Driving factors and clustering analysis of expressway vehicular CO2 emissions in Guizhou Province, China

Expressways are essential for intercounty trips of passenger travel and freight mobility, which are also an important source of vehicular CO2 emissions in transportation sector. This study takes the expressway system of Guizhou Province as the research objective, and establishes the multi-year expressway vehicular CO2 emission inventories at the county level from 2011 to 2019. We employ the extended STIRPAT model incorporating ridge regression to identify driving factors from six different aspects, and then utilize the affinity propagation cluster method to conduct the differentiation research by dividing Guizhou's counties into four clusters. Based upon clustering analysis, localized and targeted policies are formulated for each cluster to reduce expressway vehicular CO2 emissions. The results indicate that generally: (1) Guizhou's expressway vehicular CO2 emissions manifest a continuously upward trend during 2011-2019. Small-duty passenger vehicle (SDV), light-duty truck (LDT), and heavy-duty truck (HDT) contribute to the largest CO2 emissions in eight vehicle types. (2) GDP and population are the foremost two positive driving factors, followed by urbanization rate and expressway length. The proportion of secondary industry is also a positive driver, but that of tertiary industry exhibits an opposite effect. (3) Regional disparity exists in four county clusters of Guizhou Province. Efficient policies are proposed, such as improving the layout and infrastructure of transportation hubs, promoting multimodal integration, and implementing industrial upgrading as per regional advantages. Sustainable expressway vehicular CO2 emission reduction is realized from both the source of industry and low-carbon modes of transport.

Physiological response of CmWRKY15-1 to chrysanthemum white rust based on TRV-VIGS

Chrysanthemum White Rust (CWR) caused by Puccinia horiana Henn. is a major disease in the production process of chrysanthemum, which is widely spread all over the world and can be called "cancer" of chrysanthemum. To clarify the disease resistance function of disease resistance genes can provide a theoretical basis for the utilization and genetic improvement of chrysanthemum resistant varieties. In this study, the resistant cultivar 'China Red' was used as the experimental material. We constructed the silencing vector pTRV2-CmWRKY15-1 and obtained the silenced line named TRV-CmWRKY15-1. The results of enzyme activity after inoculation with pathogenic fungi showed that the activities of antioxidant enzymes SOD, POD, CAT and defense-related enzymes PAL and CHI in leaves were stimulated under the stress of P. horiana. In the WT, the activities of SOD, POD and CAT at the peak value were 1.99 times, 2.84 times and 1.39 times higher than that in TRV-CmWRKY15-1, respectively. And the activities of PALand CHI at the peak were 1.63 times and 1.12 times of TRV-CmWRKY15-1. The content of MDA and soluble sugar also confirmed that chrysanthemum was more susceptible to pathogenic fungi when CmWRKY15-1 was silenced. The expression levels of POD, SOD, PAL and CHI at different time points showed that the expressions of defense enzyme related genes were inhibited in TRV-WRKY15-1 under the infection of P. horiana, which weakened the ability of chrysanthemum to resist white rust. In conclusion, CmWRKY15-1 may increased the resistance of chrysanthemum to white rust by increasing the activity of protective enzyme system, which laid a foundation for breeding new varieties with disease resistance.

Impact of soluble organic matter and particulate organic matter on anammox system: Performance, microbial community and N2O production

In this study, the effects of soluble readily biodegradable COD (sCOD) and particulate slowly biodegradable COD (pCOD) on anammox process were investigated. The results of the long-term experiment indicated that a low sCOD/N ratio of 0.5 could accelerate the anammox and denitrification activity, to reach as high as 84.9%±2.8% TN removal efficiency. Partial denitrification-anammox (PDN/anammox) and denitrification were proposed as the major pathways for nitrogen removal, accounting for 91.3% and 8.7% of the TN removal, respectively. Anammox bacteria could remain active with high abundance of anammox genes to maintain its dominance. Candidatus Kuenenia and Thauera were the predominant genera in the presence of organic matter. Compared with sCOD, batch experiments showed that the introduction of pCOD had a negative effect on nitrogen removal. The contribution of denitrification to nitrogen removal decreased from approximately 14% to 3% with increasing percentage of pCOD. In addition, the analysis result of the process data using an optimized ASM1 model indicated that high percentage of pCOD resulted in serious N₂O emission (the peak value up to 0.25 mg N/L), which was likely due to limited mass diffusion and insufficient available carbon sources for denitrification. However, a high sCOD/N ratio was beneficial for alleviating N₂O accumulation.

CmWRKY15-1 Promotes Resistance to Chrysanthemum White Rust by Regulating CmNPR1 Expression

Chrysanthemum white rust (CWR), a disease caused by the fungus Puccinia horiana Henn., seriously impairs the production and ornamental value of chrysanthemums. We previously isolated the disease-resistance gene CmWRKY15-1 from the chrysanthemum and generated CmWRKY15-1 transgenic plants. Here, we determined that CmWRKY15-1-overexpressing lines of the susceptible cultivar 'Jinba' show higher defensive enzyme activity and lower H₂O₂ levels than a wild type after inoculation with P. horiana, indicating that CmWRKY15-1 positively regulates plant responses to P. horiana. To further explore the mechanism underlying this effect, we performed RNA sequencing using the leaves of wild-type and CmWRKY15-1-RNA interference lines of the resistant cultivar 'C029' after treatment with P. horiana. We identified seven differentially expressed genes in the salicylic acid (SA) pathway, including CmNPR1 (Non-expressor of pathogenesis-related genes 1), encoding an important regulator of this pathway. We isolated the CmNPR1 promoter by hiTAIL-PCR and predicted that it contains pathogen-induced W-box elements. The promoter region of CmNPR1 was activated by P. horiana in a β-glucuronidase activity assay. Yeast one-hybrid assays showed that CmWRKY15-1 binds to the CmNPR1 promoter region to regulate its expression. Finally, we confirmed the interaction between CmWRKY15-1 and CmNPR1 in a bimolecular fluorescence complementation assay. We propose that CmWRKY15-1 interacts with CmNPR1 to activate the expression of downstream pathogenesis-related genes that enhance resistance to P. horiana through the SA pathway. These findings shed light on the mechanism underlying resistance to CWR.

Investigation of High-Temperature Normal Infrared Spectral Emissivity of ZrO2 Thermal Barrier Coating Artefacts by the Modified Integrated Blackbody Method

Zirconium oxide (ZrO₂) is widely used as the thermal barrier coating in turbines and engines. Accurate emissivity measurement of ZrO₂ coating at high temperatures, especially above 1000 °C, plays a vital role in thermal modelling and radiation thermometry. However, it is an extremely challenging enterprise, and very few high temperature emissivity results with rigorously estimated uncertainties have been published to date. The key issue for accurately measuring the high temperature emissivity is maintaining a hot surface without reflection from the hot environment, and avoiding passive or active oxidation of material, which will modify the emissivity. In this paper, a novel modified integrated blackbody method is reported to measure the high temperature normal spectral emissivity of ZrO₂ coating in the temperature range 1000 °C to 1200 °C and spectral range 8 μm to 14 μm. The results and the associated uncertainty of the measurement were estimated and a relative standard uncertainty better than 7% (k = 2) is achieved.

Deletion in KRT75L4 linked to frizzle feather in Xiushui Yellow Chickens

Bird feathers are the product of interactions between natural and artificial selection. Feather-related traits are important for chicken selection and breeding. Frizzle feather is characterized by the abnormally development of feathers in chickens. In the current study, frizzle feather characteristics were observed in a local breed called Xiushui Yellow Chicken in Jiangxi, China. To determine the molecular mechanisms that underlie frizzle feather in Xiushui Yellow Chicken, four populations of three breeds (Xiushui Yellow Chicken with frizzle feathers, Xiushui Yellow Chicken with normal feathers, Guangfeng White-Ear Yellow Chicken, and Ningdu Yellow Chicken) were selected for whole-genome resequencing. Using a comparative genome strategy and genome-wide association study, a missense mutation (g.5281494A>G) and a 15-bp deletion (g.5285437-5285451delGATGCCGGCAGGACG) in KRT75L4 were identified as candidate mutations associated with frizzle feather in Xiushui Yellow Chicken. Based on genotyping performed in a large Xiushui Yellow Chicken population, the g.5285437-5285451delGATGCCGGCAGGACG mutation in KRT75L4 was confirmed as the putative causative mutation of frizzle feather. These results deepen the understanding of the molecular mechanisms responsible for frizzle feather, as well as facilitating the molecular detection and selection of the feather phenotype in Xiushui Yellow Chickens.

Quantitative analysis methods for studying fenestrations in liver sinusoidal endothelial cells. A comparative study

Liver Sinusoidal Endothelial Cells (LSEC) line the hepatic vasculature providing blood filtration via transmembrane nanopores called fenestrations. These structures are 50-300 nm in diameter, which is below the resolution limit of a conventional light microscopy. To date, there is no standardized method of fenestration image analysis. With this study, we provide and compare three different approaches: manual measurements, a semi-automatic (threshold-based) method, and an automatic method based on user-friendly open source machine learning software. Images were obtained using three super resolution techniques - atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and structured illumination microscopy (SIM). Parameters describing fenestrations such as diameter, area, roundness, frequency, and porosity were measured. Finally, we studied the user bias by comparison of the data obtained by five different users applying provided analysis methods.

Chrysanthemum WRKY15-1 promotes resistance to Puccinia horiana Henn. via the salicylic acid signaling pathway

Chrysanthemum white rust disease, which is caused by the fungus Puccinia horiana Henn., severely reduces the ornamental quality and yield chrysanthemum. WRKY transcription factors function in the disease-resistance response in a variety of plants; however, it is unclear whether members of this family improve resistance to white rust disease in chrysanthemum. In this study, using PCR, we isolated a WRKY15 homologous gene, CmWRKY15-1, from the resistant chrysanthemum cultivar C029. Real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) revealed that CmWRKY15-1 exhibited differential expression patterns between the immune cultivar C029 and the susceptible cultivar Jinba upon P. horiana infection. In addition, salicylic acid (SA) treatment strongly induced CmWRKY15-1 expression. Overexpression of CmWRKY15-1 in the chrysanthemum-susceptible cultivar Jinba increased tolerance to P. horiana infection. Conversely, silencing CmWRKY15-1 via RNA interference (RNAi) in C029 increased sensitivity to P. horiana infection. We also determined that P. horiana infection increased both the endogenous SA content and the expression of salicylic acid biosynthesis genes in CmWRKY15-1-overexpressing plants, whereas CmWRKY15-1 RNAi plants exhibited the opposite effects under the same conditions. Finally, the transcript levels of pathogenesis-related (PR) genes involved in the SA pathway were positively associated with CmWRKY15-1 expression levels. Our results demonstrated that CmWRKY15-1 plays an important role in the resistance of chrysanthemum to P. horiana by influencing SA signaling.

Exosomal miR-320d derived from adipose tissue-derived MSCs inhibits apoptosis in cardiomyocytes with atrial fibrillation (AF)

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play a key role in various pathological processes like atrial fibrillation (AF), which is a common cardiac arrhythmia. Exosomes are essential information carrier in the intercellular communication. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of exosomal miR-320d on cardiomyocytes with AF and related mechanisms. To do this, AMSCs were transfected with miR-320d mimics, AMSCs-derived exosomes were co-cultured with cardiomyocytes with AF. MTT, TUNEL staining, flow cytometry, real-time PCR, western blots, and luciferase reporter assays were performed. The results revealed that miR-320d expression was decreased in AF cardiomyocytes. AF increased apoptosis and reduced cell viability in cardiomyocytes. By transfection with miR-320d mimics, the miR-320d level was increased in AMSCs, exosomes and cardiomyocytes, which reversed the effect of AF on cardiomyocytes. STAT3 was down-regulated in AF cardiomyocytes and was a direct target gene of miR-320d. Inhibition of STAT3 abolished the effect of modified exosomes in cardiomyocytes, causing decreased apoptosis and increased cell viability. Taken together, the results suggested that exosomal miR-320d was associated with AF cardiomyocytes apoptosis and cell viability and that the effect of miR-320d on cardiomyocytes is STAT3-dependent. Therefore, this study provides a novel understanding of the molecular basis of AF and provides insight into therapeutic strategies for AF.

The temporal-spatial patterns, polymorphisms and association analysis with meat quality traits of FABP1 gene in domestic pigeons (Columba livia)

1. Fatty acid-binding proteins (FABP) are members of lipid-binding proteins, which participate in the metabolism and intracellular transportation of lipids. This study was designed to investigate the expression patterns, polymorphisms and associations with meat quality traits of the FABP1 gene in pigeons. 2. The temporal-spatial expression patterns showed FABP1 was widely expressed in all eleven tissues from 0-4 weeks of age, the expression level in the liver was the highest, followed by the small intestine and subcutaneous fat. 3. Five novel SNPs were found; all of them were synonymous and in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Association analysis revealed that for the SNP of G161C, the AB and BB genotypes had higher (P ≤ 0.01) inosinic acid concentrations in breast muscle than the AA genotype. The BB genotype showed the highest (P < 0.01) intramuscular fat among the three genotypes, and significantly greater FABP1 mRNA levels were observed in the breast muscle of the BB genotype than in the AA and AB genotypes (P < 0.01). In the SNP C1376T, the AB and BB genotypes showed higher (P < 0.01) intramuscular fat than the AA genotype, and the relative mRNA expression level of the BB (P < 0.01) and AB (P < 0.05) genotypes was higher than that of the AA genotype in breast muscle. Correlation analysis implied that the FABP1 mRNA expression level was closely related to the inosinic acid (P < 0.05) and intramuscular fat content (P < 0.01). Oil red O staining of frozen sections of breast muscle on d 28 for SNPs G161C and C1376T also indicated that the BB genotype had the highest intramuscular fat content in both SNPs. In addition, correlation analysis implied the FABP1 mRNA expression level was closely related to inosinic acid (P < 0.05) and intramuscular fat content (P < 0.01). 4. The results suggested that FABP1 could be a potential candidate gene in marker-assisted selection for breeding pigeons with high-quality meat.

Pseudo CT Estimation using Patch-based Joint Dictionary Learning

Magnetic resonance (MR) simulators have recently gained popularity; it avoids the unnecessary radiation exposure associated with Computed Tomography (CT) when used for radiation therapy planning. We propose a method for pseudo CT estimation from MR images based on joint dictionary learning. Patient-specific anatomical features were extracted from the aligned training images and adopted as signatures for each voxel. The most relevant and informative features were identified to train the joint dictionary learning-based model. The well-trained dictionary was used to predict the pseudo CT of a new patient. This prediction technique was validated with a clinical study of 12 patients with MR and CT images of the brain. The mean absolute error (MAE), peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR), normalized cross correlation (NCC) indexes were used to quantify the prediction accuracy. We compared our proposed method with a state-of-the-art dictionary learning method. Overall our proposed method significantly improves the prediction accuracy over the state-of-the-art dictionary learning method. We have investigated a novel joint dictionary Iearning- based approach to predict CT images from routine MRIs and demonstrated its reliability. This CT prediction technique could be a useful tool for MRI-based radiation treatment planning or attenuation correction for quantifying PET images for PET/MR imaging.

Whole-genome SNP data unravel population structure and signatures of selection for black plumage of indigenous chicken breeds from Jiangxi province, China

Ten indigenous chicken breeds were originally distributed in Jiangxi Province, China, and they define a critical component of Chinese chicken genetic resources. We have investigated the population genetics of seven Jiangxi chicken breeds using 600K chicken BeadChip SNP data. To provide a genome-wide perspective for the population structure of all 10 Jiangxi chicken breeds, we herein genotyped 78 additional individuals from the seven breeds and 63 chickens from three uninvestigated breeds-Yugan Black (YG), Nancheng Black (NC) and Wanzai Yellow using 55K chicken SNP arrays. We then explored merged data of 17 101 SNPs from 235 individuals to infer the population structure of the 10 breeds. We showed that NC and YG are two regional populations of the same breed, as individuals from the two populations clustered together to form a branch separate from the other breeds in the neighbor-joining tree, they always grouped together in multidimensional principal component analyses and they displayed an identical pattern of ancestral lineage composition. Hence, NC and YG should be considered a single breed in the state-supported conservation scheme. Moreover, we conducted a genome scan for signatures of selection for black plumage. bayescan and hapflk analyses of two contrasting groups (three black-feathered breeds vs. six non-black-feathered breeds) consistently detected 25 putative regions under selection. Nine pigmentation- associated genes (DCT, SLC24A5, SLC30A4, MYO5A, CYP19A1, NADK2, SLC45A2, GNAQ and DCP2) reside within these regions, and these genes are interesting candidates for black plumage and provide a starting point for further identification of causative mutations for black feathers in chicken.

Increased intrinsic connectivity for structural atrophy and functional maintenance after acute ischaemic stroke

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Significant clinical recovery has commonly been observed in ischaemic stroke patients with irreversible brain structural damage. However, brain mechanisms that help to maintain clinical function remain unclear.

METHODS

Sixty-two patients with acute ischaemic stroke underwent longitudinal clinical assessments and magnetic resonance scanning. The clinical recovery trajectory was evaluated using a hierarchical linear model and intrinsic connectivity was analysed with a seed-based approach to examine its changing pattern based on the regional volume changes calculated using voxel-wise analysis.

RESULTS

It was observed that clinical outcome measures improved mainly in the short-term period (baseline versus 3 weeks) and then remained stable. Grey matter volume was reduced significantly in the bilateral caudate over the entire 3-year long-term period. Significant intrinsic connectivity increases were observed in the caudate-middle cingulum over the short-term period and in the caudate-precuneus and caudate-calcarine over the long-term period. Finally, it was found that increased caudate-calcarine connectivity was associated with reduced right caudate volume, and a positive correlation was found between increased caudate-middle cingulum connectivity and the amount of modified Rankin score changes.

CONCLUSIONS

The increased intrinsic connectivity found in this study tends to be a compensatory mechanism for post-stroke structural damage, associated with clinical recovery. The study helps in understanding the significance of enhanced intrinsic connectivity in post-stroke long-term assessment and rehabilitation.

Population genetic analyses of seven Chinese indigenous chicken breeds in a context of global breeds

Jiangxi province in China is rich in indigenous chicken breeds, which have diverse phenotypes and represent a valuable genetic resource for further genetic improvement of modern breeds. Here, we conducted a series of analyses to reveal genetic diversity, phylogenetic relationships and population structure of seven chicken breeds in Jiangxi province in the context of nine non-local chicken breeds, using 600K SNP data. We show that Jiangxi indigenous breeds have more abundant nucleotide diversity than do European local and commercial breeds. Among Jiangxi breeds, Dongxiang Blue-eggshell (DX) and Chongren Partride (CR) display remarkably reduced genetic diversity, as the two breeds exhibit increased inbreeding coefficients, runs of homozygosity, extent of linkage disequilibrium and reduced expected heterozygosity. DX, CR and Taihe Silkie (TH) represent three ancestral lineages of the Jiangxi chicken and display genetic differentiation from the other four Jiangxi breeds, which show a signature of admixture with European commercial breeds. These findings provide insight for the establishment of an efficient conservation program for Jiangxi chicken breeds. Considering the current status of genetic diversity and ancestral representativeness, particular attention should be paid to DX, CR and TH chickens.

The Src homology and collagen A (ShcA) adaptor protein may participate in the pathogenesis of membranous lupus nephritis

The Src homology and collagen A (ShcA) adaptor protein that binds to tyrosine kinase receptors. ShcA plays a role in insulin signaling, stress resistance and energy metabolism. The 66-kDa Src homology 2 domain-containing protein (p66shc) belongs to the ShcA family and has been associated with reactive oxygen species (ROS); increased ROS is involved in the pathology of lupus nephritis (LN). However, whether ShcA can act as a biomarker for oxidative injury in LN is unknown. This study is aimed to investigate the ShcA expression in kidney tissues from patients presenting with LN and the association between ShcA expression and clinical parameters. Renal biopsy tissues were obtained from 62 LN, 20 primary membranous nephropathy (MN) and 10 other secondary MN patients. ShcA was measured by immunofluorescence. The expression of ShcA in the membranous lupus nephritis (class V) group showed a higher trend but there were no significant differences compared with pure mesangial disease (class II) and proliferative (Class III/IV) lupus nephritis. ShcA deposits were negative in primary and other secondary MN. ShcA might act as a new biomarker and a diagnostic tool to identify membranous lupus nephritis with other MN.

Assessment of the Effectiveness of Combat Eyewear Protection Against Blast Overpressure

It is unclear whether combat eyewear used by U. S. Service members is protective against blast overpressures (BOPs) caused by explosive devices. Here, we investigated the mechanisms by which BOP bypasses eyewear and increases eye surface pressure. We performed experiments and developed three-dimensional (3D) finite element (FE) models of a head form (HF) equipped with an advanced combat helmet (ACH) and with no eyewear, spectacles, or goggles in a shock tube at three BOPs and five head orientations relative to the blast wave. Overall, we observed good agreement between experimental and computational results, with average discrepancies in impulse and peak-pressure values of less than 15% over 90 comparisons. In the absence of eyewear and depending on the head orientation, we identified three mechanisms that contributed to pressure loading on the eyes. Eyewear was most effective at 0 deg orientation, with pressure attenuation ranging from 50 (spectacles) to 80% (goggles) of the peak pressures observed in the no-eyewear configuration. Spectacles and goggles were considerably less effective when we rotated the HF in the counter-clockwise direction around the superior-inferior axis of the head. Surprisingly, at certain orientations, spectacles yielded higher maximum pressures (80%) and goggles yielded larger impulses (150%) than those observed without eyewear. The findings from this study will aid in the design of eyewear that provides better protection against BOP.

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement with balloon-expandable valve : Analysis of initial experience in China

Background

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is widely applied for the treatment of severe aortic stenosis (AS) in developed countries; however, in China, it is still in the early stage of utilization. On the basis of previous studies, this work explored the feasibility of TAVR in patients with severe AS in China and analyzed the cause of death in four cases.

Methods

This retrospective study included 20 patients who had severe AS and underwent TAVR with a balloon-expandable system (Edwards SAPIEN XT) in our hospital from January 2011 to June 2016. The valve and heart functions of 16 survivors before and after the TAVR procedure were compared. TAVR endpoints, device success, and adverse events were assessed according to the definitions of the Valve Academic Research Consortium-2 (VARC-2).

Results

There were 13 male and seven female patients aged 65–81 years (average, 73.15) who underwent TAVR. The TAVR approach was transfemoral in 19 patients and transapical in one patient. Four patients died (two of coronary artery occlusion and two of aortic annulus rupture) during the TAVR procedure or shortly after; six patients had mild paravalvular leakage, and the rest of the patients showed a significant improvement in cardiac function. During the follow-up period (2–62 months), one patient died of lung cancer 13 months after the TAVR procedure.

Conclusion

TAVR with a balloon-expandable system is safe and effective and can be used for patients with severe AS in China. It requires careful patient selection and preoperative assessment so as to reduce the 30-day postoperative mortality rate.

Long non-coding RNA LINC00261 sensitizes human colon cancer cells to cisplatin therapy

Colon cancer is one of the most common digestive tumors. The present study aimed to explore the functional role, as well as the underlying mechanism of long non-coding RNA LINC00261 in colon cancer. Expression of LINC00261 was analyzed in colon cancer cell lines and human normal cell lines. Acquired resistance cell lines were then built and the acquired resistance efficiency was detected by evaluating cell viability. Thereafter, the effects of LINC00261 overexpression on cisplatin-resistant colon cancer cells were measured, as well as cell apoptosis, viability, migration, and invasion. Subsequently, we investigated the interaction of LINC00261 and β-catenin. The results showed that the LINC00261 gene was down-regulated in colon cancer cell lines and tissues, and in cisplatin-resistant cells. LINC00261 overexpression might relieve cisplatin resistance of colon cancer cells via promoting cell apoptosis, and inhibiting cell viability, migration, and invasion. Moreover, LINC00261 might down-regulate nuclear β-catenin through restraining β-catenin from cytoplasm into nuclei or it could also promote β-catenin degradation and inhibit activation of Wnt pathway. Finally, LINC00261 reduced cisplatin resistance of colon cancer in vivo and enhanced the anti-colon cancer effect of cisplatin through reducing tumor volume and weight.

Identification of suitable reference genes for quantitative real-time PCR normalization in blotched snakehead Channa maculata

A systematic study was conducted to identify reliable reference genes for normalization of gene expression analysis in the blotched snakehead Channa maculata under normal physiological conditions. Firstly, the partial complementary (c)DNA of nine candidate reference genes (actb, tmem104, ube2l3, ef1α, churc1, tmem256, rpl13a, sep15 and g6pd) were cloned from C. maculata. The expression levels of these genes were then assessed in embryos of different developmental stages and various tissue types of adult fish using quantitative real-time (qrt-)PCR. RefFinder algorithm was used to evaluate the expression stability of these genes based on their cycle-threshold (C_t ) values in the qrt-PCR analysis. Results showed that there was no single best reference gene for all stages of embryos and adult tissues tested. Furthermore, it was found that, among the nine candidate genes tested, actb and tmem104 were the most stable reference genes across adult tissue types, while sep15 and tmem256 were the most stable ones across developmental stages of embryos. These stable reference genes are recommended for normalization of gene expression analysis in C. maculata.

Regional and Hemispheric Influences on Temporal Variability in Baseline Carbon Monoxide and Ozone over the Northeast US

Interannual variability in baseline carbon monoxide (CO) and ozone (O3), defined as mixing ratios under minimal influence of recent and local emissions, was studied for seven rural sites in the Northeast US over 2001 - 2010. Annual baseline CO exhibited statistically significant decreasing trends (-4.3 - -2.3 ppbv yr-1), while baseline O3 did not display trends at any site. In examining the data by season, wintertime and springtime baseline CO at the two highest sites (1.5 km and 2 km asl) did not experience significant trends. Decadal increasing trends (~2.55 ppbv yr-1) were found in springtime and wintertime baseline O3 in southern New Hampshire, which was associated with anthropogenic NOx emission reductions from the urban corridor. Biomass burning emissions impacted summertime baseline CO with ~38% variability from wildfire emissions in Russia and ~22% from Canada at five sites and impacted baseline O3 at the two high elevation sites only with ~27% variability from wildfires in both Russia and Canada. The Arctic Oscillation was negatively correlated with summertime baseline O3, while the North Atlantic Oscillation was positively correlated with springtime baseline O3. This study suggested that anthropogenic and biomass burning emissions, and meteorological conditions were important factors working together to determine baseline O3 and CO in the Northeast U.S. during the 2000s.

The use of Masson's trichrome staining, second harmonic imaging and two-photon excited fluorescence of collagen in distinguishing intestinal tuberculosis from Crohn's disease

AIM

Differentiation between Crohn's disease (CD) and intestinal tuberculosis (ITB) continues to be difficult. The present study investigated the collagen fibre characteristics of CD and ITB using Masson's trichrome staining, second harmonic generation (SHG) imaging and two-photon excited fluorescence (TPEF) imaging with the aim of distinguishing between them.

METHOD

The characteristics of collagen fibres in intestinal specimens from patients with CD, ITB and healthy controls were compared using Masson's trichrome staining and SHG and TPEF imaging.

RESULTS

Masson's trichrome staining showed that the content of collagen fibre (540.92 [139.61-1681.93] vs 236.17 [72.94-1108.32], P < 0.05) and fibre deposits (888.92 [315.89-3172.9] vs 498.98 [38.82-5802.31], P < 0.05) were both higher in ITB than in CD. The content of collagen fibre (594.677 [139.61-1681.93] vs 107.425 [4.66-988.7], P < 0.05) and fibre deposits (1118.4661 [315.89-5802.31] vs 340.575 [29.62-1188.87], P < 0.05) were significantly higher in lesions with granulomata than in those without. The SHG/TPEF images demonstrated that the percentage of fibrosis in ITB was also significantly higher than in CD (P < 0.05), in both surgical (13.363% ± 5.303% vs 8.322% ± 5.078%, P = 0.044) and endoscopic specimens (mean rank 13.5 vs 7.5, P = 0.023). The SHG/TPEF imaging described different distribution patterns of collagen between CD and ITB; in the former this was irregular in clumps while in ITB the collagen was arranged around caseating granulomata.

CONCLUSION

The evaluation of fibrosis in CD and ITB by Masson's trichrome staining and SHG and TPEF imaging appears to distinguish between these two diseases.

The effect of glycaemic control in type 2 diabetic patients with subclinical hypothyroidism

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of glycaemic control on subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) in Chinese type 2 diabetic patients.

METHODS

The study included 476 diabetic patients with SCH admitted for treatment of type 2 diabetes. The controls were selected euthyroid patients with similar characteristics regarding [age, body mass index (BMI), gender, previous hypertension or duration of diabetes, and smoke]. Total cholesterol (TC), LDL cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), triglyceride (TG), the homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance ratio (HOMA-IR), fasting plasma glucose, hemoglobin A_1c (HbA_1c), as well as plasma levels of thyrotrophin, and free thyroxine (FT4) were assessed at baseline and after 6 months of glycaemic control treatment.

RESULTS

The LDL-C level and HOMA-IR value were significantly higher in the SCH group. Glycaemic control reduced HOMA-IR, HbA_1c, LDL-C, and TG level in patients with SCH. Furthermore, glycaemic control plays a negative effect on thyrotrophin in the SCH group, while this effect was not observed in euthyroid subjects. HbA_1c plays a positive correlation with HOMA-IR (r = 0.048, p < 0.001), fasting plasma glucose (r = 0.086, p < 0.001), LDL-C (r = 0.062, p < 0.001) and TG (r = 0.021, p = 0.009).

CONCLUSION

Our study shows that glycaemic control may bring some benefits to type 2 diabetic patients with SCH.

Study on effects of mixing vane grids on coolant temperature distribution by subchannel analysis

Mixing vane grids (MVG) have great influence on coolant temperature field in the rod bundle. The MVG could enhance convective heat transfer between the fuel rod wall and the coolant, and promote inter-subchannel mixing at the same time. For the influence of the MVG on convective heat transfer enhancement, many experiments have been done and several correlations have been developed based on the experimental data. However, inter-subchannel mixing promotion caused by the MVG is not well estimated in subchannel analysis because the information of mixing vanes is totally missing in most subchannel codes. This paper analyzes the influence of mixing vanes on coolant temperature distribution using the improved MVG model in subchannel analysis. The coolant temperature distributions with the MVG are analyzed, and the results show that mixing vanes lead to a more uniform temperature distribution. The performances of split vane grids under different power conditions are evaluated. The results are compared with those of spacer grids without mixing vanes and some conclusions are obtained.

The effect of spacer grid critical component on pressure drop under both single and two phase flow conditions

As pressure drop is one of the most critical thermal hydraulic parameters for spacer grids the accurate estimation of it is the key to the design and development of spacer grids. Most of the available correlations for pressure drop do not contain any real geometrical parameters that characterize the grid effect. The main functions for spacer grid are structural support and flow mixing. Once the boundary sublayer near the rod bundle is disturbed, the liquid forms swirls or flow separation that affect pressure drop. However, under two phase flow conditions, due to the existence of steam bubble, the complexity for spacer grid are multiplied and pressure drop calculation becomes much more challenging. The influence of the dimple location, distance of mixing vane to the nearest strip, and the effect of inter-subchannel mixing among neighboring subchannels on pressure drop and downstream flow fields are analyzed in this paper. Based on this study, more detailed space grid geometry parameters are recommended for adding into the correlation when predicting pressure drop.

Review of the correlation developments and a new concept based on mixing mechanism for heat transfer enhancement of spacer grids

Spacer grids could cause heat transfer enhancement both at the spacer grid regions and downstream of the spacer grids as a result of mixing promoted by the spacer grids in the rod bundle. This phenomenon has been demonstrated by many experiments, and several correlations have been developed based on these experimental data. This paper gives a review of the grid-enhanced heat transfer correlation developments in single phase flow. Following the exploration of the correlation development history, a predictive formulation of grid-enhanced heat transfer in single phase flow is established taking into account the effect of both swirl flow and crossflow. With emphasis on modeling of the mixing mechanism associated with the mixing vane grid, the new correlation could better reflect the physical process of the heat transfer augmentation, while a large number of experimental data are needed to determine the coefficients of the new correlation.

Water-soluble metal nanoparticles stabilized by plant polyphenols for improving the catalytic properties in oxidation of alcohols

Plant polyphenols extracted from plants are one of the most abundant biomasses in nature, which are typical water soluble natural polymers. Herein, we reported a facile approach for the synthesis of platinum nanoparticle (PtNP) aqueous colloid by utilizing black wattle tannin (BWT, a typical plant polyphenol) as amphiphilic stabilizer. The phenolic hydroxyls of BWT provide the PtNPs with enough hydrophilicity, and their reduction ability could protect the PtNPs from deactivation caused by oxygen atmosphere. Additionally, the hydrophilic nature of BWT could efficiently promote the oxidation of alcohols in water, meanwhile, the hydrophobic and rigid backbones of plant polyphenols are able to suppress the PtNPs from aggregating, thus ensuring the high dispersion of the PtNPs during reactions. Under mild aerobic conditions, the as-prepared BWT-Pt colloid catalyst exhibited high activity in a series of biphasic oxidation of aromatic alcohols and aliphatic alcohols. As for the cycling stability, the BWT-Pt catalyst showed no obvious decrease during the 7 cycles, revealing superior cycling stability as compared with the counterparts using PVP or PEG as the stabilizer.