Search

The Squirrel Search Algorithm (SSA) is an innovative optimization method that takes inspiration from the foraging and gliding behavior of squirrels. Despite its simple structure and stable performance, it is prone to the same issues as other algorithms, such as falling into local optima and experiencing premature convergence. To address this problem, this paper proposes an improved squirrel search algorithm embedded with the Sine Cosine Algorithm (SCSSA). Firstly, the Sine Cosine Algorithm is introduced into the SSA to enhance its local exploitation ability. Secondly, the Sobol sequence is utilized to generate the initial population, resulting in higher quality initial solutions. Thirdly, dimensional learning is applied to squirrels on both hickory and oak trees, promoting population diversity and preventing local optima. Finally, the glide constant Gc in SSA is adjusted to decay nonlinearly with iteration count, starting with a large value that gradually decreases in the early stage to facilitate global exploration, and then rapidly decreasing in the later stage to promote local exploitation. Extensive experiments are conducted on 23 classic benchmark functions, the CEC2017 test set, and three engineering problems. The experimental results show that SCSSA can effectively maintain population diversity and can achieve a balance between exploration and exploitation. It consistently outperforms the comparison algorithms in terms of numerical optimization and convergence rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the field of geotechnical engineering, creating and successfully cutting a three-dimensional geological model is a crucial task for digital and visual analysis. However, using commonly available software for 3D model cutting can be time-consuming. Moreover, mainstream cutting algorithms have limitations that can impact real-time performance, such as high computing requirements and complex testing. To address these issues, with the help of the Three.js library, based on the stencil test function module and the cutting operation, this paper presents a real-time rendering closure method for the continuous cutting of a TIN model. This method is implemented by object-oriented programming. When using this method to cut a model, there is no need to intersect and triangulate each point of the section, thereby improving real-time performance. Furthermore, this method enables the real-time rendering of a closed section in the hollow model, resolving issues related to displaying hollow sections in a multilevel TIN geological model, which can serve as another exploratory approach for closed cutting of internal hollow models. The method was applied to a project in southern China and yielded positive results. The time consumption of this cutting process was less than 1 s, and compared to the 3dsMax method under the same conditions, it reduced the time consumption by 6.85 s and improved efficiency by 87%. It can effectively support visual analysis tasks for similar processes, such as smart mines, oil and gas resource distribution, and internal visualization analysis of mechanical parts. [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.)

Rhododendron delavayi is an evergreen tree species, as a woody plant belonging to Ericaceae characterized by its long lifecycle and high ornamental value. Genetic engineering has made remarkable progress in improving various plant species. However, applying these advancements to Rhododendron remains a complex endeavor, primarily due to challenges associated with genetic transformation technology. In this study, the optimum transformation conditions for Agrobacterium infection of R. delavayi leaf disc were established as follows: the pre-culture time was 0 d, Agrobacterium liquid concentration OD600 = 0.7, infection time was 60 min, Acetosyringone concentration 20 mg/L, and co-culture time was 6 d. After removal of bacteria, first screening culture was 30 days with medium containing Kanamycin (Kan) at 30 mg/L and Cefotaxime (Cef) at 500 mg/L. Subsequent culture was for 60 days with medium supplemented with Kan at 30 mg/L and Cef at 400 mg/Ls. Third screening culture was for 90 days with medium containing Kan at 40 mg/L and Cef at 300 mg/L. Positive transgenic materials were identified after 120 days culture. Gene cloning and transformation proceeded with two MYB genes, RdMYB8 and RdMYB24, which had been isolated from petals of R. delavayi. These genes were individually inserted into overexpression vectors and then successfully transformed into Agrobacterium GV3101. Leaf discs of R. delavayi were inoculated with Agrobacterium carrying the respective genes, resulting in the successful acquisition of positive transgenic materials. The transgenic callus exhibited a red coloration and showed an increase in the total anthocyanin content compared to the control group. The study suggests that RdMYB8 and RdMYB24 are involved in anthocyanin synthesis in R. delavayi, and this Agrobacterium-mediated transformation system holds promise as a fundamental tool for advancing genetic engineering not only in R. delavayi.Key message: Leaf discs from Rhododendron delavayi are the optimal recipient material for Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. The transgenic callus overexpressing RdMYB8 exhibits enhanced anthocyanin biosynthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Chimp Optimization Algorithm (ChOA) is a cutting-edge swarm intelligence algorithm that models the social status ties and hunting behavior of chimps to solve complex optimization problems. Although ChOA is known for its simplicity and efficiency, it may encounter challenges such as convergence speed and local optima. This study presents a comprehensive and competitive multi-strategy-enhanced chimp optimization algorithm (SLDChOA), which comprehensively enhances the optimization performance of the algorithm through four strategies. Firstly, a low-difference Sobol sequence strategy is used to initialize the chimp population to increase the diversity of the initial population. Secondly, different location update strategies are adopted according to different iteration stages. The early iteration stage employs the Lévy flight-based location update strategy to help chimps explore the space more abundantly and improve the global search ability of the algorithm. In contrast, the proposed probability-based elitist operation strategy is used in the late iteration stage to help the chimps obtain higher-quality optimal solutions and improve the convergence accuracy and speed of the algorithm. Finally, the dimension learning-based hunting search strategy is introduced to facilitate information sharing among chimps and enable the algorithm to jump out of the local optimum effectively. To demonstrate its comprehensive performance, SLDChOA is compared with 17 state-of-the-art algorithms on 23 traditional benchmark functions, CEC 2014 and CEC 2019 test sets (totaling 63 test functions). Moreover, its efficacy and excellence are further demonstrated in 4 well-known engineering optimization issues and 2 feature selection problems of multimodal Parkinson's speech datasets. A series of simulations demonstrate that SLDChOA has good comprehensive merit-seeking ability and is extremely competitive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A drug-loaded diaphragm is an easy-to-use and effective drug delivery system that is often used to treat mouth ulcers. In this study, an ultrafine fiber film loaded with capsaicin was successfully prepared using the electrospinning technology. poly-l-lactic acid and gelatin were selected as the matrix materials to form the composite fiber, and trifluoroethanol was used as a co-solvent for poly-l-lactic acid, gelatin and capsaicin to prepare the spinning solution, which was simple to fabricate. The prepared fiber films were characterized based on their microscopic morphology and tested to derive their mechanical properties. Thereafter, the capsaicin release behavior of the film was investigated. In vitro experiments revealed certain anti-inflammatory and antibacterial abilities while animal experiments revealed that the capsaicin-loaded ultrafine fiber film could promote the healing of oral ulcers in rats. Healing of the tongue tissue in rats administered 10% capsaicin-loaded fiber film was found to be better than that in rats administered the commercial dexamethasone patch. Overall, this development strategy may prove to be promising for the development of oral ulcer patch formulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Harris hawks optimization (HHO) algorithm is a new metaheuristic algorithm proposed in recent years. Due to the shortcomings of this algorithm in solving complex high-dimensional optimization problems with a slow convergence speed, low accuracy, and the high likelihood to fall into local optimum, a mixed Harris hawks optimization (MHHO) algorithm based on the pinhole imaging strategy is proposed, including four strategies to improve the optimization performance. Firstly, the pinhole imaging strategy is used to enable the Harris' hawks to approach the optimal solution faster and accelerate convergence. Secondly, the spiral parameter is introduced into the exploration phase to help the searching paths of the Harris' hawks more diverse and improve the global search ability of the algorithm. Finally, the greedy strategy of the aquila optimization algorithm and the position update strategy of the flower pollination optimization algorithm are embedded in the exploitation stage to make the algorithm jump out of local optimum effectively. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed MHHO algorithm, it is compared with the classical HHO algorithm and 16 other state-of-the-art algorithms, and extensively tested on 23 well-known benchmark functions, the IEEE CEC2017 test sets, and three complex constrained engineering optimization problems. The test results show that MHHO achieves the top ranking on both the benchmark functions and the CEC2017 test sets, demonstrating its superior performance in terms of faster convergence speed and higher accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the changes in apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) within incrementally-increased margins beyond the gross tumor volume (GTV) on post-operative radiation planning MRI and their prognostic utility in glioblastoma. Methods: Radiation planning MRIs of adult patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma from 2017 to 2020 were assessed. The ADC values were normalized to contralateral normal white matter (nADC). Using 1 mm isotropic incremental margin increases from the GTV, the nADC values were calculated at each increment. Age, ECOG performance status, extent of resection and MGMT promoter methylation status were obtained from medical records. Using univariate and multivariable Cox regression analysis, association of nADC to progression-free and overall survival (PFS, OS) was assessed at each increment. Results: Seventy consecutive patients with mean age of 53.6 ± 10.3 years, were evaluated. The MGMT promoter was methylated in 31 (44.3%), unmethylated in 36 (51.6%) and unknown in 3 (4.3%) patients. 11 (16%) underwent biopsy, 41 (44%) subtotal resection and 18 (26%) gross total resection. For each 1 mm increase in distance from GTV, the nADC decreased by 0.16% (p < 0.0001). At 1–5 mm increment, the nADC was associated with OS (p < 0.01). From 6 to 11 mm increment the nADC was associated with OS with the p-value gradually increasing from 0.018 to 0.046. nADC was not associated with PFS. Conclusion: The nADC values at 1–11 mm increments from the GTV margin were associated with OS. Future prospective multicenter studies are needed to validate the findings and to pave the way for the utilization of ADC for margin reduction in radiation planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The whale optimization algorithm (WOA) is a simple structured and easily implemented swarm-based algorithm inspired by the unique bubble-net feeding method of humpback whales. Past studies have shown that WOA performs well in a number of optimization problems. However, it is difficult for WOA to completely free itself from the problems of insufficient convergence accuracy and premature convergence when solving global optimization problems. To address these issues, a hybrid whale optimization algorithm based on symbiotic strategy (HWOAMS) is proposed in this paper. The main idea of the proposed method is to combine the improved symbiotic organisms search algorithm (SOS) with the whale optimization algorithm thus enhancing the search ability of WOA. First, an improved symbiotic phase based on Lévy flight and chaos strategy is introduced into the exploration process to enhance the global search capability; Second, an improved mutualism phase based on Brownian motion is used instead of the original shrinking encircling phase to achieve better local exploitation. Third, an improved parasitic phase based on a modified global optimal spiral operator strategy is embedded in the spiral updating position phase to help the algorithm further improve the exploitation efficiency and convergence accuracy. Finally, a global search strategy is proposed to help the algorithm better balance exploration and exploitation. To establish the effectiveness of the new algorithm, extensive simulation experiments are conducted on HWOAMS using the classical function test set, the CEC 2019 function set and four classical engineering problems. Numerical evaluation results indicate that HWOAMS outperforms 18 other algorithms in terms of local optimum avoidance ability and convergence accuracy in a majority of cases, and has better search performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In deep neural networks, the generalization is a vital evaluation metric. As it contributes to avoid over-fitting, Dropout plays an important role in improving the generalization of deep neural networks. Without fully utilizing the training data and the real-time performance of the networks, traditional Dropout and its variants lack of specificity in the selection of inactivated neurons and the planning of dropout rates, resulting in a weaker performance in enhancing the generalization. Therefore, this paper offers an improved Dropout method. As both the training data and the real-time performance of networks can be quantified by the loss, the method uses the loss of the network prediction to guide the selection of inactivated neurons and the determination of dropout rates. The selection is performed by the genetic algorithm, while the results of the selection are used to plan the dropout rate. In essence, this approach encourages the subset of neurons with the higher loss to be trained so as to increase the robustness of neurons and thus improves the generalization of networks. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method achieves better generalization on MiniImageNet and Caltech-256 datasets. Compared with the backbone network, the accuracy improves from 66.56% to 72.95%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the world's food safety and environmental safety problems become increasingly severe, the agricultural sectors of various countries are also paying closer attention to the use of biofertilizers and biocontrol agents. Rhizosphere bacteria are a significant source of commonly used biofertilizers and biocontrol agents. This study aims to describe the genome and genomic traits of a biocontrol agent in the genus Bacillus. In this paper, a strain of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens IBFCBF-5 was isolated and identified to have an inhibitory effect on several common oomycete and fungal pathogens Phytophthora capsica, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, and Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cucumerinum. The genome of strain IBFCB-5 was sequenced, and the assembled genome was 4,338,658 bp, with a G + C content of 46.05%. The IBFCBF-5 genome contains abundant GH, GT, CE, PL, AA, and CBM gene families, potentially degrading cellulose and hemicellulose, chitin, starch, xylan, peptidoglycan, etc. In addition, 14 lipopeptide and polypeptide antibiotic gene clusters were found in IBFCBF-5, including those coding for the synthesis of several known antifungal and antibacterial compounds Fengycin, Bacilysin, Bacillibactin, and Plantazolicin. Our results show that Bacillus amyloliquefaciens IBFCBF-5 has a broad-spectrum antifungal ability and that its genome contains many genes coding for enzymes involved in the synthesis of antimicrobial metabolites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Satellite communication has the characteristics of wide coverage and large communication capacity, and is not easily affected by land disasters. It is quite suitable as a supplement to terrestrial communication networks and has been widely used in education, navigation, emergency relief, military, etc. However, due to the openness of the channel of satellite communication systems, satellite communication signals are easily eavesdropped on by eavesdroppers. This greatly threatens the privacy and security of countries and individuals. Covert satellite communication can effectively improve the covertness of satellite communication systems and greatly reduce the probability of detection by eavesdroppers. So, it has attracted more and more attention. In addition, with the development of artificial intelligence (AI), AI has been applied in many technics of covert satellite communication, which has achieved higher reliability and stronger concealment in covert satellite communication systems. The research status of key technics in covert satellite communication is discussed in this study, and the applications of AI in covert satellite communication are shown. Finally, future research directions of covert satellite communication are looked forward to. In the future, covert satellite communication technology will be an indispensable part of satellite communication systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electric double layer capacitors (EDLCs) as promising electrical energy storage devices are faced with thermal management issues, which concern the performance and lifetime of the devices. Heat transfer at the solid-liquid interface has a crucial impact on the thermal management of EDLCs. In this work, the interfacial thermal resistance (Kapitza resistance) of the interface between ionic liquid (IL) and graphite electrode is determined, and the heat transfer resistance in the uncharged/charged system with different temperatures is investigated via molecular dynamics simulations. It is found that Kapitza resistance near the negative-charged interface decreases by 23% compared to that in the uncharged system, while the temperature effect on Kapitza resistance is little in our simulation. The unique ion layer structure of ILs formed at the interface may influence the thermal transport performance. Simulations are performed to investigate the effects of surface charge and working temperature on the heat transfer resistance of interfacial ILs from three aspects: ionic spacing, inter-ion interaction, and heat capacity. With the influence of surface charge, ionic spacing in the electric double layer is found to decrease while the inter-ion interaction and heat capacity increase, leading to the reduction in thermal resistance of interfacial ILs. However, rising temperature has small effects on the three thermal properties, with a slight tendency to increase the thermal resistance of ILs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hetero-chitooligosaccharide (HTCOS) is a naturally occurring biopolymer in the exoskeleton of crustaceans and insects. Although some studies have been carried out on HTCOS in inducing plant resistance and promoting growth, the molecular mechanism of HTCOS in plants is not clear. In this study, an integrated analysis of metabolomics and transcriptomics was performed to analyze the response of Brassica napus to hetero-chitooligosaccharides treatment. The levels of 26 metabolites in B. napus were significantly changed under the HTCOS treatment. Amongst these metabolites, 9 metabolites were significantly up-regulated, including pentonic acid, indole-3-acetate, and γ-aminobutyric acid. Transcriptome data showed that there were 817 significantly up-regulated genes and 1064 significantly down-regulated genes in B. napus under the HTCOS treatment. Interestingly, the indole-3-acetate (IAA) content under the HTCOS treatment was about five times higher than that under the control condition. Moreover, four genes related to plant hormone signal transduction, three AUX/IAA genes, and one ARF gene, were significantly up-regulated under the HTCOS treatment. Furthermore, the plant height, branching number, and biomass of B. napus under the HTCOS treatment were significantly increased compared to that in the control condition. This evidence indicated that the HTCOS treatment contributed to accumulating the content of plant hormone IAA in the B. napus, up-regulating the expression of key genes in the signaling pathway of plant growth and improving the agronomic traits of B. napus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemical looping reforming (CLR) provides a viable process intensification approach for clean and efficient syngas production from carbonaceous fuel with inherent gas–gas separation. The rational design of metal oxide-based oxygen carriers and the scale-up of associated CLR reactor systems play important roles in CLR process development. This review first introduces the concept and advantages of CLR as well as its historical development. The process fundamentals, including basic schemes, reaction stoichiometry, thermodynamics, kinetics and reactor system design, are reviewed. The integral approach for CLR process development is illustrated, showing that the design and compatibility of oxygen carriers and reactor systems are critical for CLR performance. The reaction principle during the reduction of oxygen carriers is discussed, followed by strategies for improving the redox reactivity and stability. We further review and discuss the latest exciting advances on this subject with the purpose of illustrating factors that govern fundamental mechanisms in the redox reaction chemistry of oxygen carriers and their design principles for sustained chemical looping reactor applications. It is expected that these new advances will inspire more effective oxygen carriers and efficient reactor systems for the development and deployment of various CLR processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hypoxia-mediated radioresistance is a major reason for the adverse radiotherapy outcome of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in clinical, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are still obscure.Methods: Cellular and exosomal ANGPTL4 proteins under different oxygen status were examined. Colony survival, lipid peroxidation and hallmark proteins were employed to determine the correlation between ferroptosis and radioresistance. Gene regulations, western blot and xenograft models were used to explore the underlying mechanisms of the role of ANGPTL4 in radioresistance.Results: ANGPTL4 had a much higher level in hypoxic NSCLC cells compared to normoxic cells. Up- or down- regulation of ANGPTL4 positively interrelated to the radioresistance of NSCLC cells and xenograft tumours. GPX4-elicited ferroptosis suppression and lipid peroxidation decrease were authenticated to be involved in the hypoxia-induced radioresistance. ANGPTL4 encapsulated in the exosomes from hypoxic cells was absorbed by neighbouring normoxic cells, resulting in radioresistance of these bystander cells in a GPX4-dependent manner, which was diminished when ANGPTL4 was downregulated in the donor exosomes.Conclusion: Hypoxia-induced ANGPTL4 rendered radioresistance of NSCLC through at least two parallel pathways of intracellular ANGPTL4 and exosomal ANGPTL4, suggesting that ANGPTL4 might applicable as a therapeutic target to improve the therapeutic efficacy of NSCLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To provide evidence towards a quantitative response assessment framework incorporating MRI-based linear measurements for spinal metastasis that predicts outcome following stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT). Methods: Adult patients with de novo spinal metastases treated with SBRT between 2008 and 2018 were retrospectively assessed. The metastatic lesions involving the pedicles, articular processes, lamina, transverse process, spinous process and vertebral body at leach level were measured separately using linear measurements on pre- and all post-SBRT MRIs. The outcome was segment-specific progression (SSP) using SPINO guidelines which was dated to the first clinical documentation of progression, or the date of the associated MRI if imaging was the reason for progression. Random forest analysis for variable selection and recursive partitioning analysis for SSP probability prediction were used. Results: Five Hundred Ninety-three spinal levels (323 patients) from 4081 MRIs were evaluated. The appearance of new T1 hypointensity and increase in Bilsky grade had an odds ratio (OR) of 33.5 and 15.5 for SSP, respectively. Compared to baseline, an increase of > 3 mm in any lesion dimension, combined with a 1.67-fold increase in area, had an OR of 4.6 for SSP. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, balanced accuracy and area under the curve of the training model were 96.7%, 89.6%, 28.6%, 99.8%, 93.2% and 0.905 and of the test model were 91.3%, 89.3%, 27.1% 99.6%, 90.3% and 0.933, respectively. Conclusion: With further refinement and validation in prospective multicentre studies, MRI-based linear measurements can help predict response assessment in SBRT-treated spinal metastases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a Bragg reflector is proposed by placing periodic metallic gratings in the center of a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) waveguide. According to the effective refractive index modulation caused by different waveguide widths in a period, a reflection channel with a large bandwidth is firstly achieved. Besides, the Mach-Zehnder interference (MZI) effect arises by shifting the gratings away from the waveguide center. Owing to different optical paths with unequal indices on both sides of the grating, a narrow MZI band gap will be obtained. It is interesting to find out that the Bragg reflector and Mach-Zehnder interferometer are immune to each other, and their wavelengths can be manipulated by the period and the grating length, respectively. Additionally, we can obtain three MZI channels and one Bragg reflection channel by integrating three different gratings into a large period. The performances are investigated by finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations. In the index range of 1.33–1.36, the maximum sensitivity for the structure is as high as 1 500 nm/RIU, and it is believed that this proposed structure can find widely applications in the chip-scale optical communication and sensing areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Epistaxis after radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a common clinical critical illness, which often leads to death of patients. This article focuses on the relationship between massive epistaxis and pseudoaneurysm after radiotherapy in patients with NPC and discusses clinically relevant treatment strategies. Methods: A review was performed in 21 patients with massive epistaxis after radiotherapy for NPC from January 2011 to December 2019, and all of the patients were examined by computed tomography angiography (CTA). We also reviewed the English literature over the past 10 years to analyze the characteristics and related causes of pseudoaneurysms in terms of the clinical stage of NPC, course of radiotherapy, and affected artery. An analysis was performed on the methods of endovascular interventional treatment of such pseudoaneurysms. Results: Among the 21 patients, 19 cases had bone destruction of the skull base; 13 cases were also found to have tumor recurrence; 15 cases were in stage III or IV of NPC; pseudoaneurysms were observed in 14 cases, of which nine cases had pseudoaneurysms in the internal carotid artery (ICA), and the rest had pseudoaneurysms in the external carotid artery (ECA). These data were consistent with the results of the literature review. Analysis with imaging revealed that the petrous ICA was the common predilection site. There were 11 out of 14 cases of pseudoaneurysms with sentinel hemorrhage in the initial phase. All 14 pseudoaneurysm patients underwent endovascular interventional therapy, but one died from hemorrhagic shock during the procedure. No rebleeding was observed among the other patients during 72 h after intravascular treatment. Nevertheless, regrettably two patients died on the 10th and 17th days after intervention. Conclusion: Pseudoaneurysm, which was a serious complication after radiotherapy in patients with NPC, could cause massive epistaxis with high mortality. The formation of a pseudoaneurysm was closely associated with a high carcinoma stage, re-radiotherapy, and local bone destruction and infection. Most cases had sentinel epistaxis, which was considered the bleeding characteristic. The imaging material prompted that pseudoaneurysm had a predisposition to the petrous part of the ICA, while the preferred therapy was endovascular embolization treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, computer simulation technology was used to design the pre-polymerization system of Tebuconazole Molecularly Imprinted Polymer (TBZ-MIPs). The simulation results illustrated that the best functional monomer was MAA, the polymerization solvent was acetonitrile, and the ratio of TBZ to MAA was 1:3. Thermodynamic analysis showed that the self-assembly process of TBZ-MAA was a non-spontaneous endothermic reaction, and the appropriate pre-polymerization temperature was 30 ℃. Based on the computer simulation results, the TBZ-MIPs nanospheres were prepared by precipitation polymerization with TBZ as template molecule, MAA as functional monomer, EGDMA as crosslinking agent, AIBN as initiator, and acetonitrile as solvent. The nanospheres had a uniform particle size, and the average diameter was 188.83 nm. Adsorption experiments indicated that the TBZ-MIPs had good specific adsorption capacity for TBZ and its structural analogs, the maximum dynamic adsorption capacity could reach to 1.8 mg/g in 60 min. Further, the TBZ-MIPs nanospheres were used as the filler of the solid phase extraction tube to pretreat the tobacco samples, and the method of TBZ-MISPE-UHPLC-MS/MS was established to detect trace tebuconazole, myclobutanil and triadimenol in tobacco leaves simultaneously. Their average recovery rates and RSD were 70.5% ~ 110.17%, and 0.78% ~ 12.71% (n = 3) respectively, which realized trace detection of triazole fungicides in tobacco leaves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This retrospective study investigated the association between the pattern of disease progression and molecular mechanism of acquired resistance in a large cohort of 49 patients with ROS1-rearranged advanced non-small-cell lung cancer treated with first-line crizotinib. We found that treatment-emergent ROS1 point mutations were the major molecular mechanism of crizotinib resistance, particularly for patients who developed extracranial-only disease progression. Our findings highlight the importance of rebiopsy and gene testing for subsequent-line therapeutic management. [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.)

Objectives: This study was to investigate clinical applicability of diffusion spectrum imaging (DSI) for quantitative detection of visual pathway abnormalities to predict the degree of visual field defects (VFD) in patients with pituitary adenomas. Methods: Sixty-five patients with pituitary adenomas and 33 healthy controls underwent conventional MRI and DSI scanning that allowed high-angular-resolution fiber tracking. Optic chiasmal compression and VFD were confirmed in all patients via radiological and neuro-ophthalmological examinations. Quantitative assessments of chiasmal lift, VFD, and DSI parameters from the optic nerve, optic tract, and optic radiation were performed. Group comparisons and correlation analyses were conducted in patients and controls. Using the 5-fold cross-validation method, the support vector machine classifiers were constructed to predict the degree of visual defects. Results: The mean values of quantitative anisotropy and generalized fractional anisotropy in optic nerve and optic tract showed significant differences between patients and controls (p < 0.05). These parameters were also significantly correlated with the chiasmal lift distance and degree of visual defects (p < 0.05). All patients were divided into mild (n = 42) and severe (n = 23) VFD groups, using the mean deviation value of −8 dB as the threshold. The classifiers achieved an accuracy of 0.83, sensitivity of 0.78, and specificity of 0.86 to discriminate patients with mild and severe visual defects. Conclusions: Using high-angular-resolution fiber tracking, DSI may provide quantitative information to detect visual pathway abnormalities and be a potential diagnostic tool for determining the degree of visual field defects in pituitary adenomas. Key Points: • Abnormal QA and GFA values of optic nerve and optic tract in adenoma patients • Close relationship between DSI parameters and VFD degree in adenoma patients • The classifiers achieved an accuracy of 0.83, sensitivity of 0.78, and specificity of 0.86 to discriminate patients with mild and severe VFD [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of anlotinib combined with programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) blockade for the treatment of small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) and non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Patients and methods: SCLC (n = 28) and NSCLC (n = 177) patients who received treatment at Hunan Cancer Hospital between June 1, 2019, and July 1, 2020, were retrospectively analyzed. Progression-free survival (PFS) and treatment responses were compared among patients who received combination therapy of anlotinib plus PD-1 inhibitor, or monotherapy of either chemotherapy or PD-1 inhibitor. Independent prognostic factors were identified by Cox regression analysis. Results: Patients with relapsed SCLC who received anlotinib plus PD-1 inhibitor as a ≥ second-line therapy (n = 14) had a significantly longer PFS than those who received PD-1 inhibitor alone (n = 14, 5.0 vs. 3.0 months; P = 0.005). For patients with previously untreated wild-type NSCLC, the combination therapy in the first-line setting (n = 6) provided a marginally longer PFS than mono-chemotherapy (n = 6, 8.0 vs. 3.0 months; P = 0.075). For patients with relapsed NSCLC, the combination therapy in the ≥ second-line setting (n = 62) resulted in significantly higher objective response rate (19.3 vs. 5.0 vs. 2.4%; P = 0.013) and longer PFS (8.0 vs. 2.0 vs. 2.0 months; P <0.001) as compared to monotherapy of either chemotherapy (n = 41) or PD-1 inhibitor (n = 62). Anlotinib and PD-1 blockade combination therapy was an independent predictive factor of longer PFS (P <0.001). Conclusion: The combination of anlotinib and PD-1 inhibitor has promising efficacy and manageable toxicity as a second- or later-line treatment of relapsed NSCLC and possibly for relapsed SCLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the prevalence of burnout and its association with quality of life (QOL) among psychiatric nurses in China.Ten psychiatric hospitals were included. Burnout and QOL were measured using standardized instruments. Altogether, 1449 nurses completed the assessment. The mean scores of emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalization (DP) and personal accomplishment (PA) were 11.87 (SD = 6.72), 6.98 (SD = 5.71) and 22.06 (SD = 8.67), respectively. Of the participants, 59.8% (95% CI: 57–62%) experienced burnout; with 23.3% (95% CI: 21–25%) in EE, 14.6% (95% CI: 13–16%) in DP and 45.1% (95% CI: 43–48%) in PA. Psychiatric nurses who reported burnout had lower QOL in social (F (1, 1448) = 86.20, P < 0.001), physical (F (1, 1448) = 170.46, P < 0.001), psychological (F (1, 1448) = 205.63, P < 0.001), and environmental (F (1, 1448) = 120.24, P < 0.001) domains. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that alcohol users (P = 0.04; OR = 1.29, 95%CI: 1.01–1.64 in model 1 and P = 0.03; OR = 1.32, 95%CI: 1.04–1.69 in model 2) were significantly more susceptible to burnout, while senior nurses (P = 0.007; OR = 0.70, 95%CI: 0.53–0.91) and nurses with longer work experience (P = 0.02; OR = 0.70, 95%CI: 0.53–0.91) were less likely to develop burnout. Burnout is common in psychiatric nurses in China. In light of its negative impact on health and QOL, there is an urgent need for regular screening as well as effective preventive measures and interventions to reduce burnout within this at-risk occupational group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potassium-ion batteries (KIBs) are promising electrochemical energy storage systems because of their low cost and high energy density. However, practical exploitation of KIBs is hampered by the lack of high-performance cathode materials. Here we report a potassium manganese hexacyanoferrate (K2Mn[Fe(CN)6]) material, with a negligible content of defects and water, for efficient high-voltage K-ion storage. When tested in combination with a K metal anode, the K2Mn[Fe(CN)6]-based electrode enables a cell specific energy of 609.7 Wh kg−1 and 80% capacity retention after 7800 cycles. Moreover, a K-ion full-cell consisting of graphite and K2Mn[Fe(CN)6] as anode and cathode active materials, respectively, demonstrates a specific energy of 331.5 Wh kg−1, remarkable rate capability, and negligible capacity decay for 300 cycles. The remarkable electrochemical energy storage performances of the K2Mn[Fe(CN)6] material are attributed to its stable frameworks that benefit from the defect-free structure. Potassium-ion battery is a promising candidate for post-Li-ion energy storage but the lack of cathode materials hinders practical exploitation. Here the authors investigate defect-free potassium manganese hexacyanoferrate as cathode active material for high energy and long lifespan K-based cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing cognitive behaviour therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) monotherapy with active control treatment for insomnia in patients with medical or psychiatric comorbidities. Both international (PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library) and Chinese (WanFang, and CNKI) databases were systematically searched. The random effects model was used. Thirteen RCTs comparing CBT-I (n = 441) and active controls (n = 412) groups were included. CBT-I group showed significant advantage over active controls at post-treatment assessment in terms of Insomnia Severity Index (ISI; SMD = -0.74), sleep onset latency (SMD = -0.36), wake after sleep onset (SMD = -0.21), sleep quality (SMD = 0.56), Pittsburgh sleep quality index total scores (PSQI; SMD = -0.76) and the total score of dysfunctional beliefs and attitudes about sleep scale (DBAS; SMD = -1.09). Subgroup analyses revealed significant improvement in sleep onset latency in patients with psychiatric disorders (SMD = -0.45), while significant reduction of number of wakeup after sleep onset was found in patients with medical conditions (SMD = -0.31). This meta-analysis found that CBT-I monotherapy had greater efficacy than other active control treatment for insomnia in patients with medical or psychiatric comorbidities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to explore the differences in VERDICT parameters for normal prostatic tissues among different regions and age groups. Materials and methods: In total, 31 male volunteers were included in the study. Vascular, extracellular and restricted diffusion for cytometry in tumors (VERDICT) model parameters (fIC, intracellular volume fraction; fEES, extracellular-extravascular space fraction; and fVASC, vascular fraction) were calculated based on the whole prostate volume and the peripheral zone (PZ), central gland (CG) and anterior fibromuscular stroma (AS) regions of interest (ROIs). Agreement between two readers was determined by calculating the intraclass correlation coefficient. Two-way ANOVA was used to identify significant differences among age groups and regions within the prostate. Age-related and area-related changes in these parameters were assessed using Spearman's correlation coefficients. Results: There were differences in the parameters among regions of the prostate (P < 0.05). In the PZ, there was a negative correlation between age and fIC (r = − 0.66, P < 0.001, adjusted P < 0.001), and age was positively correlated with fEES (r = 0.69, P < 0.001, adjusted P < 0.001) but had no correlation with fVASC. In the CG ROI, there was a positive correlation between age and fEES (r = 0.56, P < 0.001, adjusted P < 0.001) but no correlation between age and fVASC, similar to the results for the PZ. There were no correlations between age and VERDICT parameters in the AS. Conclusion: VERDICT parameters vary among different regions of the prostate and correlate with age. These findings are in agreement with histological theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reducing sediment is important for the utilization and production of green tea infusion and concentrate. The effect of tannase on sediment formation in green tea infusion and concentrate was investigated. The results showed that the amount of sediment of green tea infusion significantly decreased after tannase treatment, which was due to the decrease in the concentration of gallated catechins. Significant positive correlations between the sediment amount and the gallated catechin (r = 0.980, p < 0.01) concentration were found. The formation of sediment in green tea infusion was significantly influenced by the tannase concentration and hydrolysis time. 0.5 mg/mL tannase concentration, 120 min hydrolysis time, and 35 °C hydrolysis temperature were found to be the optimized hydrolysis parameters for reducing the sediment. Tannase treatment not only lowered the amount of sediment of green tea concentrate (74.63%), but it also improved the taste quality of green tea concentrate after storage. These results could be used to improve the quality and utilization of green tea infusion and concentrate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In view of the fact that the effects of channel noise are inevitable but easily ignored, we come up with two controlled quantum dialogue(CQD) protocols based on logical Brown states, which are against collective-dephasing and collective-rotation noises, respectively. Compared with existing protocols, there exist several outstanding advantages: firstly, Brown states, as the quantum resource, are the maximally entangled five-qubit states, which own stronger entanglement than GHZ states, W states and cluster states; secondly, the specific quantum circuits are designed to explain how two kinds of logical Brown states, to be strongly against collective noise, are constructed in theory; thirdly, the controller can be offline after quantum resource distribution and permission announcement such that his/her waiting time is effectively reduced; and fourthly, the security analysis manifests that our proposed protocols can not only eliminate the information leakage, but also resist against various well-known attacks, especially the dishonest controller's attacks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 6-10B-Flot-2 cells achieved a comparable Flot-2 expression level to that in 5-8F cells. 6-10B-Flot-2 cells exhibited a similar microfilament distribution pattern to 5-8F cells, consisting of a high-density distribution of microfilaments on the cell surface, which precedes the formation of conspicuous lamellipodia and membrane ruffles. (B) Semi-quantitative RT-PCR and Western blotting were used to detect Flot-2 expression in 6-10B-Flot-2 cells. [Extracted from the article]

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Based on the traditional hydraulic bulging process, an improved hydraulic bulging process with axial feeding in the bulging process was proposed. The finite element simulation and experiment of bellows formed by the traditional and improved hydraulic bulging processes were conducted. The grid strain measurement system analysis results of strain and wall thickness distribution of the metal bellows, obtained from simulation and experiment, show that the maximum thinning rates of the wall thickness under the traditional and improved processes were 15% and 10%, respectively. And the wall thickness distribution of the metal bellows formed with improved process was more uniform. The strain values from the root to crown of the waveform increased gradually. However, the strain values were smaller than those of traditional process due to the axial feeding of the improved process in bulging process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is one of the most common types of arrhythmias and often leads to clinical complications. The objectives of this study were to offer insights into the metabolites of AF and to determine biomarkers for AF diagnosis or prediction. Sixty atrial appendage samples (AF group: 30; non-AF group: 30) and 163 plasma samples (AF group: 48; non-AF group: 115) from 49 AF patients and 116 non-AF patients were subjected to liquid chromatography positive ion electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) metabolomics analysis. Consequently, 24 metabolites in atrial appendage samples and 24 metabolites in plasma samples were found to reflect metabolic differences between AF and non-AF patients (variable importance in projection (VIP) ≥ 1, P ≤ 0.05). Five identical metabolites including creatinine, D-glutamic acid, choline, hypoxanthine, and niacinamide (VIP ≥ 1.5, P < 0.01, FDR < 0.05) in atrial appendage and plasma samples were considered prominent features of AF patients, and the D-glutamine and D-glutamate metabolic pathway was also identified as a feature of AF patients. Finally, in plasma samples, the combination of D-glutamic acid, creatinine, and choline had an AUC value of 0.927 (95% CI: 0.875–0.979, P < 0.001) and displayed 90.5% sensitivity and 83.3% specificity; this group of metabolites was thus defined as a combinational biomarker for the recognition of AF and non-AF patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to investigate the antimicrobial activity and mechanisms of Nα-lauroyl arginate ethyl ester (LAE) against Penicillium digitatum and Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum. The minim inhibitory concentrations of LAE against P. digitatum and P. carotovorum were found to be 400 and 25 μg/ml, respectively. Loss of intracellular protein and nucleic acid increased significantly, and membrane permeability reached 76.28, 54.29 and 85.20%, respectively, when 400 μg/ml of LAE was applied to the hyphae and spores of P. digitatum and to P. carotovorum. Flow cytometry showed that LAE reduced the membrane potential, and the depolarization ratios of P. digitatum and P. carotovorum were 98.19 and 97.25% (P < 0.05), respectively. Transmission electron microscopy photos revealed that LAE caused a rough surface, irregular cellular organelles, protoplast shrinkage, intracytoplasmic coagulation and empty cavities in all three cell types. These results showed that LAE had notable ability to damage the structure of fungal and bacterial cells, making it a possible alternative chemical for use in the preservation of fruits and vegetables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Severe lesions along with black spots on tea leaves were observed in the commercial tea plantations located in Chongqing district of China during the April to July of 2015. The pathogens isolated from diseased tea leaves matched the morphological characteristics of Alternaria alternata that were rarely found on tea plant [Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze] in all the tea-growing countries worldwide. The characteristics of A. alternata were further confirmed by both pathogenicity tests and multi-gene phylogenetic analyses derived from internal transcribed spacer (ITS), glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) and beta-tubulin (β-tubulin). The combination of ITS, GAPDH and β-tubulin was more useful for delimitation in the genus Alternaria than any single gene region. Pathogenicity tests conducted on healthy tea leaves showed typical leaf spot symptoms, confirming the role of all the A. alternata isolates as the causal agent of leaf spot disease on tea plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Titanium alloy Ti-3Al-2.5V is cheaper to produce and has the potential of improved ductility and formability compared to the Ti-6Al-4V alloy. Various heat treatments were performed on cylindrical tensile test bars in order to optimize the mechanical properties of Ti-3Al-2.5V. The tensile properties of heat-treated Ti-3Al-2.5V were determined at four annealing temperatures with different quenching methods and five different solution treatments and five different aging treatments for varying hours. The samples were tensile tested. The results indicated that optimum properties of high strength and ductility were reached at 926 °C of solution treatment and 480 °C of aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interactive visualization has become a valuable tool in visual exploration of scientific data. One prerequisite and fundamental issue is how to infer three-dimensional information through users' two-dimensional input. Existing approaches commonly build on the hypothesis that user input is precise, which is sometimes invalid because of multiple causes like data noise, limited resolution of display devices and users' casual input. In this paper, we reconsider some design choices of previous methods and propose an alternative effective algorithm for inferring interaction position in scientific data, especially volume data exploration. Our method automatically assists user interaction with the defined saliency. The presented saliency integrates data value, corresponding transfer function and user input. The result saliency implies remarkable regions of raw data as existing methods. Moreover, it reflects the areas of users' concern. Thirdly, it eliminates the errors from data and device, helping users get the region they focus on. Various experiments have verified that our method can reasonably refine user interaction and effectively help users access interested features. Graphical Abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Loss of deleted in liver cancer-1 (DLC-1) can induce apoptosis and inhibit the mobility, migration and metastasis in several cancers. Previously, we revealed that ectopic expression of DLC-1 can suppress proliferation, mobility, migration and tumorigenesis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). However, the molecular mechanisms accounting for the roles of DLC-1 in NPC are still obscure. In the present work, we attempted to study and uncover the mechanisms underlying the functions of DLC-1 in NPC. The apoptosis of 5-8F-DLC-1 cells, established previously, was analyzed by mitochondrial membrane potentials assay and flow cytometer analysis. And the antibodies involving pathways such as mitochondrial-associated apoptosis, epithelial mesenchymal transition and metastasis were applied to detect and compare the expression level of targeted proteins. The obvious apoptosis of 5-8F-DLC-1 cells was observed reflected by mitochondrial depolarization and lower ratio in cell viability. Subsequently, the activation of mitochondrial apoptosis was verified by the increased expressions of Bax, Apaf1, cleave-caspases and cleave-PARP, etc, and the decreased expressions of Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, Mcl-1, Survivin, etc, in 5-8F-DLC-1 cells. Then, the inhibited epithelial mesenchymal transition of 5-8F-DLC-1 cells was validated by upregulated expression of E-cadherin and downregulated expression of N-cadherin, Snail, Vimentin. Subsequently, downregulated expressions of proteins such as FAK, RhoA, ROCK1 and cdc25 related to cell adhesion and cytoskeleton organization were also observed. And expressions of MMPs were inhibited in 5-8F-DLC-1 cells. At last, the inhibited activity of EGFR/Akt/NF-κB axis was revealed by the decreased expressions of phosho-EGFR, phosho-Akt, phosho-p38MAPK, phosho-IKKα and phosho-p65. Here, we systematically explored the mechanisms underlying the negative roles of DLC-1 in NPC cells. For the first time, we confirmed that the ectopic expression DLC-1 can induce mitochondrial apoptosis, inhibit EMT and related processes by targeting the EGFR/Akt/NF-κB pathway, which, beyond all doubt, offered beneficial guidelines for other studies and laid a good foundation for its clinical applications ultimately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]