AIM： TO evaluate the prophylaxis of chronic kidney dis- ease （CKD） after liver transplantation （LT） with low-dose calcineurin inhibitor （CNI） and mycophenolate mofetil （MMF）.
Determining the optimal timing is the core of preventive maintenance. Highway agencies always face with the challenge of determining optimal timing for preventive maintenance, particularly in China where there are no ...Determining the optimal timing is the core of preventive maintenance. Highway agencies always face with the challenge of determining optimal timing for preventive maintenance, particularly in China where there are no condition indicators designed for determining adequate timing for applying preventive maintenance and little literature relating to the development of pavement performance. This work presented the indicators, including crack ratio （Rc）, rutting depth （DR）, international roughness index （IIR） and sideway force coefficient （CsF） to determine the adequate timing for preventive maintenance in China. The proper ranges of each indicator to apply to preventive maintenance were then recommended. They are 0.28%-1.4% for Rc, 10-15 mm for DR, 1.97-3.5 for lrR, 40--50 for CSF. Based on pavement condition survey data collected on the test roads in Hebei Province, China, on the application of slurry seal at different timings, the pavement performance was established and the adequate timings for applying slurry seal was studied. Based on benefit-cost analysis, it is suggested that the fourth year is the optimal timing for applying slurry seal based on the condition in China. A framework is established to determine the adequate timings of applying other preventive maintenance methods.展开更多
Background Influenza vaccination has been clinically shown to reduce adverse cardiovascular outcomes in acute coronary syndrome （ACS） patients, but the economic perspectives can provide important data to make inform...Background Influenza vaccination has been clinically shown to reduce adverse cardiovascular outcomes in acute coronary syndrome （ACS） patients, but the economic perspectives can provide important data to make informed decisions. This study aimed to perform the economic evaluation of lifelong annual influenza vaccination for cardiovascular events and well-established pneumonia prevention. Methods Lifetime costs, life-expectancy, and quality-adjusted live years （QALYs） were estimated beyond one-year cycle length of a six-health states Markov model condition on whether a hospitalization for ACS, stroke, heart failure, pneumonia, no hospitalizations occurred, or death. The comparison of three age-groups of 40-49, 50-65, and 〉 65 years scenario was performed. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratio （ICER） and net monetary benefit （NMB） were presented as a societal perspective in 2016. The model robustness was determined by one-way and prob- abilistic sensitivity analyses. Results The influenza vaccination was cost-effective in all age-groups, by dominant ICERs （lower cost with higher effectiveness） which was completely lower than acceptable willingness-to-pay threshold of Thailand [160,000 THB （4,466.8 USD） per QALYs], with a great incremental value of NMB. Especially, the 50-year-old-and- above scenario was shown as the most benefit at 129,092 THB （3,603.9 USD） for each patient. Conclusions The annually additional influenza vaccination to standard treatment in ACS was cost-effective in all age-groups, which should be considered in clinical practice and health-policy making process.展开更多
Developing countries shoulder a considerable burden of gastroenterological disease. Infectious diseases in particular cause enormous morbidity and mortality. Diseases which afflict both western and developing countrie...Developing countries shoulder a considerable burden of gastroenterological disease. Infectious diseases in particular cause enormous morbidity and mortality. Diseases which afflict both western and developing countries are often seen in more florid forms in poorer countries. Innovative techniques continuously improve and update gastroenterological practice. However, advances in diagnosis and treatment which are commonplace in the West, have yet to reach many developing countries. Clinical guidelines, based on these advances and collated in resource-rich environments, lose their relevance outside these settings. In this two-part review, we first highlight the global burden of gastroenterological disease in three major areas： diarrhoeal diseases, hepatitis B, and Helicobacter pylori. Recent progress in their management is explored, with consideration of future solutions. The second part of the review focuses on the delivery of clinical services in developing countries. Inadequate numbers of healthcare workers hamper efforts to combat gastroenterological disease. Reasons for this shortage are examined, along with possibilities for increased specialist training. Endoscopy services, the mainstay of gastroenterology in the West, are in their infancy in many developing countries. The challenges faced by those se^ing up a service are illustrated by the example of a Nigerian endoscopy unit. Finally, we highlight the limited scope of many clinical guidelines produced in western countries. Guidelines which take account of resource limitations in the form of ＂cascades＂ are advocated in order to make these guidelines truly global. Recognition of the different working conditions facing practitioners worldwide is an important step towards narrowing the gap between gastroenterology in rich and poor countries.展开更多
Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) treatment of cancer has a long history, and is an important part of cancer prevention and control in China. Fuzheng, also called reinforcing healthy qi and supplementing the root, is ...Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) treatment of cancer has a long history, and is an important part of cancer prevention and control in China. Fuzheng, also called reinforcing healthy qi and supplementing the root, is the most fundamental principle of TCM in cancer prevention and control. In recent decades, this treatment has been thoroughly studied and widely applied, and played a crucial role in cancer prevention and treatment. With regard to the treatment of malignant tumors, Chinese medicine is mainly used in the following areas: improving symptoms, enhancing the quality of life, reducing postoperative recurrence and metastasis, increasing efficacy and decreasing toxicity together with radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatments, and to some extent prolonging the survival of advanced tumors.展开更多
In this paper, we briefly introduce the history of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency(DARPA) Grand Challenge programs with particular focus on the 2012 Robotics Challenge. As members of team DRC-HUBO, we pr...In this paper, we briefly introduce the history of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency(DARPA) Grand Challenge programs with particular focus on the 2012 Robotics Challenge. As members of team DRC-HUBO, we propose different approaches for the Rough-Terrain task, such as enlarged foot pedals and a transformation into quadruped walking. We also introduce a new gait for humanoid robot locomotion to improve stability performance, called the Ski-Type gait. We analyze the stability performance of this gait and use the stability margin to choose between two candidate step sequences, Crawl-1 and Crawl-2. Next, we perform a force/torque analysis for the redundant closedchain system in the Ski-Type gait, and determine the joint torques by minimizing the total energy consumption. Based on the stability and force/torque analysis, we design a cane length to support a feasible and stable Crawl-2 gait on the HUBO2 humanoid robot platform. Finally, we compare our experimental results with biped walking to validate the SkiType gait. We also present our team performance in the trials of the Robotics Challenge.展开更多
Dogs are used for centuries as people helpers. One of possible use is a sport and service. BSM （Belgian Shepherd Malinois） and GS （German shepherd） dogs are most used breeds like service dogs and also most represe...Dogs are used for centuries as people helpers. One of possible use is a sport and service. BSM （Belgian Shepherd Malinois） and GS （German shepherd） dogs are most used breeds like service dogs and also most represented at sports competitions. Our aim was to compare the results of these breeds in the World Cup of International tests of working dogs （in years 2003-2011）, which is the peak of competitions. The authors evaluated results of German shepherd dog performance test and Belgian shepherd Malinois performance in disciplines such as tracking, obedience and defense. Belgian Shepherds achieved in all disciplines higher score than German shepherds. It was found out that Belgian shepherd Malinois get significant higher score in all disciplines （tracking, obedience and defense） than German shepherd. However, both of breeds are used successfully as service dogs.展开更多
Gamma spectrometric method was used to determine the natural radioactivity of the groundwater obtained from hand dug wells in Sango-Ilorin, North Central Nigeria. The purpose of the study is to ascertain whether the g...Gamma spectrometric method was used to determine the natural radioactivity of the groundwater obtained from hand dug wells in Sango-Ilorin, North Central Nigeria. The purpose of the study is to ascertain whether the groundwater radioactivity level in the area that was previously used as a waste dumpsite and farmland poses any significant health hazard to the populace. The main radionuclides analysed in the samples were 226Ra and 22SRa （progenies of 218Su and 232Th respectively）, and the naturally occurring 40K. The activity concentrations of the radionuclides range from 0.02 to 7.35 Bql1 for 226Ra with a mean of 4.04 ± 0.18 Bql-1, 0.009 to 3.98 Bql-1 for 22SRa having a mean of 0.77 - 0.09 Bql-1. 40K concentration ranges from 0.45 to 30.14 Bq1-1 and has a mean of 4.81 ± 0.62 Bql1. The derived Annual Effective Dose received by the population as a result of the ingestion of 40K is estimated to range from 0 to 0.01 mSvy-1 with an average of 0.01 and standard deviation of 0.02 mSvyl; 226Ra ranged from 0 to 0.8 mSvy-1 with an average of 0.41 and standard deviation of 0.23 mSvy-1 and 228Ra ranged from 0 to 1 mSvy-1 with an average of 0.2 and standard deviation of 0.31 mSvy-1. The results show that the calculated average annual effective dose/ingestion dose for some of the wells are above WHO recommended level of 0.1 mSvylfor drinking water but falls within the tolerable level of 1 mSv/yr to the general public for prolonged exposure as recommended by ICRP. Therefore, it is suggested that detailed radiological monitoring be conducted in the area.展开更多
基金Supported by Chinese Key Project for Prophylaxis and Treatment of Infection Diseases,No.2008ZX10002-025 and No.2008 ZX10002-026
文摘AIM： TO evaluate the prophylaxis of chronic kidney dis- ease （CKD） after liver transplantation （LT） with low-dose calcineurin inhibitor （CNI） and mycophenolate mofetil （MMF）.
基金Project(IRT1050) supported by Program for Changjiang Scholars and Innovative Research Team in University, ChinaProject (2009318000027) supported by Ministry of Transport of ChinaProject(CHD2011TD002) supported by the Special Fund for Basic Scientific Research of Central Colleges, Chang’an University, China
文摘Determining the optimal timing is the core of preventive maintenance. Highway agencies always face with the challenge of determining optimal timing for preventive maintenance, particularly in China where there are no condition indicators designed for determining adequate timing for applying preventive maintenance and little literature relating to the development of pavement performance. This work presented the indicators, including crack ratio （Rc）, rutting depth （DR）, international roughness index （IIR） and sideway force coefficient （CsF） to determine the adequate timing for preventive maintenance in China. The proper ranges of each indicator to apply to preventive maintenance were then recommended. They are 0.28%-1.4% for Rc, 10-15 mm for DR, 1.97-3.5 for lrR, 40--50 for CSF. Based on pavement condition survey data collected on the test roads in Hebei Province, China, on the application of slurry seal at different timings, the pavement performance was established and the adequate timings for applying slurry seal was studied. Based on benefit-cost analysis, it is suggested that the fourth year is the optimal timing for applying slurry seal based on the condition in China. A framework is established to determine the adequate timings of applying other preventive maintenance methods.
文摘Background Influenza vaccination has been clinically shown to reduce adverse cardiovascular outcomes in acute coronary syndrome （ACS） patients, but the economic perspectives can provide important data to make informed decisions. This study aimed to perform the economic evaluation of lifelong annual influenza vaccination for cardiovascular events and well-established pneumonia prevention. Methods Lifetime costs, life-expectancy, and quality-adjusted live years （QALYs） were estimated beyond one-year cycle length of a six-health states Markov model condition on whether a hospitalization for ACS, stroke, heart failure, pneumonia, no hospitalizations occurred, or death. The comparison of three age-groups of 40-49, 50-65, and 〉 65 years scenario was performed. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratio （ICER） and net monetary benefit （NMB） were presented as a societal perspective in 2016. The model robustness was determined by one-way and prob- abilistic sensitivity analyses. Results The influenza vaccination was cost-effective in all age-groups, by dominant ICERs （lower cost with higher effectiveness） which was completely lower than acceptable willingness-to-pay threshold of Thailand [160,000 THB （4,466.8 USD） per QALYs], with a great incremental value of NMB. Especially, the 50-year-old-and- above scenario was shown as the most benefit at 129,092 THB （3,603.9 USD） for each patient. Conclusions The annually additional influenza vaccination to standard treatment in ACS was cost-effective in all age-groups, which should be considered in clinical practice and health-policy making process.
基金Supported by The NIHR Biomedical Research Centre funding schemethe Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE)the British Liver Trust and the Alan Morement Memorial Fund AMMF, Essex, UK
文摘Developing countries shoulder a considerable burden of gastroenterological disease. Infectious diseases in particular cause enormous morbidity and mortality. Diseases which afflict both western and developing countries are often seen in more florid forms in poorer countries. Innovative techniques continuously improve and update gastroenterological practice. However, advances in diagnosis and treatment which are commonplace in the West, have yet to reach many developing countries. Clinical guidelines, based on these advances and collated in resource-rich environments, lose their relevance outside these settings. In this two-part review, we first highlight the global burden of gastroenterological disease in three major areas： diarrhoeal diseases, hepatitis B, and Helicobacter pylori. Recent progress in their management is explored, with consideration of future solutions. The second part of the review focuses on the delivery of clinical services in developing countries. Inadequate numbers of healthcare workers hamper efforts to combat gastroenterological disease. Reasons for this shortage are examined, along with possibilities for increased specialist training. Endoscopy services, the mainstay of gastroenterology in the West, are in their infancy in many developing countries. The challenges faced by those se^ing up a service are illustrated by the example of a Nigerian endoscopy unit. Finally, we highlight the limited scope of many clinical guidelines produced in western countries. Guidelines which take account of resource limitations in the form of ＂cascades＂ are advocated in order to make these guidelines truly global. Recognition of the different working conditions facing practitioners worldwide is an important step towards narrowing the gap between gastroenterology in rich and poor countries.
文摘Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) treatment of cancer has a long history, and is an important part of cancer prevention and control in China. Fuzheng, also called reinforcing healthy qi and supplementing the root, is the most fundamental principle of TCM in cancer prevention and control. In recent decades, this treatment has been thoroughly studied and widely applied, and played a crucial role in cancer prevention and treatment. With regard to the treatment of malignant tumors, Chinese medicine is mainly used in the following areas: improving symptoms, enhancing the quality of life, reducing postoperative recurrence and metastasis, increasing efficacy and decreasing toxicity together with radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatments, and to some extent prolonging the survival of advanced tumors.
文摘In this paper, we briefly introduce the history of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency(DARPA) Grand Challenge programs with particular focus on the 2012 Robotics Challenge. As members of team DRC-HUBO, we propose different approaches for the Rough-Terrain task, such as enlarged foot pedals and a transformation into quadruped walking. We also introduce a new gait for humanoid robot locomotion to improve stability performance, called the Ski-Type gait. We analyze the stability performance of this gait and use the stability margin to choose between two candidate step sequences, Crawl-1 and Crawl-2. Next, we perform a force/torque analysis for the redundant closedchain system in the Ski-Type gait, and determine the joint torques by minimizing the total energy consumption. Based on the stability and force/torque analysis, we design a cane length to support a feasible and stable Crawl-2 gait on the HUBO2 humanoid robot platform. Finally, we compare our experimental results with biped walking to validate the SkiType gait. We also present our team performance in the trials of the Robotics Challenge.
文摘Dogs are used for centuries as people helpers. One of possible use is a sport and service. BSM （Belgian Shepherd Malinois） and GS （German shepherd） dogs are most used breeds like service dogs and also most represented at sports competitions. Our aim was to compare the results of these breeds in the World Cup of International tests of working dogs （in years 2003-2011）, which is the peak of competitions. The authors evaluated results of German shepherd dog performance test and Belgian shepherd Malinois performance in disciplines such as tracking, obedience and defense. Belgian Shepherds achieved in all disciplines higher score than German shepherds. It was found out that Belgian shepherd Malinois get significant higher score in all disciplines （tracking, obedience and defense） than German shepherd. However, both of breeds are used successfully as service dogs.
文摘Gamma spectrometric method was used to determine the natural radioactivity of the groundwater obtained from hand dug wells in Sango-Ilorin, North Central Nigeria. The purpose of the study is to ascertain whether the groundwater radioactivity level in the area that was previously used as a waste dumpsite and farmland poses any significant health hazard to the populace. The main radionuclides analysed in the samples were 226Ra and 22SRa （progenies of 218Su and 232Th respectively）, and the naturally occurring 40K. The activity concentrations of the radionuclides range from 0.02 to 7.35 Bql1 for 226Ra with a mean of 4.04 ± 0.18 Bql-1, 0.009 to 3.98 Bql-1 for 22SRa having a mean of 0.77 - 0.09 Bql-1. 40K concentration ranges from 0.45 to 30.14 Bq1-1 and has a mean of 4.81 ± 0.62 Bql1. The derived Annual Effective Dose received by the population as a result of the ingestion of 40K is estimated to range from 0 to 0.01 mSvy-1 with an average of 0.01 and standard deviation of 0.02 mSvyl; 226Ra ranged from 0 to 0.8 mSvy-1 with an average of 0.41 and standard deviation of 0.23 mSvy-1 and 228Ra ranged from 0 to 1 mSvy-1 with an average of 0.2 and standard deviation of 0.31 mSvy-1. The results show that the calculated average annual effective dose/ingestion dose for some of the wells are above WHO recommended level of 0.1 mSvylfor drinking water but falls within the tolerable level of 1 mSv/yr to the general public for prolonged exposure as recommended by ICRP. Therefore, it is suggested that detailed radiological monitoring be conducted in the area.
