Carotid intima-media thickness in plaque-free area, carotid plaque and risk of ischemic stroke in high-risk population of North China.

Objective: Stroke is the leading cause of mortality and acquired disability in adults in China. In this study, we investigated the role of carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) and carotid plaques in new ischemic stroke of high-risk population in North China.

Methods: The study was conducted in 4 towns in North China area.

Comparison of polyhydroxyalkanoates production by activated sludges from anaerobic and oxic zones of an enhanced biological phosphorus removal system: effect of sludge retention time.

This study compared the PHAs production behavior of sludges from the anaerobic and oxic phases of an enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) system. This was accomplished by using the kinetics and stoichiometric coefficients obtained from aerobic batch tests to evaluate the performance of these two sludges. Experimental results indicated that the metabolic behavior of the sludges for PHAs production depend significantly on the operating sludge retention time (SRT) of the EBPR system.