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This study investigated the impact of resistance training with blood flow restriction during rest (BFRrest) on the accuracy of estimated repetitions to failure (ERF). It also explored associations between error in ERF and mean concentric velocity (MCV) along with physiological responses. In a randomised cross-over study, 18 male trainers (23.4 ± 2.7 years) performed three sets of squats at 70% of their one-repetition maximum until failure. One session integrated BFRrest, while another employed traditional passive inter-set rest (TRAD) during the 3 min inter-set rest intervals. Cardiorespiratory and metabolic measures were taken in the inter-set recovery periods. The results revealed no significant differences between BFRrest and TRAD in terms of ERF and error in ERF. A notable set effect for ERF was observed, with a greater ERF during set 1 compared to sets 2 and 3 (p < 0.001). Additionally, a lower error in ERF was observed during sets 2 and 3 compared to set 1 (p < 0.001). Error in ERF were strongly associated with the respiratory exchange ratio, and moderately associated with end-tidal carbon dioxide partial pressure, carbon dioxide output, and MCV variables. Notably, the precision of ERF seems to be predominantly influenced by indicators of physiological stress rather than the incorporation of BFRrest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The clinical application of doxorubicin (DOX) for cancer treatment is limited due to its cardiotoxicity. However, the basic pathophysiological molecular mechanisms underlying DOX-induced cardiomyopathy have not yet been completely clarified, and the disease-specific therapeutic strategies are lacking. The aim of the present study was to investigate the potential cardioprotective effect of cardamonin (CAR), a flavone found in Alpinia plant, on DOX-induced cardiotoxicity in a mouse model. At first, in DOX-treated mouse cardiomyocytes, CAR showed significantly cytoprotective effects through elevating nuclear factor erythroid-2 related factor 2 (Nrf2) signaling, and reducing the degradation of Nrf2. This process then improved the anti-oxidant system, as evidenced by the up-regulated expression levels of haem oxygenase-1 (HO1), NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1), glutamate-cysteine ligase modifier subunit (GCLM), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH) and catalase (CAT). In contrast, DOX-induced increases in malondialdehyde (MDA) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) were highly inhibited by CAR treatments. Additionally, DOX-induced apoptosis and inflammatory response in cardiomyocytes were diminished by CAR through reducing the Caspase-3 and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathways, respectively. Then, in the DOX-induced animal model with cardiotoxicity, we confirmed that through improving Nrf2 signaling, CAR markedly suppressed oxidative stress, apoptosis and inflammatory response in hearts of mice, improving cardiac function eventually. Together, our findings demonstrated that CAR activated Nrf2-related cytoprotective system, and protected the heart from oxidative damage, apoptosis and inflammatory injury, suggesting that CAR might be a potential therapeutic strategy in the prevention of DOX-associated myocardiopathy.

Investigating the structural evolution of particulate gels is a very challenging task due to their vulnerability and true flow characteristics. In this work, deeper insight into the rheological properties of gel fuels filled with fumed silica (FS) and aluminum microparticles (Al MPs) was gained by changing shear procedures. Firstly, the flow curves were found to no longer follow the monotonic power law and exhibited subtle thixotropic responses. As the shear rate increased, the gel structure underwent a transition from local shear to bulk shear in the nonlinear region after yielding. This finding reveals the prevalence of nonideal local shear in industry. Secondly, the time-dependent rheological responses demonstrated that the strength spectrum of gel fuels depends on the applied shear rate, with stress relaxation more easily observed at lower shear rates. Those results involved the structural disruption, recovery, and equilibrium of particulate gels from two scales of shear rate and shear time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The leakage of acetone from damaged tanks can threaten workers, surrounding facilities, and the environment. The safe storage of acetone is of vital importance for emergency planning and response. This paper focused on the effects and consequences of acetone leaks from a 200 m3 storage tank in the summer and winter seasons by the employment of Areal Locations of Hazardous Atmospheres. The hazard zones classified as red threat zone, orange threat zone, and yellow threat zone were determined and analyzed. Results showed that the risk distribution of the toxic acetone vapor cloud in summer was greater than those in winter. The summer and winter seasons have no significant effect on the thermal radiation intensities from pool fire and the Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion (BLEVE) scenario. The maximum distance of toxicity, flammability, and thermal radiation from the pool fire and BLEVE scenario for the acetone leakage were 547, 111, 16, and 1100 m, respectively. The results would provide guidance for decision‐makers in safety management and emergency response to reduce hazards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aluminum (Al) is widely used to improve the combustion performance of energetic material formulations. However, only a limited part of the energy released by the oxidation of aluminum works because of ignition delay and incomplete combustion. In order to overcome this defect, a mechanical activation-sintering method is developed to prepare Al/PTFE composites for enhancing the combustion performance of Al powders. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) are used to analyze the morphology and structures of the samples. An orthogonal experiment is employed to filter the best preparation parameters by evaluating the combustion pressure in a closed vessel. With the conditions of 65 : 35 (g/g, mass ratio of Al and PTFE), 12 : 1 (g/g, ball-to-powder weight ratio, BPR), 250 rpm (rotation speed of ball milling container) and 45 min (milling duration), the Al powders are coated uniformly by PTFE and the composites exhibit excellent dispersity. By optimizing the preparation conditions, the maximum pressure, pressurization rate as well as the flame propagation are highly improved, compared to that of a simple mixture of Al powders and PTFE. This work provides a feasible and universal method to prepare aluminum-containing composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interfacial strength between explosive crystal and binder usually plays a key role in exhibiting excellent mechanical properties of composite explosives. In this paper, high energetic crystal octahydro‐1,3,5,7‐tetranitro‐1,3,5,7‐tetrazocine (HMX) was coated by the typical binder cis‐1,4‐polybutadiene rubber (BR), then two silane coupling agents were added to the composite particles to enhance the interface strength. The results showed that the BR binder modified by silane coupling agent is easier to spread on the surface of HMX crystal, and form a good coating effect. In the mechanical properties test of composite particles, (3‐Aminopropyl) trimethoxysilane significantly improved the tensile and compressive strength of HMX/BR based composite particles, while 3‐(Triethoxysilyl) propionitrile decreased the mechanical properties of the composite particles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the ignition and combustion properties of n‐Al powders, n‐Al/Ni composite particles were prepared by replacement reaction under alkaline environment. In the anhydrous ethanol system, the effect of solution parameters on sample preparation was studied, and the preparation technology of n‐Al/Ni was accordingly optimized. The chemical constituents, phase, morphology and combustion performances of n‐Al/Ni were characterized by chemical titration, XRD, SEM, EDS and combustion duration test, respectively. The results showed that the optimized replacement reaction method can modify the n‐Al powders by nickel well, and it was appropriate to use OH−1 corresponding to consume 60 % alumina in the n‐Al powders and Ni2+ equal to 12.35 % mass fraction of n‐Al powders. It can be seen from the SEM images that the samples have a dispersive spherical morphology with a uniform distribution of nickel overall the samples. And the XRD results confirmed that nickel exists in the samples as a metallic substance. The results of chemical titration indicated that the content of active aluminum in the optimal sample was slightly higher than that of raw n‐Al, but considering Ni, the content of reactive substance in the sample was greatly increased. The combustion duration test also proved that the combustion performance of n‐Al/Ni was significantly improved. In conclusion, the improved properties promise a further enhanced prospect of n‐Al in energetic materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A mild method for the one-pot synthesis of triazoles from benzyl halides in a nonionic nanomicelle system has been developed. In this protocol, water was used as the solvent and the preparation of hazardous organic azides were avoided. A plausible micelle catalytic process has been suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Acute severe organophosphorus pesticide poisoning (ASOPP) is one of the major diseases that endanger human life and health. However, the effects of conventional therapy including gastric lavages, mechanical ventilation, muscarinic antagonist drugs, and cholinesterase reactivators were uncertain. This meta-analysis aims to investigate the safety and efficacy of hemoperfusion combined with hemofiltration besides routine therapy for ASOPP. Materials and Methods: A comprehensive search for candidate publications was performed through PubMed, Medline, Cochrane Library, WanFang, Chinese Biomedical Literature, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure from database inception to May 12, 2020. The retrieved studies were screened by the predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. The data of important end points were extracted. The risk ratio (RR) and weighted mean difference (WMD) were pooled for categorical variables and continuous variables, respectively. Meta-analyses and publication bias were conducted by using STATA software version 15.1. Results: A total of 11 randomized controlled trials with 811 patients were included. Compared to conventional therapy group, patients in the hemoperfusion plus hemofiltration group were significantly superior with regard to mortality (RR 0.38, 95% confidence interval [CI] [0.25, 0.57], P < 0.001), total atropine dosing (WMD −147.34 mg, 95% CI [−199.49, −95.18], P < 0.001), duration of mechanical ventilation (WMD −2.34 days, 95% CI [−3.77, −0.92], P < 0.001), cholinesterase recovery time (WMD −2.49 days, 95% CI [−3.14, −1.83], P < 0.001), and length of stay (WMD −4.52 days, 95% CI [−5.31, −3.73], P < 0.001). Conclusion: Combined hemoperfusion and hemofiltration was a very safe and effective treatment protocol for ASOPP, not only resulting in significantly decreased mortality but also resulting in reduced total atropine dosing, duration of mechanical ventilation, cholinesterase recovery time, and length of stay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A mild and green protocol for alcohol oxidation using 2-iodoxybenzene sulfonic acid/oxone at room temperature in CTAB micelles has been developed. Typically, secondary benzyl alcohols were oxidised to ketones and primary benzyl alcohols to aldehydes in good yields in 2 h. Under harsher conditions (100 °C/24 h), aliphatic alcohols were oxidised to ketones or organic acids in moderate to high yields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Liver segmentation is a fundamental step in computer-aided liver disease diagnosis and surgery planning. For the sake of high accuracy and efficiency, in this study, the authors present an automatic seed point selection method and an adaptive fast marching method (FMM) for liver segmentation. Methods: The automatic seed point selection method is according to the structure and intensity characteristics of liver. The proposed adaptive FMM is self-adaptive parameter adjustment. The arrival time parameter T in FMM is adjusted according to the intensity statistics of the possible liver region, which can be used to estimate the size of liver region on the corresponding computed tomography (CT) slices. The proposed algorithm consists of the following steps. First, a thresholding operation was applied to remove the ribs, spines, and kidneys, followed by a smooth filter for noise reduction and a nonlinear gray scale converter, which was used to enhance the contrast of the liver parenchyma. Second, the seed points located in the liver were selected automatically. Finally, using the processed image as a speed function, adaptive FMM was employed to generate the liver contour. Results: Clinical validation has been performed on 30 abdominal CT data-sets. The proposed algorithm achieved an overall true positive rate of 98.7%, false negative rate of 1.6%, false positive rate of 5.2%, and the DICE coefficient of 96.7%. It takes about 0.30s for a 512 × 512-pixel slice. Conclusions: The method has been applied successfully to achieve fast and accurate liver segmentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this study, we present a computer-aided preoperative planning system (Liver 2.0) for liver surgery based on CT images. The proposed system is composed of two main sections: image analysis and treatment planning. The first module provides effective image analysis algorithms and three-dimensional (3D) visualization of all relevant anatomic and pathologic structures. The later module provides the resection tools and measurement tools for virtual liver surgery planning. The surgeon can flexibly specify resection regions with resection tools, which can be applied selectively to different structures, and obtain the quantitative analysis of distance, area, volume and angle with measurement instruments. The results of clinical trial indicate that the virtual liver resections provide a reasonable and useful basis for preoperative planning, and it also can be used for educational purposes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Ammonium dinitramide (ADN) has the advantages of chlorine free, low characteristic signal and high energy compared with ammonium perchlorate (AP), which is the most likely oxidant to replace ammonium perchlorate. Therefore, we conducted theoretical calculations to analyze the influence of oxidant content and RDX content on the detonation parameters of composite explosives. We compared the detonation parameters of ADN-based composite explosives with AP-based composite explosives, then verify the theoretical calculation analysis results through actual testing. The main research conclusions of this paper are as follows: (i) The detonation parameters of ADN based composite explosive are higher than those of AP-based composite explosive, in which the detonation velocity is about 3.3%~17.2% higher, the detonation heat is about 0.65% ~41.8% higher, and the explosion volume is about 1.6% ~11.6% higher; (ii) the average detonation velocity of the ADN-based explosives tested in practice is 20.4% and 3% higher than that of AP-based explosives respectively, which is basically consistent with the theoretical calculation results. However, the work capacity is lower than that of AP-based composite explosive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a hybrid generative-discriminative learning method for human action recognition from video sequences. Our model combines a bag-of-words component with supervised latent topic models. A video sequence is represented as a collection of spatiotemporal words by extracting space–time interest points and describing these points using both shape and motion cues. The supervised latent Dirichlet allocation (sLDA) topic model, which employs discriminative learning using labeled data under a generative framework, is introduced to discover the latent topic structure that is most relevant to action categorization. The proposed algorithm retains most of the desirable properties of generative learning while increasing the classification performance though a discriminative setting. It has also been extended to exploit both labeled data and unlabeled data to learn human actions under a unified framework. We test our algorithm on three challenging data sets: the KTH human motion data set, the Weizmann human action data set, and a ballet data set. Our results are either comparable to or significantly better than previously published results on these data sets and reflect the promise of hybrid generative-discriminative learning approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Hackett, DA, Li, J, Wang, B, Way, KL, Cross, T, and Tran, DL. Acute effects of resistance exercise on intraocular pressure in healthy adults: A systematic review. J Strength Cond Res 38(2): 394-404, 2024-Intraocular pressure (IOP) tends to fluctuate during a resistance exercise (RE). This systematic review examines the acute effects of RE on IOP in healthy adults and factors that influence changes in IOP. Five electronic databases were searched using terms related to RE and IOP. A strict inclusion criterion was applied, which included being 55 years or younger with no medical conditions and RE intensity needing to be quantifiable (e.g., based on a maximal effort). Thirty-four studies met the inclusion criteria for this review. Isometric and isotonic contractions produced similar changes in IOP during RE up to 28.7 mm Hg. Exercises that involved larger muscle mass, such as squats and leg press, were found to produce changes in IOP during exercise ranging from 3.1 to 28.7 mm Hg. Smaller changes in IOP during RE were found for exercises engaging less muscle mass (e.g., handgrip and bicep curls). Intraocular pressure was found to increase during RE when lifting heavier loads and with longer exercise durations (e.g., greater repetitions). The Valsalva maneuver (VM) and breath-hold during RE accentuated the change in IOP, with more extreme changes observed with the VM. However, most studies showed that postexercise IOP returned to baseline after approximately 1 minute of recovery. An acute increase in IOP is observed during RE in healthy adults with fluctuations of varying magnitude. Factors that independently increase IOP during RE include exercises involving larger muscle mass, heavy loads, greater set duration, and when the VM or breath-hold is performed., (Copyright © 2023 National Strength and Conditioning Association.)

This study investigated the impact of resistance training with blood flow restriction during rest (BFR rest ) on the accuracy of estimated repetitions to failure (ERF). It also explored associations between error in ERF and mean concentric velocity (MCV) along with physiological responses. In a randomised cross-over study, 18 male trainers (23.4 ± 2.7 years) performed three sets of squats at 70% of their one-repetition maximum until failure. One session integrated BFR rest , while another employed traditional passive inter-set rest (TRAD) during the 3 min inter-set rest intervals. Cardiorespiratory and metabolic measures were taken in the inter-set recovery periods. The results revealed no significant differences between BFR rest and TRAD in terms of ERF and error in ERF. A notable set effect for ERF was observed, with a greater ERF during set 1 compared to sets 2 and 3 ( p < 0.001). Additionally, a lower error in ERF was observed during sets 2 and 3 compared to set 1 ( p < 0.001). Error in ERF were strongly associated with the respiratory exchange ratio, and moderately associated with end-tidal carbon dioxide partial pressure, carbon dioxide output, and MCV variables. Notably, the precision of ERF seems to be predominantly influenced by indicators of physiological stress rather than the incorporation of BFR rest .

DSC-TG-FTIR-MS coupling technology was used to study the mechanism of two typical binders, that is, BR and F 2604 , on the thermal decomposition behavior of the HMX crystal. The results show that both BR and F 2604 can induce premature decomposition of HMX and increase the activation energy of HMX. Especially in the case of HMX/BR particles, the decomposition temperature is the lowest, but the activation energy is the highest. Based on the results of DSC-TG-FTIR-MS, it is found that the rapid mechanism of binder and active intermediate products inhibits the reaction of relatively inert intermediate products and prolongs the continuous generation time of gas products in the composite particles, which delays the decomposition of HMX to a certain extent. This study is helpful for us to better understand the thermal decomposition behavior of HMX composite particles and provides reference for the application of high-energy composites., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2021 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

Spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a devastating form of stroke, which leads to a high rate of mortality and poor neurological outcomes worldwide. Thrombolytic evacuation with urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) or tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) has been showed to be a hopeful treatment for ICH. However, to the best of our knowledge, no clinical trials were reported to compare the efficacy and safety of these two fibrinolytics administrated following minimally invasive stereotactic puncture (MISP) in patients with spontaneous basal ganglia ICH. Therefore, the authors intended here to evaluate the differential impact of uPA and tPA in a retrospective study. In the present study, a total of 86 patients with spontaneous ICH in basal ganglia using MISP received either uPA (uPA group, n  = 45) or tPA (tPA group, n  = 41), respectively. The clinical baseline characteristics prior to the operation were collected. In addition, therapeutic responses were assessed by the short-term outcomes within 30 days postoperation, as well as long-term outcomes at 1 year postoperation. Our findings showed that, in comparison with tPA, uPA was able to better promote hematoma evacuation and ameliorate perihematomal edema, but the differences were not statistically significant. Moreover, the long-term functional outcomes of both groups were similar, with no statistical difference. In conclusion, these results provide evidence supporting that uPA and tPA are similar in the efficacy and safety for thrombolytic evacuation in combination with MISP in patients with spontaneous basal ganglia ICH.

Background: Fuzzy connectedness method has shown its effectiveness for fuzzy object extraction in recent years. However, two problems may occur when applying it to hepatic vessel segmentation task. One is the excessive computational cost, and the other is the difficulty of choosing a proper threshold value for final segmentation., Methods: In this paper, an accelerated strategy based on a lookup table was presented first which can reduce the connectivity scene calculation time and achieve a speed-up factor of above 2. When the computing of the fuzzy connectedness relations is finished, a threshold is needed to generate the final result. Currently the threshold is preset by users. Since different thresholds may produce different outcomes, how to determine a proper threshold is crucial. According to our analysis of the hepatic vessel structure, a watershed-like method was used to find the optimal threshold. Meanwhile, by using Ostu algorithm to calculate the parameters for affinity relations and assigning the seed with the mean value, it is able to reduce the influence on the segmentation result caused by the location of the seed and enhance the robustness of fuzzy connectedness method., Results: Experiments based on four different datasets demonstrate the efficiency of the lookup table strategy. These experiments also show that an adaptive threshold found by watershed-like method can always generate correct segmentation results of hepatic vessels. Comparing to a refined region-growing algorithm that has been widely used for hepatic vessel segmentation, fuzzy connectedness method has advantages in detecting vascular edge and generating more than one vessel system through the weak connectivity of the vessel ends., Conclusions: An improved algorithm based on fuzzy connectedness method is proposed. This algorithm has improved the performance of fuzzy connectedness method in hepatic vessel segmentation.

Background: Elevated intracranial pressure is one of the most common problems in patients with diverse intracranial disorders, leading to increased morbidity and mortality. Effective management for increased intracranial pressure is based mainly on surgical and medical techniques with hyperosmolar therapy as one of the core medical treatments. The study aimed to explore the effects of continuous micro-pump infusions of 3% hypertonic saline combined with furosemide on intracranial pressure control., Material and Methods: We analyzed data on 56 eligible participants with intracranial pressure >20 mmHg from March 2013 to July 2014. The target was to increase and maintain plasma sodium to a level between 145 and 155 mmol/L and osmolarity to a level of 310 to 320 mOsmol/kg., Results: Plasma sodium levels significantly increased from 138±5 mmol/L at admission to 151±3 mmol/L at 24 h (P<0.01). Osmolarity increased from 282±11 mOsmol/kg at baseline to 311±8 mOsmol/kg at 24 h (P<0.01). Intracranial pressure significantly decreased from 32±7 mmHg to 15±6 mmHg at 24 h (P<0.01). There was a significant improvement in CPP (P<0.01). Moreover, central venous pressure, mean arterial pressure, and Glasgow Coma Scale slightly increased. However, these changes were not statistically significant., Conclusions: Continuous infusion of 3% hypertonic saline + furosemide is effective and safe for intracranial pressure control.

Background: Nicardipine (NC) is the most commonly used antihypertensive drug in neurological patients with hypertension. Although nimodipine (NM) is widely used to treat cerebral vasospasm in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage, trials exploring its antihypertensive effect after intravenous administration in subjects with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) are scarce., Methods: A retrospective study was carried out to compare the safety and efficacy of NC and NM administered intravenously in patients with ICH. Therapeutic responses were assessed by achievement of goal blood pressure (BP); use of additional medications for BP control; proportion of time spent within goal; variability in BP; time to goal BP; number of dose adjustments; variability in ICH volume, Glasgow Coma Scale score, and intracranial pressure; and drug-related complications., Results: A total of 87 patients were eligible for analysis (n=46 [NC]; n=41 [NM]), and baseline characteristics between groups were similar. Both agents were effective in achieving goal BP during infusion, with 93.5% and 87.8% patients in the NC and NM groups achieving goal, respectively. Fewer additional medications were needed to control BP in the NC group. BP variability was similar and no differences were observed in the mean time to goal BP and mean numbers of dose adjustments between both groups. Interestingly, intracranial pressure declined (P=0.048) during NC administration but increased (P=0.066) after NM treatment. Finally, the incidences of hematoma expansion, neurological deterioration, and adverse drug events were similar in both groups., Conclusion: NM is effective and safe for BP control in patients with ICH.