RESUMO A função e proteção das glândulas paratireoidianas é um tópico de pesquisa cada vez mais popular. Coelhos brancos da Nova Zelândia são o modelo animal mais comumente usada para isquemia da paratireóide. Porém, informação sobre a vasculatura de suas glândulas paratireóides é limitada. Foram usados 94 coelhos brancos da Nova Zelândia saudáveis, com 3-4 meses de idade, 2-3kg de peso, para exploração das glândulas paratireóides, que foram coradas com hematoxilina e eosina (HE) após a remoção. Os seguintes tipos foram classificados de acordo com a relação entre a posição da glândula paratireoidiana inferior e a tireoide: Tipo A, Tipo Próximo, Tipo B e Tipo Distante. Houve 188 casos, 4 em que as glândulas paratireoidianas inferiores estavam localizadas próximas ao lado dorsal da tireoide (2.13%), 8 onde as glândulas paratireoidianas inferiores estavam localizadas superiores ao polo superior da tireoide (4.26%), 20 onde as glândulas paratireoidianas inferiores estavam localizadas paralelo à tireoide (10.64%) e 155 casos em que as glândulas paratireoidianas inferiores estavam localizadas inferiores ao polo inferior da tireoide (82.45%). A identificação da localização e a classificação da vasculatura das glândulas paratireóides em coelhos brancos da Nova Zelândia fornecerão um modelo anatômico para auxiliar em pesquisas futuras.

ABSTRACT The function and protection of the parathyroid glands are increasingly popular research topics. New Zealand white rabbits are the most commonly used animal model of parathyroid ischemia. However, information on the vasculature of their parathyroid glands is limited. We used 94 healthy New Zealand white rabbits, 3-4 months of age and 2-3kg in weight, for exploration of the parathyroid glands, which were stained using hematoxylin and eosin (HE) after removal. The following types were classified according to the relationship between the position of the inferior parathyroid gland and the thyroid: Type A, Close Type, Type B, and Distant Type. There were 188 cases, 4 where the inferior parathyroid glands were located near the dorsal side of thyroid (2.13%), 8 where the inferior parathyroid glands were located superior to the upper pole of the thyroid (4.26%), 20 where the inferior parathyroid glands were located parallel to the thyroid (10.64%), and 155 cases where the inferior parathyroid glands were located inferior to the lower pole of thyroid (82.45%). Identifying the location and classifying the vasculature of the parathyroid glands in New Zealand white rabbits will provide an anatomical model to assist in future research.

Resumo As alterações de recursos geralmente promovem invasões de plantas, suscitando preocupações quanto às conseqüências potenciais da deposição de nitrogênio (N); No entanto, não está claro se os invasores se beneficiarão da deposição de N mais do que com os nativos. O crescimento é um dos traços inerentes mais fundamentais das plantas e, portanto, os bons invasores podem ter vantagens de crescimento superiores em resposta a alterações de recursos. Comparamos o crescimento e a alocação entre plantas invasivas e nativas em diferentes regimes de N, incluindo controles (concentrações ambientais de N). Descobrimos que as plantas invasivas sempre cresceram muito mais do que as plantas nativas em diferentes condições de N, independentemente das análises baseadas em crescimento ou filogenia, e que o primeiro atribuiu mais biomassa aos rebentos do que o segundo. Embora N aumentou o crescimento de plantas invasivas, esse aumento não aumentou com o aumento da adição de N. Através das espécies invasivas e nativas, as mudanças na alocação da biomassa do extrato foram correlacionadas positivamente com as mudanças na biomassa da planta inteira; e a inclinação desse relacionamento foi maior em plantas invasivas do que plantas nativas. Essas descobertas sugerem que o aumento do investimento em lançamentos faz com que as plantas invasivas mantenham uma vantagem de crescimento em altas condições de N em relação aos nativos, e também destacar que a futura deposição de N pode aumentar os riscos de invasões de plantas.

Abstract Resource amendments commonly promote plant invasions, raising concerns over the potential consequences of nitrogen (N) deposition; however, it is unclear whether invaders will benefit from N deposition more than natives. Growth is among the most fundamental inherent traits of plants and thus good invaders may have superior growth advantages in response to resource amendments. We compared the growth and allocation between invasive and native plants in different N regimes including controls (ambient N concentrations). We found that invasive plants always grew much larger than native plants in varying N conditions, regardless of growth- or phylogeny-based analyses, and that the former allocated more biomass to shoots than the latter. Although N addition enhanced the growth of invasive plants, this enhancement did not increase with increasing N addition. Across invasive and native species, changes in shoot biomass allocation were positively correlated with changes in whole-plant biomass; and the slope of this relationship was greater in invasive plants than native plants. These findings suggest that enhanced shoot investment makes invasive plants retain a growth advantage in high N conditions relative to natives, and also highlight that future N deposition may increase the risks of plant invasions.

The aim of this study was to explore the analgesic effect of local application of compound lidocaine/prilocaine cream on cancer wounds during wound care in order to reduce the amount of morphine intake or completely replace the systemic morphine administration and optimize the protocol for cancer wound pain management. All patients were enrolled with a visual analog scale (VAS) pain score ≥4. Before wound care, 60 patients were randomly divided into 2 groups of 30 each: morphine group (10 mg tablet); topical 5% compound lidocaine cream group (0.2 g/cm2). VAS scores, heart rate, and Kolcaba comfort level were recorded for the two groups 10 min before and 10, 15, 20, and 25 min after wound care and data were analyzed statistically. The means for the pain score and heart rate of the topical lidocaine/prilocaine cream group were lower than those of the morphine group (P<0.01) and the Kolcaba comfort level was higher (P<0.01). Local dermal application of the compound lidocaine cream can be used as an alternative to the systemic morphine administration in cancer wound care for its safety and effectiveness. In addition, it can improve the patients' comfort and quality of life.

Flotation is widely used to process fine coal. However, problems of concentrate contamination caused by slime coating, entrapment, and entrainment have severely impeded its performance. Oil agglomeration, another physicochemical separation method, works as a substitute to solve the contamination problems. Agglomerates were prepared from coal fines using different stirring times and the ash content and combustible recovery in four size fractions: +500, 500-250, 250-125, and -125 μm determined. The results showed that coal particles finer than 45 μm with low ash content transformed from scattered particles to solid agglomerates. With longer stirring times, the number of large and stabilized agglomerates increased and attained equilibrium. The agglomeration process can be separated into three stages according to the degree of agglomeration at different stirring times.

Abstract The single phase equivalent circuit is largely used to model the three-phase induction motors in steady-state operation and under sinusoidal balanced voltages. Depending on the desired application, the circuit may or may not represent core losses, a double cage or even the variation of parameters due to skin effect and saturation. However, the determination of the circuit parameters through standard methods, such as those described in IEEE Standard 112, may not be possible in many situations given the lack of the necessary resources. This paper presents initially a survey on the determination of circuit parameters from alternative methods, i.e., non-standard tests. Special focus is given to methods which employ only data usually provided by manufacturers on catalogs and nameplates. Six analytical methodologies used in the context of efficiency estimation at steady-state operation are assessed, compared and then combined in order to improve results. The assessment is based on the closeness of the resulting parameter values to reference values and on the inexistence of absurd results, such as negative electrical resistances. The combination of methods has improved the accuracy of calculations for the studied motors.

This study investigated the expression and regulation of IL-6R in hepatitis B-associated moderate hepatic fibrosis and cirrhosis. Liver tissues, peripheral blood monocytes (PBMs) and serum were collected from 26 hepatitis B patients with liver fibrosis and 35 hepatitis B patients with liver cirrhosis. The levels of Il-6r mRNA expression in these samples were examined by quantitative real-time PCR and IL-6R protein levels were analyzed by western blot and ELISA. MiRNAs that regulate IL-6R expression were predicted by bioinformatics analysis, and validated by dual luciferase reporter assay. Compared with the hepatic fibrosis group, IL-6R was significantly upregulated at both mRNA and protein levels in liver tissues, PBMs and serum samples from the hepatic cirrhosis group (P<0.05). The 3′UTR of Il-6r mRNA was predicted to contain a miR-30b binding site and IL-6R was identified as a possible target of miR-30b. MiR-30b expression was significantly downregulated in samples from hepatic cirrhosis patients compared with hepatic fibrosis patients (P<0.05). In conclusion, IL-6R was upregulated while miR-30b was decreased in patients with liver cirrhosis. The miR-30 can directly regulate the expression of IL-6R.

In this study, the effect of a pre-fermentative freezing treatment on quality attributes of 'Meili' rosé wine was assessed. Prior to fermentation, 'Meili' grapes (berries and must) were subjected to a freezing treatment considering factors of freezing temperatures, freezing time, and thawing method. Colour-related indices were measured by spectral methods. Wine aroma characteristics and sensory attributes were assessed by trained panellists. The results revealed that lower freezing temperature and longer freezing time had positive effects on wine quality attributes. The treatment of frozen berries might help extract colour-related compounds. Microwave thawing improved wine colour, but decreased taste quality. In the work, the MF-10°C/6 h treatment (microwave-thawed berries that had been frozen at -10°C for 6 h) contributed to the best colour characteristics, whereas the NP-20°C/4 h treatment (naturally-thawed must that had been frozen at -20°C for 4 h) contributed to the best taste attributes.

Our objective was to clone, express and characterize adult Dermatophagoides farinae group 1 (Der f 1) allergens to further produce recombinant allergens for future clinical applications in order to eliminate side reactions from crude extracts of mites. Based on GenBank data, we designed primers and amplified the cDNA fragment coding for Der f 1 by nested-PCR. After purification and recovery, the cDNA fragment was cloned into the pMD19-T vector. The fragment was then sequenced, subcloned into the plasmid pET28a(+), expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 and identified by Western blotting. The cDNA coding for Der f 1 was cloned, sequenced and expressed successfully. Sequence analysis showed the presence of an open reading frame containing 966 bp that encodes a protein of 321 amino acids. Interestingly, homology analysis showed that the Der p 1 shared more than 87% identity in amino acid sequence with Eur m 1 but only 80% with Der f 1. Furthermore, phylogenetic analyses suggested that D. pteronyssinus was evolutionarily closer to Euroglyphus maynei than to D. farinae, even though D. pteronyssinus and D. farinae belong to the same Dermatophagoides genus. A total of three cysteine peptidase active sites were found in the predicted amino acid sequence, including 127-138 (QGGCGSCWAFSG), 267-277 (NYHAVNIVGYG) and 284-303 (YWIVRNSWDTTWGDSGYGYF). Moreover, secondary structure analysis revealed that Der f 1 contained an a helix (33.96%), an extended strand (17.13%), a ß turn (5.61%), and a random coil (43.30%). A simple three-dimensional model of this protein was constructed using a Swiss-model server. The cDNA coding for Der f 1 was cloned, sequenced and expressed successfully. Alignment and phylogenetic analysis suggests that D. pteronyssinus is evolutionarily more similar to E. maynei than to D. farinae.