Abstract INTRODUCTION: Concern regarding the cardiotoxicity of antimalarials has been renewed because of their potential to cause QT/QTc interval prolongation related to torsade de pointes (TdP). Artemisinin-piperaquine (AP) is considered an effective artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) for malaria. METHODS: This study involved a retrospective analysis of clinical data of 93 hospitalized malaria patients who had received AP orally. Electrocardiograms (ECGs) were obtained at specific time points in the original study. RESULTS: Some cases of QT prolongation were observed. However, no TdP was found. CONCLUSIONS: AP may cause QT interval prolongation in some malaria patients but may not lead to TdP.

Gene networks have been broadly used to predict gene functions based on guilt by association (GBA) principle. Thus, in order to better understand the molecular mechanisms of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), our study was designed to use a network-based GBA method to identify the optimal gene functions for ESCC. To identify genomic bio-signatures for ESCC, microarray data of GSE20347 were first downloaded from a public functional genomics data repository of Gene Expression Omnibus database. Then, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between ESCC patients and controls were identified using the LIMMA method. Afterwards, construction of differential co-expression network (DCN) was performed relying on DEGs, followed by gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis based on a known confirmed database and DEGs. Eventually, the optimal gene functions were predicted using GBA algorithm based on the area under the curve (AUC) for each GO term. Overall, 43 DEGs and 67 GO terms were gained for subsequent analysis. GBA predictions demonstrated that 13 GO functions with AUC>0.7 had a good classification ability. Significantly, 6 out of 13 GO terms yielded AUC>0.8, which were determined as the optimal gene functions. Interestingly, there were two GO categories with AUC>0.9, which included cell cycle checkpoint (AUC=0.91648), and mitotic sister chromatid segregation (AUC=0.91597). Our findings highlight the clinical implications of cell cycle checkpoint and mitotic sister chromatid segregation in ESCC progression and provide the molecular foundation for developing therapeutic targets.

Abstract The tube-array structures coupled both with the fluid and the axial load is focused. In a heat exchanger, the tubes are frequently affected by cold and hot fluid shock waves. Thus, tubes are often found to be vibrated and even to be worn out. This vibration may not only alter the performance of the tubes but also introduce the damage in the heat exchanger. In this work, the dynamic properties of coupled tube-array structures with the axial loads are investigated. Futher, the tube-array structures in a heat exchanger, consisting of periodic cooling tubes are also considered to simulate as a coupled periodic structure system. It is found that each tube of the system is weakly coupled to the adjacent tube via water. By using the Galerkin method, the equations of the coupled system with the fluid effect can be derived. Numerical results reveal that the axial load and fluid effects may influence the dynamic properties of a fluid coupled tube-array structures system of a heat exchanger significantly.

Entomopathogenic fungi can produce a series of chitinases, some of which function synergistically with proteases and other hydrolytic enzymes to degrade the insect cuticle. In the present study, the chitinase gene Ifu-chit2 from Isaria fumosorosea was investigated. The Ifu-chit2 gene is 1,435-bp long, interrupted by three short introns, and encodes a predicted protein of 423 amino acids with a 22 residue signal peptide. The predicted Ifu-Chit2 protein is highly homologous to Beauveria bassiana chitinase Bbchit2 and belongs to the glycohydrolase family 18. Ifu-Chit2 was expressed in Escherichia coli to verify chitinase activity, and the recombinant enzyme exhibited activity with a colloidal chitin substrate. Furthermore, the expression profiles of Ifu-chit2 were analyzed at different induction times under in vivo conditions. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis revealed that Ifu-chit2 expression peaked at two days post-induction. The expression of chitinase Ifu-chit2 in vivo suggests that the chitinase may play a role in the early stage of pathogenesis.

The solubility of magnesium minerals and the refractive index of the ternary system MgBr2 + MgSO4 + H2O at 288.15 K were investigated using an isothermal dissolution method. It was found that there are two invariant points in the phase diagram and the solubility isotherm of this ternary system consists of three branches, corresponding to equilibrium crystallization of Epsomite (MgSO4·7H2O, Eps), hexahydrite (MgSO4·6H2O, Hex) and magnesium bromide hexahydrate (MgBr2·6H2O, Mb). Neither solid solutions nor double salts were found. The refractive indices calculated from empirical equation are in good agreement with the experimental data. Combining the results from solubility measurements with the single-salt parameters for MgBr2 and MgSO4, and the mixed ion-interaction parameter θBr,S0(4), the parameter ψMg,Br,S0(4) at 288.15 K was fitted using the Pitzer theory and Harvie-Weare (HW) approach. In addition, the average equilibrium constants of the stable equilibrium solids at 288.15 K were obtained by a method using the activity product constant. A chemical model, which combined the Pitzer parameters and the average equilibrium constants, was constructed to calculate the solid + liquid equilibria in the ternary system MgBr2 + MgSO4 + H2O at 288.15 K. The model agreed well with the equilibrium solubility data for the magnesium salts.