Cytokine profiles of stimulated blood lymphocytes in asthmatic and healthy adolescents across the school year

T cell cytokines play an important role in mediating airway inflammation in asthma. The predominance of a Th2 cytokine profile, particularly interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-5, is associated with the pathogenesis and course of asthma. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that a stressful life event alters the pattern of cytokine release in asthmatic individuals. Thirteen healthy controls and 21 asthmatic adolescents gave blood samples three times over a semester: midsemester, during the week of final examinations, and 2-3 weeks after examinations. Interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), IL-2, IL-4, and IL-5 were measured from supernatants of cells stimulated with PHA/PMA for 24 h. Cells from asthmatic subjects released significantly more IL-5 during the examination and postexamination periods, whereas cells from healthy controls released significantly more IL-2 during the midsemester and examination periods, thereby indicating a bias for a Th2-like pattern in asthmatics and a Th1-like pattern in healthy controls. IL-4 and IL-5 production showed a marked decrease during and after examinations in healthy controls, whereas this decline was absent in asthmatics. The ratios of IFN-gamma:IL-4 and IFN-gamma:IL-5 also revealed significant changes in the profile of cytokine release across the semester. These results indicate differential cytokine responses in asthmatics that may become pronounced during periods of cellular activation.     

Coronary bypass in vascular patients: a relatively high-risk procedure

A premise of cardiac risk stratification is that the added risk of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is offset by the improved safety of subsequent vascular reconstruction (VR). We questioned if elective CABG is patients with severe peripheral vascular disease (PVD) is a relatively high-risk procedure. A cohort study of 680 elective CABG patients from January 1993 to December 1994 was performed using three mutually exclusive outcomes of complication-free survival, morbidity, and mortality. Patient characteristic, operative, and outcome data were prospectively collected. Retrospective review determined that 58 patients had either a standard indication for or a history of VR. Overall CABG mortality was 2.5%, with statistically similar but relatively higher rates for PVD as compared to non-PVD patients. In contrast, major morbidity occurred at rates 3.6-fold higher in PVD patients (39.7%) than in disease-free patients (16.7%) after adjustment for the effects of patient and operative variables (odds ratio [OR] 3.67, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.93-6.99). CABG morbidity in the PVD patient was most likely in those patients with aortoiliac (OR 9.51, CI 3.20-28.27) and aortic aneurysmal (OR 5.24, CI 1.28-21.41) disease types. CABG in PVD patients is associated with significant major morbidity. Such morbidity may preclude or alter the timing of subsequent VR.     

移动式宽频带高产额中子发生器

多用途中子发生器有着广阔的市场和应用领域 ,文章对移动式宽频带高产额中子发生器 ,在设计制造过程中所涉及到的技术难点 :绝缘尺寸小、频率适应范围宽、为中子管提供靶压的高压负载特性好等作了技术分析 ,使多用途中子发生器在更广阔的范围内应用 ,提供了广阔前景。     

IL-4- and IL-5-secreting lymphocyte populations are preferentially stimulated by parasite-derived antigens in human tissue invasive nematode infections

Helminth infections in humans and animals are associated with strong T helper 2 (Th2) responses. To determine whether parasite-derived Ag preferentially expand a Th2-like cell population, a filter immunoplaque assay was used to enumerate the frequencies (F0) of PBMC and CD4(+)-enriched PBMC from individuals with helminth infections secreting selected cytokines in response to parasite-derived (PAg) and nonparasite antigens (NPAg). In 20 individuals with lymphatic filariasis, frequency analysis of PBMC secreting IL-4 and IFN-gamma indicated that the F0 of PAg-specific IL-4-secreting cells (geometric mean F0 (GM): 1/12,100) was 57-fold higher than the corresponding F0 of NPAg-reactive cells (GM: 1/692,000; p < 0.02). In marked contrast, the F0 of IFN-gamma-secreting cells responding to PAg (GM: 1/2,700) did not differ from those of cells specific for NAPg (GM: 1/3,400; p = 0.83). In another group of helminth-infected individuals, the F0 of highly enriched CD4+ cells secreting IL-4 and IL-5 in response to PAg (GMs: 1/2,600 and 1/5,600 CD4+ cells, respectively) were also found to be significantly higher than those specific for NPAg (GMs: 1/291,000 and 1/303,000 CD4+; p < 0.05 and p < 0.01, respectively), whereas the corresponding F0 of IFN-gamma- and granulocyte-macrophage-CSF-secreting cells were equivalent for PAg and NPag. Furthermore, the proportion of PAg-specific IL-4- and IL-5-secreting CD4+ cells relative to all cells secreting the given cytokine were approximately 29-fold higher than the proportion of NPAg-specific cells secreting these cytokines. Again, the corresponding proportions of Ag-specific IFN-gamma-and GM-CSF-secreting CD4+ cells were equivalent for PAg and NPAg. Thus, in this ex vivo system, a circulating population of IL-4- and IL-5-secreting (Th2-like) cells has been shown to exist in humans; PAg appears to expand these cells preferentially.     

The double-reversing Z-plasty in primary palatoplasty: operative experience and early results

The double-reversing Z-plasty of Furlow for closure of the soft palate was used in 34 children with various types of cleft palate. Mean age at repair was 12.8 months. Intraoperative experience was favorable, with acceptable operating time and blood loss. Length of hospitalization averaged 1.9 days. Postoperatively, two children experienced temporary stridor, which resolved within 24 to 48 hours. One child had dehiscence of the hard palate (Von Lagenbeck repair) 4 weeks postoperatively, and three children developed small oronasal fistulae. Early speech evaluation demonstrated adequate soft palate mobility in 33 of 34 patients, with observable velopharyngeal function. Twelve children had mild velar compromise, with eight exhibiting slight nasal air escape.     

无机高分子絮凝剂聚硫酸铁合成条件的研究

实验研究了以工业硫酸亚铁及废硫酸为原料,分别采用NaClo_3、KClO_3、H_2O_2及(o_2+NaNO_2)为氧化剂成聚硫酸铁的条件。在以(O_2+NaNO_2)为氧化剂的合成过程中,发现添加微量助催化剂(型号为HG-1、HG-2和HG-3),对提高合成速度及反应过程的稳定性具有重大作用。     

有限区间信号边界效应问题的研究

研究了截断信号边界的“吉布斯”现象及数字滤波器相位特性对有限区间信号滤波处理的影响，在阐明了有限区间信号处理中边界效应物理本质的基础上，探讨了数字信号处理中通常所采用的边界处理方法的有效性问题，提出了一种命名为端值延拓法的新的边界处理方法，通过比较分析和实例验证表明这种方法的优越性，文中以零相位数字滤波及运用MALLAT算法对有限区间信号进行小波分解与重构为实例，介绍了其边界效应问题及解决方案，取得了很好的效果。     

柳沟庄—窟窿山油藏储集层裂缝类型及特征

根据岩心描述、薄片观察、X－CT扫描以及钻井、测井等资料，研究了酒西盆地青西坳陷柳沟庄－窟窿山油藏裂缝性储集层的类型及特征，分析了控制裂缝发育的地质因素及裂缝对油气的控制作用，认为储集层裂缝有3种基本类型，即构造裂缝、构造熔蚀缝和饼状破裂，主要受构造应力场及构造位置等因素的控制。根据裂缝形态、充填特征及其相互关系，裂缝的形成主要有3个期次，其中喜马拉雅运动晚期形成的第三期理解缝对油气运移和聚集最有效。研究结果表明，裂缝是柳沟庄－窟窿山油藏主要的储集空间和控制油气富集的因素。     

高质量ZnO薄膜的退火性质研究

在LP－MOCVD中，我们利用Zn(C2H5)2作Zn源，CO2作氧源，在（0002）蓝宝石衬底上成功制备出皮c轴取向高度一致的ZnO薄膜，并对其进行500℃-800℃四个不同温度的退火。利用XRD、吸收谱、光致发光谱和AFM等手段研究了退火对ZnO晶体质量和光学性质的影响。退火后，（0002）ZnO的XRD衍射峰强度显著增强，c轴晶格常数变小，同时（0002）ZnOX射红衍射峰半高宽不断减小表明晶粒逐渐增大，这与AFM观察结果较一致。由透射谱拟合得到的光学带隙退火后变小，PL谱的带边发射则加强，并出现红移，蓝带发光被有效抑制，表明ZnO薄膜的质量得到提高。