Metastatic gastric cancer remains an incurable disease,with a relative 5-year survival rate of 7%-27%.Chemotherapy,which improves overall survival(OS) and quality of life,is the main treatment option.Metaanalysis has ...Metastatic gastric cancer remains an incurable disease,with a relative 5-year survival rate of 7%-27%.Chemotherapy,which improves overall survival(OS) and quality of life,is the main treatment option.Metaanalysis has demonstrated that the best survival results obtained in earlier randomized studies were achieved with three-drug regimens containing a fluoropyrimidine,an anthracycline,and cisplatin(ECF).Although there has been little progress in improving median OS times beyond the 9-mo plateau achievable with the standard regimens,the availability of newer agents has provided some measure of optimism.A number of new combinations incorporating docetaxel,oxaliplatin,capecitabine,and S-1 have been explored in randomized trials.Some combinations,such as epirubicin-oxaliplatin-capecitabine,have been shown to be as effective as(or perhaps more effective than) ECF,and promising early data have been derived for S-1 in combination with cisplatin.One factor that might contribute to extending median OS is the advancement whenever possible to second-line cytotoxic treatments.However,the biggest hope for signif icant survival advances in the near future would be the combination of new targeted biological agents with existing chemotherapy f irst-line regimens.展开更多
In less than 10 years since its inception, RNA interference (RNAi) has had extraordinary impact on biomedical science. RNAi has been demonstrated to influence numerous biological and disease pathways. Development an...In less than 10 years since its inception, RNA interference (RNAi) has had extraordinary impact on biomedical science. RNAi has been demonstrated to influence numerous biological and disease pathways. Development and adoption of RNAi technologies have been prolific ranging from basic loss-of-function tools, genome-wide screening libraries to pharmaceutical target validation and therapeutic development. However, understanding of the molecular mechanisms of RNAi is far from complete. The purpose of this brief review is to highlight key achievements in elucidating the bio- chemical mechanisms of the RNA-induced silencing complex and to outline major challenges for the field.展开更多
Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of the combination of XELOX regimen (oxaliplatin plus capecitabine) with thalidomide for the first-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (MCRC). Methods All o...Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of the combination of XELOX regimen (oxaliplatin plus capecitabine) with thalidomide for the first-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (MCRC). Methods All of the 89 patients with MCRC who fulfilled eligibility criteria were randomly assigned to treatment group (n=44) and control group (n=45). The treatment group received a combination of XELOX with thalidomide and the control group received XELOX alone. Each patient received at least 2 cycles of treatment (1 cycle=21 d). The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS) and the secondary endpoints were objective response rate (ORR) as well as disease control rate (DCR). Drug safety and quality of life were also assessed. Results The median PFS of the treatment and control groups were 5.6 and 5.2 months, respectively. The difference did not have a statistical significance (P=0.307). The ORRs of the two groups also had no statistical difference (34.1% vs. 26.7%, P=0.446). The addition of thalidomide to XELOX significantly improved the DCR (63.6% vs. 42.2%, P=0.043). Among 24 patients with hepatic metastasis in the treatment group, 2 patients satisfied the surgical criteria after treatment but none of 23 patients in the control group did. Grade 3 or 4 constipation in patients treated with thalidomide was significantly increased (20.5% vs. 4.4%, P=0.022) but didn't result in treatment interruption. The rate of lethargy was increased but the difference between the two groups had no statistical significance (13,6% vs. 4.4%, P=0.130). The quality of life had no statistical difference between the two groups. Conclusions The combination of XELOX with thalidomide for the first-line treatment of MCRC was well tolerated. Statistically significant improvement was achieved for time DCR but not for PFS.展开更多
The activation of Ca2+ entry through store-operated channels by agonists that deplete Ca2+ from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a ubiquitous signaling mechanism, the molecular basis of which has remained elusive for...The activation of Ca2+ entry through store-operated channels by agonists that deplete Ca2+ from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a ubiquitous signaling mechanism, the molecular basis of which has remained elusive for the past two decades. Store-operated Ca2+-release-activated Ca2+ (CRAC) channels constitute the sole pathway for Ca2+ entry following antigen-receptor engagement. In a set of breakthrough studies over the past two years, stromal interaction molecule 1 (STIM1, the ER Ca2+ sensor) and Orai1 (a pore-forming subunit of the CRAC channel) have been identified. Here we review these recent studies and the insights they provide into the mechanism of store-operated Ca2+ channels (SOCCs).展开更多
Bio-syncretic robots consisting of both living biological materials and non-living systems possess desirable attributes such as high energy efficiency, intrinsic safety, high sensitivity, and self-repairing capabiliti...Bio-syncretic robots consisting of both living biological materials and non-living systems possess desirable attributes such as high energy efficiency, intrinsic safety, high sensitivity, and self-repairing capabilities. Compared with living biological materials or non-living traditional robots based on elec- tromechanical systems, the combined system of a bio-syncretic robot holds many advantages. Therefore, developing bio-syncretic robots has been a topic of great interest, and significant progress has been achieved in this area over the past decade. This review systematically summarizes the development of bio-syncretic robots. First, potential trends in the development of bio-syncretic robots are discussed. Next, the current performance of bio-syncretic robots, including simple movement and controllability of velocity and direction, is reviewed. The living biological materials and non-living materials that are used in bio-syncretic robots, and the corresponding fabrication methods, are then discussed. In addition, recently developed control methods for bio-syncretic robots, including physical and chemical control methods, are described. Finally, challenges in the development of bio-syncretic robots are discussed from multiple viewpoints, including sensing and intelligence, living and non-living materials, control approaches, and information technology.展开更多
Recent researches have shown that some compounds isolated from marine organisms have striking structural similarities with the metabolites from known microorganisms. It is inferred from the researches that the symbiot...Recent researches have shown that some compounds isolated from marine organisms have striking structural similarities with the metabolites from known microorganisms. It is inferred from the researches that the symbiotic or associated marine microorganisms may be the true sources of those compounds or at least involved in the biosynthesizing process. This view has been further evidenced by the researches for many sponges and sponge-associated microorganisms. Importantly, growing evidence has highlighted that the symbiotic or associated marine microorganisms live in the microenvironment within the hosts, and they also produce secondary metabolites which are new and original in structure and unique in activity. All these suggest that the microorganisms associated with marine organisms are the sources with very high potential to be new natural bioactive agents. This article reviews briefly the research advances in the study of new bioactive metabolites from marine organisms-associated microorganisms since 2000.展开更多
Sorption of acetanilide herbicides, metolachlor, acetochlor, pretilachlor and butachlor on eight soils with various physical and chemical properties was studied. The adsorption isotherms could fit Freundich equation w...Sorption of acetanilide herbicides, metolachlor, acetochlor, pretilachlor and butachlor on eight soils with various physical and chemical properties was studied. The adsorption isotherms could fit Freundich equation well (r 2 ≥0.91) and the adsorption extents increased in the order: metolachlor < acetochlor < pratilachlor < butachlor. The product of Freundlich adsorption constants, Kf (1/n), showed to have a good correlation with organic matter content (OM) of soils for each of these herbicides, suggesting that OM is the primary factor dominating in the adsorption process of these asetanilide herbicides. Multivariant correlation regression between Kf (1/n) and two factors, water solubility (S.) of herbicides and OM, was also performed. Kf(1/n) correlated with 1/S. and OM/S. well, showing that high S. corresponds to a weak tendency to adsorb on soils. Infrared (IR) spectra and electron spin resonance (ESR) parameters confirmed that multifunctional H-bonds and charge-transfer bonds were the main adsorption mechanisms of these acetanilide herbicides. The abilities of herbicides to form these adsorption bonds with HA increased in the same order as the extent of adsorption.展开更多
Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and explore a sensitive and objective way in the evaluation of neoadjuvant chemotherapy, the pathological changes and BCSG1 expression were studied by p...Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and explore a sensitive and objective way in the evaluation of neoadjuvant chemotherapy, the pathological changes and BCSG1 expression were studied by pathological and immunohistochemical method in breast cancer patients with CAF neoadjuvant chemotherapy (Cyclophosphamide, Adriamycin and Fluorouracil, CAF) and those without at the same period. Methods: Specimens were obtained from 34 breast cancer patients receiving neoadjuvant CAF regimen chemotherapy (CAF group) and 110 breast cancer patients not receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy (control group). The BCSG1 expression was detected by SP immunohistochemistry. Correlation between BCSG1 expression and pathological response to CAF neoadjuvant chemotherapy was analyzed. Results: Overall response rate to neoadjuvant chemotherapy was 79.4%. The strong cytoplasm expression of BCSG1 was significantly lower in CAF group than in control group (29.4% vs. 64.5%, P〈0.01). In CAF group, the positive cytoplasm expression in partial response (PR) (grade Ⅱ) cases was significantly lower than that in no response (NR) (grade Ⅲ) cases (P=0.002). Conclusion: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy of CAF regimen could decrease the nuclear expression of BSCG1 in breast cancer.展开更多
This paper described the structure and control of a new kind of miniature hexap od bio-robot, analyzed the moving principle of the robot. The robot is based on the principle of bionics, its structure is simple, design...This paper described the structure and control of a new kind of miniature hexap od bio-robot, analyzed the moving principle of the robot. The robot is based on the principle of bionics, its structure is simple, design novel, unique. It can mov e forwards and backwards. The external dimensions of bio-robot is: length 30 mm , width 40 mm, height 20 mm, weight 6.3 g. Some tests about the model robot were made. The experimental results show that the robot has good mobility.展开更多
The application of human induced oxygen consumption and carbon emission theory in urban region was summed up and on this base a new model of urban carbon and oxygen balance (UCOB) was constructed by calculating the ca...The application of human induced oxygen consumption and carbon emission theory in urban region was summed up and on this base a new model of urban carbon and oxygen balance (UCOB) was constructed by calculating the carbon and oxygen fluxes. The purpose was to highlight the role of vegetation in urban ecosystems and evaluate the effects of various human activities on urban annual oxygen consumption and carbon emission. Hopefully,the model would be helpful in theory to keep the regional balance of carbon and oxygen,and provide guidance and support for urban vegetation planning in the future. To test the UCOB model,the Jimei District of Xiamen City,Fujian Province,China,a very typical urban region,was selected as a case study. The results turn out that Jimei′s vegetation service in oxygen emission and carbon sequestration could not meet the demand of the urban population,and more than 31.49 times of vegetation area should be added to meet the whole oxygen consumption in Jimei while 9.60 times of vegetation area are needed to meet the carbon sequestration targets. The results show that the new UCOB model is of a great potential to be applied to quantitative planning of urban vegetation and regional eco-compensation mechanisms.展开更多
The development of mobile phone has brought great convenience to people's daily life, smart phone with various applications has improved the quality of life of people, but also change the people's behavior. As a maj...The development of mobile phone has brought great convenience to people's daily life, smart phone with various applications has improved the quality of life of people, but also change the people's behavior. As a major group of using smart phones, college students have also experienced situations in which the use of mobile phones has decreased the efficiency of learning and escaped from academic pressure. This is a quantitative research for college student in Halmstad that aims at exploring the relevance between smartphone addiction and interaction anxiousness. The sample of 123 college students using smartphone was collected and using incidental sampling method with the use of college students' smartphone addiction scale and interaction anxiousness scale as questionnaires to collect data. The analysis of descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, independent-sample t-test, and regression et al. was used on SPSS 23. According to the results, The smartphone addiction is not common among Swedish college students. The overall status of college students' interaction anxiousness is close to a moderate level. Interaction anxiousness has significant differences in gender, subject and grade. There is a significant positive correlation between smartphone addiction and interaction anxiousness. Interaction anxiousness has a certain predictive effect on smartphone addiction.展开更多
The grain growth and thermal stability of nanocrystalline Ni-TiO2composites were systematically investigated.Thenanocrystalline Ni-TiO2composites with different contents of TiO2were prepared via electroplating method ...The grain growth and thermal stability of nanocrystalline Ni-TiO2composites were systematically investigated.Thenanocrystalline Ni-TiO2composites with different contents of TiO2were prepared via electroplating method with the variation ofTiO2nano-particles concentration.The effect of TiO2content on the grain size,phase structure and microhardness was investigatedin detail.The corresponding grain growth and diffusion mechanisms during the heating process were also discussed.The optimalmicrohardness of HV50270was achieved for the composite with addition of20g/L TiO2nano-particles after annealing at400°C for90min.The calculation of the activation energy indicated that lattice diffusion dominated at high temperatures for thenanocrystalline Ni-TiO2composites.It was indicated that the increase of TiO2nano-particles content took effect on restricting thegrain growth at high temperatures by increasing the grain growth activation energy.展开更多
In recent years, it is remarkable that various robots are being developed, and the development of robot technology is beginning to be taken into an actual living space. There are still many questions that we will have...In recent years, it is remarkable that various robots are being developed, and the development of robot technology is beginning to be taken into an actual living space. There are still many questions that we will have to answer for the harmonization of living together with a robot. This study is focused on "the study of how to plan and design a living space in harmonizing with robots", and focused on the effects of infants (subjects) along with the distance between robots and themselves. The study is to seek for the minimum distance for the subjects who felt that "I do not want a robot to be any closer being approached to me". This experiment was conducted among 30 infants at the kindergarten, utilizing a small experimental robot. A small robot whose dimension is 120 mm (W) ×130 mm (D) × 70 mm (H), approaching infants as is to see if it would make any differences to the infant's reactions.展开更多
Considering that an ethnic group becomes visible through culture, our study highlights some major themes of Tatar identity discourse in Dobrogea, with reference to cultural life and educational institutions. During th...Considering that an ethnic group becomes visible through culture, our study highlights some major themes of Tatar identity discourse in Dobrogea, with reference to cultural life and educational institutions. During the inter-war period, this ethnic community started the process of self-configuration and we intend to emphasize the role of education and culture for identity shaping. This paper will present cultural politics in Dobrogea, especially the role of the Muslim Seminary in Babadag/Medgidia in preserving the religion, language, and the cultural heritage of the Tatar community in Romania.展开更多
Sustainable development is seen as a way to end extreme poverty, promote economic growth, and advance environmental sustainability and reduce gender inequality. Sustainable development is embedded in the Gross Domesti...Sustainable development is seen as a way to end extreme poverty, promote economic growth, and advance environmental sustainability and reduce gender inequality. Sustainable development is embedded in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of a nation and GDP is used as an indicator of the economic health of a country and also as a way of measuring a country's standard of living. Accelerating sustainable development requires the involvement of businesses to play a role in creating economic growth and job creation. The understanding is that when businesses invest in capital that is used in the production of goods, they create employment which in turn helps boost the people's standard of living as they earn some income. However, accelerating sustainable development has a beating on employee empowerrnent where workers are paid living wages to meet their fundamental needs, job security, and right to join a trade union and working in an environment free of sexual harassment.展开更多
Micro-filtration membrane (1.2 μm), hyper-filtration membrane (0.45 μm) and nano-filtration membrane (1000 Dalton) were used to characterize the particle size distribution of the organic matters in effluent le...Micro-filtration membrane (1.2 μm), hyper-filtration membrane (0.45 μm) and nano-filtration membrane (1000 Dalton) were used to characterize the particle size distribution of the organic matters in effluent leachate treated by the aged-refuse-bioreactor(ARB) installed at Laogang Refuse Landfill, Shanghai. The results showed that the particle size distribution of the treated fresh and aged leachate using the ARB were quite consistent. The organic matter with particle size below 1000 Dalton accounted for about 90%, balanced with the suspended (〉1.2 μm) and colloidal (1000 Dalton-l.2μm) matters. Hence, it is proposed that coagulation, nano-filtration and electrically chemical oxidation may be not applicable for the advanced treatment for the effluents to reach the discharge standard limit value defined in Chinese national Standard for Pollution Control on the Landfill Site of Municipal Solid Wastes (GB16889-2008), CODCr〈100 mg/L. Aged refuse bioreactor combined reverse osmosis was suggested as an economically and technically feasible technology to treat sanitary landfill leachate.展开更多
Modified peanut shell (MPS) was prepared by amination reaction with peanut shell (PS) as the starting material The sorption of Cr(VI) oxyanions on MPS in static and column tests were investigated. In addition, t...Modified peanut shell (MPS) was prepared by amination reaction with peanut shell (PS) as the starting material The sorption of Cr(VI) oxyanions on MPS in static and column tests were investigated. In addition, the sorption isotherm and kinetic models were applied to confirm the sorption capacity and the sorption mechanisms. BET surface area anysis showed the physicochemical characterist!cs of the samples. The results of zeta potential,Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and Raman spectra analysis illustrated that chemical adsorption and ion exi change are the potential sorption mechanism. The static sorption test showed that the maximum sorption capacity (qm) of MPS for Cr(VI) increased with temperature, which indicated that the Cr(VI) sorption rocess was endothermic. The saturated sorption capacity of Cr(VI) in the colunm sorption test was 138.34 mg.g-1, which accounted for 93.9% of the qmax at 25 ℃. The regeneration capacity of MPS was evaluated using HC1 solution as an eluent. The high regeneration efficiency (82.6%) validated the dominance of the ion exchange mechanism in the Cr(VI) sorption process with C1ions displacing Cr(VI) oxyanion on MPS. The Langmuir isotherm model showed a higher correlation coefficient than the other adsorption isotherm models. And in the kinetic study, a pseudo-second-order model fit the data best.展开更多
AIM:To evaluate sertraline,a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor in the treatment of patients with functional dyspepsia.METHODS:Consecutive tertiary hospital patients with a clinical diagnosis of functional dyspeps...AIM:To evaluate sertraline,a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor in the treatment of patients with functional dyspepsia.METHODS:Consecutive tertiary hospital patients with a clinical diagnosis of functional dyspepsia(FD) according to the Rome Ⅱ criteria with a Hong Kong dyspepsia index(HKDI) of greater than 16 were recruited.Patients commenced enrolment prior to the inception of the Rome Ⅲ criteria for functional dyspepsia.All patients were ethnic Chinese,had a normal upper endoscopy and were Helicobacter pylori negative prior to enrolment.Study patients were randomized to receive sertraline 50 mg or placebo daily for 8 wk.HKDI symptom scores,quality of life,hospital anxiety and depression(HAD) scale and global symptom relief were evaluated before,during and after treatment.Adverse effects were monitored during and after treatment.RESULTS:A total of 193 patients were randomized in the intention to treat(ITT),and 150 patients were included in the per protocol(PP) analysis.In both the ITT and PP,there was no difference in the primary outcome of global dyspepsia symptoms between the sertraline and placebo groups at week 8.In the ITT analysis,98 and 95 patients were randomized to the sertraline and placebo groups respectively.A total of 43 patients withdrew from the study(22.3%) by week 8,with 23 of the 24 drop-outs in the sertraline group occurring prior to week 4(95.8%).In contrast,in the placebo arm,11 of 19 patients dropped out by week 4(57.9%).Utilizing the last response carried forward to account for the drop-outs,there were no differences between the sertraline and placebo groups at baseline in terms of the HKDI,HKDI 26.08 ± 6.19 vs 26.70 ± 5.89,P = 0.433;and at week 8,HKDI 22.41 ± 6.36 vs 23.25 ± 7.30,P = 0.352 respectively.In the PP analysis,74 and 76 patients were randomized to the sertraline and placebo groups respectively.At baseline,there were no statistically significant differences between the sertraline and placebo groups,HKDI 25.83 ± 6.313 vs 27.19 ± 5.929 respectively,P = 0.233;however by week 8,patients in the sertraline group demonstrated a statistically significant difference in their Hong Kong Dyspepsia Index compared to placebo,HKDI 20.53 ± 6.917 vs 23.34 ± 7.199,P = 0.02,respectively).There was also no statistically significant difference in overall quality of life measures or the HAD scale related to treatment in either the ITT or PP analysis at week 8.CONCLUSION:This pilot study,the first to examine sertraline,a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor,for the management of FD,did not find that it was superior to placebo.展开更多
Terms of sustainable and sustainability have been employed in various sectors and fields since around 1990. To make a society sustainable needs to find ways of having sustainable local activities. The ways may be to f...Terms of sustainable and sustainability have been employed in various sectors and fields since around 1990. To make a society sustainable needs to find ways of having sustainable local activities. The ways may be to find and revitalize local resources, or to support new life styles by accepting outsider's new ideas. I see those ways often taken from a perspective that the ways require a structure or institutional organization. To explore in-between ways, it would be better to have an alternative perspective and useful to learn from Southeast Asian cases of managing diversity while accepting new ways (cf. Reid, 2015). In this essay, I focus on a sustainable craft making of a men's hat kopiah meuketob in Aceh, Sumatra, which is traditional item for marriage but has been used in various imaginative ways and has been shaping a regional "craft-scape." I examine such ways and various facets of making the hat and conclude that a lesson from the case for making things sustainable is equal and flexible ways of participating in production processes.展开更多
文摘Metastatic gastric cancer remains an incurable disease,with a relative 5-year survival rate of 7%-27%.Chemotherapy,which improves overall survival(OS) and quality of life,is the main treatment option.Metaanalysis has demonstrated that the best survival results obtained in earlier randomized studies were achieved with three-drug regimens containing a fluoropyrimidine,an anthracycline,and cisplatin(ECF).Although there has been little progress in improving median OS times beyond the 9-mo plateau achievable with the standard regimens,the availability of newer agents has provided some measure of optimism.A number of new combinations incorporating docetaxel,oxaliplatin,capecitabine,and S-1 have been explored in randomized trials.Some combinations,such as epirubicin-oxaliplatin-capecitabine,have been shown to be as effective as(or perhaps more effective than) ECF,and promising early data have been derived for S-1 in combination with cisplatin.One factor that might contribute to extending median OS is the advancement whenever possible to second-line cytotoxic treatments.However,the biggest hope for signif icant survival advances in the near future would be the combination of new targeted biological agents with existing chemotherapy f irst-line regimens.
文摘In less than 10 years since its inception, RNA interference (RNAi) has had extraordinary impact on biomedical science. RNAi has been demonstrated to influence numerous biological and disease pathways. Development and adoption of RNAi technologies have been prolific ranging from basic loss-of-function tools, genome-wide screening libraries to pharmaceutical target validation and therapeutic development. However, understanding of the molecular mechanisms of RNAi is far from complete. The purpose of this brief review is to highlight key achievements in elucidating the bio- chemical mechanisms of the RNA-induced silencing complex and to outline major challenges for the field.
文摘Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of the combination of XELOX regimen (oxaliplatin plus capecitabine) with thalidomide for the first-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (MCRC). Methods All of the 89 patients with MCRC who fulfilled eligibility criteria were randomly assigned to treatment group (n=44) and control group (n=45). The treatment group received a combination of XELOX with thalidomide and the control group received XELOX alone. Each patient received at least 2 cycles of treatment (1 cycle=21 d). The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS) and the secondary endpoints were objective response rate (ORR) as well as disease control rate (DCR). Drug safety and quality of life were also assessed. Results The median PFS of the treatment and control groups were 5.6 and 5.2 months, respectively. The difference did not have a statistical significance (P=0.307). The ORRs of the two groups also had no statistical difference (34.1% vs. 26.7%, P=0.446). The addition of thalidomide to XELOX significantly improved the DCR (63.6% vs. 42.2%, P=0.043). Among 24 patients with hepatic metastasis in the treatment group, 2 patients satisfied the surgical criteria after treatment but none of 23 patients in the control group did. Grade 3 or 4 constipation in patients treated with thalidomide was significantly increased (20.5% vs. 4.4%, P=0.022) but didn't result in treatment interruption. The rate of lethargy was increased but the difference between the two groups had no statistical significance (13,6% vs. 4.4%, P=0.130). The quality of life had no statistical difference between the two groups. Conclusions The combination of XELOX with thalidomide for the first-line treatment of MCRC was well tolerated. Statistically significant improvement was achieved for time DCR but not for PFS.
文摘The activation of Ca2+ entry through store-operated channels by agonists that deplete Ca2+ from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a ubiquitous signaling mechanism, the molecular basis of which has remained elusive for the past two decades. Store-operated Ca2+-release-activated Ca2+ (CRAC) channels constitute the sole pathway for Ca2+ entry following antigen-receptor engagement. In a set of breakthrough studies over the past two years, stromal interaction molecule 1 (STIM1, the ER Ca2+ sensor) and Orai1 (a pore-forming subunit of the CRAC channel) have been identified. Here we review these recent studies and the insights they provide into the mechanism of store-operated Ca2+ channels (SOCCs).
基金This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (61673372, 61522312, 91748212, and 61433017), the Key Research Program of Frontier Sciences, CAS (QYZDB-SSW- JSC008), and the CAS/SAFEA International Partnership Program for Creative Research Teams.
文摘Bio-syncretic robots consisting of both living biological materials and non-living systems possess desirable attributes such as high energy efficiency, intrinsic safety, high sensitivity, and self-repairing capabilities. Compared with living biological materials or non-living traditional robots based on elec- tromechanical systems, the combined system of a bio-syncretic robot holds many advantages. Therefore, developing bio-syncretic robots has been a topic of great interest, and significant progress has been achieved in this area over the past decade. This review systematically summarizes the development of bio-syncretic robots. First, potential trends in the development of bio-syncretic robots are discussed. Next, the current performance of bio-syncretic robots, including simple movement and controllability of velocity and direction, is reviewed. The living biological materials and non-living materials that are used in bio-syncretic robots, and the corresponding fabrication methods, are then discussed. In addition, recently developed control methods for bio-syncretic robots, including physical and chemical control methods, are described. Finally, challenges in the development of bio-syncretic robots are discussed from multiple viewpoints, including sensing and intelligence, living and non-living materials, control approaches, and information technology.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.39825126)the Cheung Kong Scholar from the Cheung Kong Scholars Program of Ministry of Education of China+2 种基金the Hi-Tech Research and Development Program of China(Nos.2002AA628130 and 2003AA624020)the Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province(No.Z2001C01)the High Technology Research and Development Program of Shandong Province(No.0121100107).
文摘Recent researches have shown that some compounds isolated from marine organisms have striking structural similarities with the metabolites from known microorganisms. It is inferred from the researches that the symbiotic or associated marine microorganisms may be the true sources of those compounds or at least involved in the biosynthesizing process. This view has been further evidenced by the researches for many sponges and sponge-associated microorganisms. Importantly, growing evidence has highlighted that the symbiotic or associated marine microorganisms live in the microenvironment within the hosts, and they also produce secondary metabolites which are new and original in structure and unique in activity. All these suggest that the microorganisms associated with marine organisms are the sources with very high potential to be new natural bioactive agents. This article reviews briefly the research advances in the study of new bioactive metabolites from marine organisms-associated microorganisms since 2000.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos: 29477274 and 3967O420)
文摘Sorption of acetanilide herbicides, metolachlor, acetochlor, pretilachlor and butachlor on eight soils with various physical and chemical properties was studied. The adsorption isotherms could fit Freundich equation well (r 2 ≥0.91) and the adsorption extents increased in the order: metolachlor < acetochlor < pratilachlor < butachlor. The product of Freundlich adsorption constants, Kf (1/n), showed to have a good correlation with organic matter content (OM) of soils for each of these herbicides, suggesting that OM is the primary factor dominating in the adsorption process of these asetanilide herbicides. Multivariant correlation regression between Kf (1/n) and two factors, water solubility (S.) of herbicides and OM, was also performed. Kf(1/n) correlated with 1/S. and OM/S. well, showing that high S. corresponds to a weak tendency to adsorb on soils. Infrared (IR) spectra and electron spin resonance (ESR) parameters confirmed that multifunctional H-bonds and charge-transfer bonds were the main adsorption mechanisms of these acetanilide herbicides. The abilities of herbicides to form these adsorption bonds with HA increased in the same order as the extent of adsorption.
文摘Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and explore a sensitive and objective way in the evaluation of neoadjuvant chemotherapy, the pathological changes and BCSG1 expression were studied by pathological and immunohistochemical method in breast cancer patients with CAF neoadjuvant chemotherapy (Cyclophosphamide, Adriamycin and Fluorouracil, CAF) and those without at the same period. Methods: Specimens were obtained from 34 breast cancer patients receiving neoadjuvant CAF regimen chemotherapy (CAF group) and 110 breast cancer patients not receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy (control group). The BCSG1 expression was detected by SP immunohistochemistry. Correlation between BCSG1 expression and pathological response to CAF neoadjuvant chemotherapy was analyzed. Results: Overall response rate to neoadjuvant chemotherapy was 79.4%. The strong cytoplasm expression of BCSG1 was significantly lower in CAF group than in control group (29.4% vs. 64.5%, P〈0.01). In CAF group, the positive cytoplasm expression in partial response (PR) (grade Ⅱ) cases was significantly lower than that in no response (NR) (grade Ⅲ) cases (P=0.002). Conclusion: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy of CAF regimen could decrease the nuclear expression of BSCG1 in breast cancer.
文摘This paper described the structure and control of a new kind of miniature hexap od bio-robot, analyzed the moving principle of the robot. The robot is based on the principle of bionics, its structure is simple, design novel, unique. It can mov e forwards and backwards. The external dimensions of bio-robot is: length 30 mm , width 40 mm, height 20 mm, weight 6.3 g. Some tests about the model robot were made. The experimental results show that the robot has good mobility.
基金Under the auspices of Key Direction in Knowledge Innovation Programs of Chinese Academy of Sciences (No. KZCX2-YW-450, KZCX2-YW-422)
文摘The application of human induced oxygen consumption and carbon emission theory in urban region was summed up and on this base a new model of urban carbon and oxygen balance (UCOB) was constructed by calculating the carbon and oxygen fluxes. The purpose was to highlight the role of vegetation in urban ecosystems and evaluate the effects of various human activities on urban annual oxygen consumption and carbon emission. Hopefully,the model would be helpful in theory to keep the regional balance of carbon and oxygen,and provide guidance and support for urban vegetation planning in the future. To test the UCOB model,the Jimei District of Xiamen City,Fujian Province,China,a very typical urban region,was selected as a case study. The results turn out that Jimei′s vegetation service in oxygen emission and carbon sequestration could not meet the demand of the urban population,and more than 31.49 times of vegetation area should be added to meet the whole oxygen consumption in Jimei while 9.60 times of vegetation area are needed to meet the carbon sequestration targets. The results show that the new UCOB model is of a great potential to be applied to quantitative planning of urban vegetation and regional eco-compensation mechanisms.
文摘The development of mobile phone has brought great convenience to people's daily life, smart phone with various applications has improved the quality of life of people, but also change the people's behavior. As a major group of using smart phones, college students have also experienced situations in which the use of mobile phones has decreased the efficiency of learning and escaped from academic pressure. This is a quantitative research for college student in Halmstad that aims at exploring the relevance between smartphone addiction and interaction anxiousness. The sample of 123 college students using smartphone was collected and using incidental sampling method with the use of college students' smartphone addiction scale and interaction anxiousness scale as questionnaires to collect data. The analysis of descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, independent-sample t-test, and regression et al. was used on SPSS 23. According to the results, The smartphone addiction is not common among Swedish college students. The overall status of college students' interaction anxiousness is close to a moderate level. Interaction anxiousness has significant differences in gender, subject and grade. There is a significant positive correlation between smartphone addiction and interaction anxiousness. Interaction anxiousness has a certain predictive effect on smartphone addiction.
基金Project(51401024)supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of ChinaProject(20150942006)supported by Basic Research Program of Beijing Institute of Technology,China
文摘The grain growth and thermal stability of nanocrystalline Ni-TiO2composites were systematically investigated.Thenanocrystalline Ni-TiO2composites with different contents of TiO2were prepared via electroplating method with the variation ofTiO2nano-particles concentration.The effect of TiO2content on the grain size,phase structure and microhardness was investigatedin detail.The corresponding grain growth and diffusion mechanisms during the heating process were also discussed.The optimalmicrohardness of HV50270was achieved for the composite with addition of20g/L TiO2nano-particles after annealing at400°C for90min.The calculation of the activation energy indicated that lattice diffusion dominated at high temperatures for thenanocrystalline Ni-TiO2composites.It was indicated that the increase of TiO2nano-particles content took effect on restricting thegrain growth at high temperatures by increasing the grain growth activation energy.
文摘In recent years, it is remarkable that various robots are being developed, and the development of robot technology is beginning to be taken into an actual living space. There are still many questions that we will have to answer for the harmonization of living together with a robot. This study is focused on "the study of how to plan and design a living space in harmonizing with robots", and focused on the effects of infants (subjects) along with the distance between robots and themselves. The study is to seek for the minimum distance for the subjects who felt that "I do not want a robot to be any closer being approached to me". This experiment was conducted among 30 infants at the kindergarten, utilizing a small experimental robot. A small robot whose dimension is 120 mm (W) ×130 mm (D) × 70 mm (H), approaching infants as is to see if it would make any differences to the infant's reactions.
文摘Considering that an ethnic group becomes visible through culture, our study highlights some major themes of Tatar identity discourse in Dobrogea, with reference to cultural life and educational institutions. During the inter-war period, this ethnic community started the process of self-configuration and we intend to emphasize the role of education and culture for identity shaping. This paper will present cultural politics in Dobrogea, especially the role of the Muslim Seminary in Babadag/Medgidia in preserving the religion, language, and the cultural heritage of the Tatar community in Romania.
文摘Sustainable development is seen as a way to end extreme poverty, promote economic growth, and advance environmental sustainability and reduce gender inequality. Sustainable development is embedded in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of a nation and GDP is used as an indicator of the economic health of a country and also as a way of measuring a country's standard of living. Accelerating sustainable development requires the involvement of businesses to play a role in creating economic growth and job creation. The understanding is that when businesses invest in capital that is used in the production of goods, they create employment which in turn helps boost the people's standard of living as they earn some income. However, accelerating sustainable development has a beating on employee empowerrnent where workers are paid living wages to meet their fundamental needs, job security, and right to join a trade union and working in an environment free of sexual harassment.
基金Acknowledgments: This work was financially supported by Science and Technology Support Plan of The Ministry of Science and Technology of People's Republic of China (No. 2006BAC02A19) China National Natural Science Foundation with Grant (No. 20177014).
文摘Micro-filtration membrane (1.2 μm), hyper-filtration membrane (0.45 μm) and nano-filtration membrane (1000 Dalton) were used to characterize the particle size distribution of the organic matters in effluent leachate treated by the aged-refuse-bioreactor(ARB) installed at Laogang Refuse Landfill, Shanghai. The results showed that the particle size distribution of the treated fresh and aged leachate using the ARB were quite consistent. The organic matter with particle size below 1000 Dalton accounted for about 90%, balanced with the suspended (〉1.2 μm) and colloidal (1000 Dalton-l.2μm) matters. Hence, it is proposed that coagulation, nano-filtration and electrically chemical oxidation may be not applicable for the advanced treatment for the effluents to reach the discharge standard limit value defined in Chinese national Standard for Pollution Control on the Landfill Site of Municipal Solid Wastes (GB16889-2008), CODCr〈100 mg/L. Aged refuse bioreactor combined reverse osmosis was suggested as an economically and technically feasible technology to treat sanitary landfill leachate.
基金Supported by the Independent Innovation Foundation of Shandong University(2012TS036)
文摘Modified peanut shell (MPS) was prepared by amination reaction with peanut shell (PS) as the starting material The sorption of Cr(VI) oxyanions on MPS in static and column tests were investigated. In addition, the sorption isotherm and kinetic models were applied to confirm the sorption capacity and the sorption mechanisms. BET surface area anysis showed the physicochemical characterist!cs of the samples. The results of zeta potential,Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and Raman spectra analysis illustrated that chemical adsorption and ion exi change are the potential sorption mechanism. The static sorption test showed that the maximum sorption capacity (qm) of MPS for Cr(VI) increased with temperature, which indicated that the Cr(VI) sorption rocess was endothermic. The saturated sorption capacity of Cr(VI) in the colunm sorption test was 138.34 mg.g-1, which accounted for 93.9% of the qmax at 25 ℃. The regeneration capacity of MPS was evaluated using HC1 solution as an eluent. The high regeneration efficiency (82.6%) validated the dominance of the ion exchange mechanism in the Cr(VI) sorption process with C1ions displacing Cr(VI) oxyanion on MPS. The Langmuir isotherm model showed a higher correlation coefficient than the other adsorption isotherm models. And in the kinetic study, a pseudo-second-order model fit the data best.
基金Supported by The Outstanding Researcher Award 2001-2002 and 2005-2006the Shun Tak District Min Yuen Tong Gastroenterology Research Fundthe Lo Ka Chung Research Fund,University of Hong Kong
文摘AIM:To evaluate sertraline,a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor in the treatment of patients with functional dyspepsia.METHODS:Consecutive tertiary hospital patients with a clinical diagnosis of functional dyspepsia(FD) according to the Rome Ⅱ criteria with a Hong Kong dyspepsia index(HKDI) of greater than 16 were recruited.Patients commenced enrolment prior to the inception of the Rome Ⅲ criteria for functional dyspepsia.All patients were ethnic Chinese,had a normal upper endoscopy and were Helicobacter pylori negative prior to enrolment.Study patients were randomized to receive sertraline 50 mg or placebo daily for 8 wk.HKDI symptom scores,quality of life,hospital anxiety and depression(HAD) scale and global symptom relief were evaluated before,during and after treatment.Adverse effects were monitored during and after treatment.RESULTS:A total of 193 patients were randomized in the intention to treat(ITT),and 150 patients were included in the per protocol(PP) analysis.In both the ITT and PP,there was no difference in the primary outcome of global dyspepsia symptoms between the sertraline and placebo groups at week 8.In the ITT analysis,98 and 95 patients were randomized to the sertraline and placebo groups respectively.A total of 43 patients withdrew from the study(22.3%) by week 8,with 23 of the 24 drop-outs in the sertraline group occurring prior to week 4(95.8%).In contrast,in the placebo arm,11 of 19 patients dropped out by week 4(57.9%).Utilizing the last response carried forward to account for the drop-outs,there were no differences between the sertraline and placebo groups at baseline in terms of the HKDI,HKDI 26.08 ± 6.19 vs 26.70 ± 5.89,P = 0.433;and at week 8,HKDI 22.41 ± 6.36 vs 23.25 ± 7.30,P = 0.352 respectively.In the PP analysis,74 and 76 patients were randomized to the sertraline and placebo groups respectively.At baseline,there were no statistically significant differences between the sertraline and placebo groups,HKDI 25.83 ± 6.313 vs 27.19 ± 5.929 respectively,P = 0.233;however by week 8,patients in the sertraline group demonstrated a statistically significant difference in their Hong Kong Dyspepsia Index compared to placebo,HKDI 20.53 ± 6.917 vs 23.34 ± 7.199,P = 0.02,respectively).There was also no statistically significant difference in overall quality of life measures or the HAD scale related to treatment in either the ITT or PP analysis at week 8.CONCLUSION:This pilot study,the first to examine sertraline,a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor,for the management of FD,did not find that it was superior to placebo.
文摘Terms of sustainable and sustainability have been employed in various sectors and fields since around 1990. To make a society sustainable needs to find ways of having sustainable local activities. The ways may be to find and revitalize local resources, or to support new life styles by accepting outsider's new ideas. I see those ways often taken from a perspective that the ways require a structure or institutional organization. To explore in-between ways, it would be better to have an alternative perspective and useful to learn from Southeast Asian cases of managing diversity while accepting new ways (cf. Reid, 2015). In this essay, I focus on a sustainable craft making of a men's hat kopiah meuketob in Aceh, Sumatra, which is traditional item for marriage but has been used in various imaginative ways and has been shaping a regional "craft-scape." I examine such ways and various facets of making the hat and conclude that a lesson from the case for making things sustainable is equal and flexible ways of participating in production processes.