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The internal structure of heavy-calibre rocket engines, as used in army ordnance, is a multi-interface bonding structure. The bonding quality between layers has an important impact on safety when shooting, so it must be tested before use in the field. In this paper, the progress of research into ultrasonic testing (UT) technology for the interface bonding of solid rocket motors is reviewed from the two aspects of testing methods and signal processing technology. Future work is also discussed.

Solar flare is one of the severest solar activities on the sun, and it has many important impacts on the near-earth space. It has been found that flight arrival delays will increase during solar flare. However, the detailed intrinsic mechanism of how solar flares influence the delays is still unknown. Based on 5-years huge amount of flight data, here we comprehensively analyze the flight departure delays during 57 solar flares. It is found that the averaged flight departure delay time during solar flares increased by 20.68% (7.67 min) compared to those during quiet periods. It is also shown that solar flare related flight delays reveal apparent time and latitude dependencies. Flight delays during dayside solar flares are more serious than those during nightside flares, and the longer (shorter) delays tend to occur in the lower (higher) latitude airport. Further analyses suggest that flight delay time and delay rate would be directly modulated by the solar intensity (soft X-ray flux) and the Solar Zenith Angle. For the first time, these results indicate that the communication interferences caused by solar flares will directly affect flight departure delay time and delay rate. This work also expands our conventional understandings to the impacts of solar flares on human society, and it could also provide us with brand new views to help prevent or cope with flight delays., submitted to APJL

For elective surgery of colorectal cancer, current evidence supports preoperative mechanical bowel preparation combined with oral antibiotics. Meanwhile, for patients with varied degrees of intestinal stenosis, individualized protocol is required to avoid adverse events. We hereby summarize recent high-quality evidences and updates of guidelines and consensus, and recommend stratified bowel preparation based on the clinical practice of our institute as follows. (1) For patients with unimpaired oral intake, whose tumor can be passed by colonoscopy, mechanical bowel preparation and oral antibiotics are given. (2) For patients without symptoms of bowel obstruction but with impaired oral intake or incomplete colonoscopy due to tumor-related stenosis, small-dosage laxative is given for several days before surgery, and oral antibiotics the day before surgery. (3) For patients with bowel obstruction, mechanical bowel preparation or enema is not indicated. We proposed this evidence-based, individualized protocol for preoperative bowel preparation for the reference of our colleagues, in the hope of improving perioperative outcomes and reducing adverse events.对于结直肠癌的择期手术，最新的循证医学证据支持术前机械性肠道准备联合口服抗生素。由于患者肠道通畅程度各异，需要实施个体化术前肠道准备方案，以避免不良事件。本文概要介绍相关高级别证据、指南和共识更新，并结合本中心的实践经验作出以下分层推荐：（1）无进食受限、肠镜可通过肿瘤的患者，可行机械性肠道准备和预防性口服抗生素；（2）无典型梗阻症状，但因肿瘤肠段狭窄导致进食受限或肠镜不可通过的患者，建议术前数日开始口服小剂量缓泻药至手术前夕，并在术前预防性口服抗生素；（3）梗阻患者无须术前机械性肠道准备或灌肠。.

Eimeria maxima possesses integral families of immunogenic constituents that promote differentiation of immune cells during host-parasite interactions. Dendritic cells (DCs) have an irreplaceable role in the modulation of the host immunity. However, the selection of superlative antigen with immune stimulatory efficacies on host DCs is lacking. In this study, 5 recombinant proteins of E. maxima (Em), including Em14-3-3, rhomboid family domain containing proteins (ROM) EmROM1 and EmROM2, microneme protein 2 (EmMIC2), and Em8 were identified to stimulate chicken splenic derived DCs in vitro. The cultured populations were incubated with recombinant proteins, and typical morphologies of stimulated DCs were obtained. DC-associated markers major histocompatibility complex class II, CD86, CD11c, and CD1.1, showed upregulatory expressions by flow cytometry assay. Immunofluorescence assay revealed that recombinant proteins could bind with the surface of chicken splenic derived DCs. Moreover, quantitative real-time PCR results showed that distinct gene expressions of Toll-like receptors and Wnt signaling pathway were upregulated after the coincubation of recombinant proteins with DCs. The ELISA results indicated that the DCs produced a significant higher level of interleukin (IL)-12 and interferon-γ secretions after incubation with recombinant proteins. While transforming growth factor-β was significantly increased with rEmROM1, rEmROM2, and rEmMIC2 as compared to control groups, and IL-10 did not show significant alteration. Taken together, these results concluded that among 5 potential recombinant antigens, rEm14-3-3 could promote immunogenic functions of chicken splenic derived DCs more efficiently, which might represent an effective molecule for inducing the host Th1-mediated immune response against Eimeria infection.

本文报道2例年轻恒前牙复杂冠根折后原位断端再接过程，首先对龈上折裂线进行粘接固定后再行牙髓切断术，然后仅对龈上折裂线和髓腔折裂线进行粘接，最终实现儿童复杂冠根折的牙体、牙髓和牙周的保存治疗，经过1~2年随访，效果良好。.

For recovering block-sparse signals with unknown block structures using compressive sensing, a block orthogonal matching pursuit- (BOMP-) like block generalized orthogonal matching pursuit (BgOMP) algorithm has been proposed recently. This paper focuses on support conditions of recovery of any K -sparse block signals incorporating BgOMP under the framework of restricted isometry property (RIP). The proposed support conditions guarantee that BgOMP can achieve accurate recovery block-sparse signals within k iterations.

Eimeria tenella is a protozoan parasite endemic in chickens and is one of the causative agents of avian coccidiosis. The aim of this research was to determine if poly (D, L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) nanoparticles carrying recombinant TA4 protein of E. tenella (rEtTA4) could improve the level of protective immunity against E. tenella challenge. Recombinant TA4 protein was expressed and purified. Poly (D, L-lactide-co-glycolide) loaded with rEtTA4 (PLGA-rEtTA4) nanoparticles was prepared and was delivered to 2-week-old layer chickens via intramuscular inoculation. Chickens injected with PBS and PLGA nanoparticles were served as control groups. The rEtTA4 and PLGA-rEtTA4 nanoparticles induced changes of serum cytokines, IgY levels, and T lymphocytes subpopulation, and the protective efficacy against E. tenella challenge was evaluated. Results showed that both rEtTA4 and PLGA-rEtTA4 vaccination groups induced significantly higher levels of specific EtTA4 IgY antibody and IL-17 and higher proportion of CD8+ T lymphocytes. However, no significant differences were observed in the proportion of CD4+ T lymphocytes compared with the PBS control. Chickens immunized with rEtTA4 and PLGA-rEtTA4 prominently increased the BW gains and decreased oocyst output compared with chickens immunized with PBS and PLGA after oral challenge with E. tenella. Poly (D, L-lactide-co-glycolide) encapsulated rEtTA4 nanoparticles-immunized chickens significantly induced higher levels of interferon gamma, IL-6, and IL-17 and a little bit higher proportion of CD8+ T lymphocytes compared with rEtTA4 subunit vaccine-immunized chickens. Thus, PLGA encapsulated rEtTA4 nanoparticles appeared to have great potential to enhance the immune response and improved the protective efficacy against E. tenella infection. Our results provided available protective subunit vaccine rEtTA4 and PLGA loaded with rEtTA4 nanoparticles against coccidiosis and suggested that PLGA nanoparticles could be an effective adjuvant to enhance the protective efficacy of rEtTA4 subunit vaccine.

The last two decades have witnessed two large-scale pandemics caused by coronaviruses, including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). At the end of 2019, another novel coronavirus, designated as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), hit Wuhan, a city in the center of China, and subsequently spread rapidly to the whole world. Latest reports revealed that more than 800 thousand people in over 200 countries are involved in the epidemic disease by SARS-CoV-2. Due to the high mortality rate and the lack of optimum therapeutics, it is crucial to understand the biological characteristics of the virus and its possible pathogenesis to respond to the SARS-CoV-2. Rapid diagnostics and effective therapeutics are also important interventions for the management of infection control. However, the rapid evolution of SARS-CoV-2 exerted tremendous challenges on its diagnostics and therapeutics. Therefore, there is an urgent need to summarize the existing research results to guide decision-making on the prioritization of resources for research and development. In this review, we focus on our current understanding of epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnostics and therapeutics of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) technology, this paper proposes a new pore structure parameter called ‘effective mobile fluid saturation’, which can account for two factors that influence mo...

E. mitis is ubiquitous in clinical coccidiosis caused by mixed infection of Eimeria species and the infection by E. mitis usually significantly impairs productivity of the infected chickens. To date, however, few protective antigens from E. mitis have been reported. In this study, the molecular characterization and protective efficacy of microneme 3 of Eimeria mitis (EmiMIC3) were analyzed. EmiMIC3 gene was cloned from sporozoites of E. mitis and its MARs (microneme adhesive repeats domain) were predicted. Recombinant EmiMIC3 (rEmiMIC3) was expressed in E. coli and purified and then was analyzed by western blot with anti-E. mitis chicken serum. Meanwhile, native EmiMIC3 from sporozoites was analyzed by anti-rEmiMIC3 rat serum. The expressions of EmiMIC3 in E. mitis sporozoites and merozoites were analyzed by immunofluorescence assay. The rEmiMIC3-induced changes of T lymphocytes subpopulation, serum cytokines and IgY levels and the protective efficacy of rEmiMIC3 were determined in animal experiments. The results showed that the deduced open reading frame (ORF) of EmiMIC3 was composed of 1145 amino acids, possessing 9 MARs. EmiMIC3 gene was submitted to GenBank (accession number: MG888670). EmiMIC3 could express in sporozoites and merozoites respectively and located at the apex of E. mitis sporozoite. Western blot assay revealed that the rEmiMIC3 could be recognized by serum of chicken infected by E. mitis and the native EmiMIC3 from sporozoites could also be recognized by rat serum against rEmiMIC3. Following vaccination with rEmiMIC3, higher levels of IL-10, IFN-γ, TGF-βand IL-17, higher proportions of CD4+/CD3+ and CD8+/CD3 + T lymphocytes and higher level of IgY antibody were induced compared to the controls. Vaccination with rEmiMIC3 prominently increased the weight gains and decreased oocyst output of the vaccinated chickens after challenge infection. Our result not only enriches protective candidate antigen of E. mitis, but also provides available protective antigen of E. mitis for the development of multivalent vaccines against infection caused by mixture of Eimeria species in clinical coccidiosis.

Dendritic cells (DCs) are key linkages between innate immunity and acquired immunity. The antigens that promote the functions of DCs might be the effective candidates of novel vaccine. In this research, the ability of ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme (UCE), a recognized common antigens among chicken Eimeria species, to stimulate DCs of chickens were evaluated. We cloned UCE gene from Eimeria maxima (EmUCE), and its protein expression was confirmed by SDS-PAGE and western-blot. Immunofluorescence assay confirmed the binding of rEmUCE on the surface of chicken splenic-derived DCs (ChSP-DCs). Flow cytometric analysis showed that rEmUCE-treated ChSP-DCs increased MHCII, CD1.1, CD11c, CD80, and CD86 phenotypes. qRT-PCR indicated that transcript levels of maturation markers CCL5, CCR7, and CD83 in ChSP-DCs were upregulated in response to rEmUCE. Following rEmUCE treatment, chSP-DCs activated TLR signaling and inhibited Wnt signaling. Moreover, rEmUCE promoted DC-mediated T-cell proliferation in DC/T-cell co-incubation. Interestingly, CD3+/CD4+ T-cells were significantly enhanced when rEmUCE-treated chSP-DCs were co-incubated with T-cells. Cytokine secretion pattern of rEmUCE-stimulated ChSP-DCs revealed that the production of IL-12 and IFN-γ was increased whereas IL-10 and TGF-β were unchanged. Likewise, the co-incubation of ChSP-DCs with T-cells indicated increased production of IFN-γ but not IL-4. Collectively, rEmUCE could polarize DCs to immunogenic phenotype and shift the immune cells towards Th1 response. Our observations provide valuable insight for future research aimed at vaccine development against avian coccidiosis.

Background Coccidiosis is recognised as a major parasitic disease in chickens. Eimeria maxima is considered as a highly immunoprotective species within the Eimeria spp. family that infects chickens. In the present research, the surface antigen gene of E. maxima (EmSAG) was cloned, and the ability of EmSAG to stimulate protection against E. maxima was evaluated. Methods Prokaryotic and eukaryotic plasmids expressing EmSAG were constructed. The EmSAG transcription and expression in vivo was performed based on the RT-PCR and immunoblot analysis. The expression of EmSAG in sporozoites and merozoites was detected through immunofluorescence analyses. The immune protection was assessed based on challenge experiments. Flow cytometry assays were used to determine the T cell subpopulations. The serum antibody and cytokine levels were evaluated by ELISA. Results The open reading frame (ORF) of EmSAG gene contained 645 bp encoding 214 amino acid residues. The immunoblot and RT-PCR analyses indicated that the EmSAG gene were transcribed and expressed in vivo. The EmSAG proteins were expressed in sporozoite and merozoite stages of E. maxima by the immunofluorescence assay. Challenge experiments showed that both pVAX1-SAG and the recombinant EmSAG (rEmSAG) proteins were successful in alleviating jejunal lesions, decreasing loss of body weight and the oocyst ratio. Additionally, these experiments possessed anticoccidial indices (ACI) of more than 170. Higher percentages of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells were detected in both EmSAG-inoculated birds than those of the negative control groups (P

A novel compact multi-band fractal antenna with RCS reduced is presented for Wi MAX, WLAN and ITV applications. The self-similarity property is designed to the square radiation patch and the fractal geometry is achieved by consecutive iterations. The 4th iteration of the proposed antenna, with a compact size of $\mathbf{24mm\times 30mm\times 0.508mm}$ , covers the 3.5GHz WiMAX band, 5.2/5.8GHz WLAN bands and ITV 8.025-8.4GHz band. Uniform radiation characteristics and an average gain of 3.1dBi are obtained. Furthermore, the RCS reduction of the proposed antenna are also presented and discussed.

A novel compact ultra-wideband (UWB) antenna with dual independent tunable band-notches is proposed. By adding a V-shaped strip connected to double annular slots via a hole to the end of the feeding-line, and etching a pair of L-shaped slots on the radiation patch, dual-band notched function in the WiMAX/WLAN is achieved. Results show that the designed antenna, with compact size of $\mathbf{20\times 36}\mathbf{mm}^{2},\mathbf{has}$ a impedance bandwidth of 3-10.8GHz for $\mathbf{VSWR} , except two frequency notched bands of 3.2-3.8 and 5-5.9GHz. Besides, this antenna exhibits stable antenna gain and good omnidirectional radiation patterns in the H-plane.

In this article, LTCC (Low temperature Co-fired ceramic) is used to design integrated antenna-TR module to meet the miniaturization of phased array in ka frequency band. Integrated antenna module has lower loss between antenna and TR than normal separate antenna and TR module, and make easier to expand large array. According to multi-layer LTCC integration criterion, characters of end-fire Qusi-Yagi antenna and multi-antenans buried in LTCC materials is optimized designed, high-gain and wide-angle scanning is realized.

We study the difference in the maximum stress on a cylinder surface σmax using the measured surface heat transfer coefficient hm instead of its average value ha during quenching. In the quenching temperatures of 200, 300, 400, 500, 600 and 800°C, the maximum surface stress σmmax calculated by hm is always smaller than σamax calculated by ha, except in the case of 800°C; while the time to reach σmax calculated by hm (fmmax) is always earlier than that by ha (famax). It is inconsistent with the traditional view that σmax increases with increasing Biot number and the time to reach σmax decreases with increasing Biot number. Other temperature-dependent properties also have a small effect on the trend of their mutual ratios with quenching temperatures. Such a difference between the two maximum surface stresses is caused by the dramatic variation of hm with temperature, which needs to be considered in engineering analysis.

Femoral head necrosis (FHN) is a metabolic cartilage disease of rapidly growing broilers. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) in the apoptotic processes associated with FHN. Broilers were selected and categorized based on clinical examination in 3 groups: healthy, femoral head separation, or femoral head separation with growth plate lacerations. Hematoxylin and eosin staining showed fewer chondrocytes in the resting zone of the growth plates when FHN occurred. Moreover, the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay revealed a significant increase in chondrocyte apoptosis. Furthermore, immunohistochemical assays and real-time quantitative PCR analysis demonstrated a decline in bFGF expression. In addition, reduced Bcl-2 mRNA expression was observed along with a corresponding increase in Bax and caspase-3 mRNA expression in FHN samples. There was a correlation between bFGF protein expression and the proportion of TUNEL-positive cells and a correlation between bFGF mRNA expression and expression of Bax, and caspase-3. The results of the study suggested that the expression of bFGF was reduced in the process of chondrocyte apoptosis, which could play an important role in the pathogenesis of FHN in chickens.

We report the measurement of the beam-vector and tensor asymmetries A_{ed}^{V} and A_{d}^{T} in quasielastic (e[over →],e^{'}p) electrodisintegration of the deuteron at the MIT-Bates Linear Accelerator Center up to missing momentum of 500 MeV/c. Data were collected simultaneously over a momentum transfer range 0.1

Eimeria maxima 14-3-3 (Em14-3-3) open reading frame (ORF) which consisted of 861 bp encoding a protein of 286 amino acids was successfully amplified and sequenced. Subsequently, the Em14-3-3 ORF was subcloned into pET-32a (+) and pVAX1, respectively. RT-PCR and immunoblot analyses confirmed that the target gene was successfully transcribed and expressed in vivo. Immunofluorescence analysis showed that Em14-3-3 was expressed in both the sporozoites and merozoites. The animal experiments demonstrated that both rEm14-3-3 and pVAX1-14-3-3 could clearly alleviate jejunum lesions and body weight loss. The Em14-3-3 vaccines could increase oocyst decrease ratio, as well as produce an anticoccidial index of more than 165. The percentages of CD4+ in both the Em14-3-3 immunized groups were much higher, when compared with those of PBS, pET32a (+), and pVAX1 controls (P

We report the measurement of the beam-vector and tensor asymmetries A_{ed}^{V} and A_{d}^{T} in quasielastic (e[over →],e^{'}p) electrodisintegration of the deuteron at the MIT-Bates Linear Accelerator Center up to missing momentum of 500 MeV/c. Data were collected simultaneously over a momentum transfer range 0.1Q^{2}0.5 (GeV/c)^{2} with the Bates Large Acceptance Spectrometer Toroid using an internal deuterium gas target polarized sequentially in both vector and tensor states. The data are compared with calculations. The beam-vector asymmetry A_{ed}^{V} is found to be directly sensitive to the D-wave component of the deuteron and has a zero crossing at a missing momentum of about 320 MeV/c, as predicted. The tensor asymmetry A_{d}^{T} at large missing momentum is found to be dominated by the influence of the tensor force in the neutron-proton final-state interaction. The new data provide a strong constraint on theoretical models.

Eimeria acervulina is one of seven Eimeria spp. that can infect chicken duodenal epithelial cells. Eimeria microneme protein 3 (MIC3) plays a vital role in the invasion of host epithelial tissue by the parasite. In this study, we found that chicken (Gallus gallus) ubiquitin conjugating enzyme E2F (UBE2F) could bind to the MIC3 protein of E. acervulina (EaMIC3), as screened using the yeast two-hybrid system, and that it might be the putative receptor protein of EaMIC3. The UBE2F gene was cloned from chicken duodenal epithelial cells. The recombinant protein of UBE2F (rUBE2F) was expressed in E. coli and the reactogenicity of rUBE2F was analyzed by Western blot. Gene sequencing revealed that the opening reading frame (ORF) of UBE2F was 558 base pairs and encoded a protein of 186 amino acids with a molecular weight of 20.46 kDa. The predicted UBE2F protein did not contain signal peptides or a transmembrane region, but had multiple O-glycosylation and phosphorylation sites. A phylogenetic analysis showed that the chicken UBE2F protein is closely related to those of quail and pigeon (Coturnix japonica and Columba livia). A sporozoite invasion-blocking assay showed that antisera against rUBE2F significantly inhibited the invasion of E. acervulina sporozoites in vitro. Animal experiments indicated that the antisera could significantly enhance average body weight gains and reduce mean lesion scores following a challenge with E. acervulina. These results therefore imply that the chicken UBE2F protein might be the target receptor molecule of EaMIC3 that is involved in E. acervulina invasion.Caractérisation moléculaire d’un récepteur potentiel de la protéine 3 du micronème d’Eimeria acervulina dans les cellules épithéliales duodénales de poulet.Eimeria acervulina est l’une des sept Eimeria spp. qui peuvent infecter les cellules épithéliales duodénales de poulet. La protéine 3 du micronème d’Eimeria (MIC3) joue un rôle vital dans l’invasion du tissu épithélial de l’hôte par le parasite. Dans cette étude, nous avons constaté que l’enzyme de conjugaison de l’ubiquitine de poulet E2F (UBE2F) pouvait se lier à la protéine MIC3 d’E. acervulina (EaMIC3), telle que testé à l’aide du système de levure à deux hybrides, et qu’il pourrait s’agir de la protéine réceptrice putative d’EaMIC3. Le gène UBE2F a été cloné à partir de cellules épithéliales duodénales de poulet. La protéine recombinante d’UBE2F (rUBE2F) a été exprimée dans E. coli et la réactogénicité de rUBE2F a été analysée par Western blot. Le séquençage génétique a révélé que le cadre de lecture d’ouverture (ORF) d’UBE2F était de 558 paires de bases et codait une protéine de 186 acides aminés avec un poids moléculaire de 20,46 kDa. La protéine UBE2F prédite ne contenait pas de peptides signaux ni de région transmembranaire, mais avait plusieurs sites d’O-glycosylation et de phosphorylation. Une analyse phylogénétique a montré que la protéine UBE2F de poulet est étroitement liée à celles de la caille et du pigeon (Coturnix japonica et Columba livia). Un test de blocage des invasions de sporozoïtes a montré que les antisérums dirigés contre rUBE2F inhibaient de manière significative l’invasion des sporozoïtes d’E. acervulina in vitro. Les expériences sur les animaux ont indiqué que les antisérums pourraient améliorer de manière significative les gains de poids corporel moyens et réduire les scores moyens de lésions suite à une infection avec E. acervulina. Ces résultats impliquent donc que la protéine UBE2F de poulet pourrait être la molécule de récepteur cible d’EaMIC3 impliquée dans l’invasion d’E. acervulina.

The tensor analyzing power Γ20 in elastic electron-deuteron scattering has been measured in the four momentum transfer region between 1.4 and 3.2 fm~l using the Internal Target Facility at NIKHEF. Tensor-polarized deuterium is produced in an Atomic Beam Source and injected into a storage cell. Scattered electrons and recoil deuterons were detected in coincidence with two large acceptance nonmagnetic detectors.

Speakers of North American English are known to use a variety of tap/flap articulations depending on phonetic context (Derrick and Gick, 2011); it is also known that NAE taps/flaps are sometimes associated with a greatly lowered F4 frequency (Warner and Tucker, 2017). It has been less clear whether only certain articulatory variants show this acoustic effect. Since retroflex stops are also associated with lowered F4 (Blumstein and Stevens, 1975), we predict that flap retroflexion is associated with lowered F4. To test this prediction, synchronized ultrasound and audio recordings were made of words containing /t, d/ in a variety of contexts known to give rise to tap/flap variants. Based on visual inspection of ultrasound videos, these were coded as one of four articulatory variants (low tap, high tap, up flap, down flap: Derrick and Gick, 2011); formant frequencies were extracted from the audio at several timepoints relative to the tap/flap. Preliminary results from one speaker support the hypothesis: high taps and down flaps (variants with initial retroflexion) show an F4 drop into the consonant, while high taps and up flaps (variants with final retroflexion) show an F4 rise out of the consonant.

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is an essential mediator of angiogenesis and endochondral ossification. To explore the role of VEGF in avian diseases such as tibial dyschondroplasia (TD), a typical disorder of endochondral ossification, we expressed and identified recombinant chicken VEGF (chVEGF) protein in Pichia pastoris and evaluated its effects on thiram-induced TD in broiler chickens. The SDS-PAGE showed that 2 recombinant proteins, with molecular weights of ~46 and ~70 kDa, were obtained. Western blot analysis indicated that the 2 proteins were recognized by rabbit anti-chicken and goat anti-human VEGF polyclonal antibodies. Moreover, the mixture of the proteins significantly stimulated angiogenesis in the chick chorioallantoic membrane. In 21-d-old broilers that had been fed a thiram-enriched diet (100 mg/kg of thiram for 2 d at 8 d old) to induce TD, intramuscular injection of the chVEGF proteins (at a dosage of 10 or 30 μg/kg) significantly reduced the severity of TD but had no effect on TD incidence or BW; decreased serum Ca and P concentrations and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase activity and elevated serum alkaline phosphatase activity; enhanced the total antioxidant capacity, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase activities in the liver and kidney; upregulated the expression of type X collagen, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-13, and Runx2; and downregulated the Bcl-2 expression in the growth plates. In thiram-treated broilers at 15 d old, the chVEGF proteins upregulated the expression of MMP-13 and Runx2, and had different effects on type X collagen and Bcl-2 expression at different dosages. Our results indicate that exogenous chVEGF proteins promoted the recovery of TD-affected growth plates by improving the antioxidant capacity in the liver and kidney and by regulating differential expression of genes relating to endochondral ossification at different stages of TD development; VEGF deficiency in the growth plates was involved in the pathogenesis of TD.

Femoral head necrosis (FHN) is a common disorder in fast-growing broilers in the poultry industry, but the pathogenesis of FHN has not been clarified completely. In the present study, glucocorticoid (GC) administration was used to induce FHN in broilers. Compared with normal birds, histopathology showed that the length of the articular cartilage of GC-induced FHN broilers was thicker while the proliferative zone and prehypertrophic zone were obviously thinner. Moreover, hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining showed the apoptotic chondrocyte in the growth plate of the femoral head in FHN-affected birds. Bone parameters also decreased significantly in GC-induced FHN broilers. In addition, as for the mRNA expression, GC-induced FHN broilers had an apparent reduction in Col-II, Col-X, and Bcl-2 but a significant promotion of Caspase-3, Caspase-9, ASK-1, and JNK-1 when compared with the normal birds. It showed glucocorticoid induced FHN in broilers by affecting the proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis of chondrocytes accompanying the retarding of bone growth.

The incorporation of carbonate has been recognized as an evident change in bone mineral (bioapatite) during aging. Laying hens (Gushi layer) at 4 stages of age (8 hens each stage) were studied by Raman spectroscopy and X-ray radiography to investigate the mineralogical changes and bone density, respectively. Cortical bones of the humerus and femur show a rapid increase of carbonate (∼1.9 wt.%) from sexual maturity to the peak of hens' laying period, while the densities of the cortical bones are relatively stable. Before sexual maturity, the density of the cortical bones increases considerably during aging. However, after the peak of the laying period, only femoral density continues elevating. Carbonate contents in the cortical bones reach the maximum at the peak of the laying period. Two pathways (halted growth of density and Ca-release due to the CO3 incorporation) could both contribute to the intense Ca requirement for egg laying. Crystallization, however, has no significant changes during aging and the laying period. This study could shed light on the mechanism of mineral losses due to CO3 incorporation, and also shows the advantages of Raman spectroscopy in tracking mineral loss in poultry bone.

In this study, we evaluated the effects of the herb medicine formula Gushukang (GSK) on bone characteristics and osteoporosis in end-of-lay hens. One thousand 55-wk-old ISA caged layers were allotted randomly to 2 groups. The control group was given the basal diet, and the GSK group was given the basal diet supplemented with additional GSK (1 g/kg) for 10 wk. Egg production, shell quality, bone radiographic density, and biochemical markers of bone turnover were determined. The results showed that GSK significantly increased the egg laying rate and decreased the percentage of cracked eggs (P < 0.05).The serum calcium, phosphate, and alkaline phosphatase were decreased (P < 0.05) in the GSK-treated group compared with the control group, whereas bone characteristics were significantly improved (P < 0.05). The results suggested that GSK can improve egg production and prevent bone loss by inhibiting bone turnover.

The Bates large acceptance spectrometer toroid (BLAST) experiment was operated at the MIT-Bates Linear Accelerator Center from 2003 until 2005. The detector and experimental program were designed to study, in a systematic manner, the spin-dependent electromagnetic interaction in few-nucleon systems. As such the data will provide improved measurements for neutron, proton, and deuteron form factors. The data will also allow details of the reaction mechanism, such as the role of final state interactions, pion production, and resonances to be studied. The experiment used: a longitudinally polarized electron beam stored in the South Hall Storage Ring; a highly polarized, isotopically pure, internal gas target of hydrogen or deuterium provided by an atomic beam source: and a symmetric, general purpose detector based on a toroidal spectrometer with tracking. time-of-flight, Cherenkov, and neutron detectors. Details of the experiment and operation are presented. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The RNA interference (RNAi) technique has been widely used in gene function studies. It is typical to screen for effective siRNAs by knocking down targeted genes since a single gene can be suppressed by several siRNAs to varying degrees. The miRNA-based short hairpin RNA (shRNA) is a natural inducer of RNAi and has been used in siRNA expression strategies. We investigated the potential application of multiple putative microRNA-based shRNAs for gene silencing and studied the inhibition effi- ciency of exogenous GFP and firefly luciferase (luc) by triple human mir155-based shRNA expression vectors. A total of three candidate siRNA sequences targeted against GFP or luc were selected based on an online prediction program. Single and triple miRNA-155-based shRNAs targeted against GFP or luc were transfected into HEK293 cells mediated by the pcDNA3 vector with an RNA polymerase II-type CMV (cytomegalovirus) promoter. Comparisons with negative control shRNAs revealed that GFP levels were markedly reduced by the triple miRNA-155-based GFP shRNA by fluorescent microscopy. Consistent results from the dual luciferase assay and real-time quantitative RT-PCR revealed that the triple miRNA-155-based GFP shRNA significantly suppressed GFP expression (P \ 0.01), with- out significant differences from the most effective single miRNA-155-based GFP shRNA (P ( 0.05). Results from the dual luciferase assay and real-time quantitative RT-PCR revealed that the triple miRNA-155-based luc shRNA sig- nificantly suppressed luc expression as the most effective single miRNA-155-based luc shRNA (P \ 0.05). These studies demonstrated the gene silencing efficiency mediated by the triple putative miRNA-155-based shRNAs. This suggested that multiple miRNA-based shRNAs are quick and valuable strategies for gene silencing.

The pressure of the hydro-mechanical continuously variable transmission (HMCVT) is not only one of the major factors affecting the performance of the power train but also the major control parameter of the HMCVT control system. So how to improve the high accuracy hydraulic pressure parameter for the HMCVT control system will be one of the key technologies in system development. Based on the HMCVT test system for a certain tracked vehicle, the hydraulic pressure is studied, and multi-sensor data fusion technology based on Taylor polynomial regression equation is put forward, which turn out to improve the performance of the pressure sensor. Utilizing the above-mentioned method, the ability of antijamming of the hydraulic screen pressure system of the HMCVT is effectively improved, and the validity of the test data in the test system is improved too.

Accurate measurements of the p(e,e?p)pi0 reaction were performed at Q^2=0.127(GeV/c)^2 in the Delta resonance energy region. The experiments at the MIT-Bates Linear Accelerator used an 820 MeV polarized electron beam with the out of plane magnetic spectrometer system (OOPS). In this paper we report the first simultaneous determination of both the TL and TL? (``fifth" or polarized) cross sections at low Q^{2} where the pion cloud contribution dominates the quadrupole amplitudes (E2 and C2). The real and imaginary parts of the transverse-longitudinal cross section provide both a sensitive determination of the Coulomb quadrupole amplitude and a test of reaction calculations. Comparisons with model calculations are presented. The empirical MAID calculation gives the best overall agreement with this accurate data. The parameters of this model for the values of the resonant multipoles are |M_{1+}(I=3/2)|= (40.9 \pm 0.3)10^{-3}/m_pi, CMR= C2/M1= -6.5 \pm 0.3%, EMR=E2/M1=-2.2 \pm 0.9%, where the errors are due to the experimental uncertainties.

We report on the design and performance of compact detector packages currently installed in the four magnetic out-of-plane spectrometers for electron scattering experiments at the MIT-Bates Linear Accelerator Center. The detector packages have been designed to meet the mechanical requirements arising from out-of-plane particle detection. They offer good trajectory and momentum reconstruction, particle identification and time-of-flight measurements for electrons, pions, protons, and deuterons with large momentum bites and in broad kinematical ranges and high luminosities. The detectors have so far been used with great success in out-of-plane measurements of 12 C ( e → , e ′ p ) , 2 H ( e → , e ′ p ) , virtual Compton scattering below pion threshold and in studies of the N → Δ transition in both exclusive reaction channels 1 H ( e → , e ′ p ) π 0 and 1 H ( e → , e ′ π + )n .

New fluorescent indicators with nanomolar to micromolar affinities for Zn(2+) have been synthesized in wavelengths from UV to the far red. The UV light-excited indicators are ratiometric. The visible wavelength indicators are non-ratiometric and exhibit large and pH-independent fluorescence increases with increasing zinc concentrations, with little to no sensitivity to physiologically relevant Ca(2+) concentrations. Experiments in neuronal and non-neuronal cell cultures show the new indicators to retain their sensitivity to and selectivity for zinc after conversion to cell-permeable forms.

We measured the cross section and response functions for the quasielastic 16O(e,e'p) reaction for missing energies 25< or =E(m)< or =120 MeV at missing momenta P(m)< or =340 MeV/c. For 25

New cross sections for the reaction e p-->e p eta are reported for total center of mass energy W = 1.5--1.86 GeV and invariant momentum transfer Q2 = 0.25--1.5 (GeV/c)(2). This large kinematic range allows extraction of important new information about response functions, photocouplings, and eta N coupling strengths of baryon resonances. Newly observed structure at W approximately 1.65 GeV is shown to come from interference between S and P waves and can be interpreted with known resonances. Improved values are derived for the photon coupling amplitude for the S11(1535) resonance.

This article focuses on the production of chemokines by resident glial cells of the nervous system. We describe studies in two distinct categories of inflammation within the nervous system: immune-mediated inflammation as seen in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) or multiple sclerosis (MS) and post-traumatic inflammation. We provide evidence that chemokines play a role in amplifying the inflammatory reaction in EAE (and, probably, MS). In the context of neural trauma, chemokines appear to be primary stimuli for leukocyte recruitment. Strikingly, expression of monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1 and interferon-gamma-inducible protein-10 (IP-10) are largely restricted to astrocytes or other glial cells in these diverse pathological states. The remainder of the review focuses on studies that address the molecular mechanisms which underlie transcriptional regulation of three astrocyte-derived chemokines: MCP-1, IP-10 and beta-R1/interferon-gamma-inducible T-cell chemoattractant (I-TAC). Based on these studies, we propose that the complex promoters of these genes are marvelously organized for flexible and efficient response to challenge. In the case of MCP-1, several different stimuli can elicit gene transcription, acting through a conserved mechanism that includes binding of inducible transcription factors and recruitment of the constitutive factor Sp1. For IP-10 and beta-R1/I-TAC, it appears that efficient gene transcription occurs only in highly inflammatory circumstances that produce aggregates of simultaneous stimuli. These characteristics, in turn, mirror the expression patterns of the endogenous genes: MCP-1 is expressed under a variety of circumstances, while IP-10 appears primarily during immune-mediated processes that feature exposure of resident neuroglia to high levels of inflammatory cytokines.

We have measured the cross section for quasielastic 1p -shell proton knockout in the {sup 16}O( e, e{sup '}p) reaction at {omega}=0.439 GeV and Q{sup 2}=0.8 (GeV/c){sup 2} for missing momentum P{sub miss}{

The ratio of the proton's elastic electromagnetic form factors was obtained by measuring the transverse and longitudinal polarizations of recoiling protons from the elastic scattering of polarized electrons with unpolarized protons. The ratio of the electric to magnetic form factor is proportional to the ratio of the transverse to longitudinal recoil polarizations. The ratio was measured over a range of four-momentum transfer squared between 0.5 and 3.5 GeV-squared. Simultaneous measurement of transverse and longitudinal polarizations in a polarimeter provides good control of the systematic uncertainty. The results for the ratio of the proton's electric to magnetic form factors show a systematic decrease with increasing four momentum squared, indicating for the first time a marked difference in the spatial distribution of charge and magnetization currents in the proton.

We report on the first measurement of spin-correlation parameters in quasifree electron scattering from vector-polarized deuterium. Polarized electrons were injected into an electron storage ring at a beam energy of 720 MeV. A Siberian snake was employed to preserve longitudinal polarization at the interaction point. Vector-polarized deuterium was produced by an atomic beam source and injected into an open-ended cylindrical cell, internal to the electron storage ring. The spin correlation parameter $A^V_{ed}$ was measured for the reaction $^2 \vec{\rm H}(\vec e,e^\prime n)p$ at a four-momentum transfer squared of 0.21~(GeV/$c$)$^2$ from which a value for the charge form factor of the neutron was extracted.