Study on the Activity of PI3K/AKT, Death Receptor and 14-3-3 Mediated Signaling Pathways Regulating Hepatocyte Apoptosis during Rat Liver Regeneration

Studies have shown that apoptosis is closely related to the rat liver regeneration. To understand the mechanism of hepatocyte apoptosis during rat liver regeneration at the gene transcription level, the Rat Genome 230 2.0 Array was used to determine the expression changes of genes. Then the genes associated with cell apoptosis were searched by GO and NCBI databases, and cell apoptosis signaling pathways were searched by the database of QIAGEN and KEGG. Their signaling activities were calculated by spectral function E(t). The mechanism of hepatocyte apoptosis during rat liver regeneration was analyzed by Ingenuity Pathway Analysis 9.0 (IPA). The results showed that among the 27 signaling pathways regulating cell apoptosis, the E(t) values of Apoptosis signaling pathway and 14-3-3 mediated signaling pathway were significantly increased in the progression phase (6-72h after PH) of rat liver regeneration, and the E(t) values of hepatocyte apoptosis mediated by mitochondria rout were also significantly increased. The E(t) values of death receptor signaling pathway and PI3K/AKT branch of 14-3-3 mediated signaling pathway were significantly increased in the progression phase and the terminal phase (72-168h after PH) of rat liver regeneration, and the E(t) values of hepatocyte apoptosis mediated by cytomembrane route and nucleus route were also significantly increased. Conclusion: PI3K/AKT, death receptor and mitochondria branch played a key role in promoting cell apoptosis during rat liver regeneration

Z0Z_0 Boson Decays to Bc(∗)B^{(*)}_c Meson and Its Uncertainties

The programming new $e^{+}e^-$ collider with high luminosity shall provide another useful platform to study the properties of the doubly heavy $B_c$ meson in addition to the hadronic colliders as LHC and TEVATRON. Under the `New Trace Amplitude Approach', we calculate the production of the spin-singlet $B_c$ and the spin-triplet $B^*_c$ mesons through the $Z^0$ boson decays, where uncertainties for the production are also discussed. Our results show $\Gamma_{(^1S_0)}= 81.4^{+102.1}_{-40.5}$ KeV and $\Gamma_{(^3S_1)}=116.4^{+163.9}_{-62.8}$ KeV, where the errors are caused by varying $m_b$ and $m_c$ within their reasonable regions.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figures, 2 tables. To be published in Eur.Phys.J.

Revisiting the Bs(∗)B^{(*)}_s-Meson Production at the Hadronic Colliders

The production of heavy-flavored hadron at the hadronic colliders provides a challenging opportunity to test the validity of pQCD predictions. There are two mechanisms for the $B^{(*)}_s$ hadroproduction, i.e. the gluon-gluon fusion mechanism via the subprocess $g+g\rightarrow B^{(*)}_s+b+\bar{s}$ and the extrinsic heavy quark mechanism via the subprocesses $g+\bar{b}\to B^{(*)}_s +\bar{s}$ and $g+s\to B^{(*)}_s +b$, both of which shall have sizable contributions in proper kinematic region. Different from the fixed-flavor-number scheme (FFNS) previously adopted in the literature, we study the $B^{(*)}_s$ hadroproduction under the general-mass variable-flavor-number scheme (GM-VFNS), in which we can consistently deal with the double counting problem from the above two mechanisms. Properties for the $B^{(*)}_s$ hadroproduction are discussed. To be useful reference, a comparative study of FFNS and GM-VFNS is presented. Both of which can provide reasonable estimations for the $B^{(*)}_s$ hadroproduction. At the Tevatron, the difference between these two schemes is small, however such difference is obvious at the LHC. The forthcoming more precise data on LHC shall provide a good chance to check which scheme is more appropriate to deal with the $B^{(*)}_s$-meson production and to further study the heavy quark components in hadrons.Comment: 18 pages, 8 figures, 4 tables. To match the published version. To be published in Eur.Phys.J.

Altered CD38 expression in thioacetamide-induced rat model of liver cirrhosis

Master'sMASTER OF SCIENC

J/ψ+c+cˉJ/\psi + c + \bar{c} Photoproduction in e+e−e^+ e^- Scattering

We investigate the $J/\psi$ + c + $\bar{c}$ photoproduction in $e^+ e^-$ collision at the LEP II energy. The physical motivations for this study are: 1) such next-to-leading order(NLO) process was not considered in previous investigations of $J/\psi$ photoproduction in $e^+ e^-$ interaction, and it is worthwhile to do so in order to make sound predictions for experimental comparison; 2) from recent Belle experiment results, the process with same final states at the $B$ factory has a theoretically yet unexplainable large fraction; hence it is interesting to see what may happen at other colliders; 3) the existing LEP data are marginal in observing such process, and at the planed Linear Colliders(LCs) this process can be measured with high accuracy; 4) it is necessary to take this process into consideration in the aim of elucidating the quarkonium production mechanism, especially in testing the universality of NRQCD nonperturbative matrix elements via $J/\psi$ photoproduction in electron-position collisions.Comment: 15 pages, 3 figure

Selecting Resort Locations

[[abstract]]This study examines a comprehensive and objective three-stage method for selecting resort location in Taiwan that maximize competitive advantage. The factors and criteria used in the evaluation model are obtained from an exhaustive literature review and interviews with 16 experts. In the first stage, for which the modified Delphi method is used to identify the evaluation criteria, a survey is performed to rank the relative importance of the 22 criteria identified in the interviews. In the second stage, 19 experts evaluate potential resort locations using a subjective multi-criteria model, the analytical hierarchy process (AHP). The analytical results yield rankings of resorts of the following types: casino resorts, seaside resorts, health/spa resorts and lakeside resorts. In the final stage, a sensitivity analysis is performed to clarify the strength of the various influences on resort selection. The analytical results are used to develop and examine a potential solution.[[journaltype]]國外[[incitationindex]]SSCI[[booktype]]紙本[[countrycodes]]GB

Influence of medium composition on the characteristics of a denitrifying biofilm formed by alcaligenes denitrificans in a fluidised bed reactor

The influence of the ratio carbon/nitrogen and phosphorus concentration on the performance of a biofilm fluidised bed reactor used for denitrification and on the properties of the biofilm was studied. Although the removal efficiencies of C and N reached steady-state values, the thickness of the biofilm steadily increased. The dry density of the biofilm did not seem to be dependent on the loading conditions, although a denser biofilm was obtained when there was no nutrient limitation that corresponded to the complete removal of nitrate and carbon. The composition of the biofilm in terms of proteins and polysaccharides changed with the C/N ratio and P concentrations. Higher denitrifying activities, which were obtained with increasing P concentrations, were related with higher protein content, since metabolism was shifted from polysaccharide production towards cell production. The thickness and the density of the biofilms were related mainly with the shear stress in the reactor and the composition of biofilms was dependent on the composition of the medium and related with higher activities of the microorganisms.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) - PRAXIS XXI . Instituto de Biotecnologia e Química Fina (IBQF)

Assessing impacts of typhoons and the Chi-Chi earthquake on Chenyulan watershed landscape pattern in Central Taiwan using landscape metrics

The Chi-Chi earthquake (M-L = 7.3) occurred in the central part of Taiwan on September 21, 1999. After the earthquake, typhoons Xangsane and Toraji produced heavy rainfall that fell across the eastern and central parts of Taiwan on November 2000 and July 2001. This study uses remote sensing data, landscape metrics, multivariate statistical analysis, and spatial autocorrelation to assess how earthquake and typhoons affect landscape patterns. It addresses variations of the Chenyulan watershed in Nantou County, near the earthquake's epicenter and crossed by Typhoon Toraji. The subsequent disturbances have gradually changed landscape of the Chenyulan watershed. Disturbances of various types, sizes, and intensities, following various tracks, have various effects on the landscape patterns and variations of the Chenyulan watershed. The landscape metrics that are obtained by multivariate statistical analyses showed that the disturbances produced variously fragmented patches, interspersed with other patches and isolated from patches of the same type across the entire Chenyulan watershed. The disturbances also affected the isolation, size, and shape-complexity of patches at the landscape and class levels. The disturbances at the class level more strongly affected spatial variations in the landscape as well as patterns of grasslands and bare land, than variations in the watershed farmland and forest. Moreover, the earthquake with high magnitude was a starter to create these landscape variations in space in the Chenyulan watershed. The cumulative impacts of the disturbances on the watershed landscape pattern had existed, especially landslides and grassland in the study area, but were not always evident in space and time in landscape and other class levels