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Objective: This study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of laparoscopic-assisted radical surgery for right hemicolonic cancer with a combined approach. Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of clinical data from 102 patients who underwent laparoscopic-assisted radical right hemicolectomy for right hemicolonic cancer at the Department of General Surgery, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, between January 2021 and September 2023. All patients received preoperative diagnoses of right hemicolonic cancer via CT and e-colonoscopy. Patients were categorized into two groups based on the surgical approach: the combined approach group (n = 51) and the traditional approach group (n = 51). Perioperative outcomes and follow-up data were compared between the two groups. Results: A total of 102 patients were included in the statistical criteria. Comparison of baseline data between the two groups showed no statistically significant differences (all p > 0.05). Compared with the traditional access group, the surgical stem-oriented combined access group had a shorter operative time [(180.69 ± 47.484) min vs. (226.18 ± 45.884) min, t = – 4.920, p < 0.001] and less intraoperative blood loss [(89.71 ± 79.350) ml vs. (149.31 ± 104.633) ml. Z = – 3.370, p = 0.001. Conclusions: Surgical stem-oriented modified combined approach laparoscopic radical right hemicolectomy for right hemicolonic cancer is safe and feasible and has the advantages of low surgical difficulty, shortened operative time, reduced intraoperative bleeding, and accelerated postoperative recovery. In addition, the combined approach may be more agreeable for beginners to master, and the procedure may be easier to promote and popularize. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov (2024-KY-026–01). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Approximately 1–2 per 100,000 young athletes die from sudden cardiac death (SCD) and extreme exercise may be associated with myocardial scar and arrhythmias. Racehorses have a high prevalence of atrial fibrillation (AF) and SCD but the presence of myocardial scar and inflammation has not been evaluated. Cardiac tissues from the left (LAA) and right (RAA) atrial appendages, left ventricular anterior (LVAPM) and posterior (LVPPM) papillary muscles, and right side of the interventricular septum (IVS-R) were harvested from racehorses with sudden cardiac death (SCD, n = 16) or other fatal injuries (OFI, n = 17), constituting the athletic group (ATH, n = 33), and compared to sedentary horses (SED, n = 10). Horses in the ATH group had myocyte hypertrophy at all sites; increased fibrosis at all sites other than the LAA; increased fibroblast infiltration but a reduction in the overall extracellular matrix (ECM) volume in the RAA, LVAPM, and IVS-R compared to SED horses. In this horse model, athletic conditioning was associated with myocyte hypertrophy and a reduction in ECM. There was an excess of fibrocyte infiltration and focal fibrosis that was not present in non-athletic horses, raising the possibility of an exercise-induced pro-fibrotic substrate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plasma toroidal rotation acceleration in the co-current direction introduced by the n = 1 (toroidal mode number) static resonant magnetic perturbation (RMP) has been observed in the EAST tokamak. It strongly depends on the RMP coil configuration, which is manifested by its dependence on δ ϕ U L (phase difference between upper and lower coils) and RMP current. Modeling results from NTVTOK based on the linear plasma response modeled by MARS-F shows that the Neoclassical Toroidal Viscosity (NTV) torque is in the co-current direction because of the dominant contribution from electrons with the condition that the electron normalized collisionality is much lower than that of ions in this experiment. The modeled dependence of core integrated NTV torque modulated by the magnitude of core magnetic perturbation on δ ϕ U L is consistent with the experimental observations. Threshold condition related to normalized collisionality to achieve the transition from rotation braking to acceleration is obtained in the NTV modeling and agrees well with experimental observations. It is shown in the modeling that the discharges with rotation acceleration are located at the regime that electron contribution to NTV is dominant and the torque is in co-current direction, while others with rotation braking are located at the regime that ion contribution to NTV torque is dominant and the torque is in countercurrent direction. Though the modeling results are in qualitative agreement with the experimental results, there is quantity difference between the modeled NTV torque based on linear plasma response and the experimental values. Possible reason is that the 3D fields are underestimated by linear modeling, particularly in the case of RMP field penetration, as demonstrated by the RMP current threshold for the rotation acceleration observed in the experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

X-ray repair cross-complementing Group 3 (XRCC3) plays an important role in the repair of DNA double-strand breaks. Since it has been reported that breast cancer patients might be deficient in DNA damage repair, previous studies focused on the associations of the XRCC3 Thr241Met polymorphism and breast cancer risk. However, the results are controversial. Hence, we designed this meta-analysis to accurately evaluate the association between an XRCC3 polymorphism and breast cancer. To better understand the association between the rs861539 polymorphism and breast cancer, we performed this comprehensive meta-analysis of 28 852 patients and 30 176 controls. In general, no obvious association was found between the rs861539 polymorphism and breast cancer, but rs861539 was significantly associated with higher breast cancer risk among Asian individuals in a subgroup analysis in all models, especially in the homozygote model (TT vs. CC: OR = 2.142, 95% CI 1.516–3.026). A trend of increased risk of breast cancer was observed based on four other models in addition to the heterozygote model in a mixed population. No association was found between the rs861539 polymorphism and breast cancer in either Caucasian or African individuals. Our meta-analysis proved that the rs861539 polymorphism is closely associated with breast cancer risk in Asian individuals. Further studies should be conducted to confirm our conclusion and explore more associations that may exist between the rs861539 polymorphism and breast cancer subtypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the influence factors and degree of the outbreak of COVID-19 on Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) of construction enterprises, this study first uses Structural Equation Model (SEM) to construct and verify the Human factors influenced model through empirical investigation and then uses the Chi-squared Automatic Interaction Detection (CHAID) decision tree, Ishikawa analysis to conduct in-depth analysis on the influence of human factors. The results show that the human factors model constructed in this study is reliable, and human factors are directly and positively affected by method factors and management factors, while management factors are directly and positively affected by material factors, and method factors are directly and positively affected by environmental factors. The results also show that the two sub-factors of human factors, Q7 (self-confidence), and Q8 (psychological counseling), also have a multi-level decision-making relationship with other factors. The key sub-factors of other factors are Q24 (differential prevention and control) and Q25 (health building); Q11 (epidemic prevention materials), Q12 (fire fighting facilities), Q20 (remote sharing); Q15 (the legal system), Q16 (safety management). This research model and decision-making method can find out the deep-seated influencing factors on human factors, to strengthen factor control and reduce the adverse impact of COVID-19 on OHS management of construction enterprises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spectrum effects on toroidal rotation braking, induced by n = 1 resonant magnetic perturbations (RMPs) in the discharges with q 95 = 4.1 and q 95 = 5.1 , are studied in the EAST tokamak. Here n is the toroidal mode number, RMP spectrum is varied by scanning δ ϕ U L , the phase difference between the upper and lower rows of RMP coils. The toroidal rotation changes periodically with the periodic δ ϕ U L scanning and such an effect is stronger in the discharge with lower q 95 = 4.1. The spectrum dependence of the neoclassical toroidal viscosity (NTV) torque, modeled by NTVTOK based on the magnetic perturbation obtained from MARS-F calculation, agrees well with that of the experimentally observed braking torques in both discharges. The modeled NTV torque is stronger in the discharge with lower q 95, which also agrees with the observations. The comparisons between the spectrum dependence of the NTV and magnetic perturbations show that the resonant mode of magnetic perturbations near the plasma edge mainly contribute the NTV torque. These agreements between modeling and experiments highlight the capability of NTV theory in explaining the experimental observation in the EAST tokamak. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We conducted two three-dimensional numerical models to investigate the effects of the surrounding surface surcharge on the deformation of the retaining structure. The results obtained by the finite element model are in good agreement with the field measurements. The deflection of the diaphragm wall increased by 2-3 times owing to the surrounding surface surcharge, which implies that the surrounding surface surcharge magnifies the excavation-space effect. The maximum wall deflections were approximately 0.03-0.05 H (H is the excavation depth) in the case without surface surcharge. However, the maximum wall deflections increased up to 0.05-0.19 H when surrounding surface surcharges were applied on the surface ground around excavation. The surrounding surface surcharge leads to the increase of the maximum wall deflection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The close correlation observed between emission state and spin-down rate change of pulsars has many implications both for the magnetospheric physics and the neutron star interior. The middle-aged pulsar PSR J0738-4042, which had been observed to display variations in the pulse profile associated with its spin-down rate change due to external effects, is a remarkable example. In this study, based on the 12.5 yr combined public timing data from UTMOST and Parkes, we have detected a new emission-rotation correlation in PSR J0738-4042 concurrent with a glitch. A glitch that occurred at MJD 57359 (5) (2015 December 3) with Δν/ν ∼ 0.36(4) × 10−9 is the first glitch event observed in this pulsar, and is probably the underlying cause of the emission-rotation correlation. Unlike the usual post-glitch behaviours, the braking torque on the pulsar has continued to increase over 1380 d, corresponding to a significant decrease in |$\ddot{\nu }$|⁠. As for changes in the pulse profile after the glitch, the relative amplitude of the leading component weakens drastically, while the middle component becomes stronger. A combined model of crustquake induced platelet movement and vortex creep response is invoked to account for this rare correlation. In this scenario, magnetospheric state-change is naturally linked to the pulsar-intrinsic processes that give rise to a glitch. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The effect of Endocuff-assisted colonoscopy compared with standard colonoscopy is conflicting in terms of the adenoma detection rate. The aim of this meta-analysis was to compare the efficacy of Endocuff-assisted colonoscopy for adenoma detection. Methods: PubMed, Embase, Google Scholar and Cochrane Library were searched up to the end of June 8, 2021. All randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing Endocuff-assisted colonoscopy with standard colonoscopy were included. Dichotomous data were pooled to obtain the relative risk with a 95% CI, whereas continuous data were pooled using a mean difference with 95% CI. Results: A total of 23 RCTs involving 17,999 patients were included. Compared with standard colonoscopy, use of the Endocuff was associated with a significant improvement in the adenoma detection rate (RR = 1.16, 95% CI 1.08–1.24), polyp detection rate (RR = 1.17, 95% CI 1.09–1.25), sessile serrated lesion detection rate (RR = 1.23, 95% CI 1.05–1.43), left-side lesion detection rate (RR = 1.24, 95% CI 1.08–1.43), and mean number of adenomas per patient (MD = 0.17, 95% CI 0.08–0.26). There were no significant differences between the and groups in detection of advanced adenomas, mean number of polyps per patient, right-side lesion detection rate, cecal intubation rate, cecal intubation time and withdrawal time. Conclusions: The pooled evidence suggests a significant improvement in the adenoma detection rate, and polyp detection rate using the Endocuff. On the other hand, no significant effect on the detection of advanced adenomas and mean number of polyps per patient was noted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Scanner mismatch occurs frequently with follow-up dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans. Nearly one-in-five follow-up DXA scans were conducted on non-cross-calibrated scanners (scanner mismatch) and more than a quarter of patients who had a follow-up DXA scan had experienced scanner mismatch. Introduction: Detecting significant changes in bone mineral density (BMD) with dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scanners relies on the least significant change (LSC). Results from two different DXA scanners can only be compared, albeit with decreased sensitivity for change, if the LSC between the two scanners has been directly determined through cross-calibration. Performing follow-up DXA scans on non-cross-calibrated scanners (scanner mismatch) has safety and economic implications. This study aims to determine the proportion of scanner mismatch occurring at a population level. Methods: All patients who completed at least two DXA scans between 1 April 2009 and 31 December 2018 in the province of Alberta, Canada, were identified using population-based health services databases. Scanner mismatch was defined as a follow-up DXA scan completed on a DXA scanner that differed from and was not cross-calibrated to the previous DXA scanner. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to assess predictive factors that may contribute to scanner mismatch. Results: A total of 264,866 patients with 470,641 follow-up DXA scans were identified. Scanner mismatch occurred in 18.9% of follow-up DXA scans; 28.7% of patients experienced at least one scanner mismatch. Longer duration between scans (OR 1.25, 95% CI 1.24–1.26) and major osteoporotic fracture history before index scan (OR 1.06, 95% CI 1.03–1.08) increased risk of scanner mismatch. Osteoporosis medication use before index scan (OR 0.89; 95% CI 0.88–0.91), recency of follow-up scans (OR 0.98, 95% CI 0.73–0.98), female sex (OR 0.97, 95% CI 0.94–1.00), and age at last scan (OR 0.99, 95% CI 0.99–1.00) were associated with lower risk of scanner mismatch. Conclusion: Scanner mismatch is a common problem, occurring in one-in-five follow-up DXA scans and affecting more than a quarter of patients. Interventions to reduce this large proportion of scanner mismatch are necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Cognitive impairment commonly occurs among older people worldwide. Although the Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet was associated with better cognitive function and lower risk of cognitive impairment, it could not be applied to older Chinese due to the traditional dietary characteristics in China. We aimed to develop the Chinese version of the MIND (cMIND) diet and verify its association with cognitive impairment among older Chinese individuals. Design: A cross-sectional study. Setting and Participants: We included a total of 11,245 participants from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Study (CLHLS) follow-up survey in 2018. The mean age of the participants at study baseline was 84.06 (±11.46) years. Measurements: We established the cMIND diet based on current evidence in the diet-cognition field, combined with Chinese dietary characteristics. The verification of its association with cognitive impairment was conducted using the data from the CLHLS follow-up survey. Adherence to the cMIND diet was assessed by the cMIND diet score, which was calculated from a food frequency questionnaire. Cognitive impairment was identified by the Mini-Mental State Examination. Instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) disability was defined according to the self-reported performance of eight activities. Results: The cMIND diet comprised 11 brain-healthy food groups and 1 unhealthy food group. The median cMIND diet score of all participants was 4.5 (from a total of 12 points) and the prevalence of cognitive impairment was 15.2%. Compared with the lowest tertile, the highest tertile score was associated with lower odds of cognitive impairment (odds ratio (OR)=0.60, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.51–0.72) and IADL disability (OR=0.86, 95% CI: 0.75–0.98) in the full-adjusted model. Conclusion: We developed the cMIND diet that was suitable for older Chinese individuals, and our results suggested that higher adherence to the cMIND diet was associated with reduced odds of cognitive impairment and IADL disability. In view of the limitations of cross-sectional design in the study, further research is clearly warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Artificial Intelligence (A.I) and deep learning‐based algorithms are increasingly being used in dermatology following the emergence of powerful smartphones with high‐resolution cameras. Objectives: To use an A.I‐based algorithm, validated by dermatologists, to compare the evolution of the skin ageing process among Chinese and European women. Methods: Selfie images were taken by 465 587 European and 79 016 Chinese women ranging from 18 to 85 and 18 to 69 years old, respectively, without facial skin diseases and who had access to a smartphone with a high‐resolution camera (≥4 Megapixels). The selfies were analysed by facial skin diagnostic using a smartphone application to grade the severity of 9 facial signs (including wrinkles, sagging, vascular, pigmentation signs, pores). Results: Wrinkles/texture, ptosis and sagging increased linearly with age in European women compared to lower scores and more gradual increase in the younger age‐classes in Chinese women. In Chinese women, pigmentation signs increased regularly between 18 and 40 years, plateaued between 40 and 60 years, then increased in the over 60s compared to lower scores and a slower more regular increase with age in European women. Vascularization signs increased steadily with age in European women compared to no significant change in Chinese women. Conclusions: Marked differences were observed in the skin ageing process between European and Chinese populations, both in the prevalence of each facial ageing sign and their kinetics. Automatic grading performed on selfies and analysed by A.I is a fast and confidential method for quantifying signs of facial ageing and identifying the main issues for each population and age‐class, which is of practical interest, as it will allow the development of tailored prevention and therapeutic measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary : Fractures are associated with increased long-term mortality in patients surviving to undergo baseline DXA. Notably, excess mortality risk does not decline with increasing time since prior hip or humerus fractures, even after accounting for comorbid medical conditions and other risk factors. Introduction: Mortality risk increases following most types of fracture. In routine clinical practice, patients with prior fractures seen for dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scan (DXA) are "survivors;" whether they remain at increased mortality risk is unknown. We tested the association between prior fracture and all-cause mortality, stratified by time since fracture, in patients undergoing baseline DXA. Methods: We conducted a DXA registry-based cohort study and linked to population-based health services data for the Province of Manitoba, Canada. We identified women and men ≥ 40 years with minimum 10 years of prior healthcare coverage undergoing baseline DXA and ascertained prior fracture codes since 1984 and mortality to 2017. Time since prior fracture was calculated between the clinical encounter for the fracture and baseline DXA (index date). Cox proportional hazards models estimated hazard ratios for all-cause mortality in those with compared to those without prior fracture adjusted for (1) age and sex, and (2) age, sex, comorbidities, and other covariates. Results: The study cohort consisted of 74,474 individuals (mean age 64.6 years, 89.7% female). During mean follow-up 9.2 years, we ascertained 14,923 (20.0%) deaths. Except for forearm fractures, all fracture sites were associated with increased mortality risk compared to those without prior fracture, even after multivariable adjustment. Excess mortality risk tended to decline slightly with time since fracture and was no longer significant > 10 years after vertebral fracture. However, excess mortality persisted > 10 years following hip or humerus fracture. Conclusions: Prior fractures are associated with increased long-term mortality in patients surviving to undergo baseline DXA. Excess mortality risk does not decline with time since prior hip or humerus fractures, after accounting for potential confounders. Fracture prevention may have important long-term benefits preserving life expectancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The isothermal solution equilibrium method was used to study the phase equilibria of the quinary system LiBr–NaBr–KBr–SrBr2–H2O (saturated with KBr) at 308 K. Based on a large amount of experimental data, the phase equilibrium law of the quinary system was obtained. The experimental results indicated that the quinary system is a hydrate type, solid solution was not formed in the system, and the dry basis phase diagram (saturated with KBr) is composed of three invariant points, seven univariant curves and five saturated solid phase crystallization regions (LiBr⋅2H2O, NaBr, NaBr⋅2H2O, SrBr2⋅2H2O, and SrBr2⋅6H2O). Among these crystalline regions, LiBr⋅2H2O has the smallest crystallization area and the largest solubility, which is difficult to separate from saturated solution. In the univariant curve with gradual addition of lithium bromide, the contents of potassium bromide, sodium bromide and strontium bromide all decrease gradually, while the contents of lithium bromide increase gradually, which indicates that lithium bromide has apparently salting out effect on potassium bromide, sodium bromide and strontium bromide. The equilibrium solid phase at three invariant points are identified by X-ray powder diffraction method as KBr + LiBr⋅2H2O + SrBr2⋅2H2O + NaBr, KBr + NaBr + SrBr2⋅2H2O + SrBr2⋅6H2O, and KBr + NaBr⋅2H2O + NaBr + SrBr2⋅6H2O. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Full suppression of type-I edge localized modes (ELMs) using n = 4 resonant magnetic perturbations (RMPs) as planned for ITER has been demonstrated for the first time (n is the toroidal mode number of the applied RMP). This is achieved in EAST plasmas with low input torque and tungsten divertor, and the target plasma for these experiments in EAST is chosen to be relevant to the ITER Q = 10 operational scenario, thus also addressing significant scenario issues for ITER. In these experiments the lowest neutral beam injection (NBI) input torque is around T NBI ∼ 0.44 Nm, which extrapolates to around 14 Nm in ITER (compared to a total torque input of 35 Nm when 33 MW of NBI are used for heating). The q 95 is around 3.6 and normalized plasma beta β N ∼ 1.5â€"1.8, similar to that in the ITER Q = 10 scenario. Suppression windows in both q 95 and plasma density are observed; in addition, lower plasma rotation is found to be favourabe to access ELM suppression. ELM suppression is maintained with line averaged density up to 60% n GW (Greenwald density limit) by feedforward gas fuelling after suppression is achieved. It is interesting to note that in addition to an upper density, a low density threshold for ELM suppression of 40% n GW is also observed. In these conditions energy confinement does not significantly drop (<10%) during ELM suppression when compared to the ELM y H-mode conditions, which is much better than previous results using low n (n = 1 and 2) RMPs in higher q 95 regimes. In addition, the core plasma tungsten concentration is clearly reduced during ELM suppression demonstrating an effective impurity exhaust. MHD response modelling using the MARS-F code shows that edge magnetic field stochasticity has a peak at q 95 ∼ 3.65 for the odd parity configuration, which is consistent to the observed suppression window around 3.6â€"3.75. These results expand the physical understanding of ELM suppression and demonstrate the effectiveness of n = 4 RMPs for reliable control ELMs in future ITER high Q plasma scenarios with minimum detrimental effects on plasma confinement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considered three options for the synthesis of a catalyst by the precipitation method, the Cu/SiO2 catalysts prepared by varying the precipitation procedure and calcination temperature for the dehydrogenation of methanol was investigated. When the CuO/SiO2 catalyst precursors were prepared by the addition of a copper nitrate aqueous solution into an ammonia aqueous solution (reverse precipitation) and co-current flow addition of both aqueous solutions, after reduction with gaseous hydrogen, small-sized metallic copper nanocrystallites were formed in the reduced Cu/SiO2 catalysts as compared to those prepared by the addition of an ammonia aqueous solution into a copper nitrate aqueous solution (direct precipitation). The reduced Cu/SiO2 catalysts prepared by the reverse precipitation method with relatively lower acidity and basicity exhibited higher catalytic activity for the formation of methyl formate in methanol dehydrogenation. The reduced Cu/SiO2 catalysts prepared by the calcination at a lower temperature exhibited higher catalytic activity for the formation of methyl formate. The surface metallic Cu0 and Cu+ species catalyzed the methanol dehydrogenation to methyl formate, meanwhile the surface Cu+ cations enhanced the decomposition of the resultant methyl formate to CO and H2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at Distributed Permutation Flow-shop Scheduling Problems (DPFSPs), this study took the minimization of the maximum completion time of the workpieces to be processed in all production tasks as the goal, and took the multi-agent Reinforcement Learning (RL) method as the main frame of the solution model, then, combining with the NASH equilibrium theory and the RL method, it proposed a NASH Q-Learning algorithm for Distributed Flow-shop Scheduling Problem (DFSP) based on Mean Field (MF). In the RL part, this study designed a two-layer online learning mode in which the sample collection and the training improvement proceed alternately, the outer layer collects samples, when the collected samples meet the requirement of batch size, it enters to the inner layer loop, which uses the Q-learning model-free batch processing mode to proceed, and adopts neural network to approximate the value function to adapt to large-scale problems. By comparing the Average Relative Percentage Deviation (ARPD) index of the benchmark test questions, the calculation results of the proposed algorithm outperformed other similar algorithms, which proved the feasibility and efficiency of the proposed algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteoarthritis (OA) is marked by transcriptional factors. Twist-related protein 1 (TWIST-1) leads to the down-regulation of functional transcriptional regulators such as transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-β1) and Wnt signals, thus blocking the growth and maturation of chondrocytes and providing new pathways to the production of therapeutic targets in OA therapy. Our research assesses the role of aberrant expressions TWIST1 and TGF-β1 as therapeutic targets in the regulation of osteoarthritis by treating with piperlongumine, a known biological agent. Monosodium iodoacetate (MIA) was administered to 32 male Wistar rats into their knee joints to provoke osteoarthritis. A week later, piperlongumine (PL) was orally administered to these rats for a duration of 28 days. The radiographic photos of these rats were documented. The histopathological and serum factors, namely interleukin-1beta (IL-1β), matrix metaloproteinases MMP-1 and MMP- 3, were evaluated and their respective results were reported. RNA was extracted and real-time-PCR technique was optimized for TWIST1, TGF-1β and glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) determination and sample values were recorded. When treated with PL at 100 mg/kg, our radiographic and histological studies revealed a substantial reduction of OA in rat models but no major improvements were observed at PL 50 mg/kg. Serum levels of IL-1β, MMP-1, and MMP-3 were greatly decreased when treated with PL 100 mg/kg. When administered with a dose higher than PL-100 mg/kg, the relative expressions of TWIST1, mRNA and TGF-β1 mRNA proteins were drastically reduced. Our results suggested that high-dose treatment with piperlongumine was beneficial and effective. TWIST1 and TGF-β1 aberrant expressions contributed as a new transcription factor function and supported the reduction of osteoarthritis intensity with piperlongumine therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteoporosis is a chronic disease of low bone mass and fragility. Treatment is frequently compromised by suboptimal medication compliance causing increased morbidity. This review investigates adherence and persistence to parenteral osteoporosis therapies. Findings reveal parenteral medications requiring reduced dosing frequency have higher compliance than oral therapies. This systematic review examines real-world adherence to parenteral osteoporosis therapies. We searched PubMed, Medline, and EMBASE databases for English language observational studies that examined patient adherence and/or persistence to parenteral osteoporosis treatments (teriparatide sc, ibandronate iv, zoledronic acid iv, and denosumab sc) in adults with osteoporosis published up to September 2018. Studies with only self-reported adherence or persistence data and those with less than 20 patients were excluded. Quality assessment of included studies was completed using the Newcastle-Ottawa quality assessment scale (NOS). We identified 40 eligible studies. Teriparatide was examined in 29 studies, with persistence rates of 10–87% (median 55%) at 1 year and 10–69% (median 29.5%) at 2 years, and adherence rates of 21–89% (median 53%) at 1 year and 37–68% (median 40%) at 2 years. Ten studies of zoledronic acid reported persistence rates of 34–73% (median 42%) for second dose and 20–54% (median 35.8%) for third dose. Ten studies of ibandronate adherence reported and 2-year persistence rates of 31–58% (median 47.5%) in 1 year and 13–35% (median 25%) at 2 years, and adherence rates of 21–72% (median 47.3%) and 15–58% (median 36.5%) respectively. Denosumab was reported in 19 studies, with second (1 year) and fourth (2 year) dose persistence rates of 61–100% (median 81%) and 36–99% (median 45.5%). There is substantial heterogeneity in reports of persistence and adherence rates with parenteral osteoporosis therapies. Most of the published data are from short-term studies and evaluations of long-term adherence and persistence with parenteral therapies for osteoporosis are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical effect of the removal of nasal vestibular cysts through a modified longitudinal incision via a transoral sublabial approach. Method: In 28 cases, a nasal vestibular cyst was removed through a modified longitudinal incision via a transoral sublabial approach. A visual analogue scale score was used to evaluate the numbness of the nasal alar and upper lip. Post-operative complications were recorded. Medical photographs were used for assessment. Results: For all patients, incisions reached clinical primary healing one week after surgery. All patients were free of post-operative haematoma, infection, oronasal fistula and malformation. In the first week and the first month after surgery, numbness of the nasal alar and upper lip was recorded in few cases. The patients were followed up for 2–57 months without recurrence. Conclusion: Removal of nasal vestibular cysts via a transoral sublabial approach with a modified longitudinal incision is a minimally invasive and simple surgical method with few complications and a quick recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Two new Cd(II) containing coordination polymers, namely {[Cd(Dib)(1,4-Ndc)] · H2O}n (I, Dib = 1,4-di(1H-imidazol-1-yl)butane, 1,4-H2Ndc = naphthalene-1,4-dicarboxylic acid) and [Cd(2,2′-Dsb)-(Dpe)-(DMF)(H2O)] (II, 2,2′-H2Dsb = 2,2′-disulfanediyldibenzoic acid, Dpe = (E)-1,2-di(pyridin-4-yl)ethene), have been successfully prepared under the hydrothermal or solvothermal conditions by using the carboxylic acid and N-donor linkers with different functional groups as the co-ligands. Furthermore, the CCK-8 assay was performed to detect the inhibitory effect of these two synthetic complexes on the NCI-H292 lung cancer cell line. The mechanism of the complexes anti-cancer activity was explored with Annexin V-FITC/PI apoptosis detection and western blot assay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to avoid the measurement error brought by heating before aerodynamic heating tests in a hypersonic wind tunnel, it's essential that the testing model should be insert into the flow field quickly. This paper presents a novel fast-moving device driven by a hydraulic system which was based on gas-liquid boosting cylinder and servo proportional valve. The control system of the fast-moving device has adopted IPC centralized-control, electro-hydraulic servo, AC servo and industrial field bus technologies, so mutual independent multiple freedom motion control circuits have been built. By using the high-speed data acquisition and analog output, reading CPU work frequency etc., the control system has solved the difficult question of fast insertion and timing. A series of experimental results show the device satisfies the speed and impact requirements, which can move the testing model into the flow field quickly during aerodynamic heating tests and operate stably. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Swallowing disorder is a health burden for the elderly in China. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of dysphagia and to test the association between skeletal muscle strength and swallowing problems among community-dwelling older adults. Design: A cross-sectional study. Setting: Community-dwelling Chinese elderly in China. Participants: 3361 adults aged 65 years or above were involved, among which 1740 (51.8%) were female, with average age of 72.64 (Standard deviation, SD=6.10) years old. Measurements: Handgrip strength (HGS) was used to evaluate skeletal muscle strength. Dysphagia assessment was performed using the Eating Assessment Tool-10 (EAT-10) and the 30mL water swallow test (WST). Binary logistic regression was used to evaluate the relationship between skeletal muscle strength and dysphagia, and covariates as age, gender, material status, etc. were adjusted. Results: The prevalence of dysphagia were 5.5% and 12.9%, screened by EAT-10 and 30mL WST respectively. Participants with dysphagia showed lower HGS (21.73 ± 9.20 vs. 25.66 ± 11.32, p<0.001, by EAT-10; 20.26 ± 9.88 vs. 26.22 ± 11.28, p<0.001, by WST). The adjusted model suggested that muscle strength is a protective factor for swallowing disorders (adjusted OR=0.974, 95%CI: 0.950–0.999, by EAT-10; adjusted OR=0.952, 95%CI: 0.933–0.972, by WST). Subgroup analyses of WST found the effects were significant among participants aged in 70–74 years group and ≥75 years group, rather than those aged under 70. Conclusion: Dysphagia was significantly associated with skeletal muscle strength among the community-dwelling elderly population. Effective interventions should be taken to manage the decline of muscle strength for the older adults, especially early prevention before 70 years old. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the thermal stability of annealed Ag/Nb multilayers was investigated as the individual layer thickness (h) varies from 1 nm to 100 nm. The lamellar structures remain unchanged after annealing at 500 °C for 1 h, and the hardness at all scales remains undiminished after annealing. The results show that two low energy interfaces are responsible for the superior thermal stabilities. The coherent interface is formed when h < 20 nm, and the amorphous interface is formed when h ≥ 20 nm, respectively. The evolution of interfacial structures and the process of solid state amorphization are discussed accordingly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of International Journal of Cosmetic Science is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Based on long short-term memory (LSTM) and policy gradient algorithm, this paper proposes a novel solution to the job-shop scheduling problems (JSPs). Firstly, two LSTM networks with identical structures were established, serving as the encoding and decoding networks, respectively. Next, a pointer network was introduced to determine the job with the highest priority in the current state, creating a job sequence. Another neural network (NN) was constructed to evaluate the current job sequence. The evaluation results were taken as the baseline of the policy gradient algorithm for reinforcement learning. Then, the job sequence was optimized and updated by gradient descent. The effectiveness of our method was demonstrated through contrastive experiments on benchmark problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The explosive behavior of neo-classical double tearing mode (NDTM) is numerically investigated by a reduced four-field-drift-magnetohydrodynamic code [Ye et al., Nuclear Fusion 59, 096044 (2019)] with the bootstrap current effect. It is numerically observed that the explosive burst of NDTM can be absolutely suppressed by diamagnetic drift flow. The dependence of the critical value of diamagnetic drift flow V 0 * c for avoiding the explosion on typical plasma parameters is numerically studied in detail. It is found that V 0 * c decreases with increasing Δ r s , while it increases with an increasing bootstrap current fraction. The plasma viscosity and resistivity can raise the threshold through their effects on the rotation of magnetic islands and the instability of system, respectively. Furthermore, the perpendicular transport and parallel transport, which are significant to the driven effects of the bootstrap current, have the opposite effects on V 0 * c . The underlying mechanisms are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interaction of Na impurities and O vacancies (VO) in ZnO was studied in theory and experiment. The VO facilitated substitutional Na (NaZn/NaZn-) acceptors with inhibiting interstitial Na (Nai/Nai+) donors, which may benefit the p-type conductivity. The formed (NaZn-VO)+/0 complexes induced the change of band structures of ZnO, with the broadening of gap energies and disappearance of the VO2+-related impurity level, which confirmed by the blue shift of the near-band-edge (NBE) UV emission and the decay of the visible emission in PL spectra. The strong and dominant NBE UV emission suggested acceptable luminescence behaviors of Na-doped ZnO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ZnTiO3 thin films were prepared by radio frequency cosputtering of ZnO and TiO2. It was found the as-prepared film is amorphous and the cubic phase ZnTiO3 films form after annealing at temperature above 500 °C. The absorption spectra indicate that the optical band gap of the crystalline ZnTiO3 film is about 3.70 eV. A strong photoluminescence band centered at 355 nm consisting of two emission peaks was observed in 800 °C annealed ZnTiO3 thin film, and the peak positions of these two emission move to short wavelength with increasing annealing temperature. It was found the emission peak at ultraviolet zone is resulted from O2- vacancy and that in the blue zone is attributed to Zn2+ vacancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microstructure and optical properties of MgO–TiO2 composite thin films prepared by radio frequency magnetron sputtering were studied. The composite films have an amorphous structure and the growth rate of the composite film increases with increasing Mg content. The refractive index almost linearly decreases with increasing Mg content in the composite films at wavelength larger than 300 nm and can be adjusted in the wide range between the refractive index of TiO2 and that of MgO. The extinction coefficient decreases with Mg content and is nearly zero at visible light region. The optical band gap of the composite films determined from the absorption spectra increases with Mg content, and has a good agreement with that obtained from spectroscopic ellipsometry simulation. A broad photoluminescence band in the visible region was observed in the composite films with high Mg content and was considered resulted from the oxygen vacancies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article has been retracted. Please see the Retraction Notice for more detail: https://doi.org/10.1134/S1070328424030060 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of annealing on the morphological, structural, and optical properties of ZnO:Tb thin films on Si substrate grown by magnetron cosputtering is investigated. It has been found that the ZnO:Tb thin films with structures of tetrapod and screwlike nanorod are formed after annealing at temperature of 950 °C. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, and Raman analyses prove that the tetrapod-aiguille zinc oxide (T-A-ZnO) and the screwlike nanorods are composed of Zn, Tb, and O elements. The photoluminescence spectra of the ZnO:Tb thin films with the T-A-ZnO structure and the screwlike nanorods are featured with two ultraviolet emission peaks and one strong green emission band, and the photoluminescence intensity increases with increasing annealing temperature. The surface defects in the T-A-ZnO structure and the screwlike nanorods are considered to be responsible for enhanced green emission in the annealed ZnO:Tb thin films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preoperative radiation therapy has been regarded as the optional neoadjuvant treatment to decrease local recurrence of rectal cancer in addition to surgery. However, its benefit in survival remained obscure. This study was aimed to measure the efficacy of preoperative radiation therapy for survival in stage II and III rectal cancer patients. Retrospective cohort study used the database of Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results program of the National Cancer Institute in the United States from 1988 to 2011. A total of 49,439 patients diagnosed with primary rectal cancer who underwent surgery were included. Clinicopathological characteristics and rectal cancer-specific survival between surgery alone group and surgery plus preoperative radiation therapy group were compared. Rectal cancer patients in surgery plus preoperative radiation therapy group had significantly better survival than those in surgery alone group (72.70% vs. 66.61%, p<0.001), as well as stratified by stages (stage II: 77.4% vs. 74.3%, p<0.001; stage III: 68.3% vs. 58.6%, p<0.001). However, this beneficial impact was only observed after 2000s (p<0.001). Multivariate survival analysis revealed that preoperative radiation therapy was an independent predictor for better survival in stage III (hazard ratio, 0.795; 95% CI, 0.753-0.840; p<0.001), but not in stage II (p=0.70). Preoperative radiation therapy might bring a better survival in stage II and III rectal cancer patients, but only as an independent predictor for stage III patients. As time progressed, preoperative radiation therapy might yield more profit for stage II and III rectal cancer patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of price limits by a stock exchange means that the distribution of returns is truncated. By considering a GARCH model in conjunction with a truncated distribution for the residuals, this study investigates whether price limits have an effect on price behaviour and volatility of Chinese A-shares. The analysis has been applied to A-shares traded on the Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE) and the Shenzhen Stock Exchange (SZSE) during the period from 2004 to 2018. The results suggest the Truncated-GARCH model outperforms a conventional model and offers substantially different insights into the effect of price limits. The delayed price discovery hypothesis is not rejected for either exchange after upper price limit hits. Limited evidence supports the volatility spillover hypothesis, as just over 5% of A-shares experience an increase of volatility after upper price limit hits on both exchanges. No evidence of reduction of volatility after price limit hits is shown in the research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of International Journal of Cosmetic Science is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of International Journal of Cosmetic Science is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Assume that A is a connected cochain DG algebra such that the trivial DG algebra is a Calabi-Yau DG algebra. We show that A is also a Calabi-Yau DG algebra. As applications, we study the Calabi-Yau property of a connected cochain DG algebra A when H(A) belongs to certain types of 3-Calabi-Yau graded algebras. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In direct-drive–ignition designs, preheat by fast electrons created by the two-plasmon–decay or stimulated Raman instabilities can increase the adiabat in the fuel layer and reduce compression and neutron yields. Since eliminating the preheat entirely is a major challenge, it is necessary to understand the levels of preheat that preclude ignition in a direct-drive target. Two 1-D ignition-scale target designs serve as the basis for examining the effects of synthetically increasing the levels of fast electrons using the 1-D radiation–hydrodynamic code LILAC, which include two models of fast-electron transport. The first is an ignition design adapted from a 2-D polar-direct-drive design for the National Ignition Facility. The second is a variant of the first with identical dimensions and compositions but using a laser pulse that generates stronger shocks and a higher fuel adiabat. This more stable design approaches ignition and achieves yield multiplication as a result of alpha heating. The designs are then re-optimized to recover performance. The igniting design, when fast-electron transport was modeled with diffusion, was found to tolerate 50% more fast-electron preheat of the cold (sub-50 eV) deuterium-tritium (DT) ice layer when the laser pulse was optimized using the optimizer Telios. When a straight-line fast-electron transport model was used, the effects of optimization were negligible. For the subignition design, an increase of over a factor of at least 3 in the tolerable level of fast-electron preheat was obtained for both transport models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Despite their proven efficacy for secondary fracture prevention, long-term adherence with oral bisphosphonates is poor.Introduction: To compare the effectiveness of two interventions on long-term oral bisphosphonate adherence after an upper extremity fragility fracture.Methods: Community-dwelling participants 50 years or older with upper extremity fragility fractures not previously treated with bisphosphonates were randomized to either a multi-faceted patient and physician educational intervention (the active control arm) vs. a nurse-led case manager (the study arm). Primary outcome was adherence (taking > 80% of prescribed doses) with prescribed oral bisphosphonates at 12 months postfracture between groups; secondary outcomes included rates of primary non-adherence and 24-month adherence. We also compared quality of life between adherent and non-adherent patients.Results: By 12 months, adherence with the initially prescribed bisphosphonate was similar (p = 0.96) in both groups: 38/48 (79.2%) in the educational intervention group vs. 66/83 (79.5%) in the case manager arm. By 24 months, adherence rates were 67% (32/48) in the educational intervention group vs. 53% (43/81) in case managed patients (p = 0.13). Primary non-adherence was 6% (11 patients) in the educational intervention group and 12% (21 patients) in the case managed group (p = 0.07). Prior family history of osteoporosis (aOR 2.1, 95% CI 1.0 to 4.4) and being satisfied with current medical care (aOR 2.3, 95% CI 1.1 to 4.8) were associated with better adherence while lower income (aOR 0.2, 95% CI 0.1 to 0.6, for patients with income < $30,000 per annum) was associated with poorer rates of adherence. There were no differences in health-related quality of life scores at baseline or during follow-up between patients who were adherent and those who were not.Conclusion: While both interventions achieved higher oral bisphosphonate adherence compared to previously reported adherence rates in the general population, primary non-adherence and long-term adherence to bisphosphonates were similar in both arms. Adherence was influenced by family history of osteoporosis, satisfaction with current medical care, and income.Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01401556 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on a study conduted using simplified kinetic models to investigate the mechanism of negative differential conductivity (NDC) in an electron-beam sustained gas discharge of pure xenon (Xe). Calculation of the drift velocity of electrons in Xe; What model calculations involves; Definition of NDC; Discussion on the influence of the uncertainty in the momentum transfer cross sections and the small impurity of Xe on NDC observation.

Abstract: Studies reporting the historical trends of SO2, NOx, CO, and nonmethane volatile organic compounds emissions in China using unified approaches and sources are limited. Here we established 66‐year emission trends of these four species in China. Six primary anthropogenic sources were included, and we made a series of improvements to the few existing inventories based on detailed statistical data, recently published emission factors, and technology renewal to reduce the uncertainties. National SO2, NOx, CO, and nonmethane volatile organic compounds emissions in 2015 were 27.1, 20.6, 188, and 28.4 Mt, with annual growth rates of 5.8%, 5.9%, 3.8%, and 4.6% since 1949, respectively. In recent years, fossil fuel combustion was the major contributor to SO2, NOx, and CO emissions, whereas industrial process contributed most to VOCs emissions. Our results revealed a 10% decrease in the SO2 emissions from 2005 to 2010 as a result of improvements in the flue gas desulfurization installation rate. NOx emissions stopped rising and started falling in 2011, with technology renewal and the penetration of end‐of‐pipe control measures in industrial boilers and cement production. Furthermore, we calculated future speciated VOCs emissions and ozone formation potential under alternative policy scenarios and projected to reduce emissions by 10% (compared with 2013 levels) with stringent control measures in 2020. A reactivity‐based control strategy was proposed to achieve greater ozone formation potential reductions while requiring less VOCs emissions reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on optimal asset allocation with stochastic interest rates in regime-switching models. A class of stochastic optimal control problems with Markovian regime-switching is formulated for which a verification theorem is provided. The theory is applied to solve two portfolio optimization problems (a portfolio of stock and savings account and a portfolio of mixed stock, bond and savings account) while a regime-switching Vasicek model is assumed for the interest rate. Closed-form solutions are obtained for a regime-switching power utility function. Numerical results are provided to illustrate the impact of regime-switching on the optimal investment decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the shaping efficiency and the accuracy of ceramic ball blanks, an oscillating-plate shaping method was developed. In the new shaping process, the ceramic ball blanks were pre-sintered to obtain enough strength to resist the crushing force, and then processed by the oscillating-plate shaping method. Owing to the improvements of sphericity and the size consistency of blanks, the efficiency of the followed lapping process for the fully sintered ceramic balls will be enhanced significantly. The motion of ball blank in the shaping process was investigated through kinematic simulation based on ADAMS model. Shaping experiments of Ø13 mm pre-sintered Si3N4 ceramic ball blanks were carried out. The average diameter of ball blank decreased from 13.097 ± 0.092 mm (Avg. ± SD.) to 12.407 ± 0.007 mm, and the sphericity was improved from113.9 ± 42.7 to 4.5 ± 1.6 μm in 45-min shaping. The lapping experiments to reduce the sphericity error of shaped and unshaped ceramic balls after the full sintering to 1 μm were also carried out. It takes 55 h for the shaped blanks and 135 h for the unshaped blanks respectively. The results show that the oscillating-plate shaping is a promising method to improve the processing efficiency of ceramic balls significantly by the improvements of the sphericity and size consistency of the as-received ceramic ball blank. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]