Comparison of patient-controlled analgesia and sedation (PCAS) with remifentanil and propofol versus total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) with midazolam, fentanyl, and propofol for colonoscopy.

BACKGROUND: Colonoscopy is a commonly performed gastroenterological procedure in patients associated with anxiety and pain. Various approaches have been used to provide sedation and analgesia during colonoscopy, including patient-controlled analgesia and sedation (PCAS). This study aims to evaluate the feasibility and efficiency of PCAS administered with propofol and remifentanil for colonoscopy. METHODS: This randomized controlled trial was performed in an authorized and approved endoscopy center. A total of 80 outpatients were recruited for the colonoscopy studies. Patients were randomly allocated into PCAS and total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) groups. In the PCAS group, the dose of 0.1 ml/kg/min of the mixture was injected after an initial bolus of 3 ml mixture (1 ml containing 3 mg of propofol and 10 µg of remifentanil). Each 1 ml of bolus was delivered with a lockout time of 1 min. In the TIVA group, patients were administered fentanyl 1 µg/kg, midazolam 0.02 mg/kg, and propofol (dosage titrated). Cardiorespiratory parameters and auditory evoked response index were continuously monitored during the procedure. The recovery from anesthesia was assessed using the Aldrete scale and the Observer's Assessment of Alertness/Sedation Scale. The Visual Analogue Scale was used to assess the satisfaction of patients and endoscopists. RESULTS: No statistical differences were observed in the Visual Analogue Scale scores of the patients (9.58 vs 9.50) and the endoscopist (9.43 vs 9.30). A significant decline in the mean arterial blood pressure, heart rate, and auditory evoked response index parameters was recorded in the TIVA group (P < 0.05). The recovery time was significantly shorter in the PCAS group than in the TIVA group (P = 0.00). CONCLUSION: The combination of remifentanil and propofol could provide sufficient analgesia, better hemodynamic stability, lighter sedation, and faster recovery in the PCAS group of patients compared with the TIVA group.

Spatiotemporal dual-periodic soliton pulsation in a multimode fiber laser.

Spatiotemporal mode-locked (STML) fiber lasers have become a new platform for investigating nonlinear phenomena. In this work, spatiotemporal dual-periodic soliton pulsation (SDSP) is firstly observed in an STML fiber laser. It is found that in the SDSP, the long-period pulsations (LPPs) of different transverse modes are synchronous, while the short-period pulsations (SPPs) exhibit asynchronous modulations. The numerical simulation confirms the experimental results and further reveals that the proportion of transverse mode components can manipulate the periods of the LPP and SPP but does not affect the synchronous and asynchronous pulsations of different transverse modes. The obtained results bring the study of spatiotemporal dissipative soliton pulsation into the multi-period modulation stage, which helps to understand the complex spatiotemporal dynamics in STML fiber lasers and discover new dynamics in high-dimensional nonlinear systems.

Periodically tunable multimode soliton pulsation in a spatiotemporal mode-locked fiber laser.

Multimode fiber lasers have become a new platform for investigating nonlinear phenomena since the report on spatiotemporal mode-locking. In this work, the multimode soliton pulsation with a tunable period is achieved in a spatiotemporal mode-locked fiber laser. It demonstrates that the pulsation period drops while increasing the pump power. Moreover, it is found that different transverse modes have the same pulsation period, asynchronous pulsation evolution and different dynamical characteristics through the spatial sampling technique and the dispersive Fourier transform technique. To further verify the experimental results, we numerically investigate the influences of the gain and the loss on the pulsation properties. It is found that within a certain parameter range, the pulsation period drops and rises linearly with the increase of the gain and the loss, respectively. The obtained results contribute to understanding the formation and regulating of soliton pulsations in fiber lasers.

[Quantitative assessment of surface hydrological connectivity in Momoge National Nature Reserve, Northeast China]. / èŽ«èŽ«æ ¼å›½å®¶çº§è‡ªç„¶ä¿æŠ¤åŒºåœ°è¡¨æ°´æ–‡è¿žé€šæ€§å®šé‡è¯„ä¼°.

Quantitative assessment of hydrological connectivity is a hot but difficult issue in current research. Using the 30-m resolution global monthly surface water remote sensing dataset released by the EU Joint Research Center and three indicators of geostatistical connectivity, maximum distance of connection (MDC), and surface water extent of connectome (i.e., seasonally connected water bodies), we quantified the hydrological connectivity of surface water in Momoge National Nature Reserve in different months of a normal year (May to October 2016), and in September of different hydrological years (a wet year, namely 1998; a normal year, namely 2016; a drought year, namely 2002), and different directions (west-east and north-south). Our results showed that: 1) the geostatistical connectivity function (GCF) along the west-east direction was better than that along the north-south direction. The GCF in August and July was better than that in other months. The GCF along the west-east direction of each hydrological year was better than that in the drought year, whereas the GCF in the drought year was better than the corresponding value in the normal year. The GCF along the north-south direction in each hydrological year was better than that in the normal year, whereas the GCF in the normal year was better than that in the drought year. The MDC along the west-east direction in June, July, September, and October of the normal year was all concentrated at 25.26 km. MDC was more concentrated along the north-south direction, with 10 km for all months. The MDC in the normal and drought years was relatively close, but both were much smaller than that in the wet year. 2) frequent seasonal connections between the Yuelianghu Reservoir and the Nenjiang River, and between Etoupao and its neighboring lakes occurred in the study area during the normal year, while most of the other lakes remained isolated. The patterns of hydrological connection in the study area differed across different hydrological years: two giant connectomes were formed in the wet year, some lakes are periodically connected in the normal year, and all lakes remain isolated in the drought year. 3) As a drainage area for farmland receding water, the surface water extent of the Etoupao connectome increased visibly during the three water supplement seasons (spring, summer, and autumn). By quantifying the surface hydrological connectivity in Momoge National Nature Reserve with multiple water sources from different perspectives, our results provide a scientific basis for wetland protection and restoration and integrated management of watershed water resources.

[Review on wetland water level monitoring using interferometric synthetic aperture radar]. / å¹²æ¶‰åˆæˆå­”å¾„é›·è¾¾ç›‘æµ‹æ¹¿åœ°æ°´ä½ç ”ç©¶ç»¼è¿°.

Water level is an important indicator of wetland hydrological regime. Detection of wetland water levels through interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) has outstanding advantage, including high spatial resolution, high accuracy, low cost, and high efficiency. We introduced prerequisites for the monitoring of wetland water levels with InSAR, discussed the types of InSAR techniques, the influencing factors for monitoring wetland water levels and their advantages and disadvantages. There are three prerequisites for effectively detecting wetland water levels with InSAR techniques: 1) the presence of emergent aquatic plants; 2) the main backscattering mechanism is double bounce scattering; and 3) the interferometric coherence exceeds a certain threshold. Current water level monitoring techniques have been developed from traditional InSAR techniques to advanced InSAR techniques, such as STBAS, MM, and DSI. These techniques evolve from detecting relative water level changes to estimate absolute water level and water depth time series. The influencing factors of InSAR techniques for monitoring wetland water levels include operating para-meters of the synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and characteristics of the wetlands themselves. Finally, we proposed the key directions for future research in this field: i) investigating the potential use of specific water level monitoring techniques in other regions with different backscattering and interferometric coherence characteristics; ii) developing new algorithms to integrate multi-sensor, multi-track, multi-band, multi-polarization, and multi-temporal InSAR repeat-pass observation; iii) considering alternative sources of SAR data; and (iv) strengthening research on "by-products" of wetland water level monitoring with InSAR, such as wetland hydrological connectivity, flow direction, and flow regime.

SMC1A knockdown induces growth suppression of human lung adenocarcinoma cells through G1/S cell cycle phase arrest and apoptosis pathways in vitro.

SMC1A (structural maintenance of chromosomes 1A), which encodes a structural subunit of the cohesin protein complex, is necessary for the process of sister chromatid cohesion during the cell cycle. Mutation and deregulation of SMC1A are highly relevant to diverse human diseases, including Cornelia de Lange syndrome and malignant carcinomas. In order to further investigate the role of SMC1A in the oncogenesis of lung cancer, SMC1A-specific short hairpin RNA (shRNA)-expressing lentivirus (Lv-shSMC1A) was constructed and used to infect A549 and H1299 cells. SMC1A mRNA and protein expression levels were downregulated in A549 and H1299 cells as demonstrated by real-time PCR and western blot assays. We found that SMC1A inhibition resulted in significantly impaired proliferation and colony formation as well as reduced invasiveness of tumor cells. Notably, Lv-shSMC1A-infected cancer cells exhibited a greater proportion of cells in the G0/G1 phase, but a lower proportion of S phase cells, compared to the parent or Lv-shCon infected cancer cells. Moreover, a greater proportion of sub-G1 apoptotic cells was observed in Lv-shSMC1A-infected cells. These results suggest that SMC1A is a novel proliferation regulator that promotes the growth of lung cancer cells, and that down-regulation of SMC1A expression induces growth suppression of A549 and H1299 cells via G1/S cell cycle phase arrest and apoptosis pathways. Therefore, SMC1A may serve as a new molecular target for lung cancer therapy.

[Spectral analysis of nitrofurantoin in the terahertz frequency range].

The present article measured the absorption coefficient spectra and refractive index spectra of nitrofurantoin original drug, which is one kind of nitrofuran drugs, in the terahertz frequency range from 0.2 to 1.8 THz using terahertz time-domain spectroscopy. The results showed that there exist a number of characteristic absorption peaks of nitrofurantoin with different intensity in the range and the absorption coefficient spectra can be used to identify nitrofurantoin. The article also simulated absorption coefficient spectra of nitrofurantoin molecule within 0.2 - 1.8 THz using density functional theory by Gaussian software, and vibrational modes of some peaks in the experimental absorption coefficient spectra were analyzed and identified. The results show that the experimental absorption peaks at 1.25 and 1.60 THz correspond with the theoretical peaks at 1.30 and 1.67 THz, and these experimental peaks were caused by intramolecular vibrational modes of nitrofurantoin.

[Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy of alpha endosulfan persistent organic pollutant].

Frequency-dependent absorption coefficient spectrum and refractive index spectrum of alpha endosulfan, a kind of persistent organic pollutants, are presented in the terahertz frequency region by terahertz (THz) time-domain spectroscopy (TDS). The spectral features in the THz region have a number of unique characteristic absorption peaks. The result demonstrates that THz-TDS is a promising method to identify materials. Then we adopted density functional calculation method to analyze theoretic absorption coefficients of single alpha endosulfan molecule within 0.2-2 THz. The results show that absorption peaks at 1.68, 1.91 THz in theoretical calculation correspond to 1.7, 1.88 THz in the experiment. Finally, vibrational modes and approximate assignments were discussed, showing that these matched peaks are caused by intramolecular vibrational modes of alpha endosulfan. Others might be related to intermolecular vibrational modes or combined vibrational modes.

[Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy of ractopamine hydrochloride].

The terahertz spectra of Ractopamine hydrochloride in the range of 0.2 to 2.2 THz was obtained by THz time-domain spectroscopy, and the absorption and refraction spectra of Ractopamine hydrochloride was got meanwhile. The structure and vibrational frequencies of Ractopamine molecule in the THz range were simulated by density functional theory. The difference between experimental and theoretical results was analyzed. And assisted by Gaussian View 3.09, the origin of the vibrational frequencies was recognized. The results show that besides the intramolecular vibrations, THz absorption of Ractopamine hydrochloride originated from the intermolecular hydrogen bond network and Van der Waals force between molecules. This study demonstrated the feasibility of time-domain terahertz spectroscopy for the identification of Ractopamine hydrochloride and provided a new way for the detection of Ractopamine hydrochloride.

[Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy of Clenbuterol hydrochloride].

The terahertz spectra of Clenbuterol hydrochloride in the range of 0.2 to 2.6 THz were obtained by THz time-domain spectroscopy, the absorption and refraction spectra of Clenbuterol hydrochloride was got meanwhile. The structure and vibrational frequencies of Clenbuterol molecule, Clenbuterol hydrochloride molecule and Clenbuterol hydrochloride crystal in the THz range were simulated. Based on the difference between experimental and theoretical results, the origin of the vibrational frequencies was analyzed. This study demonstrated the feasibility of time-domain terahertz spectroscopy for the identification of Clenbuterol hydrochloride and provides a new way for the detection of Clenbuterol hydrochloride.

[Terahertz spectroscopic investigation of elaidic acid].

The optical properties of elaidic acid in the THz band were investigated by using THz time-domain spectroscopy (THZ-TDS). The absorption and refractive index spectra in the frequency range from 0.5 to 2.5 THz were obtained at room temperature under nitrogen atmosphere, and the results show that elaidic acid had some characteristic absorption peaks, and the average refractive index of the sample was 1.43. The structure and vibrational frequencies of elaidic acid molecule in the THz range were simulated by the B3LYP algorithm of density functional theory, and the THz characteristic absorption peaks of elaidic acid molecule were identified by using Gaussian View software. The results show that the experimental and theoretical results agree in general, and the observed absorption peaks in the THz range were mainly caused by the intramolecular and intermolecular vibrations jointly. At the same time, the fingerprint spectra of elaidic acid in the THz band verify that the time-domain terahertz spectroscopy can be used to detect oleic acid, and this study provides a new experimental method for the detection of trans fatty acids in food.

[Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy of L-ascorbic acid].

The present paper reports the theoretical and experimental vibrational frequencies of L-ascorbic acid in the frequency range from 0.2 to 2.4 THz respectively. The vibrational frequencies of L-ascorbic acid in the THz range were simulated by Becke-3-Lee-Yang-Parr (B3LYP) algorithm of density functional theory. Simultaneously, the absorption and refractive index spectra of L-ascorbic acid were obtained using terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS). Based on the results from density functional calculations, the observed vibrational peaks were assigned with the aid of Gaussian View 3.07. Finally, the tera-hertz absorption spectra of tablets of vitamin C were compared with those of L-ascorbic acid. It was found that L-ascorbic acid had some distinct fingerprint spectra in the THz region and the theoretical results were in good agreement with the experimental results. The observed vibrational peaks were induced jointly by the intramolecular and intermolecular vibrations. The absorption peaks of L-ascorbic acid could be observed in the absorption spectra of the tablets of vitamin C. Our research is helpful to understanding the role of L-ascorbic acid in biological reactions. Still, the research results show the potential of the application of THz-TDS in the quantification of L-ascorbic acid.

[Terahertz spectroscopic investigation of imidacloprid].

Terahertz radiation generated by ultra short laser pulses has a broad band width in the far-infrared range. Terahertz wave interacting with materials is a new research field. In this paper, we performed measurement of absorption coefficient and refractive index of imidacloprid in the frequency range 0.2-2.0 THz at room temperature by THz-TDS. The results indicate that imidacloprid has absorption fingerprints in this frequency range, and the absorption coefficient increases with the frequency. The average refractive index of imidacloprid is 1.65, and the refractive index of imidacloprid increases slightly with frequency. A semi-empirical theory was applied to obtain the structure and vibrational frequencies of the imidacloprid molecules in THz region. The calculated results agree well with the experimental data. The absorption features are caused by the collective vibrational and torsional modes, and different absorption peaks correspond to different vibrational modes. The comparison between experimental and theoretical study shows that far-infrared absorption features are highly sensitive to the structure and spatial arrangement of the molecules. THz-TDS is a potential tool to understand the collective vibrational modes and conformational structures of biomolecules.

Supplemental L-arginine enhances wound healing following trauma/hemorrhagic shock.

To determine whether parenteral L-arginine supplementation enhances the impaired wound healing of rats subjected to trauma/hemorrhagic shock. Impaired wound healing after trauma and shock has been documented experimentally and clinically. L-arginine has been shown to enhance wound strength and collagen synthesis in rodents and humans. Its efficacy under conditions of impaired wound healing is less well defined. Forty-eight male Lewis rats were used in this study. Using a well-defined model, 24 rats underwent trauma/hemorrhagic shock before wounding. Twenty-four untreated rats served as controls. All animals underwent a dorsal skin incision with implantation of polyvinyl-alcohol sponges. Half of the animals in each group were assigned to receive 1 g/kg/day of L-arginine by intraperitoneal injection in three divided doses, while the other half received saline injections only. Animals were sacrificed 10 days postwounding, and wound-breaking strength (WBS) and wound sponge total hydroxyproline (OHP) and nitrite/nitrate (NO(x)) content were determined. Wound sponge RNA was collected and subjected to Northern blot analysis for procollagens I and III. Trauma/hemorrhage greatly decreased WBS with a concomitant diminution in collagen (OHP) deposition. L-arginine significantly enhanced WBS (19%) and increased OHP (21%) levels in control animals as well as in rats subjected to trauma/hemorrhage (WBS +29%, OHP 40%) compared with their saline-treated counterparts. Procollagen I and III mRNA levels were elevated by L-arginine treatment in both trauma/hemorrhage and control rats. Arginine treatment had no effect on wound fluid and plasma NO(x). The data demonstrate that the impaired healing subsequent to trauma/hemorrhage can be greatly alleviated by L-arginine supplementation.

[Purification of surface water nitrogen and phosphorus pollutants by Zhalong Riparian Wetland].

The laws of purification of stream nitrogen and phosphorus by riparian wetland was studied by sampling in Long'an Bridge and Shuiku Bridge reaches in Zhalong Wetland. Results from the spatial purifying equations show that two reaches exhibited persistent capability of purification of TP and PO4(3-) through out the seasons of spring, summer and fall, and the purifying coefficient of TP fluctuates from 0.00186 to 0.01175 mg x (L x km)(-1) while the PO4(3-)'s was from 2.5E-4 to 0.00704 mg x (L x km)(-1). As to TN, the purification occured only in the seasons of spring and summer while in fall it experienced accumulation downwards along the streamflow, and the output capability was up to 0.48175 mg x (L x km)(-1). Analysis of effect factors show runoff and input concentration have a certain influence on the purification capability.

Ant colony system algorithm for the optimization of beer fermentation control.

Beer fermentation is a dynamic process that must be guided along a temperature profile to obtain the desired results. Ant colony system algorithm was applied to optimize the kinetic model of this process. During a fixed period of fermentation time, a series of different temperature profiles of the mixture were constructed. An optimal one was chosen at last. Optimal temperature profile maximized the final ethanol production and minimized the byproducts concentration and spoilage risk. The satisfactory results obtained did not require much computation effort.

[A cross-sectional study on the usage condition of hypertension related examinations and antihypertensive drugs among 40 district and community based hospitals in Beijing].

OBJECTIVE: To study the use of hypertension related physical examinations, laboratory tests and anti-hypertension drugs among district and community based hospitals in Beijing and to analyze the possible hardware (examination, test, drug) problems under the application of the "China Hypertension Guide" in those hospitals. METHODS: The survey was carried out in 40 hospitals in Chaoyang and Haidian districts, including 9 district level hospitals, and the rest at community level. Questionnaire survey and in-depth interview were used to collect information from the leaders of related departments in those hospitals. RESULTS: (1) The hardware condition of district hospital satisfied the implicit requirements of hypertension evaluation and treatment in "China hypertension Guide". (2) 64.5% of the community level hospitals had the basic equipments and routine laboratory tests for diagnosis and treatment on hypertension, but 35.5% of them lack of tests on blood chemistry (potassium, sodium, creatinine) and urine protein. (3) 71.0% of community level hospitals could not judge the patient's "target organ damage" independently. (4) Both district and community level hospitals had all major types of anti-hypertension drugs in there pharmacy except ARB. CONCLUSION: When necessary laboratory tests for both district and community level hospitals were provided, they could accomplish the tasks of hypertension treatment and management. However, the community level hospitals should cooperate with hospitals at higher level to have a comprehensive clinical understanding of patients with high blood pressure.