Association of urine CC16 and lung function and asthma in Chinese children.

Background: Many studies have shown the relationship between serum Club cell secretory protein-16 (CC16) and respiratory diseases. However, little research has been done to study urinary CC16 in relation to respiratory diseases. Our objective was to examine the association of urinary CC16 and physician-diagnosed asthma or lung function measurements in Chinese children.

Caffeine and dithiothreitol delay ovine oocyte ageing.

The intracellular glutathione levels and developmental competence of aged oocytes after parthenogenetic activation, somatic cell nuclear transfer and intracytoplasmic sperm injection in the presence or absence of caffeine or dithiothreitol (DTT) were examined. The following results were found: (1) ovine oocytes were fully aged 30 h post-onset of maturation culture; (2) the appropriate concentrations of caffeine and DTT for oocyte culture were 5 mM and 1 mM, respectively; (3) when nuclear transfer-reconstructed embryos were treated with caffeine or DTT following fusion, no increase in the frequency of development to blastocyst was observed (P > 0.05), but the cell numbers of blastocysts increased (P < 0.

[Mock circulatory system for performance test of ventricular assist device].

This paper presents a mock circulatory system in vitro, which can simulate different states of the nature heart, and evaluate different ventricular assist devices. Based on this system, one prototype of blood pump has been tested.