This paper proposes an analytical method that combines the superposition and the subdomain methods to predict the air-gap field distribution in permanent magnet (PM) machines with rotor eccentricity. ...The original machine with rotor eccentricity is divided into a number of air-gap sections along the circumferential direction. For each air-gap section, a concentric model is employed by adopting an equivalent air-gap length to predict the air-gap field using the subdomain method. The air-gap field distribution of the original model can then be synthesized from these concentric models. Consequently, the electromagnetic performance can be predicted accordingly, such as flux-linkage, back EMF, and so on. Finally, the direct finite element analysis is used to validate the efficacy of the proposed method. The proposed analytical method can be extended to other machines with different slot/pole number combinations and is particularly useful for analyzing the machines with large slot and pole numbers.
HLA-G is a non-classical HLA-class Ib molecule with multiple immunoregulatory properties. A 14-bp insertion/deletion polymorphism in the HLA-G gene has been suggested to influence the expression of ...HLA-G and to associate with certain pathological conditions, including autoimmune diseases. We investigated the influence of the 14-bp insertion/deletion polymorphism in the HLA-G gene on disease susceptibility in systemic lupus erythematosus by genotyping this polymorphism in 231 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and 367 healthy controls and analyzing the levels of soluble HLA-G in a subset of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and healthy subjects from a Han Chinese population. No statistically significant differences were observed in the frequencies of the 14-bp insertion/deletion HLA-G alleles or genotypes between controls and patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. However, a significant increased expression of soluble HLA-G was noted in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (mean value = 230.2 U/ml vs 118.3 U/ml in controls, p = 0.0001). Moreover, patients with high levels of soluble HLA-G presented with higher disease activity and had more neurological involvement. Our results do not support the HLA-G 14-bp insertion/deletion polymorphism as a genetic factor influencing systemic lupus erythematosus susceptibility. It is possible that the expression of soluble HLA-G in systemic lupus erythematosus is enhanced as part of a mechanism to try to restore the tolerance process towards auto-antigens and to counteract inflammation. However, the participation of this molecule in the pathological process of the disease also could not be excluded. Lupus (2009) 18, 1259—1266.
The strong male predominance in Barrett's esophagus (BE) and esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) remains inadequately explained, but sex hormones might be involved. We hypothesized that single nucleotide ...polymorphisms (SNPs) in the androgen pathway influence risk of developing BE and EAC. This genetic‐epidemiological analysis included 14 studies from Australia, Europe and North America. Polymorphisms in 16 genes coding for the androgen pathway were analyzed using a gene‐based approach: versatile gene‐based test association study. This method evaluates associations between a trait and all SNPs within a specific gene rather than each SNP marker individually as in a conventional GWAS. The data were stratified for sex, body‐mass index, waist‐to‐hip ratio, tobacco smoking and gastroesophageal reflux status. Included were data from 1,508 EAC patients, 2,383 BE patients and 2,170 control participants. SNPs within the gene CYP17A1 were associated with risk of BE in the sexes combined (p = 0.002) and in males (p = 0.003), but not in females separately (p = 0.3). This association was found in tobacco smokers (p = 0.003) and in BE patients without reflux (p = 0.004), but not in nonsmokers (p = 0.2) or those with reflux (p = 0.036). SNPs within JMJD1C were associated with risk of EAC in females (p = 0.001). However, none of these associations replicated in a subsequent sample. Fourteen other genes studied did not reach statistically significant levels of association with BE, EAC or the combination of BE and EAC, after correcting for the number of genes included in the analysis. In conclusion, genetic variants in the androgen‐related genes CYP17A1 and JMJD1C might be associated with risk of BE and EAC, respectively, but replication data with larger sample sizes are needed.
What's new?
Patients who develop Barrett's esophagus (BE) or esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) are more likely to be male. The reason for this is unknown, but it could due to the influence of sex hormones. In this genetic‐epidemiologic study, the authors found that SNP variants in the androgen‐related genes CYP17A1 and JMJD1C may be associated with risk of BE and EAC, respectively. These results could provide insight into the aetiology of BE and EAC and might also lead to potential therapeutic targets.
An empirical relation between the broad line region (BLR) size and optical continuum luminosity is often adopted to estimate the BLR size and then the black hole mass of AGNs. However, optical ...luminosity may not be a good indicator of photoionizing luminosity for extremely radio-loud AGNs because the jets usually contribute significantly to the optical continuum. Therefore, the black hole masses derived for blazar-type AGNs with this method are probably overestimated. Here we first derived a tight empirical relation between the BLR size and the Hβ emission line luminosity, $R({\rm light-days})= 24.05(L_{{\rm H}_\beta}/10^{42}$ ergs s$^{-1})^{0.68}$, from a sample of 34 AGNs with the BLR size estimated with the reverberation mapping technique. Then we applied this relation to estimate the black hole masses of some AGNs and found that for many extremely radio-loud AGNs the black hole masses obtained with the $R-L_{\rm H_\beta}$ relation are systematically lower than those derived previously with the $R-L_{5100~{\rm \AA}}$ relation, while for radio-quiet and slightly radio-loud AGNs the results obtained with these two methods are almost the same. The difference of black hole masses estimated with these two relations increases with the radio-loudness for extremely radio-loud AGNs, which is consistent with the fact that their equivalent widths of the H$_{\beta}$ emission line become smaller at greater radio-loudness. If the small H$_{\beta}$ equivalent widths of extremely radio-loud AGNs are indeed caused by the beaming effect, we argue that the optical emission line luminosity may be a better tracer of ionizing luminosity for blazar-type AGNs and the black hole masses derived with the $R-L_{{\rm H}_\beta}$ relation are probably more accurate.
► Double perovskite multiferroic BFCO film was grown by PLD method. ► Domain evolution under external electric field was simulated by Monte-Carlo method. ► Better electrical, ferroelectric and ...magnetic properties were found in BFCO film. ► BFCO film may be a promising material for functional device application.
Double-perovskite Bi2FeCrO6 (BFCO) thin film has been deposited on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si (100) substrate by pulsed laser deposition method. X-ray diffraction reveals that the BFCO film was polycrystalline and high purity. The surface morphology in BFCO film exhibits the dense and uniform grain. Interestingly, compared with BiFeO3 film, the BFCO film shows a better ferroelectric properties. Moreover, a well-defined magnetic hysteresis of the BFCO film indicates a ferromagnetic property at room temperature. The ferroelectric domain structure of polycrystalline BFCO film was investigated by piezoresponse force microscopy. Furthermore, the domain structure of polycrystalline BFCO film under an applied electric field was simulated by a Monte Carlo method. Those results suggest that the multiferroic BFCO double-perovskite thin film may be a promising functional material for the future device application.
The X protein of human hepatitis B virus (HBV) acts as an indirect transcriptional transactivator to regulate the expression of many viral and cellular genes as well as playing a critical role in the ...development of hepatocellular carcinoma. While the biological importance of HBx has been well established, the cellular and molecular bases of its function remain largely undefined. In this study, we isolated a new HBV field strain from a patient with chronic viral infection. The X protein encoded by this virus was used as a bait protein for screening a human liver cDNA library using a yeast two-hybrid system. Several cell proteins were identified as new HBx interacting partners, including a transmembrane serine protease, Hepsin. Direct interaction between HBx and Hepsin proteins was confirmed by in vitro and in vivo co-immunoprecipitation assays. HBx also co-localized with Hepsin in human cells as determined by confocal immunofluorescence microscopy. The interaction between HBx and Hepsin protein appeared to play a role in both promoting cell proliferation and blocking apoptosis in human liver tumor cell and normal liver cell lines. In addition, the complex of HBx and Hepsin promoted the expression of HBeAg in Hep G2.2.1.5 cells indicating that the association of these two proteins stimulated viral replication.
Aim To evaluate the early success of transarterial embolization (TAE) in patients with traumatic liver haemorrhage and to determine independent factors for its failure. Materials and methods From ...January 2009 to December 2012, TAE was performed in 48 patients for traumatic liver haemorrhage. Their medical charts were reviewed for demographic information, pre-TAE vital signs and laboratory data, injury grade, type of contrast medium extravasation (CME) at CT, angiography findings, and early failure. “Early failure” was defined as the need for repeated TAE or a laparotomy for hepatic haemorrhage within 4 days after TAE. Variables were compared between the early success and early failure groups. Variables with univariate significance were also analysed using multivariate logistic regression for predictors of early failure. Results Among 48 liver TAE cases, nine (18.8%) were early failures due to liver haemorrhage. Early failure was associated with injury grade ( p = 0.039), major liver injury (grades 4 and 5; p = 0.007), multiple CMEs at angiography ( p = 0.031), incomplete TAE ( p = 0.002), and elevated heart rate ( p = 0.026). Incomplete embolization (OR = 8; p = 0.042), and heart rate >110 beats/min (bpm; OR = 8; p = 0.05) were independent factors for early failure of TAE in the group with major liver injuries. Conclusion Major hepatic injury is an important factor in early failure. Patients with a heart rate >110 bpm and incomplete embolization in the major injury group have an increased rate of early failure. The success rate of proximal TAE was comparable to that of the more time-consuming, superselective, distal TAE.
The spatial visible light profiles from plasma discharges near the dielectric-air interfaces of flat and periodic triangular surfaces at varied pressure in air were studied using a high-speed ICCD ...camera. Intense light emitted in a sub-centimeter thickness layer above the dielectric surface was observed. With increasing pressure, the brightness and thickness of the light first increases to maximum at a pressure of about 100 Torr, and then decreases. The nonlinear variation of brightness with pressure may result from the increasing critical density of plasma with pressure while the averaged electron energy decreases with an increased rate of collision with gas atoms and molecules. At a certain range of pressure, the electron energy is close to the peak of the excitation collision cross section, together with very high electron density, leads to maximum brightness and thickness light emission. Both for the flat surface and periodic surface, the light emission duration continuously becomes shorter with increasing pressure. Compared with the flat surface, the light duration for the periodic surface is shorter, especially for pressure below 0.1 Torr, where the duration dramatically decreases and no pulse-tail erosion of breakdown waveform is found. Consequently, the duration and brightness for the flat surface is higher than those for the periodic surface in most of the pressure regime studied here. Electron energy, density, and light emission brightness are studied in the analytical electron dynamic to understand these phenomena.
While evidence indicates that
(
) may promote colorectal carcinogenesis through its suppressive effect on T-cell-mediated antitumor immunity, the specific T-cell subsets involved remain uncertain.
We ...measured
DNA within tumor tissue by quantitative PCR on 933 cases (including 128
-positive cases) among 4,465 incident colorectal carcinoma cases in two prospective cohorts. Multiplex immunofluorescence combined with digital image analysis and machine learning algorithms for CD3, CD4, CD8, CD45RO (PTPRC isoform), and FOXP3 measured various T-cell subsets. We leveraged data on
, microsatellite instability (MSI), tumor whole-exome sequencing, and M1/M2-type tumor-associated macrophages TAM; by CD68, CD86, IRF5, MAF, and MRC1 (CD206) multimarker assay. Using the 4,465 cancer cases and inverse probability weighting method to control for selection bias due to tissue availability, multivariable-adjusted logistic regression analysis assessed the association between
and T-cell subsets.
The amount of
was inversely associated with tumor stromal CD3
lymphocytes multivariable OR, 0.47; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.28-0.79, for
-high vs. -negative category;
= 0.0004 and specifically stromal CD3
CD4
CD45RO
cells (corresponding multivariable OR, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.32-0.85;
= 0.003). These relationships did not substantially differ by MSI status, neoantigen load, or exome-wide tumor mutational burden.
was not significantly associated with tumor intraepithelial T cells or with M1 or M2 TAMs.
The amount of tissue
is associated with lower density of stromal memory helper T cells. Our findings provide evidence for the interactive pathogenic roles of microbiota and specific immune cells.
Summary
Sporulating cells of Bacillus subtilis undergo a highly polarized cell division and possess a specialized mechanism to move the oriC region of the chromosome close to the cell pole before ...septation. DivIVA protein, which localizes to the cell pole, and the Soj and Spo0J proteins, which associate with the chromosome, are part of the mechanism that delivers the chromosome to the cell pole. A sporulation‐specific protein, RacA, encodes a third DNA‐binding protein, which acts in conjunction with Soj and Spo0J to effect efficient polar chromosome segregation. divIVA mutants and soj racA double mutants have an unexpected phenotype in which specific markers to the left and right of oriC can be captured in the prespore compartment but the central oriC region is efficiently excluded. This ‘residual’ trapping requires Spo0J protein. We suggest that the Soj RacA DivIVA system is required to extract the oriC region from its position determined by the vegetative chromosome segregation machinery and anchor it to the cell pole.
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