Search

Jiayi Li,1,2 Jiao Zhang,2 Xu Wang,2 Xumin Zheng,2 Hongmei Gao,2 Shimin Jiang,2 Wenge Li1,2 1Department of Nephrology, Peking University China-Japan Friendship School of Clinical Medicine, Beijing, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Nephrology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Wenge Li, Department of Nephrology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, No. 2, Yinghua Dong Street, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100029, People’s Republic of China, Email wenge_lee2002@126.comIntroduction: Complement activation is highly involved in membranous nephropathy. Identifying the mechanism of the complement activation pathway carries crucial therapeutic implications yet remains controversial. This study explored lectin complement pathway activation in PLA2R-associated membranous nephropathy (MN).Methods: One hundred and seventy-six patients with biopsy-proven PLA2R-associated MN were enrolled in the retrospective study and divided into the remission group (24-hour urine protein < 0.75g and serum albumin > 35 g/L) and the nephrotic syndrome group. The clinical manifestation and C3, C4d, C1q, MBL, and B factor in renal biopsy tissues and C3, C4, and immunoglobulins in serum were evaluated.Results: Deposition of glomerular C3, C4d, and mannose-binding lectin (MBL) was significantly higher in the activated state than in the remission state in PLA2R-associated MN. MBL deposition was the risk factor for no remission. During follow-up, the persistent non-remission patients have significantly lower serum C3 levels.Conclusion: Activation of the lectin complement pathway in PLA2R-associated MN may contribute to proteinuria progression and disease activity.Keywords: membranous nephropathy, anti-PLA2R antibody, complement, lectin pathway

The adaptive immunity against SARS-CoV-2 prototype strain and Omicron sublineages induced by BA.1 breakthrough infection in vaccinees of inactivated COVID-19 vaccines have not been well characterized. Here, we report that BA.1 breakthrough infection induced mucosal sIgA and resulted in higher IgG titers against prototype strain and Omicron sublineages in vaccinees than in vaccine naïve-infected individuals. BA.1 breakthrough infection boosted antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity and antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis to prototype strain and BA.1, BA.1.1, BA.2, BA.2.12.1, and BA.2.75 but not BA.4/5 and induced neutralization against prototype strain and BA.1, BA.1.1, BA.2, BA.2.12.1, BA.2.75, and BA.4/5 but not BF.7, BQ.1, and XBB. In total, BA.1 breakthrough infection individuals produced less extensive sIgA, plasma IgG and NAb responses against Omicron sublineages compared with those against prototype strain. Further, BA.1 breakthrough infection induced recall B cell response to prototype strain and Omicron variant, primarily targeting memory B cells producing conserved epitopes. Memory T cell responses against Omicron is largely preserved. Individuals with vaccine booster did not induce more beneficial immune responses to Omicron sublineages upon BA.1 breakthrough infection than those with primary vaccine dose only. The breakthrough infection individuals produced stronger adaptive immunity than those of inactivated vaccine-healthy individuals. These data have important implications for understanding the vaccine effectiveness and adaptive immunity to breakthrough infection in individuals fully immunized with inactivated vaccines. Omicron sublineages, especially for those emerged after BA.4/5 strain, evade NAb responses induced by BA.1 breakthrough infection. It is urgent to optimize the vaccine immunogen design and formulations to SARS-CoV-2 variants.

Background High-Frequency Irreversible Electroporation (H-FIRE) is a novel technology for non-thermal ablation. Different from Irreversible electroporation (IRE), H-FIRE delivers bipolar electrical pulses without muscle contraction and does not cause electrolysis. Currently, little is known regarding the cardiac safety during the administration of H-FIRE on liver. The aim of this study was to evaluate the changes of electrocardiogram (ECG) and biomarkers of cardiac damage during asymmetrical waveform of H-FIRE therapy in vivo. Methods The swines (n = 7) in IRE group, which used 100 pulses (2200 V, 100–100 μs configuration), were administrated with muscle relaxant under anesthesia. In the absence of muscle relaxant, 7 swines in H-FIRE group were performed with 2400 pulses (3000 V, 5–3–3–5 μs configuration). Midazolam (0.5 mg/kg) and xylazine hydrochloride (20 mg/kg) were given to induce sedation, followed by Isoflurane (2.5%, 100% oxygen, 3 L/min) to maintain sedation in all the swines. Limb lead ECG recordings were analyzed by two electrophysiologists to judge the arrhythmia. Cardiac and liver tissue was examined by pathology technique. Results The ablation zones were larger in H-FIRE than IRE. Both IRE and H-FIRE did not affect the autonomous cardiac rhythm. Even when the electrical signal of IRE and H-FIRE fell on ventricular vulnerable period. Moreover, cTnI in IRE group showed an increase in 4 h after ablation, and decreased to baseline 72 h after ablation. However, cTnI showed no significant change during the administration of H-FIRE. Conclusions The study suggests an asymmetrical waveform for H-FIRE is a promising measure for liver ablation. The results were based on normal liver and the swines without potential cardiac diseases. With the limitations of these facts, asymmetrical waveform for H-FIRE of liver tissue seems relatively safe without major cardiac complications. The safety of asymmetrical waveform for H-FIRE needs to evaluate in future.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration only gave emergency-use-authorization of the BNT162b2 and the mRNA-1273 SARS-CoV-2 vaccines for infants 6 months and older in June 2022. Yet, questions regarding the durability of vaccine efficacy, especially against emerging variants, in this age group remain. We demonstrated previously that a two-dose regimen of stabilized prefusion Washington SARS-CoV-2 S-2P spike (S) protein encoded by mRNA encapsulated in lipid nanoparticles (mRNA-LNP) or purified S-2P mixed with 3 M-052, a synthetic toll-like receptor (TLR) 7/8 agonist, in a squalene emulsion (Protein+3 M-052-SE) was safe and immunogenic in infant rhesus macaques. Here, we demonstrate that broadly neutralizing and spike-binding antibodies against variants of concern (VOC), as well as T cell responses, persisted for 12 months. At one year, corresponding to human toddler age, we challenged vaccinated rhesus macaques and age-matched non-vaccinated controls intranasally and intratracheally with a high-dose of heterologous SARS-CoV-2 B.1.617.2 (Delta). Seven of eight control rhesus macaques exhibited severe interstitial pneumonia and high virus replication in the upper and lower respiratory tract. In contrast, vaccinated rhesus macaques had faster viral clearance with mild to no pneumonia. Neutralizing and binding antibody responses to the B.1.617.2 variant at the day of challenge correlated with lung pathology and reduced virus replication. Overall, the Protein+3 M-052-SE vaccine provided superior protection to the mRNA-LNP vaccine, emphasizing opportunities for optimization of current vaccine platforms. Notably, the observed efficacy of both vaccines one year after vaccination supports the implementation of an early life SARS-CoV-2 vaccine.

Case histories have shown that the liquefaction-induced soil lateral spreading is one of the main causes of damage to pile foundations subjected to seismic loading. Post-liquefaction soil behaves similarly to a viscous fluid. This study investigated the effect of soil lateral spreading on a single pile based on fluid mechanics in which the liquefied soils were treated as Newtonian fluids. A numerical simulation on a single pile embedded in a fully saturated sandy foundation was conducted and compared with shake table tests. The lateral flow effect and the effect of shear strain rate were discussed. After liquefaction, the acceleration of the foundation shows that there are no obvious spikes and finally reaches a stable state. The presented method can predict the pile response better than p-y curve method. A parametric study was performed to explore the effect of several influence factors on pile behaviors. The results show that the pile head displacement decreases and the maximum bending moment at pile bottom increases with the increase of bending stiffness. With the same pile bending stiffness, the displacement and bending moment of pile increase with the increase of soil viscosity and acceleration amplitude.

Supplemental material, sj-pdf-1-imr-10.1177_03000605221078097 for Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody seropositivity in young adults aged up to 35 years: kidney histopathological findings and patient outcomes by Shimin Jiang, Li Zhuo, Guming Zou, Hongmei Gao and Wenge Li in Journal of International Medical Research

Supplemental material, sj-pdf-1-imr-10.1177_03000605221078097 for Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody seropositivity in young adults aged up to 35 years: kidney histopathological findings and patient outcomes by Shimin Jiang, Li Zhuo, Guming Zou, Hongmei Gao and Wenge Li in Journal of International Medical Research

Objective To evaluate the role of the log odds of positive lymph nodes (LODDS) in predicting the long-term prognosis of patients with thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (TESCC). Methods We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 731 TESCC patients after radical surgery and the prognostic value of LODDS in the whole group of patients, postoperative lymph node-negative (pN0) patients and patients with the number of intraoperative lymph nodes dissected < 12. Results LODDS was significantly correlated with the number of positive lymph nodes and the number of intraoperative lymph nodes dissected (r=0.696, -0.530, all P=0.000). ROC curve analysis showed that the optimal cut-off point of LODDS was -1.028. Multivariate analysis showed that gender, age, location of esophageal lesions, pT stage, number of positive lymph nodes and LODDS value were independent factors for the survival of the whole group and the OS of the patients with the number of intraoperative lymph nodes dissected≥12 (P < 0.05). Gender, age, location of esophageal lesions, pT stage and LODDS value were independent factors affecting the survival of pN0 patients after operation (P < 0.05). pT stage and LODDS value were independent factors affecting the OS of the patients with the number of intraoperative lymph nodes dissected < 12 (P < 0.05). Conclusion LODDS could be used as an independent prognostic index for the patients with different TESCC after radical surgery.

Wave is a common environmental load that often causes serious damages to offshore structures. In addition, the stability for the submarine artificial slope is also affected by the wave loading. Although the landslide of submarine slopes induced by the waves received wide attention, the research on the influence of solitary wave is rare. In this study, a 2-D integrated numerical model was developed to investigate the stability of the foundation trench under the solitary wave loading. The Reynolds-averaged Stokes (RANS) equations were used to simulate the propagation of a solitary wave, while the current was realized by setting boundary inlet/outlet velocity. The pore pressure induced by the solitary wave was calculated by Darcy’s law, and the seabed was characterized by Mohr–Coulomb constitutive model. Firstly, the wave model was validated through the comparison between analytical solution and experimental data. The initial consolidation state of slope under hydrostatic pressure was achieved as the initial state. Then, the factor of stability (FOS) for the slope corresponding to different distances between wave crest and slope top was calculated with the strength reduction method. The minimum of FOS was defined as the stability index for the slope with specific slope ratio during the process of dynamic wave loading. The parametric study was conducted to examine the effects of soil strength parameters, slope ratio, and current direction. At last, the influence of upper slope ratio in a two-stage slope was also discussed.

Objective To analyze the effect of postoperative chemotherapy (POCT) on the prognosis of postoperative lymph node-positive thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (TESCC) patients. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the prognostic factors for 419 lymph node-positive TESCC patients. Results Compared with POCT group, the 1-, 3- and 5-year OS was significantly lower in patients with surgery alone(χ2= 12.802, P=0.000), while there was no significant difference in 1-, 3- or 5-year DFS (χ2=1.159, P=0.282). Multivariate analysis results showed that gender, age, location of lesion, TNM stage, POCT and chemotherapy cycles were the prognostic factors of OS (P < 0.05), and gender and N stage were the independent prognostic factors of DFS (P < 0.05). Hierarchical analysis results showed that POCT increased OS of male patients ≤60 years of age, lower thoracic lesions, lesions ≤5.0 cm and stage ⅢB, compared with surgery alone (P < 0.05), and also increased DFS of men ≤60 years of age (P < 0.05). Conclusion The prognosis of postoperative lymph node-positive TESCC patients is poor, POCT could improve the prognosis of some patients.

Objective: To explore the relationship between neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and early renal fibrosis and renal prognosis in patients with lupus nephritis. Methods: A total of 186 patients with lupus nephritis admitted to our hospital were enrolled and grouped according to the standard of “NLR=3.175”. There were 90 patients in the higher NLR group and 96 patients in the lower NLR group. The correlation and independent relationship between NLR/estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and pathological indicators were explored by comparing the differences of physiological indicators between the two groups. The correlation between NLR/eGFR and renal insufficiency and renal prognosis were explored. Results: The higher NLR group showed increased levels of hs-CRP, white blood cells, neutrophils, platelets, PLR values, eGFR, D-dimer, crescent compared with the lower NLR group, while lymphocyte count in the higher NLR group was lower than that in the lower NLR group. Platelets, neutrophils, white blood cells, serum anhydride, serum C4 and vascular cellulose had positive correlations with NLR. eGFR, age, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, neutrophils, leukocytes, NLR, blood uric acid, triglycerides, crescent ratio, endothelial hyperplasia, spherical sclerosis ratio, intraglomerular leukocyte infiltration, platinum loop, microthrombus, nuclear fragmentation, interstitial inflammatory cell infiltration, renal tubular atrophy, interstitial fibrosis, and mesangial cell showed negative correlation with matrix hyperplasia, arteriolar wall thickening and pathological activity scores, but showed positive correlation with hemoglobin and low-density lipoprotein. Conclusion: NLR affects some important renal functions to a certain extent and is not the only risk factor for renal prognosis in patients with LN.

Additional file 1: Table S1. Clinical characteristics of HIV+ Subject Groups. Mean and interquartile ranges (IQR) of ages, sex, viral load, and CD4 T cell counts for untreated, treated, and elite controllers. Presence or absence of protective HLA-B alleles were balanced across groups. Table S2. Antigen specificities and Fc detection reagents.

Maturing a secondary recovery project in an offshore multi-fault complex reservoir is challenging because considerable investment is required, especially in a low oil price environment and/or when the asset can no longer produce. However, an 85% reduction in cost with no reduction in reserves was achieved for such a reservoir through de-risking the opportunity and revising the development concept, allowing the project to be sanctioned during a low oil price environment. A water injection project with an estimated cost of 165 MMUSD was initially envisaged during the feasibility stage to increase the oil recovery of a depleted reservoir, and contractual expectations were agreed accordingly. This is due to the availability of seawater offshore and water injection being the standard improved recovery approach in the region. Without adhering to the familiarity, a reservoir simulation study was performed comparing multiple options of secondary recovery. The reservoir simulation indicated that gas injection would provide higher incremental recovery while the investment can be significantly reduced by utilizing the existing gas lift system as a gas injection system. Several improved oil recovery schemes were evaluated with the history matched dynamic model to address the depleted energy. This includes water dumpflood, water injection, and gas injection with recovery factors of 32%, 56%, and 58%, respectively, in comparison to the depletion drive recovery factor of 30%. The gas injection scheme provides the highest recovery factor and expected fastest response and thus was prioritized as the main focus over water injection. The existing gas compressor with ullage, gas source from current associated gas production, and existing idle wells are key enablers for the project. The existing assets also enable the acceleration and further de-risking by a pilot gas injection before drilling infills. The paper highlights the numerous examples of cost-saving initiatives while maximizing the oil recovery from the reservoir. This value-focused approach enabled the project to be sanctioned during a period where most offshore improved recovery projects were abandoned due to the low oil price.

Published data on the association between MMP-9 polymorphisms (−1562 C > T, rs3918242; Gln279Arg, rs17576 Arg668Gln, rs17577) and asthma susceptibility are inconclusive. To derive a more precise estimation of this association, a meta-analysis was performed. A literature search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, Wanfang, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases to identify eligible studies. The pooled odds ratios (ORs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to calculate the strength of association. Sensitivity analysis was performed to evaluate the influence of individual studies on the overall effect estimates, and funnel plots and Egger’s test were inspected for indication of publication bias. Seven studies with 1592 asthma patients and 1987 controls were finally identified. Overall, we found no significant association between −1562 C > T, rs3918242 polymorphism, and asthma susceptibility in any of the genetic model comparisons. After categorizing studies into different subgroups on the basis of ethnicity and age, there is still no significant association. For the Gln279Arg, rs17576 polymorphism, there seems to be a significant association in the allelic genetic model in regard to the P value (OR = 1.11, 95% CI = 1.00–1.22, I2 = 0%, PZ=0.044); however, the value of lower 95% CI is 1.0. For the Arg668Gln, rs17577 polymorphism, a high significant association was observed in the dominant model comparison (OR = 1.65, 95% CI = 1.28–2.11, I2 = 22.50%, PZ=0), recessive model comparison (OR = 2.40, 95% CI = 1.23–4.72, I2 = 0%, PZ=0.011), homozygote genotype comparison (OR = 2.69, 95% CI = 1.36–5.33, I2 = 0%, PZ=0.004), and allelic genetic model (OR = 1.59, 95% CI = 1.29–1.97, I2 = 36.9%, PZ=0). Sensitivity analysis demonstrated the stability of our results, and publication bias was not evident. The present meta-analysis suggests that MMP-9 Arg668Gln, rs17577 polymorphism may be the risk factor for asthma susceptibility.

In an effort to develop molecular tools for giant clam species identification, this study reveals the usefulness of a multiplex species-specific PCR for the reliable, rapid and low-cost identification of five giant clam species found in the South China Sea: Hippopus hippopus, Tridacna maxima, Tridacna derasa, Tridacna squamosa and Tridacna noae. We used the mitochondrial COI gene for marker development. Five reverse primers and a common forward primer were designed to generate five different size species-specific PCR fragments. These six primers were combined in a multiplex PCR to enable identification of five giant clam species in a single reaction. This molecular approach provides a simple and rapid identification of the giant clam species from the South China Sea, thus increasing the efficiency and quality of giant clam stock management, protecton and forensic identification by reducing the risk of wrong species identification.

The post-earthquake rapid risk evaluation on the reservoir dams plays an important role in the emergency danger disposal and reinforcement. The fuzzy Data Envelopment Analysis/Assurance Region (DEA/AR) approach was introduced evaluating the seismic behavior of reservoir dams, in which the seismic risk of dam site, the structure characteristics of reservoir dam, and pre-earthquake state of dams were taken as input variables; in the meantime the seismic crack, leakage and deformation of dams induced by the earthquake were taken as output variables. The proposed DEA/AR approach was adopted to evaluate the seismic behavior of 19 reservoir dams suffered from Wenchuan earthquake in Luojiang County, Sichuan Province. The input and output variable values all originated from the post-earthquake field investigation data. And the weight values of DEA/AR model were determined by the entropy weight method which was able to avoid the interference from subjective consciousness. The evaluation results on the seismic behavior obtained from DEA/AR approach were mainly consistent with those from the experts in the field, which verified that the approach was valid and rational. The proposed DEA/AR approach was based on the objective data and the cognitive ability of the model self to give the evaluation results, which was adaptive for the situation that the seismic behaviors of the reservoir dams were not easy to distinguish. A ranking method was recommended to judge the order of quality of seismic behavior of the evaluated reservoir dams. The ranking results could serve for the post-earthquake emergency disposal and reinforcement.

The May 12, 2008, Ms 8.0 Wenchuan great earthquake, China caused earthquake damages of 2666 earth dams, these damaged dams are in medium and small scale, located in 8 provinces or municipalities, of which 69 dams were at dam-break risk, and 331 were at high-risk. There were 1996 damaged dams located in Sichuan Province, including all the 69 at dam-break risk and 310 at high-risk. Through a detailed scientific investigation, earthquake damage and emergency data were collected, and the isoseismal map of Wenchuan earthquake, with damaged dams marked on it, was given. Also distribution feature of the above 69 dams along the fault zones were discussed. Typical damage types of earth dams were analyzed. And the action of rare great earthquake, poor quality of dam construction, adverse running state of earth dams before earthquake, and frequent aftershocks were concluded as four main reasons of dam damages. Taking 147 dams with complete geometric parameters as statistical samples, some empirical graphic formulas were proposed, to make rapid evaluation of damage degree. Finally, some useful practical measures were provided, to serve the post-earthquake emergency danger removal, also it may improve the seismic performance of dams. In view of the insufficiency of local geology, site effect and soil property data of damaged dams, application of the qualitative results and empirical relationships to other sites, should be very prudent.

With the development and application of big data, big data governance is becoming more and more important. Big data governance is as a new stage of the development of data governance, especially, the exploration of its theory and practice is of great significance to the improvement of organizational data management and utilization. In this paper, the actor network of big data governance is constructed by exploiting the translation process of actor network to analyze the linkage relationships between human factors and non-human factors from the micro perspective. The workflow model of a governance implementation is also drew from the implementation process of big data governance and verified the feasibility and correctness of the workflow model based on the relevant theory of Petri nets.

Diverse antibody effector functions mediated by the Fc domain have been commonly associated with reduced risk of infection in a growing number of nonhuman primate and human clinical studies. This study evaluated the anti-HIV antibody effector activities in polyclonal serum samples from HIV-infected donors, VAX004 vaccine recipients, and healthy HIV-negative subjects using a variety of primary and cell line-based assays, including antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), antibody-dependent cell-mediated viral inhibition (ADCVI), and antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis (ADCP). Additional assay characterization was performed with a panel of Fc-engineered variants of monoclonal antibody b12. The goal of this study was to characterize different effector functions in the study samples and identify assays that might most comprehensively and dependably capture Fc-mediated antibody functions mediated by different effector cell types and against different viral targets. Deployment of such assays may facilitate assessment of functionally unique humoral responses and contribute to identification of correlates of protection with potential mechanistic significance in future HIV vaccine studies. Multivariate and correlative comparisons identified a set of ADCVI and phagocytosis assays that captured different antibody activities and were distinct from a group of ADCC assays that showed a more similar response profile across polyclonal serum samples. The activities of a panel of b12 monoclonal Fc variants further identified distinctions among the ADCC assays. These results reveal the natural diversity of Fc-mediated antibody effector responses among vaccine recipients in the VAX004 trial and in HIV-infected subjects, and point to the potential importance of polyfunctional antibody responses.

An efficient formal synthesis of (±)-glabridin was accomplished in 10 steps from resorcinol using Raney Ni to reduce carbon–carbon double bonds in α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compound as the key step. [Supplementary materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Synthetic Communications® for the following free supplemental resource(s): Full experimental and spectral details.]

SUMMARY In order to investigate the seismic failure characteristics of a structure on the liquefiable ground, a series of shaking table tests were conducted based on a plaster model of a three-story and three-span subway station. The dynamic responses of the structure and ground soil under main shock and aftershock ground motions were studied. The sand boils and waterspouts phenomena, ground surface cracks, and earthquake-induced ground surface settlements were observed in the testing. For the structure, the upward movement, local damage and member cracking were obtained. Under the main shock, there appeared longer liquefaction duration for the ground soil while the pore pressure dissipated slowly. The acceleration amplification effect of the liquefied soil was weakened, and the soil showed a remarkable shock absorption and concentration effect with low frequency component of ground motion. However, under the aftershock, the dissipation of pore pressure in the ground soil became obvious. The peak acceleration of the structure reduced with the buried depth. Dynamic soil pressure on the side wall was smaller in the middle and larger at both ends. The interior column of the model structure was the weakest member. The peak strain and damage degree for both sides of the interior column exhibited an ‘S’ type distribution along the height. Moreover, the seismic response of both ground soil and subway station structure exhibited a remarkable spatial effect. The seismic damage development process and failure mechanism of the structure illustrated in this study can provide references for the engineers and researcher. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

To study the hypoglycemic effect of composite rice flour, the diabetic mouse model was established through the intraperitoneal injection of alloxan saline (twice, 200 mg/kg bw). The mice were randomly divided into 4 groups: negative control, positive control, metformin medication group, and composite rice flour feed group. After 21 days, the fasting blood glucose levels were determined by glucose oxidase method and followed with a glucose tolerance test. The results show that the body weight growth rate of mice in the rice flour group was significantly higher than that of the medication group (P < 0.01). Comparing with the positive control group, the fasting blood glucose levels of medication group and rice flour group were significantly lower, and the glucose tolerance was significantly increased in rice flour group (P < 0.01). In conclusion, the composite rice flour has obvious hypoglycemic and protective effect for diabetic mouse model.

The curing mechanism of furfuryl alcohol and urea-formaldehyde furan resins was investigated using infrared spectroscopy (IR) technique. The curing productions of urea-formaldehyde furan resins modified with different agents (i.e. sorbitol, polyester polyol, phenol and acetone) and the productions of incomplete curing were characterized by differential thermal analysis (DTA) and thermal gravity analysis (TG). The results indicate that except for polyester polyol, the other modifiers have little effect on the thermal strength of urea-formaldehyde furan resin. Furthermore, the thermal strength can be improved at a temperature of higher than 550℃.

The role of resveratrol in cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury is not well understood. The aim of this study was to investigate whether resveratrol modulates inflammation and oxidative stress in cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury in mice. Rats were subjected to 2 h of transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO), followed by 24 h of reperfusion. Rats were randomly exposed to sham operation group, MCAO group and MCAO+ resveratrol group. The results demonstrated that compared to I/R, resveratrol reduced cerebral infarction area, brain water content, neuronal apoptosis, myeloperoxidase (MPO) levels, and cerebral TNF-α production. Our results suggested that resveratrol has protective effects against cerebral I/R injury in rats, which may be attributed to attenuating inflammation and apoptosis induced by cerebral ischemia reperfusion.

This article analyzes how the execution of business strategy for global enterprises is shaped by the dual challenges of communicating in a different national culture and working in a changing economic environment. The article develops a framework from the UPS case in China to illustrate the key components of strategy for US companies operating businesses in China. The article proposes that Chinese-American communication effectiveness can be achieved through overcoming fi ve obstacles: cultural multiplicity, relationship/task orientation, time concept, business style difference, and language use, while utilizing fi ve facilitators: pragmatism, gender equality, English, American pop culture, and a “big country mentality.”

In the paper, the chaos-parallel evolutionary programming algorithm is presented to solve the flow-shop scheduling problem. First, the individuals of each sub-population in the parallel evolutionary programming are found in the search space by use of the ergodicity properties of chaos states, then each sub-population evolves independently and the best individuals are exchanged between them periodically. Simulation results demonstrate that the new algorithm is efficient for optimizing large scale manufacturing process and the better results can be achieved on both the calculating time and optimizing rate.

Aimed to solving the feature relation plan matching problem in pattern recognition, a new optimizing algorithm based on the real genetic algorithm is proposed. The authors study in detail the possibility of using this algorithm; the steps of performing this algorithm are given. Consequently, a new idea for improving the efficiency of recognizing three-dimensional objects is suggested.

The goal of this thesis is to provide algorithm design for smart vision sensors. Two algorithms are developed in this thesis. The first one is based on the correlation analysis method for images and can be implemented to find the 2-dimensional position of a target. In particular, the problem of finding the deviations along both X and Y directions is formulated as a matching process between the saved template, which represents the reference position, and the picture of a real static target captured by a 'vision' element such as a CCD camera, through correlation analysis of the 2-D spatial shift. It is an efficient and simple method for deviation identification of target position with high noise rejection ability. Using this method, 2-D position deviation can be found very accurately with high reliability. The second algorithm, which is based on locating the critical points of a planar shape, can be applied to identifying the pattern and finding the 2-dimensional position deviation and rotation angle of a target. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Paper copy at Leddy Library: Theses & Major Papers - Basement, West Bldg. / Call Number: Thesis2001 .G36. Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 40-06, page: 1586. Adviser: Xiang Chen. Thesis (M.A.Sc.)--University of Windsor (Canada), 2001.