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Background: Enteral nutrition should be implemented as early as possible in patients with moderate or severe acute pancreatitis. This study was designed to evaluate the feasibility and Deffectiveness of ultrasound-guided Freka-Trelumina tube placement for enteral nutrition in acute pancreatitis.Methods: Patients with severe acute pancreatitis admitted to Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University who needed Freka-Trelumina tube placement for enteral nutrition and gastrointestinal decompression were included in the current study. The relevant evaluation indicators of tube placement included the success rate of tube placement, tube placement time, tube shift rate, and blocking rate. In addition, the evaluation indicators of ultrasound-guided tube placement (from 1 January 2018 to 31 July 2019) were compared with those of previous endoscope-guided placement (from 1 January 2015 to 31 December 2017) by analysing the data from the electronic medical record system.Results: The success rate of ultrasound-guided tube placement was 90.7% (49/54). All 49 patients tolerated the Freka-Trelumina feeding tube. The average ultrasound-guided tube placement time for the 49 patients was 18.4 ± 12.8 min (range, 5-36 min). The Freka-Trelumina feeding tube had a shift rate of 10.2% (5/49). The blocking rate of the Freka-Trelumina feeding tube was 12.2% (6/49). The success rate of tube placement, tube shift rate and blocking rate for endoscope-guided tube placement were 100% (62/62), 11.3% (7/62), and 12.9% (8/62), respectively. The average endoscope-guided tube placement time for the 62 patients was 16.5 ± 5.7 min (range, 12-31 min). The comparison between the ultrasound-guided group and the endoscope-guided group showed that the success rate of tube placement, tube placement time, tube shift rate and blocking rate were similar.Conclusion: The ultrasound-guided method can be done non-invasively at the bedside, which is safe and convenient, and the Freka-Trelumina feeding tube can be placed in time to achieve the goal of early enteral nutrition and gastrointestinal decompression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Preparation of a microencapsulated BPNs via in-situ polymerization of PETA. • Delaying pyrolysis of BPNs realized by the protection of PETA and ZB. • Significant improvement in fire safety of EP/ZB-BPNs@PETA nanocomposites. To improve the air stability and smoke-suppression ability of black phosphorus nanosheets (BPNs), a simple strategy was proposed. Through microencapsulation of BPNs with pentaerythritol triacrylate (PETA), BPNs@PETA was synthesized. The ZB-BPNs@PETA was obtained through combining zinc borate (ZB) with BPNs@PETA at the ratio of 1:1. The ambient and thermal stability of BPNs was improved after modification due to the protection of PETA shell. The maximum rate of thermal degradation of BPNs for BPNs@PETA and ZB-BPNs@PETA was reduced by 36.87% and 72.38%, respectively, compared with that of BPNs. The results confirmed that PETA and ZB can delay the pyrolysis of BPNs greatly. With the addition of 2.0wt% ZB-BPNs@PETA, the fire safety and thermal stability of EP nanocomposite was improved. EP/ZB-BPNs@PETA 2.0 can pass the UL-94 V-0 rating, and the limited oxygen index value was increased to 32.2% from 25.0%. The values of peak of heat release, total heal release, smoke production rate and total smoke production were reduced by 43.53%, 22.05%, 30.17% and 14.14%, respectively. Additionally, the results of TG-IR showed that ZB-BPNs@PETA can reduce the peak value of absorption intensity of CO by 34.11%, compared with that of EP. From the results of XRD, the presence of Zn 3 (PO 4) 2 , BPO 4 and B 2 O 3 verified the synergistic effect of ZB and BPNs@PETA during combustion. In short, the catalytic dehydration carbonization effect of BPNs improved by PETA and ZB, can largely account for the decrease in fire hazard of EP composites. This work offered a new way to simultaneously improve the smoke-suppression ability and flame-retardant efficiency of BPNs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A four-cell-in-series stack of solid oxide fuel cell is fabricated on a single yttrium-stabilized-zirconia electrolyte plate which is fabricated by tape casting technique. The slurry for the tape casting process is characterized and optimized through Zeta potential and viscosity measurements. The optimal slurry is used to prepare the electrolyte plate, with electrical connecting holes, for the stack. The stack is operated directly with 5 wt% Fe-loaded activated carbon as the fuel. With a total effective area of 8.8 cm2 and carbon fuel of 5 g, this direct carbon solid oxide fuel cell stack shows an open circuit voltage of 3.82 V and an output power of 2.2 W at 820 °C. It gives a discharging platform of over 3.0 V for 10.5 h with a constant discharging current of 200 mA, at 800 °C. Then voltage drops to zero after discharging for 14 h, releasing a discharging energy of 8.6 W h. This work shows a possibility of developing direct carbon solid oxide fuel cells for applications of portable or distributed power sources. Image 1 • A novel DC-SOFC stack with multiple-cells-in-series on a single electrolyte plate. • Punching holes on electrolyte plate are used as electrical connecting paths. • Dense YSZ plate can be prepared by tape casting technique with optimized slurry. • A 4-cell stack run on carbon gives OCV of 3.8 V and power of 2.2 W at 800 °C. • The stack discharges at 200 mA for 14 h, releasing energy of 8.6 W h at 820 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Competitive behavior, like predation, widely exists in the world which has influences on the dynamics of ecosystems. Though a good knowledge for the patten formation and selection of predator–prey models with diffusion is known in the literature, little is known for that of a diffused competition model. As a result, a competition model with saturation effect and self- and cross-diffusion is proposed and analyzed in this paper. Firstly, by making use of nullcline analysis, we derive the condition of existence and stability of positive equilibrium and prove global stability. Then using the linear stability analysis, the Turing bifurcation critical value and the condition of the occurrence of Turing pattern are obtained when control parameter is selected. Finally, we deduce the amplitude equations around the Turing bifurcation point by using the standard multiple scale analysis. Meanwhile, a series of numerical simulations are given to expand our theoretical analysis. This work shows that cross-diffusion plays a key role in the formation of spatial patterns for competitive model with saturation effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • The rheology of non-Newtonian fluid has a great effect on mass transfer performance. • The gas–liquid interface mobility was distinct between tap water and CMC solutions. • The dimensionless correlations of mass transfer coefficient were proposed. • Effect of gas–liquid interface mobility was considered in dimensionless correlation. • Results can be applied in the design of bubble column with non-Newtonian fluids. Abstract Gas–liquid mass transfer in non-Newtonian fluid systems is important in many chemical and biochemical processes. Having a good understanding of gas–liquid mass transfer contributes to achieving the optimization of design and the energy-efficient operation. The mass transfer performance in tap water and carboxyl methyl cellulose (CMC) aqueous solutions with different weight percentages (0.3 wt%, 0.4 wt%, 0.5 wt% and 0.6 wt%) were investigated experimentally. The CMC aqueous solution was shear-thinning non-Newtonian fluid. In this study the apparent viscosity of the solutions ranged from 0.01 to 0.1 Pa s. As expected, the liquid phase rheology had a great effect on the gas–liquid mass transfer performance. The volumetric mass transfer coefficients in CMC aqueous solutions were much smaller than those in tap water, and the value decreased from 3.04 × 10−3 s−1 to 2.8 × 10−4 s−1 with the increase of the weight percentage of CMC aqueous solutions. The mobility of the gas–liquid interface in tap water and CMC aqueous solutions was identified by the dimensionless diameter number. It was found that the mobile gas–liquid interface prevailed in tap water, while bubbles behaved as rigid particles in relatively high weight percentage of CMC aqueous solutions (0.5 wt% and 0.6 wt%). The liquid film mass transfer coefficient could be approximated by theories for mobile and immobile gas–liquid interfaces in tap water and CMC aqueous solutions, respectively. Based on the liquid phase rheology and the mobility of the gas–liquid interface, the dimensionless correlations were proposed to describe the mass transfer process in Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cytochrome P450 (CYP) superfamily genes encode enzymes that play a role in metabolizing endogenous compounds and in detoxifying exogenous chemicals. The CYP2D subfamily is a member of the CYP2 family, and its gene expansion in herbivores is presumably linked with the need to detoxify abundant plant toxins in the diet, which indicates that CYP2D gene expansion is associated with dietary preferences. To test this hypothesis, the dietary information and CYP2D gene number for 73 vertebrates from different taxonomic groups including 22 mammals, 49 birds, 1 reptile, and 1 amphibian were collected, and correlation analysis and ANOVA were conducted. The results showed that most species (45/73) had only one CYP2D gene, despite their different diets, and dietary preferences were not correlated with CYP2D gene numbers. Specifically, the majority of birds and 7 mammals had only 1 CYP2D gene, and the CYP2D gene number of mammals ranged from 1 to 11, irrespective of their feeding habits. Species with a CYP2D gene number ≥5 included carnivores, herbivores, and omnivores. Furthermore, statistical analyses revealed that no significant correlation existed between dietary preferences and CYP2D gene number, and there was no significant CYP2D gene number variation among species with different dietary preferences, regardless of whether all vertebrates or specific lineages were considered. Furthermore, gene dynamics which indicated by gene duplication events and loss events showed that CYP2D gene number variation had no relationship with diet, suggesting that diet was not a driving force of CYP2D gene expansion and that CYP2D gene expansion was more complex than previously recognized. We tested the hypothesis that CYP2D gene expansion was associated with the dietary preferences and found that diet wasn't a driving force of CYP2D gene expansion, and CYP2D gene expansion was more complex than previously recognized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many previous studies have found that transabdominal ultrasound may allow precise measurement of gastric emptying of liquid meals. However, the clinical use of this technique has been hampered by the limitation that transabdominal ultrasound might not accurately measure gastric emptying of solid meals. It is more important to measure gastric emptying of solids instead of liquids, as gastric emptying of solids is more often delayed than gastric emptying of liquids in gastric motility disorders. Recently, transabdominal ultrasound after oral administration of a cellulose-based gastric contrast agents (TUS-OSCA) has been suggested to be effective in initial screening of gastric lesions. The aim of this study was to explore the accuracy of TUS-OSCA in the evaluation of gastric emptying of a semisolid meal. Twenty healthy young patients (10 males and 10 females aged 25.5 ± 2.5 y) were studied. Concurrent measurements of gastric emptying by scintigraphy and TUS-OSCA were performed after ingestion of 350 mL semisolid ultrasound agent labeled with 20 MBq 99mTc-sulfur colloid. There was no significant difference in the overall curves for gastric emptying time between scintigraphy and TUS-OSCA. There was a good correlation between the gastric 50% emptying times determined by scintigraphy (89.4 ± 1.8 min) and TUS-OSCA (92.5 ± 1.7 min). The correlation coefficient was r = 0.922 (p = 0.000). Current results indicate that TUS-OSCA is accurate, and the results are similar to those obtained by scintigraphy for gastric emptying of a semisolid meal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Nickel oxide (NiO) nanoparticles loaded on porous strontium-substituted lanthanum cobaltite (La 0·7 Sr 0·3 CoO 3-δ , LSC) ceramic substrate is fabricated as a novel binder-free electrode (NiO/LSC) for electrochemical capacitors. The LSC substrate is synthesized through a simple solid-state method. NiO nanoparticles are loaded onto the porous LSC substrate by infiltrating a nickel nitrate (Ni(NO 3) 2) solution into the pores, followed by calcination. The composite electrode NiO/LSC with a high mass loading of NiO (∼10 mg cm−2) exhibits an appreciable areal capacitance of 10.6 F cm−2, a specific capacitance of 1064.1 F g−1 and remarkable cycling stability (80.1% retention after 3000 cycles at 20 mA cm−2). Moreover, an asymmetric electrochemical capacitor, with NiO/LSC as the positive electrode and carbon cloth as the negative electrode, confirms the excellent capacitive properties, with high energy density of 9.27 mWh cm−3 under a wide potential of 1.65 V. This work indicates the promising application of NiO/LSC as an advanced electrode for electrochemical capacitors. Graphical abstract NiO nanoparticles loaded on porous La 0·7 Sr 0·3 CoO 3-δ (LSC) ceramic substrate (NiO/LSC) is fabricated as a novel binder-free electrode for electrochemical capacitors. Both the NiO/LSC composite electrode and the corresponding electrochemical capacitor show high performance. Image 1 Highlights • NiO with a mass loading of 10 mg cm−2 directly loaded on La 0·7 Sr 0·3 CoO 3-δ substrate. • NiO/LSC as electrode for supercapacitor shows high capacitive performance. • The designed capacitor (NiO/LSC//CC) exhibits an energy density of 9.27 mWh cm−3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of NiO on the sintering behavior and electrical properties of proton conducting Ba(Zr 0.1 Ce 0.7 Y 0.2 )O 3-δ (BZCY7) as an electrolyte supporter for solid oxide fuel cells is systematically investigated. SEM images and shrinkage curve demonstrate that the sinterability of the electrolyte pellets is dramatically improved by doping NiO as a sintering aid. The sintering aid amount and sintering temperature are optimized by analyzing the linear shrinkage, grain size and morphology for a series of sintered BZCY7 electrolyte pellets. Almost full dense electrolyte pellets are successfully formed by using 0.5–1.0 wt% NiO loading after sintering at 1400 °C for 6 h. The linear shrinkage of 0.5 wt% NiO modified BZCY7 sample is about 14.25% higher than that without NiO addition (4.81%). Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis indicate that partial NiO might dissolve into the perovskite lattice structure and the other NiO react with BZCY7 to form BaY 2 NiO 5 secondary phase as a sintering aid. Excessive NiO is especially detrimental to the electrical properties of BZCY7 and thus lower the open circuit voltage. The electrochemical performance for a series of single cells with different concentration NiO modified BZCY7 electrolyte are measured and analyzed. The optimized composition of 0.5 wt% NiO modified BZCY7 as an electrolyte support for solid oxide fuel cell demonstrates a high electrochemical performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amid arguments over the recurrence or deconstruction of rural life - prompted by cultural reconstruction of rurality - the increasing complexity of rural life can be variously traced to economic, social, and political transformations common to all corners of the world. With primary reference to archives and in-depth interviews, this study aims to describe the experience with, negotiation of, and reproduction of rurality among farmers of a thousand-year-old village on the east coast of mainland China. In doing so, it reveals rurality as a Western concept used to clarify the fate of rural communities in a transitional economy. Indeed, market-oriented reform seems to have changed farmers’ conceptualization of rurality, with their references to “the good old days” serving as a complaint about their economically and politically inferior status. Certainly, rural tourism development is an idyllic prospect for urbanite, but it is becoming a nightmare for indigenous farmers as the cultural colonization embodied in the commercialization of rurality threatens to join industrialization and urbanization in encroaching on rural communities in a transitional economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physical coloration without chemicals offers a pathway to develop pollution-free coloration technology, and can be applied to colorimetric sensing of gases, toxic and chemical agents. In this paper, we report on realization of a high-purity red color using mechanism of mode-selective absorption in a thin-film optical cavity. By placing an ultra-thin absorber layer at the antinode of a targeted spectral band in a Fabry-Perot cavity, its otherwise conventional dichroic reflection spectrum is shaped into a broad rectangular flat-bottom one that gives the desired vivid red. The purity of our demonstrated red color reaches 76%, which is increased by 16% compared with those reported in prior thin-film structures. Our method of mode-selective absorption is adaptable to more general-purpose spectral shaping, and could be applied in producing other target colors as well as broadband light absorption for energy harvesting and infrared detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fully implicit, fully coupled, and fully consistent finite element framework has been formulated in part I of this work for modeling reservoir compaction through linearizing coupled solid and flow field equations and constructing a local material integrator. In part II of this work, we focus on verification and performance analysis of our numerical formulation and computer implementation using several numerical examples. First, we design a cube problem in triaxial compression to verify our numerical formulation and computer code implementation especially for rock formation in compaction using cap plasticity models. The finite element prediction on stresses is compared with the analytical solution. The second problem we select is a strip footing problem popular in the geotechnical area where the evolution of soil consolidation degrees following the diffusion of pore pressure is the main interest. In this example, we demonstrate a good performance of the proposed numerical formulation on solving different shear and compaction-dominated deformation behaviors by varying the footing length. Importantly, an extremely sharp cap model based on real experimental data for Leda clays, a challenging cap model, is successfully applied in this footing problem. Our focus in this work is to model field reservoirs undergoing serious compaction. A reservoir with complex payzone geometries, multiple horizontal wells, and cap plasticity models with sharp cap surfaces has been successfully solved using our fully implicit formulation. The last example is to model a horizontal wellbore damage problem. Finally, the sensitivity of predicted subsidence to nonlinear flow model, cap hardening parameters, and Lode angles have been systemically investigated and documented in detail, which can provide a constructive guidance on how to successfully model field reservoir compaction problems with cap plasticity models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reservoir depletion results in rock failure, wellbore instability, hydrocarbon production loss, oil sand production, and ground surface subsidence. Specifically, the compaction of carbonate reservoirs with soft rocks often induces large plastic deformation due to rock pore collapse. On the other hand, following the compaction of reservoirs and failure of rock formations, the porosity and permeability of formations will, in general, decrease. These bring a challenge for reservoir simulations because of high nonlinearity of coupled geomechanics and fluid flow fields. In this work, we present a fully implicit, fully coupled, and fully consistent finite element formulation for coupled geomechanics and fluid flow problems with finite deformation and nonlinear flow models. The Pelessone smooth cap plasticity model, an important material model to capture rock compaction behavior and a challenging material model for implicit numerical formulations, is incorporated in the proposed formulation. Furthermore, a stress-dependent permeability model is taken into account in the formulation. A co-rotational framework is adopted for finite deformation, and an implicit material integrator for cap plasticity models is consistently derived. Furthermore, the coupled field equations are consistently linearized including nonlinear flow models. The physical theories, nonlinear material and flow models, and numerical formulations are the focus of part I of this work. In part II, we verify the proposed numerical framework and demonstrate the performance of our numerical formulation using several numerical examples including a field reservoir with soft rocks undergoing serious compaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims Acute lung injury (ALI) is associated with excessive mortality and lacks appropriate therapy. Ghrelin is a novel peptide that protects the lung against ALI. This study aimed to investigate whether endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) mediates the protective effect of ghrelin on ALI. Main methods We used a rat oleic acid (OA)-induced ALI model. Pulmonary impairment was detected by hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining, lung mechanics, wet/dry weight ratio, and arterial blood gas analysis. Plasma and lung content of ghrelin was examined by ELISA, and mRNA expression was measured by quantitative real-time PCR. Protein levels were detected by western blot. Key findings Rats with OA treatment showed significant pulmonary injury, edema, inflammatory cellular infiltration, cytokine release, hypoxia and CO 2 retention as compared with controls. Plasma and pulmonary content of ghrelin was reduced in rats with ALI, and mRNA expression was downregulated. Ghrelin (10 nmol/kg) treatment ameliorated the above symptoms, but treatment with the ghrelin antagonists D-Lys 3 GHRP-6 (1 μmol/kg) and JMV 2959 (6 mg/kg) exacerbated the symptoms. ERS induced by OA was prevented by ghrelin and augmented by ghrelin antagonist treatment. The ERS inducer, tunicamycin (Tm) prevented the ameliorative effect of ghrelin on ALI. The decreased ratio of p-Akt and Akt induced by OA was improved by ghrelin treatment, and was further exacerbated by ghrelin antagonists. Significance Ghrelin protects against ALI by inhibiting ERS. These results provide a new target for prevention and therapy of ALI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogels based on tea residue cellulose and graphene oxide were prepared by a homogeneous mixture of tea cellulose and graphene oxide in ionic liquid 1-allyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride. The prepared composite hydrogels of graphene oxide/tea cellulose were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared, thermogravimetry analysis and texture profile analysis. The effect of graphene on methylene blue adsorption capacity of the prepared hydrogels was also investigated. After the addition of graphene oxide, the hydrogels showed higher thermal stability and enhanced textural property. The weight loss peak was shifted from 280 °C to 320 °C, and the values of hardness, fracturability and gumminess were 12.7, 4.1 and 17.8 times respectively of the undoped tea cellulose hydrogel. As an absorbent, the graphene oxide/tea cellulose hydrogels had certain adsorption capacity (46.35 mg/g) and adsorption ratio (92.7%) for methylene blue and conformed with pseudo-second-order kinetic model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the possible mechanism of the recent global resurgence of mumps, a novel multi-group SVEIAR epidemic model with infinite distributed delays of vaccination and latency, asymptomatic infection and nonlinear incidence is formulated, which is also equivalent to the multi-group version with ages of vaccination and latency. Here, it is assumed that the vaccine confers complete protection against infection. By constructing Lyapunov functionals, it is shown that the disease will die out if the vaccinated reproduction number R v ≤ 1 and the disease becomes endemic if R v > 1 . Moreover, the threshold dynamics of the multi-group SVEIAR epidemic model of ordinary differential equations (ODEs) with imperfect vaccination is also established. Our main conclusions generalize and improve some existing results. In the end, it is found that the possible reasons for occurrence of backward bifurcation in epidemic models with vaccination may include partial immunity, standard incidence by comparing our results obtained with the existing literatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fractures have attracted the attention of computational scientists for several decades. The modeling and simulation of fractures have been a major motivation for developing enriched finite element methods (FEMs), such as the numerical manifold method (NMM). However, ill-conditioning has always haunted NMM and other enriched FEMs when they are utilized for linear elastic fracture problems. Generally, ill-conditioning for a fracture problem is caused by two main issues: the arbitrary cut of the mesh by the fracture path and linear dependence related to the crack-tip enrichments. It is significantly challenging to overcome these two types of ill-conditioning using a single technique. In this study, we employ a preconditioner based on global normalization and local Gram–Schmidt orthogonalization of bases to eliminate these two ill-conditioning issues in NMM entirely and simultaneously. Various numerical examples have demonstrated that the proposed preconditioning strategy is highly effective in reducing the condition number and iteration counts of a iterative solver. It is highly robust, stable, and efficient and can be incorporated into enriched FEM programs to significantly facilitate the analyses of linear elastic fractures. • Ill-conditioning due to mesh cut and crack-tip enrichment is explored. • Symmetric preconditioning overcomes ill-conditioning. • Stability and efficiency are significantly enhanced for linear elastic fractures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, in order to identify the most effective measure and combinations of several measures to control influenza spread, we propose an SVEIAR influenza model with imperfect vaccination, media coverage and antiviral treatment. The global dynamics of the model is explored. Sensitivity analysis of the basic reproduction number and the endemic equilibrium is conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of influenza control measures. Furthermore, an optimal control problem incorporating the three measures is formulated to design optimal control strategies for influenza. The cost-effectiveness analysis reveals that combining the three measures is the most cost-effective among the strategies considered. Numerical simulations show that media propaganda can play a dominant role in curbing influenza transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to assess the role of transabdominal ultrasound with cellulose-based oral contrast agent (TUS-OCCA) in the detection and surveillance of gastric ulcer. The study was approved by the institutional review board at Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University. A total of 124 consecutive patients with benign gastric ulcer diagnosed by gastroscopy and biopsy were enrolled. Serial TUS-OCCA (approximately 1 exam every 2 wk) was performed to monitor the effects of treatment, and additional interventions were planned according to the results. TUS-OCCA detected gastric ulcer in 76% of patients (94 of 124). The detection rates for lesions of ≤5 mm, lesions of 5-10 mm, lesions of 10-15 mm and lesions >15 mm were 32% (10 of 31), 77% (27 of 35), 96% (25 of 26) and 100% (32 of 32), respectively. The detection rates for lesions located in the antrum, angle and body were 70%, 84% and 85%, respectively. Among 30 undetected lesions, which ranged 2-13 mm in size, 11 were at the antrum, 9 at the angle, 3 in the body, 6 at the cardia and 1 at the fundus. During the follow-up period, patients underwent a mean of 3.8 TUS-OCCA examinations (range 2-7), and ulcers were healed after 8 wk (range 2-12 wk) of standard therapy in 76 patients. Eighteen patients who did not show improvement after standard therapy underwent repeat gastroscopy with biopsy. Repeat biopsy was positive for gastric cancer in 4 of these: 2 of the remaining 14 were diagnosed with gastric cancer at gastrectomy, and 12 were diagnosed with chronic benign ulcer. These results indicate that serial TUS-OCCA can be used for close monitoring during routine treatment of gastric ulcers that are detectable by TUS-OCCA and that monitoring by TUS-OCCA can guide additional interventions. A non-invasive follow-up program based on TUS-OCCA can also help to detect gastric cancers that have been misdiagnosed as benign ulcers at the initial endoscopic biopsy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Papain was embedded and immobilized in hydrogels prepared from tea cellulose by dissolving in ionic liquid of 1-allyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride and coating with magnetic Fe 3 O 4 via reaction of FeCl 3 /FeCl 2 solution with ammonium hydroxide. The prepared magnetic-cellulose-hydrogel-embedded papain was characterized via vibrating sample magnetometer, scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared, thermogravimetry analysis and differential scanning calorimetry. Thermal stability, optimal pH, optimal temperature, Michaelis constant and maximum reaction rate were compared between free papain and magnetic-cellulose-hydrogel-embedded papain. The magnetic-cellulose-hydrogel-embedded papain was sensitive to magnetic field and showed paramagnetic behavior, higher thermal stability and lowed substrate affinity. The optimal pH and optimal temperature of the magnetic-cellulose-hydrogel-embedded papain were shifted to 8.0 and 90 °C respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some studies show that the efficacy of vaccines may decline and the vaccine-induced immunity wanes with time elapsed since vaccination (e.g., BCG, HBV vaccines). Meanwhile, the use of media can effectively contain the emerging epidemics. In our work, an SVEIR epidemic model with media impact, age-dependent vaccination and latency is proposed, where the efficacy of vaccines depends on the time since vaccination. Uniform persistence and the sharp threshold dynamics are established, that is, the vaccination reproduction number completely determines the global dynamics of the model system. Our main results established can be extended to the SVEIR model with the general nonlinear infectious force function of monotonicity and concavity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Composite hydrogels were prepared from tea cellulose in ionic liquid of 1-allyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride and effect of κ-carrageenan, chitosan, guar gum and soluble starch on characteristics of the prepared hydrogels were investigated. The prepared hydrogels were characterized via Fourier transform infrared, thermogravimetry analysis, differential scanning calorimetry. Sodium salicylate was used as the model drug to compare the swelling, drug loading and releasing kinetics of the prepared hydrogels. Thiazolyl blue tetrazolium bromide assay and relative growth rates were adopted to evaluate cell cytotoxicity and biocompatibility of the prepared hydrogels. Chitosan and guar gum could improve thermostability and mechanical characteristics of the composite hydrogels, while κ-carrageenan or soluble starch could improve equilibrium swelling ratio, sodium salicylate loading and releasing. Guar gum and chitosan could increase permeation resistance and were beneficial for release control of the hydrogels. Addition of chitosan, κ-carrageenan, guar gum and soluble starch were proven cell compatibility and non-cytotoxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An SVEIR epidemic model with imperfect vaccination and nonlinear incidence, and a general latent distribution is formulated. By constructing Lyapunov functionals, it is shown that the disease will die out if the vaccination reproduction number R v a c ≤ 1 and the disease becomes endemic if R v a c > 1 . Furthermore, vaccination effects are analyzed. Two special forms the probability of remaining in latent class are discussed. When the probability is negatively exponentially distributed, we present an efficient approach of proving global stability of the endemic equilibrium of the SVEIR system of ordinary differential equations (ODEs), which may improve some known approaches. When the probability is a step-function, the delay differential equation (DDE) system derived is used to study the impacts of vaccination and saturated incidence on the mumps transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we study the dynamic behaviors of a non-autonomous single-species model subject to impulsive and random perturbations. We first investigate the existence and uniqueness of the globally positive solution of the model. Secondly, a good understanding of the extinction, non-persistence in the mean, weak persistence, persistence in the mean and stochastic permanence of the model is obtained. Thirdly, we further examine the asymptotic pathwise estimation. Fourthly, it is shown that the model is globally attractive under some appropriate conditions. Finally, numerical simulations are presented to justify the analytical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sleep disturbances in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exist worldwide, but little is known about this issue in non-Western cultures. This study aimed to characterize sleep disturbances in Chinese children with ASD and to examine associated sociodemographic factors and emotional/behavioral problems. Parents of 60 Chinese children with ASD (aged 6-17 years) from Shenzhen, China completed the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ), and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Sleep disturbances were severe and common, with rates of 70.0% for overall disturbances and 15.0% (daytime sleepiness) to 40.0% (sleep duration) for specific domains. The severity and rate of sleep disturbances were higher compared to previous studies in typically developing children from the same region of China and American children with ASD, respectively. Further, there were significant correlations between most CSHQ and SDQ domains. Female gender, older parental age, higher hyperactivity, and poorer prosocial behavior were associated with increased overall sleep disturbances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to characterize sleep patterns and disturbances among Chinese urban kindergarten children and examine potentially associated factors. Caregivers of 513 children (47.96% male) aged 3–6 years (mean age = 4.46,SD= 0.9) completed the Children’s Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ) and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Almost 80% (78.8%) of the children scored above the original CSHQ cutoff point for global sleep disturbance. Regression analysis indicated that child’s age, and the presence of emotional problems, hyperactivity and peer problems, cosleeping, and interparental inconsistency of attitudes toward child rearing accounted for significant variance in the CSHQ total score (R2= 22%). These findings indicate that there is an apparently high prevalence of sleep disturbances in Chinese urban kindergarten children; and sleep disturbances are associated with both child-related and parenting practice variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Endoscopic full-thickness resection (EFTR) is a mini-invasive technique for gastric subepithelial tumors originating from the muscularis propria, which enables a full-thickness resection of tumors and can provide a complete basis for pathological diagnosis. Gastric fistula closure after EFTR is a challenge for endoscopists. In this study, we introduced EFTR with fistula closure using the over-the-scope clip (OTSC) system for gastric subepithelial tumors originating from the muscularis propria.Objectives: To evaluate the feasibility and safety of fistula closure with OTSC by a retrospective analysis on the cases of EFTR with defect closure using OTSC for gastric subepithelial tumors originating from the muscularis propria in our hospital.Methods: The patients were selected who underwent EFTR for gastric subepithelial tumors originating from the muscularis propria (tumor diameter ≤2 cm) in our hospital from October 2013 to March 2014. After a full-thickness resection of tumors, the bilateral gastric mucous membranes of defect were clamped using twin graspers and then drawn into the transparent cap of OTSC, and the OTSC was released to close the defect after full suctioning. The success rate of defect closure with OTSC was observed, and the endoscopic follow-up was performed at 1 week, 1 and 6 months after operation to check OTSC closure.Results: Totally 23 patients were included into the study. The full-thickness resection rate of gastric tumors in the muscularis propria was 100 % (23/23), the success rate of defect closure was 100 %, and the average time of defect closure was 4.9 min (range 2-12 min). All patients experienced no postoperative complications such as bleeding and perforation. The postoperative follow-up time was 1-6 months (mean 3 months), and no OTSC detachment was found.Conclusions: OTSC can be used to perform EFTR with defect closure for gastric tumors in the muscularis propria (tumor diameter ≤2 cm). It is simple, convenient, safe and effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An emitting color tunable phosphor Sr(PO):Ce, Tb was synthesized by the traditional high-temperature solid-state reaction method. The photoluminescence and energy-transfer (ET) properties of Ce- and Tb-doped Sr(PO) host were studied in detail. The obtained phosphors show both a blue emission from Ce and a yellowish green emission from Tb with considerable intensity under ultraviolet (UV) excitation (~311 nm). When the content of Ce was fixed at 0.03, the emission chromaticity coordinates could be adjusted from blue to green region by tuning the contents of Tb ions with the aid of ET process. The critical distance between Ce and Tb is 14.69 Å. The ET mechanism from Ce to Tb ions was identified with dipole-dipole interaction. The obtained phosphor exhibits a strong excitation in UV spectral region and high-efficient ET from Ce to Tb ions. It may find applications as a green light-emitting UV-convertible phosphor in white LED devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Waste tire rubber was devulcanized by using supercritical carbon dioxide as a reaction medium. The influence of reaction temperature, pressure, time and diphenyl disulfide concentration on devulcanizaiton was studied, and their interactions were demonstrated by the 2-level full factorial experiments. It is found that diphenyl disulfide concentration is the most important factor; the crosslink density of gel is greater than that of original tire rubber when the diphenyl disulfide concentration is below 10 g L −1 ; the change of pressure above critical point almost has no effect on devulcanization. The reaction temperature determined the type of crosslink scission. Then, the products were characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, Differential Scanning Calorimetry and Scanning Electron Microscope. The glass transition temperature of devulcanization increase significantly. The fraction surface of devulcanized rubber presents the different morphologies for whether swelled by carbon dioxide or not. Finally, the reaction mechanism and model were developed for devulcanizing process. These results suggest that supercritical carbon dioxide brings diphenyl disulfide into the crosslink network, and the devulcanizing reaction took place on the surface and inside of the rubber at the same time, which led to the sol with higher molecular and lower polydispersity index. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eight hundred and twenty-six human G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) mediate the actions of two-thirds of the human hormones and neurotransmitters and over one-third of clinically used drugs. Studying the structure and dynamics of human GPCRs in lipid bilayer environments resembling the native cell membrane milieu is of great interest as a basis for understanding structure–function relationships and thus benefits continued drug development. Here, we incorporate the human A2A adenosine receptor (A2AAR) into lipid nanodiscs, which represent a detergent-free environment for structural studies using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) in solution. The [15N,1H]-TROSY correlation spectra confirmed that the complex of [u-15N, ~70% 2H]-A2AAR with an inverse agonist adopts its global fold in lipid nanodiscs in solution at physiological temperature. The global assessment led to two observations of practical interest. First, A2AAR in nanodiscs can be stored for at least one month at 4 °C in an aqueous solvent. Second, LMNG/CHS micelles are a very close mimic of the environment of A2AAR in nanodiscs. The NMR signal of five individually assigned tryptophan indole 15N–1H moieties located in different regions of the receptor structure further enabled a detailed assessment of the impact of nanodiscs and LMNG/CHS micelles on the local structure and dynamics of A2AAR. As expected, the largest effects were observed near the lipid–water interface along the intra- and extracellular surfaces, indicating possible roles of tryptophan side chains in stabilizing GPCRs in lipid bilayer membranes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the Sm 0.2 Ce 0.8 O 1.9 (SDC) buffer layer was used to replace the Gd 0.1 Ce 0.9 O 1.95 (GDC) buffer layer to improve the long-term stability and performance of the solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) in the intermediate temperature (550–750 °C). The buffer layer was prepared by screen printing method. The micromorphology of the SDC buffer layer and the cell structures was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) results showed that the polarization resistance (R P) of the cell with SDC buffer layer was smaller than that of the cell with GDC buffer layer, reducing the R P values by 43.52% and 43.33%, respectively (SDC-cell: 0.12 Ω cm2 at 650 °C and 0.27 Ω cm2 at 600 °C). The maximum power density of the cell with SDC buffer layer is 560 mW cm−2 at 650 °C, which was 25% higher than that with GDC buffer layer. The long-term durability of the cell with SDC buffer layer was better than that of the cell with GDC buffer layer. These provide an excellent prospect for utilizing SDC buffer layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The frequency effects on the velocities and attenuations of the bulk waves in a saturated porous medium are numerically studied in the cases of considering and neglecting the compressibility of solid grain, respectively. The results show that the whole frequency can be divided into three parts, i.e., low frequency band, medium frequency band, and high frequency band, according to the variation curves and the characteristic frequency. The compressibility of the solid grain affects the P wave distinctively, the S wave tiny, and the P wave little. The effects of the porosity and Poisson's ratio on the bulk waves are numerically analyzed. It is found that both the porosity and Poisson's ratio have obvious effects on the bulk waves. Compared with the results in the case of neglecting the porosity-moduli relation, the results in the case of considering the porosity-moduli relation are more reasonable. The results in the case of considering the porosity-moduli relation can be degenerated into the results of elastic solid and pure fluid, while the results in the case of neglecting the porosity-moduli relation cannot be degenerated into the results of elastic solid and pure fluid. Therefore, the porosity-moduli relation must be considered in the parametric study for a certain porous medium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Myo9b regulates leukocyte migration by controlling RhoA signaling. Here we assessed its role in active experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Myo9b −/− mice show a delay in the onset of EAE symptoms. The delay in disease onset was accompanied by reduced numbers of Th1 and Th17 cells in the CNS. Myo9b −/− mice showed no recovery from disease symptoms and exhibited elevated numbers of both Th17 cells and CD11b + macrophages. Bone marrow chimeric mice demonstrated that the absence of a leukocyte source of Myo9b was responsible for the delayed leukocyte infiltration into the CNS, delayed EAE onset and lack of recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The diffraction of ultrashort pulsed Gaussian beams from a circular aperture is studied by means of Fresnel diffraction integral and Fourier transform method. A uniform analytical expression is derived for temporal pulse form of ultrashort pulsed Gaussian beams in two cases, i.e. with constant beam waist and with constant diffraction length. It is shown that the on-axis pulse can be formulated as a superposition of an unapertured pulse and an aperture-induced pulse. The superposition of these two pulses leads to an enhanced pulse intensity for small truncation parameters at certain distances in the near field. Our results may find applications in high-intensity laser waveform control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The filtration efficiency of spacer filled membrane module is limited by the poor hydrodynamic condition near the spacer filaments contacting the membrane. To mitigate this negative effect, a saw-tooth spacer (STS) is proposed in this paper. The flow patterns in the STS filled membrane channel were tested and compared with that in the conventional zigzag spacer (ZS) filled membrane channel by Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) and the hydrodynamic mechanism for filtration improvement was revealed. The results showed that compared with the ZS, stronger turbulence can be produced by the STS due to the periodic generation and break of the recirculation region in the membrane channel. At the feed flow Reynolds number ( Re ) ranging from 750 to 1875, the average membrane shear rates in the STS membrane channels were more than 6.38 times higher than that in the conventional ZS membrane channel and increased with the tooth height. The stagnation region and recirculation region near the membrane surface which can result in serious membrane fouling were avoided in the STS membrane channels. Filtration experiments were performed and the results showed that higher steady flux can be obtained in the membrane module filled with the STS than that filled with the ZS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a nonautonomous impulsive stochastic differential model of competition between species which contains the classic two-species competitive Lotka–Volterra model as a special case. With the theory of impulsive stochastic differential equations, a good understanding of stochastic permanence and extinction of system is obtained. Two specific numerical examples are presented to support the analytical results. Conclusions are also given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel saw-tooth turbulence promoter was developed to improve the filtration performance of flat sheet membrane module (FSMM). The flux improvement mechanism was investigated through flow field test by particle image velocimetry (PIV). Results showed that the vortex produced by saw-tooth promoter intensified the mixing of fluid, which was favorable for the back transport of particles. Membrane shear rates in saw-tooth membrane modules (STMMs) were above 1.98 times higher than that in normal flat sheet membrane module. Particle deposition on membrane surface was effectively retarded. Flux improvement was verified by microfiltration of SiC suspension. Results showed that compared to the normal filtration method, saw-tooth promoter can improve the flux by 115.7%–258.0%, with a reduction of specific energy consumption above 33.8%. It was demonstrated that the saw-tooth promoter can improve filtration performance of flat sheet membrane module through flow field intensification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-resistance ground (HRG) systems have gained popularity in process applications due to their ability to continue operation after a single line-to-ground fault and to limit the escalation of a single line-to-ground fault to a multiphase event. Part I of the companion paper has set the guidelines for designing safe and reliable HRG systems on industrial power systems used with linear loads and the effect of increased line–ground voltage stress on motor loads during fault conditions. However, literature on characteristics and pitfalls of HRG systems when used with nonlinear power converter systems is limited. Part II investigates anomalies of HRG systems used with nonlinear power converters such as neutral voltage shifting, increased line–ground transient fault voltages for both motor and ac source terminals and their voltage compatibility issues, increased neutral grounding resistor power dissipation, susceptibility of ground fault sensing equipment to nuisance tripping, and dc-bus voltage resonance on faults. Part II also investigates HRG zero-sequence fault current characteristics and paths observed under various fault locations in a common ac or a common dc-bus pulsewidth-modulated adjustable speed drive (ASD) system. Part II concludes with a summary of application guidelines when using ASD HRG systems. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A randomized discrete competitive system is investigated and the maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) of the parameters of the system is obtained. Also, a corresponding numerical simulation is offered to support our theoretical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve the signal processing effect and efficiency of Coriolis mass flowmeter, a signal processing system of Coriolis mass flowmeter based on time-varying signal model is designed. Based on the analysis of the structure and working principle of Coriolis mass flowmeter, the environmental factors affecting the performance of Coriolis mass flowmeter are discussed. Based on the above analysis, the signal processing environment is designed, including serial signal processing environment and dual core parallel signal processing environment. Then the effective signal processing of Coriolis mass flowmeter is completed from three aspects: initial processing, phase calculation and frequency tracking. The experimental results show that after the time-varying signal model is applied, a complete signal frame can be collected in less than 50 ms in the pre-processing process, and the signal processing frame can be completed in less than 80 ms in the post-processing process. This shows that the signal processing time of the system is short, and the phase difference detection accuracy of the signal processing system based on the time-varying signal model is high, which is of great value to further improve the application effect of Coriolis mass flowmeter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conformational dynamics is important for enzyme catalysis. However, engineering dynamics to achieve a higher catalytic efficiency is still challenging. In this work, we develop a new strategy to improve the activity of yeast cytosine deaminase (yCD) by engineering its conformational dynamics. Specifically, we increase the dynamics of the yCD C-terminal helix, an active site lid that controls the product release. The C-terminal is extended by a dynamical single α-helix (SAH), which improves the product release rate by up to ~8-fold, and the overall catalytic rate kcat by up to ~2-fold. It is also shown that the kcat increase is due to the favorable activation entropy change. The NMR H/D exchange data indicate that the conformational dynamics of the transition state analog complex increases as the helix is extended, elucidating the origin of the enhanced catalytic entropy. This study highlights a novel dynamics engineering strategy that can accelerate the overall catalysis through the entropy-driven mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three sodium polyacrylate copolymers PD0x (Poly acrylic acid-co-sodium 4-vinylbenzenesulfonate or PD01; Poly acrylic acid-co-sodium 4-vinylbenzenesulfonate-co-hydroxyethyl methacrylate or PD02 and Poly methyl methacrylate-co-acrylic acid-co-sodium 4-vinylbenzenesulfonate-co-hydroxyethyl methacrylate or PD03) were synthesized as water-based dispersants for grinding red–brown pigment ZnFe1.2Cr0.8O4 particles prepared by the solid phase method (S-ZnF). The particle size distribution, viscosity of suspensions, and adsorption capacity of dispersants were explored by laser particle size analysis, viscometer, and thermogravimetry (TG), respectively. The application of 2 wt.% dispersant PD02 in the S-ZnF suspension ground for 90 min can deliver a finer product with the narrower particle size distribution. The added dispersant PD02 in the grinding process of the S-ZnF particles exhibits a suitable viscosity of the suspension and generates more hydrogen bonds on the S-ZnF particle surface. The sulfonic acid groups (SO3−) and carboxylic acid groups (-COO−) in the dispersant PD02 can also provide a strong charge density, which is favorable for the dispersion and grinding of the S-ZnF particles in the suspensions. Furthermore, the adsorption behavior of polymeric dispersant PD02 adsorbed on the S-ZnF particles surface was simulated and analyzed by adsorption thermodynamic models and adsorption kinetic models. It is indicated that the adsorption thermodynamic behavior of dispersant PD02 adsorbed on the S-ZnF particles surface follows the Langmuir model, and the adsorption process is endothermic and a random process with increased confusion during the grinding process. In addition, the adsorption kinetics of dispersant PD02 adsorbed on the S-ZnF particles surface are more in line with the pseudo-first-order kinetic models. Therefore, the adsorption process of dispersant PD02 on the S-ZnF particles surface can be considered as a single-surface adsorption process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid development of topological physics in recent years has greatly enriched the methods for manipulating classic waves. Fano resonance is a widespread phenomenon featured with asymmetric and ultrasharp transmission line shape, which is induced by the constructive and destructive interference of two resonance modes with different quality factors. The temporal coupling mode theory is introduced to theoretically describe the physical process of Fano phenomena with two topological resonance states. The mechanism of the pass band led by the coupling between local resonance and Bragg scattering is introduced to design the antisymmetric topological resonance state and suppress the interference of the antisymmetric propagation mode. The complex eigenvalue analysis shows that the antisymmetric topological resonance state can be treated as the bound state in continuum (BIC). The periods of the phononic crystal (PnC) can be largely reduced by this scheme. The mechanism of coupling between two topological resonance modes attributed to geometric parameter variation is explained by the perturbing perspective and the temporal coupled mode theory. By theoretical analysis, the antisymmetric topological resonance state can be simultaneously treated as symmetric protected BIC and Friedrich–Wintgen BIC. Then, the design method for PnC with Fano resonance is proposed. The numerical results are in good agreement with the theoretical outcomes. The research results may find potential applications and offer the theoretical directive guideline for design in the fields of non-destructive testing, radio-frequency filters, resonators, and sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire ( CSHQ) has been used globally as a sound screening tool for sleep problems in children, and it has been increasingly adopted in China. However, its psychometrical properties have not been examined among preschool-aged Chinese children. This study examined the reliability and validity of the CSHQ in urban, preschool-aged Chinese children. Questionnaires were distributed to 3850 kindergarteners and completed by their parents or other guardians. Another 113 CSHQ questionnaires were distributed to examine the test-retest reliability, which was determined by the intraclass correlation coefficient. Internal consistency was evaluated by Cronbach's α. The construct validity was explored by both exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Of the 3850 distributed questionnaires, 3324 (86.3%) were returned, and for test-retest questionnaires, 106 of 113 (93.8%) were returned. Cronbach's α ranged from 0.44 (Night-time awakenings) to 0.63 (Daytime sleepiness); test-retest reliability ranged from 0.54 (Night-time awakenings) to 0.76 (Sleep anxiety), with an exceptionally low subscale of 0.38 (Sleep duration). Confirmatory factor analysis showed that the original eight-domain structure was not well suited for preschool-aged Chinese children, and exploratory factor analysis revealed an acceptable eight-factor structure after certain items were deleted and some items were loaded on two factors. Although the results were not optimum, the CSHQ demonstrated basically acceptable reliability, except for Night-time awakenings and Sleep duration subscales, in urban, preschool-aged Chinese children. However, because of factors such as culture and age difference, the CSHQ's structure must be modified to adapt the preschool-aged Chinese children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The asymptotic behavior of an almost periodic competitive system is investigated. By using differential inequality, the module containment theorem and the Lyapunov function, a good understanding of the existence and global asymptotic stability of positive almost periodic solutions is obtained. Finally, an example and numerical simulations are performed for justifying the theoretical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To assess the role of transabdominal ultrasound after oral administration of an echoic cellulose-based gastric contrast agent (TUS-OCCA) for detection and characterization of small gastric subepithelial masses (≤3 cm) by comparison with endosonography (EUS). Methods: Ninety-five patients with small gastric subepithelial masses detected by gastroscopy examination were enrolled. For each patient, TUS-OCCA was performed prior to EUS by a skilled examiner. TUS-OCCA diagnoses were compared with those of EUS. Results: TUS-OCCA had a detection rate of 94% (89 of 95) in visualizing small gastric subepithelial masses previously detected by gastroscopy. The sizes of 6 undetected masses ranged from 7 to 12 mm (4 located at the fundus, 2 at the cardia). All of six patients whose lesions were undetected by TUS-OCCA were obese. The findings of gastric subepithelial masses demonstrated by TUS-OCCA were similar to that shown on EUS. Conclusions: TUS-OCCA can provide useful information about small gastric subepithelial masses, especially for the patients who are not obese. It can be used to follow gastric submucosal tumors that are not excised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this paper, an almost periodic system of impulsive differential equations used in modeling two-species in competition is considered. By the comparison between the solutions of impulsive system and the corresponding non-impulsive system and constructing Lyapunov function, sufficient conditions ensuring the uniformly asymptotic stability of a unique positive almost periodic solution of the system are derived. Finally, an example and its corresponding numerical simulations are presented to explain our theoretical results. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]