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The limitations of conventional urine culture methods can be avoided by using culture-independent approaches like polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and next-generation sequencing (NGS). However, the efficacy of these approaches in this setting is still subject to contention. PRISMA-compliant searches were performed on MEDLINE/PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Sciences, and the Cochrane Database until March 2023. The included articles compared PCR or NGS to conventional urine culture for the detection of urinary tract infections (UTIs). RevMan performed meta-analysis, and the Cochrane Risk of Bias Assessment Tool assessed study quality. A total of 10 selected studies that involved 1,291 individuals were included in this meta-analysis. The study found that PCR has a 99% sensitivity and a 94% specificity for diagnosing UTIs. Furthermore, NGS was shown to have a sensitivity of 90% for identifying UTIs and a specificity of 86%. The odds ratio (OR) for PCR to detect Gram-positive bacteria is 0.50 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.41–0.61), while the OR for NGS to detect Gram-negative bacteria is 0.23 [95% CI 0.09–0.59]. UTIs are typically caused by Gram-negative bacteria like Escherichia coli and Gram-positive bacteria like Staphylococci and Streptococci. PCR and NGS are reliable, culture-free molecular diagnostic methods that, despite being expensive, are essential for UTI diagnosis and prevention due to their high sensitivity and specificity.

BackgroundWe aimed to explore the inter-connection between depression and HRQOL dimensions in cancer patients using a network approach, which might provide new insights for precise interventions to improve cancer patients’ overall HRQOL.MethodsBetween June 1, 2016, and August 31, 2017, a total of 1735 eligible patients with heterogeneous types of cancer were recruited. The Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30) were used to measure patients’ depression status and HRQOL, respectively. A regularized partial correlation network was established. Central and bridge symptoms/functions were identified using expected influence and bridge expected influence. A directed acyclic graph (DAG) was used to explore the possible causal relationship between depression and HRQOL dimensions.ResultsIn this study, depression and 15 dimensions of the EORTC-QLQ-C30 scale were highly inter-correlated and could be represented as a network. We found that nearly two-thirds of cancer patients experienced various degrees of depression, and depression was consistently the central symptom in the network, in addition to nausea/vomiting, pain, and physical function. DAG and bridge symptoms indicated that depression might influence overall HRQOL in cancer patients mainly through emotional function, pain, physical function, and sleeplessness, particularly in cancer patients with moderate-to-severe depression. The disparity in network structures between mild and moderate-to-severe depression suggested that the relationship between depression and HRQOL dimensions might be bidirectional.ConclusionThe prevalence of depression remained high in Chinese patients with cancer, and depression may influence various symptoms and functions within the HRQOL network. Screening and early treatment of depression were warranted to improve the overall HRQOL of cancer patients, in addition to adequate treatment of pain and nausea/vomiting and improvement in physical function.

In order to ensure safety and efficient state of nuclear power plant in the long time operation, it is necessary to figure out the acceptance table of defects of the primary loop to meet the requirement of rapid assessment in engineering. It is necessary to do the fracture mechanics and plastic limit load analysis for the cracked pipe. Through numerical simulation analysis, the rationality of adopting plastic limit load as the critical state of austenitic stainless steel structure with good fracture toughness is demonstrated. Based on the criterion of non-decreasing the plastic limit load in design state, the acceptance standard of defects for the austenitic stainless steel pipe is established in this paper. The results show that the defect acceptance size of the primary circuit pipe is close to that in the ASME code, but much larger than that of the RSE-M code, and the RSE-M code is too conservative.

Mobile edge computing is envisioned as a prospective technology for supporting time-sensitive and computation-intensive applications in marine vehicle systems. However, the offloading performance is highly impacted by the poor wireless channel. Recently, an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) equipped with an Intelligent Reflecting Surface (IRS), i.e., UIRS, has drawn attention due to its capability to control wireless signals so as to improve the data rate. In this paper, we consider a multi-UIRS-assisted marine vehicle system where UIRSs are deployed to assist in the computation offloading of Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs). To improve energy efficiency, the optimization problem of the association relationships, computation resources of USVs, multi-UIRS phase shifts, and multi-UIRS trajectories is formulated. To solve the mixed-integer nonlinear programming problem, we decompose it into two layers and propose an integrated convex optimization and deep reinforcement learning algorithm to attain the near-optimal solution. Specifically, the inner layer solves the discrete variables by using the convex optimization based on Dinkelbach and relaxation methods, and the outer layer optimizes the continuous variables based on the Multi-Agent Twin Delayed Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient (MATD3). The numerical results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm can effectively improve the energy efficiency of the multi-UIRS-assisted marine vehicle system in comparison with the benchmarks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThe Upper Urho Formation on the northwest margin of the Junggar Basin is a key formation for oil and gas exploration. Based on the core observation, combined with the analysis of cast thin section, scanning electron microscope, energy dispersive spectrum, X-ray diffraction, fluid inclusion, and porosity-permeability test, the petrological characteristics, physical properties, diagenesis types, and their effects on the physical properties of the glutenite reservoir of Upper Urho Formation were studied systematically. The results show that the lithology of reservoir of the Upper Urho Formation in Zhongguai Salient is mainly conglomerate with a small amount of sandstone. The permeability of conglomerate is generally higher than that of sandstone, and the physical properties of granule conglomerate and fine pebble conglomerate are relatively better. The reservoir experienced complicated diagenesis, mainly including compaction, cementation, and dissolution, also including filler shrink seam and metasomatism. At present, the reservoir of Upper Urho Formation in Zhongguai Salient is mainly at the middle diagenetic stage A period and partly at the middle diagenetic stage B period. The original porosity lost by compaction is the largest, which is the fundamental reason for low porosity and low permeability of reservoir. The influence of cementation on reservoir physical properties has two sides. On the one hand, the development of cementation is the main reason for low porosity and low permeability of reservoir. On the other hand, the early cementation resists compaction to a certain extent and provides a material basis for the later dissolution. The reservoir of Upper Urho Formation in Zhongguai Salient is deeply buried and has experienced strong compaction and cementation, and the reservoir properties are poor, but the secondary pore space formed by dissolution improves the reservoir properties to some extent. The study concluded that the dense glutenite reservoirs of the Upper Urho Formation can develop relatively high-quality reservoirs on a local scale, which is of guiding significance for the exploration of the Upper Urho Formation.

The origin and depositional characteristics of supported conglomerates in the Mahu Sag, Junggar Basin, Xinjiang, China, are examined. Based on the terminological comparison, modern sedimentary survey and core description, the initial connotation and similarities and differences in definition between supported conglomerates and other similar concepts are discussed, the modern sedimentary environment in which supported conglomerates develop is analyzed, and the sedimentological characteristics of supported conglomerates formed in different depositional environments revealed by the cores of Mahu conglomerate oil field in the Junggar Basin are described. The supported conglomerate is similar in texture to grain supported conglomerate and openwork conglomerate but has differences from them, so it is suggested to keep the term “supported conglomerate”, but the formation mechanism of supported conglomerate needs to be re-examined. Through field survey of modern sediments in Baiyanghe alluvial fan, Huangyangquan alluvial fan, and Wulungu Lake in Xinjiang, it is found that supported gravels not only formed by flooding events but also by sieving, avalanching, fluvial sorting as well as wind and wave reworking in the depositional environments such as inter-mountain creek, colluvium fan, gravel channel on gobi and the fan surface, lake beach, delta front, subaerial debris flow and subwater grain-flow etc. Supported gravels could form supported conglomerate after being buried. Supported conglomerates of seven different origins have been recognized in the cores of the Triassic and Permian stratum of Mahu Depression, Junggar Basin, namely, supported conglomerates in gravel channel deposits, in wind reworked channel deposits, in gravel beach bar deposits, in wave reworked delta front deposits, in mouth bar deposits and in debris flow deposits respectively. The study shows the supported conglomerates may be formed by a single depositional event or by multi-events during the post-depositional sedimentary reworking and even in diagenesis stage. Through flume experiment, numerical simulation, empirical model and modern sediment survey, infiltration process of gravelly channel can be reconstructed and the primary pore structure of supported gravel can be estimated. Statistics on physical properties of various types of reservoirs in Triassic Baikouquan Formation of Mahu oilfield show that granule conglomerate and pebbly conglomerate have higher porosity and permeability, while the cobble and coarse pebble conglomerate have lower permeability, which indicates that the supported gravels are easy to be reworked by post depositional filtration and diagenesis, and thus decrease in porosity and permeability. Key words: supported conglomerate, openwork conglomerate, grain supported conglomerate, rock texture, sedimentary environment and facies, reservoir rock, conglomerate reservoir, Mahu depression

Nevus of Ota (NO), also known as "brownish-blue nevus of the palate of the eye", is a benign dermal pigmentation that increases skin disease. The Q-switched ruby laser is a classic treatment for nevus of Ota in children, but the optimal age for treatment is still controversial. The aim of this study was to investigate the treatment effect of Q-switched ruby laser in children with nevus of Ota at different ages and the effect on psychological health status. Materials and Methods: Children with nevus of Ota treated with Q-switched ruby laser in the Department of Dermatology of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University from June 2015 to June 2019 were retrospectively analysed. And the mental health status was assessed using the CDI scale. Results: In the preschool children group (0– 7 year age), the significant efficacy rates was 93.1%, the average number of treatments was 3.6, and the overall incidence of adverse reactions was 4.7%. The significant efficacy rates in the school-age children group (7– 14 year age) was 90.3%, the average number of treatments was 5.1, and the overall incidence of adverse reactions was 13.7%. The mean post-treatment CDI score in the preschool children group was 10.8, and 9.7% of children exceeding 19 points. The mean pre-treatment CDI score in the school-age children group was 17.3, and 24.6% of children exceeding 19 points. The mean post-treatment CDI score was 13.6 and 15.1% of children exceeded 19 points. The chi-square test for the significant efficacy rate of the two groups showed P> 0.05, which was not statistically significant. The significant efficacy rate of the preschool group and that of the school-age children group. The t-test for the number of treatments in the two groups showed P< 0.05, which was statistically significant. Adverse reactions in the two groups showed a statistically significant P< 0.05. The mean CDI scores and the percentage of depressed individuals in the school-age children group were significantly lower after treatment than before treatment (p< 0.05). Conclusion: Q-switched ruby laser is safe and effective in treating nevus of Ota in children. Early treatment can reduce the number of treatments and the incidence of adverse reactions. In addition, early treatment can reduce children's depression, which is beneficial to mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stress triaxiality is a key factor in controlling the fracture of materials. Based on new method of finite element aided testing（ FAT）,the full-range constitutive relationship of ductile materials could be obtained. Thus,the distribution and evolution of stress triaxiality at the root of a funnel specimen is able to be obtained by ANSYS APDL program. The comparison of the analyzed results with those obtained by Bridgman correction method is completed and the failure mechanism of funnel-shaped specimen is discussed. The full-range constitutive relationship,fracture stress,fracture strain of the four ductile materials are given. Therefore,the law of the distribution and evolution of stress triaxiality at the root of funnel-shaped specimens are investigated.