Renal fibrosis is common especially in the elderly population. Recently, we found that vitamin D deficiency caused prostatic hyperplasia. This study aimed to investigate whether vitamin D deficiency promotes renal fibrosis and functional impairment. All mice except controls were fed with vitamin D-deficient (VDD) diets, beginning from their early life. The absolute and relative kidney weights on postnatal week 20 were decreased in VDD diet-fed male pups but not in female pups. A mild pathological damage was observed in VDD diet-fed male pups but not in females. Further analysis showed that VDD-induced pathological damage was aggravated, accompanied by renal dysfunction in 40-week-old male pups. An obvious collagen deposition was observed in VDD diet-fed 40-week-old male pups. Moreover, renal α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), a marker of epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), and Tgf-β mRNA were up-regulated. The in vitro experiment showed that 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 alleviated transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1)-mediated down-regulation of E-cadherin and inhibited TGF-β1-evoked up-regulation of N-cadherin, vimentin and α-SMA in renal epithelial HK-2 cells. Moreover, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 suppressed TGF-β1-evoked Smad2/3 phosphorylation in HK-2 cells. These results provide experimental evidence that long-term vitamin D deficiency promotes renal fibrosis and functional impairment, at least partially, through aggravating TGF-β/Smad2/3-mediated EMT in middle-aged male mice.

Oxygen is known to have a significant impact on the strength of Ti alloys, whereas it can also reduce the ductility substantially. Thus, the usage of oxygen to strengthen Ti is restricted in the industry. In this study, we rekindled the research of oxygen behavior in Ti with the purpose of developing Ti alloys with high strength and suitable ductility by using no expensive and poisonous element. To this end, experiments of producing high performance commercially pure Ti using only oxygen solid solution were carried out. The oxygen element was introduced into the Ti by two different powder metallurgy methods. The microstructural examination and mechanical test were performed for the samples, which indicated a strong hardening effect of oxygen in spite of the processing routes. Most importantly, the results suggested that a high elongation to failure of over 20% can still be obtained in the samples having yield stress over 800 MPa, up to an oxygen content of 0.8 wt%, which is far beyond the previously recognized limit.

The semilocal convergence of a third-order Newton-like method for solving nonlinear equations is considered. Under a weak condition (the so-called γ-condition) on the derivative of the nonlinear operator, we establish a new semilocal convergence theorem for the Newton-like method and also provide an error estimate. Some numerical examples show the applicability and efficiency of our result, in comparison to other semilocal convergence theorems.

The simulation of the northern and southern polar climates for 1979–88 by 14 global climate models (GCMs), using the observed monthly averaged sea-surface temperatures and sea-ice extents as boundary conditions, is part of an international effort to determine the systematic errors of atmospheric models under realistic conditions, the so-called Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project (AMIP), In this study, intercomparison of the models’ simulation of polar climate is discussed in terms of selected surface and vertically integrated monthly averaged quantities, such as sea-level pressure, cloudiness, precipitable water, precipitation and evaporation/sublimation. The results suggest that the accuracy of model-simulated climate features in high latitudes primarily depends on the horizontal resolution and the treatment of physical processes in the GCMs. AMIP offers an unprecedented opportunity for the comprehensive evaluation and validation of current atmospheric models and provides valuable information for model improvement.

Precipitation predictions from globai-climate models (GCMs) for the ice-covered Arctic Ocean and the ice sheets of Antarctica are among the most important aspects of the inferred response of the polar areas to climate change. It is generally recognized that the atmospheric hydrologic cycle, which includes precipitation as a key part, is one of the components of the climate system that GCMs do not handle particularly well.

The present-day atmospheric-moisture budget poleward of 70° latitude in both hemispheres, as represented by two versions of the NCAR (U.S. National Center for Atmospheric Research) community climate model (CCM1 and CCM2), is compared with observational analyses. The quantities examined on the seasonal and annual timescales are precipitation, evaporation/sublimation and atmospheric poleward moisture transport. The results are discussed in terms of the physiographic and climatic characteristics of both polar regions and how the particular models handle moisture transport: CCM1 uses the positive-moisture fixer and CCM2 the semi- Lagrangian transport. A particularly important test both for models and for observations is the degree to which the independently determined moisture-budget quantities actually balance. Deficiencies of both observations and models are discussed.

To evaluate the greatest impact that sea-ice anomalies around Antarctica could have on the global atmosphere, 15 year seasonal cycle simulations are conducted with the U.S. National Center for Atmospheric Research Community Climate Model version 2.1. Sensitivity simulations are performed with the following conditions: (1) all sea ice in the Southern Hemisphere is replaced by year-round open water, but the permanent ice shelves are retained (NSIS); and (2) all sea ice in the Southern Hemisphere and the major ice shelves are removed and replaced by open water (NISH). The results are compared to a standard run (CNT) with boundary conditions set for the present climate. The comparison shows that trains of positive and negative anomalies in zonal-mean fields extend into the tropical latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. Anomalies are largest during April-October. The additional removal of the ice shelves in NISH enhances the response, as zonally averaged anomalies are similar in pattern to those in NSIS but are roughly twice as large poleward of 50° S, and only slightly larger farther north. Anomalies in the eddy fields are found in both hemispheres. in NISH, and to a lesser degree in NSIS. these anomalies appear to be related to a delayed northern advance over China during June of the rain front associated with the summer monsoon. Consequently, precipitation is enhanced in middle and southern China and decreased in northern China. Observational analyses have also found links between Antarctic sea-ice variations and modulations of the East Asian monsoon.

Parkinson's disease (PD) has been proposed to result from the interaction of aging and environment in susceptible individuals. Defective metabolism of debrisoquine, inherited as an autosomal recessive, has been associated with this susceptibility. In 35 PD patients and 19 age-matched controls, no significant differences in debrisoquine metabolism were found, although a trend to impaired metabolism was noted in patients with disease onset ≤40. Foci of PD patients were associated with rural living and well water drinking, or rural living coupled with market gardening or wood pulp mills. In a questionnaire survey, patients with PD onset ≤age 47 were significantly more likely to have lived in rural areas and to have drunk well water than those with onset ≥age 54 (p≤0.01). Because of population mobility in North America, a case-control study designed to test environmental, occupational, dietary and other proposed risk factors for PD was conducted in China, where the population is more stationary and the environment more stable. No significant differences in incidences of head trauma, smoking or childhood measles were found between patients and controls.

Large aperture Nd:phosphate laser glass is a key optical element for an inertial confinement fusion (ICF) facility. N31, one type of neodymium doped phosphate glasses, was developed for high peak power laser facility applications in China. The composition and main properties of N31 glass are given, together with those of LHG-8, LG-770, and KGSS-0180 Nd:phosphate laser glasses, from Hoya and Schott, and from Russia. The technologies of pot melting, continuous melting, and edge cladding of large size N31 phosphate laser glass are briefly described. The small signal gain profiles of N31 glass slabs from both pot melting and continuous melting at various values of the pumping energy of the xenon lamp are presented. N31 glass is characterized by a stimulated emission cross section of $3.8 \times 10^{{-20}}\ \text {cm}^{{2}}$ at 1053 nm, an absorption coefficient of 0.10–0.15% $\text {cm}^{{-1}}$ at laser wavelength, small residual stress around the interface between the cladding glass and the laser glass, optical homogeneity of $\sim $2 $\times $ $10^{{-6}}$ in a 400 mm aperture, and laser damage threshold larger than $42\ \text {J/cm}^{{2}}$ for a 3 ns pulse width at 1064 nm wavelength.

In this work, a visible-light-sensitized neodymium complex with 2-(N,N-diethylanilin-4-yl)-4,6-bis(3,5-dimethylpyrazol-1-yl)-1,3,5-triazine (Dpbt) as a synergetic ligand is synthesized and incorporated into poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). Absorption and luminescent spectra of Nd(TTA)3Dpbt (TTA = thenoyltrifluoroacetonate) in PMMA are measured and compared with common complex Nd(TTA)3Phen (Phen = 1,10-phenanthroline). As a result, Nd(TTA)3Dpbt has relatively high luminescent intensity and wide excited spectral range, attributed to the sensitization of the ligand Dpbt. Judd–Ofelt analysis is used, and Judd–Ofelt parameters are calculated (Ω2 = 33.72 × 10−20 cm2, Ω4 = 11.52 × 10−20 cm2, and Ω6 = 6.81 × 10−20 cm2). The radiative properties are predicted and compared with other different Nd complexes. The stimulated emission cross-section of 4F3/2→4I11/2 transition is 3.02 × 10−20 cm2 and the estimated lifetime is 506 μs using the Judd–Ofelt parameters. Experimental fluorescence branching ratio of this transition is quite high for Nd ions. The radiative properties’ investigation for 4F3/2→4I11/2 transition indicates that it is possible to be a laser transition.

Intense non-thermal radiation spikes were observed prior to energy quench in HT-7 tokamak. The dynamic properties of non-thermal electrons have been analyzed. Observation manifests that some non-thermal electrons are confined in the vicinity of q = 1 magnetic surface which results in hot spot phenomenon just before disruption.

We have fabricated highly resistive materials PrBa2 (Cu1-xMx) 3O7 (M=Al, Ga, x = 0.20) by doping metals Ga and Al on PrBa2Cu3O7(PBCO). X-ray data indicated no significant second phases in substituting Cu by Al or Ga up to 20%.The electrical resistivity of these materials were three to four orders in magnitude higher than PBCO at 200K, which may give an effective potential barrier to YBCO in high Tc S-I-S Josephson junction. Epitaxial thin films of these materials were grown using KrF excimer laser on LAO (110) single crystal substrates. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) were deployed to study the crystal orientation, epitaxy and roughness of the single crystal thin films. Micro Raman spectroscopy was carried out to investigate the dopant site in PBCO.

A 1018 bp fragment of the ACO gene cDNA sequence was cloned from tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) leaves incubated with a pathogen mixture using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) with two PCR primers designed according to the sequence of a tomato cDNA clone (E11). A BLAST search showed the sequence presenting a very high match with the ACO genes in other plants, with 83–99% homology. Using this sequence, an RNA interference (RNAi) transformation vector (pD311) was constructed and transformed into tomato. Twenty-seven regenerated plants with kanamycin resistance were obtained, showing that the transgene was integrated into the tomato genome; this was confirmed by PCR and Southern blotting. Ethylene production by the RNAi transgenic tomato plants was measured by gas chromatography, and showed that ethylene evolution was specifically inhibited in leaves and fruits of the transgenic plants.

The structural gene encoding ApxII toxin (apxIIA) was amplified from the genomic DNA of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (APP) strain HB08 (serotype 2) and cloned into the prokaryotic expression vector pET-28a. SDS-PAGE and Western blot analysis showed that the apxIIA gene was expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) and the expressed products could react with ApxII antibodies. The recombinant ApxIIA was purified from the inclusion bodies. Kunming mice were intraperitoneally vaccinated twice, with an interval of 2 weeks, using unfolded/refolded recombinant proteins, the native ApxII toxin extracted from the cultural supernatant of a strain of APP serotype 7 (APP-7) or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). Serum antibody was examined by ApxIIA-specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) 2 weeks after every vaccination. Two weeks after the second vaccination, mice were challenged intraperitoneally with a lethal dose of APP-7 (1.08 × 108 cfu per mouse). The protection rate reached 91.7% in the native ApxII group, 83.3% in the refolded recombinant protein group and 58.3% in the unfolded recombinant protein group, while all mice in the PBS group died within 36 h after challenge. Our data revealed that the refolded recombinant ApxIIA had excellent immunogenicity and could elicit protection against a lethal challenge of APP.

Eu(DBM)3phen-doped poly(methyl methacryate) (PMMA) with different doping concentration were prepared. The highest doping concentration sample (10000 ppm) was examined by near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM) with a resolution of 50 nm; and the result showed that there were no aggregates larger than 50 nm in the doped polymer. This result was further confirmed by optical properties of the doping material. Concentration quenching was not detected by metastable-state lifetime measurements, indicating that no aggregates existed. According to the fluorescence spectra analysis, the relative intensity ratio (R) of 5D0→7F2 to 5D0→7F1 transition was not shown to be significantly changed with the increasing of Eu3+ content. The analysis reflected that the local structure and asymmetry in the vicinity of europium ions were not changed, and that the Eu3+ ions in PMMA were homogeneously dispersed.

Eu(DBM)3Phen-doped poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) with different doping concentrations was prepared. Judd–Ofelt parameters Ω2 and Ω4 and the fluorescence intensity ratio R were computed from the fluorescence emission spectra and were analyzed. The radiative properties, such as transition probabilities, emission cross section (46.47 × 10−22 cm2), fluorescence branching ratios (90.34%), and radiative lifetime (1.704 ms), reveal that Eu(DBM)3 Phen-doped PMMA has potential use as a laser material.

The scope of Commission 12 has broadened somewhat in recent years, to include not only the structure of the solar atmosphere, but that of the solar interior as well. The scientific purview of this commission, and of the present report, are complementary to those of Commission 10 (solar activity). Rather than attempting to review all progress in solar structure studies over the past triennium, this report deals with six topics of great current interest, in which there is a great deal of current work.