Search

Aluminum nitride (AlN) has attracted huge attention in new energy vehicle, communication equipment fields, due to the high-thermal conductivity and reliable insulating ability. One of the most crucial factors is the preparation of high-performance AlN powders, and more significantly, the two-dimensional nanostructure would change the phonon vibration mode and transport process, bringing in the novel heat conduction and electricity properties. In this paper, kilogram of two-dimensional aluminum nitride nanosheets (AlNNS) with thicknesses around 30 nm and particle sizes around 400 nm were prepared by a new strategy for the nano sanding process, in which they still keep high purity (impurity content ppm grade) without further purification. Furthermore, the technological parameters of the sanding time and line speed are found as the key factors, that would affect the transformation process fro m hexagonal AlN into super-thin AlNNS. The morphology of the nanosheets is more complete at the line speed of 8 m/s. In addition, AlNNS have an increase of 7% in thermal conductivity (at 50 °C) compared to that of raw powders. Moreover, AlNNS have stronger sintering activity due to the larger specific surface area, in which show an increase of 16.8% in shrinkage. Therefore, AlNNS would represent excellent physical properties more than thermal conductivity, providing a new dimension research in high-thermal conductivity ceramics. Last but not least, nano sanding strategy as a purely physical process, avoids the subsequent chemical purification process, and has the advantages of simple and efficient, low energy consumption and environmental protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary ectopic meningioma of the middle ear is relatively rare in clinical practice. It is often difficult to distinguish it from chronic otitis media or otitis media with effusion due to its similar and atypical clinical symptoms. We report a case of epithelial tympanic ectopic meningioma with the main complaints of otalgia, aural fullness, and hearing loss. It was accidentally discovered during tympanotomy due to the symptoms of recurring refractory secretory otitis media. This article briefly reviews the relevant literature in recent years, summarizes the characteristics of primary ectopic tympanic meningioma with intact tympanic membrane, and emphasizes the diagnosis and treatment strategy of the middle ear mass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To evaluate the predictive validity and reliability of the Waterlow scale in critically adult hospitalised patients. Design: A multi‐centre cohort study. Methods: This study was conducted in 72 intensive care units (ICUs) in 38 tertiary hospitals in Gansu Province, China. All adults admitted to the ICU for greater than or equal to 24 h without pressure injury (PI) on admission were screened by the Waterlow scale on admission, during ICU stay and ICU discharge from April 2021 to February 2023. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to determine a potential cut‐off value for critical adult hospitalised patients. Cut‐off values were then determined using Youden's index, and sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy were calculated based on these cut‐off values. Test–retest reliability was used to evaluate inter‐rater reliability. Results: A total of 5874 critical patients on admission were included, and 5125 of them were assessed regularly. The area under curve (AUC) was 0.623 (95% CI, 0.574–0.690), with a cut‐off score of 19 showing the best balance among sensitivity of 62.7%, specificity of 57.4%, positive predictive value of 2.07% and negative predictive value of 99.08%. The test–retest reliability between the first assessment and the regular assessment was 0.447. Conclusions: The Waterlow scale shows insufficient predictive validity and reliability in discriminating critical adults at risk of PI development. To further modify the items of the Waterlow scale, exploring specific risk factors for PI in the ICU and clarifying their impact degree was necessary. Risk predictive models or better tools are inevitable in the future. Patient or Public Contribution: Patients or family members supported nurses with PI risk assessment, skin examination and other activities during the inquiry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The molecular and immunological characteristics of primary tumors and positive lymph nodes in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) are unknown and the relationship with recurrence is unclear, which this study attempted to explore. Methods: A total of 30 ESCC patients with lymph node positive (IIB‐IVA) were enrolled. Among them, primary tumor and lymph node specimens were collected from each patient, and subjected to 551‐tumor‐targeted DNA sequencing and 289‐immuno‐oncology RNA panel sequencing to identify the different molecular basis and immunological features, respectively. Results: The primary tumors exhibited a higher mutation burden than lymph nodes (p < 0.001). One‐year recurrent ESCC exhibited a higher Mucin16 (MUC16) mutation rate (p = 0.038), as well as univariate and multivariate analysis revealed that MUC16 mutation is independent genetic factor associated with reduced relapse‐free survival (univariate, HR: 5.39, 95% CI: 1.67–17.4, p = 0.005; multivariate, HR: 7.36, 95% CI: 1.79–30.23, p = 0.006). Transcriptomic results showed non‐relapse group had higher cytolytic activity (CYT) score (p = 0.025), and was enriched in the IFN‐α pathway (p = 0.036), while those in the relapsed group were enriched in the TNF‐α/NF‐κB (p = 0.001) and PI3K/Akt pathway (p = 0.014). Conclusion: The difference in molecular characteristics between primary lesions and lymph nodes may be the cause of the inconsistent clinical outcomes. Mutations of MUC16 and poor immune infiltration are associated with rapid relapse of nodes‐positive ESCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presynaptic SNARE-complex regulator complexin (Cplx) enhances the fusogenicity of primed synaptic vesicles (SVs). Consequently, Cplx deletion impairs action potential-evoked transmitter release. Conversely, though, Cplx loss enhances spontaneous and delayed asynchronous release at certain synapse types. Using electrophysiology and kinetic modeling, we show that such seemingly contradictory transmitter release phenotypes seen upon Cplx deletion can be explained by an additional of Cplx in the control of SV priming, where its ablation facilitates the generation of a "faulty" SV fusion apparatus. Supporting this notion, a sequential two-step priming scheme, featuring reduced vesicle fusogenicity and increased transition rates into the faulty primed state, reproduces all aberrations of transmitter release modes and short-term synaptic plasticity seen upon Cplx loss. Accordingly, we propose a dual presynaptic function for the SNARE-complex interactor Cplx, one as a "checkpoint" protein that guarantees the proper assembly of the fusion machinery during vesicle priming, and one in boosting vesicle fusogenicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tooth flank fracture (TFF) and tooth interior fatigue fracture (TIFF) usually occur on case-harden gears in electromechanical coupling systems, both starting from the core caused by metal fatigue. The cracks propagate rapidly compared with the total life of a gear, so that it is necessary to detect and identify the faults in time when they take place in order to avoid danger. In this paper, the time-varying mesh stiffness model of two types of faults is established by the potential energy method and validating by the finite element method. Based on the stiffness model, the influence of faults on the electromechanical system and their fault characteristics are analyzed, which provides a theoretical basis for the health detection of electromechanical coupling systems. The results indicate that in the early stage of the three faults, i.e., tooth root fracture, tooth interior fatigue fracture, and tooth flank fracture, it is hard to discriminate the faults. But after the second stage, the faults can be distinguished by the vibration amplitude, frequency band components, and phase diagrams. The TFF can be discerned into different stages by frequency domains and phase diagrams. When the fracture occurs completely, three faults can be easily distinguished by the time domain and phase diagram. In the frequency domain, the TRF can also be distinguished from the other two faults by referring to the sideband component near the meshing frequency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transaminase (TA) is a crucial biocatalyst for enantioselective production of the herbicide L-phosphinothricin (L-PPT). The use of enzymatic cascades has been shown to effectively overcome the unfavorable thermodynamic equilibrium of TA-catalyzed transamination reaction, also increasing demand for TA stability. In this work, a novel thermostable transaminase (PtTA) from Pseudomonas thermotolerans was mined and characterized. The PtTA showed a high specific activity (28.63 U/mg) towards 2‐oxo‐4‐[(hydroxy)(methyl)phosphinoyl]butyric acid (PPO), with excellent thermostability and substrate tolerance. Two cascade systems driven by PtTA were developed for L-PPT biosynthesis, including asymmetric synthesis of L-PPT from PPO and deracemization of D, L-PPT. For the asymmetric synthesis of L-PPT from PPO, a three-enzyme cascade was constructed as a recombinant Escherichia coli (E. coli G), by co-expressing PtTA, glutamate dehydrogenase (GluDH) and D-glucose dehydrogenase (GDH). Complete conversion of 400 mM PPO was achieved using only 40 mM amino donor L-glutamate. Furthermore, by coupling D-amino acid aminotransferase (Ym DAAT) from Bacillus sp. YM‐1 and PtTA, a two-transaminase cascade was developed for the one-pot deracemization of D, L-PPT. Under the highest reported substrate concentration (800 mM D, L-PPT), a 90.43% L-PPT yield was realized. The superior catalytic performance of the PtTA-driven cascade demonstrated that the thermodynamic limitation was overcome, highlighting its application prospect for L-PPT biosynthesis. Key points: • A novel thermostable transaminase was mined for L-phosphinothricin biosynthesis. • The asymmetric synthesis of L-phosphinothricin was achieved via a three-enzyme cascade. • Development of a two-transaminase cascade for D, L-phosphinothricin deracemization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transaminase (TA) is a crucial biocatalyst for enantioselective production of the herbicide L-phosphinothricin (L-PPT). The use of enzymatic cascades has been shown to effectively overcome the unfavorable thermodynamic equilibrium of TA-catalyzed transamination reaction, also increasing demand for TA stability. In this work, a novel thermostable transaminase (PtTA) from Pseudomonas thermotolerans was mined and characterized. The PtTA showed a high specific activity (28.63 U/mg) towards 2‐oxo‐4‐[(hydroxy)(methyl)phosphinoyl]butyric acid (PPO), with excellent thermostability and substrate tolerance. Two cascade systems driven by PtTA were developed for L-PPT biosynthesis, including asymmetric synthesis of L-PPT from PPO and deracemization of D, L-PPT. For the asymmetric synthesis of L-PPT from PPO, a three-enzyme cascade was constructed as a recombinant Escherichia coli (E. coli G), by co-expressing PtTA, glutamate dehydrogenase (GluDH) and D-glucose dehydrogenase (GDH). Complete conversion of 400 mM PPO was achieved using only 40 mM amino donor L-glutamate. Furthermore, by coupling D-amino acid aminotransferase (Ym DAAT) from Bacillus sp. YM‐1 and PtTA, a two-transaminase cascade was developed for the one-pot deracemization of D, L-PPT. Under the highest reported substrate concentration (800 mM D, L-PPT), a 90.43% L-PPT yield was realized. The superior catalytic performance of the PtTA-driven cascade demonstrated that the thermodynamic limitation was overcome, highlighting its application prospect for L-PPT biosynthesis. Key points: • A novel thermostable transaminase was mined for L-phosphinothricin biosynthesis. • The asymmetric synthesis of L-phosphinothricin was achieved via a three-enzyme cascade. • Development of a two-transaminase cascade for D, L-phosphinothricin deracemization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hybrid-channel platelet counting method (PLT-H) is a new platelet counting technique proposed by Mindray of China. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the accuracy of this technique in various situations and its reliability in platelet transfusion decision-making. A total of 378 venous blood samples were tested. Using the immunological PLT counting method recommended by the International Council for Standardization in Hematology as the reference method (PLT-IRM), Passing-Bablok regression and Bland-Altman analysis were performed on the PLT-H results. The antiinterference performance of PLT-H under different interference levels was explored using intergroup comparisons, and confusion matrices were analyzed at various transfusion cutoff values. In the absence of interference, there was a strong correlation between PLT-H and PLT-IRM (r = 0.993, 95% CI: 0.990-0.996). Under various interference conditions, the correlation between PLT-H and PLT-IRM was between 0.963 and 0.992, with an average deviation of -14.56 to -2.02. The performance of PLTH against interference did not change significantly with increasing levels of small RBCs, large PLTs, and RBC fragments (P = .5704, 0.0832, 0.9893). In low-value samples (PLT <100 × 109/L), the coefficient of variation (CV) for PLT-H was less than 7.6%, regardless of the presence or absence of interfering substances. In addition, there was a high agreement between PLT-H and PLT-IRM (ICC = 0.972). Confusion matrice analysis at each medical decision level showed similarity to methods using the fluorescence channel (PLT-O) and superiority to the impedance channel (PLT-I). Compared with PLT-I, PLT-H has higher accuracy in PLT counting, stronger anti-interference ability, better performance in low-value samples at no extra economic cost and can be more useful for platelet transfusion decisionmaking. PLT-H is a novel method for platelet counting that offers higher accuracy, providing physicians with the ability to make better medical decisions, particularly in cases where values are low, or interference is present. As it does not require additional reagents, it is highly likely to replace PLT-I and become the mainstream method for platelet counting in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In biotechnology, as well as in nanomedicine, vesicular structures are essential features of the cellular life cycle. Lipid compositions define the applicability of the vesicles. Here, the dynamics of lipid molecules within vesicles of approximately 10 nm in diameter are monitored using coarsegrained molecular dynamics (CGMD) simulations (MARTINI). The vesicles consist of (i) 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC), as well as 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC), each in a mixture with cholesterol (CHOL) (POPC/CHOL, DOPC/CHOL), (ii) POPC/DOPC mixture and (iii) pure POPC and DOPC. Vesicles are generated by placing the individual lipids spatially separated by an area-per-lipid based distance onto the sphere using an arc correction, implemented into ArcVes, which is an in-house developed software. This protocol leads to the generation of vesicles which remain stable during extended MD simulations. In the presence of cholesterol, the mixed vesicles show time-dependent changes such as a decrease in both radii and membrane thickness. The number of lipids in each leaflet of the mixed vesicles reveals a trend of POPC and DOPC flipping to the outer leaflet and of cholesterol to the inner leaflet. This leads to a cholesterol rich path-formation in both the inner and outer leaflets. The diffusivity of the lipids in the vesicles mixed with cholesterol is lower than the diffusivity of the pure vesicles, similar to the observation for the respective flat membrane patches. In general, the diffusivity of the lipids is larger in the outer leaflets than the inner leaflets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Complete reaching movements involve target sensing, motor planning, and arm movement execution, and this process requires the integration and communication of various brain regions. Previously, reaching movements have been decoded successfully from the motor cortex (M1) and applied to prosthetic control. However, most studies attempted to decode neural activities from a single brain region, resulting in reduced decoding accuracy during visually guided reaching motions. To enhance the decoding accuracy of visually guided forelimb reaching movements, we propose a parallel computing neural network using both M1 and medial agranular cortex (AGm) neural activities of rats to predict forelimb-reaching movements. The proposed network decodes M1 neural activities into the primary components of the forelimb movement and decodes AGm neural activities into internal feedforward information to calibrate the forelimb movement in a goal-reaching movement. We demonstrate that using AGm neural activity to calibrate M1 predicted forelimb movement can improve decoding performance significantly compared to neural decoders without calibration. We also show that the M1 and AGm neural activities contribute to controlling forelimb movement during goal-reaching movements, and we report an increase in the power of the local field potential (LFP) in beta and gamma bands over AGm in response to a change in the target distance, which may involve sensorimotor transformation and communication between the visual cortex and AGm when preparing for an upcoming reaching movement. The proposed parallel computing neural network with the internal feedback model improves prediction accuracy for goal-reaching movements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analytical solutions for coupled problems are very significant for both understanding the physical mechanism and verifying the numerical methods. However, existing solutions usually focus on advection‐dispersion models without considering the coupling effect of contaminant transport or partial‐coupled models with the zero initial concentration (ZIC) condition, which are impractical in many engineering applications. This paper proposes novel analytical solutions to solve the non‐zero initial concentration (NZIC) problem for a fully‐coupled hydraulic‐mechanical‐chemical (HMC) model by Fourier transform. The proposed analytical solutions are highly competent and efficient compared with existing solutions from the literature. The solutions are applied to investigate the long‐term contaminant transport behavior and consequent deformation of clay liner under NZIC conditions. Results show that the presence of NZIC greatly promotes contaminant ions migration and shorten breakthrough time. The higher the initial concentration, the shorter the breakthrough time. When the initial concentration is increased by 3 and 5 times, the corresponding breakthrough time is reduced by 23.9 and 27.1 years, respectively. In practical engineering, neglecting the NZIC of contaminant can lead to an overestimation of performance efficiency of clay liners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been increasing concern over water pollution, which poses a threat to human life and health. Absorption by low-cost absorbents is considered to be a cost-effective and efficient route. However, the non-reusability of absorbents greatly limits their applications. In this study, a novel vermiculite/TiO2 composite combining the inexpensive absorbent with the commonly used photocatalyst was firstly synthesized via the sol-gel method. On the one hand, the organic pollutants are absorbed by vermiculite and then decomposed through the photocatalysis process, enabling the next round of absorption and creating an absorption–decomposition reusable cycle. On the other hand, the modulation effect of optical and electronic structure on the prepared TiO2 photocatalyst by the vermiculite incorporation could significantly improve the photocatalytic activity and eventually enhance the aforementioned cyclic degradation capacity. The layer-structured vermiculite (Vt) supports a uniform coverage of TiO2 at an optimized ratio, providing an optimal adsorption environment and contact area between the photocatalyst and methylene blue (MB) molecules. Vt/TiO2 heterojunction is formed with Si-O-Ti bonding, at which electrons transfer from Vt to TiO2, enriching electron density in TiO2 and favoring its photocatalytic activity. Furthermore, the incorporation of Vt increases the light absorption of TiO2 in the visible range by narrowing the optical band gap to 1.98 eV, which could promote the generation of photo-excited carriers. In addition, PL measurements revealed that the carrier recombination is substantially suppressed, and the charge separation and migration are greatly enhanced by a factor of 3. As a result, the decomposition rate of MB is substantially increased 5.3-fold, which is ascribed to the synergistic effects of the elevated photocatalysis and the large absorption capacity governed by the chemisorption mechanism of the intra-particle diffusion. These results pave the way for composite design towards efficient, economical, and pragmatic water pollution treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Genetic high-risk assessment combines hereditary breast, ovarian and pancreatic cancer into one syndrome. However, there is a lack of data for comparing the germline mutational spectrum of the cancer predisposing genes between these three cancers. Methods: Patients who met the criteria of the hereditary breast, ovarian and pancreatic cancer were enrolled and received multi-gene sequencing. Results: We enrolled 730 probands: 418 developed breast cancer, 185 had ovarian cancer, and 145 had pancreatic cancer. Out of the 18 patients who had two types of cancer, 16 had breast and ovarian cancer and 2 had breast and pancreatic cancer. A total of 167 (22.9%) patients had 170 mutations. Mutation frequency in breast, ovarian and pancreatic cancer was 22.3%, 33.5% and 17.2%, respectively. The mutation rate was significantly higher in patients with double cancers than those with a single cancer (p<0.001). BRCA1 and BRCA2 were the most dominant genes associated with hereditary breast and ovarian cancer, whereas ATM was the most prevalent gene related to hereditary pancreatic cancer. Genes of hereditary colon cancer such as lynch syndrome were presented in a part of patients with pancreatic or ovarian cancer but seldom in those with breast cancer. Families with a history of both ovarian and breast cancer were associated with a higher mutation rate than those with other histories. Conclusion: The mutation spectrum varies across the three cancer types and family histories. Our analysis provides guidance for physicians, counsellors, and counselees on the offer and uptake of genetic counseling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hyper-cross-linked resins have tremendous prospects for the removal of organic dyes from aqueous solutions due to their adjustable porosity, tunable polarity and diversified functionality, whereas the extreme hydrophobicity of the skeleton limits their application. Hence, it is essential for introducing polar functional groups in the construction of a highly polar hyper-cross-linked resin. In this work, we synthesized polar-modified hyper-cross-linked resins (HVPN-x) by introducing 3-aminobenzoic acid (3-AC) containing amino and carboxyl groups via a stepwise combination. The analysis results indicated that hydrophilicity significantly enhanced with the increase of the percentage of 3-AC. The water diffusion time of HVPN-6 can be found to be quite fast and the complete diffusion of water droplets occurs within 0.28 s. The adsorption experiment results demonstrate that HVPN-6 exhibited a significant increase in RhB adsorption capacity, equivalent to 2.6 times that of pristine HVPN-0. This is probably because the uploaded amino and carboxyl groups are conducive to equilibrium adsorption due to polar matching, and hydrogen bonding is possibly formed between the resin and Rhodamine B. Above all, the polar hyper-cross-linked resin modified with the 3-AC monomer may be a potential candidate for Rhodamine B adsorption from aqueous solution owing to its excellent polarity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growing evidence suggests there is a bidirectional relationship between depression and obesity, which are associated with structural and functional brain abnormalities. However, the underlying neurobiological mechanisms subserving the foregoing associations have yet to be characterized. It is necessary to summarize the neuroplastic brain changes in relation to depression and obesity. We systematically searched articles from 1990 to November 2022 on databases including MEDLINE/PubMed, Web of Science, PsycINFO. Only neuroimaging studies within the scope of potential differences in brain function and structure in individuals with depression and obesity/ BMI changes were included. Twenty-four eligible studies were included in the review herein, consisting of 17 studies reporting changes in brain structure, 4 studies reporting abnormal brain function, and 3 studies reporting both changes in brain structure and function. Results indicated an interaction between depression and obesity on brain functions, and their influence on brain structure is both extensive and specific. Overall, reduced whole brain, intracranial, and gray matter volume (e.g. frontal, temporal gyri, thalamic, and hippocampal) and impaired white matter integrity was observed in persons with depression and obesity comorbidity. Additional evidence on resting state fMRI reveals select brain regions associated with cognitive control, emotion regulation, and reward functions. Due to the diversity of tasks in task fMRI, the distinct neural activation patterns are revealed separately. The bidirectional relationship between depression and obesity reflects different characteristics in brain structure and function. Longitudinal designs should be reinforced in follow-up studies. • This review summarized the neuroplastic brain changes in relation to depression and obesity. • The bidirectional relationship between depression and obesity reflects different brain characteristics. • Reduced whole brain, intracranial, gray matter volume, and impaired white matter integrity were associated with comorbidity. • Depression and obesity altered brain regions associated with cognitive control, emotion regulation, and reward functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The main target of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i), the sodium-glucose cotransporters 2, is found in the kidneys, and their activity is reduced in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). How the efficacy of SGLT2i may vary in patients with different levels of renal impairment has not been fully elucidated. Methods: We searched the PubMed databases for relevant studies published through May 25, 2022. Randomized control trials comparing SGLT2i with placebo and reporting cardiovascular or renal outcomes were included. The primary outcome was the composite of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), which were defined as cardiovascular death (CV death), nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI), and nonfatal ischemic stroke. Secondary outcomes included the components of MACE, all-cause mortality, hospitalization for heart failure (HHF), the composite of CV death and HHF, and composite renal outcomes. Linear meta-regression analysis was used to assess the effects of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) on the risks associated with SGLT2i treatment vs placebo for all outcomes. Nonlinear metaregression analysis was also performed for MACE to investigate the combined influence of reduced drug efficacy in CKD but possible greater risk reduction in a population with higher risk at baseline. Further analyses were performed by including additional study-level covariates, including the prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM), heart failure (HF), and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Results: Risk ratios for MACE, CV death, nonfatal MI, HHF, and composite renal outcomes associated with SGLT2i treatment were not significantly related to baseline eGFR values. A positive association was observed between eGFR values and the risk of stroke with SGLT2i use (regression coefficient ß = .0109, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.0029-0.0188). A similar positive association was observed between eGFR values and the composite outcome of CV death and HHF (ß = .0025, 95% CI 0.0000-0.0051). The results of the meta-regression analyses, including the additional covariates of DM, HF, and ASCVD, were consistent with the results of the primary analyses for most outcomes. Conclusion: The protective effects of SGLT2i for reducing most adverse cardiovascular and renal outcomes persisted in patients with variable degrees of renal impairment. The observed benefits such as preventing CV death, HF worsening, or stroke may be greater for patients with more severe CKD. Considering the cardiovascular and renal benefits associated with SGLT2i treatment, patients with CKD should be treated aggressively to improve outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fermentation is a processing method used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). However, traditional fermentation methods suffer from poor production control. In contrast, probiotic fermented herbal medicine (PFHM) offers advantages such as the use of pure strains, a controllable process, and the ability to produce a variety of active enzymes during fermentation. As a result, PFHM has become a research hotspot. This review focuses on the progress, challenges, and opportunities in the research of PFHM. The use of probiotic enzymes during fermentation alters the active ingredients of TCM, resulting in positive pharmacological effects such as increased active ingredients, reduced toxicity, new pharmacological effects, and the reuse of herbal residues. PFHM has the potential to transfer the metabolic transformation of the effective components of TCM by intestinal flora outside the body during production and preparation, which has a broad application prospect. However, due to the complexity of the chemical composition of TCM, the mechanism of PFHM requires further investigation. Finally, we discuss the prospects of industrializing PFHM, which is essential for promoting the innovation and modernization of TCM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation offers many exciting biomedical applications such as biosensing and cancer therapy. Photon upconversion through lanthanide (Ln)‐doped nanoparticles is an attractive approach for UV generation by excitation of near‐infrared (NIR) light, which is readily accessible and highly penetrating in tissue environments. By rationally engineering the emission property of upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) coupled with surface functionalization with photoactivatable molecules, various nanosystems can be constructed for biomedicine with the feature of minimal living tissue damage and remote light delivery at high spatiotemporal precisions. Such technology facilitates sensitive diagnosis and effective treatment of various diseases. This review focuses on the recent development of NIR‐to‐UV UCNPs, simultaneously highlighting emergent biomedical applications enabled by these materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A bootstrap procedure for constructing prediction bands for a stationary functional time series is proposed. The procedure exploits a general vector autoregressive representation of the time-reversed series of Fourier coefficients appearing in the Karhunen–Loève representation of the functional process. It generates backward-in-time functional replicates that adequately mimic the dependence structure of the underlying process in a model-free way and have the same conditionally fixed curves at the end of each functional pseudo-time series. The bootstrap prediction error distribution is then calculated as the difference between the model-free, bootstrap-generated future functional observations and the functional forecasts obtained from the model used for prediction. This allows the estimated prediction error distribution to account for the innovation and estimation errors associated with prediction and the possible errors due to model misspecification. We establish the asymptotic validity of the bootstrap procedure in estimating the conditional prediction error distribution of interest, and we also show that the procedure enables the construction of prediction bands that achieve (asymptotically) the desired coverage. Prediction bands based on a consistent estimation of the conditional distribution of the studentized prediction error process also are introduced. Such bands allow for taking more appropriately into account the local uncertainty of the prediction. Through a simulation study and the analysis of two datasets, we demonstrate the capabilities and the good finite-sample performance of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an eco-friendly treatment method, the microbially induced calcite precipitation (MICP) approach has been widely adopted in sand, but its use on compacted fine-grained soils remains scarce. In this study, compacted completely decomposed granite (CDG) soils at both the dry and wet side of the optimum water content (dry- and wet-of-optimum) were treated by the MICP approach, using a bacterial suspension and chemical reagents at fixed concentrations. After various curing periods, the microstructure (by scanning electron microscopy testing), the produced calcium carbonate content, the unconfined compressive strength (UCS), and the thermal conductivity were analyzed through a series of laboratory tests. The testing results indicate that the sample at dry-of-optimum exhibits a flocculated microstructure, while a dispersed microstructure is shown for the sample at wet-of-optimum. The calcium carbonate content increases with the curing period until reaching a stable value at around 6 days' curing. After 6 days' curing, the MICP process is relatively static, without significant amounts of calcium carbonate produced. With this treatment, the UCS of the sample is improved, where higher efficiency was observed for the sample at wet-of-optimum conditions. The variation of UCS for the MICP-treated samples with respect to the curing period follows the same trend as that of calcium carbonate content. At dry-of-optimum, the air-solid phases control the heat transfer in the MICP-treated samples with a discontinuous water phase, leading to insignificant effects of the MICP treatment on the thermal conductivity. In contrast, the water-solid phases dominate the heat transfer in the MICP-treated samples at wet-of-optimum, resulting in variation of the thermal conductivity with the curing period similar to that for the calcium carbonate content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objective: Patients with cancer taking oral antineoplastic medications may encounter problems including suboptimal adherence as well as physical and psychological disease burden. Despite increase in the use of oncology pharmacy services, there are wide variations between healthcare professionals and patient perceptions of patients' medication experiences. The objective of the study was to explore the medication experience of taking oral targeted therapy in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Method: We purposively sampled advanced stage (stage III or IV) NSCLC patients taking epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) in a medical center in Taiwan. Face-to-face interviews using semi-structured interview guides were conducted. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and thematic analysis was applied. A phenomenological methodology was adopted to explore the underlying meaning of patients' lived experience. Results: A total of 19 participants with a mean age of 68.2 years were interviewed. The duration of EGFR-TKIs use ranged from 2 weeks to 5 years. When first learned about the unexpected yet 'treatable' cancer, participants expressed strong emotional responses based on their intrinsic beliefs of the terminal disease and therapy. They walked along an unfamiliar trail while confronting physical and psychological challenges and made compromises to treatment. Gaining experiences from cancer journey, patients with cancer continuously seek the ultimate goals–'return to normal'. Conclusions: This study also revealed medication experiences of participants' journey from seeking information in the initial phase and living with cancer, to taking back control of their own lives. Healthcare professionals could better empathize with patients' loss of control and understand their perspectives when making clinical decisions. These findings can guide interdisciplinary teams to integrate patients' beliefs and conduct pre-screening assessments of health literacy levels to tailor communication. Subsequent interventions should be developed to identify barriers to medication self-management and empower patients by building social networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Restoration of sagittal balance is a crucial consideration in posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) surgery and adverse postoperative outcomes are associated with inadequate restoration of sagittal alignment. However, there remains a shortage of substantial evidence regarding the effect of rod curvature on both sagittal spinopelvic radiographic parameters and clinical outcomes. Method: A retrospective case–control study was conducted in this study. Patient demographics (age, gender, height, weight and BMI), surgical characteristics (number of fused levels, surgical time, blood loss and hospital stay) and radiographic parameters (lumbar lordosis [LL], sacral slope [SS], pelvic incidence [PI], pelvic tilt [PT], PI-LL, Cobb angle of fused segments [Cobb], rod curvature [RC], Posterior tangent angle of fused segments [PTA] and RC-PTA) were analyzed. Results: Patients in the abnormal group had older mean age and suffered more blood loss than those in the normal group. In addition, RC and RC-PTA were significantly lower in the abnormal group compared to the normal group. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that lower age (OR = 0.94; 95% CI: 0.89–0.99; P = 0.0187), lower PTA (OR = 0.91; 95% CI: 0.85–0.96; P = 0.0015) and higher RC (OR = 1.35; 95% CI: 1.20–1.51; P < 0.0001) were related to higher odds of better surgical outcomes. The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that the ROC curve (AUC) for predicting outcomes of surgery by RC classifier was 0.851 (0.769–0.932). Conclusions: In patients who underwent PLIF surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis, those who had a satisfactory postoperative outcome tended to be younger, had lower blood loss, and higher values of RC and RC-PTA compared to those who had poor recovery and required revision surgery. Additionally, RC was found to be a reliable predictor of postoperative outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent rapid development of cancer therapy has come about with the paradigm shift from the traditional goal of targeting cancer cells themselves, to reprograming the immune tumor microenvironment. Accumulating evidence shows that compounds that target epigenetic regulation, called epidrugs, play a crucial role in mediating the immunogenicity of cancer cells and in reshaping antitumor immunity. A large body of literature has recognized natural compounds as epigenetic modulators for their immunomodulatory effects and anticancer potential. Unifying our understanding of the role of these biologically active compounds in immuno-oncology may open new avenues for more effective cancer therapies. In this review, we explore how natural compounds modulate the epigenetic machinery to shape antitumor immune response, highlighting the promise offered by the Mother Nature that could be exploited therapeutically to improve outcomes for cancer patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Previous functional magnetic resonance imaging studies have substantiated changes in multiple brain regions of functional activity in patients with vestibular migraine. However, few studies have assessed functional connectivity within and between specific brain networks in vestibular migraine. Methods: Our study subjects included 37 patients with vestibular migraine and 35 healthy controls, and the quality of magnetic resonance images of all subjects met the requirements. Independent component analysis was performed to identify resting-state networks, and we investigated changes in functional connectivity patterns within and between brain networks. We also used Pearson correlation analysis to assess the relationship between changes in functional connectivity and the clinical features of patients with vestibular migraine. Results: A total of 14 independent components were identified. Compared to healthy controls, patients with vestibular migraine exhibited decreased intra-network functional connectivity in the executive control network and weakened functional connectivity between the anterior default mode network and the ventral attention network, between the anterior default mode network and the salience network, and between the right frontoparietal network and the auditory network. Moreover, the functional connectivity between the salience network and the dorsal attention network was increased. However, the functional connectivity of networks and clinical characteristics of vestibular migraine patients did not demonstrate any significant correlation. Conclusion: In conclusion, our study suggested that patients with vestibular migraine also have abnormal multisensory integration during the interictal period and that the attention network is involved. Changing within- and between-network functional connectivity may indicate that vestibular cortex areas are in a sensitive state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With advancements in technology and data storage, the availability of functional data whose sample observations are recorded over a continuum, such as time, wavelength, space grids, and depth, progressively increases in almost all scientific branches. The functional linear regression models, including scalar-on-function and function-on-function, have become popular tools for exploring the functional relationships between the scalar response-functional predictors and functional response-functional predictors, respectively. However, most existing estimation strategies are based on non-robust estimators that are seriously hindered by outlying observations, which are common in applied research. In the case of outliers, the non-robust methods lead to undesirable estimation and prediction results. Using a readily-available R package robflreg, this paper presents several robust methods build upon the functional principal component analysis for modeling and predicting scalar-on-function and function-on-function regression models in the presence of outliers. The methods are demonstrated via simulated and empirical datasets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Angiogenesis is an important mechanism of recovery from ischemic stroke. Recent studies have found that there is a close relationship between the VEGF/Notch pathway and angiogenesis. It is unknown whether EA can exert a brain protection effect and promote angiogenesis by acting on the VEGF/Notch signaling pathway after focal cerebral ischemia‐reperfusion injury (CIRI). Methods: The Middle Cerebral Artery occlusion/Reperfusion (MCAo/R) model was established, in which rats were subjected to occlusion with ischemic intervention for 30 min, followed by reperfusion for 8 h, 1 day, 3 days, and 7 days. The first EA treatment was performed 90 min after the animal model was successfully established, and then EA treatments were performed once a day for 7 days. The 2,3,5‐triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining and neurological deficit examination were performed to assess the level of CIRI and neuroprotection by EA. Expression levels of VEGFA, Notch1, and Hes1 proteins were measured via western blotting, while the morphological changes of ECs and microvasculature in the cortex were determined using an ultrastructural observation method. Results: EA treatment of PC6, GV26, and SP6 can significantly improve the neurological function of MCAO/R rats, reduce the volume of cerebral infarction, and modulate the ultrastructure of ECs and microvessels in pathological states. Western blotting revealed that EA increased VEGFA protein expression at 8 h and 3 days after CIRI, as well as Notch1 protein expression at 1 and 7 days. Subsequently, EA activated the VEGF/Notch pathway, increasing the expression of the downstream target protein Hes1, reversing EC death, and promoting angiogenesis. Conclusion: Our findings showed that EA plays a role in promoting angiogenesis following focal CIRI, and we hypothesized that this was due to the regulation of ECs by the EA‐activated VEGF/Notch signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents an experimental investigation of the effect of sand particle size on the shear behaviour of bio-cemented sand-steel structure interface, with sand treated by microbially induced calcite precipitation (MICP). Five sand groups were involved with different median particle sizes. The MICP treatment followed the surface percolation method featuring bacterial suspensions with a fixed optical density (linearly related to active cell concentration or urease activity). Scanning electron microscopy was used to identify the microstructure of the samples, while interface shear test was performed to observe the macroscale mechanical behaviour. The testing results indicated that smaller sand particle size was associated with a relatively larger effective calcium carbonate bonding area, providing a more significant bonding effect. Thus, smaller sand particle sizes in the treated samples were associated with higher values for the interface cohesion and a more pronounced increase in the interface friction angle at the peak state (compared to the corresponding untreated samples). By contrast, because the bonding effect broke close to the interface during shearing, the bottom of the treated samples became planar and smooth. Hence, a lower interface friction angle at the ultimate state was identified for a treated sample, compared to the corresponding untreated one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The heterogeneous bismuth silicate is a promising and environmental photocatalytic material. However, the cross-linked structure limits its catalytic activity. Here, we report a visible-driven composite photocatalyst with high catalytic activity, namely BOS-PS (layered Bi 2 O 2 SiO 3 -Si 2 Bi 24 O 40 modified with template PS spheres), which can solve the problem. By controlling the concentration of template and changing the reaction time, the microscopic morphology can be adjusted to obtain effective heterojunction and heterogeneous interfaces as well as highly active exposed surfaces. In addition, compared with BOS (Bi 2 O 2 SiO 3 -Si 2 Bi 24 O 40)-0PS (polystyrene microspheres), BOS-12PS has a thinner sheet structure, and the photocatalytic performance of BOS-12PS photocatalyst (98% within 90 min) is twice than that of BOS-0PS. The improved performance is mainly attributed to the increase of ·OH radicals and the modulation of its energy band structure by the oxygen defect level. Specifically, on the one hand, BOS-12PS has more ·OH radicals and can produce ·O 2 − on the surface. On the other hand, due to its upward-moving structure (Vo level), BOS-12PS plays an important role in the degradation of pollutants. Especially, the effective heterojunction formed by Bi 2 O 2 SiO 3 and Si 2 Bi 24 O 40 significantly improves the separation efficiency and redox capability of the sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pyrimidine is an important heterocyclic ring with various activities, which are widely used in the field of pesticides and medicines. In this paper, a series of 1,2,4‐triazolo[1,5‐a]pyrimidine‐7‐amine compounds (V1–V16) containing 1,2,4‐oxadiazole moiety were designed and synthesized. Their structures were confirmed by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, 19F NMR, and HRMS. The biological activity results showed that compounds V5, V6, V7, V9, V10, V12, and V13 possessed good activity against Mythimna separate at 500 ppm, while compound V4 exhibited moderate activity against Aphis medicagini at 500 ppm. Furthermore, compounds V1 and V3 displayed good fungicidal activity against Pseudoperonospora cubensis at 200 ppm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Layered Precipitable Water Vapor (LPW) product derived from the Advanced Geosynchronous Radiation Imager (AGRI) onboard the first of the Chinese new generation geostationary satellite Fengyun-4A (FY-4A) has great significance for weather forecasting and climate monitoring of the Tibetan Plateau. To analysis and evaluation the reliability of the FY-4A/AGRI LPW, with respect to the complex terrain on the Southeastern Tibetan Plateau, the atmospheric precipitable water vapor values were calculated based on the radiosonde observations (RAOB TPW) of 11 radiosonde stations in the research area from 2019 to 2020, and a comparative analysis was performed with the FY-4A/AGRI LPW. The results indicated that: (1) FY-4A/AGRI LPW and RAOB TPW demonstrate excellent consistency in all of the vertical height layers, but the atmospheric precipitable water vapor was underestimated by FY-4A/AGRI LPW; (2) The mean values of FY-4A/AGRI LPW in various months were all lower than those of RAOB TPW. The low layer FY-4A/AGRI LPW was the most stable in precision from the dimension of months; and (3) The precision of FY-4A/AGRI LPW, and the deviation between FY-4A/AGRI LPW and RAOB TPW were related with RDLS. The evaluation results of the study demonstrated that FY-4A/AGRI LPW underestimated the total water vapor in the research area, but the Bias and RMSE values were relatively low. FY-4A/AGRI LPW had a relatively high precision, and the data from it had superior quality and stability in terms of time changes and spatial distribution. Therefore, the product can perfectly reflect the spatial and temporal variation of the atmospheric water vapor on the Southeastern Tibetan Plateau. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Permutation entropy (PE) is an ordinal‐based non‐parametric complexity measure for studying the temporal dependence structure in a linear or non‐linear time series. Based on the PE, we propose a new measure, namely permutation dependence (PD), to quantify the strength of the temporal dependence in a univariate time series and remedy the major drawbacks of PE. We demonstrate that the PE and PD are viable and useful alternatives to conventional temporal dependence measures, such as the autocorrelation function (ACF) and mutual information (MI). Compared to the ACF, the PE and PD are not restricted in detecting the linear or quasi‐linear serial correlation in an autoregression model. Instead, they can be viewed as non‐parametric and non‐linear alternatives since they do not require any prior knowledge or assumptions about the underlying structure. Compared to MI estimated by k‐nearest neighbour, PE and PD show added sensitivity to structures of relatively weak strength. We compare the finite‐sample performance of the PE and PD with the ACF and the MI estimated by k‐nearest neighbour in a number of simulation studies to showcase their respective strengths and weaknesses. Moreover, their performance under non‐stationarity is also investigated. Using high‐frequency EUR/USD exchange rate returns data, we apply the PE and PD to study the temporal dependence structure in intraday foreign exchange. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examined the effects of no treatment versus plasma treatment, and femtosecond laser irradiation as pre-annealing processes on indium zinc oxide (IZO) films and annealing at high temperatures. The plasma pre-annealed multilayer stacked IZO TFTs showed better electrical properties with mobility enhancement from 2.45 to 7.81 cm2/Vs, but exhibited diminished on–off current ratio (Ion/Ioff). The IZO thin-film transistor (TFT) prepared with femtosecond laser pre-annealing with low pulse energy generation (power of 3 W at 700 nm wavelength) for 100 s has also exhibited significantly improved electrical performance, the saturation mobility increased to 4.91 cm2/Vs, the Ion/Ioff ratio was enhanced from 4.5 × 105 to 2.1 × 106, the threshold voltage improved from − 1.44 to − 0.25 V, and the subthreshold swing was reduced from 1.21 to 0.61 V/dec. In conclusion, IZO TFTs with improved performance can be prepared using a femtosecond laser pre-annealing process, which has great potential for fabricating low-cost, high-performance devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

C 21 H 20 F N O 2 , triclinic, P1̄ (no. 2), a = 9.2201(7) Å, b = 9.3195(8) Å, c = 11.4012(9) Å, α = 103.880 (7) ° , β = 100.987 (7) ° , γ = 115.090 (7) ° , V = 1796.31(20) Å 3 , Z = 2, R g t (F) = 0.0421, w R r e f ( F 2 ) = 0.1136, T = 293 K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an emerging computing model, edge computing greatly expands the collaboration capabilities of the servers. It makes full use of the available resources around the users to quickly complete the task request coming from the terminal devices. Task offloading is a common solution for improving the efficiency of task execution on edge networks. However, the peculiarities of the edge networks, especially the random access of mobile devices, brings unpredictable challenges to the task offloading in a mobile edge network. In this paper, we propose a trajectory prediction model for moving targets in edge networks without users' historical paths which represents their habitual movement trajectory. We also put forward a mobility-aware parallelizable task offloading strategy based on a trajectory prediction model and parallel mechanisms of tasks. In our experiments, we compared the hit ratio of the prediction model, network bandwidth and task execution efficiency of the edge networks by using the EUA data set. Experimental results showed that our model is much better than random, non-position prediction parallel, non-parallel strategy-based position prediction. Where the task offloading hit rate is closed to the user's moving speed, when the speed is less 12.96 m/s, the hit rate can reach more than 80%. Meanwhile, we we also find that the bandwidth occupancy is significantly related to the degree of task parallelism and the number of services running on servers in the network. The parallel strategy can boost network bandwidth utilization by more than eight times when compared to a non-parallel policy as the number of parallel activities grows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Previous studies have neither explored the usage of cross‐links nor investigated the optimal position of the cross‐links in posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF). This study evaluates biomechanical properties of cross‐links in terms of different fixation segments and optimal position in single‐ and multi‐segment posterior lumbar interbody fusion. Methods: Two finite element (FE) models of instrumented lumbosacral spine with single‐(L4/5) and multi‐segment (L3‐S1) PLIF surgery were simulated. On the basis of the two models, the benefits of the usage of cross‐links were assessed and compared with the status of no application of cross‐links. Moreover, the effects of position of cross‐links on multi‐segment PLIF surgery were studied in Upper, Middle, and Lower positions. Results: No significant difference was found in the range of motion (ROM), intersegmental rotational angle (IRA) of adjacent segments, and intradiscal pressure (IDP) regardless of the usage of cross‐links in the single‐segment PLIF surgery, while the cross‐link increased the maximum von Mises stress in the fixation (MSF) under the axial rotation (53.65 MPa vs 41.42 MPa). In the multi‐segment PLIF surgery, the usage of cross‐links showed anti‐rotational advantages indicated by ROM (Without Cross‐link 2.35o, Upper, 2.24o; Middle, 2.26o; Lower, 2.30o) and IRA (Without Cross‐link 1.19o, Upper, 1.08o; Middle, 1.09o; Lower, 1.13o). The greatest values of MSF were found in without cross‐link case under the flexion, lateral bending, and axial rotation (37.48, 62.61, and 86.73 MPa). The application of cross‐links at the Middle and Lower positions had lower values of MSF (48.79 and 69.62 MPa) under the lateral bending and axial rotation, respectively. Conclusion: The application of cross‐links was not beneficial for the single‐segment PLIF, while it was found highly advantageous for the multi‐segment PLIF. Moreover, the usage of cross‐links at the Middle or Lower positions resulted in a better biomechanical stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Essential oils (EOs) have been proposed as an alternative to conventional pesticides to inhibit fungal pathogens. However, the application of EOs is considerably limited due to their highly volatile nature and unpredictable effects on other microbes. In our study, the composition of bacterial and fungal communities from the rhizosphere soil of P. notoginseng under four treatment levels of Alpinia officinarum Hance EO was characterized over several growth stages. Leaf weight varied dramatically among the four EO treatment levels after four months of growth, and the disease index at a low concentration (0.14 mg/g) of EO addition was the lowest among the P. notoginseng growth stages. The content of monomeric saponins was elevated when EO was added. Bacterial and fungal diversity in the absence of plants showed a decreasing trend with increasing levels of EO. Bacterial diversity recovery was more correlated with plant growth than was fungal diversity recovery. Compared with the control (no EO addition), a low concentration of EO significantly accumulated Actinomycota, including Acidothermus, Blastococcus, Catenulispora, Conexibacter, Rhodococcus, and Sinomonas, after one month of plant-microbial interaction. Overall, the results showed that both the plant growth stage and EOs drive changes in the microbial community composition in the rhizosphere of P. notoginseng. Plant development status had a stronger influence on bacterial diversity than on fungal diversity. EO had a more significant effect on fungal community composition, increasing the dominance of Ascomycota when EO concentration was increased. Under the interaction of P. notoginseng growth and EO, a large number of bacterial genera that have been described as plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) responded positively to low concentrations of EO application, suggesting that EO may recruit beneficial microbes in the root zone to cope with pathogens and reduce root rot disease. These results offer novel insights into the relationship between EO application, altered microbial communities in the plant roots, plant growth stage, and disease occurrence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of dietary carbohydrate levels on growth performance, body composition, antioxidant capacity, immunity, and liver morphology in Oncorhynchus mykiss under cage culture with flowing freshwater. Fish (initial body weight 25.70 ± 0.24 g) were fed five isonitrogenous (420 g/kg protein) and isolipidic (150 g/kg lipid) diets containing 50.6, 102.1, 151.3, 200.9 and 251.8 g/kg carbohydrate levels, respectively. The results indicated that fish fed diets containing 50.6-200.9 g/kg carbohydrate showed significantly higher growth performance, feed utilization, and feed intake than those fed 251.8 g/kg dietary carbohydrate levels. Based on the analysis of the quadratic regression equation for weight gain rate, the appropriate dietary carbohydrate requirement of O. mykiss was estimated to be 126.2 g/kg. 251.8 g/kg carbohydrate level activated Nrf2-ARE signaling pathway, suppressed superoxide dismutase activity and total antioxidant capacity, and increased MDA content in the liver. Besides, fish fed a diet containing 251.8 g/kg carbohydrate showed a certain degree of hepatic sinus congestion and dilatation in the liver. Dietary 251.8 g/kg carbohydrate upregulated the mRNA transcription level of proinflammatory cytokines and downregulated the mRNA transcription level of lysozyme and complement 3. Whole-body compositions were not affected by dietary carbohydrate levels. In conclusion, 251.8 g/kg carbohydrate level suppressed the growth performance, antioxidant capacity and innate immunity, resulting in liver injury and inflammatory response of O. mykiss. A diet containing more than 200.9 g/kg carbohydrate is not efficiently utilized by O. mykiss under cage culture with flowing freshwater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Along with the wide spread application and technical development of the flexible and rigid bronchoscopy, the airway foreign body removing method cme to the specific technique for different foreign bodies from the single foreign body forceps. Methods: Selected 633 children who were diagnosed as airway foreign bodies by the Department of Respiratory Intervention, Children's Hospital affiliated to Shandong University from January 1st, 2018 to December 31st, 2021, and the airway foreign bodies were diagnosed using bronchoscopy. After comprehensive assessment of the foreign body nature in the airway, the foreign bodies were removed by freezing, laser, electrocoagulation, balloon and other techniques, the success rate of the foreign body removed from the airway was observed, the percentage of the foreign body removed using different techniques, the operation time, and the incidence of post-adverse reactions during operation. Results: The success rate using flexible bronchoscope alone to remove foreign bodies in the airway was 99.2%. After flexible bronchoscopy, 19 cases of foreign bodies were removed by vacuum suction alone, 513 cases were removed by foreign body forceps alone, 62 cases were combined with cryotherapy, 2 cases were electrocoagulation, 6 cases were mesh baskets, 3 cases were balloons, 5 cases were laser, and various 18 cases of foreign bodies were invloved by technical combination. 5 cases of flexible bronchoscope combined with rigid bronchoscope combined to remove foreign bodies. The operation time was from 5 min to 1 h, with an average of 20 min. There were 17 cases of hypoxemia (2.7%) during operation, 36 cases (5.7%) of bleeding caused by airway mucosa injury after treatment, and 70 cases (11.2%) of laryngeal edema. The total incidence of adverse reactions was 19.6%, there were no deaths due to foreign bodies and treatment. Conclusions: According to different properties of airway foreign bodies, it is safe and effective to select appropriate techniques to remove foreign bodies using the flexible bronchoscope, which can increase the removal rate of airway foreign bodies and reduce the occurrence of serious complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An electronic bidding system promises to save resources in procurement procedures for many industries. While the results of previous studies in several countries sounded promising, it is concerning that more evidence would be needed to support changes in practice for the pharmaceutical sector. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of price saving in bidding-based electronic procurement setting and to clarify the main factors contributing to drug price changes. A comprehensive literature search was retrieved from five databases (Scopus, PubMed, ProQuest, Web of Science, Medline) to identify articles that studied the prices of medicines as a case study before and after the implementation of the electronic bidding system. Articles that were published in English from January 2012 to December 2021 were eligible for inclusion. The result showed that a total of 3214 records articles were identified in the electronic databases after the exclusion of duplicate articles. After the initial review, we found 13 studies that fulfilled our inclusion criteria. The review presented the important information suggesting that the use of the electronic bidding system likely results in a reduction in procurement prices of medicines. The prevalence of price saving for pharmaceutical procurement ranged from 7.24 % to 40 %. Additionally, the following factors were indirectly associated with drug price changes; bid volume, procurement location, contract characteristics, level of competitiveness and procurement organization. Further research may need to examine the functioning of e-bidding policies to address problems like supply disruptions to preserve the integrity of bidding-based pharmaceutical systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glutamatergic synapses display variable strength and diverse short-term plasticity (STP), even for a given type of connection. Using nonnegative tensor factorization and conventional state modeling, we demonstrate that a kinetic scheme consisting of two sequential and reversible steps of release-machinery assembly and a final step of synaptic vesicle (SV) fusion reproduces STP and its diversity among synapses. Analyzing transmission at the calyx of Held synapses reveals that differences in synaptic strength and STP are not primarily caused by variable fusion probability (pfusion) but are determined by the fraction of docked synaptic vesicles equipped with a mature release machinery. Our simulations show that traditional quantal analysis methods do not necessarily report pfusion of SVs with a mature release machinery but reflect both pfusion and the distribution between mature and immature priming states at rest. Thus, the approach holds promise for a better mechanistic dissection of the roles of presynaptic proteins in the sequence of SV docking, two-step priming, and fusion. It suggests a mechanism for activity-induced redistribution of synaptic efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Diabetes is a major reason of death and disability worldwide and frequently coexists with hypertension and central obesity. This study is aimed at investigating the effects of hypertension, waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), and their dynamic transitions on type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) onset among middle-aged and elderly people in China. Methods. We analyzed 9843 participants free of T2DM (average age, 59.04 ± 9.26 years) at baseline from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. We classified the participants into the following four categories based on hypertension and WHtR statuses: nonhypertensive with a normal WHtR (NHNW); hypertensive with a normal WHtR (HTNW); nonhypertensive with an elevated WHtR (NHEW); and hypertensive with an elevated WHtR (HTEW). By using a Cox proportional hazards regression model, we assessed whether hypertension, WHtR, and their transitions over time correlated with T2DM risk. Results. During the follow-up of 8 years, 1263 participants developed incident T2DM. The hazard ratio (HR) for T2DM was 1.48 (95% CI: 1.12, 1.97), 1.56 (95% CI: 1.27, 1.92), and 2.15 (95% CI: 1.74, 2.67) in the HTNW, NHEW, and HTEW groups, respectively, compared with the NHNW group after controlling for confounding factors. When stratified by statuses of hypertension and WHtR transitions, the participants who transitioned from HTNW to HTEW (HR = 1.98 , 95% CI: 1.24-3.17), or NHEW to NHNW/HTNW (HR = 1.74 , 95% CI: 1.14–2.65), or remained NHEW (HR = 1.42 , 95% CI: 1.04-1.93), or NHEW to HTEW (HR = 2.40 , 95% CI: 1.66-3.49), or remained HTEW (HR = 2.51 , 95% CI: 1.87-3.37) during the follow-up period showed a higher T2DM risk than the consistently NHNW participants. Conclusions. Being HTNW, NHEW or HTEW or occurring adverse transitions between those states was strongly associated with T2DM onset. Effectively warding off hypertension and central obesity or preventing their further aggravation may substantially decrease the T2DM risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the comprehensive data from the land-atmosphere interaction observation station in Ali of Tibetan in 2019, the characteristics of land-atmosphere energy exchange processes in Ali were analyzed. The results indicated that the timing of the mean intraday net radiation peak in Ali over the past 20 years has been delayed, and the month when the maximum monthly mean net radiation occurred has been delayed by about 2 months; the maximum daily mean, maximum monthly mean, minimum monthly mean, and annual mean sensible heat were 99.63 w/m2, 76.53 w/m2, 17.47 w/m2, and 46.74 w/m2, respectively, and the maximum daily mean, maximum monthly mean, minimum monthly mean, and annual mean latent heat flux were 73.27 w/m2, 36.13 w/m2, 0.67 w/m2, and 8.32 w/m2, respectively; and the monthly mean sensible heat was greater than the latent heat in all months. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent technological developments have enabled us to collect complex and high-dimensional data in many scientific fields, such as population health, meteorology, econometrics, geology, and psychology. It is common to encounter such datasets collected repeatedly over a continuum. Functional data, whose sample elements are functions in the graphical forms of curves, images, and shapes, characterize these data types. Functional data analysis techniques reduce the complex structure of these data and focus on the dependences within and (possibly) between the curves. A common research question is to investigate the relationships in regression models that involve at least one functional variable. However, the performance of functional regression models depends on several factors, such as the smoothing technique, the number of basis functions, and the estimation method. This article provides a selective comparison for function-on-function regression models where both the response and predictor(s) are functions, to determine the optimal choice of basis function from a set of model evaluation criteria. We also propose a bootstrap method to construct a confidence interval for the response function. The numerical comparisons are implemented through Monte Carlo simulations and two real data examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intervertebral disc exhibits not only strain rate dependence (viscoelasticity), but also significant asymmetry under tensile and compressive loads, which is of great significance for understanding the mechanism of lumbar disc injury under physiological loads. In this study, the strain rate sensitive and tension-compression asymmetry of the intervertebral disc were analyzed by experiments and constitutive equation. The Sheep intervertebral disc samples were divided into three groups, in order to test the strain rate sensitive mechanical behavior, and the internal displacement as well as pressure distribution. The tensile stiffness is one order of magnitude smaller than the compression stiffness, and the logarithm of the elastic modulus is approximately linear with the logarithm of the strain rate, showing obvious tension-compression asymmetry and rate-related characteristics. In addition, the sensitivity to the strain rate is the same under these two loading conditions. The stress–strain curves of unloading and loading usually do not coincide, and form a Mullins effect hysteresis loop. The radial displacement distribution is opposite between the anterior and posterior region, which is consistent with the stress distribution. By introducing the damage factor into ZWT constitutive equation, the rate-dependent viscoelastic and weakening behavior of the intervertebral disc can be well described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrical transport in semiconducting and metallic particle suspensions is an enabling feature of emerging grid-scale battery technologies. Although the physics of the transport process plays a key role in these technologies, no universal framework has yet emerged. Here, we examine the important contribution of shear flow to the electrical transport of non-Brownian suspensions. We find that these suspensions exhibit a strong dependence of the transport rate on the particle volume fraction and applied shear rate, which enables the conductivity to be dynamically changed by over 107 decades based on the applied shear rate. We combine experiments and simulations to conclude that the transport process relies on a combination of charge and particle diffusion with a rate that can be predicted using a quantitative physical model that incorporates the selfdiffusion of the particles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selection of a representative sampling area for accurate and reliable yield evaluation of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is important for optimizing straw retention in soils and its removal as biofuel feedstock. A field experiment was conducted at four wheat fields in the North China in 2020. Wheat straw and grain yields varied from 359.2-682.8 and 338.5-640.4 g m-2, respectively, and plant height varied from 51.3-59.7 cm across all plots in the four sites. Variation in either relative deviation (RD) or standard error (SE) of straw and grain yield and plant height estimates decreased with the increase in random sampling square (RSS) (one square = approximately 1 m) and random sampling plant (RSP) numbers, respectively. Minimum RSS numbers of 3-10 and 1-10 m² were needed to satisfy RD less than 5% in two-third of the plots for straw and grain yield estimates, respectively. This suggests that 10 m² could be recommended as the minimum RSS number per plot. However, the incidence frequency of RD was 63.75% and 60.00% within the RD interval of 0%-5% for straw and grain yield estimates, respectively, from the RSS number of 10 m², indicating that yields from RSSs in field trials are prone to large variations. Therefore, it is strongly recommended to design a large plot as possible and to harvest the whole plot for estimating yields. The threshold RSP number ranged from 14-18 to satisfy RD less than 1.5% and a minimum RSP of 20 plants (including mains and tillers) per plot could be recommended for wheat field experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the importance of group structure in grouped functional time series. Due to the non-uniqueness of group structure, we investigate different disaggregation structures in grouped functional time series. We address a practical question on whether or not the group structure can affect forecast accuracy. Using a dynamic multivariate functional time series method, we consider joint modeling and forecasting multiple series. Illustrated by Japanese sub-national age-specific mortality rates from 1975 to 2016, we investigate one- to 15-step-ahead point and interval forecast accuracies for the two group structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aggregation of large databases in a specific format is a frequently used process to make the data easily manageable. Interval-valued data is one of the data types that is generated by such an aggregation process. Using traditional methods to analyze interval-valued data results in loss of information, and thus, several interval-valued data models have been proposed to gather reliable information from such data types. On the other hand, recent technological developments have led to high dimensional and complex data in many application areas, which may not be analyzed by traditional techniques. Functional data analysis is one of the most commonly used techniques to analyze such complex datasets. While the functional extensions of much traditional statistical techniques are available, the functional form of the interval-valued data has not been studied well. This article introduces the functional forms of some well-known regression models that take interval-valued data. The proposed methods are based on the function-on-function regression model, where both the response and predictor/s are functional. Through several Monte Carlo simulations and empirical data analysis, the finite sample performance of the proposed methods is evaluated and compared with the state-of-the-art. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]