Search

Background: Many patients with enterostomy and their family caregivers experience severe anxiety and fatigue, which affects their participation in normal social activities and family life, resulting in impaired social function. The purpose of this study was to understand the status of social function of patients with enterostomy and their family caregivers;at the same time to analyze the subjective and objective effects of anxiety and fatigue on their social functions. Methods: The self-made general information questionnaire, WHO Social Disability rating Scale, Miao Yu's Multidimensional Fatigue Scale-20 and Zung et al. 's Self-rating Anxiety Scale were used to investigate the general situation, social function, fatigue and anxiety of enterostomy patients and their family caregivers who came to the hospital for treatment from March 28, 2023 to November 30, 2023. SPSS27.0 was used to complete the statistical analysis of the data, and AMOS26.0 was used to establish the structural equation model to complete the subject and object effect analysis. Results: A total of 260 pairs of enterostomy patients and their family caregivers were included in this study. The social function scores of enterostomy patients and their family caregivers were (8.80±3.44) and (6.44±3.60). The anxiety scores were (37.81±7.60) and (34.73±7.50). The fatigue scores were (63.35±12.80) and (51.21±12.38).The results of the subject-object effect analysis reported the subject effect: the anxiety of patients with enterostomy had a significant positive impact on the degree of social dysfunction (β = 0.154, P = 0.015); The fatigue of patients with enterostomy had a significant positive effect on the degree of social dysfunction (β = 0.132, P = 0.034). The anxiety of family caregivers had a significant positive effect on the degree of social dysfunction (β = 0.161, P = 0.023). The fatigue of family caregivers had a significant positive effect on the degree of social dysfunction (β = 0.201, P = 0.005). In terms of object effects: only the fatigue of family caregivers had a significant positive impact on the degree of social dysfunction of enterostomy patients (β = 0.224, P < 0.001), and other ways had no object effects. Conclusion: Patients with enterostomy and their family caregivers have serious social function defects. Clinical medical staff should take care of them as a whole in order to better return to family and society after surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sea buckthorn has lipid‐lowering properties and is widely used in the development of functional foods. In this study, a probiotic (Lactobacillus plantarum, Lp10211) with cholesterol‐lowering potential and acid and bile salt resistant was screened for the fermentation of sea buckthorn juice. Changes in the active ingredients, such as sugars and phenolics, before and after fermentation, as well as their in vitro lipid‐lowering activities, were compared. The contents of reducing and total sugars decreased substantially after fermentation. Lp10211 primarily utilized fructose for growth and reproduction, with a utilization rate of 76.9%. The phenolic compound content of sea buckthorn juice increased by 37.06% after fermentation and protected the phenolic components from degradation (protocatechuic and p‐coumaric acids) and produced new polyphenol (shikimic acid). Enhanced inhibition of pancreatic lipase activity (95.42%) and cholesterol micellar solubility (59.15%) was evident. The antioxidant properties of the fermentation broth were improved. Notably, Lp10211 preserved the color and reversed browning in sea buckthorn juice. The collective findings indicate that fermentation of sea buckthorn juice by Lp10211 may enhance the functional components and lipid‐lowering activity of sea buckthorn, which may provide a new approach for the development of lipid‐lowering foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer is still one of the greatest threats to human health. Marine fungi are abundant in constituents that can cause various bioactivities for many purposes. Compounds are the basis of drug development, leading to more studies on exploring these bioactive items. In this study, 9 compounds were isolated from Penicillium terrigenum. Four compounds isolated from the Trichocomaceae family, two compounds isolated from the Penicillium genus, as well as the other compounds, were all isolated from this strain for the first time. Compounds PTL-1 - PTL-6 were initially screened for antiproliferative activity on liver and lung cancer cells using the MTT assay in vitro. The results showed that the 6 compounds exhibited different antiproliferative activities. From the results, PTL-2, 7-ethylcamptothecin significantly inhibited the proliferation of cancer cells, highlighting it as a potential drug or lead compound. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article proposes an adaptive model-free deadbeat predictive current control (MF-DPCC) algorithm for achieving high-performance current control of non-contact integrated permanent magnet vernier motors (NIPMVMs). To address the issue that traditional extended state observer-based deadbeat predictive control (ESO-DPCC) still relies on motor models and parameters, an ultralocal model is introduced to design a model-free current controller. Furthermore, to address the issue that initial gain of the controller depends on the inductance parameter, a gain-adaption algorithm based on the deadbeat characteristic is proposed. In addition, considering the effect of dead-time, a dual-amplitude signal with extremely low duty and amplitude levels has been adopted to improve the adaptive precision of the gain and to achieve deadbeat control of NIPMVMs. The validity of the proposed MF-DPCC is confirmed through experiments conducted on an NIPMVM platform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim and Objectives Background Design Methods Results Conclusion Relevance to Clinical Practice Patient or Public Contribution To investigate the prevalence of dysphagia in patients with COPD, identify the risk factors for dysphagia, develop a visual clinical prediction model and quantitatively predict the probability of developing dysphagia.Patients with COPD are at high risk of dysphagia, which is strongly linked to the acute exacerbation of their condition. The use of effective tools to predict its risk may contribute to the early identification and treatment of dysphagia in patients with COPD.A cross‐sectional design.From July 2021 to April 2023, we enrolled 405 patients with COPD for this study. The clinical prediction model was constructed according to the results of a univariate analysis and a logistic regression analysis, evaluated by discrimination, calibration and decision curve analysis and visualized by a nomogram. This study was reported using the TRIPOD checklist.In total, 405 patients with COPD experienced dysphagia with a prevalence of 59.01%. A visual prediction model was constructed based on age, whether combined with cerebrovascular disease, chronic pulmonary heart disease, acute exacerbation of COPD, home noninvasive positive pressure ventilation, dyspnoea level and xerostomia level. The model exhibited excellent discrimination at an AUC of .879. Calibration curve analysis indicated a good agreement between experimental and predicted values, and the decision curve analysis showed a high clinical utility.The model we devised may be used in clinical settings to predict the occurrence of dysphagia in patients with COPD at an early stage.The model can help nursing staff to calculate the risk probability of dysphagia in patients with COPD, formulate personalized preventive care measures for high‐risk groups as soon as possible to achieve early prevention or delay of dysphagia and its related complications and improve the prognosis.No patient or public contribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, by a simple hydrothermal method vertically aligned ZnO nanorod arrays were grown on the carbon fiber paper (CFP) and then through a facile chemical bath deposition method CuO nanosheets were loaded on ZnO nanorod arrays, following by thermal spraying method, carboxylated carbon nanotubes (CCNTs) were successfully integrated with CuO/ZnO@CFP to form a binder-free CuO/ZnO-CCNT@CFP sensor. The sensor shows enhanced sensing activity for baicalein and luteolin determination due to the improved structural integration and synergism of different electrode material components. Remarkably, the CuO/ZnO-CCNT@CFP sensor showed good linear relationships over wide concentration ranges of 0.03–0.70 µM and 0.70–20 µM for baicalein and 0.03–0.45 µM and 0.45–8.5 µM for luteolin detection, with the detection limits of 1.7 nM for baicalein and 0.5 nM for luteolin, respectively. More importantly, the CuO/ZnO-CCNT@CFP sensor was utilized in the simultaneous determination of baicalein and luteolin, delivering linear ranges of 0.4–14 µM (baicalein) and 0.2–6 µM (luteolin) with the limit of detection of 0.05 µM and 0.03 µM, respectively. In addition, the developed CuO/ZnO-CCNT@CFP electrode was further investigated to detect baicalein and luteolin in traditional herbal medicine samples, showing satisfied results in comparison with analytic results from high performance liquid chromatography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Facing severe air pollution in its North Plain, the central government of China initiated the Joint Clean Air Action (JCAA) in 2017 to facilitate pollution mitigation efforts across the region. While quite a few studies investigated the effectiveness of this regulation, much less attention is paid to the pollution spillover effects. We empirically examine the effects, and show that 1) air quality in the east of the target cities has been improved due to positive spillover of improved air quality under the JCAA; 2) the beneficiary spillover lasts for two seasons and disappeared in autumn and winter; 3) air quality in the north, south and west directions are almost not changed; 4) wind direction and topography, two determinants of atmospheric transport, have a considerable influence over the spillover effects. Our study provides a fresh perspective to understand the impacts of the JCAA policy and underlines the necessity of taking both pollution and air quality spillover effects into the cost-benefit analysis. Implications: Pollution regulations in one place may increase pollution in other places, as production and emissions are re-allocated under the incentives induced by regional-specific regulations. This phenomenon has long been recognized in the literature as pollution spillover. However, if the relevant production and emissions are not re-allocated, at least not re-allocated in large quantities, local air quality improvement induced by regulations may also benefit the neighboring areas. We call this effect air quality spillover. Both spillover effects should be rigorously evaluated, which is of scientific interest by itself and also contributes to a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis of environmental regulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To develop radiomics signatures from multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans to detect epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations and predict the response to EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with brain metastasis (BM). Methods: We included 230 NSCLC patients with BM treated at our hospital between January 2017 and December 2021 and 80 patients treated at another hospital between July 2014 and October 2021 to form the primary and external validation cohorts, respectively. All patients underwent contrast-enhanced T1-weighted (T1C) and T2-weighted (T2W) MRI, and radiomics features were extracted from both the tumor active area (TAA) and peritumoral edema area (POA) for each patient. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) was used to identify the most predictive features. Radiomics signatures (RSs) were constructed using logistic regression analysis. Results: For predicting the EGFR mutation status, the created RS-EGFR-TAA and RS-EGFR- POA showed similar performance. By combination of TAA and POA, the multi-region combined RS (RS-EGFR-Com) achieved the highest prediction performance, with AUCs of 0.896, 0.856, and 0.889 in the primary training, internal validation, and external validation cohort, respectively. For predicting response to EGFR-TKI, the multi-region combined RS (RS-TKI-Com) generated the highest AUCs in the primary training (AUC = 0.817), internal validation (AUC = 0.788), and external validation (AUC = 0.808) cohort, respectively. Conclusions: Our findings suggested values of multiregional radiomics of BM for predicting EGFR mutations and response to EGFR-TKI. Clinical relevance statement: The application of radiomic analysis of multiparametric brain MRI has proven to be a promising tool to stratify which patients can benefit from EGFR-TKI therapy and to facilitate the precise therapeutics of NSCLC patients with brain metastases. Key Points: • Multiregional radiomics can improve efficacy in predicting therapeutic response to EGFR-TKI therapy in NSCLC patients with brain metastasis. • The tumor active area (TAA) and peritumoral edema area (POA) may hold complementary information related to the therapeutic response to EGFR-TKI. • The developed multi-region combined radiomics signature achieved the best predictive performance and may be considered as a potential tool for predicting response to EGFR-TKI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early in the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, scholars and journalists noted partisan differences in behaviors, attitudes, and beliefs. Based on location data from a large sample of smartphones, as well as 13,334 responses to a proprietary survey spanning 10 months from April 1, 2020 to February 15, 2021, we document that the partisan gap has persisted over time and that the lack of convergence occurs even among individuals who were at heightened risk of death. Our results point to the existence and persistence of the interaction of partisanship and information acquisition and highlight the need for mandates and targeted informational campaigns towards those with high health risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current status of research on convective heat transfer and thermal economy of hybrid Nano fluids in heat exchangers is reviewed. The influencing factors and variation mechanisms of convective heat transfer performance parameters" total heat transfer coefficient, convective heat transfer coefficient, Nu number) are introduced. The thermal economy" thermal efficiency, entropy production, fire use loos and second law efficiency) of mixed Nano fluids in heat exchanger applications is analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tumours, with increasing mortality around the world, have bothered human beings for decades. Enhancing the targeting of antitumor drugs to tumour tissues is the key to enhancing their antitumor effects. The tumour microenvironment is characterised by a relatively low pH, overexpression of certain enzymes, redox imbalance, etc. Therefore, smart drug delivery systems that respond to the tumour microenvironment have been proposed to selectively release antitumor drugs. Among them, peptide hydrogels as a local drug delivery system have received much attention due to advantages such as high biocompatibility, degradability and high water-absorbing capacity. The combination of peptide segments with different physiological functions allows for tumour targeting, self-aggregation, responsiveness, etc. Morphological and microstructural changes in peptide hydrogels can occur when utilising the inherent pathological microenvironment of tumours to trigger drug release, which endows such systems with limited adverse effects and improved therapeutic efficiency. Herein, this review outlined the driving forces, impact factors, and sequence design in peptide hydrogels. We also discussed the triggers to induce the transformation of peptide-based hydrogels in the tumour microenvironment and described the advancements of peptide-based hydrogels for local drug delivery in tumour treatment. Finally, we gave a brief perspective on the prospects and challenges in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The association between blood lipid levels and the risk of gastric cancer (GC) is well known. Therefore, to clarify this association, all relevant prospective cohort studies were included in this meta-analysis. Methods: Our study was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42022354899) prior to its commencement. A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted in accordance with the PRISMA recommendations. Chinese databases (CNKI, CBM, Wanfang, and VIP) and English databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library) were systematically searched up to October 2022. This study included all relevant cohort studies that reported hazard ratios (HRs) or relative risks (RRs) and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) to examine the association between various lipid profiles (e.g., total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol) and the risk of developing gastric cancer (GC). Fixed effects or random effects models were used based on the level of heterogeneity among the studies, and these models were employed to obtain pooled hazard ratios. Additionally, sensitivity analysis and publication bias analysis were conducted to ensure the robustness and reliability of the findings. Results: After conducting a systematic search, a total of 10 studies were selected out of 10,525 papers involving a total of 5,564,520 individuals. Among these individuals, there were 41,408 GC cases. The analysis revealed that the highest versus lowest serum total cholesterol (TC) concentration was associated with a pooled hazard ratio of 0.89 (95% CI = 0.87–0.92, I2 = 15%). For triglycerides (TGs), the hazard ratio was 1.00 (95% CI = 0.96–1.04, I2 = 37%), while for high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), the hazard ratio was 0.90 (95% CI = 0.86–0.93, I2 = 0%). The hazard ratio for low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) was 0.96 (95% CI = 0.91–1.00, I2 = 0%). Conclusions: Based on the results of this meta-analysis, it was found that serum TC and HDL-C levels were inversely correlated with the risk of GC. No association was observed between serum TG levels and the risk of GC. Similarly, no association was found between serum LDL-C levels and the risk of GC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Mesenchymal–epithelial transition (MET) amplification is one of the mechanisms accounting for the resistance of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in lung cancer patients, as well as the poor prognosis. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) is the most widely used method for MET amplification detection. However, it is inapplicable when tissue samples were unavailable. Herein, we assessed the value of droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) in MET copy number gain (CNG) detection in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients treated with EGFR-TKIs. Materials and methods: A total of 103 cancer tissues and the paired peripheral blood samples from NSCLC patients were collected for MET CNG detection using ddPCR. In parallel, MET amplification in tissue samples was verified by FISH. Also, the relationships between MET CNG and EGFR T790M, as well as the EGFR-TKI resistance were also evaluated using Chi-square or Fisher's exact tests. Result: The concordance rate of ddPCR and FISH in detecting MET CNG in tissue samples was 100% (102/102), and it was 94.17% (97/103) for ddPCR method in detecting the MET CNG among peripheral blood and tissue samples. No statistical difference was observed between MET amplification and EGFR T790M (p = 0.65), while MET amplification rate was significantly increased in patients with resistance to third generations of EGFR-TKIs as compared with patients with resistance to first/second EGFR-TKIs (p < 0.05). Conclusions: ddPCR is an alternative method to detect MET CNG in both tissues and peripheral blood samples, which is of worthy in clinical promotion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to establish a rapid and effective method for the quantitative determination of microcystins (MC-LR, MC-YR and MC-RR) in bivalves such as mussels, by taking the mussels as the research object and optimizing the factors such as the extracting solvent, the concentration of extracting solvent, and dilution ratio, etc., a method for the determination of three microcystins (MC-LR, MC-YR and MC-RR) in mussels was established by using the direct dilution combined with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The results showed that : the determination method of three toxins in mussels was as follows : after being extracted with 90% methanol aqueous solution, the extract fluid was diluted with 0.5% acetic acid methanol solution, and the diluent was directly determined by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The limit of detection (LOD) was 5 µg ⋅ kg-1 and the limit of quantification (LOQ) was 15 µg ⋅ kg-1. The mixed standard substance of 15, 30, and 150 µg ⋅ kg-1 microcystins was added to mussels for the spiked recovery test, and the recovery rates of three microcystins (MC-LR, MC-RR and MC-YR) were 89.4%-91.8%, 77.1%-106.3%, and 75.8%-102.3%, respectively. The relative standard deviations were 3.5%-13.5%, 5.6%-9.2%, and 4.5%-8.1% (n= 6), respectively. The determination method was simple and fast, with low cost and strong operability, which could meet the technical requirements of the current batch quantitative detection of three microcystins in mussels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conjugated polymers such as polyaniline (PANI), polypyrrole, and polythiophene have attracted much attention owing to their good electrical conductivity, stability, ease of preparation, and high application potential. Among these conjugated polymers, PANI has attracted much attention in the field of photocatalysis owing to its ability to absorb visible light and rapidly separate the photoexcited electron–hole pairs. Recently, a large number of studies have shown that PANI can substantially increase the photocatalytic activity under both UV light and natural sunlight irradiation. Considering this most unique performance of PANI-based photocatalysis, the applications of PANI in the preparation of composite photocatalysts for the photocatalytic degradation of dyes, pharmaceuticals, and pesticides are summarized. In this review, the preparation methods, morphology, and photocatalytic properties of various composites are systematically studied. Synergistic effects between PANI and semiconductor nanomaterials or other carbon materials were found in many composite photocatalysts. Moreover, the mechanism of photocatalytic activity enhancement can be explained by analyzing the band structure of composite photocatalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ' Policies and Actions to Address Climate Change' part of China' s Fourth National Assessment Report on Climate Change comprehensively summarizes the policies and actions implemented to tackle climate change during the middle and late stages of the 12th Five-Year Plan and the 13th Five-Year Plan, and makes an in-depth and systematic assessment of the effects of the policies. This paper mainly introduces the overall framework and main features of this part of the report, interprets its main conclusions, and proposes prospects for future policies. Since the middle and late stages of the 12th Five-Year Plan, China has adopted a series of policies and actions to tackle climate change, continued to promote the establishment and improvement of climate policies, and formed a policy system with distinctive Chinese characteristics involving the planning objectives, the administrative measures, the market-based policies, the pilot and demonstration actions, etc. During this period, China made great achievements in tackling climate change, fulfilled the 2020 carbon emission reduction target in advance, and reversed the rapid growth of carbon dioxide emissions. To achieve the goal of reaching peak carbon emissions by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2060, China needs to make climate change solutions a part of the overall goal and strategy for national modernization in the future, formulate and implement stronger climate policies, and put them into action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is the most common complication during pregnancy, occurring under the combined action of environmental and genetic factors. Genetic variants of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) have been reported to affect insulin secretion and susceptibility to type 2 diabetes. This study aimed to explore the role of GLP-1R polymorphisms in GDM and glucose metabolism. Methods: A two-center nested case‒control study was designed, including 200 pregnant women with GDM and 200 pregnant women without GDM genotyped for five tag SNPs of GLP-1R using Sanger sequencing. Logistic regression was used to evaluate the relationship between GLP-1R polymorphisms and GDM risk. Glucose and insulin concentrations were measured based upon the 75 g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Beta cell function of different genotypes was estimated with the 60 min insulinogenic index (IGI60) and OGTT-derived disposition index (DI). Results: Mutant genotype AG + GG of tag SNP rs6458093 nominally increased GDM risk (p = 0.049), especially among subjects younger than 35 years (p = 0.024) and with BMI no less than 24 (p = 0.041), after adjusting for confounders. Meanwhile, compared with subjects with wild genotype AA, subjects with genotype AG + GG of rs6458093 also showed nominally significantly lower IGI60 (p = 0.032) and DI (p = 0.029), as well as significantly higher 75 g OGTT-based 1 h glucose load plasma glucose levels (p = 0.045). Moreover, the mutant heterozygous genotype GA of tag SNP rs3765467 nominally decreased GDM risk among subjects older than 35 years (p = 0.037) but showed no association with insulin secretion and glucose homeostasis. Conclusions: Tag SNP rs6458093 of GLP-1R was nominally associated with increased GDM risk and affected beta cell function and postprandial glucose metabolism, while tag SNP rs3765467 of GLP-1R was nominally associated with decreased GDM risk, providing evidence for molecular markers and etiological study of GDM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a hydrothermal process was utilized to grow mixed-valence CuFe 2 O 4 /Cu0 nanosheets on carbon fiber paper, forming a three-dimensional hierarchical electrode (CuFe 2 O 4 /Cu0@CFP). The ordered array structure, coupled with the porous bowl-like structure, enhances the exposure of more electrode active sites and facilitates analyte penetration, thus enhancing the electrode sensing performance. As a binder-free sensor, the CuFe 2 O 4 /Cu0@CFP sensor exhibited remarkable sensitivity in detecting Malachite Green (MG), Sunset Yellow (SY) and Tartrazine (TA) over wide concentration ranges: 0.1–300 μM for MG (R 2 = 0.994), 0.005–200 μM for SY (R 2 = 0.996), and 0.005–300 μM for TA (R 2 = 0.995) with low detection limits of 0.033 μM for MG, 0.0016 μM for SY, and 0.0016 μM for TA (S/N = 3), respectively. Additionally, the 3D CuFe 2 O 4 /Cu0@CFP sensor detected MG, SY, and TA in a mixed solution with satisfactory results. It also performs well in beverage, fruit juice powder, and jelly samples, with results matching those from HPLC. Graphic abstract [Display omitted] • Highly sensitive, selective and reliable voltammetric sensor was developed. • The sensor was made with 3D hierarchical CuFe 2 O 4 /Cu0 nanostructures@carbon fiber paper. • Simultaneous detection of Malachite Green, Sunset Yellow, and Tartrazine achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel hybrid-connection cold-formed steel (HCCFS) shear wall with self-piercing rivet (SPR) and self-tapping screw (STS) was proposed. • Through the cycle loading tests, the failure modes, ductility, energy dissipation capacity, and stiffness degradation of HCCFS shear walls were analysed. • Performance objectives for the seismic design of HCCFS shear walls were determined. • A non-linear simplified analysis method of HCCFS shear walls was proposed. • The seismic performance and collapse resistance of a CFS structure with HCCFS shear walls was evaluated. The previous test results indicated that the self-piercing riveted CFS shear wall exhibited characteristics of high bearing strength and stiffness, as well as enhanced connection efficiency. However, its deformation ability appeared to be limited. In contrast, the CFS shear wall with screw connections demonstrated high deformability but low bearing strength and stiffness. Therefore, to incorporate advantages of mechanical properties and construction technology of both self-piercing rivets (SPRs) and self-tapping screws (STSs), this paper presents a novel hybrid-connection cold-formed steel (HCCFS) shear wall with SPR and STS. Five full-scale HCCFS shear wall specimens were tested under cyclic loading to determine their failure mode, ductility, energy dissipation capacity, and stiffness degradation. The influence of hybrid connection types on the seismic performance of shear walls was also investigated, leading to the proposal of a hybrid connection type with superior performance. A non-linear simplified analysis method of HCCFS shear walls was proposed and the incremental dynamic analysis was conducted of a CFS structure with HCCFS shear walls to further study the seismic performance. The results indicated that the primary failure modes of the HCCFS shear wall were steel sheet sheathing buckling, rivet head pull-over from sheet, and screw head pull-over from sheet. The hybrid connection type in which screws were added continuously significantly improved the seismic performance of shear walls. The proposed non-linear simplified analysis model accurately simulated the hysteric properties of shear walls. The seismic response modification coefficient (R = 6.5, Ω = 3.0) given in AISI S400 can be used to evaluate the seismic performance of a structure with an HCCFS shear wall. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pulmonary epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma (P-EMC) is an exceptionally rare subtype of salivary gland lung tumor originating from tracheobronchial glands. P-EMC is a biphasic tumor consisting of an inner layer of epithelial cells and an outer layer of spindle-shaped, clear-cell-like myoepithelial cells. Bronchial obstruction symptom is the main clinical characteristic for P-EMC. Because its clinical and imaging characteristics are highly similar to other types of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), it is easy to cause missed diagnosis and misdiagnosis. The diagnosis is mainly based on the pathology and immunohistochemistry with an inner layer of epithelial cells immunoreactive for cytokeratin and an outside layer of myoepithelial cells immunoreactive for S100 protein (S-100) and smooth muscle actin (SMA). Therefore, positive for cytokeratin, S-100 and SMA can assist in the diagnosis. Although in general, P-EMC is a low-grade malignant neoplasm, it may occasionally recur and metastasize. The optimal method for P-EMC treatment has not been established, and surgical resection is still the main clinical method. Radiotherapy and chemotherapy have been shown not sensitive for P-EMC treatment, whereas targeted therapy and immunotherapy have not evaluated in clinical practice. This review focuses on the pathological characteristics, molecular characteristics, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of P-EMC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study aims to explore values of multi-parametric MRI–based radiomics for detecting the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation and resistance (T790M) mutation in lung adenocarcinoma (LA) patients with spinal metastasis. Methods: This study enrolled a group of 160 LA patients from our hospital (between Jan. 2017 and Feb. 2021) to build a primary cohort. An external cohort was developed with 32 patients from another hospital (between Jan. 2017 and Jan. 2021). All patients underwent spinal MRI (including T1-weighted (T1W) and T2-weighted fat-suppressed (T2FS)) scans. Radiomics features were extracted from the metastasis for each patient and selected to develop radiomics signatures (RSs) for detecting the EGFR and T790M mutations. The clinical-radiomics nomogram models were constructed with RSs and important clinical parameters. The receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the predication capabilities of each model. Calibration and decision curve analyses (DCA) were constructed to verify the performance of the models. Results: For detecting the EGFR and T790M mutation, the developed RSs comprised 9 and 4 most important features, respectively. The constructed nomogram models incorporating RSs and smoking status showed favorite prediction efficacy, with AUCs of 0.849 (Sen = 0.685, Spe = 0.885), 0.828 (Sen = 0.964, Spe = 0.692), and 0.778 (Sen = 0.611, Spe = 0.929) in the training, internal validation, and external validation sets for detecting the EGFR mutation, respectively, and with AUCs of 0.0.842 (Sen = 0.750, Spe = 0.867), 0.823 (Sen = 0.667, Spe = 0.938), and 0.800 (Sen = 0.875, Spe = 0.800) in the training, internal validation, and external validation sets for detecting the T790M mutation, respectively. Conclusions: Radiomics features from the spinal metastasis were predictive on both EGFR and T790M mutations. The constructed nomogram models can be potentially considered as new markers to guild treatment management in LA patients with spinal metastasis. Key Points: • To our knowledge, this study was the first approach to detect the EGFR T790M mutation based on spinal metastasis in patients with lung adenocarcinoma. • We identified 13 MRI features that were strongly associated with the EGFR T790M mutation. • The proposed nomogram models can be considered as potential new markers for detecting EGFR and T790M mutations based on spinal metastasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glomerular diseases are a leading cause of chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal failure. Understanding the molecular mechanism underlying the initiation and progression of glomerular diseases is important to early identify risk factors for disease development and rescue renal function. The kidney is composed of complex and highly differentiated cells, which is a major challenge in the study of glomerular diseases. Bulk RNA sequencing cannot assess differential transcription or the interactions between cell types. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) technology has developed rapidly in recent years, making it possible to study a wide range of cell types in kidney, urine and blood. The application of scRNA-seq to glomerular diseases helps to construct a comprehensive cell atlas, elucidate complex cellular and molecular mechanisms, develop efficient and accurate prognostic biomarkers and cell-specific therapies. This review focuses on the latest research advances in scRNA-seq in primary and secondary glomerular diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article proposes a multiobjective optimization design framework for a double stator brushless hybrid excitation motor (DSBHEM) to provide high torque, wide flux regulation ability and low torque ripple. The design variables are divided into sensitive level and insensitive level by sensitivity analysis. The response surface model (RSM) and nondominated sorting genetic algorithm 2 (NSGA2) are organically combined to generate a set of Pareto solutions for the sensitive level variables, from which the optimal values of the sensitive level variables are obtained. In addition, the optimal values of insensitive variables are obtained through single parameter scanning optimization, and a set of final optimal design variables are obtained. The electromagnetic performance of the initial design and the optimal design are compared with finite element analysis. Finally, a prototype is manufactured to verify the proposed concepts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article proposes a consequent-pole unequal Halbach vernier wheel motor (CPUHVWM), which effectively reduces the self-flux leakage between permanent magnets, and an optimization method is proposed to improve the motor optimization efficiency and shorten the optimization time. The key variables are selected by the sensitivity analysis, and a polynomial function suitable for the optimization algorithm is constructed based on the response surface method. Based on the particle swarm optimization algorithm, the weights of different particle search areas are assigned to improve the overall optimization efficiency of the algorithm. Furthermore, to verify the superiority of the performance of the proposed structure and the applicability of the algorithm, the other two similar motor structures are compared, and the algorithm is adopted for the optimization. The optimized electromagnetic characteristics are compared by the finite element method. Finally, the prototype with the optimal parameters is built, and the effectiveness and advantages of the optimization algorithm are verified by experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adaptive filters (ANF) have been commonly used in current harmonic suppression. However, the digital delay will narrow the stability region and its harmonic suppression performance will be deteriorated at high-speed region. To overcome this problem, this paper proposed two modified ANF. Combining with the deadbeat current (DBC) controller, the effect of digital delay on ANF is analyzed. A simple one step harmonic prediction method (OSPANF) is proposed to replace the traditional steepest gradient method (SGM). Based on the OSPANF, the current can be controlled stably in the high-speed area and the harmonic suppression effect is better than the traditional notch filter. Through bode diagram analysis, OSPANF will have a harmonic amplification peak near the set notch frequency, which may bring additional disturbances. Thus, a two steps prediction adaptive notch filter (TSPANF) is implemented. Through the Experimental results, it can be proved that the proposed TSPANF method has better harmonic suppression effect in the high-speed area than OSPANF and the stability region of the proposed two methods is larger than the traditional method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Removal of CO2 or C2H4 from C2H2 is still a challenging task due to their similar physical–chemical properties. Here, a bifunctional ligand decorated with amino and sulfoxide groups, 5′,5′′′′-sulfonylbis (2′-amino-[1,1′:3′,1′′-terphenyl]-4,4′′-dicarboxylic acid) (H4L), was employed to construct a new microporous iron-organic framework (Fe-MOF) with the formula [(Fe3O)(L)1.5(H2O)3]n. This MOF can serve as a parent structure to obtain the isostructural Cr-MOF by solvent-assisted metal metathesis. Furthermore, the gas adsorption and separation performance of these two MOFs were systematically investigated. Compared to Fe-MOF, Cr-MOF shows a moderately higher CO2, C2H2 and C2H4 uptake capacity. Additionally, Cr-MOF can selectively adsorb C2H2 over CO2 and C2H4. The separation potential towards C2H2/C2H4 and C2H2/CO2 was further established via IAST calculations of mixture adsorption equilibrium. IAST selectivity values of Cr-MOF are 3.4 for C2H2/C2H4 and 6.9 for C2H2/CO2 at 298 K and initial pressure, indicating its potential C2H2 separation ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aimed to develop and externally validate contrast-enhanced (CE) T1-weighted MRI-based radiomics for the identification of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation, exon-19 deletion and exon-21 L858R mutation from MR imaging of spinal bone metastasis from primary lung adenocarcinoma.Methods: A total of 159 patients from our hospital between January 2017 and September 2021 formed a primary set, and 24 patients from another center between January 2017 and October 2021 formed an independent validation set. Radiomics features were extracted from the CET1 MRI using the Pyradiomics method. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression was applied for selecting the most predictive features. Radiomics signatures (RSs) were developed based on the primary training set to predict EGFR mutations and differentiate between exon-19 deletion and exon-21 L858R. The RSs were validated on the internal and external validation sets using the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.Results: Eight, three, and five most predictive features were selected to build RS-EGFR, RS-19, and RS-21 for predicting EGFR mutation, exon-19 deletion and exon-21 L858R, respectively. The RSs generated favorable prediction efficacies for the primary (AUCs, RS-EGFR vs. RS-19 vs. RS-21, 0.851 vs. 0.816 vs. 0.814) and external validation (AUCs, RS-EGFR vs. RS-19 vs. RS-21, 0.807 vs. 0.742 vs. 0.792) sets.Conclusions: Radiomics features from the CE MRI could be used to detect the EGFR mutation, increasing the certainty of identifying exon-19 deletion and exon-21 L858R mutations based on spinal metastasis MR imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new consequent-pole permanent magnet (CPM) machine with segmented structure/unequal teeth (CPM-SU machine) is proposed in this article. The segmented structure is adopted to decrease the torque ripple. To improve the torque density, the structure of unequal teeth is used in this proposed machine. The five-phase winding located in the stator is composed of three fractional-slot concentrated windings (FSCWs), which are helpful to improve the fault-tolerant capability. Permanent magnets (PMs) are placed in the rotor. To decrease the PM cost, V-type PMs and iron cores are arranged with the sequence of S-iron-S-N-iron-N. The magnetic field generated by PMs is investigated, which is helpful to demonstrate the working mechanism of this proposed CPM-SU machine. To verify the superiority of the proposed CPM-SU machine, a conventional CPM machine with unsegmented structure/equal teeth (CPM-UE machine) is proposed. The electromagnetic properties of these two machines, including the electromagnetic torque, the cogging torque, and the back electromotive force (back EMF), are analyzed by the finite element (FE) method. The simulating results show that the CPM-SU machine can exhibit excellent performances, such as low torque ripple and high torque density. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To realize the high-performance control of a servo system, parameter accuracy is very important for the design of the controller. Thus, the online parameter identification method has been widely researched. However, the nonlinearity of the inverter will lead to an increase in resistance identification error and the fluctuation of inductance identification results. Especially in the low-speed region, the influence of the inverter is more obvious. In this paper, an offline neural network is proposed considering the parasitic capacitance to identify the nonlinearity of the inverter. Based on the Kirchhoff equation in the static state of the motor, the nonlinear voltage equation is established, and the gradient direction of the weight coefficients has been re-derived. Using the gradient descent method, the identification error can converge to zero. Moreover, the d-axis voltage equation is established considering the nonlinearity of the inverter and an online adaptive observer was proposed. Based on the Lyapunov equation, the adaptive laws are derived. Further, the decoupling of the deadtime voltage and resistance voltage is realized by using the result of neural network identification. With the proposed algorithm, nonlinear identification of the inverter characteristics is realized, and the resistance and inductance identification accuracy in the low-speed region is improved. The effectiveness of the proposed methods is verified through experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article proposes a pseudo-random high-frequency triangular-wave current signal injection (PR-HFTCI) based sensorless control scheme for synchronous reluctance motor (SynRM) drives at zero-low speed domain to suppress the high-frequency (HF) loss and the HF audible noise which are introduced by the significant nonlinearities of SynRMs and the traditional constant amplitude HF square-wave voltage injection method. The pseudo-random HF triangular-wave current signal with random frequency and random phase is injected to eliminate the discrete spectrum of the current power spectra density (PSD) and the corresponding current PSD analysis is performed to evaluate it. In addition, the HF component amplitude of the d-axis voltage reference can be adjusted adaptively with the variation of load to maintain the HF current amplitude constant, it is easy to implement and does not require any extra regulator and signal processing. Hence, the HF loss and the HF torque ripple can be effectively reduced under the heavy load. Finally, the effectiveness and the correctness of the proposed PR-HFTCI based sensorless control scheme are validated with experiments on a 1.5-kW SynRM drive platform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Two helical Schiff base probes containing a triphenylamine or tetraphenylethylene scaffold were synthesized. • Both H 4 TPA and H 4 TPE exhibit typical AIE characteristics in the mixed solvent of THF/H 2 O. • H 4 TPA and H 4 TPE display high selectivity and sensitivity for the recognition of Cu2+ in THF/HEPES. Two helical Schiff base compounds (H 4 TPA and H 4 TPE) containing a triphenylamine (TPA) or tetraphenylethylene (TPE) scaffold were successfully synthesized and characterized. Both H 4 TPA and H 4 TPE exhibited typical aggregation-induced emission characteristics in the mixed solvent of THF/H 2 O. The two compounds also showed high selectivity and sensitivity for the recognition of Cu2+ over other ions in THF/HEPES (1:4, V / V , pH = 7.4, 2.0 × 10–5 M), and could be used as turn-off fluorescent probes for Cu2+. The stoichiometric ratios and association constants were estimated via Job's plots and UV–vis spectra titration, and the detection limits of H 4 TPA and H 4 TPE toward Cu2+ were calculated to be 2.41 × 10–7 M and 1.38 × 10–7 M, respectively. Besides, the crystal structure of the complex obtained from the interaction of H 4 TPA with Cu2+ well illustrated the binding modes, which helped us understand the Cu2+ recognition mechanism of H 4 TPA and H 4 TPE. Moreover, the detection of Cu2+ and spiked recovery experiments were carried out, which indicated that the two probes can be applied to Cu2+ detection in real samples with satisfactory recoveries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Underwater shockwave processing (USP) is a non-thermal food processing method where a high-energy impulse is generated near a food product submerged in a liquid. The resulting shockwave transfers energy to the food, and is used to improve quality, safety, and nutritional aspects. This review presents the origin and evolution of the technology, principles of shockwave generation, mechanism of action, and applications in the food industry. The most common food application of USP is currently meat tenderization, where it is used to improve the sensory characteristics of meat as a value-added process. The use of USP as a pretreatment process has also been investigated to increase the yield and nutritional value of extracted juice and oil via softening of plant tissues. This technique also has an impact on food-borne pathogens and spoilage microorganisms in food, however, it is more effective when combined with other hurdles. Major challenges facing the industrial implementation of underwater shockwave technology include the lack of appropriate packaging materials resistant to the disruptive effects of shockwaves, the capital investment required, and a lack of regulatory information pertaining to USP. So far, most studies of underwater shockwaves on food are at the laboratory scale and validation stage. Further research endeavors and collaboration between food scientists, engineers, and regulators are necessary to scale up this technology to industrial implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, a new consequent-pole segmented dual-stator permanent magnet (CPSDSPM) machine, which is used for some high-torque and low-speed applications, is proposed. This proposed machine adopts two stators, in which the external stator is segmented into three parts. The intermediate rotor is sandwiched between the internal stator and the external stator. Due to a particular coupling effect between the internal stator and the external stator, the CPSDSPM machine can inherently exhibit excellent flux-enhancing ability and output capability. The configuration of this proposed machine is introduced. The working mechanism especially the coupling effect is discussed by analytical models. The electromagnetic properties, such as the no-load back electromotive force (back EMF), the cogging torque, the output capability, and the torque ripple, are all calculated and analyzed by the finite element (FE) method. It can be seen that the simulating results can verify the correctness of the theoretical analysis and the superiority of the proposed CPSDSPM machine. A prototype machine is fabricated and tested to validate the results of the FE analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to reveal the effect of baffles on flow structure and cyclic variation stirred by Rushton turbines, particle image velocimetry experiments were performed in baffled and unbaffled stirred tanks. In a baffled tank, the peak value of time-averaged velocity obviously increases, the high velocity region enlarges significantly, and the fluctuation of fluid elements near the turbine increases significantly. In the 20° phase plane of the baffled tank, the high swirl strength region slightly enlarges, but the peak of phase-resolved swirl strength is lower. The peak value and high value regions of turbulent kinetic energy are larger in the baffled stirred tank at various phase planes. Using quadruple proper orthogonal decomposition, the flow field is decomposed into a small-scale part, a transition part, a large-scale part, and a mean part with different spatial scales. Adding the baffle, the mean part with largest spatial scale obviously increases (it is favorable for mass transfer at different liquid levels) and the transition part, which mainly includes the random fluctuation of a turbulent cascade, slightly enhances (it is conducive to diffusion). The main influence of cyclic variation for various blade passages is the flow with large-scale, and the standard deviation of time coefficients decreases by 3%–4% for the mean part and the large-scale part by adding the baffle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a new flux control strategy for consequent-pole brushless hybrid excitation (CPBHE) machines to achieve a high efficiency and a fast convergence. Based on an analysis of the mathematical model of a CPBHE machine, a loss model of the CPBHE machine is derived, which demonstrates the feasibility of adopting d-axis flux to search for the optimal efficiency point. Furthermore, to improve the convergence speed of the online search algorithm and to make it suitable for the frequently varying operating conditions of electric vehicles (EVs), an adaptive step search algorithm based on the margin of the voltage limit combined with the offline table lookup method is proposed. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm can optimize the efficiency of a motor system in the flux-weakening region and that it features a fast optimization process that makes it suitable for EV drives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pancreatic cancer is one of the common malignant tumors of the digestive system, and its clinical treatment is still very challenging. Most of the pancreatic cancer chemotherapeutic drugs have poor plasma stability, low cell uptake efficiency, and are prone to developing drug resistance and toxic side effects. Besides, pancreatic cancer often has a dense extracellular matrix, which consists of collagens, hyaluronic acid, and other proteoglycans. Among them, hyaluronic acid is a key component of the dense matrix, which results in vascular compression and insufficient perfusion, and hinders the delivery of chemotherapeutic drugs. In this study, we explore using hyaluronidase in tumor-bearing mice to eliminate the hyaluronic acid barrier, to reduce blood vessel compression and reshape the tumor microenvironment. In addition, we evaluate using doxorubicin-loaded nanoprobes to improve the stability and local tumor-killing effect of the drug. The nanoprobes have the characteristics of near-infrared optical imaging, which are used to monitor the tumor size in real-time during the treatment process, and dynamically observe the tumor inhibitory effect. The results show that elimination of the hyaluronic acid barrier combined with the doxorubicin-loaded nanoprobes can greatly increase drug penetration into tumor tissue and improve the effectiveness of chemotherapy drugs. This study provides a novel strategy for the treatment of pancreatic cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitric oxide (NO)-releasing platforms have been demonstrated as promising approaches for the reversal of multidrug resistance (MDR) in cancer cells due to the suppression of P-glycoprotein (P-gp). However, the non-specific systemic release of NO and difficulty in estimating the precise NO amount in target sites hindered their translational applications. Traditional bioimaging techniques which are responsive to NO molecules cannot distinguish between exogenous and endogenous NO. Herein we introduce S-nitrosothiol-functionalized tetraphenylethene (TPE-RSNO) to specifically monitor exogenous NO release and synergistically reverse MDR. TPE-RSNO can specifically respond to NO release and visualize NO delivery with fluorescence in living cells. Moreover, the elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cancer cells triggered rapid NO release to reduce P-gp and thus synergistically increase the therapeutic effect of doxorubicin (DOX). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to evaluate effects of Bacillus licheniformis supplementation on growth, intestine digestive, antioxidant and metabolic capacity, intestine short-chain fatty acids content, and intestine microbiota composition of the Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei. In total 2700 shrimp (initial weight 2.5 ± 0.1 g/shrimp) were randomly distributed into six tanks (450 shrimp/500-L tank) and fed at 28 ± 0.5 ℃ for 35 days (four times/day) with control diet and experimental diet supplemented with 108 CFU/g B. licheniformis, followed by an acute nitrite stress for 10 days. At the end of the feeding trial, shrimp dietary B. licheniformis showed improved weight gain, specific growth rate, survival rate after nitrite stress, and decreased feed conversion rate compared to control group. And acetic acid and butyric acid content in the intestine of shrimp dietary B. licheniformis increased significantly except for propionic acid content. In addition, activities of amylase, lipase, and trypsin and activities of glutamine synthetase, hexokinase, and malate dehydrogenase increased significantly compared to control group. After shrimp were exposed to nitrite stress for 10 days, glutathione peroxidase, peroxidase, total antioxidant capacity, and superoxide dismutase levels were still higher in dietary B. licheniformis-shrimp, which showed that B. licheniformis enhanced the resistance to environmental stressor such as nitrite from the level of immune. The 16S rRNA sequencing showed that B. licheniformis increased diversity and abundance of some bacteria. In particular, the abundance of Proteobacteria and Planctomycetes decreased, and the abundance of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes increased. These results revealed that B. licheniformis could improve the growth performance, increased intestine short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) content, change intestine digestive and metabolic enzyme activity, and regulated microbiota composition, so enhance the intestine antioxidant ability of shrimp subjected to nitrite stress, which is beneficial for shrimp aquaculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are major pollutants in urban areas, and thus present a high risk to the resident health. However, studies on local PAH emissions and associated health risks related to urbanization are scarce. Here, the concentrations of PAHs were determined in 57 surface soil samples obtained from two rural districts in 2018 in Tianjin, China. The sources, risks, and the linkage between urbanization and PAH contamination of soils in 2018 were compared with PAH data in 2001 from a previous study to investigate the changes induced by urbanization. Results show an increase in PAH concentrations from 2001 to 2018, with in particular the predominance of anthracene and dibenz[a,h]anthracene. The major sources of soil PAHs changed from coal combustion 32.9%, petroleum sources 32.1%, and traffic sources 22.1% in 2001, to traffic sources 63.7%, and petroleum and biomass combustion 18.7% in 2018. The carcinogenic risk of soil PAHs to residents also increased from safe level to low level, and dermal contact was the prevailing pathway of PAH exposure. The increase in cancer risk is mainly due to the changes in PAH sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: With the global attack of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), cases with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) have been increasing steadily, which seriously affects the quality of life of patients and as such, seeking effective treatments is an urgent matter. Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET) is a typical cognitive behavioral therapy targeting trauma-related psychological disorders and may be an effective intervention.Methods: A total of 111 COVID-19 patients near the discharge stage with positive screening results for posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) were randomly assigned (1:1) to either the study group or the control group. The study group received NET and personalized psychological intervention, while the control group only received personalized psychological intervention. PTSS, depression, anxiety and sleep quality were measured pre- and post-intervention to evaluate the effect of NET. This trial was registered with the International Standard Randomized Clinical Trial Registry (No. ChiCTR2000039369).Results: NET participants showed a significantly greater PTSS reduction in comparison with the control group after the intervention. Improvement in sleep quality, anxiety and depression after the intervention were pronounced but not significantly different between the two treatment groups.Limitations: The assessors weren't blinded for the convenience of measurement and protection of participants' psychological security.Conclusions: NET likely had a positive impact on PTSS of COVID-19 patients. Clinical staff should consider applying NET to improve the psychological well-being of patients who have experienced an epidemic such as COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Fresh shrimp are highly perishable seafood and a reliable spoilage assessment method is necessary to ensure sufficient quality control. The current quality evaluation method employed by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) uses subjective terms 'odor of decomposition' to reject shrimp shipments, which lacks reference standards to anchor the concept and can cause ambiguity. The present study aimed to develop chemical reference standards to assist in a more objective and consistent sensory evaluation of shrimp quality. RESULTS: Chemical references were developed and used by the descriptive panel to demonstrate the aroma quality indicators of shrimp. The most important aroma attributes describing shrimp quality changes were 'salty water‐like', 'natto water‐like' and 'sour milk‐like' based on the results of multiple linear regression analysis. The overall rating consistency of the key quality indicators was confirmed by trained a descriptive panel such that the intensity scores in two separated evaluation sessions (30 days apart) were not significant different (P > 0.05). The sensory ratings also corresponded well with presumed FDA/NOAA grades of shrimp. An untrained panel also confirmed 'salty water‐like' as the main indicator of freshness and 'natto water‐like' as the main indicator of spoilage, whereas the discriminative capacity was lower compared to the trained panel. CONCLUSION: The developed chemical references of key aroma quality indicators allowed the trained and untrained panels to distinguish shrimp of different freshness levels. The results indicate the potential of using chemical references as a new evaluation tool for on‐site quality inspection or industrial quality assurance/quality control of shrimp with improved objectivity and consistency. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heterozygous gain-of-kinase function variants in LRRK2 (leucine-rich repeat kinase 2) cause 1–2% of all cases of Parkinson's disease (PD) albeit with incomplete and age-dependent penetrance. All pathogenic LRRK2 mutations reside within the two catalytic domains of LRRK2—either in its kinase domain (e.g. G2019S) with modest effect or its ROC-COR GTPase domain (e.g. R1441G/H) with large effect on LRRK2 kinase activity. We have previously reported assays to interrogate LRRK2 kinase pathway activity in human bio-samples measuring phosphorylation of its endogenous substrate Rab10, that mirrors LRRK2 kinase activation status. Here, we isolated neutrophils from fresh peripheral blood from 101 participants including 42 LRRK2 mutation carriers (21 with the G2019S and 21 with the R1441G mutations), 27 patients with idiopathic PD, and 32 controls. Using a dual approach, LRRK2 dependent Rab10 phosphorylation at Threonine 73 (pRab10Thr73) was measured by quantitative multiplexed immunoblotting for pRab10Thr73/total Rab10 as well as targeted mass-spectrometry for absolute pRab10Thr73 occupancy. We found a significant over fourfold increase in pRab10Thr73 phosphorylation in carriers of the LRRK2 R1441G mutation irrespective of clinical disease status. The effect of the LRRK2 G2019S mutation did not reach statistical significance. Furthermore, we show that LRRK2 phosphorylation at Serine 935 is not a marker for LRRK2 kinase activity in human neutrophils. When analysing pRab10Thr73 phosphorylation in post-mortem brain samples, we observed overall high variability irrespective of clinical and LRRK2 mutation status and attributed this mainly to the adverse effect of the peri- and post-mortem period on the stability of posttranslational modifications such as protein phosphorylation. Overall, in vivo LRRK2 dependent pRab10Thr73 phosphorylation in human peripheral blood neutrophils is a specific, robust and promising biomarker for significant LRRK2 kinase hyperactivation, as with the LRRK2 R1441G mutation. Additional readouts and/or assays may be needed to increase sensitivity to detect modest LRRK2 kinase activation, as with the LRRK2 G2019S mutation. Our assays could be useful for patient stratification and target engagement studies for LRRK2 kinase inhibitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The flow of stirring process is complex and multiscale. To analyze the effects of baffle on the flow characteristics driven by paddle turbine, particle image velocimetry (PIV) experiments were performed for the unbaffled stirred vessel and the standard baffled stirred vessel stirred by the single paddle turbine. Under the baffle arrangement, the flow discharge was strengthened, and the range of high‐velocity region was obviously expanded, and the velocity significantly fluctuated near the blade. The swirling intensity behind the blade decreased significantly, and no significant wake structure was formed, thereby helping reduce the local velocity difference attributed to the wake structure and facilitate the uniform mixing of materials. The instantaneous velocity field was decomposed into four parts at different scales by employing quadruple Proper Orthogonal Decomposition method. The quantitative analysis of different scale flow structures in stirred process was realized. Under the baffle arrangement, the flow process was facilitated in the measurement plane. In addition, the fluctuation velocity increased significantly, and the mass transfer was enhanced by vortex motion of the fluid elements, which was conducive to the uniform mixing of materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes the use of a semiparametric model based on a locally weighted approach that controls for dynamic agglomeration and diffusion effects in constructing localized housing price indices. Based on residential transaction records in Singapore, we create three‐dimensional interactive heat maps that allow for better measurement and visualization of spatial variations and heterogeneity in price appreciation. The heat map captures regional variations and temporal dispersions in price appreciation rates in the business cycle. Our methodology provides high‐resolution information about price dynamics that could aid individual buyers, investors, and policy makers in making objective and informed decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Glucolipid metabolic disorders (GLMD) promote a series of major chronic diseases. Polygoni Multilori Radix Preparata (PMRP) has been widely acknowledged in the prevention and treatment of GLMD. We previously reported that water extract (WE) of PMRP and its major bioactive constituents such as polysaccharides (POL) and 2,3,5,4'-tetrahydroxy-stilbene-2-O-ß-Dglucoside (TSG) could alleviate GLMD. The mitochondrial dysfunction is an important mechanism of GLMD, but the underlying mechanisms behind the regulation of mitochondria to alleviate GLMD by WE, POL from PMRP and TSG are still unknown. Methods In this study, we elucidated the effects of WE, POL, and TSG towards regulating the mitochondrial dysfunction and alleviating GLMD using mitochondrial metabonomics. A rat model of GLMD was established by high-sugar and high-fat (HS-HF) diet. Rats were intragastrically given WE, POL, and TSG for 12 weeks. The liver mitochondrial metabolites were analyzed by ultra-highperformance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry followed by multivariate statistical analysis to identify the differential metabolites and metabolic pathways. Key findings The WE, POL, and TSG could significantly restore the level of endogenous metabolites in liver mitochondria toward normal status. In total, sixteen, seven, and fourteen differential metabolites were identified in the liver mitochondrial samples obtained from the WE, GOL, and TSG groups, respectively. These metabolites were found to be mainly involved in glycerol phospholipid, histidine, alanine, aspartic acid, glutamate metabolism, and arginine biosynthesis. Conclusions PMRP could improve the liver mitochondrial function by regulating the mitochondrial metabolic pathways to alleviate GLMD. Therefore, the application of PMRP might be a promising mitochondrial regulator/nutrient for alleviating GLMD-associated diseases and the mitochondrial metabonomics might provide insights into the evaluation of the efficacies and mechanisms of action of drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on comparing benralizumab with mepolizumab for inducing remission in patients with relapsing or refractory eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA). Concerns are raised regarding the large noninferiority margin set for the trial and the lack of clear clinical rationale for this margin, despite minimal difference observed between the two treatment groups in terms of remission percentage.

Integrated energy system (IES) can achieve multi energy complementarity, but it still faces the problem of energy surplus or shortage. Therefore, there are demands for energy sharing among different IESs, but how to determine the trading quantity and trading price? To address this confusion, a distributed optimization model for multi-IES participating in peer-to-peer (P2P) transactions based on asymmetric Nash negotiation is innovatively proposed. First, to facilitate the energy sharing of several IESs with different structures, a P2P trading framework is designed. Second, to meet the needs of individual rationality and alliance cooperation at the same time, a distributed transaction optimization model based on Nash negotiation is proposed. Considering the discourse power determined by contribution, an asymmetric bargaining mechanism is designed. Third, to protect the privacy and improve solution performance, the improved adaptive step-size alternating direction multiplier algorithm (ADMM) is used for the distributed sequential solution. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed trading framework, bargaining mechanism, optimization model, and solution algorithm are verified by the implementation of simulation. The simulation results show that: 1) The proposed model and algorithm can assist managers in determining the quantity and price of P2P electricity transactions. 2) Compared with the independent operation mode, the cooperative operation mode has significantly improved the overall interests and individual interests. 3) In distributed transactions, managers only need to submit limited information, which protects the privacy and security of each agent. 4) The asymmetric Nash negotiation mechanism can measure discourse power based on contribution. 5) The improved ADMM has the advantages of stronger convergence performance and faster solution speed. [Display omitted] • The framework for P2P transactions is designed • An asymmetric and fairer bargaining mechanism is proposed • A distributed transaction model based on Nash negotiation is established • An improved adaptive step-size ADMM is adopted for distributed solution [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urbanization-related human activities, such as population aggregation, rapid industrial expansion, and intensified traffic, are key factors that impact local polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon emissions and their associated health risks. Consequently, regions with varying degrees of urbanization within a megacity may exhibit diverse spatiotemporal patterns in the presence and distribution of soil polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, resulting in different levels of ecological risks for local inhabitants following the same period of development. In this study, we measured the concentrations of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in soil samples collected from industrial district and rural district in Tianjin (China) in 2018, and compared with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon data in 2001 from a previous study to characterize these regional variations in occurrence, source, and human risk of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons induced by urbanization with time and space. The results indicate the 20-year rapid urbanization and industrialization has differentially affected the composition, distribution and sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in soils from different economic functional zones in Tianjin. Additionally, its impact on health risks in rural district appeared to be more significant than that in industrial district. • Urbanization had different effects on industrial and rural soil PAHs. • Regional socioeconomic patterns and residential behaviors influenced local PAH source profiles. • Risk regions and affected population were estimated quantitatively. • Urbanization-related impact on cancer risks in rural district seemed more notable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pharmaceutical compounds (PhCs) pose a growing concern with potential environmental impacts, commonly introduced into the environment via wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). The occurrence, removal, and season variations of 60 different classes of PhCs were investigated in the baffled bioreactor (BBR) wastewater treatment process during summer and winter. The concentrations of 60 PhCs were 3400 ± 1600 ng/L in the influent, 2700 ± 930 ng/L in the effluent, and 2400 ± 120 ng/g dw in sludge. Valsartan (Val, 1800 ng/L) was the main contaminant found in the influent, declining to 520 ng/L in the effluent. The grit chamber and BBR tank were substantially conducive to the removal of VAL. Nonetheless, the BBR process showcased variable removal efficiencies across different PhC classes. Sulfadimidine had the highest removal efficiency of 87 ± 17% in the final effluent (water plus solid phase). Contrasting seasonal patterns were observed among PhC classes within BBR process units. The concentrations of many PhCs were higher in summer than in winter, while some macrolide antibiotics exhibited opposing seasonal fluctuations. A thorough mass balance analysis revealed quinolone and sulfonamide antibiotics were primarily eliminated through degradation and transformation in the BBR process. Conversely, 40.2 g/d of macrolide antibiotics was released to the natural aquatic environment via effluent discharge. Gastric acid and anticoagulants, as well as cardiovascular PhCs, primarily experienced removal through sludge adsorption. This study provides valuable insights into the intricate dynamics of PhCs in wastewater treatment, emphasizing the need for tailored strategies to effectively mitigate their release and potential environmental risks. [Display omitted] • PhC dynamics in wastewater exhibit different seasonal patterns. • BBR wastewater treatment displays variable removal efficiencies. • Diverse elimination mechanisms identified for pharmaceutical compounds. • High stability and hydrophilicity render certain PhCs prevalent in effluent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the time-varying and land use-induced spillover effects of urban redevelopment, providing a lens through which to understand the welfare implications of both the temporal dynamics and the land use changes that occur through urban transformation. By analysing redevelopment project and housing transaction data from Hong Kong between 2005 and 2020, we find significant, positive spillover effects of urban redevelopment on local housing prices following the redevelopment announcement, with diminishing magnitudes as the redevelopment project proceeds. We also find heterogeneous spillover effects associated with different functional land use changes in redevelopment projects. The direction and extent of these externalities depend on the trade-off between the changes in local amenities and the changes in the level of competitiveness in the local housing market. • Redevelopment has time-varying and land use-induced spillover effects. • In general, spillover effects show a diminishing magnitude as the project proceeds. • The time-varying spillover patterns depend on the specific changes in land uses. • Redevelopments pose negative spillovers through the competitiveness channel. • Redevelopments pose positive spillovers through the amenity channel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]