Search

Low-temperature stress is a destructive abiotic stress that limits the production and quality of tropical and subtropical crops. In this study, we investigated the physiological responses of the soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr. variety 'Kenfeng 16' and the mungbean (Vigna radiata (L.) R.Wilczek) variety 'Lvfeng 2' to exogenous uniconazole S3307 and low-temperature stress at the initial flowering (R1) stage. Uniconazole S3307 increased the photosynthetic parameters [net photosynthetic rate (Pn), transpiration rate (Tr), stomatal conductance (Gs), and intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci)], sucrose phosphate synthetase (SPS) activity, and the contents of sucrose (SUC) and starch (STA) in 'Kenfeng 16' and 'Lvfeng 2' under low-temperature stress; but it decreased the activities of acid invertase (AI), neutral invertase (NI), total invertase (IN) as well as the contents of glucose and fructose. Additionally, sucrose synthase (SS) activity was increased in 'Kenfeng 16' but decreased in 'Lvfeng 2' with uniconazole S3307 treatment. The observed changes of Pn, SUC, and STA in 'Kenfeng 16'; the AI and IN activities in 'Lvfeng 2'; and the glucose and fructose contents in both varieties were quickly recovered after they were subjected to the 4-day recovery period. Compared with the controls, the yield and yield components of 'Lvfeng 2' were significantly (P ≤ 0.05) higher on day 1 (D1), D2, and D3 of the cold-stress conditions, respectively. The yield per plant was positively correlated with the number of grains per plant, number of pods per plant, Gs, SUC, and STA in 'Lvfeng 2' and 'Kenfeng 16'. S3307 enhanced the Gs and the accumulation of SUC and STA, but it decreased the NI activity, glucose content, and fructose content, thereby alleviating cold stress to increase the yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To encapsulate the clinical and technical insights from three years of implementing pelvic online adaptive radiotherapy (oART) using a Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT)-guided system at a single institution. Our study seeks to identify the predominant failure modes observed from our experience and outline potential strategies for system and process enhancement. An in-depth review was conducted on over 1000 adaptive sessions for nearly 50 patients undergoing pelvic oART. The review encompasses the entire oART workflow: reference treatment planning, session imaging, contouring, treatment planning, plan selection, quality assurance (QA), and delivery, with a focus on identifying primary failure modes. Failure modes were analyzed through detailed root cause analysis with a team of physicists, dosimetrists, therapists, and radiation oncologists. Our investigation revealed several failure modes: (1) significant intra-fractional gas changes affecting target and organ-at-risk (OAR) deformation and positioning, sometimes leading to aborting the session and restarting later; (2) unintended alignment issues due to hardcoded auto-matching; (3) creation of excessively high dose areas > 125% in adaptive plans due to limited MLC range and imaging shifts; (4) process termination from contour extensions beyond body limits; (5) operator errors in manual contour importing; (6) alterations in root structure(s) after Boolean contour operations leading to automated structures failing to propagate; (7) reduced auto-contouring accuracy due to imaging artifacts; (8) RT intent not optimal for adaptive plan optimization due to anatomy changes; and (9) variability in monitor unit (MU), hot spot occurrences, and locations caused by the stochastic nature of the oART optimizer. Root causes of these failure modes originated primarily in treatment planning (modes 3, 5, 6, and 8), on-couch workflow (modes 2, 4, 7, 8, and 9), and patient changes (modes 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, and 9). Detailed root causes and strategies to address these issues will be discussed. CBCT-guided oART emerges as an integrated and efficient solution for tailoring daily radiation treatment plans to changing anatomies, thereby restoring optimal therapeutic ratios. Unique and unanticipated failure modes will exist in any new technology. Our retrospective analysis sheds light on failure modes observed in our clinical experience. Periodic review and team learning from encountered failures is an important step in continual quality improvement for emerging techniques and workflows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Type 1 diabetes most commonly presents in adulthood. • A substantial proportion of such cases are initially misclassified as type 2 diabetes. • Subsequent management of these cases is controversial. Type 1 diabetes most commonly presents in adulthood, contrary to the widely held view that it is a disease of childhood. Furthermore, a substantial proportion of cases of adult-onset type 1 diabetes does not require insulin therapy at clinical onset. Recent studies have emphasised the evidence that adult-onset type 1 diabetes is prevalent but often misclassified initially as type 2 diabetes (1, 2). In this review, we discuss that recent literature, highlighting the similarities and differences between adult-onset and childhood-onset type 1 diabetes, exploring recent debates surrounding its epidemiology and genetics, as well as expanding on important issues of diagnostic criteria for individuals presenting with adult-onset diabetes and the subsequent management once identified as having an autoimmune basis. In addition, this review looks at the psychosocial challenges faced by T1D patients and their possible management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In KEYNOTE-B10, a phase IV, single-arm trial, the combination of pembrolizumab+carboplatin+paclitaxel (referred to as the B10 regimen) demonstrated antitumor activity with a manageable safety profile as 1L therapy for R/M HNSCC. Due to the single-arm design of KEYNOTE-B10, an NMA was conducted using methodologies to incorporate data from a disconnected trial into a connected network of randomized controlled trials (RCT) to estimate the comparative efficacy of the B10 regimen versus other interventions in 1L R/M HNSCC. A systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted on June 30, 2023 to identify RCTs evaluating relevant interventions in the target population. The objective response rate (ORR) from the interim analysis of KEYNOTE-B10 was extracted and compared with all trials in the network. Aggregate-level matching (ALM) was used to integrate the KEYNOTE-B10 trial into the connected network by matching it to the RCT within the network with the closest trial design and patient population, thus creating a new pseudo-RCT. The best matching patient population was determined as that with the smallest sum of absolute standardized differences across the following characteristics: age, sex, race, ECOG performance status, metastatic disease, tumor location, human papillomavirus infection, and tumor stage at diagnosis. The SLR identified 25 trials, of which 6 matched the eligibility criteria of KEYNOTE-B10 and were included in the ALM/NMA. KEYNOTE-048 had the smallest overall difference in patient characteristics/highest number of balanced variables compared to KEYNOTE-B10, with the latter being incorporated as a new treatment arm in the former. Results from the fixed-effects NMA for the B10 regimen are summarized in Table 1. For ORR, the B10 regimen was more efficacious compared to the platinum+5FU, platinum+taxane, platinum, 5-fluorouracil, and methotrexate regimens. There was no statistically significant difference in ORR between the B10 regimen and pembrolizumab+platinum+5-fluorouracil, cetuximab+platinum+5-fluorouracil, and cetuximab+platinum+taxane. This NMA including interim results from KEYNOTE-B10 demonstrates improved or comparable ORR outcomes versus alternative 1L R/M HNSCC interventions. Once available, analyses should be completed utilizing the final analysis of KEYNOTE-B10 as well as survival outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Background: Tinea capitis is still common in developing countries, such as China. Its pathogen spectrum varies across regions and changes over time. Objectives: This study aimed to clarify the current epidemiological characteristics and pathogen spectrum of tinea capitis in China. Methods: A multicentre, prospective descriptive study involving 29 tertiary hospitals in China was conducted. From August 2019 to July 2020, 611 patients with tinea capitis were enrolled. Data concerning demography, risk factors and fungal tests were collected. When necessary, the pathogens were further identified by morphology or molecular sequencing in the central laboratory. Results: Among all enrolled patients, 74·1% of the cases were in patients aged 2–8 years. The children with tinea capitis were mainly boys (56·2%) and were more likely than adults to have a history of animal contact (57·4% vs. 35·3%, P = 0·012) and zoophilic dermatophyte infection (73·5% vs. 47%). The adults were mainly female (83%) and were more likely than children to have anthropophilic agent infection (53% vs. 23·9%). The most common pathogen was zoophilic Microsporum canis (354, 65·2%), followed by anthropophilic Trichophyton violaceum (74, 13·6%). In contrast to the eastern, western and northeastern regions, where zoophilic M. canis predominated, anthropophilic T. violaceum predominated in central China (69%, P < 0·001), where the patients had the most tinea at other sites (20%) and dermatophytosis contact (26%) but the least animal contact (39%). Microsporum ferrugineum was the most common anthropophilic agent in the western area, especially in Xinjiang province. Conclusions: Boys aged approximately 5 years were the most commonly affected group. Dermatologists are advised to pay more attention to the different transmission routes and pathogen spectra in different age groups from different regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extrapolating Randomized Clinical Trials (RCTs) evidence to the overall population is methodologically challenging. Here, we applied a novel methodology to map key EC from KEYNOTE-48 to patients initiating 1L pembrolizumab using RWD. Instead of filtering real-world patients based on EC which can rapidly shrink the sample size, we propose creating an augmented population to improve the power of RWD analyses. A retrospective cohort study was conducted using the Flatiron Health Advanced Head and Neck database including adult recurrent/metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (R/M HNSCC) patients initiating pembrolizumab-based 1L treatment from 7/1/19 – 12/31/22. KEYNOTE-048 EC including patients > 18 years at initial diagnosis, histologically or cytologically confirmed, with primary tumor in oropharynx, oral cavity, hypopharynx, or larynx, ECOG 0-1 and PD-L1 test were used to the RWD to calculate the probabilities of each patient being eligible, ineligible (≥ 1 criterion not met), or unknown (≥ 1 criterion missing) using machine learning model approach. An augmented population was also formed, which combines the eligible and unknown groups through a propensity-based adjustment. Of the 945 patients initiating 1L pembrolizumab-based regimen, 290 (30.7%) would be eligible and 214 (22.6%) would be ineligible with 441 (46.7%) patients unknown. Unknown patients had high median (IQR) estimated probabilities of being eligible (0.85 (0.83-0.89)), suggesting these patients are highly likely to be eligible. Over 60% of the ineligible patients had ECOG 2+ and 30% of unknown patients had missing ECOG scores. Pembrolizumab alone was the most utilized 1L regimen in each group (65.9%, 75.7% and 65.1% for eligible, ineligible, and unknown respectively). The median rwOS (95% CI) of eligible, ineligible, and unknown patients that received pembrolizumab monotherapy was 17.0 (13.1, 21.7), 5.7 (4.5, 8.7) and 18.2 (15.5, 21.7), respectively. For patients that received pembrolizumab + platinum + 5-fluorouracil, the median rwOS (95% CI) of eligible, ineligible, and unknown was 14.7 (10.5, 22.1), 13.5 (7.2, 23.4) and 13.5 (11.3, 18.5), respectively. The augmented population (eligible + unknown) had a median rwOS of 17.4 (15.4, 20.8) for pembrolizumab alone and 14.3 (11.9, 17.8) for patients that received pembrolizumab + chemotherapy. This study identified patients that are likely to be eligible for the trial and created an augmented population. Survival of patients who were eligible, with unknown eligibility, or the augmented group (eligible + unknown) was numerically better than that in the RCT. This could be applied as an exploratory post approval step to understand routine clinical practice and increase the power of RWD analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the approval of pembrolizumab monotherapy in the platinum-refractory setting for R/M HNSCC in 2016 and the subsequent approval of pembrolizumab alone or in combination with chemotherapy in first-line (1L) in 2019, pembrolizumab-based therapy has become a standard of care. To better understand current real-world practice patterns, this study assessed the use of sequential systemic treatment from 1L to 2L for patients with R/M HNSCC. A retrospective cohort study was conducted using the Flatiron Health Advanced Head and Neck database. The study cohort included adult patients with R/M HNSCC who initiated 1L systemic therapy between 07/01/19 and 12/31/22 with follow-up through 06/30/23. Patients were excluded if they received platinum treatment ≤6 months prior to 1L therapy, had head and neck cancer subtypes other than SCC of the hypopharynx, larynx, oropharynx, or oral cavity, or were treated in a clinical trial. A total of 1879 patients were included. Median age was 67 years (IQR: 60, 74). Most were male (77.1%) and had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status score of 0-1 (71.7%). HPV-positivity was reported in 70.8% (602/850) of tested oropharyngeal cancers. Table 1 shows the 1L treatment utilization with over half patients (58.9%) received pembrolizumab with or without chemotherapy in 1L. Patients who received 1L pembrolizumab monotherapy had the oldest age (median: 70 years), the highest proportion of ECOG≥2 (21.2%) and CPS≥1 (85.5%). Approximately 39.5% received a 2L therapy, 47.9% had no subsequent line of therapy at the end of follow-up, and 12.5% died during or after 1L therapy. Cetuximab-based regimens were the most used 2L therapy (25.1%), followed by pembrolizumab alone (23.1%) and platinum-based chemotherapy (14.5%). Of 231 patients starting pembrolizumab alone in 1L who later received subsequent treatment, 14 (6.1%) had platinum and 5-fluorouracil added, 41 (17.7%) had other chemotherapy added, and 27 (11.7%) were retreated with pembrolizumab alone. Pembrolizumab alone or in combination with chemotherapy were the most widely used in 1L for R/M HNSCC; over 40% of patients received other 1L therapies. Patients receiving pembrolizumab alone in 1L had different characteristics favoring older, more frail patients. Understanding the sequential use of immunotherapy is important to inform optimal management of patients with R/M HNSCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Understanding patterns of multimorbidity in the US older adult population and their relationship with mortality is important for reducing healthcare utilization and improving health. Previous investigations measured multimorbidity as counts of conditions rather than specific combination of conditions. Methods: This cross-sectional study with longitudinal mortality follow-up employed latent class analysis (LCA) to develop clinically meaningful subgroups of participants aged 50 and older with different combinations of 13 chronic conditions from the National Health Interview Survey 2002–2014. Mortality linkage with National Death Index was performed through December 2015 for 166,126 participants. Survival analyses were conducted to assess the relationships between LCA classes and all-cause mortality and cause specific mortalities. Results: LCA identified five multimorbidity groups with primary characteristics: "healthy" (51.5%), "age-associated chronic conditions" (33.6%), "respiratory conditions" (7.3%), "cognitively impaired" (4.3%) and "complex cardiometabolic" (3.2%). Covariate-adjusted survival analysis indicated "complex cardiometabolic" class had the highest mortality with a Hazard Ratio (HR) of 5.30, 99.5% CI [4.52, 6.22]; followed by "cognitively impaired" class (3.34 [2.93, 3.81]); "respiratory condition" class (2.14 [1.87, 2.46]); and "age-associated chronic conditions" class (1.81 [1.66, 1.98]). Patterns of multimorbidity classes were strongly associated with the primary underlying cause of death. The "cognitively impaired" class reported similar number of conditions compared to the "respiratory condition" class but had significantly higher mortality (3.8 vs 3.7 conditions, HR = 1.56 [1.32, 1.85]). Conclusion: We demonstrated that LCA method is effective in classifying clinically meaningful multimorbidity subgroup. Specific combinations of conditions including cognitive impairment and depressive symptoms have a substantial detrimental impact on the mortality of older adults. The numbers of chronic conditions experienced by older adults is not always proportional to mortality risk. Our findings provide valuable information for identifying high risk older adults with multimorbidity to facilitate early intervention to treat chronic conditions and reduce mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Campaigns created 31 March 2021 or earlier were included, and donation outcomes to 30 May 2021 were recorded, with the rationale being that the vast majority of funds raised by GoFundMe campaigns are collected within 2 months of creation.3 Campaigns mentioning HS but not an HS-related fundraising goal were excluded, as were campaigns that had closed and which therefore had no donation outcomes visible. Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), also known as acne inversa, is a chronic inflammatory skin disease that significantly impairs patient quality of life (QoL).1 There are high direct and indirect financial burdens associated with HS,2 which may compel patients to turn to online crowdfunding for assistance covering HS-related costs. We queried the GoFundMe internal search engine on 30 April 2021 using the search terms "hidradenitis suppurativa" and "acne inversa" to identify campaigns funding expenses related to HS. [Extracted from the article]

The COVID-19 pandemic has widely affected medical education, including the US 2020-2021 National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) dermatology application cycle. The effect of COVID-19-related changes on geographical outcomes in the 2021 dermatology residency match Preliminary outcomes of 2020-1 dermatology residency application cycle and adverse effects of COVID-19. [Extracted from the article]

This is the first journal paper from the ASHRAE research project RP-1747 "Implementation of RP-1547 CO2-based Demand Controlled Ventilation for Multiple Zone HVAC Systems in Direct Digital Control Systems." HVAC designers face challenges in complying with the ventilation requirements in ASHRAE Standard 62.1 due to the complexity of the ventilation rate procedure (VRP) and the lack of direction on how to appropriately apply demand controlled ventilation (DCV) within the context of the VRP. The RP-1747 project aimed to address those issues by developing and testing DCV control sequences that are practical and implementable in typical single-duct variable air volume (VAV) systems with direct digital control (DDC) Systems. These control sequences were also tested for energy and ventilation performance by using a co-simulation of EnergyPlus and CONTAM coupled by a functional mockup unit (FMU). This paper presents the simulation-based study of one office building in four climate zones including Miami (1A), Atlanta (3A), Oakland (3C), and Chicago (5A) for both DCV and non-DCV baselines. The ventilation requirements in non-DCV baselines were set following a simplified ASHRAE 62.1 approach and California Title 24. Simulation results show that RP-1747 DCV control logic could lead to 9% to 33% HVAC energy savings on a source energy basis compared with the non-DCV baseline with the simplified ASHRAE 62.1 approach. The simulated hourly outdoor airflow provided met or exceeded the ASHRAE Standard 62.1 ventilation requirement in the four climate zones for 83% to 97% of the time for the simulated building. Transients and simulation artifacts associated with the discretization of time steps appear to account for a large portion of the time steps when the ventilation provided is less than required by the Standard. After applying a tolerance to account for sensor and control error in real life and time averaging as allowed by Standard 62.1, the DCV strategy met ventilation requirements for 96% to 98% of the time. This indicates the RP-1747 DCV control logic achieves good compliance with the ventilation requirements in Standard 62.1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigates chain/column evolution and the corresponding electrorheological (ER) effect performed with glass/oil ER fluid. Evolution of chain/column transition in fast aggregation; Interactions among fluid particles; Processes of sequential transition between molecular states.

Background and purpose: Tirofiban is used off‐label in clinical practice for acute ischaemic stroke (AIS). However, it is unknown whether tirofiban increases the bleeding risk or improves the outcome of endovascular treatment (EVT) in AIS. This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of tirofiban in combination with EVT for AIS. Methods: Consecutive patients with AIS receiving EVT were included in the prospective stroke registry from 2015 to 2018. The efficacy outcomes were modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score at 3 months and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score at 24 h. The safety outcomes were symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH), any in‐hospital intracerebral hemorrhage, in‐hospital death and 3‐month death. Results: Of 211 patients, 82 (38.9%) received tirofiban. A total of 39 (48.1%) with tirofiban and 44 (36.1%) without tirofiban had mRS score 0–2 [adjusted odds ratio (OR), 2.41; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.11–5.23, P = 0.026]. NIHSS score at 24 h was lower in the tirofiban group (9.5 vs. 12.0, adjusted P = 0.032). Five (6.1%) patients with tirofiban and 16 (12.4%) without tirofiban had sICH (adjusted OR, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.16–1.83, P = 0.32). In‐hospital intracerebral hemorrhage occurred in 10 (12.2%) patients with tirofiban and 41 (31.8%) without tirofiban (adjusted OR, 0.32; 95% CI, 0.13–0.76, P = 0.01). In‐hospital death occurred in 7 (8.5%) patients with tirofiban and 16 (12.4%) without tirofiban (adjusted OR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.22–2.13, P = 0.52). A total of 13 (15.9%) patients with tirofiban and 22 (17.1%) without tirofiban were dead at 3 months (adjusted OR, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.40–2.40, P = 0.96). Conclusions: Tirofiban in combination with EVT was associated with a lower mRS score at 3 months and NIHSS score at 24 h. It was not associated with a higher rate of sICH, in‐hospital death and death at 3 months. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inefficient rural medical service systems are one of major obstacles to the Deepening Healthcare Reform. The objectives of this work are to analyze the efficiency of China's rural medical service systems and explore the key related factors. Two-stage study including measuring efficiency and identifying factors. An output-oriented slacks-based data envelopment analysis model was used to measure the efficiency, and a Spearman rank correlation analysis and a multiple linear regression model were used to explore the factors. For the village-level medical service system, 20 out of 27 provinces were inefficient in 2013–2017, 12 out of 27 provinces had the efficiency lower than the average scores in 2013–2017 (0.633, 0.659, 0.638, 0.603, and 0.589), Guangdong had the highest scores of 1 in 2014–2017, whereas Tibet had the lowest scores (0.064–0.083) in 2013–2017, and the west region performed worst. For the township-level medical service system, 11 out of 27 provinces were inefficient in 2013–2017, 10 out of 27 provinces had the efficiency lower than the average scores in 2013–2017 (0.819, 0.791, 0.757, 0.787, and 0.811), Ningxia had the highest efficiency of 1 in 2013–2017, whereas Jilin had the lowest efficiency (0.313–0.370), and the central region performed worst. Additionally, rural residents' income was positively associated with the efficiency of village-level medical services, while the proportion of the vulnerable population was positively associated with the efficiency of township-level medical services. Most provinces had inefficient rural medical service systems in 2013–2017. The efficiency scores varied greatly across provinces, and most scores changed a little over time. Imbalances in the development of rural medical service systems existed across regions, and the efficiency of village-level medical services and township-level medical services was associated with different factors. • Most provinces had inefficient rural medical service systems. • Efficiency scores varied greatly across provinces, and most scores changed little over time. • The west village-level medical service systems and the central township-level medical service systems performed worst. • Income affected the village-level efficiency and the vulnerable population affected the township-level efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is the second paper from the ASHRAE research project RP-1587, focusing on the methodology of obtaining a control quality factor (CQF). This article presents a development of two CQFs for assessing the heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) control loop performance. Both CQFs are able to detect whether the control loop is able to maintain the setpoint and identify the loop's ability to handle disturbances. In addition, the reversal behaviors are assessed as well. The first CQF (CQF-Harris) is proposed based on the normalized Harris index using the recursive least squares method. This recursive least squares method is selected because of its computational efficiency compared with the maximum likelihood estimation method. The second CQF (CQF-EWMA) is based on the exponentially weighted moving average of the error ratio. The assessment scale of excellent, good, fair, bad, and failed, which indicates the quality of the HVAC control loops, is established as well. The sensitivity analysis for both CQFs is also conducted, and it provides insights on choosing the appropriate parameters to compute such CQFs. Such parameters include the sampling frequency, the length of the moving window, and the variance of the unmeasured disturbance. The field evaluations and tests of the proposed CQFs for simulated control loops and real control loops can be found in the companion paper with the title "Development of Control Quality Factor for HVAC Control Loop Performance Assessment—III: Field Testing and Results (ASHRAE RP-1587)." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a study that examined the magnetic and transport properties of silver clad thallium-1223 superconductors. Analysis of the flux pinning of the superconductor; Examination of the critical current properties of the samples; Evaluation of the anisotropic irreversibility of the samples.

Fe3O4 with high Curie temperature and 100% spin polarization is a potential candidate for practical applications in flexible spintronics. In this work, combined with flexible muscovite substrates, the dynamic strain influenced Verwey transition of Fe3O4 has been studied. The Verwey transition temperature increases (decreases) in the inward (outward) bending heterostructures. From the analyses of Fe L2,3 edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy, the reversible modulation originates from the charge reconstruction effect with the valence variations of Fe ions on the tetrahedral site and octahedral site in different bending states. Meanwhile, the charge reconstruction effect enhances the net magnetic moments of the Fe3O4/muscovite heterostructures in bending states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess the current prevalence of and risk factors for infertility among couples of reproductive age in China.Design: Population-based cross-sectional study.Setting: We approached 25 270 couples in eight provinces/municipalities, of whom 18 571 (response rate 74%) were interviewed.Population: Couples living together and married for more than 1 year, of whom the female spouse was 20-49 years old.Methods: Women were approached via telephone and face-to-face conversation to complete the standardised and structured questionnaire by trained interviewers.Main Outcome Measures: Prevalence of and risk factors for infertility.Results: Among women 'at risk' of pregnancy, the prevalence of infertility was 15.5% (2680/17 275). Among 10 742 women attempting to become pregnant, the prevalence of infertility was 25.0% (2680/10 742), which increased with age in the second population. Among women who failed to achieve pregnancy in the last 12 months, 3470 finished our questionnaire about fertility care, and 55.2% (1915/3470) of them had sought medical help. Sociodemographic risk factors for infertility included lower educational level [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 3.4, 95% CI 2.0-5.5] and employment (aOR 2.3, 95% CI 1.9-2.9). Clinical risk factors were irregular menstrual cycle (aOR 1.8, 95% CI 1.2-2.5), light menstrual blood volume (aOR 1.6, 95% CI 1.2-2.0), history of cervicitis (aOR 1.5, 95% CI 1.2-2.0) and endometriosis (aOR 3.1, 95% CI 1.1-9.3), previous stillbirth (aOR 2.1, 95% CI 1.3-3.3) and miscarriage (aOR 2.7, 95% CI 2.1-3.5). In addition, history of operation was a significant risk factor of infertility.Conclusions: Among couples of reproductive age in China, the prevalence of infertility was 25%, and almost half of the couples experiencing infertility had not sought medical help.Tweetable Abstract: In China, 25% of couples actively attempting to become pregnant suffered infertility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The abrasion processes of rubber or tires are extremely complex phenomena and basically different from those of other materials. Much research in tire industry has been done to predict the wear of a tire tread. However, such studies have not considered the history dependency of abrasion as well as directional effects. This paper is to propose an advanced abrasion model for rubber that will takes these two effects into account. As a result the new model can be applied to predict tire tread wear. Within this model, directional damage will be introduced to characterize the history of frictional sliding contact including the change of slip directions. It also covers local contact conditions such as contact pressure, slip velocity or flash temperature. The model will be analyzed theoretically and numerically. A FEM simulation for the Grosch-wheel with different loading conditions using the new abrasion model is performed and validated by experimental data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pancreatic cancer is a critical global health problem with the highest mortality rate among all major cancers. The 5-year survival rate remained at ∼10% despite decades of clinical and research efforts. Clearly, new and synergistic approaches are needed to battle this ferocious disease. In this study, a novel radiomics-based genome-wide association study (RGWAS) was conducted in a unique patient population, linking genomics to radiomics in pancreatic cancer. A unique pancreatic cancer rapid autopsy dataset was included for the study, where comprehensive tissue samples were collected from tumors and normal organs within hours of patient death. On 28 patients, whole exome sequencing (WES) was conducted to identify significant somatic mutations with VarScan. Diagnostic dynamic contrast CT of abdomen was used to manually segment the primary tumor and metastatic lesions, from which ∼1000 radiomic features were extracted. Using LASSO, radiomic features most significantly associated with clinical endpoints such as overall survival and with interesting genetic variants (i.e., somatic SNVs) were identified. Based on WES, somatic mutations of KRAS, TP53, and CDKN2A occur at high rates in both primary and metastatic tumors. Interestingly, some highly occurring somatic mutations in the primary tumor, such as BRCA1 and MYC, were not top ranked in metastases. Instead, somatic mutations of IS2, the insulin receptor substrate 2, occur at a high rate in metastases. RGWAS found several significant peaks (P-value<10−5) for certain radiomic features, uncovering interesting correlations between genetic mutations and imaging phenotypes. Some of these radiomic features were consistently associated with genetic variants between primary and metastatic tumors. A unique patient dataset with rapid autopsy tumor and normal tissue samples was analyzed using a novel integrative RGWAS approach. RGWAS linked relevant radiomic features to interesting oncogenes and clinical phenotypes. These findings provide promising genetic and radiomic feature candidates for follow-up work, and shed light on the mechanism of pancreatic cancer progression and metastasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research, samples of the H13 steel, a commonly used hot work tool steel in the die/mould manufacturing industry, were additively manufactured using selective laser melting (SLM). Their as-built microstructures were characterised in detail using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and compared with that of the conventionally manufactured H13 (as-supplied). SLM resulted in the formation of martensite and also its partial decomposition into fine α-Fe and FeC precipitates along with retained austenite. TEM analyses further revealed that the lattice of the resulting α-Fe phase is slightly distorted due to enhanced Cr, Mo and V contents. Substantially high residual stresses in the range of 940-1420 MPa were detected in the as-built H13 samples compared with its yield strength of ~1650 MPa. In addition, it was identified that the high residual stress existed from just about two additive layers (100 µm) above the substrate along the build direction. The high residual stresses were mainly attributed to the martensitic transformation that occurred during SLM. The research findings of this study suggest that the substantially high residual stresses can be easily problematic in the AM of intricate H13 dies or moulds by SLM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The aim of this study was to compare the organ-at-risk doses to the rectum and the bladder in postoperative endometrial cancer patients who receive high-dose-rate vaginal brachytherapy (HDR-VB), when using three different methods of treatment planning: ( Workflow A ) individualized treatment planning before every fraction, ( Workflow B ) individualized treatment planning for first fraction only), and ( Workflow C ) using a template plan based on applicator choice and prescription specifics without patient-specific imaging or planning (standardized template approach). Methods and Materials Alternative plans were retrospectively created using workflows B and C for 22 patients who previously received postoperative HDR-VB using a vaginal cylinder and planned using Workflow A for endometrial cancer. The rectum and bladder were contoured on the CTs used for each fraction for dose comparison between the three methods. D 50 , D 2cc , D 1cc , D 0.1cc , and V 100 of the bladder and the rectum were compared using the two-sided Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results A total of 123 fractions were available for comparison. For Workflow A vs. Workflow B, there was no significant difference for any rectal or bladder dosimetric parameter. For Workflow A vs. Workflow C, Workflow A delivered a significantly higher median dose to the rectum than Workflow C for D 50 , D 2cc , D 1cc , and V 100 . Workflow C delivered a significantly higher dose to the bladder than Workflow A: D 2cc , D 1cc , D 0.1cc , and V 100 . However, the magnitudes of the differences were small; the dose index difference was >75 cGy for only two fractions. Conclusion Plan standardization in HDR-VB may result in considerable time and cost savings with minimal organ-at-risk dose differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The clade Triadophlebioptera within the Odonatoptera greatly diversified and became widely distributed worldwide during the Triassic. Although abundant insect fossils have been reported from the Triassic of China, no Triassic dragonflies have been recorded. In this paper, Zygophlebia tongchuanensis sp. nov., the first species of Zygophlebiidae discovered outside the Madygen Formation of Kyrgyzstan, is described from the Middle–Upper Triassic Tongchuan Formation of Shaanxi Province, northwestern China. The discovery extends the distribution of the family Zygophlebiidae in Asia, indicating a high diversity of Triadophlebioptera during Middle–Late Triassic times. Combined with the palaeontological and geochronological evidence, the age of the Tongchuan Formation is considered to be Anisian – Early Carnian, and the insect-bearing layers are considered to be Ladinian. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Calcium is one of the main impurity elements in silicon. The removal of calcium strongly affects the quality of the polycrystalline silicon ingot produced by a vacuum directional solidification method. Based on the considerations of the theory of segregation, mass transfer and evaporation during vacuum directional solidification process, a mathematical model for calcium distribution in silicon was proposed and it can be used to explain the removal mechanism. In order to confirm the mathematical model, an industrial scale experiment on upgraded metallurgical grade silicon (UMG-Si) with an initial purity of 99.98 wt. % was performed. Since the reaction temperature strongly influences both the evaporation and segregation of calcium, the dependences of effective segregation coefficient (keff) and the evaporation coefficient (kE) on temperature were carefully investigated. The results showed that the proposed mathematical model was highly consistent with the experimental data and the calcium removal efficiency mainly relied on the evaporation step. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past decade, Mn rich Ni-Mn based alloys have attained considerable attention due to their abundant physics and potential application as multifunctional materials. In this paper, polycrystalline Ni50Mn38-xPdxSn12 (x = 0, 2,4, 6) Heusler alloys have been prepared, and the martensitic phase transformation (MPT) together with the shape memory effect and the magnetocaloric effect has been investigated. The experimental result indicates that the MPT evidently shifts to a lower temperature with increase of Pd substitution for Mn atoms, which can be attributed to the weakness of the hybridization between the Ni atom and excess Mn on the Sn site rather than the electron concentration. The physics properties study focused on the sample of Ni50Mn34Pd4Sn12 shows a good two-way shape memory behavior, and the maximum value of strain ΔL/L reaches about 0.13% during the MPT. The small of both entropy change ΔST and magnetostrain can be ascribed to the inconspicuous influence of magnetic field induced MPT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this contribution, according to the critical frequency of the F2 layer (foF2) from the ionosonde station and the International Reference Ionosphere 2012 (IRI2012) model [the International Radio Consultative Committee (CCIR) coefficient], a single station model (called the Fusion model) for predicting the hourly value of foF2 over Lycksele (64.69°N, 18.80°E) is developed by the back-propagation neural network (BPNN) technology compensated for the model-deviation of the IRI2012 model. The input parameters of this BPNN-based foF2 prediction model include day number (day of the year), universal time, solar zenith angle, solar cycle information, geomagnetic activity (a 3-day running mean of the 3-h planetary magnetic index Ap and Kp) and the foF2 values from the IRI2012 model; the output parameter is the model-deviation. The data sets employed in this model are obtained from the National Geophysical Data Centre and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), about 215 614 sets, which are derived during the period from January 1958 to December 1984 (1960s data is missing). The data sets from 1971 to 1984 are selected for validation instead of for training use. Prediction values from the Fusion model, the General BPNN and IRI2012 models are each compared with the observed data. The results indicate that the proposed model is superior to the other models for hourly value of foF2 prediction over Lycksele. According to the statistical analysis of average root mean square error, the proposed model offers an improvement of 19.11% over the IRI2012 model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polycrystalline ultra-thick β-SiC films have been grown on graphite substrates via halide chemical vapour deposition method by using tetrachlorosilane (SiCl4) as silicon source, whereas methane (CH4), acetylene (C2H2), propane (C3H8) and liquid petroleum gas as carbon sources, respectively. The effects of deposition temperature ( Tdep) and carbon source on the orientations, microstructures and deposition rate ( Rdep) were investigated. Rdep of β-SiC films dramatically increased with increasing Tdep. In the case of C2H2, it provides a sufficient source of carbon and results in the maximum Rdep under identical Tdep compared to the other carbon sources. Conversely, CH4 decomposition in the Si-C-Cl-H system was proved to be inactive with SiCl4 in the entire range of Tdep. The orientations of the β-SiC films transform from 〈111〉 to random to 〈110〉 with increasing Tdep, and highly 〈111〉- and 〈110〉-oriented β-SiC films were fabricated at 1473 and 1773 K, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The analysis of the failure processes and mechanisms of rockfalls that are associated with underground mining activities is presented. The study area is located in Kaiyang Phosphorite Mine in Southwest China, where the geological condition is dominated by anti-dip slopes with layers inclined backward into the natural slope with decreasing strength in the rock mass from the upper (dolomite-rich) to the lower (shale-rich) strata. The analysis is based on field investigation and laboratory experimental study using a gravitational simulation device. The results support the proposed failure mechanism by demonstrating the process of failure from the deformation of the roof and floor in the stopes, to the development of surface cracks near the top of slopes, and eventually to the formation of rockfalls as the surface cracks propagate along pre-existing joints. The rockfalls are classified into one of three failure modes: crack–toppling, crack–sliding, and crack–slumping, in which the failures are governed by the corresponding characteristics of the rock mass structure. The study of the failure process and their spatial and temporal correlation with the underground workings reveals warning signs or indicators of impending slope instability. Improved understanding of the failure process and indicators can aid in early identification and timely warning of geohazards in phosphorite mines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The outer membrane protein RagB is one of the major virulence factors of Porphyromonas gingivalis ( P. gingivalis). To prevent periodontitis and associated systemic diseases induced by P. gingivalis, we built B cell antigen epitope vaccine characterized by pIRES -ragB'- mGITRL to induce a protective immune responses. The B cell antigen epitope and scrambled peptide of ragB were predicted, cloned into pIRES and constructed pIRES- ragB', pIRES-scrambled epitopes and pIRES- ragB'- mGITRL. pIRES- ragB'- mGITRL was transfected into COS-7 cells. Subsequently, the 6-week-old female BALB/c mice were challenged by P. gingivalis following three time immunization by pIRES, pIRES- ragB', pIRES-scrambled epitopes and pIRES- ragB'- mGITRL. The levels of RagB-specific antibody in the serum and Tfh cells in the spleen were measured by ELISA and flow cytometry, respectively. And higher levels of RagB-specific IgG were produced in the immunized mice with pIRES- ragB'- mGITRL. Additionally, the number of Tfh cells was also expanded and lesions were diminished in pIRES- ragB'- mGITRL mice comparing with control groups. Our results clearly demonstrated that P. gingivalis B cell antigen epitope vaccine, pIRES- ragB'- mGITRL, could induce protective immune responses. Furthermore, our data also indicated that pIRES- ragB'- mGITRL was a potential therapeutic vaccine against P. gingivalis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The title compound, 5-ethoxycarbonyl-4-[(4-methoxycarbonyl)phenyl]-6-methyl-3,4-dihydropyrimidin-2(1H)-ones (1), was synthesized from the one-pot, three-component condensation reactions and characterized by FTIR,1H NMR, HRMS, and single crystal X-ray diffraction. The compound (1) crystallizes in a triclinic system, space group P-1 with a = 6.1874(12), b = 7.5715(15), c = 17.369(4)Å, α = 80.24(3), β = 81.15(3), γ = 76.93(3)ˆ, and Z = 2. The molecules are linked by hydrogen bonds N–H···O and C–H···O to generate a 2D network. In addition, UV-visible and fluorescence spectral measurements prove that it shows positive solvatochromic effect as the solvent polarity was increased. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objective: To evaluate the association between sociodemographic factors and eye care expenditure and to assess the burden of ocular expenditure compared to total health care expenditure. Methods: A retrospective analysis of ocular expenditure in participants of the 2007 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. Data from 20,620 unique participants aged ≥18 years were evaluated for eye care expenditure by demographic characteristics. Results: A total of 22% of the studied population had eye care expenditures in 2007. Demographic factors significantly associated with higher probability of having eye care expenditures included older age (65+ years 35%, 45-64 years 23%, <45 years 17%), female sex (female 26%, male 19%), higher educational attainment (greater than high school education 25%, less than high school education 17%), having insurance (private 24%, uninsured 13%), and visual impairment (mild 31%, none 22%). Older age, female sex, higher educational attainment, having insurance, and presence of visual impairment were also significantly associated with higher mean eye care expenditure. In those with eye care expenditure, the mean ratio between eye care and total medical expenditure was 24%, with uninsured patients spending 42% of their medical care expenditure on eye care. Conclusions: Demographic factors are associated with both the probability of having ocular expenditure and the amount of expenditure. Of all factors examined, insurance status has the most potential for modification. Policy makers should consider these numbers when devising the terms by which eye care coverage will be provided under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PUVA-SP DCs are immature dendritic cells (imDCs) that have taken up donor splenic lymphocytes treated with 8-methoxypsoralen and ultraviolet A light (PUVA-SPs). Phagocytosis of donor PUVA-SPs does not stimulate phenotype maturation of recipient imDCs, and infusion of PUVA-SP DCs can induce CD4 + CD25 high Foxp3 + regulatory T cells (Treg). However, the regulatory effect of PUVA-SP DCs on B cells is poorly understood. In this study, we compared PUVA-SP DCs with imDCs in terms of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) responsiveness and flow cytometric analysis of interleukin (IL) 10 expression in splenic CD19 + B cells. Our results demonstrate that PUVA-SP DCs can suppress subsequent LPS-induced DC maturation and that infusion of PUVA-SP DCs, in the absence of an immunosuppressant, significantly promotes skin allograft survival. This effect was associated with up-regulation of circulating regulatory B cells exhibiting preferential IL-10 secretion. Our results suggest that effective treatments involving infusion of PUVA-SP DCs is likely related to the modulation not only of T-cell and Treg functions but also of B-cell and regulatory B-cell (Breg) functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TikTok™, teens and isotretinoin: recommendations for identifying trending acne-related content on the world's most popular social media platform It may benefit dermatologists to increase awareness of trending TikTok content in order to better understand patient attitudes about acne treatments such as isotretinoin. We enjoyed reading the recent article in I Clinical and Experimental Dermatology i by Roche I et al i ., in which the authors discussed the potential for propagation of false, misleading or harmful dermatological information on TikTok™.1 In reply, Nikookam and Guckian provided an interesting perspective regarding the potential of TikTok for education in dermatology.2 We continue the conversation by establishing a framework in which dermatologists may engage with the TikTok app interface to identify popular dermatology-related content, as increased awareness of trending social media may allow dermatologists to better understand patients' perspectives. [Extracted from the article]

Objective: A new dosimetric variable, dose-dropping speed (DDS), was proposed and used to evaluate normal tissue sparing among stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) plans with different prescription isodose lines. Methods: 40 plans were generated for 8 intracranial SRS cases, prescribing to isodose levels (IDLs) ranging f r om 50% to 90% in 10% increments. Whilst maintaining similar coverage and conformity, plans at different IDLs were evaluated in terms of normal tissue sparing using the proposed DDS. The DDS was defined as t h e greater decay coefficient in a double exponential decay fit of the dose drop-off outside the planning target volume (PTV), which models the steep portion of the drop-off. Provided that the prescription dose covers the whole PTV, a greater DDS indicates better normal tissue sparing. Results: Among all plans, the DDS was found to be the lowest for the prescription at 90% IDL and the highest for the prescription at 60% or 70%. The beam profile slope change in the penumbra and its field size dependence were explored and given as the physical basis of the findings. Conclusion: A variable was proposed for SRS plan quality evaluation. Using this measure, prescriptions at 60% and 70% IDLs were found to provide best normal tissue sparing. Advances in knowledge: A new variable was proposed based on which normal tissue sparing was quantitatively evaluated, comparing different prescription IDLs in SRS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Migratory behaviour in insects correlates with reproductive development in females, and migration often occurs during the pre-reproductive stage of adults. The relationship between ovarian development and population status of the white-backed planthopper Sogatella furcifera ( Horváth) and the brown planthopper Nilaparvata lugens ( Stål) was evaluated. Females of both species were captured in rice fields and light traps and then dissected in double-season rice-farming regions of southern China. The ovarian development of S. furcifera and N. lugens was divided into five levels, following previous studies. The population statuses of both species were examined based on the ovarian development of female adults caught in rice paddies. The ovarian development in N. lugens females caught in light traps mostly ranged from level I to level II, whereas that in S. furcifera females caught in light traps mostly ranged from level I to level III. During peak immigration, ovarian development in N. lugens females was mainly at level II, whereas that in S. furcifera females was mainly at level II and sporadically at level III. During peak emigration, both S. furcifera and N. lugens showed level I ovarian development. The temporal dynamics of ovarian development in light trap catches revealed that (i) significant emigration and partial immigration periods occur in S. furcifera, with ovarian development mainly at level I and sporadically from level II to level III and (ii) numerous immigrants of N. lugens were detected during sedentary and local breeding periods. The temporal dynamics of ovarian development provides more information than does the paddy population. Thus, this study proposes another method for pest forecasting, which is more precise and efficient than conventional forecasting methods such as light trap catching and monitoring population dynamics in rice fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is an important pro-inflammatory cytokine involved in many autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. We have shown previously that a region from −5307 to −5202 bp upstream of the IL-6 transcriptional start site is responsible for basal IL-6 gene expression, and that there were DNA-binding proteins involved from electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) and transient expression experiments. Here we have combined surface plasmon resonance technology with mass spectrometry analysis and have identified nuclear proteins bound to this region. HNRNPA1 and HNRNPA2B1 were found consistently. EMSA supershift and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays confirmed the involvement of HNRNPA1, but not of HNRNPA2B1. Knocking down the HNRNPA1 expression by small interfering RNA resulted in reduced IL-6 transcriptional activity as assessed from transfection experiments using reporter constructs, mRNA and protein measurements. Overexpression of HNRNPA1 cDNA increased IL-6 mRNA expression. This regulation was dependent on the presence of the sequence from −5307 to −5202 bp of the IL-6 gene. Thus, HNRNPA1 is a novel transcriptional regulator of IL-6 expression, acting via the 5′-flanking sequence of the gene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence of functional regulatory polymorphism at the interleukin 6 (IL6) locus is uncertain, with many conflicting in vitro findings. To examine the in vivo effect of the three putative functional IL6 promoter variants, −174G>C, −572G>C and −6331T>C, two complementary techniques, allele-specific chromatin immunoprecipitation and allele-specific formaldehyde-assisted isolation of regulatory elements, were carried out using unrelated lymphoblast cell lines of known genotype. There were no allele-specific effects for all three single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) under basal conditions. Upon IL-1β stimulation, however, allele-specific effects were seen for the −6331 allele, which showed both increased RNA polymerase II loading (56%, P=0.001) and increased open chromatin (59%, P=0.004) for the T allele, which is in line with previous reports of this SNP and the effects from acute inflammation. These studies highlight the importance of examining chromatin under different environmental conditions when studying the functionality of regulatory polymorphisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historical population bottlenecks and natural selection have important effects on the current genetic diversity and structure of long-lived trees. Dracaena cambodiana is an endangered, long-lived tree endemic to Hainan Island, China. Our field investigations showed that only 10 populations remain on Hainan Island and that almost all have been seriously isolated and grow in distinct habitats. A considerable amount of genetic variation at the species level, but little variation at the population level, and a high level of genetic differentiation among the populations with limited gene flow in D. cambodiana were detected using inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analyses. No significant correlation was found between genetic diversity and actual population size, as the genetic diversities were similar regardless of population size. The Mantel test revealed that there was no correlation between genetic and geographic distances among the 10 populations. The UPGMA, PCoA and Bayesian analyses showed that local adaptive divergence has occurred among the D. cambodiana populations, which was further supported by habitat-private fragments. We suggest that the current genetic diversity and population differentiation of D. cambodiana resulted from historical population bottlenecks and natural selection followed by historical isolation. However, the lack of natural regeneration of D. cambodiana indicates that former local adaptations with low genetic diversity may have been genetically weak and are unable to adapt to the current ecological environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective:The skeletal muscle of obese humans is characterized by an inability to appropriately respond to alterations in substrate availability. The purpose of this study was to determine if this metabolic inflexibility with obesity is retained in mitochondria of human skeletal muscle cells raised in culture (HSkMC) and to identify potential mechanisms involved.Design:Mitochondrial respiration was measured in permeabilized myotubes cultured from lean and obese individuals before and after a 24-h lipid incubation.Results:Mitochondrial respiration (state 3) in the presence of lipid substrate (palmitoyl carnitine) increased by almost twofold after lipid incubation in HSkMC from lean, but not obese subjects, indicative of metabolic inflexibility with obesity. The 24-h lipid incubation increased mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy number in HSkMC from lean subjects by +16% (P<0.05); conversely, mtDNA copy number decreased in myotubes cultured from obese individuals (−13%, P=0.06). When respiration data were normalized to mtDNA copy number and other indices of mitochondrial content (COX-IV protein content and CS activity), the significant treatment effects of lipid incubation persisted in the lean subjects, suggesting concomitant alterations in mitochondrial function; no similar adjustment was evident in HSkMC from obese individuals.Conclusion:These data indicate that the skeletal muscle of obese individuals inherently lacks metabolic flexibility in response to lipid exposure, which consists of an inability to increase mitochondrial respiration in the presence of lipid substrate and perhaps by an inability to induce mitochondrial proliferation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is accepted that accuracy of auscultatory blood pressure (BP) measurement is influenced by measurement conditions. However, there is little comparative quantitative clinical data. The aim of this study was to provide these data. Auscultatory systolic and diastolic BPs (SBPs and DBPs) were measured in 111 healthy subjects under five different conditions (resting, deeper breathing, talking, head and arm movement). The measurement sequence was randomized, and repeated three times. BPs and their within-subject variabilities were compared with resting values. SBP and DBP changed significantly in comparison with the resting condition: decreasing by 4.4 and 4.8 mm Hg, respectively, with deeper breathing (both P<0.001), increasing by 3.7 and 5.0 mm Hg with opposite arm movement, and increasing by 5.3 and 6.2 mm Hg with talking (all P<0.001). The mean differences between deeper breathing and talking were 9.7 and 11.0 mm Hg for SBP and DBP. The within-subject variability for repeat measurement of SBP and DBP under resting condition were 3.7 and 3.2 mm Hg and increased for non-resting conditions (all P<0.05, except for DBP while talking). We have shown that measurement conditions significantly influence manual auscultatory BPs and their measurement variabilities, and we provide quantitative data to allow comparison of the effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plasmacytoid dendritic cells play important roles in inducing immune tolerance, preventing allograft rejection, and regulating immune responses in both autoimmune disease and graft-versus-host disease. In order to evaluate a possible protective effect of plasmacytoid dendritic cells against renal inflammation and injury, we purified these cells from mouse spleens and adoptively transferred lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated cells, modified ex vivo, into mice with adriamycin nephropathy. These LPS-treated cells localized to the kidney cortex and the lymph nodes draining the kidney, and protected the kidney from injury during adriamycin nephropathy. Glomerulosclerosis, tubular atrophy, interstitial expansion, proteinuria, and creatinine clearance were significantly reduced in mice with adriamycin nephropathy subsequently treated with LPS-activated plasmacytoid dendritic cells as compared to the kidney injury in mice given naive plasmacytoid dendritic cells. In addition, LPS-pretreated cells, but not naive plasmacytoid dendritic cells, convert CD4+CD25- T cells into Foxp3+ regulatory T cells and suppress the proinflammatory cytokine production of endogenous renal macrophages. This may explain their ability to protect against renal injury in adriamycin nephropathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fusion proteins containing the amino terminus of mixed lineage leukemia (MLL) are common in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) due to translocations. The MLL-AF4 fusion protein is generated by the translocation t(4;11)(q21;q23), and t(4;11)-positive ALL patients (MLL-AF4 ALL), have a notoriously poorer prognosis compared with patients with other MLL-associated leukemias. The detailed role of this fusion protein in leukemogenesis is not well understood. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) targeting the AF4 3′ untranslated regions may modulate MLL-AF4 fusion protein levels, raising the question of whether regulation of these miRNAs are involved in the progression of MLL-AF4 ALL. In this study, we show that miR-143 was identified as a regulator of MLL-AF4 expression in MLL-AF4 ALL samples. Restoration of miR-143 in MLL-AF4-positive RS4;11 and MV4-11 cells induced apoptosis, negatively contributing to leukemia cell growth by reducing MLL-AF4 fusion protein levels. Furthermore, miR-143 was epigenetically repressed by promoter hypermethylation in MLL-AF4-positive primary blasts and cell lines, but not in normal bone marrow cells and MLL-AF4-negative primary blasts, which was directly associated with expression of the MLL-AF4 oncogene. This is the first study to show that miR-143 functions as a tumor suppressor in MLL-AF4 B-cell ALL. These data reveal the therapeutic promise of upregulating miR-143 expression for MLL-AF4 B-cell ALL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a ubiquitous herpesvirus, and Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) has a restricted seroprevalence. Both viruses are associated with malignancies that have an increased frequency in individuals who are coinfected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1).Methods: To obtain an overview of humoral immune responses to these viruses, we generated a protein array that displayed 174 EBV and KSHV polypeptides purified from yeast. Antibody responses to EBV and KSHV were examined in plasma from healthy volunteers and patients with B cell lymphoma or with AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma or lymphoma.Results: In addition to the commonly studied antigens, IgG responses were frequently detected to the tegument proteins KSHV ORF38 and EBV BBRF and BGLF2 and BNRF1 and to the EBV early lytic proteins BRRF1 and BORF2. The EBV vIL-10 protein was particularly well recognized by plasma IgA. The most intense IgG responses to EBV antigens occurred in HIV-1-positive patients. No clear correlation was observed between viral DNA load in plasma and antibody profile.Conclusions: The protein array provided a sensitive platform for global screening; identified new, frequently recognized viral antigens; and revealed a broader humoral response to EBV compared with KSHV in the same patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air drilling applied in an oilfield of western China shows its advantages in enhancing the rate of penetration (ROP) and oil reservoir protection. However, wells deviate more severely in air drilling than in mud drilling, which constrains the its application. The main factors resulting in well deviation are bottom hole assembly (BHA) and formation. This article analyzes these two factors in air drilling. The analysis shows that there is no significant difference in the behavior of BHA during air drilling and during mud drilling. BHA is not the critical factor that results in more serious well deviation in air drilling. The fundamental reason is that the bottom hole formation character changes in air drilling. Air replacing mud in a bore hole would lead to redistribution of bottom hole stress. Greater anisotropy index of formation in air drilling leads to more serious well deviation, and the increasing invasion depth of bit teeth in air drilling aggravates the well deviation. This article will analyze the above changes quantitatively by describing rock failure of anisotropy formation in air drilling. Based on the mechanism of well deviation, two types of BHA are recommended: air hammer and pendulum assembly with air motor, which have been proven as effective measures of controlling deviation in air drilling in Tarim oilfield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Slow light based tunable delay line has been a potential enabler for all-optical networks. We numerically investigate the transmission performance incorporating the signal bandwidths into the incoherently pumped stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) slow light systems. Both the gain and loss part of the SBS spectrum are taken into account for more accurate comparison. Simulation results are illustrated in terms of the normalized delay and signal Q-factor products for both 2.5-Gb/s and 10-Gb/s on–off-keying (OOK) transmission systems. Optimization guidelines are given under different circumstances. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]