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In the applications of polymer film production and lubrication systems, ternary hybrid nanofluids can significantly enhance product performance by improving thermal conduction. This study focuses on investigating a nanofluid consisting of alumina (Al2O3), zincite (ZnO), and magnetite (Fe3O4) dispersed in water to optimize its thermal and flow properties. By integrating magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) flow dynamics over a stretching/shrinking sheet with velocity slip and employing both analytical solutions and numerical analysis through MATLAB’s BVP4C, the research investigates critical parameters such as suction/injection, magnetic strength, and slip effects on surface properties and thermal transfer. The results show that increased nanoparticle hybridity, suction/injection, and magnetic strength enhance skin friction and the local Nusselt number in the primary solution, while the secondary solution shows reductions. Velocity accelerates with increased suction/injection and magnetic parameters, while temperature decreases with higher velocity slip, suction/injection, and magnetic strength. Stability analysis highlights the robustness of the primary solution and the complexities of secondary solutions, with ternary and binary nanofluids outperforming mono nanofluids under shrinking sheet conditions (λ = −6) and achieving thermal efficiency gains of 0.43% and 0.2%, respectively. This study’s novelty lies in determining the critical conditions for one, two, or no solutions and integrating analytical and numerical methods for comprehensive insights. The contribution of this work extends to optimizing heat transfer in advanced industrial applications using ternary hybrid nanofluids.

The industrial significance of stability analysis for dual solutions and heat transfer sets the stage for this research. Focusing on Maxwell ternary nanofluid flow, the study aims to enhance thermal conductivity and stability by delving into viscous dissipation and velocity slip effects on a stretching/shrinking sheet. Employing a mathematical model, refined with nondimensional transformations and MATLAB’s BVP4C solver, the research identifies dual solutions and examines the influence of key parameters on fluid dynamics and heat transfer. Results showcase a progressive improvement in convective heat transfer and skin friction from mono nanofluid (NF) to binary hybrid nanofluid (HNF), culminating with ternary hybrid nanofluid (THNF). These improvements are significantly associated with the suction/injection parameter (S), whereas the slip (σ) and elastic (K) parameters enhance thermal transfer but negatively affect skin friction efficiency at elevated levels. The robustness of the upper branch solutions underscores the reliability of these findings. Remarkably, at λ=−1.25 with a nanoparticle volume fraction of 0.04, ternary nanofluids achieve a 2.9% thermal efficiency leap over HNF, which itself surpasses NF by 0.46%. These findings hold potential for significant advancements in sectors such as electronics, manufacturing, energy, biomedical, environmental engineering, aerospace, and automotive, aiming at elevating thermal efficiency.

Abstract Background Evidence suggests that the circadian clock (CIC) is among the important factors for tumorigenesis. We aimed to provide new insights into CIC-mediated molecular subtypes and gene prognostic indexes for prostate cancer (PCa) patients undergoing radical prostatectomy (RP) or radical radiotherapy (RT). Methods PCa data from TCGA was analyzed to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) with significant fold changes and p-values. A prognostic index called CIC-related gene prognostic index (CICGPI) was developed through clustering methods and survival analysis and validated on multiple data sets. The diagnostic accuracy of CICGPI for resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy was confirmed. Additionally, the interaction between tumor immune environment and CICGPI score was explored, along with their correlation with prognosis. Results TOP2A, APOE, and ALDH2 were used to classify the PCa patients into two subtypes. Cluster 2 had a higher risk of biochemical recurrence (BCR) than cluster 1 for PCa patients undergoing RP or RT. A CIC-related gene prognostic index (CICGPI) was constructed using the above three genes for PCa patents in the TCGA database. The CICGPI score showed good prognostic value in the TCGA database and was externally confirmed by PCa patients in GSE116918, MSKCC2010 and GSE46602. In addition, the CICGPI score had a certain and high diagnostic accuracy for tumor chemoresistance (AUC: 0.781) and radioresistance (AUC: 0.988). For gene set variation analysis, we observed that both beta alanine metabolism and limonene and pinene degradation were upregulated in cluster 1 for PCa patients undergoing RP or RT. For PCa patients undergoing RP, cell cycle, homologous recombination, mismatch repair, and DNA replication were upregulated in cluster 2. A strongly positive relationship between cancer-related fibroblasts and CICGPI score was observed in PCa patients undergoing RP or RT. Moreover, a high density of CAFs was highly closely associated with poorer BCR-free survival of PCa patients. Conclusions In this study, we established CIC-related immunological prognostic index and molecular subtypes, which might be useful for the clinical practice.

The natural enhanced weathering (EW) must be significantly accelerated by optimizing the local triple-phase environment prior to practical large-scale carbon dioxide removal (CDR). The implementation of stirred-slurry reactor (SSR) for enhancing mass transport and reaction rates of the EW-based CO2 capture process has not yet been reported. We conducted a hybrid modelling approach, in which mechanistic and data-driven models are integrated, for the scaled-up batch SSRs designed for EW-based CO2 capture. It is revealed that CO2 mass transport into the aqueous phase has significant impact on the overall capture performance. The scaled-up batch system is found to perform comparably to the continuous system in terms of CO2 capture rate, energy and water consumption. The energy consumption for gas enrichment in the batch system is expected to be less than 50% of that in continuous systems. Multi-objective optimisation reveals the efficacy and accuracy of the hybrid modeling within low energy consumption ranges.

Aqueous multivalent ion batteries have attracted increasing attention due to their high capacity, long cycle life, and impressive output energy. Considering that intercalation electrodes are more suitable for long cycle battery compared to the conversion ones, Cu2+ with appropriate ion radii has been chosen as intercalation carriers and bismuth sulfide with the matched lattice spacing as cathode to achieve long cycle life aqueous battery. We have synthesized the micrometer-scale flower-like Bi2S3 by regulating temperature and it is proved to be a perennial phase during Cu2+ intercalation/deintercalation of the Bi2S3 host when charge/discharge with a capacity of 104.5 mAh g–1 retention at 0.5 A g–1 after 1000 cycles. Lastly, build a hybrid ion battery with Zn and ZnSO4 electrolyte, the Bi2S3 cathode for Cu2+ intercalation can reach a maximum energy of 427.5 Wh Kg–1. The study provides a new intercalation cathode for aqueous multivalent ion batteries and will broaden the energy storage system.

This study explores using hybrid nanofluids to improve water quality by enhancing heat transfer and substance decomposition. Nanofluids effectively remove pollutants, optimise heat transfer, control pollution sources, and regulate fluid dynamics, which can lead to efficient pollution management in water systems. Thus, the present research examines the flow of an unsteady hybrid Al2O3–Cu/water nanofluid near the stagnation region in a porous medium, considering the discharge concentration and convective boundary conditions. Governing equations in ordinary differential equations are obtained using similarity transformations. The BVP4C solver in MATLAB is employed to expose dual solutions. The volume fraction of copper φa2, the suction/injection parameter (S), and the unsteadiness parameter (A), collectively contribute to the delay of the boundary layer separation. Increasing the values of φa2,A, and S enhances convective heat transfer. When the sheet shrunk between the range of −16.2 and −13, hybrid nanofluid has higher convective thermal transfer than nanofluid. Moreover, an increment in φa2 and S raises the skin friction coefficients and mass diffusion rates. Stability analysis reveals that the first solution is stable while the second one is unstable.

The dependable and efficient identification of Qin seal script characters is pivotal in the discovery, preservation, and inheritance of the distinctive cultural values embodied by these artifacts. This paper uses image histograms of oriented gradients (HOG) features and an SVM model to discuss a character recognition model for identifying partial and blurred Qin seal script characters. The model achieves accurate recognition on a small, imbalanced dataset. Firstly, a dataset of Qin seal script image samples is established, and Gaussian filtering is employed to remove image noise. Subsequently, the gamma transformation algorithm adjusts the image brightness and enhances the contrast between font structures and image backgrounds. After a series of preprocessing operations, the oriented gradient histograms (HOG) features are extracted from the images. During model training, different weights are assigned to classes with varying sample quantities to address the issue of class imbalance and improve the model's classification accuracy. Results show that the model achieves an accuracy of 95.30%. This research can help historians quickly identify and extract the text content on newly discovered Qin slip cultural relics, shortening the cycle of building a historical database.

The spatial organisation of diffuse midline glioma-H3K27M mutant (DMG) and glioblastoma (GBM) remains to be investigated. Here, the authors integrate short-read and long-read spatial profiling of DMG and GBM to identify regulatory programs and cellular ecosystems in distinct glioma niches.

The six-degree-of-freedom (6 DOF) motion of the mother-ship, which is caused by wave fluctuation, makes offshore operations difficult. To solve this problem, various heave compensation systems were proposed, as well as the law of wave motion. These heave compensation systems included passive heave compensation system, semi-active heave compensation system, and active heave compensation (AHC) system. However, the empirical formula of wave motion is not suitable for practical offshore operations, and rare AHC systems take the characteristic of compensation into consideration. To study the compensation characteristic of the AHC system based on electric-driven marine winch in the actual sea condition and improve the accuracy of compensation, this work uses the measured data of wave motion, and deduces the motion equations of multi-axial driving system. By substituting the above elements into the AHC system and designing the sliding mode controller (SMC), the simulation results show the ideal compensation effect of the system. By comparing with experimental results, it is concluded that the driving system operates in according with the specified states, and the compensation performance of system is effective. The overall work is conductive to the research on AHC system, as well as the exploitation of marine resources.

Fault diagnosis based on the expert system (ES) is still a research topic of manufacturing in Industry 4.0 because of the stronger interpretability. As the core component of the ES, fault diagnosis accuracy is positively correlated to the precision of the knowledge base. But it is difficult for users to understand the knowledge obtained from the original dataset utilizing the existing knowledge extraction method. Therefore, it is of great significance to extract easy-to-understand and exact rules from the NN framework. This paper proposes a hybrid extraction framework to perform the rule extraction for overcoming this drawback. First, an improved adaptive genetic algorithm (GA) using a logistic function, namely LAGA, is proposed to solve the traditional GA’s insufficient prediction performance issue. Compared with the other three mainstream adaptive GAs, the experiment results of optimizing six selected test functions by these GA variants show that the LAGA algorithm’s convergence accuracy and speed have been greatly improved, especially for high latitude functions. On this basis, a rule extraction method based on the symbol rule and NN, namely the LAGA-BP framework, is discussed in this manuscript to classify the real-valued attributes. This framework obtains hidden knowledge (knowledge refinement process) by NN and further transforms the acquired hidden knowledge into more easy-to-understand rule knowledge (rule extraction process). The execution of the LAGA-BP framework could be separated into two phases. The first phase is to optimize a back propagation NN (BPNN) using the LAGA and refine prediction classification knowledge over the optimized BPNN. In the second phase, an attribute reduction algorithm using multi-layered NN (SD algorithm) based on two different superposed networks is used in this framework to reduce data-set attributes and then uses the K-means clustering algorithm to extract the if-then rule from the simplified attributes. The Wisconsin breast cancer dataset is used as a case study to reveal the correctness and robustness of the proposed LAGA-BP method. Consulting relevant medical personnel and referencing relevant data shows that the rules extracted using this method help verify the diagnosis results, thus verifying the proposed framework’s feasibility and practicality.

BackgroundPhotodynamic therapy (PDT) is increasingly used for the treatment of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). However, it is unknown whether photodynamic therapy is more effective than other commonly used treatment modalities for these cancers.PurposeThe aim of this study was to determine the relative efficacy and safety of PDT compared with placebo or other interventions for the treatment of skin carcinomas.MethodsSearches were performed in PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases. We included randomized controlled trials comparing the PDT with other interventions in adults skin BCC or SCC that reported on lesion response, recurrence, cosmetic appearance, or safety outcomes.ResultsSeventeen unique randomized controlled trials, representing 22 study arms from 21 publications were included. The included trials included 2,166 participants, comparing methyl aminolevulinic (MAL) PDT (six studies) or aminolevulinic acid (ALA) PDT (two studies). Comparators included placebo, surgery, hexaminolevulinic (HAL) PDT, erbium: yttrium-aluminum-garnet ablative factional laser (YAG-AFL) PDT, fluorouracil, and imiquimod. There were few studies available for each comparison. Mantel-Haenszel fixed effects risk ratios were calculated for response, recurrence, cosmetic outcomes, and adverse events. MAL-PDT had similar response rates to surgery, ALA-PDT, fluorouracil and imiquimod at 3- and 12 months post-intervention. The rate of recurrence was similar, showing few differences at 12 months, but at later time points (24–60 months), fewer lesions recurred with surgery and imiquimod than with PDT. PDT also caused more adverse events and pain than other interventions. However, PDT treatment was more likely to receive a “good” or “excellent” rating for cosmetic appearance than surgery or cryotherapy.ConclusionThis systematic review and meta-analysis demonstrates that the choice of treatment modality for BCC or SCC is best chosen in the context of the location and size of the lesion, the socioeconomic circumstances of the patient, as well as the patient’s preferences. We call for more high quality studies to be done, in order to enable more reliable interpretations of the data.Systematic review registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=368626, identifier CRD42022368626.

Dendrite growth has been the main trouble preventing the practical application of Li metal anodes. Herein, we present how an Fe3O4-PVDF composite network prepared by using electrospinning has been designed to protect lithium metal anodes effectively. In the symmetrical cells test, the cell with the Fe3O4-PVDF composite network maintains good cycle performance after 600 h (500 cycles) at a current density of 1 mA cm−2 and a plating/stripping capacity of 1 mAh cm−2. The bulky Li dendrite is suppressed and a uniform Li deposition remains after long cycling. The characteristics of this engineered separator are further demonstrated in Li-S full cells with a good cycle performance (capacity of 419 mAh g−1 after 300 cycles at 0.5 C). This work provides a new idea for the protection of lithium metal anodes.

Objective: To investigate the duration and peak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 shedding as infectivity markers for determining the isolation period. Methods: A total of 2,558 upper respiratory tract (URT) and lower respiratory tract (LRT) specimens from 138 patients with laboratory-confirmed coronavirus disease were analyzed. Measurements of sequential viral loads were aggregated using the cubic spline smoothing function of a generalized additive model. The time to negative conversion was compared between symptom groups using survival analysis. Results: In URT samples, viral RNA levels peaked on day 4 after symptom onset and rapidly decreased until day 10 for both E and RdRp genes, whereas those in LRT samples immediately peaked from symptom onset and decreased until days 15.6 and 15.0 for E and RdRp genes, respectively. Median (interquartile range) time to negative conversion was significantly longer in symptomatic (18.0 [13.0–25.0] days) patients than in asymptomatic (13.0 [9.5–17.5] days) patients. The more types of symptoms a patient had, the longer the time to negative conversion. Conclusions: The viral load rapidly changes depending on the time after symptom onset; the viral shedding period may be longer with more clinical symptoms. Different isolation policies should be applied depending on disease severity.

Environmentally friendly lead-free K1-xNaxNbO3 (KNN) ceramics possess electromechanical properties comparable to lead-based ferroelectric materials but cannot meet the needs of device miniaturization, and the corresponding thin films lack theoretical and experimental studies. To this end, we developed the nonlinear phenomenological theory for ferroelectric materials to study the effects of non-equiaxed misfit strain on the phase structure, electromechanical properties, and electrical response of K0.5Na0.5NbO3 epitaxial films. We constructed in-plane misfit strain (u1−u2) phase diagrams. The results show that K0.5Na0.5NbO3 epitaxial film under non-equiaxed in-plane strain can exhibit abundant phase structures, including orthorhombic a1c, a2c, and a1a2 phases, tetragonal a1, a2, and c phases, and monoclinic r12 phases. Moreover, in the vicinity of a2c−r12, a1c−c, and a1a2−a2 phase boundaries, K0.5Na0.5NbO3 epitaxial films exhibit excellent dielectric constant ε11, while at a2c−r12 and a1c−c phase boundaries, a significant piezoelectric coefficient d15 is observed. It was also found that high permittivity ε33 and piezoelectric coefficients d33 exist near the a2c−a2, a1a2−r12, and a1c−a1 phase boundaries due to the existence of polymorphic phase boundary (PPB) in the KNN system, which makes it easy to polarize near the phase boundaries, and the polarizability changes suddenly, leading to electromechanical enhancement. In addition, the results show that the K0.5Na0.5NbO3 thin films possess a large electrocaloric response at the phase boundary at the a1a2−r12 and a1c−a1 phase boundaries. The maximum adiabatic temperature change ΔT is about 3.62 K when the electric field change is 30 MV/m at room temperature, which is significantly enhanced compared with equiaxed strain. This study provides theoretical guidance for obtaining K1−xNaxNbO3 epitaxial thin films with excellent properties.

An adaptive harmony search algorithm utilizing differential evolution and opposition-based learning (AHS-DE-OBL) is proposed to overcome the drawbacks of the harmony search (HS) algorithm, such as its low fine-tuning ability, slow convergence speed, and easily falling into a local optimum. In AHS-DE-OBL, three main innovative strategies are adopted. First, inspired by the differential evolution algorithm, the differential harmonies in the population are used to randomly perturb individuals to improve the fine-tuning ability. Then, the search domain is adaptively adjusted to accelerate the algorithm convergence. Finally, an opposition-based learning strategy is introduced to prevent the algorithm from falling into a local optimum. The experimental results show that the proposed algorithm has a better global search ability and faster convergence speed than other selected improved harmony search algorithms and selected metaheuristic approaches.

Hierarchical PbS powders doped with different contents of Bi2S3 and Cu2S were synthesized using the hydrothermal method. Subsequently, the powders were subjected to spark plasma sintering (SPS) for consolidation into bulk ceramics. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results showed that Bi2S3 and Cu2S were doped into PbS successfully. The effect of doping with different Bi2S3 and Cu2S contents on thermoelectric performance was investigated systematically. The results showed that pure PbS was an n-type semiconductor, and Bi2S3 doping or Bi2S3-Cu2S co-doping could decrease the thermal conductivity of PbS effectively. PbS doped with 1% Bi2S3 exhibited a moderate Seebeck coefficient, high electric conductivity, and low thermal conductivity simultaneously, thus attaining a maximum figure of merit ZT of 0.55 at 773 K. PbS doped with 1% Bi2S3-1% Cu2S exhibited an enhanced power factor and reduced thermal conductivity at an elevated temperature; the maximum ZT value obtained at 773 K was 0.83, which is more than twice that of pure PbS at 758 K (0.29), as a result.

Extracting circle information from images has always been a basic problem in computer vision. Common circle detection algorithms have some defects, such as poor noise resistance and slow computation speed. In this paper, we propose an anti-noise fast circle detection algorithm. In order to improve the anti-noise of the algorithm, we first perform curve thinning and connection on the image after edge extraction, then suppress noise interference by the irregularity of noise edges and extract circular arcs by directional filtering. In order to reduce the invalid fitting and speed up the running speed, we propose a circle fitting algorithm with five quadrants, and improve the efficiency of the algorithm by the idea of “divide and conquer”. We compare the algorithm with RCD, CACD, WANG and AS on two open datasets. The results show that we have the best performance under noise while keeping the speed of the algorithm.

It is well known that flooding brings great losses to people’s production and life, just because it is unsuspected, is extremely extensive, and has high frequency. More than half of the people in China live in flood-prone areas, and their lives and properties are threatened. Flood risk assessment is one of the measures of flood management, and it is economically and socially important to assess flood risk. The scope of the traditional monitoring and forecasting early warning system is mainly limited to the area affected by flash floods, while the objective reality of real-time monitoring, forecasting, and early warning of flood disasters in the area affected by river floods and by the scheduling of riverine terrace power stations is not possible. The multiphysics remote sensing big data fusion analysis can divide the data into grids according to the grid method in the sliding time window, filter the normal data by information entropy in each grid, judge the remaining data that may be abnormal by using local abnormality factor, and eliminate the abnormal data according to the judgment result. This paper introduces the application of remote sensing in flood control field, proposes the framework of basin flood prediction based on multiphysics field remote sensing big data fusion analysis, and designs each functional module of the system according to the object-oriented idea to realize the functions of data management, image processing, spatial analysis, and simulation output. The method can change the problems of cumbersome data processing and basic parameter rate determination in traditional hydrological methods and can find certain regularity through the connection between all related factors. Meanwhile, the use of artificial intelligence and other technical means makes the calculation speed faster and the obtained results are closer to the actual measured values, which is beneficial to guide the practical work.

This paper discusses a hybrid grey wolf optimizer utilizing a clone selection algorithm (pGWO-CSA) to overcome the disadvantages of a standard grey wolf optimizer (GWO), such as slow convergence speed, low accuracy in the single-peak function, and easily falling into local optimum in the multi-peak function and complex problems. The modifications of the proposed pGWO-CSA could be classified into the following three aspects. Firstly, a nonlinear function is used instead of a linear function for adjusting the iterative attenuation of the convergence factor to balance exploitation and exploration automatically. Then, an optimal α wolf is designed which will not be affected by the wolves β and δ with poor fitness in the position updating strategy; the second-best β wolf is designed, which will be affected by the low fitness value of the δ wolf. Finally, the cloning and super-mutation of the clonal selection algorithm (CSA) are introduced into GWO to enhance the ability to jump out of the local optimum. In the experimental part, 15 benchmark functions are selected to perform the function optimization tasks to reveal the performance of pGWO-CSA further. Due to the statistical analysis of the obtained experimental data, the pGWO-CSA is superior to these classical swarm intelligence algorithms, GWO, and related variants. Furthermore, in order to verify the applicability of the algorithm, it was applied to the robot path-planning problem and obtained excellent results.

The six-degree-of-freedom (6 DOF) motion of the mother ship, especially the heave motion, brings difficulties to offshore operations and even causes safety accidents. To ensure the reliability of the launch and recovery system when the active heave compensation (AHC) function works, its dynamic characteristics are analyzed. Firstly, the dynamic model of the launch and recovery system with a rigid rope is constructed, and the mathematical simulation of the launch and recovery system without the AHC function under the excitation of irregular waves is completed. Secondly, a flexible rope based on the finite element method is established, and the dynamic responses of the launch and recovery system with AHC function under different conditions are compared with those without AHC function. The simulation results demonstrate that the dynamic responses of the system are related to the load, the underwater penetration, and the sea condition. In detail, the increase of the load leads to an increase in the dynamic response of the system. In essence, the underwater penetration affects the dynamic response of the system by affecting the activity of load acceleration. Therefore, a short rope is preferred in the maritime operations. Moreover, the harsh sea condition usually causes an undesirable effect of AHC function. In summary, the overall work is conductive to the modeling of the launch and recovery system, as well as the development of AHC technology so as to improve the quality of offshore operations in the future.

Circle detection is a fundamental problem in computer vision. However, conventional circle detection algorithms are usually time-consuming and sensitive to noise. In order to solve these shortcomings, we propose a fast circle detection algorithm based on information compression. First, we introduce the idea of information compression, which compresses the circular information on the image into a small number of points while removing some of the noise through sharpness estimation and orientation filtering. Then, the circle parameters stored in the information point are obtained by the average sampling algorithm with a time complexity of O(1) to obtain candidate circles. Finally, we set different constraints on the complete circle and the defective circle according to the sampling results and find the true circle from the candidate circles. The experimental results on the three datasets show that our method can compress the circular information in the image into 1% of the information points, and compared to RHT, RCD, Jiang, Wang and CACD, Precision, Recall, Time and F-measure are greatly improved.

AIM:To observe the effect of different concentrations Buddleja offcinalis eye drops(BOED)to inflammatory factors of lacrimal gland cells of castrated male rabbit with dry eye.METHODS:Forty-two healthy adult New Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into 7 groups, 6 rabbits each group. Group A: blank group; Group B: model group; Group C: low concentrations BOED group; Group D: medium concentrations BOED; Group E: high concentrations BOED; Group F: the placebo group; Group G: testosterone groups. All rabbits of groups B to G were cut off bilateral testis and epididymis except group A. The rabbits of groups C, D, E and F were dropped relevant eye drops except groups A and B. All rabbits were tested for Schimer I test(SIT)and break-up time(BUT)before operation and 4wk after operation. Expressions of inflammatory factors of TNF-α, IL-1β from lacrimal gland cells were checked in immunohistochemical staining method.RESULTS:1)Comparison of SIT and BUT: Compared with the groups D, E and G, group C had statistical significance(PP>0.05); 2)Comparison of inflammatory factors of TNF-α, IL-1β after operation: Compared with value of the average optical density of TNF-α and IL-1β of group C, those of groups D, E and G were obviously different after operation(PP>0.05).CONCLUSION: 1)Compared with androgen, BOED has the similar effect of depressing the expression of inflammatory factors. But its effect is slightly weaker than the androgen; 2)The depressing effect of medium and high concentration BOED are better than low concentration. Compared with medium and high concentration of BOED, there was no significant difference between two groups.

ABSTRACT: Objective To observe the effect of different concentration Flos Buddlejae (Mi Meng Hua, 密 蒙 花) granules on apoptosis factors of lacrimal gland cells of castrated male rabbits, and study the treatment effects of Flos Buddlejae (Mi Meng Hua, 密蒙花) granules in the dry eye model of castrated male rabbits.Methods Flos Buddlejae (Mi Meng Hua, 密 蒙 花) raw material was made into granules. Thirty healthy adult New Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into five groups, six rabbits in each group. Group A: blank group, Group B: model group, Group C: Flos Buddlejae (Mi Meng Hua, 密蒙花) granule group, Group D: placebo group, Group E: testosterone group. Except for group A, all rabbits underwent removal of bilateral testis and epididymis. Rabbits in group C were administered Flos Buddlejae (Mi Meng Hua, 密 蒙 花) granules (100 mg/kg), three times per day; rabbits in group D were administered normal saline, three times per day. Rabbits in group E were injected with testosterone propionate (0.5 mL/kg) in the thigh muscle, every 3 days. All rabbits were tested by Schirmer I test (SIT) and tear film break-up time (BUT) before operation and 4 weeks after operation. After 4 weeks, all rabbits were sacrificed by air embolism and clipping of the lacrimal gland. Apoptosis factors, including Bax, Bcl-2, Fas and FasL of lacrimal gland cells were characterized by immunohistochemistry, and resulting data were statistically analyzed.Results (1) Comparison of SIT and BUT before and after operation: There were statistically significant differences between groups B and D (P0.05). (2) Comparison of apoptosis factors Bax, Bcl-2 Fas and FasL: In a comparison of groups B and D, there was no statistically significant difference after operation (P>0.05). In a comparison of the other groups, there were statistically significant differences (P0.05).Conclusion Compared with androgen, Flos Buddlejae (Mi Meng Hua, 密蒙花) granules caused similar but slightly weaker depression of Bax, Fas and FasL, and increased expression of Bcl-2. Keywords: Flos Buddlejae Granules, Dry eye, Castrated male rabbits, Lacrimal gland cell, Apoptosis factors

The surgical method of repairing distal tibial fractures remains controversial. Open reduction and plating is a popular method that can result in good fixation and retention of the achieved position. The usual approach for open plating is anterior. Although it offers good exposure to the tibia, the medial plating is at high risk of wound problems and nonunions. Also, if fixation of the fibula is required, an additional incision must be made on the lateral side of the shin. Lateral plating using a single lateral approach for treating distal tibial and fibular fractures has been reported to have good results; however, most of these studies were small series. We retrospectively evaluated and compared the clinical outcomes of distal tibial fractures treated with medial plating using an anterior approach and lateral plating using a lateral approach. Eighty-eight patients with distal tibial fractures treated with medial or lateral plating were retrospectively reviewed. The 88 fractures were divided into 2 groups: the medial plating group used an anterior approach and included 49 patients and the lateral plating group used a lateral approach and included 39 patients. Both groups were similar with respect to injury mechanism, union rate, malunion rate, operative time, functional score, and range of ankle motion (P≥.14). Both medial and lateral plating for treating distal tibial fractures achieved good functional outcomes with a low malunion rate; however, the lateral plating group had a lower complication rate (P=.047) and fewer hardware problems (P<.001). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An insect defensin, named Galleria defensin, was purified from the larval haemolymph of Galleria mellonella immunized against E. coli. The peptide was composed of forty-three amino acid residues containing six cysteines that might be engaged in intramolecular disulphide bridges. The primary structure of Galleria defensin shared about 90.7% identity to that of heliomicin, which was an insect defensin isolated from Heliothis virescens. The full-length cDNA encoding Galleria defensin was cloned from the fat body of the immunized G. mellonella larvae. Northern blot analysis revealed that Galleria defensin was expressed not only in the fat body but also in the midgut against invading bacteria into haemocoel. This is the first report presenting cDNA and expression of an insect defensin in the lepidopteran species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Several studies have shown that thrombosis and inflammation play an important role in the pathogenesis of coronary artery disease (CAD). Tissue factor (TF) is responsible for the thrombogenicity of the atherosclerotic plaque and plays a key in triggering thrombin generation. The aim of this study was to assess the levels of TF and tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) in patients with angiographically documented CAD and also to evaluate TF induction on monocytes in vitro in the presence of these plasmas from patients with CAD. Methods: Plasma antigen levels of soluble TF and TFPI were measured in 65 CAD patients and 22 healthy controls. Surface TF expression on monocytes from a healthy donor treated with plasma samples was evaluated by flow cytometry with a direct double-color immunofluorescence technique. Results: Significantly elevated levels of both TF and TFPI were found in CAD patients compared with healthy controls (303.6 ± 134.1 vs. 187.3 ± 108.7 pg/ml, p < 0.05; 85.2 ± 48.6 vs. 65.0 ± 29.0 ng/ml, p < 0.05). By flow cytometry, monocytes from a healthy donor displayed higher TF antigen expression when incubated in the presence of CAD plasmas than in control plasmas (34.6 ± 10.7 vs. 23.2 ± 10.2%, p < 0.05). Conclusions: The high levels of circulating TF are present in CAD, which were not sufficiently inhibited by the elevated TFPI plasma levels. Although the source of circulating TF is unclear, TF induction of monocytes by plasma from CAD patients may contribute to the hypercoagulable state.Copyright © 2000 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An object-oriented approach to load-balanced adaptive mesh refinement in two and three dimensions is presented for OpenFOAM, a mature C++ library for computational fluid dynamics. Such a high-performance computing technique is mandatory for computational efficiency in cases of moving regions of interest for distributed-memory parallel computer architectures where domain decomposition is applied. Moving regions of interest are dynamically deforming and migrating through the domain during simulations and require high spatial resolution of solution features. We present software design and code structure, and detail on our achievements with respect to software usability for engineering applications, as well as on numerous developments and improvements necessary for high stability and runtime performance. Keywords: Dynamic load balancing, Adaptive mesh refinement, 2D, 3D, OpenFOAM

Mechanical stimuli drives many physiological processes through mechanically activated channels, and the recent discovery of PIEZO channel has generated great interests in its mechanotransduction. Many previous researches investigated PIEZO proteins by transcribing them in cells that originally have no response to mechanical stimulation, or by forming PIEZO-combined complexes in vitro, and few studied PIEZO protein’s natural characteristics in cells. In this study we show that MDA-MB-231, a malignant cell in human breast cancer cell line, expresses the mechanosensitive behavior of PIEZO in nature without extra treatment, and we report its characteristics in response to localized mechanical stimulation under an atomic force microscope, wherein a correlation between the force magnitude applied and the channel opening probability is observed. The results on PIEZO of MDA-MB-231 can help establish a basis of preventing and controlling of human breast cancer cell via mechanical forces.

The electronic structures of monolayer and bilayer SnSe2 under pressure were investigated by using first-principles calculations including van der Waals interactions. For monolayer SnSe2, the variation of electronic structure under pressure is controlled by pressure-dependent lattice parameters. For bilayer SnSe2, the changes in electronic structure under pressure are dominated by intralayer and interlayer atomic interactions. The n-type thermoelectric properties of monolayer and bilayer SnSe2 under pressure were calculated on the basis of the semi-classical Boltzmann transport theory. It was found that the electrical conductivity of monolayer and bilayer SnSe2 can be enhanced under pressure, and such dependence can be attributed to the pressure-induced changes of the Se–Sn antibonding states in conduction band. Finally, the doping dependence of power factors of n-type monolayer and bilayer SnSe2 at three different pressures were estimated, and the results unveiled that thermoelectric performance of n-type monolayer and bilayer SnSe2 can be improved by applying external pressure. This study benefits to understand the nature of the transport properties for monolayer and bilayer SnSe2 under pressure, and it offers valuable insight for designing high-performance thermoelectric few-layered SnSe2 through strain engineering induced by external pressure.

The present study was aimed to examine whether icariin, a traditional Chinese medicine, could improve therapeutic effects of adipose derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) for diabetes-associated erectile dysfunction (DMED). DMED were induced in rats by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin and confirmed by erectile function measurement. Then, rats of diabetic ED were randomly divided to receive the treatment of saline, ADSCs, icariin or ADSCs combined with icariin respectively. Compared with the treatment by ADSCs or icariin alone, intracavernosum injection of ADSCs combined with the following daily gastric gavage of icariin significantly augmented the value of ICP and ICP/MAP (p

Bienzymatic acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and choline oxidase (ChOx) immobilized biosensor based on a phenyl carboxylic acid-grafted multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWNT) modified glass carbon electrode (GCE) and carbon-screen printed electrode (SPE) was fabricated for acetylcholine detection in human blood samples. Phenyl carboxylic acid-modified MWNT supports were prepared by electrochemical polymerization of 4-carboxyphenyl diazonium salts, which were synthesized by an amine group and sodium nitrite, on the surface of the MWNT-modified GCE and SPE in 0.1 M PBS. The successful fabrication of the AChE-ChOx-immobilized biosensor was confirmed via scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and cyclic voltammetry (CV). The sensing range of the biosensor based on a GCE and SPE was 1.0~10 μM and 10~100 μM, respectively. The interfering effect of 0.1 M L-ascorbic acid, 0.1 M L-cysteine, and 0.1 M uric acid to 0.1 M acetylcholine was 3.00%, 9.00%, and 3.00%, respectively. Acetylcholine in a human blood sample was detected by the AChE-ChOx-immobilized biosensor.

Abstract Background Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), or sleeping sickness, is a fatal neglected tropical disease if left untreated. HAT primarily affects people living in rural sub-Saharan Africa, often in regions afflicted by violent conflict. Screening and treatment of HAT is complex and resource-intensive, and especially difficult in insecure, resource-constrained settings. The country with the highest endemicity of HAT is the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which has a number of foci of high disease prevalence. We present here the challenges of carrying out HAT control programmes in general and in a conflict-affected region of DRC. We discuss the difficulties of measuring disease burden, medical care complexities, waning international support, and research and development barriers for HAT. Discussion In 2007, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) began screening for HAT in the Haut-Uélé and Bas-Uélé districts of Orientale Province in northeastern DRC, an area of high prevalence affected by armed conflict. Through early 2009, HAT prevalence rate of 3.4% was found, reaching 10% in some villages. More than 46,000 patients were screened and 1,570 treated for HAT during this time. In March 2009, two treatment centres were forced to close due to insecurity, disrupting patient treatment, follow-up, and transmission-control efforts. One project was reopened in December 2009 when the security situation improved, and another in late 2010 based on concerns that population displacement might reactivate historic foci. In all of 2010, 770 patients were treated at these sites, despite a limited geographical range of action for the mobile teams. Summary In conflict settings where HAT is prevalent, targeted medical interventions are needed to provide care to the patients caught in these areas. Strategies of integrating care into existing health systems may be unfeasible since such infrastructure is often absent in resource-poor contexts. HAT care in conflict areas must balance logistical and medical capacity with security considerations, and community networks and international-response coordination should be maintained. Research and development for less complicated, field-adapted tools for diagnosis and treatment, and international support for funding and program implementation, are urgently needed to facilitate HAT control in these remote and insecure areas.

Abstract Background Trauma from war and violence has led to psychological disorders in individuals living in the Gaza strip and West Bank. Few reports are available on the psychiatric disorders seen in children and adolescents or the treatment of affected populations. This study was conducted in order to describe the occurrence and treatment of psychiatric disorders in the Palestinian populations of the Gaza strip and Nablus district in the West Bank. Methods From 2005 to 2008, 1369 patients aged more than 1 year were identified through a local mental health and counseling health network. All were clinically assessed using a semi-structured interview based on the DSM-IV-TR criteria. Results Among 1254 patients, 23.2% reported post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD], 17.3% anxiety disorder (other than PTSD or acute stress disorder), and 15.3% depression. PTSD was more frequently identified in children ≤ 15 years old, while depression was the main symptom observed in adults. Among children ≤ 15 years old, factors significantly associated with PTSD included being witness to murder or physical abuse, receiving threats, and property destruction or loss (p < 0.03). Psychological care, primarily in the form of individual, short-term psychotherapy, was provided to 65.1% of patients, with about 30.6% required psychotropic medication. Duration of therapy sessions was higher for children ≤ 15 years old compared with adults (p = 0.05). Following psychotherapy, 79.0% had improved symptoms, and this improvement was significantly higher in children ≤ 15 years old (82.8%) compared with adults (75.3%; p = 0.001). Conclusion These observations suggest that short-term psychotherapy could be an effective treatment for specific psychiatric disorders occurring in vulnerable populations, including children, living in violent conflict zones, such as in Gaza strip and the West Bank.

Image retake of radiological examinations not only increases the risk of radiation exposure of the patients, but also wastes the medical resource and degrades the quality of services of the hospitals. This study aimed at discovering factors affecting image retake of general digital radiography for setting guidelines to reduce the image retaking rate. A total of 98,503 general X-ray images retrieved from the picture archiving and communication system database of a medical center in central Taiwan were analyzed. The results showed that the total retaking rate was 4.89% with the position error (56.05%) was the main factor causing image retakes and chest examination showed the highest frequency (1544 cases). On the other hand, skull/face exhibited the highest retaking rate (9.81%) among various types of examinations. After discovering the factors affecting the image retaking rate, suitable guidelines were proposed and introduced. The image retake rate had been significantly reduced to 4.38% and 3.57% 1 month and 6 months, respectively, after the introduction of guidelines. In conclusion, image retake analysis is a quality indicator and is effective for quality assurance of digital radiology. Regular analysis of image retake can find factors inducing image retake and is useful for designing guidelines to reduce the image retake rate.

Objective: Incomplete uterine perforation after intrauterine device (IUD) insertion has occasionally been observed. We report on three patients who underwent flexible hysteroscopy for localization and retrieval of these intramural devices. Case Reports: Three Taiwanese women presented with lower abdominal pain, discomfort during defecation and frequent urination. All used a Nova-T IUD for contraception. Sonography suggested dislocation of the IUD or perforation, and pelvic examination revealed missing strings. All the women underwent flexible hysteroscopy to localize and retrieve the devices. The hysteroscopic examination indicated partial perforation or embedding of the device into the cervical or uterine wall. Retrieval was smoothly performed without cervical dilatation or anesthesia in all three women. All devices were directly retrieved using the grasping forceps of the flexible hysterofibroscope. The subsequent courses were smooth and uneventful. Conclusion: Flexible hysteroscopy is a simple and useful tool for diagnosis and retrieval of intramural IUDs. The instant removal of an IUD that has incompletely perforated the uterine wall might prevent complete uterine perforation.