Repeatability and agreement of AOCT-1000 M, RTVue XR and IOL master 500 in measuring corneal thickness mapping and axial length applying principle of optical coherence tomography.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the repeatability and agreement of Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography (AOCT-1000 M and RTVue XR) and partial coherence interferometry biometer (IOL Master 500) in measuring corneal thickness mapping and axial length respectively. METHODS: Corneal thickness was measured by AOCT-1000 M and RTVue XR. Axial lengths were measured by AOCT-1000 M and IOL Master 500. The repeatability and agreement of corneal thickness and axial length were calculated in two groups of devices. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to verify the repeatability of the device. The 95% confidence interval of the difference compared to the set cut-off value was used to verify the agreement between the two devices. RESULTS: A total of 60 subjects with 58 eyes were included. The central corneal thickness measured by AOCT-1000 M and RTVue XR were 504.46 ± 42.53 µm and 504.43 ± 42.89 µm respectively. The average difference between groups was 0.03 ± 4.58 µm, and the 95% confidence interval was (-1.17, 1.24), which was far less than the set threshold value of 15 µm (P < 0.001). Both RTVue XR and AOCT-1000 M had very good ICC values of central corneal thickness (0.998 and 0.994, respectively). The average axial lengths measured by AOCT-1000 M and IOL Master 500 were 24.28 ± 1.25 mm and 24.29 ± 1.26 mm respectively and the 95% confidence interval was (-0.02, 0.01), which was less than the set threshold value of 0.15 mm (P < 0.001). The ICC for both devices were 1.000. CONCLUSION: Good repeatability and agreement were seen in measurements of central corneal thickness and axial length by AOCT-1000 M.

Micro-structured copper and nickel metal foams for wastewater disinfection: proof-of-concept and scale-up.

It is necessary to disinfect treated wastewater prior to discharge to reduce exposure risks to humans and the environment. The currently practiced wastewater disinfection technologies are challenged by toxic by-products, chemicals and energy demand, a range of effectiveness limitations, among other concerns. An effective, eco-friendly, and energy-efficient alternative disinfection technique is desirable to modernize and enhance wastewater treatment operations. Copper and nickel micro-structured metal foams, and a conventional copper mesh, were evaluated as disinfecting surfaces for treating secondary-treated wastewater contaminated with coliform bacteria. The micro-structured copper foam was adopted for scale-up study, due to its stable and satisfactory bactericidal performance obtained over a wide range of bacterial concentrations and metal-to-liquid ratios. Three scales of experiments, using two types of reactor designs, were performed using municipal wastewater to determine the optimal scale-up factors: small lab-scale batch reactor, intermediate lab-scale batch reactor, and pilot-scale continuous tubular reactor experiments. The performance was evaluated with the aim of minimizing metal material requirement with respect to bactericidal efficiency and leaching risks at all scales. Copper foam, at or above optimal conditions, consistently inactivated over 95 % of total coliforms, fecal coliforms and E.coli in wastewater at various scales, and leachate copper concentrations were determined to be below Canadian guideline values for outfall. This study successfully implemented the "structure" strategy of process intensification, and opens up the possibility to apply micro-structured copper foam in a range of other water disinfection systems, from pre-treatment to point-of-use, and should thus become a topic of further research.

[Effect of Huangqi injection on short-term prognosis in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of Huangqi injection on the short-term prognosis in childhood with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of 105 children newly diagnosed with ALL between January 2009 and December 2012. These children were randomly divided into treatment group (18 low-risk cases, 7 medium-risk cases, and 24 high-risk cases) and control group (21 low-risk cases, 7 medium-risk cases, 28 high-risk cases). Both groups were given remission induction therapy based on the levels of risk. Throughout the remission induction therapy, the treatment group also received Huangqi injection (0.5-1.0 mL/kg per day) by intravenous infusion, while the control group was given 0.9% sodium chloride injection instead. The two groups were compared in terms of distribution of prognostic factors and complete remission (CR) rate after remission induction therapy, as well as the incidence of minimal residual disease (MDR) (≥ 10(-4) and < 10(-4)) among all patients in the two groups on day 19 of remission induction therapy and among B-ALL patients in the two groups when achieving a CR at the end of remission induction therapy. RESULTS: Of the 105 children with ALL, 99 had B-ALL, and 6 had T-ALL. There were no significant differences in the distribution of prognostic factors between the two groups (P>0.05). The overall CR rate of 105 patients was 79%; there was no significant difference in CR rate between the treatment and control groups (82% vs 77%; P>0.05); also, no significant differences were found between the two groups in the CR rates among high-, medium-, and low-risk cases (P>0.05). On day 19 of remission induction therapy, the incidence of MRD≥10(-4) in the treatment group was significantly lower than that in the control group (69% vs 95%; P<0.05); among 80 children with B-ALL who achieved a CR (43 cases in the control group and 37 cases in the treatment group), the incidence of MRD≥10-4 was significantly lower in the treatment group than in the control group (27% vs 58%; P<0.05); in both circumstances above, the high- and low-risk cases in the treatment group had a significantly lower incidence of MRD≥10(-4) than the control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Huangqi injection combined with chemotherapy has an enhanced anti-tumor effect and can improve the short-term prognosis and clinical outcome in children with ALL.

[Effects of shivering on airway rewarming].

AIM: To investigate the effects of shivering on airway rewarming. METHODS: The hypothermic dog model without shivering was established by immersing an anesthetized dog in cold water and administering atracurium to inhibit the dog shivering. The model dog respired warm fully humidified (40-45 degrees C, RH 99.9%) air and room temperature air(19 +/- 1 degrees C, RH 30% - 75%) to rewarm each for 2 hours, the priority of different temperature air respired was arranged randomly. After rewarming for 4 hours, the relaxed dog breathed warm humidified air by positive pressure ventilation in order to restore its spontaneous respiratory. Then the dog continued to respire warm humidified air spontaneously until the esophageal (Te) and rectal temperature (Tr) of the dog achieved the same degrees as the dog was immersed in the water. The metabolic heat production was detected by indirect calorimetry during the experiment. RESULTS: (1) When the shivering was inhibited, inhaling warm humidified air for 2 hours made the Tr and Te of the dogs increase 0.26-0.39 degrees C and 0.44-1.11 degrees C per hour respectively, inhaling air at room temperature for 2 hours made Tr and Te of the dogs decrease 0.24-0.51 degrees C and 0.58-0.67 degrees C per hour, respectively. And the changes in Tr and Te of the dogs were unrelated to the priority of inhaling air at different temperature. (2) When the dog with shivering respired spontaneously warm humidified air, the rewarming rates of Tr and Te were 2.26-2.33 degrees C/h and 1.96-2.38 degrees C/h respectively, quicker than those of the dogs whose shivering was inhibited. (3) Compared with metabolic heat production of the unshivering dog respiring warm humidified air by positive pressure ventilation, that of the shivering dog respiring warm humidified air spontaneously increased outstandingly, shivering thermogenesis made the rewarming rates increased obviously. CONCLUSION: Airway rewarming is a method conducive to rewarming of hypothermia. When the body is shivering, the metabolic heat production increases obviously, that makes the rewarming rate increase markedly. So the shivering must be inhibited in order to eliminate the interference of shivering thermogenesis when the effects of airway rewarming are detected.

[Effects of lactate on cell injury in primary cultures of rat cortical neurons during hypoxia/reoxygenation].

AIM: To explore the effects of different concentrations of lactate on neuronal injury during hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) and its mechanism. METHODS: Different concentrations of lactate (0, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 5.0 mmol/L) were added into medium after different duration of hypoxia, then reoxygenation for 24 h, cell survival rate and LDH release were assayed to determine neuronal damage, moreover, equal concentration of hydrochloric acid were used to mimic the changes of pH brought by lactate for investigating the mechanism of the effects of lactate on neuronal H/R injury. RESULTS: Under normoxia and H/R 5.0 mmol/L lactate and hydrochloric acid induced or exacerbated neuronal injury. After 12 h and 24 h hypoxia exposure 1.0 mmol/L lactate was shown to be protective, 1.0 mmol/L hydrochloric acid had no effect on neuronal H/R damage. CONCLUSION: Lactate of lower concentration was demonstrated to be neuroprotective during H/R, this protective effect was shown to be due to lactate anions. In contrast, higher concentration of lactate could induce or aggravate neuronal damage under normoxia and H/R, perhaps via the mechanism which involved the changes of pH.

[Establishment of a hypothermic dog model to investigate airway rewarming].

AIM: In order to study airway rewarming method and rewarming devices for hypothermia, hypothermic dog model was established. METHODS: The anesthetized dog was immersed in cold water at 16.7 degrees C until the esophageal temperature (Te) of the dog decreased to 34.0 degrees C, the core temperature and skin temperature were monitored by using a 12-channel scanning thermometers. Atracurium besylate, a skeletal muscle relaxant, was injected intravenously when the core temperature of the dog was basically steady after the dog was out of the cold water, the hypothermic dog model was established. RESULTS: Rectal and esophageal temperature could stand for the core temperature of the hypothermic dog model, but mixing with each other was prohibited because of leading to mistakes. Administering of atracurium besylate could eliminate the effect of shivering on airway rewarming alone, hypothermic dog model in which shivering was inhibited could be used in determination of airway rewarming technique and rewarming devices for hypothermia. CONCLUSION: Hypothermic dog model in which shivering was inhibited can abolish the interference of shivering, experimental repeatability is good, experimental method quite simple, and the model appropriate for application and dissemination.

[Role of cellular adhesion molecule ICAM-1 in freezing/thawing injury of vascular endothelial cells].

AIM: To investigate the role of ICAM-1 on the surface of vascular endothelial cell (VEC) in freezing/thawing injury of VEC, in order to elucidate the pathogenesis of freezing/thawing injury. METHODS: VEC separated and cultured from rat aorta and PMN separated from rat peripheral blood were selected as experiment materials. The frozen/thawed VEC model was founded by freezing VEC with the type WKL-V rate cooling instrument and then rewarming them in a water bath. ICAM-1 expression on the surface of frozen/thawed VEC was detected at 4, 12 and 24 h after freezing/thawing with immunohistochemical method. After coincubating frozen/thawed VEC with normal PMN, the adhesion of VEC to PMN was monitored with rose bengal staining assay and the injury level of VEC was indicated by measuring LDH activity in nutrient solution. RESULTS: The ICAM-1 expression on the surface of VEC increased from 13.2% +/- 3.6% before freezing/thawing of VEC to 22.3% +/- 4.4% at 4 hour after freezing/thawing, and reached the peak (37.9% +/- 2.5%) at 12 hour after freezing/thawing of VEC. After coincubation of frozen/thawed VEC with normal PMN, the adherence of frozen/thawed VEC to PMN increased from group control 0.204 +/- 0.025 to 0.363 +/- 0.022 (P < 0.01), LDH activity in nutrient solution increased from group control 104.64 +/- 20.14 U/L to 162.33 +/- 27.88 U/L (P < 0.01), monoclonal antibody against ICAM-1 (ICAM-1 Mab) could partially block the adherence of frozen/thawed VEC to PMN (0.270 +/- 0.021, P < 0.01), and diminish LDH activity in nutrient solution (125.39 +/- 22.26 U/L, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The freezing/thawing of VEC can elicit an increase in ICAM-1 expression on the surface of VEC, and then proceed to VEC-PMN adherence and lead to VEC injury.

[Role of TNF-alpha in vascular endothelial cells injury mediated by frozen/thawed PMN].

AIM: To investigate the role of TNF-alpha in vascular endothelial cells injury mediated by freezing/thaw ing PMN. METHODS: Freezing/thawing cell model was founded using rat PMN isolated by dextran sedimentation technique and VEC cultured in vitro. The injury level of VEC was indicated by measuring activity of LDH in medium. The number of frozen/thawed PMN adhering to VEC was counted with Phagocytizing reactive dyes the degree of frozen/thawed PMN and VEC adhesion. Expression of LFA-1 on the surface of frozen/thawed PMN was analyzed with flow cytometry. RESULTS: TNF-alpha could obviously upregulate expression of LFA-1 on surfaced of frozen/thawed PMN. Upregulation of LFA-1 expression promoted adhesion of frozen/thawed PMN and normal VEC,and aggravated VEC injury. Monoclonal antibody against LFA-1 could partly block adhesion of frozen/thawed PMN and normal VEC,and attenuate VEC injury. CONCLUSION: TNF-alpha can promote expression of LFA-1 on surface of frozen/thawed PMN adhering of frozen/thawed PMN to normal VEC and VEC injury increase, monoclonal antibody against LFA-1 could partly block PMN-VEC adhesion and attenuate VEC injury.

[The role of LFA-1 in the vascular endothelial cells injury mediated by frozen/thawed neutrophils].

AIM: To investigate the mechanism of the vascular endothelial cell (VEC) injury caused by freezing/thawing. METHODS: The frozen/thawed neutrophil (PMN) model was founded by freezing PMNs with a rate cooling instrument and then rewarming them in a water bath, the PMNs used here were separated from rat's peripheral blood using density gradients centrifugation techniques. The expression of LFA-1 on the surface of frozen/thawed PMNs was observed at 4 h,12 h and 24 h after freezing/thawing. After co-incubating untreated VECs with frozen/thawed PMNs, we detected the VEC injury and the changes in PMN-VEC adhesion. RESULTS: (1) The PMNs LFA-1 expression increased in a time-dependent manner within 24 h after the freezing/thawing of PMNs. (2) After co-incubating untreated VECs with frozen/thawed PMNs, the adhesion between frozen/thawed PMNs and VECs increased and VEC injury occurred. (3) Monoclonal antibody against LFA-1 could block the PMN-VEC adhesion and subsequently attenuated the VEC injury. CONCLUSION: The freezing/thawing of PMNs can elicited an increase in PMN LFA-1 expression and trigger the PMN-VEC adhesion and subsequently bring about the VEC injury.