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Optimal design of gas intake in powder fuel supply systems is crucial for performance of aerospace engines. There is little research on the impact of intake structure on powder conveying performance. Three novel internal intakes were proposed, which are spherical, cube-shaped, and dome-shaped. After validation, CFD simulations demonstrate that fluctuation of mass flow rate of powders in the dome-shaped intake is reduced by about 73.3% compared with the annular external one. Variation trends of phase velocities are similar for the spherical and cube-shaped intakes, while those are similar for the annular external and dome-shaped internal intakes. Fluctuation of area of gas zone for the annular external and spherical internal intakes is larger than that for the cube-shaped and dome-shaped internal intakes. Pressure and relative pressure drop in the fluidization chamber have a stable stage, and fluctuation of relative pressure drop is small when dome-shaped internal intake is used.

This review provides an overview of the engineering and application of extracellular matrix (ECM) hydrogels. ECM hydrogels are attractive materials for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine due to their unique ability to mimic the natural ECM of various tissues. The review discusses the different methods used for the preparation of ECM hydrogels and the factors that influence their properties. This review is the summary of three engineering approaches for ECM hydrogels, which are chemical modification of the gel scaffold (chemical modification), addition of active substances to the scaffold (physical addition), and gene editing of the ECM donor (biological modification). Additionally, it covers the various applications of ECM hydrogels in tissue restoration, organoid culturing, and 3D microenvironment reconstruction. The review concludes with a discussion of the advantages, limitations, and future directions of ECM hydrogel research and development. Overall, this review highlights the potential of ECM hydrogels as a promising biomaterial for a range of biomedical applications and provides fresh perspectives for ECM hydrogels to continue their clinical development.

Multi-access edge computing (MEC) emerges as an essential part of the upcoming Fifth Generation (5G) and future beyond-5G mobile communication systems. It adds computational power towards the edge of cellular networks, much closer to energy-constrained user devices, and therewith allows the users to offload tasks to the edge computing nodes for low-latency applications with very-limited battery consumption. However, due to the high dynamics of user demand and server load, task congestion may occur at the edge nodes resulting in long queuing delay. Such delays can significantly degrade the quality of experience (QoE) of some latency-sensitive applications, raise the risk of service outage, and cannot be efficiently resolved by conventional queue management solutions. In this article, we study a latency-outage critical scenario, where users intend to limit the risk of latency outage. We propose an impatience-based queuing strategy for such users to intelligently choose between MEC offloading and local computation, allowing them to rationally renege from the task queue. The proposed approach is demonstrated by numerical simulations to be efficient for generic service model, when a perfect queue status information is available. For the practical case where the users obtain only imperfect queue status information, we design an optimal online learning strategy to enable its application in Poisson service scenarios.

Gallium nitride (GaN), a prominent III-V semiconductor, plays a pivotal role in the advancement of sophisticated power systems. This study presents an innovative neuromorphic engineering approach utilizing the unique dendritic dislocations extending from bulk to channel within GaN High Electron Mobility Transistors (HEMTs) for three-dimensional charge modulation. This approach dynamically alters charge states and channel potentials in response to multiple parametric stimuli, effectively mimicking neural processing and transmission functions, as well as emulating direct and indirect neuromodulation behaviors observed in human nervous system. The advanced neuromodulation emulation enhances biomimetic diversity, laying a solid foundation for the design of intelligent systems. Comprehensive material and electrical analyses reveal the charging and discharging behaviors of the defect energy levels, underlying the neuromorphic working mechanisms. Additionally, by incorporating artificial neural network algorithms, an intelligent power forecasting system that leverages the device’s diverse neuromorphic traits is developed for real-time and adaptive power management, optimizing efficiency and accuracy in balancing supply and demand, thereby enhancing the cost-effectiveness and sustainability of power systems. The findings highlight the neuromorphic capabilities of GaN devices and open avenues for further exploration into the intelligent power management.

In the onset and progression of psoriasis, redox imbalance is a vital factor. It's widely accepted that too much reactive oxygen species (ROS) always make psoriasis worse. Recent research, however, has shown that the accumulation of ROS is not entirely detrimental, as it helps reduce psoriasis lesions by inhibiting epidermal proliferation and keratinocyte death. As a result, ROS appears to have two opposing effects on the treatment of psoriasis. In this review, the current ROS-related therapies for psoriasis, including basic and clinical research, are presented. Additionally, the design and therapeutic benefits of various drug delivery systems and therapeutic approaches are examined, and a potential balance between anti-oxidative stress and ROS accumulation is also trying to be investigated.

In view of the powder feeding system, a multi-physical coupling model of the gas-powder-piston was established based on the Euler-Euler two-fluid model. The numerical simulation method was applied to explore the effects of dense gas-solid flow characteristics under different operating pressures. The results show that gas-solid pulsations at different operating pressures are mainly concentrated in the upper part of the powder tank. An elevated operating pressure efficiently decreases the powder layer area (εp= 0.1) fluctuation. As the operating pressure increases from 0.5 MPa to 3.0 MPa, the rising time and fluctuation rate of pressure are reduced by 71.4% and 62.3%, respectively, and the pressure in the tank has a long stabilization period. Meanwhile, the variation of the instantaneous powder flow rate is more stable and its average value is closer to the theoretical. A high-pressure environment is more conducive to the stable transportation of powder.

Objective. To evaluate previous research findings of the relationship between nurse staffing and quality of care by examining the effects of change in registered nurse staffing on change in quality of care. Data Sources/Study Setting. Secondary data from the American Hospital Association (AHA)(nurse staffing, hospital characteristics), InterStudy and Area Resource Files (ARF) (market characteristics), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) (financial performance), and Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) (quality measures--in-hospital mortality ratio and the complication ratios for decubitus ulcers, pneumonia, and urinary tract infection, which were risk-adjusted using the Medstat[R] disease staging algorithm). Study Design. Data from a longitudinal cohort of 422 hospitals were analyzed from 1990-1995 to examine the relationships between nurse staffing and quality of care. Data Collection/Extraction Methods. A generalized method of moments estimator for dynamic panel data was used to analyze the data. Principal Findings. Increasing registered nurse staffing had a diminishing marginal effect on reducing mortality ratio, but had no consistent effect on any of the complications. Selected hospital characteristics, market characteristics, and financial performance had other independent effects on quality measures. Conclusions. The findings provide limited support for the prevailing notion that improving registered nurse (RN) staffing unconditionally improves quality of care. Key Words. Quality of care, HCUP, nurse staffing, The relationship between hospital nurse staffing and quality of care continues to be a significant concern for health services researchers, health care executives, policymakers, and consumers. Several early studies that [...]

Resourceful beyond-graphene two-dimensional (2D) carbon crystals have been proposed/synthesized; however, the fundamental knowledge of their melting thermodynamics remains lacking. Here, the structural and thermodynamic properties of nine contemporary 2D carbon crystals upon heating are investigated using first-principle-based ReaxFF molecular dynamics simulations. Those 2D carbon crystals show distinct evolution of energetic and Lindemann index that distinguish their thermal stabilities. There are two or three critical temperatures at which structural transformation occurs for non-hexagon-contained 2D carbon allotropes. Analysis of polygons reveals that non-hexagon-contained 2D carbon crystals show thermally induced hex-graphene transitions viamechanisms such as bond rotations, dissociation, and reformation of bonds. The study provides new insights into the thermodynamics and pyrolysis chemistry of 2D carbon materials, as well as structural transitions, which is of great importance in the synthesis and application of 2D materials in high-temperature processing and environment.

Clathrate hydrates find diverse significant applications including but not limited to future energy resources, gas storage and transport, gas separation, water desalination, and refrigeration. Studies on the nucleation, growth, dissociation, and micro/nanoscale properties of clathrate hydrates that are of utmost importance for those applications are challenging by experiments but can be accessible by molecular simulations. By this method, however, identification of cage structures to extract useful insights is highly required. Herein, we introduce a hierarchical topology ring (HTR) algorithm to recognize cage structures with high efficiency and high accuracy. The HTR algorithm can identify all types of complete cages and is particularly optimized for hydrate identification in large-scale systems composed of millions of water molecules. Moreover, topological isomers of cages and n× guest@cage can be uniquely identified. Besides, we validate the use of HTR for the identification of cages of clathrate hydrates upon mechanical loads to failure.

Neuromorphic bioelectronics aim to integrate electronics with biological systems yet encounter challenges in biocompatibility, operating voltages, power consumption, and stability. This study presents biocompatible neuromorphic devices fabricated from acellular dermal matrix (ADM) derived from porcine dermis using low-temperature supercritical CO2extraction. The ADM preserves the natural scaffold structure of collagen and minimizes immunogenicity by eliminating cells, fats, and noncollagenous impurities, ensuring excellent biocompatibility. The ADM-based devices emulate biological ion channels with biphasic membrane current modulation, exhibiting temperature dependency and pH sensitivity. It operates at an ultralow voltage of 1 mV and demonstrates reliable synaptic modulation exceeding 4 × 104endurance cycles. The activation voltage can be theoretically as low as 59 μV, comparable to brainwave signals with a power of merely 7 aJ/event. Furthermore, a brain-like forgetting visualization algorithm is developed, leveraging the synaptic forgetting plasticity of ADM-based devices to achieve complex computing tasks in a highly energy-efficient manner. Neuromorphic devices based on ADM not only hold potential in implantable biointerfaces due to their exceptional biocompatibility, ultralow voltage, and power but also provide a feasible way for energy-efficient computing paradigms through a synergistic hardware-software approach.

To evaluate efficacy and safety of efdamrofusp alfa compared with aflibercept in neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD).

Background: Bcl-2/adenovirus E1B-19kDa-interacting protein (BNIP3), an important target of hypoxia-inducible factors-1 alpha (HIF-1α), was reported to be overexpressed under hypoxic condition. Our previous study demonstrated the protective effect on detached retina by BNIP3-mediated autophagy. The study investigated the role of BNIP3-mediated autophagy in retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells under hypoxia, and observed the relationship between BNIP3, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and inflammatory response in hypoxic RPE cells. Methods: BNIP3 knock down in retinal pigment epithelial cells was performed by small interfering RNA (siRNA) technology in ARPE-19 cells, a human RPE cell line. Both control and BNIP3-knockdown ARPE-19 cells were then subjected to a hypoxic challenge using cobalt (II) chloride (CoCl2). The expression of autophagy-related genes, VEGF and inflammatory factors (IL-18, IL-8, MMP-2, MMP-9, NLRP3, TNF-α) in RPE cells was examined using quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR). The protein levels of HIF-1α, BNIP3, the maker proteins (ATG5, LC3,p62, Beclin-1) of autophagy and the component proteins (p-p70S6K, p70S6K, mTOR, p-mTOR) of the mTORC1 pathway were analyzed by Western blot. BNIP3 subcellualr localization was detected by immunofluorescence. Cell viability was measured with Cell Counting kit-8. Cell apoptosis was examined by TUNEL staining and caspase-3 activity assay. Results: The expression levels of BNIP3, HIF-1α and marker genes of autophagy were upregulated in ARPE-19 cells in response to hypoxia. Importantly, hypoxia-induced autophagy was mediated by the mTORC1 pathway, and was blocked upon BNIP3 knockdown. Additionally, hypoxia reduced cell viability, which was relieved by an mTORC1 inhibitor. Also, autophagy protected ARPE-19 cells from CoCl2-induced cell apoptosis. Moreover, inhibition of autophagy upregulated the expression of VEGF and IL-18, and downregulated the expression of other inflammatory factors in the hypoxic ARPE-19 cells. Conclusion: BNIP3-mediated autophagy under hypoxia is involved in regulating inflammatory response and VEGF expression, which consequently affects the cell viability of RPE cells.

Aim:To compare adherence, healthcare utilization and costs among real world, Medicare-eligible patients with schizophrenia using long-acting injectable paliperidone palmitate (PP) versus oral atypical antipsychotics. Patients & methods:Historical cohort study used Medicare Advantage claims data. Inverse probability of treatment weighting was applied to adjust for baseline differences. 12-month adherence, healthcare utilization and costs were compared. Results:Patients using PP were more adherent (proportion of days covered ≥0.8; 48.1 vs 32.6%; p < 0.001), had lower odds of hospitalization (odds ratio [OR]: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.68–0.96) and lower medical costs ($11,095; 95% CI: $10,374–11,867 vs $15,551; 95% CI: $14,584–16,583), but higher pharmacy costs ($14,787; 95% CI: $14,117–15,488 vs $5781; 95% CI: $5530–6043). Conclusion:Compared with patients using oral atypical antipsychotics, PP had lower hospitalizations and medical costs with greater medication adherence accompanied by higher pharmacy costs.

BackgroundWith the increasing of ageing population, tuberculosis in the elderly brings a challenge for the tuberculosis (TB) control in China. Enough social support can promote the treatment adherence and outcome of the elderly patients with TB. Exploring effective interventions to improve the social support of patients is of great significance for TB management and control.MethodsA community-based, repeated measurement trial was conducted. Patients with TB >65 years of age were allocated into the intervention or control group. Patients in the intervention group received comprehensive social support interventions, while those in the control group received health education alone. The social support level of patients was measured at baseline and at the first, third and sixth months during the intervention to assess the effectiveness of comprehensive social support interventions.ResultsA total of 201 patients were recruited into the study. Compared with the control group, social support for patients in the intervention group increased significantly over time (βgroup*time=0.61, P<0.01) in the following three dimensions: objective support (βgroup*time=0.15, P<0.05), subjective support (βgroup*time=0.32, P<0.05) and support utilisation (βgroup*time=0.16, P<0.05). The change in the scores in the control group was not statistically significant.ConclusionsThe intervention programme in communities, including health education, psychotherapy and family and community support interventions, can improve the social support for elderly patients with TB compared with single health education.Trial registration numberChiCTR-IOR-16009232

Abstract:Since the end of the cold war, especially since the 9/11, religion’s importance has risen sharply in international relations. It has already become an inevitable and important factor in the strategic considerations of national security and foreign policy in various countries. Therefore, in their considerations for foreign and strategic relations, public diplomacy associated with national religious image, or the so-called religious public diplomacy (faith diplomacy), which depends on their own religions and religious groups as the chief carrier, connecting foreign religious organizations and believers as the main object, and largely concerning about religion and relevant issues, is also gradually rising. This article argues that currently religious groups, academia and the government together constitute the main framework of China’s religious public diplomacy, and gradually form a pattern of divisions in which religious groups can implement programs, academia offer recommendations and suggestions, and governments coordinate; and, that the three sectors share resources, work together and have positive interaction to significantly promote religious public diplomacy of the country.

The article explores on the inaccuracy of statistics in the interpretation of contemporary Christianity in China. Topics discussed include the religious interaction between China and the U.S., the increase number of Chinese Protestants in the region and the level of education and theological training in the Chinese churches.

Abstract:Since the 1970s, the global resurgence of religion, the politicization and internationalization of religion, as well as the raging violent religious extremism, have posed a severe challenge to national sovereignty and international order. The impact of religion on national security has become an inevitable problem facing the world. For more than 60 years since the founding of the PRC, religion has always been an important issue in its national security considerations, while “anti-foreign religious infiltration” and “combating the three forces of terrorism, national separatism and religious extremism” have become the official guidelines of discussions concerning religion and national security. In the context of the global resurgence of religion, changes in China’s religious security situation and the development of non-traditional security studies, research on religion and China’s national security has begun to break through the conventional pattern of “anti-filtration study” and started to become more academic and empirical. This paper has outlined the history and current situation of studies about religion and China’s national security and discussed some basic issues of this research area.

Abstract:The global resurgence of religion and the return of religion from the so-called “Westphalia Exile” to the central stage of international religions have significantly transformed the viewpoints of both media and academia toward the role of religion in international relations (IR), and the challenges posed by religion to the contemporary international relations are often described as entirely subversive. The author argues that as a second-tier factor in the foreign policies of most countries and international affairs, religion and religious movements could neither shake the dominant role of “norm-setting” sovereign states in the international system, nor serve as a basis to “rebuild” IR theory. The paper concludes with a discussion on the implications of religion’s growing influence in IR for China, the importance of religion to the construction of China’s international image, and the feasibility of religion being developed as a resource for China’s public as well as people-to-people diplomacy.

Purpose: Genetic polymorphisms in DNA repair genes are thought to represent important determinants of platinum drug efficacy. The current study investigated whether single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the X-ray repair cross complementing protein 1 (XRCC1) gene are associated with survival in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients treated with platinum-based chemotherapy.Experimental design: A total of 199 platinum-treated patients with stage III-IV NSCLC were recruited. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) according to genotypes and haplotypes were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier method and assessed by log-rank test. Hazard ratios (HRs) were calculated using Cox proportional hazards models by adjusting for clinical factors. Results: During the median 26.5 months of follow-up, 159 deaths occurred. Regarding XRCC1 Arg194Trp, Arg280His, and Arg399Gln genotypes, no significant effects on survival were observed, although the 280Arg/His genotype was associated with a borderline-significant higher median survival time (20.0 months for Arg/His versus 16.0 months for Arg/Arg; P = 0.131). Moreover, no significant association of haplotypes with survival was found. Conclusions: This study showed no influence of the XRCC1 Arg194Trp, Arg280His, and Arg399Gln polymorphisms on survival in advanced NSCLC patients with platinum-based chemotherapy.

A novel microporous crystalline boron-aluminum oxochloride with a cationic framework, designated BAC(3), has been synthesized hydrothermally in the system B2O3–Al2O3–Na2O–H2O and characterized using ICP, ion chromatograph, X-ray diffraction (XRD), magic-angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MAS NMR), infrared spectroscopy (IR), thermal analysis, and adsorption measurement. Some factors, such as temperature, pH value, and anions have important effects on the crystallization. Chemical analysis shows that the as-synthesized solid has the molar composition 0.2B2O3·1.0 Al2O3·0.6HCl·5.7H2O. XRD analysis shows that the crystal has a unique framework structure. The crystal is indexable on an orthorhombic unit cell witha= 22.55,b= 14.42, andc= 8.75 Å. The three-dimensional framework is built up from triangular BO3and tetrahedral BO4units with BO3/BO4of 2.6, as well as octahedrally coordinated Al. XRD, IR, and DTA-TG studies demonstrated that the microporous crystal is unstable to thermal treatment above 300°C, with the decomposition of structural H2O and HCl confirmed by mass spectroscopy analysis. On calcination above 800°C, this microporous crystal is converted via an amorphous phase to a known crystalline Al18B4O33. The measurement of adsorption of water indicates that it possesses characteristic micropore adsorption properties. Ion-exchange analysis shows that the Cl−anions in BAC(3) can be partially exchanged by Br−anions, suggesting that this novel microporous crystal has a cationic framework.

Nanomedicine-based photodynamic therapy (PDT) for melanoma treatment has attracted great attention. However, the complex design of polymer nanoparticles and high doses of photosensitizers used in intravenous injections (for sufficient accumulation of drugs in tumor lesions) pose a huge challenge to the commercialization and further clinical application. Herein, we fabricated the carrier-free nanoassemblies of a chlorin e6 (L-Ce6 NAs)-integrated fast-dissolving microneedles patch (L-Ce6 MNs) enriching only about 3 μg of Ce6 in the needle tips viaa facile fabrication method. The L-Ce6 MNs had sufficient mechanical strength to penetrate the skin and facilitated the transportation of L-Ce6 NAs to a depth of 200–500 μm under the skin, thereby achieving efficient and accurate drug delivery to tumor lesions. In a xenograft mouse melanoma model, the L-Ce6 MNs-based PDT with low dose of Ce6 (0.12 mg/kg) exerted efficient ablation of the primary lesions in situthrough reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. More importantly, a significant abscopal effect was also elicited by activating immunogenic cell death (ICD) and releasing danger-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), which in turn promoted dendritic cells (DCs) maturation and the subsequent antigen presentation, thereby facilitating the T-cell-mediated immune response without synergetic immunotherapies. Collectively, our findings indicate the facile, controllable, and fast-dissolving microneedles patch with a low dose of photosensitizers presented great therapeutic potential for enhanced photoimmunotherapy.

Although 3D printing (3DP) has long been an integral part of industries such as aviation and automotive, its use in healthcare, especially the pharmaceutical industry, is relatively new and currently receiving close attention. At the beginning of 2018, we reviewed the applications of 3DP for drug delivery and drug testing [1]. Due to the rapid development of this field, it is necessary to summarize the latest development in this field after 2 years. In this article, we reviewed the three major areas in pharmaceutical applications. First, drug delivery system is the most studied subject, including controlled release, polypills, gastrofloating, orodispersibles and microneedles. Second, 3DP also helped the development of pharmaceutical devices, including pharmacy dispensing aids and drug eluting devices. Lastly, we reviewed the pharmaceutical models for drug testing, covering acellular and cellular models. We also summarized the materials used in the mentioned articles and their regulatory status for pharmaceutical applications to provide references for future research.

This retrospective cross-sectional study utilized medical, pharmacy and laboratory claims from a large Medicare Advantage with Prescription Drug Coverage (MAPD) payer. MAPD members (mean age 72 years) diagnosed with T2DM between 2009 and 2011 were eligible for inclusion. A 12-month baseline period before the first A1c value (the index date) was evaluated for demographic and clinical differences.