Background: Methotrexate (MTX) is the most effective and commonly used disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug in the management of juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Several patients develop side effects, which may lead to...Background: Methotrexate (MTX) is the most effective and commonly used disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug in the management of juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Several patients develop side effects, which may lead to low quality of life and non-compliance to MTX. To reduce MTX-induced side effects, folic acid supplementation is prescribed by most rheumatologists. Even after that, some patients have symptoms while receiving MTX. Objectives: To assess the efficacy of folinic acid in comparison to folic acid for reducing the side effects of MTX in JIA patients. Material and methods: In this prospective observational study, newly diagnosed cases of JIA who would be getting MTX were included by purposive sampling. Data were collected using a predesigned questionnaire. Among 40 patients, 20 received folinic acid (Group A), and 20 received folic acid (Group B). Disease activity levels were assessed by JADAS-27 (Juvenile Arthritis Disease Activity Score). Contents from the MISS (MTX Intolerance severity score) questionnaire were used to assess the side effects. All patients were evaluated at baseline, 6th, and 12th weeks. Results: There were significant differences in the frequency of MTX-related adverse events between folinic acid (Group A) and folic acid (Group B). Group A patients only had nausea (10% and 15% in the 6th & 12th week respectively) and vomiting (5% at both follow-ups). On the other hand, in addition to nausea (70% and 95% in the 6th & 12th week) and vomiting (20% and 90% in the 6th & 12th week), folic acid group patients had restlessness, crying, and irritability. Self-discontinuation of MTX was present in the folic acid group (5% & 10% in the 6th & 12th week). Improvement of disease activity was more in the folinic acid group. Conclusion: The folinic acid group had significantly fewer side effects. Improvement of disease activity was more and compliance was also better among them. Methotrexate (MTX) is the most effective and commonly used disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug in the management of juvenile idiopathic arthritis. A number of patients develop side effects, which may lead to low quality of life and non-compliance to MTX. To reduce MTX induced side effects, folic acid supplementation is prescribed by most rheumatologists. Even after that, some patients have symptoms while receiving MTX.展开更多
To achieve higher level expression of Interferon α2b(IFN-α2b)in methylotrophic yeast(Pichia pastoris),a cDNA fragment coding for the mature IFN-α2b was designed and synthesized based on the synonymous codon bias of...To achieve higher level expression of Interferon α2b(IFN-α2b)in methylotrophic yeast(Pichia pastoris),a cDNA fragment coding for the mature IFN-α2b was designed and synthesized based on the synonymous codon bias of P.pastoris and optimized G+C content.The synthetic IFN-α2b was inserted into the secreted expression vector pPICZαA,and then integrated into P.pastoris GS115 genome by electroporation.Multi-copy integrants in the Mut+ recombinant P.pastoris strain were screened by high concentrations of Zeocin.120 hours culturing allowed expression of the IFN-α2b transformant up to 810 mg/L as detected by SDS-PAGE and quantitative methods.In addition,Western blot analysis showed that the recombinant proteins had immunogenicity.The significant antiviral activity of the recombinant IFN-α2b protein was verified by WISH/VSV system,which was 3.3×105 IU/mL.展开更多
The enhancement of adhesion between deposited metal layers(Ti and Cu)and the oxide substrates at RT and 300°c respectively was studied by argon ion irradiation to various doses.The experimental results showed tha...The enhancement of adhesion between deposited metal layers(Ti and Cu)and the oxide substrates at RT and 300°c respectively was studied by argon ion irradiation to various doses.The experimental results showed that the adhesive strength increased after a threshold dose irradiation and reached as aturation value at higher doses in all metal/oxide pairs.RBS spectra showed that chemical reaction had taken place in Ti/oxide case,while in Cu/oxide case,both RBS and XPS analysis showed that no evidence of such reaction had been induced.展开更多
Percolation structures of precipitated new phases were observed in Au-Ti and Ni-A1 amorphous films upon ion irradiation.The experimental evidences showed that the observed structures were formed in the surface layer,c...Percolation structures of precipitated new phases were observed in Au-Ti and Ni-A1 amorphous films upon ion irradiation.The experimental evidences showed that the observed structures were formed in the surface layer,ca 20nm thick.It was revealed that the formation of percolation clusters was sensitive to alloy composition as well as irradiation dose.展开更多
Results of resistivity,ac magnetic susceptibility,and Halleffect measurements for Ba_(1.2)Y_(0.9)V_(0.9)Cu_(3)0_(7-δ)are reported.The positive value of Hall constant indicates that the material conducts via holes wit...Results of resistivity,ac magnetic susceptibility,and Halleffect measurements for Ba_(1.2)Y_(0.9)V_(0.9)Cu_(3)0_(7-δ)are reported.The positive value of Hall constant indicates that the material conducts via holes with a carrier concentration of 1.6×10^(21)cm^(-3)at room temperature.A large anomaly in RH near Tc is observed.展开更多
Three-dimensional(3D)printing is a rapidly evolving and promising field to improve outcomes of orthopaedic surgery.The use of patient-specific 3D-printed models is specifically interesting in paediatric orthopaedic su...Three-dimensional(3D)printing is a rapidly evolving and promising field to improve outcomes of orthopaedic surgery.The use of patient-specific 3D-printed models is specifically interesting in paediatric orthopaedic surgery,as limb deformity corrections often require an individual 3D treatment.In this editorial,various operative applications of 3D printing in paediatric orthopaedic surgery are discussed.The technical aspects and the imaging acquisition with computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging are outlined.Next,there is a focus on the intraoperative applications of 3D printing during paediatric orthopaedic surgical procedures.An overview of various upper and lower limb deformities in paediatrics is given,in which 3D printing is already implemented,including posttraumatic forearm corrections and proximal femoral osteotomies.The use of patient-specific instrumentation(PSI)or guiding templates during the surgical procedure shows to be promising in reducing operation time,intraoperative haemorrhage and radiation exposure.Moreover,3D-printed models for the use of PSI or patient-specific navigation templates are promising in improving the accuracy of complex limb deformity surgery in children.Lastly,the future of 3D printing in paediatric orthopaedics extends beyond the intraoperative applications;various other medical applications include 3D casting and prosthetic limb replacement.In conclusion,3D printing opportunities are numerous,and the fast developments are exciting,but more evidence is required to prove its superiority over conventional paediatric orthopaedic surgery.展开更多
Amplifiers are essential building blocks of a majority of the mixed signal circuits that are used in the development of cognitive computing architectures. Their implementation and use is challenged by the second order...Amplifiers are essential building blocks of a majority of the mixed signal circuits that are used in the development of cognitive computing architectures. Their implementation and use is challenged by the second order effects that dominate the MOSFET operations with reduction in the technology size and scale. The ability to program the amplifiers once fabricated becomes an even more challenging problem as it warrants the use of multiple circuit components that lowers circuit performance and in turn outweighs the advantages of generalisation abilities. In this paper, a reconfigurable set of amplifier circuits are proposed based on quantised conductance devices in combination with MOSFET devices. The presented circuits form the basic configurations for the memristor based amplifiers, and show promising performance results in terms of power dissipation, on-chip area and THD values.展开更多
The cytotoxicity of hydrophobic QDs CdS/CdSe was tested assigning MTT assay on Human Embryonic Kidney cells (HEK-293), breast cancer cells (MCF-7) and Enrichlish Ascitices Cells (EAC). Approximately 65% bio-toxicity w...The cytotoxicity of hydrophobic QDs CdS/CdSe was tested assigning MTT assay on Human Embryonic Kidney cells (HEK-293), breast cancer cells (MCF-7) and Enrichlish Ascitices Cells (EAC). Approximately 65% bio-toxicity was observed in MCF-7 for the core-shell QDs. These QDs may also find effective applications in other optoelectronic devices. CdS/CdSe core-shell hetrostructure quantum dots (QDs) were generated by chemical reaction between the respective chalcogens and cadmium metal salt. Sulphur powder was utilized for CdS core preparation while selenium was extracted from an organoselenium compound to impart CdSe shell layer at a temperature between 150℃ - 200℃. So-prepared core-shell QDs showed good optical properties. The particle size was found to be in the range of 3 - 4 nm with spherical morphology and cubic crystal structure.展开更多
A multilayer film(multi-film),consisting of alternate Er-Si-codoped Al_(2)O_(3)(ESA)and Si−doped Al_(2)O_(3)(SA)sublayers,is synthesized by co−sputtering from separated Er,Si,and Al2O3 targets.The dependence of Er^(3+...A multilayer film(multi-film),consisting of alternate Er-Si-codoped Al_(2)O_(3)(ESA)and Si−doped Al_(2)O_(3)(SA)sublayers,is synthesized by co−sputtering from separated Er,Si,and Al2O3 targets.The dependence of Er^(3+)related photoluminescence(PL)properties on annealing temperatures over 700–1100°C is studied.The maximum intensity of Er^(3+) photoluminance(PL),about 10 times higher than that of the monolayer film,is obtained from the multi−film annealed at 950°C.The enhancement of Er^(3+) PL intensity is attributed to the energy transfer from the silicon nanocrystals(Si−NCs)to the neighboring Er^(3+) ions.The effective characteristic interaction distance(or the critical ET length)between Er and carriers(Si−NCs)is∼3 nm.The PL intensity exhibits a nonmonotonic temperature dependence.Meanwhile,the PL integrated intensity at room temperature is about 30%higher than that at 14 K.展开更多
A hybrid model is proposed in this study to predict rectal tumour response during radiotherapy treatment. As the oxygen partial pressure distribution (pO<sub>2</sub>) is a data which is naturally represent...A hybrid model is proposed in this study to predict rectal tumour response during radiotherapy treatment. As the oxygen partial pressure distribution (pO<sub>2</sub>) is a data which is naturally represented at the microscopic scale, we firstly estimate the optimal pO<sub>2</sub> distribution using both a diffusion equation and a discrete multi-scale model (that we proposed in a previous study). The aim is to use the effectiveness in algorithmic complexity of the discrete model and its multi-scale aspect in this work to estimate biological information at cellular scale and then construct them at macroscopic scale. Secondly, the obtained pO<sub>2</sub> distribution results are used as an input of a biomechanical model in order to simulate tumour volume evolution during radiotherapy. FDG PET images of 21 rectal cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy are used to simulate the tumour evolution during the treatment. The simulated results using the proposed hybride model, allow the interpretation of tumour aggressiveness.展开更多
We report on a polarization-adjustable picosecond deep-ultraviolet (DUV) laser at 177.3 nm.The DUV laser was produced by second harmonic generation from a mode-locked laser at 355 nm in nonlinear optical crystal KBBF....We report on a polarization-adjustable picosecond deep-ultraviolet (DUV) laser at 177.3 nm.The DUV laser was produced by second harmonic generation from a mode-locked laser at 355 nm in nonlinear optical crystal KBBF.The laser delivered a maximum average output power of 1.1 m W at 177.3 nm.The polarization of the 177.3nm beam was adjusted with linear and circular polarization by means of λ/4 and λ/2 wave plates.To the best of our knowledge,the laser has been employed as the circularly polarized and linearly polarized DUV light source for a spin- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy with high resolution for the first time.展开更多
文摘Background: Methotrexate (MTX) is the most effective and commonly used disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug in the management of juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Several patients develop side effects, which may lead to low quality of life and non-compliance to MTX. To reduce MTX-induced side effects, folic acid supplementation is prescribed by most rheumatologists. Even after that, some patients have symptoms while receiving MTX. Objectives: To assess the efficacy of folinic acid in comparison to folic acid for reducing the side effects of MTX in JIA patients. Material and methods: In this prospective observational study, newly diagnosed cases of JIA who would be getting MTX were included by purposive sampling. Data were collected using a predesigned questionnaire. Among 40 patients, 20 received folinic acid (Group A), and 20 received folic acid (Group B). Disease activity levels were assessed by JADAS-27 (Juvenile Arthritis Disease Activity Score). Contents from the MISS (MTX Intolerance severity score) questionnaire were used to assess the side effects. All patients were evaluated at baseline, 6th, and 12th weeks. Results: There were significant differences in the frequency of MTX-related adverse events between folinic acid (Group A) and folic acid (Group B). Group A patients only had nausea (10% and 15% in the 6th & 12th week respectively) and vomiting (5% at both follow-ups). On the other hand, in addition to nausea (70% and 95% in the 6th & 12th week) and vomiting (20% and 90% in the 6th & 12th week), folic acid group patients had restlessness, crying, and irritability. Self-discontinuation of MTX was present in the folic acid group (5% & 10% in the 6th & 12th week). Improvement of disease activity was more in the folinic acid group. Conclusion: The folinic acid group had significantly fewer side effects. Improvement of disease activity was more and compliance was also better among them. Methotrexate (MTX) is the most effective and commonly used disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug in the management of juvenile idiopathic arthritis. A number of patients develop side effects, which may lead to low quality of life and non-compliance to MTX. To reduce MTX induced side effects, folic acid supplementation is prescribed by most rheumatologists. Even after that, some patients have symptoms while receiving MTX.
基金The National ‘973’ Basic Research Program (2002CB111302) The National Natural Science Foundation of China (30370807)
文摘To achieve higher level expression of Interferon α2b(IFN-α2b)in methylotrophic yeast(Pichia pastoris),a cDNA fragment coding for the mature IFN-α2b was designed and synthesized based on the synonymous codon bias of P.pastoris and optimized G+C content.The synthetic IFN-α2b was inserted into the secreted expression vector pPICZαA,and then integrated into P.pastoris GS115 genome by electroporation.Multi-copy integrants in the Mut+ recombinant P.pastoris strain were screened by high concentrations of Zeocin.120 hours culturing allowed expression of the IFN-α2b transformant up to 810 mg/L as detected by SDS-PAGE and quantitative methods.In addition,Western blot analysis showed that the recombinant proteins had immunogenicity.The significant antiviral activity of the recombinant IFN-α2b protein was verified by WISH/VSV system,which was 3.3×105 IU/mL.
基金Project supported by the National Science Foundation of China.
文摘The enhancement of adhesion between deposited metal layers(Ti and Cu)and the oxide substrates at RT and 300°c respectively was studied by argon ion irradiation to various doses.The experimental results showed that the adhesive strength increased after a threshold dose irradiation and reached as aturation value at higher doses in all metal/oxide pairs.RBS spectra showed that chemical reaction had taken place in Ti/oxide case,while in Cu/oxide case,both RBS and XPS analysis showed that no evidence of such reaction had been induced.
基金Project supported in part by the National Science Foundation of China.
文摘Percolation structures of precipitated new phases were observed in Au-Ti and Ni-A1 amorphous films upon ion irradiation.The experimental evidences showed that the observed structures were formed in the surface layer,ca 20nm thick.It was revealed that the formation of percolation clusters was sensitive to alloy composition as well as irradiation dose.
文摘Results of resistivity,ac magnetic susceptibility,and Halleffect measurements for Ba_(1.2)Y_(0.9)V_(0.9)Cu_(3)0_(7-δ)are reported.The positive value of Hall constant indicates that the material conducts via holes with a carrier concentration of 1.6×10^(21)cm^(-3)at room temperature.A large anomaly in RH near Tc is observed.
文摘Three-dimensional(3D)printing is a rapidly evolving and promising field to improve outcomes of orthopaedic surgery.The use of patient-specific 3D-printed models is specifically interesting in paediatric orthopaedic surgery,as limb deformity corrections often require an individual 3D treatment.In this editorial,various operative applications of 3D printing in paediatric orthopaedic surgery are discussed.The technical aspects and the imaging acquisition with computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging are outlined.Next,there is a focus on the intraoperative applications of 3D printing during paediatric orthopaedic surgical procedures.An overview of various upper and lower limb deformities in paediatrics is given,in which 3D printing is already implemented,including posttraumatic forearm corrections and proximal femoral osteotomies.The use of patient-specific instrumentation(PSI)or guiding templates during the surgical procedure shows to be promising in reducing operation time,intraoperative haemorrhage and radiation exposure.Moreover,3D-printed models for the use of PSI or patient-specific navigation templates are promising in improving the accuracy of complex limb deformity surgery in children.Lastly,the future of 3D printing in paediatric orthopaedics extends beyond the intraoperative applications;various other medical applications include 3D casting and prosthetic limb replacement.In conclusion,3D printing opportunities are numerous,and the fast developments are exciting,but more evidence is required to prove its superiority over conventional paediatric orthopaedic surgery.
文摘Amplifiers are essential building blocks of a majority of the mixed signal circuits that are used in the development of cognitive computing architectures. Their implementation and use is challenged by the second order effects that dominate the MOSFET operations with reduction in the technology size and scale. The ability to program the amplifiers once fabricated becomes an even more challenging problem as it warrants the use of multiple circuit components that lowers circuit performance and in turn outweighs the advantages of generalisation abilities. In this paper, a reconfigurable set of amplifier circuits are proposed based on quantised conductance devices in combination with MOSFET devices. The presented circuits form the basic configurations for the memristor based amplifiers, and show promising performance results in terms of power dissipation, on-chip area and THD values.
文摘The cytotoxicity of hydrophobic QDs CdS/CdSe was tested assigning MTT assay on Human Embryonic Kidney cells (HEK-293), breast cancer cells (MCF-7) and Enrichlish Ascitices Cells (EAC). Approximately 65% bio-toxicity was observed in MCF-7 for the core-shell QDs. These QDs may also find effective applications in other optoelectronic devices. CdS/CdSe core-shell hetrostructure quantum dots (QDs) were generated by chemical reaction between the respective chalcogens and cadmium metal salt. Sulphur powder was utilized for CdS core preparation while selenium was extracted from an organoselenium compound to impart CdSe shell layer at a temperature between 150℃ - 200℃. So-prepared core-shell QDs showed good optical properties. The particle size was found to be in the range of 3 - 4 nm with spherical morphology and cubic crystal structure.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant No 50602029the Ministry of Science and Innovation of Spain(SB2005-003)+1 种基金the National Basic Research Program of China under Grant No 2011CB925601the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission,the Shanghai Science and Technology Commission,and the Shanghai Leading Academic Discipline Project(No S30105).
文摘A multilayer film(multi-film),consisting of alternate Er-Si-codoped Al_(2)O_(3)(ESA)and Si−doped Al_(2)O_(3)(SA)sublayers,is synthesized by co−sputtering from separated Er,Si,and Al2O3 targets.The dependence of Er^(3+)related photoluminescence(PL)properties on annealing temperatures over 700–1100°C is studied.The maximum intensity of Er^(3+) photoluminance(PL),about 10 times higher than that of the monolayer film,is obtained from the multi−film annealed at 950°C.The enhancement of Er^(3+) PL intensity is attributed to the energy transfer from the silicon nanocrystals(Si−NCs)to the neighboring Er^(3+) ions.The effective characteristic interaction distance(or the critical ET length)between Er and carriers(Si−NCs)is∼3 nm.The PL intensity exhibits a nonmonotonic temperature dependence.Meanwhile,the PL integrated intensity at room temperature is about 30%higher than that at 14 K.
文摘A hybrid model is proposed in this study to predict rectal tumour response during radiotherapy treatment. As the oxygen partial pressure distribution (pO<sub>2</sub>) is a data which is naturally represented at the microscopic scale, we firstly estimate the optimal pO<sub>2</sub> distribution using both a diffusion equation and a discrete multi-scale model (that we proposed in a previous study). The aim is to use the effectiveness in algorithmic complexity of the discrete model and its multi-scale aspect in this work to estimate biological information at cellular scale and then construct them at macroscopic scale. Secondly, the obtained pO<sub>2</sub> distribution results are used as an input of a biomechanical model in order to simulate tumour volume evolution during radiotherapy. FDG PET images of 21 rectal cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy are used to simulate the tumour evolution during the treatment. The simulated results using the proposed hybride model, allow the interpretation of tumour aggressiveness.
基金Supported by the National Basic Research Program of China under Grant No 2010CB630706the National High-Technology Research and Development Program of Chinathe National Natural Science Foundation of China,and the Knowledge Innovation Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences.
文摘We report on a polarization-adjustable picosecond deep-ultraviolet (DUV) laser at 177.3 nm.The DUV laser was produced by second harmonic generation from a mode-locked laser at 355 nm in nonlinear optical crystal KBBF.The laser delivered a maximum average output power of 1.1 m W at 177.3 nm.The polarization of the 177.3nm beam was adjusted with linear and circular polarization by means of λ/4 and λ/2 wave plates.To the best of our knowledge,the laser has been employed as the circularly polarized and linearly polarized DUV light source for a spin- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy with high resolution for the first time.
