Assessment of a point‐of‐care cardiac troponin I test to differentiate cardiac from noncardiac causes of respiratory distress in dogs

Objectives – To (1) determine a reference interval for cardiac troponin I (cTnI) using a point‐of‐care device in normal dogs and compare the results with those published by the manufacturer and (2) determine if cTnI differs among dogs with cardiogenic and noncardiogenic respiratory distress. Design – Prospective observational study. Setting – Emergency and referral veterinary hospital. Animals – Twenty‐six clinically normal dogs and 67 dogs in respiratory distress. Interventions – All dogs underwent whole blood sampling for cTnI concentrations. Measurements and Results – Normal dogs had a median cTnI concentration of 0.03 ng/mL (range 0–0.11 ng/mL). Thirty‐six dogs were diagnosed with noncardiogenic respiratory distress with a median cTnI concentration of 0.14 ng/mL (range 0.01–4.31 ng/mL). Thirty‐one dogs were diagnosed with cardiogenic respiratory distress with a median cTnI concentration of 1.74 ng/mL (range 0.05–17.1 ng/mL). A significant difference between cTnI concentrations in normal dogs and dogs with noncardiogenic respiratory distress was not detected. Significant differences in cTnI concentrations were found between normals versus cardiogenic and cardiogenic versus noncardiogenic respiratory distress groups. Significant differences in cTnI concentrations were identified in >10 when compared with the <5 and the 5–10 years of age groups. Receiver operating curve analysis identified cTnI concentrations >1.5 ng/mL as the optimal “cut‐off point” having a sensitivity of 78% and specificity of 51.5%. The area under the receiver operating curve was 0.72. Overall test accuracy was 65%. Conclusions – cTnI concentrations were significantly increased in dogs with cardiogenic respiratory distress versus dogs with noncardiogenic respiratory distress and normal dogs. A significant difference between normal dogs and dogs with noncardiogenic causes of respiratory distress was detected. Although highly sensitive when cTnI concentrations exceed 1.5 ng/mL, the test has low specificity. Assessment of cTnI by the methodology used cannot be recommended as the sole diagnostic modality for evaluating the cause of respiratory distress in dogs.     

我国道路边坡治理现状及其对策

我国道路边坡治理现状主要表现为:边坡绿化以草本植物为主,生态护坡的效果欠佳;边坡设计治理措施简单,自然环境的破坏严重;边坡植被恢复水平较低,生态绿化的任务艰巨。针对我国道路边坡治理现状所采取的主要对策是:边坡设计施工要以边坡稳定性和保护环境生态为前提;提高土壤植被系统的生态护坡效应;合理选择与搭配生物护坡工程的植物物种。     

香根草应用于铁路边坡防护的力学研究

针对目前较少研究香根草在边坡防护的力学作用的情况,通过香根草力学试验,测定、分析香根草的力学指标,定量检验香根草在边坡防护中的力学作用。通过试验分析发现,香根草护坡可以提高土的黏聚力和内摩擦角,从而提高土的抗剪强度,进而增加土壤稳定性。香根草根系必须达到一定密度,抗剪强度才能提高,从而发挥边坡防护的作用。     

山地果园单向牵引式双轨运输机摩擦制动装置设计与试验

针对山地果园单向牵引式双轨运输机运行时存在钢丝绳松脱或断裂等问题,研制了一种摩擦制动装置,在描述载物滑车总体结构的基础上,重点分析了制动装置制动过程、关键结构的受力分析及台架制动测试试验.有限元分析表明,支撑柱的最大应力为6.3 MPa,最大位移为2.1×10-5 mm,且出现在支撑柱与摩擦片固定装置相连的螺栓截面上;轨道的最大应力为70.9 MPa,最大位移约为0.65 mm,且出现在直轨道与摩擦片接触面上,呈对称分布.台架试验结果表明,该制动装置的制动成功率为100％;高速摄影试验表明,随着装载质量的增大,制动时间及振幅均增加.该研究可为山地果园单向牵引式轨道运输机械的整机结构设计提供参考.     

基于ANSYS的农用运输车辆横向碰撞仿真研究

该文应用有限元理论,利用ANSYS/LS-DYNA软件,对农用运输车辆车门承受横向碰撞时进行数值仿真计算,对碰撞过程中的碰撞规律进行了摸索,探讨了车辆车门结构优化方法与改进措施,介绍了车辆安装加强板后的碰撞安全特征,证明了农用运输车辆车门结构优化的可行性与实用性.     

杂交水稻制种气力碰撞组合式授粉的花粉分布

采用自制的气力碰撞组合授粉试验装置,以杂交水稻花粉的有效分布面积比率、平均分布密度、分布不均匀度为评价指标,对影响授粉均匀性的因素(气流速度、喷气管道放置相对位置、喷孔中心距、气流作用角度、喷孔直径)进行5因素4水平正交试验,考察各因素对授粉均匀性的影响,对试验结果进行极差分析、方差分析和多指标矩阵分析。结果表明,5个因素主次排序及较优水平依次为气流速度6 m/s,喷气管道放置相对位置高于碰杆10 cm,喷孔中心距25 mm,气流作用角度倾斜向上20°,喷孔直径8 mm。组合授粉较单一授粉方式的花粉有效分布面积率明显提高,花粉分布不均匀度显著下降,花粉空间传播性能更好。     

多船会遇碰撞危险的灰色动态评价模型

针对多船会遇局面的特点，建立了多船会遇局面多指标动态评价模型，实例表明，本模型能够较好地反映实际情况，效果较好。     

SIDE LOBES AND GRATING LOBES ARTIFACTS IN ULTRASOUND IMAGING

Side lobes and grating lobes are both unwanted parts of the ultrasound beam emitted off axis that produce image artifacts due to error in positioning the returning echo. The purpose of this study was to reproduce artifacts associated with side lobes and grating lobes in vitro using different transducer types and recognize these artifacts in vivo. A phantom, composed of a water bath, a metallic wire, and a wooden tongue depressor, was imaged using a linear array, a curved linear array, a vector array, and a sector mechanical transducer. When imaging the metallic wire in a transverse plane, an echogenic artifact was constantly seen on each side of the wire, with a shape and intensity variable with the transducer type. The artifact was curvilinear and concave (linear and curved linear arrays), or curvilinear and convex (vector array and the mechanical transducer). When the tongue depressor was imaged in a longitudinal plane, the artifact was a straight line (linear array), a curved convex line(curved array), a series of convex curvilinear echo (vector array) or a small convex curvilinear echo (mechanical transducer). In vivo situations similar to the phantom experiment were investigated using clinical patients. Artifacts produced in vitro were recognized in vivo when a highly reflective object (urinary bladder wall) was imaged adjacent to an anechoic region (urine). These artifacts corresponded to the principle of secondary ultrasound lobes, and were therefore interpreted as such.     

Ecdysteroid receptor docking suggests that dibenzoylhydrazine-based insecticides are devoid of any deleterious effect on the parasitic wasp Psyttalia concolor (Hym. Braconidae)

BACKGROUND: The moulting accelerating compounds (MACs) or ecdysteroid agonists represent a selective group of insecticides acting upon binding to the ecdysteroid receptor (EcR) and leading to lethal premature moulting in larval stages and aborted reproduction in adults. Psyttalia concolor Szèpl. is a useful parasitic wasp attacking important tephritid pests such as the medfly and olive fruit fly. RESULTS: Contact and oral exposure in the laboratory of female parasitic wasps to the dibenzoylhydrazine‐based methoxyfenozide, tebufenozide and RH‐5849 did not provoke negative effects. No mortality and no reduction in beneficial capacity were observed. The ligand‐binding domain (LBD) of the EcR of P. concolor was sequenced, and a homology protein model was constructed which confirmed a cavity structure with 12 α‐helices, harbouring the natural insect moulting hormone 20‐hydroxyecdysone. However, a steric clash occurred for the MAC insecticides owing to a restricted extent of the ligand‐binding cavity of the PcLBD‐EcR, while they did dock well in that of susceptible insects. CONCLUSIONS: The insect toxicity assays demonstrated that MACs are selective for P. concolor. The modelling/docking experiments are indications that these insecticides do not bind with the LBD‐EcR of P. concolor and support the theory that they show no biological effects in the parasitic wasp. These data may help in explaining the compatible use of MACs together with parasitic wasps in IPM programmes. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry     

雷公藤多苷药效机理及安全性研究概况

雷公藤多苷具有抗炎、免疫调节及抗生育等作用,该文概述了雷公藤多苷的临床应用及其作用机理,同时总结归纳了其毒副作用和不良反应,为更安全和广泛的应用雷公藤多苷提供了理论和试验依据。