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The direct detection of dark matter is a key problem in astroparticle physics that generally requires the use of deep-underground laboratories for a low-background environment where the rare signals from dark matter interactions can be observed. This work reports on the Stawell Underground Physics Laboratory – currently under construction and the first such laboratory in the Southern Hemisphere – and the associated research program. A particular focus will be given to ANU’s contribution to SABRE, a NaI:Tl dark matter, direct detection experiment that aims to confirm or refute the long-standing DAMA result. Preliminary measurements of the NaI:Tl quenching factor and characterisation of the SABRE liquid scintillator veto are reported.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to use three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound to detect ultrasound parameters related to the uterine artery and endometrium, evaluate endometrial receptivity, and investigate the predictive value of each parameter for ectopic pregnancy (EP) after in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Fifty-seven cases of pregnancy following IVF-ET in our institution were collected and split into EP and intrauterine pregnancy (IP) groups based on the location of pregnancy, with 27 cases in EP and 30 cases in IP. Endometrial thickness, type, volume, endometrial blood flow parameters, and uterine artery blood flow parameters were all measured one day before transplantation in both groups, and the differences between the two groups were examined. RESULTS: There were differences in endometrial blood flow typing between the two groups, with type III endometrium accounting for the highest proportion in both; the uterine spiral artery pulsatility index PI was significantly higher in the EP group than in the IP group; there were no statistical differences in uterine volume, uterine artery resistance index mRI, or uterine artery resistance index S/D between the two groups; there were no statistical differences in uterine volume, or uterine artery. CONCLUSIONS: Intracavitary 3D ultrasound can assess endometrial tolerance and may predict pregnancy outcome after IVF-ET. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to detect the expression level of microRNA-210-3p (miRNA-210-3p) in cervical cancer (CC) tissues and its clinical significance. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Expression levels of miRNA-210-3p in collected CC tissues, normal cervical tissues and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) tissues (CIN I, CIN II, and CIN III) were tested by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The relationship between miRNA-210-3p level and clinical data of CC patients was analyzed. Moreover, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) was introduced for assessing the diagnostic potential of miRNA-210-3p in CC. RESULTS: Results revealed that miRNA-210- 3p level was higher in CC tissues relative to normal cervical tissues and CIN tissues. Its expression was not correlated with age, pathological subtype, and tumor size of CC patients. However, miRNA-210-3p level was closely linked to FIGO stage, tumor differentiation, and lymphatic metastasis in CC. Based on depicted ROC, miRNA-210-3p was able to distinguish CC from normal cervical tissues and CIN tissues. CONCLUSIONS: MiRNA-210-3p is upregulated in CC, and its level is closely correlated with FIGO stage, tumor differentiation, and lymphatic metastasis in CC patients. Besides, miRNA- 210-3p produces a pronounced diagnostic efficacy, so it can be utilized as a novel hallmark for diagnosing CC and predicting the disease progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rotating drum biofilters (RDBs) are cost-effective for control of emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from waste gas streams. In this paper, a dynamic mathematical model is presented which simulates and predicts the variation in performance of a multi-layer ROB with time on the basis of the two-film theory. The model takes into account factors including biofilm growth and biomass loss, and a changing biofilm surface area and thickness assuming quasi-steady-state conditions in the two-phase system and uniform bacterial population. Toluene was assumed to be the only rate-limiting substrate. The model equations for the gas-phase mass balance and biofilm growth were solved using MATLAB based on the fourth-fifth-order Runge-Kutta technique, and the concentration profiles in the biofilms were obtained using the method of orthogonal collocation. Simulation results showed that the toluene removal efficiency decreased with increased toluene loading or increased duration of operation of the biofilter. Calculation results were compared to the experimental results, which demonstrated that the dynamic model provided a good simulation of the performance of the biofilter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Osteoporosis is a major public health problem, mainly quantified by low bone mineral density (BMD). The majority of BMD variation is determined by genetic effects. A pilot whole genome linkage scan (WGS) was previously reported in 53 white pedigrees with 630 subjects. Several genomic regions were suggested to be linked to BMD variation. Objective: To substantiate these previous findings and detect new genomic regions. Methods: A WGS was conducted on an extended sample where the size was almost tripled (1816 subjects from 79 pedigrees). All the subjects were genotyped with 451 microsatellite markers spaced -8.1 cM apart across the human genome. Two point and multipoint linkage analyses were carried out using the variance component method. Results: The strongest linkage signal was obtained on Xq27 with two point 100 scores of 4.30 for wrist BMD, and 2.57 for hip BMD, respectively. Another important region was 11 q23, which achieved a maximum LOD score of 3.13 for spine BMD in multipoint analyses, confirming the results on this region in Iwo earlier independent studies. Suggestive linkage evidence was also found on 7p14 and 20p12. Conclusions: Together with the findings from other studies, the current study has further delineated the genetic basis of bone mass and highlights the importance of increasing sample size to confirm linkage findings and to identify new regions of linkage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sn doped and BiOI coupled dual modified Bi2WO6 photocatalytic material was prepared using hydrothermal route. The phase composition, morphology, surface area, elemental composition and oxidation state, as well as optical properties, were comprehensively characterized. Take the methylene blue (MB) as the model pollutant for photodegradation to estimate the photocatalytic property of the synthesized material. The prepared Bi2WO6- based composite material shows a flower-like structure assembled from nanosheets, with a surface area of 45.3 m²/g and a bandgap width of 2.41 eV, enabling visible light responsiveness. The synergistic effect of Sn doping and BiOI coupling modification enhances the photocatalytic performance. The Sn-BiOI/Bi2WO6 photocatalytic composite material shows excellent photocatalytic activity, with complete degradation of MB after 40 minutes of illumination, and a first-order reaction rate constant (k) of 0.102 min-1. Experimental evidence suggests that photoinduced holes are the main active species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diet is an important exposure route of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), but many unfiltered potential EDCs remain in food. The in silico prediction of EDCs is a popular method for preliminary screening. Potential EDCs in food were screened using Endocrine Disruptome, an open-source platform for inverse docking, to predict the binding probabilities of 587 food chemical contaminants with 18 human nuclear hormone receptor (NHR) conformations. In total, 25 contaminants were bound to multiple NHRs such as oestrogen receptor α/β and androgen receptor. These 25 compounds mainly include pesticides and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs). The prediction results were validated with the in vitro data. The structural features and the crucial amino acid residues of the four NHRs were also validated based on previous literature. The findings indicate that the screening has good prediction efficiency. In addition, the epidemic evidence about endocrine interference of PFASs in food on children was further validated through this screening. This study provides preliminary screening results for EDCs in food and a priority list for in vitro and in vivo research.

Objective: To explore the characteristics of executive function in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder comorbid with high functioning autism. Methods: A total of 165 children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD group), 65 children with attention-deficit/Hyperactivity disorder comorbid with high functioning autism (ADHD-HFA group), and 84 healthy controls (control group) (based on the criteria of DSM-5) were recruited from the Outpatient Clinic of Child Healthcare Department of Shen Zhen Children's Hospital. The Rey complex figure test (RCFT), trail making test (TMT), Stroop color-word test were used to assess working memory, shifting and inhibition. Results: ADHD group (2.1±1.9, 7±5, 2.1±2.0 and 7±5) and ADHD-HFA group (2.0±2.0, 7±6, 2.0±2.1 and 6±5) performed worse than control group (3.4±2.0, 10±5, 3.4±2.0 and 10±6) in Rey complex figure test (all P <0.05). ADHD group ((171±8) s, (27.40±0.82) s and (52.29±1.62) s) and ADHD-HFA group ((197±11) s, (29.7±1.1) s and (58.6±2.1) s) group took longer time on the TMT-2, Stroop2 and Stroop4 test than control group ((135±18) s, (22.4±1.9) s and (38.7±3.8) s) (all P <0.05). In children with low intelligence quotient (IQ), ADHD group ((30±8) s) and ADHD-HFA group ((34±9) s) performed worse on Stroop3 test than control group ((20±4) s) (all P <0.05). In children with average IQ, ADHD group ((19±5) s and (24±8) s) took longer time on the Stroop1 and Stroop3 test than control group ((16±3) s and (19±4) s) (all P <0.05). In children with high IQ, ADHD-HFA group ((20±8) s) spent more time on Stroop1 than control group ((15±4) s) ( P <0.05). Inattention symptoms were associated with the time on TMT-2 of ADHD-HFA group ( r =0.275 and 0.329, all P <0.05). The score of item 1 in autism spectrum screening questionnaire (ASSQ) was negatively correlated with immediate recall structure and detail scores as well as delay structure scores of Rey complex figure test ( r =-0.358, -0.326 and -0.306, all P <0.05). The score of item 4 was positively correlated with errors of Stroop4 ( r =0.296, P <0.05). The score of item 22 was positively correlated with time of color interference ( r =0.279, P <0.05). Conclusions: Children with ADHD-HFA are likely to demonstrate the spatial working memory, shifting and inhibition deficits associated with ADHD alone. Some domains of executive function impairment in ADHD-HFA group are related with symptoms of inattention/hyperactivity and autism.

The 3'-terminal nucleotides of the flavivirus genomic RNA form conserved secondary structures that may function as cis-acting signals for RNA replication. Here we provide evidence for the existence of a conserved pseudoknot structure at the 3' terminus of the flavivirus genomic RNA. A truncated version of the West Nile virus (WNV) 3'-terminal RNA sequence was used as the model for these studies. Circular dichroism spectra indicated the presence of a highly structured RNA conformation with a significant amount of A-form helix. Ribonuclease probing not only confirmed the presence of the predicted secondary structure, which consists of a long stem-loop (SL1) and a shorter stem-loop (SL2), but also suggested that base pairing occurs between nucleotides in the loop of SL2 and those in an internal loop strand located on the 5' side of SL1. Analysis of three mutant RNAs further supported the existence of pseudoknot interactions. UV-melting analysis of the WNV 3' model RNA showed three transitions with significant hyperchromicity at approximately 46, 62, and 79 degrees C. UV-melting analysis with either SL1 or SL2 RNA alone suggested that the 62 and 79 degree C transitions represent the unfolding of SL2 and SL1, respectively. The 46 degree C transition is most likely due to the opening of the proposed tertiary structure. A similar melting curve was obtained for another flavivirus (dengue-3 virus) 3'-terminal RNA, providing further support for the conservation of the structure among flaviviruses. Molecular modeling of the RNA indicated that a pseudoknot structure is a stereochemically and energetically reasonable model for the 3' terminus of flavivirus genomic RNA.

DNA.RNA hybrid duplexes are found in many important biological processes and are involved in developing modes of disease treatment, such as antisense therapy, yet little is known about the sequence dependence of their structure and stability. The structure and thermodynamic stability of DNA.RNA hybrid model systems corresponding in composition and length and containing (1) all purine or all pyrimidine bases on each strand or (2) mixed purine and pyrimidine bases on each strand have been evaluated relative to pure RNA and DNA duplexes by thermal melting, CD, and electrophoresis analyses. The spread in free energies of denaturation of the homopurine.homopyrimidine systems covers over 14 kcal/mol of single strands, while the mixed sequence free energies vary by less than 4 kcal/mol. The RNA-homopurine.DNA-homopyrimidine hybrid resembles a corresponding pure RNA duplex in both structure and stability, whereas the DNA-homopurine.RNA-homopyrimidine hybrid resembles a corresponding pure DNA duplex. The mixed sequence hybrids show intermediate structure between the corresponding pure RNA and pure DNA duplexes and a stability closer to that of the pure DNA duplex. From these results and the evaluation of published hybrid data [Hall, K. B., & McLaughlin, L. W. (1991) Biochemistry 30, 10606-10613; Roberts, W. R., & Crothers, D. M. (1992) Science 258, 1463-1466], it can be predicted that a hybrid duplex containing more RNA purine bases will have a CD spectrum, and probably conformation, resembling that of A-form duplexes and will be more stable than a corresponding hybrid duplex with fewer RNA purine bases.

This paper describes the production of divalent K88, K99 antigens by high cell density fermentation and gene overexpression. The cell density reached above 40 at A600nm and the antigens were at 2(12) level. The thousands dosage of the vaccine can be made by using 10 I broth of the fermentation. The stability of the plasmid showed that about 30 percent of the bacteria lost its plasmid after 20 h fermentation. It was found that the antigens were overexpressed and located in both the pili of E. coli and in the medium in equal quantities. It means that the expression and regulation of the genes of K88, K99 may be different from the wild type of enterotoxingenic E. coli. A large number of the vaccinated pregnant sow showed that the piglets were effectively protected from the infection of enterotoxingenic E. coli. The results indicated that the large quantities requirement of the vaccine could be provided by using a small fermenter. This vaccine consists of two forms of the antigen K88, K99 which, when present in the pili as well as the medium, is more favorable to stimulate the production of antibody in the colostrum of pregnant sow.