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The mechanical dehydration method is generally used for reducing the moisture content in sludge. However, there is little understanding of the physical and mechanical properties and dehydration mechanism of sludge during pressurization. In this paper, characteristics of sludge were studied from the perspective of soil mechanics. The water permeability, loading conditions, and dehydration performance of the sludge during the pressurization process were analyzed through a series of geotechnical laboratory experiments. The results showed that the pore structure, compressibility coefficient, consolidation coefficient, and permeability coefficient of the sludge are related to the dehydration rate. The conditioners that mixed with sludge could increase the dewatering rate by reducing the sludge viscosity, changing the water status, and increasing the permeability coefficient. The two conditioners used in this study increased the dehydration rate of the sludge from 27.5 to 52.6% and 63.9%, respectively. Unlike the seepage consolidation of ordinary clay, which has only one stage, the seepage consolidation of sludge could be divided into three stages. The removed water in the first stage is mainly free water; the discharge in the second stage is the combination of free water and bound water, and bound water was mainly discharged in the third stage. The water content at the end of each stage corresponds to the liquid limit, plastic limit, and shrinkage limit of the sludge. Our study provides a novel insight for understanding the deep dewatering of sludge and is benefit to solve the problem of sludge dewatering.

Background : Scoliosis is a health problem that causes a side-to-side curvature in the spine. The curvature may have an “S” or “C” shape. To evaluate scoliosis, the Cobb angle has been commonly used. However, digital image processing allows the Cobb angle to be obtained easily and quickly, several researchers have determined that Cobb angle contains high variations (errors) in the measurements. Therefore, a more reproducible computer aided-method to evaluate scoliosis is presented. Material and Methods: In this analytical study, several polynomial curves were fitted to the spine curvature (4 th to 8 th order) of thirty plain films of scoliosis patients to obtain the Curvature-Length of the spine. Each plain film was evaluated by 3 physician observers. Curvature was measured twice using the Cobb method and the proposed Curvature-Length Technique (CLT). Data were analyzed by a paired-sample Student t-test and Pearson correlation method using SPSS Statistics 25. Results: The curve of 7 th order polynomial had the best fit on the spine curvature and was also used for our proposed method (CLT) obtaining a significant positive correlation when compared to Cobb measurements (r=0.863, P

We examined the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and characteristics of human neural stem cells after transfection with the lentiviral vector encoding the VEGF 165 gene. The latter gene was amplified from the human breast cancer cell line MCF-7 using RT-PCR; then the target gene was cloned into the pCDH–CMV–MCS-EF1-copGFP, a lentiviral expressing plasmid. After transformation, enzyme digestion led to a correct length of the VEGF165 gene, and DNA sequencing analysis confirmed that the VEGF165 gene sequence was exactly the same as that reported by the GeneBank. Then, the recombinant lentivirus produced by 293T cells and packaging plasmids were transfected into fourthpassage human neural stem cells (NSCs). One week after transfection with pCDH-VEGF165, NSCs expressed VEGF stably, and their proliferation ability significantly increased. Furthermore, human NSCs kept their characteristics and multiple differentiation activity after transfection. Our results indicate that human NSCs can express vascular endothelial growth factor highly and stably via transfection with the lentiviral vector encoding the VEGF165 gene, which may be useful for future research on function recovery after stroke.

Objective The aim of this study is to evaluate the correlation between resting state functional MRI (RS-fMRI) activity and motor and cognitive impairment in spinocerebellar ataxia type 6 (SCA6). Methods Twelve patients with genetically confirmed SCA6 and 14 age matched healthy controls were imaged with RS-fMRI. Whole brain gray matter was automatically parcellated into 1000 regions of interest (ROIs). For each ROI, the first eigenvariate of voxel time courses was extracted. For each patient, Pearson correlation coefficients between each pair of ROI time courses were calculated across the 1000 ROIs. The set of average control correlation coefficients were fed as an undirected weighted adjacency matrix into the Rubinov and Sporns (2010) modularity algorithm. The intranetwork global efficiency of the thresholded adjacency sub-matrix was calculated and correlated with ataxia scores and cognitive performance. Results SCA6 patients showed mild cognitive impairments in executive function and visual-motor processing compared to control subjects. These neuropsychological impairments were correlated with decreased RS functional connectivity (FC) in the attention network. Conclusions Mild cognitive executive functions and visual-motor coordination impairments seen in SCA6 patients correlate with decreased resting-state connectivity in the attention network, suggesting a possible metric for the study of cognitive dysfunction in cerebellar disease. Hum Brain Mapp 38:3001–3010, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

To develop subject-specific classifier to recognize mental states fast and reliably is an important issue in brain–computer interfaces (BCI), particularly in practical real-time applications such as wheelchair or neuroprosthetic control. In this paper, a sequential decision-making strategy is explored in conjunction with an optimal wavelet analysis for EEG classification. The subject-specific wavelet parameters based on a grid-search method were first developed to determine evidence accumulative curve for the sequential classifier. Then we proposed a new method to set the two constrained thresholds in the sequential probability ratio test (SPRT) based on the cumulative curve and a desired expected stopping time. As a result, it balanced the decision time of each class, and we term it balanced threshold SPRT (BTSPRT). The properties of the method were illustrated on 14 subjects’ recordings from offline and online tests. Results showed the average maximum accuracy of the proposed method to be 83.4% and the average decision time of 2.77[Formula: see text]s, when compared with 79.2% accuracy and a decision time of 3.01[Formula: see text]s for the sequential Bayesian (SB) method. The BTSPRT method not only improves the classification accuracy and decision speed comparing with the other nonsequential or SB methods, but also provides an explicit relationship between stopping time, thresholds and error, which is important for balancing the speed-accuracy tradeoff. These results suggest that BTSPRT would be useful in explicitly adjusting the tradeoff between rapid decision-making and error-free device control.

In vitro human cadaveric biomechanical study. To investigate the roles of transverse atlantal ligament (TAL) and longitudinal ligament (LL) of the upper cervical spine (UCS) in maintaining atlantoaxial stability. China. Six intact UCS specimens were harvested and embedded in polymethylmethacrylate. Three-dimensional movements including flexion, extension, right and left lateral bending, and axial rotation, as well as the C1–C2 displacement in flexion (atlantodental interval, ADI), were tested on specimens with the following state sequentially: (1) intact (intact group), (2) TAL transected (TAL group) and (3) TAL and LL disrupted (TAL+LL group) using an electromechanical testing machine. Compared with intact group, the flexion/extension motion range and ADI were significantly higher in TAL group when the loading was 10 N or >100 N. However, no significant differences were detected between the two groups within a range of physiological loading (10–100 N). Similarly, significant differences in right–left lateral bending and axial rotation between TAL and intact groups occurred only when the loading was 150 N. However, when both of the TAL and LL were resected, the atlantoaxial joint showed obvious instability compared with TAL or intact group, which were further demonstrated in the analyses of the three-dimensional movements (significant differences at any loading). Within physiological loading range, the LLs have sufficient capacities to maintain the stability of atlantoaxial joint even if there are TAL injuries in atlas fractures.

We conducted this study to analyze the effects of nucleoside analogues in the treatment of hepatitis B cirrhosis and its effect on Th17 cells.120 patients were randomly divided into lamivudine combined with adefovir dipivoxil group (combined group) and entecavir group. There were 59 cases in the combined group and 59 cases in entecavir group. The combined group was administered lamivudine 100 mg/d + adefovir dipivoxil 10 mg/d and entecavir group was administered entecavir 0.5 mg/d. The treatment was continued until there was virus negativity and it maintains for at least 3 months.The treatment effects were compared. We compared the average rate of viral clearance time and virus clearance of two groups of patients; the difference was not statistically significant (p0.05). The relapse rate after a negative test of entecavir group was lower than that of the combined group (p0.05). Before and after treatment, the levels of TBIL, ALT and ALB in the two groups were compared; the differences were not statistically significant (p0.05). The Th17 cell proportion and the level of IL-17 after treatment of the entecavir group were lower than those before treatment. The combined group exhibited no change, and the entecavir group was lower than combined group; the differences were statistically significant (p0.05).Therefore, the effects of the combination of lamivudine and adefovir dipivoxil is the same as single entecavir treatment of hepatitis B cirrhosis suppression of viral replication. It does not increase liver injury and the antiviral effects of entecavir may be related to inhibition of the expression of Th17 cells and effector molecules IL-17.

Background and Purpose— Strokes can be distinguished from benign peripheral causes of acute vestibular syndrome using bedside oculomotor tests (head impulse test, nystagmus, test-of-skew). Using head impulse test, nystagmus, test-of-skew is more sensitive and less costly than early magnetic resonance imaging for stroke diagnosis in acute vestibular syndrome but requires expertise not routinely available in emergency departments. We sought to begin standardizing the head impulse test, nystagmus, test-of-skew diagnostic approach for eventual emergency department use through the novel application of a portable video-oculography device measuring vestibular physiology in real time. This approach is conceptually similar to ECG to diagnose acute cardiac ischemia. Methods— Proof-of-concept study (August 2011 to June 2012). We recruited adult emergency department patients with acute vestibular syndrome defined as new, persistent vertigo/dizziness, nystagmus, and (1) nausea/vomiting, (2) head motion intolerance, or (3) new gait unsteadiness. We recorded eye movements, including quantitative horizontal head impulse testing of vestibulo-ocular-reflex function. Two masked vestibular experts rated vestibular findings, which were compared with final radiographic gold-standard diagnoses. Masked neuroimaging raters determined stroke or no stroke using magnetic resonance imaging of the brain with diffusion-weighted imaging obtained 48 hours to 7 days after symptom onset. Results— We enrolled 12 consecutive patients who underwent confirmatory magnetic resonance imaging. Mean age was 61 years (range 30–73), and 10 were men. Expert-rated video-oculography–based head impulse test, nystagmus, test-of-skew examination was 100% accurate (6 strokes, 6 peripheral vestibular). Conclusions— Device-based physiological diagnosis of vertebrobasilar stroke in acute vestibular syndrome should soon be possible. If confirmed in a larger sample, this bedside eye ECG approach could eventually help fulfill a critical need for timely, accurate, efficient diagnosis in emergency department patients with vertigo or dizziness who are at high risk for stroke.

Summary Introduction: Gene mutations play an important role in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) pathogenesis. Several genes have been identified in AML, such as FLT3, KIT, NPM1, and JAK2. This study investigated the frequency of novel mutations in IDH1 (amino acid R132) and IDH2 (R140 and R172) and analyzed their impact on disease biology and interaction with other mutations in Chinese patients with de novo AML. Methods: A total of 195 patients were screened for mutations in the IDH1, IDH2, JAK2 V617F, NPM1, FLT3, and KIT genes, using polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based and direct sequencing assays. Results: IDH mutations occurred at a considerable frequency of 15.89% in Chinese AML cases; IDH2 R140Q was the most frequent genetic alteration and was associated with older age, normal karyotype, and French-American-British classification M2 at diagnosis. There was a strong association of IDH2 mutation with NPM1 mutations and a trend with FLT3-internal-tandem duplication. Conclusion: IDH mutations may be a novel genetic marker in cytogenetically normal AML and may cooperate in leukemogenesis.

Saccade-generating burst neurons (BN) are inhibited by omnipause neurons (OPN), except during saccades. OPN activity pauses before saccade onset and resumes at the saccade end. Microstimulation of OPN stops saccades in mid-flight, which shows that OPN can end saccades. However, OPN pause duration does not correlate well with saccade duration, and saccades are normometric after OPN lesions. We tested whether OPN were responsible for stopping saccades both in late-onset Tay–Sachs, which causes premature saccadic termination, and in individuals with cerebellar hypermetria. We studied gaze shifts between two targets at different distances aligned on one eye, which consist of a disjunctive saccade followed by vergence. High-frequency conjugate oscillations during the vergence movements that followed saccades were present in all subjects studied, indicating OPN silence. Thus, mechanisms other than OPN discharge (e.g., cerebellar caudal fastigial nucleus–promoting inhibitory BN discharge) must contribute to saccade termination.

A thioredoxin (BbTrx) was identified from the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana . The cloned nucleotide sequence consisted of a 423-bp open reading frame encoding a 141-amino-acid thioredoxin, a 1011-bp 5′ region, and a 419-bp 3′ region. The deduced protein sequence of BbTrx, including a common 95-amino-acid conserved domain and a unique 46-amino-acid carboxy terminal region, was similar (≤38% identity) to that of other thioredoxins and phylogenetically closest to that from Neurospora crassa . In insulin solution containing dithiothreitol at 25 °C, recombinant BbTrx or a truncated form lacking the carboxy terminal region (BbTrxD) exhibited disulfide reduction activity. BbTrxD was more active after pre-incubation at 40–75 °C, and cells expressing BbTrxD showed significantly higher tolerance to thermal stress (51 °C). The BbTrx expression in B. bassiana was greatly elevated when stressed at 40 °C. The results indicate that the new thioredoxin is a potential target for improving the thermotolerance of B. bassiana formulations.

The feasibility of using indirect CT lymphography (CT-LG) to guide sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy in a rabbit model of tongue VX2 carcinoma with cervical lymph node metastasis was studied. Tongue VX2 carcinoma with cervical lymph node metastasis was induced in 19 rabbits by injecting VX2 carcinoma suspension into the tongue submucosa. SLN biopsy was performed under the guidance of indirect CT-LG. SLN identification was performed by indirect CT-LG combined with blue dye injection in 2 rabbits. Tongue SLNs were identified preoperatively by indirect CT-LG and blue-stained SLNs were visualized intraoperatively. Only one SLN was enhanced in each side of the neck, lateral to the larynx-tracheal region. CT attenuation values of the enhanced SLNs were 782.4+/-46.6, 443.1+/-68.5, 180.3+/-20.6 and 80.5+/-10.7 HU at 1, 5, 15 and 20 min after contrast injection. Overall, ipsilateral SLN identification rate was 97.4% and contralateral SLN identification rate was 100%. Ipsilateral SLN metastasis was verified in all rabbits (100%), bilateral SLN metastasis occurred in 8 rabbits (42%), and micrometastasis was found in 3 rabbits (16%). Indirect CT-LG may be useful for guiding SLN biopsies in tongue cancer. Combining indirect CT-LG with blue dye injection may improve preoperative and intraoperative SLN identification.

Tin penetration at the bottom surface of float borosilicate glasses was studied. The changes of tin penetration depth with different reaction temperatures and times were studied by field emission scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The results showed that tin penetration layer could not be observed until 850°C. The tin penetration depth increased with increasing reaction temperature from 850 to 950°C, while it decreased with further increasing temperature from 950 to 1050°C. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was employed to study the mechanism of the decrease occurred from 950 to 1050°C. The coexistence of Sn0 and Sn2+ ions and the changes of relative concentration ratio between them in the tin penetration layer were investigated by XPS.

A millimeter wave radiometer system with high resolution is described in this paper, which was used for remote sensing of integrated water vapor and integrated liquid water in the troposphere. A novel receiver technique was adopted in the radiometer system to deracinate an impact of the receiver gain shift on its precision and improve its performance. Measured results show that this radiometer system has enough stability in long time measurement and capability to measure atmospheric brightness temperature.

Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) copolymers of poly[(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate-co-5mol%-(R)-3-hydroxyhexanoate], poly[(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate-co-7mol%-4-hydroxybutyrate] and poly[(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate-co-97mol%-4-hydroxybutyrate] were electrospun to fabricate scaffolds with enhanced biocompatibility and bioabsorption. Subcutaneous implantation of the fibers in rats was performed to investigate their bioabsorption behavior and tissue response. The fibers before and after the in vivo experiments were characterized using gel permeation chromatography, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and tensile test. Histological evaluation was also performed to determine the tissue response. The structures and properties of the electrospun PHA copolymers were compared with those of the electrospun poly[(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate]. The content and type of the second monomer and the diameter of fiber significantly influence the bioabsorption. The tissue response was found to improve with the high content of 4-hydroxybutyrate.

The compositions of the core/rim structure and liquid binder of TiC based cermets with nano TiN powders addition have been investigated in order to better understand the influence of compositions on properties. In addition, the distribution behaviour of nano TiN particles and the role of Mo addition were studied respectively. It was found that most of the nano TiN particles were distributed between the TiC/TiC boundaries and the variations in the Mo content had a great influence on the rim growth. Furthermore, a significant improvement in the mechanical properties of TiC–Ni–Co systems was found, compared with that of TiC–Ni systems. The refined microstructure and high fraction of rim phase in the TiC–Ni–Co systems are likely responsible for this difference.

Background The development of a knockin mouse model of resistance to thyroid hormone (RTH) has led to a greater understanding of both the molecular and clinical behaviour of this syndrome. We have investigated the vascular response in RTH using a specific (TRβ PV) knockin mouse model targeting the PV mutation to the thyroid hormone receptor β gene locus. Materials and methods Ring segments of the thoracic aorta were used to assess the response of homozygous, heterozygous and wild-type controls to contractile agents, potassium chloride and phenylephrine. Each genotype after maximal contraction was exposed to increasing concentrations of relaxing agents, acetylcholine (ACh) and sodium nitroprusside (SNP). Results The response of these aortic ring segments to ACh and SNP demonstrates that endothelium-dependent relaxation to ACh was significantly impaired in both heterozygous and homozygous mice compared to controls (69·8 ± 2·0%, 59·7 ± 1·4% and 75·0 ± 1·7%, respectively; P

Two hereditary ataxia syndromes show distinct profiles of region-specific atrophy and ocular motor deficits. Selective pontine atrophy is associated with slowed saccades in ataxin-2 mutations, and selective floccular atrophy is associated with impaired pursuit and gaze-holding abnormalities in Ca(V)2.1 mutations. Although the flocculus seems to be spared relative to the pons in ataxin-2 mutations, and pursuit and gaze-holding appear to be relatively normal, these can be difficult to assess at the bedside, as corrective saccades are also slow and hard to discern. Here, we show the presence of significant floccular atrophy compared with controls in both ataxin-2 and Ca(V)2.1 mutations, which raises the possibility that abnormalities of smooth pursuit or gaze-holding are present in both conditions.

Mineral oil-based emulsifiable preparations of Beauveria bassiana (Bb) and Paecilomyces fumosoroseus (Pfr) conidia were separately applied alone or together with low rates of imidacloprid 10% WP at 4.7% (Im 1), 14.0% (Im 2), and 23.3% (Im 3) of its recommended application rate, respectively, against the greenhouse whitefly, Trialeurodes vaporariorum, on lettuce grown in the greenhouse. Besides eight fungal treatments, the three low application rates of imidacloprid in the oil-based carrier and a blank control (CK) were also included as treatments of the trials conducted in 2002 and 2003. For the 12 treatments of each trial with three replicates, 1,000-fold aqueous dilutions were sprayed twice on transplanted lettuce at a 15-day interval at a rate of ∼1.43×1013 conidia ha−1 for each fungal treatment or at one of the low rates of imidacloprid using a backpack hand-operated hydraulic sprayer. Based on whitefly densities, mortalities, relative efficacies and percent density declines estimated from whitefly co...

To study the prognosis of large hepatocellular carcinoma after interventional radiology and to compare the efficacy of different microinvasive treatments.The clinical data of 46 large hepatocellular carcinoma patients confirmed by clinical treatment or pathological examination were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into two groups (TACE+RFA n=23 cases, and Combination group n=23 cases), according to the treatments method. two groups were followed up for 5-48 months. Survival was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method and the survival curve was compared by log-rank test.Median follow-up time was 33 months in both groups. The median survival time in Combination group (n=41 months) was significantly longer than TACE+RFA group (n=33 months) (p = 0.052). Median progress-free survival (PFS) is 10 months in Combination group and 8 months in TACE+RFA group. The difference was statistically significant (p = 0.023). The tumor inhibition rate was 82.6% and 52.2%, respectively and the difference was statistically significant (p = 0.028). The overall survival rate at l, 2 and 3 years was 100%, 95.7% and 55.8% respectively in Combination group was higher than TACE+RFA group at 91.3%, 55.8% and 38.3% respectively. The difference was not statistically significant.For large hepatocellular carcinoma, combined method was superior to TACE+RFA and comprehensive treatment can improve the local-control rate.

There has been an increasing interest in depositing metal or metal-containing thin films through plasma polymerization for various applications. This work deals with the plasma graft polymerization of tetramethyltin (TMT) on polypropylene surfaces with an aim of producing special electrical and optical coatings. The fragmentation of TMT under cold plasma conditions and the recombination of discharge-generated active species were studied by analyzing the resulting molecular mixture trapped outside of the plasma zone by HR-MS and GC-MS techniques. It was found that the predominant ionic fragment is m/z = 165, and the most probable intermediate structure of the polymer formation mechanism is hexamethylditin. The structure of polymeric layers deposited on various substrates were investigated by ESCA and FT-IR methods. Intense oxidation of tin-based polymeric layers were observed under open laboratory conditions. The existence of weak SnSn and SnC bonds in the polymeric structure is suggested to be responsible for this reaction. This phenomenon was associated with enhanced UV transparency. Based on analytical data a plasma-enhanced polymerization mechanism of TMT is proposed. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Gene mutations play an important role in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) pathogenesis. Several genes have been identified in AML, such as FLT3, KIT, NPM1, and JAK2. This study investigated the frequency of novel mutations in IDH1 (amino acid R132) and IDH2 (R140 and R172) and analyzed their impact on disease biology and interaction with other mutations in Chinese patients with de novo AML.A total of 195 patients were screened for mutations in the IDH1, IDH2, JAK2 V617F, NPM1, FLT3, and KIT genes, using polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based and direct sequencing assays.IDH mutations occurred at a considerable frequency of 15.89% in Chinese AML cases; IDH2 R140Q was the most frequent genetic alteration and was associated with older age, normal karyotype, and French-American-British classification M2 at diagnosis. There was a strong association of IDH2 mutation with NPM1 mutations and a trend with FLT3-internal-tandem duplication.IDH mutations may be a novel genetic marker in cytogenetically normal AML and may cooperate in leukemogenesis.

Ozone vertical profile Umkehr data for layers 3-9 obtained from 12 stations, using both previous and new inversion algorithms, were analyzed for trends. The trends estimated for the Umkehr data from the two algorithms were compared using two data periods, 1968-1991 and 1977-1991. Both nonseasonal and seasonal trend models were fitted. The overall annual trends are found to be significantly negative, of the order of -5% per decade, for layers 7 and 8 using both inversion algorithms. The largest negative trends occur in these layers under the new algorithm, whereas in the previous algorithm the most negative trend occurs in layer 9. The trend estimates, both annual and seasonal, are substantially different between the two algorithms mainly for layers 3, 4, and 9, where trends from the new algorithm data are about 2% per decade less negative, with less appreciable differences in layers 7 and 8. The trend results from the two data periods are similar, except for layer 3 where trends become more negative, by about -2% per decade, for 1977-1991.

Polypropylene fabrics were extracted with carbontetrachloride and acetone by Soxhlet extraction, and then PPAN ( plasma polymerized acrylonitrile ) was grafted to the surface of the extracted fabrics using a ground pressure of 0.05 mm Hg, 0.3 mm Hg pressure in the reactor, 60 W and 100 W RF power, and reaction times of 30 seconds, 1, 3, and 5 minutes. ESCA analysis was used to determine the ratios of carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen at a 20 Å sampling depth. IR and ATR-IR were used to obtain information on the structure of the grafted surface. Major differences were detected in the IR spectra of PPAN in comparison to PAN. The spectra of deposited polymers indicated the loss of —C≡N functional groups. Dehydrogenation and in tramolecular reorganization involving =C=N— and =C =C = also occurred, and as reaction time increased, the level of structural changes increased. Longer reaction periods and higher power resulted in increased deposition rates. Studying the water uptake and dyeability of PPAN revealed that higher treatment times lead to higher water uptake and K/S values. The nature of the substrate (Pyrex glass, KBr pellet, and polypropylene fabric) did not have a significant influence on the structure of deposited films.

SummaryAs China modernises and prospers, previously unusual conditions, like maternal obesity and fetal macrosomia, are emerging as important health problems. Changes in the age and parity of reproducing women will result in changing epidemiology of medical complications of pregnancy. Greater contact with international visitors may alter the epidemiology of sexually transmitted infection. Increasing intensity and wider application of strict one-family, one-child policy will serve to magnify the importance of early and continuous prenatal care and referral for obstetric and medical risk factors.

To examine the potential use of hemicellulose hydrolysate (HH) for the production of chitosan by Rhizopus oryzae and investigate the influence of contents in HH on mycelia growth and chitosan synthesis.Compared to xylose medium, HH enhanced mycelia growth, chitosan content and production of R. oryzae by 10.2, 64.5 and 82.1%, respectively. During sulfuric acid hydrolysis of corn straw, sugars (glucose, galactose, etc) and inhibitors (formic acid, acetic acid and furfural) were generated. Acetic acid (2.14 g l(-1)) and formic acid (0.83 g l(-1)) were stimulative, while furfural (0.55 g l(-1)) was inhibitory. Inhibitors, at different concentrations, increased the mycelia growth and chitosan production by 24.5-37.8 and 60.1-207.1%.HH of corn straw is a good source for chitosan production. Inhibitors in HH, at proper concentrations, can enhance chitosan production greatly.This work for the first time reported chitosan production from HH. Chitosan production can be greatly enhanced by cheap chemicals such as inhibitors in HH.

In 50 patients lesions located in or adjacent to the motor strip were microsurgically removed with the help of intra-operative electrophysiological mapping of the sensorimotor cortex. Mapping consisted of cortical stimulation and/or recording of somatosensory evoked potentials. Depending on the patient's pre-operative neurological status, surprisingly good results could be achieved: The surgery resulted in increased permanent sensorimotor deficit in only 4% of cases and in improved neurological status in 30% of cases. It is concluded that surgical removal of centrally located lesions using a microsurgical technique and intra-operative mapping of the motor cortex is safe and permits extensive or radical resection of lesions, even those in the motor cortex itself.

To identify the causes of deteriorating gait and balance in normal older people.We measured visual acuity, vestibulo-ocular responses, pure-tone hearing levels, vibration sense, deep tendon reflexes, and Tinetti gait and balance scores in 59 normal older subjects (mean +/- SD age on entry, 78.5 +/- 3.7 years) followed up at yearly examinations (range, 8-10 years). White matter hyperintensities on magnetic resonance imaging taken in mid follow-up were graded qualitatively and quantitatively.For each variable except white matter hyperintensities, we calculated a normalized change per year. There was a significant (P.05) age-related decrease in vestibulo-ocular reflex gain at 0.05 and 0.20 Hz but not at 0.80 Hz, an increase in pure-tone hearing thresholds (at 1, 2, 4, and 8 kHz), a decrease in vibration sense and deep tendon reflexes in the feet, and a decrease in total Tinetti score. However, only changes in vibration sense in the feet and hearing at 1 kHz were significantly correlated (Spearman rank correlation) with the change in Tinetti score. White matter hyperintensities on magnetic resonance imaging had a higher correlation with the yearly change in Tinetti scores.This longitudinal study showed age-related decreases in vestibular, visual, auditory, and somatosensation in normal older people, but these changes were only weakly correlated with changes in gait and balance. White matter hyperintensities on magnetic resonance imaging were more highly correlated with changes in gait and balance, but all variables together accounted for only about 29% of the measured change in gait and balance.

Background In case reports, migraine headaches have been associated with fluctuating low-frequency hearing loss and sudden, unilateral hearing loss. Auditory symptoms associated with migrainous infarction have not previously been emphasized. Objective To describe migrainous infarction presenting with acute auditory symptoms. Design Case reports. Setting Tertiary care hospitals. Patients A 40-year-old man with a history of migraine suddenly developed bilateral hearing loss associated with severe, throbbing, occipital headache, tinnitus, vertigo, speech disturbance, and right hemiparesis. An early audiogram showed profound, down-sloping, sensorineural-type hearing loss bilaterally. Sixteen days later, a follow-up pure tone audiogram documented marked improvement in both sides to a pure tone average of 30 dB. Right hemiparesis and dysarthria also improved steadily for 2 months. A 25-year-old woman with a history of migraine with aura suddenly developed hyperacusis, unilateral hearing loss, and migraine headache early in migrainous infarction. Magnetic resonance imaging documented infarcts in the pons and cerebellum. Conclusions In these patients, acute auditory symptoms are a part of the prodrome of migrainous infarction. We speculate that these symptoms may have resulted from migraine-associated vasospasm. Migrainous infarction should be considered in the differential diagnosis of acute auditory symptoms, including sudden, bilateral hearing loss.