RNA interference-mediated inhibition of Hepatitis B Virus replication

Persistent and recurrent infection of hepatitis B virus (HBV) represents one of the most common and severe viral infections of humans, and has caused a formidable health problem in the affected countries. Currently used antiviral drugs have a very limited success on controlling HBV replication and infection. RNA interference (RNAi), a process by which double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) directs sequence-specific degradation of target mRNA in mammalian and plant cells, has recently been used to knockdown gene expression in various species. In this study, we sought to determine whether RNAi-mediated silencing of HBV viral gene expression could lead to the effective inhibition of HBV replication. We first developed RNAi vectors that expressed small interfering RNA (siRNA) and targeted the HBV core or surface gene sequence. Our results demonstrated that these specific siRNAs efficiently reduced the levels of corresponding viral RNAs and proteins, and thus suppressed viral replication. Treatment with siRNA gave the greatest reduction in the levels of HBsAg (92%) and in HBeAg (85%) respectively in the cultured cell medium. Our findings further demonstrated that the RNAi-mediated antiviral effect was sequence-specific and dose-dependent. Therefore, our findings strongly suggest that RNAi-mediated silencing of HBV viral genes could effectively inhibit the replication of HBV, hence RNAi-based strategy should be further explored as a more efficacious antiviral therapy of HBV infection.     

A HEURISTIC PATH-PLANNING METHOD FOR ENHANCING MACHINE-TOOL CONTOUR-FOLLOWING

Nomenclature ki integral action coefficient[s-1]kp speed proportional gain[s-1]kv position proportional gain[s-1]kf feed forward factor of the speed loop[%]M axis mass[kg]V speed[m/s]F driving effort[N]Rc radius of curvature[m]d distance to the apex[m]o lateral offset[m]εcontouring error[m]ωm lowest mechanical resonant frequency[s-1]ζdamping coefficient[-]r inertia ratio[-]μmembership function[-]αcorner angle[rad]x,y horizontal and vertical coordinates[m]?angle to the normal line[rad]1.I…     

MERGING OPTIMALITY CONDITIONS WITH GENETIC ALGORITHM OPERATORS TO SOLVE SINGLE MACHINE TOTAL WEIGHTED TARDINESS PROBLEM

1.Introduction Production sequencing and scheduling is one of the most important activities in production planning and control.Sequencing is defined as the order in which the jobs are processed through the machines.The allocation of machines over time to process a collection of jobs is defined as Scheduling.Several methods have been developed to solve the scheduling problem which can be classified as follows:1)efficient optimal methods,2)implicit and explicit,or complete enumerative methods,a…     

On the Strong Law of Large Numbers for Non-Independent B-Valued Random Variables

This paper investigates some conditions which imply the strong laws of large numbers for Banach space valued random variable sequences. Some generalizations of the Marcinkiewicz- Zygmund theorem and the HoffmannJφrgensen and Pisier theorem are obtained.     

Measurement of Magnetization Curve and Magnetic Relaxation for 2H-NbSe2 Crystals

The characteristics of electronic transport properties: behaviors of magnetization curve and magnetic relaxation of a typical normal superconductor 2H-NbSe2 are investigated. The results show that Tc and △Tc of the samples are 7. 2,0. 18 K, indicating that superconducting energy gap at zero temperature is 1. 1 meV. No fish tail shape is found in the magnetization curves at several temperatures. The relationship between remnant magnetic moment and time reveals that the magnetic flux creep of the sample agrees with the Kim-Anderson thermal activation model with the relaxation rate S=0.000 36 at T=6 K.     

Swelling Studies of Chitosan-Gelatin Films Cross-Linked by Sulfate

0　IntroductionChitosanisadeacetylatedderivativeofchitin ,containinginitsstructure glucosamineandacetylglucosamine joinedthroughβ (1→ 4 )linkages.ItisinsolubleinwaterandcommonorganicsolventsbutsolubleatapHunder 6 .5acidicmedia.Duetoitsexcellentbiodegradableandbiocompatiblecharacter,chi tosanhasbeenexaminedextensivelyinthepharmaceuticalindus tryforitspotentialinthedevelopmentofdrugdeliverysys tems[1 ,2 ] .Gelatinisabiodegradablepolymerofwidesafety ,pro ducedfromcollagen ,themostabundantprote…     

Research on Computing Models of CBR Similarity

Several models of measuring case similarity in CBR systems are deeply explored. We also discuss the case matching process, and present three matching functions. Finally, we illustrate the significance of the models in CBR(Case Based Reasoning) systems implementation.     

Soil Erosion on a Slope without Vegetation： a Simulating Experiment on a Bare Land in Mt. Tanakami

0　IntroductionManystudieshavebeendoneonthesedimentdischargeinMt.Tanakami .Thosestudiesconcerntheamountofsedi mentsandfewdiscussionsabouttheprocessonly .Andthesedi mentyieldmechanismindevastatedslopeinMt.Tanakamiisnotfullyunderstood.Inordertorecordthewholeprocessofsoilero sionfromthebeginningofprecipitation ,totheendofsedimentmovement,asimulatingexperimentbyusingartificialrainiscon ducted .Basedonthisexperiment,andbyfurthercomparingwiththepreviousdataofsedimentsinthisarea,somebasicdataaboutc…     

Testing and Evaluation for Web Usability Based on Extended Markov Chain Model

As the increasing popularity and complexity of Web applications and the emergence of their new characteristics. the testing and maintenance of large, complex Web applications are becoming more complex and difficult. Web applications generally contain lots of pages and are used by enormous users. Statistical testing is an effective way of ensuring their quality. Web usage can be accurately described by Markov chain which has been proved to be an ideal model for software statistical testing. The results of unit testing can b eutilized in the latter stages, wbich is an important strategy for bottom-to-top integration testing, and the other improvement of extended Markov chain model (FMM) is to present the error type vector which is treated as a part of page node. This paper also proposes the algorithm for generating test cases of usage paths. Finally, optional usage reliability evaluation methods and an incremental usability regression testing model for testing and evaluation are presented.     

Systems Thinking and Scenario Planning: Application in the Clothing Sector

Industrial sectors that operate in uncertain environments - with demand variability, product seasonality and different industrialisation structures - need studies that enable identification and forecast trends. Therefore, the development of competitiveness extends beyond a company’s individual performance. Collective action, whether toward consumer markets, supplier markets, competitors and substitutes, can reinforce or help reformulate the current practices of an organisation, besides providing better results in the development of strategies and competitive positioning. Thus, clothing, the sector addressed in this work, is characterised by a long, fragmented, heterogeneous production chain, the competitiveness of which is linked to product differentiation. Therefore, the use of systemic approaches to study this sector is effective. In this sense, this research aims at adapting Systems Thinking and Scenario Planning (STSP) so that it supports the development and planning process in a given sector. Thus, this research applies STSP adapted to an analysis of the clothing sector in the northern region of Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. As a result, in academic terms, this research proposed and validated a method for analysing industrial sectors of the clothing industry. In the sectoral context, this research identified elements that leverage the sector’s competitiveness, besides generating knowledge and learning aimed at strengthening the sectoral structure identified, and fostering the formation of a new clothing cluster.