423 research outputs found
Comparison of lower extremity atherosclerosis in diabetic and non-diabetic patients using multidetector computed tomography
BACKGROUND: Lower extremity atherosclerosis (LEA) is among the most serious diabetic complications and leads to non-traumatic amputations. The recently developed dual-source CT (DSCT) and 320- multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) may help to detect plaques more precisely. The aim of our study was to evaluate the differences in LEA between diabetic and non-diabetic patients using MDCT angiography. METHODS: DSCT and 320-MDCT angiographies of the lower extremities were performed in 161 patients (60 diabetic and 101 non-diabetic). The plaque type, distribution, shape and obstructive natures were compared. RESULTS: Compared with non-diabetic patients, diabetic patients had higher peripheral neuropathy, history of cerebrovasuclar infarction and hypertension rates. A total of 2898 vascular segments were included in the analysis. Plaque and stenosis were detected in 681 segments in 60 diabetic patients (63.1%) and 854 segments in 101 non-diabetic patients (46.9%; p <0.05). Regarding these plaques, diabetic patients had a higher incidence of mixed plaques (34.2% vs. 27.1% for non-diabetic patients). An increased moderate stenosis rate and decreased occlusion rate were observed in diabetic patients relative to non-diabetic patients (35.8% vs. 28.3%; and 6.6% vs. 11.4%; respectively). In diabetic patients, 362 (53.2%) plaques were detected in the distal lower leg segments, whereas in non-diabetic patients, 551 (64.5%) plaques were found in the proximal upper leg segments. The type IV plaque shape, in which the full lumen was involved, was detected more frequently in diabetic patients than in non-diabetic patients (13.1% vs. 8.2%). CONCLUSION: Diabetes is associated with a higher incidence of plaque, increased incidence of mixed plaques, moderate stenosis and localisation primarily in the distal lower leg segments. The advanced and non-invasive MDCT could be used for routine preoperative evaluations of LEA
Quantifying and monitoring functional Photosystem II and the stoichiometry of the two photosystems in leaf segments: Approaches and approximations
Given its unique function in light-induced
water oxidation and its susceptibility to photoinactivation
during photosynthesis, photosystem II (PS II) is often the
focus of studies of photosynthetic structure and function,
particularly in environmental stress conditions. Here we
review four approaches for quantifying or monitoring PS II
functionality or the stoichiometry of the two photosystems
in leaf segments, scrutinizing the approximations in each
approach. (1) Chlorophyll fluorescence parameters are
convenient to derive, but the information-rich signal suffers
from the localized nature of its detection in leaf tissue. (2)
The gross O2 yield per single-turnover flash in CO2-enriched
air is a more direct measurement of the functional
content, assuming that each functional PS II evolves one
O2 molecule after four flashes. However, the gross O2 yield
per single-turnover flash (multiplied by four) could overestimate
the content of functional PS II if mitochondrial
respiration is lower in flash illumination than in darkness.
(3) The cumulative delivery of electrons from PS II to P700? (oxidized primary donor in PS I) after a flash is
added to steady background far-red light is a whole-tissue
measurement, such that a single linear correlation with
functional PS II applies to leaves of all plant species
investigated so far. However, the magnitude obtained in a
simple analysis (with the signal normalized to the maximum
photo-oxidizable P700 signal), which should equal
the ratio of PS II to PS I centers, was too small to match the
independently-obtained photosystem stoichiometry. Further,
an under-estimation of functional PS II content could
occur if some electrons were intercepted before reaching
PS I. (4) The electrochromic signal from leaf segments
appears to reliably quantify the photosystem stoichiometry,
either by progressively photoinactivating PS II or suppressing
PS I via photo-oxidation of a known fraction of
the P700 with steady far-red light. Together, these
approaches have the potential for quantitatively probing PS
II in vivo in leaf segments, with prospects for application
of the latter two approaches in the field
Finite element method for obtaining the regularized photon Green function in lossy material
Photon Green function (GF) is the vital and most decisive factor in the field
of quantum light-matter interaction. It is divergent with two equal space
arguments in arbitrary-shaped lossy structure and should be regularized. We
introduce a finite element method for calculating the regularized GF. It is
expressed by the averaged radiation electric field over the finite-size of the
photon emitter. For emitter located in homogeneous lossy material, excellent
agreement with the analytical results is found for both real cavity model and
virtual cavity model. For emitter located in a metal nano-sphere, the
regularized scattered GF, which is the difference between the regularized GF
and the analytical regularized one in homogeneous space, agrees well with the
analytical scattered GF
17β-Estradiol Enhances Schwann Cell Differentiation via the ERβ-ERK1/2 Signaling Pathway and Promotes Remyelination in Injured Sciatic Nerves
Remyelination is critical for nerve regeneration. However, the molecular mechanism involved in remyelination is poorly understood. To explore the roles of 17β-estradiol (E2) for myelination in the peripheral nervous system, we used a co-culture model of rat dorsal root ganglion (DRG) explants and Schwann cells (SCs) and a regeneration model of the crushed sciatic nerves in ovariectomized (OVX) and non-ovariectomized (non-OVX) rats for in vitro and in vivo analysis. E2 promoted myelination by facilitating the differentiation of SCs in vitro, which could be inhibited by the estrogen receptors (ER) antagonist ICI182780, ERβ antagonist PHTPP, or ERK1/2 antagonist PD98059. This suggests that E2 accelerates SC differentiation via the ERβ-ERK1/2 signaling. Furthermore, E2 promotes remyelination in crushed sciatic nerves of both OVX and non-OVX rats. Interestingly, E2 also significantly increased the expression of the lysosome membrane proteins LAMP1 and myelin protein P0 in the regenerating nerves. Moreover, P0 has higher degree of colocalization with LAMP1 in the regenerating nerves. Taking together, our results suggest that E2 enhances Schwann cell differentiation and further myelination via the ERβ-ERK1/2 signaling and that E2 increases the expression of myelin proteins and lysosomes in SCs to promotes remyelination in regenerating sciatic nerves
Geometry and optics calibration of WFCTA prototype telescopes using star light
The Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory project is proposed to study
high energy gamma ray astronomy ( 40 GeV-1 PeV ) and cosmic ray physics ( 20
TeV-1 EeV ). The wide field of view Cherenkov telescope array, as a component
of the LHAASO project, will be used to study energy spectrum and compositions
of cosmic ray by measuring the total Cherenkov light generated by air showers
and shower maximum depth. Two prototype telescopes have been in operation since
2008. The pointing accuracy of each telescope is crucial to the direction
reconstruction of the primary particles. On the other hand the primary energy
reconstruction relies on the shape of the Cherenkov image on the camera and the
unrecorded photons due to the imperfect connections between photomultiplier
tubes. UV bright stars are used as point-like objects to calibrate the pointing
and to study the optical properties of the camera, the spot size and the
fractions of unrecorded photons in the insensitive areas of the camera.Comment: 5 pages, 6 figures, submitted to Chinese Physics
Y Chromosomes of 40% Chinese Are Descendants of Three Neolithic Super-grandfathers
Demographic change of human populations is one of the central questions for
delving into the past of human beings. To identify major population expansions
related to male lineages, we sequenced 78 East Asian Y chromosomes at 3.9 Mbp
of the non-recombining region (NRY), discovered >4,000 new SNPs, and identified
many new clades. The relative divergence dates can be estimated much more
precisely using molecular clock. We found that all the Paleolithic divergences
were binary; however, three strong star-like Neolithic expansions at ~6 kya
(thousand years ago) (assuming a constant substitution rate of 1e-9/bp/year)
indicates that ~40% of modern Chinese are patrilineal descendants of only three
super-grandfathers at that time. This observation suggests that the main
patrilineal expansion in China occurred in the Neolithic Era and might be
related to the development of agriculture.Comment: 29 pages of article text including 1 article figure, 9 pages of SI
text, and 2 SI figures. 5 SI tables are in a separate ancillary fil
Impacts of residual aluminum from aluminate flocculant on the morphological and physiological characteristics of Vallisneria natans and Hydrilla verticillata
Aluminate is generally used as a flocculent in water and wastewater treatment processes, but the residual aluminum (Al) may have toxic effects on aquatic organisms when the concentration accumulates beyond a threshold level. The in situ and laboratory tests were conducted to evaluate the impact of residual Al on submerged macrophytes in West Lake, Hangzhou, China, which receives Al flocculant-purified water diverted from the Qiantang River. The responses of Vallisneria natans and Hydrilla verticillata were investigated based on their morphological and physiological parameters in pot culture and aquarium simulation experiments. In the pot culture experiments, the biomass, seedling number, plant height, stolon number, stolon length, and root weight were significantly higher at a site located 150 m from the inlet compared with those at a site located 15 m from the inlet (P < 0.05), thereby indicating that the residual Al significantly inhibited the morphological development of V. natans and H. verticillata. The variations in the chlorophyll-a, protein, and malondialdehyde contents of the two species in both the pot culture and aquarium simulation experiments also demonstrated that the two submerged macrophytes were stressed by residual Al. V. natans and H. verticillata accumulated 0.052-0.227 mg of Al per gram of plant biomass (fresh weight, mg/g FW) and 0.045-0.205 mg Al/g FW in the in situ experiments, respectively, where the amounts of Al were significantly higher in the plants in the treatment aquaria during the laboratory experiments than those in the controls. These results may have important implications for the restoration of submerged macrophytes and ecological risk assessments in Al-exposed lakes. It is recommended that the Al salt concentration used for the control of lake eutrophication should be reduced to an appropriate level.</p
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