Based on a comparison between the oxygen isotope records of benthic and plank tonic foraminifers from core 8KL of the South China Sea and sea-level change records derived from the Huon Peninsula, New Guinea, it is fou...Based on a comparison between the oxygen isotope records of benthic and plank tonic foraminifers from core 8KL of the South China Sea and sea-level change records derived from the Huon Peninsula, New Guinea, it is found that both records are very similar from 72 K a B.P. to the present, especially for the benthic oxygen isotope record. The linear regression shows that δ18O changes (0.9995‰ for benthic foraminifers and 1.022‰ for planktonic foraminifers) are equal to 100 m in sea-level fluctuation. After making temperature correction in the δ18O record of benthic foraminifers from 72 to 120 Ka B.P., the curve of sea-level oscillation of the South China Sea since 186 Ka B.P. has been reconstructed. The lowermost sea - level that occurred in the last glacial maximum and oxygen isotope stage 6 is approximately - 130 m.展开更多
Objective:To investigate the levels of zinc-α-2-glycoprotein(ZAG) among Omani AIDS patients receiving combined antiretroviral therapy(cART).Methods:A total of 80 Omani AIDS patients(45 males and 33 females),average a...Objective:To investigate the levels of zinc-α-2-glycoprotein(ZAG) among Omani AIDS patients receiving combined antiretroviral therapy(cART).Methods:A total of 80 Omani AIDS patients(45 males and 33 females),average age of 36 vears.who were receiving cART at the Saltan Qaboos University Hospital(SQUH).Muscat,Oman,were tested for the levels of ZAG.In addition,SO healthy blood donors(46 males and 34 females),average age of 26 years,attending the SOUH Blood Bank,were tested in parallel as a control group.Measurement of the ZAG levels was performed using a competitive enzyme—linked immunosorbent assay and in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.Results:The ZAG levels were found to he significantly higher among AIDS patients compared to the healthy individuals(P=0.033).A total of 56(70%) of the AIDS patients were found to have higher levels of ZAG and 16(20%) AIDS patients were found to have high ZAG levels,which are significantly(P>0.031) associated with weight loss.Conclusions:ZAG levels are high among Omani AIDS patients on cART and this necessitales the measurement of ZAG on routine basis,as it is associated with weight loss.展开更多
Objective To evaluate whether the effects of HMG - CoA reductase inhibitors on patients with hyperlipidemia are closely related to baseline lipid levels. Methods The data analyzed originated from 3 separate multicente...Objective To evaluate whether the effects of HMG - CoA reductase inhibitors on patients with hyperlipidemia are closely related to baseline lipid levels. Methods The data analyzed originated from 3 separate multicenter clinical trials with similar designs during 1994 to 1999. 166 patients with mean age 58. 9±9. 2 years were involved in Simvastatin Clinical Trial with simvastatin 10 mg once daily for 8 weeks. 146 patients with mean age 57. 9±8. 7years were involved in Lovastatin Clinical Trial with lovastatin 20 mg once daily for 8 weeks. 105 patients with mean age 57. 8±9. 3 years were involved in Atorvastatin Clinical Trial with atorvastatin 10 mg once daily for 6 weeks. Baseline total cholesterol (TC) was more than 5. 98 mmol. L - 1, and baseline triglyceride (TG) was less than 4. 52 mmo. L - 1. The patients were grouped by baseline lipid levels. Results The higher the baseline TC, low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL - C) and TG levels were, the more effective the simvastatin, lovastatin, or atorvastatin was in reducing serum TC, LDL - C, and TG, respectively. A positive linear correlation was found between baseline values and effects of simvastatin, lovastatin, or atorvastatin in reducing serum TC, LDL - C, and TG, respectively. Conclusion The changes of reduction on serum lipid with HMG - CoA reductase inhibitors in patients with hyperlipidemia were influenced by baseline lipid levels.展开更多
An accurate and objective assessment of the health status of EMU trains is of great importance.In order to make sure the trains are functional,reliable,and endurable in their full life cycle(FLC),health assessment met...An accurate and objective assessment of the health status of EMU trains is of great importance.In order to make sure the trains are functional,reliable,and endurable in their full life cycle(FLC),health assessment method for EMU trains after Level 3-5 maintenance and repair is studied.First,the element-selection principles and the assessment rules are defined;second,to present the complex topological relationship between the elements in assessment,a functional logical structure construction method is proposed;third,a health value calculation model is defined based on the element’s characteristics and their logical structures.The health variables of each element is calculated and fitted following the steps in the corresponding weight calculation methods.The assessment method is proved to be applicable and effective.展开更多
Based on the structure of chute - feed and autoleveHer, an analysis of their working principle and the verification of their practical production results have been carried out. Finally, the future investigation direet...Based on the structure of chute - feed and autoleveHer, an analysis of their working principle and the verification of their practical production results have been carried out. Finally, the future investigation direetiom of chute - feed and card autuleveller are put forward.展开更多
AIM To evaluate the prognostic significance of perioperative carcinoembryonic antigen(CEA) and carbohydrate antigen 19-9(CA19-9) levels in stage Ⅱ/Ⅲ gastric cancer.METHODS From a multi-institutional retrospective da...AIM To evaluate the prognostic significance of perioperative carcinoembryonic antigen(CEA) and carbohydrate antigen 19-9(CA19-9) levels in stage Ⅱ/Ⅲ gastric cancer.METHODS From a multi-institutional retrospective database compiled by integrating clinical data from nine institutions, data of 998 patients who underwent curative resection for stage Ⅱ/Ⅲ gastric cancer between 2010 and 2014 were retrieved and analyzed. The prognostic impact of the preoperative and postoperative levels and chronological changes in CEA, CA19-9 and their combination were evaluated. To test whether postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy alters the prognostic impact of perioperative CEA and CA19-9 levels, the hazard ratios for mortality were compared between patients who underwent surgery alone and patients who underwent surgery followed by adjuvant chemotherapy.RESULTS The prognostic impact of postoperative CEA and CA19-9 was superior to that of the preoperative levels. Multivariable analysis identified high postoperative CEA and CA19-9 levels as independent prognostic factors for overall survival.Disease-free survival rates clearly decreased in a stepwise manner in association with postoperative CEA and CA19-9 levels, and patients with high levels of both markers showed significantly poorer prognosis than other patient groups. When we analyzed perioperative changes in serum CEA and CA19-9 levels, patients with high levels before and after surgery had the worst disease-free survival rates among all patient groups. Patients with normalized CEA levels after surgery had a significantly lower disease-free survival rate than those with normal perioperative levels, whereas patients with normalized CA19-9 levels after surgery had equivalent survival to those with normal perioperative levels. The prognostic impact of high CEA levels was observably smaller in patients who underwent adjuvant chemotherapy than in patients who underwent surgery alone, whereas that of high CA19-9 was greater in patients who underwent adjuvant chemotherapy. High postoperative CEA levels were significantly associated with an increased prevalence of liver, lung and bone recurrences, and high postoperative CA19-9 levels were significantly associated with increased frequencies of lymph node and liver recurrences.CONCLUSION The evaluation of serum CEA and CA 19-9 levels both before and after surgery provides useful information for precise risk stratification after curative gastrectomy.展开更多
The novel Coronavirus Disease (nCOVID-19) is a highly contagious viral infection which emerged as “Pneumonia of Unknown Etiology” at Hubei province of Wuhan city in China. The health authorities provided a considera...The novel Coronavirus Disease (nCOVID-19) is a highly contagious viral infection which emerged as “Pneumonia of Unknown Etiology” at Hubei province of Wuhan city in China. The health authorities provided a considerable empirical evidence after this outbreak and it was notified that the causative virus, named Novel Coronavirus (subsequently SARS-CoV-2) is the culprit for progressively exerting grim effects not only on individual patients but also on the International public health, with high mutational tendencies. WHO declared nCOVID-19 as a Pandemic on 11<sup>th</sup> March 2020. The spike glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2 plays a pivotal role in the entry of virus into the cell and it further interacts with ACE-II receptors which are widely distributed on the human cell surface especially on alveolar type II cells (AT-2) and endothelium. The mortality in nCOVID-19 patients is usually preceded by acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) because of the cytokine storm. Advanced molecular biology and regenerative sciences renders a breakthrough in the treatment of severely ill nCOVID-19 patients with Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs). Autologous or allogenic MSCs attenuate cytokine storm, improvise lung compliance, regulate inflammatory response, maintain functional alveoli microenvironment, promote endogenous regeneration and repair with no or minimal side effects. MSCs are naturally resistant to this novel Coronavirus. Even though it is corroborated with evidences from current clinical trials and pilot study, we emphasize the need for conducting more clinical trials with ethical consideration to prove the efficacy and safety of MSCs in combating nCOVID-19 infection and its complications.展开更多
Taking the 13-point smoothed monthly sunspot number,Ri, and the deviation of the 13 associated monthly sunspot numbers from the smoothed one, Di, as a number-pair describing the global level of sunspot activity, the e...Taking the 13-point smoothed monthly sunspot number,Ri, and the deviation of the 13 associated monthly sunspot numbers from the smoothed one, Di, as a number-pair describing the global level of sunspot activity, the evolution of the level is statistically studied for the period from the month which is just 48 months before the minimum to the minimum in the descending phase, using the observed data of Solar Cycles 10 to 22. Our results show （1） for 46 months （94%） of the studied 49 months it is found that for a given month, the distribution of the 13 pairs which come from the 13 solar cycles on a log Ri - Di plane may be fitted by a straight line with a correlation coefficient larger than the critical one at confidence level a = 5%, and for 36 months （73%） the fitting is even better, for a = 1%; （2） time variations of these two parameters and their correlations in the studied period can be described respectively by functions of time, whose main trends may be expressed by a linear or simple curvilinear function; （3） the evolutionary path of the level of sunspot activity may be represented by a logarithmic function as log/~ = 0.704 lnDi - 0.291.展开更多
Level set methods are widely used for predicting evolutions of complex free surface topologies,such as the crystal and crack growth,bubbles and droplets deformation,spilling and breaking waves,and two-phase flow pheno...Level set methods are widely used for predicting evolutions of complex free surface topologies,such as the crystal and crack growth,bubbles and droplets deformation,spilling and breaking waves,and two-phase flow phenomena.This paper presents a characteristic level set equation which is derived from the two-dimensional level set equation by using the characteristic-based scheme.An explicit finite volume element method is developed to discretize the equation on triangular grids.Several examples are presented to demonstrate the performance of the proposed method for calculating interface evolutions in time.The proposed level set method is also coupled with the Navier-Stokes equations for two-phase immiscible incompressible flow analysis with surface tension.The Rayleigh-Taylor instability problem is used to test and evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.展开更多
The high-spin states in <sup>197</sup>Bi are studied with the <sup>197</sup>Re(<sup>16</sup>O, 6n) reaction, theenergies of <sup>16</sup>O being between 85 and 105 MeV. ...The high-spin states in <sup>197</sup>Bi are studied with the <sup>197</sup>Re(<sup>16</sup>O, 6n) reaction, theenergies of <sup>16</sup>O being between 85 and 105 MeV. In-beam measurements of γ-ray excitation func-tions, γ-γ-t coincidences and γ-ray angular distributions are performed with six BGO （AC）HPGe detectors and one intrinsic Ge planar detector. Eleven new transitions and three new iso-mers at 2089, 2357 and 1968+△keV with T<sub>1/2</sub>=19, 34±4, 9, 53, 4±20. 5 and 18. 04±3. 1 ns,respectively, are observed, and a level scheme established. In addition, a half-life of 36. 7±7.0 ns was determined for the first time for the previously established 2065 keV isomer.展开更多
Backround: The English literature contains very few reports on disc herniation at upper thoracic levels. This report presents a patient with T1-2 disc herniation who underwent successful surgery. Case Presentation: A ...Backround: The English literature contains very few reports on disc herniation at upper thoracic levels. This report presents a patient with T1-2 disc herniation who underwent successful surgery. Case Presentation: A 47-year-old female presented that the right T1 root was compressed by foraminal disc herniation at the T1-2 level. Conclusion: The anterior approach is an easy and appropriate method to treat central and foraminal disc herniation of the thoracic spine.展开更多
基金Project 49206062 funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China
文摘Based on a comparison between the oxygen isotope records of benthic and plank tonic foraminifers from core 8KL of the South China Sea and sea-level change records derived from the Huon Peninsula, New Guinea, it is found that both records are very similar from 72 K a B.P. to the present, especially for the benthic oxygen isotope record. The linear regression shows that δ18O changes (0.9995‰ for benthic foraminifers and 1.022‰ for planktonic foraminifers) are equal to 100 m in sea-level fluctuation. After making temperature correction in the δ18O record of benthic foraminifers from 72 to 120 Ka B.P., the curve of sea-level oscillation of the South China Sea since 186 Ka B.P. has been reconstructed. The lowermost sea - level that occurred in the last glacial maximum and oxygen isotope stage 6 is approximately - 130 m.
基金Supported by the Research Council of the Sultanate of Oman(RC/MED/MICR/11/01)the College of Medicine and Health Sciences,Sultan Qaboos University(Internal-Grant/2013).Oman
文摘Objective:To investigate the levels of zinc-α-2-glycoprotein(ZAG) among Omani AIDS patients receiving combined antiretroviral therapy(cART).Methods:A total of 80 Omani AIDS patients(45 males and 33 females),average age of 36 vears.who were receiving cART at the Saltan Qaboos University Hospital(SQUH).Muscat,Oman,were tested for the levels of ZAG.In addition,SO healthy blood donors(46 males and 34 females),average age of 26 years,attending the SOUH Blood Bank,were tested in parallel as a control group.Measurement of the ZAG levels was performed using a competitive enzyme—linked immunosorbent assay and in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.Results:The ZAG levels were found to he significantly higher among AIDS patients compared to the healthy individuals(P=0.033).A total of 56(70%) of the AIDS patients were found to have higher levels of ZAG and 16(20%) AIDS patients were found to have high ZAG levels,which are significantly(P>0.031) associated with weight loss.Conclusions:ZAG levels are high among Omani AIDS patients on cART and this necessitales the measurement of ZAG on routine basis,as it is associated with weight loss.
文摘Objective To evaluate whether the effects of HMG - CoA reductase inhibitors on patients with hyperlipidemia are closely related to baseline lipid levels. Methods The data analyzed originated from 3 separate multicenter clinical trials with similar designs during 1994 to 1999. 166 patients with mean age 58. 9±9. 2 years were involved in Simvastatin Clinical Trial with simvastatin 10 mg once daily for 8 weeks. 146 patients with mean age 57. 9±8. 7years were involved in Lovastatin Clinical Trial with lovastatin 20 mg once daily for 8 weeks. 105 patients with mean age 57. 8±9. 3 years were involved in Atorvastatin Clinical Trial with atorvastatin 10 mg once daily for 6 weeks. Baseline total cholesterol (TC) was more than 5. 98 mmol. L - 1, and baseline triglyceride (TG) was less than 4. 52 mmo. L - 1. The patients were grouped by baseline lipid levels. Results The higher the baseline TC, low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL - C) and TG levels were, the more effective the simvastatin, lovastatin, or atorvastatin was in reducing serum TC, LDL - C, and TG, respectively. A positive linear correlation was found between baseline values and effects of simvastatin, lovastatin, or atorvastatin in reducing serum TC, LDL - C, and TG, respectively. Conclusion The changes of reduction on serum lipid with HMG - CoA reductase inhibitors in patients with hyperlipidemia were influenced by baseline lipid levels.
文摘An accurate and objective assessment of the health status of EMU trains is of great importance.In order to make sure the trains are functional,reliable,and endurable in their full life cycle(FLC),health assessment method for EMU trains after Level 3-5 maintenance and repair is studied.First,the element-selection principles and the assessment rules are defined;second,to present the complex topological relationship between the elements in assessment,a functional logical structure construction method is proposed;third,a health value calculation model is defined based on the element’s characteristics and their logical structures.The health variables of each element is calculated and fitted following the steps in the corresponding weight calculation methods.The assessment method is proved to be applicable and effective.
文摘Based on the structure of chute - feed and autoleveHer, an analysis of their working principle and the verification of their practical production results have been carried out. Finally, the future investigation direetiom of chute - feed and card autuleveller are put forward.
文摘AIM To evaluate the prognostic significance of perioperative carcinoembryonic antigen(CEA) and carbohydrate antigen 19-9(CA19-9) levels in stage Ⅱ/Ⅲ gastric cancer.METHODS From a multi-institutional retrospective database compiled by integrating clinical data from nine institutions, data of 998 patients who underwent curative resection for stage Ⅱ/Ⅲ gastric cancer between 2010 and 2014 were retrieved and analyzed. The prognostic impact of the preoperative and postoperative levels and chronological changes in CEA, CA19-9 and their combination were evaluated. To test whether postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy alters the prognostic impact of perioperative CEA and CA19-9 levels, the hazard ratios for mortality were compared between patients who underwent surgery alone and patients who underwent surgery followed by adjuvant chemotherapy.RESULTS The prognostic impact of postoperative CEA and CA19-9 was superior to that of the preoperative levels. Multivariable analysis identified high postoperative CEA and CA19-9 levels as independent prognostic factors for overall survival.Disease-free survival rates clearly decreased in a stepwise manner in association with postoperative CEA and CA19-9 levels, and patients with high levels of both markers showed significantly poorer prognosis than other patient groups. When we analyzed perioperative changes in serum CEA and CA19-9 levels, patients with high levels before and after surgery had the worst disease-free survival rates among all patient groups. Patients with normalized CEA levels after surgery had a significantly lower disease-free survival rate than those with normal perioperative levels, whereas patients with normalized CA19-9 levels after surgery had equivalent survival to those with normal perioperative levels. The prognostic impact of high CEA levels was observably smaller in patients who underwent adjuvant chemotherapy than in patients who underwent surgery alone, whereas that of high CA19-9 was greater in patients who underwent adjuvant chemotherapy. High postoperative CEA levels were significantly associated with an increased prevalence of liver, lung and bone recurrences, and high postoperative CA19-9 levels were significantly associated with increased frequencies of lymph node and liver recurrences.CONCLUSION The evaluation of serum CEA and CA 19-9 levels both before and after surgery provides useful information for precise risk stratification after curative gastrectomy.
文摘The novel Coronavirus Disease (nCOVID-19) is a highly contagious viral infection which emerged as “Pneumonia of Unknown Etiology” at Hubei province of Wuhan city in China. The health authorities provided a considerable empirical evidence after this outbreak and it was notified that the causative virus, named Novel Coronavirus (subsequently SARS-CoV-2) is the culprit for progressively exerting grim effects not only on individual patients but also on the International public health, with high mutational tendencies. WHO declared nCOVID-19 as a Pandemic on 11<sup>th</sup> March 2020. The spike glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2 plays a pivotal role in the entry of virus into the cell and it further interacts with ACE-II receptors which are widely distributed on the human cell surface especially on alveolar type II cells (AT-2) and endothelium. The mortality in nCOVID-19 patients is usually preceded by acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) because of the cytokine storm. Advanced molecular biology and regenerative sciences renders a breakthrough in the treatment of severely ill nCOVID-19 patients with Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs). Autologous or allogenic MSCs attenuate cytokine storm, improvise lung compliance, regulate inflammatory response, maintain functional alveoli microenvironment, promote endogenous regeneration and repair with no or minimal side effects. MSCs are naturally resistant to this novel Coronavirus. Even though it is corroborated with evidences from current clinical trials and pilot study, we emphasize the need for conducting more clinical trials with ethical consideration to prove the efficacy and safety of MSCs in combating nCOVID-19 infection and its complications.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China.
文摘Taking the 13-point smoothed monthly sunspot number,Ri, and the deviation of the 13 associated monthly sunspot numbers from the smoothed one, Di, as a number-pair describing the global level of sunspot activity, the evolution of the level is statistically studied for the period from the month which is just 48 months before the minimum to the minimum in the descending phase, using the observed data of Solar Cycles 10 to 22. Our results show （1） for 46 months （94%） of the studied 49 months it is found that for a given month, the distribution of the 13 pairs which come from the 13 solar cycles on a log Ri - Di plane may be fitted by a straight line with a correlation coefficient larger than the critical one at confidence level a = 5%, and for 36 months （73%） the fitting is even better, for a = 1%; （2） time variations of these two parameters and their correlations in the studied period can be described respectively by functions of time, whose main trends may be expressed by a linear or simple curvilinear function; （3） the evolutionary path of the level of sunspot activity may be represented by a logarithmic function as log/~ = 0.704 lnDi - 0.291.
基金King Mongkut’s University of Technology North Bangkok (KMUTNB)the Office of the Higher Education Commission (OHEC)the National Metal and Materials Technology Center (MTEC) for supporting this research work
文摘Level set methods are widely used for predicting evolutions of complex free surface topologies,such as the crystal and crack growth,bubbles and droplets deformation,spilling and breaking waves,and two-phase flow phenomena.This paper presents a characteristic level set equation which is derived from the two-dimensional level set equation by using the characteristic-based scheme.An explicit finite volume element method is developed to discretize the equation on triangular grids.Several examples are presented to demonstrate the performance of the proposed method for calculating interface evolutions in time.The proposed level set method is also coupled with the Navier-Stokes equations for two-phase immiscible incompressible flow analysis with surface tension.The Rayleigh-Taylor instability problem is used to test and evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.
文摘The high-spin states in <sup>197</sup>Bi are studied with the <sup>197</sup>Re(<sup>16</sup>O, 6n) reaction, theenergies of <sup>16</sup>O being between 85 and 105 MeV. In-beam measurements of γ-ray excitation func-tions, γ-γ-t coincidences and γ-ray angular distributions are performed with six BGO （AC）HPGe detectors and one intrinsic Ge planar detector. Eleven new transitions and three new iso-mers at 2089, 2357 and 1968+△keV with T<sub>1/2</sub>=19, 34±4, 9, 53, 4±20. 5 and 18. 04±3. 1 ns,respectively, are observed, and a level scheme established. In addition, a half-life of 36. 7±7.0 ns was determined for the first time for the previously established 2065 keV isomer.
文摘Backround: The English literature contains very few reports on disc herniation at upper thoracic levels. This report presents a patient with T1-2 disc herniation who underwent successful surgery. Case Presentation: A 47-year-old female presented that the right T1 root was compressed by foraminal disc herniation at the T1-2 level. Conclusion: The anterior approach is an easy and appropriate method to treat central and foraminal disc herniation of the thoracic spine.
