Therapeutic potential of a combination of recombinant human growth hormone (r-hGH) and vitamin D in children with idiopathic short stature

Purpose: To study the effectiveness and clinical significance of recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) in combination with vitamin D in the treatment of idiopathic short-stature children.Methods: A total of 90 idiopathic short-stature children admitted at Children Health Care Center of Shiyan Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Shiyan between March 2017 and March 2020 were assigned to three groups: A, B and C, based on dose of r-hGH given. Group A received r-hGH at a dose of 0.26 mg/kg/week, while groups B and C received r-hGH at doses of 0.35 and 0.42mg/kg/week, respectively. All the patients were given vitamin D along with the r-hGH doses administered. Height, growth rate, bone age, height standard deviation score, fasting blood glucose, thyroid function and treatment effectiveness were determined and compared among the three groups before treatment, and one year after treatment.Results: Significantly higher height standard deviation score, growth rate, bone age, and height were observed in the three groups of patients after one year of treatment than before treatment, with group A < group B < group C (p < 0.05). Fasting blood glucose and thyroid function were not significantly different amongst the three groups after treatment (p < 0.05). Group C showed the highest treatment effectiveness, followed by group B, and then group A (p < 0.05).Conclusion: The use of a combination of r-hGH and vitamin D produces a favorable treatment effectiveness in idiopathic short-stature children. However, further clinical trials are required to validate this treatment strategy

Improved Calculation Method for Siphon Drainage with Extended Horizontal Sections

Slope siphon drainage is a convenient and efficient above-ground drainage method that is free of manual power and can effectively maintain the stability of potential landslides and prevent the loss of life and property. The complex engineering topography inevitably requires the use of siphon drains with a total length of more than 150 m and a horizontal section length of more than 80 m, which significantly increases the difficulty of calculating the drainage capacity and thus affects the actual utilization of the project. The traditional siphon flow rate equation does not apply to long-pipe siphon conditions, especially when the lift is close to the limit, and there are significant errors in the calculation results, for which we propose a new calculation method. The proposed method considers both air release and flow-pattern classification. Thirty-six sets of experiments were conducted to validate our proposed calculation method. The results showed that our method not only calculated the siphon flow velocity well but also predicted the main flow pattern in the siphon in the experiment well. Furthermore, the equation for calculating the siphon flow velocity was extended to the siphon operation mode with long horizontal sections

Improved Calculation Method for Siphon Drainage with Extended Horizontal Sections

Slope siphon drainage is a convenient and efficient above-ground drainage method that is free of manual power and can effectively maintain the stability of potential landslides and prevent the loss of life and property. The complex engineering topography inevitably requires the use of siphon drains with a total length of more than 150 m and a horizontal section length of more than 80 m, which significantly increases the difficulty of calculating the drainage capacity and thus affects the actual utilization of the project. The traditional siphon flow rate equation does not apply to long-pipe siphon conditions, especially when the lift is close to the limit, and there are significant errors in the calculation results, for which we propose a new calculation method. The proposed method considers both air release and flow-pattern classification. Thirty-six sets of experiments were conducted to validate our proposed calculation method. The results showed that our method not only calculated the siphon flow velocity well but also predicted the main flow pattern in the siphon in the experiment well. Furthermore, the equation for calculating the siphon flow velocity was extended to the siphon operation mode with long horizontal sections

Study on Siphon Drainage Capacity of Slopes with Long-Horizontal Pipe Sections

Siphon drainage, which is applicable in engineering as one of the effective methods to maintain slope stability, has many advantages, including no additional power requirements, simple construction, and low construction cost. However, due to topographic constraints and high farmland occupation costs, most projects inevitably use pipes with a total length of more than 100 m and horizontal sections of more than 50 m for drainage. The increase in pipe length has serious adverse effects on the siphon drainage process, limiting its drainage capacity and long-term applicability. Therefore, in slope siphon drainage, drainage efficiency and long-term effectiveness are critical factors in determining whether a particular pipe size can be used effectively for slope drainage management. This paper investigates the performance of different pipe diameters in drainage capacity, flow regime, and restarting ability under different head and pipe length combinations through theoretical analysis and extensive foot-scale model tests. It was found that a 5 mm pipe diameter, as a transitional pipe diameter between capillary and typical pipe diameter, has both capillary and gravity-dominated characteristics under different capillary and Reynolds number conditions, which can form a stable segmental plug flow while maintaining the presence of liquid film and preventing increased frictional losses along the course

Study on Siphon Drainage Capacity of Slopes with Long-Horizontal Pipe Sections

Siphon drainage, which is applicable in engineering as one of the effective methods to maintain slope stability, has many advantages, including no additional power requirements, simple construction, and low construction cost. However, due to topographic constraints and high farmland occupation costs, most projects inevitably use pipes with a total length of more than 100 m and horizontal sections of more than 50 m for drainage. The increase in pipe length has serious adverse effects on the siphon drainage process, limiting its drainage capacity and long-term applicability. Therefore, in slope siphon drainage, drainage efficiency and long-term effectiveness are critical factors in determining whether a particular pipe size can be used effectively for slope drainage management. This paper investigates the performance of different pipe diameters in drainage capacity, flow regime, and restarting ability under different head and pipe length combinations through theoretical analysis and extensive foot-scale model tests. It was found that a 5 mm pipe diameter, as a transitional pipe diameter between capillary and typical pipe diameter, has both capillary and gravity-dominated characteristics under different capillary and Reynolds number conditions, which can form a stable segmental plug flow while maintaining the presence of liquid film and preventing increased frictional losses along the course

Systematic monitoring of the performance of anchor systems in fractured rock masses

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Adaptive Evolution of the Fox Coronavirus Based on Genome-Wide Sequence Analysis

Purpose. To report the first complete fox coronavirus (CoV) genome sequence obtained through genome-wide amplifications and to understand the adaptive evolution of fox CoV. Methods. Anal swab samples were collected from 35 foxes to detect the presence of CoV and obtain the virus sequence. Phylogenetic analysis was conducted using MrBayes. The possibility of recombination within these sequences was assessed using GARD. Analysis of the levels of selection pressure experienced by these sequences was assessed using methods on both the PAML and Data Monkey platforms. Results. Of the 35 samples, two were positive, and complete genome sequences for the viruses were obtained. Phylogenetic analysis, using Bayesian methods, of these sequences, together with other CoV sequences, revealed that the fox CoV sequences clustered with canine coronavirus (CCoV) sequences, with sequences from other carnivores more distantly related. In contrast to the feline, ferret and mink CoV sequences that clustered into species-specific clades, the fox CoV fell within the CCoV clade. Minimal evidence for recombination was found among the sequences. A total of 7, 3, 14, and 2 positively selected sites were identified in the M, N, S, and 7B genes, respectively, with 99, 111, and 581 negatively selected sites identified in M, N, and S genes, respectively. Conclusion. The complete genome sequence of fox CoV has been obtained for the first time. The results suggest that the genome sequence of fox CoV may have experienced adaptive evolution in the genes replication, entry, and virulence. The number of sites in each gene that experienced negative selection is far greater than the number that underwent positive selection, suggesting that most of the sequence is highly conserved and important for viral survive. However, positive selection at a few sites likely aided these viruses to adapt to new environments.Peer Reviewe

Altered Cytokine Gene Expression in Peripheral Blood Monocytes across the Menstrual Cycle in Primary Dysmenorrhea: A Case-Control Study

<div><p>Primary dysmenorrhea is one of the most common gynecological complaints in young women, but potential peripheral immunologic features underlying this condition remain undefined. In this paper, we compared 84 common cytokine gene expression profiles of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from six primary dysmenorrheic young women and three unaffected controls on the seventh day before (secretory phase), and the first (menstrual phase) and the fifth (regenerative phase) days of menstruation, using a real-time PCR array assay combined with pattern recognition and gene function annotation methods. Comparisons between dysmenorrhea and normal control groups identified 11 (nine increased and two decreased), 14 (five increased and nine decreased), and 15 (seven increased and eight decreased) genes with ≥2-fold difference in expression (<em>P</em><0.05) in the three phases of menstruation, respectively. In the menstrual phase, genes encoding pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL1B, TNF, IL6, and IL8) were up-regulated, and genes encoding TGF-β superfamily members (BMP4, BMP6, GDF5, GDF11, LEFTY2, NODAL, and MSTN) were down-regulated. Functional annotation revealed an excessive inflammatory response and insufficient TGF-β superfamily member signals with anti-inflammatory consequences, which may directly contribute to menstrual pain. In the secretory and regenerative phases, increased expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and decreased expression of growth factors were also observed. These factors may be involved in the regulation of decidualization, endometrium breakdown and repair, and indirectly exacerbate primary dysmenorrhea. This first study of cytokine gene expression profiles in PBMCs from young primary dysmenorrheic women demonstrates a shift in the balance between expression patterns of pro-inflammatory cytokines and TGF-β superfamily members across the whole menstrual cycle, underlying the peripheral immunologic features of primary dysmenorrhea.</p> </div