Visual cortex activation range of color vision with BOLD-fMRI in anisometropia amblyopia children

AIM: To analyze the recovery of visual cortex activation range of color vision in anisometropia amblyopia children after treatment by using blood oxygen level dependence-functional magnetic resonance imaging(BOLD-fMRI)and SPM8 software.<p>METHODS: Self-control study. This fMRI study directly compared activity in visual cortex produced by color monocular stimulation in 13 monocular anisometropia amblyopia children. The project of study was blocked design. The data of functions and anatomical MRI was stimulated by three-primary colors and was preprocessed and analyzed by SPM8 that based on MATLAB software. According to the data, we compared the change of the central area of color vision when first visit and 1, 2,4wk after treatment. <p>RESULTS: The BA17, BA18, BA19 and BA37 of amblyopia children were different activated after they accepted the three-primary colors stimulation(<i>P</i><0.01). After 4wk treatment, amblyopia children accepted red stimulation, the visual cortex activation range without expanding; after accepting green stimulus, on the left side of the visual cortex BA37, BA19, BA20, the average <i>t</i> value were 3.5210, 3.2716, 3.1534(<i>P</i><0.01); after accepting blue stimulation, the scope of the right side of visual cortex at BA19, BA18 were expanded to different extent, the average <i>t</i> value were 3.7345, 3.2701(<i>P</i><0.01).<p>CONCLUSION: After 4wk treatment, visual cortex activation of color vision of anisometropia amblyopic children is expanded, but with low extent, after the short-term treatment of amblyopia, visual cortex activation of color vision has a certain degree of recovery but not obvious

Glueball Masses from Hamiltonian Lattice QCD

We calculate the masses of the $0^{++}$, $0^{--}$ and $1^{+-}$ glueballs from QCD in 3+1 dimensions using an eigenvalue equation method for Hamiltonian lattice QCD developed and described elsewhere by the authors. The mass ratios become approximately constants in the coupling region $6/g^2 \in [6.0,6.4]$, from which we estimate $M(0^{--})/M(0^{++})=2.44 \pm 0.05 \pm 0.20$ and $M(1^{+-})/M(0^{++})=1.91 \pm 0.05 \pm 0.12$.Comment: 12 pages, Latex, figures to be sent upon reques

OCC Controller Workload Evaluation Model and Application

AbstractIn order to evaluate and predict OCC controller's mental workload, we defined mental workload as time consumption of task during working time. Five subclasses of workload was found from task analysis in according with five kinds of work task - operation task, recording task, communication task, monitoring task and thinking task, and constructed the suggested workload model of this thesis which was expressed as the sum of consumption time of these five kinds task in a unit time. Then we built the basic task set encoding dictionary and the basic time consumption set to simplify the model, which was based on a larger number of observation behaviors data. At last, time pressure was considered to describe the time constraint effect on mental workload. In the application of validation examine, the subjective evaluation method, the physiological test and the suggested model were used to calculate the time occupancy rate, and results showed a high correlation between the actual and the prediction workload which also proved the validation of the suggested model

Experimental Study of Closed System in the Chlorine Dioxide-Iodide-Sulfuric Acid Reaction by UV-Vis Spectrophotometric Method

The mole ratio r(r = [I−]0/[ClO2]0) has great influence on ClO2-I−-H2SO4 closed reaction system. By changing the initiate concentration of potassium iodide, the curve of absorbance along with the reaction time was obtained at 350 nm and 297 nm for triiodide ion, and 460 nm for iodine. The changing point of the absorbance curve's shape locates at r = 6.00. For the reaction of ClO2-I− in the absence of H2SO4, the curve of absorbance along with the reaction time can be obtained at 350 nm for triiodide ion, 460 nm for iodine. The mole ratio r is equal to 1.00 is the changing point of the curve's shape no matter at which wavelength to determine the reaction. For the reaction of ClO2-I−-H+ in different pH buffer solution, the curve of absorbance along with the reaction time was recorded at 460 nm for iodine. When r is greater than 1.00, the transition point of the curve's shape locates at pH 2.0, which is also the point of producing chlorite or chloride for chlorine dioxide at different pH. When r is less than 1.00, the transition point locates at pH 7.0

Characterization of grass carp reovirus minor core protein VP4

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Grass Carp Reovirus (GCRV), a tentative member in the genus <it>Aquareovirus</it> of family <it>Reoviridae</it>, contains eleven segmented (double-stranded RNA<b>)</b> dsRNA genome which encodes 12 proteins. A low-copy core component protein VP4, encoded by the viral genome segment 5(S5), has been suggested to play a key role in viral genome transcription and replication.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>To understand the role of minor core protein VP4 played in molecular pathogenesis during GCRV infection, the recombinant GCRV VP4 gene was constructed and expressed in both prokaryotic and mammalian cells in this investigation. The recombinant His-tag fusion VP4 products expressed in E.<it>coli</it> were identified by Western blotting utilizing His-tag specific monoclonal and GCRV polyclonal antibodies. In addition, the expression of VP4 in GCRV infected cells, appeared in granules structure concentrated mainly in the cytoplasm, can be detected by Immunofluorescence (IF) using prepared anti-VP4 polyclonal antibody. Meanwhile, VP4 protein in GCRV core and infected cell lysate was identified by Immunoblotting (IB) assay. Of particular note, the VP4 protein was exhibited a diffuse distribution in the cytoplasm and nucleus in transfected cells, suggesting that VP4 protein may play a partial role in the nucleus by regulating cell cycle besides its predicted cytoplasmic function in GCRV infection.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our results indicate the VP4 is a core component in GCRV. The cellular localization of VP4 is correlated with its predicted function. The data provide a foundation for further studies aimed at understanding the role of VP4 in viroplasmic inclusion bodies (VIB) formation during GCRV replication and assembly.</p

Application of nursing core competency standard education in the training of nursing undergraduates

AbstractPurposeTo evaluate the effectiveness of nursing core competency standard education in undergraduate nursing training.MethodsForty-two nursing undergraduates from the class of 2007 were recruited as the control group receiving conventional teaching methods, while 31 students from the class of 2008 were recruited as the experimental group receiving nursing core competency standard education. Teaching outcomes were evaluated using comprehensive theoretical knowledge examination and objective structured clinical examination.ResultsThe performance in the health information collection, physical assessment, scenario simulation and communication in the experimental group were significantly higher than those of the control group (p < 0.05).ConclusionsNursing core competency standard education is helpful for the training of nursing students' core competencies

Mdivi-1, a mitochondrial fission inhibitor, modulates T helper cells and suppresses the development of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.

BACKGROUND: Unrestrained activation of Th1 and Th17 cells is associated with the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis and its animal model, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). While inactivation of dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1), a GTPase that regulates mitochondrial fission, can reduce EAE severity by protecting myelin from demyelination, its effect on immune responses in EAE has not yet been studied. METHODS: We investigated the effect of Mdivi-1, a small molecule inhibitor of Drp1, on EAE. Clinical scores, inflammation, demyelination and Drp1 activation in the central nervous system (CNS), and T cell responses in both CNS and periphery were determined. RESULTS: Mdivi-1 effectively suppressed EAE severity by reducing demyelination and cellular infiltration in the CNS. Mdivi-1 treatment decreased the phosphorylation of Drp1 (ser616) on CD4+ T cells, reduced the numbers of Th1 and Th17 cells, and increased Foxp3+ regulatory T cells in the CNS. Moreover, Mdivi-1 treatment effectively inhibited IFN-γ+, IL-17+, and GM-CSF+ CD4+ T cells, while it induced CD4+ Foxp3+ regulatory T cells in splenocytes by flow cytometry. CONCLUSIONS: Together, our results demonstrate that Mdivi-1 has therapeutic potential in EAE by modulating the balance between Th1/Th17 and regulatory T cells

The content and ratio of type I and III collagen in skin differ with age and injury

The aim of this study is to examine type I and III collagen content and distribution in skin within the contexts of patient age and injury, as well as to elucidate possible mechanisms of hypertrophic scar formation. Normal human skin and hypertrophic scar specimens were obtained from spontaneously aborted fetuses and burn patients of different ages (adolescent group, ≤18 years; adult group, &gt;19 and ≤50 years; elderly group, &gt;50 years). Total collagen content was indirectly determined by quantification of hydroxyproline. Levels of type I and III collagen as well as the ratio of type I/III were determined by immunohistochemistry and image analysis. Results obtained showed that the mean content of type I and III and type I/III ratio in normal skin differed significantly among age groups (P0.05), with the lowest levels of type I, III, and the highest ratio of type I/III observed in the elderly age group. Differences between normal uninjured skin and hypertrophic scar tissue were significant for all investigated parameters within any of the three age groups examined (adolescent, adult, elderly; P&lt;0.05). Content of type I, III collagen and type I/III ratio also exhibited age-dependent differences during recovery in hypertrophic scar specimens. Thus, type III collagen synthesis decreases with age resulting in a skewed type I/III ratio and changes in skin tension, elasticity, and healing. Also, the content of type I, III collagen and type I/III ratio are significantly altered in hypertrophic scar tissue compared to uninjured age-matched controls, resulting in a different structural organization that is also influenced by patient age.Key words: Age group, hypertrophic scar, collagen type I, collagen type III, immunohistochemistry, hydroxyproline