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Two-dimensional (2D) materials have received significant attention for their potential use in next-generation electronics, particularly in nonvolatile memory and neuromorphic computing. This is due to their simple metal–insulator–metal (MIM) sandwiched structure, excellent switching performance, high-density capability, and low power consumption. In this work, using comprehensive material simulations and device modeling, the thinnest monolayer hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) atomristor is studied by using a MIM configuration with Ta electrodes. Our first-principles calculations predicted both a high resistance state (HRS) and a low resistance state (LRS) in this device. We observed that the presence of van der Waals (vdW) gaps between the Ta electrodes and monolayer h-BN with a boron vacancy (VB) contributes to the HRS. The combination of metal electrode contact and the adsorption of Ta atoms onto a single VB defect (TaB) can alter the interface barrier between the electrode and dielectric layer, as well as create band gap states within the band gap of monolayer h-BN. These band gap states can shorten the effective tunneling path for electron transport from the left electrode to the right electrode, resulting in an increase in the current transmission coefficient of the LRS. This resistive switching mechanism in monolayer h-BN atomristors can serve as a theoretical reference for device design and optimization, making them promising for the development of atomristor technology with ultra-high integration density and ultra-low power consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of structure on the vibration response was explored for four piano soundboards with different but commonly adopted structures. The vibration response was obtained using the free-vibration method, and the values of the dynamic modulus of elasticity and dynamic shear modulus obtained using the free-vibration frequency method (EF and GF) were compared with the dynamic modulus of elasticity obtained using the Euler beam method (EE) and dynamic shear modulus obtained using the free-plate torsional vibration method (GT), respectively. It was found that the soundboards with different structures had different vibration modes and that excitation at different locations highlighted different vibration modes. For all the soundboards analyzed, the EE and GT were higher than EF and GF by 2.2% and 24.3%, respectively. However, the trends of the results of these methods were the same. The four piano soundboards with different structures possessed varying dynamic moduli of elasticity and dynamic shear moduli. These rules are consistent with the grain directions of the soundboards and the anisotropy of the wood (the direction of the units of the soundboards). The results show that the vibration mode of the piano soundboard is complex. The dynamic elastic modulus of the soundboard can be calculated using the Euler beam method. The results provide a reference for studies on the vibration response, material selection, production technology, and testing of piano soundboards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The stratification of microsatellite instability (MSI) status assists clinicians in making treatment decisions for colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. This study aimed to establish a CT-based radiomics signature to predict MSI status in patients with CRC. Methods: A total of 837 CRC patients who underwent preoperative enhanced CT and had available MSI status data were recruited from two hospitals. Radiomics features were extracted from segmented tumours, and a series of data balancing and feature selection strategies were used to select MSI-related features. Finally, an MSI-related radiomics signature was constructed using a genetic algorithm–enhanced artificial neural network model. Combined and clinical models were constructed using multivariate logistic regression analyses by integrating the clinical factors with or without the signature. A Kaplan–Meier survival analysis was conducted to explore the prognostic information of the signature in patients with CRC. Results: Ten features were selected to construct a signature which showed robust performance in both the internal and external validation cohorts, with areas under the curves (AUC) of 0.788 and 0.775, respectively. The performance of the signature was comparable to that of the combined model (AUCs of 0.777 and 0.767, respectively) and it outperformed the clinical model constituting age and tumour location (AUCs of 0.768 and 0.623, respectively). Survival analysis demonstrated that the signature could stratify patients with stage II CRC according to prognosis (HR: 0.402, p = 0.029). Conclusions: This study built a robust radiomics signature for identifying the MSI status of CRC patients, which may assist individualised treatment decisions. Key Points: • Our well-designed modelling strategies helped overcome the problem of data imbalance caused by the low incidence of MSI. • Genetic algorithm–enhanced artificial neural network–based CT radiomics signature can effectively distinguish the MSI status of CRC patients. • Kaplan–Meier survival analysis demonstrated that our signature could significantly stratify stage II CRC patients into high- and low-risk groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To date, there are no data on the noninvasive surrogate of intratumoural immune status that could be prognostic of survival outcomes in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We aimed to develop and validate the immune ecosystem diversity index (iEDI), an imaging biomarker, to indicate the intratumoural immune status in NSCLC. We further investigated the clinical relevance of the biomarker for survival prediction. Methods: In this retrospective study, two independent NSCLC cohorts (Resec1, n = 149; Resec2, n = 97) were included to develop and validate the iEDI to classify the intratumoural immune status. Paraffin-embedded resected specimens in Resec1 and Resec2 were stained by immunohistochemistry, and the density percentiles of CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ T cells to all cells were quantified to estimate intratumoural immune status. Then, EDI features were extracted using preoperative computed tomography to develop an imaging biomarker, called iEDI, to determine the immune status. The prognostic value of iEDI was investigated on NSCLC patients receiving surgical resection (Resec1; Resec2; internal cohort Resec3, n = 419; external cohort Resec4, n = 96; and TCIA cohort Resec5, n = 55). Results: iEDI successfully classified immune status in Resec1 (AUC 0.771, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.759–0.783; and 0.770 through internal validation) and Resec2 (0.669, 0.647–0.691). Patients with higher iEDI-score had longer overall survival (OS) in Resec3 (unadjusted hazard ratio 0.335, 95%CI 0.206–0.546, p < 0.001), Resec4 (0.199, 0.040–1.000, p < 0.001), and TCIA (0.303, 0.098–0.944, p = 0.001). Conclusions: iEDI is a non-invasive surrogate of intratumoural immune status and prognostic of OS for NSCLC patients receiving surgical resection. Key Points: • Decoding tumour immune microenvironment enables advanced biomarkers identification. • Immune ecosystem diversity index characterises intratumoural immune status noninvasively. • Immune ecosystem diversity index is prognostic for NSCLC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing discharge of oily wastewater from life poses a serious threat to the ecological environment and human health. To develop green, efficient, and low-cost materials for oil-water separation, a superhydrophobic photothermal oil-absorbing sponge (CAC-PDA@MF) was prepared by using nanoscale coconut shell activated carbon (CAC) loaded on a melamine sponge in this study. The sponge had excellent superhydrophobicity (WCA of 159.53°) due to the reduction of surface energy by grafting long-chain silanes. The adsorption capacity of the sponge was 69.04 g/g-158.27 g/g for a wide range of oils and organic solvents, and the sponge had excellent mechanical properties for multiple adsorption and recovery of oil. After 50 cycles of oil-water separation, its separation efficiency was maintained at over 98 %. In addition, the material had high acid, alkali, and salt resistance as well as excellent photothermal conversion properties. Its surface temperature rose rapidly to 100 °C and above, at a light intensity of 1.0 kW/m2. The material was capable of adsorbing and recovering high-viscosity oils that were solid or semi-solid at room temperature. Its versatility and commercial value made it a promising candidate for a wide range of applications. [Display omitted] ● CAC-PDA@MF material had photothermal conversion properties. ● CAC-PDA@MF had excellent hydrophobicity with a water contact angle of 159.53° in air. ● CAC-PDA@MF had excellent oil adsorption capacity and outstanding mechanical stability. ● CAC-PDA@MF had a strong oil-water separation capability and could successfully separate emulsions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pollution of water bodies by oil-containing compounds is increasing. Therefore, new oil-water separation adsorbents are under constant development. In this paper, melamine sponges with three-dimensional flexible porous framework are used to prepare oil-water separation adsorbents. Using a convenient one-step impregnation coating method, the material (THS@MS) was prepared by directly alkylating melamine sponge with a Trimethoxy (1 H, 1 H, 2 H, 2 H-heptadecafluordecyl) silane solution in an acidic (pH=5.5) ethanol solution. The adsorbent was superhydrophobic and had a strong oil adsorption capacity, ranging from 62.03 g/g to 71.33 g/g for various oils and organic compounds. After 50 cycles of oil-water separation, the separation efficiency remained above 95 %. The sponge remained in the superhydrophobic range after multiple separation tests. At this point, the hydrophobicity angle dropped by only a small value of 157.88 ° (compared to 158.57 ° in the original THS@MS test). THS@MS could be used to treat emulsion separations and is highly resistant to strong acid and alkali solutions. Its superhydrophobic properties enhanced self-cleaning ability and provided excellent environmental adaptability. The sponge showed great promise for wide application in real industries. [Display omitted] • THS@MS sponge was highly hydrophobic with a hydrophobicity angle of 158.57°. • THS@MS was highly self-cleaning and could easily separate waste oil in harsh environments. • THS@MS exhibited improved stability in acid, alkali, and compression tests. • THS@MS had strong oil-water separation capabilities and could successfully separate emulsions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Southwestern Chinese province of Yunnan is the home to a plethora of traditional music, folk songs, and ethnic musical instruments with 24 local folk music items included in the national intangible cultural heritage list and extended list. In this article, the authors intend to delve into the issue of Yunnan folk music protection from the perspective of cultural sustainability theory. With an in-depth qualitative analysis of the data on the protection of 24 folk music items of Yunnan, the achievement, impact, and challenges of the current safeguarding efforts are revealed. The findings suggest that: 1. Government agencies at all levels have a dominant influence on the protection effort. 2. The local community, musicians, culture bearers, troupes, clubs, and social organizations form the "brick and mortar" of the folk music sustainability system. 3. The current reappearance or resurface of certain folk music items is a significant step toward truly reviving the folk music items in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this research is to investigate the extent to which universities actively encourage students to participate in study abroad at an international branch campus (IBC) owned by the university. We suggest that the quality of information on study abroad provided by an institution in its website may be a good indicator of the institution's ambition (or not) to have students moving from the home university to a branch campus for study abroad. The selected institution websites were subjected to mixed-method data analysis, which included a content analysis procedure. It was found that some universities appear motivated to achieve IBC-based study abroad and demonstrate the required marketing communication competencies required, while other institutions possibly lack motivation and/or marketing competency. To effectively promote IBC-based study abroad, we advise universities to address the student decision-making process, as suggested by the hierarchy of effects model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute systemic vasculitis of unclear etiology that mainly affects infants and young children. Strategies to reduce the incidence and severity of coronary artery lesions (CALs), the determinant factor in the long-term prognosis of KD, are currently a focus of studies on KD. Corticosteroids, preferred in the treatment of the majority of vasculitides, are controversial in the treatment of acute KD. In this trial, we will evaluate whether the addition of prednisolone to standard intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) plus aspirin therapy can reduce the occurrence of CAL in Chinese patients with KD.Methods: This is a multicenter, prospective, open-label, randomized controlled trial, which is expected to be conducted in more than 20 hospitals in China and aims to assess the efficacy and safety of IVIG + prednisolone treatment versus standard treatment. Patients with KD who fulfill the inclusion and exclusion criteria will be recruited and randomized (1:1) to receive either a large dose of IVIG (2 g/kg over 12-24 h with a maximum dose of 60 g) + aspirin 30 mg/kg/d or IVIG (2 g/kg over 12-24 h) + aspirin 30 mg/kg/d + prednisolone (2 mg/kg/d with a maximum dose of 60 mg tapered over 15 days after normalization of C-reactive protein concentration). The primary outcome will be the occurrence of CAL at 1 month of illness. The follow-up duration for each participant will be set as 1 year. Patients and treating physicians will be unmasked to group allocation.Discussion: This will be the first multicenter randomized controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy of IVIG + aspirin + prednisolone in Chinese pediatric patients with KD, which may provide high-level evidence for improving the initial treatment for acute KD.Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04078568 . Registered on 16 August 2018. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Kawasaki disease (KD) is a systemic vasculitis that predominantly affects medium-sized arteries. In addition to well-known coronary artery aneurysms (CAAs), peripheral systemic artery aneurysms (SAAs) have also been sporadically reported. In the literatures, SAAs occurred mainly in untreated, intravenous immunoglobin (IVIG)-resistant, or severe refractory KD, and thrombotic events in SAAs were rarely reported. Case presentation: A 10-month-old boy with a history of KD was referred to our hospital for suspected pseudoaneurysm of the axillary arteries. Four months prior to presentation, he had persistent fever, conjunctival congestion, and rash. On the 10th day of fever echocardiogram showed biliteral CAAs. He was then diagnosed with KD and given IVIG 2 g/kg and aspirin at a local hospital. His fever and symptoms soon subsided and he was discharged with low dose aspirin and dipyridamole. One month prior to presentation, his parents incidentally palpated swellings in his bilateral axillae. On admission, physical examination revealed a pulsatile swelling in his right axilla and a non-pulsatile swelling in the left with impalpable left brachial and radial pulses, cooler and less active left upper limb than the right one. While the pulses of other three limbs were normal. Ultrasound examination revealed giant bilateral axillary artery aneurysms (AAAs) with massive thrombus in the left. Angiography confirmed giant bilateral AAAs with left AAAs completely occluded and fine collateral vessels connecting to the distal brachial artery, in addition to giant bilateral multiple CAAs without stenoses. The patient was given intravenous prostaglandin for 10 days to allow for formation of collateral circulation, as well as aspirin, low molecular weight heparin (which was switched to warfarin before discharge) and metoprolol. At discharge, the temperature and movement of his left upper limb improved significantly. On follow-up at 7 months, his left upper limb further improved and was similar to the right with no occurrence of cardiovascular events. The images of CAAs and AAAs on echocardiogram and computerized tomography remained the same. Conclusions: This case highlights the importance of evaluating peripheral SAAs in KD patients with CAAs, even if their course of treatment appears smooth. For both large non-aortic SAAs and CAAs in KD patients, antithrombotic therapy is of utmost importance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Babesiosis is a tick-borne disease with global impact caused by parasites of the phylum Apicomplexa, genus Babesia. Typically, acute bovine babesiosis (BB) is characterized by fever, anemia, hemoglobinuria, and high mortality. Surviving animals remain persistently infected and become reservoirs for parasite transmission. Bovids in China can be infected by one or more Babesia species endemic to the country, including B. bovis, B. bigemina, B. orientalis, B. ovata, B. major, B. motasi, B. U sp. Kashi and B. venatorum. The latter may pose a zoonotic risk. Occurrence of this wide diversity of Babesia species in China may be due to a combination of favorable ecological factors, such as the presence of multiple tick vectors, including Rhipicephalus and Hyalomma, the coexistence of susceptible bovid species, such as domestic cattle, yaks, and water buffalo, and the lack of efficient measures of tick control. BB is currently widespread in several regions of the country and a limiting factor for cattle production. While some areas appear to have enzootic stability, others have considerable cattle mortality. Research is needed to devise solutions to the challenges posed by uncontrolled BB. Critical research gaps include risk assessment for cattle residing in endemic areas, understanding factors involved in endemic stability, evaluation of parasite diversity and pathogenicity of regional Babesia species, and estimation of whether and how BB should be controlled in China. Research should allow the design of comprehensive interventions to improve cattle production, diminish the risk of human infections, and increase the availability of affordable animal protein for human consumption in China and worldwide. In this review, we describe the current state of BB with reference to the diversity of hosts, vectors, and parasite species in China. We also discuss the unique risks and knowledge gaps that should be taken into consideration for future Babesia research and control strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We aimed to assess the efficacy of different initial intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) regimens in Kawasaki disease (KD) patients to find more cost‐effective therapy options. Methods: A multicenter, open‐label, blind‐endpoint randomized controlled trial was conducted from January 2014 to December 2015. Patients with KD, within 10 days of illness, were randomly assigned to receive different IVIG regimens (Group A, 2 g/kg once; Group B, 1 g/kg for 2 consecutive days; Group C, 1 g/kg once) and aspirin 30mg/kg/d. Primary outcomes included hours to defervescence and development of coronary artery lesions during the study period. Major secondary outcomes included total fever days, total dose of IVIG, changes of laboratory data, length of stay, and hospitalization expenses. (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02439996). Results: A total of 404 patients underwent randomization. No difference was found in the outcomes of defervescence among three groups at 6, 12, 24, and 36 hours after completion of initial IVIG infusion. There were no differences in the incidence of coronary artery lesions during the study period (at week 2, month 1, month 3, and month 6 of illness), changes of laboratory data, total fever days, and length of stay. Group C patients had the lowest total dose of IVIG (mean: 1.2 vs 2.2 vs 2.1 g/kg; P < 0.001) and hospitalization expenses (mean: 8443.8 vs 10798.4 vs 11011.4 Chinese Yuan; P < 0.001) than other two groups. Conclusions: A single dose of 1g/kg IVIG is a low‐cost treatment with the same efficacy as 2 g/kg IVIG and can be an option for the initial therapy of KD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pidotimod is a chiral drug that possesses two chiral centers, resulting in three isomeric impurities (analytes, A). This study employs electrospray ionization ion trap mass spectrometry (ESI‐MS) through collision‐induced dissociation (CID) to investigate the chiral recognition of pidotimod and its three isomers to eliminate chromatographic separation. Three approaches were explored: (1) Protonated molecules in CID exhibited discriminative potential for diastereomers, with the ability to distinguish between S,S and R,R configurations, albeit with an Rchiral value of ~1.8. However, differentiation between R,S and S,R configurations was not achievable. (2) Alkali adductions (lithium and sodium) only discerned diastereomers. The Rchiral values of the diastereomers obtained from alkali adduct ions were significantly lower than those obtained from protonated ions. (3) Therefore, a third approach was used to address the challenge of distinguishing between R,S and S,R configurations, including the introduction of chiral references (ref) and transition metals (MII) to form metal‐bound complexes [MII(A)(ref)‐H]+. Additionally, we synthesized a novel ligand, 4‐(N‐tert‐butoxycarbonyl [Boc]‐L‐prolinamido)phenol (denoted as ligand A), by modifying N‐t‐Boc‐L‐Pro with 2‐aminophenol, which, in combination with CuII and NiII, enabled simultaneous differentiation of all four isomers. CuII complexes exhibited significant chiral selectivity between R,S and S,R configurations. Density functional theory calculations were performed to further elucidate the stereodynamic behavior and stoichiometry of these ions in the gas phase. These calculations revealed the interaction energy and coordination sites of the precursor ions in the gas phase, correlating well with MS/MS experiment results. Additionally, the logarithm of the CuII complexes' characteristic fragment ion abundance ratio demonstrated a strong linear relationship with enantiomeric excess (ee). This study presents a novel strategy for chiral drug quality control that eliminates chromatographic separation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sciatica is a syndrome of pain along the sciatic nerve pathway and distribution due to primary or secondary damage of sciatic nerve caused by various reasons [1], which is one of the clinical common diseases and frequently occurring diseases. It is suggested that 85% of sciatica is caused by lumbar disc herniation from the researches of Lewis, et al. Moreover, as to the population with this disease, most of them are 40–60 yr old. The main clinical manifestations include radiating pain from the waist to the posterior-lateral side of the lower leg, hips and the area from the back of the thigh to the dorsum of the foot. It is often accompanied by hypoesthesia and needling type sensation in the corresponding skin area. This disease seriously affects the quality of life of affected patients. Clinical treatment for sciatica mainly includes drug therapy, epidural injection, acupuncture treatment and surgery. Compared with surgical treatment, most patients prefer to conservative treatment at the first visit after they got this disease, especially acupuncture treatment. Acupuncture treatment has become one of the first choices for the treatment of sciatica caused by lumbar disc herniation because of its advantages of “quick curative effect and small adverse reactions”. Previous studies have also confirmed the therapeutic effect and partial mechanism of acupuncture treating sciatica [2]. However, the individualized characteristics of acupuncture treatment is obvious, and the treatment plan and course of treatment of the same disease may be different from different doctors. Previous studies reported that the course of treatment ranged from 1 to 8 weeks [2]. Therefore, there are few reports on precise indications and standardized treatment of acupuncture for sciatica. In this way, clinical workers also choose individualized treatment for newly diagnosed patients according to their personal experiences, which might lack the reference of standardized treatment scheme, and the curative effect is uneven. In this research, 67 cases of sciatica treated with acupuncture were analyzed retrospectively. Clinical studies have found that acupuncture treatment of sciatica should last at least 4 weeks, and short term treatment has no effect. In addition, prolonged treatment did not significantly increase the efficacy. This research also showed that acupuncture treatment had the best effect to the patients with the course of disease less than one year, and the patients aged between 40 and 50 yr old with sciatica caused by lumbar disc herniation. From these research results, it is suggested that acupuncture can obviously improve the sciatica caused by lumbar disc herniation, and timely and early acupuncture treatment is conducive to physical recovery in patients with sciatica. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Diabetic foot is one of the most serious complications of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and its incidence is increasing in China. Early detection of abnormal microcirculation in the foot is very important for the prevention and treatment of diabetic foot.To investigate the value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in diagnosing microcirculatory alterations in the dorsum of the foot for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).Eighty-eight T2DM patients were included, among them 30 patients sustained diabetes mellitus without complications (group A), 28 with lesions in the dorsum of the foot (no acute infection) that can be classified as Wagner grade 0 ~ 1 (group B), and 30 with lesions in the dorsum of the foot that can be classified as Wagner grade 2–5 (group C). Another 30 healthy adults were included as the control group. All subjects underwent CEUS to examine the dorsalis pedis arteries and blood perfusion to the underlying soft tissues. Parameters of the time-intensity curve (TIC), including rise time (RT), ascending slope (AS), time to peak (TTP), peak intensity (PI), area under the curve (AUC), and half of drop time (DT/2) were analyzed.The analysis of TIC data of the dorsalis pedis arteries showed that group C had decreased AS, PI, and AUC and increased TTP, RT, and DT/2 compared with groups A, B, and the control group; the differences were statistically significant (p < 0.05). The analysis of TIC data of the perfusion to the underlying soft tissues showed that AS, PI, and AUC decreased from the control group through group A, B, and then C; the differences were all statistically significant (p < 0.05). The TIC data were correlated with the severity of microcirculatory impairment in the dorsum of the foot and among them the AUC, PI, and AS had higher predictive value.Microcirculatory impairment in the dorsum of the foot in T2DM patients presents itself as “delayed wash-in, delayed wash-out, and weak enhancement” on CEUS images. CEUS can provide quantification of the microcirculatory changes in the soft tissues in the dorsum of the foot and reflect the differences of microcirculatory perfusion across different grades of lesions.Objective: Diabetic foot is one of the most serious complications of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and its incidence is increasing in China. Early detection of abnormal microcirculation in the foot is very important for the prevention and treatment of diabetic foot.To investigate the value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in diagnosing microcirculatory alterations in the dorsum of the foot for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).Eighty-eight T2DM patients were included, among them 30 patients sustained diabetes mellitus without complications (group A), 28 with lesions in the dorsum of the foot (no acute infection) that can be classified as Wagner grade 0 ~ 1 (group B), and 30 with lesions in the dorsum of the foot that can be classified as Wagner grade 2–5 (group C). Another 30 healthy adults were included as the control group. All subjects underwent CEUS to examine the dorsalis pedis arteries and blood perfusion to the underlying soft tissues. Parameters of the time-intensity curve (TIC), including rise time (RT), ascending slope (AS), time to peak (TTP), peak intensity (PI), area under the curve (AUC), and half of drop time (DT/2) were analyzed.The analysis of TIC data of the dorsalis pedis arteries showed that group C had decreased AS, PI, and AUC and increased TTP, RT, and DT/2 compared with groups A, B, and the control group; the differences were statistically significant (p < 0.05). The analysis of TIC data of the perfusion to the underlying soft tissues showed that AS, PI, and AUC decreased from the control group through group A, B, and then C; the differences were all statistically significant (p < 0.05). The TIC data were correlated with the severity of microcirculatory impairment in the dorsum of the foot and among them the AUC, PI, and AS had higher predictive value.Microcirculatory impairment in the dorsum of the foot in T2DM patients presents itself as “delayed wash-in, delayed wash-out, and weak enhancement” on CEUS images. CEUS can provide quantification of the microcirculatory changes in the soft tissues in the dorsum of the foot and reflect the differences of microcirculatory perfusion across different grades of lesions.Methods: Diabetic foot is one of the most serious complications of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and its incidence is increasing in China. Early detection of abnormal microcirculation in the foot is very important for the prevention and treatment of diabetic foot.To investigate the value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in diagnosing microcirculatory alterations in the dorsum of the foot for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).Eighty-eight T2DM patients were included, among them 30 patients sustained diabetes mellitus without complications (group A), 28 with lesions in the dorsum of the foot (no acute infection) that can be classified as Wagner grade 0 ~ 1 (group B), and 30 with lesions in the dorsum of the foot that can be classified as Wagner grade 2–5 (group C). Another 30 healthy adults were included as the control group. All subjects underwent CEUS to examine the dorsalis pedis arteries and blood perfusion to the underlying soft tissues. Parameters of the time-intensity curve (TIC), including rise time (RT), ascending slope (AS), time to peak (TTP), peak intensity (PI), area under the curve (AUC), and half of drop time (DT/2) were analyzed.The analysis of TIC data of the dorsalis pedis arteries showed that group C had decreased AS, PI, and AUC and increased TTP, RT, and DT/2 compared with groups A, B, and the control group; the differences were statistically significant (p < 0.05). The analysis of TIC data of the perfusion to the underlying soft tissues showed that AS, PI, and AUC decreased from the control group through group A, B, and then C; the differences were all statistically significant (p < 0.05). The TIC data were correlated with the severity of microcirculatory impairment in the dorsum of the foot and among them the AUC, PI, and AS had higher predictive value.Microcirculatory impairment in the dorsum of the foot in T2DM patients presents itself as “delayed wash-in, delayed wash-out, and weak enhancement” on CEUS images. CEUS can provide quantification of the microcirculatory changes in the soft tissues in the dorsum of the foot and reflect the differences of microcirculatory perfusion across different grades of lesions.Results: Diabetic foot is one of the most serious complications of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and its incidence is increasing in China. Early detection of abnormal microcirculation in the foot is very important for the prevention and treatment of diabetic foot.To investigate the value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in diagnosing microcirculatory alterations in the dorsum of the foot for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).Eighty-eight T2DM patients were included, among them 30 patients sustained diabetes mellitus without complications (group A), 28 with lesions in the dorsum of the foot (no acute infection) that can be classified as Wagner grade 0 ~ 1 (group B), and 30 with lesions in the dorsum of the foot that can be classified as Wagner grade 2–5 (group C). Another 30 healthy adults were included as the control group. All subjects underwent CEUS to examine the dorsalis pedis arteries and blood perfusion to the underlying soft tissues. Parameters of the time-intensity curve (TIC), including rise time (RT), ascending slope (AS), time to peak (TTP), peak intensity (PI), area under the curve (AUC), and half of drop time (DT/2) were analyzed.The analysis of TIC data of the dorsalis pedis arteries showed that group C had decreased AS, PI, and AUC and increased TTP, RT, and DT/2 compared with groups A, B, and the control group; the differences were statistically significant (p < 0.05). The analysis of TIC data of the perfusion to the underlying soft tissues showed that AS, PI, and AUC decreased from the control group through group A, B, and then C; the differences were all statistically significant (p < 0.05). The TIC data were correlated with the severity of microcirculatory impairment in the dorsum of the foot and among them the AUC, PI, and AS had higher predictive value.Microcirculatory impairment in the dorsum of the foot in T2DM patients presents itself as “delayed wash-in, delayed wash-out, and weak enhancement” on CEUS images. CEUS can provide quantification of the microcirculatory changes in the soft tissues in the dorsum of the foot and reflect the differences of microcirculatory perfusion across different grades of lesions.Conclusions: Diabetic foot is one of the most serious complications of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and its incidence is increasing in China. Early detection of abnormal microcirculation in the foot is very important for the prevention and treatment of diabetic foot.To investigate the value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in diagnosing microcirculatory alterations in the dorsum of the foot for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).Eighty-eight T2DM patients were included, among them 30 patients sustained diabetes mellitus without complications (group A), 28 with lesions in the dorsum of the foot (no acute infection) that can be classified as Wagner grade 0 ~ 1 (group B), and 30 with lesions in the dorsum of the foot that can be classified as Wagner grade 2–5 (group C). Another 30 healthy adults were included as the control group. All subjects underwent CEUS to examine the dorsalis pedis arteries and blood perfusion to the underlying soft tissues. Parameters of the time-intensity curve (TIC), including rise time (RT), ascending slope (AS), time to peak (TTP), peak intensity (PI), area under the curve (AUC), and half of drop time (DT/2) were analyzed.The analysis of TIC data of the dorsalis pedis arteries showed that group C had decreased AS, PI, and AUC and increased TTP, RT, and DT/2 compared with groups A, B, and the control group; the differences were statistically significant (p < 0.05). The analysis of TIC data of the perfusion to the underlying soft tissues showed that AS, PI, and AUC decreased from the control group through group A, B, and then C; the differences were all statistically significant (p < 0.05). The TIC data were correlated with the severity of microcirculatory impairment in the dorsum of the foot and among them the AUC, PI, and AS had higher predictive value.Microcirculatory impairment in the dorsum of the foot in T2DM patients presents itself as “delayed wash-in, delayed wash-out, and weak enhancement” on CEUS images. CEUS can provide quantification of the microcirculatory changes in the soft tissues in the dorsum of the foot and reflect the differences of microcirculatory perfusion across different grades of lesions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the clinical significance of perinuclear anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (p-ANCA) in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). This retrospective study included 120 SLE patients. All patients were divided into group p-ANCA+ and group p-ANCA−. Demographic characteristics, clinical symptoms, autoantibodies, laboratory tests and renal pathology were compared between these two groups. Among 120 patients, 45 (37.5%) patients were p-ANCA+ and 75 (62.5%) patients were p-ANCA−. The occurrence of lupus nephritis was significantly higher in group p-ANCA+ (P = 0.046). For autoantibodies, the occurrences of anti-dsDNA, anti-nucleosome and anti-histone were significantly higher in group p-ANCA+ (P < 0.001, P = 0.004 and P = 0.006, respectively). Titers of anti-dsDNA antibody, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), serum beta-2-microglobulin (β2-MG) and systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity index (SLEDAI) were higher in group p-ANCA+ (P < 0.001 , P = 0.021, P < 0.001 and P = 0.005, respectively), while albumin was significantly lower than p-ANCA− group (P = 0.012). There were no differences in the classification of lupus nephritis, activity index and chronicity index. p-ANCA correlated with lupus nephritis, anti-dsDNA antibody, anti-nucleosome antibody and anti-histone antibody, and also disease activity markers, such as titers of anti-dsDNA antibody, ESR, albumin, serum β2-MG and SLEDAI. The appearance of p-ANCA in SLE indicated high probability of lupus nephritis and more severe condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To investigate the effect of isoimperatorin on nasopharyngeal carcinoma CNE2 cell apoptosis and the role of the MAPK/ERK1/2 signaling pathway in inducing apoptosis. Methods. Real-time cellular analysis technology (RTCA) and MTT were used to detect cell proliferation; Annexin V-FITC/PI dual-fluorescence flow cytometry analysis, Hoechst 33342 staining, and mitochondrial membrane potential detection kit were used to detect cell apoptosis; western blot was used to detect protein expression. Results. Different concentrations of isoimperatorin (10 μM, 20 μM, 30 μM, and 40 μM) significantly inhibited the nasopharyngeal carcinoma CNE2 cell proliferation, and 48 h later, the inhibitory effect of the 40 μM treatment was significantly higher than that of 10 μM and 20 μM. Treatment for 48 h significantly induced nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell apoptosis and resulted in nuclear pyknosis and fragmentation. At the same timepoint, the expression levels of proliferation-related protein PCNA as well as antiapoptosis proteins XIAP, survivin, and Bcl-2 were decreased by drug treatment, the expression level of proapoptosis protein Bax was increased, and the expression of the key MAPK/ERK1/2 signaling pathway proteins p-c-Raf, p-MEK, and p-ERK1/2 of were decreased. After activation of the MAPK/ERK1/2 signaling pathway by isoprenaline hydrochloride (ISO), the efficacy of isoimperatorin to downregulate p-c-Raf, p-MEK, and p-ERK1/2 expressions in the MAPK/ERK1/2 signaling pathway and proliferation-related protein PCNA as well as antiapoptosis proteins XIAP, surviving, and Bcl-2 was reduced compared with that of isoimperatorin alone, the effect of upregulating the proapoptotic protein Bax was reduced, and the apoptosis rate was also decreased. Conclusion. Isoimperatorin can induce nasopharyngeal carcinoma CNE2 cell apoptosis through the MAPK/ERK1/2 signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecular dynamics simulations of supported shock waves (shock pressure Ps ∼ 15 GPa) propagating along the [110], [011], [101], and [111] directions in crystalline nitromethane initially at T = 200 K were performed using the nonreactive Sorescu-Rice-Thompson force field [D. C. Sorescu, B. M. Rice, and D. L. Thompson, J. Phys. Chem. B 104, 8406 (2000)]. These simulations, combined with those from a preceding study of shocks propagating along [100], [010], and [001] directions in nitromethane for similar conditions of temperature and shock pressure [L. He, T. D. Sewell, and D. L. Thompson, J. Chem. Phys. 134, 124506 (2011)], have been used to study the post-shock relaxation phenomena. Shocks along [010] and [101] lead to a crystal-crystal structure transformation. Shocks propagating along [011], [110], [111], [100], and [001] exhibit plane-specific disordering, which was characterized by calculating as functions of time the 1D mean square displacement (MSD), 2D radial distribution function (RDF), and 2D orientation order parameter P2(θ) in orthogonal planes mutually perpendicular to the shock plane; and by calculating as functions of distance behind the shock front the Cartesian components of intermolecular, intramolecular, and total kinetic energies. The 2D RDF results show that the structural disordering for shocks along [100], [110], and [111] is strongly plane-specific; whereas for shocks along [001] and [011], the loss of crystal structural order is almost equivalent in the orthogonal planes perpendicular to the shock plane. Based on the entire set of simulations, there is a trend for the most extensive disordering to occur in the (010) and ([formula]10) planes, less extensive disordering to occur in the (100) plane, and essentially no disordering to occur in the (001) plane. The 2D P2(θ) and 1D MSD profiles show, respectively, that the orientational and translational disordering is plane-specific, which results in the plane-specific structural disordering observed in the 2D RDF. By contrast, the kinetic energy partitioning and redistribution do not exhibit plane specificity, as shown by the similarity of spatial profiles of the Cartesian components of the intermolecular, intramolecular, and total kinetic energies in orthogonal planes perpendicular to the shock plane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structural relaxation of crystalline nitromethane initially at T = 200 K subjected to moderate (∼15 GPa) supported shocks on the (100), (010), and (001) crystal planes has been studied using microcanonical molecular dynamics with the nonreactive Sorescu-Rice-Thompson force field [D. C. Sorescu, B. M. Rice, and D. L. Thompson, J. Phys. Chem. B 104, 8406 (2000)]. The responses to the shocks were determined by monitoring the mass density, the intermolecular, intramolecular, and total temperatures (average kinetic energies), the partitioning of total kinetic energy among Cartesian directions, the radial distribution functions for directions perpendicular to those of shock propagation, the mean-square displacements in directions perpendicular to those of shock propagation, and the time dependence of molecular rotational relaxation as a function of time. The results show that the mechanical response of crystalline nitromethane strongly depends on the orientation of the shock wave. Shocks propagating along [100] and [001] result in translational disordering in some crystal planes but not in others, a phenomenon that we refer to as plane-specific disordering; whereas for [010] the shock-induced stresses are relieved by a complicated structural rearrangement that leads to a paracrystalline structure. The plane-specific translational disordering is more complete by the end of the simulations (∼6 ps) for shock propagation along [001] than along [100]. Transient excitation of the intermolecular degrees of freedom occurs in the immediate vicinity of the shock front for all three orientations; the effect is most pronounced for the [010] shock. In all three cases excitation of molecular vibrations occurs more slowly than the intermolecular excitation. The intermolecular and intramolecular temperatures are nearly equal by the end of the simulations, with 400-500 K of net shock heating. Results for two-dimensional mean-square molecular center-of-mass displacements, calculated as a function of time since shock wave passage in planes perpendicular to the direction of shock propagation, show that the molecular translational mobility in the picoseconds following shock wave passage is greatest for [001] and least for the [010] case. In all cases the root-mean-square center-of-mass displacement is small compared to the molecular diameter of nitromethane on the time scale of the simulations. The calculated time scales for the approach to thermal equilibrium are generally consistent with the predictions of a recent theoretical analysis due to Hooper [J. Chem. Phys. 132, 014507 (2010)]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this research is to investigate the relationship between China's soft power and the international branch campuses (IBCs) established overseas by Chinese universities, and to identify which aspect of China's soft power has the greatest impact on these campuses. We adopted a qualitative research design that involved interviews with managers, faculty and staff at three Chinese international branch campuses in Laos, Malaysia and Thailand. Our findings suggest that China is leveraging its existing soft power to assist or promote its education export, and China's soft power is returning to South East Asia. Although each of the three IBCs contributes to disseminating China's soft power to a certain extent, their effort is still quite limited. The aspect of China's soft power that has the greatest influence on the Chinese IBCs is the necessity of the Chinese language, as well as Chinese cultural history and heritage. Another important factor is the economic power of China, albeit a type of hard power. It is China's rapid economic development that is driving students' desire to take courses delivered in Chinese, and to learn the Chinese language at these branch campuses. The study's findings have implications for policy makers, educators and researchers with an interest in IBCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ixodid ticks are ectoparasites responsible for the transmission of a large number of bacterial, viral, and protozoan pathogens to animals and humans. As long-term blood-pool feeders, the digestion of host blood is critical to their development as well as to the establishment of the sexual cycle of hemoparasites such as Babesia parasites, the agents of human and animal babesiosis. Previous studies have demonstrated that cysteine proteases are involved in blood digestion, embryogenesis, and pathogen transmission in other species of ticks, but their characteristics and functions are still unidentified in Haemaphysalis flava. Here, we describe the characterization of a cysteine protease HfCL from H. flava. We show that HfCL belongs to the L-like papain family of proteases, exhibits high expression in nymphs and adults, and localizes to both the midgut and salivary glands. Biochemical assays using purified recombinant enzyme reveal that rHfCL can hydrolyze the fluorogenic substrate Z-phe-Arg-MCA with optimal activity detected at pH 6. Furthermore, the short-term growth assay indicates that rHfCL can inhibit the intraerythrocytic development of Babesia microti and Babesia gibsoni in vitro. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To analyze the relationships between illness uncertainty, social support, and coping mode in hospitalized patients with systematic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Methods: The General Health Questionnaire, Mishel Uncertainty in Illness Scale, Social Support Rating Scale, and Medical Coping Modes Questionnaire were to the hospitalized patients with SLE (N = 200) in a tertiary hospital in Shaanxi. Results: The hospitalized patients with SLE showed a moderate level of illness uncertainty. Furthermore, illness uncertainty was negatively correlated with support availability (r = -0.161, P = 0.023) and facing coping mode (r = -0.231, P = 0.001), and was positively correlated with the yielding coping mode (r = 0.249, P < 0.001). Conclusion: These findings suggest that support availability and coping modes were associated with moderate level of illness uncertainty, indicating that support availability support should be strengthened in hospitalized patients to actively face their disease. This subsequently improves their treatment compliance and quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs. These noncoding RNAs regulate the expression of target genes and inhibit the translation of target proteins at the post-transcriptional level. miRNAs also play an important role in human health, from the development and differentiation of cells to the occurrence and progression of disorders such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and neurodegenerative diseases. Precancerous lesions are lesions prior to invasive carcinomas, and carcinogenesis is a very complicated process, which is multistage and the result of multigene synergy. miRNAs exert effects as both oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes by regulating target genes involved in signaling pathways. Hence, precancerous lesions are accompanied by relevant miRNA changes. Based on the morphology of miRNAs in vivo and the specificity of miRNA, various novel miRNA analysis methods have been developed, including reverse transcription quantitative PCR, enzyme analysis, molecular beacons, and deep sequencing. For example, in the laryngeal epithelial precancerous lesions, the data demonstrate that the expression of miR-10a-5p is downregulated and miR-484 is the most abundant miRNA in hepatic precancerous lesions. In this review, we discuss the functional roles of miRNAs in human precancerous lesions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

All universities must achieve legitimacy, as this is essential to attract students, staff, and resources, including funding. To achieve legitimacy in transnational higher education, universities must conform to the rules and belief systems in the host countries. Adopting a case study approach, this research aims to investigate the different institutional influences on three Chinese international branch campuses (IBCs) that operate in South East Asia. The institutional factors behind the strategies taken in establishing and operating such branch campuses are discussed, as well as the different legitimacy building strategies adopted to counteract the liability of foreignness in the host countries. It was found that legitimacy is established through three modes: legitimacy conformity, selective legitimacy conformity/nonconformity, and legitimacy creation, which are adopted according to the IBC’s dependence on local resources and the strength of the institutional forces in the host country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, domestic demand for MBAs has fallen in most major Western markets but has increased or remained stable in emerging economies such as China and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which are the two countries globally that host the largest numbers of international branch campuses. Thus, this research aimed to discover why students in China and the UAE still want an MBA. A survey questionnaire was completed by a total of 354 MBA students, at two universities in China and two universities in the UAE. Some of the results were surprising and unexpected. For example, recognition, prestige and networking - all key features in Chinese and Emirati societies - were found not to be key motivators for wanting an MBA. Instead, the desire to acquire knowledge and skills was the strongest motivator among respondents, accounting for 32.4 per cent of variance. This was followed by reasons associated with intrinsic benefits. The findings have implications for institutional strategy, curriculum design, program delivery and the marketing of programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the capability of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging radiomics signatures for pretreatment prediction of early response to induction chemotherapy in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective study consisting of 120 patients with biopsy-proven NPC (stage II-IV). Texture features were extracted from the pretreatment morphological MR images for each case. Radiomics signatures were obtained with the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator method (LASSO) logistic regression model. The association between the radiomics signatures and the early response to induction chemotherapy was explored.Results: From the contrast-enhanced T1-weighted MR imaging (CE T1WI), 5 features were selected by the LASSO model. The radiomics signature categorised patients with NPC into response and nonresponse groups (P<0.001). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve values (AUC), sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value(NPV) were 0.715(95% CI 0.699-0.731), 0.940, 0.500, 0.568 and 0.897 respectively, where non-responders are true-positives. The AUC of 1000 bootstrap internal validation was 0.715. Furthermore, when the features of T1-weighted MR imaging (T1WI), T2-weighted MR imaging (T2WI), T2-weighted fat-suppressed MR imaging (T2WI FS) and CE T1WI were analysed together, 15 features were selected to develop the radiomics signature. The performance of this radiomics signature was better than that developed only from CE T1WI (P<0.05). The AUC value was 0.822(95% CI 0.809-0.835) with sensitivity of 0.980, specificity of 0.529, PPV of 0.593 and NPV of 0.949. The AUC of 1000 bootstrap analysis was 0.821. From T1WI, T2WI, and T2WI FS images separately, no valuable features were selected.Conclusions: Pretreatment morphological MR imaging radiomics signatures can predict early response to induction chemotherapy in patients with NPC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We designed a ZnO template‐assisted Pd−Pt hollow nanorods electrocatalyst for photoelectrooxidation of methanol‐ethanol mixed‐fuel cells. The ZnO template‐assisted Pd−Pt hollow nanorods can be prepared by simple three steps electrodeposition method. The hollow nanorods were achieved simultaneously with the deposition of Pt. The electrodeposition of Pt is controllable and time dependent, which in turn created a hollow cavity along with ZnO residual. Owing to the open hollow structure, enhanced electrocatalytic and photocatalytic performance from the ZnO and the Pd−Pt hollow nanorods were obtained for the methanol‐ethanol mixture fuel cells. Such ZnO metal semiconductor nanostructure can improve the separation efficiency of the holes and electrons and greatly enhance the photocatalytic activity for the electro‐oxidation of the methanol and ethanol mixture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• F-CZM is proposed for describing fatigue bond performance of interface in a ballastless track. • Fatigue degradation laws of the interface in a ballastless track are established. • Interface fatigue life curves and interfacial separating displacement curves are acquired. • DIC is used to monitor the evolution of full-field strain distribution of specimens. The interface between track slab and concrete is the weakest zone in a ballastless track. Under the long-term and repeated coupling effect of the environment and train loads, a large area of damage can occur at this interface, leading to the initiation and propagation of interlaminar crack, and the failure of the interlayer bonding area. To reveal the fatigue behaviors and degradation laws of the interface between the prefabricated track plate (C60) and self-compacting concrete (SCC) in China Railway Track System (CRTS) III slab track, a fatigue cohesive zone model is proposed for the analysis of the fatigue bonding performances of the interface C60-SCC, and the fatigue damage degradation criterion is established. Next, static and fatigue tests for C60-SCC composite specimens are conducted, and full-field strain distribution images of these specimens are obtained by the digital image correlation technique. The results show that: (1) the evolution of interfacial crack of C60-SCC specimens under monotonic loading was captured and static cohesive parameters were obtained; (2) the fatigue life curve and interfacial separating displacement curves were acquired, for predicting the interface fatigue life and calculating the degree of interface damage and residual fatigue life of CRTS III slab track in service; (3) the fatigue cohesive response of the interface C60-SCC under cyclic loading were determined for describing the fatigue behaviors of the interface in CRTS III slab track. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cultured Babesia bovis and Babesia bigemina were recovered from liquid nitrogen storage nearly 30 years after they were cryopreserved. Four cattle were compared as donors of erythrocytes and serum for microaerophilous stationary phase (MASP) cultures for recovery of B. bigemina. Erythrocytes and serum from only one (#913) of the four animals supported growth of B. bigemina. Two B. bigemina (frozen in 1986 and 1987) and two B. bovis (both frozen in 1986) cryostocks were recovered from liquid nitrogen storage and all four recovered and thrived in #913 erythrocytes and serum. In the third passage after recovery, B. bovis cultures were cryopreserved. Six months later they were successfully recovered using #913 erythrocytes and serum. This study shows that B. bovis and B. bigemina stored nearly 30 years in liquid nitrogen can be successfully recovered in the MASP system. This study also confirms previous observations that selection of a suitable bovine donor of erythrocytes and serum is critical to the success of the culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Babesiosis caused by Babesia orientalis is one of the most prevalent infections of water buffalo transmitted by Rhipicephalus haemaphysaloides causing a parasitic and hemolytic disease. The organelles proteins localized in apical membrane especially rhoptries neck and microneme protein form a complex called moving junction important during invasion process of parasites belonging to apicomplexan group, including Babesia species. A truncated fragment coding a 936 bps fragment was cloned in pMD-19T and subcloned into pET32 (a)+ expression vector, expressed in E. coli BL21. Purified recombinant BoRON2 was used to produce polyclonal antibody against BoRON2. Here, we identified the full sequence of gene encoding the rhoptry neck 2 protein that we named BoRON2 which is 4035 bp in full-length open reading frame without introns, encoding a polypeptide of 1345 amino acids. Western blot of rBoRON2 probed with buffalo positive serum analysis revealed a band of around 150 kDa in parasite lysates, suggesting an active involvement during invasion process. These findings most likely are constructive in perspective of ongoing research focused particularly on water buffalo babesiosis prevention and therapeutics and globally provide new information for genes comparative analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To develop a CT-based radiomics signature and assess its ability for preoperatively predicting the early recurrence (≤1 year) of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: A total of 215 HCC patients who underwent partial hepatectomy were enrolled in this retrospective study, and all the patients were followed up at least within 1 year. Radiomics features were extracted from arterial- and portal venous-phase CT images, and a radiomics signature was built by the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) logistic regression model. Preoperative clinical factors associated with early recurrence were evaluated. A radiomics signature, a clinical model, and a combined model were built, and the area under the curve (AUC) of operating characteristics (ROC) was used to explore their performance to discriminate early recurrence. Results: Twenty-one radiomics features were chosen from 300 candidate features to build a radiomics signature that was significantly associated with early recurrence ( P < 0.001), and they presented good performance in the discrimination of early recurrence alone with an AUC of 0.817 (95% CI: 0.758-0.866), sensitivity of 0.794, and specificity of 0.699. The AUCs of the clinical and combined models were 0.781 (95% CI: 0.719-0.834) and 0.836 (95% CI: 0.779-0.883), respectively, with the sensitivity being 0.784 and 0.824, and the specificity being 0.619 and 0.708, respectively. Adding a radiomics signature into conventional clinical variables can significantly improve the accuracy of the preoperative model in predicting early recurrence ( P = 0.01). Conclusions: The radiomics signature was a significant predictor for early recurrence in HCC. Incorporating radiomics signature into conventional clinical factors performed better for preoperative estimation of early recurrence than with clinical variables alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epidemiological evidence supports that infection with high-risk types of human papillomavirus (HPV) can interact with host and environmental risk factors to contribute to the development of cervical, oropharyngeal, and other anogenital cancers. In this study, we established a mouse epithelial cancer cell line, designated as Chinese University Papillomavirus-1 (CUP-1), from C57BL/KsJ mice through persistent expression of HPV-16 E7 oncogene. After continuous culturing of up to 200 days with over 60 passages, we showed that CUP-1 became an immortalized and transformed epithelial cell line with continuous E7 expression and persistent reduction of retinoblastoma protein (a known target of E7). This model allowed in-vivo study of interaction between HPV and co-factors of tumorigenesis in syngeneic mice. Diabetes has been shown to increase HPV pathogenicity in different pathological context. Herein, with this newly-established cell line, we uncovered that diabetes promoted CUP-1 xenograft growth in syngeneic db/db mice. In sum, we successfully established a HPV-16 E7 transformed mouse epithelial cell line, which allowed subsequent studies of co-factors in multistep HPV carcinogenesis in an immunocompetent host. More importantly, this study is the very first to demonstrate the promoting effect of diabetes on HPV-associated carcinogenesis in vivo, implicating the importance of cancer surveillance in diabetic environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The need for alternative energy sources utilizing visible light is growing stronger due to the increasing energy demand. The UV light is widely used in photoelectrocatalysis, however, it is still difficult to use the visible light efficiently to enhance the catalytic activity. Here we design a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) promoted photoelectrocatalyst taking advantage of visible light by tailoring a Au core Pd shell Pt mushroom trimetallic structure nanoparticles to enhance the catalytic activity of the direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). The Au core is used to provide the SPR effect utilizing visible light to enhance the catalytic activity. The combination of the Pd and Pt provides a synergistic effect to enhance the catalytic activity. The photoelectrocatalytic and photothermal effect generated from SPR is proved and quantitatively calculated. These results provide a novel design of photoelectrocatalyst based on the SPR effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kawasaki disease (KD) is a leading cause of acquired heart disease predominantly affecting infants and young children. Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) is applied as the most favorable treatment against KD, but IVIG resistant remains exist. Although several clinical scoring systems have been developed to identify children at highest risk of IVIG resistance, there is a need to identify sufficiently sensitive biomarkers for IVIG treatment. Some differentially expressed genes (DEGs) could be the promising potential biomarkers for IVIG-related sensitivity diagnosis. We employed a systematic and integrative bioinformatics framework to identify such kind of genes. The performance of the candidate genes was evaluated by hierarchical clustering, ROC analysis and literature mining. By analyzing three datasets of KD patients, 34 DEGs of the three groups have been found to be associated with IVIG-related sensitivity. A module of 12 genes could predict resistant group patients with high accuracy, and a module of ten genes could predict responsive group patients effectively with accuracy of 96 %. And three of them are most likely to serve as drug targets or diagnostic biomarkers in the future. Compared with unsupervised hierarchical clustering analysis, our modules could distinct IVIG-resistant patients efficiently. Two groups of DEGs could predict IVIG-related sensitivity with high accuracy, which are potential biomarkers for the clinical diagnosis and prediction of IVIG treatment response in KD patients, improving the prognosis of patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High stress response is an important factor impeding the breeding of wild animals in captivity. Experimental fawn manipulation is considered a suitable approach to reduce the negative effects of behavioral and physiological stress. The forest musk deer ( Moschus berezovskii) is classified as 'endangered' by the IUCN Red List due to over-exploitation for musk production. Musk is highly valued for its cosmetic and alleged pharmaceutical properties and has stimulated the enthusiasm of captive musk deer breeding in recent years. This study attempts to reduce behavioral and physiological stress responses in juvenile musk deer using experimental fawn manipulation. Habituation started 5 days after birth and lasted until weaning age (90 days). We determined the behavioral stress response at the age of 30, 60, 90, 150, and 360 days by measuring acceptance or rejection of three treatment intensities (i.e., stroking, embracement) and quantified behavioral responses (urination, approaching the investigator). At the same time, physiological stress parameters were established, measuring the fecal glucocorticosteroid metabolite (FGM) concentration. Our results indicate that fawn manipulation initially reduced the behavioral stress, but after termination of treatments, stress symptoms reoccurred. We detected no difference in the FGM concentrations between treatment and control groups, suggesting that the experimental fawn manipulation did not decrease the physiological stress response. This implies that behavioral stress reduction cannot be sustained if the physiological stress remains unaltered. We argue that the socio-positive reactions of musk deer fawns to humans could be phenotypic and that the physiological stress response rather reflects their intrinsic characteristics than a successful manipulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In June 2015, a total of 64 transnational higher education institutions (TEIs) were approved by the Ministry of Education (MOE) to operate in China’s higher education sector. The TEIs were established in two batches. The first batch of 24 TEIs resulted from a policy promulgated in 1995, whereas the second batch of 40 TEIs resulted from two regulations enacted in 2003 and 2004. The selection criteria used by the MOE to grant approval for the establishment of TEIs are not openly available. Thus, this study aims to identify the actual changes in policy between 1995 and 2003/2004, by analyzing the characteristics of the TEIs in the two batches. It was found that TEIs were more likely to be approved by the MOE in the second batch if (a) they cooperated with high-ranked European partners, (b) they were affiliated with a Chinese university rather than having legal person status, and (c) they offered programs in IT, science, or engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The surface plasmon resonance (SPR) induced photothermal and photoelectrocatalysis effects are crucial for catalytic reactions in many areas. However, it is still difficult to distinguish these two effects quantitatively. Here we used surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) to detect the photothermal and photoelectrocatalytic effects induced by SPR from Au core Pt shell Nanoparticles (Au@Pt NPs), and calculated the quantitative contribution of the ratio of the photothermal and photoelectrocatalysis effects towards the catalytic activity. The photothermal effect on the nanoparticle surface after illumination is detected by SERS. The photoelectrocatalytic effect generated from SPR is proved by SERS with a probe molecule of p-aminothiophenol (PATP). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The surface plasmon resonance (SPR) induced photothermal and photoelectrocatalysis effects are crucial for catalytic reactions in many areas. However, it is still difficult to distinguish these two effects quantitatively. Here we used surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) to detect the photothermal and photoelectrocatalytic effects induced by SPR from Au core Pt shell Nanoparticles (Au@Pt NPs), and calculated the quantitative contribution of the ratio of the photothermal and photoelectrocatalysis effects towards the catalytic activity. The photothermal effect on the nanoparticle surface after illumination is detected by SERS. The photoelectrocatalytic effect generated from SPR is proved by SERS with a probe molecule of p-aminothiophenol (PATP). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel Babesia orientalis 34 kDa protein (designated BoP34) was obtained by immunoscreening of a cDNA expression library using B. orientalis infected water buffalo serum. The complete nucleotide sequence of the BoP34 was 1088 bp, which contained one open reading frame (ORF), two untranslated regions (UTRs) and a poly (A) tail. The length of ORF was 933 bp, encoding a polypeptide of 310 aa with a predicted size of 34 kDa. BLAST analysis showed that the nucleotide sequence of BoP34 had 71% similarity with that of the Babesia bovis gene XM_001611335, which encodes a nuclear movement family protein. This suggested that BoP34 is a homologous of the movement family protein. Structural analysis of the BoP34 protein indicated a CS domain which may interact with the ATPase domain of the heat shock protein 90. A truncated version of BoP34 was cloned into the expression vector pET-32a and subsequently expressed and purified from the Escherichia coli Rosetta™ (DE3) pLysS stain as a Trx-fusion (designated rBoP34-T). Antibodies in the serum of a B. orientalis -infected water buffalo were able to recognize this protein in immune-bloting analysis. Rabbit antibodies raised against rBoP34-T could detecte native BoP34 (34 kDa) in B. orientalis -infected water buffalo erythrocytes. These results suggested that BoP34 might be a good diagnostic antigen for the specific detection of anti- B. orientalis antibody in water buffalo. Further research is required to explore the biological function and diagnostic potential of this molecule. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interconversion of white and brown adipocytes occurs between anabolic and catabolic states. The molecular mechanism regulating this phenotypic switch remains largely unknown. This study explores the role of tuberous sclerosis complex 1 (TSC1)-mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling in the conversion of brown to white adipose tissue (WAT). A colony of Fabp4-Tsc1-/- mice, in which the Tsc1 gene was specifically deleted by the fatty acid binding protein 4 (FABP4)-Cre, was established. Western blotting and immunostaining demonstrated the absence of TSC1 and activation of ribosomal protein S6 kinase 1, the downstream target of mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) signaling, in the brown adipose tissues (BATs) of Fabp4-Tsc1-/- mice. Accumulation of lipid droplets in BAT was significantly increased. Levels of brown adipocyte markers were markedly downregulated, while white adipocyte markers were upregulated. Rapamycin reversed the conversion from BAT to WAT in Fabp4-Tsc1-/- mice. Deletion of the Tsc1 gene in cultured brown preadipocytes significantly increased the conversion to white adipocytes. FoxC2 mRNA, the transcriptional factor for brown adipocyte determination, was significantly decreased, while mRNAs for retinoblastoma protein, p107 and RIP140, the transcriptional factors for white adipocyte determination, increased in the BAT of Fabp4-Tsc1-/- mice. Our study demonstrates that TSC1-mTORC1 signaling contributes to the brown-to-white adipocyte phenotypic switch. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rhoptry-associated protein 1 (RAP-1) gene of Babesia orientalis was obtained from a cDNA expression library by immunoscreening with B. orientalis -infected water buffalo sera. The nucleotide sequence of the cDNA was 1732 bp with an open reading frame (ORF) of 1434 bp, encoding a polypeptide of 478 amino acid residues with a predicted size of 52.5 kDa. The ORF was cloned into a pGEX-KG plasmid and subsequently expressed as a GST-fusion protein. The recombinant RAP-1 of B. orientalis (rBoRAP-1) was purified and evaluated as an antigen using Western blotting. The native BoRAP-1 was recognized by the antibodies raised in rabbits against rBoRAP-1. Strong immunofluorescence signals were observed in erythrocytes infected with B. orientalis . Phylogentic analysis revealed that B. orientalis fell into a Babesia clade and most closely related to Babesia bovis and Babesia ovis , which was similar to the previous reported trees based on 18S rRNA and HSP70 genes. The present study suggests that the BoRAP-1 might be a potential diagnostic antigen, and the RAP-1 genes can aid in the classification of Babesia and Theileria species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper investigates the dynamic hybrid multiple attribute decision making problems, in which the decision information, provided by decision makers at different periods, is expressed in intuitionistic fuzzy numbers or interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy numbers, respectively. We first develop two new aggregation operators called dynamic intuitionistic fuzzy Einstein weighted geometric (DIFEWG) operator and dynamic interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy Einstein weighted geometric (DIVIFEWG) operator. Moreover, a procedure based on the DIFEWG and DIVIFEWG operators is developed to solve the dynamic hybrid multiple attribute decision making problems where all the decision information about attribute values takes the form of intuitionistic fuzzy numbers or interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy numbers collected at different periods. Then, we utilize two different grey relational analysis (intuitionistic fuzzy GRA and interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy GRA) to calculate the overall grey relational degree of each alternative to the positive and negative ideal alternatives based on the decision information expressed in intuitionistic fuzzy numbers or interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy numbers, respectively and then calculate the relative grey relational degree of each alternative to the positive to rank all the altenatives. Finally, an illustrative example for curative effect evaluation of psychotic disorders is given to verify the developed approach and to demonstrate its practicality and effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Musk deer are an important economic wildlife resource, and long-term over-use has resulted in a sharp population decrease in the wild. Farming of musk deer is important to prevent the shrinking wild population from being hunted for their musk. Musk deer farming has a history of more than 60 years in China, but many problems persist. Musk deer are alert, timid and solitary in the wild, and the captive environment cannot satisfy their natural needs, leading to problems in musk deer farming. Understanding the biological characteristics of musk deer may help to identify ways for improving the welfare of farmed musk deer. In addition to gaining musk, musk deer farming can play a role in the reintroduction of musk deer, which complicates things as musk production requires tame domesticated musk deer whereas successful reintroduction requires untamed and less domesticated ones. In this article, we compare captive musk deer and wild musk deer for morphology, behavior, physiology, genetics, and nutrition, and discuss how to organize farming environment and management to satisfy biological needs of musk deer in order to improve their welfare and increase the population of farmed musk deer. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Frequent occurrence of land expropriation disputes in rural areas of China has attracted attention of scholars to study causes. Most existing studies discuss causes from "structure-institution" level. In other words, land expropriation disputes are caused by existing imperfect institutions, regulations, and policies. Such analysis model points institutional causes, but pays little attention to policy implementation process, especially the subjective initiative of parties concerned. This paper described a decade-long land expropriation dispute case in detail. Through description of event and process and survey of reasons of actors, it revealed factors resulting in occurrence and upgrade of dispute, and analyzed factors and their interactions with the aid of Smith Process Model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The pathophysiology of the complex regional pain syndrome involves enhanced neurogenic inflammation mediated by neuropeptides. Neutral endopeptidase (neprilysin, NEP) is a key enzyme in neuropeptide catabolism. Our previous work revealed that NEP knock out (ko) mice develop more severe hypersensitivity to thermal and mechanical stimuli after chronic constriction injury (CCI) of the sciatic nerve than wild-type (wt) mice. Because treatment with glucocorticoids is effective in early complex regional pain syndrome, we investigated whether methylprednisolone (MP) reduces pain and sciatic nerve neuropeptide content in NEP ko and wt mice with nerve injury. After CCI, NEP ko mice developed more severe thermal and mechanical hypersensitivity and hind paw edema than wt mice, confirming previous findings. Hypersensitivity was prevented by MP treatment in NEP ko but not in wt mice. MP treatment had no effect on protein levels of calcitonin-gene related peptide, substance P, and bradykinin in sciatic nerves of NEP ko mice. Endothelin-1 (ET-1) levels were higher in naïve and nerve-injured NEP ko than in wt mice, without an effect of MP treatment. Gene expression of the ET-1 receptors ETAR and ETBR was not different between genotypes and was not altered after CCI, but was increased after additional MP treatment. The ETBR agonist IRL-1620 was analgesic in NEP ko mice after CCI, and the ETBR antagonist BQ-788 showed a trend to reduce the analgesic effect of MP. The results provide evidence that MP reduces CCI-induced hyperalgesia in NEP ko mice, and that this may be related to ET-1 via analgesic actions of ETBR. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In order to solve the opposite charge agglomeration of polyelectrolyte chitosan and sodium alginate mixed solution, a core-shell spinneret was used and the mixed spinning solution of chitosan added with calcium chloride and sodium alginate spinning solution were passed through the shell and the core of the spinneret respectively. After extrusion, a slow ion complexation occurs between the two polyelectrolyte solutions and sodium alginate slowly becomes calcium alginate with the permeating of calcium chloride molecular. The complexed blend solution was extended under gravity, washed and dried to obtain a composite monofament with uniform and dense structure. The analysis of the structures and properties of the composite monofilament shows that the concentration of chitosan aqueous solution was 2%, the addition amount of calcium chloride solution is 7% of the mass of the chitosan solution, and the concentration of sodium alginate solution 1.5%, and the strength of the composite monofilament reaches 1.14 cN/dtex, which is 55.4% higher than that of the composite monofilament without calcium chloride, and its swelling ratio after soaking in water for 1 h reaches 33.2, indicating that the dressing made of the composite monofilament has a broad prospect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims/Introduction Type 2 diabetes is characterized by dysregulation of immunity, oxidative stress and reduced incretin effects. Experimental studies suggest that glucagon-like peptide ( GLP-1) might have immunomodulating effects. We hypothesize that GLP-1 receptor agonist, exendin-4, might reduce inflammatory response in type 2 diabetes. Materials and Methods Using peripheral blood mononuclear cells ( PBMC) sampled from 10 type 2 diabetes and 10 sex- and age-matched control subjects and supernatants from PBMC culture, the expression of phospho-mitogen activated protein kinase ( MAPK) signaling pathways in CD4+ T helper lymphocytes and monocytes was analyzed using flow cytometry. Cytokines/chemokines and superoxide anion before and after treatment with exendin-4 were measured by cytometric bead array and chemiluminesence assay, respectively. Results Compared with control subjects, PBMC from type 2 diabetes patients showed activated MAPK ( P38, c-Jun NH2-terminal protein kinase and extracellular signal-regulated kinase) signaling pathway, elevated superoxide anion, increased pro-inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1β, interleukin-6) and chemokines ( CCL5/regulated on activation normal T-cell expressed and secreted and CXCL10/interferon-γ-induced protein 10). These changes were attenuated by exendin-4, possibly through the suppression of p38 MAPK. Conclusions These results suggest that exendin-4 might downregulate pro-inflammatory responses and reduce oxidative stress by suppressing MAPK signaling pathways in type 2 diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a sensing strategy which employs an aptamer, unmodified gold nanoparticles (AuNP), and hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) to detect tetracycline (TET) in raw milk. The method is based on the colorimetric assay of aggregating AuNP. In the absence of TET, the CTAB and aptamer form a complex which allows the aggregation of AuNP. In the presence of TET, the TET aptamer is exhausted first due to the formation of aptamer-TET complexes, which prevents assembly of the CTAB-aptamer supramolecule, causing a colour change and no aggregation of AuNP. This mechanism for the detection of TET proved to be sensitive and convenient. The colorimetric assay has a detection limit of 122 nM TET. This sensor has great potential for the sensitive, colorimetric detection of a wide range of molecular analytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A molecular epidemiological survey was conducted to determine the prevalence of piroplasms in buffaloes and cattle from Sheikhupura and Okara districts of Punjab, Pakistan using reverse line blot (RLB) hybridization assay. The genetic diversity within 18S rRNA gene and ITS regions sequences of various obtained Theileria species (spp.) was also investigated. Briefly, 102 blood samples from buffaloes and cattle in the study districts were collected on blood collection cards and brought to the laboratory. DNA was extracted; the V4 hypervariable region of 18S rRNA was amplified and analyzed using RLB. Out of total samples analyzed, 61 (59.8%) were hybridized with Babesia/Theileria (B/T) genus-specific probe. Only one species of piroplasm was detected in buffaloes and cattle in study districts, i.e. Theileria (T.) annulata. Six samples only hybridized with B/T genus-specific and Theileria genus-specific probes but not with any species-specific probe indicating the presence of novel species or variants. The sequences of 18S rRNA gene and ITS regions of these six samples revealed the presence of T. annulata variants as confirmed through sequence identity estimation and phylogenetic analyses. Meanwhile, an unexpected sequence variation was observed within the 18S rRNA gene and ITS regions sequences of T. annulata identified in the present study. This is the first report on the simultaneous detection of species of piroplasms infecting buffaloes and cattle in Pakistan and molecular characterization of T. annulata 18S rRNA gene and ITS regions. The present study may address the new insights into the epidemiology of theileriosis which will help researches in designing control strategies and developing various molecular diagnostic tools at national level. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The presence and prevalence of tick-borne haemoparasites in water buffalo from the Hubei province, south China was investigated using the reverse line blot (RLB) hybridization assay and phylogenetic analysis of the parasite 18S rRNA gene. Theileria buffeli (19.1%) was the most frequently found species in all of the locations, followed by Babesia orientalis (8.9%), Babesia bovis (1.0%) and Babesia bigemina (0.7%). Only 12 (3.9%) of the samples had mixed infections. Eleven samples with single infections were selected for further characterization using 18S rRNA gene sequence analysis. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the eight T. buffeli 18S rRNA gene sequences obtained grouped into four clusters, of which three grouped with the known T. buffeli types B and D. The remaining five grouped separately from the previously describe T. buffeli types, constituting new T. buffeli types. The two B. bigemina 18S rRNA gene sequences obtained grouped closely with B. bigemina Kunming; this serves as the first report of B. bigemina in the Hubei province. The B. orientalis Daye 18S rRNA gene sequence obtained grouped closely with the previously reported B. orientalis Wuhan strain and with Babesia sp. Kashi 1 and Kashi 2. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]