This paper investigates trends in intergenerational patterns of educational attainment of those born in China between 1941 and 1990. Employing the 2008 Rural-Urban Migration in China and Indonesia Survey, we find that...This paper investigates trends in intergenerational patterns of educational attainment of those born in China between 1941 and 1990. Employing the 2008 Rural-Urban Migration in China and Indonesia Survey, we find that intergenerational correlation is lower in rural and migrant than in urban populations. The higher mobility observed in rural and migrant populations stems from the fact that the majority of these children complete only junior high school with some children in the youngest cohorts moving down the education ladder relative to theirparents. In contrast, urban children seem to at least maintain their parents＂ education level The persistence of intergenerational transmission of education at high levels in urban areas combined with some mobility, upward or downward, in rural areas is likely to aggravate China ＂s rural-urban disparity. Policies should focus more on the underlying gaps in education opportunities and the improvement in education of the rural and migrant populations.展开更多
AIM: To assess the cost-effectiveness of two populationbased hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) screening programs, two-stage biomarker-ultrasound method and mass screening using abdominal ultrasonography(AUS).METHODS: In ...AIM: To assess the cost-effectiveness of two populationbased hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) screening programs, two-stage biomarker-ultrasound method and mass screening using abdominal ultrasonography(AUS).METHODS: In this study, we applied a Markov decision model with a societal perspective and a lifetime horizon for the general population-based cohorts in an area with high HCC incidence, such as Taiwan. The accuracy of biomarkers and ultrasonography was estimated from published meta-analyses. The costs of surveillance, diagnosis, and treatment were based on a combination of published literature, Medicare payments, and medical expenditure at the National Taiwan University Hospital. The main outcome measure was cost per lifeyear gained with a 3% annual discount rate. RESULTS: The results show that the mass screening using AUS was associated with an incremental costeffectiveness ratio of USD39825 per life-year gained, whereas two-stage screening was associated with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of USD49733 per life-year gained, as compared with no screening. Screening programs with an initial screening age of 50 years old and biennial screening interval were the most cost-effective. These findings were sensitive to the costs of screening tools and the specificity of biomarker screening.CONCLUSION: Mass screening using AUS is more cost effective than two-stage biomarker-ultrasound screening. The most optimal strategy is an initial screening age at 50 years old with a 2-year inter-screening interval.展开更多
Lack of dietary fiber contributes to many health issues, particularly chronic vascular diseases. Mixed linkage β-1.3 - 1.4 beta-glucan (beta-glucan, in this paper) is a confirmed beneficial ingredient for the human d...Lack of dietary fiber contributes to many health issues, particularly chronic vascular diseases. Mixed linkage β-1.3 - 1.4 beta-glucan (beta-glucan, in this paper) is a confirmed beneficial ingredient for the human diet through reduction of cholesterol and the glycemic index. Barley contains the highest beta-glucan content of all the grains, and in this study, a percentage of flour from two high beta glucan lines was, each, added to an array of wheat-based food products to measure how it impacted total dietary fiber. Results showed that beta-glucan content was higher in all the products containing the added high beta-glucan flour, along with increased total dietary fiber content. Protein content in the food products is also increased with the higher protein in the barley flours added. Beta-glucan content in the barley-added products increased to 1.2% - 4.0% versus 0.2% - 0.5% in the pure wheat products, while the dietary fibers increased to 3.5% - 24.4% versus 2.1% - 9.1% in pure wheat product controls. This research provided experimental evidence that using a high beta-glucan barley ingredient in food can increase dietary fiber to benefit health.展开更多
The connecting rod is one of the most important moving components in an internal combustion engine. The present work determined the possibility of using aluminium alloy 7075 material to design and manufacture a connec...The connecting rod is one of the most important moving components in an internal combustion engine. The present work determined the possibility of using aluminium alloy 7075 material to design and manufacture a connecting rod for weight optimisation without losing the strength of the connecting rod. It considered modal and thermal analyses to investigate the suitability of the material for connecting rod design. The parameters that were considered under the modal analysis were: total deformation, and natural frequency, while the thermal analysis looked at the temperature distribution, total heat flux and directional heat flux of the four connecting rods made with titanium alloy, grey cast iron, structural steel and aluminium 7075 alloy respectively. The connecting rod was modelled using Autodesk inventor2017 software using the calculated parameters. The steady-state thermal analysis was used to determine the induced heat flux and directional heat flux. The study found that Aluminium 7075 alloy deformed more than the remaining three other materials but has superior qualities in terms of vibrational natural frequency, total heat flux and lightweight compared to structural steel, grey cast iron and titanium alloy.展开更多
Improved capacity of genomics and biotechnology has greatly enhanced genetic studies in different areas. Genomic selection exploits the geno type-to-phe no type relationship at the whole-ge nome level and is being imp...Improved capacity of genomics and biotechnology has greatly enhanced genetic studies in different areas. Genomic selection exploits the geno type-to-phe no type relationship at the whole-ge nome level and is being implemented in many crops? Here we show that design-thinking and data-mining techniques can be leveraged to optimize genomic prediction of hybrid performance? We phenotyped a set of 276 maize hybrids generated by crossing founder inbreds of nested association mapping populations for flowering time, ear height, and grain yield? With 10 296 310 SNPs available from the parental inbreds, we explored the pat? terns of genomic relati on ships and phenotypic variation to establish training samples based on clustering, graphic n etwork analysis, and genetic mating scheme ? Our analysis showed that training set desig ns outperformed random sampling and earlier methods that either minimize the mean of prediction error variance or maximize the mean of generalized coefficient of determination. Additional analyses of 2556 wheat hybrids from an early-stage hybrid breeding system and 1439 rice hybrids from an established hybrid breeding system validated the approaches. Together, we dem on strated that effective genomic predicti on models can be established with a training set 2%-13% of the size of the whole set, enabling an efficient exploration of enormous inf ere nee space of gen etic combi nations.展开更多
The hedgehog （Hh） signaling pathway plays an essential role in the embryonic development and homeostasis of diverse adult tissues, and its deregulation has been implicated in the tumorigenesis and metastasis of vari...The hedgehog （Hh） signaling pathway plays an essential role in the embryonic development and homeostasis of diverse adult tissues, and its deregulation has been implicated in the tumorigenesis and metastasis of various malignancies including breast cancer. Aberrant activation of the Hh pathway includes the following mechanisms： （I） Hh ligand-independent mechanism - Loss of function mutations in the Hh receptor Patched 1 （PTCH1） or gain of function mutations in the Smoothened （SMO） lead to constitutive activation of this pathway; （II） Autocrine signaling- Ith ligand produced by tumor cells stimulates the Hh signaling in tumor cells; （III） Paracrine signaling - tumor cell produced-Hh ligand activates stromal and endothelial cells that produce growth factors in microenvironment for supporting tumor growth and survival; and （IV） Reverse paracrine signaling - Hh ligand produced by stromal cells support tumor growth and survival. Upon the pathway activation, the Gli transcription factors, effectors of the Hh signaling, activate or inhibit transcription by binding to their responsive genes and interacting with the transcriptional complex. The Gli transcription factor family includes Glil, Gli2, and Gli3 （1）. Glil is a transcriptional activator whose expression has been recognized as an activation state of the Hh signaling pathway, Gli2 is either an activator or repressor, and Gli3 is a strong repressor of transcriptional activities. To date, a ligand-dependent autocrine model of activating the Hh signaling has been described in breast cancer, and both an autocrine and paracrine mechanisms in colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer and prostate cancer （2,3）. Notably, a ligand-independent mechanism （mutationsin PTCHI and SMO） of the signaling has been well demonstrated in basal cell carcinoma and medulloblastoma （4,5）.展开更多
Background Much is known about the cytogenetic lesions that characterize multiple myeloma （MM） patients from the USA, Europe, and East Asia. However, little has been published about the disease among Southeast Asian...Background Much is known about the cytogenetic lesions that characterize multiple myeloma （MM） patients from the USA, Europe, and East Asia. However, little has been published about the disease among Southeast Asians. The aim of this study was to determine the chromosomal abnormalities of MM patients in our Singapore population. Methods Forty-five newly-diagnosed, morphologically confirmed patients comprising 18 males and 27 females, aged 46-84 years （median 65 years） were investigated by karyotyping and fluorescence in situ hybridization （FISH）. FISH employing standard panel probes and lp36/lq21 and 6q21/15q22 probes was performed on diagnostic bone marrow samples. Results Thirty-four cases （75.6%） had karyotypic abnormalities. Including FISH, a total detection rate of 91.1% was at- tained. Numerical and complex structural aberrations were common to both hyperdiploid and non-hyperdiploid patients. Numerical gains of several recurring chromosomes were frequent among hyperdiploid patients while structural rear- rangements of several chromosomes including 8q24.1 and 14q32 characterized non-hyperdiploid patients. With FISH, immunoglobulin heavy chain （IGH） gene rearrangements, especially fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 （FGFR3）/IGH and RB1 deletion/monosomy 13 were the most common abnormalities （43.4%）. Amplification lq21 was 10 times more frequent （42.5%） than del（1p36） and del（6q21）. Conclusions We have successfully reported the comprehensive cytogenetic profiling of a cohort of newly-diagnosed myeloma patients in our population. This study indicates that the genetic and cytogenetic abnormalities, and their frequencies, in our study group are generally similar to other populations.展开更多
The goal of this project was to design, build, and test a pilot-scale floating modular treatment system for total phosphorus （TP） removal from nutrient-impaired lakes in central Florida, USA. The treatment sys-tem c...The goal of this project was to design, build, and test a pilot-scale floating modular treatment system for total phosphorus （TP） removal from nutrient-impaired lakes in central Florida, USA. The treatment sys-tem consisted of biological and physical-chemical treatment modules. First, investigations of prospective biological and physical-chemical treatment processes in mesocosms and in bench-scale experiments were conducted. Thirteen different mesocosms were constructed with a variety of substrates and combi-nations of macrophytes and tested for TP and orthophosphate （PO4-^3） removal efficiencies and potential areal removal rates. Bench-scale jar tests and column tests of seven types of absorptive media in addition to three commercial resins were conducted in order to test absorptive capacity. Once isolated process testing was complete, a floating island treatment system （FITS） was designed and deployed for eight months in a lake in central Florida. Phosphorus removal efficiencies of the mesocosm systems averaged about 40%-50%, providing an average uptake of 5.0 g.m ^2.a ^1 across all mesocosms. The best-performing mesocosms were a submerged aquatic vegetation （SAV） mesocosm and an algae scrubber （AGS）, which removed 20 and 50 mg.m ^2.d ^1, respectively, for an average removal of 5.5 and 12.0 g.m ^2.a ^1 for the SAV and AGS systems, Of the absorptive media, the best performance was alum residual （AR）, which reduced PO4-^3 concentrations by about 75% after 5 min of contact time. Of the commercial resins tested, the PhosX resin was superior to the others, removing about 40% of phosphorus after 30 rain and 60% after 60min. Under baseline operation conditions during deployment, the FITS exhibited mean PO4-^3 removal efficiencies of 53%; using the 50th and 90th percentile of PO4-^3 removal during deployment, and the footprint of the FITS system, yielded efficiencies for the combined FITS system of 56% and 86%, respectively, and areal phosphorus removal rates between 8.9 and 16.5 g.m ^2.a ^1展开更多
Banana(Musa AAA group)is one of the most consumed fruits in the world due to its flavor and nutritional value.As a typical climacteric fruit,banana responds to ethylene treatment,which induces rapid changes of color,f...Banana(Musa AAA group)is one of the most consumed fruits in the world due to its flavor and nutritional value.As a typical climacteric fruit,banana responds to ethylene treatment,which induces rapid changes of color,flavor(aroma and taste),sweetness and nutritional composition.It has also been reported that ripening bananas at temperatures above 24℃ inhibits chlorophyll breakdown and color formation but increases the rate of senescence.To gain fundamental knowledge about the effects of high temperature and ethylene on banana ripening,a quantitative proteomic study employing multiplex peptide stable isotope dimethyl labeling was conducted.In this study,green(immature)untreated banana fruit were subjected to treatment with 10μL L^(−1) of ethylene for 24 h.After ethylene treatment,treated and untreated fruit were stored at 20 or 30℃ for 24 h.Fruit peel tissues were then sampled after 0 and 1 day of storage,and peel color and chlorophyll fluorescence were evaluated.Quantitative proteomic analysis was conducted on the fruit peels after 1 day of storage.In total,413 common proteins were identified and quantified from two biological replicates.Among these proteins,91 changed significantly in response to ethylene and high-temperature treatments.Cluster analysis on these 91 proteins identified 7 groups of changed proteins.Ethylene treatment and storage at 20℃ induced 40 proteins that are correlated with pathogen resistance,cell wall metabolism,ethylene biosynthesis,allergens and ribosomal proteins,and it repressed 36 proteins that are associated with fatty acid and lipid metabolism,redox–oxidative responses,and protein biosynthesis and modification.Ethylene treatment and storage at 30℃ induced 32 proteins,which were mainly similar to those in group 1 but also included 8 proteins in group 3(identified as chitinase,cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase 1,cysteine synthase,villin-2,leucine-transfer RNA ligase,CP47 protein and calmodulin)and repressed 43 proteins in 4 groups(groups 4–7),of which 6 were associated with展开更多
Armed conflicts are increasing globally due to political unrest and the broader effects of climate change.Without resources to provide quality surgical care,it becomes nearly impossible to provide quality emergency su...Armed conflicts are increasing globally due to political unrest and the broader effects of climate change.Without resources to provide quality surgical care,it becomes nearly impossible to provide quality emergency surgery and trauma care similar to that in high-income countries.To understand and help aid organizations provide resources and address the surgical needs of populations facing armed conflict,a matrix to identify variables and help with interventions was envisioned.Apreviously published global surgery matrix based on the PIPES(Personnel,Infrastructure,Procedures,Equipment and Supplies)surgical capacity tool was adapted to this context.The novel matrix incorporates 108 variables.These variables are grossly divided into local and international agency components to address the issue of who is providing care.Using a time continuum of pre-conflict,conflict,and post-conflict allows organizations to concentrate on when during the conflict to target their intervention.In addition to the previously used personnel,infrastructure,procedures,equipment,and supplies categories,a sixth category called standards was included that addresses the issues such as information technology,data systems,quality improvement programs,and patient safety.Pilot testing of this matrix to obtain feedback from end users is the next step in development.Ultimately,peri-conflict preparedness should increase and improve surgical outcomes and reduce in death and disabilities around the world.展开更多
This paper develops a Wald statistic for testing the validity of multivariate inequality constraints in linear regression models with spherically symmetric disturbances,and derive the distributions of the test statist...This paper develops a Wald statistic for testing the validity of multivariate inequality constraints in linear regression models with spherically symmetric disturbances,and derive the distributions of the test statistic under null and nonnull hypotheses.The power of the test is then discussed.Numerical evaluations are also carried out to examine the power performances of the test for the case in which errors follow a multivariate student-t(Mt) distribution.展开更多
Tropical leafy-vegetables (n = 21) indigenous to Cameroon, Africa, were collected, processed, and analyzed for carotenoids by HPLC. The processing techniques used were oven drying;sun-drying;squeeze-washing and boilin...Tropical leafy-vegetables (n = 21) indigenous to Cameroon, Africa, were collected, processed, and analyzed for carotenoids by HPLC. The processing techniques used were oven drying;sun-drying;squeeze-washing and boiling;and a combination of boiling in alkaline salt and squeeze-washing. Carotenoids included lutein, α-carotene, zeaxanthin, β-cryptoxanthin, and β-carotene (all-trans, 13-cis, and 9-cis), which varied by species (P 40% of total carotenoids. Traditional preparation and processing procedures led to significant losses of carotenoids and β-carotene was most affected during sun-drying with a maximum of 73.8% loss observed in A. acanthochiton.展开更多
Air traffic flow management(ATFM) is a collaborative process between the airspace provider and the airspace users. The result of the collaboration should be an outcome that maximizes the utility of the system without ...Air traffic flow management(ATFM) is a collaborative process between the airspace provider and the airspace users. The result of the collaboration should be an outcome that maximizes the utility of the system without excessively penalizing any of the agents. This paper develops a discrete-event simulation model which consists of aggregate departure/arrival airports, flight routes, and sectors for evaluating the alternative collaborative route selection strategy. Given the different perspectives from air traffic control center(ACC) and airlines, eight performancemetrics and five alternative route selection strategies represent the past, current and proposed air traffic flow management operations that were evaluated. The Monte Carlo method combined with the Optimal Computing Budget Allocation(OCBA) simulation optimization technique is employed to assess the performance of different strategies. A case study of the upper air routes in central and southern China shows that the proposed model can be readily implemented to simulate different kinds of air traffic flow management strategies and predict the effect of changes on the airspace system. It also shows that the proposed alternative collaborative route selection strategy is an effective way in alleviating the en-route traffic congestion.展开更多
An increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, including the risk of sudden cardiac death(SCD), has been shown in patients with rheumatoid arthritis(RA). Abnormalities in autonomic markers such as heart rate var...An increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, including the risk of sudden cardiac death(SCD), has been shown in patients with rheumatoid arthritis(RA). Abnormalities in autonomic markers such as heart rate variability and ventricular repolarization parameters, such as QTc interval and QT dispersion, have been associated with sudden death in patients with RA. The interplay between these parameters and inflammation that is known to exist with RA is of growing interest. In this article, we review the prevalence and predictors of SCD in patients with RA and describe the potential underlying mechanisms, which may contribute to this. We also review the impact of biologic agents on arrhythmic risk as well as cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.展开更多
文摘This paper investigates trends in intergenerational patterns of educational attainment of those born in China between 1941 and 1990. Employing the 2008 Rural-Urban Migration in China and Indonesia Survey, we find that intergenerational correlation is lower in rural and migrant than in urban populations. The higher mobility observed in rural and migrant populations stems from the fact that the majority of these children complete only junior high school with some children in the youngest cohorts moving down the education ladder relative to theirparents. In contrast, urban children seem to at least maintain their parents＂ education level The persistence of intergenerational transmission of education at high levels in urban areas combined with some mobility, upward or downward, in rural areas is likely to aggravate China ＂s rural-urban disparity. Policies should focus more on the underlying gaps in education opportunities and the improvement in education of the rural and migrant populations.
基金Supported by Kaohsiung Municipal Min-Seng Hospital(KMSH 9702)
文摘AIM: To assess the cost-effectiveness of two populationbased hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) screening programs, two-stage biomarker-ultrasound method and mass screening using abdominal ultrasonography(AUS).METHODS: In this study, we applied a Markov decision model with a societal perspective and a lifetime horizon for the general population-based cohorts in an area with high HCC incidence, such as Taiwan. The accuracy of biomarkers and ultrasonography was estimated from published meta-analyses. The costs of surveillance, diagnosis, and treatment were based on a combination of published literature, Medicare payments, and medical expenditure at the National Taiwan University Hospital. The main outcome measure was cost per lifeyear gained with a 3% annual discount rate. RESULTS: The results show that the mass screening using AUS was associated with an incremental costeffectiveness ratio of USD39825 per life-year gained, whereas two-stage screening was associated with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of USD49733 per life-year gained, as compared with no screening. Screening programs with an initial screening age of 50 years old and biennial screening interval were the most cost-effective. These findings were sensitive to the costs of screening tools and the specificity of biomarker screening.CONCLUSION: Mass screening using AUS is more cost effective than two-stage biomarker-ultrasound screening. The most optimal strategy is an initial screening age at 50 years old with a 2-year inter-screening interval.
文摘Lack of dietary fiber contributes to many health issues, particularly chronic vascular diseases. Mixed linkage β-1.3 - 1.4 beta-glucan (beta-glucan, in this paper) is a confirmed beneficial ingredient for the human diet through reduction of cholesterol and the glycemic index. Barley contains the highest beta-glucan content of all the grains, and in this study, a percentage of flour from two high beta glucan lines was, each, added to an array of wheat-based food products to measure how it impacted total dietary fiber. Results showed that beta-glucan content was higher in all the products containing the added high beta-glucan flour, along with increased total dietary fiber content. Protein content in the food products is also increased with the higher protein in the barley flours added. Beta-glucan content in the barley-added products increased to 1.2% - 4.0% versus 0.2% - 0.5% in the pure wheat products, while the dietary fibers increased to 3.5% - 24.4% versus 2.1% - 9.1% in pure wheat product controls. This research provided experimental evidence that using a high beta-glucan barley ingredient in food can increase dietary fiber to benefit health.
文摘The connecting rod is one of the most important moving components in an internal combustion engine. The present work determined the possibility of using aluminium alloy 7075 material to design and manufacture a connecting rod for weight optimisation without losing the strength of the connecting rod. It considered modal and thermal analyses to investigate the suitability of the material for connecting rod design. The parameters that were considered under the modal analysis were: total deformation, and natural frequency, while the thermal analysis looked at the temperature distribution, total heat flux and directional heat flux of the four connecting rods made with titanium alloy, grey cast iron, structural steel and aluminium 7075 alloy respectively. The connecting rod was modelled using Autodesk inventor2017 software using the calculated parameters. The steady-state thermal analysis was used to determine the induced heat flux and directional heat flux. The study found that Aluminium 7075 alloy deformed more than the remaining three other materials but has superior qualities in terms of vibrational natural frequency, total heat flux and lightweight compared to structural steel, grey cast iron and titanium alloy.
文摘Improved capacity of genomics and biotechnology has greatly enhanced genetic studies in different areas. Genomic selection exploits the geno type-to-phe no type relationship at the whole-ge nome level and is being implemented in many crops? Here we show that design-thinking and data-mining techniques can be leveraged to optimize genomic prediction of hybrid performance? We phenotyped a set of 276 maize hybrids generated by crossing founder inbreds of nested association mapping populations for flowering time, ear height, and grain yield? With 10 296 310 SNPs available from the parental inbreds, we explored the pat? terns of genomic relati on ships and phenotypic variation to establish training samples based on clustering, graphic n etwork analysis, and genetic mating scheme ? Our analysis showed that training set desig ns outperformed random sampling and earlier methods that either minimize the mean of prediction error variance or maximize the mean of generalized coefficient of determination. Additional analyses of 2556 wheat hybrids from an early-stage hybrid breeding system and 1439 rice hybrids from an established hybrid breeding system validated the approaches. Together, we dem on strated that effective genomic predicti on models can be established with a training set 2%-13% of the size of the whole set, enabling an efficient exploration of enormous inf ere nee space of gen etic combi nations.
文摘The hedgehog （Hh） signaling pathway plays an essential role in the embryonic development and homeostasis of diverse adult tissues, and its deregulation has been implicated in the tumorigenesis and metastasis of various malignancies including breast cancer. Aberrant activation of the Hh pathway includes the following mechanisms： （I） Hh ligand-independent mechanism - Loss of function mutations in the Hh receptor Patched 1 （PTCH1） or gain of function mutations in the Smoothened （SMO） lead to constitutive activation of this pathway; （II） Autocrine signaling- Ith ligand produced by tumor cells stimulates the Hh signaling in tumor cells; （III） Paracrine signaling - tumor cell produced-Hh ligand activates stromal and endothelial cells that produce growth factors in microenvironment for supporting tumor growth and survival; and （IV） Reverse paracrine signaling - Hh ligand produced by stromal cells support tumor growth and survival. Upon the pathway activation, the Gli transcription factors, effectors of the Hh signaling, activate or inhibit transcription by binding to their responsive genes and interacting with the transcriptional complex. The Gli transcription factor family includes Glil, Gli2, and Gli3 （1）. Glil is a transcriptional activator whose expression has been recognized as an activation state of the Hh signaling pathway, Gli2 is either an activator or repressor, and Gli3 is a strong repressor of transcriptional activities. To date, a ligand-dependent autocrine model of activating the Hh signaling has been described in breast cancer, and both an autocrine and paracrine mechanisms in colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer and prostate cancer （2,3）. Notably, a ligand-independent mechanism （mutationsin PTCHI and SMO） of the signaling has been well demonstrated in basal cell carcinoma and medulloblastoma （4,5）.
文摘Background Much is known about the cytogenetic lesions that characterize multiple myeloma （MM） patients from the USA, Europe, and East Asia. However, little has been published about the disease among Southeast Asians. The aim of this study was to determine the chromosomal abnormalities of MM patients in our Singapore population. Methods Forty-five newly-diagnosed, morphologically confirmed patients comprising 18 males and 27 females, aged 46-84 years （median 65 years） were investigated by karyotyping and fluorescence in situ hybridization （FISH）. FISH employing standard panel probes and lp36/lq21 and 6q21/15q22 probes was performed on diagnostic bone marrow samples. Results Thirty-four cases （75.6%） had karyotypic abnormalities. Including FISH, a total detection rate of 91.1% was at- tained. Numerical and complex structural aberrations were common to both hyperdiploid and non-hyperdiploid patients. Numerical gains of several recurring chromosomes were frequent among hyperdiploid patients while structural rear- rangements of several chromosomes including 8q24.1 and 14q32 characterized non-hyperdiploid patients. With FISH, immunoglobulin heavy chain （IGH） gene rearrangements, especially fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 （FGFR3）/IGH and RB1 deletion/monosomy 13 were the most common abnormalities （43.4%）. Amplification lq21 was 10 times more frequent （42.5%） than del（1p36） and del（6q21）. Conclusions We have successfully reported the comprehensive cytogenetic profiling of a cohort of newly-diagnosed myeloma patients in our population. This study indicates that the genetic and cytogenetic abnormalities, and their frequencies, in our study group are generally similar to other populations.
基金the Lake Jesup Total Phosphorus Removal Treatment Technologies Floating Island Pilot Project (25104) of St. Johns River Water Management District Palatka+1 种基金 FL USA
文摘The goal of this project was to design, build, and test a pilot-scale floating modular treatment system for total phosphorus （TP） removal from nutrient-impaired lakes in central Florida, USA. The treatment sys-tem consisted of biological and physical-chemical treatment modules. First, investigations of prospective biological and physical-chemical treatment processes in mesocosms and in bench-scale experiments were conducted. Thirteen different mesocosms were constructed with a variety of substrates and combi-nations of macrophytes and tested for TP and orthophosphate （PO4-^3） removal efficiencies and potential areal removal rates. Bench-scale jar tests and column tests of seven types of absorptive media in addition to three commercial resins were conducted in order to test absorptive capacity. Once isolated process testing was complete, a floating island treatment system （FITS） was designed and deployed for eight months in a lake in central Florida. Phosphorus removal efficiencies of the mesocosm systems averaged about 40%-50%, providing an average uptake of 5.0 g.m ^2.a ^1 across all mesocosms. The best-performing mesocosms were a submerged aquatic vegetation （SAV） mesocosm and an algae scrubber （AGS）, which removed 20 and 50 mg.m ^2.d ^1, respectively, for an average removal of 5.5 and 12.0 g.m ^2.a ^1 for the SAV and AGS systems, Of the absorptive media, the best performance was alum residual （AR）, which reduced PO4-^3 concentrations by about 75% after 5 min of contact time. Of the commercial resins tested, the PhosX resin was superior to the others, removing about 40% of phosphorus after 30 rain and 60% after 60min. Under baseline operation conditions during deployment, the FITS exhibited mean PO4-^3 removal efficiencies of 53%; using the 50th and 90th percentile of PO4-^3 removal during deployment, and the footprint of the FITS system, yielded efficiencies for the combined FITS system of 56% and 86%, respectively, and areal phosphorus removal rates between 8.9 and 16.5 g.m ^2.a ^1
基金We thank MOE and AAFC for PhD fellowships provided to Lina DuThis project was funded by the A-Base research(RBPI 197)of Agriculture&Agri-Food,Canada.
文摘Banana(Musa AAA group)is one of the most consumed fruits in the world due to its flavor and nutritional value.As a typical climacteric fruit,banana responds to ethylene treatment,which induces rapid changes of color,flavor(aroma and taste),sweetness and nutritional composition.It has also been reported that ripening bananas at temperatures above 24℃ inhibits chlorophyll breakdown and color formation but increases the rate of senescence.To gain fundamental knowledge about the effects of high temperature and ethylene on banana ripening,a quantitative proteomic study employing multiplex peptide stable isotope dimethyl labeling was conducted.In this study,green(immature)untreated banana fruit were subjected to treatment with 10μL L^(−1) of ethylene for 24 h.After ethylene treatment,treated and untreated fruit were stored at 20 or 30℃ for 24 h.Fruit peel tissues were then sampled after 0 and 1 day of storage,and peel color and chlorophyll fluorescence were evaluated.Quantitative proteomic analysis was conducted on the fruit peels after 1 day of storage.In total,413 common proteins were identified and quantified from two biological replicates.Among these proteins,91 changed significantly in response to ethylene and high-temperature treatments.Cluster analysis on these 91 proteins identified 7 groups of changed proteins.Ethylene treatment and storage at 20℃ induced 40 proteins that are correlated with pathogen resistance,cell wall metabolism,ethylene biosynthesis,allergens and ribosomal proteins,and it repressed 36 proteins that are associated with fatty acid and lipid metabolism,redox–oxidative responses,and protein biosynthesis and modification.Ethylene treatment and storage at 30℃ induced 32 proteins,which were mainly similar to those in group 1 but also included 8 proteins in group 3(identified as chitinase,cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase 1,cysteine synthase,villin-2,leucine-transfer RNA ligase,CP47 protein and calmodulin)and repressed 43 proteins in 4 groups(groups 4–7),of which 6 were associated with
文摘Armed conflicts are increasing globally due to political unrest and the broader effects of climate change.Without resources to provide quality surgical care,it becomes nearly impossible to provide quality emergency surgery and trauma care similar to that in high-income countries.To understand and help aid organizations provide resources and address the surgical needs of populations facing armed conflict,a matrix to identify variables and help with interventions was envisioned.Apreviously published global surgery matrix based on the PIPES(Personnel,Infrastructure,Procedures,Equipment and Supplies)surgical capacity tool was adapted to this context.The novel matrix incorporates 108 variables.These variables are grossly divided into local and international agency components to address the issue of who is providing care.Using a time continuum of pre-conflict,conflict,and post-conflict allows organizations to concentrate on when during the conflict to target their intervention.In addition to the previously used personnel,infrastructure,procedures,equipment,and supplies categories,a sixth category called standards was included that addresses the issues such as information technology,data systems,quality improvement programs,and patient safety.Pilot testing of this matrix to obtain feedback from end users is the next step in development.Ultimately,peri-conflict preparedness should increase and improve surgical outcomes and reduce in death and disabilities around the world.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant No.11301514National Bureau of Statistics of China under Grant No.2012LZ012
文摘This paper develops a Wald statistic for testing the validity of multivariate inequality constraints in linear regression models with spherically symmetric disturbances,and derive the distributions of the test statistic under null and nonnull hypotheses.The power of the test is then discussed.Numerical evaluations are also carried out to examine the power performances of the test for the case in which errors follow a multivariate student-t(Mt) distribution.
文摘Tropical leafy-vegetables (n = 21) indigenous to Cameroon, Africa, were collected, processed, and analyzed for carotenoids by HPLC. The processing techniques used were oven drying;sun-drying;squeeze-washing and boiling;and a combination of boiling in alkaline salt and squeeze-washing. Carotenoids included lutein, α-carotene, zeaxanthin, β-cryptoxanthin, and β-carotene (all-trans, 13-cis, and 9-cis), which varied by species (P 40% of total carotenoids. Traditional preparation and processing procedures led to significant losses of carotenoids and β-carotene was most affected during sun-drying with a maximum of 73.8% loss observed in A. acanthochiton.
基金co-supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province – China (No. BK20160798)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities – China (Nos. 3082015NJ20150031, 3082014NJ20140017 and 3082014NJ20140015)
文摘Air traffic flow management(ATFM) is a collaborative process between the airspace provider and the airspace users. The result of the collaboration should be an outcome that maximizes the utility of the system without excessively penalizing any of the agents. This paper develops a discrete-event simulation model which consists of aggregate departure/arrival airports, flight routes, and sectors for evaluating the alternative collaborative route selection strategy. Given the different perspectives from air traffic control center(ACC) and airlines, eight performancemetrics and five alternative route selection strategies represent the past, current and proposed air traffic flow management operations that were evaluated. The Monte Carlo method combined with the Optimal Computing Budget Allocation(OCBA) simulation optimization technique is employed to assess the performance of different strategies. A case study of the upper air routes in central and southern China shows that the proposed model can be readily implemented to simulate different kinds of air traffic flow management strategies and predict the effect of changes on the airspace system. It also shows that the proposed alternative collaborative route selection strategy is an effective way in alleviating the en-route traffic congestion.
文摘An increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, including the risk of sudden cardiac death(SCD), has been shown in patients with rheumatoid arthritis(RA). Abnormalities in autonomic markers such as heart rate variability and ventricular repolarization parameters, such as QTc interval and QT dispersion, have been associated with sudden death in patients with RA. The interplay between these parameters and inflammation that is known to exist with RA is of growing interest. In this article, we review the prevalence and predictors of SCD in patients with RA and describe the potential underlying mechanisms, which may contribute to this. We also review the impact of biologic agents on arrhythmic risk as well as cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.
