Comparison of the efficacy of lamivudine and telbivudine in the treatment of chronic hepatitis B: a systematic review

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Chronic viral hepatitis B remains a global public health concern. Currently, several drugs, such as lamivudine and telbivudine, are recommended for treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis B. However, there are no conclusive results on the comparison of the efficacy of lamivudine (LAM) and telbivudine (LdT) in the treatment of chronic hepatitis B.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>To evaluate the comparison of the efficacy of LAM and LdT in the treatment of chronic hepatitis B by a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials, we searched PUBMED (from 1990 to April 2010), Web of Science (from 1990 to April 2010), EMBASE (from 1990 to April 2010), CNKI (National Knowledge Infrastructure) (from 1990 to April 2010), VIP database (from 1990 to April 2010), WANFANG database (from 1990 to April 2010), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Review. At the end of one-year treatment, LdT was better than LAM at the biochemical response, virological response, HBeAg loss, therapeutic response, while less than at the viral breakthrough and viral resistance, but there was no significant difference in the HBeAg seroconversion and HBsAg response. LdT was better than LAM at the HBeAg seroconversion with prolonged treatment to two years.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>In summary, LdT was superior in inhibiting HBV replication and preventing drug resistance as compared to LAM for CHB patients. But LdT may cause more nonspecific adverse events and can lead to more CK elevation than LAM. It is thus recommended that the LdT could be used as an option for patients but adverse events, for example CK elevation, must be monitored.</p

Expression profiles of five FT-like genes and functional analysis of PhFT-1 in a Phalaenopsis hybrid

Background: Phalaenopsis is an important ornamental flowering plant that belongs to the Orchidaceae family and is cultivated worldwide. Phalaenopsis has a long juvenile phase; therefore, it is important to understand the genetic elements regulating the transition from vegetative phase to reproductive phase. In this study, FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) homologs in Phalaenopsis were cloned, and their effects on flowering were analyzed. Results: A total of five FT-like genes were identified in Phalaenopsis. Phylogenetic and expression analyses of these five FT-like genes indicated that some of these genes might participate in the regulation of flowering. A novel FT-like gene, PhFT-1, distantly related to previously reported FT genes in Arabidopsis and other dicot crops, was also found to be a positive regulator of flowering as heterologous expression of PhFT-1 in Arabidopsis causes an early flowering phenotype. Conclusions: Five FT homologous genes from Phalaenopsis orchid were identified, and PhFT-1 positively regulates flowering

Low Computing Leakage, Wide-Swing Output Compensation Circuit for Linearity Improvement in SRAM Multi-Row Read Computing-in-Memory

To increase the throughput of computing-in-memory (CIM) designs, multi-row read methods have been adopted to increase computation in the analog region. However, the nonlinearity created by doing so degrades the precision of the results obtained. The results of CIM computation need to be precise in order for CIM designs to be used in machine learning circumstances involving complex algorithms and big data sets. In this study, a low computing leakage, wide-swing output compensation circuit is proposed for linearity improvement in such circumstances. The proposed compensation circuit is composed of a current competition circuit (as dynamic feedback of the bitline discharge current), a current mirror (to separate the result capacitor and provide charge current), and an additional pull-down circuit (for better precision in high voltage results). Measurements show that by applying our method, an almost full-swing output with 51.2% nonlinearity decrement compared with no compensation can be achieved. Power consumption is reduced by 36% per round on average and the computing leakage current, after wordlines are deactivated for 1 ns, is reduced to 55% of that when using conventional methods. A figure of merit (FOM) is proposed for analog computing module evaluation, presenting a comprehensive indicator for the computation precision of such designs

Low Computing Leakage, Wide-Swing Output Compensation Circuit for Linearity Improvement in SRAM Multi-Row Read Computing-in-Memory

To increase the throughput of computing-in-memory (CIM) designs, multi-row read methods have been adopted to increase computation in the analog region. However, the nonlinearity created by doing so degrades the precision of the results obtained. The results of CIM computation need to be precise in order for CIM designs to be used in machine learning circumstances involving complex algorithms and big data sets. In this study, a low computing leakage, wide-swing output compensation circuit is proposed for linearity improvement in such circumstances. The proposed compensation circuit is composed of a current competition circuit (as dynamic feedback of the bitline discharge current), a current mirror (to separate the result capacitor and provide charge current), and an additional pull-down circuit (for better precision in high voltage results). Measurements show that by applying our method, an almost full-swing output with 51.2% nonlinearity decrement compared with no compensation can be achieved. Power consumption is reduced by 36% per round on average and the computing leakage current, after wordlines are deactivated for 1 ns, is reduced to 55% of that when using conventional methods. A figure of merit (FOM) is proposed for analog computing module evaluation, presenting a comprehensive indicator for the computation precision of such designs

Expression profiles of five FT-like genes and functional analysis of PhFT-1 in a Phalaenopsis hybrid

Background: Phalaenopsis is an important ornamental flowering plant that belongs to the Orchidaceae family and is cultivated worldwide. Phalaenopsis has a long juvenile phase; therefore, it is important to understand the genetic elements regulating the transition from vegetative phase to reproductive phase. In this study, FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) homologs in Phalaenopsis were cloned, and their effects on flowering were analyzed. Results: A total of five FT-like genes were identified in Phalaenopsis. Phylogenetic and expression analyses of these five FT-like genes indicated that some of these genes might participate in the regulation of flowering. A novel FT-like gene, PhFT-1, distantly related to previously reported FT genes in Arabidopsis and other dicot crops, was also found to be a positive regulator of flowering as heterologous expression of PhFT-1 in Arabidopsis causes an early flowering phenotype. Conclusions: Five FT homologous genes from Phalaenopsis orchid were identified, and PhFT-1 positively regulates flowering

Toxic and Repellent Effects of Volatile Phenylpropenes from Asarum heterotropoides on Lasioderma serricorne and Liposcelis bostrychophila

Toxic and repellent effects of the essential oil from Asarum heterotropoides Fr. Schmidt var. mandshuricum (Maxim.) Kitag. were evaluated against Lasioderma serricorne and Liposcelis bostrychophila. The essential oils (EOs) from roots (ER) and leaves (EL) of A. heterotropoides were obtained separately by hydrodistillation and characterized by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. Major components of ER and EL included methyleugenol, safrole, and 3,5-dimethoxytoluene. Both ER and EL of A. heterotropoides showed certain toxicity and repellency against L. serricorne and L. bostrychophila. 3,5-Dimethoxytoluene, methyleugenol, and safrole were strongly toxic via fumigation to L. serricorne (LC50 = 4.99, 10.82, and 18.93 mg/L air, respectively). Safrole and 3,5-dimethoxytoluene possessed significant fumigant toxicity against L. bostrychophila (LC50 = 0.83 and 0.91 mg/L air, respectively). The three compounds all exhibited potent contact toxicity against the two insect species. Here, the EL of A. heterotropoides was confirmed to have certain toxicity and repellency against stored product insects, providing a novel idea for the comprehensive use of plant resources

Effective mass regulating of α-PbSe under pressure

High pressure is an effective means to optimize the thermoelectric (TE) performance by sharply improving the electrical properties of materials. Studying the carrier effective mass (m*) is a feasible way to uncover the basic reason for superior electrical properties under high pressure. However, it is still difficult to obtain the m* under pressure in experiments. Thus, in this work, the m* of α-PbSe (Fm3̄m) under high pressure is calculated by band dispersion relation based on the density functional theory. It is found that the high pressure decreases m* of α-PbSe, which is the cause for excellent electrical properties. Moreover, the isotropy of m* enhances with the increase in the pressure, which means the high pressure further optimizes the isotropy of the carrier migration in the structure. It is reveled that the higher the pressure, the more beneficial to improve the electrical properties of α-PbSe, thus optimizing the TE performance before the phase transition pressure (4.5 GPa). This work is of great significance for exploring the mechanism of in situ high-pressure TE properties in the future, as well as the prediction and selection of high-performance TE materials under high pressure

Efficacy of Compounds Isolated from the Essential Oil of Artemisia lavandulaefolia in Control of the Cigarette Beetle, Lasioderma serricorne

To develop natural product resources to control cigarette beetles (Lasioderma serricorne), the essential oil from Artemisia lavandulaefolia (Compositae) was investigated. Oil was extracted by hydrodistillation of the above-ground portion of A. lavandulaefolia and analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometer (GC-MS). Extracted essential oil and three compounds isolated from the oil were then evaluated in laboratory assays to determine the fumigant, contact, and repellent efficacy against the stored-products’ pest, L. serricorne. The bioactive constituents from the oil extracts were identified as chamazulene (40.4%), 1,8-cineole (16.0%), and β-caryophyllene (11.5%). In the insecticidal activity assay, the adults of L. serricorne were susceptible to fumigant action of the essential oil and 1,8-cineole, with LC50 values of 31.81 and 5.18 mg/L air. The essential oil, 1,8-cineole, chamazulene, and β-caryophyllene exhibited contact toxicity with LD50 values of 13.51, 15.58, 15.18 and 35.52 μg/adult, respectively. During the repellency test, the essential oil and chamazulene had repellency approximating the positive control. The results indicated that chamazulene was abundant in A. lavandulaefolia essential oil and was toxic to cigarette beetles