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BACKGROUND: Holmium lasers have been used to treat bladder stones and achieve good therapeutic effects, but its efficacy remains to be explored. METHODS: The PubMed, Embase, Medline, Ovid, Springer, and Web of Sciences databases were searched from their establishment to December 31, 2020. Studies of randomized control trials (RCTs) examining the treatment of vesical calculi by holmium laser lithotripsy were identified. The Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Intervention 5.0.2 was used to assess risk bias, and Rev Man5.3 was used to conduct the meta-analysis. RESULTS: A total of 10 studies, comprising 1,642 subjects, were included. The meta-analysis results showed that the surgery time and the hospitalization time of patients treated with holmium laser lithotripsy decreased, and the calculus removal rate increased. The experimental group had a lower incidence of adverse reactions, such as postoperative urinary tract infection, mucosal damage, vesical perforation, residual calculi, hematuria, and abdominal pain than the control group; however, no notable difference was observed in relation to surgery time, hospital stay, the calculus removal rate, mucosal damage, bladder perforation, hematuria, and abdominal pain between the 2 groups. DISCUSSION: Holmium laser lithotripsy significantly reduced the hospitalization time of patients treated with holmium laser lithotripsy and elevated the removal rate.

Over the past years, archaeobotanical studies have clarified much of the process of dispersal and adaptation of crops across Asia. However, the development of farming systems that could function in the high-altitude environments of Tibet requires more in-depth consideration. In this article, we present the results of the systematic archaeobotanical investigation at Karuo, a third millennium BC site in eastern Tibet. We argue that millet cultivation was possibly practiced at the site and that it was likely an important aspect of the economy from 2700 to 2100 cal. BC. The role of millet in the cultivation system might have declined after the mid-second millennium BC, during which time wheat—a grain originating in southwest Asia—appeared at the site. In addition to farming, evidence of foraging, hunting, and fishing are present suggesting a diverse subsistence strategy. The diversification of human diets may have contributed to the long-term occupation of the site. Taking a broad regional perspective into account, the diverse spectrum of subsistence strategy engaged by Karuo people provides new insights into the understanding of early lifeways on the Tibetan Plateau. Introduction Karuo site Materials and methods Results - Plant remains - Chronology of the site Discussion - Millet - Wheat and barley - Other potential food resources - Subsistence strategy Conclusion

Serial repitching of beer brewer’s yeast plays an important role in the beer industry as an ineluctable economic factor. In this study, the viability and vitality changes, as well as strains’ anti-autolytic abilities during serial beer fermentation with typical ale and lager yeast strains, were investigated. While measuring the survival rate of yeast cells is not sufficient for evaluating and predicting the yeast fermentation capacity, physiological status determination of brewer’s yeast reflects the vitality and quality of yeast in serial beer fermentations. Accumulation of reactive oxygen species in yeast causes cell damage, leading to a decline in cell vitality and viability. Aged yeast cells, after several repitchings, can result in leakage of intracellular compounds into the fermented liquor. The lager yeast (Pilsner) examined, which harbors the partial genome from S. eubayanus, showed better robustness and higher activity than the ale yeast strain M79 examined, during serial fermentation. A holistic approach, including more indicators, should be applied in evaluating the fermentation performance of brewer’s yeast.

Acetaldehyde is synthesized by yeast during the main fermentation period of beer production, which causes an unpleasant off-flavor. Therefore, there has been extensive effort toward reducing acetaldehyde to obtain a beer product with better flavor and anti-staling ability. In this study, we discovered that acetaldehyde production in beer brewing is closely related with the intracellular NADH equivalent regulated by the citric acid cycle. However, there was no significant relationship between acetaldehyde production and amino acid metabolism. A reverse engineering strategy to increase the intracellular NADH/NAD+ ratio reduced the final acetaldehyde production level, and vice versa. This work offers new insight into acetaldehyde metabolism and further provides efficient strategies for reducing acetaldehyde production by the regulating the intracellular NADH/NAD+ ratio through cofactor engineering.

1,3-1,4-β-glucanase was an important biotechnological aid in the brewing industry. In a previous research, a Bacillus BglTO mutant (BglTO) with high tolerance towards high temperature and low-pH conditions was constructed and expressed in Escherichia coli. However, E. coli was not a suitable host for enzyme production in food industry. Therefore, the present work aimed to achieve the high-level expression of BglTO in Bacillus subtilis WB600 and to test its effect in Congress mashing. The β-glucanase mutant was successfully expressed in B. subtilis WB600 and favorable plasmid segregation and structural stability were observed. The maximal extracellular activity of β-glucanase in recombinant B. subtilis WB600 reached 4840.4 U mL−1 after cultivation condition optimization, which was 1.94-fold higher than that before optimization. The fermentation capacity of recombinant B. subtilis reached 242.02 U mL−1 h−1, which was the highest among all reported β-glucanases. The addition of BglTO in Congress mashing significantly reduced the filtration time and viscosity of mash by 29.7% and 12.3%, respectively, which was superior to two commercial enzymes. These favorable properties indicated that B. subtilis WB600 was a suitable host for production of BglTO, which was promising for application in the brewing industry.

Toward the goals of returning the landscape of Jiuzhaigou National Nature Reserve to a perceived “natural” state and protecting the environment, the Reserve in 1998–2002 implemented forest preservation policies that included restrictions on forestry, agriculture, and animal herding practiced by resident Tibetans. To document the effects of these land use changes on landscape diversity and on human vulnerability to natural hazards, we mapped and characterized topographic parameters of anthropogenic treeless areas from 1973, 2004, and 2013 satellite images. Results showed that, in addition to a previously documented overall loss of cleared land, the distribution of treeless area elevation, aspect, and slope has changed. In 1973, treeless areas were distributed approximately uniformly across all elevations and a wide range of slopes, but now they are concentrated on relatively flat slopes in the valley bottoms (∼2400 m) and high, subalpine elevations (∼3800 m). These changes are decreasing the topographic diversity of landscapes people use and likely also decreasing the biodiversity of the Reserve, where plant communities are highly stratified based on both elevation and aspect. In addition, many 1973 treeless areas were located on deep-seated landslides, while many 2004 and 2013 treeless areas were located on landslide deposits and alluvial fans, suggesting that relocation may not be reducing the risk of natural hazards for residents. These effects combine with the previously documented decline in overall area of montane meadows and associated losses to cultural heritage, ecosystem services, and biodiversity.

In beer quality, the interactions of proteins with hop acids are understood to be the basis of beer foam stability. Among beer proteins, one barley malt albumin, protein Z4, has an important role in stabilizing beer foam. In this study, protein Z4 was purified from AC Metcalfe barley malt for further study. The secondary structure of protein Z4 was investigated via Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and circular dichroism spectroscopy. The results showed that protein Z4 had high structural stability. These structural features of protein Z4 were proposed to explain its observed high tolerance and stability of high temperatures and pH during the brewing process. Relatively high beer ethanol concentrations and yeast-induced modifications during the fermentation process can only partially influence in the structure of protein Z4. Modification by carbohydrates was observed as a result of the malting process. Meanwhile, modifications could increase the stability of the structure of protein Z4. Furthermore,...

Gibberellic acid (GA3) was added to three types of beer barley, and the chemical changes to GA3 during the beer brewing process were studied using HPLC. The results demonstrated that the GA3 concentration decreased throughout the malting, mashing, and boiling processes and that no GA3 was detected in the congress wort. A new substance, herein called Substance A, was detected by HPLC analysis using a C18 column; this substance exhibited retention characteristics different from GA3. The concentration of Substance A increased throughout the malting, mashing, and boiling processes. Mass spectrometry revealed that Substance A has the same molecular weight as GA3 and nuclear magnetic resonance studies determined that Substance A is a structural isomer of GA3. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: This study developed a new idea to understand GA3 behavior during the brewing, which provided a practical reference for food safety in beer and other fields using GA3 as a food additive.

Lager-brewing yeasts are mainly used for the production of lager beers. Illumina and PacBio-based sequence analyses revealed an approximate genome size of 22.8 Mb, with a GC content of 38.98%, for the Chinese lager-brewing yeast Saccharomyces sp. strain M14. Based on ab initio prediction, 9,970 coding genes were annotated.

The impaired erectile response in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) is caused by increased signaling of RhoA/Rho-kinase and decreased signaling of nitric oxide (NO). Icariin improves erectile function via upregulating multitargets in NO/cyclic guanosine monophosphate (NO/cGMP) pathway, which breviscapine accomplishes by downregulating RhoA/Rho-kinase pathway.To investigate the effect and mechanism of icariin combined with breviscapine on the erectile function of SHR.Five 12-week-old male Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats and 20 age-matched male SHR were evenly randomized into WKY rats control group, SHR control group, icariin-treated group, breviscapine-treated group, and combined treatment group treated by vehicle, icariin, breviscapine, and icariin plus breviscapine, respectively, by gavage for four successive weeks. Maximum intracavernosal pressure/mean arterial pressure (ICPmax/MAP) and the expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS), phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE5), and Rho-associated, coiled-coil containing protein kinase 1 and 2 (ROCK1 and ROCK2) in the cavernous tissues were determined.The ICPmax/MAP in the combined treatment group was significantly increased compared with SHR control group, icariin-treated group, and breviscapine-treated group. The expression of eNOS and nNOS was significantly higher in the combined treatment group than in SHR control group, icariin-treated group, and breviscapine-treated group (P 0.05). The expression of PDE5 was significantly lower in the icariin-treated group than in SHR control group (P 0.05). The expression of ROCK1 was significantly lower in the combined treatment group than in other groups (P 0.05). The expression of ROCK2 was significantly higher in SHR control group than in WKY rats control group, icariin-treated group, and combined treatment group (P 0.05). Among these groups, the expression of eNOS and nNOS was the strongest, and ROCK1 was the lowest in WKY rats control group.Icariin combined with breviscapine has synergistic effects on erectile function of SHR through different signal pathways.

Corn starch has become a common adjunct for beer brewing in Chinese breweries. However, with increasing ratio of corn starch, problems like poor wort filtration performance arise, which will decrease production capacity of breweries. To solve this problem, factors affecting wort filtration were evaluated, such as the size of corn starch particle, special yellow floats formed during liquefaction of corn starch, and residual substance after liquefaction. The effects of different enzyme preparations including β-amylase and β-glucanase on filtration rate were also evaluated. The results indicate that the emerging yellow floats do not severely block filtration, while the fine and uniform-shape corn starch particle and its incompletely hydrolyzed residue after liquefaction are responsible for filtration blocking. Application of β-amylase preparation increased the filtration rate of liquefied corn starch. This study is useful for our insight into the filtration blocking problem arising in the process of high-adjunct-ratio beer brewing and also provides a feasible solution using enzyme preparations.

High level of acetaldehyde produced by yeast in beer industry, especially in China, is still an important issue. To obtain a brewing strain with low acetaldehyde, a novel approach, based on domestication by disulfiram–ethanol plates, was developed. A mutant D-A-14 with lower acetaldehyde was obtained with UV mutagenesis. Through longtime domestication, the mutant D-A-14 produced 60.57 % less (2.20 mg/L) than the Wt strain MA12. Besides, the ratio of higher alcohols to esters in beer fermented by the mutant D-A-14 (3.7) was lower than that of MA12 (5.8), which exhibited harmonious flavor. For further study, DNA microarray technique was exploited to analyze the changes in genes involved in metabolism between the Wt and mutant. The data of DNA microarray were consistent with the decrease in acetaldehyde, organic acids, and the ratio of higher alcohols to esters of mutant D-A-14. Therefore, the newly screened strain has the potential to be applied in the brewing industry.

Higher acetaldehyde concentration in beer is one of the main concerns of current beer industry in China. Acetaldehyde is always synthesized during beer brewing by the metabolism of yeast. Here, using ethanol as the sole carbon source and 4-methylpyrazole as the selection marker, we constructed a new mutant strain with lower acetaldehyde production and improved ethanol tolerance via traditional mutagenesis strategy. European Brewery Convention tube fermentation tests comparing the fermentation broths of mutant strain and industrial brewing strain showed that the acetaldehyde concentration of mutant strain was 81.67 % lower, whereas its resistant staling value was 1.0-fold higher. Owing to the mutation, the alcohol dehydrogenase activity of the mutant strain decreased to about 30 % of the wild-type strain. In the meantime, the fermentation performance of the newly screened strain has little difference compared with the wild-type strain, and there are no safety problems regarding the industrial usage of the mutant strain. Therefore, we suggest that the newly screened strain could be directly applied to brewing industry.

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Several recent controlled trials have reported that deferoxamine (DFX) therapy appears to be effective for ICH. The aim of this study was to perform a systematic review of DFX therapy for ICH patients and evaluate the efficacy and safety of DFX therapy for ICH patients. We searched Medline, Embase, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, clinicaltrials.gov, all Chinese databases and the reference lists of all included studies and review articles. We then performed a systematic review of studies involving the administration of DFX following ICH. Only two studies were included, a prospective, randomized clinical trial and a prospective,observational cohort study with concurrent groups. Qualitative analysis of each study revealed one randomized controlled trial of moderate quality with a moderate risk of bias and one observational cohort study of moderate quality with a moderate risk of bias. DFX may be an effective treatment for edema in patients with ICH. However, due to the small number of trials and small sample sizes of these trials, insufficient evidence exists to determine the effect of DFX on neurologic outcomes after ICH and the safety of this intervention. Further investigation is required before DFX can become a routine treatment for ICH.

This paper presents a new intelligent algorithm of robust method for mechanism design. After primary searching optimization of the orthogonal array, the searching direction and range of orthogonal optimization is put forwarded which is based on the variance and variance ratio analysis of the orthogonal design, which is able to be circulating in the optimization searching. The intelligent orthogonal optimization is performed until error value of each variable is zero, namely the calculation is terminated when the variance ratio of each variable is equal, which is the optimal solution. Correspondingly, the variable range of the orthogonal array in preceding step is the tolerance of the optimal solution. The characteristics of this method is no need for special tolerance design, the tolerance of optimal solution is obtained when the parameter design is completed. In contrast with other robust design methods and optimization methods, this method has the advantage of less calculation time, higher speed, no exiting of prematurity of local circulation and slow convergence of global search. This paper takes a slider-crank mechanism as an example to perform robust design. From the course and results of this case, the method is simple and practical, and also it will have a good application prospect in the field of robust design.

The shortcomings of existing intelligent optimization algorithms are easy to produce premature convergence, easy to fall into local optimal equilibrium states, and poor efficiency at evolutionary late stage. In order to overcome the above shortcomings, a variety of new strategies and approaches were put forward by researchers in various countries. Although the orthogonal design has been applied to intelligent optimization algorithms, the effect of optimization searching in orthogonal design has not displayed completely because it is limited to be used in initializing the swarm or to be used in optimization searching only before evolution. We discovered the method of confirmation for further searching direction and searching range of orthogonal optimization which is based on the variance analysis and variance ratio analysis of orthogonal design. Making use of the characteristic of orthogonal design which is easy to find an interval that contains the best solution in one arrayed calculation, we put forward an algorithm of orthogonal intelligent optimization based on the analysis of variance ratio which is able to be circulating in the optimization searching. The simulation analysis for six-hump camel back function is performed successfully. The result shows that the algorithm of orthogonal intelligent optimization is much better than other algorithms of existing intelligent optimization, which has less calculation amount, shorter searching time, more rapid speed and higher accuracy of optimization searching.

The robust parameter design is effective method that is to produce high quality product at low cost to the manufacturer. This paper analyses disadvantages of Taguchi quality method, of which the amount of calculation is increased, algorithm is complicated, and the optimal value of variables in parameter design is updated in regression analysis. Having discovered a lot of useful information not to be utilized in Taguchi quality method, this paper introduces a new robust design method based on orthogonal optimization and variance ratio analysis. The optimal values of parameter and tolerance, at one time, can be obtained by means of successive-orthogonal arrays and variance ratio analysis in parameter design. The best solution in last orthogonal arrays and its tolerance selected by variance ratio analysis make up of factors in successive-orthogonal arrays. The bigger is variance ratio in last orthogonal arrays, the smaller is forecast range of tolerance in successive-orthogonal arrays. It is not necessary to make tolerance design after parameter design and to use crossed array design, signal-to-noise ratio analysis and regression analysis. Numerical result shows that the new method is far simpler and more convenient than Taguchi quality method.

A heuristic algorithm appropriate for vehicle routing problem with multiple destinations in embedded equipment is presented. The algorithm is applied to the local routing and global routing respectively. Based on the consideration of road conditions and special direction roads (one-way street, banning of turn in crossing, etc.), a routing system adopting the algorithm is developed in embedded equipment ARM9. Experimental results from the routing system prove the efficiency of the presented heuristic algorithm in embedded equipment.

The proper selection and determination of partners is the key to the establishment of virtual logistic enterprises. With the rapid development of information technology, and the globalization and digitalization of the economy, the virtual logistic enterprises partners selection model based on CLIQUE is proposed to realize fast data mining in the bulkiness and high dimension information database of member enterprises provided by VLE information platform in order to select the candidate partners in the whole globe, or knowledge discover from indexes evaluation of partners. A simulating case will demonstrate the effectiveness of the selection method of the grid-based clustering algorithm.