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Lactic acid (LA) metabolism in the tumor microenvironment contributes to the establishment and maintenance of immune tolerance. This pathway is characterized in tumor associated macrophages. However, the role and pathway of LA metabolism at maternal-fetal interface during early pregnancy, especially in decidual macrophage differentiation, are still unclear. Herein, for the first time, we discovered that LA can trigger either M2 or M1 macrophage polarization via oxidative phosphorylation and glycolysis regulation under normoxia or hypoxia, respectively. Also, LA metabolism played a vital role in decidual macrophages-mediated recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL), through HIF-1α/SRC/LDHA pathway. Moreover, blockade of LA intake with AZD3965 (MCT-1 inhibitor) could rescue pregnancy in an abortion-prone mouse model, suggesting a potential therapeutic target in RPL. Collectively, the present study identifies the previously unknown functions of LA metabolism in the differentiation of decidual macrophages in early normal pregnancy and RPL, and provides a potential therapeutic strategy in RPL by manipulating decidual macrophages' functions through LA metabolic pathway.

INTRODUCTION Urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) is a serine protease and it also demonstrates proinflammatory properties. We thus hypothesized that uPA is involved in immunity of Sertoli cells in the rat testis. MATERIALS AND METHODS The uPA gene(PLAU) promoter was cloned by RT-PCR and the transcriptional activation of core domain was screened by using Dual-Luciferase Reporter Assay System. The Sertoli cells were harvested from 20-day-old Sprague-Dawley male rats and total RNA was isolated. The uPA mRNA levels and MyD88 pathway were tested by qPCR. RESULTS We successfully cloned the 1517-bp rat uPA gene and screened the core domain (-455/+40) in five different fragments of uPA promoter. The uPA expression and uPA promoter activity were upregulated in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated Sertoli cells. Furthermore, the uPA expression was regulated through the MyD88-independent pathway by interdicting IRF3 and interferon β. CONCLUSION uPA expression is likely induced by LPS through the core promoter domain of uPA. This finding implied that uPA played a role in the immune function of Sertoli cells in rat testis, which might provide the development of new treatments for male infertility.

To explore clinical effect of lateral locking compression plate combined with medial buttress plate in treating osteoporotic comminuted fractures of proximal humerus.From May 2017 to December 2021, 12 patients with osteoporotic comminution of proximal humerus were treated by lateral locking compression plates combined with medial buttress plates, including 5 males and 7 females, aged from 55 to 78 years old, bone mineral density(BMD) less than -2.5 g/cm3, the time from injury to operation was from 2 to 6 days. According to Neer classification, 7 patients were type Ⅲ, 4 patients were type Ⅳ and 1 patient was type Ⅵ. Postoperative complications, fracture healing and internal fixation were observed and Constant-Murley score of shoulder joint was used to evaluate clinical effects at 6 months after operation.Postoperative wound healed well at stage I. All patients were followed up from 6 to 18 months. Humeral head collapse and necrosis occurred in 1 patient and humeral head varus in 1 patient. No impact of shoulder joint, internal fixation loosening occurred. Constant-Murley score at 6 months ranged from 45 to 90 points, and 6 patients got excellent result, 3 good, and 3 poor.Locking compression plate combined with medial buttress plate could effectively reconstruct medial humeral column support and enhance fracture stability, and receive satisfactory clinical results. However, no control group was established in this study, and function of shoulder joint has not been evaluated many times after operation, so it cannot dynamically reflect changes of shoulder joint function.

A new flavonoid named saniculamin C (1), together with six known compounds (2-7), were isolated from the whole plants of Sanicula lamelligera Hance. The chemical structures were elucidated by spectroscopic and physico-chemical analyses. All isolates were evaluated for in vitro cytotoxic activities against four human cancer cell lines, HepG2, SGC-7901 gastric cancer, Hela and A-549 lung cancer. Compound 1 showed potent antiproliferative activities against SGC-7901 cells with IC50 value of 7.45 μM. In addition, compound 6 exhibited weak antiproliferative activities against HepG2, SGC-7901, Hela cancer cells with IC50 values of 10.43, 8.24 and 15.32 μM, respectively.

Research question What is the effect of C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP) on human sperm capacitation in vitro and what is the mechanism of this effect? Design CNP/NPR-B expression in the female rat genital tract was examined by immunohistochemistry and western blot assay, and then the role of CNP in human sperm capacitation was determined. The signal transduction pathway of CNP in the process was determined to elucidate the regulation mechanism of CNP by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and flow cytometry. Results Both CNP and NPR-B were expressed in the genital tract of female rats, especially in the mucosa epithelium cell of the oviduct; the CNP level in the rat oviduct was higher than that in the cervix. Both CNP and NPR-B level in the rat oviduct varied during the oestrus cycle, maximal expression being observed at proestrus. Furthermore, intracellular cGMP level in spermatozoa was significantly enhanced by CNP (P Conclusions CNP secreted by the female genital tract might bind to NPR-B on the spermatozoa. It successively stimulated intracellular cGMP/PKG signalling, increased Ca2+ and tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins, promoted hyperactivation and induced the acrosome reaction, which ultimately facilitated sperm capacitation.

To assess the relationship between serum/follicular fluid (FF) vitamin D (VD) status and assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatment outcomes among infertile patients.A prospective cohort study, including 132 infertile patients scheduled for their first ART treatment cycle, was carried out in a Reproductive Medical Center. Serum and FF samples were collected to assess 25-hydroxy VD [25(OH)D] levels. Low VD level was defined as 25(OH)D concentration of less than 30 ng/mL.Most infertile patients had low VD levels in serum (88%) and FF (90%). We observed a moderately positive correlation between VD levels in serum and FF (r = 0.34, p 0.0001). Compared to the group of patients with low VD levels in the FF, those with sufficient VD levels had a significantly higher number of retrieved oocytes (p = 0.03), normal fertilization (p = 0.01), and high-quality embryos (p = 0.001). Moreover, patients with sufficient VD levels in the FF also had significantly higher implantation rates than those with low VD levels (76.92% vs. 46.58%, respectively, p = 0.01) and clinical pregnancy rates (92.31% vs. 61.54%, respectively, p = 0.04).These data collectively revealed that low VD levels in serum and FF were common among infertile patients. VD levels in FF, but not in serum, were associated with embryo quality, normal fertilization, implantation rates, and clinical pregnancy rates. Further studies are mandatory to determine the molecular mechanism and VD's potential therapeutic benefits in infertile patients.

Caused by a novel type of virus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2), coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) constitutes a global public health emergency. Pregnant women are considered to have a higher risk of severe morbidity and even mortality due to their susceptibility to respiratory pathogens and their particular immunologic state. Several studies assessing SARS‐CoV‐2 infection during pregnancy reported adverse pregnancy outcomes in patients with severe conditions, including spontaneous abortion, preterm labor, fetal distress, cesarean section, preterm birth, neonatal asphyxia, neonatal pneumonia, stillbirth, and neonatal death. However, whether these complications are causally related to SARS‐CoV‐2 infection is not clear. Here, we reviewed the scientific evidence supporting the contributing role of Treg/Th17 cell imbalance in the uncontrolled systemic inflammation characterizing severe cases of COVID‐19. Based on the recognized harmful effects of these CD4+ T‐cell subset imbalances in pregnancy, we speculated that SARS‐CoV‐2 infection might lead to adverse pregnancy outcomes through the deregulation of otherwise tightly regulated Treg/Th17 ratios, and to subsequent uncontrolled systemic inflammation. Moreover, we discuss the possibility of vertical transmission of COVID‐19 from infected mothers to their infants, which could also explain adverse perinatal outcomes. Rigorous monitoring of pregnancies and appropriate measures should be taken to prevent and treat early eventual maternal and perinatal complications.

A new flavonoid named saniculamin C (

The accurate fruit recognition in the field was one of the key technologies of fruit picking agricultural robots. An improved Single Shot Multi-Box Detector (SSD) model based on the color and morphological characteristics of fruit was proposed in this paper when aimed at the large collection workload and low secondary transfer efficiency of fruit such as palm fruit, durian, pineapple and other fruits grown in a complex field environment. A binocular depth camera RealSense D435i was used to collect images of the fruit to be picked in the field. Meanwhile, the MobileNet was replaced with the VGG16 basic network based on the Tensor-flow deep learning framework to reduce the amount of convolution operations for extracting image features in the SSD model, and a spatial positioning system for pineapple fruit was designed. Furtherly, experiments showed that the improved SSD depth detection model had a smaller size and it was more convenient to be deployed on the mobile end of agricultural robots, which the model had a high accuracy in the effective recognition of the fruits to be picked under the weed occlusion and overlapping scenes. The frame rate of the video reading and detection for the binocular depth camera reached 16.74 Frames Per Second (FPS), which had good robustness and real-time, and a good solution for the automatic picking of agricultural picking robots could be provided in the field.

To analyze the effects of salvianolate on myocardial infarction in a murine in vivo model of ischemia and reperfusion (I/R) injury.Myocardial I/R injury model was constructed in mice by 30 min of coronary occlusion followed by 24 h of reperfusion and pretreated with salvianolate 30 min before I/R (SAL group). The SAL group was compared with SHAM (no I/R and no salvianolate), I/R (no salvianolate), and ischemia preconditioning (IPC) groups. Furthermore, an ERK1/2 inhibitor PD98059 (1 mg/kg), and a phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3-K) inhibitor, LY294002 (7.5 mg/kg), were administered intraperitoneal injection (i.p) for 30 min prior to salvianolate, followed by I/R surgery in LY and PD groups. By using a double staining method, the ratio of the infarct size (IS) to left ventricle (LV) and of risk region (RR) to LV were compared among the groups. Correlations between IS and RR were analyzed. Western-blot was used to detect the extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) and protein kinase B (AKT) phosphorylation changes.There were no significant differences between RR to LV ratio among the SHAM, I/R, IPC and SAL groups (P0.05). The SAL and IPC groups had IS of 26.1%±1.4% and 22.3%±2.9% of RR, respectively, both of which were significantly smaller than the I/R group (38.5%±2.9% of RR, P0.05, P0.01, respectively). Moreover, the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 was increased in SAL group (P0.05), while AKT had no significant change. LY294002 further reduced IS, whereas the protective role of salvianolate could be attenuated by PD98059, which increased the IS. Additionally, the IS was not linearly related to the RR (r=0.23, 0.45, 0.62, 0.17, and 0.52 in the SHAM, I/R, SAL, LY and PD groups, respectively).Salvianolate could reduce myocardial I/R injury in mice in vivo, which involves an ERK1/2 pathway, but not a PI3-K signaling pathway.

Background In 2005, the FDA cautioned that exposure to paroxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), during the first trimester of pregnancy may increase the risk of cardiac malformations. Since then, the association between maternal use of SSRIs during pregnancy and congenital malformations in infants has been the subject of much discussion and controversy. The aim of this study is to systematically review the associations between SSRIs use during early pregnancy and the risk of congenital malformations, with particular attention to the potential confounding by indication. Methods The study protocol was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42018088358). Cohort studies on congenital malformations in infants born to mothers with first-trimester exposure to SSRIs were identified via PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library databases through 17 January 2018. Random-effects models were used to calculate summary relative risks (RRs). Results Twenty-nine cohort studies including 9,085,954 births were identified. Overall, use of SSRIs was associated with an increased risk of overall major congenital anomalies (MCAs, RR 1.11, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.19) and congenital heart defects (CHD, RR 1.24, 95% CI 1.11 to 1.37). No significantly increased risk was observed when restricted to women with a psychiatric diagnosis (MCAs, RR 1.04, 95% CI 0.95 to 1.13; CHD, RR 1.06, 95% CI 0.90 to 1.26). Similar significant associations were observed using maternal citalopram exposure (MCAs, RR 1.20, 95% CI 1.09 to 1.31; CHD, RR 1.24, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.51), fluoxetine (MCAs, RR 1.17, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.28; CHD, 1.30, 95% CI 1.12 to 1.53), and paroxetine (MCAs, RR 1.18, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.32; CHD, RR 1.17, 95% CI 0.97 to 1.41) and analyses restricted to using women with a psychiatric diagnosis were not statistically significant. Sertraline was associated with septal defects (RR 2.69, 95% CI 1.76 to 4.10), atrial septal defects (RR 2.07, 95% CI 1.26 to 3.39), and respiratory system defects (RR 2.65, 95% CI 1.32 to 5.32). Conclusions The evidence suggests a generally small risk of congenital malformations and argues against a substantial teratogenic effect of SSRIs. Caution is advisable in making decisions about whether to continue or stop treatment with SSRIs during pregnancy. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12916-018-1193-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Background. Copeptin has been implicated as an effective prognostic biomarker of stroke outcome; however, few studies have investigated whether copeptin could be used as an etiological factor for stroke or not. The aim of our study was to evaluate the association of serum copeptin with stroke. Methods. In total, 238 participants including 119 cases (87 ischemic stroke and 32 hemorrhagic stroke) and 119 controls were included in this 1 : 1 matched case-control study. Conditional multivariate logistic regression was conducted to assess the Odds Ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI); restricted cubic spline in logistic regression model was used to evaluate the dose-response association between serum copeptin and total stroke, ischemic stroke, and hemorrhagic stroke. Results. The median serum copeptin was 20.90 pmol/L, 20.90 pmol/L, 6.53 pmol/L, and 8.42 pmol/L for total stroke, ischemic stroke, hemorrhagic stroke, and healthy subjects, respectively. The corresponding ORs (95% CIs) for the highest compared with the lowest quartile were 1.23 (0.62–2.44) for total stroke, 4.01 (1.47–10.96) for ischemic stroke, and 0.13 (0.22–0.69) for hemorrhagic stroke. No nonlinear dose-response relationship was found between serum copeptin and total stroke (Pnonlinear=0.278), ischemic stroke (Pnonlinear=0.362), and hemorrhagic stroke (Pnonlinear=0.314). Compared with the reference copeptin level, a significantly increasing trend was found between serum copeptin and ischemic stroke (Poverall=0.002), and a decreasing trend was found between serum copeptin and hemorrhagic stroke (Poverall=0.007). Conclusions. Elevated serum copeptin levels were positively associated with ischemic stroke and adversely associated with hemorrhagic stroke. Additional prospective studies with larger sample size are needed to confirm the present findings.

In the wake of big data and Internet plus era, continuous infiltration of digital technology has been happening in various fields of social and economic development. As the most important material carrier of historical culture, the historical value of historical buildings is produced and accumulated in its historical evolution, and it can only be protected from being created again. Based on the background of digitization of cultural resources, this paper summarizes the relevant digital technologies for the digital translation of information on buildings of historical and cultural heritage, as a means to promote the spread of the PDA+APPS mobile terminal, so as to achieve the purpose of preservation, protection, management and publicity. Meanwhile, this paper analyzes the application of digital technology in this field and the prospect of its function.

Background Measurement of the biomarker copeptin may help identify disease severity and risk of mortality for a various diseases. This study sought to determine the relationship between copeptin and all-cause mortality of patients with cardio-cerebrovascular disease. Methods Database of Medline and Web of Science were searched for studies with data involving the baseline copeptin levels and subsequent all-cause mortality outcomes. The pooled HRs of all-cause mortality were calculated and presented with 95% CI s. Subgroup analysis and sensitivity analysis were conducted to explore the possible sources of heterogeneity. Results Data from 14,395 participants were derived from 28 prospective studies. Higher copeptin significantly increased the risk of all-cause mortality (per unit copeptin: HR = 1.020, 95% CI = 1.004–1.036; log unit copeptin: HR = 2.884, 95% CI = 1.844–4.512; categorical copeptin: HR = 3.371, 95% CI = 2.077–5.472). Subgroup analysis indicated that the risk of all-cause death was higher in cerebrovascular patients (per unit copeptin: HR = 2.537, 95% CI = 0.956–6.731; log unit copeptin: HR = 3.419, 95% CI = 2.391–4.888) than cardiovascular patients (per unit copeptin: HR = 1.011, 95% CI = 1.002–1.020; log unit copeptin: HR = 2.009, 95% CI = 1.119–3.608). Conclusion Copeptin is associated with all-cause mortality of patients with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease. Our study suggests that copeptin seems to be a promising novel biomarker for prediction of mortality in cardio-cerebrovascular patients, especially for cerebrovascular patients.

uPA, a trypsin-like serine protease, was found to take active part in male reproduction. Our previous work had demonstrated the antifertility effects of its full length protein immunization, but with immune tolerance and other latent side effects. Here we discovered two effective B-cell epitopes of uPA for male contraception in growth factor-like domain and kringle domain respectively. Together with carrier protein, immunization of these two epitope peptides could induce high titers of specific antibodies in male mice. Significant reduction of fertility was observed in these two groups in mating trial without evident systemic illness or abnormal mating behavior. Epididymal sperms of immunized males exhibited impaired progressive motility and ability to fertilize eggs in vitro. The immunization of another predicted epitope in serine protease domain and the control groups showed no similar positive results. Importantly, T cells were not activated after the challenge of these B-cell epitopes itself, which suggests that these vaccines do not induce cell-mediated autoimmunity. Taken together, our study discovered two uPA B-cell epitopes as novel targets for male immunocontraception with minimum side effects. Considering their high identity with human uPA protein, these two epitope vaccines hold great promise to be developed for man use in the future.

This paper presents a high-speed and multi-thread-safe transmission based on the universal parallel port (uPP) of OMAPL138 and Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA).With the aid of I/O module used with IOM mini-drivers (GIO module) under DSP/BIOS and internal direct memory access (DMA), this system can obtain a high momentary speed at 300MB/s. This system is designed for the real-time transmission of spectrum data and raw time-domain data which are most important data for monitoring the wireless frequency resource. The real-time transmission of spectrum data has been applied in a spectrum monitoring receiver.

In order to establish and improve the radiation environment monitoring standard system, to provide technical support for the radiation environment monitoring system, this work first retrieve the radiation environment monitoring standards, and clear the domestic status of the radiation environment monitoring standards. According to environmental Protection Department of the relevant documents and other relevant information, the radiation environment monitoring standards and methods have been accessed , to find the missing items and issues proposed revision of the system requirements. Summarizing radiation environment monitoring national standards, standards of environmental protection industry, the nuclear industry standard, there are 28 standard missing items need to the health industry standards, inspection and quarantine industry standards, a total of 145 of these standards of environmental radiation monitoring, radiation monitoring of pollution sources, emergency response and early warning and monitoring from a management and technology meet the basic needs of the radiation environment monitoring. Research found that the standards in the revised 57 and in the formulation of 47, develop. After the revision of China's standards system will be further improved. The radiation environment monitoring work will be further strengthened.

Tunnel monitoring and measurement is a very important part of the tunnel construction's safety,monitoring technology and information management technology is directly related to the tunnel construction's safety and quality, Although domestic and foreign scholars have done a lot of research on tunnel monitoring measurement technology and information management technology,because of the characteristics of invisibility, uncertainty and variability in tunneling, the level of the monitoring technology and information management are far from construction's requirements.This paper based on ACCESS and GTS, researching and developing automatic warning system of tunnel monitoring,and realizing the information management and early warning forecast of tunnel monitoring measurement data. Engineering practice shows that the system can processing and analyzingthe data fast, convenient and real-time , realize automatic early warning forecast, and provide reliable basis for information construction management of tunneling

Tunnel monitoring and measurement is a very important part of the tunnel construction safety andit is one of the important contents of tunnels on Railway Passenger Dedicated Lines segment acceptance, Its purpose is through the tunnel clearance convergence and settlement observation,to analysis data, optimize tunnel construction and design, and determine a reasonable safety step and support time, protect tunnel construction and operational safety, Although the domestic and foreign on tunnel monitoring measurement work are very seriously, but at present the requirements of monitoring level and information construction are far away. This article based on 3D laser scanning technology, proposed tunnel 3D laser scanning measurement and data visualization technology, through the engineering application and practice, the results show that the technique can be real-time, accurate and comprehensive to get the deformation data of tunnel space,and can analysis and counter-analysis the deformation of tunnel construction, it has greatapplication value of engineering for early warning forecast the risk and guidingtunnel construction.

Myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) can induce lethal ventricular arrhythmia and myocardial infarction. One of the clinical strategies for managing patients with high risk of myocardial I/R is to prevent the occurrence of arrhythmias and limit the size of infarction following a coronary episode. Tongguan Capsule (TGC) is one of the popular herbal remedies in treating coronary artery disease in the clinics of Chinese medicine. However, the potential roles and mechanisms of TGC in reducing I/R injury are still unclear. The present study statistically assessed the effectiveness of TGC in reducing I/R injury by comparing the infarct size (IS), risk region (RR), and arrhythmia (in electrocardiogram) among four groups of surgically created mice models of myocardial I/R: SHAM, I/R, VER (I/R with verapamil 20 mg/kg pretreatment), and TGC (I/R with TGC 5 g/kg/d pretreatment). We found that IS was significantly smaller in the TGC and VER groups than I/R group, and the incidence of arrhythmias was reduced in the TGC group compared with I/R group, although there were no differences in RR among the four groups. We conclude that TGC is effective in reducing I/R injury in mice. These results provided an experimental basis for clinical application of TGC in reducing I/R injury.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have emerged as novel molecules of interest in gene regulation as other noncoding RNAs. Though they have been explored in some species and tissues, the expression and functions of circRNAs in human reproductive systems remain unknown. Here we revealed the expression profiles of circRNAs in human testis tissue using high-throughput sequencing. The conformation of these testis-derived circRNAs in seminal plasma was also investigated, aiming to provide a non-invasive liquid biopsy surrogate for testicular biopsy. We predicted >15,000 circRNAs in human testis, with most of them (10,792; 67%) new. In all the 5,928 circRNA forming genes, 1,017 are first reported by us to generate circRNAs. Interestingly, these genes are mostly related to spermatogenesis, sperm motility, fertilization, etc. The sequence feature, chromosome location, alternative splicing and other characteristics of the circRNAs in human testis were also explored. Moreover, we found that these testis-derived circRNAs could be stably detected in seminal plasma. Most of them were probably bound with proteins in seminal plasma and were very stable at room temperature. Our work has laid the foundations to decipher regulation mechanisms of circRNAs in spermatogenesis and to develop circRNAs as novel noninvasive biomarkers for male infertile diseases.

To explore the surgical method and clinical outcome of modified osteotomy of olecranon for the treatment of inter-condylar fracture of humerus.From May 2007 to December 2012, 32 patients of intercondylar fracture of humerus were treated surgically through the approach of modified osteotomy of olecranon. The patients were 21 males and 11 females with a mean age of 46.3 years (ranged 18 to 65 years). Nineteen fractures occurred on the right extremity and 13 on the left extremity. According to the AO classification, type C1 fracture was found in 7, C2 in 11 and C3 in 14. Five patients suffered from open fracture (Gustilo type Iin 3, type II in 2). Other fractures occurred in 6 patients and the primary injury of nerve occurred 6. The healing of the osteotomy was evaluated with physical examination and plain X-ray film, and the function of elbow was assessed according to Cassebaum scale.All the patients were followed from 9 months to 5 years(average, 1.9 years). All the osteotomies healed at 7.4 weeks averagely after operation, and no nonunion, delayed union, fracture of ulna olecranon were found. Two cases had little pain on the elbow, heterotopic ossification occurred in 2 cases and cutting bone block loosed in 1 case. The function of the elbow showed excellent in 19 cases, good in 8, fair in 4 and poor in 1.The use of the approach of modified olecranon osteotomy for surgical management of intercondylar fracture of humerus has some advantages, it provides satisfactory stability with simple technical procedures avoiding inter-articular invasion, and it facilitates rehabilitation exercises and providing good results with low complication rates.

Cement-based material is a complex multi-scale material which is difficult to comprehend. With the simulation model, the methods and examples of multi-scale modeling of structure and performance of cement-based materials are presented based on coupled cementitious composites and structural mechanics. This paper discuss on the properties of cement-based materials as shrinkage, elasticity, durability which are carried out by numerical methods such as Finite Element Method (FEM) and eXtended FEM(XFEM).

Intravascular Ultrasound (IVUS) is one of interventional imaging modalities widely used in clinical diagnosis of vascular diseases, especially coronary artery diseases. Segmentation of IVUS images to extract vessel wall boundaries is of importance for quantitative analysis and 3D vessel reconstruction. A 3D parallel method for segmenting IVUS image sequence is proposed in this paper. Firstly, original images are preprocessed to reduce possible noises and eliminate ring-down artifacts. Then, several longitudinal cuts are obtained and intima-lumen and media-adventitia boundaries are detected. Once these boundaries are mapped onto each cross-sectional slice, initial plan of vessel wall boundaries in each frame is obtained. Finally, these initial contours evolve continuously until stop at target contours. Consequently, segmentation of each IVUS tomographic frame isimplemented simultaneously and the efficiency is greatly raised compared with 2D sequential approaches.

The elastic modulus of cement paste is the key parameter for characterizing the mechanical response of concrete. In modern concrete technology, the admixtures are often used to enhance the performance of concrete. This paper introduces a nondestructive testing method to evaluate the dynamic elastic modulus of cement paste. Moreover, the effect of water-cement ratio and conventional admixtures on the dynamic elastic modulus of cement paste is investigated, in which three kinds of admixtures are taken into account including Viscosity Modifying Admixture (VMA), Silica Fume (SF), and Shrinkage-Reducing Admixture (SRA). The results from experimental investigation indicate that the dynamic elastic modulus of cement paste increases with decreasing water-cement ratio. The addition of SF increases the dynamic elastic modulus, however, the overdosage of VMA causes its reduction. SRA reduces the elastic modulus at early age without affecting the elastic modulus at later period.

The purpose of the present study is to assess the effect of solar radiation on the development of thermal stress in hardening and hardened concrete structures. A mathematical model for solar radiation is investigated. A finite element method program is developed for the temperature and thermal stress analysis including the heat of hydration, creep, shrinkage, and ambient temperature, especially the solar radiation. Meanwhile, the effect of solar radiation on the concrete wall during its service life is considered. The results obtained from the numerical models show that for the hardening concrete wall, solar radiation reduce the stress at the first 36 hours on surface and first 48 hours in the center of the wall, after that the stresses both on surface and in the center of the wall increases quickly; for the hardened concrete wall, solar radiation increase the stress in the center of the wall. This program is useful to estimate the stress development and the effect of the solar radiation on the hardening and hardened concrete structures.

Objective To study the functions of urokinase receptor (uPAR) during spermatogenesis by adding targeted siRNA cocktails to the co-culture of Sertoli cell with spermatogenic cells. Methods The seminiferous tubule samples from SD rats aged 20-23 d were digested with collagenase for 15-20 min, then were cut into small fragments. Tubular fragments were digested with collagenase again for 5-10 min, then gently resuspended in F12/DMEM supplemented with vitamins and hormones. Cell samples were seeded in plate and cultured at 32°C for 2 weeks. After 48 h, siRNA cocktails at a concentration of 15 nmol/L or 30 nmol/L were introduced into this cocultured Sertoli/spermatogenic cells. After then for 48 h, expression of uPAR mRNA was analyzed by real-time RT-PCR. Results Some spermatogenic cells took place morphologic changes and generated an obvious flagellum. The expression levels of uPAR mRNA silencing with siRNA cocktails at a concentration of 15 nmol/L or 30 nmol/L were significantly lower than those in nontransfected group (P Conclusion The meiosis and spermiogenesis could take place in this culture system, and the siRNA cocktails can effectively inhibit the gene expression of uPAR in co-cultured Sertoli/spermatogenic cells.

The in vitro effects of Candida albicans and its filtrates on the motility and ultrastructure of human spermatozoa from healthy donors were studied. A significant reduction in sperm progressive motility and signs of membrane alteration, directly related to contact time were observed. Distinct adhesion of spermatozoa to C. albicans and agglutination were observed. Light and transmission electron microscopy examinations showed that spermatozoa attached to C. albicans mainly via the head. Multiple ultrastructural lesions were present, which were the possible morphological reasons for spermatozoan immobilization observed in the present study. It is concluded that C. albicans as well as its filtrates had an inhibitory effect on human sperm motility and impaired the ultrastructure of human spermatozoa, which could be associated with male infertility.

To investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of modified Stoppa approach in treatment of bilateral pubic fractures of pelvic.The therapeutic effects of 16 patients with bilateral pubic fractures treated through the modified Stoppa approach from January 2010 to January 2014 were summarized and analyzed, involved 11 males and 5 females with an average age of 40.5 years old ranging from 17 to 59 years. According to Tile classification, there were 8 patients with type A, 6 with type B and 2 with type C. For 16 pelvic fractures, the modified Stoppa approach was used exclusively 11 cases, in combination with the iliac fossa approach in 4 cases, and in combination with the posterior approach in 1 case. The operation incision length, operation time , intra-operative blood loss and postoperative complications were observed. The fracture reduction and post-operative function were assessed by Matta criteria and Majeed system respectively.The incision length of the modified Stoppa approach ranged from 8 to 10 cm (averaged in 9 cm). The operation time ranged from 75 to 135 minutes (averaged in 95 minutes). The intra-operative blood loss ranged from 400 to 900 ml (averaged in 600 ml). Sixteen patients were followed up from 7 to 18 months (averaged in 12.5 months). The fractures were all healed, the fracture healing time was 2.7 to 5 months (means 3.1 months). There were no infections, ectopic ossification, screw loosening, plate breakage and lateral ventral syndrome. According to Matta criteria for pubic fracture reduction, the result was excellent in 9 cases, good in 6, fair in 1. The Majeed function scores at 6 months after operation was 85.32±8.50; the result was excellent in 8 cases, good in 6 cases, fair in 2 cases.The modified Stoppa approach has characteristics of convenience and directness of incisions, clear operation field, easy reduction, few complications and fast recovery , it is an ideal choice in surgical treatment of bilateral pubic fractures.

C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP) is a newly discovered type of local regulatory factor that mediates its biological effects through the specific, membrane-bound natriuretic peptide receptor-B (NPR-B). Recent studies have established that CNP is closely related to male reproductive function. The aims of this study were to determine the distribution of CNP/NPR-B in human ejaculated spermatozoa through different methods (such as immunolocalization, real time polymerase chain reaction and Western Blot), and then to evaluate the influence of CNP on sperm function in vitro, such as motility and acrosome reaction. Human semen samples were collected from consenting donors who met the criteria of the World Health Organization for normozoospermia. Our results show that the specific receptor NPR-B of CNP is localized in the acrosomal region of the head and the membrane of the front-end tail of the sperm, and there is no signal of CNP in human sperm. Compared with the control, CNP can induce a significant dose-dependent increase in spermatozoa motility and acrosome reaction. In summary, CNP/NPR-B can affect sperm motility and acrosome reaction, thus regulating the reproductive function of males. CNP may be a new key factor in regulating sperm function.

Background The radial forearm free flap (RFFF) has been widely used with increasing frequency in head and neck reconstruction following extirpative surgery. The controversy of the venous anastomoses patterns still exists. Thus, we conducted a meta-analysis to assess the relationship between the venous anastomoses patterns and venous compromise. Methods MEDLINE, PubMed, Web of Science, and Wanfang databases were searched for studies reporting the different venous anastomoses patterns of the RFFF. A meta-analysis was conducted using the random effects models. Publication bias and sensitivity analysis were also assessed. Results 6 studies with 992 cases were included in this meta-analysis. The dual anastomosis group tended to have a lower incidence of venous compromise (RR = 1.39). However, the difference was not statistically significant (95%CI: 0.59, 3.24). Conclusions This meta-analysis indicated that performing dual venous anatomoses consisting of superficial and deep systems conferred a tendency of the reduction with regard to venous compromise.

The air flow field of the dual slot die on an HDF-6D melt blowing non-woven equipment is computed numerically. A temperature measurement system is built to measure air temperatures. The computation results tally with the measured results proving the correctness of the computation. The results have great valuable significance in the actual melt blowing production.

C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP) is a 22-amino acid peptide and act as a local paracrine or autocrine regulator. There is growing evidence that CNP is involved in male reproductive processes. To investigate the role of CNP during spermatogenesis, we measured the mRNA expression of CNP and its specific membrane-bound natriuretic peptide receptor-B (NPR-B) using real-time RT-PCR in the testes of normal rats on different postnatal days. After that spermatogenesis dysfunction model induced by ornidazole was established with the aim to study the correlation of CNP with spermatogenic dysfunction. Then, Sertoli cells from 18- to 22-day-old healthy male rats were cultured in the presence of different CNP concentrations (1×10(-6), 1×10(-7) and 1×10(-8) mol l(-1)), and the mRNA expression levels of androgen-binding protein, inhibin B and transferrin were examined at 0 min, 30 min, 1 h, 2 h, 4 h, 8 h, 12 h, 24 h and 48 h. During the postnatal development of rat testes, the highest mRNA expression levels of CNP and NPR-B were found at postnatal D(0), and the levels then declined gradually, with a second CNP peak at postnatal D(35). In the ornidazole-induced infertile rat testes, CNP gene expression was lower than in the uninduced rats (P

To observe the clinical effect of the treatment for complex fractures of the tibial plateau through the application of the external fixator and the locking plate.From Feb. 2006 to Oct. 2008,12 patients with tibial plateau fractures were treated with external fixator and locking plate included 8 males and 4 females with an average age of 38 years ranging from 23 to 59. According to Schatzker type, 7 cases were type V and 5 cases were type VI. Using an anteromedial incision and an anterolateral approach, the locking plate were fixed in the tibia lateral. The collapse and height lossing of tibial plateau was observed through X-ray film before and after operation. The function of knee joint was evaluated according to HSS scoring.These patients were followed up for 4 to 18 months (means 9.79 months). Eleven cases had bone primary union,and 1 delayed union. No deep phlebothrombosis and osteofascial compartment syndrome occurened. The average healing time was 3.1 months. Between the preoperative and postoperative X-ray film there were no second stage depression fracture of the tibial plateau,postoperative reduction loss and bad alignment. The range of knee flexion was 90 degrees to 110 degrees. The HSS knee functional scoring was(75.50 +/- 10.01)scores after operation and (21.50 +/- 11.68) scores before operation.The treatment with the external fixator and the locking plate for complex fractures of the tibial plateau could provid continuous stability of fixation,prevent the fracture from second stage displacement and the knee force line change, protect the soft-tissue around the knee, reduce the postoperative complications. The knee joint function is satisfied.