Search

Occupational exposure to trichloroethylene (TCE) has been associated with severe, generalized contact hypersensitivity (CHS) skin disorder, which is considered a delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction mediated by antigen-specific T cells. Transforming growth factor-β activated kinase-1 (TAK1) is essential for regulating the development and effector function of T cells. We hypothesized that disrupting TAK1 activity might inhibit TCE-induced CHS response. In this study, a local lymph node assay was employed to build a CHS model induced by TCE combined with the inducible-TAK1 deletion system to study the effect of TAK1 on it. It was observed that TAK1 deficiency ameliorated the TCE-induced CHS response and was associated with defective T cell expansion and activation and IFN-γ production in vivo. Furthermore, we investigated the effects of TCE and its metabolites trichloroacetic acid (TCA) and dichloroacetic acid (DCA) on CD4+ T cell function and the effect of TAK1 on it in vitro. The results showed that TCE, TCA and DCA augmented the proliferation, activation and differentiation of CD4+ T cells through Jnk MAPK and NF-κB pathways. TAK1 deletion significantly attenuated these effects induced by TCE, TCA or DCA on CD4+ T cells. In conclusion, it is suggested that TAK1 plays a critical role both in TCE-induced CHS response in vivo and in TCE and its metabolite-induced CD4+ T cell activation in vitro. Local inhibition of TAK1 might offer a promising alternative feasible strategy for TCE-induced CHS.

Objective This study attempted to figure out the difference between physical and social functioning in determining life satisfaction and self-perception of ageing among community-dwelling elderly people in China. Methods A representative random sample of 2161 participants aged 60 years or older was surveyed by face-to-face interview. Sociodemographic factors were measured by age, educational level, and marital status. Physical functioning was identified in terms of self-perceived health, basic and instrumental activities of daily living, and number of chronic illnesses. Social functioning was characterized in terms of number of people living together, social support network, and sense of loneliness. Hierarchical multiple linear regressions were performed to identify significant determinants of life satisfaction and self-perception of ageing. Results Older age and lower educational level were related to higher degree of life satisfaction; whereas younger age and higher educational level were related to higher level of self-perception of ageing. Social functioning took precedence over physical functioning in contributing to life satisfaction. In contrast, physical functioning outweighed social functioning in promoting a positive self-perception of ageing. Conclusion A sense of companionship and a supportive social network are vital in enhancing life satisfaction, whereas perceived physical health and functional independence are essential in facilitating a positive self-perception of ageing. Understanding the underlying determinants can provide a novel insight into the mechanism involved in achieving successful ageing.

Fused silica cylindrical resonant gyroscope (CRG) is a novel high-precision solid-wave gyroscope, whose performance is primarily determined by the cylindrical resonator&rsquo, s frequency split and quality factor (Q factor). The laser Doppler vibrometer (LDV) is extensively used to measure the dynamic behavior of fused silica cylindrical resonators. An electrical method was proposed to characterize the dynamic behavior of the cylindrical resonator to enhance the measurement efficiency and decrease the equipment cost. With the data acquisition system and the designed signal analysis program based on LabVIEW software, the dynamic behavior of the fused silica cylindrical resonator can be analyzed automatically and quickly. We compared all the electrical measurement results with the optical detection by LDV, demonstrating that the fast Fourier transform (FFT) result of the resonant frequency measured by the electrical method was 0.12 Hz higher than that with the optical method. Thus, the frequency split measured by the electrical and optical methods was the same in 0.18 Hz, and the measurement of the Q factor was basically the same in 730,000. We conducted all measurements under the same operation condition, and the optical method was used as a reference, demonstrating that the electrical method could characterize the dynamic behavior of the fused silica cylindrical resonator and enhance the measurement efficiency.

To evaluate patterns of skull base invasion and its possible impact on tumor (T)-staging in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).838 consecutive newly diagnosed by biopsy proven and untreated patients with NPC underwent MRI. The skull-base invasion of NPC was classified according to their incidence from proximal sites to more distant sites surrounding the nasopharynx as: high (≥35%), medium (≥5-35%), and low (5%) groups. A retrospective analysis of data consisting of a 5-year follow-up was carried out. The skull base invasion was related to their tumor (T) staging and prognosis at the 5-year follow-up after treatment with definitive radiation therapy. In addition, a survival health-related quality of life (QOL), overall survival (OS), local relapse-free survival (LRFS) and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) were also assessed among the three groups.The total incidence of skull-base invasion was 65.51% (549/838). The differences in T-stage distribution, and the total survival health-related QOL, among the three groups were statistically significant (χ(2)=160.45, p0.005; χ(2)=38.43, p0.005, respectively). The differences between any two of the three groups were also significant, except when the medium grade was compared to the low grade. Significant differences were observed with regard to 5-year OS (83.2%, 74.7%, 59.2%, p=0.000) and DMFS (95.0%, 88.0%, 88.0%, p=0.016); no significant difference was observed in LRFS (95.3%, 95.6%, 91.23%, p=0.450).The results indicate that medium and low group displayed similar findings of skull base invasion, and survival status. We, therefore, propose that patients in these two groups be grouped under T4 in the TNM classification that might have a bearing in implementing optimum treatment.

The existence of mode deflection angle in the cylindrical resonator gyroscope (CRG) leads to the signal drift on the detecting nodes of the gyro vibration and significantly decreases the performance of the CRG. Measuring the mode deflection angle efficiently is the foundation of tuning for the imperfect cylindrical shell resonator. In this paper, an optical method based on the measuring gyroscopic resonator’s vibration amplitude with the laser Doppler vibrometer and an electrical method based on measuring the output voltage of the electrodes on the resonator are both presented to measure the mode deflection angle. Comparative experiments were implemented to verify the methodology and the results show that both of the two methods could recognize the mode deflection angle efficiently. The precision of the optical method relies on the number and position of testing points distributed on the resonator. The electrical method with simple circuit shows high accuracy of measuring in a less time compared to the optical method and its error source arises from the influence of circuit noise as well as the inconsistent distribution of the piezoelectric electrodes.

In this paper, we identify and evaluate the potential of new distributed attacks launched through web browsers using the HTML5 Web Workers API. Web worker attacks rely on the new multi-threading capabilities of Web Workers, which can allow malicious JavaScript code to run in the background of a web page without impacting foreground JavaScript performance or user experience. These background computing tasks can be used to launch application-layer DDoS attacks or offload computationally intensive attack tasks, such as password cracking, to the browsers of users visiting a compromised website. These attacks do not harm the compromised users directly but offer a potential path for attackers to gain control of large pools of computing resources, similar to botnets. We evaluate the feasibility of using online advertisement services to gain access to such computing pool and quantitatively evaluate the economics of these attacks and point out the key factors affecting the cost effectiveness of launching attacks through Web Workers in comparison with cloud computing or rented botnets.

Black carbon (BC) is a key component of atmospheric particles and has a significant effect on human health. BC can provide reactive sites and surfaces thus absorb quinones which were primarily generated from fossil fuel combustion and/or atmospheric photochemical conversions of PAHs. Oxidation could change the characteristics of BC and increase its toxicity. The comparison of lung damage in mice exposed to BC and 1,4-NQ-coated BC (1,4NQ-BC) particles is investigated in this study. Mice which were intratracheally instilled with particles have a higher expression of IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-33 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). Also, the IL-6, IL-33 mRNA expression in the lung tissue of mice instilled with 1,4NQ-BC were higher than that of mice instilled with BC. The pathology results showed that the lung tissue of mice instilled with 1,4NQ-BC particles have much more inflammatory cells infiltration than that of mice treated with BC. It is believed that the MAPK and PI3K-AKT pathway might be involved in the 1,4NQ-BC particles caused lung damage. Results indicated that 1,4NQ-BC particles in the atmosphere may cause more damage to health.

Cylindrical resonators are commonly used in Coriolis vibratory gyroscopes, which measure angular velocity through the precession of solid wave. Quality factor and its homogeneity are critical indicators of the resonator characteristics. In this paper, we report that the Q factor varies regularly around the resonator's axis of symmetry. We measured the resonator Q factor by the amplitude frequency response (AFR) using a non-contact method with an acoustic source for excitation and a laser Doppler vibrometer (LDV) for detection. By analyzing experimental results, we concluded that measuring Q factor at antinode can be a convenient and relatively accurate method for Q factor studies. However, one needs to be careful that the measurement point should be near the vibration antinode, otherwise the results may contain huge errors. We then built a theoretical model based on the two degree-of-freedom mass-spring system to analyze the Q variation behavior. The experimental results were consistent with the theoretical calculation. By comparing experimental results with numerical calculations, we showed that the circumferentially Q variation is due to the complex combined effect of frequency mismatch, Q factor mismatch, and the angle between excitation direction and the principle frequency axes (Qk) and the principle damping axes (Qc). We believed it is possible to combine the scan measurement of LDV with proposed model to determine the Q mismatch and direction of the damping axes without labor-consuming procedures, and therefore the proposed method can be developed for pre-screening of resonators for high-performance cylindrical resonator gyroscopes.

Black carbon (BC) is a key component of atmospheric particles and has a significant effect on human health. Oxidation could change the characteristics of BC and increase its toxicity. The comparison of lung damage in mice exposed to BC and ozone-oxidized BC (oBC) particles is investigated in this study. Mice which were intratracheally instilled with particles have a higher expression of IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-33 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). Also, the IL-6, IL-33 mRNA expression in the lung tissue of mice instilled with oBC was higher than that of mice instilled with BC. The expression of CD3 in the lung tissue of mice intratracheally instilled with oBC was higher than the mice distilled with BC. The pathology results showed that the lung tissue of mice instilled with oBC particles have much more inflammatory cells infiltration than that of mice treated with BC. It is believed that the PI3K-AKT pathway might be involved in the oBC particles caused lung damage. Results indicated that oBC particles in the atmosphere may cause more damage to health.

The cylindrical resonator gyroscope (CRG) is a typical Coriolis vibratory gyroscope whose performance is determined by the Q factor and frequency mismatch of the cylindrical resonator. Enhancing the Q factor is crucial for improving the rate sensitivity and noise performance of the CRG. In this paper, for the first time, a monolithic cylindrical fused silica resonator with a Q factor approaching 8 × 105 (ring-down time over 1 min) is reported. The resonator is made of fused silica with low internal friction and high isotropy, with a diameter of 25 mm and a center frequency of 3974.35 Hz. The structure of the resonator is first briefly introduced, and then the experimental non-contact characterization method is presented. In addition, the post-fabrication experimental procedure of Q factor improvement, including chemical and thermal treatment, is demonstrated. The Q factor improvement by both treatments is compared and the primary loss mechanism is analyzed. To the best of our knowledge, the work presented in this paper represents the highest reported Q factor for a cylindrical resonator. The proposed monolithic cylindrical fused silica resonator may enable high performance inertial sensing with standard manufacturing process and simple post-fabrication treatment.

The proliferating effects of 3 different simple triglycerides (tristearin, triolein, and trilinolein) on the human umbilical vein smooth muscle cells (HUVSMCs) induced by oxidized-LDL (ox-LDL) were investigated in this study. The protein and mRNA gene expressions of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), smooth muscle-α-actin (SM-α-actin), and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) in HUVSMCs were measured by Western blotting and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR). It was shown that in tristearin (SSS) treated HUVSMCs, the saturated fatty acid content was increased, and the compositions of polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) and monounsaturated fatty acid were decreased significantly. On the other hand, triolein (OOO) and trilinolein (LLL) significantly increased the levels of some typical PUFA such as arachidonic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, and docosahexaenoic acid. Moreover, LLL and OOO could upregulate the protein and mRNA expressions of PCNA, MCP-1 as well as downregulate the expression of SM-α-actin. The results also showed that, SSS had significant promotion effects on the proliferation of HUVSMCs induced by ox-LDL. Although both LLL and OOO could inhibit the proliferation of HUVSMCs induced by ox-LDL, and might have certain inhibition of the atherosclerotic process.

DNA assembly is a core methodological step in metagenomic pipelines used to study the structure and function within microbial communities. Here we investigate the utility of Pacific Biosciences long and high accuracy circular consensus sequencing (CCS) reads for metagenomic projects. We compared the application and performance of both PacBio CCS and Illumina HiSeq data with assembly and taxonomic binning algorithms using metagenomic samples representing a complex microbial community. Eight SMRT cells produced approximately 94 Mb of CCS reads from a biogas reactor microbiome sample that averaged 1319 nt in length and 99.7% accuracy. CCS data assembly generated a comparative number of large contigs greater than 1 kb, to those assembled from a ~190x larger HiSeq dataset (~18 Gb) produced from the same sample (i.e approximately 62% of total contigs). Hybrid assemblies using PacBio CCS and HiSeq contigs produced improvements in assembly statistics, including an increase in the average contig length and number of large contigs. The incorporation of CCS data produced significant enhancements in taxonomic binning and genome reconstruction of two dominant phylotypes, which assembled and binned poorly using HiSeq data alone. Collectively these results illustrate the value of PacBio CCS reads in certain metagenomics applications.

Public bus transit plays an important role in city transportation infrastructure. However, public bus transit is often difficult to use because of lack of real- time information about bus locations and delay time, which in the presence of operational delays and service alerts makes it difficult for riders to predict when buses will arrive and plan trips. Precisely tracking vehicle and informing riders of estimated times of arrival is challenging due to a number of factors, such as traffic congestion, operational delays, varying times taken to load passengers at each stop. In this paper, we introduce a public transportation decision support system for both short-term as well as long-term prediction of arrival bus times. The system uses streaming real-time bus position data, which is updated once every minute, and historical arrival and departure data - available for select stops to predict bus arrival times. Our approach combines clustering analysis and Kalman filters with a shared route segment model in order to produce more accurate arrival time predictions. Experiments show that compared to the basic arrival time prediction model that is currently being used by the city, our system reduces arrival time prediction errors by 25% on average when predicting the arrival delay an hour ahead and 47% when predicting within a 15 minute future time window.

This study aimed at validating photoplethysmography for assessing bilateral blood pressure differences through analyzing digital volume pulse (DVP) and investigating its correlations with risk of arteriosclerosis. Bland-Altman analysis demonstrated satisfactory IDVPD reproducibility (r=0.781, p=0.023) Linear regression analysis demonstrated significant correlation between IDVPD and ECG-PWV (r=0.692, p

Inorganic fertilization and mowing alter soil factors with subsequent effects–direct and indirect - on above- and below-ground communities. We explored direct and indirect effects of long-term fertilization (N, P, NPK, Liming) and twice yearly mowing on the plant, bacterial and fungal communities and soil factors. We analyzed co-variation using 16S and 18S rRNA genes surveys, and plant frequency and edaphic factors across treatments. The plant and fungal communities were distinct in the NPK and L treatments, while the bacterial communities and soil factors were distinct in the N and L treatments. Plant community diversity and evenness had low diversity in the NPK and high diversity in the liming treatment, while the diversity and evenness of the bacterial and fungal communities did not differ across treatments, except of higher diversity and evenness in the liming treatment for the bacteria. We found significant co-structures between communities based on plant and fungal comparisons but not between plant and bacterial nor bacterial and fungal comparisons. Our results suggested that the plant and fungal communities are more tightly linked than either community with the bacterial community in fertilized soils. We found co-varying plant, bacterial and fungal taxa in different treatments that may indicate ecological interactions.

This paper investigates the net impact of birth control policy in China on educational attainment of the partially excluded ethnic minorities. Exploring county-level variation in the value of fines levied for unsanctioned births, we show that more stringent enforcement of the birth control policy reduces educational attainment of urban ethnic minorities. Suggestive evidence shows this negative impact is likely to reflect the spillover effect from improved quality of ethnic majority children. For rural ethnic minorities, however, the level of enforcement of the birth control policy does not significantly affect education. The documented negative impact on education of urban ethnic minorities, combined with the improved quality found for both rural and urban ethnic majorities, implies that the birth control policy substantially contributes to the rising educational gap between ethnic minorities and majorities in China.

This study aimed to determine and quantitate the mammographic and sonographic characteristics in 13 cases of solid neuroendocrine breast carcinoma (NEBC) and to analyze the association of radiological findings with the clinical and histopathologic findings. The clinical data and imaging findings of 13 female patients with histologically confirmed solid NEBC were reviewed. Imaging data were evaluated by two radiologists for a consensual diagnosis. All patients presented with one palpable mass; only 1 experienced occasional breast pain, and 5 complained of fluid discharge. In 7 patients, the masses were firm and mobile. Regional lymph node metastasis was noted in only 1 patient. For the 10 patients who underwent mammography, 6 had a mass, 1 had clustered small nodules with clustered punctuate microcalcifications, 2 had asymmetric focal density, and 1 had solitary punctuate calcification. Most of the masses had irregular shape with indistinct or microlobulated margins. For the 9 patients who underwent ultrasonography (US), 9 masses were depicted, all of which were hypoechoic, mostly with irregular shape and without acoustic phenomena. Different types of acoustic phenomena were also identified. One patient had developed distant metastases during follow-up. NEBC has a variety of presentations, but it is mostly observed on mammograms as a dense, irregular mass with indistinct or microlobulated margins. Sonographically, it typically presents as an irregular, heterogeneously hypoechoic mass with normal sound transmission. Histories of nipple discharge and calcification observed using imaging are not rare.

The objective of this study is to evaluate the clinical, pathologic, and computed tomography (CT) and/or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of hepatic angiomyolipoma (HAML) and to improve the diagnostic efficacy of the tumor. Clinical, pathologic, and imaging findings were retrospectively evaluated in 18 patients with HAML. Two patients underwent both CT and MRI, ten underwent CT alone, and six underwent MRI alone. Unenhanced and contrast-enhanced examinations were performed in all patients. Imaging characteristics, such as the lesion location, lesion diameter, presence of early draining veins, attenuation/signal intensity of the lesions on imaging, and enhancement pattern were reviewed. There were 3 male and 15 female patients. HAML was seen as a well-defined, solitary mass on imaging with medium size (mean diameter, 5.9 cm). Fat was detected in ten patients. Calcification was noted in two patients and cystic degeneration was seen in one patient. Hepatic cirrhosis and capsule were not detected in all patients. The mean attenuation values exceeded 120 hounsfield units (HU) in 11 patients (91.7%). Peripherally decreasing enhancement rim as well as early draining vein was seen in 15 patients (83.3%). The early draining veins were all hepatic veins. Tumor vessels were noted in all patients. The presence of early draining vein, peripheral decreasing enhancement rim, and the absence of tumor capsule in the hypervascular hepatic tumor on CT and/or MRI together with normal alpha fetal protein may be helpful for the diagnosis of HAML in non-cirrhotic liver.

Sphagnum peatlands are important ecosystems in the methane cycle. Methanotrophs living inside the dead hyaline cells or on the Sphagnum mosses are able to act as a methane filter and thereby reduce methane emissions. We investigated in situ methane concentrations and the corresponding activity and diversity of methanotrophs in different Sphagnum dominated bog microhabitats. In contrast to the Northern Hemisphere peat ecosystems the temperate South American peat bogs are dominated by one moss species; Sphagnum magellanicum. This permitted a species-independent comparison of the different bog microhabitats. Potential methane oxidizing activity was found in all Sphagnum mosses sampled and a positive correlation was found between activity and in situ methane concentrations. Substantial methane oxidation activity (23 μmol CH4 gDW−1 day−1) was found in pool mosses and could be correlated with higher in situ methane concentrations (>35 μmol CH4 l−1 pore water). Little methanotrophic activity (4 μmol CH4 gDW−1 day−1) in Sphagnum litter at depths around the water levels and rich in methane. The total bacterial community was studied using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and the methanotrophic communities were studied using a pmoA microarray and a complementary pmoA clone library. The methanotrophic diversity was similar in the different habitats of this study and comparable to the methanotrophic diversity found in peat mosses from the Northern Hemisphere. The pmoA microarray data indicated that both alpha- and gammaproteobacterial methanotrophs were present in all Sphagnum mosses, even in those mosses with a low initial methane oxidation activity. Prolonged incubation of Sphagnum mosses from lawn and hummock with methane revealed that the methanotrophic community present was viable and showed an increased activity within 15 days. The high abundance of methanotrophic Methylocystis species in the most active mosses suggests that these might be responsible for the bulk of methane oxidation.

Summary Sphagnum peatlands are important ecosystems in the methane cycle. Methanotrophs in these ecosystems have been shown to reduce methane emissions and provide additional carbon to Sphagnum mosses. However, little is known about the diversity and identity of the methanotrophs present in and on Sphagnum mosses in these peatlands. In this study, we applied a pmoA microarray and high-throughput 454 pyrosequencing to pmoA PCR products obtained from total DNA from Sphagnum mosses from a Dutch peat bog to investigate the presence of methanotrophs and to compare the two different methods. Both techniques showed comparable results and revealed an abundance of Methylomonas and Methylocystis species in the Sphagnum mosses. The advantage of the microarray analysis is that it is fast and cost-effective, especially when many samples have to be screened. Pyrosequencing is superior in providing pmoA sequences of many unknown or uncultivated methanotrophs present in the Sphagnum mosses and, thus, provided much more detailed and quantitative insight into the microbial diversity.

The hemispherical resonator gyroscope (HRG) has attracted the interest of the world inertial navigation community because of its exceptional performance, ultra-high reliability and its potential to be miniaturized. These devices achieve their best performance when the differences in the frequencies of the two degenerate working modes are eliminated. Mechanical treatment, laser ablation, ion-beams etching, etc., have all been applied for the frequency tuning of resonators, however, they either require costly equipment and procedures, or alter the quality factors of the resonators significantly. In this paper, we experimentally investigated for the first time the use of a chemical etching procedure to decrease the frequency splits of hemispherical resonators. We provide a theoretical analysis of the chemical etching procedure, as well as the relation between frequency splits and mass errors. Then we demonstrate that the frequency split could be decreased to below 0.05 Hz by the proposed chemical etching procedure. Results also showed that the chemical etching method caused no damage to the quality factors. Compared with other tuning methods, the chemical etching method is convenient to implement, requiring less time and labor input. It can be regarded as an effective trimming method for obtaining medium accuracy hemispherical resonator gyroscopes.

Thirteen flavonoids (quercetin, morin, myricetin, luteolin, fisetin, kaempferol, galangin, apigenin, chrysin, EC, ECG, EGC and EGCG) were used to investigate their main antioxidant mechanism as well as structure-activity relationship by quantum chemical calculation and verifying by the in vitro typical antioxidant assays (DPPH, ABTS and FRAP). The reaction enthalpies related to three possible radical-scavenging mechanisms were calculated by the density functional theory (DFT) M06-2X method. Both in ethanol and acetone, the bond dissociation enthalpy (BDE) was much lower than ionization enthalpy and proton affinity values, and the BDE rank of 13 flavonoids was similar to that of their antioxidant activity determined by the in vitro trials. It was revealed that flavonoids thermodynamically preferred HAT mechanism in polar media. The number and position of phenolic hydroxyl showed great influences on the antioxidant activity of flavonoids, and the flavonoids possessing both of C3 hydroxyl group and catechol moiety exhibited stronger antioxidant activity than which with one or none of them.

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to conduct a meta-analysis comparing associating liver partition and portal vein ligation (ALPPS) with conventional 2-stage hepatectomy (TSH) in terms of clinical outcomes and to determine the feasibility and safety of ALPPS. METHODS A comprehensive search strategy was adopted to search the PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and China Biology Medicine disc databases for studies comparing ALPPS and TSH. The search was broadened by looking up the reference lists of the retrieved articles. A meta-analysis was performed using the statistical software RevMan (v 5.3; Cochrane Collaboration). RESULTS A total of 7 studies involving 561 patients (ALPPS group, 136 patients; TSH group, 425 patients) were included in the present study, all of which were observational studies. Compared with TSH, ALPPS was associated with high completion rates of both stages [odds ratio (OR): 10.68, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 3.26-34.97, P

The composition of the methanotrophic community in soil covers on five landfills in Northern and Eastern Germany was investigated by means of diagnostic microarray and terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP), both targeting the pmoA gene of methanotrophs. Physical and chemical properties of the 15 sampled soil profiles varied greatly, thus providing for very different environmental conditions. The potential methane oxidation activity, assessed using undisturbed soil cores, varied between 0.2 and 28 µg CH4 gdw (-1) h(-1) , the latter amounting to 426 g CH4 m(-2) h(-1) . Total nitrogen was found to be the soil variable correlating most strongly with methanotrophic activity. Explaining close to 50% of the observed variability, this indicates that on the investigated sites activity and thus abundance of methanotrophs may have been nitrogen-limited. Variables that enhance organic matter and thus nitrogen accumulation, such as field capacity, also positively impacted methanotrophic activity. In spite of the great variability of soil properties and different geographic landfill location, both microarray and T-RFLP analysis suggested that the composition of the methanotrophic community on all five sites, in all profiles and across all depths was similar. Methylocystis, Methylobacter and Methylococcus species, including Methylococcus-related uncultivated methanotrophs, were predominantly detected among type II, Ia and Ib methanotrophs, respectively. This indicates that the high methane fluxes typical for landfill environments may be the most influential driver governing the community composition, or other variables not analysed in this study. Principal component analysis suggested that community diversity is most influenced by the site from which the samples were taken and second, from the location on the individual sites, i.e. the soil profile. Landfill and individual profiles reflect the combined impact of all effective variables, including those that were not measured in this study.

In this paper, a progressive design learning approach is proposed in the course of ldquoapplied electronicsrdquo to help students to develop system design skills through an optoelectronic sensing project. This project offers a progressive guideline to lead student teams to design, build, and troubleshoot their optoelectronic systems. Such a system contains a light-source current stabilizer, a photodiode amplifier, a microcontroller system (including input and output), and optomechanical devices. In this approach, students are motivated to learn the required knowledge and skills in a future professional capacity. Those skills include designing specification, realizing teamwork and communication, and developing a variety of optoelectronic sensing techniques. Through this project, an optoelectronic sensing system is established called a spatial radiance distribution measurement system for various light sources. In particular, this kind of system is useful and important for LED industries. The course evaluations have been obtained from classmates and instructors and these results indicate that the objectives of this course are achieved.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease because of its associated autonomic nervous and vascular regulatory dysfunctions. We tested the hypothesis that the multiscale entropy (MSE) approach to heart rate variability analysis may be used for evaluating OSA severity through simultaneous assessment of these abnormalities.A total of 147 subjects were divided into four groups according to apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) from polysomnography (PSG): Snoring without OSA (5 AHI, n = 31), mild (5 ≤ AHI 15, n = 31), moderate (15 ≤ AHI 30, n = 41), and severe (AHI ≥ 30, n = 44) OSA. Of the patients, 41 receiving continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment were included for comparison. For each subject, two segments of electrocardiographic (ECG) signals (both at stage N2) were used for R-R interval (RRI) analysis, including a 10-minute recording 10 minutes after falling asleep (ie, early phase) and another 10-minute segment at 3 hours (ie, late phase). Heart rate variability as reflected in changes in RRI between the two segments was assessed with small-scale multiscale entropy index (MEISS, sum of sample entropy from time scale from 1 to 5) and large-scale multiscale entropy index (MEILS, scale from 6 to 10).Increase in MEILS in the late phase of sleep was noted in both the normal snoring and CPAP groups (P 0.01). Although the moderate OSA group exhibited MEISS drop in the late phase (P 0.02), both MEISS and MEILS decreased in the late phase in the severe OSA group (P 0.001, P 0.02). However, no differences were noted in mild OSA subjects in both parameters.The results demonstrated significant severity-dependent deterioration in autonomic and vascular regulatory function in patients with OSA as reflected in the reductions in MEISS and MEILS, respectively, and notable improvement after CPAP treatment. The MEI obtainable through PSG may indicate not only OSA severity and physiological status but also therapeutic outcome for OSA patients.

To explore information hidden in the electromyographic (EMG) signals of urethral sphincter, 19 patients with voiding difficulty were divided into two groups: Patients with detrusor overactivity (Group 1, n=7), detrusor-external sphincter dyssynergia (Group 2, n=12). All patients underwent baseline urodynamic studies for comparison. The results demonstrated that, despite no significant difference in urodynamic parameters between Group 1 and Group 2, the large-scale MSE of preoperative EMG [i.e., MSELS(EMG)] and small-scale MSE of preoperative EMG [i.e., MSESS(EMG)] of Group 1 were notably higher than those of Group 2 (i.e., patients with abnormal sphincter function). In conclusion, using MSE analysis for assessing preoperative urethral sphincter EMG signals successfully distinguished the subtle functional impairment of urethral sphincter unable to be detected by routine urodynamic studies.

Purpose: To evaluate the use of signal intensity index (SII) of skull-base invasion in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), select a best cut-off SII value to predict the outcome of NPC. Materials and Methods: One hundred and twenty-two NPC patients (92 men, 30 women) with skull-base invasion were included. All patients underwent MRI, signal intensities on T1-weighted imaging (T1WI) were measured for each invaded site and its contralateral normal counterpart. The SIIs were calculated, receiver operating characteristic curves were constructed. The optimal cut-off values were extracted. The overall survival (OS) rates of 5-year follow-up were performed. Results: Sensitivities for differentiating skull-base invasion from normal contralateral anatomy were 98.9%, 88.5% and 70.0%, and specificities were 98.9%, 96.0% and 74.4%, respectively. There were three cut-off values for differentiating invasion from normal anatomy of skull-base, 49%, 98%, and 60%. Significant difference in OS rates (84.2% vs. 57.1%, p=0.007) was seen for SII threshold values > 60% and those ≤ 60%. Conclusions: The SII might be a useful means of differentiating invasion from normal tissue at the skull-base in NPC. The cut-off value of quantitative SII at the skull-base may aid in monitoring the response to treatment of NPC patients.

Trichloroethylene (TCE) is an occupational and ubiquitous environmental contaminant, and TCE exposure will increase the risk of autoimmune diseases and allergic diseases. T cells play an important role in the pathogenesis of TCE-related immune disorders, but the effect of TCE and its oxidative metabolites, trichloroacetic acid (TCA) and dichloroacetic acid (DCA), on the activation of human T cells is still unknown. In this study, Jurkat cells were pre-treated with TCE, TCA and DCA overnight and then stimulated with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate and ionomycin for another 4, 8 and 24 hours. IL-2 secretion was detected by ELISA, the expressions of CD25 and CD69 were tested by flow cytometry, and IFN-γ and IL-2 mRNA expression levels were investigated by real-time PCR. The results showed that TCE and its oxidative metabolites, TCA and DCA, significantly enhanced IL-2 releasing and the expression of T cell activation markers, CD25 and CD69. Consistent with this result, these compounds markedly up-regulated the expression levels of IFN-γ and IL-2 mRNA. Collectively, these findings suggest that TCE and its metabolites, TCA and DCA, might enhance the activation of T cells and disrupt various activities of peripheral T cells.

Background Tuberculosis (TB) patients in China still face a number of barriers in seeking diagnosis and treatment. There is evidence that the economic burden on TB patients and their households discourages treatment compliance. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in three cities of China. Patients were selected using probability proportional to size (PPS) cluster sampling of rural townships or urban streets, followed by list sampling from a patient register. Data were collected using a questionnaire survey, key informant interviews and focus group discussions with TB patients to gain an understanding of the economic burden of TB and implications of this burden for treatment compliance. Results A total of 797 TB patients were surveyed, of which 60 were interviewed in-depth following the survey. More than half had catastrophic health expenditure. TB patients with higher household incomes were less likely to report non-compliance (OR 0.355, 95 % CI 0.140–0.830) and patients who felt that the economic burden relating to TB treatment was high more likely to report non-compliance (OR 3.650, 95 % CI 1.278–12.346). Those who had high costs for transportation, lodging and food were also more likely to report non-compliance (OR 4.150, 95 % CI 1.804–21.999). The findings from the qualitative studies supported those from the survey. Conclusion The economic burden associated with seeking diagnosis and treatment remains a barrier for TB patients in China. Reducing the cost of treatment and giving patients subsidies for transportation, lodging and food is likely to improve treatment compliance. Improving doctors’ salary system to cut off the revenue-oriented incentive, and expanding current insurance’s coverage can be helpful to reduce patients’ actual burden or anticipated burden. Future research on this issue is needed. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s40249-015-0080-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Purpose Breast cone-beam computed tomography (BCBCT) is a flat-panel detector (FPD)-based X-ray imaging system that provides high-quality images of the breast. The purpose of this study was to investigate the ability to detect breast abnormalities using non-contrast BCBCT and contrast-enhanced BCBCT (BCBCT and CE-BCBCT) compared to ultrasound (US) and digital mammography (MG). Materials and methods A prospective study was performed from May 2012 to August 2014. Ninety-two patients (172 lesions) underwent BCBCT alone, and 120 patients (270 lesions) underwent BCBCT and CE-BCBCT, all the patients underwent US and MG. Results Cancer diagnosis was confirmed pathologically in 102 patients (110 lesions). BCBCT identified 97 of 110 malignant lesions, whereas 93 malignant lesions were identified using MG and US. The areas under the receiver operating curves (AUCs) for breast cancer diagnosis were 0.861 (BCBCT), 0.856 (US), and 0.829 (MG). CE-BCBCT improved cancer diagnostic sensitivity by 20.3% (78.4–98.7%). The AUC values were 0.869 (CE-BCBCT), 0.846 (BCBCT), 0.834 (US), and 0.782 (MG). Conclusion In this preliminary study, BCBCT was found to accurately identify malignant breast lesions in a diagnostic setting. CE-BCBCT provided additional information and improved cancer diagnosis in style c or d breasts compared to the use of BCBCT, US, or MG alone.

We exploit a spatial discontinuity in the coverage of an agricultural extension program in Uganda to causally identify its effects on malaria. We find that eligibility for the program reduced the incidence of malaria by 8.8 percentage points, with childre

Background The biomechanical characteristics of midshaft clavicular fractures treated with titanium elastic nail (TEN) is unclear. This study aimed to present a biomechanical finite element analysis of biomechanical characteristics involved in TEN fixation and reconstruction plate fixation for midshaft clavicular fractures. Methods Finite element models of the intact clavicle and of midshaft clavicular fractures fixed with TEN and with a reconstruction plate were built. The distal clavicle displacement, peak stress, and stress distribution on the 3 finite element models were calculated under the axial compression and cantilever bending. Results In both loading configurations, TEN generated the highest displacement of the distal clavicle, followed by the intact clavicle and the reconstruction plate. TEN showed higher peak bone and implant stresses, and is more likely to fail in both loading configurations compared with the reconstruction plate. TEN led to a stress distribution similar to that of the intact clavicle in both loading configurations, whereas the stress distribution with the reconstruction plate was nonphysiological in cantilever bending. Conclusions TEN is generally preferable for treating simple displaced fractures of the midshaft clavicle, because it showed a stress distribution similar to the intact clavicle. However, TEN provides less stability, and excessive exercise of and weight bearing on the ipsilateral shoulder should be avoided in the early postoperative period. Fixation with a reconstruction plate was more stable but showed obvious stress shielding. Therefore, for patients with a demand for early return to activity, reconstruction plate fixation may be preferred.

The criteria for the diagnosis of metastatic retropharyngeal lymph nodes (RLNs) have not yet been resolved and are not included in the current edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging system (seventh edition) for the staging of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). The aim of this study was to use MRI to identify an RLN size criterion that can accurately predict prognosis in patients with NPC.Eight hundred seventeen patients with newly diagnosed localized NPC were identified. All of the patients underwent MRI before treatment with definitive radiation therapy. All the MRI studies and medical records were reviewed retrospectively. Overall survival (OS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), and local relapse-free survival (LRFS) were assessed using SPSS software (version 17.0).RLN size cutoffs of ≥ 5 mm and of ≥ 6 mm were used. There was no significant difference in OS (p = 0.216), DMFS (p = 0.081), or LRFS (p = 0.067) in patients with RLNs ≥ 5 mm and in those with RLNs5 mm. When 6 mm was used as a size cutoff, significant differences in OS (p = 0.000) and DMFS (p = 0.001) were identified; there was no significant difference observed for LRFS (p = 0.380).A minimum axial RLN diameter of 6 mm was a more accurate prognostic predictor in NPC patients with RLN metastases than 5 mm.