Abstract To perform dermatoglyphics analysis and to explore the possible relationships between dermatoglyphic characteristics and sports level of Chinese table tennis players. A total of 92 Chinese professional table tennis players were recruited and divided into ordinary group and excellent group according to their levels. Their dermatoglyphic patterns on the palms and fingers were collected and statistically analyzed. Our results showed that the data revealed significant differences (p < 0.05) between the ordinary group and the excellent group in terms of atd angle, thenar eminence, total number of a-b ridges and double loop whorl, while no significant differences (p > 0.05) were observed in concentric whorl, arch pattern and loop pattern. In conclusion, these findings may provide experimental evidence for the application of dermatoglyphic analysis as a tool for future selection of elite table tennis players.

The fluorescent microspheres are prepared by the swelling-evaporation method. The optimal swelling conditions are obtained by researching related factors, such as types and dosages of swelling agent, dosages of fluorescent substance, swelling time and swelling temperature. Considering that the structure of microspheres can influence the swelling properties, the paper mainly focuses on the effect of molecular weight and surface carboxyl group content of polystyrene microspheres on swelling properties. When the molecular weight of microspheres is 75276 g mol-1, the density of carboxyl group on their surface is 6.94×10-4 mol g-1, and the doping amount of europium complex reaches the maximum of 24.9 mg g-1 with the strongest fluorescence intensity. Meanwhile, the as-prepared fluorescent microspheres have high monodispersity, uniform particles size and high thermal stability (the decomposition temperature is 385oC), which sets up the good foundation for biomolecule detection. So, this work provides a significant experience for the preparation of fluorescent microspheres.

Abstract γ-Oryzanol, which is rich in rice seeds, is natural phytonutrition with many functions such as antioxidant. However, γ-oryzanol has a large loss in the traditional processing, resulting in a huge waste of available resources. In this study, the rice seeds highest content of γ-oryzanol during the development of rice seeds was selected and separated processes by nanofiltration. Several nanofiltration membranes were dramatically applied to condensing phytonutrition under 0.5 Mpa pressure and the flux ranged from 5.8 to 7.7 kg•m-2•h-1. The first processing supplied the separation improving ethanol-extraction system enrichment in γ-oryzanol. In the second, refining ethanol-extraction dramatically reduced the content of free fatty acids, while γ-oryzanol in the retention solution was further significantly increased. Moreover, the isolated γ-oryzanol added in the soybean oil, notably improved antioxidant ability of oil. Our founding can be widely used in the functional food manufacturing and also provides as an available method.

Abstract Objectives: Depression is common after both lacunar stroke and non-lacunar stroke and might be associated with lesion locations as proven by some studies. This study aimed to identify whether lesion location was critical for depression after both lacunar and non-lacunar strokes. Methods: A cohort of ischemic stroke patients was assigned to either a lacunar stroke group or a non-lacunar stroke group after a brain MRI scan. Neurological deficits and treatment response was evaluated during hospitalization. The occurrence of depression was evaluated 3 months later. Logistic regressions were used to identify the independent risk factors for depression after lacunar and non-lacunar stroke respectively. Results: 83 of 246 patients with lacunar stroke and 71 of 185 patients with non-lacunar stroke developed depression. Infarctions in the frontal cortex, severe neurological deficits, and a high degree of handicap were identified as the independent risk factors for depression after non-lacunar stroke, while lesion location was not associated with depression after lacunar stroke. Conclusion: The main determinants for depression after lacunar and non-lacunar stroke were different. Lesion location was critical only for depression after non-lacunar stroke.

ABSTRACT Objective: Interstitial cystitis (IC)/bladder pain syndrome (BPS) is a chronic inflammatory disease that can cause bladder pain and accompanying symptoms, such as long-term urinary frequency and urgency. IC/BPS can be ulcerative or non-ulcerative. The aim of this study was to explore the core genes involved in the pathogenesis of ulcerative IC, and thus the potential biomarkers for clinical treatment. Materials and Methods: First, the gene expression dataset GSE11783 was downloaded using the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and analyzed using the limma package in R to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Then, the Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery (DAVID) was used for Gene Ontology (GO) functional analysis, and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) was used for pathway enrichment analysis. Finally, the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed, and key modules and hub genes were determined using the STRING and Cytoscape software. The resulting key modules were then analyzed for tissue-specific gene expression using BioGPS. Results: A total of 216 up-regulated DEGs and 267 down-regulated genes were identified, and three key modules and nine hub genes were obtained. Conclusion: The core genes (CXCL8, CXCL1, IL6) obtained in this study may be potential biomarkers of interstitial cystitis with guiding significance for clinical treatment.

ABSTRACT Climate change and prolong drought adversely affect the grassland ecosystem, is precarious environmental constraint restricting plant growth and productivity. An experiment was conducted to alleviate adverse impacts of drought on physiochemical and morphological attributes of Leymus chinensis (Trin.) Tzvelev using brassinosteroid (BR). Treatments comprised well watered control (soil water contents 80%-85%) including Control (T0) and Control+ BR (TB0), moderate drought stress (soil water contents 50%-55%) including (T1) and T1+ BR (TB1) and severe drought stress (soil water contents 30%-35%) including (T2) and T2+ BR (TB2), they were laid out in completely randomized design with five replicates. Drought stress significantly impaired growth, osmotic substances, photosynthetic rate, and other physiochemical process. Moreover, perturbation in recorded attributes was aggravated by increasing drought severity from moderate to severe. Nevertheless, BR application (0.1 mg L-1) improved plant weight (38.8%-46.2%), relative water content (23.4%-29.1%), chlorophyll a (16.6%-56.5%), chlorophyll b (8.5%-16.9%), carotenoids (29.1%-67.3%), soluble sugars (1.7%-29.4%), free amino acids (15.4%-19.4%), and proline content (45.2%-79.4%); while, lowered malondialdehyde (34.8%-45.4%) at each level of drought. Likewise, BR application enhanced net photosynthetic rate (69.8%-165.1%), transpiration rate (45.0%-146.9%), water utilization efficiency (9.3%-16.0%), carboxylation utilization efficiency (80%- 250%), sunlight utilization efficiency (66.6%-158.8%) and improved chlorophyll fluorescence characteristics at each level of drought, as compared to untreated controls. The adverse implications on physiochemical and morphological attributes were aggravated with the enhancing severity of drought from control to severe drought. Yet, 0.1 mg L-1 exogenous BR improved morphological and physiochemical attributes remarkably over respective controls and hence can be used to improve growth of drought stressed L. chinensis.

Abstract Purpose: To investigate the effect of intermittent vibration at different intervals on bone fracture healing and optimize the vibration interval. Methods: Ninety sheep were randomized to receive no treatment (the control group), incision only (the sham control group), internal fixation with or without metatarsal fracture (the internal fixation group), and continuous vibration in addition to internal fixation of metatarsal fracture, or intermittent vibration at 1, 2, 3, 5, 7 and 17-day interval in addition to internal fixation of metatarsal fracture (the vibration group). Vibration was done at frequency F=35 Hz, acceleration a=0.25g, 15 min each time 2 weeks after bone fracture. Bone healing was evaluated by micro-CT scan, bone microstructure and mechanical compression of finite element simulation. Results: Intermittent vibration at 7-day interval significantly improved bone fracture healing grade. However, no significant changes on microstructure parameters and mechanical properties were observed among sheep receiving vibration at different intervals. Conclusions: Clinical healing effects should be the top concern. Quantitative analyses of bone microstructure and of finite element mechanics on the process of fracture healing need to be further investigated.

Abstract Climate change represents a vital challenge in foxtail millet (Panicum italicum L.) production for assuring development of foxtail millet and obtaining high yields in semi-arid and arid regions of China. The objective of this study was to show the impact of climate change on water use efficiency (WUE) of foxtail millet in dry-land areas of China. The study included yield of foxtail millet, soil water content, rainfall, and temperature data of three experimental sites between 1978 and 2007. All data was provided by the meteorological and agricultural administration centers of every location. The results showed that in Pingliang, Yulin, and Huhehot accumulated temperatures increased by 502, 541, and 857 °C; rainfall decreased by 75.0, 84.3, and 162.5 mm; WUE of foxtail millet increased by about 0.3 kg ha-1 mm-1 when accumulated temperature increased by 100 °C; rainfall decreased by 100 mm, which increased WUE of foxtail millet by about 1.2 kg ha-1 mm-1. Coefficient of variation (CV) of accumulated temperature and CV of rainfall in Pingliang, Yulin, and Huhehot increased as latitudes of these locations moved up. Average WUE of foxtail millet in these locations increased when CV of accumulated temperature or CV of rainfall moved up. These results indicate that WUE of foxtail millet had an improvement due to climate warming and decreasing rainfall between 1978 and 2007.

Resumen El cambio climático representa un desafío vital en la producción de mijo cola de zorro (Panicum italicum L.), para asegurar su desarrollo y obtener rendimientos altos, en las regiones semiáridas y áridas de China. El objetivo de este estudio fue mostrar el impacto del cambio climático en la eficiencia en el uso del agua (EUA) de mijo cola de zorro en zonas de secano de China. El estudio incluyó el rendimiento de mijo cola de zorro, el contenido de agua del suelo, la precipitación y los datos de temperatura de tres sitios experimentales de 1978 a 2007. Los datos fueron proporcionados por los centros de administración meteorológicos y agrícolas de cada lugar. Los resultados mostraron que en Pingliang, Yulin y Huhehot las temperaturas acumuladas aumentaron en 502, 541 y 857 °C; la precipitación disminuyó 75.0, 84.3 y 162.5 mm, la EUA de mijo cola de zorro aumentó cerca de 0.3 kg ha-1 mm-1 cuando la temperatura acumulada aumentó 100 °C, la precipitación disminuyó 100 mm lo que aumentó cerca de 1.2 kg ha-1 mm-1 la EUA del mijo cola de zorro. El coeficiente de variación de la temperatura acumulada y de la precipitación en Pingliang, Yulin y Huhehot aumentó con la latitud de estos lugares. En estos lugares, la EUA promedio del mijo cola de zorro aumentó cuando el CV de la temperatura acumulada o de la precipitación acumulada incrementó. Estos resultados indican que el uso eficiente del agua del mijo mejoró debido al calentamiento global y la disminución de las lluvias de 1978 a 2007.

Flower - like Co(OH)2/C nanocomposites have been synthesized by a facile hydrothermal method. Flower - like Co(OH)2/C nanocomposites were self - assembled by the nanosheets with the thickness distribution of 50 - 80 nm and abundant flocculent carbon structures. With the help of transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectrometer, nanosheets were observed to have core/shell structure, in which Co(OH)2 worked as cores and amorphous C as shells. When the as - prepared products were heated for 6 h at 180 ºC, the Co(OH)2 cores were amorphous. The heating time increased to 10 h, the Co(OH)2 cores became crystalline. The formation mechanism and the self - assembly evolution process were proposed. The microwave dielectric properties of Co(OH)2/C nanocomposites were investigated in the frequency range of 0.03 - 18 GHz. Compared with the amorphous Co(OH)2/C nanocomposites, crystalline nanocomposites had the better conductivity.

The microstructure and microwave absorption of carbon-coated Cu nanocapsules have been investigated. Carbon-coated Cu nanocapsules have been synthesized by an arc-discharge method. The paraffin-Cu/C nanocapsules composite shows excellent electromagnetic (EM) absorption properties. An optimal reflection loss (RL) value of - 40.0 dB is reached at 10.52 GHz for a layer 1.9 mm thickness. RL exceeding - 20 dB can be realized in any interval within the 1-18 GHz range by choosing an appropriate thickness of the absorbent layer between 1.1 and 10.0 mm. Theoretical simulation for the microwave absorption using the transmission line theory agrees reasonably well with the experimental results. The EM-wave absorption properties of nanocapsules materials are illustrated by means of an absorption-tube-map. The carbon-coated Cu nanocapsule is an attractive candidate for EM-wave absorption, which significantly enriches the family of EM-wave nanoabsorbents.

A facile hydrothermal strategy is proposed to synthesize flower-like β-Co(OH)2 hierarchical microspherical superstructures with a diameter of 0.5-1.5 μm, which are self-assembled by β-Co(OH)2 nanosheets with the average thickness ranging between 20 and 40 nm. The magnetocaloric effect associated with magnetic phase transitions in Co(OH)2 superstructures has been investigated. A sign change in the magnetocaloric effect is induced by a magnetic field, which is related to a filed-induced transition from the antiferromagnetic to the ferromagnetic state below the Néel temperature. The large reversible magnetic-entropy change -ΔSm (13.4 J/kg K at 15 K for a field change of 5 T) indicates that flower-like Co(OH)2 superstructures is a potential candidate for application in magnetic refrigeration in the low-temperature range.

Objetivo Estudar as diferentes formas dos infartos lacunares agudos, investigando os fatores de risco e o significado clinico daqueles com morfologia irregular. Métodos Os 204 pacientes com infartos lacunares agudos foram classificados em dois grupos: aqueles com morfologia regular e aqueles com morfologia irregular. Foram estudadas as características dos dois grupos e caracterizados os fatores de risco para infartos irregulares, deterioração neurológica e altos escores da escala de Rankin modificada. Resultados Variabilidade da pressão arterial é fator de risco independente para infartos lacunares irregulares. Tamanho do infarto, prevalência de leucoaraiose e formato irregular dos infartos lacunares são fatores de risco independentes para escores mais elevados na escala de Rankin modificada. Conclusões Variabilidade da pressão arterial está relacionada ao formato irregular dos infartos lacunares agudos. Este tipo de infarto e a leucoaraiose podem estar relacionado a desfechos clínicos desfavoráveis.

Objective Our study focused on acute lacunar infarct shapes to explore the risk factors and clinical significance of irregularly shaped lacunar infarctions. Methods Based on the shape of their acute lacunar infarct, patients (n=204) were classified into the “regular” group or “irregular” group. The characteristics of the lacunar infarction were compared between the regular and irregular groups, between patients with and without neurological deterioration, and between patients with different modified Rankin scale (mRS) scores. The risk factors for irregularly shaped lacunar infarctions, neurological deterioration, and high mRS scores were identified. Results Blood pressure variability (BPV) was an independent risk factor for irregularly shaped lacunar infarction. Infarction size, prevalence of advanced leukoaraiosis, and irregularly shaped lacunar infarcts were independent risk factors for higher mRS scores. Conclusions The irregularly shaped lacunar infarcts were correlated with BPV. Irregularly shaped lacunar infarctions and leukoaraiosis may be associated with unfavorable clinical outcomes.

OBJECTIVES: This pilot study was designed to utilize stroke volume variation and cardiac index to ensure fluid optimization during one-lung ventilation in patients undergoing thoracoscopic lobectomies. METHODS: Eighty patients undergoing thoracoscopic lobectomy were randomized into either a goal-directed therapy group or a control group. In the goal-directed therapy group, the stroke volume variation was controlled at 10%±1%, and the cardiac index was controlled at a minimum of 2.5 L.min-1.m-2. In the control group, the MAP was maintained at between 65 mm Hg and 90 mm Hg, heart rate was maintained at between 60 BPM and 100 BPM, and urinary output was greater than 0.5 mL/kg-1/h-1. The hemodynamic variables, arterial blood gas analyses, total administered fluid volume and side effects were recorded. RESULTS: The PaO2/FiO2-ratio before the end of one-lung ventilation in the goal-directed therapy group was significantly higher than that of the control group, but there were no differences between the goal-directed therapy group and the control group for the PaO2/FiO2-ratio or other arterial blood gas analysis indices prior to anesthesia. The extubation time was significantly earlier in the goal-directed therapy group, but there was no difference in the length of hospital stay. Patients in the control group had greater urine volumes, and they were given greater colloid and overall fluid volumes. Nausea and vomiting were significantly reduced in the goal-directed therapy group. CONCLUSION: The results of this study demonstrated that an optimization protocol, based on stroke volume variation and cardiac index obtained with a FloTrac/Vigileo device, increased the PaO2/FiO2-ratio and reduced the overall fluid volume, intubation time and postoperative complications (nausea and vomiting) in thoracic surgery patients requiring one-lung ventilation.

PURPOSE: To investigate the correlation between lateralization of cerebral basal ganglia hemorrhage and handedness. METHODS: Medical records and computed tomography (CT) scans for 84 patients with primary hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) in basal ganglia were reviewed. Data of gender, age, handedness, and location of basal ganglia hematoma were statistically analyzed. Data of age, gender, handedness, health condition, and mean blood flow velocity (BFV) in middle cerebral arteries (MCAs) and anterior cerebral arteries (ACAs) on both sides of 114 healthy individuals were statistically analyzed. RESULTS: We found out that the patients with right basal ganglia hemorrhage were mostly left-handed, while patients with left basal ganglia hemorrhage were mostly right handed (p=0.021, r=0.251). And the mean BFV in the right MCAs of left-handed ones are relatively higher, the mean BFV in the left MCAs of right-handers are relatively higher (p=0.008, r=0.248). CONCLUSION: There 's a correlation between lateralization of cerebral basal ganglia hemorrhage and handedness.