[Analysis on morbidity characteristics of occupational diseases in Taian City from 2006 to 2021].

Objective: To analyze the morbidity characteristics of new occupational diseases in Taian City from 2006 to 2021 and provide scientific evidence for local prevention and treatment of occupational diseases. Methods: In March 2022, the data of newly diagnosed occupational diseases in Taian City from 2006 to 2021 were obtained from Information Monitoring System for Occupational Diseases and Health Hazards. A descriptive analysis was performed for the distribution of onset age, working years, types of occupational diseases, region, industries, enterprise scale, enterprise economic type and the epidemic trend of occupational diseases. Results: 1362 cases of occupational diseases in 29 species of 9 categories were reported in Taian City from 2006 to 2021, including 1311 males and 51 females. The M (P(25), P(75)) of onset age and working age were 53 (47, 64) and 24.08 (16.56, 29.25) respectively. The top three categories of occupational diseases were occupational pneumoconiosis and other respiratory diseases (1128 cases, 82.82%), occupational otolaryngology and oral diseases (107 cases, 7.86%), and occupational chemical poisoning (70 cases, 5.14%) in sequence. Coal worker's pneumoconiosis, noise deafness, silicosis, poisoning of manganese and its compounds and cataract were the top five species of occupational diseases, which accounted for 69.60% (948/1362), 7.64% (104/1362), 5.58% (76/1362), 3.38% (46/1362) and 2.94% (40/1362) of the total cases of occupational diseases.There were significant differences among the composition of occupational diseases categories reported annually (P<0.001), but the number of occupational pneumoconiosis and other respiratory diseases was the highest on each year. The number of occupational diseases showed a decreasing trend with the year, and the optimal fitting curve was an growth curve. The number of newly diagnosed occupational diseases was predicted to be 172 cases from 2022 to 2026. Occupational pneumoconiosis and other respiratory diseases was the main disease in 6 counties. The occupational diseases cases were mainly distributed in Feicheng County and Xintai County, with 520 cases and 504 cases respectively, accounting for 75.18% of occupational diseases cases. The coal mining and washing industry had the largest number of occupational diseases cases, accounting for 73.05% of all occupational diseases cases. 91.85% of occupational diseases cases came from large and medium-sized enterprises. The economic type of enterprises with the most occupational diseases was state-owned enterprises, accounting for 74.52% of occupational diseases cases. Conclusion: The predominant occupational diseases in Taian City are occupational pneumoconiosis and other respiratory diseases, occupational otolaryngology and oral diseases, occupational chemical poisoning. And the prevention and control of occupational diseases should be strengthened in key industries such as coal mining and washing industry, key enterprises such as state-owned large and medium-sized enterprises.

Decoding drug resistant mechanism of V32I, I50V and I84V mutations of HIV-1 protease on amprenavir binding by using molecular dynamics simulations and MM-GBSA calculations.

Mutations V32I, I50V and I84V in the HIV-1 protease (PR) induce drug resistance towards drug amprenavir (APV). Multiple short molecular dynamics (MSMD) simulations and molecular mechanics generalized Born surface area (MM-GBSA) method were utilized to investigate drug-resistant mechanism of V32I, I50V and I84V towards APV. Dynamic information arising from MSMD simulations suggest that V32I, I50V and I84V highly affect structural flexibility, motion modes and conformational behaviours of two flaps in the PR. Binding free energies calculated by MM-GBSA method suggest that the decrease in binding enthalpy and the increase in binding entropy induced by mutations V32I, I50V and I84V are responsible for drug resistance of the mutated PRs on APV. The energetic contributions of separate residues on binding of APV to the PR show that V32I, I50V and I84V highly disturb the interactions of two flaps with APV and mostly drive the decrease in binding ability of APV to the PR. Thus, the conformational changes of two flaps in the PR caused by V32I, I50V and I84V play key roles in drug resistance of three mutated PR towards APV. This study can provide useful dynamics information for the design of potent inhibitors relieving drug resistance.

[Overexpression of NAT10 induced platinum drugs resistance in breast cancer cell].

Objective: To observe the platinum drugs resistance effect of N-acetyltransferase 10 (NAT10) overexpression in breast cancer cell line and elucidate the underlining mechanisms. Methods: The experiment was divided into wild-type (MCF-7 wild-type cells without any treatment) group, NAT10 overexpression group (H-NAT10 plasmid transfected into MCF-7 cells) and NAT10 knockdown group (SH-NAT10 plasmid transfected into MCF-7 cells). The invasion was detected by Transwell array, the interaction between NAT10 and PARP1 was detected by co-immunoprecipitation. The impact of NAT10 overexpression or knockdown on the acetylation level of PARP1 and its half-life was also determined. Immunostaining and IP array were used to detect the recruitment of DNA damage repair protein by acetylated PARP1. Flow cytometry was used to detect the cell apoptosis. Results: Transwell invasion assay showed that the number of cell invasion was 483.00±46.90 in the NAT10 overexpression group, 469.00±40.50 in the NAT10 knockdown group, and 445.00±35.50 in the MCF-7 wild-type cells, and the differences were not statistically significant (P>0.05). In the presence of 10 µmol/L oxaliplatin, the number of cell invasion was 502.00±45.60 in the NAT10 overexpression group and 105.00±20.50 in the NAT10 knockdown group, both statistically significant (P<0.05) compared with 219.00±31.50 in wild-type cells. In the presence of 10 µmol/L oxaliplatin, NAT10 overexpression enhanced the binding of PARP1 to NAT10 compared with wild-type cells, whereas the use of the NAT10 inhibitor Remodelin inhibited the mutual binding of the two. Overexpression of NAT10 induced PARP1 acetylation followed by increased PARP1 binding to XRCC1, and knockdown of NAT10 expression reduced PARP1 binding to XRCC1. Overexpression of NAT10 enhanced PARP1 binding to LIG3, while knockdown of NAT10 expression decreased PARP1 binding to LIG3. In 10 µmol/L oxaliplatin-treated cells, the γH2AX expression level was 0.38±0.02 in NAT10 overexpressing cells and 1.36±0.15 in NAT10 knockdown cells, both statistically significant (P<0.05) compared with 1.00±0.00 in wild-type cells. In 10 µmol/L oxaliplatin treated cells, the apoptosis rate was (6.54±0.68)% in the NAT10 overexpression group and (12.98±2.54)% in the NAT10 knockdown group, both of which were statistically significant (P<0.05) compared with (9.67±0.37)% in wild-type cells. Conclusion: NAT10 overexpression enhances the binding of NAT10 to PARP1 and promotes the acetylation of PARP1, which in turn prolongs the half-life of PARP1, thus enhancing PARP1 recruitment of DNA damage repair related proteins to the damage sites, promoting DNA damage repair and ultimately the survival of breast cancer cells.

[Characteristics of magnetic resonance imaging and clinical etiology of ovarian infertility].

Objective: To analyze the characteristics of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and clinical etiology of ovarian infertility. Methods: The data of infertile women who underwent 3.0T MRI and magnetic resonance hysterosalpingography (MR-HSG) examination in the Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine from September 2017 to March 2020 were collected. The ovarian factors of infertility, as well as the abnormalities of bilateral fallopian tubes and uterus, were evaluated. Etiologies assessed by MRI were finally confirmed by hysteroscopy, laparoscopy, surgery, or a comprehensive clinical diagnosis. Results: Among 1 351 patients, 1 296 cases were eligible and included for further analysis. Evaluated by MRI and MR-HSG, 494(38.12%) cases had ovarian abnormalities, including 239(48.38%) cases of ovarian endometriosiss, 116(23.48%) cases of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), 37(7.49%) cases of diminished ovarian reserve (DOR), 33(6.68%) cases of ovarian mass, 28(5.67%) cases of ovarian injury, and 41(8.30%) cases who had at least two kinds of ovarian diseases. Unilateral and bilateral ovarian abnormalities accounted for 52.02% (257/494) and 47.98%(237/494), respectively.In total, 453 of 494(91.7%) patients had only one kind of ovarian disease. Among the 494 patients, 103(20.85%) cases had abnormal ovary with normal uterus and fallopian tubes, and the other 391(79.15%) cases had abnormalities not only in ovary, but in fallopian tube and/or uterus. Conclusion: Infertility-related ovarian diseases have certain characteristics of MRI findings. 3.0T MRI is useful for comprehensive analysis of etiology in ovarian infertility. Combined with MR-HSG, it provides one-stop assessments of the pelvic factors in female infertility.

Polyoxometalate SbW9 regulates proliferation and apoptosis of NSCLC cells via PTEN-dependent AKT signaling pathway.

The article "Polyoxometalate SbW9 regulates proliferation and apoptosis of NSCLC cells via PTEN-dependent AKT signaling pathway, by H.-B. Sun, L. Xu, Z.-X. Wang, Y. Zheng, Y. Zhao, Y.-Y. Yin, X.-L. Han, Z.-N. Xu, published in Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 2019; 23 (18): 7959-7967-PMID: 31599421" has been withdrawn from the authors due to some technical reasons (there are some evident errors and incorrect data). The Publisher apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause. https://www.europeanreview.org/article/19012.

MicroRNA-218 regulates the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway to suppress lung adenocarcinoma progression by directly targeting BMI-1.

The article "MicroRNA-218 regulates the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway to suppress lung adenocarcinoma progression by directly targeting BMI-1, by L. Xu, H.-B. Sun, Z.-N. Xu, X.-L. Han, Y.-Y. Yin, Y. Zheng, Y. Zhao, Z.-X. Wang, published in Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 2019; 23 (18): 7978-7988-DOI: 10.26355/eurrev_201909_19014-PMID: 31599423" has been withdrawn from the authors due to some technical reasons (there are some errors and  incorrect data). The Publisher apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause. https://www.europeanreview.org/article/19014.

LINC01093 promotes proliferation and invasion of non-small cell lung cancer cells via targeting akt signaling pathway.

The article "LINC01093 promotes proliferation and invasion of non-small cell lung cancer cells via targeting akt signaling pathway, by Z.-X. Wang, Z.-N. Xu, H.-B. Sun, Y. Wang, Z.-F. Han, Y. Yu, X.-L. Han, Y.-Y. Yin, L. Xu, published in Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 2020; 24 (1): 222-229- DOI: 10.26355/eurrev_202001_19914-PMID: 31957835" has been withdrawn from the authors due to some technical reasons (there are some errors and incorrect data). The Publisher apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause. https://www.europeanreview.org/article/19914.

Molecular mechanisms of inhibitor bindings to A-FABP deciphered by using molecular dynamics simulations and calculations of MM-GBSA.

Adipocyte fatty-acid binding protein (A-FABP) plays a central role in many aspects of metabolic diseases. It is an important target in drug design for treatment of FABP-related diseases. In this study, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations followed by calculations of molecular mechanics generalized Born surface area (MM-GBSA) and principal components analysis (PCA) were implemented to decipher molecular mechanism correlating with binding of inhibitors 57Q, 57P and L96 to A-FABP. The results show that van der Waals interactions are the leading factors to control associations of 57Q, 57P, and L96 with A-FABP, which reveals an energetic basis for designing of clinically available inhibitors towards A-FABP. The information from PCA and cross-correlation analysis rationally unveils that inhibitor bindings affect conformational changes of A-FABP and change relative movements between residues. Decomposition of binding affinity into contributions of individual residues not only detects hot spots of inhibitor/A-FABP binding but also shows that polar interactions of the positively charged residue Arg126 with three inhibitors provide a significant contribution for stabilization of the inhibitor/A-FABP bindings. Furthermore, the binding strength of L96 to residues Ser55, Phe57 and Lys58 are stronger than that of inhibitors 57Q and 57P to these residues.

Insights into interaction mechanism of inhibitors E3T, E3H and E3B with CREB binding protein by using molecular dynamics simulations and MM-GBSA calculations.

CREB binding protein (CBP) and its paralog E1A binding protein (p300) are related to the development of inflammatory diseases, cancers and other diseases, and have been potential targets for the treatment of human diseases. In this work, interaction mechanism of three small molecules E3T, E3H, and E3B with CBP was investigated by employing molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, principal component analysis (PCA), and molecular mechanics/generalized born surface area (MM-GBSA) method. The results indicate that inhibitor bindings cause the changes of movement modes and structural flexibility of CBP, and van der Waals interactions mostly drive associations of inhibitors with CBP. In the meantime, the results based on inhibitor-residue interactions not only show that eight residues of CBP can strongly interact with E3T, E3H and E3B but also verify that the CH-CH, CH-π, and π-π interactions are responsible for vital contributions in associations of E3T, E3H and E3B with CBP. In addition, the H-O radial distribution functions (RDFs) were computed to assess the stability of hydrogen bonding interactions between inhibitors and CBP, and the obtained information identifies several key hydrogen bonds playing key roles in bindings of E3T, E3H and E3B to CBP. Potential new inhibitors have been proposed.

LINC01093 promotes proliferation and invasion of non-small cell lung cancer cells via targeting akt signaling pathway.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the expression of LINC01093, a long non-coding ribonucleic acid (lncRNA) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tissues, and cells and its regulatory role in NSCLC cell proliferation and invasion. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The expression of LINC01093 in NSCLC tissues and cells was detected via quantitative Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR) experiment. The specific sequences interfering in LINC01093 were designed and transiently transfected into A549 and SPCA-1 cells using LipofectamineTM 2000, and 48 later, the transfection efficiency was detected. Moreover, the impacts of small interfering (si)-LINC01093 on NSCLC cell proliferation were observed via methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) and colony forming assays, the influence of LINC01093 on the cycle distribution of NSCLC cells was determined through flow cytometry, and the changes in the invasion and migration abilities of NSCLC cells were evaluated via transwell assay after interfering in the expression of LINC01093. Finally, the expression changes of the molecular markers in the protein kinase B (Akt) signaling pathway in the downstream of LINC01093 were detected via Western blotting. RESULTS: According to the results of qRT-PCR, the relative expression level of LINC01093 was up-regulated in NSCLC tissues and cells. After interfering in the expression of LINC01093, the results of MTT and colony forming assays revealed that the proliferation ability of NSCLC cells was weakened, according to the findings in the flow cytometry, the cells were arrested in G1/0 phase, the transwell assay results manifested that the cell migration and invasion abilities were weakened, and the results of the Western blotting suggested the changes in the expressions of molecular markers in the Akt signaling pathway. CONCLUSIONS: The expression of LINC01093 is upregulated in NSCLC tissues and cells, and it facilitates the proliferation, invasion, and metastasis of NSCLC cells via the Akt signaling pathway.

MicroRNA-218 regulates the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway to suppress lung adenocarcinoma progression by directly targeting BMI-1.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of miR-218 in the development of lung adenocarcinoma (LA) and its underlying mechanism. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Fifty-two pairs of human LA samples and adjacent para-carcinoma tissue samples were collected from our hospital between June 2015 and March 2017. Meanwhile, one normal human pulmonary epithelial cell line BEAS-2B and four human LA cell lines (H1299, PC-9, A549, and SPC-A1) were cultured. The cells' ability of proliferation and migration was detected by MTT assays and Transwell assays, respectively. The target gene was clarified by dual-luciferase reporter assay. The related protein and mRNA expression levels were detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC), Western blot and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), respectively. At last, the tumor xenograft model was made for further exploring the mechanism. RESULTS: MiR218 expressions were notably reduced in LA tissues in comparison with controls. In addition, the declined miR218 expressions were correlated with the poor OS and worse clinicopathological parameters of LA patients. Furthermore, miR218 overexpression could suppress the proliferation, migration and invasion capacities of LA cells via regulation of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) respectively. Results in the current study also revealed that miR-218 upregulation could suppress the tumor growth rate and tumor size of LA mice. B-lymphoma Moloney murine leukemia virus insertion region-1 (BMI-1) was confirmed to be a direct target for miR-218 and upregulated in LA tissues, which indicated the poor prognosis of LA patients. CONCLUSIONS: MiR-218 exerted anti-tumor functions in LA partially via the regulation of BMI-1, suggesting that BMI-1/miR-218 axis may provide a novel insight into tumorigenesis and the basis for the development of miRNA-targeting therapies against LA.

Polyoxometalate SbW9 regulates proliferation and apoptosis of NSCLC cells via PTEN-dependent AKT signaling pathway.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the influence of polyoxometalate SbW9 on proliferation and apoptosis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells and its mechanism. MATERIALS AND METHODS: NSCLC cell lines A549 and PC9 were treated with 50 µM polyoxometalate. Then, the proliferation of NSCLC cells was detected via 2,3-bis(2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl)-5-[(phenylamino)carbonyl]-2H-t tetrazolium hydroxide (XTT) assay and colony formation assay; the apoptosis of NSCLC cells was detected via flow cytometry and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL); and the expression of apoptosis-related proteins, B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), and Bcl-2 associated X protein (Bax), was detected via Western blotting. Moreover, the protein expression levels of phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome ten (PTEN), phosphorylated-protein kinase B (P-AKT) and total AKT (T-AKT) were detected via Western blotting. RESULTS: The polyoxometalate inhibited the proliferation of A549 and PC9 cells in a concentration-dependent manner (5-100 µM) (p<0.05), and it (50 µM) also inhibited the proliferation of both cells in a time-dependent manner (0-72 h) (p<0.05). The results of colony formation assay revealed that the polyoxometalate (50 µM) could significantly inhibit the colony formation of A549 and PC9 cells (p<0.05). The results of flow cytometry and TUNEL staining showed that the polyoxometalate (50 µM) significantly induced the apoptosis of A549 and PC9 cells (p<0.05). According to further studies, the polyoxometalate (50 µM) inhibited the expression of anti-apoptotic gene Bcl-2 and promoted the expression of pro-apoptotic gene Bax. Besides, the Western blotting results manifested that the polyoxometalate could activate the expression of PTEN and inhibit the phosphorylation of downstream AKT (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The polyoxometalate can activate the expression of PTEN to inhibit the phosphorylation of AKT, ultimately inhibiting the proliferation and inducing the apoptosis of NSCLC cells. Therefore, the polyoxometalate is expected to become a novel drug for the clinical treatment of NSCLC.

[Advances in application of functional magnetic resonance imaging in patients with painful temporomandibular disorders].

Temporomandibular disorders (TMD), characterized by pain and dysfunction of the temporomandibular joint, are the most common chronic orofacial pain. However, the etiologies and pathologies of TMD related chronic pain are poorly understood. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) measures brain activity by detecting changes associated with blood flow without invasiveness, and has been widely used in chronic pain research. We reviewed recent fMRI studies exploring the brain changes of patients with painful TMD to investigate the role of central nervous system in abnormal pain perception and impaired pain modulation, and to summarize the effects of splint therapy, in the hope of facilitating the clinical diagnosis and treatment of TMD.

Response of rumen microbiota, and metabolic profiles of rumen fluid, liver and serum of goats to high-grain diets.

Feeding ruminants a high-grain (HG) diet is a widely used strategy to improve milk yield and cost efficiency. However, it may cause certain metabolic disorders. At present, information about the effects of HG diets on the systemic metabolic profile of goats and the correlation of such diets with rumen bacteria is limited. In the present study, goats were randomly divided into two groups: one was fed the hay diet (hay; n = 5), while the other was fed HG diets (HG; n = 5). On day 50, samples of rumen contents, peripheral blood serum and liver tissues were collected to determine the metabolic profiles in the rumen fluid, liver and serum and the microbial composition in rumen. The results revealed that HG diets reduced (P < 0.05) the community richness and diversity of rumen microbiota, with an increase in the Chao 1 and Shannon index and a decrease in the Simpson index. HG diets also altered the composition of rumen microbiota, with 30 genera affected (P < 0.05). Data on the metabolome showed that the metabolites in the rumen fluid, liver and serum were affected (variable importance projection > 1, P <0.05) by dietary treatment, with 47, 10 and 27 metabolites identified as differentially metabolites. Pathway analysis showed that the common metabolites in the shared key pathway (aminoacyl-transfer RNA biosynthesis) in the rumen fluid, liver and serum were glycine, lysine and valine. These findings suggested that HG diets changed the composition of the rumen microbiota and metabolites in the rumen fluid, liver and serum, mainly involved in amino acid metabolism. Our findings provide new insights into the understanding of diet-related systemic metabolism and the effects of HG diets on the overall health of goats.

Clinical effects of ascending colon patching ileorectal heart-shaped anastomosis on total colonic aganglionosis.

OBJECTIVE: We studied the clinical effects of ascending colon patching ileorectal heart-shaped anastomosis in treating total colonic aganglionosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From June 2006 to June 2013, 15 children with severe abdominal distension, low small intestine obstruction and intestinal perforation in the neonatal period, were enrolled in this study. In phase I, patients received emergency terminal ileum stoma plus multi-site colonic biopsy and 6 to 12 months later, ascending colon patching ileorectal heart-shaped anastomosis was conducted in phase II. The occurrence of postoperative complications was recorded. Patients' defecation and anal manometry during the follow-up period were monitored and recorded. All operations were successful, and the average hospitalization time was 10.5 days, and the average amount of bleeding was 30 mL. RESULTS: There were 2 cases of enterocolitis, but no intestinal anastomotic leakage, no incision infection, no anal stenosis and no mortality. Postoperative follow-up lasted for 1 to 2 years with an average of 1.2 years. Perianal redness and erosion occurred in an early stage after the operation, but disappeared after 6 months. Postoperative defecation frequency was about 6 to 9 times, but after 2 years this frequency reduced to 2 to 3 times. Feces transformed from watery into soft forms. Normal results were obtained in the detection of serum K+, Na+, Cl-, HCO3-, hemoglobin, albumin and globulin levels in postoperative follow-up. Rectal rest pressure and anal canal rest pressure after a radical operation on megacolon were significantly lower than those of before operation (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Ascending colon patching ileorectal heart-shaped anastomosis preserved right hemicolon with relatively good absorptive capability and complied with the physiology of colon. Meanwhile, the ileorectal heart-shaped anastomosis was conducted. The anastomotic stoma was in an oblique heart shape, and its aperture was wide and in different planes without stenosis, blind bag and gate syndrome. We concluded that ascending colon patching ileorectal heart-shaped anastomosis was an effective and feasible method for the radical operation on total colonic aganglionosis.

Laparoscopic surgery treatment of children with appendiceal abscess.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the feasibility of treatment for children with appendiceal abscess by laparoscopic surgery and investigate its superiorities to conventional treatments. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 45 children with appendiceal abscess who were treated with laparoscopic surgery from January 2011 to July 2011 were reviewed and analyzed. The age of children ranged from 7 months to 5 years. 37 children received emergency operations, among which 8 children additionally received laparoscopic surgery. 40 children received laparotomy for treatment of appendiceal abscess, and 28 children whose condition was ameliorated after the conservative anti-inflammatory treatment received laparoscopic surgery. RESULTS: Operations of 45 children were successful, and lasted for 35 to 130 minutes with an average time of 75 minutes. There was no obvious difference in comparison of duration of laparotomy between the two groups (p > 0.05). But the laparoscopy resulted in fewer complications than the laparotomy with a statistical significance difference (p < 0.05). Moreover, the operation time for laparoscopy was shorter than that of laparotomy, but the difference in incidence rates of complications after the operation had no statistical significance (p > 0.05). The overall length of stay was apparently prolonged in two groups with a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: If the operation and perioperative period are handled properly, treating children with appendiceal abscess by laparoscopic surgery is safe and feasible.

The role of plasma chemistry on functional silicon nitride film properties deposited at low-temperature by mixing two frequency powers using PECVD.

Control of the plasma densities and energies of the principal plasma species is crucial to induce modification of the plasma reactivity, chemistry, and film properties. This work presents a systematic and integrated approach to the low-temperature deposition of hydrogenated amorphous silicon nitride films looking into optimization and control of the plasma processes. Radiofrequency (RF) and ultrahigh frequency (UHF) power are combined to enhance significantly the nitrogen plasma and atomic-radical density to enforce their effect on film properties. This study presents an extensive investigation of the influence of combining radiofrequency (RF) and ultrahigh frequency (UHF) power as a power ratio (PR = RF : UHF), ranging from 4 : 0 to 0 : 4, on the compositional, structural, and optical properties of the synthesized films. The data reveal that DF power with a characteristic bi-Maxwellian electron energy distribution function (EEDF) is effectively useful for enhancing the ionization and dissociation of neutrals, which in turn helps in enabling high rate deposition with better film properties than that of SF operations. Utilizing DF PECVD, a wide-bandgap of ∼3.5 eV with strong photoluminescence features can be achieved only by using a high-density plasma and high nitrogen atom density at room temperature. The present work also proposes the suitability of the DF PECVD approach for industrial applications.

A new tospovirus causing chlorotic ringspot on Hippeastrum sp. in China.

A new tospovirus, HCRV 2007-ZDH, was isolated from a Hippeastrum sp. plant displaying necrotic and chlorotic ringspot symptoms in Yunnan province. This virus isolate was characterized based on particle morphology and RNA sequences analyses. Quasi-spherical, enveloped particles measuring about 70-100 nm, typical of tospoviruses, were observed in sap and cells of the infected plants. Transmission studies by inoculating this isolate mechanically to Hippeastrum sp. confirmed that 2007-ZDH is the causal agent of the chlorotic ringspot disease of Hippeastrum sp. The complete sequence of S RNA of 2007-ZDH was 2,744 nucleotides in length, sharing 74.4 % nucleotide identity with Tomato yellow ring virus (TYRV) isolate tomato (AY686718). The S RNA encoded a non-structural protein (NSs) (444 aa, 50.4 kDa) and the nucleocapsid (N) protein (273 aa, 30.1 kDa).The deduced NSs protein shared amino acid identities of 78.6, 76.3, and 74.9 % with that of TYRV, IYSV, and PolRSV, respectively. The deduced N protein shared amino acid identities of 86.1, 84.7, and 70.0 % with that of PolRSV, TYRV, and IYSV, respectively. These results suggest that the chlorotic ringspot virus belongs to a new tospovirus species, for which the name Hippeastrum chlorotic ringspot virus (HCRV) is proposed.

Effects of glycyrrhizic acid on 11 ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11 ßHSD1 and 2) activities and HOMA-IR in rats at different treatment periods.

Glycyrrhizic acid (GA) has been reported to inhibit postprandial blood glucose rise and 11 ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 1 (11 ßHSD1) activity. As not much work has been done on GA effects on 11 ßHSD1 and 2 and HOMA-IR at different treatment periods, this work was conducted. 60 male Sprague Dawley rats fed AD LIBITUM were assigned into six groups of control and treated that were given GA at different duration namely 12, 24 and 48 h. Treated and control groups were intraperitoneally administered with GA (50 mgkg (-1)) and saline respectively. Blood and subcutaneous (ATS) and visceral adipose tissue (ATV), abdominal (MA) and quadriceps femoris muscle (MT), liver (L) and kidney (K) were examined. HOMA-IR in GA-treated rats decreased in all groups (P<0.05). In the 12-h and 24-h treated rats, 11 ßHSD1 activities decreased in all tissues (P<0.05) except MA and MT (P>0.05) in the former and ATV (P>0.05) in the latter. However, 11 ßHSD1 activities decreased significantly in all tissues ( P<0.05) in the 48-h treated rats. Significant decrease in 11 ßHSD2 (P>0.05) activities were observed in the L of all treatment groups and K in the 24-h and 48-h treated rats (P<0.05). Histological analysis on ATS showed increase in the number of small-size adipocytes while ATV adipocytes showed shrinkage after GA administration. Increased glycogen deposition in the L was observed in the GA-administered rats in all the treatment periods. In conclusion, GA treatment showed a decrease in the HOMA-IR and both 11 ßHSD1 and 2 activities in all tissues, with more profound decrease in the 48-h treated rats.

Toward quantifying the effectiveness of water trading under uncertainty.

This paper presents a methodology for quantifying the effectiveness of water-trading under uncertainty, by developing an optimization model based on the interval-parameter two-stage stochastic program (TSP) technique. In the study, the effectiveness of a water-trading program is measured by the water volume that can be released through trading from a statistical point of view. The methodology can also deal with recourse water allocation problems generated by randomness in water availability and, at the same time, tackle uncertainties expressed as intervals in the trading system. The developed methodology was tested with a hypothetical water-trading program in an agricultural system in the Swift Current Creek watershed, Canada. Study results indicate that the methodology can effectively measure the effectiveness of a trading program through estimating the water volume being released through trading in a long-term view. A sensitivity analysis was also conducted to analyze the effects of different trading costs on the trading program. It shows that the trading efforts would become ineffective when the trading costs are too high. The case study also demonstrates that the trading program is more effective in a dry season when total water availability is in shortage.