Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is one of the most severe complications in very preterm infants, but there are currently no accepted methods to prevent NEC. Studies have shown that erythropoietin ...(EPO) has the potential to prevent NEC or improve outcomes of preterm NEC. This study aimed to determine whether recombinant human EPO (rhEPO) could protect against NEC in very preterm infants.
The study was a prospective randomized clinical trial performed among four NICU centers. A total of 1327 preterm infants with gestational age ≤ 32 weeks were admitted to the centers, and 42 infants were excluded leaving 1285 eligible infants to be randomized to the rhEPO or control group. Infants in the rhEPO group were given 500 IU/kg rhEPO intravenously every other day for 2 weeks, while the control group was given the same volume of saline. The primary outcome was the incidence of NEC in very preterm infants at 36 weeks of corrected gestational age.
A total of 1285 infants were analyzed at 36 weeks of corrected age for the incidence of NEC. rhEPO treatment significantly decreased the incidence of NEC (stage I, II and III) (12.0% vs. 17.1%, p = 0.010), especially confirmed NEC (stage II and III) (3.0% vs. 5.4%, p = 0.027). Meanwhile, rhEPO treatment significantly reduced the number of red blood cells transfusion in the confirmed NEC cases (1.2 ± 0.4 vs. 2.7 ± 1.0, p = 0.004). Subgroup analyses showed that rhEPO treatment significantly decreased the incidence of confirmed NEC at gestational age < 28 weeks (p = 0.019), and the incidence of all stages NEC in preterm infants with hemoglobin < 90 g/l (p = 0.000) and 5 min Apgar score > 5 (p = 0.028).
Repeated low-dose rhEPO treatment is beneficial against NEC in very preterm infants. Trial registration The protocol was registered retrospectively at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03919500) on April 18, 2019. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03919500.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
A thermal cloak can hide an object inside the cloak from the detection by measuring external heat flow (outside the cloak); this behavior is called the cloaking effect. However, such a thermal cloak ...has a limitation. Namely, the object is always located inside the cloak’s central region with a homogeneous temperature distribution, and hence this object cannot feel the flow of heat. To overcome the limitation, we develop a coordinate transformation method to design a complementary material, and add it into the central region of the cloak. As a result of finite element simulations, in case of external heat flow, the temperature distribution in this central region becomes inhomogeneous and hence the object feels the flow of heat indeed. Meanwhile, the cloaking effect remains the same, or almost the same as the cloak without such a complementary material inside. Thus, it becomes possible to use complementary materials to design thermal devices where heat conduction can be controlled at will.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
The unique thermal history of different metal additive manufacturing processes would have profound impacts on the resulting microstructure and material properties. However, few have conducted ...benchmark research on the impacts. This work provides a comprehensive benchmark comparison on microstructure, mechanical properties, and their underlying mechanisms in selective laser melting (SLM), electron beam melting (EBM), and mill-annealing of Ti–6Al–4V alloys. The results have shown that the SLMed and EBMed samples possess very fine acicular α′ martensite while the conventional mill-annealed ones have granular α phase. The SLMed samples exhibit the highest tensile and yield strength resulted from the combined effects of refined α’ martensite and high microscale residual stress. The lowest tensile and yield strength and intermediate elongation of the EBMed samples are attributed to the relatively high number of type-II pores and in-situ annealing for residual stress relief during the printing process. The mill-annealed samples have the highest elongation due to the fully dense structure, the negligible microscale residual stress, and favorable grain orientation. It is expected to improve the ductility of SLMed samples via appropriate post-annealing and enhance the strength of EBMed samples by reducing the number of type-II pores through process optimization. The fundamental differences in microstructure and properties are attributed to the unique thermal histories of the concerned processes.
•EBMed samples possess more type- II pores and uncertain mechanical properties.•SLMed samples have the highest strength due to refined α′ and residual micro stress.•Mill-annealed have the largest elongation due to dense structure and favorable texture.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Summary
Genome‐wide association studies (GWASs) have been widely applied in livestock to identify genes associated with traits of economic interest. Here, we conducted the first GWAS of the ...supernumerary nipple phenotype in Wadi sheep, a native Chinese sheep breed, based on Ovine Infinium HD SNP BeadChip genotypes in a total of 144 ewes (75 cases with four teats, including two normal and two supernumerary teats, and 69 control cases with two teats). We detected 63 significant SNPs at the chromosome‐wise threshold. Additionally, one candidate region (chr1: 170.723–170.734 Mb) was identified by haplotype‐based association tests, with one SNP (rs413490006) surrounding functional genes BBX and CD47 on chromosome 1 being commonly identified as significant by the two mentioned analyses. Moreover, Gene Ontology enrichment for the significant SNPs identified by the GWAS analysis was functionally clustered into the categories of receptor activity and synaptic membrane. In addition, pathway mapping revealed four promising pathways (Wnt, oxytocin, MAPK and axon guidance) involved in the development of the supernumerary nipple phenotype. Our results provide novel and important insights into the genetic mechanisms underlying the phenotype of supernumerary nipples in mammals, including humans. These findings may be useful for future breeding and genetics in sheep and other livestock.
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BFBNIB, DOBA, FZAB, GIS, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Aim: Thalassaemia is a good candidate disease for control by preventive genetic programmes in developing countries. Accurate population frequency data are needed for planning the control of ...thalassaemia in the high risk Guangdong Province of southern China. Methods: In total, 13 397 consecutive samples from five geographical areas of Guangdong Province were analysed for both haematological and molecular parameters. Results: There was a high prevalence of carriers of α thalassaemia (8.53%), β thalassaemia (2.54%), and both α and β thalassaemia (0.26%). Overall, 11.07% of the population in this area were heterozygous carriers of α and β thalassaemia. The mutation spectrum of α and β thalassaemia and its constitution were fully described in this area. This study reports the true prevalence of silent α thalassaemia in the southern China population for the first time. In addition, two novel mutations that give rise to α thalassaemia, one deletion resulting in β thalassaemia, and a rare deletion (−−THAI allele) previously unreported in mainland China were detected. The frequency of the most common mutation, the Southeast Asian type of deletion (−−SEA, accounting for 48.54% of all α thalassaemias) was similar to the total of two α+ thalassaemia deletions (−α3.7 and −α4.2, accounting for 47.49% of α thalassaemia). Conclusion: Both α and β thalassaemia are widely distributed in Guangdong Province of China. The knowledge gained in this study will enable the projected number of pregnancies at risk to be estimated and a screening strategy for control of thalassaemia to be designed in this area.
Mass loading, 20 elemental concentrations, and time series of aerosol particles were investigated over the China Dust Storm Research (ChinaDSR) observational network stations from March to May 2001 ...during the intensive field campaign period of ACE‐Asia. Four extensive and several minor dust storm (DS) events were observed. Mass balance calculations showed that 45–82% of the observed aerosol mass was attributable to Asian soil dust particles among the sites, in which Ca and Fe contents are enriched to 12% and 6%, respectively, in the Western High‐Dust source regions compared with dust aerosols ejected from the Northern High‐Dust source regions. For the latter areas, elemental contents exhibited high Si (30%) and low Fe (4%). For all major source areas and depositional regions, aluminium (Al) comprises 7% of Asian dust. Air mass back‐trajectory analysis showed that five major transport pathways of Asian dust storms dominated dust transport in China during spring 2001, all of which passed over Beijing. Measurements also suggest that the sand land in northeastern China is a potential source for Asian dust. The size distribution for estimating vertical dust flux was derived from the observed surface dust size distributions in the desert regions. For particle diameters between 0.25 and 16 μm, a lognormal distribution was obtained from averaging observations at various deserts with a mass mean diameter of 4.5 μm and a standard deviation of 1.5. This range of soil dust constitutes about 69% of the total dust loading. The fractions for particles in the size ranges of <2.5 μm and >16 μm are around 1.7% and 30%, respectively.
Summary
Background There are racial differences in the prevalence and types of androgenetic alopecia (AGA). The prevalence of AGA has been studied in Caucasians and in some Asian people. In China, ...although there have been some epidemiological studies carried out in single cities or regions, no multicentre population‐based study has been reported.
Objectives To study the prevalence and types of AGA in China and to compare the results with those previously reported in Caucasians and in other Asian people.
Methods A community‐based study was carried out in six cities of China. Subjects were interviewed face‐to‐face and completed questionnaires. The degree of AGA was classified according to the Norwood and Ludwig classifications.
Results In total 17 886 subjects were interviewed and 15 257 completed the questionnaires. In men, the overall prevalence of AGA was 21·3%, with 2·8% in men aged 18–29 years, 13·3% in those aged 30–39 years, 21·4% in those aged 40–49 years, 31·9% in those aged 50–59 years, 36·2% in those aged 60–69 years and 41·4% in those aged 70 years and over. The most common type was frontal and vertex hair loss. A small number of subjects (3·7%) showed ‘female pattern’ hair loss. In women, the prevalence of AGA was 6·0%, with 1·3% in women aged 18–29 years, 2·3% in those aged 30–39 years, 5·4% in those aged 40–49 years, 7·5% in those aged 50–59 years, 10·3% in those aged 60–69 years and 11·8% in those aged 70 years and over. Ludwig grade I was the most common type. The prevalence of AGA varied between cities. A positive family history was present in 29·7% of men and 19·2% of women with AGA.
Conclusions The prevalence of AGA in Chinese men and women was lower than in Caucasians and similar to that in Koreans.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Long-term measurements of particle number size distributions were carried out both at an urban background site (Peking University, PKU) and a regional Global Atmospheric Watch station (Shangdianzi, ...SDZ) from March to November in 2008. In total, 52 new particle formation (NPF) events were observed simultaneously at both sites, indicating that this is a regional phenomenon in the North China Plain. On average, the mean condensation sink value before the nucleation events started was 0.025 s−1 in the urban environment, which was 1.6 times higher than that at regional site. However, higher particle formation and growth rates were observed at PKU (10.8 cm−3 s−1 and 5.2 nm h−1) compared with those at SDZ (4.9 cm−3 s−1 and 4.0 nm h−1). These results implied that precursors were much more abundant in the polluted urban environment. Different from the observations in cleaner environments, the background conditions of the observed particle homogeneous nucleation events in the North China Plain could be characterized as the co-existing of a stronger source of precursor gases and a higher condensational sink of pre-existing aerosol particles. Secondary aerosol formation following nucleation events results in an increase of particle mass concentration, particle light scattering coefficient, and cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) number concentration, with consequences on visibility, radiative effects, and air quality. Typical regional NPF events with significant particle nucleation rates and subsequent particle growth over a sufficiently long time period at both sites were chosen to investigate the influence of NPF on the number concentration of "potential" CCN. As a result, the NPF and the subsequent condensable growth increased the CCN number concentration in the North China Plain by factors in the range from 5.6 to 8.7. Moreover, the potential contribution of anthropogenic emissions to the CCN number concentration was more than 50%, to which more attention should be drawn in regional and global climate modeling, especially in the polluted urban areas.
The aerosol liquid water content (ALWC) of submicron particles (PM1) was calculated in this work by three methods based on the aerosol physical and chemical properties measurement campaigns in winter ...in Beijing, including (a) the PM1 volume difference between the ambient and dry states by applying the particle number size distribution and particle hygroscopicity measurement; (b) the thermodynamic equilibrium model (ISORROPIA II) based on the chemical composition; and (c) the κ-Köhler theory of chemical composition with a volume mixing scheme. The three methods agreed well with reasonable uncertainties. The ALWC showed an exponential trend depending on the relative humidity (RH), and an abundant ALWC was also favored by the high PM1 mass loading. The contribution of different chemical component to the ALWC was evaluated by the κ-Köhler method, which revealed that during the measurement, the inorganics and organics could contribute to ~80% and ~20%, respectively, under ambient RH conditions, with the largest contributor of ammonium nitrate. When the RH was above 85%, the mass concentration of ALWC was comparable to, or even larger than, that of the dry PM1.
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•Aerosol liquid water content (ALWC) mass concentration was estimated based on model and measurement data.•The contribution to ALWC by each chemical component was evaluated.•The contribution of ALWC can be larger than the dry PM1 to the particle mass concentration under high RH condition.•The abundant ALWC promoted the secondary inorganic aerosol formation.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
A search for invisible decays of the Lambda baryon is carried out in the process J/psi -> Lambda(Lambda) over bar based on (1.0087 +/- 0.0044) x 10(10) J/psi events collected with the BESIII ...detector located at the BEPCII storage ring. No signals are found for the invisible decays of. baryon, and the upper limit of the branching fraction is determined to be 7.4 x 10(-5) at the 90% confidence level. This is the first search for invisible decays of baryons; such searches will play an important role in constraining dark sector models related to the baryon asymmetry.
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CMK, CTK, FMFMET, IJS, NUK, PNG, UM
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