Predicting future blood demand from thalassemia major patients in Hong Kong

published_or_final_versio

Real-time counting of single electron tunneling through a T-shaped double quantum dot system

Real-time detection of single electron tunneling through a T-shaped double quantum dot is simulated, based on a Monte Carlo scheme. The double dot is embedded in a dissipative environment and the presence of electrons on the double dot is detected with a nearby quantum point contact. We demonstrate directly the bunching behavior in electron transport, which leads eventually to a super-Poissonian noise. Particularly, in the context of full counting statistics, we investigate the essential difference between the dephasing mechanisms induced by the quantum point contact detection and the coupling to the external phonon bath. A number of intriguing noise features associated with various transport mechanisms are revealed.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figure

Seroprevalence of Mycoplasma bovis infection in dairy cows in subtropical southern China

The seroprevalence of Mycoplasma bovis infection in dairy cows in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (GZAR) in subtropical southern China was surveyed between June 2009 and March 2010. A total of 455 serum samples of dairy cows were collected from 6 districts in 4 different cities, and examined for M. bovis antibodies with the indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using a commercially available kit. The overall seroprevalence of M. bovis infection in dairy cows was 7.69% (35/455). Three year-old dairy cows had the highest seroprevalence (15.0%), followed by dairy cows of 4 year-old (11.1%). Dairy cows with the history of 5 pregnancies had the highest seroprevalence (33.3%). However, no statistically significant association was found between M. bovis infection and age or number of pregnancies (p > 0.05). All the aborting dairy cows were negative for M. bovis antibodies, suggesting that bovine abortion may have no association with M. bovis infection in GZAR. These results indicate that M. bovis infection in dairy cows was widespread in GZAR, and integrated strategies and measures should be performed to control and prevent M. bovis infection and disease outbreak.Key words: Mycoplasma bovis, seroprevalence, dairy cows, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (GZAR), China, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)

The prevalence of metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular risk factors in adults in southern China

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The metabolic syndrome has been shown to increase the incidence of cardiovascular disease. Little information exists on the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome for southern Chinese. We therefore investigate the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome in a southern Chinese population with 85 million residents.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The Guangdong Nutrition and Health Survey 2002 is a cross-sectional survey designed to assess the health and nutritional status of 85 million residents in Guangdong province located in southern China. Stratified multistage random sampling method was applied in this survey and a provincial representative sample of 6,468 residents aged 20 years or above was obtained in the present study. The participants received a full medical check-up including measurement of blood pressure, obesity indices, fasting lipids and glucose levels. Data describing socioeconomic and lifestyle factors was also collected through interview. Metabolic syndrome was defined in accordance with the International Diabetes Federation criteria.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 7.30%, translating into a total of 4.0 million residents aged 20 years or above having the condition in this southern Chinese population. The urban population had higher prevalence of the syndrome than the rural population (10.57% vs 4.30%). Females had a higher prevalence of metabolic syndrome than males (8.99% vs 5.27%). More than 60% of the adults had at least one component of the metabolic syndrome.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our results indicate that a large proportion of southern Chinese adults have the metabolic syndrome and associated risk factors. The metabolic syndrome has become an important public health problem in China. These findings emphasize the urgent need to develop population level strategies for the prevention, detection, and treatment of cardiovascular risk in China.</p

Search for K_S K_L in psi'' decays

K_S K_L from psi'' decays is searched for using the psi'' data collected by BESII at BEPC, the upper limit of the branching fraction is determined to be B(psi''--> K_S K_L) < 2.1\times 10^{-4} at 90% C. L. The measurement is compared with the prediction of the S- and D-wave mixing model of the charmonia, based on the measurements of the branching fractions of J/psi-->K_S K_L and psi'-->K_S K_L.Comment: 5 pages, 1 figur

A Comparative Plasmonic Study of Nanoporous and Evaporated Gold Films

Previously, we have reported that nanoporous gold (NPG) films prepared by a chemical dealloying method have distinctive plasmonic properties, i.e., they can simultaneously support localized and propagating surface plasmon resonance modes (l-SPR and p-SPR, respectively). In this study, the plasmonic properties of NPG are quantified through direct comparison with thermally evaporated gold (EG) films. Cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy experiments reveal that the NPG films have 4–8.5 times more accessible surface area than EG films. Assemblies of streptavidin–latex beads generate p-SPR responses on both NPG and EG films that correlate well with the bead density obtained from scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images. A layer-by-layer assembly experiment on NPG involving biotinylated anti-avidin IgG and avidin, studied by l-SPR and SEM, shows that the l-SPR signal is directly linked to the accessibility of the interior of the NPG porosity, an adjustable experimental parameter that can be set by the dealloying condition and time

Clinical, Virological and Immunological Features from Patients Infected with Re-Emergent Avian-Origin Human H7N9 Influenza Disease of Varying Severity in Guangdong Province

The second wave of avian influenza H7N9 virus outbreak in humans spread to the Guangdong province of China by August of 2013 and this virus is now endemic in poultry in this region.Background The second wave of avian influenza H7N9 virus outbreak in humans spread to the Guangdong province of China by August of 2013 and this virus is now endemic in poultry in this region. Methods Five patients with H7N9 virus infection admitted to our hospital during August 2013 to February 2014 were intensively investigated. Viral load in the respiratory tract was determined by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Q-PCR) and cytokine levels were measured by bead-based flow cytometery. Results Four patients survived and one died. Viral load in different clinical specimens was correlated with cytokine levels in plasma and broncho-alveolar fluid (BALF), therapeutic modalities used and clinical outcome. Intravenous zanamivir appeared to be better than peramivir as salvage therapy in patients who failed to respond to oseltamivir. Higher and more prolonged viral load was found in the sputum or endotracheal aspirates compared to throat swabs. Upregulation of proinflammatory cytokines IP-10, MCP-1, MIG, MIP-1α/β, IL-1β and IL-8 was found in the plasma and BALF samples. The levels of cytokines in the plasma and viral load were correlated with disease severity. Reactivation of herpes simplex virus type 1(HSV-1) was found in three out of five patients (60%). Conclusion Expectorated sputum or endotracheal aspirate specimens are preferable to throat swabs for detecting and monitoring H7N9 virus. Severity of the disease was correlated to the viral load in the respiratory tract as well as the extents of cytokinemia. Reactivation of HSV-1 may contribute to clinical outcome.published_or_final_versio

Using an oblique incident laser beam to measure the optical properties of stomach mucosa/submucosa tissue

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The purpose of the study is to determine the optical properties and their differences for normal human stomach mucosa/submucosa tissue in the cardiac orifice <it>in vitro </it>at 635, 730, 808, 890 and 980 nm wavelengths of laser.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The measurements were performed using a CCD detector, and the optical properties were assessed from the measurements using the spatially resolved reflectance, and nonlinear fitting of diffusion equation.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The results of measurement showed that the absorption coefficients, the reduced scattering coefficients, the optical penetration depths, the diffusion coefficients, the diffuse reflectance and the shifts of diffuse reflectance of tissue samples at five different wavelengths vary with a change of wavelength. The maximum absorption coefficient for tissue samples is 0.265 mm^-1at 980 nm, and the minimum absorption coefficient is 0.0332 mm^-1at 730 nm, and the maximum difference in the absorption coefficients is 698% between 730 and 980 nm, and the minimum difference is 1.61% between 635 and 808 nm. The maximum reduced scattering coefficient for tissue samples is 1.19 mm^-1at 635 nm, and the minimum reduced scattering coefficient is 0.521 mm^-1at 980 nm, and the maximum difference in the reduced scattering coefficients is 128% between 635 and 980 nm, and the minimum difference is 1.15% between 890 and 980 nm. The maximum optical penetration depth for tissue samples is 3.57 mm at 808 nm, and the minimum optical penetration depth is 1.43 mm at 980 nm. The maximum diffusion constant for tissue samples is 0.608 mm at 890 nm, and the minimum diffusion constant is 0.278 mm at 635 nm. The maximum diffuse reflectance is 3.57 mm^-1at 808 nm, and the minimum diffuse reflectance is 1.43 mm^-1at 980 nm. The maximum shift Δx of diffuse reflectance is 1.11 mm^-1at 890 nm, and the minimum shift Δx of diffuse reflectance is 0.507 mm^-1at 635 nm.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The absorption coefficients, the reduced scattering coefficients, the optical penetration depths, the diffusion coefficients, the diffuse reflectance and the shifts of diffuse reflectance of tissue samples at 635, 730, 808, 890 and 980 nm wavelengths vary with a change of wavelength. There were significant differences in the optical properties for tissue samples at five different wavelengths (<it>P </it>< 0.01).</p

Structure of hadron resonances with a nearby zero of the amplitude

We discuss the relation between the analytic structure of the scattering amplitude and the origin of an eigenstate represented by a pole of the amplitude.If the eigenstate is not dynamically generated by the interaction in the channel of interest, the residue of the pole vanishes in the zero coupling limit. Based on the topological nature of the phase of the scattering amplitude, we show that the pole must encounter with the Castillejo-Dalitz-Dyson (CDD) zero in this limit. It is concluded that the dynamical component of the eigenstate is small if a CDD zero exists near the eigenstate pole. We show that the line shape of the resonance is distorted from the Breit-Wigner form as an observable consequence of the nearby CDD zero. Finally, studying the positions of poles and CDD zeros of the KbarN-piSigma amplitude, we discuss the origin of the eigenstates in the Lambda(1405) region.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures, v2: published versio