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.     

Recruitment strategies in the women's health trial: feasibility study in minority populations. WHT:FSMP Investigators Group. Women's Health Trial:Feasibility Study in Minority Populations

The Women's Health Trial:Feasibility Study in Minority Populations (WHT:FSMP) examined the feasibility of recruiting postmenopausal women from a broad range of racial and socioeconomic backgrounds into a primary prevention trial requiring marked reductions in dietary fat. Postmenopausal women aged 50-79 yr who had no history of cardiovascular disease or cancer and who consumed 36% or more total energy from fat qualified to participate. We randomized the women into dietary intervention (60%) or control (40%) groups; we aimed to randomize 750 women in 18 months in each of the three clinical centers. All centers achieved goals for randomization based on ethnicity, and two centers exceeded overall recruitment goals. The greatest source of randomized participants was mass mailing, followed by items in the media, referrals, and community outreach. Recruitment yields were generally similar for the ethnic groups but lower for less-educated participants. The experience of WHT:FSMP indicates that postmenopausal women from the African-American, Hispanic, and non-Hispanic white communities can be recruited into dietary intervention studies for the prevention of disease.     

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.     

基于不确定性的雄安新区城市水系统安全保障技术研究

为提升雄安新区应对气候变化和急性冲击灾害的适应能力,建设高韧性高弹性的城市水系统,实现新区水系统的安全运行与可持续发展,构建了基于不确定性的雄安新区城市水系统安全保障技术.该技术包括水系统的风险源识别、风险综合评价和风险管理策略3部分.在应对气候变化方面,提出了"气候变化模拟预估—气候变化增量分析—水系统影响风险分析"的技术框架、不同精度的气候变化增量分析方法,以及分层级的城市水系统气候变化影响与风险分析方法.在应对急性冲击方面,提出了有效识别城市水系统面临的急性冲击风险源识别方法,以及急性冲击灾害多情景多灾种风险分析方法.在安全保障机制方面,提出了建立雄安新区水系统应急预案体系的要求,以及区域协同、综合应对、专业负责和网格化管理的"城市-组团-社区"三级风险管控机制.     

Microwave surface resistance of epitaxial YBa2Cu3O7 thin films at 18.7 GHz measured by a dielectric resonator technique

We used a dielectric resonator technique for highly sensitive measurements of the temperature dependence of the microwave surface resistanceR _s of 1×1 cm² superconducting films at 18.7 GHz. It consists of a sapphire disc positioned on the film under investigation within a copper cavity which is acting as a radiation shield. In the TE₀₁ oscillation mode the highly reproducible quality factor of about 10⁵ results in a sensitivity of ±50 forR _s measurements. The temperature dependence ofR _s can be measured up to values as high as 1 . We have investigated several YBa₂Cu₃O₇ thin films prepared by high oxygen pressure d.c. sputtering on LaAlO₃ and NdGaO₃. Our best films exhibit a pronounced nonlinear behavior of the d.c. resistivity(T) with(300K)/(100K) values of about 3.7. Those films show, besides the initial fall-off just belowT _c , a further strong decrease ofR _s at low temperatures. This was observed both at 18.7 GHz and 87 GHz, as measured by a conventional cavity end plate replacement technique. ForTT_c/2 these films exhibit an exp (–T _c/T) dependence ofR _s with-values around 0.4. These observations may be explained by a superconducting energy gap with 2/kT _c0.8 for charge carriers localized in the CuO chains for YBa₂Cu₃O₇.     

基于开源平台的数字图书馆的设计与实现

本文分析数字图书馆的功能需求,对开源平台下的系统进行框架和结构设计,并详细介绍在线服务和客户端程序两部分的实现,提出了构建于快速响应体系架构下实现快速存储,使用Django和第三方搜索引擎实现快速检索,采用高效的LinuxReiser文件系统组织管理数字资源以及应用CRM实现个性化推荐服务。     

一种新颖的低层视觉特征到高层语义的映射方法*

通过在低层视觉特征上提取图像的局部颜色和纹理特征,再利用模糊神经网络建立低层视觉特征和高层语义特征之间的映射,实现了图像属性信息的有效传递和可靠检索.最后,为了提高检索效率,把相关反馈引进到图像检索系统中.实验证明,该方法取得了较好的检索查全率和准确率.