Simultaneous Determination of Seven Constituents in Herbal Prescription Jaeumganghwa-Tang Using HPLC-PDA

A simple and accurate high-performance liquid chromatographic method was applied to the quantitative analysis of seven components of the traditional herbal prescription Jaeumganghwa-tang (JGT), including 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furaldehyde, albiflorin, paeoniflorin, liquiritin, ferulic acid, nodakenin, and glycyrrhizin. All seven compounds were separated in less than 40 min on a Gemini C18 column at 40°C by gradient elution using 1.0% (v/v) aqueous acetic acid and acetonitrile containing 1.0% (v/v) acetic acid as mobile phase. The flow rate was 1.0 mL/min and the detector was a photodiode array (PDA) set at 230 nm, 254 nm, 280 nm, and 330 nm. The calibration curves showed good linearity (r2 > 0.9998) in different concentration ranges. The recovery of each component was in the range of 91.47–102.62%, with relative standard deviations (RSDs, %) less than 4.5%. The RSDs (%) for intra- and interday precision were 0.06–2.85% and 0.06–2.83%, respectively. The concentrations of the seven components in JGT were in the range 0.74–5.48 mg/g

Decay properties of the heavy-light mesons

We study the decay properties of a heavy-light meson. We reformulate the decay amplitudes for the heavy-light systems and find a new way to calculate decay rates. Applying this formulation, we find a new sum rule for the radiative decays of one heavy-light meson into another, $H_1\to H_2+\gamma$ with various combinations of $H_i$.Comment: an invited talk at "New Frontiers in QCD 2010" held at Kyot

Thermoelectric properties of Al-doped mesoporous ZnO thin films

Al-doped mesoporous ZnO thin films were synthesized by a sol-gel process and an evaporation-induced self-assembly process. In this work, the effects of Al doping concentration on the electrical conductivity and characterization of mesoporous ZnO thin films were investigated. By changing the Al doping concentration, ZnO grain growth is inhibited, and the mesoporous structure of ZnO is maintained during a relatively high temperature annealing process. The porosity of Al-doped mesoporous ZnO thin films increased slightly with increasing Al doping concentration. Finally, as electrical conductivity was increased as electrons were freed and pore structure was maintained by inhibiting grain growth, the thermoelectric property was enhanced with increasing Al concentration. © 2013 Min-Hee Hong et al

Proteins identification of wheat-rye translocation lines by MALDI-TOF-TOF mass spectrometry and ESI-QTOF/MS

OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship between Timed Up and Go (TUG) performance, verbal executive function (EF) performance, and quality-of-life (QOL) measures in Parkinson's disease (PD). DESIGN: Cross-sectional. SETTING: Sixteen movement disorder centers from across the United States. PARTICIPANTS: Patients with PD (N=1964). INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: TUG test, immediate and delayed 5-word recall, verbal fluency, PD QOL Questionnaire. RESULTS: TUG performance and verbal EF performance were significantly associated with, and predictors of, QOL measures, having the greatest association and predictability with the mobility domain of the QOL measures. CONCLUSIONS: The TUG test and verbal EF tests have QOL correlates, making the combined evaluation of mobility, cognitive, and QOL decline a potential examination tool to evaluate the sequelae of PD

Effect of surfactant concentration variation on the thermoelectric properties of mesoporous ZnO

The electrical and thermal conductivities and the Seebeck coefficient of mesoporous ZnO thin films were investigated to determine the change of their thermoelectric properties by controlling surfactant concentration in the mesoporous ZnO films, because the thermoelectric properties of mesoporous ZnO films can be influenced by the porosity of the mesoporous structures, which is primarily determined by surfactant concentration in the films. Mesoporous ZnO thin films were successfully synthesized by using sol-gel and evaporation-induced self-assembly processes. Zinc acetate dihydrate and Brij-76 were used as the starting material and pore structure-forming template, respectively. The porosity of mesoporous ZnO thin films increased from 29% to 40% with increasing surfactant molar ratio. Porosity can be easily altered by controlling the molar ratio of surfactant/precursor. The electrical and thermal conductivity and Seebeck coefficients showed a close correlation with the porosity of the films, indicating that the thermoelectric properties of thin films can be changed by altering their porosity. Mesoporous ZnO thin films with the highest porosity had the best thermoelectric properties (the lowest thermal conductivity and the highest Seebeck coefficient) of the films examined. © 2013 Min-Hee Hong et al

Two-dimensional superconductivity at a Mott-Insulator/Band-Insulator interface: LaTiO3/SrTiO3

Transition metal oxides display a great variety of quantum electronic behaviours where correlations often play an important role. The achievement of high quality epitaxial interfaces involving such materials gives a unique opportunity to engineer artificial structures where new electronic orders take place. One of the most striking result in this area is the recent observation of a two-dimensional electron gas at the interface between a strongly correlated Mott insulator LaTiO3 and a band insulator SrTiO3. The mechanism responsible for such a behaviour is still under debate. In particular, the influence of the nature of the insulator has to be clarified. Here we show that despite the expected electronic correlations, LaTiO3/SrTiO3 heterostructures undergo a superconducting transition at a critical temperature Tc=300 mK. We have found that the superconducting electron gas is confined over a typical thickness of 12 nm. We discuss the electronic properties of this system and review the possible scenarios

Metric for Measuring the Effectiveness of Clustering of DNA Microarray Expression

BACKGROUND: The recent advancement of microarray technology with lower noise and better affordability makes it possible to determine expression of several thousand genes simultaneously. The differentially expressed genes are filtered first and then clustered based on the expression profiles of the genes. A large number of clustering algorithms and distance measuring matrices are proposed in the literature. The popular ones among them include hierarchal clustering and k-means clustering. These algorithms have often used the Euclidian distance or Pearson correlation distance. The biologists or the practitioners are often confused as to which algorithm to use since there is no clear winner among algorithms or among distance measuring metrics. Several validation indices have been proposed in the literature and these are based directly or indirectly on distances; hence a method that uses any of these indices does not relate to any biological features such as biological processes or molecular functions. RESULTS: In this paper we have proposed a metric to measure the effectiveness of clustering algorithms of genes by computing inter-cluster cohesiveness and as well as the intra-cluster separation with respect to biological features such as biological processes or molecular functions. We have applied this metric to the clusters on the data set that we have created as part of a larger study to determine the cancer suppressive mechanism of a class of chemicals called retinoids. We have considered hierarchal and k-means clustering with Euclidian and Pearson correlation distances. Our results show that genes of similar expression profiles are more likely to be closely related to biological processes than they are to molecular functions. The findings have been supported by many works in the area of gene clustering. CONCLUSION: The best clustering algorithm of genes must achieve cohesiveness within a cluster with respect to some biological features, and as well as maximum separation between clusters in terms of the distribution of genes of a behavioral group across clusters. We claim that our proposed metric is novel in this respect and that it provides a measure of both inter and intra cluster cohesiveness. Best of all, computation of the proposed metric is easy and it provides a single quantitative value, which makes comparison of different algorithms easier. The maximum cluster cohesiveness and the maximum intra-cluster separation are indicated by the metric when its value is 0. We have demonstrated the metric by applying it to a data set with gene behavioral groupings such as biological process and molecular functions. The metric can be easily extended to other features of a gene such as DNA binding sites and protein-protein interactions of the gene product, special features of the intron-exon structure, promoter characteristics, etc. The metric can also be used in other domains that use two different parametric spaces; one for clustering and the other one for measuring the effectiveness

Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Mediated Functional Tooth Regeneration in Swine

Mesenchymal stem cell-mediated tissue regeneration is a promising approach for regenerative medicine for a wide range of applications. Here we report a new population of stem cells isolated from the root apical papilla of human teeth (SCAP, stem cells from apical papilla). Using a minipig model, we transplanted both human SCAP and periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) to generate a root/periodontal complex capable of supporting a porcelain crown, resulting in normal tooth function. This work integrates a stem cell-mediated tissue regeneration strategy, engineered materials for structure, and current dental crown technologies. This hybridized tissue engineering approach led to recovery of tooth strength and appearance

Mesenteric panniculitis of the sigmoid colon: a case report and review of the literature

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Mesenteric panniculitis of the sigmoid colon is a rare occurrence in surgical practice. The aim of this article is to present a case of mesenteric panniculitis of the sigmoid colon and a short review of the literature.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>We reviewed the hospital record of a 63-year-old man who presented with a palpable mass in the left abdomen and clinical signs of a partial bowel obstruction. The pre-operative impression was a possible cancer of the sigmoid colon. A laparotomy was performed through a midline incision. The mesentery was found to be markedly thickened, constricted and puckered. The normal architecture of the adipose tissue had been lost and replaced with an irregular nodular mass. The microscopic pathologic sections demonstrated a chronic reactive inflammatory process with an exuberant proliferation of fibroblasts and fibrocytes. The adipose tissue contained scattered areas of steatonecrosis with foci of lipid-laden macrophages, lymphocytes and plasma cells. The sigmoid colon and its mesocolon were resected. The postoperative course was uneventful and the patient was discharged in good condition, and followed up for the next two years.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Mesenteric panniculitis of sigmoid is an extremely rare entity of unknown origin in which the normal architecture of the mesentery is replaced by fibrosis, necrosis and calcification. On gross examination the alterations may be mistaken for a neoplastic process. A frozen section may be necessary for confirmation of the diagnosis. When the advanced inflammatory changes became irreversible and bowel obstruction occurs, resection may be indicated.</p