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• We developed a strategy comprising antiviral treatment for detectable hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive donors, passive immunity in HBsAg– recipients, and prophylactic antiviral treatment of HBsAg+ recipients to deal with allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) accepting stem cells from HBsAg+ donors. • Groups of recipients accepting cells from HBsAg+ and HBsAg– donors showed a similar incidence of HBV-related hepatitis. • The strategy may increase the treatment options for patients in need of allo-HSCT in HBV-endemic areas by expanding the donor pool to including HBsAg+ individuals. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is increasingly being applied globally. Cases in which healthy HSCT donors are chronically infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV) are relatively common in areas where HBV is endemic. Recipients of stem cells from such hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive donors are at risk of viral infection, and thus may develop HBV-related hepatitis. Given the lack of standardized approach to minimizing the risk of such infections from HBsAg+ donors during HSCT, we conducted this study with the aim of developing an efficient strategy to address this challenge. A strategy comprising antiviral treatment for detectable HBV-DNA in HBsAg+ donors, hepatitis B immune globulin (HBIG) administration in HBsAg– recipients with passive immunity, and prophylactic antiviral treatment for HBsAg+ recipients was developed. The strategy was validated using a case-control study of 40 recipients who received stem cells from HBsAg+ donors (group A) and 40 pair-matched controls who received stem cells from HBsAg– donors (group B). The cumulative incidence of HBV-related hepatitis was relatively similar in the 2 groups (group A: 8.5%; 95% confidence interval [CI], -.9% to 17.9%; group B: 7.9%; 95% CI, -.9% to 16.7%; P =.939). In HBsAg– recipients who received passive immunity from HBIG treatment, a significant negative linear correlation was observed between HBsAb titer in vivo and time in the first year after allo-HSCT (R 2 =.23; P <.001). This method was cost-effective, with a median cost of all HBV management of USD 332.1 (range, 172.7 to 1985.3), compared with USD 1464.9 (range 409.9 to 1985.3) for conventional strategies (P <.001). The novel strategy presented in here is robust in preventing HBV-related hepatitis after allo-HSCT with stem cells from HBsAg+ donors. This is important for the effective application of allo-HSCT in HBV-endemic areas without precluding the use of HBsAg+ donors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Hepatitis B core antibody (HBcAb) and hepatitis B surface antibody (HBsAb) play protective roles in patients with resolved hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). • The risk of HBV reactivation was significantly higher in HBcAb(+)HBsAb(-) patients compared with HBcAb(+)HBsAb(+) patients. • HBV reactivation in HBcAb(+)/HBsAb(+) patients following HSCT was a rare and late complication. • Prophylactic anti-HBV treatment might not be mandatory for hepatitis B surface antigen-negative [HBsAg(-)], HBcAb(+)HBsAb(+) patients following HSCT. The incidence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is high in the Asian population. Increasing attention is being given to the risk of HBV reactivation in hepatitis B core antibody-positive [HBcAb(+)] patients during immunosuppressive therapy. Knowledge of HBV reactivation in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is limited. Moreover, the effect of hepatitis B surface antibody (HBsAb) on HBV reactivation in HBcAb(+) patients during HSCT remains uncertain. We sought to investigate the role of HBsAb and the need for prophylactic antiviral treatment in hepatitis B surface antigen-negative [HBsAg(-)]/HBcAb(+) patients during HSCT. We classified 665 HBsAg(-) HSCT recipients into 4 groups: HBcAb(-)HBsAb(-) (n = 189), HBcAb(-)HBsAb(+) (n = 176), HBcAb(+)HBsAb(-) (n = 49), and HBcAb(+)HBsAb(+) (n = 251). HBV reactivation was identified in 16 patients after HSCT. The median time to HBV reactivation was 645 days (range, 455 to 1957 days) after transplantation. The cumulative HBV reactivation rate was significantly higher in the HBcAb(+)HBsAb(-) group compared with the HBcAb(+)HBsAb(+), HBcAb(-)HBsAb(-), and HBcAb(-)HBsAb(+) groups, respectively (P <.001). Notably, the risk of HBV reactivation was significantly higher in the HBcAb(+)HBsAb(-) group compared with the HBcAb(+)HBsAb(+) group (P =.007; hazard ratio, 4.750; 95% confidence interval, 1.531 to 14.737). Our results point to a protective role of HBsAb in HBV-resolved patients undergoing HSCT and indicate that prophylactic anti-HBV treatment might not be mandatory for HBsAg(-), HBcAb(+)HBsAb(+) patients following HSCT. The surveillance protocol of intense follow-up early (HBV DNA and HBsAg monthly) might not be necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Lectins serve as essential pattern recognition receptors, and play important roles in the recognition of non-self and mediation of innate immune response in metazoans. Scleractinian corals are vulnerable to pathogen infection and endosymbiosis disruption under heat stress that can finally lead to coral bleaching. In this study, a cDNA sequence encoding one galectin was cloned in scleractinian coral Pocillopora damicornis (PdGLT-1). The deduced PdGLT-1 protein shared highest amino acid sequence similarity (99%) with galectin from Stylophora pistillata (XP_022806650.1), and was composed of one signal peptide, one Collagen domain and one Gal-Lectin domain. PdGLT-1 recombinant protein (rPdGLT-1) was expressed and purified in vitro. Binding activities of rPdGLT-1 to bacteria and symbiont were determined using western blotting method. Results showed that rPdGLT-1 was able to bind to gram-positive bacterium Streptococcus mutans , gram-negative bacteria Vibrio coralliilyticus and Escherichia coli , with the highest activity for V. coralliilyticus , and further agglutinated them. The bound rPdGLT-1 to Symbiodinium (10-104 cells mL−1) was detectable, and its binding ability was concentration-dependent. Furthermore, dual binding activities were determined under different temperatures (20, 25, 30 and 35 °C), and the optimal temperatures were found to be 25 and 30 °C for V. coralliilyticus and Symbiodinium , respectively. Results suggested that PdGLT-1 could recognize pathogenic bacteria and symbiotic dinoflagellates Symbiodinium. However, their recognition activities were repressed under high temperature (>30 °C). This study provided insights into the underlying mechanism of lectin modulation to heat bleaching through its pathogen and Symbiodinium recognition in the scleractinian coral P. damicornis. Highlights • PdGLT-1 bound to Streptococcus mutans, Vibrio coralliilyticus and Escherichia coli. • PdGLT-1 agglutinated S. mutans, V. coralliilyticus and E. coli. • PdGLT-1 bound to Symbiodinium in a concentration-dependent manner. • The most PdGLT-1 bound to V. coralliilyticus was observed at 25 °C. • The most PdGLT-1 bound to Symbiodinium was observed at 30 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogels with inherently conductive properties have been recently developed for tissue engineering applications, to serve as bioactive scaffolds to electrically stimulate cells and modulate their function. In this work, we have used interfacial polymerization of aniline monomers within gelatin methacrylate (GelMA) to develop a conductive hybrid composite. We demonstrate that as compared to pure GelMA, GelMA–polyaniline (GelMA–Pani) composite has similar swelling properties and compressive modulus, comparable cell adhesion and spreading responses, and superior electrical properties. Additionally, we demonstrate that GelMA–Pani composite can be printed in complex user-defined geometries using digital projection stereolithography, and will be useful in developing next-generation bioelectrical interfaces. Statement of Significance We report the fabrication of a conductive hydrogel using naturally-derived gelatin methyacrylate (GelMA) and inherently conductive polyaniline (Pani). This work is significant, as GelMA-Pani composite has superior electrical properties as compared to pure Gelma, all the while maintaining biomimetic physical and biocompatible properties. Moreover, the ability to fabricate conductive-GelMA in complex user-defined micro-geometries, address the significant processing challenges associated with all inherently conductive polymers including Pani. The methodology described in this work can be extended to several conductive polymers and hydrogels, to develop new biocompatible electrically active interfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) has revealed that adult white adipose tissue (WAT) harbors functionally diverse subpopulations of mesenchymal stromal cells that differentially impact tissue plasticity. To date, the molecular basis of this cellular heterogeneity has not been fully defined. Here, we describe a multilayered omics approach to dissect adipose progenitor cell heterogeneity in three dimensions: progenitor subpopulation, sex, and anatomical localization. We applied state-of-the-art mass spectrometry methods to quantify 4,870 proteins in eight different stromal cell populations from perigonadal and inguinal WAT of male and female mice and acquired transcript expression levels of 15,477 genes using RNA-seq. Our data unveil molecular signatures defining sex differences in preadipocyte differentiation and identify regulatory pathways that functionally distinguish adipose progenitor subpopulations. This multilayered omics analysis, freely accessible at http://preadprofiler.net/ , provides unprecedented insights into adipose stromal cell heterogeneity and highlights the benefit of complementary proteomics to support findings from scRNA-seq studies. [Display omitted] • Integrated multilayer omics reveal molecular heterogeneity of adipose progenitors • Proteomic analysis highlights metabolic heterogeneity of adipose progenitors • PPARγ phosphorylation underlies sex differences in iWAT APC differentiation • Glutathione metabolism and AhR signaling regulate progenitor cell fate and function Adipose tissue harbors functionally distinct progenitor cell subpopulations. Shan et al. utilize multilayered omics to dissect adipose progenitor cell heterogeneity in three dimensions: progenitor subpopulation, sex, and anatomical localization. Functional analysis unveils mechanisms underlying sex differences in preadipocyte activation and pathways controlling the adipogenic and pro-inflammatory properties of distinct progenitor subpopulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Purpose: Pyriform sinus fistula (PSF) is often overlooked, and presents diagnostic and management challenge. The aim of this study was to highlight the value of intraoperative endoscopy-assisted intubation or methylene blue injection through the internal opening as a guide in searching for the fistula. Methods: The charts of 48 patients diagnosed with PSF during January 1990 until January 2013 were retrospectively reviewed. The records were analyzed for sex, side of lesion, age at onset/diagnosis, initial presentations, diagnostic methods, microbiologic cultures, pathologic findings, treatments and outcomes. Results: There were 22 males and 26 females, with a median age at onset and diagnosis of 2years (range, 8months to 9years) and 4years (range, 12months to 13years), respectively. The lesions were predominantly left sided (93.7%). The most common presentation was neck abscess (62.5%). Other presentations were acute suppurative thyroiditis/thyroid abscess (7), neck mass with or without dyspnea (9), and thyroid nodule (2). Barium esophagography showed the sinus tract in 100% cases. The positive predictive value of other modalities was oral-contrast CT 88.9%, intravenous contrast-enhanced CT 53.8%, noncontrast CT 33.3%, and sonography 7.9%. Thyroid function were reported normal in most tested cases (14/15, 93.3%). The fistula tract was lined with pseudostratified squamous epithelium or ciliated columnar epithelium, often associated with inflammatory changes. Bacteria cultured from the discharge were found to be oral flora. Partial thyroidectomy was operated on 11 cases. Two patients (2/8, 25%) who underwent open surgery without endoscopic assistance exhibited recurrence, while no recurrence was noted in children with the help of intraoperative endoscopy. Postoperative results were good in majority (93.7%). Conclusion: PSF should be considered in any children with repeated neck or thyroid infection/mass. The combination of barium esophagography, CT scan and ultrasound is useful to establish the diagnosis. Intraoperative endoscopy-assisted intubation or methylene blue injection through the internal opening as a guide can facilitate identification of the tract during dissection. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper presents the design, fabrication, and implementation of a microcantilever actuator with magnetostatic latching for performing low power bistable relay applications. This unique bistable feature consists of a low-stiffness torsion/cantilever beam system with circular-shaped support and a permanent magnet for holding the closed state with a permalloy soft magnetic circuit. The special circular support is designed to enhance the stiffness of the overhang beams. First, mechanical modeling of the leveraged torsion/cantilever beams was performed by Castigliano’s theorem so as to deduce the spring stiffness of system. Then the device has been prepared by a laminated photoresist sacrificial layer process (LPSLP). Finally, mechanical performance was characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM), combined with finite element simulation using ANSYS™ package and analysis model as well. Switching between two stable states of the microactuator was successfully validated with WYKO NT1100 optical profiling system. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Introduction We report a novel technique to label rectourethral fistulas in males with anorectal malformations who are undergoing posterior sagittal anorectoplasty (PSARP) to facilitate complete excision of the fistula. Methods Prior to performing PSARP in 21 male patients with rectourethral fistulas, cystoscopy was carried out to identify the orifice of the fistula within the urethra. A 3Fr ureteral catheter with calibrations was then inserted into the orifice to label the fistula. During the PSARP procedure, the rectourethral fistula was dissected to the junction of the urethra, as identified by the presence of the ureteral catheter, and the fistula tract was completely excised. Results Six prostatic and 15 bulbar rectourethral fistulas were found by cystoscopy. The orifices of the rectourethral fistulas were all located in the midline along the dorsal wall of the posterior urethra. The average length of the rectourethral fistulas was 10 mm (range = 5–15 mm). During the PSARP procedure, the rectourethral fistula could be clearly identified, easily dissected and completely excised. Patients were followed up for 7–24 months. During the length of follow-up, micturition was normal and no urethral complications were found in any of the 21 patients. Conclusion Intraoperative cystoscopy with placement of a ureteral catheter in the fistula tract facilitates complete excision of rectourethral fistulas in males with anorectal malformations without risking injury to the urethra. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the catalytic pyrolysis of waste polyethylene (PE) using a ZSM-5/Al 2 O 3 porous media catalyst in a continuous feeding mode. The findings revealed that the porous media catalyst with 100 mm height and 40 PPI (pore per inch) pore size had the supreme catalytic performance, which could obtain the highest pyrolysis oil yield and the light fraction (

Despite the relatively small number of items in the GAD-7, fewer items are increasingly sought to shorten testing time in large-scale mental health screenings. As a result, short forms based on the GAD-7, the GAD-2, and GAD-mini, have become popular. However, the GAD-2 and GAD-mini have reported lower diagnostic accuracy in some cultural contexts, implying that a validated short-form version of the GAD-7 may be lacking in large-scale cross-cultural anxiety screening. Based on this, to develop an optimal short form of the GAD-7 with cross-cultural stability, we utilized seven GAD-7 datasets from six different countries, totaling 47,484 participants. Five 2 to 6 item short forms of the GAD were constructed using the Riskslim machine learning algorithm. We evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of the GAD-7 short forms in the training and test sets based on the coefficient of determination(R2) and area under the curve(AUC) metrics, and the results showed that GAD-R2 performed poorly in some cultures, and all of the 3 to 6 item short forms of the GAD performed good in cross-cultural diagnostic rates, with the GAD-R6 showing the highest diagnostic accuracy in all cultures; GAD-R3 outperformed GAD-R2, GAD-2, and GAD-mini in all cultures; GAD-R3 had higher generalizability across cultures and special populations; Given that the GAD-R3 was shorter and nearly as accurate as the GAD-R6, we recommend the use of the GAD-R3 in clinical studies and epidemiologic investigations. And we recommend the optimal actual cutoff value of 15 for GAD-R3. Overall, we recommend GAD-R3 as the short-form version of GAD-7 in cross-cultural studies. However, the 2-item GAD scale is also optimal for the short-form version in clinical practice. • Lack of a short form of GAD-7 in large-scale cross-cultural anxiety screening. • Short form of the GAD were constructed using the Riskslim machine learning algorithm. • GAD-R3 exhibits high diagnostic accuracy in different cultural backgrounds. • we recommend GAD-R3 as the short form version of GAD-7 in cross-cultural studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our study aims to evaluate the performance of the combination of Sysmex urine dry chemistry analyzer UC-3500 and urine particle analyzer UF-5000 in screening bacterial urinary tract infection (UTI). We analyzed 2000 urine specimens from patients with suspected UTI by using a urine dry chemistry analyzer (UC-3500) and a fully automated sediment analyzer (UF-5000). After being tested by the instrument, all specimens were sent to our clinical microbiology laboratory for culture. In addition, 600 urine specimens were selected to evaluate the accuracy of the six screening strategies established in this study. The consistency of UF-5000 bacterial classification and bacterial culture was fair (Kappa = 0.339). The counts of WBC and BACT elevated with sequential group designs (P < 0.001). The cut-off value of WBC was 32.20/μL for males (AUC, 0.942, 95%CI, 0.930–0.955) and 39.15/μL for females (AUC, 0.931, 95%CI, 0.914–0.948). The sensitivity and specificity of WBC were relatively higher than those of BACT. Strategy④ and Strategy⑥ in all six strategies had a good negative predictive value (NPV) which was 98.73%. UF-5000 bacterial classification cannot be used as a practical reference. 32.20/μL (male) and 39.15/μL (female) for WBC as well as 22.35/μL (male) and 127.25/μL (female) for BACT were used as cut-off values to effectively determine whether UTI occurs. WBC, BACT and LEU joint screening programs were suitable to rapidly and effectively exclude bacterial UTI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the global interests and efforts in popularizing low carbon vehicles, automotive power module has been becoming one of the fastest growing sectors in power semiconductor industry. As working in a harsh environment, the performance and reliability requirements of automotive module are stringent than industrial products. In this work, an integrated direct liquid cooled power module with enhanced reliability for hybrid and electric vehicles (HEV/EV) is developed. The design and assembly of the module were optimized in terms of performance, weight, cost and reliability. The module is integrated Al direct liquid cooling structure, leading to about 40% reduction of weight and cost and almost 50% reduction of junction to heat sink thermal resistance. Therefore, the junction temperature stays below the upper limit at the worst operation case which enhances the thermal reliability and lifetime. By incorporating advanced die lead bonding, the parasitics can be reduced by 50%, which is beneficial to efficiency and reliability. Furthermore, the die and terminal attach technologies are investigated to improve reliability. The lifetime prediction under a typical driving cycle shows that the proposed module is capable of working in the whole vehicle service period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a flexible piezoelectric sensor based on polyacrylonitrile (PAN), zirconium-based MOF (UiO-66) with nitro (NO 2) and two-dimensional material MXene composite nanofiber film was proposed. When pressure was applied, the three-dimensional structural nanopores were compressed, increasing the intercalation structure between the MXene nanosheets coated in the fibers. The double-packed system produced a higher resistance change under the same pressure load, which can be explained by the fact that the low-conductivity octahedral UiO-66-NO 2 particles acted as a similar "buffer" between the highly conductive MXene. At the same time, a large number of hydrogen bonds between the surfaces of the two fillers enhanced the synergistic effect and promoted the interfacial coupling effect, so that more 31-helical conformation in the PAN matrix was converted into a planar zigzag conformation. This improved the piezoelectric performance and enabled the sensor to have a voltage output of about 200 V in the detection range. And because the polyhedral form of UiO-66-NO 2 particles provided a rougher surface structure, the piezoelectric sensor can achieve a high sensitivity of 5.62 V/N. The other results showed that the dielectric constant of the designed flexible piezoelectric sensor was increased to 2.67, the dielectric loss was kept at a low level of 0.026, and the maximum elongation was 56.03 %. This multi-functional sensor shows great potential in the fields of health and medical treatment, human-computer interaction, etc. [Display omitted] • Flexible film based on PAN/UiO-66-NO 2 /MXene is prepared by electrospinning process. • The content of planar zigzag conformation in PAN improves the piezoelectric performance. • The sensor has outstanding performance in sensitivity (5.62V/N, 0.88V/N). • It exhibits fast response and recovery times (120 ms/53 ms). • It is mainly used in medical health and human-computer interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]