The Liquid Sensor Using Thin Film Bulk Acoustic Resonator with C-Axis Tilted AlN Films

Dual-mode thin film bulk acoustic resonator (TFBAR) devices are fabricated with c-axis tilted AlN films. To fabricate dual-mode TFBAR devices, the off-axis RF magnetron sputtering method for the growth of tilted piezoelectric AlN thin films is adopted. In this report, the AlN thin films are deposited with tilting angles of 15° and 23°. The frequency response of the TFBAR device with 23° tilted AlN thin film is measured to reveal its ability to provide dual-mode resonance. The sensitivities of the longitudinal and shear modes to mass loading are calculated to be 2295 Hz cm2/ng and 1363 Hz cm2/ng with the mechanical quality factors of 480 and 287, respectively. The sensitivities of the longitudinal and shear modes are calculated to be 0 and 15 Hz cm2/μg for liquid loading

The Chitinolytic Activities of Streptomyces sp. TH-11

Chitin is an abundant biopolymer composed of units of N-acetyl-D-glucosamine linked by β-1,4 glycosidic bonds. Chitin is the main component of the shells of mollusks, the cell wall of fungi and yeast and of the exoskeleton of crustaceans and insects. The degradation of chitin is catalyzed by chitinases that occur in a wide range of organisms. Among them, the chitinases from microorganisms are extremely important for the degradation and recycling of the carbon and nitrogen trapped in the large amount of insoluble chitin in nature. Streptomyces sp. TH-11 was isolated from the sediment of the Tou-Chien River, Taiwan. The chitinolytic enzyme activities were detected using a rapid in-gel detection method from the cell-free preparation of the culture medium of TH-11. The chitinolytic enzyme activity during prolonged liquid culturing was also analyzed by direct measurement of the chitin consumption. Decomposition of the exoskeleton of shrimps was demonstrated using electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy

A Study of Three Sectors Employment Effects Resulting from Foreign Direct Investment- Empirical Analysis on the Data from Shanghai

With the development of China's reform policy, China's economy has integrating into the global economy. As a result, more and more foreign capital continues to flow into China. Since 1990, foreign direct investment (FDI) was mainly concentrated in the Yangtze River Delta region, and Shanghai enjoyed strong economic strength, thanks to its abundant human resources and convenient transportation network; as these are excellent qualities for attracting foreign investment, Shanghai became one of the major cities attracting FDI. FDI has had a tremendous impact on many aspects in Shanghai, including employment. Therefore, Shanghai was chosen as the research object of this paper. This paper is organized as follows. Firstly, a theoretical analysis of the employment effects of FDI is presented. Secondly, after combining the actual utilization of FDI and employment in Shanghai, an empirical analysis of the effects of FDI on employment's quantity, employment's distribution and employment quality is carried out by collecting relevant data and establishing regression models. This study finds that while FDI does exert a positive influence on the quantity of employment in Shanghai's tertiary industry, it is not conducive to primary and secondary industries. In addition, FDI has shown positive and negative impacts on the quality of employment. Lastly, some suggestions are proposed to enhance the positive role of FDI on employment

Label-free quantitative proteomics of CD133-positive liver cancer stem cells

Abstract Background CD133-positive liver cancer stem cells, which are characterized by their resistance to conventional chemotherapy and their tumor initiation ability at limited dilutions, have been recognized as a critical target in liver cancer therapeutics. In the current work, we developed a label-free quantitative method to investigate the proteome of CD133-positive liver cancer stem cells for the purpose of identifying unique biomarkers that can be utilized for targeting liver cancer stem cells. Label-free quantitation was performed in combination with ID-based Elution time Alignment by Linear regression Quantitation (IDEAL-Q) and MaxQuant. Results Initially, IDEAL-Q analysis revealed that 151 proteins were differentially expressed in the CD133-positive hepatoma cells when compared with CD133-negative cells. We then analyzed these 151 differentially expressed proteins by MaxQuant software and identified 10 significantly up-regulated proteins. The results were further validated by RT-PCR, western blot, flow cytometry or immunofluorescent staining which revealed that prominin-1, annexin A1, annexin A3, transgelin, creatine kinase B, vimentin, and EpCAM were indeed highly expressed in the CD133-positive hepatoma cells. Conclusions These findings confirmed that mass spectrometry-based label-free quantitative proteomics can be used to gain insights into liver cancer stem cells.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/113089/1/12953_2012_Article_407.pd

LED heat sink and graphite heat sink process technology development with vibration cooling fluid characteristics

This study investigated the heat transfer characteristics of LED heat sink and the development process technology of graphite heat sink with micro-sized metal powders. Employing the reverse engineering technology, the three-dimension LED heat sink entity was rebuilt and the heat transfer characteristics of LED heat sink were analyzed by CFD numerical simulation and experimental measurement. The numerical results were validated with experimental results and it showed a good agreement. The experimental and simulation results showed that the heat dissipation of LED device could be removed by natural convection effectively. The difference between the maximum temperature and minimum temperature of cooling efficiency was 10 oC. For the process technology development of LED graphite heat sink, the graphite powder, metal powder and resin were mixed in specific ratios. The vacuum casting, vacuum pressure casting and rapid die technology were used to manufacture LED graphite heat sink. The experimental results showed that the LED graphite heat sinks developed in this study have advantages of low cost, light weight and attractive appearance as compared with the heat sink of aluminum alloy, and the overall heat transfer capacity is still within acceptable range

SERPINE2, an inhibitor of plasminogen activators, is highly expressed in the human endometrium during the secretory phase

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>SERPINE2, also known as protease nexin-1, belongs to the serine protease inhibitor (SERPIN) superfamily. It is one of the potent SERPINs that modulates the activity of plasminogen activators (PAs). PAs and their SERPIN inhibitors, such as SERPINB2 and SERPINE1, were expressed in the human endometrium and were implicated in implantation. However, expression data about SERPINE2 in the human endometrium is still unknown. Thus, we conducted an investigation to reveal the spatiotemporal and cellular expression of SERPINE2 in the human uterus during the menstrual cycle.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Seven patients who underwent a hysterectomy and samples of 120 archived patients' endometrial curettage or parts of the uterus that were formalin-fixed and embedded in paraffin. Western blotting was performed to evaluate the specificity and sensitivity of the antibody. Immunohistochemistry was conducted to localize the SERPINE2 expression site. Quantitative analysis was conducted to evaluate expression levels of SERPINE2 in various sub-phases of the menstrual cycle.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The SERPINE2 protein was primarily detected in the uterine fluid during the mid- and late-secretory phases of the menstrual cycle. It was predominantly expressed in the luminal and glandular epithelium, less in the myometrium, and only dispersedly in certain stromal cells throughout the menstrual cycle. A quantitative analysis of expression levels of SERPINE2 in the glandular epithelium revealed that it was highly expressed in the endometrium during the secretory phase compared to the proliferative phase.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The SERPINE2 protein is highly expressed in the endometrium during the secretory phase, indicating that it may participate in tissue remodeling involved in implantation.</p

Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cell Protects Kidneys against Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury through Suppressing Oxidative Stress and Inflammatory Reaction

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Reactive oxygen species are important mediators exerting toxic effects on various organs during ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury. We hypothesized that adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADMSCs) protect the kidney against oxidative stress and inflammatory stimuli in rat during renal IR injury.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Adult male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats (n = 24) were equally randomized into group 1 (sham control), group 2 (IR plus culture medium only), and group 3 (IR plus immediate intra-renal administration of 1.0 × 10⁶autologous ADMSCs, followed by intravenous ADMSCs at 6 h and 24 h after IR). The duration of ischemia was 1 h, followed by 72 hours of reperfusion before the animals were sacrificed.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen levels and the degree of histological abnormalities were markedly lower in group 3 than in group 2 (all p < 0.03). The mRNA expressions of inflammatory, oxidative stress, and apoptotic biomarkers were lower, whereas the anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, and anti-apoptotic biomarkers were higher in group 3 than in group 2 (all p < 0.03). Immunofluorescent staining showed a higher number of CD31+, von Willebrand Factor+, and heme oxygenase (HO)-1+ cells in group 3 than in group 2 (all p < 0.05). Western blot showed notably higher NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase 1 and HO-1 activities, two indicators of anti-oxidative capacity, in group 3 than those in group 2 (all p < 0.04). Immunohistochemical staining showed higher glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase activities in group 3 than in group 2 (all p < 0.02)</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>ADMSC therapy minimized kidney damage after IR injury through suppressing oxidative stress and inflammatory response.</p