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Outbreaks caused by highly industrialized food companies are characterized by cross-border, trans-regional, rapid and unpredictable, related to serious disease and economic burden. A cluster of cases with monophasic s食品产业高度工业化导致的食源性疾病暴发呈跨国界、跨区域、进展快、难预测等特点，造成严重的疾病和经济负担。自2021年12月以来，欧洲多国报告了疑似食用受污染巧克力产品的ST34型单相鼠伤寒沙门菌聚集性感染病例。经回溯性调查，比利时涉事工厂的酪乳管道高度疑似为本次单相鼠伤寒沙门菌污染的源头，此次事件为我国食源性致病菌污染风险管理提供了借鉴和参考。本文梳理了此次单相鼠伤寒沙门菌污染巧克力产品所致暴发事件的过程和特点，分析单相鼠伤寒沙门菌的特征以及巧克力产品生产过程中的微生物管理措施，并基于本次暴发事件系统论述我国食品企业工业化快速发展过程中的食源性致病菌污染风险管理建议及对策，以期为我国食源性疾病暴发事件的防控、预测预警提供科学技术支撑。.

A 25-year-old woman was admitted to Peking Union Medical Hospital presented with arthralgia for 5 years, amenorrhea for 16 months, and speech disorder for 3 months. This patient has been afflicted by intermittent pain in metacarpophalangeal and proximal interphalangeal joints of both hands for 5 years. Her menstruation has been irregular 1 year ago and rapidly progressed to amenorrhea. Laboratory tests revealed postmenopausal sex hormones levels (estradiol5 ng/L, follicle-stimulating hormone 62.5 IU/L, luteinizing hormone 58.71 IU/L) and no antral follicles were seen in gynecologic ultrasound. She was diagnosed with premature ovarian failure and treated with hormone replacement therapy, still with no ovulation. Numbness and weakness of right arm has recurrently occurred to her 4 months ago, and persistent weakness of right limbs combined with motor speech disorder occurred 1 month later. Magnetic resonance angiography was suggestive of ischemic stroke. Hormone replacement therapy was discontinued. Comprehensive laboratory tests revealed positive anti-dsDNA, anti-SSA/SSB, anticardiolipin and anti-β患者女，25岁。因关节痛5年，停经16个月，言语不利3个月就诊北京协和医院。患者5年前间断出现双手掌指关节、近端指间关节游走性疼痛，未予特殊诊治。近1年余出现月经不规律，进展至闭经，查雌二醇5.00 ng/L，孕酮0.058 μg/L，卵泡刺激素56.09~62.50 IU/L，促黄体生成素49.32~58.71 IU/L，催乳素198.7 μIU/ml，妇科超声检查示无窦状卵泡，考虑卵巢功能早衰，予性激素替代治疗，期间监测仍无排卵。4个月前患者反复出现右上肢麻木无力，3个月前突发言语不利伴右侧肢体无力持续不缓解，查头颅磁共振血管成像（MRA）示急性卒中，停用性激素替代治疗，完善病因筛查，发现抗核抗体、抗双链DNA抗体、抗SSA抗体、抗SSB抗体阳性，抗心磷脂抗体、抗β

Background While higher vitamin B12 level was found to be co-related with mortality in various population, the effectiveness of folic acid therapy for this association remained unknown. Purpose 1: Explore the association between high B12 level and all cause mortality in hypertensive population. 2: To test the primary hypothesis that therapy with enalapril and folic acid is more effective in reducing all cause mortality than enalapril alone among targeted population. Methods Current study used post hoc analysis to examin data from the china stroke primary prevention trial (CSPPT), a randomized, double-blind, multi-center clinical trial. After excluded those lack of vitamin B12 data and with extreme B12 value, 20,204 participants (mean age 60 [SD. 8.54]; 59.16% male gender; total mean serum vitamin B12 level 410.51 [SD. 124.85] pg/ml) were included in present study.10,093 participants were treated with enalpril alone and 10,111 patients took the combine use of enalapril and folic acid. The primary outcome was all cause mortality, which collected based on hospital issued death certificate and investigation during follow up period. Results Over the medium follow-up time of 4.5 years, 308 death occurred in enalapril group and 295 death happened in enalapril-folic acid group. Differences were observed regarding sex, center, smoking & drinking status at baseline. In enalapril group, high vitamin B12 level presented positive linear association with all cause mortality and was found to be significantly differences (P=0.018). Whereas no association between high vitamin B12 level and all cause mortality were observed in enalapril and folic acid group. (P=0.448). KM curves and tertile analysis of vitamin B12 level also showed same finding. Sensitivity analysis were processed to ensure the accuracy of the study result. Conclusion The present study not only explored that higher vitamin B12 level will increase all cause mortality in hypertensive population, but also found that high vitamin B12 level loses its co-relationship with all cause mortality after folic acid therapy, which potentially reflected the benefits of long-term, low-dose folic acid supplementation. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: Public Institution(s). Main funding source(s): Key R&D Projects, Jiangxi National Key Research and Development Program Smoothing curveKM curve

心房颤动（房颤）的发病率在全球范围内仍在不断上升，并对心血管疾病发病率和病死率产生显著的不利影响。体育锻炼对降低心血管疾病患病率、发病率和病死率的获益是不可否认的。然而，体力活动与房颤的发病之间存在复杂的相关性。房颤患者体力活动、心肺适能和心血管结局研究（HUNT研究）为较高体力活动和心肺适能对房颤患者预后的潜在获益提供了新的证据。未来有必要开展进一步的随机对照研究，评估不同强度体力活动对不同类型房颤患者长期预后的影响。.

ObjectiveSeptic arthritis is commonly caused by Staphylococcus aureus and is a medical emergency requiring antibiotics and joint irrigation. The bacteria produce α-toxin causing rapid cartilage cell ( chondrocyte) death. Saline (0.9%NaCl) lavage is normally used to remove bacteria and toxins, however, its composition might be suboptimal to suppress the lethal effects of α-toxin. We utilized rabbit erythrocyte hemolysis as a sensitive, biologically relevant assay of α-toxin levels to determine if changes to osmolarity, temperature, pH, and divalent cation (Mg2+, Ca2+) concentration were protective.DesignErythrocytes were incubated in the various conditions and then exposed to α-toxin (“chronic” challenge) or incubated with α-toxin and then exposed to experimental conditions (“acute” challenge).ResultsRaising osmolarity from 300 mOsm (0.9%NaCl) to 400, 600, or 900 mOsm (sucrose addition) when applied chronically, significantly reduced hemolysis linearly. As an acute challenge, osmotic protection was significant and similar over 400 to 900 mOsm. Reducing temperature chronically from 37°C to 25°C and 4°C significantly reduced hemolysis, however, when applied as an acute challenge although significant, was less marked. Divalent cations (Mg2+, Ca2+at 5mM) reduced hemolysis. Varying pH (6.5, 7.2, 8.0) applied chronically marginally reduced hemolysis. The optimized saline (0.9% NaCl; 900 mOsm with sucrose, 5 mM MgCl2(37°C)) rapidly and significantly reduced hemolysis compared with saline and Hank’s buffered saline solution applied either chronically or acutely.ConclusionsThese results on the effect of S. aureus α-toxin on erythrocytes showed that optimizing saline could markedly reduce the potency of S. aureus α-toxin. Such modifications to saline could be of benefit during joint irrigation for septic arthritis.

Study Objectives: Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a common and serious endocrine emergency. Common triggers for diabetic ketoacidosis include infection, cardiovascular events, drug use, medication non-adherence, and new onset diabetes. Early evidence suggests a correlation between COVID-19 infection and DKA. Based on the limited data, it is unclear at this time if increases in DKA are triggered by acute COVID-19 infection, or secondary factors from the pandemic such as lack of access to care or acute stress. In this study, we examine trends in DKA prevalence among patients at an underserved urban public ED within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This is a retrospective study using administrative report data of all ED encounters. Cases of DKA, found using top 5 ICD10 ED diagnoses, were identified from 2019 and 2020. COVID-19 infection was pulled from laboratory data and merged to create one data set. Poisson regression was utilized to compare incidence rates of DKA (1) between 2019 and 2020 and (2) among COVID positive and COVID negative patients with DKA for the year of 2020. Yearly trends were examined month by month. Results: There were 180,158 patient visits in 2019 and 138,012 in 2020. Compared to 2019, incidence rates of DKA increased by 23% in 2020 (95% CI 4% to 42%, p=0.017). Among all those tested for COVID in 2020 (n=25,867), patients with positive COVID-19 tests trended to higher DKA rate (37% higher (95% CI -6% to 81% increase, p=0.098) than patients with negative COVID-19 tests. The increase was most prominent from April 2020 onward, with the largest increase in December 2020, correlating with the COVID surge at our hospital. (Figure 1). In December 2019, 20 out of 14,324 visits (0.14%) were coded as DKA, while in December 2020, 37 out of 10,942 visits (0.34%) were coded DKA. In December 2020, 11 DKA cases were COVID-19 positive and 26 were COVID-19 negative. When excluding the 11 cases of DKA with positive COVID-19 tests, the rate of DKA in 12/2020 would be 0.24%. Conclusions: We found the incidence rate ratio of DKA in 2020 increased compared to 2019, with an almost doubling of DKA rates in the month of December, the peak months of our pandemic surge. Our findings suggest a correlation between COVID-19 positivity and DKA, but is limited by small numbers at a single site. There is also limited data to suggest secondary factors may also play a role in increased rates. When removing COVID positive DKA cases in December 2020, the prevalence that month continued to 0.10% higher than in December 2019. While small numbers prevent firm conclusions, itis possible factors outside of COVID infection are attributing to higher rates. Various studies have shown reduced access to care for conditions managed in ambulatory settings during the COVID pandemic. Given this, decreased access to care for medication refill and titration may also be contributing to the rise in DKA rates. As more data becomes available, further research is required to establish the role of access to care versus inflammation from COVID-19 infection in triggering DKA. [Formula presented]

The stability problem of conducting fluid flow in a square duct with perfectly conducting walls is investigated. A homogeneous and constant static magnetic field is applied along the vertical direction of the flow. Nonmodal linear stability analysis is performed on this problem for the first time and the effect of the imposed magnetic field is also taken into account. The amplification and distribution of primary optimal perturbations are obtained by solving iteratively the direct and adjoint governing equations with respect of perturbations. Four modes of perturbations with different symmetries in the space are investigated. Computational results show that, the MHD duct flow is stable at either small or large Hartmann number, but unstable at moderate one. The primary optimal perturbations are in the form of streamwise vortices, which are located inside the thin sidewall layers parallel to the magnetic field. The size of the vortices is decreased with the growing of Hartmann number Ha, meanwhile the amplification of the perturbations is reduced due to the magnetic damping effect. The Hartmann layer perpendicular to the magnetic field seems to be irrelevant to the stability of the MHD duct flow. The most unstable perturbation is in the form of Mode I, which having co-rotating vortices at opposite sidewalls and the vortices tend to enhance each other.

Sheep production systems in northwest China depend mostly on natural grasslands. Seasonal growth and maturity fluctuations can cause periodical restrictions in food quality and quantity. These fluctuations, in turn, result in variability in fat deposition and fatty acid profiles in different fat depots. Consequently, the study objective was to compare fat deposition, intramuscular fat (IMF) percentage and fatty acid profiles of the longissimus dorsi (LD), kidney fat (KF), tail fat (TF), and subcutaneous fat (SF) in lambs under ME restrictions similar to seasonal changes observed in the natural grasslands of northwest China. Nineteen male Dorper × Small Tailed Han lambs were assigned to 2 treatments, a control (CON) fed at 1.0 MJ / W × d and restricted (RES) by restricting ME sequentially every 30 d (0.56 MJ / W × d, 0.84 / W × d, 1.0 MJ / W × d, 0.84 MJ / W × d, 0.56 MJ / W × d, 0.28 MJ / W × d). All lambs were harvested at the end of the 180 d experimental period. Compared to CON fed lambs, restricting ME resulted in lesser IMF, fat deposition indexes ( < 0.05) except testicular and heart fat and greater ( < 0.05) SFA in LD, KF, and TF depots. The RES fed lambs had greater ( < 0.05) -3 PUFA, eicosatrienoic acid (C20:3n3), eicosapentaenoic acid (C20:5n3, EPA), and trans-linolelaidic acid (C18:2n6t) in LD muscle. The conjugated linoleic acids (CLA) content was greater in the SF depots of the CON fed lambs compared to the RES fed lambs. Fatty acid ratios (unsaturated fatty acid; USFA:SFA, MUFA:SFA, PUFA:SFA), and percentage USFA in RES fed lambs were lesser in muscle and adipose tissue compared to CON fed lambs ( < 0.05), except SF depots. In RES fed lambs, EFA were less ( < 0.05) in LD and KF depots and the ratios of functional fatty acids were lesser in LD and some adipose tissues ( < 0.05), including lesser n-6:n-3 in KF and SF ( < 0.05) depots, lesser USFA, SFA, MUFA, SFA in LD, KF, and TF ( < 0.05) depots, and lesser PUFA and SFA in LD and TF ( < 0.05) depots. Results from this research demonstrate that sequential energy restriction, as might be experience during seasonal forage quality and quantity changes in natural grasslands, result in lesser intramuscular fat with associated lesser quality, as well as, changes in fatty acid composition in different fat depots, which has implications for both meat quality and animal physiological functions.

Parvalbumins (PVALBs) are particularly abundant in the fast-contracting muscles and correlate positively with muscle relaxation speed in amphibians and fishes. MiRNAs play important roles in diverse biologic processes via binding to the 3’ untranslated region (3’UTR) of the target mRNAs. In the study, four PVALB isoforms, named as PVALB1, 2, 3, and 4, were identified in the mandarin fish ( Siniperca chuatsi ) fast muscle and PVALB4 exhibited the highest expression level among them. By bioinformatics analysis, a putative miR-181a binding site in PVALB4 was detected and the direct interaction between miR-181a and PVALB4 was confirmed with the luciferase reporter assay. Further, when miR-181a was inhibited, it substantially increased PVALB4 mRNA expression level and the muscle relaxation rate in vivo . Taken together, the obtained results suggest that miRNA-181a/PVALB4 is an evolutionarily conserved miRNAtarget pair and their interaction is correlated with muscle relaxation rate in the mandarin fish. Therefore, the study revealed a novel molecular mechanism in the regulation of skeletal muscle relaxation in fish.

We investigated the effects of ventilator mask atomization inhalation of ipratropium bromide and budesonide suspension liquid in the treatment of acute exacerbation COPD (AECOPD) on circulating levels of inflammatory factors and prognosis.A total of 86 cases of patients on ventilator support were randomly divided into control group and observation group with 43 cases each. The control group was administered routine treatment including basic disease treatment, anti-infection, maintenance of a stable internal environment, nutritional support, oxygen inhalation and so on. The control group was administered saline through a ventilator mask. The observation group was treated with atomized inhalation of ipratropium bromide and budesonide suspension and oxygen flow 3-5 L/min, 15-20 min/time and twice a day for 1 week. The treatment effects were compared.Serum TNF-α, IL-6, and CRP levels were decreased in both groups after treatment, but levels in the observation group were significantly lower than those of the control group; differences were statistically significant (p0.05). Forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume (FEV1), FEV1/FVC and maximal expiratory flow rate in the observation group were significantly higher than those in the control group after treatment (p0.05). After treatment, the PaO2, SpO2 and respiratory failure index (RFI) of the observation group were significantly higher than those of the control group. The PaCO2 levels of the observation group were lower than those of the control group. The differences were statistically significant (p0.05). The clinical efficacy of the observation group was better than that of the control group; the ventilation time and total treatment time was significantly shorter and the differences were statistically significant (p0.05).The ventilator mask atomizing inhalation of ipratropium bromide and budesonide suspension liquid in the treatment of AECOPD can significantly improve circulating inflammatory reaction, improve lung function and blood gas levels, increase the treatment efficiency, and shorten the treatment time.

Sirolimus (rapamycin) is an immunosuppressive agent commonly used in transplant recipients. Although sirolimus has less renal toxicity than calcineurin inhibitors, its use has been limited by its side effects. The most common cutaneous pathologies associated with sirolimus are inflammatory acneiform eruptions, lymphedema and aphthous ulcers. We present a novel cutaneous manifestation of sirolimus therapy that limited its use in at least one transplant recipient. Upon commencing sirolimus therapy, four solid organ transplant recipients developed tender, nonpruritic palmoplantar peeling within the first month of therapy. The peeling clinically resembled a mild form of hand-foot syndrome, yet none of the patients had been treated with chemotherapeutics. Desquamation presented on the palms and soles with dry vesicles and minor peeling extending to the dorsal aspects of the hands and feet. Histologically, the lesions were noninflammatory; the epidermis showed subtle separation between keratinocytes, suggesting either spongiosis or a defect in intercellular adhesion. One patient opted to discontinue treatment because of the tenderness associated with the palmoplantar peeling, which resulted in complete resolution within 2 weeks.

To investigate the real-time tissue elastography and 3D contrast-enhanced ultrasonography(CEUS) in breast lumps differential diagnostic value.A total of 126 patients (180 lumps) with breast mass were retrospectively analyzed from December 2012 to December 2014 in Tumor Hospital Affiliated To Xinjiang Medical University.All patients were divided into three groups by using stratified random method.Each group was detected by real-time tissue elastography, 3D CEUS and two joint inspection.Each group of 42 cases (60 lumps) was confirmed by the pathological results as gold standard.Diagnostic sensitivity, specificity and coincidence rate of different methods were compared.The benign masses of ultrasound contrast showed the punctate, linear and nodular enhancement, and the border of enhancement was smooth.The malignant tumors were mainly dominated by uneven and high enhancement. There was no statistical difference in sensitivity, specificity and coincidence rate between elastography group and 3D CEUS group (64.7% vs 73.5%, 69.2% vs 76.9%, 66.7% vs 75.0%, all P0.05). The sensitivity, specificity and coincidence rate of two joint inspection group were higher than those of elastography group and 3D CEUS group, the differences were statistically significant (97.1%, 92.3% and 98.3% , all P0.05).3D CEUS combined with real-time tissue elastography is of high value in the diagnosis of breast masses.

We wished to identify a CNS-sparing histamine H3 receptor antagonist for the treatment of allergic rhinitis. We aimed for compounds with low permeability, high solubility, that were substrates for the BBB efflux transporters MDR-1 and BCRP. The key lead PF-0868087 demonstrated over a 10-fold CNS-sparing profile in 2 preclinical species.

The formation of microspheres from various pectin hydrogel complexes and corn zein in the presence of calcium and zinc ions has been studied. It is shown that the formation of microspheres and their loading capacity for a drug (piroxicam) depend on the type of biopolymers, their ratio, the sizes of the bivalent ions, and the molecular mass of the pectin. Complex formation between the two biopolymers results predominantly from bivalent metal cross-linking for low-methylated pectins and from hydrophobic interaction for high-methylated pectins. As a result, a series of microspheres have been prepared from biodegradable and biocompatible polymers and may find application as controlled-release drug delivery systems.

The paper discussed the genetic relationship between superior individual late-maturity Yurongwanli and other cultivars. To do so POD isoenzyme and RAPD technology were used to analyze litchi germplasm resources of Fuqing city. There were 4 bands produced by POD isoenzyme electrophoresis. According to the differences of these bands, Shishengshu1, Shishengshu2, Xiafanzhi and Dongliuyihao were put in the frist category, while Shangfanzhi and Yuanhong were placed in the second category. RAPD-PCR analysis showed that seven primers produce a total of 59 bands, with 8.43 fragments per prime. Among these 59 bands 40 were polymorphic, with a 67% polymorphism rate. The DPS2000 software was used to analyze the RAPD genotype date matrix. The result showed that the 7 cultivars can be divided into two categories when the genetic distance D value is 0.70 and four categories when the D value is 0.60. These two results indicated that Yurongwanli has the closest genetic relationship with Hongxiuqiu.

The aim of this work was to study the influence of the hydrolysis-extraction process parameters on the structural characteristics of pectic polysaccharides (PP) from pumpkin. After hydrolysis by rapid steam assisted flash extraction (SAFE) the solubilized PP was separated from the cell wall residue (CWR) and the supernatant was further separated into three fractions. On standing, pectin gel (PG) precipitated and was separated. On addition of alcohol to the supernatant, a second pectin substance (PS) precipitated. Alcohol soluble oligosaccharides (OS) remained in the supernatant. The structure of pumpkin PP (PS, PG and MG fractions) was investigated using 1H,13C and gHSQC NMR; ATR FT-IR spectra; and HPSEC. From 1H, 13C and 2D gHSQC data we observed the major components present were homogalacturonans (HG) and the minority were rhamnogalacturonans (RG). Analysing NMR data from the literature one might expect the presence of α-D-Galp-(1→3)-β-L-Arap-(1→4)-β-D-Galp attached to the HG or RG chain (minor resonance of terminal →4)-α-L-Rha). Further work is required to determine the primary and secondary structure of pumpkin fruit pectin. The molecular structure of pectin components from this source appear to be affected not only by the extraction mode, but also depend on the degree of esterification (DE) and the ability of the components to undergo intermolecular aggregation. The molar mass distribution (MMD) of PS fractions indicate the presence of two species. One has a high and the other a low molar mass. Furthermore, these species have narrow distribution profiles. Conformation plot analyses of sub-fractions showed that PS is a mixture of extended and spherical shaped molecules. Our results suggest that pumpkin pectin is comprised of three macromolecular patterns differing by DE. Changes in DE and the presence of divalent cations appear to lead to various kinds of aggregation. The yield of PP is about 15-16 %, which includes soluble PS, an alcohol insoluble fraction a part of which is pectin gel and OS. The soluble pectin has use as a food thickener and emulsifier. Pectin gel as a composite with OS fractions could be a functional food additive.

The impulse heat-sealing properties of wheat gluten films were investigated. Films containing 30 wt% glycerol were compression molded at 100-130 degrees C and then sealed in a lap-shear or peel-tes ...

This study is to investigate the relationships between prevalent cardiovascular events (myocardial infarction, stroke and peripheral arterial disease) and carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) in middle-aged and older adults; to assess which of the indexes, IMT in the common carotid artery (CCA), internal carotid artery (ICA) and carotid bifurcation (CB) separately or in combination, is a better correlate. IMT of the CCA, ICA and CB were measured with duplex ultrasound in 1058 individuals (aged between 37 and 86 years old) in a suburban community of Beijing. Histories of cardiovascular events as well as prevalent risk factors were obtained. CIMT were compared between groups with and without cardiovascular events. Associations of cardiovascular events with IMT measurements in CCA, CB and ICA were ascertained. The group with cardiovascular events had higher mean CIMT (0.74 (0.60-0.98) mm vs 0.65 (0.54-0.80) mm, P=0.000) and higher abnormal CIMT proportion (77.20 vs 64.45%, P=0.000). The odds ratio (OR) for myocardial infarction was 1.74 (P=0.010), for stroke 1.98 (P=0.001) and for peripheral arterial disease 1.80 (P=0.072) in abnormal CIMT. However, after adjustment of traditional risk factors, the correlations disappeared, implying that CIMT may act via other risk factors. After adjustment of age, mean CIMT correlated best with total cardiovascular events (OR: 4.39 (2.39-8.04), P=0.000) and stroke (OR: 4.98 (2.55-9.71), P=0.000) separately; mean posterior CIMT correlated with myocardial infarction best (OR: 2.97 (1.68-5.24), P=0.000). CIMT may act as an intermediate point for cardiovascular diseases. Combined CIMT might be the best index associated with cardiovascular diseases.

Kidney transplantation (KTx) recipients are at a higher risk of oncogenesis when compared to the general population. Sirolimus (SRL), a potent immunosuppressant, has shown promising antineoplastic effects in vitro and in vivo. This study retrospectively analyzed the neoplasm occurrence and the efficiency of SRL on unresectable malignancies in South Chinese KTx recipients. Thirty-three (1.64%) of 2017 patients who received KTx from January 1984 to December 2004 developed neoplasms at 4 to 117 months posttransplant, mostly in digestive organs (33.3%), the hematologic system (15.2%), or the skin (12.1%). The most common type was liver cancer (24.2%), followed by skin cancer, lymphoma, and thyroid cancer (9.1%). The median survival times were 41.5 and 6.0 months for those who did (n = 10) receive radical surgery or did not (n = 23), respectively. The 20-month survival rates were 70.0% versus 13.0% (P

Optimizing endothelial cell growth and adhesion on the surface of metallic stents implanted in the vascular system is a fundamental issue in understanding and improving their long-term biocompatibility. The ability of the endothelial cell to attach and adhere to the luminal stent surface as well as the capacity to withstand the significant shear stress associated with blood flow are important determinants. The adhesive characteristics of human umbilical vein endothelial cellsectin (HUVEC) on stent surfaces coated with either Poly-L-Lysine (PLL) or fibron (FN) were compared with uncoated controls. Increasing concentrations of PLL and FN were measured using a micropipette aspiration system. The adhesivenamic properties of HUVECs under static flow conditions were compared to a dy environment on endovascular stents using a parallel-plate-flow chamber. A scanning electron microscope picture was used to measure the number and the adhesive cell ratio as well as the percentage of surface coverage of stent by endothelial cells. The adhesive forces of HUVECs on foreign surfaces coated with PLL and FN were higher compared to uncoated surfaces, and were dependent on incr ing concentrations. These coatings resulted in significant increase of the adhesive force of HUVECs. The influence of substrates on the adhesion of the endothelial cell monolayer under static or dynamic flow conditions was highly significant compared with controls (p

Piroxicam ex vivo release kinetics from zein/pectin drug delivery systems were studied using rat cecum. The piroxicam release kinetic parameters were calculated using a first-order equation and the Peppas equation. The results indicated that diffusion of the therapeutic agent was the rate-limiting step in piroxicam release from the hydrogel microspheres. The created therapeutic drug forms based on biodegradable polymers were an alternative to the peroral administration of most drugs with limited bioavailability.

To establish through analysis of the radial pressure pulse waveform the dose dependent effects of glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) on properties of different blood vessels.Radial pulse waveform was measured in randomised order before, during a five hour application of a GTN patch delivering 0.104-0.625 mg/h, and for two hours after patch removal. The radial pressure waveform (Millar applanation tonometer) was convolved into an ascending aortic wave using a generalised transfer function (SphygmoCor process) enabling measurement of aortic systolic, diastolic, pulse, mean, and augmented pressure and left ventricular ejection duration in addition to standard brachial cuff pressures.Fu Wai and Ren Ming hospitals in Beijing, China.46 recumbent hospitalised patients aged 56 (9) years, awaiting electrophysiological or other diagnostic studies, fasting, and with other treatments suspended.Conventional brachial pressure measures and data from the synthesised aortic pulse.There was no consistent change in heart rate or brachial pressures except for a decrease in systolic and pulse pressures (p0.01) at dose0.416 mg/h. In contrast, there were substantial and significant (p0.0001) decreases in aortic systolic, pulse, and augmented pressures at all doses, mean pressure (p0.001) at doses0.416 mg/h, and ejection duration (p0.001) at doses0.208 mg/h.Pulse waveform analysis exposes dose dependent effects of GTN on the aortic waveform, suggesting muscular conduit arterial dilatation with reduced wave reflection at the lowest dose, arteriolar dilatation and decreased peripheral resistance at the highest dose, and venous dilatation at the intermediate dose.

Growth and differentiation factor-5 (GDF-5) is a divergent member of the transforming growth factor-β/bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) superfamily that is required for proper skeletal patterning and development in the vertebrate limb. Based on the homology of GDF-5 with other bone-inducing BMP family members, the inductive activity of a recombinant form of human GDF-5 (rhGDF-5) was evaluated in a series of in vitro assays and in vivo bone-formation models. The in vitro response to rhGDF-5 resulted in the formation of chondrogenic nodules in fetal rat calvarial cells cultured in the context of collagen or collagen/hyaluronate extracellular matrices. Matrices loaded with rhGDF-5 induced ectopic cartilaginous and osseous tissue when implanted in subcutaneous or intramuscular sites. In non-human primate long-bone-defect and spinal-fusion models, rhGDF-5 combined with a mineralized collagen matrix induced bone formation in a manner equivalent to autogenous bone. These results highlight the unique potential of rhGDF-5 in a wide variety of orthopaedic applications.

We analyse the multifractal structure of moments Gq in terms of a new variable X on data of 197Au, 32S and 16O induced interactions with emulsion nuclei and Monte Carlo generated samples. The dynamical properties of the produced particles are mapped onto multifractal spectra. We compare ln G in experimental data of 197Au, 32S and 16O with pure statistical fluctuations. It is shown that the stochasticity plays an important role for the G-moments.

The complete charge distribution of products from Au nuclei fragmenting in nuclear emulsion at 10.7A GeV has been measured. Multiplicities of produced particles and particles associated with the target source are used to select peripheral and central events. A statistical analysis, based on event-by-event charge distributions, show that a population of subcritical, critical and supercritical events, i.e. a phase transition like behaviour, is observed among peripheral collisions.

The anomalous behavior of 2-dimensional factorial moment in nucleus-nucleus collisions is studied in some detail using both mini-bias and central collision data of ^{16}O-, ^{32}S- and ^{197}Au-Em interactions from EMU01 experiment. The correct value for the effective Hurst exponent in the analysis of higher-dimensional factorial moment is found to be greater than unity, showing clearly the existence of superposition effect in nucleus-nucleus collisions. The anomalous behavior of 2-dimensional factorial moment in nucleus-nucleus collisions is studied in some detail using both mini-bias and central collision data of ~{16}O-, ~{32}S- and ~{197}Au-Em interactions from EMU01 experiment. The correct value for the effective Hurst exponent in the analysis of higher-dimensional factorial moment is found to be greater than unity, showing clearly the existence of superposition effect in nucleus-nucleus collisions. The anomalous behavior of 2-dimensional factorial moment in nucleus-nucleus collisions is studied in some detail using both mini-bias and central collision data of ~{16}O-, ~{32}S- and ~{197}Au-Em interactions from EMU01 experiment. The correct value for the effective Hurst exponent in the analysis of higher-dimensional factorial moment is found to be greater than unity, showing clearly the existence of superposition effect in nucleus-nucleus collisions. The anomalous behavior of 2-dimensional factorial moment in nucleus-nucleus collisions is studied in some detail using both mini-bias and central collision data of ~{16}O-, ~{32}S- and ~{197}Au-Em interactions from EMU01 experiment. The correct value for the effective Hurst exponent in the analysis of higher-dimensional factorial moment is found to be greater than unity, showing clearly the existence of superposition effect in nucleus-nucleus collisions. The anomalous behavior of 2-dimensional factorial moment in nucleus-nucleus collisions is studied in some detail using both mini-bias and central collision data of ~{16}O-, ~{32}S- and ~{197}Au-Em interactions from EMU01 experiment. The correct value for the effective Hurst exponent in the analysis of higher-dimensional factorial moment is found to be greater than unity, showing clearly the existence of superposition effect in nucleus-nucleus collisions. The anomalous behavior of 2-dimensional factorial moment in nucleus-nucleus collisions is studied in some detail using both mini-bias and central collision data of ~{16}O-, ~{32}S- and ~{197}Au-Em interactions from EMU01 experiment. The correct value for the effective Hurst exponent in the analysis of higher-dimensional factorial moment is found to be greater than unity, showing clearly the existence of superposition effect in nucleus-nucleus collisions. The anomalous behavior of 2-dimensional factorial moment in nucleus-nucleus collisions is studied in some detail using both mini-bias and central collision data of ~{16}O-, ~{32}S- and ~{197}Au-Em interactions from EMU01 experiment. The correct value for the effective Hurst exponent in the analysis of higher-dimensional factorial moment is found to be greater than unity, showing clearly the existence of superposition effect in nucleus-nucleus collisions. The anomalous behavior of 2-dimensional factorial moment in nucleus-nucleus collisions is studied in some detail using both mini-bias and central collision data of ~{16}O-, ~{32}S- and ~{197}Au-Em interactions from EMU01 experiment. The correct value for the effective Hurst exponent in the analysis of higher-dimensional factorial moment is found to be greater than unity, showing clearly the existence of superposition effect in nucleus-nucleus collisions. The anomalous behavior of 2-dimensional factorial moment in nucleus-nucleus collisions is studied in some detail using both mini-bias and central collision data of ~{16}O-, ~{32}S- and ~{197}Au-Em interactions from EMU01 experiment. The correct value for the effective Hurst exponent in the analysis of higher-dimensional factorial moment is found to be greater than unity, showing clearly the existence of superposition effect in nucleus-nucleus collisions. The anomalous behavior of 2-dimensional factorial moment in nucleus-nucleus collisions is studied in some detail using both mini-bias and central collision data of ^{16}O-, ^{32}S- and ^{197}Au-Em interactions from EMU01 experiment. The correct value for the effective Hurst exponent in the analysis of higher-dimensional factorial moment is found to be greater than unity, showing clearly the existence of superposition effect in nucleus-nucleus collisions.

Recent results from the EMU-01/12 collaboration are presented for 10.7 GeV/nucleon gold nuclei interactions in emulsion. The distributions of "bound" charge ( Zbound ,Z b3), multiplicity distributions, fragment correlations and fluctua- tions are discussed. The data are compared to similar results obtained on the ALADIN setup at 600 MeV/nucleon. It is shown that multifragmentation of gold nuclei at high and in- termediate energies has common features. It is also obtained that the IMFs have reduced multiplicity at high energies. The data are analyzed within the scope of the statistical model of multifragmentation. This model requires the fol- lowing predetermined model ingredients: mass, charge and excitation energy of nuclear residuals. The simple estimation method of these characteristics is proposed in the framework of the Glauber approach. It is shown that the multifragmentation model reproduces qualitatively the present data. A dramatic discrepancy between the predicted and experimental yield of two charged fragments is found. The evolution of transverse momentum of fragments as a function of Zbound is presented. It is shown that the model greatly underpredicts the transverse momentum of fragments. It is interpreted as evidence of a strong radial flow of spectator fragments.

Results on charged particle multiplicities, densities and fluctuations from central Pb+Pb interactions at 158 A GeV are presented and discussed.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) participate in the regulation of myogenesis and muscle physiological function. Most skeletal muscles in vertebrates contain a mixture of fibertypes. So far, the regulatory mechanism of the miRNA in terms of controlling muscle phenotype is poorly understood. In the present study, we use Siniperca chuatsi as a model system and demonstrate that miRNAs are involved in regulating the physiological processes and metabolism of different muscle fibers in vertebrates. The miRNA transcriptomes of the white muscle, red muscle, and five other tissues from Siniperca chuatsi were profiled using Solexa deep sequencing. We characterized 186 conserved miRNAs and 3 novel miRNAs from the two small RNA libraries of white and red muscles. Among the 155 miRNAs overlapped between the two libraries, we identified 60 significantly expressed miRNAs between the two types of muscle fibers. Using integrative miRNA target-prediction and network-analysis approaches, an interaction network of differentially expressed and muscle-related miRNAs and their putative targets were constructed. Sch-miR-181a-5p that could act to control the performance of the different muscle fiber types by targeting the myostatin gene was identified.

The effective potential of the scalar ϕ4 theory up to two loops is calculated. The subtraction scheme of regularization at finite temperature in real-time formalism is discussed.

The mechanism for producing slow, target associated particles in high energy heavy ion collisions is investigated. It is shown that the same mechanism which was proposed for hadron induced interactions is likely to appear also for heavy-ion reactions. The results indicate however a much weaker correlation between impact parameter and yield of slow particles.

The fragmentation topology of28Si at 3.7A GeV and 14.6A GeV and32S at 200A GeV in reactions with emulsion nuclei is presented. The fragmentation cross sections are very similar at all three energies. A statistical percolation model can qualitatively describe the data forZ≥ 6. The He production is underestimated and the 3 ≤Z ≤ 5 fragments overestimated by this model.

In this talk we will present some of the recent results from the experiments E863 and EMU12 using the BNL AGS Au-beam at 11.6 A GeV/c and the CERN SPS Pb-beam at 158 A GeV, respectively. Aspects on the particle production and on the target break-up will be discussed. The results are compared with model expectations. The lead data is here shown for the first time.

Charged particle pseudorapidity density distributions in Au induced reactions in nuclear emulsion at 10.7 A GeV have been measured. In peripheral events the shower particle distribution exhibits a two peak structure while in central collisions it has a Gaussian shape. The spectator protons appear in the second peak in the pseudorapidity spectra and exhibits a broader momentum distribution than expected from Fermi motion. The produced particle yield in central collisions is not substantially different from phenomenological descriptions based on data from O and S induced reactions.

In this study, we will establish our new passive microwave soil moisture index (MSMI) based on data from the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR-E) on the Aqua satellite. The theoretical basis of MSMI is the brightness temperature (TB) difference between the ascending across and descending across. To demonstrate the potential of the new microwave soil moisture index, we compared MSMI with the soil moisture (SM) product of NASA. The major purpose of this paper is to describe the concept and techniques involved in the newly developed MSMI and explore the general relationships between MSMI and soil moisture. In this first investigation, the information content of soil moisture and MSMI, was compared by examining its response in variations in the space-time domain. The results indicate that the MSMI can provide significant new information since the microwave measurements are sensitive to the soil moisture change between daytime and night. When soil moisture is higher, the MSMI is lower, when soil moisture content is lower, the MSMI is higher. MSMI will provide a new way in droughts monitoring and flood monitoring.

Human tumor-specific CD4(+) cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) were generated against duodenum papilloma cell line TGBC18TKB from HLA type-matched peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Concanavalin A (Con A) immobilized on carrier beads stimulated growth of the CTL in a long-term culture without repeated antigen stimulation, while soluble Con A induced death of the CTL. The CTL exhibited the target-specific cytotoxicity in a more potent manner than those before the long-term culture in the presence of the immobilized Con A. Enhanced expression of the adhesion molecule, CD11b, was observed on the CTL. These results suggest that immobilized Con A will be useful for continuous growth stimulation and large scale expansion of CTL without tumor antigen.

Angular distributions of projectile-associated He fragments from Au induced reactions in nuclear emulsions at 10.7 A GeV have been measured with a precision of ±0.1 mrad. Two emission components are indubitably appearing, one representing fragmentation of a fermionic system while the other one exhibits large transverse momentum transfer. Possible explanations for the latter component are discussed.

In vitro and in vivo experimental results suggest the feasibility of ultrasound as a possible approach to externally affect the release rates and therefore the depletion time of implantable contraceptive delivery systems. For example poly(lactide-coglycolide) microspheres loaded with norethisterone exposed for 2 h to ultrasound at 3 W/cm 2 (1 MHz, 20% duty cycle) for 6 consecutive days resulted in depletion times four-fold shorter than microspheres which were not exposed to ultrasound. Scanning electron micrographs of microspheres exposed and not exposed to ultrasound revealed significant effects of ultrasound on the surface morphology of the degrading polymer.

The first rapidity density distributions from relativistic collisions between truly heavy nuclei are presented. The distributions are compared with expectations from a linear extrapolation of results obtained from collisions with lighter nuclei. Fluctuations are essentially described by a simple scenario with stochastic emission.

The amino acid γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is an important modulator of pain but its role in visceral pain syndromes is just beginning to be studied. Our aims were to investigate the effect and mechanism of action of the GABA(B) receptor agonist, baclofen, on gastric hypersensitivity in a validated rat model of functional dyspepsia (FD).10-day-old male rats received 0.2 mL of 0.1% iodoacetamide in 2% sucrose daily by oral gavages for 6 days. Control group received 2% sucrose. At 8-10 weeks rats treated with baclofen (0.3, 1, and 3 mg kg(-1) bw) or saline were tested for behavioral and electromyographic (EMG) visceromotor responses; gastric spinal afferent nerve activity to graded gastric distention and Fos protein expression in dorsal horn of spinal cord segments T8-T10 to noxious gastric distention.Baclofen administration was associated with a significant attenuation of the behavioral and EMG responses (at 1 and 3 mg kg(-1)) and expression of Fos in T8 and T9 segments in neonatal iodoacetamide sensitized rats. However, baclofen administration did not significantly affect splanchnic nerve activity to gastric distention. Baclofen (3 mg kg(-1)) also significantly reduced the expression of spinal Fos in response to gastric distention in control rats to a lesser extent than sensitized rats.Baclofen is effective in attenuating pain associated responses in an experimental model of FD and appears to act by central mechanisms. These results provide a basis for clinical trials of this drug in FD patients.