Molecular characterization of erythrocyte glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency in Al-Ain District, United Arab Emirates

Operational skills involved in controlling a motor vehicle were measured in two groups of very healthy elderly drivers and a young control group to test the hypothesis that there are age-related declines in operational performance that may influence driver safety. An actual behind-the-wheel, standardized road test was employed using a motor vehicle equipped with sensors to record speed, braking activity, and lane position, as well as direction and magnitude of front-wheel and eye-movement excursions. The data from these sensors were used as dependent measures of operational performance. Older drivers made fewer steering and eye-movement excursions and drifted across the center line more frequently than the young control group. Younger drivers drove significantly faster and executed more braking applications than did their older counterparts. The motor-vehicle operational performance of older healthy drivers was related to visual-spatial attentional declines and the useful field of vision associated with the normal aging process.     

新钢板坯连铸中间包采用控流槽的水模拟实验

通过板坯连铸中间包水模拟实验,表明新型控流装置--控流槽可大大改善中间包内流体的流动特征参数和流动轨迹,并具有防止卷吸气体作用.     

激光焊接超细基胎体金刚石薄壁钻

采用激光焊接超细预合金粉胎体，开发了新的薄壁钻产品，通过对与现有的产品工艺、性能测试以及实际使用分析对比，结果表明：激光焊接与普通钎焊相比结合强度提高2－3倍，克服了胎体脱落问题，胎体耐磨性提高了50％－120％，其中轴向磨损速率提高1．2倍；钻削速度提高30．4％，工矿适应性增加，使用寿命提高25％－108％。     

Angiotensin II stimulates cardiac myocyte hypertrophy via paracrine release of TGF-beta 1 and endothelin-1 from fibroblasts

We examined the effects of different cytokine combinations and culture conditions on the expansion and modulation of cell surface antigens of CD34+ derived dendritic cells (DCs), the most efficient antigen-presenting cells capable of stimulating resting T cells in the primary immune response. Cells with a dendritic morphology and expressing HLA-DR, CD1a, S100 and CD83 were maximally expanded under serum-free conditions with the addition of SCF, GM-CSF, TNF-alpha, TGF-beta and Flt-3 ligand (fold increase of CD1a+ cells = 102 +/- 32 after 2 weeks of culture). CD34+ cells were also grown under continuous flow conditions in an artificial capillary system: after 14d of culture, the expansion in the total cell number was lower than that of the static cultures (3.3 +/- 2 v 18.9 +/- 4) but the percentage of CD1a+/CD83+/ CD80+ cells was considerably higher, whereas the CD14+ cells were significantly reduced (8.9 +/- 2 v 26 +/- 13). In continuous perfusion cultures, low levels of DC precursors and of LTC-IC were still present up to day 14. The DCs generated under flow conditions stimulated the mixed leucocyte reaction (MLR) more than the cells grown in static cultures. By electron microscopy, cells grown in the continuous flow system showed an increased number of large cells with numerous dendritic processes and abundant multilamellar complexes. The cells expanded under these conditions were sorted on the basis of their light-scatter properties into two fractions: one containing a predominance of CD1a+/S100+/ CD8 3+/CD80+/CD14- 'large cells' with great internal complexity (mature DCs); the second including 'small cells' either CD33+/CD14+, CD33+/CD15+ or CD33+/CD13-/CD14. The DCs generated and selected with this method are therefore particularly well suited for immunotherapeutic protocols.     

Effect of routine screening for Down's syndrome on the significance of isolated fetal hydronephrosis

OBJECTIVE: To determine the risk of Down's syndrome in fetuses with isolated hydronephrosis at 18-23 weeks in an unselected general population after routine screening for Down's syndrome, using first trimester nuchal translucency measurement and second trimester maternal serum biochemistry. POPULATION: All pregnant women undergoing a routine 18-23 week ultrasound scan, from a population who had been offered screening for Down's syndrome. SETTING: A district general hospital serving a low risk obstetric population. METHODS: Prospective study of all routine 18-23 weeks ultrasound scans. The prevalence of isolated hydronephrosis and Down's syndrome was determined and the relative risk for Down's syndrome was calculated for different ultrasound findings. RESULTS: 10,971 women were scanned at 18-23 weeks during the study period. Down's syndrome was diagnosed in 14 of 20 cases before this stage using first trimester nuchal translucency measurement and second trimester maternal serum biochemistry. Isolated fetal hydronephrosis was diagnosed in 423 pregnancies (3.9%); none of these pregnancies were affected by Down's syndrome. The relative risk for Down's syndrome was 0.18 (95% CI 0.06-0.53) for women with a normal scan (n = 9983). When multiple ultrasound markers were found (n = 565), the relative risk for Down's syndrome was 2.00 (95% CI 0.18-22.10) and 9.00 (95% CI 1.14-71.30) for all other aneuploidies. CONCLUSION: The finding of isolated fetal hydronephrosis does not significantly increase the age-related risk for Down's syndrome. The presence of multiple ultrasound markers is associated with an increased risk of aneuploidies other than Down's syndiome. These findings are explained by the reduced prevalence of Down's syndrome as a result of prior screening and diagnosis of this condition.     

中国古代治水理念及对城市水系统建设的经验启示

我国历史上水患频繁,劳动人民经过长期的探索,在处理水与聚居地关系方面的经验经过历代总结和传承,形成了比较系统完整的治水理念.在区域尺度重视水资源的综合利用,在城市尺度强调空间的科学布局,在院落尺度推崇天人合一的建设理念.结合我国现代城市水系统问题,对中国古代治水优秀的实践经验进行总结凝练.从系统和理念层面,对我国城市水系统规划建设总结出若干经验和启示.     

选煤厂设备巡检系统设计

针对传统的选煤厂设备管理方法存在漏检漏查、无专用仪器、数据处理繁琐等问题,提出了一种新型的选煤厂设备巡检系统的设计方案。在巡检线路及设备上安装相应的感应卡,巡检人员携带巡检仪到各点读卡,把代表该点的卡号和时间记录下来,同时完成规定的巡检和数据采集工作,然后进行下一点的巡检任务;巡检工作完成后将巡检仪的数据传送到监控计算机,由巡检数据综合信息管理软件进行处理,从而达到对巡检情况进行记录和考核的目的。实际应用表明,该系统运行稳定、功能实用。