[en] Objective: To explore the changes of serum TNF-α, IFN-γ and T-cell subsets distribution pattern in pediatric patients with aplastic anemia. Methods: Serum TNF-α levels (with RIA), IFN-γ levels (with ELISA), peripheral blood T-cell subsets distribution pattern (with monoclonal antibody technique) were determined in 33 pediatric patients with aplastic anemia, as well as in 35 controls. Results: The serum levels of TNF-α and IFN-γ in the patients with aplastic anemia were significantly higher than those in the controls (P<0.01), while the CD3, CD4 percentages and CD4/CD8 ratio were significantly lower (P<0.01). Conclusion: Detection of changes of serum TNF-α, IFN-γ levels and T-cell subsets ratio was clinically useful for outcome prediction in pediatric patients with aplastic anemia. (authors)

[en] Objective: To study the changes of serum IL-2 and SIL-2R levels after treatment in 31 patients with thrombocytopenic purpura. Methods: Serum IL-2 (with RIA) and SIL-2R (with ELISA) levels were measured in 31 patients with thrombocytopenic purpura both before and after treatment as well as in 35 controls. Results: Before treatment, in the patients the serum IL-2 levels were significantly lower and serum SIL-2R levels were significantly higher than those in the controls ( P < 0.01 ), after treatment for one month, the serum IL-2, SIL-2R levels were not significantly different from those in controls (P> 0.05). Conclusion: Cytokines IL-2 and SIL-2R levels changes could reflect the immunostatus of the patients as well as the progress of diseases and could be of prognostic values. (authors)

[en] Objective: To explore the clinical significance of changes of serum IGF-II, IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α levels after treatment in children with bronchopneumonia. Methods: Serum IGF-II, IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α levels with RIA were detected both before and after treatment in 33 patients with children bronchopneumonia as well as in 35 controls. Results: Before treatment, serum IGF-II, IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α levels were significantly higher in the patients than those in the controls (P<0.01). 2 weekes after treatment the levels were not significantly deferent from those in the controls (P>0.05). Conclusions: Serum IGF-II, IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α could take part in the pathogenesis of children bronchopneumonia in various ways and determination of these levels was clinically important. (authors)

[en] Objective: To investigate the relationship between changes of peripheral RBC immuno-function and serum TNF-α levels in pediatric patients with Henoch-Schoenlein purpura. Methods: RBC immuno-function status was studied with immunologic methods and serum TNF-α levels were measured with RIA in 31 pediatric patients with Henoch-Schoenlein purpura and 35 controls, Results: Levels of RBC-C3bRR were significantly lower and levels of serum TNF-α were significantly higher in the patients than those in controls (P<0.01). These two variables were significantly negatively correlated (r=-0.3018, P<0.05). On the contrary, the RBC-ICRRR levels were significantly higher in the patients (P<0.01) and were positively correlated with levels of TNF-α (r=0.3588, P<0.05). Conclusion: There were disturbances of RBC immuno-regulation with suppressed immuno-function in the purpura patients, which were related to the high levels of TNF-α. (authors)

[en] The origin and the effects of homochirality in the biological world continuously stimulate numerous hypotheses and much debate. This work attempts to look at the biohomochirality issue from a different angle - the mechanical properties of the bulk biomaterial and their relation to nanoscale structures. Using a pair of oppositely charged peptides that co-assemble into hydrogels, we systematically investigated the effect of chirality on the mechanical properties of these hydrogels through different combinations of syndiotactic and isotactic peptides. It was found that homochirality confers mechanical advantage, resulting in a higher elastic modulus and strain yield value. Yet, heterochirality confers kinetic advantage, resulting in faster gelation. Structurally, both homochiral and heterochiral hydrogels are made of fibers interconnected by lappet-like webs, but the homochiral peptide fibers are thicker and denser. These results highlight the possible role of biohomochirality in the evolution and/or natural selection of biomaterials.

[en] The author introduces the time domain expression of pulse power waveform signal of pulsed reactor. The characteristics of the pulse power signal are analysed preliminarily by the method of integral transform in theory. The frequency density function of the signal and the calculating formula of the error brought about by frequency response of the power measurement instrument are found. The plural frequency domain model of the pulse power waveform signal is presented simultaneously. The analysis results show that there is a critical frequency in the signal frequency spectrum. If the upper frequency range limit of the measurement instrument is higher than the critical frequency, most of error brought about by frequency response of instrument can be eliminated

[en] We wanted to evaluate the image quality and diagnostic value of 64-slice dual-source computed tomography (DSCT) coronary angiography in patients with atrial fibrillation (Afib). The coronary arteries of 22 Afib patients seen on DSCT were classified into 15 segments and the imaging quality (excellent, good, moderate and poor) and significant stenoses (≥ 50%) were evaluated by two radiologists who were blinded to the conventional coronary angiography (CAG) results. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) for detecting important coronary artery stenosis were calculated. McNemar test was used to determine any significant difference between DSCT and CAG, and Cohen's Kappa statistics were calculated for the intermodality and interobserver agreement. The mean heart rate was 89 ± 8.3 bpm (range: 80-118 bpm). A range from 250 msec to 300 msec within the RR interval was the optimal reconstruction interval for the patients with Afib. The respective overall sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV values were 74%, 97%, 81% and 96% for reader 1 and 72%, 98%, 85% and 96% for reader 2. No significant difference between DSCT and CAG was found for detecting a significant stenosis (reader 1, p = 1.0; reader 2, p = 0.727). Cohen's Kappa statistics demonstrated good intermodality and interobserver agreement. 64-slice DSCT coronary angiography provides good image quality in patients with atrial fibrillation without the need for controlling the heart rate. DSCT can be used for ruling out significant stenosis in patients with atrial fibrillation with its high NPV for detecting in important stenosis.

[en] Here we report a case of 41-year-old man with a soft tissue density mass at right upper lung and palpable abscesses at right upper backside and right wrist. "1"8F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography demonstrated a 7.8 × 5.0 cm mass with soft-tissue density in the upper lobe of the right lung with high metabolic activity. The infiltrative mass extended to adjacent chest wall soft tissue. Final diagnosis of pulmonary actinomycosis with multiple abscesses was made. The patient responded well to antibiotics treatment

[en] Graphical abstract: A novel BCE (MAM) based on a layered structure is prepared by following process steps, as shown below. Comparing the reflectance of MAM and traditional bilayer Mo (Mo12), it could be seen that the change of reflected intensities of the Mo12 and the BCEs show a negative correlation with the variation of Rq of corresponding samples. - Highlights: • Oblique vacuum thermal evaporation is used to produce a novel back electrode. • Surface roughness is related to incident angle θ of Oblique vacuum thermal. • Surface roughness affects the electrical and optical of the novel back electrode. • A lower resistivity and higher reflectance was obtained in novel back electrode. • The novel back electrode deposited by 45° owns a better physical property. - Abstract: In this paper, oblique vacuum thermal evaporation and direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering technique are used to produce a novel back contact electrode (BCE) of CuInS_2 solar cell. These novel back contact electrodes (BCEs) are based on a layered structure of Mo/Ag/Mo (MAM). The influence of vapor source incidence angle θ on optical-electrical properties of novel BCE is investigated by X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Surface Profiler, Atomic Force Microscope (AFM), UV-vis-IR Spectrometer, and Four-point Probe Method. According to the analysis of AFM images of BCEs, the variation tendencies of surface roughness and uniformity are closely related to the incidence angle θ. The surface roughness increases with the increase of incidence angle θ, but the uniformity becomes poor at same time. This phenomenon can be attributed to the variation of interlayer Ag films (the density and inclined angle of Ag nanorods). The results of four-point probe test show that the novel BCE deposited by vapor source incidence angle θ equal to 45° owns the lowest resistance value of 3.71 × 10"−"8 Ω m, which is probably due to a loose and multi-point contact interface between Ag layer and top layer (Mo_2). The reflectance of novel BCEs deposited by incident angle less than 45° is higher than that of normal bi-layer Mo (Mo_1_2) BCE. As a result, the efficiency of corresponding solar cell may be upgraded.

[en] A chimera state consisting of both coherent and incoherent groups is a fascinating spatial pattern in non-locally coupled identical oscillators. It is thought that random initial conditions hardly evolve to chimera states. In this work, we study the dependence of chimera states on initial conditions. We show that random initial conditions may lead to chimera states and the chance of realizing chimera states becomes increasing when the model parameters are moving away from the boundary of their stable regime. (paper)