The entropy puzzle and the quark combination model

We use two available methods, the Duhem-Gibbs relation and the entropy formula in terms of particle phase space distributions, to calculate the entropy in a quark combination model. The entropy of the system extracted from the Duhem-Gibbs relation is found to increase in hadronization if the average temperature of the hadronic phase is lower than that of the quark phase. The increase of the entropy can also be confirmed from the entropy formula if the volume of the hadronic phase is larger than 2.5-3.0 times that of the quark phase. So whether the entropy increases or decreases during combination depends on the temperature before and after combination and on how much expansion the system undergoes during combination. The current study provides an example to shed light on the entropy issue in the quark combination model.Comment: RevTex 4, 4 pages, 2 tables, 4 figures, discussions and references added, to appear in PR

Production of Strange and Charm Hadrons in Pb+Pb Collisions at sNN=\sqrt{s_{NN}}= 5.02 TeV

Using a quark combination model with the equal-velocity combination approximation, we study the production of hadrons with strangeness and charm flavor quantum numbers in Pb+Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}=$5.02 TeV. We present analytical expressions and numerical results for these hadrons' transverse momentum spectra and yield ratios. Our numerical results agree well with the experimental data available. The features of strange and charm hadron production in the quark--gluon plasma at the early stage of heavy ion collisions are also discussed.Comment: 12 pages, 9 figure

Monitoring specific antibody responses against the hydrophilic domain of the 23 kDa membrane protein of Schistosoma japonicum for early detection of infection in sentinel mice

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Schistosomiasis remains an important public health problem throughout tropical and subtropical countries. Humans are infected through contact with water contaminated with schistosome cercariae. Therefore, issuing early warnings on the risk of infection is an important preventive measure against schistosomiasis. Sentinel mice are used to monitor water body infestations, and identifying appropriate antibody responses to schistosome antigens for early detection of infection would help to improve the efficiency of this system. In this study we explored the potential of detecting antibodies to the hydrophilic domain (HD) of the 23-kDa membrane protein (Sj23HD) and soluble egg antigen (SEA) of <it>Schistosome japonicum </it>for early detection of schistosome infection in sentinel mice.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Development of IgM and IgG antibody levels against Sj23HD and SEA in <it>S. japonicum </it>infected mice was evaluated over the course of 42 days post-infection by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunoblotting. The Sj23HD and SEA specific IgM and IgG levels in mice all increased gradually over the course of infection, but IgM and IgG antibodies against Sj23HD presented earlier than those against SEA. Furthermore, the rates of positive antibody responses against Sj23HD were higher than those against SEA in the early stage of schistosome infection, suggesting that the likelihood of detecting early infection using anti-Sj23HD responses would be higher than that with anti-SEA responses. The use of immunoblotting could further improve the early detection of schistosome infection due to its greater sensitivity and specificity compared to ELISA. Additionally, the levels of Sj23HD and SEA specific antibodies positively correlated with the load of cercariae challenge and the duration of schistosome infection.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This study demonstrated that antibody responses to the Sj23HD antigen could be monitored for early detection of schistosome infection in mice, especially by immunoblotting which demonstrated greater sensitivity and specificity than ELISA for detection Sj23HD antibodies.</p

The Clinical Profile of Merkel Cell Carcinoma in Mainland China

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is an aggressive cutaneous malignancy, but little is known about the presence or characteristics of MCC in mainland China. A retrospective chart review was conducted to describe the clinical profile of Merkel cell carcinoma in China

High Prevalence and Genetic Heterogeneity of Rodent-Borne Bartonella Species on Heixiazi Island, China

We performed genetic analysis of Bartonella isolates from rodent populations from Heixiazi Island in northeast China. Animals were captured at four sites representing grassland and brushwood habitats in 2011 and examined for the prevalence and genetic diversity of Bartonella species, their relationship to their hosts, and geographic distribution. A high prevalence (57.7%) and a high diversity (14 unique genotypes which belonged to 8 clades) of Bartonella spp. were detected from 71 rodents comprising 5 species and 4 genera from 3 rodent families. Forty-one Bartonella isolates were recovered and identified, including B. taylorii, B. japonica, B. coopersplainsensis, B. grahamii, B. washoensis subsp. cynomysii, B. doshiae, and two novel Bartonella species, by sequencing of four genes (gltA, the 16S rRNA gene, ftsZ, and rpoB). The isolates of B. taylorii and B. grahamii were the most prevalent and exhibited genetic difference from isolates identified elsewhere. Several isolates clustered with strains from Japan and far-eastern Russia; strains isolated from the same host typically were found within the same cluster. Species descriptions are provided for Bartonella heixiaziensis sp. nov. and B. fuyuanensis sp. nov

Emerging tick-borne infections in mainland China: an increasing public health threat

Since the beginning of the 1980s, 33 emerging tick-borne agents have been identified in mainland China, including eight species of spotted fever group rickettsiae, seven species in the family Anaplasmataceae, six genospecies in the complex Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, 11 species of Babesia, and the virus causing severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome. In this Review we have mapped the geographical distributions of human cases of infection. 15 of the 33 emerging tick-borne agents have been reported to cause human disease, and their clinical characteristics have been described. The non-specific clinical manifestations caused by tick-borne pathogens present a major diagnostic challenge and most physicians are unfamiliar with the many tick-borne diseases that present with non-specific symptoms in the early stages of the illness. Advances in and application of modern molecular techniques should help with identification of emerging tick-borne pathogens and improve laboratory diagnosis of human infections. We expect that more novel tick-borne infections in ticks and animals will be identified and additional emerging tick-borne diseases in human beings will be discovered

What molecular assembly can learn from catalytic chemistry

NSF of China [91227111, 21021002, 20923004, 91127019, 91127046]One important objective of molecular assembly research is to create highly complex functional chemical systems capable of responding, adapting, and evolving. Compared with living systems, the synthetic systems are still rather primitive and are far from realizing those features. Nature is by far the most important source of inspiration for designing and creating such systems. In this critical review, we summarize an alternative approach, inspired by catalysis, to examine and describe some molecular assembly processes. A new term, "catassembly,'' is suggested to refer to the increase in the rate and control of a molecular assembly process. This term combines the words "catalysis'' and "assembly,'' and identifiably retains the Greek root "cat-'' of catalysis. The corresponding verb is "catassemble'' and the noun is "catassembler'', referring to the "helper'' species. Catassembly in molecular assembly is a concept that is analogous to catalysis in chemical synthesis. After using several examples to illustrate the characteristics of catassembly, we discuss future methodological and theoretical developments. We also emphasize the significance of the synergy between chemical synthesis and molecular assembly, especially for hierarchical assembly systems. Because most efforts in the field of molecular assembly have been devoted to the design and synthesis of molecular building blocks, we wish to stress the apparently missing yet critical link to complex chemical systems, i.e., the design and utilization of molecular catassemblers to facilitate the formation of functional molecular assemblies from building blocks with high efficiency and selectivity. This rational control and accelerated method will promote the systems chemistry approach, and may expand the spectrum of molecular assembly from basic science to applications

Environmental factors contributing to the spread of H5N1 avian influenza in mainland China

Background: Since late 2003, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreaks caused by infection with H5N1 virus has led to the deaths of millions of poultry and more than 10 thousands of wild birds, and as of 18-March 2008, at least 373 laboratory-confirmed human infections with 236 fatalities, have occurred. The unrestrained worldwide spread of this disease has caused great anxiety about the potential of another global pandemic. However, the effect of environmental factors influencing the spread of HPAI H5N1 virus is unclear. Methodology/Principal Findings: A database including incident dates and locations was developed for 128 confirmed HPAI H5N1 outbreaks in poultry and wild birds, as well as 21 human cases in mainland China during 2004-2006. These data, together with information on wild bird migration, poultry densities, and environmental variables (water bodies, wetlands, transportation routes, main cities, precipitation and elevation), were integrated into a Geographical Information System (GIS). A case-control design was used to identify the environmental factors associated with the incidence of the disease. Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that minimal distance to the nearest national highway, annual precipitation and the interaction between minimal distance to the nearest lake and wetland, were important predictive environmental variables for the risk of HPAI. A risk map was constructed based on these factors. Conclusions/Significance: Our study indicates that environmental factors contribute to the spread of the disease. The risk map can be used to target countermeasures to stop further spread of the HPAI H5N1 at its source