and AR, reversion of MDR, combined pharmacotherapy, and the inhibition of cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. We also found that different pharmacological effects involved various signaling pathways. Among them, STAT3-related signaling pathways played a vital role in the CT-mediated induction of tumor cell apoptosis and proliferation, while NF-κB signal pathway also was essential for inhibition of inflammation by CT. Furthermore, CT could significantly enhance the activities of several anticancer drugs and reverse their resistances in tumors. Therefore, we proposed suggestions for future studies of CT, including enhancing anti-tumor activity by targeting STAT3-related receptors, targeting NF-κB-related pathways to inhibit inflammatory responses, enhancing anti-tumor efficacy by combining with anti-tumor drugs, and further studying the dose-effect relationship to ensure safer and more effective applications of CT.

Amdoparvoviruses infect carnivore species, including mink, raccoon dog, fox, skunk, and red panda. Amdoparvovirus infection is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in farmed minks. Here, we developed a direct TaqMan qPCR assay for detection and quantification of carnivore amdoparvoviruses by using three primers and one probe based on the conserved VP2 gene. The detection limit for Aleutian mink disease virus (AMDV) and Raccoon dog and arctic fox amdoparvovirus (RFAV) were 4.06 × 101 copies/μl and 2.93 × 101 copies/μl, respectively. Both intra- and inter-assay variability were less than 2%. Among 74 carnivore samples, the positive rates for amdoparvoviruses were 62.2% (46/74) by direct TaqMan qPCR, while only 40.5% (30/74) by SYBR Green I qPCR. This result suggests that the direct TaqMan qPCR was more sensitive than the SYBR Green I qPCR. Additionally, the direct TaqMan qPCR is a rapid and sensitive method for liquid samples at microliter level as the assay employed the direct alkaline lysis method to obtain viral DNA and, therefore, eliminated the cumbersome steps in extracting DNA. Overall, the direct TaqMan qPCR assay possessed high specificity, sensitivity, and reproducibility, indicating that it can be used as a powerful tool for detection and quantification of various carnivore amdoparvoviruses in epidemiological and pathogenesis studies.

Objective To investigate the effect and mechanism of advanced oxidation protein products (AOPPs) on the apoptosis of HaCaT cells. Methods AOPPs were prepared by incubation of human serum albumin (HSA) with sodium hypochlorite solution. MTT assay was used to determine the effects of different concentrations (0, 50, 100, 200 and 400µg/ml) of AOPPs on HaCaT cell activity by incubating the cells for 24h for selecting optimum working concentration of AOPPs. HaCaT cells were treated based on time effect or concentration effect. The incidence of cell apoptosis was measured by flow cytometry. Intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production was determined with dichlorofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA). And the protein expressions of NOX4, Bax and Bcl-2 were examined by Western blotting. Results Viability of HaCaT cells treated with 400µg/ml AOPPs was significantly lowered (P

Polarization is defined as an asymmetry in the direction of vibration with respect to the direction of light propagation. Polarization information is an important component to remote sensed data, which comprises spatial, spectral, and radiation information. In optical remote sensing, polarization information supplements spectral information. Polarization-based remote sensing has a significant application potential for analyzing the spectral characteristics of water bodies, wherein a very important technique is eliminating the mirror reflection caused by skylight on the water surface and extracting water-leaving radiance that carry the constituent information. The incident sunlight on the surface of water either reflects or scatters owing to the existence of particles in water, which results in water-leaving signals with strong polarization characteristics. The ongoing experiments on remote sensing involve water polarization cover either clean ocean waters under natural light or indoor simulations of water under artificial light; however, turbid inland waters under natural light have rarely been investigated. Through the combination of a field spectroradiometer and a Thompson polarizing prism, this study obtained in-situ measurements of the spectral polarization reflectance over inland waters under natural light conditions. Using the obtained multiangle polarized reflectance spectra, the polarization spectral characteristics of water under multiangle viewing conditions were quantitatively analyzed, and the water-leaving radiance was achieved by eliminating skylight reflection. When observing water bodies at an azimuth of 135° and a zenith of 53°, the measurement of polarization to eliminate skylight reflection had better elimination efficiency than at other viewing angles, and this observation angle was recommended for conducting spectral polarized above-water observations. Compared with the traditional methods including non-polarized above-water measurements, the proposed method is less prone to being affected by changes in weather conditions, and it can extract water-leaving radiance more accurately.

To investigate typical medicinal plants of Rheum altaicum, Glycyrrhiza uralensis, Ferula sinkiangensis, Paeonia sinjiangensis, Ephedra equisetina, and Origanum vulgare in Altay region of Xinjiang, and to clarify their current existing situation under natural condition.Based on the 30 sample plots, ecological methods were used for investigating the community structure and species diversity of local medicinal plants.39 species belonging to 20 families,36 genera were recorded in the area. Xerophytic shrubs, half shrubs and herbs were dominant plants. The important values of six typical medicinal plants were 0. 32,0. 37,0. 42,0. 50,0. 49 and 0. 34,respectively. Six indexes of species diversity were generally low( 0. 63 ~ 0. 80),in which the species diversity indexes of Paeonia sinjiangensis, Ferula sinkiangensis, and Rheum altaicum were the highest( 0. 80,0. 80 and 0. 76),the species diversity indexes of Ephedra equisetina and Origanum vulgare were lower( 0. 74 and 0. 64),and the species diversity index of Glycyrrhiza uralensis was the lowest( 0. 63).Composition and community structure of medicinal plant species in Altay region of Xinjiang were relatively simple, which need to be protected urgently.

The butanol extract part was extracted and isolated with water, alcohol and different organic solvents from Abrus mollis leaves. 6 compounds were isolated and purified using various column chromatographies and identified with the spectral techniques such as UV, MS, TLC, HPLC and NMR. The structures of 6 compounds were trigonelline (1), praline (2), alanine anhydride (3), (Z)-N-(4-hydroxycinnamoyl)tyrosine (4), (E)-N-(4-hydroxycinnamoyl)tyrosine (5), and abrusamide C (6). Compound 6 is a new compound, and compounds 1-4 were isolated from the plant for the first time.

Pseudostellaria heterophylla is a perennial herbaceous plant in the family Caryophyllaceae. The tuberous roots of P. heterophylla are highly valued in traditional Chinese medicine and have a high market demand. However, extended monoculture of P. heterophylla results in a significant decline in the biomass and quality, and escalates disease and pest problems. Therefore, it is important to understand the underlying mechanism and biocontrol methods for consecutive monoculture problems. With "Zheshen 2" as an experimental material, the changes in the contents of main nutrients in soil, phenolic acids and specific microbes under monoculture and different amendments were analyzed by using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and qPCR. The results showed that consecutive monoculture of P. heterophylla led to a decrease in yield by 43.5% while the microbial fertilizer treatment and the paddy-upland rotation could relieve the consecutive monoculture problems. Available nitrogen, available phosphorus, available potassium and total potassium were significantly higher in the consecutively monocultured soils than in the newly planted soils. But consecutive monoculture resulted in soil acidification. HPLC analysis showed that conse-cutive monoculture of this plant did not lead to a consistent accumulation of soil phenolic acids. At middle stage of root expansion and at harvest stage, most of phenolic acids were even higher in the newly planted soils than in the consecutively monocultured soils. Furthermore, qPCR analysis showed that the amounts of three specific pathogens identified previously (i.e. Fusarium oxysporum, Talaromyces helicus, Kosakonia sacchari) were significantly higher in the consecutively monocultured soils than in the newly planted soils. However, the microbial fertilizer treatment and the paddy-upland rotation resulted in a significant decline in the population of these specific pathogens and improved the soil environment. In conclusion, the consecutive monoculture problems of P. heterophylla may be due to the rapid proliferation of host-specific pathogens, rather than the deficiency of soil nutrients and the autotoxicity of allelochemicals in root exudates. The results in this study could provide the theoretical basis to explore the underlying mechanism of replanting disease of P. heterophylla and its biocontrol strategies.太子参为石竹科多年生草本植物,以根部入药,药用价值高,市场需求大,但其栽培过程中存在严重的连作障碍问题,连作导致产量品质严重下降,病虫害猖獗,探索太子参连作障碍形成的机制及其消减措施意义重大.本研究以广泛栽培的“柘参2号”为试验材料,采用土壤农化分析、高效液相色谱(HPLC)分析、荧光定量PCR(qPCR)等技术对不同连作年限或不同消减措施下太子参根际土壤的主要养分、酚酸含量动态及特异菌群变化进行分析.结果显示: 太子参连作导致产量显著下降,与正茬相比产量下降达43.5%,而水旱轮作和微生物菌肥处理可不同程度缓解其障碍效应.太子参连作土壤主要养分(如速效氮、速效磷、速效钾、全钾)未降反升,但导致土壤酸化.HPLC分析表明,太子参连作下或者随生长时期的推进,土壤酚酸类物质并未表现出明显的积累效应,膨大中期和收获期重茬土壤中大部分酚酸含量甚至低于正茬土壤.进一步荧光定量PCR分析发现,太子参连作导致前期分离筛选到的几类病原菌(如尖孢镰刀菌、踝节霉菌、

Using radio frequency magnetron sputtering deposition deposit ZnO films on SiO2glass, and prepare vertical structure ZnO-based thin film transistor. By means of measurement, obtain the static output characteristics, the output current can achieve the order of milliampere, get the transfer characteristics of ZnO TFTs; transconductance which get the largest value gm=0.0061S when source-drain voltage VDS=3V, source-gate VGS=0.4V; output resistance and voltage amplification coefficient, the smallest voltage amplification factor is μ=1.16056,still have voltage amplification effect.

With the method of vacuum dc sputtering and vacuum evaporation,the green light double organic light-emitting devices (OLED) of ITO/CuPc/Alq3 / Al structure were prepared, the electrical characteristics and electroluminescent properties of the device were measured. Devices show good luminous performance, light intensity reaches 600000 cps, when the wavelength of luminescence spectrum is 510 nm, luminance is 2641I/a.u.

A novel inverse synthetic aperture radar imaging algorithm is proposed for application when the maneuverability of an uncooperative target is not too severe, and the Doppler variation of the subechoes from the scatterers can be considered a first-order polynomial. Based on a modified keystone transform, the proposed algorithm can simultaneously transform all multicomponent linear frequency modulation subechoes into multicomponent single-frequency signals. Hence, the fast Fourier transform can be used for cross-range imaging. Simulation results also proved that the proposed algorithm is much more effective and computationally efficient than the previously reported range-instantaneous Doppler algorithms such as the Radon-Wigner transform algorithm.

Dynamic behavior of a vehicle-bridge system model is presented. A set of time-varying equations of the system considering roughness surface of bridge are given. The equations are rewritten in the form of matrix for numerical simulation. Modal analysis of the equations is carried out. Simulation and visualization of the equations are given. Effects of different speeds and accelerations of moving vehicle and roughness surface of bridge on the vertical displacement of mid-span of bridge are studied.

A vehicle-bridge system is simplified as a model of Euler-Bernoulli beam subjected to kinds of load. Dynamic behavior of the beam is researched in this paper. Several equations of the beam traversed by static or moving load and mass are given. Some of these equations are time-varying nonlinear. In order to avoid the problem of instability solving the equations, precise time integration method is used. Results show that the transversal deflection of the mid-span of the beam is greater when a harmonic force or a mass is traveling on the bridge at a lower velocity or by accelerating.

The dynamic problem of a free-free beam with lumped masses distributed along the beam is researched. Effects of magnitude and position of lumped masses on bending mode and natural frequency of a free-free beam is studied. Method of lumped masses proposed in this paper is used to determine dynamic bending curves and natural frequencies. Least square method is used to give function fitting of the bending curves. The dynamic equations of a free-free beam are established by Lagrange method. Numerical simulation for dynamic response of the beam is carried out by MATLAB. The simulation results show that an impulsive load applied on the center of mass of the beam will result in small bending stress. However, a given larger impulsive load acting on one end or two ends of the beam will cause larger bending stress and plastic deformation at a cross-section and result in final failure.

Temperature-controlled HNO3-H2O2 wet digestion and flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) were employed in the determination of mineral elements in the fermented liquid residue of livestock dung. The 8 most common mineral elements-K, Na, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Ca and Mg-in fermented liquid were selected for analysis, and the experimental results showed that the correlation coefficient (r) of each mineral element’s quantitative standard curve was >0.9993, the quantitation limit was 0.90-67.0 ng/L, the relative standard deviation (RSD) was 0.79%-2.51%, and the standard addition recovery rate was 95%-103%. It was found that the average content of the 8 mineral elements in fermented liquid was in a descending order of K, Na, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu.

This paper reports on the development and characterization of piezoresistive stress and temperature sensors fabricated on silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer. The sensor chip consists of a 5x5 array elements enabling the simultaneous measurement of the absolute temperature as well as in-plane stress components in a temperature compensated manner. Each cell comprises a p-type piezoresistor rosette paralleling to the [110] crystal direction of silicon, an n-type piezoresistor rosette along the [100] crystal direction and a temperature sensor. Design, fabrication and characterization of piezoresistive and temperature sensors are described in detail. Moreover, based on the flexible printed circuit board, the prepackaging technique of sensors is reported and the electrical connections between the testing sensors and external measuring devices are achieved, then the changes in resistance versus temperature changes are measured in our experiment, the results show that this approach can be used for the signal measurement of sensor before the second packaging and on-line measurement of packaging stresses.

This paper outlines a novel technique for using suspended photoresist thin-film coating in the fabrication of through silicon vias (TSVs). Photoresist thin film formed through self-assembly on a water surface is transferred to a wafer surface and patterned to be suspended on previously fabricated through-vias as sacrificial layer. After a seed layer is deposited and the photoresist film is chemically removed, the through-vias are filled by backside electroplating. In our experiment, 300-500-nm-thick AZ5214 photoresist thin films were successfully suspended on through-vias up to 60 μm in diameter, providing planer cover plates for 300-nm-thick Cu seed layer deposition. This technique may serve as a promising route for front-side chemical-mechanical polishing-free and postdevice processes in the fabrication of TSVs.

This study discussed the feasibility of taste quality evaluation for green tea infusion using electronic tongue. Chemistry evaluation was regarded as the reference measurement, and used to measure total taste scores of green tea infusion. LS-SVM was used to build the correlativity between the sensor signals of green tea infusion and total taste scores by the reference measurement, and compared the influence of different principal components on the performance of LS-SVM model. Experimental results showed that the optimal model was obtained when 4 PCs were included with Rc=0.951 and RMSECV=3.242 in calibration set, Rp=0.904 and RMSEP=4.134 in the prediction set. This study showed that the electronic tongue had a great potential in the evaluation of taste quality for green tea and LS-SVM was an efficient method to build the evaluation model based on electronic tongue.

This study attempted the feasibility to determine the ratio of tea polyphenols to amino acids in green tea infusion using near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy combined with synergy interval PLS (siPLS) algorithms. First, SNV was used to preprocess the original spectra of tea infusion; then, siPLS was used to select the efficient spectra regions from the preprocessed spectra. Experimental results showed that the spectra regions [7 8 18] were selected, which were out of the strong absorption of H2O. The optimal PLS model was developed with the selected regions when 6 PCs components were contained. The RMSEP value was equal to 0.316 and the correlation coefficient (R) was equal to 0.8727 in prediction set. The results demonstrated that NIR can be successfully used to determinate the ration of tea polyphenols to amino acids in green tea infusion.

We have shown previously that combined short-arm centrifuge and aerobic exercise training preserved several physiologically important cardiovascular functions in humans. We hypothesized that artificial gravity (AG) and exercise is effective to prevent changes of physical problems during head-down bed rest (HDBR). To test this hypothesis, 12 healthy male subjects had undergone 4 days of 6° HDBR. Six of them were exposed to AG of an alternating 2-min intervals of +1.0 and +2.0 Gz at foot level for 30 min twice per day with ergometric exercise of 40 W as a countermeasure during bed rest (CM group), while the remaining six served as untreated controls (no-CM group). Before and after 4 days of bed rest, leg venous hemodynamics was assessed by venous occlusion plethysmography and autonomic cardiovascular control estimated by power spectral analysis of blood pressure and heart rate. Further, orthostatic tolerance was evaluated by a 75° head-up tilt test and physical working capacity was surveyed by near maximal physical working capacity test before and after bed rest. The data showed that combined centrifuge and exercise applied twice daily for a total of 60 min during 4 days of HDBR prevented (a) a decrease in working capacity, (b) autonomic dysfunction (a decrease in the activity of parasympathetic cardiac innervation) and (c) an increase in leg venous flow resistance. The combination of a 30 min alternating of +1.0 and +2.0 Gz for twice per day of AG with 40 W ergometric exercise may offer a promising countermeasure to short duration simulated microgravity.

High sustained positive Gz (+Gz) exposures have been shown to have a pathophysiological impact on the brain in rats. However, the consequence for brain function such as learning and memory remains elusive. In the present study, we investigated locomotor activity, learning ability and memory in rats over 6 days (d) following +6 Gz/3 min and +10 Gz/3 min exposures. In an open field test, rats treated with +10 Gz showed a significant increase in the time spent in the center square immediately and 2d after exposure compared with control rats. In contrast, the number of grid crosses and number of rears of rats decreased significantly immediately after +6 Gz and +10 Gz exposures. In addition, a Y-maze test revealed that +Gz exposures reduced the number of correct responses and increased total reaction time in rats, and the number of correct responses was negatively correlated with the total reaction time in all groups throughout the period of study. Moreover, the passive avoidance test exhibited that the latency increased significantly on 0 d and decreased significantly on 6 d after +Gz exposures compared with control. Thus, +6 Gz/3 min and +10 Gz/3 min exposures may transiently decrease locomotor activity, impair learning, and induce a deficit in memory retention in rats.

This study was designed to compare the effectiveness of daily short-duration -G x gravity exposure in preventing adverse changes in skeletal and cardiac muscles and bone due to simulated microgravity. Tail suspension for 28 days was used to simulate microgravity-induced deconditioning effects. Daily standing (STD) at 1 G for 1, 2, or 4 h/day or centrifugation (CEN) at 1.5 or 2.6 G for 1 h/day was used to provide -Gx gravitation as a countermeasure. The results indicate that the minimum gravity exposure requirements vary greatly in different systems. Cardiac muscle is most responsive to such treatment: 1 h/day of -G x gravitation by STD was sufficient to prevent adverse changes in myocardial contractility; bone is most resistant: 4 h/day of -G x gravitation only partially alleviated the adverse changes in physical and mechanical properties of the femur. The responsiveness of skeletal muscle is moderate: 4 h/day of -G x gravitation prevented mass reduction and histomorphometric changes in the soleus muscle during a 28-day simulation period. Increasing gravitational intensity to 2.6 G showed less benefit or no additional benefit in preventing adverse changes in muscle and bone. The present work suggests that system specificity in responsiveness to intermittent gravity exposure should be considered one of the prerequisites in proposing intermittent artificial gravity as a potential countermeasure.

To investigate the correlation between dissolution in vitro and absorption in vivo of Chuanping sustained release tablets.The ephedrine, pseudoephedrine were chosen as marker components, dissolution in vitro of Chuanping sustained release tablets in the different pH were tested by the rotating basket method and HPLC; urine drug levels were determined by HPLC and absorption fractions were calculated according to Wagner-Nelson's formula and deconvolution technique.The linear regressive equation between the absorption percentage in vivo F and accumulative release percentage in vitro of Chuanping sustained release tablets was established as F(ephedrine) = 1.572 5f-20. 729 (R2 = 0.974 5); F(pseudoephedrine) = 1.237f-0.147 6 (R2 = 0.959 5).The results suggested that there was fine correlation between the absorption percentage in vivo and the accumulative release percentage in vitro of Chuanping sustained release tablets.

An alcohol dehydrogenase allele AdhAAS44 isolated from an Australian natural population of Drosophila melanogaster is associated with low activity in adult flies. A 5.0 kb insertion in the first intron between the distal and proximal promoters has been partially sequenced and shown to be homologous to the retrotransposon Tirant. The insertion is the major change in the transcriptional unit of AdhAAS44, but there is also a single nucleotide change in the adult Adh enhancer. The main phenotypic effect associated with the Tirant insertion is a reduction in alcohol dehydrogenase activity and transcript level in adult flies. There is a very much smaller reduction in 3rd instar larvae. The data indicate that Tirant affects transcription from the distal promoter. The possible mechanisms for this differential effect on transcription are discussed.

An allele of the Drosophila melanogaster alcoholdehydrogenase (Adh) gene has a 1.15-kb KP elementinserted, in the same orientation as Adh transcription,five nucleotides upstream of the distal transcription start site. The target site-GTCCAAGT — inAdh between nucleotides –13 and –6 isduplicated at both ends of the insertion. Adult flieswith either one or two copies of the allele have lessthan 12% of the alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) activity of thecontrols. Activity levels are also reduced in larvae,but by a much smaller amount. Quantitative Northernanalyses showed that the low activity level in adults was caused by reduced transcript levels fromthe distal promoter. 5′ RACE experiments indicatedthat adult transcripts were mostly initiated downstreamof the distal promoter but some skipped the first adult exon. In late third-instar larvae thetranscripts present were from the proximal promoter.After the KP element was deleted by an appropriatebreeding program, the distal transcript increased inadults to the control level, but ADH activityincreased to only 50% of the control. No nucleotidechanges were found in the gene that could explain thisdifference.

Skin tumors often occur in the face or other sun-exposed areas in the aged population, and cancerous ulceration in the face leads to facial damage. Regarding the aesthetic character of the facial unit and the age or concomitant pathologies of these patients, it is necessary to use quick, reliable methods to debride malignant ulcer and cover the wound or suture the incision. We report 2 cases of large facial malignant ulcer that were treated with forehead flap based on the supratrochlear artery or the frontal branch of a side superficial temporal artery in a 1-stage operation. Both of them got satisfying functional and aesthetic results.

An accurate understanding of the anatomy of the levator palpebrae superioris aponeurosis (LPSA) is critical for successful blepharoplasty of aponeurotic ptosis. We investigated the macroscopic and microscopic anatomy of the LPSA.This prospective live gross anatomy study enrolled 200 adult Chinese patients with bilateral mild ptosis undergoing elective blepharoplasty. Full-thick eyelid tissues and sagittal sections from the eyelid skin to the conjunctiva were examined with Masson trichrome staining or antismooth muscle actin (SMA) immunohistochemistry.Gross anatomy showed that the space between the superficial and deep layers of the LPSA could be accessed after incising the overlying superficial fascia, by retracting the white line. Adipose layers were clearly observed in 195 out of 200 patients with bilateral mild ptosis, among which 180 cases had the superficial layer connected to the uncoated adipose. Fifteen cases had the superficial layer connected to the smoothly coated layer, and 5 cases had the superficial layer directly connected to the deep loose fiber, almost without adipose. In previously untreated patients, the LPSA space was located beneath the intact orbital septum. In those with previous surgeries, it was beneath the superficial layer of the LPSA, underlying the destructed orbital septum. Cadaveric histology showed that the deep layer of the LPSA extended into the anterior layer of the tarsal plate and the superficial layer reflexed upward in continuity with the vertical orbital septum. An occult space existed between the 2 layers of the LPSA, with a smooth lining on the deep layer. The superficial layer of the LPSA was SMA-immunonegative but the deep layer was slightly immunopositive for SMA. An occult anatomic space exists between the superficial and deep layers of the LPSA, in proximity to the superior tarsal plate margin. Recognition of the more anatomically significant LPSA deep layer may help improve the aesthetic outcome of blepharoplasty.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) combined with erbium fractional laser therapy for facial acne or acne scars. PRP combined with erbium fractional laser therapy was used for the treatment of 22 patients, including 16 patients who suffered from facial acne scars and 6 patients who suffered from acne scars concomitant with acne. Whole blood (40 ml) was collected from each patient, and following differential centrifugation, PRP was harvested. After using an erbium fractional laser, we applied PRP to the entire face of every patient. Digital photos were taken before and after the treatment for evaluation by dermatologists and the patients rated the efficacy on a 5-point scale. The erythema was moderate or mild, while its total duration was3 days; after receiving the treatment three times, 90.9% of the patients showed an improvement of50%, and 91% of the patients were satisfied; no acne inflammation was observed after treatment. PRP combined with erbium fractional laser therapy is an effective and safe approach for treating acne scars or acne, with minimal side-effects, and it simultaneously enhanced the recovery of laser-damaged skin.

The water quality of the Sancha Lake has declined from Class III to Class IV and Class V due to increasing eutrophication, to which human activity has contributed considerably since it was built in 1977. This research examines changes in sedimentation rate and supply of mass accumulation of the Sancha Lake in recent decades through 210Pb and 137Cs dating and records of historical events in lacustrine sediments. This research also examines the process of change in the lake environment and identifies the driving effect of human activity on the evolutionary process of the lake environment by combining the analysis on the change characteristics of the sediments' grain size and C, N and P therein. The findings of the research show that human activities, especially cage culture, application of pesticides and chemical fertilizers, and development of tourism, are the main factors causing eutrophication and environmental change in the Sancha Lake.

A questionnaire survey was performed for the first time to assess the prevalence of visual symptoms and G-induced loss of consciousness (G-LOC) due to +Gz exposure in the Chinese Air Force (CAF) to determine the effectiveness of current G tolerance training. Responses were received from 594 individuals. Among them, 302 reported at least one episode of some sort of symptoms related to +Gz, including 110 (18.5%) with visual blurring, 231 (38.9%) with greyout, 111 (18.7%) with blackout, and 49 (8.2%) with G-LOC. Incidences were most common in aircrew with 250–1,000 flying hours (53.6%) and were more prevalent in those with fewer on type flying hours (p < 0.001). The most common situation was reported between +5 and 5.9 Gz. The results indicate a fairly high prevalence of visual symptoms and G-LOC among Chinese Air Force aircrew. There remains considerable scope for +Gz education, particularly in the early centrifuge training and selection of rational physical exercises.

To study the differences of protein expression levels in the brain cortex of human fetus and adult with proteomics technique, and provide preliminary data on the change of proteins during brain development.Proteins extracted from human temporal lobes in fetal (3 month and 5 month respectively) and adult (30 years old) brain were separated by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DE). The proteins were then stained with colloidal Coomassie blue to produce a high-resolution map of the proteiome. The differential protein spots were analyzed by PDQuest 7.0 software and 8 spots, which were gradually reduced or gradually increased in brain development process and the protein spots of difference over two-fold in the brain, were identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF/TOF).(1) On average, 642, 511 and 527 protein spots could be obtained in the temporal lobes of adult, 3 month and 5 month fetus. The matching rate of images was 87%. The basic proteins in adult brain were obviously much more than that in the fetus; (2) There were 172, 171 and 152 singular protein spots in temporal lobes of adult, 3 month and 5 month fetus respectively.(3) Compared with adult, there were 131 and 115 different protein spots in the 3 month and 5 month fetus respectively. There were 60 and 40 protein spots with more than 2 fold difference, among which 24 and 17 were down-regulated, and 36 and 23 were up-regulated respectively. (4) There was different expression in proteins such as serum albumin, triosephosphate isomerase, etc. in the 3 groups. Fatty acid binding protein 7 and unnamed proteins were only highly expressed in the 3 month brain; ribulose-1, 5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase large subunit and transducin beta-1 subunit were up-regulated in adult brain. Serum albumin decreases gradually with brain development. However, ATP synthase, mitochondrial F0 complex, and triosephosphate isomerase increase gradually with brain development.The proteins of human brain cortex were obviously changed from embryonic stage to adult. The differentially displayed proteins may provide further insight into the understanding of development of human brain.

Cardiovascular and musculoskeletal deconditioning occurring in long-term spaceflight requires new strategies to counteract these adverse effects. We previously reported that a short-arm centrifuge produced artificial gravity (AG), together with ergometer, has an approving effect on promoting cardiovascular function. The current study sought to investigate whether the cardiac and cerebrovascular functions were maintained and improved using a strategy of AG combined with exercise training on cardiovascular function during 4-day head-down bed rest (HDBR). Twelve healthy male subjects were assigned to a control group (CONT, n=6) and an AG combined with ergometric exercise training group (CM, n=6). Simultaneously, cardiac pumping and systolic functions, cerebral blood flow were measured before, during, and after HDBR. The results showed that AG combined with ergometric exercise caused an increase trend of number of tolerance, however, there was no significant difference between the two groups. After 4-day HDBR in the CONT group, heart rate increased significantly (59±6 vs 66±7 beats/min), while stroke volume (98±12 vs 68±13 mL) and cardiac output (6±1 vs 4±1 L/min) decreased significantly (p