Search

Investment in preschool education is increasingly seen as a policy priority in middle and high-income countries due to the early benefits it provides children in their educational journeys. This article discusses the impact of recent increased investment in preschool education in China which has served as a correction to relative historical neglect. In this study a parental satisfaction survey evaluated the cost-sharing, equity of enrollment and quality of preschool education in a local urban governmental-led and multi-participant public service system of preschool education. In the context of the continued challenges of bridging gaps between policy and practice, results show that Government investment is beginning to have positive effects in terms of cost-sharing of preschool education with benefits to family incomes and significantly increasing the quality of preschool education. Parents of children in public provincial kindergartens provided higher satisfaction ratings for students' development than parents of those in private provincial kindergartens. The article concludes by discussing the differing, but related roles of the Government and private providers in Chinese preschool education including the development of what is termed a "High-Quality Collaborative Education Ecosystem." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The low-carbon economy represents a global transformation that encompasses production methods, lifestyles, values, national interests, and the destiny of humanity. As a significant contributor to carbon emissions, China has made a momentous strategic decision on carbon peaking and neutralization, infusing momentum into the global effort to address climate change. The rapid growth of the digital economy offers a fresh approach to achieving the "double carbon" objective and advancing the development of low-carbon transformation. Based on the panel data of 30 provinces in China, this paper uses the least square method to investigate the impact of digital economy development on regional low-carbon inclusive development. It is found that there is a significant inverted U shape in the impact of the digital economy on low-carbon inclusive development and the mechanism is resource allocation and ecological inequality. The threshold test found that the role of the digital economy in promoting low-carbon inclusive development shows a marginal decreasing trend. The inverted U-shaped impact of the digital economy on low-carbon inclusive development in the eastern and coastal areas and areas with a low level of factor productivity is more significant. Based on the knowledge factor spillover perspective, we found that the impact of the digital economy on low-carbon inclusive development has a spatial spillover effect, and this effect is more obvious under the role of R&D personnel mobility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing from panel data spanning 2003 to 2019, encompassing 30 provinces in China, this study employs the relative price method and the super-efficiency EBM technique to assess the market integration index and the level of carbon emission performance, respectively. Furthermore, it employs the Spatial Durbin model to delve into the spatial impact and mechanisms of factor market integration on carbon emission performance. The findings indicate that the integration of factor markets significantly enhances carbon emission performance. Notably, the integration of labor markets has a more profound impact on the enhancement of carbon emission performance compared to capital market integration. Furthermore, the spatial decomposition effect reveals that the indirect spillover effects of factor market integration surpass its direct effects. Heterogeneity analysis shows that factor market integration in the eastern region has a greater promoting effect on the level of carbon emission performance. In the areas with high industrial quality, the promoting effect of labor market integration on carbon emission performance is more significant. The analysis of the spillover effect indicates that as the spillover distance increases, the impact of factor market integration on the marginal effect of carbon emissions exhibits a positive U-shaped pattern. This pattern manifests as a marginal decreasing trend within a distance of 600 km, followed by a marginal increasing trend beyond 600 km. This study has important reference value for government departments to formulate unified large-market construction policies to achieve high-quality development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to further improve the ability of medical institutions to deal with mass and epidemic diseases, clinical workers need to have strong awareness of disease early screening and prevention and control, as well as the ability of monitoring, early warning, and emergency management. The underlying issue is the need to constantly strengthen clinical medical students' knowledge reserve and practical ability of preventive medicine. Especially in the process of medical education, how to strengthen clinical medical students' ability to master the basic knowledge and skills of preventive medicine, to be familiar with the management of mass and major epidemic diseases, and to establish the concept of prevention and treatment of acute and chronic diseases are urgent problems to be solved. This paper discussed in-depth the problems and measures related to the cultivation of disease prevention and control mindset and practical ability of clinical medical talents, so as to provide an important reference for improving the training mode of comprehensive clinical medical talents and the formulation of related policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accelerating the low-carbon transformation of the energy consumption structure is an important way to realize Chinese-style green modernization and development. Given the specificity of China's resource endowment and regional differences in energy distribution, the degree of reliance on coal varies greatly from region to region. Therefore, the differential impact of this dependence on the low-carbon transformation of the energy structure deserves high attention. To systematically assess the impact of environmental target constraints on the low-carbon transformation of the energy consumption structure in coal resource-dependent regions, this study was conducted on the basis of a theoretical analysis of the intrinsic influence of environmental target constraints on the regional energy consumption structure as well as the regulating mechanisms played by economic growth pressures and green finance. Taking the environmental target constraint system with Chinese characteristics as a quasi-natural experiment and the panel data of 30 provinces in China from 2003 to 2020 as a sample, the study used a generalized difference-in-differences model to empirically test the impact of environmental target constraints on the low-carbon transition of the regional energy consumption structure, and discussed the moderating roles of the pressure of economic growth and green finance on this impact. The results showed that: (J) After the implementation of the environmental target constraint system, the energy consumption structure of coal resource-dependent regions deteriorated significantly compared with that of non-coal resource-dependent regions, which supported the existence of the ' green paradox' phenomenon. This conclusion remained robust after considering the impact of related policies and the use of synthetic instrumental variables to deal with the endogeneity problem. © The test of the impact mechanisms showed that in coal resource-dependent areas, local governments were more motivated to promote the low-carbon transformation of the energy consumption structure under the pressure of the ' dual targets' of environmental target constraints and the economic growth target. Affected by the level of financial regulation and the ' green-washing' behavior of enterprises, green finance exacerbated the dilemmas of energy transformation in coal resource-dependent areas. © An expansive analysis based on the regional market environment showed that the inhibitory effect of environmental target constraints on the low-carbon transition of the energy consumption structure was more prominent in regions with low marketization levels than in those with high marketization levels. The study suggests attaching great importance to the structural adjustment of energy consumption in coal resource-dependent regions and promoting the low-carbon transformation of the energy structure in an orderly manner according to local conditions. Meanwhile, the study also highlights the importance of taking ' green' as a defining feature of local economic growth and leading local economic growth with the green development concept. In addition, a scientific and efficient green financial regulatory system should be built to ensure that green financial funds are truly used for green and low-carbon projects. It is also necessary to improve the market-based environmental regulatory mechanism to create a favorable business environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to combat the impact of the dead zone and reduce vibration of the space robot's elastic base and flexible links, the trajectory tracking and vibration suppression of a multi-flexible-link free-floating space robot system are addressed. First, the elastic connection between the base and the link is considered as a linear spring. Then the assumed mode approach is used to derive the dynamic model of the flexible system. Secondly, a slow subsystem characterizing the rigid motion and a fast subsystem relating to vibration of the elastic base and multiple flexible links are generated utilizing two-time scale hypotheses of singular perturbation. For the slow subsystem with a dead zone in joint input torque, a dynamic surface control method with adaptive fuzzy approximator is designed. Dynamic surface control scheme is adopted to avoid calculation expansion and to simplify calculation. The fuzzy logic function is applied to approximate uncertain terms of the dynamic equation including the dead zone errors. For the fast subsystem, an optimal linear quadratic regulator controller is used to suppress the vibration of the multiple flexible links and elastic base, ensuring the stability and tracking accuracy of the system. Lastly, the simulation results verify the effectiveness of the proposed control strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tongoloa is a herbaceous genus of East Asia Clade (Apiaceae) distributed in the alpine regions. The use of DNA fragments has not provided a well‐resolved evolutionary history. For this research, we primarily collected samples from the type localities of Tongoloa and closely related taxa in the Hengduan Mountains. The chloroplast (cp) genomes and nuclear ribosomal (nr) DNA repeats of 27 taxa were assembled using genome skimming sequencing reads. We analyzed the characteristics of the Tongoloa cp genome, and found a remarkable expansion of the Inverted Repeats. Three genes (ndhC, ndhJ, and petG) related to photosynthesis appear to have undergone significant selective pressure. Through high‐resolution phylogenetic analysis, the cpDNA provided compelling evidence supporting the inclusion of Sinolimprichtia as an early taxon within Tongoloa. However, the nrDNA suggested that Tongoloa and Sinolimprichtia belong to distinct branches. Morphological analysis showed that Tongoloa has broadly oval fruits with a cordate base, whereas the fruits of Sinolimprichtia are long‐obovate with an obtuse base. The specific fruit morphology of Sinolimprichtia was found to be nested within Tongoloa in the cpDNA phylogenetic tree. Ancient introgression and chloroplast capture provide the most plausible explanation for the significant conflict between the nrDNA and cpDNA phylogenies. Our study highlights the potential impact of the complex evolutionary history of Tongoloa on the challenges encountered in previous taxonomic treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A field trial was carried out along the Yangtze river in Anhui province to clarify the relationship between growth, yield of fresh maize and meteorological factors under different sowing dates, which would provide a reference to the suitable sowing date of fresh maize. In the study, the fresh maize cultivar "Caitiannuo 100" was used. The treatments consisted of ten sowing dates: April-1, April-16, May-1, May-16, May-31, June-15, June-30, July-15, July-30, and August-14. The growth period, yield, yield component and production value of fresh maize were analyzed. The results showed that the growth duration was shortened when delaying the sowing date from April-1 to June-15. When the sowing date was from June-15 to July-30, the growth duration was extended. The yield was decreased when delaying the sowing date from April-1 to June-30, and the yield was increased. The mean grain yield of fresh ear in the sowing date from April-1 to May-1 and July-30 was 20026.56kg·ha1, which was significantly higher than that of other sowing dates (P<0.05). The production value of fresh ear planted in July-30 was 70245.00yuan·ha1, which was significantly increased by 68.66%123.50% compared with other sowing dates (P<0.05). When the fresh maize was sowed during May-31 to July-15, the days of high temperature ≥32 accounted for 56.25%60.26% in the whole growth duration of the plant, and the accumulation of temperature ≥32 increased by 47.78%-54.46% than that of sowing dates from April-1 to May-1 and July-30, which accelerated the fresh maize growing process, shortened the plant height, declined the matter accumulation, ultimately decreased the yield. The fresh maize could not be harvested with the sowing date of August-14 due to the lower temperature during the grain filling stage. The growth duration of maize was negatively correlated with daily mean temperature before silking. The ranking of the correlation coefficients between meteorological factors and fresh maize yield from high to low were effective accumulated temperature >10 before silking, precipitation before silking, daily mean temperature before silking, average daily temperature range before silking, precipitation after silking, effective accumulated temperature >10 after silking, and sunshine hours before silking. The effective accumulated temperature >10 before silking stage mainly influenced the yield by regulating the kernel number per ear. In conclusion, the fresh maize sowed during April-1 to May-1 or July-30 could be prone to extend growth period, increase matter accumulation, and obtain high yield, while might be in danger in the risk of high temperature stress with the sowing date from May-31 to July-15 along the Yangtze river. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flexoelectricity represents the electric polarization response to strain gradient and is governed by a boundary value problem (BVP) of fourth-order partial differential equations (PDEs). Due to the complicities of the BVP, we are frequently prevented from searching for analytical formulas of solutions and have to make a detour to numerical approximations. The well-posedness of the BVP has not been rigorously confirmed yet, although it serves as the cornerstone of numerical methods for flexoelectricity. We address this issue by establishing a theorem indicating a unique solution to the electric Gibbs variational principle (EGVP) that is a weak form of the BVP. The theorem leads us to bear out the solvability and error-estimation formula for some Galerkin methods, e.g., the finite element method (FEM) and isogeometric analysis (IGA). The reliability of the numerical theory is further verified by numerical experiments of benchmark problem, where the convergence rate given by FEM results agrees well with that predicted by error-estimation formulas. This study confirms the well-posedness of the flexoelectric theory and further establishes computational flexoelectricity on rigorous mathematical foundations instead of numerical tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poly ADP‐ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitors have been approved for the treatment of various cancers. They share a similar mechanism of action but have differences in pharmacokinetic characteristics and potential for drug–drug interactions (DDI). This study evaluated the potential ATP‐binding cassette transporter‐mediated interactions between PARP inhibitors (niraparib, olaparib and rucaparib) and statins (atorvastatin and rosuvastatin). We studied the inhibitory activity of PARP inhibitors on breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP), multidrug resistance‐associated protein 3 (MRP3) and P‐glycoprotein (P‐gp) using vesicular transport assays and determined the concentrations required for 50% inhibition (IC50). Then, we predicted the increase of statin exposure followed by the administration of PARP inhibitors using a mechanistic static model. Rucaparib was the strongest inhibitor of BCRP‐mediated rosuvastatin transport (IC50 13.7 μM), followed by niraparib (42.6 μM) and olaparib (216 μM). PARP inhibitors did not affect MRP3. While niraparib appeared to inhibit P‐gp, the inhibition showed large variability. The inhibition of intestinal BCRP by rucaparib, niraparib and olaparib was predicted to elevate rosuvastatin exposure by 52%, 37% and 24%, respectively. The interactions between PARP inhibitors and rosuvastatin are probably of minor clinical significance alone, but combined with other predisposing factors, they may increase the risk of rosuvastatin‐associated adverse effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The k-flow nullity n k (G) of a graph G is the minimum number n for which G admits a k-flow (D , ψ) such that there are exactly n edges e with ψ (e) = 0 . Let X and Y be two subgraphs of G. It is proved that n 4 (X ∪ Y) ≤ n 4 (X) + n 4 (Y) if | E (X) ∩ E (Y) | = 4 and the subgraph of G induced by E (X) ∩ E (Y) is a connected graph which is not a tree with 2 or 3 leaves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The digital technology has injected new vitality into the development of enterprises, which is conducive to promoting the development of enterprises to improve quality and efficiency. Based on measuring the comprehensive index of enterprise digitisation and enterprise vitality, this paper discusses the influence and mechanism of digital transformation on enterprise vitality. It is found that digital transformation has a positive promoting effect on enterprise vitality, and with the improvement of the level of development vitality, it shows a marginal increasing trend, but with the evolution of the enterprise life cycle, it shows a marginal decreasing trend. Mechanism analysis shows that digital transformation promotes the vitality of enterprises mainly by improving productivity, alleviating information asymmetry and improving resource allocation. With the improvement of regional market integration, institutional quality, scientific and educational resources and industrial upgrading, digital transformation plays a more important role in promoting the vitality of enterprises. There exists obvious industry concentration, executive background and property right nature heterogeneity. The conclusion of this paper provides a series of empirical evidence for enterprises to digitally release their vitality and promote the high-quality development of enterprises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Five types of GaN-based yellow light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with both a V-pit and a hole blocking layer (HBL) have been investigated numerically. The simulation results show that the GaN hole blocking layer in the p region (HBLP) can not only increase the ratio of the hole current via the V-pit, but also increase the electron leakage into the p layer via the flat region, leading to the lower internal quantum efficiency (IQE). Compared to the GaN HBLP, the Al0.5Ga0.5N HBLP is helpful in suppressing the electron leakage via the flat region to the p layer; however, it increases the electron leakage via the V-pits to the p layer, resulting in an unsatisfactory improvement of IQE. In order to settle out this issue, the AlN hole blocking layer in the n region (HBLN) is designed in the sidewall of the V-pit. It is found that the HBLN can not only alleviate the electron leakage via the V-pits to the p layer, more importantly, but also block the hole leakage via the V-pits to the n layer, leading to the improvement of IQE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A mixed variational principle is established to modeling flexoelectricity under finite deformation by C0 element. • An easily implemented mixed FEM is developed to investigate flexoelectricity problems with geometrical nonlinearity. • It is found that large deformation can enhance the flexoelectric response of soft materials. Flexoelectricity is a universal and size-dependent electromechanical phenomenon coupling the electric field with strain gradient in dielectric materials. we establishe a mixed variational principle and develop a mixed finite element method (FEM). This allows us to use C0-continuous interpolation functions in FEM instead of C1 that is difficult to construct but has to be used in conventional FEM to investigate flexoelectricity. A good agreement between the analytical solutions and our numerical results of an infinite cylinder problem validates the present developed mixed FEM. We further investigate the effects of geometrically nonlinearity on flexoelectricity in soft dielectrics under large deformation. It is found that the flexoelectricity can be greatly enhanced due to the large deformation of soft dielectrics even with much smaller flexoelectric coefficients than popular ceramics. We also demonstrate the necessarity of adopting finite strain model or considering geometrical nonlinearity to precisely describing flexoelectric response in soft dielectrics. The findings in this work also suggest tremendous potential application of soft materials in the field of electromechanical sensors via flexoelectricity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adverse effects are the major limiting factors in combinatorial chemotherapies. To identify genetic associations in ovarian cancer chemotherapy‐induced toxicities and therapy outcomes, we examined a cohort of 101 patients receiving carboplatin‐paclitaxel treatment with advanced high‐grade serous ovarian cancers. Based on literature and database searches, we selected 19 candidate polymorphisms, designed a multiplex single nucleotide polymorphism‐genotyping assay and applied Cox regression analysis, case–control association statistics and the log‐rank Mantel−Cox test. In the Cox regression analysis, the SLCO1B3 rs1052536 AA‐genotype was associated with a reduced risk of any severe toxicity (hazard ratio = 0.35, p = 0.023). In chi‐square allelic test, the LIG3 rs1052536 T‐allele was associated with an increased risk of neuropathy (odds ratio [OR] = 2.79, p = 0.031) and GSTP1 rs1695 G allele with a poorer response in the first‐line chemotherapy (OR = 2.65, p = 0.026). In Kaplan–Meier survival analysis, ABCB1 rs2032582 TT‐genotype was associated with shorter overall survival (uncorrected p = 0.025) and OPRM1 rs544093 GG and GT genotypes with shorter platinum‐free interval (uncorrected p = 0.027) and progression‐free survival (uncorrected p = 0.012). Results suggest that SLCO1B3 and LIG3 variants are associated with the risk of adverse effects in patients receiving carboplatin‐paclitaxel treatment, the GSTP1 variant may affect the treatment response and ABCB1 and OPRM1 variants may influence the prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prebiotics instead of antibiotics can improve the growth performance of poultry, promote the development of animal husbandry and ensure food safety. Currently, prebiotics have been shown to positively regulate the intestinal microbiota of poultry. Prebiotics inhibit intestinal pathogens in animals, their fermentation and metabolism are enhanced, can stimulate the activity of beneficial bacteria, thus affecting the synthesis of short-chain fatty acids. The paper reviews the concept, effect, mechanism and application of prebiotics in poultry production, providing reference for the development of prebiotics feed additives in poultry production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anaesthesia combined with functional neuroimaging provides a powerful approach for understanding the brain mechanisms of consciousness. Although propofol is used ubiquitously in clinical interventions that reversibly suppress consciousness, it shows large inter‐individual variability, and the brain bases of this variability remain poorly understood. We asked whether three networks key to conscious cognition—the dorsal attention (DAN), executive control (ECN), and default mode (DMN)—underlie responsiveness variability under anaesthesia. Healthy participants (N = 17) were moderately anaesthetized during narrative understanding and resting‐state conditions inside the Magnetic Resonance Imaging scanner. A target detection task measured behavioural responsiveness. An independent behavioural study (N = 25) qualified the attention demands of narrative understanding. Then, 30% of participants were unaffected in their response times, thus thwarting a key aim of anaesthesia—the suppression of behavioural responsiveness. Individuals with stronger functional connectivity within the DAN and ECN, between them, and to the DMN, and with larger grey matter volume in frontal regions were more resilient to anaesthesia. For the first time, we show that responsiveness variability during propofol anaesthesia relates to inherent differences in brain structure and function of the frontoparietal networks, which can be predicted prior to sedation. Results highlight novel markers for improving awareness monitoring during clinical anaesthesia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metals are prone to oxidation in high-temperature oxygen-containing environments, resulting in oxidative corrosion. This study proposes a fully coupled chemomechanical model and further develops a finite element method (FEM) to characterize the high-temperature oxidation process of metals. Then, we perform finite element analyses for surface oxidation of FeCrAlY alloy to verify the proposed chemomechanical model. Good agreements of FEM results with experimental observations suggest that the model can be used to predict the surface oxidation of metals. The numerical results also reveal the two-way coupling effects between chemical processes and mechanical stress. Furthermore, it is found that compressive stress could inhibit diffusion and chemical reaction in the oxide layer. In contrast, the stress distribution of the oxide layer can also be significantly influenced by compositional strain induced by the concentration change of diffusive species and growth strain induced by chemical reactions. In addition, we find that the barrier effect of alumina on diffusion can significantly slow down the growth of the oxide layer. This study provides an effective model for chemomechanical phenomena and may also shed light on the design of alloys in a request of resistance to oxidative corrosion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To assess the actual clinical application of poly (adenosine diphosphate-ribose) polymerase inhibitor (PARPi) maintenance therapy in Chinese patients with recurrent ovarian cancer, and to explore prognostic factors associated with progression-free survival (PFS). We retrospectively assessed real-world clinical data from our hospital using the inclusion and exclusion criteria of representative randomized controlled trials, analyzed the prognosis, and performed univariate and multivariate analyses of prognostic factors. Between 2019 and 2022, the proportion of platinum-sensitive recurrence ovarian cancer patients who received PARPi maintenance therapy increased to 29.6%, 53.3%, 43.8% and 62.2%, respectively, each year. A total of 48 patients were included in the prognostic analysis, of which 32 and 16 received olaparib and niraparib, respectively. Using the criteria of the Study19 and SOLO2 studies, the olaparib group in our patients had coincidence rates of 56.3% and 18.8%, respectively. Using the criteria of the NOVA and NORA studies, the niraparib group had coincidence rates of 31.3% and 37.5%, respectively. Median PFS was 26.1 months (95% CI 20.2–32.1). Response to primary therapy was an independent prognostic factor for PFS (relative risk, 3.248; 95% CI 1.081–9.757, P = 0.036). PARPi maintenance therapy was also effective in real world applications. Complete response (CR) to primary therapy was an independent factor favorably affecting PFS. Therefore, primary treatment choices aimed at optimal cytoreduction during primary surgery and improving the CR rate should still be considered, which positively affects the long-term prognosis of patients in the new treatment mode. • From 2019 to 2022, the proportion of PSR maintenance therapy with PARPi increased from 29.6% to 62.2%. • There were substantial differences between the patients in actual clinical settings and the RCTs population. • The mPFS was 26.1 months in a real-world study regarding PARPi maintenance therapy in recurrent ovarian cancer patients. • CR to the primary therapy was the independent factor favorably affecting PFS in the new treatment mode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microjets arranged on the wing surfaces of civil transport aircraft have been shown to have great potential in suppressing high-frequency gust loads. This paper presents a study of aerodynamic load reduction on a supercritical airfoil using tilted microjets by solving the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations. The numerical method was first validated against the experimental and previous numerical data. Afterward, the subsonic and transonic flowfields around the supercritical airfoil were simulated with various angled microjets. The results show that both the lift reduction and the power efficiencies significantly increase as the blowing direction shifts downstream to upstream. The movement and weakening of the shock due to the jet are observed at α > 2 ∘ in transonic flow, resulting in a drag reduction compared to the baseline airfoil. However, the transient subsonic results revealed that the upstream jet induces a strong vortex shedding, which is suppressed in transonic flows. During jet deployment, there are three distinct phases: time lag, vortex rolling-up, and rebalancing, in that order. Once it reaches the trailing edge in subsonic flows, the starting vortex rapidly modifies the load and induced a strong roll-up vortex from the pressure surface. Nevertheless, in transonic flow, the rebalancing stage contributes to a greater reduction in lift due to the additional shock movement and weakening effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It is now acknowledged that Alzheimer's disease (AD) processes are present decades before the onset of clinical symptoms, but it remains unknown whether lifestyle factors can protect against these early AD processes in mid-life. Objective: We asked whether modifiable lifestyle activities impact cognition in middle-aged individuals who are cognitively healthy, but at risk for late life AD. Participants (40–59 years) completed cognitive and clinical assessments at baseline (N = 206) and two years follow-up (N = 174). Methods: Mid-life activities were measured with the Lifetime of Experiences Questionnaire. We assessed the impact of lifestyle activities, known risk factors for sporadic late-onset AD (Apolipoprotein E ɛ4 allele status, family history of dementia, and the Cardiovascular Risk Factors Aging and Dementia score), and their interactions on cognition. Results: More frequent engagement in physically, socially, and intellectually stimulating activities was associated with better cognition (verbal, spatial, and relational memory), at baseline and follow-up. Critically, more frequent engagement in these activities was associated with stronger cognition (verbal and visuospatial functions, and conjunctive short-term memory binding) in individuals with family history of dementia. Impaired visuospatial function is one of the earliest cognitive deficits in AD and has previously associated with increased AD risk in this cohort. Additionally, conjunctive memory functions have been found impaired in the pre-symptomatic stages of AD. Conclusion: These findings suggest that modifiable lifestyle activities offset cognitive decrements due to AD risk in mid-life and support the targeting of modifiable lifestyle activities for the prevention of AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The subgenus Rhizirideum in the genus Allium consists of 38 species worldwide and forms five sections (A. sect. Rhizomatosa, A. sect. Tenuissima, A. sect. Rhizirideum, A. sect. Eduardia, and A. sect. Caespitosoprason), A. sect. Caespitosoprason being merged into A. sect. Rhizomatosa recently. Previous studies on this subgenus mainly focused on separate sections. To investigate the inter-section and inter-subgenera phylogenetic relationships and adaptive evolution of A. subg. Rhizirideum, we selected thirteen representative species, which cover five sections of this subgenus and can represent four typical phenotypes of it. We conducted the comparative plastome analysis with our thirteen plastomes. And phylogenetic inferences with CDSs and complete sequences of plastomes of our thirteen species and another fifty-four related species were also performed. As a result, the A. subg. Rhizirideum plastomes were relatively conservative in structure, IR/SC borders, codon usage, and repeat sequence. In phylogenetic results, the inter-subgenera relationships among A. subg. Rhizirideum and other genus Allium subgenera were generally similar to the previous reports. In contrast, the inter-section relationships within our subgenus A. subg. Rhizirideum were newly resolved in this study. A. sect. Rhizomatosa and A. sect. Tenuissima were sister branches, which were then clustered with A. sect. Rhizirideum and A. sect. Eduardia successively. However, Allium Polyrhizum Turcz. ex Regel, type species of A. sect. Caespitosoprason, was resolved as the basal taxon of A. subg. Rhizirideum. Allium siphonanthum J. M. Xu was also found in clade A. subg. Cyathophora instead of clade A. subg. Rhizirideum. The selective pressure analysis was also conducted, and most protein-coding genes were under purifying selection. At the same time, just one gene, ycf2, was found under positive selection, and another three genes (rbcL, ycf1a, ycf1b) presented relaxed selection, which were all involved in the photosynthesis. The low temperature, dry climate, and high altitude of the extreme habitats where A. subg. Rhizirideum species grow might impose intense natural selection forces on their plastome genes for photosynthesis. In summary, our research provides new insights into the phylogeny and adaptive evolution of A. subg. Rhizirideum. Moreover, we suggest that the positions of the A. subg. Rhizirideum species A. polyrhizum and A. siphonanthum should be reconsidered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Neuroinflammatory factors, especially chemokines, have been widely reported to be involved in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). It is unclear how chemokines are altered in AD, and whether dysregulation of chemokines is the cause, or the consequence, of the disease. Methods: We initially screened the transcriptomic profiles of chemokines from publicly available datasets of brain tissues of AD patients and mouse models. Expression alteration of chemokines in the blood from AD patients was also measured to explore whether any chemokine might be used as a potential biomarker for AD. We further analyzed the association between the coding variants of chemokine genes and genetic susceptibility of AD by targeted sequencing of a Han Chinese case–control cohort. Mendelian randomization (MR) was performed to infer the causal association of chemokine dysregulation with AD development. Results: Three chemokine genes (CCL5, CXCL1, and CXCL16) were consistently upregulated in brain tissues from AD patients and the mouse models and were positively correlated with Aβ and tau pathology in AD mice. Peripheral blood mRNA expression of CXCL16 was upregulated in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and AD patients, indicating the potential of CXCL16 as a biomarker for AD development. None of the coding variants within any chemokine gene conferred a genetic risk to AD. MR analysis confirmed a causal role of CCL5 dysregulation in AD mediated by trans-regulatory variants. Conclusions: In summary, we have provided transcriptomic and genomic evidence supporting an active role of dysregulated CXCL16 and CCL5 during AD development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It is now acknowledged that Alzheimer's disease (AD) processes are present decades before the onset of clinical symptoms, but it remains unknown whether lifestyle factors can protect against these early AD processes in mid-life. Objective: We asked whether modifiable lifestyle activities impact cognition in middle-aged individuals who are cognitively healthy, but at risk for late life AD. Participants (40–59 years) completed cognitive and clinical assessments at baseline (N = 206) and two years follow-up (N = 174). Methods: Mid-life activities were measured with the Lifetime of Experiences Questionnaire. We assessed the impact of lifestyle activities, known risk factors for sporadic late-onset AD (Apolipoprotein E ɛ4 allele status, family history of dementia, and the Cardiovascular Risk Factors Aging and Dementia score), and their interactions on cognition. Results: More frequent engagement in physically, socially, and intellectually stimulating activities was associated with better cognition (verbal, spatial, and relational memory), at baseline and follow-up. Critically, more frequent engagement in these activities was associated with stronger cognition (verbal and visuospatial functions, and conjunctive short-term memory binding) in individuals with family history of dementia. Impaired visuospatial function is one of the earliest cognitive deficits in AD and has previously associated with increased AD risk in this cohort. Additionally, conjunctive memory functions have been found impaired in the pre-symptomatic stages of AD. Conclusion: These findings suggest that modifiable lifestyle activities offset cognitive decrements due to AD risk in mid-life and support the targeting of modifiable lifestyle activities for the prevention of AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Glioma is the most common primary malignancy of the adult central nervous system (CNS), with a poor prognosis and no effective prognostic signature. Since late 2019, the world has been affected by the rapid spread of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Research on SARS-CoV-2 is flourishing; however, its potential mechanistic association with glioma has rarely been reported. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential correlation of SARS-CoV-2-related genes with the occurrence, progression, prognosis, and immunotherapy of gliomas. Methods: SARS-CoV-2-related genes were obtained from the human protein atlas (HPA), while transcriptional data and clinicopathological data were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA) databases. Glioma samples were collected from surgeries with the knowledge of patients. Differentially expressed genes were then identified and screened, and seven SARS-CoV-2 related genes were generated by LASSO regression analysis and uni/multi-variate COX analysis. A prognostic SARS-CoV-2-related gene signature (SCRGS) was then constructed based on these seven genes and validated in the TCGA validation cohort and CGGA cohort. Next, a nomogram was established by combining critical clinicopathological data. The correlation between SCRGS and glioma related biological processes was clarified by Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). In addition, immune infiltration and immune score, as well as immune checkpoint expression and immune escape, were further analyzed to assess the role of SCRGS in glioma-associated immune landscape and the responsiveness of immunotherapy. Finally, the reliability of SCRGS was verified by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) on glioma samples. Results: The prognostic SCRGS contained seven genes, REEP6, CEP112, LARP4B, CWC27, GOLGA2, ATP6AP1, and ERO1B. Patients were divided into high- and low-risk groups according to the median SARS-CoV-2 Index. Overall survival was significantly worse in the high-risk group than in the low-risk group. COX analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves demonstrated excellent predictive power for SCRGS for glioma prognosis. In addition, GSEA, immune infiltration, and immune scores indicated that SCRGS could potentially predict the tumor microenvironment, immune infiltration, and immune response in glioma patients. Conclusions: The SCRGS established here can effectively predict the prognosis of glioma patients and provide a potential direction for immunotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Propose a hybrid IVIF framework to evaluate the EMW disposal modes. • Develop an innovative IVIF-GBWM to derive the global criteria weights. • Fuse IVIF regret theory and MABAC to evaluate alternatives. This article attempts to develop a hybrid heterogeneous framework to evaluate the disposal modes for emergency medical waste (EMW) by fusing GBWM (group best-worst method), RT (regret theory), and MABAC (multi-attributive border approximation area comparison). This hybrid framework tries to address three key challenges: (i) determining criteria weights, (ii) computing the regret-rejoice evaluation matrix, and (iii) identifying the optimal alternative. To address the first challenge, this paper innovates an innovative interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy (IVIF) GBWM, which considers multiplicatively consistent IVIF preference relation, to efficiently determine global criteria weights (GCWs). For the second challenge, RT is incorporated to compute the regret-rejoice evaluation matrix using experts' heterogeneous evaluations which consist of intervals, triangular fuzzy numbers, hesitant fuzzy linguistic term sets and IVIF values. Regarding the third challenge, MABAC is applied to sort alternatives based on the obtained regret-rejoice evaluation matrix. Afterwards, the validity of the hybrid framework is verified by an illustrative example, and its advantages are demonstrated with some worthy sensitivity and comparative analyses. Some innovations of the proposed framework are highlighted below: (i) The IVIF GBWM streamlines calculation load, since it derives GCWs by solving the group weight assignment model only once; (ii) The introduction of RT into MABAC assists decision-makers in mitigating regret psychology, enhancing the quality of decision outcomes; (iii) The proposed framework's practicality is enhanced by leveraging heterogeneous evaluations which capture the inherent complexities of actual decision-making problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a highly invasive and fatal malignancy. Research at the present stage implied that the expression of immune-related genes is associated with the prognosis in SCLC. Accordingly, it is essential to explore effective immune-related molecular markers to judge prognosis and treat SCLC. Our research obtained SCLC dataset from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and subjected mRNAs in it to differential expression analysis. Differentially expressed mRNAs (DEmRNAs) were intersected with immune-related genes to yield immune-related differentially expressed genes (DEGs). The functions of these DEGs were revealed by Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses. Thereafter, we categorized 3 subtypes of immune-related DEGs via K-means clustering. Kaplan-Meier curves analyzed the effects of 3 subtypes on SCLC patients' survival. Single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) and ESTIMATE validated that the activation of different immune gene subtypes differed significantly. Finally, an immune-related-7-gene assessment model was constructed by univariate-Lasso-multiple Cox regression analyses. Riskscores, Kaplan-Meier curves, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, and independent prognostic analyses validated the prognostic value of the immune-related-7-gene assessment model. As suggested by GSEA, there was a prominent difference in cytokine-related pathways between high- and low-risk groups. As the analysis went further, we discovered a statistically significant difference in the expression of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) proteins and costimulatory molecules expressed on the surface of CD274, CD152, and T lymphocytes in different groups. In a word, we started with immune-related genes to construct the prognostic model for SCLC, which could effectively evaluate the clinical outcomes and offer guidance for the treatment and prognosis of SCLC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An improved reel take-up system for suppressing the aerial refueling hose whipping phenomenon (HWP) is proposed and analyzed. The conventional spring-loaded take-up system is improved by adding a rewinding acceleration changing rate limiter (RACRL), relying on a permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM). The effectiveness of this new reel take-up system is confirmed by the numerical simulation at various closure speeds. The results show that the new PMSM-RACRL reel take-up system successfully accomplishes the active control of tension oscillation and the suppressing of HWP with a straightforward strategy. The amplitude of tension oscillation is reduced to one-tenth of that without active control. It is also discovered that the reel take-up speed lagging behind the drogue closure speed is mainly caused by the oscillation of hose tension, and a maximum acceleration of the reel take-up system lower than the maximum closure acceleration of the drogue will inevitably cause the slack and whipping of the hose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Intergrating transcriptome and plastid data can provide cost-effective and efficient tools for phylogenetic inference within Lilieae, with Angiosperms353 data also being a favorable choice. • Mitochondrial data are more suitable for phylogenetic analyses at higher taxonomic categories. • Significant phylogenetic discordances were detected, which are mainly caused by both incomplete lineage sorting (ILS) and reticulate evolution. • Hybridization and "ghost introgression" may be prevalent in the evolution of Lilieae species. The increasing use of genome-scale data has significantly facilitated phylogenetic analyses, contributing to the dissection of the underlying evolutionary mechanisms that shape phylogenetic incongruences, such as incomplete lineage sorting (ILS) and hybridization. Lilieae, a prominent member of the Liliaceae family, comprises four genera and approximately 260 species, representing 43% of all species within Liliaceae. They possess high ornamental, medicinal and edible values. Yet, no study has explored the validity of various genome-scale data in phylogenetic analyses within this tribe, nor have potential evolutionary mechanisms underlying its phylogenetic incongruences been investigated. Here, transcriptome, Angiosperms353, plastid and mitochondrial data, were collected from 50 to 93 samples of Lilieae, covering all four recognized genera. Multiple datasets were created and used for phylogenetic analyses based on concatenated and coalescent-based methods. Evolutionary rates of different datasets were calculated, and divergence times were estimated. Various approaches, including coalescence simulation, Quartet Sampling (QS), calculation of concordance factors (gCF and sCF), as well as MSCquartets and reticulate network inference, were carried out to infer the phylogenetic discordances and analyze their underlying mechanisms using a reduced 33-taxon dataset. Despite extensive phylogenetic discordances among gene trees, robust phylogenies were inferred from nuclear and plastid data compared to mitochondrial data, with lower synonymous substitution detected in mitochondrial genes than in nuclear and plastid genes. Significant ILS was detected across the phylogeny of Lilieae, with clear evidence of reticulate evolution identified. Divergence time estimation indicated that most of lineages in Lilieae diverged during a narrow time frame (ranging from 5.0 Ma to 10.0 Ma), consistent with the notion of rapid radiation evolution. Our results suggest that integrating transcriptomic and plastid data can serve as cost-effective and efficient tools for phylogenetic inference and evolutionary analysis within Lilieae, and Angiosperms353 data is also a favorable choice. Mitochondrial data are more suitable for phylogenetic analyses at higher taxonomic levels due to their stronger conservation and lower synonymous substitution rates. Significant phylogenetic incongruences detected in Lilieae were caused by both incomplete lineage sorting (ILS) and reticulate evolution, with hybridization and "ghost introgression" likely prevalent in the evolution of Lilieae species. Our findings provide new insights into the phylogeny of Lilieae, enhancing our understanding of the evolution of species in this tribe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the latest APG IV classification system, Amaryllidaceae is placed under the order of Asparagus and includes three subfamilies: Agapanthoideae, Allioideae, and Amaryllidoideae, which include many economically important crops. With the development of molecular phylogeny, research on the phylogenetic relationship of Amaryllidaceae has become more convenient. However, the current comparative analysis of Amaryllidaceae at the whole chloroplast genome level is still lacking. In this study, we sequenced 18 Allioideae plastomes and combined them with publicly available data (a total of 41 plastomes), including 21 Allioideae species, 1 Agapanthoideae species, 14 Amaryllidoideae species, and 5 Asparagaceae species. Comparative analyses were performed including basic characteristics of genome structure, codon usage, repeat elements, IR boundary, and genome divergence. Phylogenetic relationships were detected using single-copy genes (SCGs) and ribosomal internal transcribed spacer sequences (ITS), and the branch-site model was also employed to conduct the positive selection analysis. The results indicated that all Amaryllidaceae species showed a highly conserved typical tetrad structure. The GC content and five codon usage indexes in Allioideae species were lower than those in the other two subfamilies. Comparison analysis of Bayesian and ML phylogeny based on SCGs strongly supports the monophyly of three subfamilies and the sisterhood among them. Besides, positively selected genes (PSGs) were detected in each of the three subfamilies. Almost all genes with significant posterior probabilities for codon sites were associated with self-replication and photosynthesis. Our study investigated the three subfamilies of Amaryllidaceae at the whole chloroplast genome level and suggested the key role of selective pressure in the adaptation and evolution of Amaryllidaceae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this article is to present a novel biobjective biform game framework for optimizing strategy selection of nodes (agents) in bilateral link network formation under dual objectives of profit and link security. First, in the first part of the noncooperative game, we construct various possible strategy combinations (situations) of all players (nodes) in the network, which define the competitive environment in the second part of the cooperative game. Second, in the second part, we derive coalitions’ payoffs under the two objectives of profit and link security and propose the biobjective Banzhaf values to allocate the corresponding cooperative games in all strategy situations. Then, a biobjective noncooperative game is formed on the basis of the obtained biobjective Banzhaf values. Third, we redefine Pareto–Nash equilibriums (in the sense of pure strategies) and obtain the Pareto–Nash equilibriums of the biobjective noncooperative game in the first part. Subsequently, the choice of the obtained Pareto–Nash equilibriums is regarded as a biobjective group decision-making problem, which is solved by employing the redefined Borda choice function method with objective weights. Hence, we can obtain the optimal strategy choices of all the nodes (players) for the entire bilateral link network formation. Finally, numerical examples and comparative analysis are given to verify the validity and applicability of the proposed models and methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Allium heterophyllum D.F.Xie & X.J.He, sp. nov. (Amaryllidaceae), is a new species from Henan, China and is described based on morphological and molecular evidence. It is morphologically most similar to A. dumebuchum in the rhomboid scape in cross-section. However, distinctive differences were detected in perianth color, leaf shape and cross-section, flowers' density as well as flowering season. Similarly, the karyotype of A. heterophyllum is 2n = 2x = 16 and in A. dumebuchum is 2n = 4x = 32. Phylogenetic analysis based on nuclear ribosomal Internal Transcribed Spacers (ITS) and three cpDNA regions strongly supports that A. heterophyllum is a member of Allium section Rhizirideum and sister to the other species of this section (e.g. A. senescens, A. spirale, and A. prostratum). Currently, only one population and approximately 120 individuals were discovered; the development of scenic spots in this region may affect its growth and threaten this population. Therefore, this new species is preliminarily considered as Near Threatened (NT) according to criteria of the IUCN Red List. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we introduce several improved Shapley values for cooperative transferable utility (TU) games depending on the players' least square contributions instead of their marginal contributions. This work is mainly enlightened by the Shapley value and the player's productivity-based excess (usually called the excess of the player). Based on the player's contribution-based excess, two quadratic programming models for obtaining the players' (weighted) least square contributions are constructed. The efficient weighted Shapley-like value proposed in this paper as an extension of the Shapley value can be characterized by four independent axioms such as the symmetry, the efficiency, the additivity, and the quasi-null player, which are almost similar to the Shapley value's four axioms except that the anonymity is replaced with the quasi-null player. The four axioms are proven to uniquely determine the efficient weighted Shapley-like value. Finally, the advantages of the proposed values are illustrated with a real case about the collaborative profit sharing of the rural e-commerce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is one of the main causes of morbidity after noncardiac surgery; however, the pathogenic mechanisms of POCD have remained unclear until now. In this study, we performed a pilot study to investigate the association between apolipoprotein E (ApoE) ε4 and POCD in older patients undergoing intravenous anesthesia (IVA) and inhalation anesthesia (IAA). Methods: In total, 180 patients from Shenzhen People's Hospital were recruited and randomly divided into an IVA group and an IAA group. The IVA group and IAA group received propofol and sevoflurane treatment, respectively. Within 7 days after surgery, the mini-mental state examination (MMSE) was used daily to assess the cognitive function of both groups of patients. The genotypes of the ApoE gene were detected using the restriction fragment length polymorphism technique. In addition, the serum levels of (soluble protein-100β) S‑100β and (Interleukin- 6) L‑6 were also analyzed. Results: Compared to the preoperative and IVA groups, the MMSE score in the IAA group significantly decreased at 3 days after surgery. Furthermore, the IAA group had a higher percentage of patients who scored less than 25 points than the IVA group at 3 days after surgery. The decrease in the MMSE score was closely related to the ApoE ε4 allele in the IAA group, but this correlation was not observed in the IVA group. The levels of S‑100β and IL‑6 were increased sharply in patients with the ε4/ε4 genotype who received IAA compared with IVA at 1 day after surgery. Conclusion: The results of the study indicated that the ApoΕ ε4/ε4 genotype was a risk factor for early POCD in older patients undergoing sevoflurane anesthesia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Then, a series of group consensus cost robust optimization models are constructed under asymmetric unit adjustment cost constraints and the aforesaid four uncertainty sets. Sensitivity analysis shows that the proposed group consensus cost robust optimization models are superior to the existing minimum cost consensus models. Finally, data-driven group consensus cost robust optimization models are developed based on the uncertainty set of asymmetric unit adjustment costs calibrated by using the pricing information of the new product MACUBE 550 in the DEEPCOOL company. [Extracted from the article]

In this paper, we investigate the equal surplus division value for cooperative games with a level structure, which is a sequence of coalition structures becoming coarser and coarser. We propose three axiomatizations of the value. Among them, the first two use different variations of the recent population solidarity axiom, and the third one invokes a special reduced game consistency axiom. Due to the existence of a level structure, our axioms impose special restrictions on the players we focus. We show that our value can be characterized with these axioms and other variations of well-known axioms, such as efficiency, standardness, and quotient game property. Besides characterizing the value, we also connect it to the recent field of ordered tree cooperative games, wherein we find that the iterative value can be viewed as a special case of our value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. ANLN and miR-30a-5p may be involved in the progression of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). However, their underlying mechanism in LUAD has not been completely comprehended. Methods. Differential expression analysis, binding site prediction, and survival analysis were conducted by bioinformatics approaches. ANLN mRNA and miR-30a-5p expression were detected by qRT-PCR. ANLN protein expression was detected by western blot. Cell behaviors in LUAD were examined by functional experiments. Results. ANLN was activated in LUAD cells in terms of mRNA and protein. High ANLN level was positively correlated with poor prognosis. Enforced ANLN stimulated protumorigenesis LUAD cell behaviors. miR-30a-5p could target ANLN mRNA, as revealed and verified through assays. Remarkably low miR-30a-5p expression was observed in LUAD cells, and it could repress ANLN expression. The accelerated cell behaviors by overexpression of ANLN were counteracted by upregulating miR-30a-5p. Conclusion. Overall, miR-30a-5p remarkably restrained the malignant progression of LUAD cells by constraining ANLN expression. Thus, ANLN and miR-30a-5p could be novel therapeutic targets of LUAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposes a method to measure vibration mode shape on beam structures by using the elastic mechanoluminescent (EML) material SrAl2O4: Eu2+. The EML phenomenon has attracted interest due to its potential for application to strain distribution, crack visualization, and structural health monitoring. In this Letter, the relationship between the distribution of luminous intensity and the vibration mode shape of beam structures is explored and is found to be quadratic. A comparison between the results of experiments and simulations shows that the proposed method can measure a structure's vibration mode shape. The study also shows that experimental parameters, such as the exposure time of the camera and the amplitude of excitation, do not affect the validity of this method. The robustness and convenience of the proposed method make it a more efficient technique than prevalent electrical or optical vibrational methods of analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The relationship between the HLA-B*1502 gene and maculopapular exanthema (MPE) induced by antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) has not yet been elucidated. In this study, we investigated the association between AED-induced MPE (AED-MPE) and the HLA-B*1502 gene in patients in Northwest China.Methods: We enrolled 165 subjects including nine patients with AED-MPE and 156 AED-tolerant patients as controls. HLA-B*1502 gene polymorphism was detected using digital fluorescence molecular hybridization (DFMH). The results of HLA genotyping were expressed as positive or negative for the HLA-B*1502 allele. An analysis of AED-MPE risk factors was performed using binary logistic regression, and differences in genotype frequencies between groups were assessed with the continuity correction chi-square test.Results: We found that the HLA-B*1502 gene was a risk factor for AED-MPE (P = 0.028). The incidence of MPE induced by the two types of AEDs was different, and the incidence of aromatic AEDs use was higher that of non-aromatic AEDs use (P = 0.025). The comparison of the gene frequencies of the HLA-B*1502 allele between the two groups taking aromatic AEDs was also statistically significant (P = 0.045). However, there were no significant differences in terms of age, gender, ethnicity, or region in patients with MPE induced by AEDs. In addition, no association between the HLA-B1502 allele and CBZ- or OXC-induced MPE was found.Conclusions: In northwestern China, the HLA-B*1502 allele was associated with aromatic AED-MPE. Since MPE can develop into Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) or toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), the HLA-B*1502 gene should be evaluated before administering AEDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nature provides rich bionic resources for the construction of advanced materials with excellent mechanical properties. In this work, inspired by animal tendons, a bionic collagen fiber was developed using collagen liquid crystals as the pre-oriented bioink. The texture of liquid crystalline collagen observed from polarized optical microscopy (POM) showed the specific molecular pre-orientation. Meanwhile, the collagen spinning liquids exhibited a minimal rise in viscosity upon increasing concentration from 60 to 120 mg/mL, indicating the feasible processability. The collagen fiber, which was prepared via wet spinning without being denatured, exhibited the favorable orientation of fibrils along its axis as observed with FESEM and AFM. Thanks to the synergistic effects between pre-orientation and shearing orientation, the maximum tensile strength and Young's modulus of collagen fibers reached 9.98 cN/tex (219.29 ± 22.92 MPa) and 43.95 ± 1.11 cN/tex (966.20 ± 24.30 MPa), respectively, which were also analogous to those of tendon. In addition, the collagen fiber possessed a desirable wet strength. Benefiting from the natural tissue affinity of collagen, the as-prepared bionic collagen fiber possessed excellent wound suture performance and biodegradability in vivo , which offers a new perspective for the potential of widespread applications of collagen fibers in biomedical fields. • The pre-oriented liquid crystalline collagen was used as bioink to prepare fibers. • The as-prepared fiber exhibited favorable orientation of collagen fibrils. • The tensile strength & Young's modulus of the fibers was close to those of tendon. • The bionic fiber showed excellent wound suture performance and biodegradability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous genotyping‐based assays have identified non‐coding variants of several interleukins (ILs) being associated with genetic susceptibility to leprosy. However, understanding of the involvement of coding variants within all IL family genes in leprosy was still limited. To obtain the full mutation spectrum of all ILs in leprosy, we performed a targeted deep sequencing of coding regions of 58 ILs genes in 798 leprosy patients (age 56.2 ± 14.4; female 31.5%) and 990 healthy controls (age 38.1 ± 14.0; female 44.3%) from Yunnan, Southwest China. mRNA expression alterations of ILs in leprosy skin lesions or in response to M. leprae treatment were estimated by using publicly available expression datasets. Two coding variants in IL27 (rs17855750, p.S59A, p = 4.02 × 10−8, odds ratio [OR] = 1.748) and IL1RN (rs45507693, p.A106T, p = 1.45 × 10−5, OR = 3.629) were significantly associated with leprosy risk. mRNA levels of IL27 and IL1RN were upregulated in whole blood cells after M. leprae stimulation. These data showed that IL27 and IL1RN are leprosy risk genes. Further functional study is required for characterizing the exact role of ILs in leprosy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glazed steatite beads represent one of the earliest vitreous materials, and their appearance and diffusion signal prehistoric important developments of technology exchange and globalization. However, little is known about their early spread in East Asia. In this study, we present a comprehensive characterization of glazed/fired steatite beads unearthed from the Xiaohe Cemetery (1980-1450 BCE) in northwest China using multi-analysis techniques. In particular, the potential of near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy for rapid and in situ characterization of fired steatite beads is demonstrated. The remaining glaze is successfully identified by SEM-EDS and optical photothermal infrared (O-PTIR) spectroscopy. The results indicate that these beads were fired and exhibit some connections with the Indus Valley, thereby proposing a potential spread route of artifacts and technology from the Indus Valley to northwest China. Moreover, the introduction of fired steatite beads and faience beads into China has presented different spread patterns, which were linked to climate change. When fired steatite and faience beads were introduced into central China, they played a significant role in the ritual revolution during the Western Zhou Dynasty (1046-771 BCE). • The long-distance diffusion of glazed/fired steatite in the Asian interior is outlined. • Fired steatite beads and faience beads have different two-wave spread modes in China. • Near-infrared spectroscopy offers a new in situ method to rapidly determine the firing temperature and duration of steatite. • O-PTIR can be used to identify the glaze on fired steatite beads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The score functions are often used to rank the interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy sets (IVIFSs) in multiattribute decision making (MADM). The purpose of this paper is to develop an information-based score function of the IVIFS and apply it to MADM. Considering the information amount, the reliability, the certainty information, and the relative closeness degree, we propose an information-based score function of the IVIFS. Comparing the information-based score function with existing ranking methods, we find that the information-based score function can overcome the drawbacks of the existing ranking methods and can rank the IVIFSs well. Three illustrative examples of MADM with linear programming are examined to demonstrate the applicability and feasibility of the information-based score function. It is shown that the information-based score function is well defined and can be applied to MADM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on a novel architecture to suppress the multi-pulse formation in an all-polarization-maintaining figure-9 erbium-doped fiber laser under high pump power. A 2×2 fiber coupler is introduced into the phase-biased nonlinear amplifying loop mirror to extract part of intracavity laser power as a laser output, and the dependence of output couple ratio of fiber coupler on the mode-locking state is experimentally investigated. The intracavity nonlinear effect is mitigated by lowering the intracavity laser power, which is conducive to avoiding the multi-pulse formation. In the meantime, the loss-imbalance induced by fiber coupler is helpful in improving the self-starting ability. With the proposed laser structure, the multiple pulse formation can be suppressed and high power single pulse train can be obtained. The laser emits three pulse trains which is convenient for some applications. Finally, the output power values of three ports are 5.3 mW, 51.3 mW, and 13.2 mW, respectively. The total single pulse output power is 69.8 mW, which is more than 10 times the result without OC2. The total slope efficiency is about 10.1%. The repetition rate of three pulse trains is 21.17 MHz, and the pulse widths are 2.8 ps, 2.63 ps, and 6.66 ps, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate the comprehensive impacts of tourism in Hainan, this paper proposes an approach integrating input-output (IO) model with multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) methods. Four steps are taken: (1) constructing an extended IO model that can separate out domestic and imported effects from the traditional IO system; (2) constituting a 3-level evaluation criteria hierarchy based on various tourism multipliers obtained from the extended IO model; (3) calculating the weights of criteria using the entropy theory; (4) giving an evaluation of comprehensive impacts of tourism based on four MCDM methods - WSM, TOPSIS, ELECTRE, and PROMETHEE. Using Hainan 2002, 2007, and 2012 IO tables as database, the proposed approach is implemented in the empirical study of Hainan. The results show economic dimension is the most important consideration and the overall performance of tourism in Hainan shows a trend of first increasing and then decreasing from 2002 to 2012. Two types sensitivity analysis of weights show single criterion weight change has little influence on the results. But it is different when four dimensions weights change. Especially, when the environmental dimension is valued, the overall performance gets worse annually. These findings can offer insightful policies for the development of Hainan's tourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The scientific evaluation of property perceived service quality (PPSQ) needs multi-stage, multi-source and large-group perceived information, which is deemed to be the decision problem for dynamic, heterogeneous and large-scale data processing. Aiming at the problem, we propose a general multi-attribute multi-scale (MAMS) method based on the dynamic linear programming technique for multi-dimensional analysis of preference (LINMAP). In the dynamic LINMAP model, the classic MAMS matrix is introduced and extended into a general form. The dynamic LINMAP model is constructed by defining dynamic consistency and dynamic inconsistency. The time series weight is determined by Orness method. The new method adapts to the requirements of modern PPSQ. Finally, we verify the feasibility and effectiveness of dynamic LINMAP method by analyzing a PPSQ evaluation example. The new method improves the traditional PPSQ evaluation, and provides a perspective for large-scale data processing by the classic decision method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]