Effect of Different Groundwater Levels on Seismic Dynamic Response and Failure Mode of Sandy Slope

Heavy seismic damage tends to occur in slopes when groundwater is present. The main objectives of this paper are to determine the dynamic response and failure mode of sandy slope subjected simultaneously to seismic forces and variable groundwater conditions. This paper applies the finite element method, which is a fast and efficient design tool in modern engineering analysis, to evaluate dynamic response of the slope subjected simultaneously to seismic forces and variable groundwater conditions. Shaking table test is conducted to analyze the failure mode and verify the accuracy of the finite element method results. The research results show that dynamic response values of the slope have different variation rules under near and far field earthquakes. And the damage location and pattern of the slope are different in varying groundwater conditions. The destruction starts at the top of the slope when the slope is in no groundwater, which shows that the slope appears obvious whipping effect under the earthquake. The destruction starts at the toe of the slope when the slope is in the high groundwater levels. Meanwhile, the top of the slope shows obvious seismic subsidence phenomenon after earthquake. Furthermore, the existence of the groundwater has a certain effect of damping.     

Effects of cigarette smoke on degranulation and NO production by mast cells and epithelial cells

Exhaled nitric oxide (eNO) is decreased by cigarette smoking. The hypothesis that oxides of nitrogen (NO_X) in cigarette smoke solution (CSS) may exert a negative feedback mechanism upon NO release from epithelial (AEC, A549, and NHTBE) and basophilic cells (RBL-2H3) was tested in vitro. CSS inhibited both NO production and degranulation (measured as release of beta-hexosaminidase) in a dose-dependent manner from RBL-2H3 cells. Inhibition of NO production by CSS in AEC, A549, and NHTBE cells was also dose-dependent. In addition, CSS decreased expression of NOS mRNA and protein expression. The addition of NO inhibitors and scavengers did not, however, reverse the effects of CSS, nor did a NO donor (SNP) or nicotine mimic CSS. N-acetyl-cysteine, partially reversed the inhibition of beta-hexosaminidase release suggesting CSS may act via oxidative free radicals. Thus, some of the inhibitory effects of CSS appear to be via oxidative free radicals rather than a NO_X -related negative feedback.     

自组装海藻酸钠纳米粒在正常小鼠体内分布的研究

目的:研究自组装海藻酸纳米粒(sSAN)在小鼠的体内分布情况,探讨sSAN作为维生素D3药物载体的可行性。方法:用异硫氰基荧光素(FITC)标记sSAN和负载维生素D3的海藻酸纳米粒(sSAN-VD3),将两种标记好的纳米粒分别给予小鼠灌胃,在不同的时间将小鼠处死,分别取血清和肝、肺、肾、脾,各脏器经匀浆后,用荧光分光光度计测定其荧光强度,计算血清和各组织中sSAN和sSAN-VD3的含量。结果:经灌胃给药后在小鼠血清、肝、肾、肺中均检测到上述药物,而脾中没有检测到。给药后0.5h和1h,sSAN-VD3-FITC及sSAN-FITC在肝、肺和血清中的含量持续增加,以1h时达峰值浓度,给药2h、4h后,两种制剂的浓度逐渐降低。在肾脏中的含量随着时间的延长逐渐增加,于2h时达峰值浓度,随后逐渐降低。结论:sSAN及sSAN-VD3经小鼠灌胃给药后均可吸收入血,而且口服吸收后在肝、肺、肾和血清中均有一定的分布。     

Prion Protein Modulates Cellular Iron Uptake: A Novel Function with Implications for Prion Disease Pathogenesis

Converging evidence leaves little doubt that a change in the conformation of prion protein (PrP^C) from a mainly α-helical to a β-sheet rich PrP-scrapie (PrP^Sc) form is the main event responsible for prion disease associated neurotoxicity. However, neither the mechanism of toxicity by PrP^Sc, nor the normal function of PrP^C is entirely clear. Recent reports suggest that imbalance of iron homeostasis is a common feature of prion infected cells and mouse models, implicating redox-iron in prion disease pathogenesis. In this report, we provide evidence that PrP^C mediates cellular iron uptake and transport, and mutant PrP forms alter cellular iron levels differentially. Using human neuroblastoma cells as models, we demonstrate that over-expression of PrP^C increases intra-cellular iron relative to non-transfected controls as indicated by an increase in total cellular iron, the cellular labile iron pool (LIP), and iron content of ferritin. As a result, the levels of iron uptake proteins transferrin (Tf) and transferrin receptor (TfR) are decreased, and expression of iron storage protein ferritin is increased. The positive effect of PrP^C on ferritin iron content is enhanced by stimulating PrP^C endocytosis, and reversed by cross-linking PrP^C on the plasma membrane. Expression of mutant PrP forms lacking the octapeptide-repeats, the membrane anchor, or carrying the pathogenic mutation PrP^102L decreases ferritin iron content significantly relative to PrP^C expressing cells, but the effect on cellular LIP and levels of Tf, TfR, and ferritin is complex, varying with the mutation. Neither PrP^C nor the mutant PrP forms influence the rate or amount of iron released into the medium, suggesting a functional role for PrP^C in cellular iron uptake and transport to ferritin, and dysfunction of PrP^C as a significant contributing factor of brain iron imbalance in prion disorders.     

Metabolic pathway analysis of glycerol metabolism in Klebsiella pneumoniae incorporating oxygen regulatory system

It is well known that environmental and genetic perturbations have major effects on the metabolic behavior of cells. In this work, a model that utilizes existing knowledge of oxygen and redox sensing/regulatory system to assist elementary flux modes (EFMs) has been developed and was carried out to predict the metabolic potential of Klebsiella pneumoniae for the production of 1,3‐propanediol (1,3‐PD) under anaerobic and aerobic conditions. It was found that the theoretical optimal 1,3‐PD yield could reach to 0.844 mol mol^?1 if the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP), and transhydrogenase had a high flux under anaerobic condition. However, PPP had little influence on the theoretical 1,3‐PD yield, and the flux through tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle was high under aerobic conditions. In addition, the effect of oxygen level on the 1,3‐PD and biomass was further analyzed. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 2009     

Simultaneous quantitative assessment of circulating cell-free mitochondrial and nuclear DNA by multiplex real-time PCR

Quantification of circulating nucleic acids in plasma and serum could be used as a non-invasive diagnostic tool for monitoring a wide variety of diseases and conditions. We describe here a rapid, simple and accurate multiplex real-time PCR method for direct synchronized analysis of circulating cell-free (ccf) mitochondrial (mtDNA) and nuclear (nDNA) DNA in plasma and serum samples. The method is based on one-step multiplex real-time PCR using a FAM-labeled MGB probe and primers to amplify the mtDNA sequence of the ATP 8 gene, and a VIC-labeled MGB probe and primers to amplify the nDNA sequence of the glycerinaldehyde-3-phosphate-dehydrogenase (GAPDH) gene, in plasma and serum samples simultaneously. The efficiencies of the multiplex assays were measured in serial dilutions. Based on the simulation of the PCR reaction kinetics, the relative quantities of ccf mtDNA were calculated using a very simple equation. Using our optimised real-time PCR conditions, close to 100% efficiency was obtained from the two assays. The two assays performed in the dilution series showed very good and reproducible correlation to each other. This optimised multiplex real-time PCR protocol can be widely used for synchronized quantification of mtDNA and nDNA in different samples, with a very high rate of efficiency.