Summary
Introduction: The utility of WBC cell population data (CPD) for the differential diagnosis of viral infection from normal control, bacterial infection, and tuberculosis in children was ...investigated.
Methods: A data set of 602 total whole‐blood samples were analyzed on the DxH 800 System for complete blood cell count (CBC) with leukocyte differential from children with the following sample breakdown: 77 confirmed diagnoses of viral infections (Epstein–Barr virus; 30, influenza A; 19, rota virus; 11, other viruses;17), 54 normal control, 71 bacterial infection, 17 TB patients, and 383 with various diseases. The mean (MN) and standard deviation (SD) of the volume (V), conductivity (C), five light‐scatter measurements, and 14 calculated parameters were obtained for the leukocytes.
Results: Using a combination of the CBC and CPD parameter values, a decision rule, composed of 21 parameters, for the screening of viral infection in children was developed. Using this decision rule, 74 of 77 (96.1%) viral infections, two of 54 (3.7%) normal samples, one of 17 (5.9%) TB, and six of 71 (8.5%) bacterial infection samples were identified. The sensitivity was 96.1%, and specificity for normal control was 96.3% with an overall specificity of 93.7%. Fifty‐nine samples of 383 samples (15.4%) collected from in‐patient children with various diseases without confirmation of viral infection were included in this decision rule.
Conclusion: In conclusion, the implementation of leukocytes CPD parameters can be useful in the detection of viral infection in children.
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BFBNIB, DOBA, FZAB, GIS, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Objectives: Midkine, a heparin‐binding growth factor, promotes population growth, survival and migration of several cell types, but its effect on articular chondrocytes remains unknown. The aim of ...this study was to investigate its role on proliferation of articular chondrocytes in vitro and in vivo.
Materials and methods: Bromodeoxyuridine incorporation and MTT assays were performed to examine the proliferative effect of recombinant human midkine (rhMK) on primary articular chondrocytes. Activation of extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK) and phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase (PI3K) was analysed using western blot analysis. Systemic and local delivery of rhMK into mice and rats was preformed to investigate the proliferative effect of rhMK in vivo, respectively. Histological evaluation, including measurement of articular cartilage thickness, cell density, matrix staining and immunostaining of proliferating cell nuclear antigen was carried out.
Results: rhMK promoted proliferation of articular chondrocytes cultured in a monolayer, which was mediated by activation of ERK and PI3K. The proliferative role of rhMK was not coupled to dedifferentiation of culture‐expanded cells. Consistent with its action in vitro, rhMK stimulated proliferation of articular chondrocytes in vivo when it was administered subcutaneously and intra‐articularly in mice and rats, respectively.
Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that rhMK stimulates proliferation of primary articular chondrocytes in vitro and in vivo. The results of this study warrant further examination of rhMK for treatment of animal models of articular cartilage defects.
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BFBNIB, DOBA, FZAB, GIS, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
This study was designed to examine the developmental ability of porcine embryos after somatic cell nuclear transfer. Porcine
fibroblasts were isolated from fetuses at Day 40 of gestation. In ...vitro-matured porcine oocytes were enucleated and electrically
fused with somatic cells. The reconstructed eggs were activated using electrical stimulus and cultured in vitro for 6 days.
Nuclear-transferred (NT) embryos activated at a field strength of 120 V/mm (11.6 ± 1.6%) showed a higher developmental rate
as compared to the 150-V/mm group (6.5 ± 2.3%) ( P < 0.05), but the mean cell numbers of blastocysts were similar between the two groups. Rates of blastocyst development from
NT embryos electrically pulsed at different times (2, 4, and 6 h) after electrofusion were 11.6 ± 2.9, 6.6 ± 2.3, and 8.1
± 3.3%, respectively. The mean cell numbers of blastocysts developed from NT embryos were gradually decreased (30.4 ± 10.4
> 24.6 ± 10.1 > 16.5 ± 7.4 per blastocyst) as exposure time (2, 4, and 6 h) of nuclei to oocyte cytoplast before activation
was prolonged. There was a significant difference in the cell number between the 2- and 6-h groups ( P < 0.05). Nuclear-transferred embryos (9.4 ± 0.9%) had a lower developmental rate than in vitro fertilization (IVF)-derived
(21.4 ± 1.9%) or parthenogenetic embryos (22.4 ± 7.2%) ( P < 0.01). The mean cell number (28.9 ± 11.4) of NT-derived blastocysts was smaller than that (38.6 ± 10.4) of IVF-derived
blastocysts ( P < 0.05) and was similar to that (29.9 ± 12.1) of parthenogenetic embryos. Our results suggest that porcine NT eggs using
somatic cells after electrical activation have developmental potential to the blastocyst stage, although with smaller cell
numbers compared to IVF embryos.
This study examined the plasma etching characteristics of ZnO thin films etched in BCl
3/Ar, BCl
3/Cl
2/Ar and Cl
2/Ar plasmas with a positive photoresist mask. The ZnO etch rates were increased in a ...limited way by increasing the gas flow ratio of the main etch gases in the BCl
3/Ar, BCl
3/Cl
2/Ar and Cl
2/Ar plasmas at a fixed dc self-bias voltage (
V
dc). However, the ZnO etch rate was increased more effectively by increasing the
V
dc. Optical emission spectroscopy (OES) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses of the ZnO surfaces etched at various Cl
2/(Cl
2
+
Ar) mixing ratios revealed the formation of the ZnO
x
Cl
y
reaction by-products as a result of the increased etch rate with increasing Cl
2 addition, compared with 100% Ar
+ sputter etching. This suggests that at Cl
2/Ar flow ratios ⩾20%, the ZnO etch process is controlled by an ion-assisted removal mechanism where the etch rate is governed by the ion-bombardment energy under the saturated chlorination conditions.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
A modified inverse microemulsion technique was used to synthesize coated Ag2S/CdS nanocomposites of ∼10 nm in diameter. Their nonlinear absorption was observed with picosecond and nanosecond laser ...radiation of 532-nm wavelength. The nonlinear absorption in the Ag2S/CdS nanocomposites was enhanced, in comparison with the CdS nanoparticles, due to free-carrier absorption. In addition, the relaxation times of photoexcited free carriers in the Ag2S/CdS nanocomposites were also determined to be a few nanoseconds.
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IJS, KILJ, NUK, PNG, UL, UM
Corrosion fatigue behavior of the actual Alloy 690TT steam generator (SG) tubes in high temperature water were systematically studied by using the designed boat-shaped specimen. Results demonstrated ...that the environmental fatigue correction coefficient of the SG tube in high temperature water was lower than that of round bar specimen in ANL model, which may be related to the internal surface oxide film rupture-persistent slip bands (PSBs) deformation zone preferential dissolution caused by the shape effect of SG tube. Moreover, the corrosion fatigue life of the actual SG tube was evaluated by the method of model correction.
•The corrosion fatigue crack initiation mechanism was internal surface oxide film rupture-PSBs deformation zone dissolution.•TiN inclusions caused a small amount of localized microcracks, but no inclusion-induced long crack propagation was found.•The fatigue correction coefficient of the SG tube in high temperature water was lower than that of bar specimen in ANL model.•The corrosion fatigue life of the SG tube was evaluated by the method of model correction.•It was demonstrated for the first time that the boat-shaped specimen could evaluate the fatigue life of the complete SG tube.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
In this paper, dense short carbon fiber reinforced silicon carbide matrix composites had been fabricated by hot-pressed (HP) sintering using Al
2O
3 and La
2O
3 as sintering additives. The results ...showed that the combination of Al
2O
3 and La
2O
3 system was effective to promote densification of short cut carbon fiber reinforced silicon carbide composites (Cf/SiC). The whisker structure of silicon carbide was formed during the annealed treatment at 2023 K for 1 h. However, it was noted that this structure was not observed in the as-received HP material. The mechanism of forming whisker structure was not clear, but this kind of whisker structure was helpful to improve mechanical properties. The combination of grain bridging, crack deflection and whisker debonding would improve the fracture toughness of the Cf/SiC composites.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
New Zealand has one of the highest rates of Crohn's Disease (CD) in the world, and there is much speculation as to why this might be. A high risk of CD has been associated with deficient or ...insufficient levels of Vitamin D (Vit D), lifestyle as well as various genetic polymorphisms. In this study we sought to analyse the relevance of serum Vit D levels, lifestyle and genotype to CD status. Serum samples were analysed for 25-OH-Vitamin D levels. DNA was isolated from blood and cheek-swabs, and Sequenom and ImmunoChip techniques were used for genotyping. Serum Vit D levels were significantly lower in CD patients (mean = 49.5 mg/L) than those found in controls (mean = 58.9 mg/L, p = 4.74 × 10⁻⁶). A total of seven single nucleotide polymorphisms were examined for effects on serum Vit D levels, with adjustment for confounding variables. Two variants: rs731236A (VDR) and rs732594A (SCUBE3) showed a significant association with serum Vit D levels in CD patients. Four variants: rs7975232A (VDR), rs732594A (SCUBE3), and rs2980T and rs2981A (PHF-11) showed a significant association with serum Vit D levels in the control group. This study demonstrates a significant interaction between Vit D levels and CD susceptibility, as well as a significant association between Vit D levels and genotype.
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