1,821 research outputs found
Preventive effect of polydatin against thrombosis: and its mechanism
This study aimed to investigate the effect of polydatin against thrombosis and its possible mechanisms. The methods of injection of arachidonic acid into mouse tail vein electrically stimulated carotid thrombosis in rats, and the rats’ inferior vena ligation were used to evaluate the antithrombotic effects of polydatin. Platelet aggregation was tested by use of Born’s method, and platelet cytosolic calcium was determined by use of Fura-2/AM. Thromboxane B2 and 6-keto-prostaglandin F1α level was monitored by the immuno-assay, while Rosette assay and Born’s method were used to observe plateletneutrophil interactions. The results show that polydatin had evident antithrombotic effects in the multiple-thrombosis models; the mechanisms may be closely related to its anti-platelet aggregation, which results in decrease of platelet cytosolic calcium and plasma thromboxane B2, while increasing plasma 6-keto-prostaglandin F1α Level and suppressing of platelet-neutrophil interactions.Key words: Polydatin, thromboxane A2, prostacyclin, platelet, neutrophil, cytosolic calcium
Global Sulfur Dioxide Emissions and the Driving Forces
The presence of sulfur dioxide (SO_{2}) in the air is a global concern because of its severe environmental and public health impacts. Recent evidence from satellite observations shows rapid changes in the spatial distribution of global SO_{2} emissions, but such features are generally missing in global emission inventories that use a bottom-up method due to the lack of up-to-date information, especially in developing countries. Here, we rely on the latest data available on emission activities, control measures, and emission factors to estimate global SO2 emissions for the period 1960–2014 on a 0.1° × 0.1° spatial resolution. We design two counterfactual scenarios to isolate the contributions of emission activity growth and control measure deployment on historical SO_{2} emission changes. We find that activity growth has been the major factor driving global SO_{2} emission changes overall, but control measure deployment is playing an increasingly important role. With effective control measures deployed in developed countries, the predominant emission contributor has shifted from developed countries in the early 1960s (61%) to developing countries at present (83%). Developing countries show divergency in mitigation strategies and thus in SO_{2} emission trends. Stringent controls in China are driving the recent decline in global emissions. A further reduction in SO_{2} emissions would come from a large number of developing nations that currently lack effective SO_{2} emission controls
GPU-based Iterative Cone Beam CT Reconstruction Using Tight Frame Regularization
X-ray imaging dose from serial cone-beam CT (CBCT) scans raises a clinical
concern in most image guided radiation therapy procedures. It is the goal of
this paper to develop a fast GPU-based algorithm to reconstruct high quality
CBCT images from undersampled and noisy projection data so as to lower the
imaging dose. For this purpose, we have developed an iterative tight frame (TF)
based CBCT reconstruction algorithm. A condition that a real CBCT image has a
sparse representation under a TF basis is imposed in the iteration process as
regularization to the solution. To speed up the computation, a multi-grid
method is employed. Our GPU implementation has achieved high computational
efficiency and a CBCT image of resolution 512\times512\times70 can be
reconstructed in ~5 min. We have tested our algorithm on a digital NCAT phantom
and a physical Catphan phantom. It is found that our TF-based algorithm is able
to reconstrct CBCT in the context of undersampling and low mAs levels. We have
also quantitatively analyzed the reconstructed CBCT image quality in terms of
modulation-transfer-function and contrast-to-noise ratio under various scanning
conditions. The results confirm the high CBCT image quality obtained from our
TF algorithm. Moreover, our algorithm has also been validated in a real
clinical context using a head-and-neck patient case. Comparisons of the
developed TF algorithm and the current state-of-the-art TV algorithm have also
been made in various cases studied in terms of reconstructed image quality and
computation efficiency.Comment: 24 pages, 8 figures, accepted by Phys. Med. Bio
Distinguishing Emission-Associated Ambient Air PM2.5 Concentrations and Meteorological Factor-Induced Fluctuations
Although PM2.5 (particulate matter with aerodynamic diameters less than 2.5 μm) in the air originates from emissions, its concentrations are often affected by confounding meteorological effects. Therefore, direct comparisons of PM2.5 concentrations made across two periods, which are commonly used by environmental protection administrations to measure the effectiveness of mitigation efforts, can be misleading. Here, we developed a two-step method to distinguish the significance of emissions and meteorological factors and assess the effectiveness of emission mitigation efforts. We modeled ambient PM2.5 concentrations from 1980 to 2014 based on three conditional scenarios: realistic conditions, fixed emissions, and fixed meteorology. The differences found between the model outputs were analyzed to quantify the relative contributions of emissions and meteorological factors. Emission-related gridded PM2.5 concentrations excluding the meteorological effects were predicted using multivariate regression models, whereas meteorological confounding effects on PM2.5 fluctuations were characterized by probabilistic functions. When the regression models and probabilistic functions were combined, fluctuations in the PM2.5 concentrations induced by emissions and meteorological factors were quantified for all model grid cells and regions. The method was then applied to assess the historical and future trends of PM2.5 concentrations and potential fluctuations on global, national, and city scales. The proposed method may thus be used to assess the effectiveness of mitigation actions
PM_{2.5} reductions in Chinese cities from 2013 to 2019 remain significant despite the inflating effects of meteorological conditions
Air pollution is a major environmental issue in China and imposes severe health burdens on Chinese citizens. Consequently, China has deployed a series of control measures to mitigate fine particulate matter (PM_{2.5}). However, the extent to which these measures have been effective is obscured by the existence of confounding meteorological effects. Here, we use a newly developed reduced-form model that can address emission-driven PM_{2.5} trends and control for meteorological effects to examine the level of PM_{2.5} reduction across 367 cities since the introduction of the Air Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan (the Plan) in 2013. Our findings show that, on average, the national annual mean level of PM_{2.5} decreased by 34% from 2013 to 2019 after the removal of meteorological effects, about 10% less than the reduction level officially observed. Despite this difference, assuming that current control efforts continue through 2035, the long-term air-quality target of 35 μg/m^{3} as determined by the recently updated Plan will be met
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Phosphoantigen/IL2 Expansion and Differentiation of Vγ2Vδ2 T Cells Increase Resistance to Tuberculosis in Nonhuman Primates
Dominant Vγ2Vδ2 T-cell subset exist only in primates, and recognize phosphoantigen from selected pathogens including M. tuberculosis(Mtb). In vivo function of Vγ2Vδ2 T cells in tuberculosis remains unknown. We conducted mechanistic studies to determine whether earlier expansion/differentiation of Vγ2Vδ2 T cells during Mtb infection could increase immune resistance to tuberculosis in macaques. Phosphoantigen/IL-2 administration specifically induced major expansion and pulmonary trafficking/accumulation of phosphoantigen-specific Vγ2Vδ2 T cells, significantly reduced Mtb burdens and attenuated tuberculosis lesions in lung tissues compared to saline/BSA or IL-2 controls. Expanded Vγ2Vδ2 T cells differentiated into multifunctional effector subpopulations capable of producing anti-TB cytokines IFNγ, perforin and granulysin, and co-producing perforin/granulysin in lung tissue. Mechanistically, perforin/granulysin-producing Vγ2Vδ2 T cells limited intracellular Mtb growth, and macaque granulysin had Mtb-bactericidal effect, and inhibited intracellular Mtb in presence of perforin. Furthermore, phosphoantigen/IL2-expanded Vγ2Vδ2 T effector cells produced IL-12, and their expansion/differentiation led to enhanced pulmonary responses of peptide-specific CD4+/CD8+ Th1-like cells. These results provide first in vivo evidence implicating that early expansion/differentiation of Vγ2Vδ2 T effector cells during Mtb infection increases resistance to tuberculosis. Thus, data support a rationale for conducting further studies of the γδ T-cell-targeted treatment of established TB, which might ultimately help explore single or adjunctive phosphoantigen expansion of Vγ2Vδ2 T-cell subset as intervention of MDR-tuberculosis or HIV-related tuberculosis
Large-scale distributions of mid- and far-infrared emission from the center to the halo of M82 revealed with AKARI
The edge-on starburst galaxy M82 exhibits complicated distributions of
gaseous materials in its halo, which include ionized superwinds driven by
nuclear starbursts, neutral materials entrained by the superwinds, and
large-scale neutral streamers probably caused by a past tidal interaction with
M81. We investigate detailed distributions of dust grains and polycyclic
aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) around M82 to understand their interplay with the
gaseous components. We performed mid- (MIR) and far-infrared (FIR) observations
of M82 with the Infrared Camera and Far-Infrared Surveyor on board AKARI. We
obtain new MIR and FIR images of M82, which reveal both faint extended emission
in the halo and very bright emission in the center with signal dynamic ranges
as large as five and three orders of magnitude for the MIR and FIR,
respectively. We detect MIR and FIR emission in the regions far away from the
disk of the galaxy, reflecting the presence of dust and PAHs in the halo of
M82. We find that the dust and PAHs are contained in both ionized and neutral
gas components, implying that they have been expelled into the halo of M82 by
both starbursts and galaxy interaction. In particular, we obtain a tight
correlation between the PAH and H emission, which provides evidence
that the PAHs are well mixed in the ionized superwind gas and outflowing from
the disk.Comment: 12 pages, 8 figures, accepted for publication in A&
The Double-Time Green's Function Approach to the Two-Dimensional Heisenberg Antiferromagnet with Broken Bonds
We improved the decoupling approximation of the double-time Green's function
theory, and applied it to study the spin- two-dimensional
antiferromagnetic Heisenberg model with broken bonds at finite temperature. Our
decoupling approximation is applicable to the spin systems with spatial
inhomogeneity, introduced by the local defects, over the whole temperature
region. At low temperatures, we observed that the quantum fluctuation is
reduced in the neighborhood of broken bond, which is in agreement with previous
theoretical expectations. At high temperatures our results showed that the
quantum fluctuation close to the broken bond is enhanced. For the two parallel
broken bonds cases, we found that there exists a repulsive interaction between
the two parallel broken bonds at low temperatures.Comment: Revtex, 6 pages, 5 Postscript figures (include
Clonal Immune Responses of Mycobacterium-Specific γδ T Cells in Tuberculous and Non-Tuberculous Tissues during M. tuberculosis Infection
BACKGROUND: We previously demonstrated that unvaccinated macaques infected with large-dose M.tuberculosis(Mtb) exhibited delays for pulmonary trafficking of Ag-specific αβ and γδ T effector cells, and developed severe lung tuberculosis(TB) and "secondary" Mtb infection in remote organs such as liver and kidney. Despite delays in lungs, local immunity in remote organs may accumulate since progressive immune activation after pulmonary Mtb infection may allow IFNγ-producing γδ T cells to adequately develop and traffic to lately-infected remote organs. As initial efforts to test this hypothesis, we comparatively examined TCR repertoire/clonality, tissue trafficking and effector function of Vγ2Vδ2 T cells in lung with severe TB and in liver/kidney without apparent TB. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We utilized conventional infection-immunity approaches in macaque TB model, and employed our decades-long expertise for TCR repertoire analyses. TCR repertoires in Vγ2Vδ2 T-cell subpopulation were broad during primary Mtb infection as most TCR clones found in lymphoid system, lung, kidney and liver were distinct. Polyclonally-expanded Vγ2Vδ2 T-cell clones from lymphoid tissues appeared to distribute and localize in lung TB granuloms at the endpoint after Mtb infection by aerosol. Interestingly, some TCR clones appeared to be more predominant than others in lymphocytes from liver or kidney without apparent TB lesions. TCR CDR3 spetratyping revealed such clonal dominance, and the clonal dominance of expanded Vγ2Vδ2 T cells in kidney/liver tissues was associated with undetectable or low-level TB burdens. Furthermore, Vγ2Vδ2 T cells from tissue compartments could mount effector function for producing anti-mycobacterium cytokine. CONCLUSION: We were the first to demonstrate clonal immune responses of mycobacterium-specific Vγ2Vδ2 T cells in the lymphoid system, heavily-infected lungs and lately subtly-infected kidneys or livers during primary Mtb infection. While clonally-expanded Vγ2Vδ2 T cells accumulated in lately-infected kidneys/livers without apparent TB lesions, TB burdens or lesions appeared to impact TCR repertoires and tissue trafficking patterns of activated Vγ2Vδ2 T cells
Nonlinear hydro turbine model having a surge tank.
yesThis paper models a hydro turbine based on the dynamic description of the hydraulic system having a surge tank and elastic water hammer. The dynamic of the hydraulic system is transformed from transfer function form into the differential equation model in relative value. This model is then combined with the motion equation of the main servomotor to form the nonlinear model of the hydro turbine, in which the power of the hydro turbine is calculated using algebraic equation. A new control model is thus proposed in which the dynamic of the surge tank is taken as an additional input of control items. As such, the complex hydraulic system is decomposed into a classical one penstock and one machine model with an additional input control. Therefore, the order of the system is descended. As a result, the feasibility of the system is largely improved. The simulated results show that the additional input of the surge tank is effective and the proposed method is realizable.National Natural Science Foundation of China (50839003, 50949037, 51179079), Natural Science Foundation of Yunnan Province (No. 2008GA027
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