Boerechalasins A-G, cytochalasans from the fungus Boeremia exigua with anti-inflammatory and cytotoxic activities

Seven previously undescribed cytochalasans, namely, boerechalasins A-G, together with one analogue, were characterized from the solid culture of the fungus Boeremia exigua. Their structures and absolute configurations were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analysis as well as electronic circular dichroism calculations. Remarkably, boerechalasin F possessed an unusual sulfoxide moiety that might be derived from methionine, while boerechalasin G had an unusual 5-methylcyclohexane-1,2,3-triol substituent at N-2 position. Boerechalasins A and E exhibited inhibitory activities against nitric oxide production in LPS-induced RAW264.7 macrophages with IC50 values of 21.9 and 5.7 μM, respectively. Boerechalasin F displayed cytotoxicity against human MCF‒7 cells with an IC50 value of 22.8 μM.

Mass Measurement of Upper fp-Shell N=Z-2 and N=Z-1 Nuclei and the Importance of Three-Nucleon Force along the N=Z Line

Using a novel method of isochronous mass spectrometry, the masses of ^{62}Ge, ^{64}As, ^{66}Se, and ^{70}Kr are measured for the first time, and the masses of ^{58}Zn, ^{61}Ga, ^{63}Ge, ^{65}As, ^{67}Se, ^{71}Kr, and ^{75}Sr are redetermined with improved accuracy. The new masses allow us to derive residual proton-neutron interactions (δV_{pn}) in the N=Z nuclei, which are found to decrease (increase) with increasing mass A for even-even (odd-odd) nuclei beyond Z=28. This bifurcation of δV_{pn} cannot be reproduced by the available mass models, nor is it consistent with expectations of a pseudo-SU(4) symmetry restoration in the fp shell. We performed ab initio calculations with a chiral three-nucleon force (3NF) included, which indicate the enhancement of the T=1 pn pairing over the T=0 pn pairing in this mass region, leading to the opposite evolving trends of δV_{pn} in even-even and odd-odd nuclei.

Engineering Vibrio alginolyticus as a novel chassis for PHB production from starch

Vibrio alginolyticus LHF01 was engineered to efficiently produce poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) from starch in this study. Firstly, the ability of Vibrio alginolyticus LHF01 to directly accumulate PHB using soluble starch as the carbon source was explored, and the highest PHB titer of 2.06 g/L was obtained in 18 h shake flask cultivation. Then, with the analysis of genomic information of V. alginolyticus LHF01, the PHB synthesis operon and amylase genes were identified. Subsequently, the effects of overexpressing PHB synthesis operon and amylase on PHB production were studied. Especially, with the co-expression of PHB synthesis operon and amylase, the starch consumption rate was improved and the PHB titer was more than doubled. The addition of 20 g/L insoluble corn starch could be exhausted in 6-7 h cultivation, and the PHB titer was 4.32 g/L. To the best of our knowledge, V. alginolyticus was firstly engineered to produce PHB with the direct utilization of starch, and this stain can be considered as a novel host to produce PHB using starch as the raw material.

Comparative transcriptomic analysis revealed changes in multiple signaling pathways involved in protein degradation in the digestive gland of Mytilus coruscus during high-temperatures

As a result of global warming, the Mytilus coruscus living attached in the intertidal zone experience extreme and fluctuating changes in temperature, and extreme temperature changes are causing mass mortality of intertidal species. This study explores the transcriptional response of M. coruscus at different temperatures (18 °C, 26 °C, and 33 °C) and different times (0, 12, and 24 h) of action by analyzing the potential temperature of the intertidal zone. In response to high temperatures, several signaling pathways in M. coruscus, ribosome, endocytosis, endoplasmic reticulum stress, protein degradation, and lysosomes, interact to counter the adverse effects of high temperatures on protein homeostasis. Increased expression of key genes, including heat shock proteins (Hsp70, Hsp20, and Hsp110), Lysosome-associated membrane glycoprotein (LAMP), endoplasmic reticulum chaperone (BiP), and baculoviral IAP repeat-containing protein 7 (BIRC7), may further mitigate the effects of heat stress and delay mortality in M. coruscus. These results reveal changes in multiple signaling pathways involved in protein degradation during high-temperature stress, which will contribute to our overall understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the response of M. coruscus to high-temperature stress.

Predicting Corynebacterium glutamicum promoters based on novel feature descriptor and feature selection technique

The promoter is an important noncoding DNA regulatory element, which combines with RNA polymerase to activate the expression of downstream genes. In industry, artificial arginine is mainly synthesized by Corynebacterium glutamicum. Replication of specific promoter regions can increase arginine production. Therefore, it is necessary to accurately locate the promoter in C. glutamicum. In the wet experiment, promoter identification depends on sigma factors and DNA splicing technology, this is a laborious job. To quickly and conveniently identify the promoters in C. glutamicum, we have developed a method based on novel feature representation and feature selection to complete this task, describing the DNA sequences through statistical parameters of multiple physicochemical properties, filtering redundant features by combining analysis of variance and hierarchical clustering, the prediction accuracy of the which is as high as 91.6%, the sensitivity of 91.9% can effectively identify promoters, and the specificity of 91.2% can accurately identify non-promoters. In addition, our model can correctly identify 181 promoters and 174 non-promoters among 400 independent samples, which proves that the developed prediction model has excellent robustness.

[Investigate developmental coordination disorder of kindergarten children in Zhejiang Province]

In order to investigate developmental coordination disorder (DCD) of kindergarten children in Zhejiang province, 200 ordinary kindergartens were randomly selected by stratified random sampling in 11 prefecture-level cities of Zhejiang Province, and 38 900 children from 1 000 classes in each grade were then randomly selected into the study from June 2019 to December 2019. The Little DCD Questionnaire and a self-designed questionnaire were used to screen the DCD of those children. There were 36 807 valid questionnaires, and 6.50% (2 391/36 807) of them were positive results. The results showed that boy, age ≤5 years, overweight or obesity, left handedness, comorbidity with motor or developmental disorders and premature infants were risk factors of DCD in children. As for parents and families, maternal gestational age<20 years, maternal overweight or obesity before pregnancy, low-middle level education of parents, direct family and low income of family were also associated with DCD in children. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct early prevention and intervention strategies targeting on identified risk factors among relevant population.

First Application of Mass Measurements with the Rare-RI Ring Reveals the Solar r-Process Abundance Trend at A=122 and A=123

The Rare-RI Ring (R3) is a recently commissioned cyclotronlike storage ring mass spectrometer dedicated to mass measurements of exotic nuclei far from stability at Radioactive Isotope Beam Factory (RIBF) in RIKEN. The first application of mass measurement using the R3 mass spectrometer at RIBF is reported. Rare isotopes produced at RIBF-^{127}Sn, ^{126}In, ^{125}Cd, ^{124}Ag, ^{123}Pd-were injected in R3. Masses of ^{126}In, ^{125}Cd, and ^{123}Pd were measured whereby the mass uncertainty of ^{123}Pd was improved. This is the first reported measurement with a new storage ring mass spectrometry technique realized at a heavy-ion cyclotron and employing individual injection of the preidentified rare nuclei. The latter is essential for the future mass measurements of the rarest isotopes produced at RIBF. The impact of the new ^{123}Pd result on the solar r-process abundances in a neutron star merger event is investigated by performing reaction network calculations of 20 trajectories with varying electron fraction Y_{e}. It is found that the neutron capture cross section on ^{123}Pd increases by a factor of 2.2 and β-delayed neutron emission probability, P_{1  n}, of ^{123}Rh increases by 14%. The neutron capture cross section on ^{122}Pd decreases by a factor of 2.6 leading to pileup of material at A=122, thus reproducing the trend of the solar r-process abundances. The trend of the two-neutron separation energies (S_{2n}) was investigated for the Pd isotopic chain. The new mass measurement with improved uncertainty excludes large changes of the S_{2n} value at N=77. Such large increase of the S_{2n} values before N=82 was proposed as an alternative to the quenching of the N=82 shell gap to reproduce r-process abundances in the mass region of A=112-124.

Free Double-Barrel Vascularized Fibular Graft for Two-Bone Forearm Reconstruction After Tumor Resection: A Case Report

CASE

Two-bone forearm reconstruction after tumor resection in pediatric patients is challenging. We present a case of forearm reconstruction in a girl who underwent resection of a high-grade surface osteosarcoma involving the ulna and radius. A free vascularized fibular graft was osteotomized to 2 struts to reconstruct the two-bone defect. The patient recovered well but returned for excision of ossification of the periosteum hinge occurring 6 months postoperatively.

CONCLUSION

Neither recurrence nor metastasis was observed during the 5-year follow-up. Although there was a 50° loss of pronation and the left-vs.-right forearm discrepancy was 4 cm, she was able to resume her daily activities.

Compositional and functional alterations of gut microbiota in patients with stroke

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

There is accumulating evidence that gut microbiota plays a key role in cardiovascular diseases. Gut bacteria can transform dietary choline, l-carnitine, and trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) into trimethylamine, which can be oxidized into TMAO again in the liver. However, the alterations of the gut microbiota in large artery atherosclerotic (LAA) stroke and cardioembolic (CE) stroke have been less studied.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We performed a case-control study in patients with LAA and CE types of strokes. We profiled the gut microbiome using Illumina sequencing of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene (V4-V5 regions), and TMAO was determined via liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Our results showed that the TMAO levels in the plasma of patients with LAA and CE strokes were significantly higher than those in controls (LAA stroke, 2931 ± 456.4 ng/mL; CE stroke, 4220 ± 577.6 ng/mL; healthy control, 1663 ± 117.8 ng/mL; adjusted p < 0.05). The TMAO level in the plasma of patients with LAA stroke was positively correlated with the carotid plaque area (rho = 0.333, 95% CI = 0.08-0.55, p = 0.0093). Notably, the composition and the function of gut microbiota in the LAA stroke group were significantly different from those in the control group (FDR-adjusted p-value < 0.05). There was no significant association between gut microbiota and CE stroke in our study.

CONCLUSION

This study provides evidence for significant compositional and functional alterations of the gut microbiome in patients with LAA stroke. Gut microbiota might serve as a potential biomarker for patients with LAA stroke.

Low levels of organic compound trace elements improve the eggshell quality, antioxidant capacity, immune function, and mineral deposition of aged laying hens

In the egg production industry, trace elements are required as additional dietary supplements to play vital roles in performance and egg quality. Compared to inorganic microelements (ITs), appropriate dose of organic trace microelements (OTs) are environmentally friendly and sufficient to satisfy the needs of hens. In order to evaluate the extent to which low-dose OTs replace whole ITs, the effects of organic copper, zinc, manganese, and iron compound on the performance, eggshell quality, antioxidant capacity, immune function, and mineral deposition of old laying hens were investigated. A total of 1 080 57-week-old Jing Hong laying hens were assigned to five groups with six replicates of 36 layers each for an 8-week experimental period. The birds were fed either a basal diet (control treatment (CT)) or the basal diet supplemented with commercial levels of inorganic trace elements (IT 100%) or the equivalent organic trace elements at 20%, 30%, and 50% of the inorganic elements (OT 20%, OT 30%, and OT 50%, respectively). Results showed that compared with those in the CT treatment, feeding hens with inorganic or organic microelement diet had significant effects on the eggshell quality, antioxidant capacity, immune function, and mineral deposition of old laying hens (P < 0.05). The eggshell strength and ratio between OT 30%, OT 50%, and IT 100% were similar at weeks 4 and 8, and the eggshell thickness of these groups was also similar at weeks 6 and 8. At week 8, the eggshell colour in OT 50% was darker than that in IT 100%. The mineral content in the eggshells of OT 50% and IT 100% significantly increased (P < 0.001), with no significant difference in effective thickness, mammillary thickness, and mammillary knob width between groups. There were no differences in the malondialdehyde content, total antioxidant capacity, and total superoxide dismutase activity in serum between OT 30%, OT 50%, and IT100%. While the catalase activities, the interleukin-1β, interleukin-10, immunoglobulin G, and immunoglobulin M concentrations in serum were not significantly different between OT 50% and IT 100%. The mineral contents in the faeces of the organic groups were considerably reduced compared with those in IT 100% (P < 0.001). In conclusion, dietary supplementation with 30-50% organic compound microelements has the potential to replace 100% inorganic microelements in the hen industry for improving eggshell quality, mineral deposition in the eggshell, antioxidant capacity, and immune function, and reducing emissions to the environment without negative effects on laying performance.

Production of Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) by Vibrio alginolyticus Strains Isolated from Salt Fields

Vibrio alginolyticus is a halophilic organism usually found in marine environments. It has attracted attention as an opportunistic pathogen of aquatic animals and humans, but there are very few reports on polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) production using V. alginolyticus as the host. In this study, two V. alginolyticus strains, LHF01 and LHF02, isolated from water samples collected from salt fields were found to produce poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) from a variety of sugars and organic acids. Glycerol was the best carbon source and yielded the highest PHB titer in both strains. Further optimization of the NaCl concentration and culture temperature improved the PHB titer from 1.87 to 5.08 g/L in V. alginolyticus LHF01. In addition, the use of propionate as a secondary carbon source resulted in the production of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV). V. alginolyticus LHF01 may be a promising host for PHA production using cheap waste glycerol from biodiesel refining.

[Characteristics and clinical significance of wideband tympanometry of otitis media with effusion in young children]

Objective: To study the characteristics of wideband tympanometry(WBT) and its application value in the diagnosis of otitis media with effusion(OME) in young children. Methods: We compared wideband acoustic energy absorbance(EA) under peak pressure in young children with OME(190 ears) and healthy control subjects(121 ears) from Ninth People's Hospital of Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine between January 2018 and June 2020. Both groups were divided into three groups, 1-6 months, 7-36 months and 37-72 months. SPSS 20.0 statistical software was used to analyze and compare the EA parameters between OME children of different months and the control group. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC)curve was used to analyze the diagnostic value of WBT in young children with OME. Results: There were significant differences in EA among three OME groups from 500 Hz to 2 000 Hz(P<0.05).Compared with the control groups, EA of 1-6 m OME group decreased significantly below 4 000 Hz(P<0.05), EA of 7-36 m OME group decreased significantly at 545-1 600 Hz(P<0.05), EA of 37-72 m OME group decreased significantly above 545 Hz(P<0.05).ROC curve indicated that EA at 1 000 Hz had the greatest diagnostic value (AUC was 0.890), followed by 1 500 Hz and the range of 500-2 000 Hz (AUC was 0.883 and 0.881, respectively).EA at 1 000 Hz with a cutoff value of 0.55 had the best diagnostic sensitivity of 90.8%, which was higher than conventional tympanometry (85.8%). The maximum AUC (0.932) could be obtained by combining EA, peak pressure and admittance amplitude of 226 Hz tympanometry as predictors. Conclusions: EA is significantly decreased in young children with OME. Compared with the conventional single frequency tympanometry, WBT is more accurate in the diagnosis of OME in young children, and the prediction accuracy would be better if combined with 226 Hz tympanometry.

The adipokinetic hormone signaling system regulates the sensitivity of Bactrocera dorsalis to malathion

The neuropeptide adipokinetic hormone (AKH) binds to the AKH receptor (AKHR) to regulate carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. It also participates in the insect anti-stress response. We used RT-qPCR to detect the expression levels of 39 neuropeptides in malathion-susceptible (MS) and malathion-resistant (MR) strains of Bactrocera dorsalis. AKH and AKHR were highly expressed in the MR strain. Using a malathion bioassay and RNA interference (RNAi), we demonstrated that AKHR is involved in the susceptibility of B. dorsalis to malathion. We found significantly reduced expression of two detoxification enzyme genes (glutathione-S-transferase, GST and α-esterase, CarE) after AKHR RNAi. Based on our previous data, GSTd10 and CarE6 participate the direct metabolism of malathion in this fly, which is also verified by a malathion metabolism assay by HPLC using the crude enzymes in the current study. These results suggest that AKHR plays an important role in affecting malathion susceptibility via detoxification enzyme genes.

Predicting Thermophilic Proteins by Machine Learning

Background:

Thermophilic proteins can maintain good activity under high temperature, therefore, it is important to study thermophilic proteins for the thermal stability of proteins.

Objective:

In order to solve the problem of low precision and low efficiency in predicting thermophilic proteins, a prediction method based on feature fusion and machine learning was proposed in this paper.

Methods:

For the selected thermophilic data sets, firstly, the thermophilic protein sequence was characterized based on feature fusion by the combination of g-gap dipeptide, entropy density and autocorrelation coefficient. Then, Kernel Principal Component Analysis (KPCA) was used to reduce the dimension of the expressed protein sequence features in order to reduce the training time and improve efficiency. Finally, the classification model was designed by using the classification algorithm.

Results:

A variety of classification algorithms was used to train and test on the selected thermophilic dataset. By comparison, the accuracy of the Support Vector Machine (SVM) under the jackknife method was over 92%. The combination of other evaluation indicators also proved that the SVM performance was the best.

Conclusion:

Because of choosing an effectively feature representation method and a robust classifier, the proposed method is suitable for predicting thermophilic proteins and is superior to most reported methods.

Left bundle branch pacing with optimization of cardiac resynchronization treatment: A case report

BACKGROUND

Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is a well-established therapy for patients with cardiomyopathy.

CASE SUMMARY

The patient underwent left bundle branch area and left ventricular (reaching the left ventricular lateral vein through the coronary sinus) pacing. The optimal CRT was performed under the right bundle branch of the patient by adjusting the optimal a-v and v-v interphases to achieve the maximal benefit of the treatment.

CONCLUSION

The patient was diagnosed with left bundle branch block and heart failure. A left bundle branch area pacemaker assisted in correcting the complete left bundle branch block. However, the shorter QRS wave shape after pacemaker implantation through the left bundle branch area indicated a complete right bundle branch block pattern. Hence, the left bundle branch area pacemaker is not always considered as the optimal treatment. The left bundle branch pacing with the optimization of cardiac resynchronization treatment may serve as a new CRT strategy.

The complete chloroplast genome of Hydrangea davidii (Hydrangeaceae)

Hydrangea davidii, a perennial shrub of Hydrangeaceae, is an ornamental plant endemic to China. Here, we report the complete chloroplast genome of H. davidii. The complete chloroplast genome is totally 158,054 bp in length with a typical quadripartite structure. It consists a pair of inverted regions (IRs) of 26,140 bp, which were separated by a large single copy (LSC) region of 87,008 bp and a small single copy (SSC) region of 18,766 bp, respectively. The chloroplast genome encoded 131 genes, including 85 protein-coding genes, 8 rRNA genes and 38 tRNA genes. The GC content in the whole cp genome, LSC region, SSC region, and IR region are 37.8%, 36.0%, 31.7%, and 43.1%, respectively. In total, 49 SSRs were identified in the complete chloroplast genome. Phylogenetic analysis showed that H. davidii is closely related to Hydrangea platyarguta with a support rate of 100%.

Predicting Bacteriophage Enzymes and Hydrolases by Using Combined Features

Bacteriophage is a type of virus that could infect the host bacteria. They have been applied in the treatment of pathogenic bacterial infection. Phage enzymes and hydrolases play the most important role in the destruction of bacterial cells. Correctly identifying the hydrolases coded by phage is not only beneficial to their function study, but also conducive to antibacteria drug discovery. Thus, this work aims to recognize the enzymes and hydrolases in phage. A combination of different features was used to represent samples of phage and hydrolase. A feature selection technique called analysis of variance was developed to optimize features. The classification was performed by using support vector machine (SVM). The prediction process includes two steps. The first step is to identify phage enzymes. The second step is to determine whether a phage enzyme is hydrolase or not. The jackknife cross-validated results showed that our method could produce overall accuracies of 85.1 and 94.3%, respectively, for the two predictions, demonstrating that the proposed method is promising.

Enhanced 1.54-μm photo- and electroluminescence based on a perfluorinated Er(III) complex utilizing an iridium(III) complex as a sensitizer

Advanced 1.5-µm emitting materials that can be used to fabricate electrically driven light-emitting devices have the potential for developing cost-effective light sources for integrated silicon photonics. Sensitized erbium (Er3+) in organic materials can give bright 1.5-µm luminescence and provide a route for realizing 1.5-µm organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs). However, the Er3+ electroluminescence (EL) intensity needs to be further improved for device applications. Herein, an efficient 1.5-µm OLED made from a sensitized organic Er3+ co-doped system is realized, where a "traditional" organic phosphorescent molecule with minimal triplet-triplet annihilation is used as a chromophore sensitizer. The chromophore provides efficient sensitization to a co-doped organic Er3+ complex with a perfluorinated-ligand shell. The large volume can protect the Er3+ 1.5-µm luminescence from vibrational quenching. The average lifetime of the sensitized Er3+ 1.5-µm luminescence reaches ~0.86 ms, with a lifetime component of 2.65 ms, which is by far the longest Er3+ lifetime in a hydrogen-abundant organic environment and can even compete with that obtained in the fully fluorinated organic Er3+ system. The optimal sensitization enhances the Er3+ luminescence by a factor of 1600 even with a high concentration of the phosphorescent molecule, and bright 1.5-µm OLEDs are obtained.

Analysis of the structures, stabilities and electronic properties of MB16− (M = V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni) clusters and assemblies

Stacking of lowest-energy structures of Fe₂B₂₄⁻ and Co₂B₂₄⁻ dimers.

LSD1 mediates microbial metabolite butyrate-induced thermogenesis in brown and white adipose tissue

OBJECTIVE

The gut microbiota regulates thermogenesis to benefit metabolic homeostasis at least partially via its metabolite butyrate, and the underlying mechanisms of this regulation are still unclear. In this study, we aim to investigate the role of lysine specific demethylase (LSD1), a histone demethylase and important regulator of thermogenesis, in mediating gut microbial metabolite butyrate regulation of thermogenesis.

METHODS

The antibiotic cocktail (ABX) was administrated to deplete gut microbiota. Adipose-specific LSD1 knockout mice (LSD1 aKO) were generated by crossing LSD1-lox/lox with adiponectin-cre mice and sodium butyrate and dietary fiber inulin was administrated through oral-gavage. Primary stromal vascular cells were isolated from adipose tissues and differentiated to adipocytes for studying butyrate effects on adipocyte thermogenesis.

RESULTS

The antibiotic cocktail (ABX)-mediated depletion of the gut microbiota in mice downregulated the expression of LSD1 in both brown adipose tissue (BAT) and subcutaneous white adipose tissue (scWAT) in addition to uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) and body temperature. Gavage of the microbial metabolite butyrate in ABX-treated mice reversed the thermogenic functional impairment and LSD1 expression. The adipose-specific ablation of LSD1 in mice attenuated the butyrate-mediated induction of thermogenesis and energy expenditure. Notably, our results showed that butyrate directly increased the expression of LSD1 and UCP1 as well as butyrate transporter monocarboxylate transporter 1 (MCT1) and catabolic enzyme acyl-CoA medium-chain synthetase 3 (ACSM3) in ex vivo cultured adipocytes. The inhibition of MCT1 blocked the effects of butyrate in adipocytes. Furthermore, the butyrate-mediated prevention of diet-induced obesity (DIO) through increased thermogenesis was attenuated in LSD1 aKO mice. Moreover, after gavaging HFD-fed mice with the dietary fiber inulin, a substrate of microbial fermentation that rapidly produces butyrate, thermogenesis in both BAT and scWAT was increased, and DIO was decreased; however, these beneficial metabolic effects were blocked in LSD1 aKO mice.

CONCLUSIONS

Together, our results indicate that the microbial metabolite butyrate regulates thermogenesis in BAT and scWAT through the activation of LSD1.

Serum levels of chromogranins and secretogranins correlate with the progress and severity of Parkinson's disease

Little is known about the relevance of chromogranins (Cgs) and secretogranins (Sgs) in Parkinson's disease (PD). In this study, we determined serum levels of CgA, CgB, and SgII in PD patients and assessed their association with disease severity. PD patients were recruited, identified, and classified as having early (n = 14), intermediate (n = 18), or late (n = 4) stage disease according to Hoehn-Yahr scores. The serum concentrations of CgA, CgB, and SgII in patients with well-defined PD (n = 36) and in healthy controls (n = 52) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Compared with controls, serum CgA levels were significantly elevated and serum SgII levels were significantly reduced in PD patients (both P < 0.05). There was no difference in serum CgB levels between the two groups. Both serum CgA and SgII levels changed progressively over time from early to intermediate to late stage (P < 0.05). Spearman correlation analysis revealed that serum CgA and SgII levels correlated with Hoehn-Yahr and UPDRS scores (P < 0.001). These results indicate that changes in serum levels of CgA and SgII may be closely related to the severity of PD.

[Clinical experience and next-generation sequencing analysis of encephalitis caused by pseudorabies virus]

Objective: To detect potential pathogens including pseudorabies virus in patients with encephalitis of unknown etiology in China and describe novel encephalitic entities. Methods: Patients with clinically suspected infectious encephalitis were enrolled in a multicenter study to identify the pathogens in PUMCH Encephalitis Program.Next-generation sequencing(NGS) of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was used in patients with encephalitis of unknown etiology enrolled from 2016 to 2017.The patients diagnosed as PRV encephalitis were studied to describe this novel entity. Results: The four patients(3 male, 1 male, 38-54 years old) had occupational exposure to raw park when working in the production or marketing of pork and at least one got injured during pork-cutting.Two of them were confirmed with NGS of CSF, and anti-PRV antibodies were positive in 3 patients whose serum was available for serological analysis.They all presented with an acute onset of fever, convulsion, loss of consciousness and respiratory failure within 1 to 4 days and rapidly deteriorated even on extensive treatment.All the patients needed ICU admission and 3 needed mechanical ventilation.Two patients also had bilateral retinitis.Neuroimaging revealed symmetric gray matter lesions including limbic system, basal ganglia and midbrain without obvious hemorrhage.Lumbar puncture revealed elevated intracranial pressure and lymphocytic pleocytosis [(6-64)×10(6)/L] of CSF.The patients failed to response to the treatment of acyclovir combined with intravenous immunoglobulin and steroids.Modified Rankin Score was 3, 5, 5 and 6 (died) for the 4 patients respectively on last follow-up. Conclusions: PRV could be a cause of severe encephalitis.The patients with suspected pseudorabies encephalitis (PRE) need to be tested for PRV DNA timely.Severe encephalitis with bilateral involvement of limbic system, basal ganglion, thalamus and midbrain in patient with occupational exposure indicate this emerging infectious encephalitis.

[Efficacy of sublingual immunotherapy with Dermatophagoides farina drops in monosensitized and polysensitized children with allergic rhinitis and asthma]

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy of SLIT with Dermatophagoides farina drops in monosensitized and polysensitized children with allergic rhinitis and asthma.Method:This retrospective analysis chose 124 cases of allergic rhinitis and asthma with 3 years SLIT treatment. According to skin prick test,they were divided into two groups, monosensitized group (48 patients) and polysensitized group (76 patients). Before SLIT and after SLIT for 1 year, 2 year and 3 years, the TNSS, TRMS of rhinitis and DASS, NASS, TAMS, VAS, PEF, FEV1 of asthma were evaluated. Result:The TNSS, TRMS, DASS, NASS, TAMS, VAS, PEF, FEV1 had continuously improved significantly after SLIT for 1 year, 2 year and 3 years in two groups as compared with baseline (P< 0.05). As compared with after SLIT for 1 year, after SLIT for 2 year the TNSS, TRMS, TAMS, VAS of monosensitized group had obviously decrease (q= 3.76, 5.57, 6.02, 5.62, P< 0.05). As compared with after SLIT for 1 year, similarly, after SLIT for 2 year the TNSS, TRMS, TAMS, VAS of polysensitized group had obviously decrease (q= 5.40, 7.16, 7.19, 7.87, P< 0.05). Before SLIT, TRMS and TAMS of polysensitized group were significantly greater than the monosensitized group (Z=3.16, 2.74, P< 0.05). After SLIT for 1 year, 2 years and 3 years, the all evaluation indicators of two groups were not statistically significant (P> 0.05).Conclusion:Sublingual immunotherapy with Dermatophagoides farina drops in monosensitized and polysensitized children with allergic rhinitis and asthma had similar and significant therapeutic effect.

Genome-wide identification of chitinase and chitin deacetylase gene families in the oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel)

Chitinases (Chts) and chitin deacetylases (CDAs) are important enzymes required for chitin metabolism in insects. In this study, 12 Cht-related genes (including seven Cht genes and five imaginal disc growth factor genes) and 6 CDA genes (encoding seven proteins) were identified in Bactrocera dorsalis using genome-wide searching and transcript profiling. Based on the conserved sequences and phylogenetic relationships, 12 Cht-related proteins were clustered into eight groups (group I-V and VII-IX). Further domain architecture analysis showed that all contained at least one chitinase catalytic domain, however, only four (BdCht5, BdCht7, BdCht8 and BdCht10) possessed chitin-binding domains. The subsequent phylogenetic analysis revealed that seven CDAs were clustered into five groups (group I-V), and all had one chitin deacetylase catalytic domain. However, only six exhibited chitin-binding domains. Finally, the development- and tissue-specific expression profiling showed that transcript levels of the 12 Cht-related genes and 6 CDA genes varied considerably among eggs, larvae, pupae and adults, as well as among different tissues of larvae and adults. Our findings illustrate the structural differences and expression patterns of Cht and CDA genes in B. dorsalis, and provide important information for the development of new pest control strategies based on these vital enzymes.

A MEMS SOI-based piezoresistive fluid flow sensor

In this paper, a SOI (silicon-on-insulator)-based piezoresistive fluid flow sensor is presented; the presented flow sensor mainly consists of a nylon sensing head, stainless steel cantilever beam, SOI sensor chip, printed circuit board, half-cylinder gasket, and stainless steel shell. The working principle of the sensor and some detailed contrastive analysis about the sensor structure were introduced since the nylon sensing head and stainless steel cantilever beam have distinct influence on the sensor performance; the structure of nylon sensing head and stainless steel cantilever beam is also discussed. The SOI sensor chip was fabricated using micro-electromechanical systems technologies, such as reactive ion etching and low pressure chemical vapor deposition. The designed fluid sensor was packaged and tested; a calibration installation system was purposely designed for the sensor experiment. The testing results indicated that the output voltage of the sensor is proportional to the square of the fluid flow velocity, which is coincident with the theoretical derivation. The tested sensitivity of the sensor is 3.91 × 10^-4 V ms²/kg.

Antimicrobial peptide gene BdPho responds to peptidoglycan infection and mating stimulation in oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel)

Phormicins belong to defensin family, which are important antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) in insects. These AMPs are inducible upon challenging by immune triggers. In the present study, we identified the cDNA of a phormicin gene (BdPho) in the oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel), a ruinous agricultural pest causing great economic losses to fruits and vegetables. The cDNA of BdPho contains a 282 bp open reading frame encoding 93 amino acid residues, and the predicted molecular weight and isoelectric point of BdPho peptide were 9.83 kDa and 7.54, respectively. Quantitative real-time PCR analyses showed that the transcription level of BdPho was the highest in adult during different developmental stages and was the highest in abdomen among adult tagmata. Moreover, BdPho was highly expressed in fat body among different tissues, both in female and male adult. The mRNA level of BdPho was significantly up-regulated to 7.46- and 14.53-fold at 3 and 6 h after the insects were challenged with peptidoglycans from Escherichia coli (PGN-EB), respectively, suggesting its antimicrobial activity against Gram-negative microorganisms. Furthermore, the expression level of BdPho was significantly up-regulated to 3.83-fold after mating, suggesting that female adults might enhance their immunity by up-regulating the expression level of BdPho during mating. These results firstly describe the basic properties of the phormicin gene from B. dorsalis, and lay the foundation for investigating functional properties of AMPs and exploring the molecular mechanisms in the immune system.

Genetic differences in ChTLR15 gene polymorphism and expression involved in Salmonella enterica natural and artificial infection respectively, of Chinese native chicken breeds, with a focus on sexual dimorphism

Chicken Toll-like receptor 15 (ChTLR15) has been shown to participate in immune activation in response to various pathogens and in the innate defence against infection. Two genetically distinct Chinese breeds of chicken (Qinyuan Partridge and Baier breeds) were used to study the correlation between ChTLR15 single nucleotide polymorphisms and the natural infection status of salmonella in hens, and also to examine genetic and sex-specific effects on ChTLR15 mRNA expression in heterophils and spleen during acute infection with Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis (SE) from 1 to 10 days after experimental infection. Three single-nucleotide polymorphisms (G168A, C726T and A1166G) in a single exon of ChTLR15 were identified in the two breeds, but only C726T showed a significant association with salmonella infection. Compared with layer-type Baier chicks, meat-type Qingyuan chicks showed a higher tolerance for capture stress and (SE) infection, as measured, respectively, by the modified body weight of chicks in the control group and in the infection group. Meanwhile, ChTLR15 down-regulation in heterophils and up-regulation in spleen were involved in the response to pathogenic SE colonization during the acute infection period. These significant genetic effects in females led to greater differences in both innate and adaptive immune responses than those exhibited in males. These results suggest that genetics, time and gender play important roles in the modulation of ChTLR15 mRNA level elicited by the SE-mediated immune response differentially in the two genetically distinct breeds, with a focus on sexual dimorphism.

Application of oxaliplatin in combination with epirubicin in transcatheter arterial chemoembolization in the treatment of primary liver carcinoma

Many cases of liver carcinoma miss the opportunity of surgical treatment because of hidden onset and delayed diagnosis. In recent years, interventional treatment has gradually become a non-surgical method for treating liver carcinoma. To discuss the effects of oxaliplatin in combination with epirubicin in the treatment and its influence on prognosis, this study randomly selected 218 advanced primary liver carcinoma patients from Binzhou People’s Hospital, Binzhou, China and divided them into a control group (n=109) and an observation group (n=109). Patients in both groups were given interventional treatment. Patients in the control group were perfused with oxaliplatin, while patients in the observation group were perfused with oxaliplatin and epirubicin. The effectsat 6-month and 12-month survival rates were compared between the two groups. The results demonstrated that the overall effective rate and clinical benefit rate of the observation group were much higher than those of the control group (30.3% vs 11.9%; 79.8%; vs 44.3%) (P less than 0.05). The serum Alpha Fetal Protein (AFP) and Carcino Embryonie Antigen (CEA) levels of the observation group were much lower than those of the control group; the Karnofsky performance score of the observation group was much lower than that of the control group; the two differences had statistical significance (P less than 0.05). The 6-month survival rate of the observation group was 91.67%, higher than that of the control group (86.11%) (P>0.05). The 12-month survival rate of the observation group was 83.33%, much higher than that of the control group (61.11%) (P less than 0.05). The difference of the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups had no statistical significance (P>0.05). Thus, it can be concluded that oxaliplatin in combination with epirubicin can improve survival quality, extend survival time, and decrease the serum AFP and CEA levels in the treatment of primary liver carcinoma, with definite effects but without aggravating toxic and side effects. Therefore, the therapy has important clinical value.

[Prospective evaluation on ventilator-associated events: a cohort study from eight intensive care units]

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to prospectively investigate the incidence of ventilator associated events (VAEs) in intensive care units (ICUs) among adult patients, and to evaluate the correlation between VAEs and ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP).

METHODS

A prospective 3-month cohort study (January 2015 to March 2015) was carried out. VAEs were divided into three groups: with ventilator-associated condition (VAC), with infection related ventilator-associated complication (IVAC) and with possible VAP (PVAP). Sensitivity and specificity of VAEs were evaluated and compared to the traditional VAP. Kappa test was applied to judge the consistency of VAC and VAP.

RESULTS

During Jan. 2015 and Mar. 2015, 1 014 patients were admitted to 8 ICUs, with 7 977 patients per day. In total, 197 patients used the mechanical ventilation installation, with, a total number of 3 152 ventilator-days. Finally, 1 214 ventilation days in the VAC group and 1 938 ventilation days in the non-VAC group) that were available for final analysis. 46 VAC cases were identified including 22 classified as IVAC (14.59 and 6.98 per 1 000 ventilation days, respectively). Length of ICU stay and duration on mechanical ventilation for VAC patients were both significantly longer than those for non-VAC patients (P<0.05). Sensitivity and specificity of the VAC criteria for the detection of VAP were 36.92% and 83.33%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The VAEs surveillance paradigms could be applied to monitor patients on the use of mechanical ventilation installation. However, sensitivity and specificity of VAC were under pool for the diagnosis of VAP. However, automatically surveillance programs was relied on the improvement of auto-information systems.

[Morphological alterations in gray matter related to primary dysmenorrhea]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the structural changes of gray matter in women with primary dysmenorrhea (PDM) and discuss the potential relationships between the changes and etiology of the disease.

METHODS

We used an optimized voxel-based morphometry (VBM) approach to compare total and regional volumetric changes of gray matter in 20 primary dysmenorrhea patients with 20 healthy age and menstrual cycle matched controls.All subjects were patients from the outpatient department of Tongji Hospital in 2015.

RESULTS

Abnormal volumetric decreases of gray matter were found in the left and right parahippocampus, the left and right middle temporal gyrus, the left and right superior parietal lobule, the left postcentral cortex, the left and right inferior parietal lobule, which involved in pain transmission, pain modulation and somatic sensation.

CONCLUSION

Abnormal gray matter volume changes are present in some encephalic regions of PDM patients.The functions of these regions are associated with pain modulation and somatic sensation, which suggests the changes are related with PDM.

First-principle study of CO adsorption influence on the properties of ferroelectric tunnel junctions

Based on first principles calculations, we systematically investigated the structural, electronic and ferroelectric properties of Pt-BaTiO₃-Pt ferroelectric tunnel junctions (FTJs) with CO adsorbed on the surface of the top electrode. Changes of electrode/barrier thickness and different adsorption sites were considered. We found that although the CO molecule is not directly adsorbed on the surface of the ferroelectric thin film (FTF), the local properties of the BaTiO₃ FTFs were still significantly changed by CO adsorptions, e.g. the change of polarization bistability. Furthermore, by simulating isolated geometry, we found that the orientation of polarization induced by CO adsorptions exhibited sensitive dependence on the thickness of the adsorbed electrode. The adsorption energy was found to change with the change of both the thickness of the electrodes and the polarization orientation in the barrier, which provides a modifiable effect by virtue of the surface ambient chemicals controlling the bulk ferroelectric properties. An electronic structure analysis reveals that the work function of the adsorbed electrode is altered by the adsorption, and the effect can be reversed as the electrode thickness changes. Our findings should provide a new method to tailor the magnitude and bistability of polarization in ferroelectric thin films (FTF) as well as the top electrode surface reactivity in FTJs, which has a significant prospect of application in FTJ-based nanoscale multifunctional devices.

Characterization of membrane occupation and recognition nexus repeat containing 3, meiosis expressed gene 1 binding partner, in mouse male germ cells

Mammalian spermatogenesis is a well-organized process of cell development and differentiation. Meiosis expressed gene 1 (MEIG1) plays an essential role in the regulation of spermiogenesis. To explore potential mechanisms of MEIG1's action, a yeast two-hybrid screen was conducted, and several potential binding partners were identified; one of them was membrane occupation and recognition nexus repeat containing 3 (MORN3). MORN3 mRNA is only abundant in mouse testis. In the testis, Morn3 mRNA is highly expressed in the spermiogenesis stage. Specific anti-MORN3 polyclonal antibody was generated against N-terminus of the full-length MORN3 protein, and MORN3 expression and localization was examined in vitro and in vivo. In transfected Chinese hamster ovary cells, the antibody specifically crossed-reacted the full-length MORN3 protein, and immunofluorescence staining revealed that MORN3 was localized throughout the cytoplasm. Among multiple mouse tissues, about 25 kDa protein, was identified only in the testis. The protein was highly expressed after day 20 of birth. Immunofluorescence staining on mixed testicular cells isolated from adult wild-type mice demonstrated that MORN3 was expressed in the acrosome in germ cells throughout spermiogenesis. The protein was also present in the manchette of elongating spermatids. The total MORN3 expression and acrosome localization were not changed in the Meig 1-deficient mice. However, its expression in manchette was dramatically reduced in the mutant mice. Our studies suggest that MORN3 is another regulator for spermatogenesis, probably together with MEIG1.

Upregulation of NRAMP1 mRNA confirms its role in enhanced host immunity in post-artificial infections of Salmonella enteritidis in chicks

1. Salmonella enteritidis (SE) is reported as the most common food-borne pathogen transmitted through poultry products. The natural resistance-associated macrophage protein 1 (NRAMP1) is a candidate gene associated with SE-mediated immune response and is related to the phagocytosis of SE. In this study, the classical single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) G2357A in exon 8 of the NRAMP1 gene was detected. The expression of NRAMP1 mRNA was first investigated in heterophil granulocytes and spleen in chicks from two different Chinese native breeds at 1, 3 and 10 d post-infection. In addition, the association with the effect of SE challenge was identified. 2. The G2357A SNP showed no significant association with Salmonella natural infection in birds from two different Chinese native breeds. 3. The upregulation of NRAMP1 mRNA in heterophils and spleen was involved in the response to pathogenic SE colonisation during the acute infection period in chicks. The results suggest that genetics, age, gender and interactions among these factors play important roles in the modulation of NRAMP1 mRNA expression and copy number by SE-mediated immune response in different Chinese chickens. 4. In conclusion, the enhancement of host immunity mediated by the upregulation of NRAMP1 mRNA in heterophil granulocytes and spleen might be more obvious and earlier in the chicks resistant to infections with SE than in susceptible chicks.

Recent advances in bulk metallic glasses for biomedical applications

With a continuously increasing aging population and the improvement of living standards, large demands of biomaterials are expected for a long time to come. Further development of novel biomaterials, that are much safer and of much higher quality, in terms of both biomedical and mechanical properties, are therefore of great interest for both the research scientists and clinical surgeons. Compared with the conventional crystalline metallic counterparts, bulk metallic glasses have unique amorphous structures, and thus exhibit higher strength, lower Young's modulus, improved wear resistance, good fatigue endurance, and excellent corrosion resistance. For this purpose, bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) have recently attracted much attention for biomedical applications. This review discusses and summarizes the recent developments and advances of bulk metallic glasses, including Ti-based, Zr-based, Fe-based, Mg-based, Zn-based, Ca-based and Sr-based alloying systems for biomedical applications. Future research directions will move towards overcoming the brittleness, increasing the glass forming ability (GFA) thus obtaining corresponding bulk metallic glasses with larger sizes, removing/reducing toxic elements, and surface modifications.

STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE

Bulk metallic glasses (BMGs), also known as amorphous alloys or liquid metals, are relative newcomers in the field of biomaterials. They have gained increasing attention during the past decades, as they exhibit an excellent combination of properties and processing capabilities desired for versatile biomedical implant applications. The present work reviewed the recent developments and advances of biomedical BMGs, including Ti-based, Zr-based, Fe-based, Mg-based, Zn-based, Ca-based and Sr-based BMG alloying systems. Besides, the critical analysis and in-depth discussion on the current status, challenge and future development of biomedical BMGs are included. The possible solution to the BMG size limitation, the brittleness of BMGs has been proposed.

Neuroprotective effects of ultrasound-guided nerve growth factor injections after sciatic nerve injury

Nerve growth factor (NGF) plays an important role in promoting neuroregeneration after peripheral nerve injury. However, its effects are limited by its short half-life; it is therefore important to identify an effective mode of administration. High-frequency ultrasound (HFU) is increasingly used in the clinic for high-resolution visualization of tissues, and has been proposed as a method for identifying and evaluating peripheral nerve damage after injury. In addition, HFU is widely used for guiding needle placement when administering drugs to a specific site. We hypothesized that HFU guiding would optimize the neuroprotective effects of NGF on sciatic nerve injury in the rabbit. We performed behavioral, ultrasound, electrophysiological, histological, and immunohistochemical evaluation of HFU-guided NGF injections administered immediately after injury, or 14 days later, and compared this mode of administration with intramuscular NGF injections. Across all assessments, HFU-guided NGF injections gave consistently better outcomes than intramuscular NGF injections administered immediately or 14 days after injury, with immediate treatment also yielding better structural and functional results than when the treatment was delayed by 14 days. Our findings indicate that NGF should be administered as early as possible after peripheral nerve injury, and highlight the striking neuroprotective effects of HFU-guided NGF injections on peripheral nerve injury compared with intramuscular administration.

Mutational analysis of BRCA1/2 gene and pathologic characteristics from Kazakh population with sporadic breast cancer in northwestern China

Mutations in the BRCA1/2 genes are associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, but no large-scale research have examined the BRCA1/2 mutations in Chinese Kazakh women. We evaluated the frequency and distributions of BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations in Kazakh sporadic breast cancer patients and healthy women in China. The association between the clinical-pathologic features of Kazakh breast cancer patients and BRCA1/2 mutations were also investigated. Two unclassified variants (T539M and T1915M) and 16 polymorphisms were detected in this study, 4 of which (G356A, His743, Asn991Asp, Val1269) were detected more frequently in breast cancer patients than in healthy controls. We observed a higher prevalence of BRCA1/2 common sequence alterations and a large number of Kazakh women carrying multiple co-existing BRCA1/2 mutations. The prevalence of BRCA1 mutations was similar to that of BRCA2 mutations. Although no significant differences were observed, BRCA1/2 carriers were generally younger at diagnosis of wild-type breast cancer patients. BRCA1-associated Kazakh sporadic breast cancers present with high tumor grade, early stage, negative lymph node status, absence of estrogen receptor expression and progesterone-positive status. Estrogen receptor expression was the only predominant histological type in BRCA2 carriers. In this study, we determined the BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutation status and determined the association with clinical-pathologic characteristics in a Chinese Kazakh population. Larger population-based screening studies screening the entire coding region of BRCA1/2 are required to evaluate the breast cancer risk induced by the sequence alterations detected in this study.

Tissue- and breed-specific expression of the chicken fat mass- and obesity-associated gene (FTO)

The fat mass- and obesity-associated gene (FTO) is involved in energy metabolism, but little is known about the chicken FTO gene. The objective of the current study was to detect chicken FTO expression patterns in the hypothalamus, liver, and skeletal muscle during development, and analyze the effects of age and breed on FTO expression. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction results revealed that chicken FTO mRNA was expressed in all of the tissues tested. Chicken FTO exhibited tissue- and breed-specific patterns in the recessive White Plymouth Rock chicken and the Qingyuan partridge chicken. The highest FTO expression level was in the hypothalami of 1-week-old chicks. FTO mRNA was expressed more in the breast muscles and livers of recessive White Plymouth Rock chickens than those of Qingyuan partridge chickens at 1 and 8 weeks of age. These results indicate that FTO probably plays a significant role in energy metabolism at 1 week old, when chicks have undergone metabolic adaptations from yolk dependence to the utilization of exogenous feed.

Development of biodegradable Zn-1X binary alloys with nutrient alloying elements Mg, Ca and Sr

Biodegradable metals have attracted considerable attentions in recent years. Besides the early launched biodegradable Mg and Fe metals, Zn, an essential element with osteogenic potential of human body, is regarded and studied as a new kind of potential biodegradable metal quite recently. Unfortunately, pure Zn is soft, brittle and has low mechanical strength in the practice, which needs further improvement in order to meet the clinical requirements. On the other hand, the widely used industrial Zn-based alloys usually contain biotoxic elements (for instance, ZA series contain toxic Al elements up to 40 wt.%), which subsequently bring up biosafety concerns. In the present work, novel Zn-1X binary alloys, with the addition of nutrition elements Mg, Ca and Sr were designed (cast, rolled and extruded Zn-1Mg, Zn-1Ca and Zn-1Sr). Their microstructure and mechanical property, degradation and in vitro and in vivo biocompatibility were studied systematically. The results demonstrated that the Zn-1X (Mg, Ca and Sr) alloys have profoundly modified the mechanical properties and biocompatibility of pure Zn. Zn-1X (Mg, Ca and Sr) alloys showed great potential for use in a new generation of biodegradable implants, opening up a new avenue in the area of biodegradable metals.

Measurements of ocean bottom low-angle backscattering by single-mode reverberation

The characteristics of scattering due to interface roughness are usually described by the backscattering matrix for reverberation modeling. The backscattering matrix based on the Bass perturbation theory has significant differences from that based on the empirical scattering rule (Lambert's rule), especially at low grazing angles. In a waveguide environment with a point source, it is very difficult to extract the quantitative characteristics of the backscattering matrix at low grazing angles from the experimental data because of the difficulties in acquiring low-grazing-angle scattering data and separating the scattering data between different modes (grazing angles). In contrast, the use of single-mode excitations as sources in shallow-water waveguides enables acquisition of good quality low-grazing-angle scattering data. In this paper, the characteristics of the backscattering matrix were obtained from different single-mode reverberation experiments in shallow-water. The experiments were carried out at different sites during different seasons off the coasts of China. Model-data comparisons were made and the results showed that at low grazing angles (2°-5°), the backscattering matrices based on the Bass perturbation theory were in good agreement with the experimental data, but the backscattering matrices based on Lambert's rule were not.

Improved performance of ZnO light-emitting devices by introducing a hole-injection layer

ZnO p-n homojunction light-emitting devices (LEDs) have been fabricated, and by introducing a p-type GaN as the hole-injection layer, the output power of the LEDs can reach 18.5 μW when the drive current is 60 mA, which is almost three orders of magnitude larger than the pristine LEDs without the hole-injection layer. The improved performance can be attributed to the extra holes injected into the p-ZnO layer from the p-GaN hole-injection layer.

Association of chicken growth hormone polymorphisms with egg production

Growth hormone (GH) has diverse functions in animals, together with other hormones from the somatotropic axis. Here, chicken GH (cGH) was investigated in recessive white chickens and Qingyuan partridge chickens as a candidate gene affecting egg production traits. Chicken egg production traits were studied in association with 4 selected single nucleotide polymorphisms (T185G, G662A, T3094C, and C3199T). Genotyping was performed by the polymerase chain reaction-ligase detection reaction method. T185G was significantly associated with the egg production traits of body weight at first egg (BW), egg weight at first egg (EW), and the total egg production of 300-day old birds (EN 300). T3094C was also significantly associated with certain egg production traits; however, it affected the 2 breeds differently. Haplotypes of the 4 single nucleotide polymorphisms were also significantly associated with egg production traits of chicken age at first egg laying, BW, EW, and EN 300. H1H6 was the most advantageous diplotype for egg production. We putatively concluded that polymorphisms in the cGH gene and its haplotypes could be used as potential molecular markers for egg production traits to enhance the breeding programs of indigenous chickens.

Molecular genetic diversity and maternal origin of Chinese black-bone chicken breeds

Chinese black-bone chickens are valued for the medicinal properties of their meat in traditional Chinese medicine. We investigated the genetic diversity and systematic evolution of Chinese black-bone chicken breeds. We sequenced the DNA of 520 bp of the mitochondrial cyt b gene of nine Chinese black-bone chicken breeds, including Silky chicken, Jinhu black-bone chicken, Jiangshan black-bone chicken, Yugan black-bone chicken, Wumeng black-bone chicken, Muchuan black-bone chicken, Xingwen black-bone chicken, Dehua black-bone chicken, and Yanjin black-bone chicken. We found 13 haplotypes. Haplotype and nucleotide diversity of the nine black-bone chicken breeds ranged from 0 to 0.78571 and 0.00081 to 0.00399, respectively. Genetic diversity was the richest in Jinhu black-bone chickens and the lowest in Yanjin black-bone chickens. Analysis of phylogenetic trees for all birds constructed based on hyplotypes indicated that the maternal origin of black-bone chickens is predominantly from three subspecies of red jungle fowl. These results provide basic data useful for protection of black-bone chickens and help determine the origin of domestic chickens.

Transcriptional co-activator PGC-1α gene is associated with chicken skeletal muscle fiber types

The peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor-γ coactivator-1α (PGC-1α) is a candidate gene for meat quality traits because of its prominent role in muscle fiber type switching and determination. We investigated the effects of the PGC-1α gene on chicken skeletal muscle fiber type switching and on other meat quality traits. Single nucleotide polymorphisms were detected by PCR-SSCP and DNA sequencing, and then genotyping was performed by PCR-ligation detection reaction methods. Skeletal muscle fiber types, intramuscular fat content, shear forces, and water loss rate of the gastrocnemius lateralis muscle were measured in Qingyuan Partridge chickens and Recessive White chickens. Four SNPs, C171T in exon2, C384T in exon3, G646A in exon5, and A948G in exon8 were detected. Marker-trait association analysis indicated that G646A polymorphism was associated with skeletal myofiber type and that H1 (CCAA) was the most advantageous haplotype for skeletal myofiber type. We concluded that polymorphisms of the PGC-1α gene and their haplotypes are associated with chicken skeletal myofiber type traits.

Nitrous oxide and methane emissions from different treatment processes in full-scale municipal wastewater treatment plants

Nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4) are two important greenhouse gases (GHG) emitted from biological nutrient removal (BNR) processes in municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). In this study, three typical biological wastewater treatment processes were studied in WWTP of Northern China: pre-anaerobic carrousel oxidation ditch (A+OD) process, pre-anoxic anaerobic-anoxic-oxic (A-A/ A/O) process and reverse anaerobic-anoxic-oxic (r-A/ A/O) process. The N2O and CH4 emissions from these three different processes were measured in every processing unit of each WWTP. Results showed that N2O and CH4 were mainly discharged during the nitrification/denitrification process and the anaerobic/anoxic treatment process, respectively and the amounts of their formation and release were significantly influenced by different BNR processes implemented in these WWTP. The N2O conversion ratio of r-A/ A/O process was the lowest among the three WWTP, which were 10.9% and 18.6% lower than that of A-A/A/O process and A+OD process, respectively. Similarly, the CH4 conversion ratio of r-A/ A/O process was the lowest among the three WWTP, which were 89. I% and 80.8% lower than that of A-A/ A/O process and A+OD process, respectively. The factors influencing N2O and CH4 formation and emission in the three WWTP were investigated to explain the difference between these processes. The nitrite concentration and oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) value were found to be the dominant influencing factors affecting N2O and CH4 production, respectively. The flow-based emission factors of N2O and CH4 of the WWTP were figured out for better quantification of GHG emissions and further technical assessments of mitigation options.

Three-dimensional evaluation of upper airway in patients with different anteroposterior skeletal patterns

OBJECTIVES

To investigate variability in the upper airway of subjects with different anteroposterior skeletal patterns by evaluating the volume and the most constricted cross-sectional area of the pharyngeal airway and defining correlations between the different variables.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The study sample consisted of 60 patients (29 boys, 31 girls) divided into three groups: Class I (1 ≤ ANB ≤ 3), Class II (ANB>3), and Class III (ANB<1), to evaluate how the jaw relationship affects the airway volume and the most constricted cross-sectional area (Min-CSA). Differences between groups were determined using the Tukey-Kramer test. Correlations between variables were tested using Pearson's correlation coefficient.

RESULTS

The volume and the Min-CSA of the pharyngeal airway (PA) were significantly related to anteroposterior skeletal patterns (p < 0.05). The nasopharyngeal airway (NA) volume of Class I and Class III subjects was significantly larger than that of Class II subjects (p < 0.05). The Min-CSA and the length of PA were significantly related to the volume of PA (p < 0.05). The site and the size of the Min-CSA varied among the three groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The volume and the most constricted cross-sectional area of the airway varied with different anteroposterior skeletal patterns. The NA volume of Class I and Class III subjects was significantly larger than that of patients with a Class II skeletal pattern.

Metabolizable energy and fiber digestibility of uncommon feedstuffs for geese

This experiment was conducted to study the digestibility of uncommon feedstuffs for geese. Thirty Taihu ganders were selected and divided into 5 groups (n = 6), and one group was allocated as the control. Taihu ganders in the 4 treated groups were force-fed with a weight of different uncommon feedstuffs after 24 h of fasting, and the control group was kept in fasting with no force feeding. All excretion of each gander was collected on a plate for 24 h after force feeding. There was a 12-d recovery period between treatments. In this study, we measured the ME and analyzed neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, and hemicellulose of brewers grains, distillers grains, empty-grain rice, ryegrass powder, rice husk, corn stalk, rice straw, wheat straw, wheat husk, mushroom bran, and peanut vine. The TME values were 9.29, 8.67, 8.97, 5.89, 3.85, 3.10, 3.32, 3.02, 5.29, 2.48, and 3.15 MJ/kg, respectively. The digestibility of neutral detergent fiber for the feedstuffs ranged from 6.14 to 45.0%, the digestibility of acid detergent fiber ranged from 4.52 to 32.6%, and the digestibility of hemicellulose ranged from 18.5 to 61.6%. The best TME quadratic prediction equation was TME = 12.2 - 0.232CF, where CF is crude fiber. These results suggest that geese were able to use uncommon feedstuffs with high digestibility, and there was a significant negative correlation between energy digestibility and CF content. The ME values tested in this experiment can provide a foundation for preparation and adjustment of feed formulation for reasonable use of uncommon feedstuffs for geese.