Anthropogenic aluminum cycle in China was analyzed by the aluminum flow diagram based on the life cycle of aluminum products. The whole anthropogenic aluminum cycle consists of four stages: alumina and aluminum produ...Anthropogenic aluminum cycle in China was analyzed by the aluminum flow diagram based on the life cycle of aluminum products. The whole anthropogenic aluminum cycle consists of four stages: alumina and aluminum production, fabrication and manufacture, use and reclamation. Based on the investigation on the 2003-2007 aluminum cycles in China, a number of changes can be found. For instance, resources self-support ratio (RSR) in alumina production dropped from 95.42%to 55.50%, while RSR in the aluminum production increased from 52.45%to 79.25%. However, RSR in the Chinese aluminum industry leveled off at 50%in the period of 2003-2007. The respective use ratios of domestic and imported aluminum scrap in the aluminum industry of 2007 were 5.38% and 9.40%. In contrast, both the net imported Al-containing resources and the lost quantity of Al-containing materials in aluminum cycle increased during the same period, as well as the net increased quantity of Al-containing materials in social stock and recycled Al-scrap. Proposals for promoting aluminum cycle were put forward. The import/export policy and reducing the loss of Al-containing materials for the aluminum industry in China in the future were discussed.展开更多
Knowledge of the changes in a material’s function, form, and location during the transfer and transformation of materials to generate human services will improve our understanding of how humanity interacts with the e...Knowledge of the changes in a material’s function, form, and location during the transfer and transformation of materials to generate human services will improve our understanding of how humanity interacts with the environment and of how services are formed by human activities. We compared lead’s anthropogenic and biogeochemical cycles and found that the services, pathways, and changes in form requiring the most attention. We traced lead through its life cycle and identified the changes in its functions, forms, and locations by examining technology and engineering information. Lead ore and scrap were the two main anthropogenic sources of lead. When lead provides human services, its main functions included the storage and delivery of electricity, anti-corrosion treatments, and radiation protection; the main forms of lead in these products were Pb, PbO2 and PbSO4, and the main location changed from lithosphere in central China to regions in eastern China.展开更多
This paper proposes a high specificity and sensitivity algorithm called PromPredictor for recognizing promoter regions in the human genome. PromPredictor extracts compositional features and CpG islands information fro...This paper proposes a high specificity and sensitivity algorithm called PromPredictor for recognizing promoter regions in the human genome. PromPredictor extracts compositional features and CpG islands information from genomic sequence,feeding these features as input for a hybrid neural network system (HNN) and then applies the HNN for prediction. It combines a novel promoter recognition model, coding theory, feature selection and dimensionality reduction with machine learning algorithm.Evaluation on Human chromosome 22 was ~66% in sensitivity and ~48% in specificity. Comparison with two other systems revealed that our method had superior sensitivity and specificity in predicting promoter regions. PromPredictor is written in MATLAB and requires Matlab to run. PromPredictor is freely available at http://www.whtelecom.com/Prompredictor.htm.展开更多
Purpose: Although exercise and sleep duration habits are associated with cognitive function, their beneficial effects on cognitive function remain unclear. We aimed to examine the effect of sleep duration and daily ph...Purpose: Although exercise and sleep duration habits are associated with cognitive function, their beneficial effects on cognitive function remain unclear. We aimed to examine the effect of sleep duration and daily physical activity on cognitive function, elucidating the neural mechanisms using near-infrared spectroscopy(NIRS).Methods: A total of 23 healthy young adults(age 22.0 ± 2.2 years) participated in this study. Exercise amount was assessed using a uniaxial accelerometer. We evaluated total sleep time(TST) and sleep efficiency by actigraphy. Cognitive function was tested using the N-back task, the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test(WCST), and the Continuous Performance Test—Identical Pairs(CPT-IP), and the cortical oxygenated hemoglobin levels during a word fluency task were measured with NIRS.Results: Exercise amount was significantly correlated with reaction time on 0- and 1-back tasks(r = —0.602, p = 0.002; r = —0.446, p = 0.033,respectively), whereas TST was significantly correlated with % corrects on the 2-back task(r = 0.486, p = 0.019). Multiple regression analysis,including exercise amount, TST, and sleep efficiency, revealed that exercise amount was the most significant factor for reaction time on 0- and 1-back tasks(b = —0.634, p = 0.002; b = —0.454, p = 0.031, respectively), and TST was the most significant factor for % corrects on the 2-back task(b = 0.542, p = 0.014). The parameter measured by WCST and CPT-IP was not significantly correlated with TST or exercise amount. Exercise amount, but not TST, was significantly correlated with the mean area under the NIRS curve in the prefrontal area(r = 0.492, p = 0.017).Conclusion: Exercise amount and TST had differential effects on working memory and cortical activation in the prefrontal area. Daily physical activity and appropriate sleep duration may play an important role in working memory.展开更多
Angelica glauca is one of the important medicinal plants and it is widely used by indigenous communities for different purposes. The present study analyzes variability in reproductive characters of A. glauca. The repr...Angelica glauca is one of the important medicinal plants and it is widely used by indigenous communities for different purposes. The present study analyzes variability in reproductive characters of A. glauca. The reproductive parts were found having significant positive correlation with altitude (e.g.,number of umbellets /umber r= 0.857,p<0.05; umbel diameter r=0.735,p<0.05).展开更多
In order to classify nonlinear features with a linear classifier and improve the classification accuracy, a deep learning network named kernel principal component analysis network( KPCANet) is proposed. First, the d...In order to classify nonlinear features with a linear classifier and improve the classification accuracy, a deep learning network named kernel principal component analysis network( KPCANet) is proposed. First, the data is mapped into a higher-dimensional space with kernel principal component analysis to make the data linearly separable. Then a two-layer KPCANet is built to obtain the principal components of the image. Finally, the principal components are classified with a linear classifier. Experimental results showthat the proposed KPCANet is effective in face recognition, object recognition and handwritten digit recognition. It also outperforms principal component analysis network( PCANet) generally. Besides, KPCANet is invariant to illumination and stable to occlusion and slight deformation.展开更多
To study population dynamics of marine ciliates in different artificial seawaters (ASW), the population growth dynamics of a common marine ciliate Euplotes vannus were investigated using beef extract media and rice ...To study population dynamics of marine ciliates in different artificial seawaters (ASW), the population growth dynamics of a common marine ciliate Euplotes vannus were investigated using beef extract media and rice media for five types of ASW and natural seawater (NSW). The results show that: (1) the population growth rate was in the order of NSW〉Flack ASW〉Nakamula ASW〉Schmadz ASW〉Oshima ASW〉Subow ASW and was considerably higher in rice media than in beef extract media (apart from Subow ASW); (2) the maximum density of E. vannus in stationary phase in each treatment was ranked as Hack ASW〉Nakamula ASW〉Schmadz ASW〉NSW〉Oshima ASW〉Subow ASW, and was again higher in rice media than in beef extract media (except for Subow ASW); (3) the exponential and stationary phases were longer in rice media than in beef extract media; (4) strains of E. vannus that had been domesticated for 〉1 year in ASW grew significantly slower, with lower maximum density and longer stationary phase than those isolated and maintained in NSW. It was demonstrated that: (1) E. vannus may grow well in Flack, Nakamula and Schmads ASW compared with NSW (mainly in terms of growth rate); and (2) Oshima ASW is the preferred choice for stock cultures of E. vannus, but the ASWs Flack, Nakamula and Schmadz are preferred for mass culture. These findings suggest that these three ASWs are effective for the cultivation of marine protozoa for experimental studies on ecology, toxicology and molecular biology.展开更多
Age is an important prognostic factor in the outcome of acute coronary syndromes (ACS). A substantial percentage of patients who ex- perience ACS is more than 75 years old, and they represent the fastest-growing seg...Age is an important prognostic factor in the outcome of acute coronary syndromes (ACS). A substantial percentage of patients who ex- perience ACS is more than 75 years old, and they represent the fastest-growing segment of the population treated in this setting. These pa- tients present different patterns of responses to pharmacotherapy, namely, a higher ischemic and bleeding risk than do patients under 75 years of age. Our aim was to identify whether the currently available ACS ischemic and bleeding risk scores, which has been validated for the general population, may also apply to the elderly population. The second aim was to determine whether the elderly benefit more from a spe- cific pharmacological regimen, keeping in mind the numerous molecules of antiplatelet and antithrombotic drugs, all validated in the general population. We concluded that the GRACE (Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events) risk score has been extensively validated in the elderly. However, the CRUSADE (Can Rapid risk stratification of Unstable angina patients Suppress ADverse outcomes with Early imple- mentation of the ACC/AHA Guidelines) bleeding score has a moderate correlation with outcomes in the elderly. Until now, there have not been head-to-head scores that quantify the ischemic versus hemorrhagic risk or scores that use the same end point and timeline (e.g., ischemic death rate versus bleeding death rate at one month). We also recommend that the frailty score be considered or integrated into the current existing scores to better quantify the overall patient risk. With regard to medical treatment, based on the subgroup analysis, we identified the drugs that have the least adverse effects in the elderly while maintaining optimal efficacy.展开更多
AIM:To investigate health-related quality of life(HRQoL) and psychological outcomes in 256 adults who had undergone liver transplantation(LT).METHODS:A stratified random sampling method was used in this follow-up mult...AIM:To investigate health-related quality of life(HRQoL) and psychological outcomes in 256 adults who had undergone liver transplantation(LT).METHODS:A stratified random sampling method was used in this follow-up multicenter study to select a representative sample of recipients undergoing either living donor liver transplantation(LDLT) or deceased donor liver transplantation(DDLT).HRQoL was measured by using the Chinese version of Medical Outcome Study Short Form-36(SF-36),and psychological outcomes by using the beck anxiety inventory(BAI) and the self-rating depression scale(SDS).Clinical and demographic data were collected from the records of the Chinese Liver Transplant Registry and via questionnaires.RESULTS:A total of 256 patients were sampled,including 66(25.8%) receiving LDLT and 190(74.2%) undergoing DDLT;15(5.9%) recipients had anxiety and four(1.6%) developed severe depression after the operation.Compared with LDLT recipients,DDLT patients had higher scores in general health(60.33 ± 16.97 vs 66.86 ± 18.42,P = 0.012),role-physical(63.64 ± 42.55 vs 74.47 ± 36.46,P = 0.048),roleemotional(61.11 ± 44.37 vs 78.95 ± 34.31,P = 0.001),social functioning(78.60 ± 22.76 vs 88.16 ± 21.85,P = 0.003),vitality(70.30 ± 15.76 vs 75.95 ± 16.40,P = 0.016),mental health(65.88 ± 12.94 vs 71.85 ± 15.45,P = 0.005),physical component summary scale(PCS,60.07 ± 7.36 vs 62.58 ± 6.88,P = 0.013) and mental component summary scale(MCS,52.65 ± 7.66 vs 55.95 ± 10.14,P = 0.016).Recipients > 45 years old at the time of transplant scored higher in vitality(77.33 ± 15.64 vs 72.52 ± 16.66,P = 0.020),mental health(73.64 ± 15.06 vs 68.00 ± 14.65,P = 0.003) and MCS(56.61 ± 10.00 vs 54.05 ± 9.30,P = 0.037) than those aged ≤ 45 years.MCS was poorer in recipients with than in those without complications(52.92 ± 12.21 vs 56.06 ± 8.16,P = 0.017).Regarding MCS(55.10 ± 9.66 vs 50.0 ± 10.0,P < 0.05) and PCS(61.93 ± 7.08 vs 50.0 ± 10.0,P < 0.05),recipients scored better than the Sichuan general and had improved overall QoL compared to patients with chronic diseases.MCS and PCS significantly correlated with scores of the BAI(P < 0.001) and the SDS(P < 0.001).CONCLUSION:Age > 45 years at time of transplant,DDLT,full-time working,no complications,anxiety and depression were possible factors influencing postoperative HRQoL in liver recipients.展开更多
The prevalence of obesity is growing to epidemic proportions,and there is clearly a need for minimally invasive therapies with few adverse effects that allow for sustained weight loss.Behavior and lifestyle therapy ar...The prevalence of obesity is growing to epidemic proportions,and there is clearly a need for minimally invasive therapies with few adverse effects that allow for sustained weight loss.Behavior and lifestyle therapy are safe treatments for obesity in the short term,but the durability of the weight loss is limited.Although promising obesity drugs are in development,the currently available drugs lack efficacy or have unacceptable side effects.Surgery leads to long-term weight loss,but it is associated with morbidity and mortality.Gastric electrical stimulation(GES) has received increasing attention as a potential tool for treating obesity and gastrointestinal dysmotility disorders.GES is a promising,minimally invasive,safe,and effective method for treating obesity.External gastric pacing is aimed at alteration of the motility of the gastrointestinal tract in a way that will alter absorption due to alteration of transit time.In addition,data from animal models and preliminary data from human trials suggest a role for the gut-brain axis in the mechanism of GES.This may involve alteration of secretion of hormones associated with hunger or satiety.Patient selection for gastric stimulation therapy seems to be an important determinant of the treatment's outcome.Here,we review the current status,potential mechanisms of action,and possible future applications of gastric stimulation for obesity.展开更多
A face-to-face qualitative interview study was conducted to examine the perceived gender roles and gender identities among 10 to 12 years old girls in Hong Kong. Sixteen girls aged 10 to 12 were asked to take pictures...A face-to-face qualitative interview study was conducted to examine the perceived gender roles and gender identities among 10 to 12 years old girls in Hong Kong. Sixteen girls aged 10 to 12 were asked to take pictures from the media they consumed that illustrated "What girls or women should or should not be; and what girls or women should or should not do". Analysis of interviews and images captured found that celebrities and characters in popular media play a significant role in socializing preadolescent girls on gender roles and gender identity formation. Celebrities and media characters that caught the interviewees' attention were mainly female adult entertainers and media characters. Girls showed admiration of specific talents and personalities of the celebrities and media characters. They paid much attention to the private lives of the celebrities. They learned from celebrities and media characters that certain behaviors were not acceptable in the social arena.展开更多
A database-based strategy of candidate generation was proposed for molecular design of new de-phenol extractants following the idea of finding new applications of existing commercial compounds. The strategy has the ad...A database-based strategy of candidate generation was proposed for molecular design of new de-phenol extractants following the idea of finding new applications of existing commercial compounds. The strategy has the advantage that the environmental, safety and health risks of candidate compounds are known and controllable. In this work, the Existing Commercial Compounds(ECC) database and special combined search strategy were developed as the base for the proposed CAMD method following such idea, and molecules for phenol extraction used in coking wastewater treatment were selected from the ECC database. The candidate solvents cover the following categories: ketones, esters, ethers, alcohols, anhydrides and benzene compounds, which are consistent with the de-phenol extractants commonly used in the industry or experiment. The compounds with higher partition coefficient and selectivity than widely used methyl isobutyl ketone(MIBK) are mainly ketones. 26 obtained molecules show higher partition coefficient and selectivity than MIBK, which are suggested to be further investigated by experiment. Furthermore, analysis of these potential molecules may present the effective functional groups as the initial group set to generate new molecular structures of de-phenol extractants. The results show that the proposed method enables us to efficiently generate chemicals with benefits of less time, less economical cost, and known environmental impact as well.展开更多
Animal models provide myriad benefits to both experimental and clinical research. Unfortunately, in many situations, they fall short of expected results or provide contradictory results. In part, this can be the resul...Animal models provide myriad benefits to both experimental and clinical research. Unfortunately, in many situations, they fall short of expected results or provide contradictory results. In part, this can be the result of traditional molecular biological approaches that are relatively inefficient in elucidating underlying molecular mechanism. To improve the efficacy of animal models, a technological breakthrough is required. The growing availability and application of the high-throughput methods make systematic comparisons between human and animal models easier to perform. In the present study, we introduce the concept of the comparative systems biology, which we define as "comparisons of biological systems in different states or species used to achieve an integrated understanding of life forms with all their characteristic complexity of interactions at multiple levels". Furthermore, we discuss the applications of RNA-seq and ChIP-seq technologies to comparative systems biology between human and animal models and assess the potential applications for this approach in the future studies.展开更多
Human stem cells are scalable cell populations capable of cellular differentiation.This makes them a very attractive in vitro cellular resource and in theory provides unlimited amounts of primary cells.Such an approac...Human stem cells are scalable cell populations capable of cellular differentiation.This makes them a very attractive in vitro cellular resource and in theory provides unlimited amounts of primary cells.Such an approach has the potential to improve our understanding of human biology and treating disease.In the future it may be possible to deploy novel stem cell-based approaches to treat human liver diseases.In recent years,eff icient hepatic differentiation from human stem cells has been achieved by several research groups including our own.In this review we provide an overview of the f ield and discuss the future potential and limitations of stem cell technology.展开更多
The article presents a population balance model by mass developed for studying char gasification by steam occuring in a fluidized bed. The model has been validated by comparison with existing theoretical and experimen...The article presents a population balance model by mass developed for studying char gasification by steam occuring in a fluidized bed. The model has been validated by comparison with existing theoretical and experimental cases. Its main goal is to have a better understanding on particles size distribution behaviour during operation of the fluidized bed, and in particular to be applied on the case of Fast Internally Circulating Fluidized Beds for char gasification. Results have shown that the initial properties of the fluidized bed particles (bed and size distribution) are almost not involved in the steady state obtained in continous operation, which is excusively dependent on the properties of the fed particles flow rate and size distribution, the withdrawal flow rate and the reaction properties. Morevoer, it has been proven that the steady state fluidized bed mass and size distribution may be theroretically controlled by an adequate choice of feeding and withdrawal flow rates.展开更多
基金Projects (71003018,71373003) supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of ChinaProjects (N110402003,N120302004) supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities,ChinaProject (13YJCZH172) supported by the Ministry of Education of China of Humanities and Social Sciences
文摘Anthropogenic aluminum cycle in China was analyzed by the aluminum flow diagram based on the life cycle of aluminum products. The whole anthropogenic aluminum cycle consists of four stages: alumina and aluminum production, fabrication and manufacture, use and reclamation. Based on the investigation on the 2003-2007 aluminum cycles in China, a number of changes can be found. For instance, resources self-support ratio (RSR) in alumina production dropped from 95.42%to 55.50%, while RSR in the aluminum production increased from 52.45%to 79.25%. However, RSR in the Chinese aluminum industry leveled off at 50%in the period of 2003-2007. The respective use ratios of domestic and imported aluminum scrap in the aluminum industry of 2007 were 5.38% and 9.40%. In contrast, both the net imported Al-containing resources and the lost quantity of Al-containing materials in aluminum cycle increased during the same period, as well as the net increased quantity of Al-containing materials in social stock and recycled Al-scrap. Proposals for promoting aluminum cycle were put forward. The import/export policy and reducing the loss of Al-containing materials for the aluminum industry in China in the future were discussed.
基金Project(41171361)supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(General Program)
文摘Knowledge of the changes in a material’s function, form, and location during the transfer and transformation of materials to generate human services will improve our understanding of how humanity interacts with the environment and of how services are formed by human activities. We compared lead’s anthropogenic and biogeochemical cycles and found that the services, pathways, and changes in form requiring the most attention. We traced lead through its life cycle and identified the changes in its functions, forms, and locations by examining technology and engineering information. Lead ore and scrap were the two main anthropogenic sources of lead. When lead provides human services, its main functions included the storage and delivery of electricity, anti-corrosion treatments, and radiation protection; the main forms of lead in these products were Pb, PbO2 and PbSO4, and the main location changed from lithosphere in central China to regions in eastern China.
基金Project (No. 2001AA231071) supported by the Hi-Tech Researchand Development Program (863) of China
文摘This paper proposes a high specificity and sensitivity algorithm called PromPredictor for recognizing promoter regions in the human genome. PromPredictor extracts compositional features and CpG islands information from genomic sequence,feeding these features as input for a hybrid neural network system (HNN) and then applies the HNN for prediction. It combines a novel promoter recognition model, coding theory, feature selection and dimensionality reduction with machine learning algorithm.Evaluation on Human chromosome 22 was ~66% in sensitivity and ~48% in specificity. Comparison with two other systems revealed that our method had superior sensitivity and specificity in predicting promoter regions. PromPredictor is written in MATLAB and requires Matlab to run. PromPredictor is freely available at http://www.whtelecom.com/Prompredictor.htm.
基金supported by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, KAKENHI (25282210,15H05935)by Grants-in-Aid from the Comprehensive Research on Disability Health and Welfare+3 种基金the Ministry of Health,Labor and Welfare of Japanthe Academic Frontier Project for Private UniversitiesComparative Cognitive Science InstitutesMeijo University
文摘Purpose: Although exercise and sleep duration habits are associated with cognitive function, their beneficial effects on cognitive function remain unclear. We aimed to examine the effect of sleep duration and daily physical activity on cognitive function, elucidating the neural mechanisms using near-infrared spectroscopy(NIRS).Methods: A total of 23 healthy young adults(age 22.0 ± 2.2 years) participated in this study. Exercise amount was assessed using a uniaxial accelerometer. We evaluated total sleep time(TST) and sleep efficiency by actigraphy. Cognitive function was tested using the N-back task, the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test(WCST), and the Continuous Performance Test—Identical Pairs(CPT-IP), and the cortical oxygenated hemoglobin levels during a word fluency task were measured with NIRS.Results: Exercise amount was significantly correlated with reaction time on 0- and 1-back tasks(r = —0.602, p = 0.002; r = —0.446, p = 0.033,respectively), whereas TST was significantly correlated with % corrects on the 2-back task(r = 0.486, p = 0.019). Multiple regression analysis,including exercise amount, TST, and sleep efficiency, revealed that exercise amount was the most significant factor for reaction time on 0- and 1-back tasks(b = —0.634, p = 0.002; b = —0.454, p = 0.031, respectively), and TST was the most significant factor for % corrects on the 2-back task(b = 0.542, p = 0.014). The parameter measured by WCST and CPT-IP was not significantly correlated with TST or exercise amount. Exercise amount, but not TST, was significantly correlated with the mean area under the NIRS curve in the prefrontal area(r = 0.492, p = 0.017).Conclusion: Exercise amount and TST had differential effects on working memory and cortical activation in the prefrontal area. Daily physical activity and appropriate sleep duration may play an important role in working memory.
文摘Angelica glauca is one of the important medicinal plants and it is widely used by indigenous communities for different purposes. The present study analyzes variability in reproductive characters of A. glauca. The reproductive parts were found having significant positive correlation with altitude (e.g.,number of umbellets /umber r= 0.857,p<0.05; umbel diameter r=0.735,p<0.05).
基金The National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.6120134461271312+7 种基金6140108511301074)the Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education(No.20120092120036)the Program for Special Talents in Six Fields of Jiangsu Province(No.DZXX-031)Industry-University-Research Cooperation Project of Jiangsu Province(No.BY2014127-11)"333"Project(No.BRA2015288)High-End Foreign Experts Recruitment Program(No.GDT20153200043)Open Fund of Jiangsu Engineering Center of Network Monitoring(No.KJR1404)
文摘In order to classify nonlinear features with a linear classifier and improve the classification accuracy, a deep learning network named kernel principal component analysis network( KPCANet) is proposed. First, the data is mapped into a higher-dimensional space with kernel principal component analysis to make the data linearly separable. Then a two-layer KPCANet is built to obtain the principal components of the image. Finally, the principal components are classified with a linear classifier. Experimental results showthat the proposed KPCANet is effective in face recognition, object recognition and handwritten digit recognition. It also outperforms principal component analysis network( PCANet) generally. Besides, KPCANet is invariant to illumination and stable to occlusion and slight deformation.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science foundation of China (Nos.41076089,40976075)a Post-Doctoral Fellowship by Inha University awarded to XU Henglong+1 种基金a Grant from the Center of Excellence in Biodiversity Research,King Saud Universitythe 111 Project of China (No.B08049)
文摘To study population dynamics of marine ciliates in different artificial seawaters (ASW), the population growth dynamics of a common marine ciliate Euplotes vannus were investigated using beef extract media and rice media for five types of ASW and natural seawater (NSW). The results show that: (1) the population growth rate was in the order of NSW〉Flack ASW〉Nakamula ASW〉Schmadz ASW〉Oshima ASW〉Subow ASW and was considerably higher in rice media than in beef extract media (apart from Subow ASW); (2) the maximum density of E. vannus in stationary phase in each treatment was ranked as Hack ASW〉Nakamula ASW〉Schmadz ASW〉NSW〉Oshima ASW〉Subow ASW, and was again higher in rice media than in beef extract media (except for Subow ASW); (3) the exponential and stationary phases were longer in rice media than in beef extract media; (4) strains of E. vannus that had been domesticated for 〉1 year in ASW grew significantly slower, with lower maximum density and longer stationary phase than those isolated and maintained in NSW. It was demonstrated that: (1) E. vannus may grow well in Flack, Nakamula and Schmads ASW compared with NSW (mainly in terms of growth rate); and (2) Oshima ASW is the preferred choice for stock cultures of E. vannus, but the ASWs Flack, Nakamula and Schmadz are preferred for mass culture. These findings suggest that these three ASWs are effective for the cultivation of marine protozoa for experimental studies on ecology, toxicology and molecular biology.
文摘Age is an important prognostic factor in the outcome of acute coronary syndromes (ACS). A substantial percentage of patients who ex- perience ACS is more than 75 years old, and they represent the fastest-growing segment of the population treated in this setting. These pa- tients present different patterns of responses to pharmacotherapy, namely, a higher ischemic and bleeding risk than do patients under 75 years of age. Our aim was to identify whether the currently available ACS ischemic and bleeding risk scores, which has been validated for the general population, may also apply to the elderly population. The second aim was to determine whether the elderly benefit more from a spe- cific pharmacological regimen, keeping in mind the numerous molecules of antiplatelet and antithrombotic drugs, all validated in the general population. We concluded that the GRACE (Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events) risk score has been extensively validated in the elderly. However, the CRUSADE (Can Rapid risk stratification of Unstable angina patients Suppress ADverse outcomes with Early imple- mentation of the ACC/AHA Guidelines) bleeding score has a moderate correlation with outcomes in the elderly. Until now, there have not been head-to-head scores that quantify the ischemic versus hemorrhagic risk or scores that use the same end point and timeline (e.g., ischemic death rate versus bleeding death rate at one month). We also recommend that the frailty score be considered or integrated into the current existing scores to better quantify the overall patient risk. With regard to medical treatment, based on the subgroup analysis, we identified the drugs that have the least adverse effects in the elderly while maintaining optimal efficacy.
基金Supported by A grant from the National Science and Technology Major Project of China,No.2008ZX10002-025, 2008ZX10002-026
文摘AIM:To investigate health-related quality of life(HRQoL) and psychological outcomes in 256 adults who had undergone liver transplantation(LT).METHODS:A stratified random sampling method was used in this follow-up multicenter study to select a representative sample of recipients undergoing either living donor liver transplantation(LDLT) or deceased donor liver transplantation(DDLT).HRQoL was measured by using the Chinese version of Medical Outcome Study Short Form-36(SF-36),and psychological outcomes by using the beck anxiety inventory(BAI) and the self-rating depression scale(SDS).Clinical and demographic data were collected from the records of the Chinese Liver Transplant Registry and via questionnaires.RESULTS:A total of 256 patients were sampled,including 66(25.8%) receiving LDLT and 190(74.2%) undergoing DDLT;15(5.9%) recipients had anxiety and four(1.6%) developed severe depression after the operation.Compared with LDLT recipients,DDLT patients had higher scores in general health(60.33 ± 16.97 vs 66.86 ± 18.42,P = 0.012),role-physical(63.64 ± 42.55 vs 74.47 ± 36.46,P = 0.048),roleemotional(61.11 ± 44.37 vs 78.95 ± 34.31,P = 0.001),social functioning(78.60 ± 22.76 vs 88.16 ± 21.85,P = 0.003),vitality(70.30 ± 15.76 vs 75.95 ± 16.40,P = 0.016),mental health(65.88 ± 12.94 vs 71.85 ± 15.45,P = 0.005),physical component summary scale(PCS,60.07 ± 7.36 vs 62.58 ± 6.88,P = 0.013) and mental component summary scale(MCS,52.65 ± 7.66 vs 55.95 ± 10.14,P = 0.016).Recipients > 45 years old at the time of transplant scored higher in vitality(77.33 ± 15.64 vs 72.52 ± 16.66,P = 0.020),mental health(73.64 ± 15.06 vs 68.00 ± 14.65,P = 0.003) and MCS(56.61 ± 10.00 vs 54.05 ± 9.30,P = 0.037) than those aged ≤ 45 years.MCS was poorer in recipients with than in those without complications(52.92 ± 12.21 vs 56.06 ± 8.16,P = 0.017).Regarding MCS(55.10 ± 9.66 vs 50.0 ± 10.0,P < 0.05) and PCS(61.93 ± 7.08 vs 50.0 ± 10.0,P < 0.05),recipients scored better than the Sichuan general and had improved overall QoL compared to patients with chronic diseases.MCS and PCS significantly correlated with scores of the BAI(P < 0.001) and the SDS(P < 0.001).CONCLUSION:Age > 45 years at time of transplant,DDLT,full-time working,no complications,anxiety and depression were possible factors influencing postoperative HRQoL in liver recipients.
文摘The prevalence of obesity is growing to epidemic proportions,and there is clearly a need for minimally invasive therapies with few adverse effects that allow for sustained weight loss.Behavior and lifestyle therapy are safe treatments for obesity in the short term,but the durability of the weight loss is limited.Although promising obesity drugs are in development,the currently available drugs lack efficacy or have unacceptable side effects.Surgery leads to long-term weight loss,but it is associated with morbidity and mortality.Gastric electrical stimulation(GES) has received increasing attention as a potential tool for treating obesity and gastrointestinal dysmotility disorders.GES is a promising,minimally invasive,safe,and effective method for treating obesity.External gastric pacing is aimed at alteration of the motility of the gastrointestinal tract in a way that will alter absorption due to alteration of transit time.In addition,data from animal models and preliminary data from human trials suggest a role for the gut-brain axis in the mechanism of GES.This may involve alteration of secretion of hormones associated with hunger or satiety.Patient selection for gastric stimulation therapy seems to be an important determinant of the treatment's outcome.Here,we review the current status,potential mechanisms of action,and possible future applications of gastric stimulation for obesity.
文摘A face-to-face qualitative interview study was conducted to examine the perceived gender roles and gender identities among 10 to 12 years old girls in Hong Kong. Sixteen girls aged 10 to 12 were asked to take pictures from the media they consumed that illustrated "What girls or women should or should not be; and what girls or women should or should not do". Analysis of interviews and images captured found that celebrities and characters in popular media play a significant role in socializing preadolescent girls on gender roles and gender identity formation. Celebrities and media characters that caught the interviewees' attention were mainly female adult entertainers and media characters. Girls showed admiration of specific talents and personalities of the celebrities and media characters. They paid much attention to the private lives of the celebrities. They learned from celebrities and media characters that certain behaviors were not acceptable in the social arena.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.2156112001)National Basic Science Data Sharing Service Project(DKA2017-12-02-05)
文摘A database-based strategy of candidate generation was proposed for molecular design of new de-phenol extractants following the idea of finding new applications of existing commercial compounds. The strategy has the advantage that the environmental, safety and health risks of candidate compounds are known and controllable. In this work, the Existing Commercial Compounds(ECC) database and special combined search strategy were developed as the base for the proposed CAMD method following such idea, and molecules for phenol extraction used in coking wastewater treatment were selected from the ECC database. The candidate solvents cover the following categories: ketones, esters, ethers, alcohols, anhydrides and benzene compounds, which are consistent with the de-phenol extractants commonly used in the industry or experiment. The compounds with higher partition coefficient and selectivity than widely used methyl isobutyl ketone(MIBK) are mainly ketones. 26 obtained molecules show higher partition coefficient and selectivity than MIBK, which are suggested to be further investigated by experiment. Furthermore, analysis of these potential molecules may present the effective functional groups as the initial group set to generate new molecular structures of de-phenol extractants. The results show that the proposed method enables us to efficiently generate chemicals with benefits of less time, less economical cost, and known environmental impact as well.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31123005)the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Y002731071)the National Basic Research Program of China (2009CB941300)
文摘Animal models provide myriad benefits to both experimental and clinical research. Unfortunately, in many situations, they fall short of expected results or provide contradictory results. In part, this can be the result of traditional molecular biological approaches that are relatively inefficient in elucidating underlying molecular mechanism. To improve the efficacy of animal models, a technological breakthrough is required. The growing availability and application of the high-throughput methods make systematic comparisons between human and animal models easier to perform. In the present study, we introduce the concept of the comparative systems biology, which we define as "comparisons of biological systems in different states or species used to achieve an integrated understanding of life forms with all their characteristic complexity of interactions at multiple levels". Furthermore, we discuss the applications of RNA-seq and ChIP-seq technologies to comparative systems biology between human and animal models and assess the potential applications for this approach in the future studies.
基金Supported by A RCUK fellowship,EP/E500145/1,to Hay DCA grant from the Edinburgh Bioquarter,to Medine CNChina Scholarship Council,No.2010658022,to Zhou WL
文摘Human stem cells are scalable cell populations capable of cellular differentiation.This makes them a very attractive in vitro cellular resource and in theory provides unlimited amounts of primary cells.Such an approach has the potential to improve our understanding of human biology and treating disease.In the future it may be possible to deploy novel stem cell-based approaches to treat human liver diseases.In recent years,eff icient hepatic differentiation from human stem cells has been achieved by several research groups including our own.In this review we provide an overview of the f ield and discuss the future potential and limitations of stem cell technology.
文摘The article presents a population balance model by mass developed for studying char gasification by steam occuring in a fluidized bed. The model has been validated by comparison with existing theoretical and experimental cases. Its main goal is to have a better understanding on particles size distribution behaviour during operation of the fluidized bed, and in particular to be applied on the case of Fast Internally Circulating Fluidized Beds for char gasification. Results have shown that the initial properties of the fluidized bed particles (bed and size distribution) are almost not involved in the steady state obtained in continous operation, which is excusively dependent on the properties of the fed particles flow rate and size distribution, the withdrawal flow rate and the reaction properties. Morevoer, it has been proven that the steady state fluidized bed mass and size distribution may be theroretically controlled by an adequate choice of feeding and withdrawal flow rates.