Higher light output intensity and wider polar radiation pattern of InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well (MQW) light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with a different nanoscale titanium dioxide (TiO2) textured ...densities film have been observed. The light output power values and external quantum efficiency of the conventional LEDs at an injection current of 20mA are 6.34mW and 11.7%, respectively. The light output power values and external quantum efficiency of the nanoscaled TiO2 textured LEDs at an injection current of 20mA are 7.55mW and 14%, respectively. The light output intensity and power values of the nanoscaled TiO2 textured LEDs is approximately 65% and 20% higher than that of the conventional LEDs, respectively.
Ba0.65Sr0.35TiO3 (BST) thin films were prepared by radio frequency magnetron sputtering on fused quartz at different substrate temperatures. Optical constants (refractive index, extinction ...coefficient) were determined from the optical transmittance spectra using the envelope method. The dispersion relationship of the refractive index versus substrate temperature was also investigated. The refractive index of BST thin films increased from 1.778 to 1.961 (at wavelength = 650 nm) as deposition temperature increased from 560 to 650 C. The extinction coefficient of as-deposited BST thin films increased with increase of the oxygen to argon ratio, which was due to a change of the film stoichiometry, structure and texture of the films. The oxygen to argon ratio also affected the fluorescence spectra. The intensity of the fluorescence peaks was greatly increased, an apparent frequency shift was detected and the linewidth became narrow as the ratio of oxygen to argon increased from 1:4 to 1:1. The fluorescence spectra also indicated that the band transition of BST thin films was an indirect gap transition. 17 refs.
Introduction: Osteoporosis is characterized by low BMD. Studies have shown that B cells may participate in osteoclastogenesis through expression of osteoclast‐related factors, such as RANKL, ...transforming growth factor β (TGFB), and osteoprotegerin (OPG). However, the in vivo significance of B cells in human bone metabolism and osteoporosis is still largely unknown, particularly at the systematic gene expression level.
Materials and Methods: In this study, Affymetrix HG‐U133A GeneChip arrays were used to identify genes differentially expressed in B cells between 10 low and 10 high BMD postmenopausal women. Significance of differential expression was tested by t‐test and adjusted for multiple testing with the Benjamini and Hochberg (BH) procedure (adjusted p ≤ 0.05).
Results: Twenty‐nine genes were downregulated in the low versus high BMD group. These genes were further analyzed using Ingenuity Pathways Analysis (Ingenuity Systems). A network involving estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1) and mitogen activated protein kinase 3 (MAPK3) was identified. Real‐time RT‐PCR confirmed differential expression of eight genes, including ESR1, MAPK3, methyl CpG binding protein 2 (MECP2), proline‐serine‐threonine phosphatase interacting protein 1 (PSTPIP1), Scr‐like‐adaptor (SLA), serine/threonine kinase 11 (STK11), WNK lysine‐deficient protein kinase 1 (WNK1), and zinc finger protein 446 (ZNF446).
Conclusions: This is the first in vivo genome‐wide expression study on human B cells in relation to osteoporosis. Our results highlight the significance of B cells in the etiology of osteoporosis and suggest a novel mechanism for postmenopausal osteoporosis (i.e., that downregulation of ESR1 and MAPK3 in B cells regulates secretion of factors, leading to increased osteoclastogenesis or decreased osteoblastogenesis).
Clinical and laboratory data on severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), particularly on the temporal progression of abnormal laboratory findings, are limited. We conducted a prospective study on ...the clinical, radiologic, and hematologic findings of SARS patients with pneumonia, who were admitted to National Taiwan University Hospital from March 8 to June 15, 2003. Fever was the most frequent initial symptom, followed by cough, myalgia, dyspnea, and diarrhea. Twenty-four patients had various underlying diseases. Most patients had elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and lymphopenia. Other common abnormal laboratory findings included leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, and elevated levels of aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase, and creatine kinase. These clinical and laboratory findings were exacerbated in most patients during the second week of disease. The overall case-fatality rate was 19.7%. By multivariate analysis, underlying disease and initial CRP level were predictive of death.
The formation energies, elastic properties, Debye temperature and electronic structure of U-doped ZrO sub(2) within cubic and monoclinic structures are investigated by first-principles approach. The ...calculated formation energies show that the U-doped with cubic structure is more stable than that of monoclinic structure. The U-doped weakens the resistance to shear deformation whether cubic structure or monoclinic structure. However, the U-doped decreases the shape deformation of cubic structure in contrast to enhances the shape deformation for monoclinic structure. The Debye temperature of U-doped system is lower than the corresponding ZrO sub(2). We found that the calculated electronic structure of these systems are consistent with the variation of formation energies.
A testosterone (TS)-producing mutant, ST2, was derived from a phytosterol-assimilating and androst-4-ene-3,17-dione (AD)-producing bacterium, Mycobacterium sp. B-3805S, using nitrosoguanidine (NTG) ...mutagenesis. Production of TS from phytosterol using a single-step microbial transformation process by ST2 was investigated in a 5-l surface-aeration microprocessor-controlled fermentor loaded with a synthetic medium supplemented with 0.1% phytosterol, 2% glucose and 1% peptone at 30°C. An increase in dissolved oxygen at the initial stage of fermentation favored the side-chain degradation of phytosterol to AD. Later in the fermentation, a decrease in the dissolved oxygen to zero resulted in a decrease in pH to 6.0 as well as the reduction of AD to TS. Under optimal fermentation conditions, the maximum conversion ratio of phytosterol to TS was 31% after 120 h cultivation. It was concluded that the control of dissolved oxygen in the fermentation culture is the most important parameter for production of TS from phytosterol via AD. TS was isolated from the fermentation culture by addition of Amberlite XAD-7 resin and was further purified by flash chromatography on a silica gel column. After crystallization, TS was obtained as needle crystals with the correct melting point. Journal of Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology (2002) 28, 280-283 DOI: 10.1038/sj/jim/7000243PUBLICATION ABSTRACT
Effective somatic cell synchronization in root-tip meristems and improved chromosome spreading were achieved in white campion, wheat, rye, and barley by application of hydroxyurea and ...amiprophos-methyl or colchicine, combined with a pretreatment of ice water and modified fixative, as well as enzymatic digestion of the meristems. The protocol provides metaphase indices of approximately 50%. The chromosomes and chromosomal DNA were with minimum distortion, providing useful material for chromosome banding studies, in situ DNA-DNA hybridization, microdissection, and microcloning.
We have sought to identify a high-capacity transport system that mediates transcytosis of proteins from the blood to the brain. The 39 kDa receptor-associated protein (RAP) functions as a specialized ...endoplasmic reticulum chaperone assisting in the folding and trafficking of members of the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor family. RAP efficiently binds to these receptors and antagonizes binding of other ligands. Previous studies have shown that two large members of the LDL receptor family, LDL receptor-related protein 1 (LRP1) and LDL receptor-related protein 2 (LRP2 or megalin), possess the ability to mediate transcytosis of ligands across the brain capillary endothelium. Here, we tested whether blood-borne RAP crosses the blood-brain barrier (BBB) by LRP1- or megalin-mediated transport by studying the pharmacokinetics of 125I-RAP transport into the brain in intact mice and across cell monolayers in vitro. Our results show that 125I-RAP is relatively stable in blood for 30 minutes and has a mean influx constant of 0.62+/-0.08 microl/g-minute from blood to brain. In situ brain perfusion in blood-free buffer shows that transport of 125I-RAP across the BBB is a saturable process. Capillary depletion of brain homogenates indicates that 70% of 125I-RAP is localized in the parenchyma rather than in the vasculature of the brain. Results of transport in stably transfected MDCK cells are consistent with the hypothesis that megalin mediates most of the apical-to-basolateral transport across polarized epithelial cells. The inhibition of 125I-RAP influx by excess RAP and the involvement of megalin indicate the presence of a saturable transport system at the BBB. The higher permeability of RAP compared with that of melanotransferrin and transferrin show that the LRP receptor is a high capacity transport system. These studies suggest that RAP may provide a novel means of protein-based drug delivery to the brain.
The objective of this study was to screen lymphoma radiotherapy-resistant genes using CRISPR activation (CRISPRa).
The Human CRISPRa library virus was packaged and then transfected into lymphoma ...cells to construct an activation library cell line, which was irradiated at the minimum lethal radiation dose to screen radiotherapy-resistant cells. Radiotherapy-resistant cell single-guide RNA (sgRNA) was first amplified by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) in the coding region and then subject to next-generation sequencing (NGS) and bioinformatics analysis to screen radiotherapy-resistant genes. Certain radiotherapy-resistant genes were then selected to construct activated cell lines transfected with a single gene so as to further verify the relationship between gene expression and radiotherapy resistance.
A total of 16 radiotherapy-resistant genes, namely,
, and
, were screened based on the NGS results and bioinformatics analysis of the radiotherapy-resistant cells. Activated cell lines transfected with a single gene were constructed using 10 radiotherapy-resistant genes. The qPCR findings showed that, when compared with the control group, the experimental group had significantly up-regulated mRNA expression of
,
and
(p < 0.05). No significant difference in the mRNA expression of
or
(p > 0.05) was found between the two groups (p > 0.05).
The 16 genes screened are potential lymphoma radiotherapy-resistant genes. It was initially determined that the high expression of 8 genes was associated with lymphoma radiotherapy resistance, and these genes could serve as the potential biomarkers for predicting lymphoma radiotherapy resistance or as new targets for therapy.
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