Formation Enthalpies of Tetravalent Lanthanide Perovskites by High Temperature Oxide Melt Solution Calorimetry

High-temperature oxide melt solution calorimetry was used to measure formation enthalpies for several compositions of perovskites of nominal stoichiometry BaPrO3 and BaCeO3. Samples were synthesized from chemical solution methods followed by calcination at 1100-1300°C. PrO2 was synthesized by oxidation of Pr6O11 in an oxygen flow at 280°C. The samples were characterized by microprobe, thermogravimetric and differential thermal analyses. Cell parameters were refined by the Rietveld method. Barium excess in the samples with respect to ideal stoichiometry was detected. Drop solution enthalpies were measured in a Calvet type twin microcalorimeter, using 3Na2O·4MoO3 solvent at 702°C. Preliminary values of the formation enthalpy of BaPrO3 and BaCeO3 from oxides were -70 ±10 kJ/mol and -51 ±10 kJ/mol, respectively. They fall on the normal trend of energetics versus Goldschmidt tolerance factor and do not show any special stabilization of BaPrO3 relative to other MLnO3 perovskites.

Complication of adenoid cystic carcinoma and sialolithiasis in the submandibular gland: report of a case and its etiological background

The authors report a case of adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) complicated with sialolithiasis of the submandibular gland. The patient was a 43-year-old female with a history of papillotubular carcinoma of the breast almost at the same time. She had noticed a swelling in her sublingual area for 10 years, which was later diagnosed by her dentist to be due to a sialolith in the left submandibular gland. After several years of observation, the patient was referred to have her left submandibular gland, containing the stone, surgically removed with a diagnosis of atrophic sialadenitis. Histopathologically, the submandibular gland was extensively replaced with fibrous granulation tissue, in which there were small but invasive foci of ACC. The present case indicates that ACC could arise in the background of chronic sialadenitis. It is suggested that long-standing sialadenitis cases should be carefully examined to exclude suspicion of malignancy before surgery.

Clinical outcomes of ovulation induction with metformin, clomiphene citrate and human menopausal gonadotrophin in polycystic ovary syndrome

This pilot study evaluated the effects of coadministration of metformin with clomiphene citrate (CC) and human menopausal gonadotrophin (HMG) in women with CC-resistant polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Sixty women with PCOS were randomly assigned to receive 3 months' treatment with metformin or placebo together with CC and HMG. Transvaginal ultrasound was used to monitor follicular development and ovulation was induced by human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG). The number of dominant follicles, the oestradiol level on the day HCG was given and the amount of HMG required were significantly lower in the metformin group than in the placebo group, whereas the mono-ovulatory rate and pregnancy rate in the third cycle were significantly higher. The cumulative pregnancy rate in the metformin group (43.3%) was higher than in the placebo group (20.0%), but this difference did not reach statistical significance. In conclusion, coadministration of metformin with CC and HMG reduced the amount of HMG required and increased the mono-ovulatory rate and pregnancy rate.

Construction and expression of DNA vaccine pIRES-Sj97-Sj14-Sj26 and its immunogenicity in mice

To find a new preventive strategy for the infection of Schistosoma japonica, plasmid pIRES-Sj97-Sj14-Sj26 that contains fatty binding protein (Sj14), GST (Sj26) and paramyocin (Sj97) that are expressed on the membrane, was constructed. RT-PCR was used to detect the expression of Sj14 mRNA, Sj26 mRNA and Sj97 mRNA in the Hela cells, the indirect immunofluorescent test was employed for the detection of the expression of trans-membrane Sj26 after the plasmid was transfected into Hela cells. Fifty BALB/c mice were randomly divided into 5 groups and pIRES-Sj97-Sj14-Sj26 plasmid DNA, pIRES-Sj14-Sj26 plasmid DNA, pIRES-Sj26 plasmid DNA, pIRES blank vector and normal saline were respectively injected into the quadriceps muscles of thigh. Eight weeks after the immunization the mice were killed and significantly higher level of IgG was detected in the pIRES-Sj97-Sj14-Sj26 group as compared with the pIRES blank vector, normal saline and pIRES-Sj26 groups (P<0.01) and the pIRES-Sj14-Sj26(P<0.05). Single splenocyte suspension was prepared to detected the level of IFN-gamma by ELISA and the lymphocyte stimulating index (SI) by MTT. SI was significantly higher of in the pIRES-Sj97-Sj14-Sj26 group than in other groups (P<0.01), while the IFN-gamma level was significantly higher the pIRES-Sj97-Sj14-Sj26 group than in pIRES blank vector and normal saline groups (P<0.01), but no significant differences were found when compared with pIRES-Sj14-Sj26 and pIRES-Sj26 groups. Flow cytometery showed that the percent-ages of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells were much higher in the pIRES-Sj97-Sj14-Sj26 group (P< 0.01, P<0.05). It was concluded that pIRES-Sj97-Sj14-Sj26 vaccine may induce stronger immune response in BALB/c mice.

Measurement of the bottom quark contribution to nonphotonic electron production in p + p collisions at √s=200 GeV

The contribution of B meson decays to nonphotonic electrons, which are mainly produced by the semileptonic decays of heavy-flavor mesons, in p + p collisions at √s=200  GeV has been measured using azimuthal correlations between nonphotonic electrons and hadrons. The extracted B decay contribution is approximately 50% at a transverse momentum of pT≥5  GeV/c. These measurements constrain the nuclear modification factor for electrons from B and D meson decays. The result indicates that B meson production in heavy ion collisions is also suppressed at high pT.

The Mechanical Stress–Activated Serum-, Glucocorticoid-Regulated Kinase 1 Contributes to Neointima Formation in Vein Grafts

Rationale:

Mechanical stress plays an important role in proliferation of venous smooth muscle cells (SMCs) in neointima, a process of formation that contributes to failure of vein grafts. However, it is unknown what intracellular growth signal leads to proliferation of venous SMCs.

Objective:

The objective of this study is to identify mechanisms of mechanical stretch on neointima formation.

Methods and Results:

By a microarray analysis, we found that mechanical cyclic stretch (15% elongation) stimulated the transcription of SGK-1 (serum-, glucocorticoid-regulated kinase-1). Mechanical stretch–induced SGK-1 mRNA expression was blocked by actinomycin D. The mechanism for the SGK-1 expression involved MEK1 but not p38 or JNK signaling pathway. SGK-1 activation in response to stretch is blocked by insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 receptor inhibitor and mammalian target of rapamycin complex (mTORC)2 inhibitor (Ku-0063794) but not mTORC1 inhibitor (rapamycin). Mechanical stretch–induced bromodeoxyuridine incorporation was reduced by 83.5% in venous SMCs isolated from SGK-1 knockout mice. In contrast, inhibition of Akt, another downstream signal of PI3K resulted in only partial inhibition of mechanical stretch–induced proliferation of venous SMCs. Mechanical stretch also induced phosphorylation and nuclear exportation of p27 kip1 , whereas knockout of SGK-1 attenuated this effect of mechanical stretch on p27 kip1 . In vivo, we found that placement of a vein graft into artery increased SGK-1 expression. Knockout of SGK-1 effectively prevented neointima formation in vein graft. There is significant lower level of p27 kip1 located in the nucleus of neointima cells in SGK-1 knockout mice compared with that of wild-type vein graft. In addition, we also found that wire injury of artery or growth factors in vitro increased expression of SGK-1.

Conclusions:

These results suggest that SGK-1 is an injury-responsive kinase that could mediate mechanical stretch–induced proliferation of vascular cells in vein graft, leading to neointima formation.

Potassium doping effect on the lattice softening and electronic structure of Ba(1-x)K(x)Fe(2)As(2) probed by X-ray absorption spectroscopy

Ba(1-x)K(x)Fe(2)As(2) superconducting samples (x = 0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.5) were synthesized by the solid-state reaction method. In this contribution the doping effect of potassium on the lattice dynamics in this newly discovered Ba(1-x)K(x)Fe(2)As(2) superconductor has been investigated by extended X-ray absorption fine-structure spectroscopy. The analysis shows that with potassium doping an increased disorder in the iron layers is mainly related to the softening of the Fe-Fe bond. Information about the electronic structure of these materials has also been obtained by looking at the X-ray absorption near-edge structure spectra that point out the presence of holes in the Fe-3d/As-4p hybridized orbital of the BaFe(2)As(2)-based system.

Establishment and analysis of SLC22A12 (URAT1) knockout mouse

In order to elucidate the mechanisms of post-exercise acute renal failure, one of the complications of hereditary renal hypouricemia, we have targeted the mouse Slc22a12 gene by the exchange of exons 1-4 with pMC1neo-polyA. The knockout mice revealed no gross anomalies. The concentration ratio of urinary urate/creatinine of the knockout mice was significantly higher than that of wildtype mice, indicating an attenuated renal reabsorption of urate. The plasma levels of urate were around 11 muM and were similar among the genotypes. Although the fractional excretion of urate of knockout mice was tend to higher than that of wildtype mice, the urate reabsorption ability remained in the kidney of knockout mice, indicating a urate reabsorptive transporter other than Urat1.

Multiple copies of 16s rRNA gene affect the restriction patterns and DGGE profile as revealed by analysis of genome database

The use of 16S rRNA gene has been a "golden" method to determine the diversity of microbial communities in environmental samples, phylogenetic relationships of prokaryotes and taxonomic position of newly isolated organisms. However due to the presence of multiple heterogeneous 16S rRNA gene copies in many strains, the interpretation of microbial ecology via 16S rRNA sequences is complicated. Purpose of present paper is to demonstrate the extent to which the multiple heterogeneous 16S rRNA gene copies affect RFLP patterns and DGG E profiles by using the genome database. In present genome database, there are 782 bacterial strains in total whose genomes have been completely sequenced and annotated. Among the total strains, 639 strains (82%) possess multiple 16S rRNA gene copies, 415 strains (53%) whose multiple copies are heterogeneous in sequences as revealed by alignment, 236 strains (30%) whose multiple copies show different restrict patterns by CSP61 + Hinfl, MspI + Rsal or HhaI as analyzed in silico. Polymorphisms of the multiple copies in certain strains were further characterized by G + C% and phylogentic distances based on the sequences of V3 region, which are linked to DGGE patters. Polymorphisms of a few strains were shown as examples. Using artificial communities, it is demonstrated that the presence of multiple heterogeneous 16S rRNA gene copies potentially leads to over-estimation of the diversity of a community. It is suggested that care must be taken when interpreting 16S rRNA-based RFLP and DGGE data and profiling an environmental community.

Assessment of the contact toxicity of methyl palmitate on Tetranychus viennensis (Acari: Tetranychidae)

Previous work demonstrated that methyl palmitate possesses acaricidal activity against Tetranychus viennensis Boisduval (Acari: Tetranychidae) via an unknown mechanism. Here, the symptoms of methyl palmitate toxicity to T. viennensi were studied to determine the acaricidal mechanism of action of this fatty acid methyl ester. Methyl palmitate caused concentration-dependent mortality of T. viennensis, with a moderate concentration (5 mg/ml) eliciting excitement and premature oviposition without spinning shortly after exposure. Tremors of the appendages were subsequently observed, followed by quiescence after approximately 5 h. Mites developed dorsal fluid exosmosis at 15-20 h posttreatment with reduced egg production, followed shortly thereafter by death. Some typical neurotoxic symptoms such as excitement and convulsions were observed in methyl palmitate-exposed mites, suggesting that methyl palmitate may be a neurotoxin. Compared with other neurotoxic acaricides, methyl palmitate poisoning is a slow process in mites. Transmission electron microscopy revealed serious ultrastructural damage in response to 5 mg/ml methyl palmitate exposure. Autolysis of membranous structures was also observed, especially in the mitochondria, suggesting a novel mode of action for methyl palmitate-induced toxicity.

Higher moments of net proton multiplicity distributions at RHIC

We report the first measurements of the kurtosis (κ), skewness (S), and variance (σ2) of net-proton multiplicity (Np-Np) distributions at midrapidity for Au+Au collisions at square root of s(NN)=19.6, 62.4, and 200 GeV corresponding to baryon chemical potentials (μB) between 200 and 20 MeV. Our measurements of the products κσ2 and Sσ, which can be related to theoretical calculations sensitive to baryon number susceptibilities and long-range correlations, are constant as functions of collision centrality. We compare these products with results from lattice QCD and various models without a critical point and study the square root of s(NN) dependence of κσ2. From the measurements at the three beam energies, we find no evidence for a critical point in the QCD phase diagram for μB below 200 MeV.