Effect of hybridization on carcass traits and meat quality of erlang mountainous chickens

Native chickens hold a significant share of the market in China. In response to the huge demand from the market, the productivity of Chinese native chickens needs to be improved. Cross breeding is an effective method to increase productivity, although it might affect meat quality. In this study, two pure lines (SD02 and SD03) of Erlang mountainous chickens were hybridized with a yellow feather and faster growing line (SD01). The effect of hybridization on carcass and meat quality (physiochemical and textural traits) was measured in the F1 population at d 91 of age. The hybrids exhibited higher body weight and dressed weight, and amount of semi-eviscerated, eviscerated, breast muscle and abdominal fat (p<0.05). Abdominal fat yield also increased (p<0.05) compared to the offspring of the two pure-lines. Meanwhile, there was no significant difference in meat quality traits except for the myofiber diameter and density and the shear force of the breast muscle. Overall, the offspring of cross-lines were similar to pure lines in meat color, pH value, inosinic acid, crude protein, crude fat, dry matter, moisture content and amino acid composition in the breast muscle. These results suggest that productivity can be improved via cross-breeding while maintaining meat quality of the Erlang mountainous chicken.

Comparison of NMOSFET and PMOSFET devices that combine CESL stressor and SiGe channel

Strained-Si technology could enhance the carrier mobility and improve the device performance. Contact-etch-stop-layer (CESL) structure with different stress and SiGe channel was fabricated with 90-nm technology. The electrical properties of N and PMOSFET devices combining CESL and SiGe channel were investigated. The short channel effects (SCE), such as drain-induced barrier lowering (DIBL), were also studied. Moreover, the stress contour in the SiGe channel has been simulated with TCAD to understand the relationship between stress distribution and device performance for different CESL structures. It is observed that the stress in the channel region was independent of the type of N or PMOSFET devices, but it was dependent on the CESL type and channel length. Based on the experimental and simulation results, it is confirmed that the device performance is associated with the stress in the channel, and the approach of CESL stressor and SiGe channel is shown to effectively improve the mobility of NMOSFETs and PMOSFETs.

Antioxidant effect of mogrosides against oxidative stress induced by palmitic acid in mouse insulinoma NIT-1 cells

Excessive oxidative stress in pancreatic β cells, caused by glucose and fatty acids, is associated with the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes. Mogrosides have shown antioxidant and antidiabetic activities in animal models of diabetes, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study evaluated the antioxidant effect of mogrosides on insulinoma cells under oxidative stress caused by palmitic acid, and investigated the underlying molecular mechanisms. Mouse insulinoma NIT-1 cells were cultured in medium containing 0.75 mM palmitic acid, mimicking oxidative stress. The effects of 1 mM mogrosides were determined with the dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate assay for intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and FITC-Annexin V/PI assay for cell apoptosis. Expression of glucose transporter-2 (GLUT2) and pyruvate kinase was determined by semi-quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. Palmitic acid significantly increased intracellular ROS concentration 2-fold (P<0.05), and decreased expression of GLUT2 (by 60%, P<0.05) and pyruvate kinase (by 80%, P<0.05) mRNAs in NIT-1 cells. Compared with palmitic acid, co-treatment with 1 mM mogrosides for 48 h significantly reduced intracellular ROS concentration and restored mRNA expression levels of GLUT2 and pyruvate kinase. However, mogrosides did not reverse palmitic acid-induced apoptosis in NIT-1 cells. Our results indicate that mogrosides might exert their antioxidant effect by reducing intracellular ROS and regulating expression of genes involved in glucose metabolism. Further research is needed to achieve a better understanding of the signaling pathway involved in the antioxidant effect of mogrosides.

Genetic diversity and relationships among accessions of five crested wheatgrass species (Poaceae: Agropyron) based on gliadin analysis

Agropyron Gaertn. is the most important genus in Triticeae (Poaceae), which includes many forage grasses with high economic value. The genetic diversity and relationships of 36 accessions from five crested wheatgrass species were analyzed by gliadin markers. A total of 54 product bands were detected after acid polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (A-PAGE), of which 100% were polymorphic. The genetic similarity coefficient based on Nei-Li's method ranged from 0.065 to 0.755 with an average of 0.451. The Shannon diversity information index showed that there was a high level of genetic diversity among the accessions. An unweighted pair group method with arithmetic average (UPGMA) dendrogram was constructed based on the Nei-Li's genetic similarity coefficients, which showed the phylogenetic relationships among accessions of different species. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) showed that the proportion of variance explained by inter- and intraspecific variance was 9.34 and 90.66%, respectively, which revealed that the genetic variations within species were higher than the variations among species. Based on pairwise genetic distances (ΦST) among species, the cluster analysis indicated that A. mongolicum had a low-affinity relationship with other species, while A. fragile showed a close relationship with A. cristatum ssp pectinatum. Finally, the implications of the results for the taxonomy of Agropyron were discussed.

Dectin-1 gene polymorphism is associated with susceptibility to nonspecific digestive disorders and cytokine expression in rabbits

Dectin-1 plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of intestinal inflammation by recognizing the pathogenic agents and mediating cytokine responses. The objective of this study was to establish the association between dectin-1 polymorphisms and susceptibility to nonspecific digestive disorders (NSDD) and cytokine expression in rabbits. A total of 7 coding SNP were detected in dectin-1 gene. The genetic association between SNP (ss707197675A > G) and susceptibility to NSDD was evaluated using a case-control study (178 cases and 174 controls). The results revealed that the A allele was associated with an increased risk of developing NSDD in rabbits. The AA genotype significantly increased the genetic susceptibility to NSDD with odds ratio of 4.76 (95% confidence interval, 1.92-12.50, P = 0.0002) compared with GG and GA genotypes. We also experimentally induced NSDD in another independent growing rabbit population by feeding a low-fiber diet and subsequently investigated the cytokine mRNA expression. Among the 4 studied cytokines, the expression of interferon-γ, IL-17F, and IL-22 were increased 2.8 to 6.0-fold in AA genotype compared with GG genotype (P < 0.01). The greater IL-17F and IL-22 mRNA expressions indicated a positive correlation with severe intestinal inflammation (P < 0.05). The decreased expression of IL-10 was associated with severe intestinal inflammation (P = 0.006), but IL-10 expression was not influenced by dectin-1 genotype. In conclusion, polymorphism ss707197675 of dectin-1 is related with susceptibility to NSDD and increased expression of proinflammatory cytokines, and dectin-1 could be an important candidate gene associated with NSDD in rabbits.

Taurine prevented cell cycle arrest and restored neurotrophic gene expression in arsenite-treated SH-SY5Y cells

The study investigated the effect of taurine on cell viability and neurotrophic gene expression in arsenite-treated human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells. Arsenite-induced intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and interrupted cell cycle in SH-SY5Y cells. In addition, arsenite reduced mitochondria membrane potential (MMP) and decreased neurotrophic gene expressions such as n-myc downstream-regulated gene 4 (NDRG-4), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and sirtuin-1 (SIRT-1) in SH-SY5Y cells. In parallel, taurine prevented cell cycle, restored MMP and reduced the intracellular ROS level, and taurine recovered NDRG-4, BDNF and SIRT-1 gene expressions in arsenite-treated SH-SY5Y cells while taurine alone has no effect on these parameters.

Outcomes associated with concordance of oral antidiabetic drug treatments to prescribing information in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease

OBJECTIVES

This retrospective study aims to examine the association between prescribing information (PI)-concordant oral antidiabetic drug (OAD) treatment and clinical and economic outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and stages 3-5 chronic kidney disease (CKD).

METHODS

The study used a large, national administrative claims database with laboratory findings to identify patients with a diagnosis of diabetes and indication of stages 3-5 CKD (first observed indication as the index date) between 1/1/2005 and 30/06/2009. OADs prescribed during 6 months following the index date (baseline period) were evaluated and patients were considered non-PI-concordant if any did not meet the recommendations regarding patients with renal impairment. Glycemic control and measures of healthcare costs (standardized to 2010 US dollars using the Consumer Price Index) and resource utilization were assessed during the 12 months following the baseline period. Severe hypoglycemic events were assessed after the baseline period until lost to follow-up. Regression analyses were performed after adjusting for demographic and clinical characteristics.

RESULTS

Among the 3300 patients included in the study, 2454 (74.4%) were non-PI-concordant. The non-PI-concordant patients had higher risk of severe hypoglycemic events identified in all settings (HR = 1.35, 95% CI: 1.10-1.67) and events identified in inpatient hospital setting (HR = 2.51, 95% CI: 1.49-4.22), were more likely to have inpatient hospital admissions (OR = 1.27, 95% CI: 1.02-1.57), and were less likely to have glycemic control (OR = 0.56, 95% CI: 0.44-0.71). Annual diabetes-related cost was $1638 higher in the non-PI-concordant cohort (p = 0.0048).

LIMITATION

The retrospective cohort design does not allow for conclusions to be drawn on the causal effect of PI-concordant use based on the associations observed.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest PI-concordant treatment to be associated with better clinical and diabetes-associated economic outcomes. Future research is warranted to confirm the associations found in this study.

Diagnosis value of hysteroscopy for chronic endometritis

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the correlation of hysteroscopy in the diagnosis of chronic endometritis (CE) with histology and assess its reliability.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Two hundred eleven patients with CE diagnosed by hysteroscopy were selected as the case group, and 30 cases without endometritis diagnosed by hysteroscopy were selected as the control group. Hysteroscopy and endometrial biopsy were carried out in all patients with endometrial hyperplasia.

RESULTS

Among 211 patients with CE diagnosed by hysteroscopy, 200 cases were confirmed histologically. There was a significant correlation (p < 0.001) between characterization of CE by hysteroscopy and pathological grading. In 173 cases (86.5%), both histological and hysteroscopic grading were consistent (Kappa value = 0.62).

CONCLUSION

Hysteroscopy is reliable in diagnosing CE and it can assess clinical effectiveness of antibiotic therapy.

Acute Myocardial Injury in a 45-year-old Female: Hypereosinophilic Syndrome

Hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES) can cause eosinophilic infiltration in multiple organ systems resulting in organ damage. Among all, cardiac involvement is the major cause of morbidity and mortality. Early diagnosis and prompt treatment are important to improve the prognosis. We reported a 45-year-old woman with a history of eosinophilia presented with chest pain in our emergency department. Laboratory tests revealed marked eosinophilia and elevated cardiac markers. A neurological event, presenting as right-side limb weakness, supervened later. The diagnosis of HES was established, and prompt treatment with corticosteroids, hydroxyurea, and imatinib resolved the eosinophilia; further cardiac and neurological injury was thus prevented. This case reminds us to consider and, if applicable, to provide the appropriate management for HES in the context of making a differential diagnosis in clinical situations involving organ damage.

Post-treatment human papillomavirus status and recurrence rates in patients treated with loop electrosurgical excision procedure conization for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia

PURPOSE OF INVESTIGATION

The aim of the study was to evaluate the rate of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection clearance after loop electrosurgical excision (LEEP) procedure conization for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and the factors related to such clearance and to assess the relation between HPV and recurrence.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total 141 patients who underwent LEEP owing to high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) associated with CIN were involved this study. All patients with negative margins on LEEP specimens were followed up with HPV testing and cervical smear after three, six, nine, and 12 months post-treatment. If necessary, cervical biopsy under colposcopy was performed.

RESULTS

LEEP can effectively eliminate HPV infection. Most patients cleared HPV infection within six months. The persistent HPV infection rates were 44.6%,10.6%, 5.7%, and 2.1% after three, six, nine, and 12 months, respectively. The clearance rates were significantly slower in patients with HPV 16 infection, and not differ significantly by age, parity, and pathologic degree. Patients with persistent HR-HPV infection after treatment had a significantly higher risk for recurrence/residual after LEEP compared to patients with negative HPV infection.

CONCLUSION

The authors concluded that patients who were positive for HPV infection, especially for HPV 16, should be followed up closely after treatment.

Plant-parasitic Nematode Communities and Their Associations with Soil Factors in Organically Farmed Fields in Minnesota

A survey was conducted to determine the assemblage and abundance of plant-parasitic nematodes and their associations with soil factors in organically farmed fields in Minnesota. A total of 31 soil samples were collected from southeast (SE), 26 samples from southwest (SW), 28 from west-central (WC), and 23 from northwest (NW) Minnesota. The assemblage and abundance of plant-parasitic nematodes varied among the four regions. The soybean cyst nematode, Heterodera glycines, the most destructive pathogen of soybean, was detected in 45.2, 88.5, 10.7, and 0% of organically farmed fields with relative prominence (RP) values of 10.3, 26.5, 0.6, and 0 in the SE, SW, WC, and NW regions, respectively. Across the four regions, other common genera of plant-parasitic nematodes were Helicotylenchus (42.6, RP value, same below), Pratylenchus (26.9), Tylenchorhynchus and related genera (9.4), Xiphinema (5.6), and Paratylenchus (5.3). Aphelenchoides, Meloidogyne, Hoplolaimus, Mesocriconema, and Trichodorus were also detected at low frequencies and/or low population densities. The similarity index of plant-parasitic nematodes between two regions ranged from 0.44 to 0.71 and the similarity increased with decreasing distance between regions. The densities of most plant-parasitic nematodes did not correlate with measured soil factors (organic matter, pH, texture). However, the densities of Pratylenchus correlated negatively with % sand, and Xiphinema was correlated negatively with soil pH.

Convergent evidence from mouse and human studies suggests the involvement of zinc finger protein 326 gene in antidepressant treatment response

Objectives

The forced swim test (FST) is a commonly used model to predict antidepressant efficacy. Uncovering the genetic basis of the model may unravel the mechanism of antidepressant treatment.

Methods

FVB/NJ (FVB) and C57BL/6J (B6) were first identified as the response and non-response strains to fluoxetine (a serotonin-specific reuptake inhibitor antidepressant) treatment in the mouse FST. Simple-interval (SIM) and composite-interval (CIM) mappings were applied to map the quantitative trait loci (QTLs) of the anti-immobility effect of fluoxetine in FST (FST_FLX) in 865 male B6×FVB-F2 mice. The brain mRNA expressions of the gene with the maximum QTL-linkage signal for FST_FLX after the FST were compared between B6 and FVB mice and also compared between fluoxetine and saline treatment. The association of the variants in the human homologue of the mouse FST_FLX-QTL gene with major depressive disorder (MDD) and antidepressant response were investigated in 1080 human subjects (MDD/control = 582/498).

Results

One linkage signal for FST_FLX-QTL was detected at an intronic SNP (rs6215396) of the mouse Zfp326 gene (maximal CIM-LOD = 9.36). The Zfp326 mRNA expression in the FVB thalamus was significantly down-regulated by fluoxetine in the FST, and the higher FVB-to-B6 Zfp326 mRNA expressions in the frontal cortex, striatum and hypothalamus diminished after fluoxetine treatment. Two coding-synonymous SNPs (rs2816881 and rs10922744) in the human homologue of Zfp326, ZNF326, were significantly associated with the 8-week antidepressant treatment response in the MDD patients (Bonferroni-corrected p = 0.004–0.028).

Conclusions

The findings suggest the involvement of the Zfp326 and ZNF326 genes in antidepressant treatment response.

Pre-existing Fas ligand (FasL) in cancer cells elicits tumor-specific protective immunity, but delayed induction of FasL expression after inoculation facilitates tumor formation

Overexpression of Fas ligand (FasL) in cancer cells elicits potential antitumor effects via recruitment of neutrophils. Conversely, FasL-expressing tumors may counterattack tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes by delivering apoptotic death signals via Fas/FasL interactions, which may lead to tumor escape. In order to distinguish the role of FasL in antitumor activity and tumor progression, Lewis lung carcinoma cells (LLC-1) were used to establish the cell line LLC-FasL, in which FasL expression was repressed by doxycycline (Dox) treatment and induced in the absence of Dox. LLC-FasL cells promote tumor regression when expressing FasL, whereas tumor outgrowth is observed by depletion of FasL expression. To investigate whether initial expression of FasL during tumor formation is critical for FasL-mediated tumor regression, Dox-treated LLC-FasL cells were inoculated into Dox-treated mice, but Dox treatment was stopped 5 days after inoculation. When low cell numbers were inoculated, we observed 80% survival and no tumor formation, whereas no mice survived inoculation with high cell numbers, despite the delayed induction of FasL by Dox withdrawal. The inoculation of a high density of cells may establish a favorable tumor microenvironment before the expression of FasL. Our findings demonstrate that FasL may elicit antitumor activity when it is initially present on injected cancer cells and thus can act prior to tumor microenvironment formation. Furthermore, a well-established tumor microenvironment abrogates FasL-mediated antitumor activity.

Efficient doping and energy transfer from ZnO to Eu3+ ions in Eu(3+)-doped ZnO nanocrystals

Successful doping of Eu3+ ions into ZnO nanocrystals has been realized by using a low temperature wet chemical doping technique. The substitution of Eu3+ for Zn2+ is shown to be dominant in the Eu-doped ZnO nanocrystals by analyzing the X-ray diffraction patterns, transmission electron microscopy images, Raman and selectively excited photoluminescence spectra. Measurement of the luminescence from the samples shows that the excited ZnO transfers the excited energy efficiently to the doped Eu3+ ions, giving rise to efficient emission at red spectral region. The red emission quantum yield is measured to be 31% at room temperature. The temperature dependence of photoluminescence and the photoluminescence excitation spectra have also been investigated, showing strong energy coupling between the ZnO host and Eu3+ ions through free and bound excitons. The result indicates that Eu3+ ion-doped ZnO nanocrystals are promising light-conversion materials and have potential application in highly distinguishable emissive flat panel display and LED backlights.

First Report of Basella rugose mosaic virus Infecting Four O'Clock (Mirabilis jalapa) in China

Four o'clock (Mirabilis jalapa) and M. himalaica var. chinensis are members of the family Nyctaginaceae and are widely distributed weeds in Yunnan Province, China. In 2009, mosaic and malformation symptoms were observed on leaves of the four o'clock on the campus of Yunnan Agricultural University and in the Black Dragon Pool Park in Kunming City, China. More than 30% of the four o'clock plants showed symptoms of the disease. Sap from leaves of symptomatic four o'clock plants caused local chlorotic and necrotic lesions in inoculated Chenopodium amaranticolor after 7 to 10 days and systemic mosaic symptoms in C. quinoa and Nicotiana benthamiana after 10 to 12 days. No symptoms were observed following inoculation of sap from asymptomatic plants. A pure virus isolate (MJ) was obtained after three successive single-lesion transfers from C. amaranticolor. Following mechanical inoculation of the MJ isolate, seedlings of indicator plants, N. benthamiana, displayed mosaic symptoms. Moreover, back transmission to healthy four o'clock seedlings by leaf extracts from systemically infected N. benthamiana plants caused similar mosaic and malformation symptoms. Flexuous, filamentous particles (650 to 700 nm long and 13 nm wide) and cytoplasmic laminar aggregates and pinwheel inclusions typical of members of the genus Potyvirus were observed in infected four o'clock leaves by electron microscopy. No other virus particles were observed. Serological testing of 10 symptomatic and healthy plants using a monoclonal antibody specific for Potyvirus group members in an indirect ELISA (Agdia Inc., Elkhart, IN) also resulted in positive reactions in infected leaves, however, all healthy seedlings tested were negative. Total RNAs were extracted from infected four o'clock leaves with the RNeasy Plant Mini Kit (QIAGEN, Hilden, Germany) and the 3'-terminal portion of the viral genome (including part of the NIb polymerase, the entire coat protein (CP), and 3'-UTR) was then amplified by reverse transcription-PCR with a universal Potyviridae primer Sprimer/M4 and an M4T as the initial primer (2). A fragment of 1,720 nucleotides long were separated, purified, and cloned and three independent clones were sequenced (GenBank Accession No. JN250997). Nucleotide and amino acid sequence analysis of the putative CP gene, respectively, revealed 75.1 to 76.3% and 80.3 to 82.1% identity with the Basella rugose mosaic virus (BaRMV) (GenBank Accession Nos. DQ821938, DQ394891, and DQ821939), 77.4 and 81.0% identity with Peace lily mosaic virus (GenBank Accession No. DQ851494), and 76.0 and 81.7% identity with the Phalaenopsis chlorotic spot virus (GenBank Accession No. HM021142). However, on the basis of the CP gene sequence analyses, these three viruses shared high (>88.5 and >94.3%) CP nucleotide and amino acid identity and should be classified as the same Potyvirus species. According to the species demarcation criteria for the Potyviridae (1), the pathogen causing mosaic and malformation symptoms on four o'clock was BaRMV (3). To our knowledge, this is the first report of BaRMV in four o'clock. References: (1) M. J. Adams et al. Arch. Virol. 150:459, 2005. (2) J. Chen et al. Arch. Virol. 146:757, 2001. (3) C. H. Hung and Y. C. Chang. Plant Pathol. 55:819, 2006.

Influence of chemical compositions and molecular weights of humic acids on Cr(VI) photo-reduction

Humic acids (HA) strongly affect the fate of trace metals in soils and aquatic environments. One of the remarkable properties of HA is its ability to reduce Cr(VI), an extremely toxic anion. However, it is unclear which HA components are involved in Cr(VI) reduction and possess the photo-induced properties. In this study, an ultrafiltration technique was used to fractionate HAs into four fractions of different nominal molecular weights (M(w)): >100, 50-100, 10-50 and <10 kDa. Each HA fraction was characterized by spectroscopic analyses followed by examining Cr(VI) removal on each fraction of HA at pH 1-5. Spectroscopic results indicated that low-M(w) HA was enriched with polar and aromatic domains. These polar, including polar C in aliphatic region, and aromatic groups were the major sites for Cr(VI) reduction because they disappeared rapidly upon interaction with Cr(VI). As a result, low M(w) of HA exhibited greater efficiency of Cr(VI) reduction. Light induced the rapid transfer of electrons between chromate-phenol/carboxyl ester, or the formation of peroxide radicals or H(2)O(2) through the ready decay of peroxy radicals associated with polar substituents, explained the rapid scavenging of Cr(VI) on polar and aromatic groups of HAs under illumination.

Effects of Os inserted layers on the microstructures and magnetic properties of the FePt films

The microstructure and magnetic properties of multilayer [Os(t)/FePt(x)]n films on a glass substrate with a 10 nm Os buffer layer by ion beam sputtering have been studied as a function of the annealing temperatures between 300 and 800 degrees C. Here, t = 0.2, 1 or 5 nm and x varied from 10, 20, 25, 50, to 100 nm with its associated n value of 10, 5, 4, 2, and 1, respectively. No diffusion evidence was found in samples with a thin Os layer and t > or = 1 nm. The average grain size of the multilayer films can be well controlled by both annealing temperature and thickness of the FePt layer by a very thin Os space layer with t > or = 1 nm. The enhancement of H(c) can be understood from the fact that for a FePt film with an Os spacer layers, the increasing number of Os layer will inhibit the grain growth of FePt grains and enriches the grain boundary. We have experimentally demonstrated that even with a very thin 1 nm Os spacer layers, the [Os(t)/FePt(x)]n multilayer films can exhibit good hard magnetic properties and are attractive candidates for ultrahigh density magnetic recording media.

Synthesis of ethanol-soluble few-layer graphene nanosheets for flexible and transparent conducting composite films

We report a facile method of preparing few-layer graphene nanosheets (FLGs), which can be soluble in ethanol. Atomic force microscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy studies reveal that FLGs have average thicknesses in the range of 2.6-2.8 nm, corresponding to 8-9 layers. A graphene/nafion composite film has a sheet resistance of 9.70 kΩ/sq at the transmittance of 74.5% (at 550 nm) while the nafion film on polyethylene terephthalate has a sheet resistance of 128 kΩ/sq at transmittance of 90.0%. For the cycling/bending test, almost no change in resistance was exhibited when the film was bent at an angle up to 140°, and no obvious deviation in resistance could be found after 100 bending cycles was applied. In addition, an FLGs-poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) composite layer was demonstrated as the effective hole transporting layer to improve the hole transporting ability in an organic photovoltaic device, with which the power conversion efficiency was enhanced from 3.10% to 3.70%. The results demonstrated the promising applications of FLGs on graphene-based electronics, such as transparent electrode and flexible conducting film.

Evidence of involvement of the human Par-4 (PAWR) gene in major depressive disorder

QBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to examine the associations between genetic variations in the human PAWR gene and major depressive disorder (MDD) as well as the response to antidepressant treatment.

METHODS

Six-hundred and two patients with MDD and 543 controls were included in the study; among the MDD patients, 268 were followed-up for a further 8 weeks in order to assess their response to treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Six polymorphisms (rs17005769, rs4842318, rs7305141, rs2307223, rs8176874 and rs2307220) of the PAWR gene were investigated with regard to their association with MDD and antidepressant treatment efficacy.

RESULTS

One polymorphism, rs8176874, was in genotypic (uncorrected P=0.005) and allelic (uncorrected P=0.0015) association with MDD. Several haplotypes spanning rs7305141-rs2307223-rs8176874 were also significantly associated with MDD after correction for multiple testing (corrected P<0.05). However, neither single-marker nor haplotype-based analyses suggested an association between the studied markers and SSRI treatment response.

CONCLUSIONS

Genetic variations in the PAWR gene are related to susceptibility to MDD but not to SSRI treatment response.

C-terminal region of Candida rugosa lipases affects enzyme activity and interfacial activation

Candida rugosa contains several lipase (CRLs) genes, and CRLs show diverse enzyme activity despite being highly homologous across their entire protein family. Previous studies found that LIP4 has a high esterase activity and a low lipolytic activity and lacks interfacial activation. To investigate whether the C-terminal region of the CRLs mediates enzymatic activity, chimeras were generated in which the C-terminus of LIP4 from either residue 374, 396, 417, or 444 to residue 534 was swapped with the corresponding peptide from the isoform LIP1. A chimeric lipase containing the C-terminus from 396 to 534 of LIP1 on a LIP4 scaffold showed activity similar to that of commercial CRL on triolein, and lipolytic activity increased 2-6-fold over that of LIP4. Moreover, interfacial activation was also observed in the chimeric lipase. To improve its enzymatic properties, a novel glycosylation site was added at residue 314. The new glycosylated lipase showed improved thermostability and enhancement in enzymatic activity, indicating its potential for use in further application.

Genetic polymorphisms of the DNA repair gene MPG may be associated with susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease and can lead to deformities and severe disabilities, due to irreversible damage of tendons, joints, and bones. A previous study indicated that a DNA repair system was involved in the development of RA. In this study, we investigated the association of four N-methylpurine-DNA glycosylase (MPG) gene polymorphisms (rs3176364, rs710079, rs2858056, and rs2541632) with susceptibility to RA in 384 Taiwanese individuals (192 RA patients and 192 control subjects). Our data show a statistically significant difference in genotype frequency distributions at rs710079 and rs2858056 SNPs between RA patients and control groups (P = 0.040 and 0.029, respectively). Our data also indicated that individuals with the GG genotype at rs2858056 SNP may have a higher risk of developing RA. In addition, compared with the haplotype frequencies between case and control groups, individuals with the GCGC haplotype appeared to be at a greater risk of RA progression (P = 0.003, OR = 1.75; 95&percnt; CI = 1.20-1.55). Our results suggest that rs710079 and rs2858056 polymorphisms and the GCGC haplotype in the MPG gene are associated with the risk of RA progression, and thus may be used as molecular markers of RA if they are confirmed by further research.

Butanol production from the effluent of hydrogen fermentation

The purpose of the study was to recover butanol from the effluent of the hydrogen-producing bioreactor containing acetate, butyrate, and carbohydrate. The butanol production by Clostridium beijerinckii NRRL B592 was evaluated under both unsterilized and sterilized conditions for examining the potential of butanol production for the practical application. Sucrose of 10 g/L and butyrate of 2 g/L coupled with acetate buffer were used to mimic the effluent. Sucrose was completely consumed in the both unsterilized and sterilized conditions during acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) fermentation. However, the results illustrate that the carbohydrate consumption rate in the unsterilized condition was higher than that in the sterilized condition. The maximum butanol concentrations of 3,500 and 3,750 mg/L were achieved in the sterilized and unsterilized conditions, respectively. Meanwhile, it was found that the acetate and the butyrate concentrations of 600 and 1,500 mg/L, and 300 and 1,000 mg/L were ingested to yield butanol in the sterilized condition and in the unsterilized condition, respectively. The results concluded that high levels of acetate and butyrate could eliminate the interference of other microbial populations, resulting in the enrichment of C. beijerinckii NRRL B592 in the fermentor. The butanol production by C. beijerinckii NRRL B592 could be, therefore, produced from the effluent of the hydrogen-producing bioreactor. It promised that the microbial butanol production is one of attractive bioprocesses to recover energy from wastes.

ENU mutagenesis identifies mice with morbid obesity and severe hyperinsulinemia caused by a novel mutation in leptin

BACKGROUND

Obesity is a multifactorial disease that arises from complex interactions between genetic predisposition and environmental factors. Leptin is central to the regulation of energy metabolism and control of body weight in mammals.

METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

To better recapitulate the complexity of human obesity syndrome, we applied N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU) mutagenesis in combination with a set of metabolic assays in screening mice for obesity. Mapping revealed linkage to the chromosome 6 within a region containing mouse Leptin gene. Sequencing on the candidate genes identified a novel T-to-A mutation in the third exon of Leptin gene, which translates to a V145E amino acid exchange in the leptin propeptide. Homozygous Leptin(145E/145E) mutant mice exhibited morbid obesity, accompanied by adipose hypertrophy, energy imbalance, and liver steatosis. This was further associated with severe insulin resistance, hyperinsulinemia, dyslipidemia, and hyperleptinemia, characteristics of human obesity syndrome. Hypothalamic leptin actions in inhibition of orexigenic peptides NPY and AgRP and induction of SOCS1 and SOCS3 were attenuated in Leptin(145E/145E) mice. Administration of exogenous wild-type leptin attenuated hyperphagia and body weight increase in Leptin(145E/145E) mice. However, mutant V145E leptin coimmunoprecipitated with leptin receptor, suggesting that the V145E mutation does not affect the binding of leptin to its receptor. Molecular modeling predicted that the mutated residue would form hydrogen bond with the adjacent residues, potentially affecting the structure and formation of an active complex with leptin receptor within that region.

CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE

Thus, our evolutionary, structural, and in vivo metabolic information suggests the residue 145 as of special function significance. The mouse model harboring leptin V145E mutation will provide new information on the current understanding of leptin biology and novel mouse model for the study of human obesity syndrome.

Growth of multiple metal/semiconductor nanoheterostructures through point and line contact reactions

Forming functional circuit components in future nanotechnology requires systematic studies of solid-state chemical reactions in the nanoscale. Here, we report efficient and unique methods, point and line contact reactions on Si nanowires, fabricating high quality and quantity of multiple nanoheterostructures of NiSi/Si and investigation of NiSi formation in nanoscale. By using the point contact reaction between several Ni nanodots and a Si nanowire carried out in situ in an ultrahigh vacuum transmission electron microscopy, multiple sections of single-crystal NiSi and Si with very sharp interfaces were produced in a Si nanowire. Owing to the supply limited point contact reaction, we propose that the nucleation and growth of the sugar cane-type NiSi grains start at the middle of the point contacts between two Ni nanodots and a Si nanowire. The reaction happens by the dissolution of Ni into the Si nanowire at the point contacts and by interstitial diffusion of Ni atoms within a Si nanowire. The growth of NiSi stops as the amount of Ni in the Ni nanodots is consumed. Additionally, without lithography, utilizing the line contact reaction between PS nanosphere-mediated Ni nanopatterns and a nanowire of Si, we have fabricated periodic multi-NiSi/Si/NiSi heterostructure nanonowires that may enhance the development of circuit elements in nanoscale electronic devices. Unlike the point contact reaction, silicide growth starts at the contact area in the line contact reaction; the different silicide formation modes resulting from point and line contact reactions are compared and analyzed. A mechanism on the basis of flux divergence is proposed for controlling the growth of the nano-multiheterostructures.

Hyperbaric oxygen ameliorates delayed neuropsychiatric syndrome of carbon monoxide poisoning

OBJECTIVES

Delayed neuropsychiatric syndrome (DNS) is characterized by mental impairment, motor dysfunction, dementia, or psychosis that develops between a few days and weeks after acute carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. One possible mechanism responsible for CO-mediated encephalopathy involves oxidative stress, such as lipid peroxidation, caused by the cellular uptake of CO and which leads to an inflammatory cascade. There is no current effective treatment for DNS. We applied 8-40 sessions of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO2) to patients with DNS and evaluated its effectiveness.

METHODS

After admission, all patients were administered piracetam or bromocriptine, or both, and received HBO2. Neuropsychiatric tests included EEG, mini-mental status examination (MMSE), brain MRI, event-related potential (ERP), and brain perfusion scan (brain SPECT). Results of these tests were compared before and after HBO2, and the clinical features were monitored during this period.

RESULTS

The symptoms of DNS for all patients improved significantly after HBOT. Although white matter changes remained evident in the brain MRI scans, other examinations such as EEG, MMSE, ERP, and 99mTc-ECD brain SPECT were nearly normal after HBOT.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that HBO2 decreases the severity of impairment in patients with DNS. Although a large randomized trial is required to address the efficacy of this therapy, therapeutic application of HBO2 may be recommended in patients with DNS after CO poisoning.

A novel use of AIDS surveillance data to assess the impact of initial treatment regimen on survival

The expense in time and money limit the use of randomized clinical trials (RCT) and cohort studies for evaluating long-term AIDS treatment outcomes. We conducted a case-control study to characterize predictors of AIDS mortality after the availability of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in San Francisco, in which cases were matched with controls on stage of disease, year of AIDS diagnosis and year of HAART initiation. Overall, 266 cases and 1173 controls were included, representing >90% of eligible patients. The class of initial HAART regimen was not associated with mortality. Predictors of mortality were older age ([adjusted odds ratio] AOR 1.23, 95% [confidence interval] CI: 1.13-1.35), public versus private health insurance (AOR 2.80, 95% CI: 1.77-4.42), no versus private insurance (AOR 1.45, 95% CI: 1.02-2.07) and unboosted saquinavir (AOR 2.50, 95% CI: 1.34-4.65). Survival benefit was found in following the 2004 US Department of Health and Human Services preferred treatment guidelines; borderline survival benefits were found in following the guidelines from other years. Similar predictors were found for all-cause and AIDS-specific mortality. Our findings mirrored those of RCT and multi-centre cohort studies, and may be applicable to other settings. Our findings support similar survival benefit to persons initiating HAART with non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor- or protease inhibitor-based regimens.

Exploring factors shaping population genetic structure of the freshwater fish Sinocyclocheilus grahami (Teleostei, Cyprinidae)

Phylogeographical analyses on Sinocyclocheilus grahami samples from seven localities within the Lake Dianchi Basin in China were conducted to explore the main factors shaping population structure within this species. Phylogenetic and network analyses revealed two major clades in 24 mtDNA haplotypes. One clade included three haplotypes exclusively from samples of the lower basin and another clade encompassed other haplotypes from samples of the upper basin. The estimated divergence time between the two clades predated the river capture event connecting the lower and upper lake basin and thus supported geographical isolation as the main factor shaping genetic divergence between these two clades. Furthermore, analysis of molecular variance and pair-wise Phi(ST) distances revealed significant genetic differentiation within the upper basin. Mantel tests clearly supported patterns of differentiation arose purely as a result of isolation by distance. These results further highlight the importance of geographical isolation in shaping differentiation within this species.

Changes in uterine blood flow following laparoscopic myomectomy with or without uterine artery ligation on two- and three-dimensional power Doppler ultrasound

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate differences in uterine perfusion following laparoscopic myomectomy with or without uterine artery ligation (UAL).

METHODS

From November 2005 to July 2007, we enrolled prospectively 105 women with symptomatic myomas who were scheduled to undergo laparoscopic myomectomy (57 with UAL (study group) and 48 without (control group)). Power Doppler ultrasound was used to evaluate uterine artery resistance (RI) and pulsatility (PI) indices and peak systolic velocity (PSV) and three-dimensional (3D) power Doppler ultrasound was used to obtain vascularization (VI), flow (FI) and vascularization flow (VFI) indices of the uterine tissue, which were calculated by VOCAL (Virtual Organ Computer-aided AnaLysis) software.

RESULTS

Characteristics of the myomas, operative time and duration of hospital stay were comparable between the two groups, whereas the median (range) of estimated blood loss (50 (50-200) vs. 100 (50-900) mL, P = 0.001) and the frequency of excessive bleeding of > 500 mL (0% vs. 10%, P = 0.018) were significantly lower in the study group. The RI, PI and PSV were comparable between the two groups preoperatively, significantly lower in the study group 1 week after surgery (0.69 vs. 0.74, 1.31 vs. 1.76, and 34.08 vs. 47.49, respectively, P < 0.05), and comparable again 3 months later. The myometrial VI and VFI decreased after surgery and all three 3D power Doppler indices of the study group were similar to those of the control group throughout the study period.

CONCLUSION

Concurrent UAL during laparoscopic myom- ectomy reduces the intraoperative blood loss and frequency of excessive bleeding without permanently compromising uterine perfusion.

Short communication: new alleles of the bovine kappa-casein gene revealed by resequencing and haplotype inference analysis

We tested the hypothesis that extensive undiscovered genetic diversity exists in important functional genes from domestic and wild cattle species (Bos spp.). We resequenced 483 bp of a key exon (exon IV) from the kappa (kappa)-casein gene (CSN3) for a panel of samples of domestic cattle from 8 countries and a close relative species, the gayal (Bos frontalis). Six single nucleotide polymorphisms were identified. Haplotype inference revealed 12 haplotypes, of which 8 were newly discovered. Among these 8 new haplotypes, 5 differed by one nonsynonymous mutation and 3 differed by one silent mutation from previously well-characterized CSN3 alleles. From those, one was shared by the gayal and Zebu, was different from CSN3*B at position Ile136Thr, and showed a close phylogenetic relationship with the banteng, gaur, and yak. The other 7 new haplotypes were detected in our panel of worldwide local cattle breeds but were absent from previously reported commercial breeds. These results support the hypothesis that genetic diversity at the coding region of CSN3 has been underestimated. This study also highlights how important it is to resequence functionally important genes in worldwide local cattle breeds, many of which are threatened by extinction or replacement by commercial breeds.

Low-threshold, narrow-line THz-wave parametric oscillator with an intra-cavity grazing-incidence grating

We report a low-threshold, narrow-line THz-wave parametric oscillator with an intra-cavity grazing-incidence grating and a 1-mm thick, 45-mm long lithium-niobate planar waveguide. When pumped by an actively Q-switched Nd:YAG laser, the threshold energy and intensity of the parametric oscillator were about 2.2 mJ and 70 MW/cm(2), respectively. The linewidths of the output THz wave were 12 and 134 GHz with and without the intra-cavity grating, respectively.

Web-based training course for evaluating radiological dose assessment in NRC's license termination process

As part of the requirement for terminating the licenses of nuclear power plants or other nuclear facilities, license termination plans or decommissioning plans are submitted by the licensee to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for review and approval. Decommissioning plans generally refer to the decommissioning of nonreactor facilities, while license termination plans specifically refer to the decommissioning of nuclear reactor facilities. To provide a uniform and consistent review of dose modeling aspects of these plans and to address NRC-wide knowledge management issues, the NRC, in 2006, commissioned Argonne National Laboratory to develop a Web-based training course on reviewing radiological dose assessments for license termination. The course, which had first been developed in 2005 to target specific aspects of the review processes for license termination plans and decommissioning plans, evolved from a live classroom course into a Web-based training course in 2006. The objective of the Web-based training course is to train NRC staff members (who have various relevant job functions and are located at headquarters, regional offices, and site locations) to conduct an effective review of dose modeling in accordance with the latest NRC guidance, including NUREG-1757, Volumes 1 and 2. The exact size of the staff population who will receive the training has not yet been accurately determined but will depend on various factors such as the decommissioning activities at the NRC. This Web-based training course is designed to give NRC staff members modern, flexible access to training. To this end, the course is divided into 16 modules: 9 core modules that deal with basic topics, and 7 advanced modules that deal with complex issues or job-specific topics. The core and advanced modules are tailored to various NRC staff members with different job functions. The Web-based system uses the commercially available software Articulate, which incorporates audio, video, and animation in slide presentations and has glossary, document search, and Internet connectivity features. The training course has been implemented on an NRC system that allows staff members to register, select courses, track records, and self-administer quizzes.

Species interactions in binary particulate systems

In many models for binary particulate systems, the relative motion between two particle species is modeled by diffusion. Recently, two-equation models have been used to improve diffusion models. While two-equation models are significant improvements to diffusion models and are applicable in modeling dilute systems, they are still theoretically inadequate for dense systems. This inadequacy directly results from the assumption that the species interaction forces in the two momentum equations sum to zero. In fact, the sum of the two forces is not zero but the divergence of an interspecies stress [Zhang, Ma, and Rauenzahn, Phys. Rev. Lett. 97, 048301 (2006)]. Introduction of this interspecies stress amends the inadequacy in two-equation models. The main objective of the present paper is to examine the importance of this newly introduced interspecies stress relative to other known stresses in the system. For this purpose we numerically simulate the simplest possible granular system. The interspecies stress is of the same order of magnitude as other stresses for dense systems. Additionally, we also examine properties of the species interaction force under different conditions.

An updated meta-analysis of adjuvant chemotherapy after curative resection for gastric cancer

OBJECTIVES

To investigate whether and how much gastric cancer patients after curative resection could benefit from chemotherapy.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Meta-analysis was conducted with all the qualified clinical randomized trials which compared adjuvant chemotherapy with surgery alone. The database includes MEDLINE, EMBase and CBM disc, and the censor data were up to November 2007. Primary outcomes were relative risk (RR) on death and disease-free survival (DFS); secondary outcomes include RR of adverse reactions of the two arms. Sub-group analysis and sensitivity analysis were also performed. All the calculations and statistical tests were done with the RevMan 4.2.8 software.

RESULTS

Finally, 23 trials which included 4919 patients (2441 in the adjuvant chemotherapy arm, 2478 in the observation arm) achieved all the criteria. Among them, 19 studies reported the survival rate at the end of follow-up, 60.6% alive among 2286 patients in the adjuvant chemotherapy arm, 53.4% alive among 2313 patients in the observation arm, with the RR on death of 0.85 (95%CI: 0.80-0.90). Eight studies reported the DFS, and the observation arm had a shorter DFS (RR: 0.88, 95%CI: 0.77-0.99). Grade 3/4 of myelosuppression and GI toxicity occurred more frequently in the treatment arm. Nine studies reported the recurrence rate and suggested that the treatment arm had a lower recurrence rate (RR: 0.78, 95%CI: 0.71 approximately 0.86).

CONCLUSIONS

Statistically, adjuvant chemotherapy could improve the survival rate and disease-free survival rate in gastric cancer after curative resection and reduce the relapse rate. However, the clinical benefits of adjuvant chemotherapy still need to be improved. Additionally, post-operative chemotherapy could be tolerated.

An updated meta-analysis of adjuvant chemotherapy after curative resection for gastric cancer

OBJECTIVES

To investigate whether and how much gastric cancer patients after curative resection could benefit from chemotherapy.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Meta-analysis was conducted with all the qualified clinical randomized trials which compared adjuvant chemotherapy with surgery alone. The database includes MEDLINE, EMBase and CBM disc, and the censor data were up to November 2007. Primary outcomes were relative risk (RR) on death and disease-free survival (DFS); secondary outcomes include RR of adverse reactions of the two arms. Sub-group analysis and sensitivity analysis were also performed. All the calculations and statistical tests were done with the RevMan 4.2.8 software.

RESULTS

Finally, 23 trials which included 4919 patients (2441 in the adjuvant chemotherapy arm, 2478 in the observation arm) achieved all the criteria. Among them, 19 studies reported the survival rate at the end of follow-up, 60.6% alive among 2286 patients in the adjuvant chemotherapy arm, 53.4% alive among 2313 patients in the observation arm, with the RR on death of 0.85 (95%CI: 0.80-0.90). Eight studies reported the DFS, and the observation arm had a shorter DFS (RR: 0.88, 95%CI: 0.77-0.99). Grade 3/4 of myelosuppression and GI toxicity occurred more frequently in the treatment arm. Nine studies reported the recurrence rate and suggested that the treatment arm had a lower recurrence rate (RR: 0.78, 95%CI: 0.71 approximately 0.86).

CONCLUSIONS

Statistically, adjuvant chemotherapy could improve the survival rate and disease-free survival rate in gastric cancer after curative resection and reduce the relapse rate. However, the clinical benefits of adjuvant chemotherapy still need to be improved. Additionally, post-operative chemotherapy could be tolerated.

Vision processing for realtime 3-D data acquisition based on coded structured light

Structured light vision systems have been successfully used for accurate measurement of 3-D surfaces in computer vision. However, their applications are mainly limited to scanning stationary objects so far since tens of images have to be captured for recovering one 3-D scene. This paper presents an idea for real-time acquisition of 3-D surface data by a specially coded vision system. To achieve 3-D measurement for a dynamic scene, the data acquisition must be performed with only a single image. A principle of uniquely color-encoded pattern projection is proposed to design a color matrix for improving the reconstruction efficiency. The matrix is produced by a special code sequence and a number of state transitions. A color projector is controlled by a computer to generate the desired color patterns in the scene. The unique indexing of the light codes is crucial here for color projection since it is essential that each light grid be uniquely identified by incorporating local neighborhoods so that 3-D reconstruction can be performed with only local analysis of a single image. A scheme is presented to describe such a vision processing method for fast 3-D data acquisition. Practical experimental performance is provided to analyze the efficiency of the proposed methods.

Swelling activated chloride currents in the electrical activity of pulmonary vein cardiomyocytes

BACKGROUND

Pulmonary veins (PVs) contain cardiomyocytes with a high arrhythmogenicity for inducing atrial fibrillation. The swelling-activated outwardly rectifying Cl(-) currents (I(Cl,swell)) are important in the electrical activity of cardiomyocytes. This study was to investigate whether I(Cl,swell) play a role in the PV electrophysiological characteristics.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A whole-cell patch clamp was used to investigate the action potentials and I(Cl,swell) in isolated rabbit single PV and atrial cardiomyocytes during immersion in isotonic (290-300 mosm L(-1)) and hypotonic (220-230 mosm L(-1)) solutions. The cell length and cell width were measured using confocal microscopy.

RESULTS

Hypotonic solution induced larger I(Cl,swell) in the PV cardiomyocytes with pacemaker activity than those in the PV cardiomyocytes without pacemaker activity or atrial cardiomyocytes. Hypotonic solution shortened the action potential duration and increased the cell width to a greater extent in the PV cardiomyocytes than in the atrial cardiomyocytes. Moreover, hypotonic solution decreased the PV firing with a decrease in the transient inward currents and delayed after depolarizations.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that the I(Cl,swell) plays an important role in the electrical activity of the PV cardiomyocytes.

Heavy metal removal from wastewater using zero-valent iron nanoparticles

Because of having a high reduction potential, the zero-valent iron (ZVI) is often applied for the remediation of wastewater or groundwater with heavy metals. The purpose of this study was aimed to investigate the reaction behavior of heavy metals with ZVI nanoparticles in the wastewater. The affecting factors, such as initial pH, dosage of nanoscale ZVI and initial concentration of heavy metal, on the removal efficiency of heavy metals by ZVI in the wastewater were examined by the batch experiments in this study. It was found that the removal of heavy metals was affected by initial pH. The rate and efficiency of metal removal increased with decreasing initial pH. Greater than 90% of the heavy metals were removed when the initial pH was controlled at 2. In addition, the rate and efficiency of metal removal increased as the dosage of nanoscale ZVI increased. The removal efficiency of heavy metal was higher than 80% when 2.0 g/L of ZVI was added in the wastewater. On the other hand, the slow rate and low efficiency of metal removal from the wastewater treated by nanoscale ZVI was found in the wastewater with high concentration of heavy metal.

Population pharmacokinetics of mycophenolic acid in senile Chinese kidney transplant recipients

To explore the pharmacokinetic characteristics of mycophenolic acid (MPA) among elderly Chinese kidney transplant recipients, we enrolled 24 patients over 60 years old (65.6 +/- 3.6) as the (Gs) group and 24 patients of 39.6 +/- 14.3 years old as a control group (Ga). Venous blood samples were taken at 0 (predose), 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 hours after the morning dose of mycophenolate mofetil at 10 to 12 weeks posttransplant. Plasma MPA concentrations were measured by a validated high-performance liquid chromatography method. Within 6-month posttransplant follow-up, there had not been an acute rejection episode when five elderly and one other adult experienced severe adverse events (SAEs), such as pneumonia and leukocytopenia. MPA area under the curve (AUC) in Gs was significantly lower than that among Ga (P < .05), while there was no significant difference in predose, peak concentrations, or peak times (P > .05). The concentration-time curve of Gs showed a bipeak pattern in five patients (20.8%) during the early stage (2 to 4 hours postdose). AUC in the subgroup of Gs with SAEs (n = 5) was significantly higher than that of elderly subjects without SAEs (n = 19) (P = .042). When Gs were subdivided at a cutting AUC point of 25 mug/mL, the SAE incidence was significantly higher in the subgroup with a higher AUC than than those with the lower AUC (P = .047). Through multiple stepwise regression, we obtained a minimal model to estimate MPA AUC of elderly recipients: AUC = 3.0410 + 9.8588 x C(0) + 0.5963 x C(0.5) + 2.5612 x C(3) (R(2) = .893).

Commissioning and performance of the variable line spacing plane grating monochromator beamline at the Canadian Light Source

The variable line spacing plane grating monochromator beamline at the Canadian Light Source (CLS) employs three grazing incidence variable line spacing gratings to cover a photon energy range of 5-250 eV. It uses a 185 mm period length planar permanent magnet insertion device as the photon source, sharing a straight section with another soft x-ray beamline at the CLS. The commissioning and performance of the beamline is reported. The high resolution photoabsorption spectra of Ar and PF(5) gases are reported. A resolving power of over 40,000 for photons in the low energy region and >10,000 for a wider energy range (8-200 eV) can be achieved. A photon flux of up to 2 x 10(12) photons/s per 100 mA with slit settings of 50 microm has been measured.

Composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oil ofActinidia macrospermafrom China

Actinidia macrosperma is a medicinal plant in China and has been well known for its attraction to cats and activities against leprosy and cancers. The compositions and the antimicrobial activity of its leaf oil were reported for the first time. The oil obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC and GC-MS, was characterized by the high content of monoterpenes. Linalool (48.14%) is the major component identified, followed by 1,2-dimethyl-lindoline (7.94%), linolenic acid methylester (6.57%) and (E)-phytol (5.29%). The antimicrobial activity of the oil was evaluated against four bacterial and three fungal species. The results showed that it exhibited a mild antibacterial activity against two Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis), a significant activity against Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli), and no activity on Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The test fungi were more sensitive to the oil, with a MIC range of 0.78-1.56 microL mL(-1) than bacteria in the range which were significantly higher from 0.78 to 25.50 microL mL(-1).

Characteristics of Neoplasm Occurrence and the Therapeutic Effect of Sirolimus in South Chinese Kidney Transplant Recipients

Kidney transplantation (KTx) recipients are at a higher risk of oncogenesis when compared to the general population. Sirolimus (SRL), a potent immunosuppressant, has shown promising antineoplastic effects in vitro and in vivo. This study retrospectively analyzed the neoplasm occurrence and the efficiency of SRL on unresectable malignancies in South Chinese KTx recipients. Thirty-three (1.64%) of 2017 patients who received KTx from January 1984 to December 2004 developed neoplasms at 4 to 117 months posttransplant, mostly in digestive organs (33.3%), the hematologic system (15.2%), or the skin (12.1%). The most common type was liver cancer (24.2%), followed by skin cancer, lymphoma, and thyroid cancer (9.1%). The median survival times were 41.5 and 6.0 months for those who did (n = 10) receive radical surgery or did not (n = 23), respectively. The 20-month survival rates were 70.0% versus 13.0% (P < .01). For unresectable patients, the median survival time of those treated with SRL (n = 8) was 14.5 months compared to 3.0 months for those who did not (n = 15). The survival rates at 12(th) and 20(th) months were 75.0% and 37.5% in the SRL group and 6.7% and 0% in the non-SRL group (P < .05). In conclusion, when compared with Western studies, a lower incidence and unique location pattern (liver cancer-dominant) are characteristics of de novo posttransplant neoplasms in South Chinese KTx recipients. Early diagnosis and feasible radical surgery are favorable for prognosis, and SRL is a treatment of choice for KTx recipients with neoplasms.

Managing the disposition of potentially radioactive scrap metal

In 2002, the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP) issued Report No. 141, Managing Potentially Radioactive Scrap Metal. The report evaluates management policy and related issues regarding scrap metal generated in regulated facilities that have been under radiological control or have radiological concerns. It has been estimated that more than 9 million metric tons of scrap metal of all types that have been associated with the production or use of radioactive materials will be generated during the coming decades at various facilities across the United States. Currently, disposition of such metal has encountered particular obstacles, primarily because of the lack of a consistent disposition policy, systematic regulatory provisions, and, above all, public understanding. Without clarity in the regulatory passage, much of the scrap metal, including metal that has not been contaminated, could be mischaracterized as low-level radioactive waste, resulting in a costly disposition operation. NCRP Report No. 141 identifies this general category of metal as "potentially radioactive scrap metal" (PRSM) and discusses the viable disposition options for facilitating its management. Because much of the PRSM has been found to contain very low residual radioactivity or even none at all, one consideration is to release such metal outside of the radiological control framework. This would require the development and implementation of a set of strict release standards in the United States that would necessarily be risk-based and supported by a comprehensive management scheme. Developing a policy of this kind, however, would entail the resolution of many issues, not the least of which would be public acceptance, including that of the metal industry, of the possible recycling of PRSM in the general commerce.

Effect of Rotation Crops on Heterodera glycines Population Density in a Greenhouse Screening Study

Crop rotation is a common means of reducing pathogen populations in soil. Several rotation crops have been shown to reduce soybean cyst nematode (Heterodera glycines) populations, but a comprehensive study of the optimal crops is needed. A greenhouse study was conducted to determine the effect of growth and decomposition of 46 crops on population density of H. glycines. Crops were sown in soil infested with H. glycines. Plants were maintained until 75 days after planting, when the soil was mixed, a sample of the soil removed to determine egg density, and shoots and roots chopped and mixed into the soil. After 56 days, soil samples were again taken for egg counts, and a susceptible soybean ('Sturdy') was planted in the soil as a bioassay to determine egg viability. Sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea), forage pea (Pisum sativum), lab-lab bean (Lablab purpureus), Illinois bundleflower (Desman-thus illinoensis), and alfalfa (Medicago sativa) generally resulted in smaller egg population density in soil or number of cysts formed on soybean in the bioassay than the fallow control. Sunn hemp most consistently showed the lowest numbers of eggs and cysts. As a group, legumes resulted in lower egg population densities than monocots, Brassica species, and other dicots.

Single-longitudinal-mode, tunable dual-wavelength,CW Nd:YVO(4) laser

We report a single-longitudinal-mode CW diode-pumped Nd:YVO(4) laser emitting at both 1064 and 1342 nm with 10% optical efficiency at 20-W pump power. The measured spectral widths at 1064 and 1342 nm were less than 450 MHz and 400 MHz, respectively. The two emission wavelengths can be independently tuned over the lasing bandwidths of the dual-wavelength laser.

Growth of carbon nanotubes at low powers by impedance-matched microwave plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition method

A solo carbon nanotube (CNT) was successfully grown on nickel electrodes by a microwave plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (MPECVD) method equipped with an impedance-matched substrate holder with the reaction gases composed of hydrogen (H2), carbon dioxide (CO2), and methane (CH4) mixtures. An introduction of carbon dioxide gas before CNTs growth, the substrate temperature can easily be reached above 610 degrees C even heated at a low microwave power. This can be enunciated from fact that carbon dioxide inherits with higher bond energy for molecular dissociation, lower thermal conductivity, and higher heat capacity in comparing to other gases. The electron field emissions for randomly aligned CNTs and well-aligned CNTs grown by MPECVD and by radio frequency assisted hot-filament methods, respectively, are measured and compared. The higher field emission characteristic of the randomly aligned CNTs is presumed to be due to the protruded CNTs, which inheriting with less screening effect and manifesting with defects are crucial to play the effective emission sites.

Vision Sensor Planning for 3–D Model Acquisition

A novel method is proposed in this paper for automatic acquisition of three-dimensional (3-D) models of unknown objects by an active vision system, in which the vision sensor is to be moved from one viewpoint to the next around the target to obtain its complete model. In each step, sensing parameters are determined automatically for incrementally building the 3-D target models. The method is developed by analyzing the target's trend surface, which is the regional feature of a surface for describing the global tendency of change. While previous approaches to trend analysis are usually focused on generating polynomial equations for interpreting regression surfaces in three dimensions, this paper proposes a new mathematical model for predicting the unknown area of the object surface. A uniform surface model is established by analyzing the surface curvatures. Furthermore, a criterion is defined to determine the exploration direction, and an algorithm is developed for determining the parameters of the next view. Implementation of the method is carried out to validate the proposed method.