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Li J (li + j)
Selected AbstractsQuantitative determination of the diagnostic accuracy of the synovitis score and its componentsHISTOPATHOLOGY, Issue 3 2010Elisabeth Slansky Slansky E, Li J, Häupl T, Morawietz L, Krenn V & Pessler F (2010) Histopathology,57, 436,443 Quantitative determination of the diagnostic accuracy of the synovitis score and its components Aims:, To assess the diagnostic accuracy of a three-component synovitis score and to determine the relative contribution of each of its components to its overall discriminatory power. Methods and results:, The synovitis score was determined in 666 synovial specimens: normal synovium, n = 33; post-traumatic arthropathy (PtA), n = 29; osteoarthritis (OA), n = 221; psoriatic arthritis (PsA), n = 42; and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), n = 341. The discriminatory abilities of the score and its components were quantified with binary and multicategory receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. The score differentiated all arthropathies accurately from normal tissue (area under the ROC curve, AUC: 0.87,0.98) and RA from OA or PtA (AUC: 0.85 for both), but could not distinguish well within pairs of inflammatory or degenerative arthropathies. AUCs of the intimal hyperplasia and stromal cellularity components correlated with the AUCs of the complete score markedly more strongly (r = 0.94 and 0.91, respectively) than the inflammatory infiltration component (r = 0.60). Multicategory ROC analysis ranked the score several-fold higher than any of its components, and the components in the order stromal cellularity>intimal hyperplasia>infiltration. Conclusion:, Combining three distinct histological parameters into a three-component score produces greatly increased overall diagnostic power. The discriminatory ability of the score stems more from measuring proliferative than infiltrative aspects of synovitis. [source] A dual-observer design for global output feedback stabilization of nonlinear systems with low-order and high-order nonlinearitiesINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ROBUST AND NONLINEAR CONTROL, Issue 15 2009Ji Li Abstract This paper employs a dual-observer design to solve the problem of global output feedback stabilization for a class of nonlinear systems whose nonlinearities are bounded by both low-order and high-order terms. We show that the dual-observer comprised of two individual homogeneous observers, can be implemented together to estimate low-order and high-order states in parallel. The proposed dual observer, together with a state feedback controller, which has both low-order and high-order terms, will lead to a new result combining and generalizing two recent results (Li J, Qian C. Proceedings of the 2005 IEEE Conference on Decision and Control, 2005; 2652,2657) and (Qian C. Proceedings of the 2005 American Control Conference, June 2005; 4708,4715). Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Development and implementation of guidelines in allergic rhinitis , an ARIA-GA2LEN paperALLERGY, Issue 10 2010J. Bousquet To cite this article: Bousquet J, Schünemann HJ, Zuberbier T, Bachert C, Baena-Cagnani CE, Bousquet PJ, Brozek J, Canonica GW, Casale TB, Demoly P, Gerth van Wijk R, Ohta K, Bateman ED, Calderon M, Cruz AA, Dolen WK, Haughney J, Lockey RF, Lötvall J, O'Byrne P, Spranger O, Togias A, Bonini S, Boulet LP, Camargos P, Carlsen KH, Chavannes NH, Delgado L, Durham SR, Fokkens WJ, Fonseca J, Haahtela T, Kalayci O, Kowalski ML, Larenas-Linnemann D, Li J, Mohammad Y, Mullol J, Naclerio R, O'Hehir RE, Papadopoulos N, Passalacqua G, Rabe KF, Pawankar R, Ryan D, Samolinski B, Simons FER, Valovirta E, Yorgancioglu A, Yusuf OM, Agache I, Aït-Khaled N, Annesi-Maesano I, Beghe B, Ben Kheder A, Blaiss MS, Boakye DA, Bouchard J, Burney PG, Busse WW, Chan-Yeung M, Chen Y, Chuchalin AG, Costa DJ, Custovic A, Dahl R, Denburg J, Douagui H, Emuzyte R, Grouse L, Humbert M, Jackson C, Johnston SL, Kaliner MA, Keith PK, Kim YY, Klossek JM, Kuna P, Le LT, Lemiere C, Lipworth B, Mahboub B, Malo JL, Marshall GD, M vale-Manuel S, Meltzer EO, Morais-Almeida M, Motala C, Naspitz C, Nekam K, Niggemann B, Nizankowska-Mogilnicka E, Okamoto Y, Orru MP, Ouedraogo S, Palkonen S, Popov TA, Price D, Rosado-Pinto J, Scadding GK, Sooronbaev TM, Stoloff SW, Toskala E, van Cauwenberge P, Vandenplas O, van Weel C, Viegi G, Virchow JC, Wang DY, Wickman M, Williams D, Yawn BP, Zar HJ, Zernotti M, Zhong N, In collaboration with the WHO Collaborating Center of Asthma and Rhinitis (Montpellier). Development and implementation of guidelines in allergic rhinitis , an ARIA-GA2LEN paper. Allergy 2010; 65: 1212,1221. Abstract The links between asthma and rhinitis are well characterized. The Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) guidelines stress the importance of these links and provide guidance for their prevention and treatment. Despite effective treatments being available, too few patients receive appropriate medical care for both diseases. Most patients with rhinitis and asthma consult primary care physicians and therefore these physicians are encouraged to understand and use ARIA guidelines. Patients should also be informed about these guidelines to raise their awareness of optimal care and increase control of the two related diseases. To apply these guidelines, clinicians and patients need to understand how and why the recommendations were made. The goal of the ARIA guidelines is to provide recommendations about the best management options for most patients in most situations. These recommendations should be based on the best available evidence. Making recommendations requires the assessment of the quality of available evidence, deciding on the balance between benefits and downsides, consideration of patients' values and preferences, and, if applicable, resource implications. Guidelines must be updated as new management options become available or important new evidence emerges. Transparent reporting of guidelines facilitates understanding and acceptance, but implementation strategies need to be improved. [source] ORIGINAL ARTICLE: Effects of Cyclic Versus Sustained Estrogen Administration on Peripheral Immune Functions in Ovariectomized MiceAMERICAN JOURNAL OF REPRODUCTIVE IMMUNOLOGY, Issue 4 2010Jing Li Citation Li J, McMurray RW. Effects of cyclic versus sustained estrogen administration on peripheral immune functions in ovariectomized mice. Am J Reprod Immunol 2010; 63: 274,281 Problem, Estrogens have multiple influences on immune functions. We aimed to compare the effects of cyclic versus sustained estrogen treatments under the same accumulated dose on peripheral immune functions in ovariectomized mice. Method of study, Ovariectomized adult Balb/c mice were treated with estradiol (E2) by s.c. injection once every 4 days (total 44.8 ,g) or by pellet implantation (total 44.2 ,g). After 6 weeks of treatment, all animals were immunized with DNP-KLH. Peripheral immune functions were assessed 10 days later. Results, Both cyclic and sustained E2 treatments significantly reduced the percentage of splenic B220+sIgM+ cells, enhanced IFN-, production and suppressed IL-6 secretion from Con A-stimulated splenocytes, and increased serum anti-DNP antibody levels. No differences were found in the above responses or in uterine weight gain between the two regimens of E2 administration. Conclusion, There are no differential effects on peripheral immune functions between cyclic and sustained estrogen administration under the same total dose. [source] Circulating Toll-like receptor (TLR) 2, TLR4, and regulatory T cells in patients with chronic hepatitis CAPMIS, Issue 4 2010JIU-PING WANG Wang J-P, Zhang Y, Wei X, Li J, Nan X-P, Yu H-T, Li Y, Wang P-Z, Bai X-F. Circulating Toll-like receptor (TLR) 2, TLR4, and regulatory T cells in patients with chronic hepatitis C. APMIS 2010; 118: 261,70. The mechanism of hepatitis C virus (HCV) involvement in innate immune responses and immune modulation has not been well characterized. In the present work, we studied Toll-like receptor (TLR) 2 and TLR4, which were recently recognized as the important components of innate immunity, as well as CD4+ CD25+ CD127low/, regulatory T cells (Tregs), which actively suppress pathological and physiological immune response during HCV infection. The study involved 31 chronic hepatitis C patients and 20 healthy controls. TLR2 and TLR4 expression in peripheral blood monocytes and the number of Tregs were examined by flow cytometric analysis. Overexpression of TLR2 and TLR4 was found in chronic hepatitis C patients as compared with controls. Furthermore, increased cytokine production, including that of ,-interferon, tumor necrosis factor-,, interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-8, was observed in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from chronic hepatitis C patients after challenge with TLR2 and TLR4 agonists. The number of Tregs was significantly higher in chronic hepatitis C patients and the increased Tregs were associated with HCV genotype 1b. In vitro studies demonstrated that circulating Tregs suppress T-cell responses in chronic hepatitis C patients. Significant correlations were found between the viral load and Treg number and between TLR2 and TLR4 level in chronic hepatitis C patients. Taken together with other published data, these results suggest that TLR2, TLR4, and Tregs correlate closely with chronic HCV infection. [source] |