Agricultural mechanization plays a pivotal role in the transition from subsistence to commercial agriculture, with a particular focus on labour-intensive activities like harvesting. This study assesses the operational...Agricultural mechanization plays a pivotal role in the transition from subsistence to commercial agriculture, with a particular focus on labour-intensive activities like harvesting. This study assesses the operational characteristics of the BRRI Whole Feed Combine Harvester (Model BRRI WCH2021) at the field level. Developed under the SFMRA project, the harvester’s technical performance and loss assessment were conducted during the Boro 2022 and Aman 2022 seasons in farmer fields in Bangladesh’s Rangpur region. The field efficiency of the harvester was determined to be 62.5% and 57.9% in the Boro and Aman seasons, respectively. Fuel consumption rates were recorded at 2.77 l/ha and 2.31 l/ha for the Boro and Aman seasons. The total harvesting losses, encompassing cutter bar, shatter, cylinder, and separation loss, averaged 0.56% and 0.48% in the Boro and Aman seasons, respectively. Mechanized harvesting with the BRRI Whole Feed Combine Harvester significantly reduced paddy losses by 5.81% compared to manual methods. The field evaluation results indicate the combine harvester’s satisfactory performance, highlighting its potential to alleviate labour demands during peak harvesting. The development of the BRRI WCH offers a sustainable solution for rice harvesting mechanization among progressive farmers. It paves the way for the broader adoption of advanced agricultural technology in Bangladesh.展开更多
A naïve discussion of Fermat’s last theorem conundrum is described. The present theorem’s proof is grounded on the well-known properties of sums of powers of the sine and cosine functions, the Minkowski norm de...A naïve discussion of Fermat’s last theorem conundrum is described. The present theorem’s proof is grounded on the well-known properties of sums of powers of the sine and cosine functions, the Minkowski norm definition, and some vector-specific structures.展开更多
Background: Adequate selection of a prospective whole blood donor protects his health and safety of the recipient. Objectives: The main objective of this study was to determine the haematology parameters of apparently...Background: Adequate selection of a prospective whole blood donor protects his health and safety of the recipient. Objectives: The main objective of this study was to determine the haematology parameters of apparently healthy prospective whole blood donors. Participants and Methods: This was a hospital based prospective study carried out from August to October 2020 at the blood transfusion unit of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, Nigeria. A structured pretested questionnaire was used for data collection. The socio demographic status and the haematology parameters of apparently healthy prospective whole blood donors who tested negative for HIV, hepatitis B and C markers were captured. Obtained data were analysed with the statistical package for the social scientist software version 20. Results: One hundred male (97.1%) and three female (2.9%) apparently healthy prospective whole blood donors were studied. The median age of study subjects was 30 years. Obtained median haematology parameter values were 13 g/dl, 40%, 4.9/nl and 203.9/nl for haemoglobin concentration, haematocrit, total white cell and platelet counts respectively. The median values for the mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC), mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH) and mean corpuscular volume (MCV) of participants were 32.6 g/dl, 27.7 pg and 85.7 fl respectively. Observed prevalence of subnormal haematology parameters for haemoglobin concentration, total white cells, platelets were 12.6%, 25.2%, and 13.6% respectively. Also subnormal values for MCHC, MCH, MCV were 11.7%, 26.2%, and 16.5% respectively among prospective whole blood donors in this study. No higher than normal haematology parameter values were observed. Median values for erythrocyte sedimentation rate was 8.4 mm/hr. Conclusion: A significant percentage of apparently healthy prospective whole blood donors had subnormal haematology parameters values. Obtained normal values in our study are comparable with local reference range reports from previous studies in Nigeria and other parts of Africa. 124947 .展开更多
English public speaking proves to play a significant role in the speaker's whole person education, which has been gaining increasing attention among scholars at home and abroad. The paper analyzes possible relatio...English public speaking proves to play a significant role in the speaker's whole person education, which has been gaining increasing attention among scholars at home and abroad. The paper analyzes possible relations between them and argues that great importance and awareness are supposed to be attached to the development and promotion of English public speaking especially among English majors for them to be more versatile and more competitive both in job markets and in work places.展开更多
Autosomal recessive cerebellar ataxias(ARCA) are a clinically and genetically heterogeneous group of rare neurodegenerative disorders characterized by autosomal recessive inheritance and an early age of onset. Progres...Autosomal recessive cerebellar ataxias(ARCA) are a clinically and genetically heterogeneous group of rare neurodegenerative disorders characterized by autosomal recessive inheritance and an early age of onset. Progressive ataxia is usually the prominent symptom and is often associated with other neurological or additional features. ARCA classification still remains controversial even though different approaches have been proposed over the years. Furthermore, ARCA molecular diagnosis has been a challenge due to phenotypic overlap and increased genetic heterogeneity observed within this group of disorders. Friedreich's ataxia and ataxia telangiectasia have been reported as the most frequent and well-studied forms of ARCA. Significant progress in understanding the genetic etiologies of the ARCA has been achieved during the last 15 years. The methodological revolution that has been observed in genetics over the last few years has contributed significantly to the molecular diagnosis of rare diseases including the ARCAs. Development of high throughput technologies has resulted in the identification of new ARCA genes and novel mutations in known ARCA genes. Therefore,an improvement in the molecular diagnosis of ARCA is expected. Moreover, based on the fact that many patients still remain undiagnosed, additional forms of ataxia are expected to be identified. We hereby review the current knowledge on the ARCAs, focused on the genetic findings of the most common forms that were molecularly characterized before the whole exome/genome era, as well as the most recently described forms that have been elucidated with the use of these novel technologies. The significant contribution of wholeexome sequencing or whole-genome sequencing in the molecular diagnosis of ARCAs is discussed.展开更多
A new concept called intelligent virtual control (IVC), which can be driven by measuring functions, is put forward. This small 'intelligent measurement instrument unit (IMIU)', carrying with functions of instr...A new concept called intelligent virtual control (IVC), which can be driven by measuring functions, is put forward. This small 'intelligent measurement instrument unit (IMIU)', carrying with functions of instrument, consists of different types of intelligent virtual instrument (IVI) through individual components together as building blocks and can be displayed directly on the computer screen. This is a new concept of measuring instrument, and also an important breakthrough after virtual instrument (VI). Virtual control makes instrument resources obtain further exploitation. It brings about a fundamental change to the design and manufacturing mode. The instrument therefore, can not only be produced directly inside a PC, but the product is involved in the 'green product' system. So far, all the present digital instruments will grow to be replaced by intelligent control with green characteristics.展开更多
AIM:To compare the performance of three commercially available anti-human epidermalgrowth factor receptor 2(HER2)antibodies in whole-tissue sections and tissue microarrays(TMAs)of a series of gastric tumors.METHODS:We...AIM:To compare the performance of three commercially available anti-human epidermalgrowth factor receptor 2(HER2)antibodies in whole-tissue sections and tissue microarrays(TMAs)of a series of gastric tumors.METHODS:We present a comparative analysis of three anti-HER2 antibodies(HercepTest,4B5 and SP3)using TMA and whole-tissue sections prepared from the same paraffin blocks of 199 gastric adenocarcinomas operated upon between January 2004 and December2008 at a Brazilian cancer hospital.The data on the patients’age,sex,the anatomical location of the tumor and the Lauren’s histological classification were collected from clinical and pathological records.The immunohistochemical(IHC)results were examined by two pathologists and the cases were classified as positive(3+),equivocal(2+)and negative(0 or 1+),according to the criteria of the IHC scoring system of gastric cancer.TMAs and whole-tissue sections were evaluated separately and independently.All cases yielding discordant IHC results and/or scored as 2+were subjected to dual-color in situ hybridization in order to determine the final HER2 status.Besides determining the sensitivity and predictive value for HER2-positive status,we measured the accuracy of each antibody by calculating the area under the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve.The agreement between the results obtained using the TMAs and those obtained using the whole-tissue sections was assessed by means of Kappa coefficient.RESULTS:Intratumoral heterogeneity of HER2 expression was observed with all antibodies.HER2-positive expression(3+)in the whole-tissue sections was observed in 23 cases(11.6%)using the 4B5 antibody,in 18 cases(9.1%)using the SP3 antibody and in 10 cases(5.1%)using the HercepTest antibody.In the TMAs,11 positive cases(5.6%)were identified using SP3 antibody,9(4.6%)using the 4B5 antibody and 6(3%)using the HercepTest antibody.The sensitivity using whole-tissue sections and TMA,respectively,was 95.2%and 42.9%with 4B5,90.5%and 66.7%with SP3 and 47.6%and42.9%with HercepTest.The accuracy,calculated from the area under the ROC curve,using whole-tissue sections and TMA,respectively,was 0.91 and 0.79 by 4B5,0.86 and 0.80 by SP3 and 0.73 and 0.71 by HercepTest.The concordance of the results obtained using wholetissue sections and TMA was 97.4%(Kappa 0.75)using HercepTest,85.6%(Kappa 0.56)using SP3 and 84.1%(Kappa 0.38)using 4B5.CONCLUSION:The use of the 4B5 antibody on wholetissue sections was the most accurate IHC method for evaluating HER2 expression in gastric adenocarcinoma.展开更多
In this research,a methodology named whole-process pollution control(WPPC)is demonstrated that improves the effectiveness of process optimization.This methodology considers waste/emission treatment as a step of the wh...In this research,a methodology named whole-process pollution control(WPPC)is demonstrated that improves the effectiveness of process optimization.This methodology considers waste/emission treatment as a step of the whole production process with respect to the minimization of cost and environmental impact for the whole process.The following procedures are introduced in a WPPC process optimization:①a material and energy flow investigation and optimization based on a systematic understanding of the distribution and physiochemical properties of potential pollutants;②a process optimization to increase the utilization efficiency of different elements and minimize pollutant emissions;and③an evaluation to reveal the effectiveness of the optimization strategies.The production of ammonium paratungstate was chosen for the case study.Two factors of the different optimization schemes-namely the cost-effectiveness factor and the environmental impact indicator-were evaluated and compared.This research demonstrates that by considering the nature of potential pollutants,technological innovations,economic viability,environmental impacts,and regulation requirements,WPPC can efficiently optimize a metal production process.展开更多
AIM: To detect the pathogenetic mutations responsible for nonsyndromic autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa(RP) in 2 nonconsanguineous Chinese families. METHODS: The clinical data, including detailed medical histo...AIM: To detect the pathogenetic mutations responsible for nonsyndromic autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa(RP) in 2 nonconsanguineous Chinese families. METHODS: The clinical data, including detailed medical history, best corrected visual acuity(BCVA), slit-lamp biomicroscope examination, fundus photography, optical coherence tomography, static perimetry, and full field electroretinogram, were collected from the members of 2 nonconsanguineous Chinese families preliminarily diagnosed with RP. Genomic DNA was extracted from the probands and other available family members;wholeexome sequencing was conducted with the DNA samples provided by the probands, and all mutations detected by whole-exome sequencing were verified using Sanger sequencing in the probands and the other available family members. The verified novel mutations were further sequenced in 192 ethnicity matched healthy controls.RESULTS: The patients from the 2 families exhibited the typical symptoms of RP, including night blindness and progressive constriction of the visual field, and the fundus examinations showed attenuated retinal arterioles, peripheral bone spicule pigment deposits, and waxy optic discs. Whole-exome sequencing revealed a novel nonsense mutation in FAM161 A(c.943 A>T, p.Lys315*) and compound heterozygous mutations in RP1 L1(c.56 C>A, p.Pro19 His;c.5470 C>T, p.Gln1824*). The nonsense c.5470 C>T, p.Gln1824* mutation was novel. All mutations were verified by Sanger sequencing. The mutation p.Lys315* in FAM161A co-segregated with the phenotype, and all the nonsense mutations were absent from the ethnicity matched healthy controls and all available databases.CONCLUSION: We identify 2 novel mutations in genes responsible for autosomal recessive RP, and the mutation in FAM161A is reported for the first time in a Chinese population. Our result not only enriches the knowledge of the mutation frequency and spectrum in the genes responsible for nonsyndromic RP but also provides a new target for future gene therapy.展开更多
Objective Mutations in 23 S rRNA gene are known to be associated with macrolide resistance in Mycoplasma pneumoniae(M. pneumoniae). However, these mutations alone do not fully explain the high resistance rates in Asia...Objective Mutations in 23 S rRNA gene are known to be associated with macrolide resistance in Mycoplasma pneumoniae(M. pneumoniae). However, these mutations alone do not fully explain the high resistance rates in Asia. The aim of this study was to investigate other possible mutations involved in macrolide resistance in M. pneumoniae. Methods The whole genomes of 10 clinical isolates of M. pneumoniae with macrolide resistance were sequenced by Illumina Hi Seq2000 platform. The role of the macrolide-specific efflux transporter was assessed by efflux-pump inhibition assays with reserpine and carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenyl-hydrazone(CCCP). Results A total of 56 single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs) were identified in 10 clinical isolates in comparison to the reference strains M129 and FH. Strikingly, 4 of 30 SNPs causing non-synonymous mutations were clustered in macrolide-specific efflux system gene mac B encoding macrolide-specific efflux pump protein of the ATP-binding cassette transporter family. In assays of the minimal inhibitory concentrations(MIC) of macrolide antibiotics in the presence of the efflux pump inhibitors caused a significant decrease of MICs, even under detectable levels in some strains. Conclusion Our study suggests that macrolide efflux pump may contribute to macrolide resistance in M. pneumoniae in addition to the common point mutations in 23 S r RNA gene.展开更多
Plant water use efficiency(WUE) is becoming a key issue in semiarid areas, where crop production relies on the use of large volumes of water. Improving WUE is necessary for securing environmental sustainability of foo...Plant water use efficiency(WUE) is becoming a key issue in semiarid areas, where crop production relies on the use of large volumes of water. Improving WUE is necessary for securing environmental sustainability of food production in these areas. Given that climate change predictions include increases in temperature and drought in semiarid regions,improving crop WUE is mandatory for global food production. WUE is commonly measured at the leaf level, because portable equipment for measuring leaf gas exchange rates facilitates the simultaneous measurement of photosynthesis and transpiration. However,when those measurements are compared with daily integrals or whole-plant estimates of WUE, the two sometimes do not agree. Scaling up from single-leaf to whole-plant WUE was tested in grapevines in different experiments by comparison of daily integrals of instantaneous water use efficiency [ratio between CO2assimilation(AN) and transpiration(E); AN/E] with midday AN/E measurements, showing a low correlation, being worse with increasing water stress. We sought to evaluate the importance of spatial and temporal variation in carbon and water balances at the leaf and plant levels. The leaf position(governing average light interception) in the canopy showed a marked effect on instantaneous and daily integrals of leaf WUE. Night transpiration and respiration rates were also evaluated, as well as respiration contributions to total carbon balance. Two main components were identified as filling the gap between leaf and whole plant WUE: the large effect of leaf position on daily carbon gain and water loss and the large flux of carbon losses by dark respiration. These results show that WUE evaluation among genotypes or treatments needs to be revised.展开更多
BACKGROUND Cardiac tumors are rare and complex entities.Surgery represents the cornerstone of therapy,while the role of adjuvant treatment remains unclear and,in case of relapse or metastatic disease,the prognosis is ...BACKGROUND Cardiac tumors are rare and complex entities.Surgery represents the cornerstone of therapy,while the role of adjuvant treatment remains unclear and,in case of relapse or metastatic disease,the prognosis is very poor.Lack of prospective,randomized clinical trials hinders the generation of high level evidence for the optimal diagnostic workup and multimodal treatment of cardiac sarcomas.Herein,we describe the multidisciplinary clinical management and molecular characterization of a rare case of cardiac myxofibrosarcoma in an elderly woman.CASE SUMMARY A 73-year-old woman presented signs and symptoms of acute left-sided heart failure.Imaging examination revealed a large,left atrial mass.With suspicion of a myxoma,she underwent surgery,and symptoms were promptly relieved.Histology showed a cardiac myxofibrosarcoma,a rare histotype of cardiac sarcoma.Eight months later,disease unfortunately relapsed,and after a multidisciplinary discussion,a chemotherapy with doxorubicin and then gemcitabine was started,achieving partial radiologic and complete metabolic response,which was maintained up to 2 years and is still present.This report is focused on the entire clinical path of our patient from diagnosis to follow-up,through surgery and strategies adopted at relapse.Moreover,due to their rarity,very little is known about the molecular landscape of myxofibrosarcomas.Thus,we also performed and described preliminary genome analysis of the tumor tissue to get further insight on mechanisms involved in tumor growth,and to possibly unveil new clinically actionable targets.CONCLUSION We report a case of cardiac myxofibrosarcoma that achieved a very good prognosis due to an integrated surgical,cardiac and oncologic treatment strategy.展开更多
Objective: We investigated the correlation between the number of circulating tumor cells(CTCs) and wholebody metabolic tumor volume(WBMTV) measured by 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose(FDG) positron emission tomography/computed...Objective: We investigated the correlation between the number of circulating tumor cells(CTCs) and wholebody metabolic tumor volume(WBMTV) measured by 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose(FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography(PET/CT).The aim was to evaluate the value of the incorporation of CTC number and WBMTV in the prognostic prediction of stage III small-cell lung cancer(SCLC).Methods: One hundred and twenty-nine patients were enrolled in this study.All patients were treated with four cycles of a platinum-based regimen and concurrent chest irradiation,followed by prophylactic cranial irradiation.Blood samples for CTC analysis were obtained from 112 patients before the initiation of chemotherapy(as a baseline),after cycle 1 and after cycle 4.CTCs were measured using the CELLSEARCH? system.The patients underwent pretreatment FDG PET/CT WBMTV,which included all malignant lesions.The Spearman rank test was used to determine the correlation among CTC counts,WBMTV and disease stage.Overall survival(OS) and progression-free survival(PFS) curves were produced using the Kaplan-Meier method,and survival differences between groups were assessed by the log-rank test.Results: The number of CTCs at baseline did not correlate with WBMTV before the initiation of therapy(P=0.241).The number of CTCs at baseline and the WBMTV before the initiation of therapy were independent relevant factors for PFS and OS.The subgroup analysis(Group A: CTC count >19.5 and a WBMTV >266.5cm^3;Group B: CTC count >19.5 and a WBMTV ≤266.5cm^3; Group C: CTC count ≤19.5 and a WBMTV >266.5cm^3;Group D: CTC count ≤19.5 and a WBMTV ≤266.5cm^3) showed that the differences were statistically significant in the median PFS(Group A vs.D,P<0.001; Group B vs.D,P=0.018; Group C vs.D,P=0.029) and in the median OS(Group A vs.D,P<0.001; Group B vs.D,P=0.012).Conclusions: CTC number and WBMTV are related to progression and death in patients with SCLC.The incorporation of CTC number and WBMTV scans can provide a detailed prognostic prediction for SCLC.展开更多
AIM:To make a comprehensive analysis of the potential pathogenic genes related with Leber congenital amaurosis(LCA) in Chinese.METHODS:LCA subjects and their families were retrospectively collected from 2013 to 2015.F...AIM:To make a comprehensive analysis of the potential pathogenic genes related with Leber congenital amaurosis(LCA) in Chinese.METHODS:LCA subjects and their families were retrospectively collected from 2013 to 2015.Firstly,whole-exome sequencing was performed in patients who had underwent gene mutation screening with nothing found,and then homozygous sites was selected,candidate sites were annotated,and pathogenic analysis was conducted using softwares including Sorting Tolerant from Intolerant(SIFT),Polyphen-2,Mutation assessor,Condel,and Functional Analysis through Hidden Markov Models(FATHMM).Furthermore,Gene Ontology function and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analyses of pathogenic genes were performed followed by co-segregation analysis using Fisher exact Test.Sanger sequencing was used to validate single-nucleotide variations(SNVs).Expanded verification was performed in the rest patients.RESULTS:Totally 51 LCA families with 53 patients and24 family members were recruited.A total of 104 SNVs(66 LCA-related genes and 15 co-segregated genes)were submitted for expand verification.The frequencies of homozygous mutation of KRT12 and CYP1A1 were simultaneously observed in 3 families.Enrichment analysis showed that the potential pathogenic genes were mainly enriched in functions related to cell adhesion,biological adhesion,retinoid metabolic process,and eye development biological adhesion.Additionally,WFS7 and STAU2 had the highest homozygous frequencies.CONCLUSION:LCA is a highly heterogeneous disease.Mutations in KRT12,CVP1A1,WFS1,and STAU2 may be involved in the development of LCA.展开更多
AIM: To identify the potentially pathogenic gene variants that contributes to the etiology of strabismus.METHODS: A Chinese pedigree with strabismus was collected and the exomes of two affected individuals were sequen...AIM: To identify the potentially pathogenic gene variants that contributes to the etiology of strabismus.METHODS: A Chinese pedigree with strabismus was collected and the exomes of two affected individuals were sequenced using the next-generation sequencing technology. The resulting variants from exome sequencing were filtered by subsequent bioinformatics methods and the candidate mutation was verified as heterozygous in the affected proposita and her mother by sanger sequencing.RESULTS: Whole exome sequencing and filtering identified a nonsynonymous mutation c.434G-T transition in paired box 3(PAX3) in the two affected individuals,which were predicted to be deleterious by more than 4 bioinformatics programs. This altered amino acid residue was located in the conserved PAX domain of PAX3. This gene encodes a member of the PAX family of transcription factors,which play critical roles during fetal development. Mutations in PAX3 were associated with Waardenburg syndrome with strabismus.CONCLUSION:Our results report that the c.434G-T mutation(p.R145L) in PAX3 may contribute to strabismus,expanding our understanding of the causally relevant genes for this disorder.展开更多
The whole airspace phased array telemetry,track and command(TT&C)system is regarded as the development tendency of next generation TT&C system,and the distribution of the antenna units and the beamforming tech...The whole airspace phased array telemetry,track and command(TT&C)system is regarded as the development tendency of next generation TT&C system,and the distribution of the antenna units and the beamforming technology have sparked wide interest in this field.A method for antenna distribution is proposed based on the linear subarrays technology.A symmetrical truncated cone conformal array is composed of the linear subarrays placed on the generatrix.The impact of truncated cone bottom radius and elevation angle on beamforming are studied and simulated.Simulation results verify the system design.展开更多
Objective To assess the effects of high-frequency loading using whole body vibration on distal radius density in adults. Methods The volunteers diagnosed with osteoporosis or osteopenia in the First Hospital of Jilin ...Objective To assess the effects of high-frequency loading using whole body vibration on distal radius density in adults. Methods The volunteers diagnosed with osteoporosis or osteopenia in the First Hospital of Jilin University from January 2011 to December 2014 were recruited. All the subjects performed foot-based, whole body vibrations on the vibration platform(35 Hz, 0.25 g) once a day, for 15 minutes per session over a period of 4 weeks. The bone mineral density of distal radius(rB MD) was measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry at before, 2-week, and 4-week after the vibration treatment. Blood pressures were measured at the end of the vibration treatment. Results A total of 114 volunteers were enrolled. The average rB MD before the treatment was 0.331±0.014 g/cm^2. It was reached 0.337±0.019 g/cm2 at the end of the fourth week, increased by 1.79%(P<0.05). Whole body vibration increased rB MD of men and women respectively(1.77% and 1.80%, P<0.05). Blood pressures did not change in any of the groups. Conclusion A 4-week whole body vibration was feasible and contributed to increase of rBMD.展开更多
文摘Agricultural mechanization plays a pivotal role in the transition from subsistence to commercial agriculture, with a particular focus on labour-intensive activities like harvesting. This study assesses the operational characteristics of the BRRI Whole Feed Combine Harvester (Model BRRI WCH2021) at the field level. Developed under the SFMRA project, the harvester’s technical performance and loss assessment were conducted during the Boro 2022 and Aman 2022 seasons in farmer fields in Bangladesh’s Rangpur region. The field efficiency of the harvester was determined to be 62.5% and 57.9% in the Boro and Aman seasons, respectively. Fuel consumption rates were recorded at 2.77 l/ha and 2.31 l/ha for the Boro and Aman seasons. The total harvesting losses, encompassing cutter bar, shatter, cylinder, and separation loss, averaged 0.56% and 0.48% in the Boro and Aman seasons, respectively. Mechanized harvesting with the BRRI Whole Feed Combine Harvester significantly reduced paddy losses by 5.81% compared to manual methods. The field evaluation results indicate the combine harvester’s satisfactory performance, highlighting its potential to alleviate labour demands during peak harvesting. The development of the BRRI WCH offers a sustainable solution for rice harvesting mechanization among progressive farmers. It paves the way for the broader adoption of advanced agricultural technology in Bangladesh.
文摘A naïve discussion of Fermat’s last theorem conundrum is described. The present theorem’s proof is grounded on the well-known properties of sums of powers of the sine and cosine functions, the Minkowski norm definition, and some vector-specific structures.
文摘Background: Adequate selection of a prospective whole blood donor protects his health and safety of the recipient. Objectives: The main objective of this study was to determine the haematology parameters of apparently healthy prospective whole blood donors. Participants and Methods: This was a hospital based prospective study carried out from August to October 2020 at the blood transfusion unit of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, Nigeria. A structured pretested questionnaire was used for data collection. The socio demographic status and the haematology parameters of apparently healthy prospective whole blood donors who tested negative for HIV, hepatitis B and C markers were captured. Obtained data were analysed with the statistical package for the social scientist software version 20. Results: One hundred male (97.1%) and three female (2.9%) apparently healthy prospective whole blood donors were studied. The median age of study subjects was 30 years. Obtained median haematology parameter values were 13 g/dl, 40%, 4.9/nl and 203.9/nl for haemoglobin concentration, haematocrit, total white cell and platelet counts respectively. The median values for the mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC), mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH) and mean corpuscular volume (MCV) of participants were 32.6 g/dl, 27.7 pg and 85.7 fl respectively. Observed prevalence of subnormal haematology parameters for haemoglobin concentration, total white cells, platelets were 12.6%, 25.2%, and 13.6% respectively. Also subnormal values for MCHC, MCH, MCV were 11.7%, 26.2%, and 16.5% respectively among prospective whole blood donors in this study. No higher than normal haematology parameter values were observed. Median values for erythrocyte sedimentation rate was 8.4 mm/hr. Conclusion: A significant percentage of apparently healthy prospective whole blood donors had subnormal haematology parameters values. Obtained normal values in our study are comparable with local reference range reports from previous studies in Nigeria and other parts of Africa. 124947 .
文摘English public speaking proves to play a significant role in the speaker's whole person education, which has been gaining increasing attention among scholars at home and abroad. The paper analyzes possible relations between them and argues that great importance and awareness are supposed to be attached to the development and promotion of English public speaking especially among English majors for them to be more versatile and more competitive both in job markets and in work places.
文摘Autosomal recessive cerebellar ataxias(ARCA) are a clinically and genetically heterogeneous group of rare neurodegenerative disorders characterized by autosomal recessive inheritance and an early age of onset. Progressive ataxia is usually the prominent symptom and is often associated with other neurological or additional features. ARCA classification still remains controversial even though different approaches have been proposed over the years. Furthermore, ARCA molecular diagnosis has been a challenge due to phenotypic overlap and increased genetic heterogeneity observed within this group of disorders. Friedreich's ataxia and ataxia telangiectasia have been reported as the most frequent and well-studied forms of ARCA. Significant progress in understanding the genetic etiologies of the ARCA has been achieved during the last 15 years. The methodological revolution that has been observed in genetics over the last few years has contributed significantly to the molecular diagnosis of rare diseases including the ARCAs. Development of high throughput technologies has resulted in the identification of new ARCA genes and novel mutations in known ARCA genes. Therefore,an improvement in the molecular diagnosis of ARCA is expected. Moreover, based on the fact that many patients still remain undiagnosed, additional forms of ataxia are expected to be identified. We hereby review the current knowledge on the ARCAs, focused on the genetic findings of the most common forms that were molecularly characterized before the whole exome/genome era, as well as the most recently described forms that have been elucidated with the use of these novel technologies. The significant contribution of wholeexome sequencing or whole-genome sequencing in the molecular diagnosis of ARCAs is discussed.
基金This project is supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.50135050).
文摘A new concept called intelligent virtual control (IVC), which can be driven by measuring functions, is put forward. This small 'intelligent measurement instrument unit (IMIU)', carrying with functions of instrument, consists of different types of intelligent virtual instrument (IVI) through individual components together as building blocks and can be displayed directly on the computer screen. This is a new concept of measuring instrument, and also an important breakthrough after virtual instrument (VI). Virtual control makes instrument resources obtain further exploitation. It brings about a fundamental change to the design and manufacturing mode. The instrument therefore, can not only be produced directly inside a PC, but the product is involved in the 'green product' system. So far, all the present digital instruments will grow to be replaced by intelligent control with green characteristics.
文摘AIM:To compare the performance of three commercially available anti-human epidermalgrowth factor receptor 2(HER2)antibodies in whole-tissue sections and tissue microarrays(TMAs)of a series of gastric tumors.METHODS:We present a comparative analysis of three anti-HER2 antibodies(HercepTest,4B5 and SP3)using TMA and whole-tissue sections prepared from the same paraffin blocks of 199 gastric adenocarcinomas operated upon between January 2004 and December2008 at a Brazilian cancer hospital.The data on the patients’age,sex,the anatomical location of the tumor and the Lauren’s histological classification were collected from clinical and pathological records.The immunohistochemical(IHC)results were examined by two pathologists and the cases were classified as positive(3+),equivocal(2+)and negative(0 or 1+),according to the criteria of the IHC scoring system of gastric cancer.TMAs and whole-tissue sections were evaluated separately and independently.All cases yielding discordant IHC results and/or scored as 2+were subjected to dual-color in situ hybridization in order to determine the final HER2 status.Besides determining the sensitivity and predictive value for HER2-positive status,we measured the accuracy of each antibody by calculating the area under the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve.The agreement between the results obtained using the TMAs and those obtained using the whole-tissue sections was assessed by means of Kappa coefficient.RESULTS:Intratumoral heterogeneity of HER2 expression was observed with all antibodies.HER2-positive expression(3+)in the whole-tissue sections was observed in 23 cases(11.6%)using the 4B5 antibody,in 18 cases(9.1%)using the SP3 antibody and in 10 cases(5.1%)using the HercepTest antibody.In the TMAs,11 positive cases(5.6%)were identified using SP3 antibody,9(4.6%)using the 4B5 antibody and 6(3%)using the HercepTest antibody.The sensitivity using whole-tissue sections and TMA,respectively,was 95.2%and 42.9%with 4B5,90.5%and 66.7%with SP3 and 47.6%and42.9%with HercepTest.The accuracy,calculated from the area under the ROC curve,using whole-tissue sections and TMA,respectively,was 0.91 and 0.79 by 4B5,0.86 and 0.80 by SP3 and 0.73 and 0.71 by HercepTest.The concordance of the results obtained using wholetissue sections and TMA was 97.4%(Kappa 0.75)using HercepTest,85.6%(Kappa 0.56)using SP3 and 84.1%(Kappa 0.38)using 4B5.CONCLUSION:The use of the 4B5 antibody on wholetissue sections was the most accurate IHC method for evaluating HER2 expression in gastric adenocarcinoma.
基金The authors acknowledge financial support for this research from the National Key Research and Development Program of China(2017YFB0403300 and 2017YFB043305)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(51425405 and 51874269),the National Science-Technology Support Plan Projects(2015BAB02B05)the Youth Innovation Promotion Association of Chinese Academy of Sciences(2014037).Zhi Sun acknowledges financial support from the National Youth Thousand Talents Program.The authors acknowledge constructive suggestions from Prof.Jianxin Yang.
文摘In this research,a methodology named whole-process pollution control(WPPC)is demonstrated that improves the effectiveness of process optimization.This methodology considers waste/emission treatment as a step of the whole production process with respect to the minimization of cost and environmental impact for the whole process.The following procedures are introduced in a WPPC process optimization:①a material and energy flow investigation and optimization based on a systematic understanding of the distribution and physiochemical properties of potential pollutants;②a process optimization to increase the utilization efficiency of different elements and minimize pollutant emissions;and③an evaluation to reveal the effectiveness of the optimization strategies.The production of ammonium paratungstate was chosen for the case study.Two factors of the different optimization schemes-namely the cost-effectiveness factor and the environmental impact indicator-were evaluated and compared.This research demonstrates that by considering the nature of potential pollutants,technological innovations,economic viability,environmental impacts,and regulation requirements,WPPC can efficiently optimize a metal production process.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.81360154)
文摘AIM: To detect the pathogenetic mutations responsible for nonsyndromic autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa(RP) in 2 nonconsanguineous Chinese families. METHODS: The clinical data, including detailed medical history, best corrected visual acuity(BCVA), slit-lamp biomicroscope examination, fundus photography, optical coherence tomography, static perimetry, and full field electroretinogram, were collected from the members of 2 nonconsanguineous Chinese families preliminarily diagnosed with RP. Genomic DNA was extracted from the probands and other available family members;wholeexome sequencing was conducted with the DNA samples provided by the probands, and all mutations detected by whole-exome sequencing were verified using Sanger sequencing in the probands and the other available family members. The verified novel mutations were further sequenced in 192 ethnicity matched healthy controls.RESULTS: The patients from the 2 families exhibited the typical symptoms of RP, including night blindness and progressive constriction of the visual field, and the fundus examinations showed attenuated retinal arterioles, peripheral bone spicule pigment deposits, and waxy optic discs. Whole-exome sequencing revealed a novel nonsense mutation in FAM161 A(c.943 A>T, p.Lys315*) and compound heterozygous mutations in RP1 L1(c.56 C>A, p.Pro19 His;c.5470 C>T, p.Gln1824*). The nonsense c.5470 C>T, p.Gln1824* mutation was novel. All mutations were verified by Sanger sequencing. The mutation p.Lys315* in FAM161A co-segregated with the phenotype, and all the nonsense mutations were absent from the ethnicity matched healthy controls and all available databases.CONCLUSION: We identify 2 novel mutations in genes responsible for autosomal recessive RP, and the mutation in FAM161A is reported for the first time in a Chinese population. Our result not only enriches the knowledge of the mutation frequency and spectrum in the genes responsible for nonsyndromic RP but also provides a new target for future gene therapy.
基金supported by the grants from National Nature Science Foundation of China(81601778 and 81672062)the Beijing Natural Science Foundation(7152025)Beijing Talents Fund(2015000021469G192)
文摘Objective Mutations in 23 S rRNA gene are known to be associated with macrolide resistance in Mycoplasma pneumoniae(M. pneumoniae). However, these mutations alone do not fully explain the high resistance rates in Asia. The aim of this study was to investigate other possible mutations involved in macrolide resistance in M. pneumoniae. Methods The whole genomes of 10 clinical isolates of M. pneumoniae with macrolide resistance were sequenced by Illumina Hi Seq2000 platform. The role of the macrolide-specific efflux transporter was assessed by efflux-pump inhibition assays with reserpine and carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenyl-hydrazone(CCCP). Results A total of 56 single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs) were identified in 10 clinical isolates in comparison to the reference strains M129 and FH. Strikingly, 4 of 30 SNPs causing non-synonymous mutations were clustered in macrolide-specific efflux system gene mac B encoding macrolide-specific efflux pump protein of the ATP-binding cassette transporter family. In assays of the minimal inhibitory concentrations(MIC) of macrolide antibiotics in the presence of the efflux pump inhibitors caused a significant decrease of MICs, even under detectable levels in some strains. Conclusion Our study suggests that macrolide efflux pump may contribute to macrolide resistance in M. pneumoniae in addition to the common point mutations in 23 S r RNA gene.
基金financial support from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Technology (project AGL2011-30408-C04-01)from Conselleria de Educación, Cultura y Universidades (Govern de les Illes Balears)the European Social Fund through the ESF Operational Programme for the Balearic Islands 2013–2017 (project PD/027/2013)
文摘Plant water use efficiency(WUE) is becoming a key issue in semiarid areas, where crop production relies on the use of large volumes of water. Improving WUE is necessary for securing environmental sustainability of food production in these areas. Given that climate change predictions include increases in temperature and drought in semiarid regions,improving crop WUE is mandatory for global food production. WUE is commonly measured at the leaf level, because portable equipment for measuring leaf gas exchange rates facilitates the simultaneous measurement of photosynthesis and transpiration. However,when those measurements are compared with daily integrals or whole-plant estimates of WUE, the two sometimes do not agree. Scaling up from single-leaf to whole-plant WUE was tested in grapevines in different experiments by comparison of daily integrals of instantaneous water use efficiency [ratio between CO2assimilation(AN) and transpiration(E); AN/E] with midday AN/E measurements, showing a low correlation, being worse with increasing water stress. We sought to evaluate the importance of spatial and temporal variation in carbon and water balances at the leaf and plant levels. The leaf position(governing average light interception) in the canopy showed a marked effect on instantaneous and daily integrals of leaf WUE. Night transpiration and respiration rates were also evaluated, as well as respiration contributions to total carbon balance. Two main components were identified as filling the gap between leaf and whole plant WUE: the large effect of leaf position on daily carbon gain and water loss and the large flux of carbon losses by dark respiration. These results show that WUE evaluation among genotypes or treatments needs to be revised.
文摘BACKGROUND Cardiac tumors are rare and complex entities.Surgery represents the cornerstone of therapy,while the role of adjuvant treatment remains unclear and,in case of relapse or metastatic disease,the prognosis is very poor.Lack of prospective,randomized clinical trials hinders the generation of high level evidence for the optimal diagnostic workup and multimodal treatment of cardiac sarcomas.Herein,we describe the multidisciplinary clinical management and molecular characterization of a rare case of cardiac myxofibrosarcoma in an elderly woman.CASE SUMMARY A 73-year-old woman presented signs and symptoms of acute left-sided heart failure.Imaging examination revealed a large,left atrial mass.With suspicion of a myxoma,she underwent surgery,and symptoms were promptly relieved.Histology showed a cardiac myxofibrosarcoma,a rare histotype of cardiac sarcoma.Eight months later,disease unfortunately relapsed,and after a multidisciplinary discussion,a chemotherapy with doxorubicin and then gemcitabine was started,achieving partial radiologic and complete metabolic response,which was maintained up to 2 years and is still present.This report is focused on the entire clinical path of our patient from diagnosis to follow-up,through surgery and strategies adopted at relapse.Moreover,due to their rarity,very little is known about the molecular landscape of myxofibrosarcomas.Thus,we also performed and described preliminary genome analysis of the tumor tissue to get further insight on mechanisms involved in tumor growth,and to possibly unveil new clinically actionable targets.CONCLUSION We report a case of cardiac myxofibrosarcoma that achieved a very good prognosis due to an integrated surgical,cardiac and oncologic treatment strategy.
基金supported by a grant from the National Health and Family Planning Commission of China(No.201402011)
文摘Objective: We investigated the correlation between the number of circulating tumor cells(CTCs) and wholebody metabolic tumor volume(WBMTV) measured by 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose(FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography(PET/CT).The aim was to evaluate the value of the incorporation of CTC number and WBMTV in the prognostic prediction of stage III small-cell lung cancer(SCLC).Methods: One hundred and twenty-nine patients were enrolled in this study.All patients were treated with four cycles of a platinum-based regimen and concurrent chest irradiation,followed by prophylactic cranial irradiation.Blood samples for CTC analysis were obtained from 112 patients before the initiation of chemotherapy(as a baseline),after cycle 1 and after cycle 4.CTCs were measured using the CELLSEARCH? system.The patients underwent pretreatment FDG PET/CT WBMTV,which included all malignant lesions.The Spearman rank test was used to determine the correlation among CTC counts,WBMTV and disease stage.Overall survival(OS) and progression-free survival(PFS) curves were produced using the Kaplan-Meier method,and survival differences between groups were assessed by the log-rank test.Results: The number of CTCs at baseline did not correlate with WBMTV before the initiation of therapy(P=0.241).The number of CTCs at baseline and the WBMTV before the initiation of therapy were independent relevant factors for PFS and OS.The subgroup analysis(Group A: CTC count >19.5 and a WBMTV >266.5cm^3;Group B: CTC count >19.5 and a WBMTV ≤266.5cm^3; Group C: CTC count ≤19.5 and a WBMTV >266.5cm^3;Group D: CTC count ≤19.5 and a WBMTV ≤266.5cm^3) showed that the differences were statistically significant in the median PFS(Group A vs.D,P<0.001; Group B vs.D,P=0.018; Group C vs.D,P=0.029) and in the median OS(Group A vs.D,P<0.001; Group B vs.D,P=0.012).Conclusions: CTC number and WBMTV are related to progression and death in patients with SCLC.The incorporation of CTC number and WBMTV scans can provide a detailed prognostic prediction for SCLC.
基金Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.81470642No.81271045)
文摘AIM:To make a comprehensive analysis of the potential pathogenic genes related with Leber congenital amaurosis(LCA) in Chinese.METHODS:LCA subjects and their families were retrospectively collected from 2013 to 2015.Firstly,whole-exome sequencing was performed in patients who had underwent gene mutation screening with nothing found,and then homozygous sites was selected,candidate sites were annotated,and pathogenic analysis was conducted using softwares including Sorting Tolerant from Intolerant(SIFT),Polyphen-2,Mutation assessor,Condel,and Functional Analysis through Hidden Markov Models(FATHMM).Furthermore,Gene Ontology function and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analyses of pathogenic genes were performed followed by co-segregation analysis using Fisher exact Test.Sanger sequencing was used to validate single-nucleotide variations(SNVs).Expanded verification was performed in the rest patients.RESULTS:Totally 51 LCA families with 53 patients and24 family members were recruited.A total of 104 SNVs(66 LCA-related genes and 15 co-segregated genes)were submitted for expand verification.The frequencies of homozygous mutation of KRT12 and CYP1A1 were simultaneously observed in 3 families.Enrichment analysis showed that the potential pathogenic genes were mainly enriched in functions related to cell adhesion,biological adhesion,retinoid metabolic process,and eye development biological adhesion.Additionally,WFS7 and STAU2 had the highest homozygous frequencies.CONCLUSION:LCA is a highly heterogeneous disease.Mutations in KRT12,CVP1A1,WFS1,and STAU2 may be involved in the development of LCA.
文摘AIM: To identify the potentially pathogenic gene variants that contributes to the etiology of strabismus.METHODS: A Chinese pedigree with strabismus was collected and the exomes of two affected individuals were sequenced using the next-generation sequencing technology. The resulting variants from exome sequencing were filtered by subsequent bioinformatics methods and the candidate mutation was verified as heterozygous in the affected proposita and her mother by sanger sequencing.RESULTS: Whole exome sequencing and filtering identified a nonsynonymous mutation c.434G-T transition in paired box 3(PAX3) in the two affected individuals,which were predicted to be deleterious by more than 4 bioinformatics programs. This altered amino acid residue was located in the conserved PAX domain of PAX3. This gene encodes a member of the PAX family of transcription factors,which play critical roles during fetal development. Mutations in PAX3 were associated with Waardenburg syndrome with strabismus.CONCLUSION:Our results report that the c.434G-T mutation(p.R145L) in PAX3 may contribute to strabismus,expanding our understanding of the causally relevant genes for this disorder.
文摘The whole airspace phased array telemetry,track and command(TT&C)system is regarded as the development tendency of next generation TT&C system,and the distribution of the antenna units and the beamforming technology have sparked wide interest in this field.A method for antenna distribution is proposed based on the linear subarrays technology.A symmetrical truncated cone conformal array is composed of the linear subarrays placed on the generatrix.The impact of truncated cone bottom radius and elevation angle on beamforming are studied and simulated.Simulation results verify the system design.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(11272134 and 11432016)
文摘Objective To assess the effects of high-frequency loading using whole body vibration on distal radius density in adults. Methods The volunteers diagnosed with osteoporosis or osteopenia in the First Hospital of Jilin University from January 2011 to December 2014 were recruited. All the subjects performed foot-based, whole body vibrations on the vibration platform(35 Hz, 0.25 g) once a day, for 15 minutes per session over a period of 4 weeks. The bone mineral density of distal radius(rB MD) was measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry at before, 2-week, and 4-week after the vibration treatment. Blood pressures were measured at the end of the vibration treatment. Results A total of 114 volunteers were enrolled. The average rB MD before the treatment was 0.331±0.014 g/cm^2. It was reached 0.337±0.019 g/cm2 at the end of the fourth week, increased by 1.79%(P<0.05). Whole body vibration increased rB MD of men and women respectively(1.77% and 1.80%, P<0.05). Blood pressures did not change in any of the groups. Conclusion A 4-week whole body vibration was feasible and contributed to increase of rBMD.
