Study on Smoke Control of Wuhan CBD Urban Traffic Link Tunnel

AbstractAn Urban Traffic Link Tunnel (UTLT) is a novel type of underground transportation system consisting of a main tunnel in a loop shape and several linked tunnels. It has a higher level of fire risk compared to other common road tunnels. In this study, numerical and experimental study has been conducted to investigate the smoke control of Wuhan Central Business District (CBD) UTLT. The transient distributions of the smoke spread have been analyzed, and the optimal smoke control strategy for the Wuhan CBD UTLT has been put forward

Assessment of changes in lipid profile and related enzymes in children with asthma

Purpose: To investigate the influence of the lipid profile and related parameters on the development of asthma in children aged 10 to 15 years.Methods: Peripheral blood samples were collected from a group diagnosed with asthma as well as from a healthy control group. The lipid profile parameters measured were total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), serum total antioxidant capacity (TAC), reduced glutathione (GSH), and malondialdehyde (MDA), and the activities of lecithin–cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) and cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP).Results: TC, TG, LDL, and VLDL levels were significantly (p ≤ 0.05) higher in the asthma group compared with the controls, while HDL level was lower. Total TAC and GSH were lower in the asthma group, while MDA level, and LCAT and CETP activities were higher.Conclusion: There is a link between an elevated lipid profile and increased antioxidant capacity in asthmatic children

The Expression of Netrin-1 in the Thymus and Its Effects on Thymocyte Adhesion and Migration

Netrin-1, a known axon guidance molecule, being a secreted laminin-related molecule, has been suggested to be involved in multiple physiological and pathological conditions, such as organogenesis, angiogenesis, tumorigenesis, and inflammation-mediated tissue injury. However, its function in thymocyte development is still unknown. Here, we demonstrate that Netrin-1 is expressed in mouse thymus tissue and is primarily expressed in thymic stromal cells, and the expression of Netrin-1 in thymocytes can be induced by anti-CD3 antibody or IL-7 treatment. Importantly, Netrin-1 mediates the adhesion of thymocytes, and this effect is comparable to or greater than that of fibronectin. Furthermore, Netrin-1 specifically promotes the chemotaxis of CXCL12. These suggest that Netrin-1 may play an important role in thymocyte development

Cuprous oxide nanoparticles selectively induce apoptosis of tumor cells

In the rapid development of nanoscience and nanotechnology, many researchers have discovered that metal oxide nanoparticles have very useful pharmacological effects. Cuprous oxide nanoparticles (CONPs) can selectively induce apoptosis and suppress the proliferation of tumor cells, showing great potential as a clinical cancer therapy. Treatment with CONPs caused a G1/G0 cell cycle arrest in tumor cells. Furthermore, CONPs enclosed in vesicles entered, or were taken up by mitochondria, which damaged their membranes, thereby inducing apoptosis. CONPs can also produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) and initiate lipid peroxidation of the liposomal membrane, thereby regulating many signaling pathways and influencing the vital movements of cells. Our results demonstrate that CONPs have selective cytotoxicity towards tumor cells, and indicate that CONPs might be a potential nanomedicine for cancer therapy

Improved Spatial Resolution Achieved by Chromatic Intensity Interferometry

Interferometers are widely used in imaging technologies to achieve enhanced spatial resolution, but require that the incoming photons be indistinguishable. In previous work, we built and analyzed color erasure detectors which expand the scope of intensity interferometry to accommodate sources of different colors. Here we experimentally demonstrate how color erasure detectors can achieve improved spatial resolution in an imaging task, well beyond the diffraction limit. Utilizing two 10.9 mm-aperture telescopes and a 0.8 m baseline, we measure the distance between a 1063.6 nm source and a 1064.4 nm source separated by 4.2 mm at a distance of 1.43 km, which surpasses the diffraction limit of a single telescope by about 40 times. Moreover, chromatic intensity interferometry allows us to recover the phase of the Fourier transform of the imaged objects - a quantity that is, in the presence of modest noise, inaccessible to conventional intensity interferometry.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure

The effect of grazing and reclamation on rodent community stability in the Alxa desert

Ecosystem stability has been of increasing interest in the past several decades as it helps predict the consequences of anthropogenic disturbances on ecosystems. A wild rodent community under reclamation and different grazing disturbances in the Alxa Desert was investigated using live trapping from 2006 to 2011. We studied the rodent community composition, community diversity, and variability of different life history strategies. These results showed that reclamation reduced rodent community stability by increasing temporal variability of community, reducing rodent community resistance as shown by decreasing dominance of KSS strategists, and increased the resistance variability of the rodent community by increasing the variability of abundance and richness for KSS strategists. Grazing reduced rodent community resilience by reducing the dominance of rRF strategists, and increased the resilience variability of the rodent community by increasing the variability of abundance and richness for rRF strategists. Those results may answer the three ecological questions about how ecosystems respond to disturbances from a diversity perspective. The ecosystems with intermediate disturbance are more stable, in other words, with higher resistance and resilience. The increase of KSS strategists means the increase of resistance of the community. The increase of rRF strategists means the increase of community resilience

The Psychological Effect of Forming WeChat Groups Between Medical Staff and Patients With COVID-19

Background: This study was conducted in order to explore the effect of psychological intervention based on the use of WeChat with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients.Methods: A total of 65 patients with COVID-19, from two wards, were divided into an experimental group and a control group with the ward as the basic unit. Communication concerning routine treatment and nursing was established between the medical staff and patients in the experimental group via WeChat groups. Within 48 h of admission, at 7 days, and on discharge, all 65 patients completed two self-evaluation questionnaires: the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Hospital stay statistics and a satisfaction survey on discharge were also collated for both groups of patients.Results: The PANAS scores of the experimental group were 26.61 ± 7.99 points on admission, 20.81 ± 5.48 points at 7 days, and 19.58 ± 6.61 points on discharge (P < 0.05). The scores of HADS in the experimental group were 27.74 ± 9.35 points on admission, 12.19 ± 1.92 points at 7 days, and 11.71 ± 3.64 points on discharge (P < 0.05). The differences in the PANS and HADS scores between the experimental and control groups at 7 days and on discharge were statistically significant. The discharge satisfaction ratings of the two groups of patients were 99.87 ± 0.34 and 98.68 ± 1.09 points, the difference being statistically significant (t = 5.827, P < 0.05).Conclusion: Establishing WeChat groups between medical staff and patients with COVID-19 and building a bridge for better communication improved patients' positive mentality and their compliance with doctors, shortened their hospital stay, and promoted their recovery

Malnutrition and inflammation in acute kidney injury due to earthquake-related crush syndrome

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Malnutrition and inflammation are common and serious complications in patients with acute kidney injury (AKI). However, the profile of these complications in patients with AKI caused by crush syndrome (CS) remains unclear. This study describes the clinical characteristics of malnutrition and inflammation in patients with AKI and CS due to the Wenchuan earthquake.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>One thousand and twelve victims and eighteen healthy adults were recruited to the study. They were divided into five groups: Group A was composed of victims without CS and AKI (904 cases); Group B was composed of patients with CS and AKI who haven't received renal replacement therapy (RRT) (57 cases); and Group C was composed of patients with CS and AKI receiving RRT (25 cases); Group D was composed of earthquake victims with AKI but without CS (26 cases); and Group E was composed of 18 healthy adult controls. The C-reactive protein (CRP), prealbumin, transferrin, interleukin-6 and TNF-α were measured and compared between Group E and 18 patients from Group C.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The results indicate that participants in Group C had the highest level of serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen and uric acid. Approximately 92% of patients with CS who had RRT were suffering from hypoalbuminemia. The interleukin-6 and CRP levels were significantly higher in patients with CS AKI receiving RRT than in the control group. Patients in Group C received the highest dosages of albumin, plasma or red blood cell transfusions. One patient in Group C died during treatment.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Malnutrition and inflammation was common in patients with earthquake-related CS and had a negative impact on the prognosis of these subjects. The results of this study indicate that the use of RRT, intensive nutritional supplementation and transfusion alleviated the degree of malnutrition and inflammation in hemodialysis patients with crush syndrome.</p