Abstract
The dependence of the single-particle strength on the difference between proton and neutron separation energies is studied for oxygen isotopes in a wide range of isospins. The cross sections ...of the quasi-free ($p,2p$) reaction on $^{14,16,18,22,24}$O were measured at intermediate energies. The measured cross sections are compared to predictions based on the distorted wave impulse approximation and shell-model $psd$ valence-space spectroscopic factors. The reduction factors, which are the ratio of the experimental cross sections to the theoretical predictions, show no apparent dependence on the proton–neutron separation energy difference. The result is compatible with the result of the ($e,e^{\prime}p$) reaction on stable targets and with the predictions of recent ab initio calculations.
Citation information: Leung T‐W, Flitcroft DI, Wallman J, Lee TH, Zheng Y, Lam CS‐Y & Kee C‐S. A novel instrument for logging nearwork distance. Ophthalmic Physiol Opt 2011, 31, 137–144. doi: ...10.1111/j.1475‐1313.2010.00814.x
Purpose: To validate a novel ultrasonic sensor for logging reading distances. In addition, this device was used to compare the habitual reading distances between low and high myopes.
Methods: First, the stability and sensitivity of the ultrasonic device were determined by repeated measures using artificial targets. Then, thirty Hong Kong Chinese (20–30 years) were recruited, of whom fifteen were considered to be high myopes (mean ± S.D. = −8.7 ± 0.5 D) and 15 to be low to non‐myopes (mean ± S.D. = −2.0 ± 0.2 D). Each subject read a newspaper with their habitual visual aid continuously for 10 min in two sessions at their preferred working distance(s). The reading distances were recorded continuously using a novel nearwork analyzer. The modal working distance was considered as the ‘habitual’ reading distance. In addition, habitual reading distance was reported orally by each subject.
Results: The nearwork analyzer gave accurate and repeatable measurements over a range of distances and angles. Using this instrument, high myopes were found to have a significantly shorter reading distance than low myopes or non‐myopes (mean ± S.D. = 35.9 ± 9.8 cm vs 50.9 ± 24.8 cm; two‐sample t‐test, p = 0.04, df = 18). The reading distances reported orally by the subjects were not correlated with those recorded by the nearwork analyzer.
Conclusions: The nearwork analyzer was found to be an effective tool for measuring nearwork reading distance in a small group of emmetropic and myopic adults over a 10 min interval. Differences between the reading distance between high myopes and low/non‐myopes was detected by the device. Further study is needed to determine if a closer working distance is a cause or effect of myopia development.
Limited adult data suggested arterial stiffening in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We investigated the hypothesis that arterial stiffening is related to left ventricular (LV) structure and ...function in adolescents and young adults with pediatric-onset SLE.
We studied 32 patients with SLE (28 female) aged 17.3 +/- 4.8 years. The arterial stiffness was assessed by the carotid artery stiffness index, while the LV mass and cardiac function were assessed echocardiographically. These indices were compared to those of 15 healthy controls.
Compared with controls, patients with SLE had lower LV shortening fraction, ejection fraction and mean velocity of circumferential fiber shortening, reduced mitral early diastolic inflow velocity and early (e(m)) diastolic myocardial tissue velocity, and lower systolic strain and systolic and diastolic strain rates of the LV free wall (all p < or = 0.02). Their global LV function was impaired as reflected by the significantly higher myocardial performance index (MPI; p = 0.02). The carotid arterial stiffness index (p < 0.001) and LV mass (p < 0.001) were significantly greater in patients than controls. Among patients with SLE, the carotid arterial stiffness index correlated with disease activity index (r = 0.46, p = 0.009). Multivariate analysis revealed that carotid arterial stiffness was a significant independent determinant of LV mass (beta = 0.52, p < 0.001), MPI (beta = 0.43, p = 0.002), e(m) velocity (beta = -0.46, p = 0.001), and systolic strain rate of the LV free wall (beta = -0.46, p = 0.001).
Arterial stiffening occurs in adolescents and young adults with SLE, which may contribute to the development of LV hypertrophy and subclinical myocardial dysfunction.
Background and Aims: Human zona pellucida (ZP) selectively interacts with high-quality spermatozoa characterized by superior morphology and normal chromatin structure to achieve fertilization. Human ...ejaculate contains millions of spermatozoa with varying degrees of fertilization potential and genetic quality, of which only thousands of motile spermatozoa can bind to the ZP at the fertilization site. However, direct evidence for ZP-mediated sperm selection process is lacking. This study aims to demonstrate that spermatozoa-ZP interaction represents a crucial step in selecting fertilization-competent spermatozoa in humans. Method: Human spermatozoa and oocytes were obtained with written consents from the donors attending our assisted reproduction program. Acrosome intact, ZP-bound and unbound spermatozoa were recovered using the modified spermatozoa-ZP coincubation assays. ZP-binding protein expression on ZP-bound and unbound spermatozoa were examined by immunofluorescence staining. And the genetic integrity and epigenetic landscapes were evaluated by TUNEL assay, COMET assay, acridine orange staining, chromomycin A3, and immunofluorescence staining for 5-methylcytosine. Results: The time course data demonstrated that ZP interacted with a small proportion of motile spermatozoa. Heat shock 70 kDa protein 2 (HSPA2) and sperm acrosome associated 3 (SPACA 3) are two protein markers associated with the sperm ZP-binding ability. ZP-bound spermatozoa had a higher percentage of positive HSPA2 (85.8% vs. 45.9%, p<0.05) and SPACA3 signals (86.3% vs. 30.5%, p<0.05) than the unbound ones. The signal intensities of both markers were stronger in the ZP-bound spermatozoa than the unbound ones. ZP-bound spermatozoa had a significantly higher level of normal morphology, DNA integrity, chromatin integrity, protamination and global methylation when compared to the unbound ones. Conclusion: Our results validated the functional role of spermatozoa-ZP interaction in providing diagnostic information regarding the fertilization potential and genetic qualities of spermatozoa independent of those derived from the standard semen analysis.
The crocodilians include true crocodiles, alligators, caimans, and gharial, and the trade of crocodilian products is regulated in accordance with the Convention of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Hong ...Kong does not have her own wild crocodilians; thus, all crocodilians meat available is presumably imported with proper license. Here, we obtained a dataset of cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene markers of 114 crocodilian meat samples (including frozen and dried crocodilian meat products) available in the contemporary market. We have also validated these barcodes in a phylogenetic approach with other data deposited on the GenBank, and detected 112 samples belonging to four crocodile species Crocodylus siamensis, C. porosus, C. niloticus and Alligator mississippiensis, and 2 samples belonging to snake Malayopython reticulatus. The dataset generated in this study will be useful for further studies including meat inspection, illegal trading, and enhancement of international and local legislations on illegal reptile importation.
We report a simple and cost effective method to fabricate regular metallic particle arrays over large areas with good regularity by using holographic lithography interference for the study of ...localized surface plasmon. Samples of disk-shaped gold nano-particles arranged in square arrays with lattice spacing ranging from 300nm to 600nm were successfully fabricated on glass substrates first by sputtering a thin gold layer onto two-dimensional photoresist templates of hole arrays in square lattice obtained by the holographic method and then removing the photoresist by a lift-off procedure. The plasmonic resonance of the gold nano-particle arrays due to the change of morphology by thermal annealing was studied. The disk-shaped gold nano-particles were found to become more round shaped upon heating and blue shift of the extinction plasmonic band was observed. The results were explained with model calculations using spheroidal particles.
We retrospectively reviewed the cases of 13 lupus nephritis children with pure membranous glomerulonephritis (MGN; Group A) and ten children with mixed proliferative and membranous nephritis (Group ...B). The children were identified through a territory-wide survey of patients between 1990 and 2003. All were ethnic Chinese. Age at diagnosis ranged from 3.7 to 18.6 years (Group A) and from 9.6 to 22.1 years (Group B). Female-to-male ratios were 12:1 (Group A) and 9:1 (Group B). Group A patients were more often nephrotic than Group B patients (11/13 vs. 5/10,
p
= 0.17). The glomerular filtration rate (GFR) at presentation was normal in all but two patients (one from each group). For induction, Group B patients consistently received prednisolone and cyclophosphamide; in contrast, the cytotoxic regimens in Group A patients varied from cyclophosphamide (five patients), mycophenolate mofetil (two patients), azathiorpine plus cyclosporine (one patient), and azathioprine alone (one patient). After a median follow-up of 7.6–7.8 years, one Group A patient had died of fulminant lupus. One survivor in Group B had a GFR < 90 ml/min per 1.73 m
2
. Proteinuria persisted in five Group A patients and two Group B patients. In conclusion, Group B patients had good prognosis in terms of survival and proteinuria control. The only death occurred in Group A, and five of the 12 survivors in this group had persistent proteinuria. Further studies are needed to define the best treatment for pure lupus MGN.
•Sockeye salmon chronic exposure to clothianidin.•(0.15, 1.5, 15, 150 μg/L) did not decrease survival, hatching, growth or deformities.•Low level clothianidin (0.15 μg/L) increased 17β-estradiol ...levels in sockeye salmon swim-up fry, but testosterone was unaffected.•Liver glucocorticoid gene expression was reduced after 150 μg/L clothianidin exposure in sockeye salmon swim-up fry.
One of the categories of environmental contaminants possibly contributing to declining sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) in the Fraser River, British Columbia, Canada is pesticides. In this 4-month study, the effects of environmentally relevant concentrations of a waterborne neonicotinoid, clothianidin (0.15, 1.5, 15 and 150 μg/L), on embryonic, alevin and early swim-up fry sockeye salmon derived from four unique genetic crosses of the Pitt River, BC stock were investigated. There were no significant effects of clothianidin on survival, hatching, growth or deformities, although genetic variation significantly affected these endpoints. Clothianidin caused a significant 4.7-fold increase in whole body 17β-estradiol levels in swim-up fry after exposure to 0.15 μg/L, but no effects were observed on testosterone levels. In addition, hepatic expression of the gene encoding glucocorticoid receptor 2 was also impacted at the highest concentration of clothianidin tested, and was found to be ∼4-fold lower compared to the sockeye reared in control water. These results indicate additional examination of clothianidin and its effects on salmonid gonad development and the reproductive and stress endocrine axes in general, is warranted.
Increasing the level of correspondence between measures of growth mindset and their related outcomes could afford more precise prediction of the relationships between growth mindset and ...social-emotional outcomes. To illustrate the value of measurement correspondence, two studies were conducted in Hong Kong. Study 1 showed that an agent-correspondent growth mindset measure (parents’ perception of the malleability of their children's personal qualities), compared to an agent-non-correspondent one (parents’ belief in the malleability of personal qualities of a generalized other), had stronger predictive relationship with children's likelihood of displaying difficult behaviors. Study 2 found that children's self-theories about the malleability of their intelligence (an intrapersonal construct) had stronger predictive relationship with academic engagement (an intrapersonal outcome) than did their perception of growth mindset norm (a normative construct). However, perceived growth mindset norm regarding personal qualities had stronger predictive relationship with peer relationship quality (an interpersonal outcome). Together these results demonstrated that when corresponding measures of growth mindset were used to predict an outcome, more reliable growth mindset effects would emerge.
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