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Nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain containing 2 (NOD2), located in the cell cytoplasm, is a pattern recognition receptor belonging to the innate immune receptor family. It mediates the innate immune response by identifying conserved sequences in bacterial peptide glycans and plays an essential role in maintaining immune system homeostasis. Gene mutations of NOD2 lead to the development of autoimmune diseases such as Crohn's disease and Blau syndrome. Recently, NOD2 has been shown to be associated with the pathogenesis of diabetes, cardiac-cerebral diseases, and cancers. However, the function of NOD2 in these non-communicable diseases (CNCDs) is not well summarized in reviews. Our report mainly discusses the primary function and molecular mechanism of NOD2 as well as its potential clinical significance in CNCDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sarcopenia has become important to the public health with the increase in the aging population in society. However, the therapeutic effects of conventional approaches, including pharmacotherapy, exercise, and nutritional intervention, are far from satisfactory. Chinese herbal medicine is a new treatment format with interesting possibilities in sarcopenia has been widely practiced. The study aims to explore the effectiveness of Chinese herbal medicine in sarcopenia. We comprehensively searched the following electronic databases: Medline, EMBASE, APA PsycInfo, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, PubMed, and Chinese database from the establishment of the database to December 2022 (no language restrictions). Randomized controlled clinical studies on the use of Chinese herbal medicine in sarcopenia were selected in compliance with PRISMA guidelines. Review Manager and Stata were used for statistical analysis and the mean difference and standardized mean difference were adopted. Of 277 identified studies, 17 were eligible and included in our analysis (N = 1440 participants). The results showed that Chinese herbal medicine can improve total efficiency (RR = 1.29, 95% CI [1.21, 1.36], p < 0.00001) in sarcopenia and enhance muscle mass (SMD = 1.02, 95% CI [0.55, 1.50], p < 0.0001), and muscle strength measured by grip strength (SMD = 0.66, 95% CI [0.36, 0.96], p < 0.0001), measured by 60°/s knee extension peak TQ (MD = 5.63, 95% CI [−0.30, 11.57], p = 0.06) and muscle function measured by 6‐meter walking speed (SMD = 1.34, 95% CI [0.60, 2.08], p = 0.0004), measured by the short physical performance battery of 1.50%, 95% CI (1.05, 1.95), measured by the EuroQoL 5‐dimension of (SMD = 0.27, 95% CI [−0.10, 0.65], p = 0.16), suggesting that Chinese herbal medicine alone or combined with conventional treatment has ameliorating effect on sarcopenia. Chinese herbal medicine is a potential therapeutic strategy in sarcopenia. The funnel plot and Egger's test indicated publication bias. To confirm our conclusions, further high‐quality studies should be conducted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Manual therapy (MT) is frequently used in combination with management of osteoarthritis of the knee, but there is no consensus on the exact efficacy of this treatment strategy. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the pain relief and safety of MT for treatment of knee osteoarthritis (KOA). Methods: Randomized controlled trials evaluating MT in patients with KOA in major English and Chinese journals were searched in the following databases: Wanfang, China Science and Technology Journal Database (VIP database), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library databases through June 2023. The methodological quality and quality of evidence of the included studies were assessed using Cochrane's risk-of-bias 2 (ROB 2) tool and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) tool. Data analysis was performed using Stata version 15.0 software. After use of Galbraith plots to exclude studies that could lead to heterogeneity, random effects models were used to analyze the remaining data and test the consistency of the findings. We used meta-regression to assess the effect of treatment period, patient age, and sex ratio on outcomes. Funnel plots and Egger's test were used to evaluate publication bias. Sensitivity analyses were used to determine the reliability of the results. Results: A total of 25 studies, with 2376 participants, were included in this review. The overall methodological quality of the included studies was limited. Our findings suggest that MT has a positive impact on pain relief outcomes in KOA patients. The meta-analysis showed that MT was superior to usual care (SMD = 2.04, 95% CI 0.94, 3.14, I2 = 96.3%; low evidence quality) and exercise (SMD = 1.56, 95% CI 0.41, 2.71, I2 = 96.3%; low evidence quality) for reducing pain. In terms of improvement in visual analogue scale (VAS) scores, MT treatment beyond 4 weeks (SMD = 1.56, 95% CI 0.41, 2.71, I2 = 96.3%) may be superior to treatments less than or equal to 4 weeks (SMD = 1.24, 95% CI 0.56, 1.95, I2 = 94.7%). No serious adverse events associated with MT were reported. Conclusions: MT may be effective at reducing pain in patients with KOA and may be more effective after a 4-week treatment period. Compared with usual care and exercise therapy, MT may be superior at reducing KOA pain in the short term (9 weeks), but its long-term efficacy requires careful consideration of evidence-based outcomes. MT appears to be safe for KOA patients, though clinicians should inform patients of the potential risk of MT-related adverse events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantum metrology, such as quantum phase estimation, can surpass classical sensing limits, reaching the Heisenberg‐scaling precision. So far, this kind of metrology has been thought to be only implementable with the quantum systems, which, however, are fragile to environmental noise and hardly contribute to the practical detections. Herein, it is demonstrated both theoretically and experimentally that the parameter encoded by the optical phase can also be estimated at the Heisenberg scaling in classical optics. Inspired by the quantum‐entanglement‐enhanced sensing scheme, the estimation is performed by using classically correlated beams as probes, and obtaining the probes readout after their interaction with the target system. Because the correlated beams considered are spatially separable, a distributed phase estimation scheme is given, which can sense the linear combinations of the phase shifts induced by distinct systems. The results of our experiments show an error reduction up to 3.89 dB below the classical limit when the correlated beam number for probing is 6, approaching the Heisenberg limit. Compared with quantum strategies, the proposal shows a better robustness against the environmental disturbance and keeps their performances even when the correlated beam number is relatively large. Hence, it indicates promising practical applications in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human interleukin‐5 (IL‐5) cytokine mediates the development of eosinophils and is involved in a variety of immune inflammatory responses that play a major role in the pathogenesis of childhood asthma, leukemia, and other pediatric allergic diseases. The immunomodulatory cytokine functions by binding to its cognate cell surface receptor IL‐5R in a sheet‐by‐sheet manner, which can be conformationally mimicked and competitively disrupted by a double‐stranded cyclic AF18748 peptide. In this study, we systematically examined the co‐crystallized complex structure of human IL‐5R with AF18748 peptide and rationally designed a halogen bond to glue at the protein–peptide complex interface by substituting the indole moiety of AF18748 Trp13 residue with a halogen atom (X = F, Cl, Br, or I). High‐level theoretical calculations imparted presence of the halogen bond between the oxygen atom (O) of IL‐5R Glu58 backbone and the halogen atom (X) of AF18748 Trp13 side chain. Experimental assays confirmed that the halogen bond can promote peptide binding moderately or considerably. More importantly, the halogen bond not only enhances peptide affinity to IL‐5R, but also improves peptide selectivity for its cognate IL‐5R over other noncognate IL‐R proteins. As might be expected, the affinity and selectivity conferred by halogen bond increase consistently in the order: H < F < Cl < Br < I. Structural modeling revealed that the halogen bond plus its vicinal π–cation–π stacking co‐define a ringed noncovalent system at the complex interface, which involves a synergistic effect to effectively improve the peptide binding potency and recognition specificity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Congenital dyserythropoietic anemia type II (CDA II) refers to a group of extremely rare heterozygous disorders characterized by ineffective erythropoiesis and morphological abnormalities of erythrocytes and bone marrow erythroblasts. Six types of CDA with differing heterogenous genetic mutations have been identified to date. Due to the genetic and clinical heterogeneity of CDA, accurate diagnosis can be very challenging, especially with the clinical overlap observed between CDA and other dyserythropoietic diseases. A 1-month-old infant girl, born to a non-consanguineous family, presented with severe normocytic anemia that required transfusions every 2 to 3 weeks since birth, as well as jaundice. Whole exome sequencing revealed a novel compound heterozygosity in the SEC23B gene, thus establishing the diagnosis of CDA II. Analysis by multiple bioinformatics tools predicted that the mutant proteins were deleterious. Here, we report a novel variation in SEC23B that extends the mutation spectrum of SEC23B in the diagnosis of CDA II. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a coding scheme based on bilayer low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes for multi-level cell (MLC) NAND flash memory. The main feature of the proposed scheme is that it exploits the asymmetric properties of an MLC flash channel and stores the extra parity-check bits in the lower page, which are activated only after the decoding failure of the upper page. To further improve the performance of the error correction, a perturbation process based on the genetic algorithm (GA) is incorporated into the decoding process of the proposed coding scheme, which can convert uncorrectable read sequences into error-correctable regions of the corresponding decoding space by introducing GA-trained noises. The perturbation decoding process is particularly efficient at low program-and-erase (P/E) cycle regions. The simulation results suggest that the proposed bilayer LDPC coding scheme can extend the lifetime of MLC NAND flash memory up to 10,000 P/E cycles. The proposed scheme can achieve a better balance between performance and complexity than traditional single LDPC coding schemes. All of these findings indicate that the proposed coding scheme is suitable for practical purposes in MLC NAND flash memory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ureaplasma species are common pathogens of the urogenital tract and can cause a range of diseases. Unfortunately, there is still a scarcity of large-scale and cross-sectional studies on the prevalence of Ureaplasma species in China to clarify their epidemic patterns. Methods: This study retrospectively analyzed the data of 18667 patients who visited Peking Union Medical College Hospital for showing various symptoms of (suspected) Ureaplasma species infection during the period 2013–2022. The overall prevalence of Ureaplasma species was calculated, and subgroup analyses were conducted in view of gender, age, specimen types, and diagnosis in every year within the period studied. Furthermore, previous literature that reported on the prevalence of Ureaplasma species in various regions of China was searched and summarized. Results: The overall positive rate of Ureaplasma species in this study reached 42.1% (7861/18667). Specifically, the prevalence of Ureaplasma species was significantly higher in female patients, while the highest detection rate was found in the 21–50 age group. From 2013 to 2022, there were no significant differences in positive rates of Ureaplasma species among years. However, the detection rate of Ureaplasma species was decreased in COVID-19 period (2020–2022) compared to pre-COVID-19 period (2017–2019). In view of the distribution of patients, outpatients predominated, but the detection rate was lower than inpatients. Urine was the most common specimen type, while cervical swabs had the highest detection rate of Ureaplasma species. When grouped by diagnosis, the highest positive rate of Ureaplasma species was seen in patients with adverse pregnancy outcomes and the lowest rate in patients with prostate disease. The previous literature, although heterogeneous, collectively suggested a high prevalence of Ureaplasma species in China. Conclusions: Our study has shown that Ureaplasma species have reached a significant prevalence in China and demands adequate attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections nationwide. The COVID‐19 pandemic has greatly influenced on the HPV prevention project. The objective of this study was to examine the influence of the pandemic on HPV prevalence and genotype distribution in Beijing, China. A total of 44 401 genital swabs were obtained from outpatients at Peking Union Medical College Hospital during two distinct periods: the prepandemic stage from January 2017 to December 2019 and the pandemic stage from January 2020 to December 2022. During the prepandemic and pandemic stages, a total of 33 531 and 10 870 swabs were respectively collected. Fifteen high‐risk HPV (HR‐HPV) DNA type and a combination of two low‐risk (LR‐HPV) types (6/11) of genital swabs were detected to compare the HPV infection rates and genotype distributions in two stages. The results showed that the pandemic period witnessed a decrease in the overall HPV infection rate from 33.43% (11 245/33 531) to 29.43% (5527/18 780) compared to the prepandemic. There were statistically significant differences in infection rates between females and males (p < 0.05). Single infection was the predominant type while multiple infection was more prevalent in males than females in both prepandemic and pandemic periods. HR‐HPV infection constituted the majority of infections and cannot be disregarded. The distribution of HR‐HPV genotypes exhibited little variation before and after the outbreak, but there were some differences between females and males. HPV 16, 52, 58, 56, and 66 were the most commonly detected genotypes in females, whereas HPV 16, 52, 51, 58, and 18 were frequently detected in males. Additionally, HPV 6/11 exhibited a higher prevalence in males than in females. Notably, the age group of 31−40 years old exhibited the highest prevalence of HPV and the lowest infection rate was detected among individuals aged ≤20 years (p < 0.05), which remained relatively consistent before and during the pandemic. These findings underscore the importance of monitoring the trend of HPV epidemic and offer valuable insights for the prevention, treatment, and scientific investigation of HPV in the post‐COVID‐19 era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

N6-methyladenosine modification and lncRNAs are closely related to the prognosis and immunotherapy response of breast cancer patients. LncRNAs related to m6A-associated genes were predicted based on co-expression analysis of the TCGA database. We established a novel 7-m6A-associated lncRNA signature for predicting patient prognosis and validated it. The model was significantly correlated with survival time and survival status and was an independent predictor of overall survival (OS). Except for the M1 disease group, the model had good predictive value for OS in different subgroups. We constructed a prognostic model based on 7 m6A-associated lncRNAs in breast cancer. This model could serve as an independent prognostic factor with tremendous predictive ability for breast cancer patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The close relationship between pain and mental health problems is well-known, and psychological intervention can provide an effective alternative to medication-based pain relief. However, previous studies on the connection between pain and psychological problems, the findings thus far have been inconclusive, limiting the potential for translating psychological interventions into clinical practice. To complement the gap, this study utilized genetic data and Mendelian randomization (MR) to examine the potential relationship between pain in different parts and common mental disorders. Methods: Based on the instrumental variables selected from the Genome-wide association study summary statistics of localized pain and mental disorders, we conducted bidirectional two-sample MR analyses to infer bidirectional causal associations between pain and mental disorders. The inverse-variance weighted MR method and MR-Egger were used as the primary statistical method according to the horizontal pleiotropy and heterogeneity level. We reported the odds ratio to infer the causal effect between pain and mental disorders. F statistic was calculated to measure the statistical efficacy of the analyses. Results: Insomnia is causally related to the genetic susceptibility of multisite pain including head (OR = 1.09, 95% CI: 1.06–1.12), neck/shoulder (OR = 1.12, 95% CI: 1.07–1.16), back (OR = 1.12, 95% CI: 1.07–1.18) and hip (OR = 1.08, 95% CI: 1.05–1.10). Reversely, headache (OR = 1.14, 95% CI: 1.05–1.24), neck/shoulder pain (OR = 1.95, 95% CI: 1.03–3.68), back pain (OR = 1.40, 95% CI: 1.22–1.60), and hip pain (OR = 2.29, 95% CI: 1.18–4.45) promote the genetic liability of insomnia. Depression is strongly associated with the predisposition of multisite pain including headache (OR = 1.28, 95% CI: 1.08–1.52), neck/shoulder pain (OR = 1.32, 95% CI: 1.16–1.50), back pain (OR = 1.35, 95% CI: 1.10–1.66) and stomach/abdominal pain (OR = 1.14, 95% CI: 1.05–1.25), while headache (OR = 1.06, 95% CI: 1.03–1.08), neck/shoulder (OR = 1.09, 95% CI: 1.01–1.17), back (OR = 1.08, 95% CI: 1.03–1.14), and stomach/abdominal pain (OR = 1.19, 95% CI: 1.11–1.26) are predisposing factors for depression. Additionally, insomnia is associated with the predisposition of facial, stomach/abdominal, and knee pain, anxiety was associated with the predisposition of neck/shoulder and back pain, while the susceptibilities of hip and facial pain are influenced by depression, but these associations were unidirectional. Conclusions: Our results enhance the understanding of the complex interplay between pain and mental health and highlight the importance of a holistic approach to pain management that addresses both physical and psychological factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the technology scales down, two-dimensional (2D) NAND flash memory has reached its bottleneck. Three-dimensional (3D) NAND flash memory was proposed to further increase the storage capacity by vertically stacking multiple layers. However, the new architecture of 3D flash memory leads to new sources of errors, which severely affects the reliability of the system. In this paper, for the first time, we derive the channel probability density function of 3D NAND flash memory by taking major sources of errors. Based on the derived channel probability density function, the mutual information (MI) for 3D flash memory with multiple layers is derived and used as a metric to design the quantization. Specifically, we propose a dynamic programming algorithm to jointly optimize read-voltage thresholds for all layers by maximizing the MI (MMI). To further reduce the complexity, we develop an MI derivative (MID)-based method to obtain read-voltage thresholds for hard-decision decoding (HDD) of error correction codes (ECCs). Simulation results show that the performance with jointly optimized read-voltage thresholds can closely approach that with read-voltage thresholds optimized for each layer, with much less read latency. Moreover, the MID-based MMI quantizer almost achieves the optimal performance for HDD of ECCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine the plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) 4G/5G (rs1799889) genotype of the subjects in a robust detection method and to explore the association of the PAI-1 4G/5G polymorphism with susceptibility to diabetes mellitus (DM) and hypertension (HTN) as well as clinical characteristics. Methods: This study recruited 208 patients (68 patients were diagnosed with DM, 70 patients with HTN and 70 patients with DM combined with HTN) and 132 healthy controls (HC). A subset of the population was selected to evaluate the accuracy of the Real-time PCR (RT-PCR) method for detecting PAI-1 4G/5G polymorphism by using the sequencing method as the gold standard. Furthermore, the association of the PAI-1 4G/5G polymorphism with genetic susceptibility to DM and HTN was explored. Moreover, variations in clinical characteristics among individuals with various PAI-1 genotypes were also analyzed in the DM group, the HTN group and the DM+HTN group. Results: There was a high concordance between the RT-PCR method and the sequencing method in determining the PAI-1 4G/5G polymorphism. No association was observed between the PAI-1 4G/5G polymorphism and susceptibility to DM, HTN and DM+HTN, respectively. There were no statistical differences in all study indicators among individuals that carrying various genotypes in the HC group. There were several variations in clinical characteristics among individuals harboring different PAI-1 4G/5G genotypes in the DM group, the HTN group and the DM+HTN group. Conclusion: The RT-PCR method can accurately identify the PAI-1 4G/5G genotype in different individuals. The PAI-1 4G/5G polymorphism may not be associated with genetic susceptibility to DM, HTN and DM+HTN, but differences in clinical characteristics among individuals with various genotypes may provide a reference for disease assessment and personalized treatment of patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) such as carrizumab leads to immune-mediated adverse effects including severe acute graft versus host disease (aGVHD) and secondary hemophagocytic syndrome (sHLH). Herein, we present two cases where aGVHD and sHLH developed after ICI administration, which was treated using methylprednisolone (MP). They developed high-grade fever complicated with liver dysfunction and diarrhea 1 day after ICI administration. Treatment with MP does not alleviate symptoms because of steroid resistance. Hyperbilirubinemia, rash with blisters, and watery diarrhea showed severe aGVHD. Hyperferritinemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and cytopenias suggested the diagnosis of HLH and met the criteria for sHLH diagnosis. They were thus administered intravenous high-dose MP, methotrexate (MTX), basiliximab, ruxolitinib, etc, which resolved these symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hemorrhagic cystitis (HC) is a severe complication of allo-HSCT, characterized by irritative symptoms of the urinary tract and a higher morbidity rate. The risk factors and prognosis of HC are still unclear. The objective of this study is to identify risk factors and outcomes to improve treatment in pediatric SAA patients undergoing HSCTs in the Children's Hospital of Soochow University. A total of 97 SAA patients as a cohort were enrolled from 2010 to 2019 in the Children's Hospital of Soochow University and a number of factors related to HC and outcomes were analysed. In all transplants (except UCBT), patients received a combination of G-CSF stimulated bone marrow (BM) and peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC). The minimum number of CD34 + cells is 5 × 106 cells/kg. Mononuclear cells dose (MNC, cut off: 8.53 × 108/kg) and grade II–IV acute graft versus host disease (aGVHD) were identified as independent risk factors for HC. Patients without HC had better overall survival (OS) than with HC (No HC: 98.6%±1.4% vs HC: 87.4% ± 6.8%, p = 0.03). We concluded that aGVHD and MNC dose in graft might play an important role in the development of HC in pediatric SAA patients undergoing allo-HSCT. HC is also a key complication affecting the prognosis of children with SAA after allo-HSCT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a life-threatening cardiovascular syndrome that characterized by the imbalance of hemostasis and thrombosis and the formation of thrombi in the blood vessels. The aim of this study was to elucidate the clinical impact of the PAI-1 4G/5G polymorphism in Chinese patients with VTE. Methods: A total of 169 subjects (89 VTE, 10 hyperbilirubinemia, 10 hyperlipidemia and 60 healthy controls) were recruited at Peking Union Medical College Hospital. The accuracy of the TaqMan-MGB RT-PCR method for detecting F5 G1691A (FVL) and PAI-1 4G/5G polymorphisms was evaluated by using sequencing method as the gold standard. Besides, the association of the PAI-1 4G/5G polymorphism with susceptibility, treatment efficacy and recurrence status of VTE in Chinese population were explored. Eventually, the plasma PAI-1 antigen levels and PAI-1 4G/5G polymorphisms were determined on additional 64 subjects (32 VTE and 32 healthy controls) simultaneously. Results: The TaqMan-MGB RT-PCR method was proven to be highly accurate in determining the FVL and PAI-1 4G/5G polymorphisms without interference from bilirubin and lipids in the samples. No obvious correlation of the PAI-1 4G/5G polymorphism with VTE was observed in our study by using five genetic models (allele, genotype, dominant, recessive and additive). Additionally, we also observed that individuals with the 4G/5G genotype had lower neutrophil counts and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) than the 5G/5G genotype. Furthermore, we found that the patients with the 5G/5G genotype were more likely to achieve complete recanalization compared to the 4G/4G genotype. In addition, individuals carrying the 5G/5G genotype were more likely to develop a recurrence-free status as compared to individuals with the 4G/4G or 4G/5G genotypes. PAI-1 antigen levels in the VTE group were significantly higher than those in the HC group. However, there was no significant difference in the antigen levels of PAI-1 among subjects carrying various genotypes in the VTE group or HC group. Conclusion: The PAI-1 4G/5G polymorphism has potential value in assessing the prognosis of Chinese patients with VTE. Our study has laid the foundation for the application of PAI-1 4G/5G polymorphism in the personalized management and monitoring of patients with VTE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To find out the characteristics of geological structure exposed in the mining process of 12,318 working face in Pansan Mine and grasp its influence law on subsequent coal seams mining, the structure was first determined as the collapse column by means of 3D seismic, transient electromagnetic detection, SYT detection and other methods, and its development characteristics, conductivity and water enrichment were identified. FLAC3D numerical simulation software was used to analyze the characteristics of vertical stress and plastic failure zone in different coal seams during mining. Finally, by comparing the ultimate failure depth of floor and the thickness of waterproof layer in the process of each coal seam directly pushing through the collapse column, the risk of water inrush and the prevention are analyzed. The results show that the exposed geological structure is characterized by weak water-rich collapse column. Under the influence of the mining of the previous coal seam and the activation of the collapse column, the subsequent coal seam is in the low-stress area before mining, which increases the floor failure and causes the activation of the collapse column more easily during mining. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The UAV network composed of resource-constrained lightweight UAV swarms can efficiently accomplish mission with time critical requirements in dynamic and complex environments. However, the trusted authentication of network nodes poses a huge challenge due to its own resource constraints, the lack of trusted centralized support, frequent joining or departure of UAVs to or from the network, and the presence of cyber-attacks. In this paper, we propose a stateless blockchain based on triple aggregatable subvector commitment and present a dynamic proof of trust authorization consensus mechanism with a periodic random selection of authorized nodes to guarantee the trustworthiness of mutual authentication of UAV nodes. Our proposed triple vector authentication solution solves several of the challenges mentioned above very well. The extensive experiments demonstrate that our blockchain-based authentication scheme enjoins significant advantages over the four schemes currently available for UAV network authentication in terms of single authentication latency, speed of energy consumption, average computational cost, and end-to-end latency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer cachexia is a fatal syndrome associated with muscle regeneration disability. Tumor factors induce the apoptosis of myoblasts to impair the regeneration of skeletal muscle. Cancer cachectic myoblast apoptosis is associated with mitochondria injury. It has been reported that activated mitochondrial calpain caused mitochondria injury in mouse cardiomyocytes and pulmonary smooth muscle. We wondered if mitochondrial calpains exist in skeletal myoblast and their potential role in myoblast apoptosis of cancer cachexia. We used a transwell to build a novel myoblast-carcinoma cell coculture model to simulate the cancer cachexia environment in vitro. Calpain inhibitors, calpastatin (CAST) and calpeptin (CAPT), were used during coculture. We found for the first time that two calpains (calpain-1 and calpain-2) and CAST were present in the mitochondria of myoblast. The activation of mitochondrial calpain decreased mitochondrial complex I activity, promoted mitochondrial permeability transition pore opening, and impaired mitochondrial membrane potential in myoblast during coculture, which induced myoblasts apoptosis. CAST and CAPT protected myoblasts from apoptosis by inhibiting mitochondrial calpain activity, which may attenuate or even reverse cancer cachectic muscle atrophy by improving muscle regeneration ability. Our study provides a new perspective for understanding the mechanism of cancer cachexia, and will further contribute to treat cancer cachexia by focusing on the mitochondrial calpain activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Local neuroinflammation secondary to spinal nerve compression in lumbar disk herniation (LDH) is a key driver contributing to neuropathic pain. Manual therapy (MT), a widely used nonsurgical therapy, can relieve LDH-mediated pain by reducing inflammation. MT has attracted extensive attention; however, its mechanism remains poorly understood. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are important regulators of pain signaling transduction, but are rarely reported in the chronic compression of dorsal root ganglia (CCD) model, and further investigation is needed to decipher whether they mediate anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of MT.Methods: We used a combination of in vivo behavioral and molecular techniques to study MT intervention mechanisms. Neuropathic pain was induced in a CCD rat model and MT intervention was performed according to standard procedures. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect inflammatory cytokine levels in dorsal root ganglia (DRG). Small RNA sequencing, immunofluorescence, Western blot, and qRT-PCR were performed to screen miRNAs and their target genes and determine core factors in the pathway possibly regulated by miRNA-mediated target gene in DRG of MT-treated CCD rats.Results: Compared with naive rats, small RNA sequencing detected 22 differentially expressed miRNAs in DRG of CCD rats, and compared with CCD rats, MT-treated rats presented 19 differentially expressed miRNAs, which were functionally associated with nerve injury and inflammation. Among these, miR-547-3p was screened as a key miRNA mediating neuroinflammation and participating in neuropathic pain. We confirmed in vitro that its function is achieved by directly regulating its target gene Map4k4. Intrathecal injection of miR-547-3p agomir or MT intervention significantly reduced Map4k4 expression and the expression and phosphorylation of IκBα and p65 in the NF-κB pathway, thus reducing the inflammatory cytokine levels and exerting an analgesic effect, whereas intrathecal injection of miR-547-3p antagomir led to opposite effects.Conclusions: In rats, CCD-induced neuropathic pain leads to variation in miRNA expression in DRG, and MT can intervene the transcription and translation of inflammation-related genes through miRNAs to improve neuroinflammation and alleviate neuropathic pain. MiR-547-3p may be a key target of MT for anti-inflammatory and analgesia effects, which is achieved by mediating the Map4k4/NF-κB pathway to regulate downstream inflammatory cytokines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the high mobility of nodes and the complexity of the mission environment, mission-oriented UAV networks are not only subject to frequent topology changes, but also to the risk of being compromised, hijacked and corrupted. As a result, an operating UAV network is essentially a Byzantine distributed system whose physical structure and node trustworthiness change over time. How to implement the global management of UAV networks to achieve a rational allocation of UAV network resources and reconfiguration of trusted networks is a problem worthy of in-depth study. The method proposed in this paper introduces a lightweight storage blockchain in the UAV network through two-stage consensus, firstly performing data consensus on the local state records of the nodes, then performing decision consensus on the data consensus results using algorithms such as fuzzy K-Modes clustering and global trustworthiness assessment, and finally recording the decision consensus results into a new block as the new configuration information of the UAV network. A lightweight storage blockchain-assisted trusted zone routing protocol (BC_TZRP) is designed to dynamically and adaptively build configurable trusted networks in a way that the blockchain continuously adds new blocks. Using QualNet simulation experimental software, an experimental comparison between the classical routing protocol for mobile self-organizing networks and the traditional consensus algorithm for blockchains is conducted. The results show that the approach has significant advantages in terms of packet delivery rate, routing overhead and average end-to-end delay, and can effectively improve the overall working life and fault tolerance of the UAV network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The differential chaos shift keying with code index modulation (CIM-DCSK) using Walsh codes can increase the data rate, but error rate performance degrades over practical multipath channel with high delay spread. To tackle this drawback, this paper proposes a parallel CIM-DCSK (PT-CIM-DCSK), where the first time slot is used to transmit the chaotic reference sequence, and the second slot is used to transmit the multiple sequences carrying data bits. In particular, multiple $q$ chaotic sequences are added for data transmission in parallel, and each sequence is modulated by CIM-DCSK with $m_{c}$ bits. By exploiting the quasi-orthogonal characteristics of permuted chaotic signals, the interference between $q$ sequences can be remarkably suppressed. In this way, given the data rate, PT-CIM-DCSK can achieve a larger length of Walsh segment than the CIM-DCSK, since its parallel transmission compensates the rate. In addition, the error performance of the proposed scheme over the multipath Rayleigh fading channel is theoretically analyzed. The theoretical and consistent simulation results demonstrate that the PT-CIM-DCSK can obtain significant performance gains over the conventional CIM-DCSK, and the gain can be up to 5 dB in multipath fading channel with high delay. This is because the larger Walsh segment of PT-CIM-DCSK provides the enhanced robustness against multipath effect. The performance superiority of the proposed scheme is further verified in practical ultra-wideband (UWB) wireless industrial scenarios, which suggests promising for low-cost and low-complexity wireless communication applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective: Asthma and allergic rhinitis have been reported to be strongly associated with genetic factors. The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of the TaqMan-MGB (minor groove binder) qPCR method for detecting CYSLTR1 rs320995 (T927C) and GSDMB rs7216389 (G1199A) gene polymorphisms as well as to explore the association of CYSLTR1 rs320995 and GSDMB rs7216389 polymorphisms with genetic susceptibility of Chinese patients with asthma and allergic rhinitis. Methods: In this study, 310 asthmatic patients and 60 healthy individuals were recruited in Peking Union Medical College Hospital. The CYSLTR1 rs320995 (T927C) and GSDMB rs7216389 (G1199A) gene polymorphisms in each group were analyzed by TaqMan-MGB qPCR and DNA sequencing which was regarded as the gold standard. After the validation of this method, additional 71 patients with allergic rhinitis and 72 patients with asthma combined with allergic rhinitis were selected and tested by using TaqMan-MGB qPCR. Results: The TaqMan-MGB qPCR results were fully consistent with DNA sequencing results (Kappa = 1, P< 0.001). In addition, the results of the TaqMan-MGB qPCR assay were not affected by bilirubin and lipids. We found differential distribution of CYSLTR1 rs320995 genotypes in female patients with asthma combined with allergic rhinitis (χ2=6.172, P=0.046, statistical power = 0.591). Specifically, the TT genotype is more frequent in women suffering from asthma with allergic rhinitis, whereas the TC genotype is more prevalent in healthy women. However, no such associations were observed in the GSDMB rs7216389 polymorphism. Conclusion: We have established a reliable TaqMan-MGB qPCR method for the detection of CYSLTR1 rs320995 and GSDMB rs7216389 polymorphisms. Moreover, the CYSLTR1 rs320995 polymorphism may be associated with genetic susceptibility of Chinese female patients with asthma and allergic rhinitis. Multicenter studies with larger sample sizes are required in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The study designs a type of plasma antenna array with four quartz fluorescent lamps, which can be classified into linear polarization and circular polarization (CP). The antenna arrays are designed into a self-phase-shifting cross shape, and the kHz alternating current power supplies are adopted in the proposed antenna arrays. Experimental results show that the cross vibrator antenna can realize not only impedance and pattern reconstruction, but also the polarization transformation. Moreover, the horizontal polarization, vertical polarization, and CP can be mutually transformed into each other by changing the vibrator operation mode. It is noted that we can easily transform the left-hand circular polarization and right-hand circular polarization into each other via modifying vibrator length and plasma density. Compared with a conventional metal antenna with the same shape, polarization conversion can be realized in an easier yet faster way via the help of self-phase-shifting plasma antenna array. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: With the change of life and work style, more middle-aged and elderly individuals are suffering from neck pain. In China, traditional Chinese exercises (TCEs) are widely used in the management of neck pain, such as Tai Chi, Qigong, Yijinjing, Baduanjin, Liuzijue, and Five-animal exercises. However, the evidence of TCEs for neck pain maintains controversial. Therefore, the current systematic review was conducted to evaluate the effects of TCEs on pain and disability of middle-aged and elderly patients with neck pain. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was performed in six electronic databases from their inception to January 2022 for randomized controlled trials of TCEs for neck pain. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed by PEDro scale. The subgroup analysis was conducted based on different TCEs. The I 2 statistic was applied to assess the heterogeneity. Results: Twenty-one studies were included in our review, which were conducted in China, United States, and Germany between 2003 and 2021. Most (86%) of them exceeded the cut off score 6. TCEs included Baduanjin, Yijinjing, Tai Chi, Qigong, and Five-animal exercises. The aggregated results indicated that TCEs showed positive complementary effects in relieving pain (SMD , 1.12; 95% CI , 0.78–1.45; p < 0.00001), especially Baduanjin exercises. Baduanjin exercises also showed beneficial complementary effects in improving flexion (SMD , 0.65; 95% CI , 0.28–1.03; p = 0.0006) and extension (SMD , 0.66; 95% CI , 0.12–1.19; p = 0.02) of the neck. In addition, the aggregated results indicated that TCEs alone showed beneficial effects in improving disability (SMD , 0.74; 95% CI , 0.40–1.08; p < 0.0001) and relieving pain (SMD , 0.81; 95% CI , 0.50–1.13; p < 0.00001) compared with waiting list. The follow-up effects of TCEs were still insufficient. Conclusion: There was the positive evidence to support the clinical use of TCEs, as a complementary therapy, for middle-aged and elderly patients with neck pain, especially Baduanjin exercises. However, the evidence supporting the effects of TCEs alone for the middle-aged and elderly patients with neck pain was limited due to the small sample size. Systematic Review Registration: https://inplasy.com/inplasy-2022-4-0083/, identifier INPLASY202240083. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an online perturbed and directed neural-evolutionary (Online-PDNE) decoding algorithm for polar codes, in which the perturbation noise and online directed neuro-evolutionary noise sequences are sequentially added to the received sequence for re-decoding if the standard polar decoding fails. The new decoding algorithm converts uncorrectable received sequences into error-correcting regions of their decoding space for correct decoding by adding specific noises. To reduce the decoding complexity and delay, the PDNE decoding algorithm and sole neural-evolutionary (SNE) decoding algorithm for polar codes are further proposed, which provide a considerable tradeoff between the decoding performance and complexity by acquiring the neural-evolutionary noise in an offline manner. Numerical results suggest that our proposed decoding algorithms outperform the other conventional decoding algorithms. At high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) region, the Online-PDNE decoding algorithm improves bit error rate (BER) performance by more than four orders of magnitude compared with the conventional simplified successive cancellation (SSC) decoding algorithm. Furthermore, in the mid-high SNR region, the average normalized complexity of the proposed algorithm is almost the same as that of the SSC decoding algorithm, while preserving the decoding performance gain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC) is an indolent carcinoma. The cumulative incidence of death from patients with FTC and the nomogram built based on the competing risks model have not been described. Methods: The data from patients diagnosed with primary FTC were identified and extracted from the surveillance, epidemiology, and end results (SEER) program (1988–2015). The cumulative incidence function was utilized to calculate the likelihood of death resulting from thyroid cancer and other causes, respectively. Gray's test was used to examine the difference in the cumulative incidence of death between the groups. A tenfold cross-validation was applied to assess the discrimination and calibration of the model. Results: A total of 9210 patients diagnosed with primary FTC were included. The median follow-up time was 92 months (1–347 months). The 5-year, 10-year, and 20-year probabilities of death from FTC were 2.84%, 5.23%, and 8.61%, respectively. The age at diagnosis, sex, tumor size, pathological subtypes, tumor extension, lymph node involvement, as well as surgical and radiotherapy methods used, were related to the cumulative incidence of death. Multivariate analysis identified several risk factors for patient survival. The model behaved well in terms of performance. A nomogram based on the model allowed the prediction of the probability of death among patients with FTC. Conclusions: The prognosis of FTC is excellent. The likelihood of death caused by thyroid cancer increases with age. Male sex, tumors larger than 4 cm, invasion, extrathyroidal extension, lymph node involvement, and distant metastases increase the risk of dying of thyroid carcinoma. The nomogram constructed on the basis of the model is potentially useful for both clinicians and patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs) and covalent‐organic frameworks (COFs) are two emerging families of functional materials used in many fields. Advantages of both include compositional designability, structural diversity, and high porosity, which offer immense possibilities in the search for high‐performance electrode materials for metal‐ion batteries. A large number of MOF/COF‐based cathode materials have been reported. Despite these advantageous features and research advances, MOFs/COFs and their derivatives face various challenges as cathode materials. In this review, an overview of the progress of MOF/COF‐based cathodes for advanced metal‐ion batteries is presented, including lithium‐ion batteries and other nascent technologies, such as sodium‐ion batteries, zinc‐ion batteries, aluminum‐ion batteries, and magnesium‐ion batteries. Research advances on the cathodes of MOFs/COFs and their derivatives are summarized in terms of active sites, structural design, and protective coatings. Perspectives and directions on the future development of MOF/COF‐based cathodes are outlined for meeting the requirements of practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: TNF-α has been reported to be closely associated with autoimmune inflammatory diseases. This study aims to investigate the role of TNF-α -308(rs1800629) G/A gene polymorphisms as well as neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) in predicting the efficacy and safety of TNF inhibitors (TNFi) in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and psoriasis arthritis (PsA). Methods: A total of 515 subjects (181 AS, 144 RA, 48 PsA, 10 hyperbilirubinemia, 10 hyperlipidemia and 122 healthy control) were recruited in this study. The accuracy of RT-PCR methods for identifying individual TNF-α -308 genotypes was assessed using sequencing as the gold standard. Baseline NLR and PLR of patients with AS, RA and PsA and healthy controls (HC) were calculated and compared. Meanwhile, differences between responders and non-responders to TNFi treatment as well as between individuals with and without adverse effects (AE) among responders were compared. Results: The RT-PCR method is stable and reliable for TNF-α -308G/A gene polymorphism analysis, independent of sample status. The GG genotype was overwhelmingly represented, with relatively few GA genotype, whilst the AA genotype was not detected in this study. There was no observed association between TNF-α-308G/A polymorphism and susceptibility in AS, RA or PsA patients. Patients with AS, RA, and PsA had a higher NLR, compared to the HC group. Apart from PsA patients, AS and RA patients had a higher PLR, compared to the HC group. NLR was positively correlated with PLR. Furthermore, a lack of response was more frequently observed in AS and RA patients that carrying the GA genotype than the GG genotype. AS and RA patients with AE had higher NLR and PLR, compared with the non-AE group. Conclusion: Our study preliminarily shown that combining TNF-α -308G/A polymorphisms with NLR and PLR can predict the responsiveness and safety of anti-TNF therapy in patients with AS or RA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The error‐correcting performance of multi‐level‐cell (MLC) NAND flash memory is closely related to the block length of error‐correcting codes (ECCs) and log‐likelihood‐ratios of the read‐voltage thresholds. Driven by this issue, this paper optimizes the read‐voltage thresholds for MLC flash memory to improve the decoding performance of ECCs with finite block length. First, through the analysis of channel coding rate and decoding error probability under finite block length, the optimization problem of read‐voltage thresholds to minimize the maximum decoding error probability is formulated. Second, a cross‐iterative search algorithm to optimize read‐voltage thresholds under the perfect knowledge of flash memory channel is developed. However, it is challenging to analytically characterize the voltage distribution under the effect of data retention noise. To address this problem, a deep neural network (DNN)‐aided optimization strategy to optimize the read‐voltage thresholds is developed, where a multi‐layer perception network is employed to learn the relationship between voltage distribution and read‐voltage thresholds. Simulation results show that, compared with the existing schemes, the proposed DNN‐aided read‐voltage threshold optimization strategy with a well‐designed Low Density Parity Check (LDPC) code can not only improve the program‐and‐erase endurance but also reduce the read latency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carboxylic acid-based metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are normally passed for the "pre-catalysts" for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) due to the hydroxides constructed in-situ during its alkaline hydrolysis process (AHP) in lye. Whereas, it remains a mystery that they show advantageous activity over prototypical hydroxides when they are directly acted as OER catalysts. Herein, we propose for the first time that the steric hindrance effect of Nafion can induce enhanced catalytic activity of such MOFs. Different from conventional catalysts without AHP, the Nafion with 3D structure weakens the AHP of Co-MOF nanoribbons, thus forming small size and low crystallinity species (cobalt hydroxide) with more active sites. And the existence of Nafion also optimizes its electronic structure, which is confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), in-situ UV absorption spectra, in-situ Raman spectroscopy and so on. Compared with Co-MOF-K obtained by directly immersing the Co-MOF nanoribbons in 1.0 M KOH, the Co-MOF-NK obtained by AHP of Co-MOF mixed with Nafion shows better catalytic activity. Based on the above inspiration, we realized the low overpotential of 268 mV at 10 mA·cm−2 by preparing CoFe-MOF-NK. This work provides a new understanding of the structural reconstruction of MOFs in the field of electrocatalysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates error correction in two‐dimensional (2‐D) intersymbol interference (ISI) channels using polar codes. 2‐D channels offer high data storage capacity compared to traditional one‐dimensional (1‐D) channels but suffer from greater ISI effects. Error correction codes can be used to mitigate the effects of ISI in 2‐D data storage systems and improve their performance and reliability. Polar codes achieve the symmetric capacity for the class of binary‐input discrete memoryless channels (B‐DMCs). A post‐processing technique is proposed to improve the performance of polar codes in the 2‐D ISI channel. The simplified successive cancellation (SSC) polar decoder is useful for data storage systems owing to its good waterfall region performance, low error floors and good throughput rates and is therefore adopted for the study. Simulation results indicate that the proposed technique has an error correction performance comparable to some existing decoders and has better performance than other decoding techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Post-stroke depression (PSD) is a common complication after stroke which hinders functional recovery and return to social participation of stroke patients. Efficacy of conventional drug therapies for patients with PSD is still uncertain. Therefore, many patients prefer to use complementary and alternative therapies for PSD. Tuina (traditional Chinese manual manipulation) with herbal ointment is an integration of manual therapy, and ointment is an important part of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) therapy. Preliminary experiments have shown that the Tuina with herbal ointment can improve the mental state of patients with PSD. The purpose of this study is to observe and verify the efficacy of Tuina combined with herbal ointment for patients with post-stroke depression, and to lay a foundation for further research on its mechanism of action.Methods/design: In this study, a randomized controlled trial will be conducted in parallel, including two intervention groups: Tuina with herbal ointment group and herbal ointment for control group. A total of 84 eligible participants will be randomly assigned to the groups in a 1:1 ratio. All participants will receive conventional antidepressant venlafaxine treatment (75 mg QD), on which they received two different interventions. The interventions for both groups will be carried out 5 times each week for a period of 2 weeks. The primary outcome will be the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD). Secondary outcomes will include transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), as well as 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) and Treatment Emergent Symptom Scale (TESS). They will be assessed at the baseline, at the end of the intervention (2 weeks), and during the 1 month and 3 months of follow-up by repeated measures analysis of variance. The significance level is 5%. Adverse events will be monitored at each visit to assess safety. All outcomes will be assessed and analyzed by researchers blinded to the treatment allocation. The purpose of this study will focus on observing the efficacy of Tuina with herbal ointment for patients with post-stroke depression, and to explore further the mechanisms of its effects.Discussion: This study may evaluate clinical application value and safety of Tuina with herbal ointment in PSD patients, which can provide basis for clinical research and mechanism exploration of PSD.Trial Registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR2000033887 . Registered on 15 June 2020.Dissemination: The results will be published in peer-reviewed journals and disseminated through the study's website and conferences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As one type of promising inorganic–organic hybrid crystal material, metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs) have attracted widespread attention in many potential fields, particularly in energy storage and conversion. Recently, effective strategies have been developed to construct uniform nanoscale MOFs (NMOFs), which not only retain inherent advantages of MOFs but also develop some improved superiorities, including shorter diffusion pathway for guest transportation and more accessible active sites for surface adsorption and reaction. Additonally, their nanometer size provides more opportunity for post‐functionalization and hybridization. In this review, recent progress on the preparation of NMOFs is summarized, primarily through bottom‐up strategies including reaction parameter‐ and coordination‐assisted synthesis, and top‐down strategies such as liquid exfoliation and salt‐template confinement. Additionally, recent applications of NMOFs in batteries as electrodes, separators, and electrolytes is discussed. Finally, some important issues concerning the fabrication and application are emphasized, which should be paid attention in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effects of manual therapy (MT) on cancer pain, so as to provide clinical evidence for application. Methods. Five English and Chinese databases were searched until February 29, 2020, for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of MT for cancer pain. Articles published in the English or Chinese language were included. Two authors independently reviewed all articles and extracted the data, and any disagreements in the above process were discussed with other reviewers until the authors reached consensus. Review Manager 5.3 was used to calculate the effect size and 95% confidence intervals. This review was registered in PROSPERO, number CRD42020172053. Results. The intensity of cancer pain is our primary outcome measure, and compared with standard care, MT can significantly relieve the pain of patients with cancer (SMD, 0.63; 95% CI [0.18, 1.08]; P = 0.006 < 0.01); the effects of MT plus active activity were significantly different from AT alone (SMD, 0.79; 95% CI [0.28, 1.30]; P = 0.002 < 0.01); there was no statistical difference in the efficacy of MT and AT alone (SMD, -0.24; 95% CI [-1.09, 0.62]; P = 0.53 > 0.05). In other related symptoms, the above evidence cannot support that MT had a good effect on fatigue (SMD, 0.77; 95% CI [-0.09, 1.63]; P = 0.08 > 0.05), nausea (SMD, 0.24; 95% CI [-0.00, 0.48]; P = 0.05), anxiety (SMD, 0.76; 95 % CI [-0.32, 1.84]; P = 0.17 > 0.05), and depression (SMD, 0.67; 95 % CI [-0.28, 1.62]; P = 0.17 > 0.05); however, MT intervention can improve physical function (n = 271; SMD, 0.35; 95 % CI [-0.04, 0.74]; P = 0.04 < 0.05) and global well-being (SMD, 0.50; 95 % CI [0.02, 0.98]; P = 0.04 < 0.05). In addition, MT had a significant effect on pain relief (SMD, 0.52; 95% CI [0.03, 1.01]; P = 0.04 < 0.05) and improvement of physical function (SMD, 0.28; 95% CI [0.02, 0.53]; P = 0.03 < 0.05) even after a period of time after treatment. Conclusion. MT was an effective intervention, which may have immediate effect on cancer pain and may improve physical function and global well-being. In the view of follow-up effects, MT had good effects for the reduction of pain and the recovery of physical function. However, because of limitations, the seemingly promising results should be interpreted with caution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: La protein is a multifunctional RNA‐binding protein involved in RNA metabolism that has been reported to promote the growth of some solid tumors. However, potential role of La in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has not been fully elucidated. This study aimed to investigate the expression of La and its function in HCC. Methods: Quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR) and western blot analysis were conducted to detect the expression levels of La mRNA and protein in HCC cells and tissues. The proliferation capability of cells was clarified by Cell Counting Kit‐8 and clone formation assays. Wound healing assay was carried out to assess cell migration ability. Related protein expressions were also analyzed by western blot. Results: Analysis of our clinical samples showed that La mRNA and protein expression of HCC tissues was higher than those of corresponding adjacent tissues, consistent with the result of microarray datasets from Oncomine database. La was also significantly overexpressed in eight HCC cells, compared with normal hepatocytes. According to in vitro experiments, we demonstrated that knockdown of La inhibited HCC cell proliferation and migration. Conclusions: Our results revealed that La expression is elevated both at the RNA and protein levels in HCC. Highly expressed La significantly promotes tumorigenesis of HCC, suggesting that La may be a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this review was to examine the effects of shoes and insoles on low back pain (LBP). Seven electronic databases were searched from their inception to May 2020. The methodological quality of the 14 included studies was assessed by PEDro scale. Quality of evidence was assessed using GRADE. Moderate evidence on the disability questionnaire score (SMD, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.28 to 0.77; P < 0.001) and pain score (SMD, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.36 to 0.85; P < 0.001) of the custom-made orthotics for chronic LBP compared with no orthotics/insoles intervention was found. Meta-analysis results also showed moderate evidence on the disability questionnaire score (SMD, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.05 to 0.82; P =0.03) in patients who wore unstable shoes compared with regular shoes. Pain and life quality scores showed low-quality evidence of unstable shoes for chronic LBP. Custom-made orthotics and unstable shoes can be recommended to patients as a management option of chronic LBP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This brief presents a nonbinary adaptive 2D scheduling-based majority logic decoding (NB-ATS-MLGD) algorithm for NAND flash memory. The proposed algorithms provide considerable tradeoff between error-correcting capability and decoding complexity, and make the NB-MLGD decoding more attractive for practical purposes in the multi-level cells (MLC) NAND flash memory. The most significant feature of the proposed NB-ATS-MLGD algorithm is the 2D layered scheduling strategy, where the decoding orders of check nodes (CNs) and variable nodes (VNs) are both adaptive. By leveraging on the MLC flash memory bit error patterns, an early-correcting (EC) criterion is incorporated into the NB-ATS-MLGD algorithm. Furthermore, the simplification and parallelization of proposed algorithms make them more practical in NAND flash memory. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithms increase the lifetime of MLC flash memory up to 3000 program-and-erase (PE) cycles and have desirable convergence speed compared with the conventional non-binary MLGD algorithm. When at low PE cycles, the NB-EC-ATS-MLGD algorithm improves frame error rate (FER) performance by more than 3 order of magnitudes compared with the conventional non-binary MLGD algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The design and development of crystalline porous materials (CPMs), including metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) and covalent–organic frameworks (COFs), have been subjects of extensive study due to their regular crystalline lattices and well-defined pore structures. In recent times, an enormous amount of research effort has gone into using CPMs as sacrificial templates to fabricate electrochemically functional materials. The inherently electrochemically active sites inside CPMs are notably abundant and being explored with respect to electrochemical reactions. In this review, electrochemically active sites and the space around them (metal ions, ligands, crystal structures, pores, and morphologies) inside CPMs are the focus and recent progress in the fields of metal-ion batteries, metal–air batteries, water splitting, and other related electrochemical devices has been summarized. Overall, this review provides guidance on the preparation of electroactive CPMs via rational design and modulation of active sites such as redox-active metal clusters and organic ligands, and the space around the electrochemically active sites, and their applications in electrochemical energy storage and conversion systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Low back pain is a common reason for medical care and carries a heavy social burden. The efficacy of Tuina or health care education for low back pain has been evaluated in previous systematic reviews. However, there is no evidence to support the superiority of one form of treatment over another. The aim of this study is to compare the efficacy of Tuina with health care education in the management of low back pain.Methods/design: This study is a randomized controlled trial with parallel-group design including two groups: a Tuina group and a health care education group. A total of 160 eligible participants will be randomly assigned to the groups in a 1:1 ratio. The interventions of both groups will last for 20 min and be carried out twice each week for a period of 12 weeks. The primary outcome is the Oswestry Disability Index. The secondary outcomes include a visual analogue scale and the 36-item Short Form Health Survey. They will be assessed at baseline, at the end of the intervention every month, and during 6 months and 9 months of follow-up by repeated measures analysis of variance. The significance level is 5%. The safety of Tuina and health care education will be evaluated after each treatment session. This study will focus on the value of Tuina and health care education for low back pain and will highlight any differences in the efficacy of the treatments.Discussion: This study will evaluate the efficacy and safety of Tuina intervention for low back pain, which could provide reliable evidence for clinical decision making for patients with low back pain.Trial Registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR1900022656. Registered on 23 April 2019. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To achieve a high reliable and energy-saving green communication, we investigate a multisource simultaneous wireless information and power transfer (SWIPT)-based coded cooperation where the relay can realize information decoding and energy harvesting. Firstly, a class of naturally rate compatible low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes–quasi-cyclic repeat-accumulate (QC-RA) codes is introduced, and the joint parity-check matrix corresponding to the QC-RA codes employed by the multiple sources and relay is deduced. Based on the joint parity-check matrix, we jointly design the QC-RA codes to cancel all the short girth cycles. Then, by exploiting the rate compatible characteristic of QC-RA codes, we propose a new SWIPT protocol—codeword splitting protocol for the proposed system, which has the characteristics of lower complexity, higher efficiency, no strictly bit synchronization limitation, and less hardware requirement. The results show that the bit error rate (BER) performance of the proposed system employing jointly designed QC-RA codes clearly outperforms that of general RA codes. Theoretical analysis and numerical simulations also demonstrate the superiority of the proposed codeword splitting protocol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]