Search

Ammonium molybdophosphate(AMP) is a kind of heteropoly salt with strong selectivity and ion exchange capacity for 137Cs. But the small particle size and poor hydromechanical property of AMP, makes it difficult to separate in the later stage. In view of the above problems, AMP was loaded on the expanded perlite to prepare the composite inorganic ion exchange material, and then the adsorption mechanism for Cs+ were characterized by X-ray diffraction(XRD), scanning electron microscopy(SEM), Fourier transforms infrared spectrometer(FTIR) and electron probe microanalyzer(EPMA). These results show that the stable adhesion of AMP on the expanded perlite/AMP composites is a physical process. The adsorption of Cs+ by the composite material reaches the adsorption equilibrium at 120 min. Its maximum saturated adsorption capacity is 13.21 mg/g. The adsorption process conforms to the quasi-second-order kinetic equation(r2=0.99). The isothermal adsorption process conforms to the Langmuir model(r2=0.99), which is a monolayer of chemisorption process with homogeneous adsorption points. The coexisting ions Al3+, Fe3+ and Ni2+ have little effect on the adsorption of Cs+, indicating that the composites have some selectivity for the adsorption separation of Cs+.

The experiment aimed to explore the impact of aerobic exercise on the abundance and function of intestinal microbiota in the small intestine of Tan sheep in fattening period. Sixty female Tan sheep lambs with a weaning weight of (16 ± 2) kg were selected and randomly divided into three groups, with 20 lambs in each group. Tan sheep in the group 1 exercised daily for 8~10 km, Tan sheep in the group 2 exercised daily for 4~6 km, and the Tan sheep in the control group were in the barn. The experiment lasted for 130 days. The results showed that compared to the control group, the number of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) in the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum of Tan sheep in the group 1 increased. Compared to the control group, the relative abundance of Proteobacteria in the duodenum and Actinobacteria in the jejunum of Tan sheep in the group 1 significantly increased (P<0.05), and the relative abundance of Actinobacteria in the ileum of Tan sheep in the group 2 significantly increased (P<0.05). Compared to the control group, the relative abundance of Ruminococcus in the duodenum of Tan sheep in the group 2 significantly decreased (P<0.05), and the abundance of Solobacterium in the duodenum of Tan sheep in the group 1 and group 2 decreased extremely (P<0.01). Compared to the control group, the relative abundance of Bacteroides, Clostridium, and Escherichia-Shigella in the jejunum and ileum of Tan sheep in the group 1 significantly decreased (P<0.05), and the relative abundance of Bacteroides in the jejunum of Tan sheep in the group 2 extremely decreased (P<0.01). The study suggests that daily aerobic exercise of 8~10 km during the fattening period can enhance the diversity of intestinal microbiota in Tan sheep, increase the abundance of beneficial bacteria, reduce the abundance of harmful bacteria, and improve the overall health of the small intestine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Pidgeon magnesium smelting process, magnesium vapor flow and crystallization are the key issues in obtaining high-quality crystalline magnesium. In this study, the flow characteristic of magnesium vapor in the compound vertical retort from the reduction reaction zone to the crystallization zone was examined. The calculation method of flow resistance was given by introducing the concept of conductance in high-temperature rarefied gas. The relationship between flow resistance and the retort inner diameter, retort size, vapor pressure was deduced. It is shown that the crystallization process of magnesium vapor was not only affected by temperature and pressure, but also related to the diameter of the crystallizer. Appropriately reducing the inner diameter of the crystallizer can obtain crystalline magnesium with higher density. The total pressure loss of magnesium vapor in the compound vertical retort from the reaction zone to crystallization zone was about 150 Pa, and the average working pressure in the reaction zone was higher than two order of magnitude. In the early stage of magnesium smelting, when the temperature of part of the pellets was lower than 600 °C, the magnesium vapor moved in the reaction zone in a "condensation-sublimation" manner. As the temperature of the overall pellet rised above 600°C, the flow resistance of magnesium vapor decreased, and it could smoothly enter the crystallizer for crystallization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silicon carbide (SiC) ceramics can be used as inner lining of reduction tank for magnesium smelting. The interfacial reaction between SiC and heat resistant steel was systematically investigated by diffusion couple experiment under vacuum and 1200 °C. The results show that at the early stage of reaction, the main products of interfacial reaction are metal silicide and graphite, and the lamellar graphite distributing at the interface hinders the interfacial reaction. However, due to the melting of silicon-nickel compounds with low melting point at interface, the lamellar graphite is transformed into fibrous graphite under the catalysis of Ni, losing its protective effect on silicon carbide. In addition, the interface reaction changes from solid-solid reaction to solid-liquid reaction, and the interfacial reaction process is accelerated, which accelerates the corrosion of silicon carbide by steel. Compared with heat resistant steel, the interfacial reaction rate between SiC and pure iron is obviously decreased, and the temperature required for the reaction is obviously increased. Reducing Ni content in heat resistant steel can effectively prevent the reaction between heat resistant steel and SiC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

無無

頁次：51-62

Taking three wheat cultivars Jimai 20 (strong gluten), Taishan 23 (medium gluten), and Ningmai 9 (weak gluten) as test materials, a field experiment was conducted to examine the effects of shading at different phases of grain-filling on the grain protein components contents and processing quality. Four treatments were installed, i. e. , no shading (S0), shading at early grain filling phase (from 0 day after anthesis (DAA) to 11 DAA; S1 ), shading at medium grain filling phase (from 12 DAA to 23 DAA; S2), and shading at late grain filling phase (from 24 DAA to 35 DAA; S3). No significant differences were observed in the grain albumin+globulin contents of the three cultivars among the four treatments. Shading increased the grain HMW-GS, LMW-GS, gluten, glutenin, and total protein contents of Jimai 20 and Taishan 23 significantly, and the increments were higher in treatment S2 than in other shading treatments. Treatments S2 and S3 increased the grain protein components contents of Ningmai 9 significantly. Comparing with the control, shading decreased the grain yield significantly, but increased the dough development time, dough stability time, and sedimentation volume, especially for treatment S2, which suggested that the wheat grain quality had a close relationship with the light intensity at medium phase of grain filling. Overall, the regulation effect of shading at grain filling stage on the wheat grain yield, grain protein components contents, and indices values of grain processing quality for the test cultivars was in the order of Jimai 20 > Taishan 23 > Ningmai 9. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A private communication method was proposed based on general synchronization of chaotic systems. The whole private communication system includes two parts: the sender includes two chaotic systems with different structures, but the receiver only consists of a chaotic system. A parameter can be chosen such that not only the two chaotic systems of the sender but also the sender and receiver are in a state of general synchronization. Moreover, the stability of the synchronization manifold can be simplified into the Hurwitz stability. The numerical simulation shows that the method is effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the effects and mechanisms of total saponins of Panax japonicus(TSPJ) against liver injury induced by acetaminophen(APAP). Male Kunming mice were randomly divided into a blank control group, TSPJ group(200 mg·kg~(-1), ig), model group, APAP+ TSPJ low-dose group(50 mg·kg~(-1), ig), APAP+ TSPJ medium-dose group(100 mg·kg~(-1), ig), APAP+ TSPJ high-dose group(200 mg·kg~(-1), ig), and APAP+ N-acetyl-L-cysteine group(200 mg·kg~(-1), ip). The administration group received the corresponding medications via ig or ip once a day for 14 consecutive days. After the last administration for one hour, except for the blank control group and TSPJ group, all groups of mice were given 500 mg·kg~(-1) APAP by gavage. After 24 hours, mouse serum and liver tissue were collected for serum alanine aminotransferase(ALT), aspartate aminotransferase(AST), reactive oxygen species(ROS), tumor necrosis factor alpha(TNF-α), interleukin-1 beta(IL-1β), cyclooxygenase-2(COX-2), IL-6, IL-4, IL-10, as well as lactate dehydrogenase(LDH), glutathione(GSH), superoxide dismutase(SOD), catalase(CAT), total antioxidant capacity(T-AOC), malondialdehyde(MDA), and myeloperoxidase(MPO) liver tissue. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to observe the morphological changes of liver tissue. The mRNA expression levels of lymphocyte antigen 6G(Ly6G), galectin 3(Mac-2), TNF-α, IL-1β, COX-2, IL-6, IL-4, and IL-10 in liver tissue were determined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction(PCR). Western blot was utilized to detect the protein expression levels of Ly6G, Mac-2, extracellular regulated protein kinases(ERK), phosphorylated extracellular regulated protein kinases(p-ERK), COX-2, inhibitor of nuclear factor κB protein α(IκBα), phosphorylated inhibitor of nuclear factor κB protein α(p-IκBα), and nuclear factor-κB subunit p65(NF-κB p65) in cytosol and nucleus in liver tissue. The results manifested that TSPJ dramatically reduced liver coefficient, serum ALT, AST, ROS, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and COX-2 levels, LDH, MPO, and MDA contents in liver tissue, and mRNA expressions of TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 in APAP-induced liver injury mice. It prominently elevated serum IL-4 and IL-10 levels, GSH, CAT, SOD, and T-AOC contents, and mRNA expressions of IL-4 and IL-10 in liver tissue, improved the degree of liver pathological damage, and suppressed neutrophil infiltration and macrophage recruitment in liver tissue. In addition, TSPJ lessened the mRNA and protein expressions of neutrophil marker Ly6G, macrophage marker Mac-2, and COX-2 in liver tissue, protein expressions of p-ERK, p-IκBα, and NF-κB p65 in nuclear, and p-ERK/ERK and p-IκBα/p-IκBα ratios and hoisted protein expression of NF-κB p65 in cytosol. These results suggest that TSPJ has a significant protective effect on APAP-induced liver injury in mice, and it can alleviate APAP-induced oxidative damage and inflammatory response. Its mechanism may be related to suppressing ERK/NF-κB/COX-2 signaling pathway activation, thus inhibiting inflammatory cell infiltration, cytokine production, and liver cell damage.

Objective: Port-wine stains are a kind of dermatological disease of congenital capillary malformation. Based on the biological characteristics of port-wine stains and the advantages of microneedle transdermal administration, we intend to construct a nanodrug co-loaded with rapamycin (RPM), an anti-angiogenesis drug, and photochlor (HPPH), a photosensitizer, and integrate the nanodrug with dissolvable microneedles (MN) to achieve anti-angiogenesis and photodynamic combination therapy for port-wine stains., Methods: First, RPM and HPPH co-loaded nanoparticles (RPM-HPPH NP) were prepared by the emulsification solvent-volatilization method, and its ability to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) was investigated under 660 nm laser irradiation. Mouse hemangioendothelioma endothelial cells (EOMA) were used as the subjects of the study. The cellular uptake behaviors were examined by fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry. The cytotoxicity effects of RPM-HPPH NP with or without 660 nm laser irradiation on EOMA cells were examined by MTT assays (with free RPM serving as the control). Then, hyaluronic acid (HA) dissolvable microneedles loaded with RPM-HPPH NP (RPM-HPPH NP@HA MN) were obtained by compounding the nanodrug with HA dissolvable microneedle system through the molding method. The morphological characteristics and mechanical properties of RPM-HPPH NP@HA MN were investigated by scanning electron microscope and electronic universal testing machine. The penetration ability of RPM-HPPH NP@HA MN on the skin of nude mice was evaluated by trypan blue staining and H&E staining experiment., Results: The RPM-HPPH NP prepared in the study had a particle size of 150 nm and generated large amounts of ROS under laser irradiation. At the cellular level, RPM-HPPH NP was taken up by EOMA cells in a time-dependent manner. The cytotoxicity of RPM-HPPH NP was higher than that of free RPM with or without laser irradiation. Under laser irradiation, RPM-HPPH NP exhibited stronger cytotoxic effects and the difference was statistically significant ( P <0.05). The height of the needle tip of RPM-HPPH NP@HA MN was 600 µm and the mechanical property of a single needle was 0.75048 N. Trypan blue staining and HE staining showed that pressing on the microneedles could produce pores on the skin surface and penetration of the stratum corneum., Conclusion: RPM-HPPH NP@HA MN can deliver RPM-HPPH NP percutaneously to the lesion tissue and realize the synergistic treatment of port-wine stains with anti-angiogenic therapy and photodynamic therapy, providing a new strategy for the construction of nanodrug-loaded microneedle delivery system and the clinical treatment of port-wine stains., Competing Interests: 利益冲突　所有作者均声明不存在利益冲突, (© 2024《四川大学学报（医学版）》编辑部 版权所有Copyright ©2024 Editorial Board of Journal of Sichuan University (Medical Sciences).)

Objective: To investigate the characteristics of delayed high-degree atrioventricular block (DHAVB) after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Methods: One hundred and seventy-six patients who underwent TAVR with a self-extending valve between May 2014 and November 2018 in the Department of Cardiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, were retrospectively enrolled, including 101 males and 75 females, aged 54-92 (73±7) years, and the data were collected during the perioperative and 30 d follow-up periods. According to the occurrence of HAVB after TAVR, 160 patients were divided into no-HAVB group (145 cases) and DHAVB group (15 cases), except 16 patients who developed HAVB within 2 days after TAVR. Baseline data, intraoperative data, and immediate postoperative ECG characteristics were compared between the two groups, and logistic regression models were used to analyze the factors associated with the occurrence of DHAVB after TAVR. Meanwhile, the diagnostic ability of the postoperative routine 12-lead ECG for DHAVB was evaluated using the ambulatory ECG findings as the standard diagnosis. Results: The incidence of DHAVB was 8.5% (15/176) and occurred at 5 (4, 6) d. Compared with the no-HAVB group. The percentage of no new conduction block on the immediate postoperative ECG was lower in the DHAVB group [6/15 vs 66.2%(96/145), P =0.044], and the percentage of new right bundle branch block on the immediate postoperative ECG was higher [4/15 vs 3.4%(5/145), P =0.002]. Multifactorial logistic regression analysis showed that right bundle branch block on the immediate postoperative ECG [ OR (95% CI ):6.60 (1.26-34.47), P =0.025] was an associated factor for the development of DHAVB after TAVR. The specificity of postoperative routine 12-lead ECG for the diagnosis of DHAVB was 100% (145/145), but the sensitivity was only 73.3% (11/15). Conclusions: The incidence of DHAVB after TAVR is also high in Chinese. The immediate postoperative ECG characteristics of patients who underwent TAVR are associated with DHAVB events, and applying these characteristics to risk stratify patients may optimize the management of DHAVB after TAVR.

This study investigated the protective effect of total triterpenoids from Chaenomeles speciosa against Helicobacter pylori(Hp)-induced gastritis in mice and explored its possible mechanism. The chronic atrophic gastritis(CAG) model mice were randomly divided into four groups of model, total triterpenoids from C. speciosa(50 and 100 mg·kg~(-1)) and triple therapy, with C57 BL/6 J mice without Hp infection taken as the normal group. Mice in the treatment groups were given corresponding drugs once a day for 4 weeks. Then the following indexes were detected: the contents of reactive oxygen species(ROS), monocyte chemotactic protein 1(MCP-1), keratinocyte chemokines(KC), TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-18, IL-4 and IL-10 in blood and gastric tissue, the activities and contents of LDH, MPO, SOD, GSH-Px, CAT and MDA in gastric tissue and the activities of β-glucuronidase, β-galactosidase, cathepsins B and D in blood, gastric tissue and lysosome. Besides, the mRNA expression levels of Toll-like receptor 4(TLR4), myeloid differentiation factor 88(MyD88), Bcl-2, Bcl-xl, Bax and Bad in gastric tissue were determined by quantitative real-time PCR. Western blot was employed to detect the protein expression levels of TLR4, MyD88, p-IKKβ, p-IκBα, NOD-like receptor 3(NLRP3), apoptosis-associated speck-like protein(ASC), pro-caspase-1, caspase-1, thioredoxin-interacting protein(TXNIP), pro-IL-1β, pro-IL-18, Bcl-2, Bcl-xl, Bax, Bad, cytochrome C, apoptotic protease-activating factor-1(Apaf-1), pro-caspase-9, pro-caspase-3, cleaved-caspase-9, cleaved-caspase-3, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1(PARP-1), cleaved-PARP-1 and cytosol and nucleus NF-κB p65 in gastric tissue. The results indicated that the total triterpenoids from C. speciosa significantly suppressed Hp proliferation, alleviated the damage to gastric mucosa and improved lymphocyte infiltration and gland atrophy. They were also effective in reducing the activities of β-glucuronidase, β-galactosidase, cathepsins B and D in blood and gastric tissue, elevating the activities of β-glucuronidase and cathepsin D in lysosomal organelles, decreasing the contents of ROS, MCP-1, KC, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-18 in blood, MDA content and MPO and LDH activities in gastric tissue and increasing the contents of IL-4 and IL-10 in blood and activities of SOD, CAT and GSH-Px in gastric tissue. Other phenomena were also observed after the treatment with total triterpenoids from C. speciosa, including the down-regulation of the mRNA and protein expression levels of TLR4, MyD88, Bax and Bad, the protein expression levels of p-IKKβ, p-IκBα, NLRP3, ASC, pro-caspase-1, caspase-1, TXNIP, pro-IL-1β, pro-IL-18, cytochrome C, Apaf-1, cleaved-caspase-9, cleaved-caspase-3, cleaved-PARP-1 and nuclear NF-κB p65, reduction of p-IKKβ/IKKβ and p-IκBα/IκBα ratios and up-regulation of the mRNA and protein expression levels of Bcl-2 and Bcl-xl, up-regulation of pro-caspase-9, pro-caspace-3, cytosol NF-κB p65 protein expression levels and Bcl-2/Bax and Bcl-xl/Bad ratios in gastric tissue. These aforementioned results suggest that the total triterpenoids from C. speciosa have significant protective effects against CAG induced by Hp, and its mechanism may be related to enhancing the function of endogenous antioxidant system, suppressing the oxidative stress and inflammatory reaction induced by Hp, correcting lysosomal dysfunction and inflammatory activation of TLR4/NF-κB/NLRP3 inflammasome signaling pathway and thus inhibiting mitochondria-mediated apoptosis.

Objective: To study the value of using the cardiogenic shock (CS) stages developed by the Society of Cardiovascular Imaging and Intervention (SCAI) in predicting the mortality of CS patients in cardiac intensive care unit (CICU)., Methods: We retrospectively collected (Jan., 2011-Jan., 2018) the information of inpatients who were admitted to the CICU of West China Hospital of Sichuan University on consecutive days, and conducted analysis on those with CS. The patients were divided into groups C, D and E, according to the corresponding SCAI stages, and the primary outcome indicator was in-hospital mortality. Logistic regression was done to determine the association between SCAI staging and in-hospital mortality before and after multivariate adjustment. The receiver operating characteristic curve was used to assess the value of SCAI stages of CS in predicting in-hospital mortality., Results: We studies 839 CS patients who met our inclusion criteria. The proportions of patients of SCAI stages C (Classic), D (Deteriorating), and E (Extremis) were 43.3% (363 cases), 38.7% (325 cases) and 18.0% (151 cases), respectively. The unadjusted in-hospital mortality rates were 22.9% (83 cases), 44.0% (143 cases) and 53.6% (81 cases), respectively ( P <0.001). The SCAI stages had an AUC (area under the curve) of 0.640 for predicting in-hospital mortality among CS patients in CICU. After multivariate adjustment, the AUC increased to 0.776 ( P <0.001). In patients with acute coronary syndrome, the Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) scores had an AUC of 0.644 for predicting in-hospital mortality, while a combination of the GRACE score with SCAI staging yielded an increased AUC of 0.702 ( P <0.001)., Conclusion: In CICU patients with CS, the SCAI stages of CS can be used as a stratified method for rapid assessment of disease risks upon admission. In patients with acute coronary syndrome and CS, SCAI stages combined with GRACE scores improved the ability to predict risks of death., (Copyright© by Editorial Board of Journal of Sichuan University (Medical Sciences).)

The SARS-CoV-2 epidemic starting in Wuhan in December, 2019 has spread rapidly throughout the nation. The control measures to contain the epidemic also produced influences on the transport and treatment process of patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), and adjustments in the management of the patients need to be made at this particular time. AMI is characterized by an acute onset with potentially fatal consequence, a short optimal treatment window, and frequent complications including respiratory infections and respiratory and circulatory failure, for which active on-site treatment is essential. To standardize the management and facilitate the diagnosis and treatment, we formulated the guidelines for the procedures and strategies for the diagnosis and treatment of AMI, which highlight 5 Key Principles, namely Nearby treatment, Safety protection, Priority of thrombolysis, Transport to designated hospitals, and Remote consultation. For AMI patients, different treatment strategies are selected based on the screening results of SARS-CoV-2, the time window of STEMI onset, and the vital signs of the patients. During this special period, the cardiologists, including the interventional physicians, should be fully aware of the indications and contraindications of thrombolysis. In the transport and treatment of AMI patients, the physicians should strictly observe the indications for patient transport with appropriate protective measurements of the medical staff.

This work aimed to observe the effects of short hairpin RNA (shRNA)-silenced FBI-1 (factor that binds to the inducer of short transcripts of human immunodeficiency virus-1) on proliferation and apoptosis of triple-negative breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231. qRT-PCR and Western blot analysis were applied to detect the mRNA and/or protein expression of FBI-1, Bcl-2, Bax, cleaved-Caspase 3 and Survivin. RNA interference method was used to silence FBI-1 expression in MDA-MB-231 cells. CCK-8 and colony formation assay were employed to detect the cell proliferation. Flow cytometry was employed for examining cell apoptosis. In vivo tumorigenicity of MDA-MB-231 cells was detected by tumor transplantation in nude mice. The results showed that the mRNA and protein expressions of FBI-1 were higher in MDA-MB-231 cells compared with those in normal human mammary epithelial cells MCF-10A. FBI-1 gene silencing inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis of MDA-MB-231 cells in vitro, together with decreased Bcl-2 and Survivin protein expression, increased Bax protein expression and activated Caspase 3. Moreover, FBI-1 gene silencing inhibited the tumorigenesis of MDA-MB-231 cells in vivo. These results suggest that silencing of FBI-1 gene inhibits proliferation, induces apoptosis and suppresses the tumorigenesis of MDA-MB-231 cells.

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of using radiomic features for differential diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and hepatic cavernous hemangioma (HHE)., Methods: Gadoxetate disodium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging data were collected from a total of 135 HCC and HHE lesions. The radiomic texture features of each lesion were extracted on the hepatobiliary phase images, and the performance of each feature was assessed in differentiation and classification of HCC and HHE. In multivariate analysis, the performance of 3 feature selection algorithms (namely minimum redundancy-maximum relevance, mRmR; neighborhood component analysis, NCA; and sequence forward selection, SFS) was compared. The optimal feature subset was determined according to the optimal feature selection algorithm and used for testing the 3 classifier algorithms (namely the support vector machine, RBF-SVM; linear discriminant analysis, LDA; and logistic regression). All the tests were repeated 5 times with 10-fold cross validation experiments., Results: More than 50% of the radiomic features exhibited strong distinguishing ability, among which gray level co-occurrence matrix feature S (3, -3) SumEntrp showed a good classification performance with an AUC of 0.72 (P<0.01), a sensitivity of 0.83 and a specificity of 0.57. For the multivariate analysis, 15 features were selected based on the SFS algorithm, which produced better results than the other two algorithms. Testing of these 15 selected features for their average cross-validation performance with RBF-SVM classifier yielded a test accuracy of 0.82∓0.09, an AUC of 0.86∓0.12, a sensitivity of 0.88∓0.11, and a specificity of 0.76∓0.18., Conclusion: The radiomic features based on gadoxetate disodium-enhanced magnetic resonance images allow efficient differential diagnosis of HCC and HHE, and can potentially provide important assistance in clinical diagnosis of the two diseases.

The ICP in closed quartz chamber is an effective solution to local stealth of aircraft. The attenuation of the electromagnetic wave is strongly affected by distribution of electron density in incidence direction. In this paper, an experiment that the planar ICP discharged in all-quartz chamber (30.8 cm×30.8 cm×5.8 cm) was conducted. The E-H mode transition of Ar/Air ICP was observed, and the width and the proportion of ICP area versus the RF power were measured. Such physical phenomena were explained rationally by ICP-source theoretical model. A new microwave diagnostics is presented based on the Hβ spectrum broadening and the characteristics of planar-coil ICP. It is used to diagnose the spatial electron density distribution of Ar/Air in incidence direction. The parameters of electron density distribution function in the incident direction are separately solved by the fitting results of the Hβ stack broadening and microwave interferometer. And the curves of electron density distribution versus RF power are obtained. We obtain a stable ring plasma source with electron density varying from 0.5×1011～3.2×1011 cm-3. The experiment demonstrates that electron density is prominently affected by the RF power and gas species. The peak value of electron density is positioned near the center of ICP. It is shown that the electron density of Ar ICP is higher than the air, but the area of air ICP is larger through comparing the curves of Ar/Air electron density.

The purpose of the present study is to explore the protective effects of sodium butyrate (SB) pretreatment on concanavalin A (Con A)-induced acute liver injury in mice. The model animals were first administered intraperitoneally with SB. Half an hour later, acute liver injury mouse model was established by caudal vein injection with Con A (15 mg/kg). Then, levels of serous alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were measured using standard clinical method by an automated chemistry analyzer, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) were measured by ELISA, and pathological changes in hepatic tissue were observed by using HE staining and light microscopy. The expression and release of high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) were assessed by using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), immunohistochemistry and ELISA. The results showed that the pretreatment of SB significantly protected Con A-treated mice from liver injury as evidenced by the decrease of serum ALT, AST (P < 0.01) and reduction of hepatic tissues necrosis. SB also decreased levels of serous TNF-α and IFN-γ (P < 0.01). Furthermore, the expression and release of HMGB1 were markedly inhibited by SB pretreatment (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). These results suggest that the attenuating effect of SB on Con A-induced acute liver injury may be due to its role of reducing the TNF-α and IFN-γ production, and inhibiting HMGB1 expression and release.

Objective: To investigate the change of Vα24 NKT cells number in peripheral blood and its correlation with the degree of hepatic fibrosis in patients with advanced schistosomiasis., Methods: Thirty-two advanced schistosomiasis patients and 23 healthy persons were included in the study. The percentage of peripheral blood Vα24 NKT cells was determined by flow cytometry. The relevant indicators of liver function were detected by enzyme cycling method. Type-B ultrasound was used to examine the degree of hepatic fibrosis., Results: Flow cytometry showed that the percentage of Vα24 NKT cells in advanced schistosomiasis patients [(0.23±0.09)%] was significantly lower than that of healthy persons [(1.44±0.62)%] (P<0.01). Liver function test showed that the alanine aminotransferase (ALT) [(44.78± 33.42) U/L], γ-glutamyl transpeptidase(γ-GT) [(68.75±57.95) U/L] and total bilirubin (Tbil)[(20.16±11.20) µmol/L] in the patients were significantly higher than those of healthy persons[(18.77±14.19) U/L, (20.20±13.82) U/L, and (11.65α 5.09) µmol/L], respectively (P<0.01, P<0.01, P<0.05). The percentage of Vα24 NKT cells was positively correlated with y-GT (r=0.365, P<0.05), but not significantly correlated with ALT, aspartate transaminase, direct bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, albumin, albumin-globulin ratio (P>0.05). The percentage of Vα24 NKT cells in patients with grades I (5 cases), II (11 cases), and III (16 cases) fibrosis was (0.37±0.02)%, (0.28±0.04)%, (0.15±0.03)%, respectively (P< 0.01). The percentage of Vα24 NKT cells showed a significant negative correlation with the degree of liver fibrosis (r=-0.91, P<0.01)., Conclusion: The percentage of Vα24 NKT cells in peripheral blood decreases with the aggravation of hepatic fibrosis in patients with advanced schistosomiasis.

The conventional parameters such as COD and BOD only could represent information about total organic content. Fluorescence spectrum can display organic composition and it is unique for each sample, so it is referred as "fluorescence fingerprint". In the present study transformation of excitation-emission matrix of municipal wastewater with sewage as major components after aerobic treatment was investigated and then the zones of biodegradable and non-biodegradable organic matters were figured out: the fluorescence at excitation wavelength/emission wavelength of about 280/340 nm and 225/240 nm derived from biodegradable organics and those of the zone of excitation wavelength above 300 nm and the zone of excitation wavelength below 300 nm and emission wavelength above 400 nm were mainly related with non-biodegradable organics. The above-mentioned results indicated that fluorescence fingerprint could be used to evaluate the performance and instruct design and operation of aerobic systems.

Objective: To investigate the clinical features and perioperational managements of craniophayngiomas located in posterior fossa., Methods: Nine patients with craniopharyngioma situated in posterior fossa were included in the study. The clinical manifestations, neuroimage features, operational treatment, and perioperational managments were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS; All tumors associated with big or huge volume, arised from sellar/suprasellar region and extended into posterior fossa. Tumors showed cystic lesions in 2 cases and cystic-solid lesions in 7 cases. Headache was the most common symptoms (6/9), followed by cranial nerve deficit (4/9) and endocrine dysfunction(3/9). The supra- and infra-tentorial approaches were the optimal approaches for removal these tumors (7/9). Cranial nerves deficit was the most common complication in perioperative period. No perioperational death occured, most of the patients showed good recovery during the fellow-up period., Conclusion: Craniophayngiomas in posterior fossa shows different clinical manifestations, radiological features, surgical complications to the tumor in sellar/suprasellar region.

Objective: To investigate the association of plasma homocysteine and OSA (obstructive sleep apnea) syndrome in ischemic stroke (IS)., Methods: A total of 92 male IS patients were classified by apnea hypopnea index (AHI) into 2 groups: non-OSA group (AHI < 5/h) and OSA group (AHI > or = 5). All patients were tested for plasma homocysteine when polysomnography was finished at (14 +/- 2) d after the onset of IS., Results: The mean level of homocysteine was significantly higher in the OSA group than that in the non-OSA group (17 +/- 5 vs 11 +/- 3 micromol/L, P < 0.01). Pearson correlation analysis revealed a positive correlation between the homocysteine level and the severity of AHI (r = 0.482, P < 0.01). Further multiple linear regression analysis showed that AHI and folate were independent predictors of homocysteine level (R2 = 0.553, P < 0.01, beta for AHI = 0.671, beta for folate = -0.256)., Conclusion: The severity of OSA is significantly associated with an elevated level of homocysteine in IS patients. And this association is independent of other causative factors of an elevated level of homocysteine.

This study sought to explore the relationship between the change in ventricular electrical remodeling caused by mechano-electrical feedback and the expression of L-type Ca2+ -channel and/or sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ -ATPase in the rabbits with congestive heart failure (CHF). 138 rabbits were divided into two groups (CHF and control). We measured the ventricular monophasic action potential duration (MAPD) and ventricular effective refractory period (VERP) during ventricular pacing at the stimulus frequency of 220/240/260 bpm in these rabbits. Rapid atrial pacing (260/min) was given for 30 minutes. The MAPD and VERP were measured again. Then ventricular fibrillation was induced by S1S2S3 program stimulation. We extracted the total RNA from the myocardium respectively and detected L-type Ca2+ -channel mRNA and sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ -ATPase mRNA by use of Reverse Transcriptase-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR). In group CHF, with the increasing of preload/afterload, L-type Ca2+ -channel mRNA was up regulated after rapid atrial pacing when compared with that in control groups (P < 0.05). There was no significant change in sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ -ATPase mRNA after rapid atrial pacing when compared with controls (P > or = 0.05). The changes in MAPD90 and VERP were related with the extent of L-type Ca2+ -channel mRNA up regulation. But the changes in MAPD90 and VERP were not significantly related with the extent of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ -ATPase mRNA up regulation. These findings suggest that Mechano-Electrical Feedback could increase the regional changes of ventricular electrical remodeling in rabbits with CHF and so to predispose them to ventricular arrhythmia. The changes may be related with the up regulation of L-type Ca2+ -channel mRNA, but not with sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ -ATPase mRNA.

Objective: To explore the changes in gene expression of bone in endotoxemia in mice., Methods: Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was injected intraperitoneally to reproduce an endotoxemia model in mice. Forty-eight mice were randomly divided into eight groups: normal group, 4, 6, 8, 12, 24, 48 and 72 hours after LPS injection groups, with 6 mice in each group. To evaluate endotoxemia whole blood was collected for leukocytic count, eye sockets blood was obtained for liver and renal functions tests. mRNA expression level of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) in bone was determined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay. The pathological changes of bone and tissue slides were prepared with hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining for observing under microscope., Results: Compared with normal group, leukocyte count of 4-hour LPS-treated group was significantly decreased (P<0.01). However, after 4 hours, leukocyte count became higher gradually and remained at high level at 72 hours compared with that of normal group (P<0.05). Compared with normal group, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level reached to a high level in LPS-treated groups at 4 hours and 6 hours (both P<0.05), and then decreased gradually showing a tendency to return to normal level after 8 hours (P>0.05). Blood urea nitrogen (BUN) was increased at 6 hours (P<0.05), reaching to the highest level at 8 hours (P<0.05) and tended to become normal level after 12 hours (P>0.05). Six hours after LPS treatment, the expression of TLR4 mRNA was enhanced (P<0.01) and reached the peak at 24 hours (P<0.01), and it remained at a high level at 72 hours (P<0.05). However, there were no significant pathological changes in bone structure after LPS treatment., Conclusion: Expression level of TLR4 mRNA in bone is significantly increased in endotoxemia mice.

Objective: To study the efficacy of gentamycin, 0.5% povidone-iodine and 5.0% povidone-iodine in eliminating rate of positive conjunctival bacteria cultures and aqueous humor contamination, and to observe their adverse effects., Methods: It was a comparative study. Three hundred patients (300 eyes) were randomized to three groups: gentamycin group, 0.5% povidone-iodine group and 5.0% povidone-iodine group. All patients received 1-day (6 times) topical application of 0.3% ofloxacin before surgery. Approximately 5 minutes before surgery, the conjunctival sac was irrigated with 5 - 8 ml gentamycin, 0.5% povidone-iodine or 5.0% povidone-iodine, correspondingly. Conjunctival cultures were obtained at the following time points: before receiving any topical medications; after application of 1-day topical 0.3% ofloxacin, before irrigating the conjunctival sac; immediately before surgery approximately 5 minutes after conjunctival sac irrigation and at the end of the surgery. Anterior chamber aspirates were obtained at the beginning of the surgery. Bacteria isolated were identified and antibiotic susceptibility was determined. The rate of positive conjunctival cultures among each group was compared and significance of the difference was tested with the Pearson chi-square test., Results: Rate of positive conjunctival cultures before the conjunctival irrigation was 79.7%, 76.6% and 77.8% in the gentamycin group, 0.5% povidone-iodine group and 5.0% povidone-iodine group, respectively. The difference between these three groups was not statistically significant (chi2 = 0.28, P = 0.86). At the end of surgery, the rate of positive conjunctival cultures in these three groups was 11.7%, 8.3% and 6.3%, respectively. The difference between these three groups was also not statistically significant (chi2 = 1.74, P = 0.41). The average rate of anterior aqueous contamination was 4.9% and there was no significant difference among these three groups (P > 0.05)., Conclusions: Both 0.5% povidone-iodine and 5.0% povidone-iodine using for irrigating conjunctival sac are safe. Gentamycin, 0.5% povidone-iodine and 5.0% povidone-iodine have similar effects on the reduction of the bacteria in conjunctival sac.

Objective: To investigate the application of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) in food-borne outbreak., Methods: Pathogens were isolated and further characteristics identified by traditional methods. The strains isolated were carried out with molecular typing with using PFGE. PFGE was performed by Laboratory Directions for molecular subtyping of Salmonella by PFGE (CDC, USA) and the results of PFGE were analyzed by BioNumerics soft., Results: Totally 14 Salmonella serotype Muenchen strains were isolated from 19 patients, 3 of 9 suspicious foods were positive for S. muenchen and 7 strains were isolated from 18 cooks. The biochemistry characterization and antimicrobial susceptibility of all the strains isolated were the same. 23 S. muenchen isolates were all shown indistinguishable by PFGE., Conclusion: PFGE should play a key role in identifying the outbreak-associated isolates and distinguishing them from unrelated sporadic isolates. It might also demonstrate that the genetic fingerprints of serotype Muenchen isolates derived from patients were indistinguishable from those derived from drinks. PFGE might provide precise information on bacterial food-borne pathogens, promptly identify the source of infection, and effectively prevent from spreading. It should be one of the early warning method on controlling outbreak of the food-borne disease.

Ultrasonic generating trough was applied to study the impact of ultrasonic on conditioning of sewage sludge. There are few ultrasonic generators for sludge treatment specifically, so we designed a double-frequency ultrasonic generating trough which could adjust frequency, energy density and treating time flexibly. In the research characteristics of sewage sludge treated by single-frequency and double-frequency ultrasonic were compared. According to the results, the digestion biogas of the sewage sludge treated by ultrasonic increase obviously, and the digestion biogas increment of the sewage sludge treated by single-frequency is 40.93%, higher than that treated by double-frequency. But the SCOD of the sewage sludge treated by double-frequency is 23.5%, more than that treated by single-frequency.

Objective: To study the the relationship between lymphatic vessel density (LVD) and distal intramural spread (DIS), and evaluate the value of LVD in determining the length of distal resection in low rectal cancer., Methods: Ninety-two samples from patients undergone curative resection of low rectal cancer were studied. DIS was detected by HE stain. LVD was examined by immunohisto-chemical LYVE-1 (lymphatic vessel endothelial hyaluronan receptor). The association of LVD with DIS and other clinicopathological factors were examined., Results: DIS (range 0.1-2.4 cm, mean 0.31 cm) was present in 44(47.8%) patients with low rectal cancer, including 23(52.3%) cases with cancer emboli in lymphatic vessels. LVD of peritumoral lesion was significantly higher than that of intratumoral lesion. LVD of DIS subgroup was significantly higher than that of non-DIS subgroup. Positive correlation was found by rank correlation test between the length of DIS and the LVD at peritumor tissue in DIS group (n=44, r=0.755, P<0.01). LVD was also positively correlated with the infiltration extent, lymphatic invasion and lymph node metastasis., Conclusions: Lymphangiogenesis plays an important role in rectal cancer metastasis and cancer emboli in lymphatic vessels is the most common modality of DIS. The LVD is positively correlated with DIS, which may be helpful to determine the distal clearance length of rectal cancer.

In the present article, the high signal-to-noise ratio surface enhanced Raman spectrum of rat serum was analyzed. To be high efficient substrate of SERS, the novel silver colloid was synthesized by microwave method. The characteristic peaks of the rat Raman spectrum were assigned. The mechanism of "hot spot" which was formed by aggregated silver particles was explained by electromagnetic fields enhancements theory, i. e. the excitation of plasmons in the metallic nanoparticles created greatly enhanced local electromagnetic fields, contributing to the major component of the SERS effect. The field distribution at novel silver aggregates exhibits a dramatic enhancement. These strongly localized fields provide an important mechanism for surface enhanced Raman scattering. The surface enhanced Raman spectrum of low quality of component in rat serum was acquired so that the change of body could be known in time. A new method for acquiring abundant information of macro-biomolecule by spectrum means was brought out. It is hopeful to be a novel technique to diagnose diseases in the early stage with serum.

The sequestration of CO2 and carbonation process for the stabilization of fresh fly ash from municipal solid waste (MSW) incinerator were investigated. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the influence of fundamental parameters affecting the stabilization of heavy metal of Pb and diffusivity and reactivity of CO2 (i. e. the water content and concentration of CO2). In addition, the major physical and chemical changes in fly ash after carbonation were investigated using XRD and SEM. It shows that 10% or more water content added to fly ash could remarkably accelerate the sequestration of CO2, compared with control samples without water. The sequestration of CO2 is not remarkable within 1 day in the air atmosphere for low content of CO2 (0.03%). The XRD analysis indicates that CO2 could combine Ca(OH)2 to form CaCO3 and CO2 could also combine heavy metal oxides to form heavy metal carbonate (i.e. from PbO4 to PbCO3). Aggregates of crystals of sheet and cylinder can be observed by SEM.

To assess the changes of sarcolemma Na+/K+ ATPase (CMNKA) and sarcoplasmic reticulum membrane Ca2+ ATPase (SERCA) activities after stem cells transplantation in heart failure. Rabbit was used as heart failure model by intravenously injecting adriamycin. Autologous bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMCs), bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) or skeletal myoblasts (SMs) were introduced into coronary arteies through the root of aorta when two balloons occluding just above sinus of Valsalva. After 4 weeks, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF)was evaluated by echocardiography, and the activities of CMNKA and SERCA were measured by colorimeter. In BMCs (n=8)and MSCs (n=8) group, LVEF were significantly improved (P < 0.05). No significant improvement were seen in SMs group (n=6) compared to sham group (n=8). The CMNKA activity in all stem cells groups was significantly increased compared to sham group (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, in comparison with sham group, the incremental tendencies of SERCA activity were seen in stem cells groups. In conclusion, stem cells transplantation could increase the activities of CMNKA and SERCA in heart failure, a possible mechanism to improve heart function.

To investigate the feasibility of introcoronary cell infusion into nonischemic heart failure (HF) heart and whether different types of stem cell transplantation would affect heart function to a similar degree. Japanese white ears rabbits were used as HF models by intravenous injection adriamycin. Autologous bone marrow mononuclear cells(BMCs), bone marrow stromal cells (MSCs), skeletal myoblasts (SMs) or culture medium were infused into coronary arteries respectively by occluding the root of ascending aorta. The mortality during and 4 weeks after the procedure the mortality was 7.1% and 16.7% respectively. After 4 weeks, the ejection fraction (EF) in BMCs group had significant improvement (P < 0.05, n=8). No significant difference was seen in MSCs (n =8), SMs (n=6) and sham groups (n=8) compared with pretransplantation (P > 0.05). In sham group,the left ventricular endostolic diameter (LVED) had significant enlargement (P < 0.05), No significant difference was seen in MBCs, MSCs and SMs groups compared with pretransplantation (P > 0.05). Immunofluorescence revealed de novo expression of cardiac troponin I in BMCs and MSCs groups, cardiac troponin I was not detected in SMs group. In conclusions, intracoronary cell transplantation could provide effective cell delivery into dilated cardiomyopathy hearts and could be a useful strategy for treating CHF, BMCs cell transplantation may be the first choice in all the above cell types.

Objective: To assess the clinical effects of posterior continuous curvilinear capsulorhexis with optic capture of the posterior chamber intraocular lens in pediatric cataract., Methods: Fifty-one cases (83 eyes) received posterior continuous curvilinear capsulorhexis with optic capture of the posterior chamber intraocular lens. Preoperative and postoperative visual acuity and refractive error were recorded. Intraoperative and postoperative complications were observed. The follow-up period was from 6 to 36 months., Results: Implantation of optic capture of the posterior chamber intraocular lens was successfully performed in 75 eyes (90.4%). The mean postoperative best corrected distant visual acuity achieved 0.5 or better in 75 eyes (48.0%). No eyes with optic capture were found optic axis opaque. The major complications of optic capture were anterior chamber fibrous exudation, iris posterior synechia and lenticular precipitates., Conclusion: Optic capture of the posterior chamber intraocular lens is safe and effective in the treatment of pediatric cataract to posterior continuous curvilinear capsulorhexis especially in the prevention of secondary opacification from the visual axis.

Stem cells transplantation is a promising strategy for treating myocardial infarction and/or chronic heart failure; however, with respect to nonischemic heart failure, there are some limitations inherent in the current methods of transplantation. In this study, we investigated the feasibility of a novel method, i. e. transplantation through the root of aorta when the ascending aorta occluded above the sinus aortae. Japanese white ears rabbits were used as chronic heart failure models by intravenous injection of adriamycin. Autologous bone marrow mononuclear cells (MNC) were infused into the root of aorta when the ascending aorta was occluded by a couple of balloons above the sinus aortae. After 4 weeks, ejection fraction was significantly improved in MNC group. In conclusion, we have developed a unique method for efficient and safe cell transplantation based on infusion in aorta. This method, potentially suitable for nonischemic heart failure and could be used to achieve even and global supply of cells in heart.

Differences in physiology and gene expression between ATHK1 knock-out mutant caused by T-DNA insertion and wild type (WT) of WS accession of Arabidopsis thaliana were analysed. Water loss ratio of detached leaf of ATHK1-mutant was obviously higher than that of WT. After being treated with 30% PEG-6000, ion leakage ratio of cell membrane in wild type leaves was 50% higher than that before PEG treatment, while in mutant leaves it increased 80%. The wilted phenotype of ATHK1-mutant after PEG treatment for 48 h was higher than that of WT. All these results showed that ATHK1-mutant was more sensitive to osmotic stress compared to WT and ATHK1 involved in osmotic stress adaptation. Differential-Display Reverse Transcription-PCR (DDRT-PCR) analysis was carried out to investigate the difference of gene expression between ATHK1-mutant and WT. Nine differential cDNA fragments involved in stress adaptation were identified, including the MAPKKK18 and serine/threonine protein kinase genes. These fragments were up-regulated by PEG treatment in WT, but not in ATHK1-mutant. These results indicate that ATHK1 plays an important role up-stream from MAPK in the osmotic stress signal transduction pathway. ATHK1 may be working as a plant osmosensor.

The white light diffuse reflection spectra of 57 kinds of Chinese herbal medicines were measured. Each of these spectra has some characteristics feature individually different from others. The spectra of those Chinese herbal medicines, whose medicinal sections are above ground (growing under sunlight), have a larger absorption peak in the region 650-690 nm than those under ground and inside herbal medicine body (growing isn't under sunlight, for example, the seeds). It was demonstrated that the white light diffuse reflection spectrum may be used to examine or distinguish Chinese herbal medicines as additional method and to control cultivation or growth of some Chinese herbal medicines.

A novel coronavirus (SARS-coronavirus, SARS-CoV) was discovered as the pathogen of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). According to studies with other coronaviruses, the membrane protein (M protein) is the main structural protein and the recombinant M protein may be useful as an antigen for detecting antibodies against coronavirus and for preparing vaccine. In this work, the M protein of SARS-CoV was expressed in E. coli as fusion protein with maltose binding protein at N-terminus and MxeGyrA intein CBD at C-terminus. The recombinant protein was identified by Western blot and mass spectrometry. The soluble parts of the cell crude extract were then partially purified by MBP affinity chromatography. The purified protein will be used for the studies on M protein's structure and the development of diagnostic method of SARS.