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Clinical relevance: The association between myopia and body stature is of great significance for understanding prevention and control of myopia. It has been extensively studied in previous studies but without consistent conclusions. Background: The aim of this study is to investigate the association between body stature and prevalence of reduced visual acuity in high school graduates in Hangzhou, China. Methods: 50,620 high school graduates who finished the physical examination of the national college entrance examination in 2020 were included. Data were derived from the database of physical examination of the national college entrance examination. Height and weight were measured, and body mass index (BMI) was calculated according to the general formula. Visual acuity was measured by the standard logarithmic visual acuity chart. Results: The prevalence of reduced visual acuity was 90.38% in high school graduates. Girls had a higher prevalence of reduced visual acuity than boys (93.07% vs 87.60%, P < 0.001). Boys with normal visual acuity were significantly taller (P < 0.001) and heavier (P < 0.001) than those with reduced visual acuity. Girls with normal visual acuity were significantly taller than those with reduced visual acuity (P < 0.001). The prevalence of reduced visual acuity was significantly inversely associated with height in both boys (P < 0.001) and girls (P < 0.001). The risk of reduced visual acuity was the lowest in the fourth quartile of height. The prevalence of reduced visual acuity was significantly associated with BMI only in boys (P < 0.001). The risk of reduced visual acuity was the lowest in the third quartile of BMI. Conclusions: The prevalence of reduced visual acuity was inversely associated with height in both boys and girls, and there was a U-shaped association with BMI only in boys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asphalt pavement surface texture is the main factor affecting pavement function. Reconstruction of the asphalt pavement surface texture is needed to accurately reveal its evolutionary characteristics for pavement performance and quality evaluation. To reconstruct an optimised 3D model of the asphalt pavement surface texture and to study its evolutionary properties, digital image processing technique and accelerated pavement testing system were used. First, the asphalt pavement surface texture 3D model optimised by three camera parameters and their thresholds. Next, the accelerated pavement testing system simulated traffic loadings on dense-gradation asphalt mixtures to investigate the pavement surface texture evolution properties. Finally, predictive models are developed for the asphalt pavement surface texture evolution. Results show that the optimised pavement texture 3D model resembles actual pavement structure. The surface texture evolutionary characteristics of asphalt pavement can be divided into three periods and six stages. The evolution model can accurately characterise the evolution of the surface texture of asphalt pavement. Abbreviations: MLS11: Accelerated pavement testing system; HP: Mean pixel difference; Df: Fractal Dimension; MTD: Mean Texture Depth; BPN: British Pendulum Number [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our study aimed to identify and verify G protein-related methylated genes in AIT patients, while also investigate those genes in AIT patients exposed to iodine in different water iodine areas. Different areas were classified by median water iodine (MWI) concentrations: Iodine-Fortified Areas (IFA, MWI<10µg/L), Iodine-Adequate Areas (IAA, 40≤MWI≤100 µg/L), and Iodine-Excessive Areas (IEA, MWI>100 µg/L). We studied 176 AIT cases and 176 controls, with 89, 40, and 47 pairs in IFA, IAA, and IEA, respectively. Using the Illumina Human Methylation 850k BeadChip, we identified candidate methylated genes. MethylTargetTM and QRT-PCR validated DNA methylation and mRNA expression. Results showed hypomethylation and high expression of RAB8A and RAP1A in all 176 AIT cases. RAB8A's CpG sites were mainly hypomethylated in IFA and IEA, while RAP1A's sites were primarily hypomethylated in IEA. This study underscores how water iodine exposure may influence RAB8A and RAP1A methylation in AIT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates the trajectory tracking control problem for wheeled mobile robot (WMR) subject to both velocity and torque constraints. Firstly, a more general model is established by considering the displacement between the centre of mass and the midpoint of the driving wheels of the WMR, based on which, a new bounded kinematic controller is proposed by combining the first-order filtering approach to keep the trajectory tracking error asymptotically stable. Then the dynamic controller is designed and the stability of the overall closed-loop system is proved by the Lyapunov stability theory and Barbalat's lemma. Some conditions are given to ensure that both the velocity constraints and torque constraints are satisfied. Finally, some numerical examples are given to show the effectiveness and advantages of the method proposed in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Opioids are commonly used for perioperative analgesia, yet children still suffer high rates of severe post-surgical pain and opioid-related adverse effects. Persistent and severe acute surgical pain greatly increases the child's chances of chronic surgical pain, long-term opioid use, and opioid use disorder. Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols are often inadequate in treating a child's severe surgical pain. Research suggests that 'older' and longer-acting opioids such as methadone are providing better methods to treat acute post-surgical pain. Studies indicate that lower repetitive methadone doses can decrease the incidence of chronic persistent surgical pain (CPSP). Ongoing research explores genetic components influencing severe surgical pain, inadequate opioid analgesia, and opioid use disorder. This new genetic research coupled with better utilization of opioids in the perioperative setting provides hope in personalizing surgical pain management, reducing pain, opioid use, adverse effects, and helping the fight against the opioid pandemic. The opioid and analgesic pharmacogenomics approach can proactively 'tailor' a perioperative analgesic plan to each patient based on underlying polygenic risks. This transition from population-based knowledge of pain medicine to individual patient knowledge can transform acute pain medicine and greatly reduce the opioid epidemic's socioeconomic, personal, and psychological strains globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article employs the DCC-GARCH-based approach proposed by Gabauer (2020) to measure the connectedness of the cryptocurrency market, and whether the connectedness indexes became significantly different after China issued the regulatory ban in May 2021. The empirical finding suggests that the cryptocurrency market became significantly more interconnected after the ban was issued. Furthermore, we find that the net connectedness indexes of the majority of cryptocurrencies in the sample changed significantly after the ban. Among all the studied cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin is the largest net volatility receiver and Solana is the largest net volatility transmitter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article concentrates on the finite-time nonfragile distributed dissipative filtering issue for time-varying switched stochastic systems (SSSs) with state saturations over wireless sensor networks based on FlexRay communication protocol. To effectively deal with the resource restriction problem of the public communication network and energy consumption of the sensor nodes, the FlexRay communication protocol, including the Round-Robin protocol (RRP) and weighted try-once-discard protocol (WTODP), is introduced to schedule the data transmission of each sensor node. In addition, the phenomenon of randomly occurring gain variations (ROGVs) of filter parameters, characterised by the Bernoulli distributed random variables, is taken into consideration for the implementation of desired filter. A sufficient condition under the average dwell time (ADT) restriction is presented to guarantee the mean-square exponential stability and stochastically dissipative property of the augmented filtering error system (AFES) in a finite horizon. Moreover, the gains of the dissipativity-based filters are achieved by solving recursive linear matrix inequalities (RLMIs). Finally, an illustrative example is provided to exhibit the effectiveness of the designed filter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of Boulenophrys baishanzuensis (Anura: Megophryidae) was sequenced by the Illumina platform. The assembled circular mitogenome of B. baishanzuensis had a total length of 17,040 bp, with a GC content of 41.25%. It consisted of 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), two rRNA genes, 22 tRNA genes, and a D-loop region. The majority of the PCGs were encoded by the H-strand, while one PCG (nad6) and eight tRNA genes (tRNA-Gln, tRNA-Ala, tRNA-Asn, tRNA-Cys, tRNA-Tyr, tRNA-Ser2, tRNA-Glu, and tRNA-Pro) were encoded in the L-strand. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the newly sequenced species formed a clade with other Boulenophrys species, while the genus Boulenophrys itself formed a sister group with the genus Atympanophrys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the effect of different bladder filling states on positioning errors in radiotherapy for cervical cancer and obtain the reference range of bladder filling consistency during radiotherapy. Methods: Patients who underwent postoperative radiotherapy for cervical cancer in Nantong Tumor Hospital from October 2018 to December 2019 were selected. According to the bladder filling deviation, they were divided into group A1 (deviation < 20%) and group B1 (deviation ≥ 20%). The bladder filling variations of the two groups were compared with different positioning errors. Group A2 has a positioning error of <0.4 cm, and group B2 has a positioning error of ≥0.4 cm. The reference range of bladder filling consistency during radiotherapy is obtained by analyzing the composition ratio of different positioning errors of bladder filling deviation. Results: This study included 195 patients with cervical cancer. The error of longitudinal and vertical position in group B1 was significantly higher than that in group A1 (0.50 ± 0.34 vs. 0.26 ± 0.22 cm, p < 0.001, and 0.22 ± 0.17 vs. 0.16 ± 0.12 cm, p < 0.001). Compared with group B2, the absolute deviation of bladder filling in group A2 (54.1% ± 54.4% vs. 25.6% ± 22.7%, p < 0.001) was slight. The chi-square test showed significant differences in the proportion of the positioning state of different bladder filling forms (χ2 = 31.006, p < 0.001). In addition, there was a significant difference in the proportion of stability errors in patients with poor stability in different directions (χ2 = 118.551, p < 0.001). Conclusion: In patients with cervical cancer fixed in the supine position, a bladder capacity deviation <20% is easier to achieve excellent positioning with, and it can better control the positioning error of radiotherapy and ensure the positioning accuracy of dose distribution to the target area. It can also achieve good tumor treatment effects. This range can be used as a reference for bladder filling consistency in patients with cervical cancer undergoing radiotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduced a preparation method of microcapsules and tests its technical properties. And the survival behaviour of microcapsules in mixture was studied. Then, The influence of microcapsule dosage, mixture properties and healing environment on the mixture self-healing performance was investigated. Finally, the pavement performance of mixture containing microcapsules was studied. Results showed that the microcapsules possessed a smooth surface, a particle size of 14.3 μm, a core content of 85.39%, a hardness of 0.27 GPa, a Young's modulus of 2.49 GPa and good thermal stability. The survival rates of microcapsules were 81.93% and 72.38% at mixing temperature of 130°C and 160°C. Microcapsule dosage of 6%, dense suspension structure, smaller nominal particle size and porosity, large asphalt content, healing temperature of 40–50°C, the healing time of 12 h and dry environment were beneficial to the self-healing performance of the mixture containing microcapsules. After adding microcapsules, the water stability of mixture will decrease, but the high-temperature performance, low-temperature performance and water stability meet the needs of road use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pharmacological approach to treating gastrointestinal diseases is suffering from various challenges. Among such gastrointestinal diseases, ulcerative colitis manifests inflammation at the colon site specifically. Patients suffering from ulcerative colitis notably exhibit thin mucus layers that offer increased permeability for the attacking pathogens. In the majority of ulcerative colitis patients, the conventional treatment options fail in controlling the symptoms of the disease leading to distressing effects on the quality of life. Such a scenario is due to the failure of conventional therapies to target the loaded moiety into specific diseased sites in the colon. Targeted carriers are needed to address this issue and enhance the drug effects. Conventional nanocarriers are mostly readily cleared and have nonspecific targeting. To accumulate the desired concentration of the therapeutic candidates at the inflamed area of the colon, smart nanomaterials with responsive nature have been explored recently that include pH responsive, reactive oxygen species responsive (ROS), enzyme responsive and thermo – responsive smart nanocarrier systems. The formulation of such responsive smart nanocarriers from nanotechnology scaffolds has resulted in the selective release of therapeutic drugs, avoiding systemic absorption and limiting the undesired delivery of targeting drugs into healthy tissues. Recent advancements in the field of responsive nanocarrier systems have resulted in the fabrication of multi-responsive systems i.e. dual responsive nanocarriers and derivitization that has increased the biological tissues and smart nanocarrier's interaction. In addition, it has also led to efficient targeting and significant cellular uptake of the therapeutic moieties. Herein, we have highlighted the latest status of the responsive nanocarrier drug delivery system, its applications for on–demand delivery of drug candidates for ulcerative colitis, and the prospects are underpinned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many engineering problems involve optimizing a high-dimensional expensive black-box (HEB) design space. To solve such problems efficiently, a knowledge transfer (KT) assisted efficient global optimization (EGO) algorithm is proposed, called the KT-EGO, which extends the EGO algorithm for solving problems over higher dimensions (i.e.d>20). Specifically, the original design space is divided into several low-dimensional subset design spaces. More importantly, in order to extract information from the subset design spaces to accelerate the progress of full optimization, a surrogate-based data fusion strategy is proposed in the KT-EGO. And further, a searching strategy with an adaptive variable range is devised to enhance the exploitation of promising areas. To show the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm, it is compared against state-of-the-art algorithms over 12 benchmark functions and a 28-dimensional engineering optimization for the design of a compressor blade, which fully validates the effectiveness of the KT-EGO for solving HEB problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In China, conventional genetic testing methods can only detect common thalassemia variants. Accurate detection of rare thalassemia is crucial for clinical diagnosis, especially for children that need long-term blood transfusion. This study aims to explore the application value of third-generation sequencing (TGS) in the diagnosis of rare thalassemia in children with anemia. We enrolled 20 children with anemia, excluding from iron deficiency anemia (IDA). TGS was employed to identify both known and novel thalassemia genotypes, while sanger sequencing was used to confirm the novel mutation detected. Among the 20 samples, we identified 5 cases of rare thalassemia. These included β−4.9 (hg38,Chr11:5226187-5231089) at HBB gene, α−91(HBA2:c.*91delT), αCD30(HBA2:c.91-93delGAG), Chinese Gγ+(Aγδβ)0(NG_000007.3: g.48795-127698 del 78904) and delta – 77(T > C)(HBD:c.-127T>C). Notably, the –SEA/α−91α genotype associated with severe non-deletional hemoglobin H disease (HbH disease) has not been previously reported. Patients with genotypes β654/β−4.9 and –SEA/α−91α necessitate long-term blood transfusions, and those with the –SEA/αCD30α, Chinese Gγ+(Aγδβ)0 and delta thalassemia demonstrate mild anemia. TGS demonstrates promising potential as a diagnostic tool for suspected cases of rare thalassemia in children, especially those suspected to have transfusion-dependent thalassemia (TDT). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The clinical and genetic characteristics of a child with inherited bone marrow failure syndrome as prominent clinical manifestations and special facial features were analyzed, and the etiology and mechanism were explored in, combination with clinical practice. Methods: Blood samples and clinical information were collected separately from the proband and their biological parents. The pathogenic variant was verified using next-generation sequencing technology screening, and the candidate variable sites were confirmed by using Sanger sequencing among all members of the family. Results: A heterozygous nonsense mutation in exon 17 of KAT6A (NM_006766), c.4177G > T (p.E1393*) predicted to cause truncation within the acidic domain of the protein was identified. Pedigree analysis did not reveal any variation in this locus between the proband's father and mother. No report of this pathogenic variant was found in a literature search of domestic and foreign databases, indicating that it is a newly discovered mutation. According to the guidelines of the American College of Medical Genetics, the variation was preliminarily determined to be a pathogenic. The newly discovered heterozygous mutation in KAT6A may be the cause of the disease in this child. Additionally, inherited bone marrow failure syndrome is a prominent manifestation. Conclusion: This study not only provides us with an in-depth understanding of this rare syndrome but also deepens our understanding of the function of KAT6A. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was designed to evaluate the subchronic toxicity of the compound of diphenhydramine hydrochloride (DH) and caffeine in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats and beagle dogs. A total of 180 SD rats (15/sex/group) were randomly divided into the compound low-, medium- and high-dose groups (51, 102, 204 mg/kg), DH group (60 mg/kg), caffeine group (144 mg/kg) and the vehicle control group. Sixty beagle dogs (5/sex/group) were randomly divided into the compound low-, medium- and high-dose groups (male: 14.20, 28.30, 56.60 mg/kg, female: 5.66, 14.20, 28.30 mg/kg), DH group (male: 16.60 mg/kg, female: 8.30 mg/kg), caffeine group (male: 40.00 mg/kg, female: 20.00 mg/kg) and the vehicle control group. Rats and dogs were given continuous oral administration for 28 days following a 28-day recovery period. The adverse effects of the compound on rats and beagle dogs mainly included anorexia and liver function impairment. Most adverse effects induced by administration were reversible. Under the experimental conditions, the no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) of the compound of DH and caffeine was 51 mg/kg/day for SD rats and 28.30 mg/kg/day (male) and 5.66 mg/kg/day (female) for beagle dogs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, grid refinement strategies are studied to improve computing accuracy and efficiency of the complex optimal control problems. Firstly, a solution method based on multiple variable time nodes was proposed for the optimal control problem with Bang-Bang characteristics. The problem was transformed into the Mayer formula by adding relaxed variables to eliminate integral terms. And the implementation procedure for the algorithm was also defined. Then, for optimal control problems with continuous slope changes and key switching points, a slope-based adaptive grid refinement strategy was also proposed. The time grids were able to automatically increase or decrease based on the slope information, and a new technique was used to judge the switching points and refine the corresponding time grids. Finally, the performances of the proposed methods were verified with six classical examples. The results demonstrate that they comprehensively surpass traditional methods in computing accuracy and efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a leading cause of death, second only to heart disease, cancer has always been one of the burning topics in medical research. When targeting multiple signal pathways in tumorigenesis chemoprevention, using natural or synthetic anti-cancer drugs is a vital strategy to reduce cancer damage. However, toxic effects, multidrug resistance (MDR) as well as cancer stem cells (CSCs) all prominently limited the clinical application of conventional anticancer drugs. With low side effects, strong biological activity, unique mechanism, and wide range of targets, natural products derived from plants are considered significant sources for new drug development. Nobiletin is one of the most attractive compounds, a unique flavonoid primarily isolated from the peel of citrus fruits. Numerous studies in vitro and in vivo have suggested that nobiletin and its derivatives possess the eminent potential to become effective cancer chemoprevention agents through various cellular and molecular levels. This article aims to comprehensively review the anticancer efficacy and specific mechanisms of nobiletin, enhancing our understanding of its chemoprevention properties and providing the latest research findings. At the end of this review, we also give some discussion and future perspectives regarding the challenges and opportunities in nobiletin efficient exploitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Opioids are potent analgesics commonly used to manage children's moderate to severe perioperative pain in children. A wide range of short and long-acting opioids are used to treat surgical pain and will be reviewed in this article. Both short- and long-acting opioids contain unique therapeutic benefits and adverse effects; however, due to the side effect profile and safety concerns, lack of familiarity, and evidence with long-acting opioids to treat surgical pain, shorter-acting opioids have traditionally been used in children. Almost all opioids work by binding to the mu receptor. Methadone, a long-acting opioid, is an exception because it also has beneficial N-methyl-D-aspartate antagonist properties. Clinically methadone's properties could translate to improved analgesic outcomes, reduced risk of adverse events, less risk for acute hyperalgesia, tolerance and abuse potential, faster recovery, and reduced risk for chronic persistent surgical pain. This review article summarizes and compares the evidence of commonly used short and long-acting opioids for perioperative pain control in the pediatric population. Individualized methadone therapy using pharmacogenomics has the potential to transform opioid use in pain management by improving patient safety and analgesic outcomes, thereby addressing the gaps in current standardized ERAS protocols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This article investigates the free vibration and damping characteristics of carbon fiber-reinforced sandwich cylindrical shells with 3D reentrant auxetic cores (3D RSCSs). Finite element analysis based on the modal strain energy method is utilized for simulated predictions, while a theoretical model based on the Rayleigh-Ritz method and third-order shear deformation theory (TOSDT) is used for theoretical predictions. Through a combination of hot press molding and interlocking assembly, all-composite 3D RSCSs specimens are manufactured. The modal characteristics of 3D RSCSs are obtained by hammer excitation modal tests. The prediction for modal properties shows good agreement with the experimental tests. Furthermore, the influences of fiber ply angles and geometric parameters on the natural frequency and damping loss factor are thoroughly investigated, which could be helpful to guide vibration analysis of lightweight metamaterials cylindrical shells with negative Poisson’s ratio and promote its engineering application in vibration reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uncovering the heterogeneity in the disease progression of Alzheimer's is a key factor to disease understanding and treatment development, so that interventions can be tailored to target the subgroups that will benefit most from the treatment, which is an important goal of precision medicine. However, in practice, one top methodological challenge hindering the heterogeneity investigation is that the true subgroup membership of each individual is often unknown. In this article, we aim to identify latent subgroups of individuals who share a common disorder progress over time, to predict latent subgroup memberships, and to estimate and infer the heterogeneous trajectories among the subgroups. To achieve these goals, we apply a concave fusion learning method to conduct subgroup analysis for longitudinal trajectories of the Alzheimer's disease data. The heterogeneous trajectories are represented by subject-specific unknown functions which are approximated by B-splines. The concave fusion method can simultaneously estimate the spline coefficients and merge them together for the subjects belonging to the same subgroup to automatically identify subgroups and recover the heterogeneous trajectories. The resulting estimator of the disease trajectory of each subgroup is supported by an asymptotic distribution. It provides a sound theoretical basis for further conducting statistical inference in subgroup analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the distributed mixed H 2 / H ∞ fusion filter design problem is investigated for a class of cyber-physical systems subject to non-ideal measurements under Round-Robin protocol. To save the limited communication resources, the Round-Robin protocol is employed to schedule the data transmissions from the sensors to the remote filters. The measurement is imperfect by taking into account the noises, the random saturations, nonlinearity perturbations and packet dropouts. The objective of this study is to propose a desired fusion filtering method that ensures the prescribed performance constraints on both the local and fusion filtering error dynamics. With the aid of Lyapunov function and stochastic analysis technique, a sufficient condition is established to guarantee the mixed H 2 / H ∞ performance index for the local filtering error systems, and then the filter parameter matrices are derived by resorting to the solutions to some matrix inequalities. Subsequently, on the basis of the obtained local state estimates, the proper fusion parameters are acquired by solving a convex optimisation problem. Finally, a numerical example is provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the designed fusion filter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A resilient rocking steel column base (RRSCB) installed with composite combination disc spring (CCDS) is proposed in this paper. The restoring force model and energy calculation formulae of the RRSCB are derived by the theoretical analyses and energy conservation law, respectively. A refined finite element model validated by the cyclic loading tests is established with the aid of ABAQUS to investigate the seismic performance of the RRSCB. The results indicate that the RRSCB possesses satisfactory self-centering capability and desirable energy dissipation capacity for the design displacement. The established restoring force model and energy calculation formulae can reasonably predict the hysteretic behavior of RRSCB under cyclic loading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Picture book reading is essential in the early stages of learning and development. The current study aimed to incorporate picture books to improve first graders' scientific thinking, including scientific reasoning and creativity. The study adopted a quasi-experimental research design. There were 24 students in the experimental group and 23 in the control group. The chi-square test was used to analyze the difference between the two groups. The teacher innovatively employed the 5E model strategies to aid students in the experimental group focus on the scientific knowledge and methods proposed in the picture books. The results revealed that students in the experimental group outperformed their counterparts in scientific thinking with small to large effect sizes. Besides, according to students' attitudes and the types of books borrowed, picture book teaching with the 5E model was appropriate for first graders to improve their scientific thinking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Depression and perceived stress are important risk factors for suicidal behaviors among adolescents. The current study examined the joint effects of parenting styles on suicidal ideation (SI) and attempt (SA) in early adolescents while considering relevant individual factors, and evaluated whether social support can offset the risk. The present study was part of a large cohort study aiming at tracing the mental health and risk behaviors in adolescents, and we utilized baseline data collected from 645 4th grade students with complete assessment of suicidal behaviors, social support, parental bonding, depression, and perceived stress. Participants' mean age was 9.97 years (SD = 0.38) with 53.02% boys. Logistic regression was performed to analyze the associations between independent variables and youth suicidal behaviors. 16.28% students reported to have SI and 4.96% had SA. Depression (SI: OR = 3.66-3.89; SA: OR = 3.98–4.50), father's low care and high authoritarian (LCHA) (SI: OR = 3.04; SA: OR = 2.43), and low acceptance and high authoritarian (LAHA) (SI: OR = 3.58; SA: OR = 4.77) parenting styles were strong risk factors, while overall social support (SI: OR = 0.98; SA: OR = 0.97) was a protective factor of SI and SA for early adolescents. Perceived stress (OR = 1.07–1.08) and mother's LCHA parenting style (OR = 2.03) were risk factors of SI. Overall, a family with LCHA parenting (OR = 2.82) or LAHA parenting (OR = 3.35–3.72) regardless parental gender had increased risk for SI and SA. Family and social factors are important to consider in suicidal prevention and interventions among early adolescents, in addition to assessing individual risk factors. Suicidal ideations (16.28%) and attempts (4.96%) were prevalent in early adolescents at elementary schools. Depression status remains a significant risk factor for both SI and SA in early adolescents. Unfavorable parenting styles (LCHA or LAHA) increased the risk of SI and SA, especially received from father. Overall social support had independent protective effect on suicidal behaviors, when taking aforementioned individual and family risk factors into account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large thermal distortions due to the cyclic rapid melting and solidification mechanism in metal additive manufacturing (MAM) affect part manufacturing precision. The so-called inherent strain method is one of the most computationally efficient methods to predict distortion, but the current inherent strain methods extract inherent strains through the full-scale detailed thermo-mechanical model (TMM) with a long computation time. This work proposes an inverse parameter identification method to fast identify inherent strains based on the measured distortion results from a two-track-two-layer workpiece. The identified inherent strains are employed in a static mechanical analysis to efficiently predict distortion in MAM. To verify the proposed method, a multi-track-multi-layer workpiece and a square-shaped workpiece deposited by the directed energy deposition process are studied. The simulated distortion results demonstrate high simulation accuracy by comparing with the experimental results. In addition, comparisons with the TMM and the modified inherent strain method indicate that the inversely-identified inherent strains can improve the distortion simulation accuracy and reduce the simulation time, which is practical to be applied in industrial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This post hoc analysis assessed association between scalp hair regrowth and improvements in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and psychological burden in patients with severe alopecia areata (AA). Data were pooled from two phase-3 trials (N = 1200). Patients randomized to once-daily placebo, baricitinib 2-mg, or 4-mg were analyzed independently of treatment allocation, and categorized according to scalp hair regrowth (at Week 36): meaningful regrowth (Severity of Alopecia Tool (SALT) score ≤20); intermediate regrowth (≥30% SALT improvement [SALT30] at any post-baseline visit to Week 36, but SALT score > 20 at Week 36); no/minimal regrowth (never achieved SALT30). Skindex-16 for AA score change-from-baseline and proportion of patients with baseline Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) scores ≥8 that shifted to <8 (normal) were assessed. Patients with meaningful regrowth achieved greater improvements in all Skindex-16 AA domains versus no/minimal regrowth. More patients with meaningful versus no/minimal regrowth shifted from HADS ≥8 to <8 (anxiety:46.8% versus 26.4%; depression:52.3% versus 24.0%). Improvements occurred with intermediate regrowth but to a lesser extent versus meaningful regrowth. Patients with severe AA and scalp hair regrowth at Week 36 experienced greater improvements in HRQoL and anxiety and depression versus patients with no/minimal regrowth. The highest benefit was observed in patients with meaningful regrowth (SALT score ≤20).ClinicalTrials.gov listing: NCT03570749 and NCT03899259 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The wedge-tailed green pigeon (Treron sphenurus) has a protective value in the evolution of the family Columbidae. In this study, the complete mitogenome of T. sphenurus from Baise City, China, which represents the first sequenced species of the genus Treron in Tribe Treronini, is reported. This was accomplished using PCR-based methods and a primer-walking sequencing strategy with genus-specific primers. The mitogenome was found to be 18,919 bp in length comprising 37 genes, including 13 protein-coding genes, two rRNA genes, 22 tRNA genes, and one control region. In terms of structure and composition, many similarities were found between the T. sphenurus and Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae (New Zealand pigeon) mitogenomes. This was further supported by phylogenetic analysis showing that T. sphenurus has a close evolutionary relationship with H. novaeseelandiae. The complete mitogenome of T. sphenurus reported here is expected to provide valuable molecular information for further studies on the phylogeny of the genus Treron and for analyses of the taxonomic status of the family Columbidae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, the variance-constrained distributed secure filtering issue based on communication protocol is investigated for time-varying stochastic systems with measurement censoring and cyber attacks over wireless sensor networks. In order to accurately characterise the measurement censoring property of real instruments, a two-sided censoring model is introduced for each sensor node, where the actual measurement value can be obtained only when the pre-set condition is satisfied. The DoS attack, occurring in a random way, is considered on the sensor-to-filter channel. The try-once-discard (TOD) protocol is employed to reduce the transmitted data and alleviate the burdens of shared communication networks, such that only one sensor node is granted to transmit the measurement data at each time instant. By the aid of the Lyapunov stability theory and recursive linear matrix inequality (RLMI) method, the sufficient condition is acquired to guarantee that the desired secure filter under cyber attacks ensures certain H ∞ performance index and the filtering error variance constraint over a finite horizon. Finally, an illustrative example is provided to exhibit the effectiveness of the designed filtering algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abies ernestii Rehder is endemic to the montane regions of Southwest China. Till now, phylogenetic relationships between A. ernestii and other closely related species remain unclear. In this study, we first characterized the complete chloroplast (cp) genome of A. ernestii. The whole cp genome was 121,841 bp in size, including one hundred and thirteen genes. Results of comparative cp genome revealed that only ycf1 and ycf2 was characterized by a considerable variation. Our phylogenetic analyses supported the monophyly of the genus Abies and revealed a clear separation between A. ernestii and A. chensiensis Tiegh. This study highlights the significance of using cp genomes to examine species boundaries among closely related fir species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inflammation and oxidative stress contribute to the pathogenesis of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute lung injury (ALI). MicroRNA-762 (miR-762) has been implicated in the progression of inflammation and oxidative stress; however, its role in ALI remains unclear. In this study, we aim to investigate the role and underlying mechanisms of miR-762 in LPS-induced ALI. Mice were intravenously injected with miR-762 antagomir, agomir or the negative controls for 3 consecutive days and then received a single intratracheal instillation of LPS (5 mg/kg) for 12 h to establish ALI model. Adenoviral vectors were used to knock down the endogenous SIRT7 expression. An increased miR-762 expression was detected in LPS-treated lungs. miR-762 antagomir significantly reduced inflammation, oxidative stress and ALI in mice, while the mice with miR-762 agomir treatment exhibited a deleterious phenotype. Besides, we found that SIRT7 upregulation was essential for the pulmonoprotective effects of miR-762 antagomir, and that SIRT7 silence completely abolished the anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant capacities of miR-762 antagomir. miR-762 is implicated in the pathogenesis of LPS-induced ALI via modulating inflammation and oxidative stress, which depends on its regulation of SIRT7 expression. It might be a valuable therapeutic target for the treatment of ALI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of sequencing technology, more and more rare thalassemia types have been found. In this article, we found a novel Hb H disease combined with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency through whole genome sequencing (WGS), which was verified by Sanger sequencing and polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-reverse dot-blot hybridization, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heritage tourism can enable tourists to indulge in a cherished past enriched with cultural-historical treasures. This study draws on theories pertaining to social identity, psychological ownership, and self-continuity to synthesize a model concerning nostalgic heritage tourism. The hypothesized framework was assessed using structural equation modeling with survey-based data secured from 30 heritage sites. Findings reveal that nostalgic heritage travel motivation is positively related to place identification and reminiscing enjoyment. Serial mediating effects of psychological ownership that bridges reminiscing enjoyment/place identification and future self-concept and travel behavior are also warranted. Furthermore, self-continuity is found to moderate the postulated relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the epidemiological and clinical profiles in retinal vasculitis in an Asian cohort. A 5-year retrospective study of 487 uveitis patients in a tertiary referral center at northern Taiwan. Overall, 18.5% of the cases were associated with retinal vasculitis (RV). Sarcoidosis and cytomegalovirus retinitis were two leading diagnoses. Cases with RV were younger (mean: 39.7 years), less unilateral (50%), and had more chorioretinal involvement (95.5%). Definite diagnosis was reached in 86.7% of RV cases, of which 38.5% had infectious uveitis. While sole arteritis was presented in 8.9% of cases, 63.3% showed phlebitis, and 27.8% involved both. Three distinctive patterns were associated with a higher likelihood of infection: nodular sheathing, continuous perivascular sheathing (OR 4.79), and continuous fluorescein leakage (OR 4.11). The presence of RV, especially arteritis, is highly suggestive of identifiable etiology. Distinctive clinical patterns help differentiation of infectious versus noninfectious causes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The uric acid metabolism pathway is more similar in primates and humans than in rodents. However, there are no reports of using primates to establish animal models of hyperuricaemia (HUA). To establish an animal model highly related to HUA in humans. Inosine (75, 100 and 200 mg/kg) was intraperitoneally administered to adult male rhesus monkeys (n = 5/group). Blood samples were collected over 8 h, and serum uric acid (SUA) level was determined using commercial assay kits. XO and PNP expression in the liver and URAT1, OAT4 and ABCG2 expression in the kidneys were examined by qPCR and Western blotting to assess the effects of inosine on purine and uric acid metabolism. The validity of the acute HUA model was assessed using ulodesine, allopurinol and febuxostat. Inosine (200 mg/kg) effectively increased the SUA level in rhesus monkeys from 51.77 ± 14.48 at 0 h to 178.32 ± 14.47 μmol/L within 30 min and to peak levels (201.41 ± 42.73 μmol/L) at 1 h. PNP mRNA level was increased, whereas XO mRNA and protein levels in the liver were decreased by the inosine group compared with those in the control group. No changes in mRNA and protein levels of the renal uric acid transporter were observed. Ulodesine, allopurinol and febuxostat eliminated the inosine-induced elevation in SUA in tested monkeys. An acute HUA animal model with high reproducibility was induced; it can be applied to evaluate new anti-HUA drugs in vivo and explore the disease pathogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is responsible for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Since its emergence, the COVID-19 pandemic has not only distressed medical services but also caused economic upheavals, marking urgent the need for effective therapeutics. The experience of combating SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV has shown that inhibiting the 3-chymotrypsin-like protease (3CLpro) blocks the replication of the virus. Given the well-studied properties of FDA-approved drugs, identification of SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro inhibitors in an FDA-approved drug library would be of great therapeutic value. Here, we screened a library consisting of 774 FDA-approved drugs for potent SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro inhibitors, using an intramolecularly quenched fluorescence (IQF) peptide substrate. Ethacrynic acid, naproxen, allopurinol, butenafine hydrochloride, raloxifene hydrochloride, tranylcypromine hydrochloride, and saquinavir mesylate have been found to block the proteolytic activity of SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro. The inhibitory activity of these repurposing drugs against SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro highlights their therapeutic potential for treating COVID-19 and other Betacoronavirus infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research studies the risk decision-making (RDM) problem faced by participants in a spacecraft supply chain, considering the adoption of the blockchain technology to facilitate information sharing. We investigate a three-level spacecraft supply chain composed of a spacecraft builder, supplier, and logistics service integrator with the Stackelberg game under the scenarios of decentralized, partially centralized, and fully centralized decision-making. For each scenario, we show how the spacecraft builder's optimal order quantity and the supplier's application degree of the blockchain technology change with the spacecraft builder's risk coefficient. We also compare the overall profit of the supply chain for three decision-making scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Health is an ultimate goal that people continue to pursue through various means including traveling. This study draws on three theoretical strands – goal-directed behavior, normative social influence, and the theory of fantasy realization – to synthesize a framework that takes personal (i.e. health consciousness) and socio-political forces (i.e. social and political conformity) as impetuses to tourists' health goal pursuit through rural-eco travel opportunities. The current inquiry takes a quantitative approach with data driven from rural-eco sites to project how conformity and health consciousness could jointly influence tourists' health-directed travel desire through changes in their attitudes, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optimal nutrition formulas for colorectal cancer patients underwent surgery remains uncertainty. We constructed an indirect comparison study to assess comparative efficacy of different immunonutrition formulas and standard nutrition in colorectal cancer patients underwent surgery. PubMed, the Cochrane Library, EMBASE, ClinicalTrials.gov and Web of Science databases were searched to identify RCTs that compared immunonutrition with standard nutrition or different immunonutrition formulas. Data on length of hospital stays (LOS), infectious complications (IC), noninfectious complications (NIC) and anastomotic leakage (AL) were extracted from the included RCTs for Bayesian network analysis using a random-effect model. Twelve articles that included 1032 individuals were incorporated into this study. The indirect comparison confirmed the potential improvement of arginine-based immunonutrition on IC (odds ratios [OR] = 0.43, 95%confidence interval [CI]: 0.17 to 0.95), glutamine on NIC (OR = 0.07 CI: 0.00 to 0.78) and LOS (MD=-3.91 CI: −6.33 to -1.69) and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on LOS (OR=-3.49 CI: −5.46 to -1.00). Results indicated that glutamine had the highest probability of reducing complications and hospital stays. As for colorectal cancer patients underwent surgery, this indirect comparison suggested some superiority of glutamine. Future more RCTs with larger scale are required to provide evidence for the optimal immunonutrition formulas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1.In this study, the pharmacokinetics of new triazole antifungal iodiconzole creams at target sites after single-dose topical application was investigated. 2.30 healthy Chinese volunteers were randomly divided into three groups after being stratified by sex, each group was given a single topical dose of 1%, 2%, 4% iodiconazole cream (0.4 g). Stratum corneum (SC) samples of treated sites were collected by tape-stripping method after the chosen contact times, and were extracted and analysed by a validated LC-MS method. 3.After single-dose topical application of 1%, 2%, 4% iodiconazole creams, the Cmax of iodiconazole in SC was 1.2 ± 0.7, 2.2 ± 1.0, 2.4 ± 1.0 mg/g; Tmax was 3.3 ± 1.1, 2.9 ± 1.1, 3.8 ± 0.4 h; t1/2 was 6.6 ± 3.4 h, 7.2 ± 4.1 h, 5.9 ± 2.9 h; AUC0-t was 10.9 ± 3.0, 20.8 ± 10.4, 20.9 ± 7.9 mg·h/g; AUC0-∞ was 11.6 ± 2.9, 23.5 ± 14.4, 22.2 ± 8.9 mg·h/g, respectively. The results showed that Cmax, AUC0-t and AUC0-∞ did not increase proportionately with dose, which could also be due to the drug being saturated in the formulation at ∼2%. 4.The results of this study could provide reference for the clinical medication and further study of the formulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optical fiber phase optical time domain reflectometry (phase-OTDR) has been applied on the West-East Gas Pipeline Project (WEPP) of China for vibration monitoring. In order to improve the accuracy of the threat identification, a machine learning algorithm from the voice recognition is introduced. The feature extraction and pre-emphasis processes were modified to characterize the vibrations in the soil. The threat identification accuracy increased from 83% in 2017 to 90.6% in 2018 by continuously training the algorithm. Massive vibration measurements were recorded during the past two years and interesting results have been obtained from the data analysis. These results are expected to assist engineers to have a better understanding of how the threatening incidents occur near pipelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) is a common choice for pulse generator of a homodyne phase-OTDR (phase-sensitive optical time-domain reflectometry) system. A forced carrier recombination method is proposed for improving the extinction ratio (ER) of an SOA. The input laser-excited carriers in the SOA can reduce its ER. The proposed method eventually improves the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the phase-OTDR. The effect of ER improvement is analysed by using the rate equation model, and in the experiment the SNR is improved by 5.2 dB in the phase-OTDR system: this result is important for long distance distributed vibration sensing application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problems of stability and stabilisation for switched systems with two subsystems are investigated in both nonlinear and linear cases. By proposing an improved average dwell time (ADT) scheme, some new stability conditions for the considered system are given. Those new conditions are more practical in practice than the existing ones with given conditions, and both mode-dependent ADT (MDADT) scheme and classical ADT scheme can be regarded as some special cases of the new scheme of this paper. Finally, a numerical example with comparisons to the previous results is included to show the validity of the developed techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is concerned with the event-based finite-time H ∞ control problem for a class of networked state-saturated switched systems subject to time delays, nonlinear perturbations and exogenous disturbances. The event-triggered transmission protocol is introduced to schedule the data transmission and so the communication network burdens can be mitigated. The state saturation restraints can be removed by means of transforming the original model into a new polyhedron system via a convex hull description approach. By considering two coupling cases between the mode switching signal and the event triggering signal, the sufficient finite-time H ∞ performance analysis criterion is provided based on average dwell time (ADT) analysis technique. Then, an event-triggered state-feedback controller is designed to ensure that the closed-loop system is finite-time bounded and satisfies the specified H ∞ disturbance attenuation performance. The desired controller can be obtained by solving a set of convex optimisation problems. Finally, a numerical example shows the usefulness of the theoretical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]