| 1. |
- Hu, Jinhong, et al.
(author)
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Safety and immunogenicity of a malaria vaccine, Plasmodium falciparum AMA-1/MSP-1 chimeric protein formulated in montanide ISA 720 in healthy adults
- 2008
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In: PLOS ONE. - : PLOS. - 1932-6203. ; 3:4
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: The P. falciparum chimeric protein 2.9 (PfCP-2.9) consisting of the sequences of MSP1-19 and AMA-1 (III) is a malaria vaccine candidate that was found to induce inhibitory antibodies in rabbits and monkeys. This was a phase I randomized, single-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-escalation study to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of the PfCP-2.9 formulated with a novel adjuvant Montanide ISA720. Fifty-two subjects were randomly assigned to 4 dose groups of 10 participants, each receiving the test vaccine of 20, 50, 100, or 200 microg respectively, and 1 placebo group of 12 participants receiving the adjuvant only.METHODS AND FINDINGS: The vaccine formulation was shown to be safe and well-tolerated, and none of the participants withdrew. The total incidence of local adverse events (AEs) was 75%, distributed among 58% of the placebo group and 80% of those vaccinated. Among the vaccinated, 65% had events that were mild and 15% experienced moderate AEs. Almost all systemic adverse reactions observed in this study were graded as mild and required no therapy. The participants receiving the test vaccine developed detectable antibody responses which were boosted by the repeated vaccinations. Sixty percent of the vaccinated participants had high ELISA titers (>1:10,000) of antigen-specific antibodies which could also recognize native parasite proteins in an immunofluorescence assay (IFA).CONCLUSION: This study is the first clinical trial for this candidate and builds on previous investigations supporting PfCP-2.9/ISA720 as a promising blood-stage malaria vaccine. Results demonstrate safety, tolerability (particularly at the lower doses tested) and immunogenicity of the formulation. Further clinical development is ongoing to explore optimizing the dose and schedule of the formulation to decrease reactogenicity without compromising immunogenicity.TRIAL REGISTRATION: Chinese State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) 2002SL0046; Controlled-Trials.com ISRCTN66850051 [66850051].
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| 2. |
- Zhang, Qiang, et al.
(author)
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Changes of temperature extremes for 1960-2004 in Far-West China
- 2009
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In: Stochastic environmental research and risk assessment (Print). - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1436-3240 .- 1436-3259. ; 23:6, s. 721-735
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The spatial and temporal patterns of the temperature extremes defined by 5th and 95th percentiles based on daily maximum/minimum temperature dataset were analyzed using Mann-Kendall test and linear regression method. The research results indicate that: (1) the seasonal minimum temperature is in stronger increasing trend than the seasonal maximum temperature; (2) in comparison with the changes of the maximum temperature, more stations display significantly increasing trends of minimum temperature in frequency and intensity; (3) comparatively, more stations have significantly decreasing trends in the intra-seasonal extreme temperature anomaly in summer and winter than in spring and autumn. The areal mean minimum temperature is in stronger increasing trend than areal mean maximum temperature; (4) the warming process in the Far-West (FW) China is characterized mainly by significantly increasing minimum temperature. The research will be helpful for local human mitigation to alterations in water resource and ecological environment in FW China due to changes of temperature extremes, as the ecologically fragile region of China.
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| 3. |
- Zhang, Qiang, et al.
(author)
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Observed changes of drought/wetness episodes in the Pearl River basin, China, using the standardized precipitation index and aridity index
- 2009
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In: Journal of Theoretical and Applied Climatology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0177-798X .- 1434-4483. ; 98:1-2, s. 89-99
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Monthly precipitation data of 42 rain stations over the Pearl River basin for 1960-2005 were analyzed to classify anomalously wet and dry conditions by using the standardized precipitation index (SPI) and aridity index (I) for the rainy season (April-September) and winter (December February). Trends of the number of wet and dry months decided by SPI were detected with Mann-Kendall technique. Furthermore, we also investigated possible causes behind wet and dry variations by analyzing NCAR/NCEP reanalysis dataset. The results indicate that: (1) the Pearl River basin tends to be dryer in the rainy season and comes to be wetter in winter. However, different wetting and drying properties can be identified across the basin: west parts of the basin tend to be dryer; and southeast parts tend to be wetter; (2) the Pearl River basin is dominated by dry tendency in the rainy season and is further substantiated by aridity index (I) variations; and (3) water vapor flux, moisture content changes in the rainy season and winter indicate different influences of moisture changes on wet and dry conditions across the Pearl River basin. Increasing moisture content gives rise to an increasing number of wet months in winter. However, no fixed relationships can be observed between moisture content changes and number of wet months in the rainy season, indicating that more than one factor can influence the dry or wet conditions of the study region. The results of this paper will be helpful for basin-scale water resource management under the changing climate.
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| 4. |
- Zhang, Qiang, et al.
(author)
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Spatial and temporal variability of precipitation maxima during 1960-2005 in the Yangtze River basin and possible association with large-scale circulation
- 2008
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In: Journal of Hydrology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0022-1694 .- 1879-2707. ; 353:3-4, s. 215-227
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This study investigated spatial and temporal patterns of trends of the precipitation maxima (defined as the annual./seasonal. maximum precipitation) in the Yangtze River basin for 1960-2005 using Mann-Kendall trend test, and explored association of changing patterns of the precipitation maxima with large-scale circulation using NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data. The research results indicate changes of precipitation maxima from relative stable patterns to the significant increasing/decreasing trend in the middle 1970s. With respect to annual variability, the rainy days are decreasing and precipitation intensity is increasing, and significant increasing trend of precipitation intensity was detected in the middle and lower Yangtze River basin. Number of rain days with daily precipitation exceeding 95th and 99th percentiles and related precipitation intensities are in increasing tendency in summer. Large-scale atmospheric circulation analysis indicates decreasing strength of East Asian summer monsoon during 1975-2005 as compared to that during 1961-1974 and increasing geopotential height in the north China, South China Sea and west Pacific regions, all of which combine to negatively impact the northward propagation of the vapor flux. This circulation pattern will be beneficial for the longer stay of the Meiyu front in the Yangtze River basin, leading to more precipitation in the middle and lower Yangtze River basin in summer months. The significant increasing summer precipitation intensity and changing frequency in the rain/no-rain days in the middle and lower Yangtze River basin have potential to result in higher occurrence probability of flood and drought hazards in the region.
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| 5. |
- Zhang, Wen-Chao, et al.
(author)
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Clinical and pathological analysis of malignant carotid body tumour : a report of nine cases
- 2009
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In: Acta Oto-Laryngologica. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0001-6489 .- 1651-2251. ; 129:11, s. 1320-1325
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Conclusions. Malignant carotid body tumour (MCBT) is a clinically rare disease that often invades the carotid artery and cranial nerves. Diagnosis of malignant tumour should be based on extensive invasion of neighbouring organs and distant metastasis. Extensive resection should be undertaken early. Radiotherapy is effective, whereas chemotherapy is uncertain. Objective. To summarize the clinical pathological and prognostic characteristics of MCBT and explore methods for diagnosis and treatment. Materials and methods. The study material comprised clinical, pathological, therapeutic and follow-up data concerning nine patients (four males, five females) with MCBT, treated at Tianjin Cancer Hospital between January 1956 and June 2006. The material was analysed retrospectively. Disease duration averaged 6.4 years. Shamblin classification was: one case, type ?; 8 cases, type ?. All nine patients underwent ultrasound examination, four underwent digital subtraction arteriography (DSA) and three had magnetic resonance angiography (MRA). Five patients underwent preoperative training of compression of the carotid (Matas test). Extensive resection was performed in all nine cases. Results. The carotid artery was blocked in three patients. In one of these the artery was reconstructed with a vascular prosthesis, while two underwent carotid ligation. Eight patients suffered from a cranial nerve dysfunction (defect) and two suffered postoperatively from a hoarse voice, four had a glossal deviation, five had Horner's syndrome and one had a deviation of the lip angle. One patient had a congestive cough. The histopathological diagnosis in all nine cases was MCBT. One patient had metastases to a cervical lymph node and lung and another had liver metastasis. The median follow-up period was 3 years (range 6 months to 14 years). Six patients survived surgery, of whom two underwent radiotherapy. Two patients died and one could not be traced.
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| 6. |
- Zhang, Zengxin, et al.
(author)
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Atmospheric moisture budget and floods in the Yangtze River basin, China
- 2009
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In: Journal of Theoretical and Applied Climatology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0177-798X .- 1434-4483. ; 95, s. 331-340
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In this paper, we explored the trends of the atmospheric moisture budget, precipitation, and streamflow in summer during 1961 to 2005 and possible correlations between them by using the linear regression method in the Yangtze River basin, China. The results indicate that: (1) increasing tendencies can be detected in the atmospheric moisture budget, precipitation and streamflow in the Yangtze River basin; however, the significant increasing trends occur only in the atmospheric moisture budget and precipitation in the middle and lower Yangtze River basin; (2) both the ratio of summer moisture budget to annual moisture budget and the ratio of summer precipitation to annual precipitation exhibit a significant increasing trend in the Yangtze River basin. The ratio of summer streamflow to annual streamflow is in a significant increasing trend in Hankou station. Significant increasing summer precipitation can be taken as the major controlling factor responsible for the higher probability of flood hazard occurrences in the Yangtze River basin. The consecutively increasing summer precipitation is largely due to the consistently increasing moisture budget; (3) the zonal geopotential height anomaly between 1991 and 2005 and 1961 and 1990 is higher from the south to the north, which to a large degree, limits the northward propagation of the summer monsoon to north China. As a result, the summer moisture budget increases in the middle and lower Yangtze River basin, which leads to more summer precipitation. This paper sheds light on the changing properties of precipitation and streamflow and possible underlying causes, which will be greatly helpful for better understanding of the changes of precipitation and streamflow in the Yangtze River basin.
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| 7. |
- Chang, Qingjiang, et al.
(author)
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A Tunable Broadband Photonic RF Phase Shifter Based on a Silicon Microring Resonator
- 2009
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In: IEEE Photonics Technology Letters. - : Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). - 1041-1135 .- 1941-0174. ; 21:1-4, s. 60-62
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We propose and demonstrate a tunable broadband photonic radio frequency (RF) phase shifter based on a silicon microring resonator. This scheme utilizes the thermal nonlinear effect of the silicon microring to change the electrical phase of the RF signal with a wide tuning range. A prototype of the phase shifter is experimentally demonstrated for a 40-GHz signal with a 0-4.6-rad tuning range.
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| 8. |
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| 9. |
- Chen, David, et al.
(author)
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CHANGE-POINT ALTERATIONS OF EXTREME WATER LEVELS AND UNDERLYING CAUSES IN THE PEARL RIVER DELTA, CHINA
- 2009
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In: Rivers Research and Applications. - : Wiley. - 1535-1459 .- 1535-1467. ; 25, s. 1153-1168
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In this paper, the Bayesian model and Lepage test were used to detect change point and to analyse associated statistical properties of high/low water levels in summer (June, July and August (JJA)) and winter (December, January and February (DJF)) months across the PRD (Pearl River Delta). The results indicate that: (1) two time intervals, that is 1979-1981 and 1988-1995, witness abrupt changes of SmH/SmL (summer mean high water level/summer mean low water level). The lower PRD is dominated by increased mean and coefficient of variation (Cv) of SmH. Increased mean but decreased Cv of SmL can be observed in the Mainstem Pearl River; (2) WmL (winter mean low water level) and WmH (winter mean high water level) of about 74% of the total stations have two change points occurred roughly during 1969-1971 and 1993-1995. First change points of WmH are mainly characterized by increased mean and Cv, but decreased mean and increased Cv of WmL can be observed across major parts of the PRD. The driving factors causing abrupt changes of water levels are various. Intensive human activities cannot be ignored, for example in-channel dredging and reallocation of the streamflow within the river channels due to human-induced topographical changes of river channel. Different responses of high/low water levels to externally influencing factors and interactions between influencing factors make the alterations of the water levels across the PRD more complicated. The findings of this paper will be helpful for the management of the PRD and human mitigation to natural hazards under the changing environment. Copyright (C) 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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| 10. |
- Jun, Chen, et al.
(author)
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A Novel Acceleration Data Compression Scheme for Wireless Sensor Network Application in Fresh Food Tracking System
- 2009
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In: The Ninth International Conference on Electronic Measurement & Instruments ICEMI’2009. - : IEEE Press. - 9781424438631 ; , s. 3-1-3-5
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- An enhanced dual-layer wide area wireless sensor network (WSN) system was developed and applied in fresh food tracking application. The sensor nodes of WSN provide a set of useful measurements about the environmental conditions during the fresh food transportation. Since the 3-axis acceleration data in such application account for more than 99% out of all collected source data, we propose a novel acceleration data compression scheme for this specific application, to overcome the resource and cost limitation imposed on embedded sensing nodes and wireless communication links in WSN. According to general fresh food transport behavior pattern, the acceleration data can be extracted into three components (D waveform, A waveform and P waveform). Each component could be compressed separately according to its distinct characteristic and then packetized as an encoded frame. In this paper we examine the experimental acceleration dataset from a field test (fresh melon fruit transport from Brazil to Sweden in 20 days) as a test case. Experimental results show that a high compression ratio (around 10:1) with the acceptable distortion could be achieved, confirming the effectiveness of the compression scheme proposed in this work.
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