mlsa-iai-msu-lab/ru_sci_bench_zho_cite_reranking huggingface dataset:
Protective Effect of Low-dose Sevoflurane Inhalation and Propofol Anesthesia on the Myocardium after Carotid Endarterectomy: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: Myocardial infarction is an important cause of mortality after carotid endarterectomy (CEA). Sevoflurane provides myocardial protection to patients undergoing coronary surgery, but whether it also reduces the incidence of myocardial injury in CEA patients is unclear. In this study, we evaluated the cardioprotective effect of low-dose sevoflurane with propofol in patients undergoing CEA. Methods: This was a single-center, prospective, randomized study conducted between November 2011 and December 2013. The study population of 122 patients who underwent CEA were randomly assigned to two groups. Group A(n = 62) received propofol for anesthetic maintenance, and Group B (n = 60) additionally received 0.8% end-tidal sevoflurane. The bispectral index was kept at 40-60. Myocardial injury, defined as cardiac troponin I (cTnl) levels >0.04 ng/ml, was the primary end-point. Levels of cTnl were measured before anesthesia, and at 4,24, and 72 h after surgery. Perioperative hemodynamic parameters and adverse cardiovascular events after surgery were also recorded. Results: Myocardial injury was detected in 18 patients in Group A and 7 in Group B. The difference was statistically significant (29.0% vs. 11.7%,P=0.018). The hemodynamic parameters were comparable between the groups, as were adverse cardiovascular events (P=0.619). Conclusions: Low-dose sevoflurane inhalation along with propofol reduces the incidence of myocardial injury in symptomatic patients after CEA.
南京~(192)Ir源丢失事故的卫生应急

随着我国经济的发展和科技的进步,核与辐射技术在工业、农业、核能、医疗及科学研究等领域的应用日益广泛,极大地促进了社会进步和经济发展。但是,核与辐射技术在造福于人类的同时,因管理不善、操作失误等原因,核辐射突发事件时有发生,造成人员健康损伤、危及生命,同时导致社会心理恐慌,甚至影响社会稳定和国家安全。2014年5月7日,南京发生了一起~(192)Ir源丢失导致人员受照的事故。本文介绍该事故情况及受照人员治疗情况。
间充质干细胞治疗急性放射损伤的研究进展

随着核技术在军事、医学、科研等领域的广泛应用,核与辐射事故时有发生,医学上的放疗更是不可避免地造成不同程度的损伤,放射损伤的防治越发引起人们的重视。当前放射性损伤的治疗主要是应用细胞因子等抗辐射药物和造血干细胞移植,但各有其局限性。近年来,间充质干细胞(MSC)在免疫治疗和再生医学领域中的应用使得其在治疗放射性损伤方面得到了进一步研究。本文就间充质干细胞治疗急性放射损伤的研究进展进行综述。
盆底失弛缓所致便秘患者肛管直肠测压特征分析

盆底失弛缓综合征是一组症候群,其所致便秘为临床研究热点。盆底失弛缓所致便秘(dyssynergic defecation, DD)在功能性胃肠病罗马Ⅲ诊断标准中属于功能性排便障碍范畴,以排便费力、排便不尽感、肛门梗阻感等为主要症状。肛管直肠测压因其创伤小、无辐射、非侵入性等特点被广泛应用于临床。罗马Ⅲ诊断标准以直肠和肛管压力梯度变化为依据,将功能性排便障碍分为3种类型,Rao在此基础上将盆底失弛缓所致的便秘分为4种类型,本研究将各型便秘的临床特征报道如下。
韩国科学家研发出新型石墨烯超级电容器

近日,《经济学人》杂志发表文章重点报道了韩国光州科学技术院Lu Wu的研究工作,Lu博士和其同事们已经研发出新型石墨烯的制备方法,并且用此石墨烯能够制备出更高性能的超级电容器。
Asiatic acid mitigates hyperglycemia and reduces islet fibrosis in Goto-Kakizaki rat, a spontaneous type 2 diabetic animal model

The Goto-Kakizaki (GK) rat is a spontaneous type 2 diabetic animal model, which is characterized by a progressive loss of beta islet cells with fibrosis. In the present study, the hypoglycemic effect of asiatic acid (AA) in GK rats was examined. GK rats receiving AA at a daily dose of 25 mg·kg~(-1) for four weeks showed a significant reduction in blood glucose levels. Age-matched normal Wistar rats were given 0.5% sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC-Na) solution for the same periods and used as control. Compared to the normal Wistar rats, GK rats treated with AA showed improvement in insulin resistance partially through decreasing glucose level (P < 0.01) and insulin level (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the results of immunohistochemistry indicate that AA treatment reduced islet fibrosis in GK rats. Fibronectin, a key protein related to islet fibrosis, was over-expressed in GK rats, which was reversed significantly by AA treatment (P < 0.05). These findings suggest that AA has a beneficial effect on lowering blood glucose levels in GK rats and improves fibrosis of islets in diabetes, which may play a role in the prevention of islets dysfunction.
Adaptation to a Warming-Drying Trend Through Cropping System Adjustment over Three Decades:A Case Study in the Northern Agro-Pastural Ecotone of China

Long-term field monitoring data and historical crop data are useful to assess the impacts of climate change and to manage cropping systems.The objectives of this study are to understand the cropping system response to a warming-drying trend in the northern agro-pastural ecotone(NAE)of China and to document how farmers can adapt to the warming-drying trend by changing cropping system structure and adjusting planting date.The results indicate that a significant warming-drying trend existed in the NAE from 1980 to 2009,and this trend significantly decreased crop(spring wheat,naked oat,and potato)yields.Furthermore,the yield decreased by 16.2%-28.4% with a 1℃ increase in maximum temperature and decreased by 6.6%-11.8% with a 10% decrease in precipitation.Considering food security,water use efficiency,and water ecological adaptability in the semi-arid NAE,cropping system structure adjustment(e.g.,a shift from wheat to potato as the predominant crop)and planting date adaptation(e.g.,a delay in crop planting date)can offset the impact of the warming-drying trend in the NAE.Based on the successful offsetting of the impact of the warming-drying trend in the NAE,we conclude that farmers can reduce the negative effects of climate change and minimize the risk of crop failure by adapting their cropping system structure at the farming level.
Palaeogeography of a shallow carbonate platform:The case of the Middle to Late Oxfordian in the Swiss Jura Mountains

The Oxfordian (Late Jurassic) carbonate-dominated platform outcropping in the Swiss Jura Mountains offers a good biostratigraphic, sequence-stratigraphic, and cyclostrati-graphic framework to reconstruct changes in facies distribution at a time-resolution of 100 ka. It thus allows interpreting the dynamic evolution of this platform in much more detail than conventional palaeogeographic maps permit. As an example, a Middle to Late Oxfordian time slice is presented, spanning an interval of about 1.6 Ma. The study is based on 12 sec-tions logged at cm-scale. The interpreted depositional environments include marginal-marine emerged lands, fresh-water lakes, tidal lfats, shallow lagoons, ooid shoals, and coral reefs. Although limestones dominate, marly intervals and dolomites occur sporadically.
Lithofacies architecture and palaeogeo-graphy of the Late Paleozoic glaciomarine Talchir Formation, Raniganj Basin, India

Talchir Formation (Permo-Carboniferous) of the Gondwana Supergroup records the Late Paleozoic glaciation in Peninsular India. Talchir sedimentary succession of the Raniganj Basin, Damodar Valley Coalifelds, Peninsular India, bears ten facies types grouped under three facies associations, viz., the proglacial conglomerate-sandstone facies association (CS), the foreshore-shoreface conglomerate-sandstone-mudstone facies association (CSM) and the prodelta-shelf sandstone-mudstone facies association (SM). Overall facies architecture re-lfects initial ice-covered terrestrial subglacial sedimentation, which was subsequently re-worked and emplaced subaqueously in front of the ice-grounding line, and ifnally overlapped by storm-laid prodelta-shelf sediments. Repeated glacial advance-retreats with shifts in the position of the ice-grounding line during phases of climatic amelioration led to multiple de-glaciation-related ifning-up cycles. Decoupled ice sheet and lfoating icebergs contributed ice-rafted debris (IRD) to these sediments. Gradual retreat of the ice sheet, however, restricted the supply of IRD towards top of the succession. Overlap of wave-agitated shoreface-shelf sediments on the glaciogenic sediments indicates widespread marine transgression caused by glacier melting during ice-house to green-house climatic transition, and crustal downsag-ging related to glacioisostasy. Subsequently, complete disappearance of the ice sheet caused basinal exhumation along with crustal uplift due to isostatic rebound, leading to multiple horst-graben bounded basinal systems, which received post-Talchir coal-bearing Gondwana sediments.
Scour depth beneath a pipeline undergoing forced vibration

This paper studies the coupling effect of the pipeline vibration on the seabed scour. A vertical twodimensional model is applied to numerically investigate the local scour below a vibrating pipeline with different amplitudes and periods. Using the scour underneath a fixed pipeline as a reference, this paper focuses on the impact of the pipeline vibration on the equilibrium scour depth. Generic relationships are established between the non-dimensional scour depth and the non-dimensional vibrating parameters, i.e., amplitude and frequency. The normalization process takes into account the influences of such parameters as the incoming flow velocity, pipe diameter, and Shields parameter. An empirical formula is proposed to quantify these relationships.
Dielectric properties of saline soil based on a modified Dobson dielectric model

Soil salinization is a major concern for agricultural development in arid areas. In this paper, a modified Dobson dielectric model was applied to simulate the dielectric constant of saline soil in the Ugan-Kuqa river delta oasis of Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, northwestern China. The model performance was examined through analyzing the influences of its parameters on the soil dielectric constant and the relationship between radar backscattering coefficient and the dielectric constant of saline soil. The results of the study indicate that: (1) The real part of the soil dielectric constant is affected by soil water content at low radar frequencies; the imaginary part is closely related with both the soil water content and soil salt content. (2) The soil water and salt contents are related with the coefficient of dialectical loss, which is consistent with the natural conditions of saline soil in arid areas and provides valuable references for the study of soil dielectric properties. (3) The changes of soil water content and soil salt content have instant influences on the dielectric constant of saline soil. Subsequently, the radar backscattering coefficient is affected to respond to the dielectric constant of saline soil. The radar backscattering coefficient is most responsible to the radar's cross polarization pattern with a correlation coefficient of R2=0.75. This study provides a potential method to monitor soil salinization and soil water content by using a soil dielectric model and radar techniques.
Interactions between wind and water erosion change sediment yield and particle distribution under simulated conditions

Wind and water erosion are among the most important causes of soil loss, and understanding their interactions is important for estimating soil quality and environmental impacts in regions where both types of erosion occur. We used a wind tunnel and simulated rainfall to study sediment yield, particle-size distribution and the fractal dimension of the sediment particles under wind and water erosion. The experiment was conducted with wind erosion firstly and water erosion thereafter, under three wind speeds (0, 11 and 14 m/s) and three rainfall intensities (60, 80 and 100 mm/h). The results showed that the sediment yield was positively correlated with wind speed and rainfall intensity (P<0.01). Wind erosion exacerbated water erosion and increased sediment yield by 7.25%-38.97% relative to the absence of wind erosion. Wind erosion changed the sediment particle distribution by influencing the micro-topography of the sloping land surface. The clay, silt and sand contents of eroded sediment were also positively correlated with wind speed and rainfall intensity (P<0.01). Wind erosion increased clay and silt contents by 0.35%-19.60% and 5.80%-21.10%, respectively, and decreased sand content by 2.40%-8.33%, relative to the absence of wind erosion. The effect of wind erosion on sediment particles became weaker with increasing rainfall intensities, which was consistent with the variation in sediment yield. However, particle-size distribution was not closely correlated with sediment yield (P>0.05). The fractal dimension of the sediment particles was significantly different under different intensities of water erosion (P<0.05), but no significant difference was found under wind and water erosion. The findings reported in this study implicated that both water and wind erosion should be controlled to reduce their intensifying effects, and the controlling of wind erosion could significantly reduce water erosion in this wind-water erosion crisscross region.
Nighttime sap flow and its driving forces for Populus euphratica in a desert riparian forest, Northwest China

Nighttime sap flow is a potentially important factor that affects whole-plant water balance and water-use efficiency (WUE). Its functions include predawn disequilibrium between plant and soil water potentials as well as between the increments of oxygen supply and nutrient uptake. However, main factors that drive nighttime sap flow remain unclear, and researches related to the relationship between nighttime sap flow velocity and environmental factors are limited. Accordingly, we investigated the variations in the nighttime sap flow of Populus euphratica in a desert riparian forest of an extremely arid region, Northwest China. Results indicated that P. euphratica sap flow occurred throughout the night during the growing season because of the partial stomata opening. Nighttime sap flow for the P. euphratica forest accounted for 31%-47% of its daily sap flow during the growing season. The high value of nighttime sap flow could be the result of high stomatal conductance and could have significant implications for water budgets. Throughout the whole growing season, nighttime sap flow velocity of P. euphratica was positively correlated with the vapor pressure deficit (VPD), air temperature and soil water content. We found that VPD and soil water content were the main driving factors for nighttime sap flow of P. euphratica.
Late Eocene leaves of Nageia (section Dammaroideae) from Maoming Basin, South China and their implications on phytogeography

A new species of Nageia, Nageia maomingensis sp. nov., is described from the Late Eocene of Maoming Basin, Guangdong Province, South China. According to its cuticular characteristics, the present fossil species is assigned to N. sect. Dammaroideae, showing the most resemblance to the extant species N. motleyi (Parl.) de Laub. At present, this section is mainly distributed in the Pacific islands region from South Asia to New Guinea. The discovery of N. maomingensis demonstrates that plants of this section inhabited South China at least by the Eocene. The distribution and living habitat of extant N. sect. Dammaroideae imply that South China was warmer during the Late Eocene than today, and may represent one of the centers for early diversification of Nageia and its section Dammaroideae during the Eocene. In addition, we postulate that plants of sect. Dammaroideae migrated southward in response to climate cooling after the Eocene.
Intraspecific differentiation of Pleurospermum hookeri (Apiaceae), and its interspecific relationships with two close relatives in the genus Pleurospermum

In order to clarify the interspecific relationships of a lineage in Pleurospermum, P. hookeri С. B. Clarke, P. yunnanense Franch., and P. giraldii Diels, and to understand intraspecific divergence of P. hookeri, a phylogeographic study was carried out based on 198 individuals from 24 populations. Three chloroplast DNA regions, ndhF-rpl32, trnL-trnF, and trnQ-rps 16, were sequenced in the present study. The genetic relationship between P. hookeri and P. giraldii is not as close as previously assumed. Pleurospermum hookeri and P. giraldii may originate from an unknown ancestor located in the Qinling region. Pleurospermum yunnanense was found to be the closest relative of P. hookeri in all the species included in the phylogenetic analysis. The two haplotypes identified from P. yunnanense are shared with P. hookeri, which is potentially a result of both incomplete linkage sorting and introgression. Three large divergences within P. hookeri were identified, located at the northeastern edge, southeastern edge, and platform of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP), respectively. Long-term history can explain the deep intraspecific divergence of P. hookeri. The uplift of the QTP played a key role in that divergence, and then were the climatic changes in the Quaternary. In addition, we found one refugium at the northeastern edge of the QTP, one at the southeastern edge, and at least one in the Hengduan Mountains region on the platform of the QTP.
Prenatal Genotyping of Four Common Oculocutaneous Albinism Genes in 51 Chinese Families

Oculocutaneous albinism (OCA) is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by hypopigmentation in eyes, hair and skin, accompanied with vision loss. Currently, six genes have been identified as causative genes for non-syndromic OCA (OCA-1w4, 6, 7), and ten genes for syndromic OCA (HPS-1-9, CHS-1). Genetic counseling of 51 Chinese OCA families (39 OCA-1 with mutations in the TYR gene, 6 OCA-2 with mutations in the OCA2 gene, 4 OCA-4 with mutations in the SLC45A2 gene, 1 HPS-1 (HermanskyePudlak syndrome-1) with mutation in the HPS1 gene, and 1 mixed OCA-1 and OCA-4) led us to perform the prenatal genetic testing of OCA using amniotic fluid cells through the implementation of our optimized strategy. In our cohort, eleven previously unidentified alleles (PUAs) (5 in TYR, 2 in OCA2, and 4 in SLC45A2) were found. Three missense PUAs (p.C112R, p.H363R and p.G379V of TYR) and one in-frame deletional PUA (p.S222del of SLC24A5) led to fetuses with OCA when co-inherited with other disease causative alleles. Three PUAs (p.P152H and p.W272X of TYR, p.A486T of SLC24A5) identified in the OCA probands did not co-transmit with known pathological alleles and thus gave rise to unaffected fetuses. Four PUAs (p.Q83X and p.A658T of TYR, p.G161R and p.G366R of SLC24A5) did not transmit to the unaffected fetuses. In addition, the in vitro transfection assays showed that the p.S192Y variant of TYR produced less pigment compared to the wild-type allele. A fetus with a digenic carrier of OCA-1 and OCA-4 was unaffected. In combination with functional assays, the family inheritance pattern is useful for the evaluation of pathogenicity of PUAs and genetic counseling of OCA.
Higher levels of circulating monocyte-platelet aggregates are correlated with viremia and increased sCD163 levels in HIV-1 infection

Increased levels of monocyte-platelet aggregates (MPAs) are reported to be highly correlated with cardiovascular events. In this study, the MPA levels in different monocyte subsets and the associations between MPA levels, HIV-1 viremia and monocyte activation were evaluated during HIV-1 infection. The results showed that the percentages of MPAs in all three monocyte subsets were higher in HIV-l-infected subjects than in healthy controls, and were associated with the plasma viral load in the non-classical and intermediate monocyte subsets. The plasma levels of sCD14 and sCD163 were upregulated in HIV-1 infection and were positively associated with viral loads and negatively associated with CD4 counts. P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 (PSGL-1) was shown to be expressed at significantly lower levels on all three monocyte subsets and was negatively correlated with the sCD163 level. The MPA level was correlated with the levels of plasma sCD163 but negatively correlated with CD163 and PSGL-1 on all three monocyte subsets. An elevated immune activation status was correlated with increased MPA formation, underlying the potential interaction between monocyte activation and MPA formation. This interaction may be related to a higher thromboembolic risk in patients infected with HIV-1.
Effect of Hind Leg Morphology on Performance of a Canine-inspired Quadrupedal Robot

Biomimetic leg designs often appear to be arbitrarily chosen. To make a more objective choice regarding biomimetic leg configuration for small canine-inspired robots, we compare one hind leg to the same leg arranged in a different orientation, and show that the less biomimetic leg provides better performance. This differently-oriented leg design, which we call “transverse- mirrored” was more efficient and faster, both in simulation and experiment even though both leg configurations used the same passive and active components, rest angles, and monoarticular knee spring. In experiments the normal configuration had a maximum speed of 0.33 m·s~(-1) and a specific resistance of 5.1. Conversely, the less biomimetic transverse-mirrored configuration had a maximum speed of 0.4 m·s~(-1) and specific resistance of 3.9. Therefore the transverse-mirrored leg’s best performance yields a 21% increase in speed and 24% decrease in specific resistance when compared to the best performance achieved in the normal biomimetic leg. The major underlying reason is that the knee spring engages more readily in the transverse-mirrored configuration, resulting in this faster and more efficient locomotion. The conclusion is that simply copying from nature does not lead to optimal performance and that insight into the role played by passive design components on natural locomotory dynamics is important.
Induction of Antioxidant and Heat Shock Protein Responses During Torpor in the Gray Mouse Lemur, Microcebus murinus

A natural tolerance of various environmental stresses is typically supported by various cytoprotective mechanisms that protect macromolecules and promote extended viability. Among these are antioxidant defenses that help to limit damage from reactive oxygen species and chaperones that help to minimize protein misfolding or unfolding under stress conditions. To understand the molecular mechanisms that act to protect cells during primate torpor, the present study characterizes antioxidant and heat shock protein (HSP) responses in various organs of control (aroused) and torpid gray mouse lemurs, Microcebus murinus. Protein expression of HSP70 and HSP90a was elevated to 1.26 and 1.49 fold, respectively, in brown adipose tissue during torpor as compared with control animals, whereas HSP60 in liver of torpid animals was 1.15 fold of that in control (P< 0.05). Among antioxidant enzymes, protein levels of thioredoxin 1 were elevated to 2.19 fold in white adipose tissue during torpor, whereas Cu–Zn superoxide dismutase 1 levels rose to 1.1 fold in skeletal muscle (P < 0.05). Additionally, total antioxidant capacity was increased to 1.6 fold in liver during torpor (P < 0.05), while remaining unchanged in the five other tissues. Overall, our data suggest that antioxidant and HSP responses are modified in a tissue-specific manner during daily torpor in gray mouse lemurs. Furthermore, our data also show that cytoprotective strategies employed during primate torpor are distinct from the strategies in rodent hibernation as reported in previous studies.