Mutual optical intensity propagation through non-ideal two-dimensional mirrors

The mutual optical intensity (MOI) model is a partially coherent radiation propagation tool that can sequentially simulate beamline optics and provide beam intensity, local degree of coherence and phase distribution at any location along a beamline. This paper extends the MOI model to non-ideal two-dimensional (2D) optical systems, such as ellipsoidal and toroidal mirrors with 2D figure errors. Simulation results show that one can tune the trade-off between calculation efficiency and accuracy by varying the number of wavefront elements. The focal spot size of an ellipsoidal mirror calculated with 100 × 100 elements gives less than 0.4% deviation from that with 250 × 250 elements, and the computation speed is nearly two orders of magnitude faster. Effects of figure errors on 2D focusing are also demonstrated for a non-ideal ellipsoidal mirror and by comparing the toroidal and ellipsoidal mirrors. Finally, the MOI model is benchmarked against the multi-electron Synchrotron Radiation Workshop (SRW) code showing the model's high accuracy

Association Between Testosterone Supplementation Therapy and Thrombotic Events in Elderly Men

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of thrombotic events and all-cause mortality in men older than 65 years with hypogonadism treated with testosterone therapy (TST). METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the charts of 217 hypogonadal men >65 years. We compared men who received TST (n=153) to hypogonadal men (n=64) who did not receive TST. We evaluated all-cause mortality, prevalence of myocardial infarction (MI), transient ischemic attack (TIA), cerebrovascular accident (CVA, or ‘stroke’), and deep vein thrombosis / pulmonary embolism (DVT/PE). All events were verified by contacting patients. We excluded men with previous thrombotic events, men previously on androgen deprivation therapy and men who had used TST prior to age of 65. RESULTS: Median age and Charlson Comorbidity Index of men on TST (74y; 5.1) was similar between hypogonadal men not on TST (73y, p=0.48; 5.3, p=0.36). Median follow-up was 3.8 vs. 3.5 years (TST vs. no TST). No man on TST died, whereas 5 hypogonadal men who did not receive TST died (p=0.007). There were 4 thrombotic events (1 MI, 2 CVA/TIA, 1 PE) in men who received TST and 1 event (CVA/TIA) among men who did not receive TST (p = 0.8). All events (1 death, 6 months follow-up) occurred at least after 2 years of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: There was increased all-cause mortality in hypogonadal men not treated with testosterone compared to men who received testosterone therapy. There was no difference in prevalence of MI, TIA/CVA, or PE between patients treated with testosterone and hypogonadal men not treated with testosterone

Highly Efficient Expression of Interleukin-2 under the Control of Rabbit β-Globin Intron II Gene Enhances Protective Immune Responses of Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) DNA Vaccine in Pigs

<div><p>Highly pathogenic porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (HP-PRRSV) had caused catastrophic losses in swine industry in China. The current inactivated vaccine provided only limited protection, and the attenuated live vaccine could protect piglets against the HP-PRRSV but there was a possibility that the attenuated virus returned to high virulence. In this study, the eukaryotic expression vector pVAX1^© was modified under the control of rabbit β-globin intron II gene and the modified vector pMVAX1^© was constructed. Porcine interleukin-2 (IL-2) and GP3-GP5 fusion protein of HP-PRRSV strain SD-JN were highly expressed by pMVAX1^©. Mice inoculated with pMVAX1^©-GP35 developed significantly higher PRRSV-specific antibody responses and T cell proliferation than those vaccinated with pVAX1^©-GP35. pMVAX1^©-GP35 was selected as PRRS DNA vaccine candidate and co-administrated with pVAX1^©-IL-2 or pMVAX1^©-IL-2 in pigs. pMVAX1^©-IL-2+pMVAX1^©-GP35 could provide enhanced PRRSV-specific antibody responses, T cell proliferation, Th1-type and Th2-type cytokine responses and CTL responses than pMVAX1^©-GP35 and pVAX1^©-IL-2+pMVAX1^©-GP35. Following homologous challenge with HP-PRRSV strain SD-JN, similar with attenuated PRRS vaccine group, pigs inoculated with pMVAX1^©-IL-2+pMVAX1^©-GP35 showed no clinical signs, almost no lung lesions and no viremia, as compared to those in pMVAX1^©-GP35 and pVAX1^©-IL-2+pMVAX1^©-GP35 groups. It indicated that pMVAX1^©-IL-2 effectively increases humoral and cell mediated immune responses of pMVAX1^©-GP35. Co-administration of pMVAX1^©-IL-2 and pMVAX1^©-GP35 might be attractive candidate vaccines for preventing HP-PRRSV infections.</p></div

Lymphocyte proliferative responses in pigs immunized with PBS, individual plasmid or attenuated PRRS vaccine in the cervical region muscles using regular syringes and needles.

<p>Heparinized blood samples (n = 5) were collected at days 42 and 56 dpi and PBMCs were stimulated with purified SD-JN PRRSV antigen (10 µg/ml) in triplicate. After 45 h of stimulation, MTT was added and the proliferation responses were detected by a standard MTT method <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0090326#pone.0090326-Jiang1" target="_blank">[6]</a>, <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0090326#pone.0090326-Du1" target="_blank">[10]</a>. The PHA control sample showed a stimulation index of 6–8. Data were shown as mean±standard error.</p

Lymphocyte proliferative responses in mice immunized with PBS, pVAX1^©, pMVAX1^©, pVAX1^©-GP35 or pMVAX1^©-GP35.

<p>Splenocytes samples (n = 5) were collected at days 35 and 49 dpi and were stimulated with purified SD-JN PRRSV antigen (10 µg/ml) in triplicate. After 45 h of stimulation, MTT was added and the proliferation responses were detected by a standard MTT method <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0090326#pone.0090326-Jiang1" target="_blank">[6]</a>, <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0090326#pone.0090326-Du1" target="_blank">[10]</a>. The PHA control sample showed a stimulation index of 6–8. Data were shown as mean±standard error.</p

The concentrations (pg/ml) of Th1-type cytokine IFN-γ and Th2-type cytokine IL-4 in the supernatants. PBMCs (5×10⁶/ml, 100 µl per well) were isolated from the blood of pigs at 42 dpi and stimulated with purified SD-JN PRRSV antigen (10 µg/ml).

<p>After 72-type cytokine IFN-γ and Th2-type cytokine IL-4 using commercially available pig cytokine ELISA kits. Data were shown as mean±standard error.</p