BACKGROUND & AIMS: :The physiological responses of potato (Solanum tuberosum L. cv. Folva) to partial root-zone drying (PRD) were investigated in potted plants in a greenhouse (GH) and in plants grown in the field under an automatic rain-out-shelter. In the GH, irrigation was applied daily to the whole root system (FI), or to one-half of the root system while the other half was dried, for 9 d. In the field, the plants were drip irrigated either to the whole root system near field capacity (FI) or using 70% water of FI to one side of the roots, and shifted to the other side every 5-10 d (PRD). PRD plants had a similar midday leaf water potential to that of FI, whereas in the GH their root water potential (Psi(r)) was significantly lowered after 5 d. Stomatal conductance (g(s)) was more sensitive to PRD than photosynthesis (A) particularly in the field, leading to greater intrinsic water use efficiency (WUE) (i.e. A/g(s)) in PRD than in FI plants on several days. In PRD, the xylem sap abscisic acid concentration ([ABA](xylem)) increased exponentially with decreasing Psi(r); and the relative [ABA](xylem) (PRD/FI) increased exponentially as the fraction of transpirable soil water (FTSW) in the drying side decreased. In the field, the leaf area index was slightly less in PRD than in FI treatment, while tuber biomass was similar for the two treatments. Compared with FI, PRD treatment saved 30% water and increased crop water use efficiency (WUE) by 59%. Restrictions on leaf area expansion and g(s) by PRD-induced ABA signals might have contributed to reduced water use and increased WUE.

背景与目标： : 研究了马铃薯 (Solanum tuberosum L. cv. Folva) 对部分根区干燥 (PRD) 的生理响应在温室 (GH) 的盆栽植物和在自动雨淋下在田间种植的植物中进行遮蔽。在GH中，每天对整个根系 (FI) 或根系的一半进行灌溉，而另一半则干燥9 d。在田间，将植物滴灌到整个根系近场容量 (FI) 或使用70% 的FI水到根的一侧，并每5-10 d (PRD) 转移到另一侧。PRD植物的正午叶水势与FI相似，而在GH中，其根水势 (Psi(r)) 在5 d后显着降低。气孔导度 (g(s)) 对PRD比对光合作用更敏感 (a)，尤其是在田间，导致PRD的固有用水效率 (WUE) (即A/g(s)) 比FI工厂在几天内更高。在PRD中，木质部汁液脱落酸浓度 ([ABA](xylem)) 随Psi(r) 的降低呈指数增长; 随着干燥侧可蒸腾土壤水 (FTSW) 的比例降低，相对 [ABA](木质部) (PRD/FI) 呈指数增长。在田间，PRD的叶面积指数略低于FI处理，而两种处理的块茎生物量相似。59% 年，与FI相比，PRD处理可节省30% 水分，提高作物水分利用效率 (WUE)。PRD诱导的ABA信号对叶面积扩张和g(s) 的限制可能有助于减少用水量和增加WUE。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Development of methodologies for gene transfer into the central nervous system (CNS) is important for fundamental research as well as clinical studies for gene therapy. Cationic liposomes (CL) are attractive vectors because of their safety and ease of use. However, to date only low rates of success have been reported. We succeeded in obtaining high transfection efficiencies into the newborn mouse brain in vivo by CL and a cytoplasmic gene expression system based on T7 RNA polymerase and T7 RNA polymerase- and the luciferase-gene with the T7 promoter sequence. This system showed an efficiency rate 2 orders of magnitude higher than the standard system, which used CL and luciferase genes with a Rous sarcoma virus promoter, pRSVL. In addition, in vitro experiments using LLCMK2 cells showed that cytoplasmic gene expression occurred rapidly (within 6 h) after transfection. In contrast, pRSVL required 24-48 h for induction of luciferase expression. Our results suggest that the cytoplasmic gene expression system is useful for gene delivery into the CNS.

背景与目标： 开发将基因转移到中枢神经系统 (CNS) 的方法对于基因治疗的基础研究和临床研究至关重要。阳离子脂质体 (CL) 是有吸引力的载体，因为它们的安全性和易用性。然而，迄今为止，只有低成功率的报道。我们成功地通过CL和基于T7 RNA聚合酶和T7 RNA聚合酶以及具有T7启动子序列的荧光素酶基因的细胞质基因表达系统在体内获得了高转染效率。该系统的效率比标准系统高2个数量级，标准系统使用具有Rous肉瘤病毒启动子pRSVL的CL和荧光素酶基因。此外，使用LLCMK2细胞的体外实验表明，转染后细胞质基因表达迅速 (在6小时内) 发生。相反，pRSVL需要24-48小时才能诱导荧光素酶表达。我们的结果表明，细胞质基因表达系统可用于将基因传递到CNS中。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: :Water-soluble hyperbranched polyamine functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes nanocomposite (WHPA-OMCNT) was successfully prepared and applied to water remediation in this paper. WHPA-OMCNT was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), zeta potential, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) analyses. WHPA-OMCNT exhibited excellent adsorption performance for removal of organic dyes e.g., methylene blue (MB), malachite green (MG) and methyl violet (MV). The equilibrium adsorption capacity was 800.0 mg g-1 for MB, 840.3 mg g-1 for MG and 970.9 mg g-1 for MV under the optimal conditions. The pseudo-second order equation and the Langmuir model exhibited good correlation with the adsorption kinetic and isotherm data for all three pollutants, respectively. The thermodynamic results (ΔG < 0, ΔH < 0, ΔS < 0) implied that the adsorption process of MB, MG and MV was feasible, exothermic and spontaneous in nature. A possible adsorption mechanism has been proposed, where H-bonding, electrostatic attraction and π-π stacking interactions dominated the adsorption of the organic dyes. In addition, the excellent reproducibility endowed WHPA-OMCNT with the potential for application in water treatment.

背景与目标： : 成功制备了水溶性超支化多胺功能化多壁碳纳米管纳米复合材料 (WHPA-ocnt)，并将其应用于水修复。通过傅里叶变换红外光谱 (FTIR)，热重分析 (TGA)，zeta电位，扫描电子显微镜 (SEM) 和透射电子显微镜 (TEM) 分析对whpa-ocnt进行了表征。Whpa-ocnt具有出色的吸附性能，可去除有机染料，例如亚甲基蓝 (MB)，孔雀石绿 (MG) 和甲基紫 (MV)。在最佳条件下，MB的平衡吸附量为800.0  mg g-1，MG的平衡吸附量为840.3  mg g-1，MV的平衡吸附量为970.9  mg g-1。伪二阶方程和Langmuir模型分别与所有三种污染物的吸附动力学和等温线数据具有良好的相关性。热力学结果 (Δ g  <  0，Δ h  <  0，Δ s  <  0) 表明MB，MG和MV的吸附过程是可行的，放热的和自发的。已经提出了一种可能的吸附机制，其中H键，静电吸引和 π-π 堆积相互作用主导了有机染料的吸附。此外，出色的重现性赋予whpa-ocnt在水处理中的应用潜力。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Interferon alpha (IFN-alpha) induces cytogenetic responses of variable degree in patients with CML. We sought to establish the relationship between BCR-ABL transcript numbers measured by competitive two-step reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and cytogenetic status in CML patients treated with IFN-alpha. All 398 samples from 163 patients investigated by RT-PCR were positive for BCR-ABL transcripts. In order to standardize results for variability in RNA and cDNA quality, we quantified total ABL transcripts in each sample as internal control. The BCR-ABL/ABL ratios correlated with the cytogenetic results. Quantitative nested PCR allowed the detection of residual BCR-ABL transcripts in all complete cytogenetic responders on IFN-alpha. We conclude that competitive PCR with internal controls is a reliable method for monitoring patients on IFN-alpha and reduces the need for repeated marrow investigations.

背景与目标： 干扰素 α (IFN-α) 诱导CML患者不同程度的细胞遗传学反应。我们试图建立通过竞争性两步逆转录聚合酶链反应 (rt-pcr) 测量的bcr-abl转录数与接受IFN-α 治疗的CML患者的细胞遗传学状态之间的关系。通过rt-pcr调查的来自163名患者的所有398样品的bcr-abl转录物均为阳性。为了标准化RNA和cDNA质量变异性的结果，我们将每个样品中的总ABL转录本量化为内部对照。Bcr-abl/ABL比值与细胞遗传学结果相关。定量巢式PCR可以检测到IFN-α 上所有完整的细胞遗传学反应中的残留BCR-ABL转录本。我们得出的结论是，带有内部对照的竞争性PCR是一种可靠的方法，用于监测患者的IFN-α，并减少了重复进行骨髓检查的需要。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: OBJECTIVE:The present study evaluates the efficiency of software-generated white blood cell (WBC) "suspect flags" of the hematology analyzers Sysmex SE-9000, Sysmex NE-8000, and Coulter STKS.

DESIGN:Automated WBC differential counts were considered positive if they contained any suspect WBC flag indicating the presence of blasts, myeloid precursor cells, or abnormal lymphocytes. Reference differential counts were performed by microscopic examination of 400 WBCs per sample. After comparison to the reference method, automated differential counts were classified as true-positive, true-negative, false-positive, and false-negative. The flagging efficiency of analyzers was expressed as a percentage of subjects correctly classified.

SPECIMENS:Four hundred sixty-seven blood samples were randomly chosen for comparison analysis from various inpatient and outpatient departments of the Vienna university hospital, Austria.

RESULTS:The efficiency rates of flagging for the presence of > or = 1% abnormal WBCs were 78% (SE-9000), 77% (NE-8000), and 72% (Coulter STKS). The flagging efficiencies were best for samples with normal WBC counts. With regard to the specific suspect flags, the flagging of blast cells was most efficient on all analyzers.

CONCLUSIONS:Our results demonstrate the comparable overall performance of three analyzers, SE-9000, NE-8000, and Coulter STKS. They further underscore the importance of critical interpretation of automated differential counts, because at a detection limit of > or = 1% abnormal WBCs > 20% of samples were not correctly flagged by either analyzer.

背景与目标： 目的 : 本研究评估了血液分析仪Sysmex SE-9000，Sysmex NE-8000和Coulter STKS的软件生成的白细胞 (WBC) “可疑标志” 的效率。
设计 : 如果自动WBC差异计数包含任何可疑的WBC标志，表明存在原始细胞，髓样前体细胞或异常淋巴细胞，则被认为是阳性。参考差异计数通过每个样品400 wbc的显微镜检查进行。与参考方法比较后，自动差异计数分为真阳性，真阴性，假阳性和假阴性。分析仪的标记效率表示为正确分类的受试者的百分比。
标本 : 从维也纳大学医院的各个住院和门诊部门随机选择了467个血液样本进行比较分析，奥地利。
结果 : 标记存在> 或 = 1% 个异常wbc的效率为78% (SE-9000)，77% (NE-8000) 和72% (Coulter STKS)。标记效率对于WBC计数正常的样品最好。关于特定的可疑标志，在所有分析仪上标记原始细胞是最有效的。
结论 : 我们的结果证明了SE-9000，NE-8000和库尔特STKS这三种分析仪的总体性能相当。他们进一步强调了对自动差异计数进行严格解释的重要性，因为在> 或 = 1% 的检测极限下，任何一种分析仪均未正确标记样本的异常wbc> 20%。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: :Various factors, including the phylogenetic distance between laboratory animals and humans, the discrepancy between current in vitro systems and the human body, and the restrictions of in silico modelling, have generated the need for new solutions to the ever-increasing worldwide dilemma of substance testing. This review provides a historical sketch on the accentuation of this dilemma, and highlights fundamental limitations to the countermeasures taken so far. It describes the potential of recently-introduced microsystems to emulate human organs in 'organ-on-a-chip' devices. Finally, it focuses on an in-depth analysis of the first devices that aimed to mimic human systemic organ interactions in 'human-on-a-chip' systems. Their potential to replace acute systemic toxicity testing in animals, and their inability to provide alternatives to repeated dose long-term testing, are discussed. Inspired by the latest discoveries in human biology, tissue engineering and micro-systems technology, this review proposes a paradigm shift to overcome the apparent challenges. A roadmap is outlined to create a new homeostatic level of biology in 'human-on-a-chip' systems in order to, in the long run, replace systemic repeated dose safety evaluation and disease modelling in animals.

背景与目标： : 各种因素，包括实验动物与人类之间的系统发育距离，当前的体外系统与人体之间的差异以及计算机模拟的限制，都需要新的解决方案来解决全球范围内不断增长的难题。物质测试。这篇评论提供了关于这一困境加剧的历史草图，并强调了迄今为止采取的对策的根本局限性。它描述了最近引入的微系统在 “芯片上的器官” 设备中模拟人体器官的潜力。最后，它着重于对旨在模仿 “芯片上的人” 系统中人体全身器官相互作用的第一批设备的深入分析。讨论了它们替代动物急性全身毒性测试的潜力，以及它们无法提供重复剂量长期测试的替代方法。受人类生物学，组织工程和微系统技术的最新发现的启发，这篇评论提出了一种范式转变，以克服明显的挑战。概述了在 “芯片上的人” 系统中创建新的生物稳态水平的路线图，以便从长远来看取代动物的系统重复剂量安全性评估和疾病建模。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: :Multidrug resistance (MDR) is a major obstacle in cancer chemotherapy. The present study aims to investigate whether the ribozyme could reverse MDR in breast carcinoma cells. In this study, two GUC sites (GUC106 and GUC135) on the surface of mdr1 mRNA were selected according to the secondary structure of the 5'-region of mdrl mRNA. The ribozyme gene RZ106 and RZ135 complementary to two sides bases of the target GUC were synthesized and cloned into the plasmid pEGFP -C1 which has EGFP (Enhanced Green Fluorescence Protein) as report gene and Kan/Neo as selection gene. After transfection with the recombinant plasmid and selected by G418, the stable cell clones were produced and used for detection. The alteration of mdr1 mRNA and P-gp in the treated cells was detected by RT-PCR, flow cytometry and Rh123 retention. The reversal efficiency of the drug resistance for adriamycin was determined by MTT assay. The results showed that after transfection with RZ106 and RZ135, the amount of the mdr1 mRNA and P-gp decreased significantly and the efflux function of P-gp was inhibited accordingly. Nine-fold and 16-fold reduction of resistance for adriamycin was observed in the two groups of treated cells. These results suggested that both ribozymes can reverse the MDR phenotype by inhibiting the expression of mdr1 mRNA and P-gp, and the RZ135 showed the better cleavage efficiency. The ribozyme strategy designed according the secondary structure of the target RNA could be a useful therapy for reversal of MDR.

背景与目标： 多药耐药 (MDR) 是癌症化疗的主要障碍。本研究旨在研究核酶是否可以逆转乳腺癌细胞中的MDR。在这项研究中，根据mdrl mRNA的5 '-区的二级结构选择了mdr1 mRNA表面的两个GUC位点 (GUC106和GUC135)。合成了与目标GUC的两个碱基互补的核酶基因RZ106和RZ135，并将其克隆到质粒pEGFP -C1中，该质粒以EGFP (增强绿色荧光蛋白) 为报告基因，以Kan/Neo为选择基因。用重组质粒转染并经G418筛选后，产生稳定的细胞克隆并用于检测。通过rt-pcr，流式细胞术和Rh123保留检测处理的细胞中mdr1 mRNA和P-gp的变化。通过MTT法确定阿霉素耐药性的逆转效率。结果表明，转染RZ106和RZ135后，mdr1 mRNA和P-gp的量显着降低，P-gp的外排功能受到相应的抑制。在两组处理过的细胞中，阿霉素的耐药性降低了9倍和16倍。这些结果表明，两种核酶都可以通过抑制mdr1 mRNA和P-gp的表达来逆转MDR表型，并且RZ135显示出更好的切割效率。根据靶RNA的二级结构设计的核酶策略可能是逆转MDR的有用疗法。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: OBJECTIVE:To determine the efficiency of oocyte cryopreservation relative to IVF with unfrozen oocytes. DESIGN:Meta-analysis. SETTING:Academic assisted reproduction center. PATIENT(S):Results of all reports from January 1997 to June 2005 with the patients undergoing IVF-intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) with cryopreserved cycles between 1996 and 2004 were compared with those of patients who underwent IVF-ICSI with unfrozen oocytes in 2002 and 2003 in our program. INTERVENTION(S):Mean age and number of ET cycles originating from unfrozen oocytes was matched with those for thaw cycles originating from oocytes cryopreserved with a slow-freezing (SF) protocol. Vitrification (VF) reports were not included in the comparative analysis because of a small number of pregnancies (10) before June 2005. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S):The comparison of fertilization rate, clinical pregnancy, and live-birth rates per injected oocyte, clinical pregnancy and live-birth rates per transfer, and implantation rate between IVF-ICSI cycles with frozen and unfrozen oocytes. RESULT(S):Live-birth rates per oocyte thawed were 1.9% and 2.0% for SF and VF, respectively, before June 2005. Live-birth rates per injected oocyte and ET, respectively, were 3.4% and 21.6% for SF and were 6.6% and 60.4% for IVF with unfrozen oocytes. Compared to women who underwent IVF after SF, IVF with unfrozen oocytes resulted in significantly better rates of fertilization (odds ratio [95% confidence interval]); 2.22 (1.80, 2.74), of live birth per injected oocyte; 1.5 (1.26, 1.79), and of implantation; 4.66 (3.93, 5.52). These odds ratios were lower when oocyte cryopreservation success rates from 2002-2004 were compared with those for IVF with unfrozen oocytes. When the reports after June 2005 were considered, this trend did not appear to continue. With the consideration of VF reports after June 2005, however, higher pregnancy rates were achieved. CONCLUSION(S):In vitro fertilization success rates with slow-frozen oocytes are significantly lower when compared with the case of IVF with unfrozen oocytes. Although oocyte cryopreservation with the SF method appears to be justified for preserving fertility when a medical indication exists, its value for elective applications remains to be determined. Pregnancy rates with VF appear to have improved, but further studies will be needed to determine the efficiency and safety of this technique.

背景与目标：

BACKGROUND & AIMS: BACKGROUND:Neuro-ventilatory efficiency (NVE), defined as the tidal volume to electrical diaphragm-activity ratio (VT/EAdi) at the beginning and end of the weaning process after acute hypoxaemic respiratory failure, may provide valuable information about patient recovery. METHODS:This observational study included 12 patients breathing with neurally adjusted ventilatory assist (NAVA). When a spontaneous breathing trial (SBT) with pressure support of 7 cm H2O and PEEP was unsuccessful, NAVA was used and the level was adjusted to obtain an EAdi of ∼60% of maximal EAdi during SBT. VT and EAdi were recorded continuously. We compared changes in NVE between NAVA and SBT at the first failed and first successful SBT. RESULTS:When patients were switched from NAVA to SBT, NVE was significantly reduced during both unsuccessful and successful SBT (-56 and -38%, respectively); however, this reduction was significantly lower when SBT was successful (P=0.01). Between the first and last day of weaning, we observed that NVE decreased with NAVA [40.6 (27.7-89.5) vs 28.8 (18.6-46.7); P=0.002] with a significant decrease in NAVA level, whereas it remained unchanged during SBT [15.4 (10.7-39.1) vs 19.5 (11.6-29.6); P=0.50] with significant increases in both EAdi and VT and no difference in respiratory rhythm. CONCLUSIONS:These results suggest that in patients after respiratory failure and prolonged mechanical ventilation, changes in VT and NVE, between SBTs are indicative of patient recovery. Larger clinical trials are needed to clarify whether changes in NVE reliably predict weaning in patients ventilated with NAVA.

背景与目标：

BACKGROUND & AIMS: :The effects of pre-treatment methods on saccharification and hydrogen fermentation of Chlorella pyrenoidosa biomass were investigated. When raw biomass and biomass pre-treated by steam heating, by microwave heating, and by ultrasonication were used as feedstock, the hydrogen yields were only 8.8-12.7 ml/g total volatile solids (TVS) during dark fermentation. When biomass was pre-treated by steam heating with diluted acid and by microwave heating with diluted acid, the dark hydrogen yields significantly increased to 75.6 ml/g TVS and 83.3 ml/g TVS, respectively. Steam heating with diluted acid is the preferred pre-treatment method of C. pyrenoidosa biomass to improve hydrogen yield during dark fermentation and photofermentation, which is followed by methanogenesis to increase energy conversion efficiency (ECE). A total hydrogen yield of 198.3 ml/g TVS and a methane yield of 186.2 ml/g TVS corresponding to an overall ECE of 34.0% were obtained through the three-stage process (dark fermentation, photofermentation, and methanogenesis).

背景与目标： : 研究了预处理方法对小球藻生物质糖化和氢发酵的影响。当使用通过蒸汽加热，通过微波加热和通过超声处理的原始生物质和生物质作为原料时，在黑暗发酵期间，氢产率仅为8.8-12.7毫升/g总挥发性固体 (TVS)。当通过用稀酸进行蒸汽加热和用稀酸进行微波加热对生物质进行预处理时，暗氢产量分别显著增加至75.6毫升/g TVS和83.3毫升/g TVS。用稀酸蒸汽加热是C. pyrenoidosa生物质的首选预处理方法，以提高黑暗发酵和光发酵过程中的氢产量，随后是甲烷生成以提高能量转化效率 (ECE)。通过三阶段过程 (暗发酵、光发酵和产甲烷) 获得了198.3毫升/g TVS的总氢产率和186.2毫升/g TVS的甲烷产率，对应于34.0% 的总ECE。

BACKGROUND & AIMS: BACKGROUND:Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) is the front-line psychological intervention for step 3 within UK psychological therapy services. Counselling is recommended only when other interventions have failed and its effectiveness has been questioned. METHOD:A secondary data analysis was conducted of data collected from 33,243 patients across 103 Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) services as part of the second round of the National Audit of Psychological Therapies (NAPT). Initial analysis considered levels of pre-post therapy effect sizes (ESs) and reliable improvement (RI) and reliable and clinically significant improvement (RCSI). Multilevel modelling was used to model predictors of outcome, namely patient pre-post change on PHQ-9 scores at last therapy session. RESULTS:Counselling received more referrals from patients experiencing moderate to severe depression than CBT. For patients scoring above the clinical cut-off on the PHQ-9 at intake, the pre-post ES (95% CI) for CBT was 1.59 (1.58, 1.62) with 46.6% making RCSI criteria and for counselling the pre-post ES was 1.55 (1.52, 1.59) with 44.3% of patients meeting RCSI criteria. Multilevel modelling revealed a significant site effect of 1.8%, while therapy type was not a predictor of outcome. A significant interaction was found between the number of sessions attended and therapy type, with patients attending fewer sessions on average for counselling [M = 7.5 (5.54) sessions and a median (IQR) of 6 (3-10)] than CBT [M = 8.9 (6.34) sessions and a median (IQR) of 7 (4-12)]. Only where patients had 18 or 20 sessions was CBT significantly more effective than counselling, with recovery rates (95% CIs) of 62.2% (57.1, 66.9) and 62.4% (56.5, 68.0) respectively, compared with 44.4% (32.7, 56.6) and 42.6% (30.0, 55.9) for counselling. Counselling was significantly more effective at two sessions with a recovery rate of 34.9% (31.9, 37.9) compared with 22.2% (20.5, 24.0) for CBT. CONCLUSIONS:Outcomes for counselling and CBT in the treatment of depression were comparable. Research efforts should focus on factors other than therapy type that may influence outcomes, namely the inherent variability between services, and adopt multilevel modelling as the given analytic approach in order to capture the naturally nested nature of the implementation and delivery of psychological therapies. It is of concern that half of all patients, regardless of type of intervention, did not show reliable improvement.

背景与目标：

BACKGROUND & AIMS: CONTEXT:Hydrogels are promising polymeric network capable of sustaining the release of drug but have a major limitation for encapsulation of hydrophobic drugs. OBJECTIVE:This study was undertaken to encapsulate etoposide in poloxamer 407-based thermosensitive hydrogels with an aim to sustain its release. MATERIALS AND METHODS:Etoposide-loaded hydrogels were prepared by the cold method and optimized for encapsulation efficiency (EE) by a 3(2) factorial design. Poloxamer 407-poloxamer 188 hydrogel (E-P407-P188) and poloxamer 407-poly(ethylene glycol) (E-P407-PEG) hydrogel were characterized for SEM, swelling, sol-gel phase transition and injectability study. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION:In E-P407-P188 hydrogel the EE of 75% could be obtained and in E-P407-PEG hydrogels the EE was 84%. The SEM images showed a porous structure. The release of ETO was sustained up to 48 h by E-P407-PEG hydrogel and 24 h by E-P407-P188 hydrogel. The drug release was governed by first-order kinetics and followed Fickian diffusion mechanism in both the cases. CONCLUSION:Such injectable thermosensitive hydrogel of etoposide could be effectively used for continuous release of drug to the tumor and surrounding tissues.

背景与目标：

BACKGROUND & AIMS: CONTEXT:Diagnostic efficiency is important in daily clinical practice as doctors have to face problems within a limited time frame. To foster the clinical reasoning of students is a major challenge in medical education research. Little is known about students' diagnostic efficiency. On the basis of current theories, scaffolds for case representation (statement of the case as far as it is summarised in the mind) could be a promising approach to make the diagnostic reasoning of intermediate medical students more efficient. METHODS:Clinical case processing of 88 medical students in their fourth and fifth years was analysed in a randomised, controlled laboratory study. Cases dealing with dyspnoea were provided in an electronic learning environment (CASUS). Students could freely choose the time, amount and sequence of clinical information. During the learning phase the intervention group was asked to write down case representation summaries while working on the cases. In the assessment phase diagnostic efficiency was operationalised as the number of correct diagnoses divided by the time spent on diagnosing. RESULTS:Diagnostic efficiency was significantly improved by the representation scaffolding (M = 0.12 [SD = 0.07], M = 0.09 [SD = 0.06] correct cases/time, p = 0.045), whereas accuracy remained unchanged (M = 2.28 [SD = 1.10], M = 2.09 [SD = 1.08], p = 0.52). Both groups screened the same amount of clinical information, but the scaffolding group did this faster (M = 20.8 minutes [SD = 7.15], M = 24.6 minutes [SD = 7.42], p = 0.01; Cohen's d = 0.5). CONCLUSION:Diagnostic efficiency is an important outcome variable in clinical reasoning research as it corresponds to workplace challenges. Scaffolding for case representations significantly improved the diagnostic efficiency of fourth and fifth-year medical students, most likely because of a more targeted screening of the available information.

背景与目标：

BACKGROUND & AIMS: BACKGROUND:Gene therapy has been a hot spot in repair of bone defects in recent years. This study aimed to construct a recombinant plasmid pcDNA3.1-VEGF(165), and to observe the effect of vascular endothelial growth factor 165 (VEGF(165)) gene therapy on bone defects in rabbits. METHODS:Total RNA was extracted from rabbit bone tissues. VEGF(165) cDNA fragment was prepared by reverse transcription and the gene was cloned by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Plasmid pMD18-T/VEGF(165) combined with pcDNA3.1 was cloned to reconstruct pcDNA3.1-VEGF(165) plasmid. Thirty New Zealand white rabbits weighing (2.50 +/- 0.13) kg were used to establish models of bone defects (1 cm in length) of the bilateral radii. The bone defects were repaired with absorbable gelatin sponge. After the operation, physiological sodium chloride solution was injected into the injured site in one of the forelegs of the rabbits as the control group, and pcDNA3.1-VEGF(165) plasmid (0.2 ml, 200 ng) was injected into the opposite foreleg as the experiment groups. At weeks 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 12 after the treatments, the bones were examined by X-ray, and the specimens of the bone defects were collected, stained with HE, and observed under a light microscope. The expression of VEGF(165) mRNA was examined by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RQ-PCR). RESULTS:The pcDNA3.1-VEGF(165) plasmid with a correct sequence was constructed successfully. Postoperative X-ray found no difference between the two groups at week 1. In the experiment group, callus and synostosis were observed after 2 weeks, and osteosis structure was normal at week 12; these phenomena occurred much later in the control group. In the experiment group, HE staining showed a large amount of newly formed blood vessels after 2 weeks, a number of bone trabeculae with osteoblasts proliferation at 4 weeks, and fresh bone cortex and reformed medullary cavity at 12 weeks; whereas in the control group these structures formed in later phases. The VEGF(165) mRNA in the experiment group was expressed at a low level at week 1, reached the peak at weeks 3, and then decreased to a normal level after 6 weeks. CONCLUSIONS:Local use of pcDNA3.1-VEGF(165) plasmid at bone defects can upregulate the expression of VEGF(165) and accelerate the formation of capillaries and the repair of bone defects. Angiogenesis and osteogenesis can be promoted by a combination of pcDNA3.1-VEGF(165) and gelatin sponge.

背景与目标：

BACKGROUND & AIMS: :Nitrification inhibitors (NIs) are used to retard the nitrification process and reduce nitrogen (N) losses. However, the effects of soil properties on NI efficacy are less clear. Moreover, the direct and indirect effects of soil property variations on NI efficiency in minimizing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions have not been previously studied. An incubation experiment was conducted for 40 days with two treatments, N (200 mg N-urea kg-1) and N + dicyandiamide (DCD) (20 mg DCD kg-1), and a control group (without the N) to investigate the response of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and archaea (AOA) to DCD application and the consequences for CO2, nitrous oxide (N2O) and ammonia (NH3) emissions from six soils from the Loess Plateau with different properties. The nitrification process completed within 6-18 days for the N treatment and within 30->40 days for the N + DCD treatment. AOB increased significantly with N fertilizer application, while this effect was inhibited in soils when DCD was applied. AOA was not sensitive to N fertilizer and DCD application. The nitrification rate was positively correlated with the clay (p < 0.05) and SOM contents (p < 0.01); DCD was more effective in loam soil with low SOM and high soil pH. Soil pH significantly was decreased with N fertilizer application, while it increased when DCD was applied. Moreover, DCD application decreased CO2 emissions from soils by 22%-172%; CO2 emissions were negatively correlated with the clay and SOM contents. DCD application decreased N2O emissions in each soil by 1.0- to 94-fold compared with those after N fertilizer application. In contrast, DCD application increased NH3 release from soils by 59-278%. NH3 volatilization was negatively correlated with clay (p < 0.05) and SOM (p < 0.01) contents and positively correlated with soil pH (p < 0.01). Therefore, soil texture, SOM and soil pH have significant effects on the DCD performance, nitrification process and gaseous emissions.

背景与目标： : 硝化抑制剂 (NIs) 用于延缓硝化过程并减少氮 (N) 损失。然而，土壤性质对镍功效的影响尚不清楚。此外，以前尚未研究土壤性质变化对NI效率的直接和间接影响，以最大程度地减少二氧化碳 (CO2) 排放。用N (200 mg N-ure 1千克-1) 和N + 双氰胺 (DCD) (20 mg DCD kg-1) 两种处理进行孵育实验40天，和对照组 (不含N) 研究氨氧化细菌 (AOB) 和古细菌 (AOA) 对DCD施用的响应以及六种土壤中CO2，一氧化二氮 (N2O) 和氨 (NH3) 排放的后果。黄土高原具有不同的性质。硝化过程在N处理的6-18天内完成，在N DCD处理的30->40天内完成。施用氮肥后，AOB显着增加，而施用DCD时，这种作用在土壤中受到抑制。AOA对氮肥和DCD施用不敏感。硝化率与粘土 (p < 0.05) 和SOM含量 (p < 0.01) 呈正相关。DCD在SOM低，土壤pH高的壤土中更有效。施用氮肥后，土壤ph值显着降低，而施用DCD时，土壤ph值升高。此外，施用DCD可使土壤中的CO2排放量降低22%-172%; CO2排放量与粘土和SOM含量呈负相关。与施用氮肥后相比，施用DCD可使每种土壤中的N2O排放量减少1.0至94倍。相反，施用DCD使土壤中的NH3释放增加了59-278%。NH3挥发与粘土 (p < 0.05) 和SOM (p < 0.01) 含量呈负相关，与土壤pH呈正相关 (p <0.01)。因此，土壤质地，SOM和土壤pH对DCD性能，硝化过程和气体排放有显着影响。