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Objective: To investigate the main components and potential mechanism of Shuxuening Injection (SXNI) in the treatment of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MIRI) through network pharmacology and in vivo research. Methods: The Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology (TCMSP) and PharmMapper databases were used to extract and evaluate the effective components of Ginkgo biloba leaves, the main component of SXNI. The Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) and GeneCards databases were searched for disease targets and obtain the drug target and disease target intersections. The active ingredient-target network was built using Cytoscape 3.9.1 software. The STRING database, Metascape online platform, and R language were used to obtain the key targets and signaling pathways of the anti-MIRI effects of SXNI. In order to verify the therapeutic effect of different concentrations of SXNI on MIRI in rats, 60 rats were first divided into 5 groups according to random number table method: the sham operation group, the model group, SXNI low-dose (3.68 mg/kg), medium-dose (7.35 mg/kg), and high-dose (14.7 mg/kg) groups, with 12 rats in each group. Then, another 60 rats were randomly divided into 5 groups: the sham operation group, the model group, SXNI group (14.7 mg/kg), SXNI+LY294002 group, and LY294002 group, with 12 rats in each group. The drug was then administered intraperitoneally at body weight for 14 days. The main biological processes were validated using in vivo testing. Evans blue/triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) double staining, hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and Western blot analysis were used to investigate the efficacy and mechanism of SXNI in MIRI rats. Results: Eleven core targets and 30 Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways were selected. Among these, the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/ protein kinase B (AKT) pathway was closely related to SXNI treatment of MIRI. In vivo experiments showed that SXNI reduced the myocardial infarction area in the model group, improved rat heart pathological damage, and reduced the cardiomyocyte apoptosis rate (all P<0.01). After SXNI treatment, the p-PI3K/PI3K and p-AKT/AKT ratios as well as B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) protein expression in cardiomyocytes were increased, while the Bax and cleaved caspase 3 protein expression levels were decreased (all P<0.05). LY294002 partially reversed the protective effect of SXNI on MIRI. Conclusion: SXNI protects against MIRI by activating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper investigates the impact of green human resource management (GHRM) on operatives' green actions in Iranian businesses. GHRM is a human resource management approach that prioritizes environmental and social responsibility. The study uses a random sample of 385 managers and employees from Iran's industrialized businesses in all regions. The research uses partial least square structure equations modeling to evaluate the suggested framework. The results show that GHRM practices affect corporate social responsibility, green attitudes inside the workplace, and green activities taken by workers. In addition, a green mentality and a commitment to corporate social responsibility encourage environmental activities in the workplace. The green psychosocial environment and corporate social responsibilities are intermediaries between green human resources development and individual green behaviour in Iranian businesses. The study suggests that incorporating sustainability metrics into the human resource management system is vital for achieving a sustainable future in industrial development. The research has important implications for businesses around the world, particularly those in the manufacturing sector, by encouraging them to adopt more environmentally responsive methods, including reducing resource usage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Event-based computation has recently gained increasing research interest for applications of vision recognition due to its intrinsic advantages on efficiency and speed. However, the existing event-based models for vision recognition are faced with several issues, such as large network complexity and expensive training cost. In this paper, we propose an improved multi-liquid state machine (M-LSM) method for high-performance vision recognition. Specifically, we introduce two methods, namely multi-state fusion and multi-liquid search, to optimize the liquid state machine (LSM). Multistate fusion by sampling the liquid state at multiple timesteps could reserve richer spatiotemporal information. We adapt network architecture search (NAS) to find the potential optimal architecture of the multi-liquid state machine. We also train the M-LSM through an unsupervised learning rule spike-timing dependent plasticity (STDP). Our M-LSM is evaluated on two event-based datasets and demonstrates state-of-the-art recognition performance with superior advantages on network complexity and training cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ER5183 filler wire is used as filler metal for CMT MIX + Synchropulse welding of 6063 aluminum alloy sheets. The relationships among the fusion zone (FZ) size, pore characteristics, microstructure and mechanical properties are studied. The results show that the heat and convection intensity of the molten pool increase as the heat input increases, so that more base metal is melted and the weld width increases. The porosity and chain-like pores are closely related to the FZ size. The FZ size characteristic index (k) is established to predict the porosity and chain-like pores. The lower the k value is, the more difficult chain-like pores are to generate. Properly increasing the heat input eliminates the chain-like pores without aggravating the softening. The chain-like pores enormously reduce the effective load-bearing area of the FZ, which leads to the pretty poor mechanical properties of the FZ. Considering that the high porosity weakens the fatigue life, it is recommended to properly increase the heat input to improve the service performance of aluminum alloy welded joints on the premise that the full penetration welded joint has been obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Network-on-Chip (NoC) is widely adopted in neuromorphic processors to support communication between neurons in spiking neural networks (SNNs). However, SNNs generate enormous spiking packets due to the one-to-many traffic pattern. The spiking packets may cause communication pressure on NoC. We propose a path-based multicast routing method to alleviate the pressure. Firstly, all destination nodes of each source node on NoC are divided into several clusters. Secondly, multicast paths in the clusters are created based on the Hamiltonian path algorithm. The proposed routing can reduce the length of path and balance the communication load of each router. Lastly, we design a lightweight microarchitecture of NoC, which involves a customized multicast packet and a routing function. We use six datasets to verify the proposed multicast routing. Compared with unicast routing, the running time of path-based multicast routing achieves 5.1x speedup, and the number of hops and the maximum transmission latency of path-based multicast routing are reduced by 68.9% and 77.4%, respectively. The maximum length of path is reduced by 68.3% and 67.2% compared with the dual-path (DP) and multi-path (MP) multicast routing, respectively. Therefore, the proposed multicast routing has improved performance in terms of average latency and throughput compared with the DP or MP multicast routing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This clinical study aimed to compare the performance of various virtual articulator (VA) mounting procedures in the participants' natural head position (NHP). Materials and methods: Fourteen participants with acceptable dentitions and jaw relationships were recruited in this study registered in the Clinical Trials Registry (#NCT05512455; August 2022). A virtual facebow was designed for virtual mounting and hinge axis measurement. Intraoral scans were obtained, and landmarks were placed on each participant's face to register the horizontal plane in NHP. Six virtual mounting procedures were performed for each participant. The average facebow group (AFG) used an indirect digital procedure by using the average facebow record. The average mounting group (AMG) aligned virtual arch models to VA's average occlusal plane. The smartphone facial scan group (SFG) and professional facial scan group (PFG) used facial scan images with Beyron points and horizontal landmarks, respectively. The cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scan group (CTG) used the condyle medial pole, and horizontal landmarks were applied. The kinematic facebow group (KFG) served as the control group, and a direct digital procedure was applied using a kinematic digital facebow and the 3D skull model. Deviations of the reference plane and the hinge axis between the KFG and other groups were calculated. The inter-observer variability in virtual mounting software operation was then evaluated using the interclass correlation coefficient (ICC) test. Results: In virtual condylar center deviations, the CTG had the lowest condylar deviations. The AFG showed larger condylar deviations than PFG, SFG, and CTG. There was no statistically significant difference between the AFG and the AMG and between the PFG and the SFG. In reference plane deviations, the AMG showed the largest angular deviation (8.23 ± 3.29°), and the AFG was 3.89 ± 2.25°. The angular deviations of PFG, SFG, and CTG were very small (means of each group < 1.00°), and there was no significant difference among them. There was no significant difference between the researchers, and the ICC test showed moderate to excellent reliability for the virtual condylar center and good to excellent reliability for the reference plane in the operation of the virtual mounting software. Conclusions: CBCT scan provided the lowest hinge axis deviation in virtual mounting compared to average mounting, facebow record, and facial scans. The performance of the smartphone facial scanner in virtual mounting was similar to that of the professional facial scanner. Direct virtual mounting procedures using horizontal landmarks in NHP accurately recorded the horizontal plane. Clinical relevance: Direct digital procedures can be reliably used for virtual articulator mounting. The use of a smartphone facial scanner provides a suitable and radiation-free option for clinicians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

Massive intra-articular infiltration of proinflammatory macrophages is a prominent feature of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) lesions, which are thought to underlie articular immune dysfunction, severe synovitis and ultimately joint erosion. Here we report an efferocytosis-informed nanoimitator (EINI) for in situ targeted reprogramming of synovial inflammatory macrophages (SIMs) that thwarts their autoimmune attack and reestablishes articular immune homeostasis, which mitigates RA. The EINI consists of a drug-based core with an oxidative stress-responsive phosphatidylserine (PtdSer) corona and a shell composed of a P-selectin-blocking motif, low molecular weight heparin (LMWH). When systemically administered, the LMWH on the EINI first binds to P-selectin overexpressed on the endothelium in subsynovial capillaries, which functions as an antagonist, disrupting neutrophil synovial trafficking. Due to the strong dysregulation of the synovial microvasculature, the EINI is subsequently enriched in the joint synovium where the shell is disassembled upon the reactive oxygen species stimulation, and PtdSer corona is then exposed. In an efferocytosis-like manner, the PtdSer-coroneted core is in turn phagocytosed by SIMs, which synergistically terminate SIM-initiated pathological cascades and serially reestablish intra-articular immune homeostasis, conferring a chondroprotective effect. These findings demonstrate that SIMs can be precisely remodeled via the efferocytosis-mimetic strategy, which holds potential for RA treatment. Proinflammatory macrophages are involved in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Here the authors use an efferocytosis-mimetic self-deliverable nanoimitator to mitigate RA by targeted reprogramming of synovial inflammatory macrophages, reducing proinflammatory cytokines and reinstating articular immune homeostasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The solution-aging behavior and properties of spray-formed 7055 aluminum alloy TIG weld metal (WM) reinforced by TiC–TiB2 (BC) ceramic particles are investigated, in detail. Weld joints were subjected to solution at 475 °C for 1, 2.5, and 5 h, followed by the aging process at 120 °C for 0–24 h. The results show that ceramic particles not only restrict the grain coarsening of WM during the heat treatment but also accelerate the solution and age-precipitation behavior. The optimum solution time of ceramic particle-reinforced WM is 2.5 h, which has superior aging kinetics due to the completely dissolved eutectic phases. More importantly, during the aging process, ceramic particles decrease the width of the precipitate free zone and modify the size and distribution of precipitates. With the 475 °C/2.5 h + 120 °C/15 h treatment, the tensile strength (530 ± 15 MPa) and elongation (3.9 ± 0.29%) of BC weld joints are higher than 7055 weld joints (358 ± 20 MPa, 2.38 ± 0.42%). Grain refinement, Zener pinning strengthening, coefficients of thermal expansion mismatch strengthening, and precipitation strengthening are the dominant strengthening mechanisms of ceramic particle-reinforced WM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The study aims to investigate surface properties and microbial adhesion of various dental polymers fabricated by different manufacturing techniques before and after thermocycling. Materials and methods: The following six materials were used to fabricate disk-shaped specimens: conventional denture polymer (Vertex Acrylic Resin, VAR), CAD/CAM denture polymer (Organic PMMA eco Pink, OP), conventional temporary polymer (Protemp™ 4, PT), CAD/CAM temporary polymer (Die Material, DM), conventional denture framework polymer (BioHPP, PB), and CAD/CAM denture framework polymer (breCAM.BioHPP, CB). The specimens were tested before and after thermocycling (5000 and 10,000 cycles, 5 °C/55 °C). Surface roughness (SR), hydrophobicity, and surface topography were determined by profilometry, water contact angle, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Then specimens were incubated with Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus mutans, and Candida albicans for 24 h, respectively. Microbial adhesion was assessed using colony-forming unit counts, XTT assay, and SEM. Results: SR and hydrophobicity of VAR group were higher than that of OP group. S. aureus and C. albicans adhesion on VAR and PT groups were higher than that on OP and DM groups, respectively. There was no difference in surface properties and microbial adhesion between PB and CB groups. After thermocycling, SR (expect OP group) of all materials increased and hydrophobicity decreased, and the amount and activity of S. aureus and C. albicans adhesion also increased. The adhesion of S. aureus and C. albicans showed a moderate positive correlation with SR, independent of hydrophobicity. Conclusions: CAD/CAM denture polymers and temporary polymers showed less S. aureus and C. albicans adhesion when compared to conventional ones, which were mainly affected by surface roughness, independent of hydrophobicity. Thermocycling could increase surface roughness, decrease hydrophobicity, and affect microbial adhesion of the materials. Clinical significance: CAD/CAM dental polymers may be a better choice for the manufacture of temporary restorations and dentures to reduce microbial adhesion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of focused low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (FLIPUS) with pulsed shortwave diathermy (PSWD) in subjects with painful knee osteoarthritis (OA). In a prospective randomized trial, 114 knee OA patients were randomly allocated to receive FLIPUS or PSWD therapy. The primary outcome was the change from baseline in the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) total scores. Secondary outcomes included the numerical rating scale (NRS) for pain assessment, time up and go (TUG) test, active joint range of motion (ROM) test, and Global Rating of Change (GRC) scale. Data were collected at baseline, 12 days, 12 weeks and 24 weeks. Patients receiving FLIPUS therapy experienced significantly greater improvements in the WOMAC total scores than patients receiving PSWD therapy at 12 days (mean difference, − 10.50; 95% CI − 13.54 to − 7.45; P = 0.000). The results of the NRS, TUG test, ROM test and GRC scale showed that participants treated with FLIPUS reported less pain and better physical function and health status than those treated with PSWD at 12 days (P = 0.011, P = 0.005, P = 0.025, P = 0.011, respectively). Furthermore, patients in the FLIPUS group showed significant improvements in the WOMAC total scores and NRS scores at 12 weeks (mean difference, − 7.57; 95% CI − 10.87 to − 4.26; P = 0.000 and − 1.79; 95% CI − 2.11 to − 1.47, respectively) and 24 weeks (mean difference, − 6.96; 95% CI − 10.22 to − 3.71; P = 0.000 and − 1.37; 95% CI − 1.64 to − 0.96; P = 0.000, respectively) of follow-up. There were no adverse events during or after the interventions in either group. This study concluded that both FLIPUS and pulsed SWD are safe modalities, and FLIPUS was more effective than PSWD in alleviating pain and in improving dysfunction and health status among subjects with knee OA in the short term. Trial registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR2000032735. Registered 08/05/2020, http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=53413. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Objectives: The objective of this study is to investigate leaching residual monomer and biological effects of four types of conventional and computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) dental polymers on human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs). Materials and methods: A total of 540 disk-shaped specimens were fabricated from four different materials (n=135 per group): compression-molding polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) (conventional denture polymer), CAD/CAM PMMA (CAD/CAM denture polymer), bis-acrylic composite resin (conventional temporary polymer), and CAD/CAM PMMA (CAD/CAM temporary polymer). Specimens were eluted in cell culture medium for 72 h at 37°C, and the residual monomer in eluates subsequently was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The biological effects of material eluates on HGFs were analyzed by CCK-8 assay, flow cytometry, real-time quantitative PCR, Western blotting, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to identify cell death patterns and its biological mechanism. Results: Methyl methacrylate (MMA) was detected only in compression-molding PMMA, and by-products were detected in bis-acrylic composite resin. The cell proliferation of CAD/CAM denture polymer or CAD/CAM temporary polymer was greater than that of compression-molding PMMA or bis-acrylic composite resin at 72 h in culture. No apoptosis and necrosis were detected in CAD/CAM dental polymers. Apoptosis was detected only in bis-acrylic composite resin and further confirmed by the upregulation of Bax and cleaved Caspase-3, as well as the downregulation of Bcl-2 gene. And no significant variation in inflammatory cytokines secretion was observed in all materials. Conclusions: CAD/CAM dental polymers (including temporary and denture polymers) have favorable biocompatibility due to lower residual monomer, which provides scientific evidence to the controversy of biocompatibility of conventional and CAD/CAM dental polymers. Clinical relevance: The use of CAD/CAM dental polymers is recommended in the fabrication of temporary restorations and dentures due to their favorable biocompatibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute systemic vasculitis and suspected to be triggered by several potential infections in which procalcitonin (PCT) experiences an increase to some extent. However, whether PCT can serve as a useful candidate for differentiating KD from sepsis, and even for predicting incomplete KD, intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) nonresponsiveness and coronary artery abnormalities (CAAs) remains unclear. Methods: A total of 254 Chinese KD children were enrolled and divided into 6 subgroups, including complete KD, incomplete KD, IVIG-responsive KD, IVIG-nonresponsive KD, KD with CAAs and KD without CAAs. Blood samples were collected from all subjects within 24-h pre- and 48-h post-IVIG infusion, respectively. PCT, C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and blood cell counts were detected. In addition, both 261 children with sepsis and 251 healthy children sex- and age-matched with KD children were enrolled in the same period. Results: (1) PCT experienced the highest increase in sepsis patients before antibiotic therapy, followed by acute KD patients and the healthy controls. (2) The proportion of KD patients with a PCT concentration below 0.25 ng/ml was 11 folds higher than that of sepsis patients. (3) PCT had a sensitivity of 91.7% and a specificity of 30.3% at a cutoff value of > 0.15 ng/ml to predict IVIG nonresponsiveness, and the proportion of IVIG-nonresponders with a PCT concentration of 0.25–0.50 ng/ml was 2 folds higher than that of IVIG-responders. Conclusions: The PCT concentrations below 0.25 ng/ml may be useful for discriminating KD from sepsis, and moreover, the PCT concentrations of 0.25–0.50 ng/ml may be helpful in predicting IVIG nonresponsiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Tenosynovial giant cell tumor (TGCT) is a locally aggressive tumor with colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF1R) signal expression. However, there is a lack of better in vivo and ex vivo models for TGCT. This study aims to establish a favorable preclinical translational platform, which would enable the validation of efficient and personalized therapeutic candidates for TGCT. Patients and Methods: Histological analyses were performed for the included patients. Fresh TGCT tumors were collected and sliced into 1.0–3.0 mm3 sections using a sterilized razor blade. The tumor grafts were surgically implanted into subrenal capsules of athymic mice to establish patient-derived tumor xenograft (PDTX) mouse models. Histological and response patterns to CSF1R inhibitors evaluations were analyzed. In addition, ex vivo cultures of patient-derived explants (PDEs) with endpoint analysis were used to validate TGCT graft response patterns to CSF1R inhibitors. Results: The TGCT tumor grafts that were implanted into athymic mice subrenal capsules maintained their original morphological and histological features. The "take" rate of this model was 95% (19/20). Administration of CSF1R inhibitors (PLX3397, and a novel candidate, WXFL11420306) to TGCT-PDTX mice was shown to reduce tumor size while inducing intratumoral apoptosis. In addition, the CSF1R inhibitors suppressed circulating nonspecific monocyte levels and CD163-positive cells within tumors. These response patterns of engrafts to PDTX were validated by ex vivo PDE cultures. Conclusions: Subrenal capsule supports the growth of TGCT tumor grafts, maintaining their original morphology and histology. This TGCT-PDTX model plus ex vivo explant cultures is a potential preclinical translational platform for locally aggressive tumors, such as TGCT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CaTi2O5 was selectively prepared by a solvothermal process without template and surfactant. The phase of the as-prepared samples was determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The microstructure was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Results found that pH values had a crucial effect on the crystal phase and shape evolution of the samples. CaTi2O5 sample prepared at pH of 5.2 shows high efficient light harvesting, large surface area and crystallinity. Moreover, CaTi2O5 shuttle-like sample shows good photocatalytic activity against methyl orange due to its longer and thinner shuttle-like morphology and high crystallinity, enhanced light harvesting and large surface area. The photocatalytic rate of CaTi2O5 shuttle-like structure reaches 0.1988 min−1 for 25-min methyl orange degradation under the ultraviolet light irradiation and displays an excellent photostability with a degradation efficiency of 0.1952 min−1 after four cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering a double-headed Brownian motor moving with both translational and rotational degrees of freedom, we investigate the directed transport properties of the system in a traveling-wave potential. It is found that the traveling wave provides the essential condition of the directed transport for the system, and at an appropriate angular frequency, the positive current can be optimized. A general current reversal appears by modulating the angular frequency of the traveling wave, noise intensity, external driving force and the rod length. By transforming the dynamical equation in traveling-wave potential into that in a tilted potential, the mechanism of current reversal is analyzed. For both cases of Gaussian and Lévy noises, the currents show similar dependence on the parameters. Moreover, the current in the tilted potential shows a typical stochastic resonance effect. The external driving force has also a resonance-like effect on the current in the tilted potential. But the current in the traveling-wave potential exhibits the reverse behaviors of that in the tilted potential. Besides, the currents obviously depend on the stability index of the Lévy noise under certain conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lepidocrocite-type H1.07Ti1.73O4 microsized structures with a tap density of 0.88 g·cm−3 were prepared through the ion exchange method with K0.8Li0.27Ti1.73O4 powder as the precursor, and they exhibited good rate performance and outstanding cycle stability as an anode material for lithium ion batteries (LIB). The ion exchange method provides favorable conditions for H1.07Ti1.73O4 as an anode electrode material for LIBs. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) result demonstrates the existence of defects in the nonstoichiometric H1.07Ti1.73O4, which have a beneficial effect on the LIB performance. The electrochemical performance test proves that the half-cell with microsized H1.07Ti1.73O4 as the anode electrode can maintain a specific capacity of 129.5 mAh·g−1 after 1100 cycles and 101 mAh·g−1 after 3000 long cycles at high current densities of 2.0 and 5.0 A·g−1, respectively. In addition, the small volume change rate of 3.6% in H1.07Ti1.73O4 during Li ion insertion was confirmed by real-time in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The LiFePO4||H1.07Ti1.73O4 full battery exhibits a long-term cycling stability with a specific capacity of 73.8 mAh·g−1 at a current density of 500 mA·g−1 after 200 cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

Reports of gastric collision tumors, comprising adenocarcinoma and gastrointestinal stromal tumor, are extremely rare. Here, we report the case of a 68-year-old male who was diagnosed with a lower-body, moderately differentiated, tubular-type adenocarcinoma and submucosal tumor and underwent an elective D2 distal gastrectomy. The tumor cells of the gastrointestinal stromal tumor were positive for H-caldesmon and CD117, weakly positive for smooth muscle actin and DOG-1, and negative for desmin, S-100 protein, CD31, and AE1/AE3. The tumor had grown into a mixed form of adenocarcinoma and gastrointestinal stromal tumor. Thus, we report the first case of a preoperatively diagnosed collision tumor in the stomach consisting of adenocarcinoma and gastrointestinal stromal tumor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neuromorphic computing is considered to be the future of machine learning, and it provides a new way of cognitive computing. Inspired by the excellent performance of spiking neural networks (SNNs) on the fields of low-power consumption and parallel computing, many groups tried to simulate the SNN with the hardware platform. However, the efficiency of training SNNs with neuromorphic algorithms is not ideal enough. Facing this, Michael et al. proposed a method which can solve the problem with the help of DNN (deep neural network). With this method, we can easily convert a well-trained DNN into an SCNN (spiking convolutional neural network). So far, there is a little of work focusing on the hardware accelerating of SCNN. The motivation of this paper is to design an SNN processor to accelerate SNN inference for SNNs obtained by this DNN-to-SNN method. We propose SIES (Spiking Neural Network Inference Engine for SCNN Accelerating). It uses a systolic array to accomplish the task of membrane potential increments computation. It integrates an optional hardware module of max-pooling to reduce additional data moving between the host and the SIES. We also design a hardware data setup mechanism for the convolutional layer on the SIES with which we can minimize the time of input spikes preparing. We implement the SIES on FPGA XCVU440. The number of neurons it supports is up to 4 000 while the synapses are 256 000. The SIES can run with the working frequency of 200 MHz, and its peak performance is 1.562 5 TOPS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coronary artery abnormalities (CAAs) are prominent during the acute Kawasaki disease (KD) episode and represent the major contributors to the long-term prognosis. Several meta-analysis and published scoring systems have identified hepatic dysfunction as an independent predictor of CAA risks. The medical records of 210 KD children were reviewed. Blood samples were collected from all subjects at 24 h pre-therapy and 48 h post-therapy, respectively. Liver function test (LFT) and inflammatory mediators were detected. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify the reliable biomarkers predicting whether CAAs existed or not in KD patients. 90.95% of KD patients had at least 1 abnormal LFT. Hypoalbuminemia was the most prevalent type of hepatic dysfunction, followed by elevated aspartate aminotransferase, low TP, low A/G and hyperbilirubinemia, respectively. The elevated inflammatory mediators (procalcitonin and C-reactive protein) and moderate dose of aspirin played a synthetic role in hepatic dysfunction secondary to KD. However, LFT presented no significant differences between infectious and noninfectious conditions. By a multivariate analysis, a lower albumin/globulin ratio (A/G, OR 13.50, 95% CI 3.944–46.23) served as an independent predictor of CAAs and had a sensitivity of 56.25%, and a specificity of 61.11% at a cutoff value of < 1.48. In conclusion, hepatic dysfunction is a common complication during the acute KD episode, characterized by elevated serum liver enzymes, hypoalbuminemia and hyperbilirubinemia. Systemic inflammation and aspirin, rather than infectious agents, are both the major contributors of hepatic dysfunction secondary to KD. A lower A/G serves as an independent predictor of CAAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute, systemic vasculitis and occurs mainly in childhood. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a pleiotropic cytokine synthesized predominantly by neutrophils and monocytes/macrophages and plays an important role in systemic inflammatory disease. However, a little information is currently available on the relationship of serum IL-6 with conventional inflammatory mediators, clinical classification, IVIG response and coronary artery aneurysm (CAA). 165 Chinese children with KD were enrolled and divided into six subgroups, including complete KD, incomplete KD, IVIG-responsive KD, IVIG-nonresponsive KD, coronary artery noninvolvement KD and coronary artery involvement KD. Blood samples were collected from all subjects within 24-h pre- and 48-h post-IVIG therapy, respectively. Serum IL-6 and conventional inflammatory mediators were detected. (1) Serum IL-6 markedly increased in the acute phase of KD, whereas declined to normal after IVIG therapy; it was positively correlated with C-reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate. (2) Serum IL-6 was significantly elevated in patients with incomplete KD when compared with their complete counterparts. The area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) value for serum IL-6 in prediction of incomplete KD was 0.596, and the estimated sensitivity and specificity were 77.80% and 54.40% with a cutoff of IL-6 > 13.25 pg/ml, respectively. (3) Serum IL-6 was significantly elevated in patients with IVIG-nonresponsive KD when compared with their IVIG-responsive counterparts; the AUC value for serum IL-6 in prediction of IVIG-nonresponsive KD was 0.580, and the estimated sensitivity and specificity were 60.00% and 66.30% with a cutoff of IL-6 > 26.40 pg/ml, respectively. (4) No significant differences in IL-6 were found between KD patients with and without CAA. IL-6 is prone to be a candidate biomarker for predicting incomplete and IVIG nonresponsive KD rather than CAA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates an integrated approach to Earth observation satellite scheduling (EOSS) and proposes a two-phase genetic annealing (TPGA) method to solve the scheduling problem. Standard EOSS requires the development of feasible imaging schedules for Earth observation satellites. However, integrated EOSS is more complicated, mainly because both imaging and data transmission operations are of equal concern. In this paper, we first establish a mixed integer linear programming model for the scheduling problem using a directed acyclic graph for determining candidate solution options. Then, we optimize the model by applying the TPGA method, which consists of two phases in which a genetic algorithm is first employed, followed by simulated annealing. Detailed designs of the algorithm integration and algorithm switching rules are provided based on reasonable deductions. Finally, simulation experiments are conducted to demonstrate the feasibility and optimality of the proposed TPGA method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to investigate the quantitative chest tomographic features of chronic bronchitis with preserved ratio and impaired spirometry (PRISm), including airway wall area, emphysema index, and lung capacity.Methods: An observational, cross-sectional study of 343 patients at the Ninth Hospital of Xi’an Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University between October 2014 and September 2017. The patients were divided into three groups: 77 cases of chronic bronchitis with normal lung function (forced expiratory volume in one second/forced vital capacity) (FEV1/FVC > 70%, FEV1%pred > 80%), 80 cases of chronic bronchitis with PRISm (FEV1/FVC > 70%, FEV1%pred < 80%), and 186 cases of the early chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (FEV1/FVC < 70%, FEV1%pred > 50%, that is, Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) grade 1 + 2). We compared and analyzed the differences in imaging between the chronic bronchitis with PRISm and the other two groups.Results: Compared with the early COPD group, the PRISm group revealed significant differences in airway wall area, emphysema index, and lung capacity (P < 0.05). Compared with the chronic bronchitis with normal lung function group, the PRISm group showed increased WA%LUL5, decreased lung capacity, and higher mean lung density.Conclusion: In terms of airway wall area and emphysema index, patients with chronic bronchitis with PRISm were essentially no different than those with chronic bronchitis without abnormal spirometry, whereas for symptoms, they are more like GOLD 1 and 2 patients. Our findings show that it is not yet clear whether it constitutes an intermediate stage of chronic bronchitis with normal lung function that progression to early COPD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To reduce the transmission cost in 5G multicast networks that have separate control and data planes, we focus on the minimum-power-cost network-coding subgraph problem for the coexistence of two multicasts in wireless networks. We propose two suboptimal algorithms as extensions of the Steiner tree multicast. The critical 1-cut path eliminating (C1CPE) algorithm attempts to find the minimum-cost solution for the coexistence of two multicast trees with the same throughput by reusing the links in the topology, and keeps the solution decodable by a coloring process. For the special case in which the two multicast trees share the same source and destinations, we propose the extended selective closest terminal first (E-SCTF) algorithm out of the C1CPE algorithm. Theoretically the complexity of the E-SCTF algorithm is lower than that of the C1CPE algorithm. Simulation results show that both algorithms have superior performance in terms of power cost and that the advantage is more evident in networks with ultra-densification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interaction of quantum system and its environment brings out abundant quantum phenomenons. The sudden death of quantum resources, including entanglement, quantum discord and coherence, have been studied from the perspective of quantum breaking channels (QBC). QBC of quantum resources reveal the common features of quantum resources. The definition of QBC implies the relationship between quantum resources. However, sudden death of quantum resources can also appear under some other quantum channels. We consider the dynamics of Bell-diagonal states under a stochastic dephasing noise along the z-direction, and the sudden death and sudden birth of quantum discord are investigated. Next we explain this phenomenon from the geometric structure of quantum discord. According to the above results, the states with sudden death and sudden birth can be filtered in three-parameter space. Then we provide two necessary conditions to judge which kind of noise channels can make Bell-diagonal states sudden death and sudden birth. Moreover, the relation between quantum discord and coherence indicates that the sudden death and sudden birth of quantum discord implies the sudden death and sudden birth of coherence in an optimal basis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The poor structure stability of graphene limits its application as radical scavenger under γ-rays environment because of short service life. Hence we applied polyaniline (PANI), a fairly stable material under irradiation, to modify graphene and then obtained the PANI functionalized graphene oxide (PGO). According to TEM and BET data, the structure stability of PGO is much better than GO after 500 kGy irradiation doses. Electron spin spectroscopy data reveal that PGNS0.10 (PGO/PANI coatings, 0.10 wt%) are not almost affected by adverse influence comes from active radicals. Then PGNS0.10 exhibits the excellent corrosion protection performance after 500 kGy irradiation doses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are a set of pervasive neurodevelopmental disorders that manifest in early childhood, and it is growing up to be a major cause of disability in children. However, the etiology and treatment of ASD are not well understood. In our previous study, we found that serum levels of sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) were increased significantly in children with autism, indicating that S1P levels may be involved in ASD. Objective The objective of this study was to identify a link between increased levels of S1P and neurobehavioral changes in autism. Methods We utilized a valproic acid (VPA) -induced rat model of autism to evaluate the levels of S1P and the expression of sphingosine kinase (SphK), a key enzyme for S1P production, in serum and hippocampal tissue. Furthermore, we assessed cognitive functional changes and histopathological and neurochemical alterations in VPA-exposed rats after SphK blockade to explore the possible link between increased levels of S1P and neurobehavioral changes in autism. Results We found that SphK2 and S1P are upregulated in hippocampal tissue from VPA-exposed rats, while pharmacological inhibition of SphK reduced S1P levels, attenuated spatial learning and memory impairments, increased the expression of phosphorylated CaMKII and CREB and autophagy-related proteins, inhibited cytochrome c release, decreased the expression of apoptosis related proteins, and protected against neuronal loss in the hippocampus. Conclusion We have demonstrated that an increased level of SphK2/S1P is involved in the spatial learning and memory impairments of autism, and this signaling pathway represents a novel therapeutic target and direction for future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxidation tolerance is an important determinant to predict the virulence and biocontrol potential of Beauveria bassiana, a well-known entomopathogenic fungus. As a transcriptional coactivator, multiprotein bridging factor 1 mediates the activity of transcription factor in diverse physiological processes, and its homolog in B. bassiana ( BbMBF1) contributes to fungal oxidation tolerance. In this study, the BbMBF1-interactomes under oxidative stress and normal growth condition were deciphered by mass spectrometry integrated with the immunoprecipitation. BbMBF1p factor has a broad interaction with proteins that are involved in various cellular processes, and this interaction is dynamically regulated by oxidative stress. Importantly, a B. bassiana homolog of yeast AP-1-like transcription factor ( BbAP- 1) was specifically associated with the BbMBF1-interactome under oxidation and significantly contributed to fungal oxidation tolerance. In addition, qPCR analysis revealed that several antioxidant genes are jointly controlled by BbAP- 1 and BbMBF1. Conclusively, it is proposed that BbMBF1p protein mediates BbAP-1p factor to transcribe the downstream antioxidant genes in B. bassiana under oxidative stress. This study demonstrates for the first time a proteomic view of the MBF1-interactome in fungi, and presents an initial framework to probe the transcriptional mechanism involved in fungal response to oxidation, which will provide a new strategy to improve the biocontrol efficacy of B. bassiana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human caliciviruses (HuCVs) have been recognized as a major cause of sporadic viral diarrhea in children, among which norovirus genotype GII.4 is the most prevalent genotype. Stool and saliva samples were collected from 295 children with acute diarrhea and 150 asymptomatic children at a hospital in China. The HuCV detection rate was 10.85% (32/295) among the children with acute diarrhea, and all of these 32 children were either HBGA secretors (12/32) or partial secretors (20/32). HuCV was detected in two (1.33%) of the 150 samples obtained from the asymptomatic children. Of the norovirus-GII.3-positive children, 60% had blood type O, but only 17.29% of the symptomatic patients had blood type O, indicating that type O individuals could be at higher risk of GII.3 infection. However, due to the limited number of individuals in this study, further studies with a larger number of subjects should be conducted to verify this hypothesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Manganese dioxide cathodes are inexpensive and have high theoretical capacity (based on two electrons) of 617mAh g-1, making them attractive for low-cost, energy-dense batteries. They are used in non-rechargeable batteries with anodes like zinc. Only ~10% of the theoretical capacity is currently accessible in rechargeable alkaline systems. Attempts to access the full capacity using additives have been unsuccessful. We report a class of Bi-birnessite (a layered manganese oxide polymorph mixed with bismuth oxide (Bi2O3)) cathodes intercalated with Cu2+ that deliver near-full two-electron capacity reversibly for > 6,000 cycles. The key to rechargeability lies in exploiting the redox potentials of Cu to reversibly intercalate into the Bi-birnessite-layered structure during its dissolution and precipitation process for stabilizing and enhancing its charge transfer characteristics. This process holds promise for other applications like catalysis and intercalation of metal ions into layered structures. A large prismatic rechargeable Zn-birnessite cell delivering ~140Whl-1 is shown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Histidine is an essential amino acid assumed to be synthesized by an obligatory yeast-like symbiont ( Entomomyces delphacidicola str. NLU) in Nilaparvata lugens, an important rice pest. The adenosine-triphosphate phosphoribosyltransferase (ATP-PRTase) facilities the committed first step of the histidine biosynthesis pathway. In the current study, a putative ATP- PRTase was cloned and verified to be of E. delphacidicola origin ( EdePRTase). The expression of the gene was spatial and temporal universal with a profile that matched the distribution of the fungal symbiont. RNA interference aided the knockdown of the EdePRTase-suppressed EdePRTase expression by 32-48 %. Hemolymph histidine level was also reduced followed by significant reduction of adult body weight. However, other performance characters including nymph development, survival, and adult sex ratio were not adversely affected by the knockdown. Furthermore, forced histidine exposure (through injection or feeding) significantly inhibited the EdePRTase mRNA levels at higher concentrations, but significantly increased EdePRTase expression levels at lower concentrations (feeding only). The significance of these findings support that the EdePRTase is from symbiont E. delphacidicola, and its involvement in histidine biosynthesis of N. lugens was discussed. The results provide a better understanding of EdePRTase and the encoded functional ATP-PRTase enzyme regulation in N. lugens and insects in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing dental restorations with enhanced antibacterial properties has been a constant quest for materials scientists. The aim of this study was to synthesize silver doped calcium phosphate particles and use them to improve antibacterial properties of conventional glass ionomer cement. The Ag doped monetite (Ag-DCPA) and hydroxyapatite (Ag-HA) were synthesized by precipitation method and characterized using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope and X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy. The antibacterial properties of the cements aged for 1 day and 7 days were evaluated by direct contact measurement using staphylococcus epidermis Xen 43. Ion concentrations (F− and Ag+) and pH were measured to correlate to the results of the antibacterial study. The compressive strength of the cements was evaluated with a crosshead speed of 1 mm/min. The glass ionomer cements containing silver doped hydroxyapatite or monetite showed improved antibacterial properties. Addition of silver doped hydroxyapatite or monetite did not change the pH and ion release of F−. Concentration of Ag+ was under the detection limit (0.001 mg/L) for all samples. Silver doped hydroxyapatite or monetite had no effect on the compressive strength of glass ionomer cement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide, and many patients are already at an advanced stage when they are diagnosed. Therefore, novel biomarkers for early detection of colorectal cancer are required. In this study, we performed a global shotgun proteomic analysis using formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded (FFPE) CRC tissue. We identified 84 candidate proteins whose expression levels were differentially expressed in cancer and non-cancer regions. A label-free semiquantitative method based on spectral counting and gene ontology (GO) analysis led to a total of 21 candidate proteins that could potentially be detected in blood. Validation studies revealed cyclophilin A, annexin A2, and aldolase A mRNA and protein expression levels were significantly higher in cancer regions than in non-cancer regions. Moreover, an in vitro study showed that secretion of aldolase A into the culture medium was clearly suppressed in CRC cells compared to normal colon epithelium. These findings suggest that decreased aldolase A in blood may be a novel biomarker for the early detection of CRC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: We aim to gain further insight into identifying differential radiological features of mass-forming intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (mICC) from poorly differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma (pHCC) on contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT). Materials and methods: 107 patients with pathologically confirmed mICC ( n = 48) and pHCC ( n = 59) who had undergone preoperative contrast-enhanced CT were enrolled. Qualitative analysis of CT images were evaluated for tumor demarcation, shape, presence of satellite nodules, capsular retraction, biliary involvement, intratumoral arteries, tortuous tumoral vessels, vascular invasion, portal vein tumor thrombus, arterial enhancement pattern, portal venous phase enhancement, and washout pattern. Quantitative analysis was performed for mean attenuation of tumor and tumor-to-liver contrast during each phase. The degree of arterial enhancement was graded based on quantitative measurements. Results: A lobulated shape, indistinct margin, peripheral rim enhancement in the arterial phase, and the presence of bile duct dilatation were CT features favoring mICC, whereas a round shape, partially indistinct margin, heterogeneous enhancement in the arterial phase, washout pattern and the presence of tortuous tumoral vessels were CT features favoring pHCC in the univariate analysis ( P < 0.05). Tumor-to-liver contrast of pHCC was greater than that of mICC during the arterial phase ( P = 0.015). In the multivariate analysis, bile duct dilatation, tortuous tumoral vessels, and a washout pattern were independent CT features for distinguishing between the two types. ( P = 0.003, P = 0.003, P = 0.044, respectively). Conclusion: The absence of a washout pattern and tortuous tumoral vessels and presence of bile duct dilatation are more indicative of mICC than of pHCC on contrast-enhanced CT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cathode samples of nano-diamond by graphitization pretreatment with different temperatures were fabricated by electrophoresis, then the structures and morphologies of the cathode samples were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), and the field emission tests were conducted. The effects of graphitization pretreatment on the field emission characteristics of nano-diamond cathode surface on titanium substrate are studied. The results indicate that the surface morphologies of nano-diamond cathode samples after graphitization pretreatment change a lot, and the field emission characteristics in low-voltage area are improved obviously. However, in high-voltage area, the curve distortion happens, and it doesn't conform the mechanism of field emission characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To transmit same data flow to users distributed in different directions simultaneously, this paper proposes a multi-beam codebook design scheme for multicast scenario based on phased array. By setting up and solving optimization model, weight vector can be found to generate beam that approximating the target beam with expected shape. Numerical examples are displayed, showing that the scheme is of great flexibility, both in methods to assign target beam, and different shapes that can be applied in different scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]