Study on the Soil Moisture Stress Level in Regulated Deficit Irrigation Experiment

On the basis of discussing the influencing mode of plant moisture stress on plant physiological process and the division of soil moisture availability range, the water suction values partitioning soil moisture were put forward, and then the corresponding water moistures under water stress were obtained by conversing together with characteristic curve of water moisture.

A Novel Technology for Post-Treating of Porous Silicon Thick Films in H_2O_2

The solution of H 2O 2 is proposed to post-treat thick porous silicon (PS) films.The prepared PS film as the cathode is applied about 10mA/cm 2 current in mixture of ethanol,HF,and H 2O 2 solutions,which is expected to improve the stability and the smoothness of the surface and the mechanical property of the thick porous silicon films.The microstructure of the PS thick films with thicknesse of 20μm and 70μm has been studied.The SEM images show significant improved smoothness on surface of PS films,and XRD spectra suggest the formation of oxide layer after post-treating in H 2O 2.

Chlorophyll Fluorescence and Membrane Lipid Peroxidation in the Flag Leaves of Different High Yield Rice Variety at Late Stage of Development Under Natural Condition

With indica ( Oryza sativa L.) hybrid Shanyou 63 as control, the hybrid rice varieties including Peiai 64S/E32, Peiai 64S/9311, X07S/Zihui 100, Guangyou 881 and japonica 9516 were used to study changes of chlorophyll content, photosynthetic response to light intensity and temperature, chlorophyll fluorescence characteristics and membrane lipid peroxidation in their flag leaves at the late stage of development under natural conditions in Nanjing. The results were as follows:. primary photochemical efficiency of PS II ( F-v / F-m), quantum yield of linear electron transport of PS II (phi(PSII)), electron transfer rate (ETR) in these rice varieties decreased with their decrease of chlorophyll content during this period. This kind of impediment to energy conversion induced the transfer of excessive energy to the reducing side of PS I, hence the accumulation of O-2(radical anion) and peroxidation of membrane lipid, and resulting in the accumulation of malondialdehyde (MDA), that is the destroys of photosynthetic pigments and membranes and the consequent, premature senescence. This phenomenon is variable conspicuously in different rice varieties. Under natural condition in Nanjing, F-v/F-m, phi(PSII), ETR and quenching coefficient ( qP) in japonica 9516 tolerant to photooxidation decreased less and the conversion capacity of light energy was stable, premature senescence was unlikely, and consequently the seed-setting rate was higher. While F-v/F-m, phi(PSII), ETR and photochemical qP in Shanyou 63 sensitive to photooxidation decreased more and therefore premature senescence was easy to happen, thus the seed-setting rate and yield were all reduced. The tolerance to photooxidation and premature senescence in other hybrids derived from typical two line or three line crossing laid in the middle. From the rice breeding for super-high-yield, on the basis of the good plant-type of current rice, considering both hybrid vigor and the prevention premature senescence, it would be a notable strategy to use japonica maternal line or maternal. lines with some japonica genotype as the sterile lines in rice breeding.

Overexpression of the M2 isoform of pyruvate kinase is an adverse prognostic factor for signet ring cell gastric cancer

AIM:To investigate M2 isoform of pyruvate kinase(PKM2) expression in gastric cancers and evaluate its potential as a prognostic biomarker and an anticancer target.METHODS:All tissue samples were derived from gastric cancer patients underwent curative gastrectomy as a primary treatment.Clinical and pathological information were obtained from the medical records.Gene expression microarray data from 60 cancer and 19 noncancer gastric tissues were analyzed to evaluate the expression level of PKM2 mRNA.Tissue microarrays were constructed from 368 gastric cancer patients.Immunohistochemistry was used to measure PKM2 expression and PKM2 positivity of cancer was determined by proportion of PKM2-positive tumor cells and staining intensity.Association between PKM2 expression and the clinicopathological factors was evaluated and the correlation between PKM2 and cancer prognosis was evaluated.RESULTS:PKM2 mRNA levels were increased more than 2-fold in primary gastric cancers compared to adjacent normal tissues from the same patients(log transformed expression level:7.6 ± 0.65 vs 6.3 ± 0.51,P < 0.001).Moreover,differentiated type cancers had significantly higher PKM2 mRNA compared to undifferentiated type cancers(log transformed expression level:7.8 ± 0.70 vs 6.7 ± 0.71,P < 0.001).PKM2 protein was mainly localized in the cytoplasm of primary cancer cells and detected in 144 of 368(39.1%) human gastric cancer cases.PKM2 expression was not related with stage(P = 0.811),but strongly correlated with gastric cancer differentiation(P < 0.001).Differentiated type cancers expressed more PKM2 protein than did the undifferentiated ones.Well differentiated adenocarcinoma showed 63.6% PKM2-positive cells;in contrast,signet-ring cell cancers showed only 17.7% PKM2-positive cells.Importantly,PKM2 expression was correlated with shorter overall survival(P < 0.05) independent of stage only in signet-ring cell cancers.CONCLUSION:PKM2 expression might be an adverse prognostic factor for signet-ring cell carcinomas.Its function and potential as a prognostic marker should be further verified in gastric cancer.

S100A4 over-expression underlies lymph node metastasis and poor prognosis in colorectal cancer

AIM:To develop lymph node metastasis(LNM)-associated biomarkers for colorectal cancer(CRC) using quantitative proteome analysis.METHODS:Differences in protein expression between primary CRC with LNM(LNM CRC) and without LNM(non-LNM CRC) were assessed using methyl esterification stable isotope labeling coupled with 2D liquid chromatography followed by tandem mass spectrometry(2D-LC-MS/MS).The relationship to clinicopathological parameters and prognosis of candidate biomarkers was examined using an independent sample set.RESULTS:Forty-three proteins were found to be differentially expressed by at least 2.5-fold in two types of CRC.S100A4 was significantly upregulated in LNM CRC compared with non-LNM CRC,which was confirmed by Western blotting,immunohistochemistry and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction.Further immunohistochemistry on another 112 CRC cases showed that overexpression of S100A4 frequently existed in LNM CRC compared with non-LNM CRC(P < 0.001).Overexpression of S100A4 was significantly associated with LNM(P < 0.001),advanced TNM stage(P < 0.001),increased 5-year recurrence rate(P < 0.001) and decreased 5-year overall survival rate(P < 0.001).Univariate and multivariate analyses indicated that S100A4 expression was an independent prognostic factor for recurrence and survival of CRC patients(P < 0.05).CONCLUSION:S100A4 might serve as a powerful biomarker for LNM and a prognostic factor in CRC.

Myofibrillogenesis regulator-1 overexpression is associated with poor prognosis of gastric cancer patients

AIM: To investigate the expression of myofibrillogenesis regulator-1 (MR-1) in relation to clinicopathological parameters and postoperative survival in a group of Chinese patients with gastric cancer. METHODS: In our previous study of human wholegenome gene expression profiling, the differentially expressed genes were detected in the gastric cancer and its adjacent noncancerous mucosa. We found that MR-1 was associated with the location and differentiation of tumors. In this study, MR-1 protein expression was determined by immunohistochemistry in specimens of primary cancer and the adjacent noncancerous tissues from gastric cancer patients. A set of real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction assays based on the Universal ProbeLibrary-a collection of 165 presynthesized, fluorescence-labeled locked nucleic acid hydrolysis probes-was designed specifically to detect the expression of MR-1 mRNA. The correlation was analyzed between the expression of MR-1 and other tumor characteristics which may influence the prognosis of gastric cancer patients. A retrospective cohort study on the prognosis was carried out and clinical data were collected from medical records. RESULTS: MR-1 mRNA and protein could be detected in gastric cancer tissues as well as in matched noncancerous tissues. MR-1 was up-regulated at both mRNA (5.459 ± 0.639 vs 1.233 ± 0.238, P < 0.001) and protein levels (34.2% vs 13.2%, P = 0.003) in gastric cancer tissues. Correlation analysis demonstrated that high expression of MR-1 in gastric cancer was significantly correlated with clinical stage (P = 0.034). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the postoperative survival of the MR-1 positive group tended to be poorer than that of the MR-1 negative group, and the difference was statistically significant (P = 0.002). Among all the patients with stageⅠ-Ⅳ carcinoma, the 5-year survival rates of MR-1 positive and negative groups were 50.40% and 12.70%, respectively, with respective median survival times of 64.27 mo (95%CI: 13.41-115.13) and 16.77 mo (95%CI: 8.80-24.74). Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to compare the impact of MR-1 expression and other clinicopathological parameters on prognosis. In a univariate analysis on all 70 specimens, 6 factors were found to be significantly associated with the overall survival statistically: including MR-1 expression, depth of invasion, distant metastasis, lymph node metastasis, vascular invasion and the tumor node metastasis (TNM) stage based on the 7th edition of the International Union against Cancer TNM classification. To avoid the influence caused by univariate analysis, the expressions of MR-1 as well as other parameters were examined in multivariate Cox analysis. Clinicopathological variables that might affect the prognosis of gastric cancer patients were analyzed by Cox regression analysis, which showed that MR-1 expression and TNM stage were independent predictors of postoperative survival. The best mathematical multivariate Cox regression model consisted of two factors: MR-1 expression and TNM stage. Our results indicated that MR-1 protein could act as an independent marker for patient overall survival [Hazard ratio (HR): 2.215, P = 0.043]. CONCLUSION: MR-1 is an important variable that can be used to evaluate the outcome, prognosis and targeted therapy of gastric cancer patients.

Nonhomogeneous(H,Q)-Process:The Backward and Forward Equations

As for the backward and forward equation of nonhomogeneous(H, Q) -processes,we proof them in a new way. On the base of that, this paper gives the direct computational formalfor one dimensional distribution of the nonhomogeneous(H, Q) -process.

CCL7 and CCL21 overexpression in gastric cancer is associated with lymph node metastasis and poor prognosis

AIM： To investigate how a complex network of CC chemokine ligands （eeLs） and their receptors influence the progression of tumor and metastasis.METHODS： In the present study, we used immunohistochemistry to examine the expression of CCL7, CCL8 and CCL21 in 194 gastric cancer samples and adjacent normal tissues. We analyzed their correlation with tumor metastasis, clinicopathologic parameters and clinical outcome.RESULTS： We found that the higher expression of CCL7 and CCL21 in cancer tissues than in normal tissues was significantly correlated with advanced depth of wall invasion, lymph node metastasis and higher tumornode metastasis stage. Moreover, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed that CCL7 and CCL21 overexpression in cancer tissues was correlated with poor prognosis.CONCLUSION： These results suggest that overexpression of these two CC chemokine ligands is associ- ated with tumor metastasis and serves as a prognostic factor in patients with gastric cancer.

Boiling Heat Transfer in an Acoustic Cavitation Field

An experimental study has been carried out investigatesystematically the effects of acoustic cavi- tation parameters andfluid subcooling on boiling of acetone around a horizontal circulartube. The experimental results show that acoustic cavitation enhancedremarkably the boiling heat transfer and decreased the incipientboiling superheat and that cavitation bubbles effect on boiling heattransfer reduced with cavitation distance. For boiling curves in aform of h-q', elevated cavitation distance shift nucleate boilingcurves to the right of the cor- responding ordinary pool boilingcurve. The associated mechanism of heat transfer enhancement isanalyzed with the consideration of cavitation bubble influence onvapor embryo.

Upregulation of hypoxia inducible factor 1α mRNA is associated with elevated vascular endothelial growth factor expression and excessive angiogenesis and predicts a poor prognosis in gastric carcinoma

AIM： To investigate the implication of the hypoxia inducible factor HIF-1α mRNA in gastric carcinoma and its relation to the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF） protein, tumor angiogenesis invasion/metastasis and the patient＇s survival. METHODS： In situ hybridization was used to examine expression of HIF-1α mRNA, and immunohistochemical staining was used to examine expression of VEGF protein and CD34 in 118 specimens from patients with gastric carcinoma. RESULTS： The positive rates of HIF-1α mRNA and VEGF protein were 49.15% and 55.92%, respectively. Positive expressions of HIF-1α and VEGF in stage T3-T4 tumors and those with vessel invasion, lymph node metastasis and distant metastasis were dramatically stronger than stage T1-T2 cases and those without vessel invasion, lymph node metastasis and distant metastasis. The mean microvascular density （MVD） in stage T3-T4 tumors and those with vessel invasion, lymph node metastasis and distant metastasis was significantly higher than stage T1-T2 tumors and those without vessel invasion, lymph node metastasis and distant metastasis. The mean MVD in tumors with positive HIF-1α and VEGF expression was significantly higher than that in tumors with negative HIF-1α and VEGF expression. The expression of HIF- 1α was positively correlated with VEGF protein. There were positive correlations between MVD and expression of HIF-1α and VEGF. The mean survival time and the S-year survival rate in cases with positive expression HIF-1α and VEGF and MVD value ≥ 41.5/0.72 mm^2 were significantly lower than those with negative expression of HIF-1α and VEGF and MVD value 〈 41.5/0.72 mm^2. CONCLUSION： Overexpression of HIF-1α is found in gastric carcinoma. HIF-1α may induce the angiogenesis in gastric carcinoma by upregulating the transcription of VEGF gene, and take part in tumor invasion and metastasis. They can be used as prognostic markers of gastric cancer in clinical practice.

Modelling of vehicle interaction behavior during discretionary lane-changing preparation process on freeway

In order to increase the accuracy of microscopic traffic flow simulation,two acceleration models are presented to simulate car-following behaviors of the lane-changing vehicle and following putative vehicle during the discretionary lanechanging preparation( DLCP) process, respectively. The proposed acceleration models can reflect vehicle interaction characteristics. Samples used for describing the starting point and the ending point of DLCP are extracted from a real NGSIM vehicle trajectory data set. The acceleration model for a lanechanging vehicle is supposed to be a linear acceleration model.The acceleration model for the following putative vehicle is constructed by referring to the optimal velocity model,in which optimal velocity is defined as a linear function of the velocity of putative leading vehicle. Similar calibration,a hypothesis test and parameter sensitivity analysis were conducted on the acceleration model of the lane-changing vehicle and following putative vehicle,respectively. The validation results of the two proposed models suggest that the training and testing errors are acceptable compared with similar works on calibrations for car following models. The parameter sensitivity analysis shows that the subtle observed error does not lead to severe variations of car-following behaviors of the lane-changing vehicle and following putative vehicle.

Global Financial Planning Education Standards

Financial planning may not meet all the accepted criteria of traditional professions such as divinity and law, it does, however, fit the post-modernist view of professions characterized by the role played by professional associations. The hallmark of a profession is the presence of a common body of knowledge and it can be claimed that a theoretical body of knowledge for the ＂financial planning profession＂ has always existed, although it has only been in recent times that agreement has been reached on a common understanding of the theoretical basis of the financial planning profession. This common body of knowledge is the basis upon which the Financial Planning Standards Board [FPSB] is attempting to develop a global curriculum as part of the certification process for financial planners. The FPSB has developed a curriculum framework to be applied by its affiliate members to ensure consistency in global education standards. A review of Certified Financial Planner （CFP） certification in Australia, China, India and the United States exposes differences in how this is approached. The Intemational Organization for Standardization [ISO] has also emerged as another forum in which global financial planning education standards have been set. Although the FPSB＇s global financial planning education standards has a high degree of compatibility with the ISO standard, the ISO standard has largely remained as a shelf reference.

Limit analysis method for active earth pressure on laggings between stabilizing piles

Stabilizing pile is a kind of earth shoring structure frequently used in slope engineering. When the piles have cantilever segments above the ground,laggings are usually installed to avoid collapse of soil between piles. Evaluating the earth pressure acting on laggings is of great importance in design process.Since laggings are usually less stiff than piles,the lateral pressure on lagging is much closer to active earth pressure. In order to estimate the lateral earth pressure on lagging more accurately,first,a model test of cantilever stabilizing pile and lagging systems was carried out. Then,basing the experimental results a three-dimensional sliding wedge model was established. Last,the calculation process of the total active force on lagging is presented based on the kinematic approach of limit analysis. A comparison is made between the total active force on lagging calculated by the formula presented in this study and the force on a same-size rigid retaining wall obtained from Rankine's theory. It is found that the proposed method fits well with the experimental results.Parametric studies show that the total active force on lagging increases with the growth of the lagging height and the lagging clear span; while decreases asthe soil internal friction angle and soil cohesion increase.

Prognosis of HER2 over-expressing gastric cancer patients with liver metastasis

AIM:To study the risk factors for liver metastasis and the prognosis in patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2(HER2) over-expressing gastric cancer(GC).METHODS:A total of 84 GC patients recruited from the General Hospital of the People's Liberation Army(PLA) between 2003 and 2010 were randomly enrolled in this study.HER2 expression was detected by immunohistochemistry in 84 GC patients with liver metastases.The study group consisted of 66 men and 18 women,with an average age of 54 years(range:19-74 years).Liver metastasis was diagnosed by magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography.Patients were followed-up and predictive factors of liver metastasis were evaluated.RESULTS:The median follow-up period was 47 mo(range:6-85 mo).The characteristics of 35(25.7%) patients with HER2 over-expression of liver metastatic GC are presented.HER2 over-expression was detected in 23 out of 49(46.9%) patients with intestinal GC,and 9 out of 35(25.7%) patients with diffuse GC.29 out of 59(49.2%) patients aged < 60 years were HER2positive,while 8 out of 25(32%) patients aged ≥ 60 were HER2-positive;a significant difference(P < 0.05).Univariate analysis(log-rank test) showed that HER2 over-expression,sex,Lauren classification,differentiation and disease-free interval were correlated with poor survival(P < 0.05).Survival analysis with a survival curve showed that HER2 over-expression was significantly relevant,with a reduced survival time in GC patients with liver metastases(P < 0.01).2-year survival was not associated with the patient's age.A diseasefree survival longer than 12 mo has a significant association with extended overall survival(OS) in GC patients with liver metastases.The median survival time after the diagnosis of liver metastases was 18 mo [95% confidence interval(CI):9.07-26.94] among HER2 positive GC patients with liver metastases.In comparison,for 49(69.4%) out of 84 HER2 negative patients with liver metastatic GC,the median survival time was 47 mo(95% CI:19.37-74.63).In patients with HER2 positive liver metastatic GC,the median OS was significantly shorter than in HER2 negative patients(median,20.32 mo;95% CI:16.51-24.13 vs median,50.14 mo;95% CI:37.83-62.45;P < 0.01).CONCLUSION:HER2 over-expressing GC patients with liver metastases have a poor prognosis.Overall survival was significantly lower in HER2 positive patients.HER2overexpression is correlated with a lower survival rate.

Educating for Citizenship： A Case Study of Brazilians of Japanese Descendent in Public Schools in Japan

The current work presents a support tutoring program on the Japanese language applied to 12 newly arrived Brazilian students who moved to Japan after their parents migrated in order to work in electronic factories. All of them were not able to speak Japanese, even the greetings; during lunch time they also had to eat some types of food they had never had before. Certainly, it was a daily battle against the unknown as they interfaced between two very different cultures. This support tutoring program was implemented in a Japanese public school in Taiwa Town, Miyagi Prefecture, and it aimed to create an adequate environment that could provide a teaching-learning process in the cognitive, emotional, and social aspects to prepare the students to live in Japan, as well as to prepare them for their return to Brazil in the future.

Sustainable Post-Disaster Solutions--London 1666, Lisbon 1755 and Japan 2011reLearning from the Past

Natural disasters have impacted human settlements throughout the centuries, imparting lessons as new ways and strategies to avoid or minimize the damage inflicted by the natural processes. This on-going process has created new landscapes instrumental to man＇s balance of the use of the land by taking into account the probability of further natural disasters. This paper discusses the responses to disaster challenges taking past experiences on ＂after disaster decisions＂ in London 1666, in Lisbon 1755 as a framework to analyse the more recent Great East Japan Earthquake disaster. The concept of sustainability which adds a new perspective to the subject of more resistant solutions and strategies as the opportunity for a new design is presented by the destruction. Sustainable environmental, social and cultural issues improvements are important goals introduced in the 20th century and enrich long-term human adaptations to natural processes. They are also considered in this analysis as an evolving final product of the human adaptation that results in more durable cultural landscapes.

Effect of Modified Atmosphere Packaging on Postharvest Quality of Rambutan cv. Binjai

An experiment on retail film packaging system was conducted to compare the atmospheric composition within sealed packs containing rambutan fruits. This research was done in order to study the effect of packaging films with different permeability on the some of physicochemical properties of rambutan during storage at 10℃. The films used were 0.090 mm low density polyethylene （LDPE）, 0.040 mm polyprophylene and 0.057 mm LDPE compared unwrapped fruits. Fruits were evaluated every 5 days for changes in moisture content, total sugars, vitamin C, hardness and color. Unwrapped rambutan had severe browning after 10 days. Sealed packages especially the LDPE had delayed the development of the browning for 20 days of storage and had the lowest weight loss.

Solvent switching and purification of colloidal nano- particles through water/oil Interfaces within a density gradient

Traditional post-treatment of colloidal nanoparticles （NPs） usually involves repeated centrifugation-wash-sonication processes to separate NPs from the original synthetic environment; however, such separation processes have either high energy cost or low efficiency and tend to cause aggregation. Here we show a general and scalable colloid post-processing technique based on density gradient centrifugation through water/oil interfaces. Such a one-step technique can switch the solvent in a colloid at almost any concentration without aggregation, and meanwhile purify colloidal nanoparticles by separating them from by-products and environmental impurities. Droplet sedimentation was shown to be the mechanism of this one-step concentration/purification process, and mathematical modeling was established to quantify the accumulation and sedimentation velocities of different NPs.

Objective Bayesian Analysis of Degradation Model with Respect to a Wiener Process

This paper proposes an objective Bayesian method to study the degradation model with respect to a Wiener process.The Jeffreys prior and reference prior for the parameters are derived,and the propriety of the posteriors under these priors is validated.Two sampling algorithms are introduced to compute the posteriors.A simulation study is conducted to investigate the performance of the objective Bayesian procedure.Finally,the authors apply the approach to a degradation data.

Simultaneous bilateral anterior shoulder dislocation： report of two cases and review of the literature

Bilateral shoulder dislocations are rare and almost always occur in the posterior direction. Simultaneous bilateral anterior shoulder dislocation is even rarer and only a few cases are stated in the literature. The most interesting part of a bilateral shoulder dislocation is about its injury mechanism as a synchronous and simultaneous force is needed to result in it. In cases of epilepsy or electrocution, the mechanism is different and the forceful contractions of the selective group of muscles result in the dislocation. This article reports two cases of bilateral simultaneous anterior shoulder joint dislocation that occurred after a road side accident and after an episode of convulsion in an epileptic patient. The dislocations were diagnosed early and reduced immediately with a proper postreduction rehabilitation. During their follow-up, both patients had satisfactory functional outcome. This article emphasizes on the importance of shoulder examination in road side accident victims and epileptic patients. All orthopedic surgeons and emergency physicians should be aware of such unusual possibilities to have an early diagnosis and treatment.An early reduction and appropriate rehabilitation can provide satisfactory functional outcome. This article also briefly discusses the injury mechanisms, diagnoses and treatments of bilateral shoulder dislocation as reported in the literature.