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Obesity has become a global public health problem, and its relationship with gastrointestinal diseases has become a major concern. The visceral adiposity index (VAI) is a novel index to assess the distribution and content of visceral fat, and this study aimed to investigate the association between VAI and bowel habits (chronic diarrhea, chronic constipation) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The 2005–2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) dataset was used for the cross-sectional survey. Bowel habits and IBD were defined by self-report. Multiple logistic regression models were used to test the linear association of VAI with bowel habits and IBD. Fitted smoothed curves and threshold effects analyses were used to characterize nonlinear relationships. This cross-sectional study included 10,391 adults (≥ 20 years). After adjusting for covariates, there was a significant negative association between VAI and chronic constipation (OR [95% CI]: 0.97 [0.95, 1.00]) but no significant association with IBD (OR [95% CI]: 0.97 [0.87, 1.07]). Additionally, there was a nonlinear association between VAI and chronic diarrhea with a breakpoint of 3.08, with a positive correlation between the two on the left side of the breakpoint and no statistical significance on the right side. Subgroup analyses and interaction tests showed that maintaining sleep health was associated with a low risk of chronic constipation. Elevated VAI levels were negatively associated with chronic constipation, and elevated levels were positively associated with chronic diarrhea at VAI < 3.08. This reminds us that maintaining moderate levels of visceral fat may prevent the onset of chronic constipation and circumvent the risk of chronic diarrhea. Notably, maintaining healthy sleep may play a positive role in reducing chronic constipation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of Zr addition on the solidification structure and mechanical properties of a Cu-10 wt%Fe alloy were investigated. Grain refinement results from the in-situ synthesis of the ZrFe 2 nucleation substrate during solidification. The enhanced mechanical properties can be attributed to the additional precipitation of Cu 4 Zr and ZrFe 2 during ageing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite successful approaches to preserve organs, tissues, and isolated cells, the maintenance of stem cell viability and function in body fluids during storage for cell distribution and transportation remains unexplored. The aim of this study was to characterize urine-derived stem cells (USCs) after optimal preservation of urine specimens for up to 24 hours. A total of 415 urine specimens were collected from 12 healthy men (age range 20--54 years old). About 6x104 cells shed off from the urinary tract system in 24 hours. At least 100 USC clones were obtained from the stored urine specimens after 24 hours and maintained similar biological features to fresh USCs. The stored USCs had a "rice grain" shape in primary culture, and expressed mesenchymal stem cell surface markers, high telomerase activity, and normal karyotypes. Importantly, the preserved cells retained bipotent differentiation capacity. Differentiated USCs expressed myogenic specific proteins and contractile function when exposed to myogenic differentiation medium, and they expressed urothelial cell-specific markers and barrier function when exposed to urothelial differentiation medium. These data demonstrated that up to 75% of fresh USCs can be safely persevered in urine for 24 hours and that these cells stored in urine retain their original stem cell properties, indicating that preserved USCs could be available for potential use in cell-based therapy or clinical diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Up to half of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cases are diagnosed at an advanced stage, for which effective treatment options are lacking, resulting in a poor prognosis. Over the past few years, the combination of immune checkpoint inhibitors and anti-angiogenic targeted therapy has proven highly efficacious in treating advanced HCC, significantly extending patients' survival and providing a potential for sequential curative surgery. After sequential curative hepatectomy or liver transplantation following conversion therapy, patients can receive long-term survival benefits. In order to improve the long-term survival rate of the overall population with liver cancer and achieve the goal of a 15% increase in the overall 5-year survival rate outlined in the Healthy China 2030 blueprint, the Professional Committee for Prevention and Control of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Diseases of Chinese Preventive Medicine Association, Chinese Society of Liver Cancer, and the Liver Study Group of Surgery Committee of Beijing Medical Association organized in-depth discussions among relevant domestic experts in the field. These discussions focused on the latest progress since the release of the Chinese expert consensus on conversion therapy of immune checkpoint inhibitors combined antiangiogenic targeted drugs for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (2021 Edition) and resulted in a new consensus on the modifications and supplements to related key points. This consensus aims to further guide clinical practice, standardize medical care, and promote the development of the discipline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• MoS 2 /PVP hybrid nanocomposite was prepared by liquid-phase exfoliation. • Inkjet-printed MoS 2 / PVP sensor exhibited high sensitivity, ultrafast response/recovery behavior and good reproducibility towards humidity gas. • The enhanced humidity sensing performance was due to the synergistic effect between MoS 2 and PVP. An inkjet-printed humidity sensor based on molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2) mixed with polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) has been demonstrated in this work. MoS 2 /PVP ink was produced via a liquid-phase ultrasonic exfoliation, and then deposited on predifined interdigitated copper electrodes by inkjet printing to fabricate humidity sensors. The structure, composition, and morphology characterizations revealed that the MoS 2 / PVP hybrid nanocomposite was doposited on copper electrode homogeneously. Hydrophilic property of MoS 2 / PVP film was identified by contact angle measurement. The humidity sensing properties of MoS 2 / PVP film revealed a high sensitivity, ultrafast response/recovery behavior and good reproducibility. Moreover, the MoS 2 / PVP humidity sensor could be used to monitor the human respiratory rate. The enhanced humidity sensing performance was due to the synergistic effect between MoS 2 and PVP. This work opens new opportunities for the large-scale fabrication of flexible MoS 2 -based humidity sensor towards various applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports a novel strategy for fabricating the three-dimensional graphene-like nanosheets network (3D-GLNN) in a nickel (Ni) matrix composite through spark plasma sintering induced welding between graphene-like nanosheets grown on the surface of Ni foams. The in-situ constructed 3D interconnected GLNN architecture can significantly improve the load transfer capacity, thereby increasing the yield strength of the bulk composite. The crack bridging in the fracture process induced by the 3D-GLNN blocks the crack propagation during tensile deformation and results in significant strengthening and toughening. This study provides an innovative design idea (using the 3D-connected Ni foam as a template) to synergistically enhance the strength and strain-hardening capacity, thereby breaking the strength-ductility trade-off of graphene-reinforced metal matrix composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of social media and the ubiquity of the Internet, recent years have witnessed the rapid development of online video advertising among publishers and advertisers. Video advertising, as a new type of advertisement, has gained significant research attention from both academia and industry, coinciding with the ever‐growing volume of online videos. In this research, we provide a comprehensive survey of online video advertising in the fields of social science and computer science. We investigate state‐of‐the‐art articles from 1990 to the present and provide a new taxonomy of extant research topics based on these articles. We also highlight the factors that cause advertising to affect people and the most popular video advertising techniques used in computer science. Finally, on the basis of the analytics of the surveyed papers, future challenges are identified and potential solutions to these are discussed. This article is categorized under:Algorithmic Development > MultimediaApplication Areas > Internet and Web‐Based Applications [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a study of the characteristics of electromagnetic (EM) scattering on dielectric fractal surface. How the characteristics can be obtained; Methodology used; Results from the study.

Presents information on the improved least mean square (LMS) adaptive algorithm with varying stepsize, highlighting the problem and formulations of the algorithm. Experiments used to test the validity of the novel method.

Background: Left-sided portal hypertension is usually found in patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) with spleno-mesenterico-portal (S-M-P) confluence resection. This study is to explore the outcomes of S-M-P confluence reconstruction after resection by using bifurcated allogeneic vein. Methods: Clinicopathologic data of patients who underwent extensive PD with SM-P confluence resection for carcinoma of pancreatic head/uncinate process in our hospital between December 2011 and August 2018 were retrospectively reviewed and clinical outcomes of vein reconstruction after resection were analyzed. Results: Of the 37 patients enrolled, S-M-P reconstruction by bifurcated allogeneic vein was performed in 24 cases (group 1) and simply splenic vein ligation in 13 cases (group 2). Items including pathological results, blood loss, and complications were comparable between the two groups, operation time was longer in group 1 (573.8 vs. 479.2 min, p = 0.018). Significantly decreased platelet count (205.9 vs. 133.1 × 109 /L, p = 0.001) and increased splenic volume (270.9 vs. 452.2 ml, p < 0.001) were observed in group 2 at 6 months after operation. The mean splenic hypertrophy ratio was 1.06 in group 1 and 1.63 in group 2, respectively (p < 0.001). There were four patients with varices were found in group 2, none in group 1. Conclusions: Without increased complications, reconstructing S-M-P confluence by bifurcated allogeneic vein after resection may help to avoid left-sided portal hypertension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hypermethylation of gene promoters plays an important role in tumorigenesis. The present study aimed to identify and validate promoter methylation-driven genes (PMDGs) for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Methods: Based on GSE49149 and the PDAC cohort of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), differential analyses of promoter methylation, correlation analysis, and Cox regression analysis were performed to identify PMDGs. The promoter methylation level was assessed by bisulfite sequencing polymerase chain reaction (BSP) in paired tumor and normal tissues of 72 PDAC patients. KaplannMeier survival analyses were performed to evaluate the clinical value of PMDGs. Results: In GSE49149, the -value of the dipeptidyl peptidase like 6 (DPP6) promoter was significantly higher in tumor compared with normal samples (0.50 vs. 0.24, P<0.001). In the PDAC cohort of TCGA, the methylation level of the DPP6 promoter was negatively correlated with mRNA expression (r==0.54, P<0.001). In amultivariate Cox regression analysis, hypermethylation of the DPP6 promoter was an independent risk factor for PDAC (hazard ratio (HR) = 543.91, P=0.002). The results of BSP revealed that the number of methylated CG sites in the DPP6 promoter was greater in tumor samples than in normal samples (7.43 vs. 2.78, P<0.001). Themethylation level of the DPP6 promoter wasmoderately effective at distinguishing tumor from normal samples (area under ROC curve (AUC) = 0.74, P<0.001). Hypermethylation of the DPP6 promoter was associated with poor overall (HR = 3.61, P<0.001) and disease-free (HR = 2.01, P=0.016) survivals for PDAC patients. Conclusion: These results indicate that DPP6 promoter methylation is a potential prognostic biomarker for PDAC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crystalline quality and capping agent ratio are crucial to the electrical property of silver nanowires (AgNWs). In this paper, in order to achieve the high conductance, the crystalline quality of AgNWs was regulated by a comparative study of mediated ions Cu 2+ and Fe 3+ in polyol process, and the capping ratio of Poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) on the surface of AgNWs was intensively adjusted. The proper addition of Fe 3+ ions was a more favorable route to achieve AgNWs with fine crystallinity and uniform dimension, and a monolayer PVP capping on AgNWs surface was finally obtained. The as-prepared AgNWs was applied to formulate a conductive ink and then conductive tracks were formed on polymeric substrate after a mild temperature treatment. A high electrical conductivity of 3.93 × 10 5  S/cm and an outstanding bending resistance were achieved for these tracks. Moreover, 20 wt% AgNWs was embedded into polypyrrole (PPy) as a filler to form a flexible electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding thin film. The AgNWs could greatly improve the conductivity of PPy film, and correspondingly the shielding effectiveness (SE T ) of PPy/AgNWs was almost 3.57 times higher than that of pure PPy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a free-standing flexible composite electrode was prepared by vacuum filtration method with LiFePO 4 , graphene and nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC). Compared with the pure LiFePO 4 electrode, the resulting flexible composite (LiFePO 4 /graphene/NFC) electrode showed excellent mechanical flexibility, and possessed an enhanced initial discharge capacity of 151 mA h/g (0.1 C) and a good capacity retention rate with only 5% loss after 60 cycles due to suitable electrolyte wettability at the interface. Furthermore, the NFC and graphene formed a three-dimensional conductive framework, which provided high-speed electron conduction in the composite and reduced electrode polarization during charging-discharging processes. Moreover, the composite electrode could endure bending tests up to 1000 times, highlighting preferable mechanical strength and durability. These results demonstrated that the as-fabricated electrodes could be applied as flexible electrodes with an embedded power supply. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Intestinal perforation is a rare complication after liver transplantation. This study was designed to calculate the incidence and investigate the outcomes of intestinal perforation in adult liver transplant patients. Materials and methods: The clinical records of liver transplant recipients between January 2014 and June 2016 were obtained. The incidence of intestinal perforation was calculated, and high risk factors were analyzed. Results: The mean operative time was 8.5 h (range: 6-11 h). The mean portal vein occlusion time was 66.5 min (range: 58-72 min), and the mean cold ischemia time was 7.9 h (range: 6.5-9.5 h). Four (2.7%) patients developed intestinal perforation from 9 to 14 days postliver transplant. All perforations were single and repaired by interrupted silk sutures. Two patients uneventfully recovered, but intestinal perforation recurred in two other patients. Simple repair was undertaken in one patient, and terminal ileum resection and ileostomy were performed in the other patient. There were no perioperative deaths. Conclusion: The incidence of intestinal perforation after liver transplantation is low. Prompt diagnosis and treatment should be carried out to reduce comorbidities and mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A moderate insufflation pressure and deep neuromuscular blockade (NMB) have been recommended in laparoscopic surgery in consideration of the possible reduction in splanchnic perfusion due to the CO2-pneumoperitoneum. Since the liver is the major organ for rocuronium metabolism, the question of whether NMB of rocuronium would change with the variation of liver perfusion during pneumoperitoneum during laparoscopic surgery merits investigation. Methods: In this prospective study, a total of sixty female patients scheduled for either selective laparoscopic gynaecological surgery (group laparoscopy) or laparotomy for gynaecological surgery (group control) were analyzed. Rocuronium was administered with closed-loop feedback infusion system, which was also applied to monitor NMB complied with good clinical research practice (GCRP). The onset time, clinical duration, and recovery index were measured. Hepatic blood flow was assessed by laparoscopic intraoperative ultrasonography before insufflation/after entering the abdominal cavity (T1), 5 min after insufflation in the Trendelenburg position/5 min after skin incision (T2), 15 min after insufflation in the Trendelenburg position/15 min after skin incision (T3), 30 min after insufflation in the Trendelenburg position/30 min after skin incision (T4), and 5 min after deflation/before closing the abdomen (T5) in group laparoscopy/group control respectively. The relationship between the clinical duration of rocuronium and portal venous blood flow was analyzed using linear or quadratic regression. Result: The clinical duration and RI of rocuronium were both prolonged significantly in group laparoscopy (36.8 ± 8. 3 min; 12.8 ± 5.5 min) compared to group control (29.0 ± 5.8 min; 9.8 ± 4.0 min) (P < 0.0001; P = 0.018). A significant decrease was found in portal venous blood flow during the entire pneumoperitoneum period in group laparoscopy compared with group control (P < 0.0001). There was a significant correlation between the clinical duration of rocuronium and portal venous blood flow (Y = 51.800-0.043X + (1.86E-005) X²; r² = 0.491; P < 0.0001). Conclusion: Rocuronium-induced NMB during laparoscopic gynaecological surgery might be prolonged due to the decrease in portal venous blood flow induced by CO2-pneumoperitoneum. Less rocuronium could be required to achieve a desirable NMB in laparoscopic gynaecological surgery. Trial registration: ChiCTR. Registry number: ChiCTR-OPN-15007524. Date of registration: December 4, 2015. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influences of far-infrared assisted heat pump drying on water state and water absorption isotherm of squid were investigated. Squid (Illex illecebrosus) fillets were dried in a heat pump (HP) dryer, alone or assisted with far-infrared radiation (FIR), with the power of 500 and 2000 W, at 50°C and air flow rate of 0.8 m s-1. The relaxation time (T2) of the low field NMR spectrum presented four peaks indicating four different species ([image omitted], [image omitted], [image omitted] and [image omitted]) distributed in the squid muscle. The relaxation time (T2) changes under three drying treatments followed the same pattern. The peak height of components with [image omitted] and [image omitted] drastically decreased with increasing dehydration time, whereas drying did not affect [image omitted] and [image omitted]. Moreover, the attenuation degree of [image omitted] or [image omitted] was the greatest in squids under HP + 20FIR treatment followed by HP + 5FIR, while the degree of HP only treated samples was the smallest. The sorption data were fitted to ten models, and the Modified Mizrahi model gave better predictions than the other models. Also, both water adsorption and thermogravimetric analysis indicated HP dried squids had higher equilibrium moisture contents followed by HP + 5FIR and HP + 20FIR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Quaternized poly(vinyl alcohol) (q-PVA) was synthesized, and crosslinked by glutaraldehyde to reduce the swelling of the q-PVA in an aqueous solution. The structure of the q-PVA and its crosslinked membranes was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, and water contact angle measurements. Pervaporation performance of the membranes was studied by the dehydration of 85wt% ethanol solution at 50°C. The introduction of quaternary ammonium groups enhanced the hydrophilicity and water permselectivity. The water permeability and permselectivity of the q-PVA membranes increased simultaneously with increasing degree of quaternization (DQ). The crosslinking caused a decrease in swelling and an increase in water permselectivity of the q-PVA membranes. The q-PVA membrane with DQ of 4.035% has a highest water permeability of 12.628gμmm−2 h−1 kPa−1, and the crosslinked q-PVA membrane with degree of crosslinking of 3.92% has a highest water permselectivity of 75. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

PURPOSE: To study the characteristics of uveitis occurring during intravenous cidofovir treatment for CMV retinitis in patients with AIDS. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively studied ten cases (16 eyes) of uveitis in patients with CMV retinitis treated with intravenous cidofovir. All the patients had ophthalmologic examinations and, if required, fundus angiographies. The median follow-up was eight months. RESULTS: Uveitis occurred after a mean of 8.5 infusions of cidofovir (range 2-17). All ten patients were on protease inhibitors. The mean CD4+ cell count was 92 ± 51/μl and the median viral load was 3.9 log. All the eyes with uveitis had healed CMV retinitis. The first examination of the involved eyes showed inflammation of the anterior chamber (100%), vitritis (50%), posterior synechiae (75%), and low intraocular pressure (94%). Uveitis did not relapse in the seven patients who stopped cidofovir, whereas it relapsed in two of the three patients who did not stop treatment. At the end of follow-up, permanent posterior synechiae were present in 69% of the involved eyes. COMMENTS: Cidofovir therapy necessitates slit-lamp surveillance, especially in patients on HAART. Cidofovir-related uveitis requires a local steroid treatment, but if possible, cidofovir should be withdrawn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indigo naturalis (IN) is a traditional Chinese medicine, named Qing-Dai, which is extracted from indigo plants and has been used to treat patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in China and Japan. Though there are notable effects of IN on colitis, the mechanisms remain elusive. Regarding the significance of alterations of intestinal flora related to IBD and the poor water solubility of the blue IN powder, we predicted that the protective action of IN on colitis may occur through modifying gut microbiota. To investigate the relationships of IN, colitis, and gut microbiomes, a dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced mice colitis model was tested to explore the protective effects of IN on macroscopic colitis symptoms, the histopathological structure, inflammation cytokines, and gut microbiota, and their potential functions. Sulfasalazine (SASP) was used as the positive control. Firstly, because it was a mixture, the main chemical compositions of indigo and indirubin in IN were detected by ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC). The clinical activity score (CAS), hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining results, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) results in this study showed that IN greatly improved the health conditions of the tested colitis mice, ameliorated the histopathological structure of the colon tissue, down-regulated pro-inflammatory cytokines, and up-regulated anti-inflammatory cytokines. The results of 16S rDNA sequences analysis with the Illumina MiSeq platform showed that IN could modulate the balance of gut microbiota, especially by down-regulating the relative quantity of Turicibacter and up-regulating the relative quantity of Peptococcus. The therapeutic effect of IN may be closely related to the anaerobic gram-positive bacteria of Turicibacter and Peptococcus. The inferred metagenomes from 16S data using PICRUSt demonstrated that decreased metabolic genes, such as through biosynthesis of siderophore group nonribosomal peptides, non-homologous end-joining, and glycosphingolipid biosynthesis of lacto and neolacto series, may maintain microbiota homeostasis during inflammation from IN treatment in DSS-induced colitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]