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ABSTRACTThis study has employed 16S rDNA analysis to elucidate the characteristics of the microbial community in the surroundings, facilities, and meat samples collected from a pork wholesale market with the aim of revealing bacterial contamination. In addition, the efficacy of sodium hypochlorite disinfectant was assessed by comparing the bacterial communities in the viable samples before and after disinfection. The bacterial abundances in meat, chopping boards, and knives were positively correlated (r > 0.95, p

ABSTRACT Mechanised watercress harvesting involves clamping and cutting its stalks, which can result in their incomplete breaking and crushing. The harvest quality is directly affected by the force used to clamp and cut the watercress stalks. Therefore, studying the physical and mechanical properties of the stalks is important to accurately calculate the force that needs to be applied. Herein, the microstructure of watercress stalk sections with and without nodes was observed using scanning electron microscopy. Moreover, the basic physical properties, such as the total length, internode outer diameter, internode inner diameter and water content, of watercress stalks were measured. Additionally, the mechanical properties of watercress stalks at different positions were measured using four modes: tension, compression, shear and bending. Results revealed that watercress stalks with nodes exhibited a more pronounced medullary cavity and a greater number of internal vascular bundles. The lower section of the watercress stalks was considerably more resistant to mechanical stress than the rest of the stalk. Further, in terms of resisting load, the stalks with nodes were stronger than those without nodes. This study provides useful information for efficient watercress harvesting.

ABSTRACTThere are a variety of bioactive components in rice bran oil (RBO), among which the richer ones include γ-oryzanol, α-tocopherol and sitosterol. The activity of these ingredients is affected by the vehicle and formulation, and there is a significant synergy between these antioxidants. At present, the content of antioxidants in physically refined RBO has reached a high level. Therefore, comparing the activity of physically refined RBO with γ-oryzanol, α-tocopherol, and sitosterol as single components and the above three ingredients dissolved in the same base oil as RBO can provide information for better application of these antioxidants. The results showed that the antioxidant and anti-senescence capacities of physically refined RBO were significantly higher than those of dissolved γ-oryzanol, α-tocopherol, and sitosterol and better than those of the mixture. This study illustrates that the antioxidant and anti-senescence effects of highly active physically refined RBO are superior to those antioxidants derived from RBO.

Anchovy, a low-value small marine fish, is mainly processed into fish meal, whose high-value functional components are not fully exploited. In this study, the enzymatically hydrolyzed anchovy (Engraulis japonicus) paste (EHAP) was prepared by hydrolyzing anchovy using Alcalase2.4 L, and the nutrients and antioxidant properties of EHAP were assessed to increase its added value. Protein, total amino acids and oligopeptide of the nutrients in EHAP reached 73.9 ± 0.7%, 56.1 ± 0.8 g/100 g and 50.4 ± 1.6%, respectively. The molecular weight distribution of EHAP displayed a high dipeptides and tripeptides proportion of 60.1 ± 0.4%. Furthermore, EHAP showed the highest antioxidant activities of ferrous ion chelating, lipid peroxidation inhibition and DPPH scavenging activity, reached about 34%, 40% and 49%, respectively. Collectively, the EHAP belonged to a product with strong antioxidant properties, and was rich in nutrients, which could serve as a valuable bioactive marine resource applied in the aquatic feed and functional food industry.

Como nuevo tipo de contaminante, los microplásticos han estado atrayendo una gran atención durante el proceso de monitorización del medio marino. Las redes de arrastre utilizadas en la actualidad (con un tamaño de malla de 330 μm) no son realmente adecuadas para la recogida de partículas de microplástico más pequeñas debido a su gran tamaño de malla. Además, el método de captura con redes de arrastre requiere de operaciones complicadas, durante las cuales las muestras son susceptibles de contaminación en un entorno abierto. En este contexto, se desarrolló un novedoso sistema de muestreo in situ y de clasificación de microplásticos de agua de mar que integra un procedimiento de recogida, separación y enriquecimiento, y cuenta también con un sistema de elución alternativo aire-agua y de recogida con clasificación de tres capas (con tamaños de malla de membrana de 300, 100 y 50 μm). Entre sus ventajas se incluyen su facilidad de utilización, la reducción en el tiempo de su operación, el reciclado del agua del mar y la formación de un espacio cerrado con el fin de evitar la contaminación de las muestras. Además, es capaz de medir con precisión el volumen de agua de mar filtrada y las pruebas de elución realizadas con él demuestran que su tasa de recuperación alcanza más de un 90 % en cinco segundos. Posteriormente se llevó a cabo un experimento en tierra con el fin de recoger muestras de microplásticos utilizando el nuevo sistema. Las muestras después fueron analizadas e identificadas por espectroscopia micro-Raman, encontrándose microplásticos de diferentes tipos (PE, PET, PA, PEVA, PS y PVS); colores (translúcido, blanco, azul y amarillo), y formas (espuma, fragmentos, fibras y gránulos) en las membranas filtrantes de 100 y 50 μm, pero no en la membrana filtrante de 300 μm. Los resultados del estudio revelan que el nuevo sistema de muestreo resulta realmente eficaz en la recogida de microplásticos que por lo regular es omitida por las redes de arrastre y que puede utilizarse como complemento a dicho sistema.

Objetivo: Evaluación sistemática de la eficacia clínica de la punción estereotáctica mínimamente invasiva para la evacuación de hematomas intracraneales en pacientes con hemorragia cerebral. Material y métodos: Se realizaron búsquedas en estudios relevantes en PubMed, Web of Science, MEDLINE, Infraestructura Nacional de Conocimiento de China, base de datos Wanfang y base de datos VIP. El metanálisis se realizó después de la selección de criterios de inclusión y exclusión, la extracción de datos y la evaluación de la calidad de la literatura. Resultados: Se incluyeron 15 estudios en los que participaron 1.312 sujetos, 673 en el grupo experimental y 639 en el grupo control. En comparación con la Craneotomía tradicional o el tratamiento, el aclaramiento estereotáctico mínimamente invasivo de hematomas intracraneales tiene una alta eficiencia clínica total en pacientes con hemorragia intracerebral y puede acortar significativamente el tiempo de hospitalización de los pacientes con hemorragia intracerebral. El nivel de actividad de la vida diaria postoperatoria (ADL) aumentó significativamente, la incidencia de complicaciones postoperatorias disminuyó y la mortalidad disminuyó. Sin embargo, no hubo diferencia significativa en el grado de déficit neurológico postoperatorio. Conclusión: En comparación con la Craneotomía tradicional o el tratamiento conservador, la Craneotomía estereotáctica mínimamente invasiva tiene un mayor efecto clínico en el tratamiento de la hemorragia cerebral y puede mejorar la capacidad de la vida diaria de los pacientes después de la operación.

ABSTRACT Mastering accurate spatial planting and distribution status of the crops is significantly important for the nation to guide the agricultural production and formulate agricultural policies from a macro perspective. In this paper, the Landsat-8 OLI satellite images were taken as the data sources. And as for the nine crop types within the study area, such as the wheat, rice, and other crops, three classification methods of the random forest classification (RFC), the support vector machine (SVM), and the maximum likelihood classification (MLC) were applied in extracting the planting area of winter wheat in Wushi County of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It can be seen from the results that, general classification accuracy of MLC, SVM, and RFC are respectively 80.58%, 87.95%, and 95.96%, while their Kappa coefficients are respectively 0.61, 0.76, and 0.86. The RFC method shows higher classification accuracy that those of MLC and SVM methods. The principal component analysis (PCA) was carried out on the original 7-band image to extract the first 4 principal components and calculate the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), enhanced vegetation index (EVI), wide dynamic range vegetation index (WDRVI), and normalized difference water index (NDWI). Meanwhile, the 6 additional auxiliary feature bands were superimposed on the original 7-band images to carry out reclassification, through which, the general accuracy of MLC increased by 3 percent while its Kappa coefficient increased by 0.06; the SVM general accuracy increased by 3.02 percent while its Kappa coefficient increased by 0.13; and the general accuracy of the RFC increased by 0.85 percent while its Kappa coefficient increased by 0.02. This indicates that, the adding of auxiliary information can improve the crop classification and identification ability and accuracy. Based on the comprehensive evaluation, the classification method of random forest is proved to have better performance in winter wheat identification.

Youzi, Confucius’ disciple, proposed the thought of “Harmony is Valued”, which was also the value pursuit of Confucius. They interpreted the implication of “Harmony” from practicing the rules of propriety. “He” means “harmony”. Mencius called the harmony between people “Support of the People”, and he discussed the harmonious coexistence between the revolutionaries and the public from the perspective of “Benevolent Policy” and “Good Nature”. Xunzi explained the institution, normalization and impartiality necessary for society from the aspect of “Harmony”, which expanded the theoretical implication of “Harmony”. Confucian thought of “Harmony is Valued” is also the embodiment of the ideology of “Advocating Fairness” and “Harmony Between Man and Nature”, which contained the thought of the harmonious relationship between people and nature. Confucian thought of “Harmony is Valued” has achieved an innovative development in modern society, which complies with the idea of sustainable development. It is of great referential significance for rethinking the relation between people, the relation between human and nature, and the relation between economic development and natural environment etc

Abstract Background and objectives The mechanisms by which local anesthetics cause neurotoxicity are very complicated. Apoptosis and autophagy are highly coordinated mechanisms that maintain cellular homeostasis against stress. Studies have shown that autophagy activation serves as a protective mechanism in vitro. However, whether it also plays the same role in vivo is unclear. The aim of this study was to explore the role of autophagy in local anesthetic-induced neurotoxicity and to elucidate the mechanism of neurotoxicity in an intrathecally injected rat model. Methods Eighteen healthy adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups. Before receiving an intrathecal injection of 1% bupivacaine, each rat received an intraperitoneal injection of vehicle or rapamycin (1 mg.kg-1) once a day for 3 days. The pathological changes were examined by Haematoxylin and Eosin (HE) staining. Apoptosis was analysed by TdT-mediated dUTP Nick-End Labelling (TUNEL) staining. Caspase-3, Beclin1 and LC3 expression was examined by Immunohistochemical (IHC) staining. Beclin1 and LC3 expression and the LC3-II/LC3-I ratio were detected by western blot analysis. Results After bupivacaine was injected intrathecally, pathological damage occurred in spinal cord neurons, and the levels of apoptosis and caspase-3 increased. Enhancement of autophagy with rapamycin markedly alleviated the pathological changes and decreased the levels of apoptosis and caspase-3 while increasing the expression of LC3 and Beclin1 and the ratio of LC3-II to LC3-I. Conclusions Enhancement of autophagy decreases caspase-3-dependent apoptosis and improves neuronal survivalin vivo. Activation of autophagy may be a potential therapeutic strategy for local anaesthetic-induced neurotoxicity.

We assessed the changes in nutritional and putrescent components during enzymolysis of Acetes chinensis. Oligopeptide and astaxanthin both reached a maximum of 46.78 ± 1.03% and 14.71 ± 0.32 mg/kg at 6 h, respectively. The total free amino acid changed from 6.37 ± 0.08 g/100 g to 14.21 ± 0.17 g/100 g at 8 h. However, the volatile base nitrogen reached 143.50 ± 6.21 mg/100 g at 10 h. The total biogenic amine was first decreased and then increased to 6,324.00 ± 10.56 mg/kg. Moreover, the acid and peroxide values reached 4.93 ± 0.17 mg/g and 5.56 ± 0.23 mg/kg at 10 h, respectively. Therefore, although Acetes chinensis hydrolysate was rich in nutrients, the putrescent components, including volatile base nitrogen, biogenic amine, acid and peroxide values, were increased during enzymolysis. Collectively, the enzymatic hydrolysis process of Acetes chinensis should be appropriately regulated to reduce the contents of putrescent components.

Objective: The objective of the study was to systematically evaluate the effect of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) or CABG combined with mitral valve surgery (cMVS) on post-operative survival in patients with moderate ischemic mitral valve regurgitation. Materials and methods: Databases including PubMed, Web of Science, COCHRANE LIBRARY, WanFang Data, and CNKI Data were searched from inception to January 2020. According to the inclusion criterion, relevant articles were screened. After that we extracted data, assessed quality, and performed meta-analysis using RevMan 5.2. Results: A total of 4 randomized controlled trial and 14 retrospective study involving 4476 patients were included in the study. The CABG group was 2278 and the cMVS group was 1698. The results of meta-analysis showed that compared with CABG group, there were no statistically significant differences in the recent mortality (odds ratio [OR] = 0.88, p = 0.62), 1-year survival (OR = 1.03, p = 0.82), 1-year survival (OR = 1.07, p = 0.62), and long-term survival (OR = 0.95, p = 0.61) of the cMVS group. Conclusion: Current evidence indicates that patients in the cMVS group did not benefit from CABG group in survival after surgery.

The physicochemical properties, organic acid, and phenolic profiles of hawthorn wines prepared by different pretreatments were analyzed. It was found that fermentation together with smashed seeds was favorable for ethanol production, while thermal maceration, addition of pectinase and amyloglucosidase significantly increased the levels of sugar-free extract, residual sugar, total phenolics, flavonoids, and most individual phenolic comounds, showing beneficial effects on improving nutritive value of hawthorn wine. Addition of pectinase and amyloglucosidase caused an increase of methanol content by 34.88% and 26.97%, respectively, while thermal maceration decrease the methanol content by 36.20%. Addition of amyloglucosidase yielded the highest contents of procyanidins as well as flavanols, while thermal maceration and addition of pectinase were favorable for improving phenolic acid level. All the pretreatments significantly increased the contents of succinic acid and malic acid in the final wines, among which thermal maceration and addition of pectinase yielded the highest content of succinic acid and malic acid respectively.

ABSTRACT The enhancement of rice production numbers can be achieved by using quality rice cultivars and fertilizers. The double rice cropping model has given rise to an important rice production system in southern China. Exploring the possibility of whether hybrid vigor could make a substantial contribution to early and late season rice production, and how the heterosis expression of hybrid rice functions under different levels of fertilizer application is of great significance. The objective of this study was to evaluate the grain yield and associated plant traits of popular hybrid and inbred rice varieties with large–scale promotion under conditions of customary (high) and combined (low) fertilization in the early and late seasons of 2017–18 in Changsha County, Hunan Province, China. We found that hybrid rice varieties displayed their respective advantages in the early and late rice seasons, but the advantages in their relative yield traits varied. The leading advantages of early season rice were effective panicle number per hill (EPN), 1000–grain weight (KGW), harvest index (HI), yield, and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), whereas in late season rice, the foremost advantages were grain number per panicle (GNP), HI, yield, and NUE. The EPN was the prime advantage of early season hybrid rice with a short growth period, and the GNP was the main advantage of late season hybrid rice with a long growth period. Notably, the main yield advantage of hybrid rice was stronger under combined (low) fertilization than under customary (high) fertilization. Hence, high yield can be achieved by selecting the best hybrid rice varieties supported by combined fertilization (lower fertilizer use with higher efficiency).

The transition metal oxide, such as iron oxide and Fe2O3/Al2O3 is cheap and industrialized that are widely used to catalyze the reaction of chlorine and oxygen with hydrogen in mixture gas to remove hydrogen from tail chlorine at low temperature. The reaction gas was prepared by the same composition with industrial tail chlorine, namely Cl2 (65% ~ 80%), O2 (8% ~ 10%), N2 (6% ~16%) and H2 (1.5% ~ 4%). In this experiment, the fixed bed reactor and iron oxide or Fe2O3/Al2O3 were used as the reaction device and catalysts, respectively. The optimum conversion rate of hydrogen was 84.11% when the reaction temperature was at 70 °C with 3%wt. Fe2O3/Al2O3 and the calcination temperature was 500 °C. The results showed that the catalytic performance of Fe2O3/Al2O3 is superior to Fe2O3. The selectivity of the reaction of hydrogen and chloride was higher than that of hydrogen and oxygen. We also characterized the catalysts with XRD, XPS, SEM and N2 adsorption-desorption and the results showed that the iron oxide was dispersive uniformly on the support surface.

Abstract Autophagy plays an important role in maintaining cell homeostasis through degradation of denatured proteins and other biological macromolecules. In recent years, many researchers focus on mechanism of autophagy in apicomplexan parasites, but little was known about this process in avian coccidia. In our present study. The cloning, sequencing and characterization of autophagy-related gene (Etatg8) were investigated by quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR), western blotting (WB), indirect immunofluorescence assays (IFAs) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), respectively. The results have shown 375-bp ORF of Etatg8, encoding a protein of 124 amino acids in E. tenella, the protein structure and properties are similar to other apicomplexan parasites. RT-qPCR revealed Etatg8 gene expression during four developmental stages in E. tenella, but their transcriptional levels were significantly higher at the unsporulated oocysts stage. WB and IFA showed that EtATG8 was lipidated to bind the autophagosome membrane under starvation or rapamycin conditions, and aggregated in the cytoplasm of sporozoites and merozoites, however, the process of autophagosome membrane production can be inhibited by 3-methyladenine. In conclusion, we found that E. tenella has a conserved autophagy mechanism like other apicomplexan parasites, and EtATG8 can be used as a marker for future research on autophagy targeting avian coccidia.

ABSTRACT Objective: To assess the effect of Chahuang ointment, a Chinese herbal ointment, on the prevention of phlebitis in patients with peripherally inserted central catheters. Method: This was a multicenter randomized controlled trial, with 171 eligible patients randomly assigned into one of three groups: the Chahuang ointment group, the Mucopolysaccharide Polysulfate cream group, and the control group. The degrees of vein injuries at 72 hours after peripherally inserted central catheter insertion were the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes were the vascular wall thickness, tissue edema and microthrombus evaluated by Color Doppler Flow Imaging, the vascular endothelial growth factor, and endothelin-1 (ET-1) expression in vivo. Results: Compared with the control group, the Chahuang ointment group showed significantly lower incidence of postoperative phlebitis, tissue edema, and microthrombus at 72 hours after peripherally inserted central catheter insertion (all P0.05). Conclusion: Chahuang ointment was shown to provide effective prevention and protection against phlebitis after peripherally inserted central catheter insertion.

Research into the production of white sesame oil by aqueous extraction has been promoted because of concerns about the environment, health, and cost. The advanced aqueous method using a 1.95:10 liquid-to-raw material ratio, which was finally developed in this study, recovered 96.06% white sesame oil and produced de-oiled meal with high quality (3.98% residual oil content). The acid value and peroxide value of the oil produced were quite low at 0.19 mg KOH/kg and < 3.25 mmol/kg, respectively, which were better than the values required by the Chinese national standard for first class edible sesame oils and oils produced by hexane extraction. No wastewater was discharged during the extraction of white sesame oils by an aqueous salt solution. The protein rich de-oiled meal may be a good material for making protein isolate with high purity (e.g. > 90%). It can also be a nutritious ingredient or raw material for producing many food products.

El síndrome de fiebre periódica (SFP) se caracteriza clínicamente por episodios repetidos y variables de inflamación sistémica en donde no se encuentra causa infecciosa, neoplásica ni evidencia de autoantígenos o autoanticuerpos. Los síntomas alternan con períodos de remisión total. La manifestación clínica cardinal es la presencia de fiebre, que se acompaña de síntomas sistémicos (artritis, serositis, exantema y afectación ocular) y similares entre una crisis y otra, que duran días a semanas1.Presentan como características generales inicio en la infancia y duración autolimitada de los síntomas2.SFP se ubican en el grupo VII de la clasificación de inmunodeficiencias primarias3,en estos se debe diferenciar las enfermedades vinculados a mutaciones monogénicas, con pronóstico complejo, de las formas benignas denominadas “fiebre periódica, aftas, faringitis y adenopatías” (PFAPA)4-5. Para clasificar a pacientes con SFP se usan los criterios establecidos por Eurofever Classification Criteria (ECC)6y en las formas benignas, los criterios de Thomas5

The aim of this study is at examining the prevalence and impact factors of adolescent somatization tendencies (ST) across three eastern Chinese provinces. A multicenter school-based cross-sectional study was conducted in these provinces from 2015 to 2016. The sample included 11,153 middle-school students aged 13-18 years, who were randomly selected using a multi-phase stratified cluster sampling technique. We also designed a multicenter school-based case-control study to evaluate the potential environmental impact of ST factors on this population. The overall positive rate of ST among the eastern Chinese adolescents was 12.1%. Somatic symptoms score (SSS) and positive ST rate were higher in females than males. Additionally, the SSS and positive ST rate for the 18-year-old group were significantly higher than in other age groups. In comparison to those in urban areas, adolescents in rural areas had significantly higher SSS and positive ST rate. Multiple conditional regression analyses revealed that family medical history, anxiety and depression scores; superstitious beliefs; left-behind adolescents; teacher-student support; family conflict; and family independence and achievement orientation were significantly linked to ST in adolescents. The models also indicated family medical history was the strongest impact factor to adolescent ST, even though ST were prevalent in the three studied eastern Chinese provinces. Gender, age, and dwelling differences were very significant in the SSS and positive ST rate in adolescents. This study concludes that adolescent ST are influenced by multiple environments.

Indole-based receptors such as biindole, carbazole, and indolocarbazole are regarded as some of the most favorable anion receptors in molecular recognition. This is because indole groups possess N–H groups as hydrogen-bonding donors. The introduction of amide groups in the indole framework can induce strong binding properties and good water solubility. In this study, we designed and synthesized a series of N-(indol-3-ylglyoxylyl)benzylamine derivatives as novel and simple anion receptors. The receptors derived by aryl and aliphatic amines can selectively recognize F– based on a color change from colorless-to-yellow in DMSO. The receptors derived by hydrazine hydrate can recognize F–, AcO–, and H2PO4– by similar color changes in DMSO and can even enable the selective recognition of F– in a DMSO–H2O binary solution by the naked eye. Spectrographic data indicate that complexes are formed between receptors and anions through multiple hydrogen-bonding interactions in dual solutions.

A novel Fe3+-selective and turn-on fluorescent probe 1 incorporating a rhodamine fluorophore and quinoline subunit was synthesized. Probe 1 displayed high selectivity for Fe3+ in CH3CN–H2O (95:5 v/v) in the presence of other relevant metal cations. Interaction with Fe3+ in 1:1 stoichiometry could trigger a significant fluorescence enhancement due to the formation of the ring-open form. The fluorescent response images were investigated by a novel Euclidean distance method based on red, green, and blue values. A linear relationship was observed between fluorescence intensity changes and Fe3+ concentrations from 7.3 × 10−7 to 3.6 × 10−5 mol L−1.

Drying stress is the main cause for the generation of drying cracks in wood disks during drying, which limits the processing and utilization of this valuable material. For this study, white birch disks with one trunk and a thickness of 30 mm were dried under three different drying conditions: 1) a very slow drying process preventing the generation of a radial moisture content (MC) gradient, 2) a drying process with slowly increasing temperature leading to a radial MC gradient, with a higher MC in the heartwood, and 3) the same heat drying process but the wood disks were partly covered with a thin plastic film prior to the drying process leading to a reversed radial MC gradient, i.e., a higher MC in the sapwood. For each drying condition, the tangential elastic strain in the wood disks was investigated for a mean MC of 26%, 18% and 10%, respectively, as a function of the radial distance from the pith in order to predict the drying stress. Furthermore, the stress characteristics and stress reversal mechanisms in wood disks are discussed in this paper with the help of stress analysis sketches.

Active and healthy lifestyles have been associated with better quality of life in working women. Objective: To establish the effectiveness of a physical activity program to improve fitness componentsin working women from two Colombian companies. Materials and methods: A longitudinal,exploratory, descriptive study was conducted, previous and later measurements aboutthe quantitative aspects of fitness were taken. Women in the study were between 24-49 years old, without associated risk factors or physical activity practice restrictions according to PARQ & YOU questionnaire. 15 women (37,33 ±9,3) voluntarily decided to join for the intervention onphysical activity for a period of 12 weeks, 60 minutes per day.Statistical analysis was made with SPSS 17. Results: Statistical changes appeared after the intervention, body mass index (BMI) (p= 0,023), abdominal strength (p = 0,004) and lower limbs strength (p= 0,001). There were no significant changes in maximal oxygen uptake and flexibility. Conclusion: From these results, it was established that the implemented physical activity promotion protocol was effective to change fitness of women who completed the program, meaning that it can be replicated with effective results after its completition.

Cracks, especially microcracks, in concrete are of paramount importance to the durability and the service life of cementitious composite. However, the self-healing technology, including autogenous healing and autonomous healing, is expected to be one of effective tools to overcome this boring problem. In this paper, we focus on the autogenous healing of concrete material and a few of recent works of autonomous healing are also mentioned. The durability and the mechanical properties improved by the self-healing phenomenon are reviewed from experimental investigation and practical experience. Several aspects of researches, such as autogenous healing capability of an innovative concrete incorporated geo-materials, self-healing of engineered cementitious composite and fire-damaged concrete, effect of mineral and admixtures on mechanism and efficiency of self-healing concrete are summarized to evaluate the presented progresses in the past several years and to outline the perspective for the further developments. Moreover, a special emphasis is given on the analytical models and computer simulation method of the researches of self-healing in cementitious materials.

Resumen: Se considera Desayuno Saludable aquél que contiene una ración equilibrada de todos los nutrientes, tanto de forma cualitativa como cuantitativa. Pese a que debería proporcionar entre el 20-25% del aporte diario, suele ser la ingesta que con mayor frecuencia es insuficiente o nula. En este trabajo se presenta un estudio de los hábitos alimentarios de escolares, así como una intervención educativa teórica y práctica dentro del programa de Educación para la Salud en Atención Farmacéutica. Los resultados muestran que sólo el 36.6% de los alumnos encuestados realiza un desayuno completo. La actividad educativa teórico-práctica consigue introducir cambios en los hábitos del desayuno y en las opiniones de los escolares intervenidos. Abstract: A Healthy Breakfast is the one that includes a balanced portion of every nutrient qualitatively and quantitatively. Although it should supply the 20-25%calories of the day, it is usually insufficient or even absent. In this paper, we study the food habits of schoolchildren and we also participate in a health educational intervention of a Pharmaceutical Care Program with them. Only the 36.6% of students have a healthy breakfast every day. The health education achieves favorable changes in the behavior and opinions of the schoolchildren participating.

La elección de un aparato bucal apropiado para lograr los mejores resultados en el tratamiento de la apnea obstructiva del sueño es importante. El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar el efecto de un aparato bucal específico, el PMPositioner, para el tratamiento del ronquido y la apnea obstructiva del sueño leve, a través de polisomnografía y la Escala de Epworth del sueño, después de seis meses de uso del mencionado aparato. Se incluyeron en el estudio 17 pacientes divididos en dos grupos: un grupo de roncadores integrado por 7 pacientes y otro grupo de 10 pacientes con apnea obstructiva leve. Los resultados fueron significativos para el segundo grupo, revelando una disminución en el índice de apnea-hipoapnea de 7,4 ± 5,0 a 3,0 ± 2,5 (p

La elección de un aparato bucal apropiado para lograr los mejores resultados en el tratamiento de la apnea obstructiva del sueño es importante. El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar el efecto de un aparato bucal específico, el PMPositioner, para el tratamiento del ronquido y la apnea obstructiva del sueño leve, a través de polisomnografía y la Escala de Epworth del sueño, después de seis meses de uso del mencionado aparato. Se incluyeron en el estudio 17 pacientes divididos en dos grupos: un grupo de roncadores integrado por 7 pacientes y otro grupo de 10 pacientes con apnea obstructiva leve. Los resultados fueron significativos para el segundo grupo, revelando una disminución en el índice de apnea-hipoapnea de 7,4 ± 5,0 a 3,0 ± 2,5 (p

El síndrome de dermatitis y nefropatía porcino (SDNP) es una entidad exclusiva de los cerdos que afecta, en general, a animales de desarrollo y engorde. Su presentación suele ser esporádica con una prevalencia en las granjas afectadas menor al 1% y una letalidad entre el 50 y 100% que varia según la edad. Se caracteriza por la aparición súbita de lesiones multifocales rojo-violáceas en piel y riñones pálidos que se cubren de hemorragias petequiales. La lesión microscópica típica consiste en una vasculitis generalizada y glomérulonefritis sugestivas de una reacción de hipersensibilidad tipo III, mediada por inmunocomplejos. Si bien su etiología no es conocida, distintos trabajos asocian al SDNP con la infección por circovirus porcino tipo 2 (PCV-2) basados en ciertas evidencias epidemiológicas, las características de algunas de las lesiones microscópicas y, aún cuando inconstante, la detección de antígeno y/o ácido nucleico de PCV-2 en tejidos de animales enfermos. En el presente trabajo se describen las principales características de la enfermedad desde el punto de vista de su epidemiología, patología y etiología, incluyendo datos sobre la situación en la Argentina.

A series of Cu-MCM-41 catalysts were synthesized through in-situ hydrothermal preparation method, calcinated at different temperatures and characterized by thermogravimetric and differential scanning calorimetry (TG-DSC), N2 adsorption-desorption, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FI-IR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and hydrogen temperature-programmed (H2-TPR). The effect of calcination temperature on the structural properties and selective oxidation of dimethoxymethane (DMM) to dimethyl carbonate (DMC) were discussed in detail. The results showed that the calcination temperature played important role on the microstructure and catalytic activity of the Cu-MCM-41 catalysts. At the calcination temperature 550 °C, the Cu-MCM-41 catalyst possessed higher surface area, smaller pore diameter, stronger metal-support interaction, and better CuO dispersion compared the other catalysts, and the corresponding catalyst exhibited excellent activity and stability for the DMC synthesis. Under the reaction conditions at 2.0 MPa and 130 °C, the highest DMM conversion was 99.47% with the best DMC selectivity of 85.01%. In addition, the catalyst was reused four times without significant loss of performance.

A novel meso-tetracyclohexylcalix[4]pyrrole-based boradiazaindacene dye 3 was synthesized and characterized. F--binding properties of the dye in the presence of tetrabutylammonium (TBA+), tetraethylammonium (TEA+), and tetramethylammonium (TMA+) counter ions were investigated by UV-Vis, fluorescence, and NMR spectroscopies. Dye 3 displayed various degrees of absorption red shift, fluorescence quenching, and downfield shifts of NH signals for the three fluoride salts. The association constants of these salts mainly depend on cation size effects and ion-pairing effects and were in the order KTMA+ > KTEA+ > KTBA+. Thus, we speculate that both F- and tetraalkylammonium cations are concomitantly located above and below a bowl-shaped calix[4]pyrrole cup in an ion-paired complex, respectively.

ABSTRACT To increase rice yield potential, field experiments were conducted in farmers’ paddies in 2011 and 2012 to evaluate the effects of different nitrogen applications on the yield and panicle components of three typical indica hybrid rice varieties in Sichuan Province. The number of grains per panicle resulting from late nitrogen application (LA) was 12 % greater than that obtained from traditional nitrogen application (TA); this increase was the main source of improvements in yield. The number of surviving and differentiated spikelets (NSS and NDiS) resulting from LA was significantly higher than that measured under TA, especially for the Fyou498 cultivar, where the NSS and NDiS increased by 15 % and 14 %, respectively. Compared with TA, the number of degenerated secondary branches and the percentage of degenerated secondary branches (NDeSB and PDeSB) were significantly reduced by 9 % and 11 %, respectively, by LA. This is the first study to demonstrate that an increase in NSS and a decrease in NDeSB lead to yield-improving effects attributable to LA. The grain yields of different varieties ranged from 9225.6 to 9408.7 kg ha−1, the PDeSB was as high as 31 %, and the number of surviving secondary branches (NSSB) was significantly and positively correlated with NSS. These data indicate that the yield of indica hybrid rice has considerable potential for being improved, and increasing NSSB is key to increasing NSS and improving the grain yield. These improvements should be pursued so as to increase the yield of hybrid rice to ensure both food security and sustainable agricultural development.

In this work, a series of PhnSnCl4-n (n = 1, 2, 3, and 4) based catalysts were prepared by incipient wetness impregnation using activated carbon (AC) as support and triphenyltin chloride (Ph3ClSn) and tin(IV) chloride (SnCl4) as Sn precursors. The obtained catalysts were systematically characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), N2 physisorption, Scanning electron microscope (SEM), Thermogravimetric analysis (TG-DTG), and Inductively coupled plasma (ICP) analytical techniques. The catalytic performance of the prepared PhnSnCl4-n samples was evaluated in the acetylene hydrochlorination reaction. When a gas hourly space velocity (GHSV, C2H2 based) and a reaction temperature of 30 h-1 and 200 ºC, respectively were used for the reaction performed over the 12% (1.0Ph3ClSn+3.5SnCl4)/AC-200 catalyst, an acetylene conversion of 98.0% with a selectivity to vinyl chloride of 98.5% were obtained. These results demonstrated that PhnSnCl4-n can effectively improve the catalytic activity and prolong the lifetime of SnCl4/AC catalysts. Moreover, by comparing with HgCl2/AC, PhnSnCl4-n-based catalysts exhibit much enhanced catalytic activity in the hydrochlorination of acetylene. It is assumed that the outstanding activity is due to trichlorophenylstannane (PhCl3Sn) active sites, resulted from the organotin redistribution reaction between Ph3ClSn and SnCl4. In addition, such sites also improved the SnCl4/AC catalyst stability during the reaction.

Background and aim: Both peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) and pneumatic dilation (PD) has proved to be effective for treating achalasia in patients aged ≥ 65 years. However little is known about the comparison between POEM and PD. The aim of the study was to compare the safety and efficacy of POEM and PD for the treatment of achalasia in these patients. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients aged 65 years-old or more who received POEM or PD for the treatment of achalasia at our hospital from January 2010 to December 2015, they were divided into the POEM group and the PD group. Demographics and data about safety and efficacy were collected retrospectively and compared between the two groups. Results: A total of 31 patients were enrolled, and 21 of them received POEM, while the other 10 received PD. The treatment success (Eckardt score ≤ 3) rate of POEM and PD at 3, 6, 12, 24 and 36 months after the treatment were comparable (p > 0.05). Treatment failure was noticed in 3 cases, 1 of them was in the POEM group and the other 2 in the PD group, there was no significant difference (p > 0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that sigmoid-type achalasia was a predictive factor of treatment failure. No severe complications were observed during operation and periodical follow-up. Conclusion: Short-term and intermediate efficacy of POEM and PD for treating achalasia in patients aged ≥ 65 years was comparable. A large scale, randomized study with long-term follow-up is necessary in order to make a definitive conclusion.

ABSTRACT Aim: Both submucosal tunneling endoscopic resection (STER) and endoscopic full-thickness resection (EFTR) are effective methods for gastric fundus submucosal tumors (SMTs). However, there is little data that compares the two methods. The aim of this study was to compare the safety and efficacy of STER and EFTR for the treatment of SMTs in the gastric fundus. Methods: Clinical data was retrospectively collected from patients with gastric fundus SMTs who underwent STER or EFTR at our hospital from April 2011 to May 2016. Epidemiological data (gender, age), tumor size, procedure-related parameters, complications, postoperative hospital stay, cost and follow-up data were compared. Results: A total of 43 patients were enrolled: 15 underwent STER and the remaining 28 cases underwent EFTR. There were no significant differences between the two groups with regard to gender, age, tumor size, en bloc resection rate, operation time, pathohistological results and cost (p > 0.05). However, patients who underwent EFTR had a longer suture time, required a larger number of clips for closure and a prolonged postoperative hospital stay (p < 0.05). No recurrence was noted in either the STER or the EFTR group during a mean follow-up of 12.1 and 22.8 months, respectively. Conclusions: The treatment efficacy of STER and EFTR for the treatment of gastric fundus SMTs was comparable. However, STER has some advantages over EFTR in terms of suture time, the number of clips required for closure and postoperative hospital stay.

In order to increase the specific surface area of Pt-Rh-Pd / Al2O3 automotive three-way catalyst and improve its low-temperature reduction performance, Ce, Zr, and La were added to the Pt-Rh-Pd / Al2O3 catalyst to prepare the fibrous Pt-Rh-Pd / CeO2-ZrO2-La2O3-Al2O3 catalyst via an electrospinning technique. The fibrous catalysts were characterized by XRD, FT-IR, SEM-EDS, H2-TPR and BET analysis. The catalytic effect of the catalyst on automobile exhaust was also studied. Results revealed that the surface of catalysts is mainly mesoporous. Ce, Zr and La can remarkably increase the specific surface area of the Pt-Rh-Pd / Al2O3 catalyst. The specific surface area of the catalyst prepared with Pt Rh Pd molar ratio of 0.75:0.01:1 is 301.5816 m2 g-1, and the average diameter of which is 790 nm. In addition, the reaction temperature of the catalyst is approximately 220 °C, which shows good low-temperature reduction performance. Moreover, the Pt-Rh-Pd / CeO2-ZrO2-La2O3-Al2O3 catalyst has a catalytic conversion efficiency for NOX of 90.0% in automobile exhaust, a catalytic conversion efficiency for CO of 88.8%, and a catalytic conversion efficiency for SO2 of 75%.