Preparation of Broad-Spectrum Polyclonal Antibody and Development of an Indirect Competitive-Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay for Multi-Residue Detection of Biphenyl Tetrazolium Sartans in Antihypertensive Health Foods

An indirect competitive-enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ic-ELISA) was established to detect the multi-residue of biphenyl tetrazolium sartans in antihypertensive health foods. Candesartan was coupled with bovine serum albumin to obtain immunogen. New Zealand white rabbits were immunized and a broad-spectrum antibody was obtained by an antibody screening assay. The half maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC50) for candesartan, losartan carboxylic acid, losartan potassium, olmesartan, olmesartan medoxomil, irbesartan, valsartan and valsartan methyl ester were 0.2, 0.2, 0.7, 0.04, 0.6, 0.3, 0.9 and 2.4 ng/mL, respectively. The samples were extracted with methanol and the matrix effect was eliminated by diluting the extract with standard solutions. The average recoveries of the eight target compounds were in the range from 80.6% to 120.0% with coefficients of variation equal to or below 14.0%. The results of ic-ELISA were highly correlated with those of liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) (r > 0.97), indicating high accuracy and good reliability of ic-ELISA

Explaining disparities in colorectal cancer screening among five Asian ethnic groups: A population-based study in California

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Data from the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) indicate that levels and temporal trends in colorectal cancer (CRC) screening prevalence vary among Asian American groups; however, the reasons for these differences have not been fully investigated.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Using CHIS 2001, 2003 and 2005 data, we conducted hierarchical regression analyses progressively controlling for demographic characteristics, English proficiency and access to care in an attempt to identify factors explaining differences in screening prevalence and trends among Chinese, Filipino, Vietnamese, Korean and Japanese Americans (N = 4,188).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>After controlling for differences in gender and age, all Asian subgroups had significantly lower odds of having ever received screening in 2001 than the reference group of Japanese Americans. In addition, Korean Americans were the only subgroup that had a statistically significant decline in screening prevalence from 2001 to 2005 compared to the trend among Japanese Americans. After controlling for differences in education, marital status, employment status and federal poverty level, Korean Americans were the only group that had significantly lower screening prevalence than Japanese Americans in 2001, and their trend to 2005 remained significantly depressed. After controlling for differences in English proficiency and access to care, screening prevalences in 2001 were no longer significantly different among the Asian subgroups, but the trend among Korean Americans from 2001 to 2005 remained significantly depressed. Korean and Vietnamese Americans were less likely than other groups to report a recent doctor recommendation for screening and more likely to cite a lack of health problems as a reason for not obtaining screening.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Differences in CRC screening trends among Asian ethnic groups are not entirely explained by differences in demographic characteristics, English proficiency and access to care. A better understanding of mutable factors such as rates of doctor recommendation and health beliefs will be crucial for designing culturally appropriate interventions to promote CRC screening.</p

How confident are young adult cancer survivors in managing their survivorship care? A report from the LIVESTRONG™ Survivorship Center of Excellence Network

This study examined the association between sociodemographic, cancer treatment, and care delivery factors on young adult cancer survivors’ confidence in managing their survivorship care

中國金融、生態與合作問題 = Finance, ecology, and cooperation in today’s China

此節由董筱丹 (中國人民大學) 主持，先由講者分享對中國金融、生態與合作問題的思考，點評人隨後作出點評。 演講: - 靳培云 (嶺南大學) - 何志雄 (北京梁漱溟鄉村建設中心) - 黃志友 (北京愛故鄉文化發展中心) - 嚴曉輝 (全球大學、國仁鄉建社企聯盟) 點評 : - 盧麒元 (沃德國際管理顧問有限公司) - 張孝德 (中共中央黨校國家行政學院

The Main Anthocyanin Monomer from <i>Lycium ruthenicum</i> Murray Fruit Mediates Obesity via Modulating the Gut Microbiota and Improving the Intestinal Barrier

Anthocyanins have been shown to exert certain antiobesity properties, but the specific relationship between anthocyanin-induced beneficial effects and the gut microbiota remains unclear. Petunidin-3-O-[rhamnopyranosyl-(trans-p-coumaroyl)]-5-O-(β-D-glucopyranoside) (P3G) is the main anthocyanin monomer from the fruit of Lycium ruthenicum Murray. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the antiobesity and remodeling effects of P3G on gut microbiota through a high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity mouse model and a fecal microbiota transplantation experiment. P3G was found to reduce body weight gain, fat accumulation, and liver steatosis in HFD-induced obese mice. Moreover, supplementation with P3G alleviated the HFD-induced imbalance in gut microbiota composition, and transferring the P3G-regulated gut microbiota to recipient mice provided comparable protection against obesity. This is the first time evidence is provided that P3G has an antiobesity effect by changing the intestinal microbiota. Our present data highlight a link between P3G intervention and enhancement in gut barrier integrity. This may be a promising option for obesity prevention

Attenuation-based size metric for estimating organ dose to patients undergoing tube current modulated CT exams.

PurposeTask Group 204 introduced effective diameter (ED) as the patient size metric used to correlate size-specific-dose-estimates. However, this size metric fails to account for patient attenuation properties and has been suggested to be replaced by an attenuation-based size metric, water equivalent diameter (DW). The purpose of this study is to investigate different size metrics, effective diameter, and water equivalent diameter, in combination with regional descriptions of scanner output to establish the most appropriate size metric to be used as a predictor for organ dose in tube current modulated CT exams.Methods101 thoracic and 82 abdomen/pelvis scans from clinically indicated CT exams were collected retrospectively from a multidetector row CT (Sensation 64, Siemens Healthcare) with Institutional Review Board approval to generate voxelized patient models. Fully irradiated organs (lung and breasts in thoracic scans and liver, kidneys, and spleen in abdominal scans) were segmented and used as tally regions in Monte Carlo simulations for reporting organ dose. Along with image data, raw projection data were collected to obtain tube current information for simulating tube current modulation scans using Monte Carlo methods. Additionally, previously described patient size metrics [ED, DW, and approximated water equivalent diameter (DWa)] were calculated for each patient and reported in three different ways: a single value averaged over the entire scan, a single value averaged over the region of interest, and a single value from a location in the middle of the scan volume. Organ doses were normalized by an appropriate mAs weighted CTDIvol to reflect regional variation of tube current. Linear regression analysis was used to evaluate the correlations between normalized organ doses and each size metric.ResultsFor the abdominal organs, the correlations between normalized organ dose and size metric were overall slightly higher for all three differently (global, regional, and middle slice) reported DW and DWa than they were for ED, but the differences were not statistically significant. However, for lung dose, computed correlations using water equivalent diameter calculated in the middle of the image data (DW,middle) and averaged over the low attenuating region of lung (DW,regional) were statistically significantly higher than correlations of normalized lung dose with ED.ConclusionsTo conclude, effective diameter and water equivalent diameter are very similar in abdominal regions; however, their difference becomes noticeable in lungs. Water equivalent diameter, specifically reported as a regional average and middle of scan volume, was shown to be better predictors of lung dose. Therefore, an attenuation-based size metric (water equivalent diameter) is recommended because it is more robust across different anatomic regions. Additionally, it was observed that the regional size metric reported as a single value averaged over a region of interest and the size metric calculated from a single slice/image chosen from the middle of the scan volume are highly correlated for these specific patient models and scan types

Attenuation-based size metric for estimating organ dose to patients undergoing tube current modulated CT exams.

PurposeTask Group 204 introduced effective diameter (ED) as the patient size metric used to correlate size-specific-dose-estimates. However, this size metric fails to account for patient attenuation properties and has been suggested to be replaced by an attenuation-based size metric, water equivalent diameter (DW). The purpose of this study is to investigate different size metrics, effective diameter, and water equivalent diameter, in combination with regional descriptions of scanner output to establish the most appropriate size metric to be used as a predictor for organ dose in tube current modulated CT exams.Methods101 thoracic and 82 abdomen/pelvis scans from clinically indicated CT exams were collected retrospectively from a multidetector row CT (Sensation 64, Siemens Healthcare) with Institutional Review Board approval to generate voxelized patient models. Fully irradiated organs (lung and breasts in thoracic scans and liver, kidneys, and spleen in abdominal scans) were segmented and used as tally regions in Monte Carlo simulations for reporting organ dose. Along with image data, raw projection data were collected to obtain tube current information for simulating tube current modulation scans using Monte Carlo methods. Additionally, previously described patient size metrics [ED, DW, and approximated water equivalent diameter (DWa)] were calculated for each patient and reported in three different ways: a single value averaged over the entire scan, a single value averaged over the region of interest, and a single value from a location in the middle of the scan volume. Organ doses were normalized by an appropriate mAs weighted CTDIvol to reflect regional variation of tube current. Linear regression analysis was used to evaluate the correlations between normalized organ doses and each size metric.ResultsFor the abdominal organs, the correlations between normalized organ dose and size metric were overall slightly higher for all three differently (global, regional, and middle slice) reported DW and DWa than they were for ED, but the differences were not statistically significant. However, for lung dose, computed correlations using water equivalent diameter calculated in the middle of the image data (DW,middle) and averaged over the low attenuating region of lung (DW,regional) were statistically significantly higher than correlations of normalized lung dose with ED.ConclusionsTo conclude, effective diameter and water equivalent diameter are very similar in abdominal regions; however, their difference becomes noticeable in lungs. Water equivalent diameter, specifically reported as a regional average and middle of scan volume, was shown to be better predictors of lung dose. Therefore, an attenuation-based size metric (water equivalent diameter) is recommended because it is more robust across different anatomic regions. Additionally, it was observed that the regional size metric reported as a single value averaged over a region of interest and the size metric calculated from a single slice/image chosen from the middle of the scan volume are highly correlated for these specific patient models and scan types

A Comparative Study on the Vertical Structures and Microphysical Properties of a Mixed Precipitation Process over Different Topographic Positions of the Liupan Mountains in Northwest China

A field campaign in Liupan Mountains was carried out by the Weather Modification Center of the China Meteorological Administration to study the impact of terrain on precipitation in Northwest China. The vertical structures and microphysical characteristics of a mixed cloud and precipitation process, which means stratiform clouds with embedded convection, over three topographic positions of the Liupan Mountains, namely, the Longde (LD, located on the windward slope), Liupan (LP, located on the mountain top), and Dawan sites (DW, located on the leeward slope), are compared using measurements from ground-based cloud radar (CR), micro rain radar (MRR), and disdrometer (OTT). The 17 h process is classified into cumulus mixed (1149 min), shallow (528 min), and stratiform (570 min) cloud and precipitation stages. Among them, the vertical structures over the three sites are relatively similar in the third stage, while the differences, mainly in cloud-top heights (CTHs) and rain rates (Rs), are significant in the second stage due to the strong instability. Overall, the characteristics of higher concentrations and smaller diameters of raindrops are found in this study, especially at the LP site. Topographic forcing makes the microphysical and dynamic processes of mountaintop clouds and precipitation more intense. The updrafts are the strongest at the LP, caused by orographic uplifting, and the DW is dominated by the downdrafts due to the topography impact on the dynamic structure. Meanwhile, particle falling velocities (Vts) and downdrafts rapidly increase within 0.6 km near the ground over the LP, forming positive feedback, and the collision–coalescence process is dominant

Biomimetic fabrication bioprinting strategies based on decellularized extracellular matrix for musculoskeletal tissue regeneration: Current status and future perspectives

Musculoskeletal disorders, as one of the prevalent categories of ailments, exert significant impacts on individuals’ lives, occupations, and physical activities. Degenerative changes, injuries, infections, and tumor resections causing defects in musculoskeletal tissues such as cartilage, bones, skeletal muscles, menisci, ligaments, and rotator cuffs can detrimentally affect patients’ quality of life and mental well-being. Traditional autologous and allogeneic transplantations have been clinically employed. However, autologous transplantation suffers from the limitation of a finite number of transplantable tissues, while allogeneic transplantation faces challenges such as immune rejection. The extracellular matrix (ECM) serves as a natural scaffold for cells to fulfill physiological functions such as adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation. Decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM) emerges as a promising biomaterial generated through specific tissue or organ decellularization. Leveraging 3D bioprinting technology, dECM-based biomaterials enable customized printing and construction. This study reviews various decellularization techniques, post-decellularization strategies, and commonly used 3D bioprinting technologies. It summarizes the integration of dECM-based biomaterials with 3D bioprinting technology applied in musculoskeletal system research. These investigations showcase the exciting potential of dECM-based biomaterials in the musculoskeletal system, offering prospects for clinical translation in orthopedics