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The study of reservoir space development characteristics and the geochemical parameters of the Permian Longtan Formation in the southeast of the Sichuan Basin at Well X1 was analyzed by using core observations, optical thin-section observations, Ar-ion polishing, scanning electron microscopy, and nitrogen adsorption tests. Major and trace elements of samples, the V/Cr, U/T, enrichment coefficients EF (Mo) and EF (U), chemical alteration indexes CIA and Sr/Cu, and Mo, P, and other index values of different samples were calculated based on the test of organic geochemical parameters. The depositional environment of the Longtan Formation in the study area was systematically analyzed. The Longtan Formation was in a warm and humid climate during the deposition period. The main body of the sedimentary water was in an oxygen-depleted state, and a portion of it was in an oxidized state with high biological productivity. Therefore, it had a small deposition rate. The clay mineral content and organic matter content in the sample played a major role in controlling the development of reservoir space. The content of clay minerals in the sample was high, and it was mainly chlorite and a mixed layer of illite/smectite. Under a microscope, it was observed that the mixed layer of flake illite/smectite and chlorite aggregate mostly developed interlayer pores or microfractures, which played a positive role in the specific surface area and pore volume of the sample.

In this paper, a class of inertial neural networks with bounded time-varying delays and unbounded continuously distributed delays are explored by applying non-reduced order method. Based upon differential inequality techniques and Lyapunov function method, a new sufficient condition is presented to ensure all solutions of the addressed model and their derivatives converge to zero vector, which refines some previously known researches. Moreover, a numerical example is provided to illustrate these analytical conclusions.

Taking into accounting time-varying delays and anti-periodic environments, this paper deals with the global convergence dynamics on a class of anti-periodic high-order inertial Hopfield neural networks. First of all, with the help of Lyapunov function method, we prove that the global solutions are exponentially attractive to each other. Secondly, by using analytical techniques in uniform convergence functions sequence, the existence of the anti-periodic solution and its global exponential stability are established. Finally, two examples are arranged to illustrate the effectiveness and feasibility of the obtained results.

Abstract This paper deals with a class of high-order inertial Hopfield neural networks involving mixed delays. Utilizing differential inequality techniques and the Lyapunov function method, we obtain a sufficient assertion to ensure the existence and global exponential stability of anti-periodic solutions of the proposed networks. Moreover, an example with a numerical simulation is furnished to illustrate the effectiveness and feasibility of the theoretical results.

Abstract This paper explores a delayed Nicholson-type system involving patch structure. Applying differential inequality techniques and the fluctuation lemma, we establish a new sufficient condition which guarantees the existence of positive asymptotically almost periodic solutions for the addressed system. The results of this article are completely new and supplement the previous publications.

Abstract In our article, a nonlinear density-dependent mortality Nicholson’s blowflies system with patch structure has been investigated, in which the delays are time-varying and multiple pairs. Based upon the fluctuation lemma and differential inequality techniques, some sufficient conditions are found to ensure the global asymptotic stability of the addressed model. Moreover, a numerical example is provided to illustrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the obtained findings, and our consequences are new even when the considered model degenerates to the scalar Nicholson’s blowflies equation.

Abstract This paper is concerned with a class of Nicholson’s blowflies model involving nonlinear density-dependent mortality terms and multiple pairs of time-varying delays. By using differential inequality techniques and the fluctuation lemma, we establish a delay-independent criterion on the global asymptotic stability of the addressed model, which improves and complements some existing ones. The effectiveness of the obtained result is illustrated by some numerical simulations.

Abstract This paper investigates a periodic Nicholson’s blowflies equation with multiple time-varying delays. By using differential inequality techniques and the fluctuation lemma, we establish a criterion to ensure the global exponential stability on the positive solutions of the addressed equation, which improves and complements some existing ones. The effectiveness of the obtained result is illustrated by some numerical simulations.

This paper addresses the distributed frequency control and economic dispatch problem of micro-grid systems. The optimal frequency control problem is formulated considering both frequency regulation and generation cost minimization, by establishing an equivalent nonlinear second-order dynamic model. A distributed finite-time consensus protocol is proposed to solve the optimal frequency regulation problem based on the equivalent model. Despite the nonlinear dynamics, the system frequency converges to the nominal value and the economic dispatch is achieved both in finite time. It is proved that the equilibrium point of the closed-loop system is the unique optimal solution to the associated economic dispatch problem. Simulation results verify the theoretical analysis and demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control method.

Background and AimThe identification of ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD) is a key element interfering with therapeutic response, but it is often difficult for less experienced endoscopists to identify UC and CD. Therefore, we aimed to develop and validate a deep learning diagnostic system trained on a large number of colonoscopy images to distinguish UC and CD.MethodsThis multicenter, diagnostic study was performed in 5 hospitals in China. Normal individuals and active patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) were enrolled. A dataset of 1,772 participants with 49,154 colonoscopy images was obtained between January 2018 and November 2020. We developed a deep learning model based on a deep convolutional neural network (CNN) in the examination. To generalize the applicability of the deep learning model in clinical practice, we compared the deep model with 10 endoscopists and applied it in 3 hospitals across China.ResultsThe identification accuracy obtained by the deep model was superior to that of experienced endoscopists per patient (deep model vs. trainee endoscopist, 99.1% vs. 78.0%; deep model vs. competent endoscopist, 99.1% vs. 92.2%, P < 0.001) and per lesion (deep model vs. trainee endoscopist, 90.4% vs. 59.7%; deep model vs. competent endoscopist 90.4% vs. 69.9%, P < 0.001). In addition, the mean reading time was reduced by the deep model (deep model vs. endoscopists, 6.20 s vs. 2,425.00 s, P < 0.001).ConclusionWe developed a deep model to assist with the clinical diagnosis of IBD. This provides a diagnostic device for medical education and clinicians to improve the efficiency of diagnosis and treatment.

The evaluation of tourism competitiveness is an important tool for analyzing the potential of tourism in a specific context. Enshi Autonomous Prefecture (EAP) in China is selected as a case through which to explore the potential of mountain tourism and its competitiveness in the tourism industry. This study develops EAP’s mountain tourism competitiveness model focusing on three criteria: core competitiveness of mountain tourism, the economic environment’s competitiveness, and infrastructure competitiveness. Context-specific customized evaluation index has been applied to data collected from EAP Statistical Yearbook for 2005–2014. The study reveals that the value of EAP’s mountain tourism core competitiveness, economic and environmental competitiveness, and infrastructure competitiveness are 84.292, 13.4, and 2.308%, respectively. When tourism core competitiveness is increased by one unit, EAP’s mountain tourism competitiveness will increase by 0.84292 units. Similarly, when economic environment competitiveness is increased by one unit, EAP’s mountain tourism competitiveness will increase by 0.134 units. EAP’s mountain tourism competitiveness increases by 0.02308 units when infrastructure competitiveness increases by one unit. The major reasons for low levels of competitiveness were lack of awareness of the county authority, a low level of cooperation, and weak infrastructure. The recommendations from the study’s findings are as follows. Firstly, the county authority should appropriately improve the relationship between competition and cooperation, maintaining cooperation in competition, and competition in cooperation. Secondly, the county authority should strengthen communication by establishing an effective coordinated mechanism. Thirdly, the county authority should improve the sense of cooperation and jointly develop the mountain tourism market. Fourthly, the county authority should improve the construction of tourism infrastructure and break down the barriers to tourism cooperation. The study’s findings help develop a “win-win” cooperation mechanism within the competition and support the sustainable development of the mountain tourism industry while reducing poverty and promoting the revitalization of the mountains of China.

Understanding the relationships between ecosystem services (ESs) is important for ecosystem management and sustainable development. However, most studies used synergies and trade-offs to infer ESs relationships, while ESs bundles was infrequently involved. Research on the spatiotemporal dynamics and potential drivers of changes of ESs bundles is still lacking. In this study, we quantified and mapped 10 ESs in 1986, 1992, 1998, 2004, 2010, and 2015 in the Yellow River Delta (YRD) region. The hotspots analysis was first used to discern areas of high and low ESs supplies, and the Spearman correlation analysis was then applied to examining the spatiotemporal trade-offs and synergies of ESs. The K-means clustering algorithm was used to identify the ESs bundles, while the Random Forest analysis was further used to identify the drivers of changes of ESs hotspots and bundles between 1986 and 2015. Results showed that: (1) the ESs hotspots areas with natural ecosystems were reduced, while the ESs hotspots areas with artificial ecosystems increased; (2) the temporal correlations between two consecutive years showed the similar patterns, while the spatial correlations changed greatly; (3) the types of ESs bundles increased, and the bundles provided by natural ecosystem were replaced by the bundles provided by artificial ecosystems; (4) the increase of artificial wetlands, built-up lands, and agricultural yields, as well as the decrease of marsh lands were the determinant drivers of changes in the ES bundles. Our findings are expected to enhance the current understanding of ESs relationships and contribute to the targeted ESs management in coastal areas.

Abstract Food security is closely related to individual livelihood and social stability, and assessing the state of food security is essential for making agricultural policies. Nonetheless multi‐scale assessment of national food security state with explicit consideration of availability and access remains to be resolved. In this study, a spatially explicit crop model was used to simulate the production of major crops in China (i.e., wheat, maize, rice, and soybeans). Food production (as simulated by the crop model) and GDP per capita relative to the global average were then used to develop food security indicators to evaluate China's food security levels on grid, provincial, and economic zone scales. The Getis–Ord method was further applied to analyze the spatial aggregation of food security and food insecurity provinces. Results show that food security situation improved in mainland China during 1990–2015, attributed largely to the enhanced purchasing power. On the grid scale, changes in food security state went through two stages: Before 2000, the regions in the eastern part of the Hu Line were food security, while the regions in the western part were food insecurity; after 2000, the state of food security greatly improved from insecurity to security in Northwest China, and the areas of the highest security level considerably increased in eastern China. On the provincial scale, food security state in most provinces improved or almost unchanged over time. Exception was found in coastal provinces, with food security state was greatly affected by urbanization. Food security hot spots were primarily detected in central China, while cold spots were detected in Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Tibet. On the economic zone scale, food security areas in the eastern part decreased during 1990–2010 but increased thereafter, while food security areas in the other three economic zones increased from 1990 to 2015. To ensure food security, China should maintain the arable land areas, improve the quality of farmlands, mobilize farming enthusiasm, and advance agricultural marketization.

Bioactive substances (BAS), such as small molecule drugs, proteins, RNA, cells, etc., play a vital role in many therapeutic applications, especially in tissue repair and regeneration. However, the therapeutic effect is still a challenge due to the uncontrollable release and instable physico-chemical properties of bioactive components. To address this, many biodegradable carrier systems of micro-nano structures have been rapidly developed based on different biocompatible polymers including polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), the microbial synthesized polyesters, to provide load protection and controlled-release of BAS. We herein highlight the developments of PHA-based carrier systems in recent therapeutic studies, and give an overview of its prospective applications in various disease treatments. Specifically, the biosynthesis and material properties of diverse PHA polymers, designs and fabrication of micro- and nano-structure PHA particles, as well as therapeutic studies based on PHA particles, are summarized to give a comprehensive landscape of PHA-based BAS carriers and applications thereof. Moreover, recent efforts focusing on novel-type BAS nano-carriers, the functionalized self-assembled PHA granules in vivo, was discussed in this review, proposing the underlying innovations of designs and fabrications of PHA-based BAS carriers powered by synthetic biology. This review outlines a promising and applicable BAS carrier platform of novelty based on PHA particles for different medical uses.

The anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the right pulmonary artery is a rare type of congenital disease. It is even rarer when combined with complex congenital heart diseases requiring surgical intervention in the neonatal period. Because it has no clinical manifestations in the neonatal period, it is easier to miss diagnosis when combined with complex congenital heart disease. To avoid a missed diagnosis of anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the right pulmonary artery, preoperative echocardiography should routinely explore the orifice of the coronary artery. However, the preoperative examination can lead to missed diagnosis due to the influence of the examiner's experience, equipment, and other factors. After thoracotomy, exploring the orifice position of the left and right coronary arteries can avoid a missed diagnosis of the abnormal origin of coronary arteries. An exploration of the coronary artery is mainly recommended for children with complex congenital heart disease in the neonatal period and children with congenital heart disease combined with unexplained cardiac insufficiency and abnormal mitral valve development.

This study focuses on the organic-rich mud shale in the Upper Palaeozoic transitional facies in the southeastern margin of the Ordos Basin. It systematically analyzes the shale gas accumulation conditions of the organic-rich mud shale in the Lower Permian Shanxi-Taiyuan Formation, including the thickness, distribution, organic matter type and content, thermal maturity, reservoir space, gas-bearing property, and rock brittleness. The results show that the thick dark mud shale contains a high organic matter content, is a suitable kerogen type for gas generation, and exhibits moderate thermal evolution, providing excellent conditions for hydrocarbon accumulation. Residual primary pores formed by shale compaction, secondary pores formed by organic matter hydrocarbon generation, clay mineral transformation and dissolution, and fractures provide suitable reservoir spaces for shale gas. The shale in the study area has a higher gas content than the shale strata in the marine basins of the United States. In addition, the content of brittle minerals such as quartz is higher, and Poisson’s ratio is lower, facilitating the subsequent transformation. The accumulation conditions indicate the high potential of the study area for shale gas exploration and development. The geological analogy method is used to compare the study area with five major shale gas basins in the United States. The results indicate that the shale gas resources of the Shanxi-Taiyuan Formation in the study area are in the range of 2800–3200×108 m3. The primary controlling factors affecting shale gas reservoirs in this area are the abundance of organic matter, thermal maturity, shale thickness, and quartz content. Favorable areas are predicted based on these factors.

Various types of marine-continental transitional facies are present in the gas-bearing shales of the southeastern Sichuan Basin. A review of the different lithological assemblages in these rocks is important for assessing the likely shale gas content and the development of the storage space. This study of the lithological assemblages of the Permian Longtan Formation in the southeastern Sichuan Basin at Well X1 used core observations, optical thin-section observations, Ar-ion polishing, scanning electron microscopy, and nitrogen adsorption tests to compare and analyze storage space types and pore structures in the shale to determine the sedimentary paleoenvironment, petromineralogy, and organic content. The marine-continental transitional facies in the study area were deposited in a warm climate that favored enrichment by organic matter. The kerogen is type II2-III (average vitrinite reflectance 2.66%), which is within the favorable thermal maturity range for the presence of shale gas. The lithology mainly consists of shale, siltstone, and limestone (with bioclasts), as well as a coal seam. The lithological development divides the Longtan Formation into lower (swamp), middle (tidal flat/lagoon), and upper (delta) sub-members. From lower to upper divisions, the lithofacies evolved from silty shale to clay shale and then to shale intercalated with siltstone or calcareous layers. The proportions of intergranular and dissolution pores in the clay minerals decrease gradually from lower to upper sub-members, and pore size sizes also tend to decrease. Relatively large-diameter pores and microfractures occur in the inorganic matter in the lowest sub-member. Quartz and clay are the main constituents of the shale, respectively contributing to the specific surface area and specific pore volume of the reservoir space.

A nano-optical conveyor belt is a unique type of near-field optical tweezer, capable not only of capturing nanoparticles, but also transporting them. In this study, we propose a multichannel nano-optical conveyer, based on a simple rectangular distributed grating array. The design was optimized by varying the number of slits in the gratings, and particle transport was achieved by adjusting the phase difference of the excitation beams. Simulation and calculation results indicate that multiple optical traps and parallel transport channels can be generated by exciting the gratings with four incident beams. The optical force and trapping potential were used to confirm that 20 nm metallic nanoparticles can be stably attracted to the traps and dynamically transported along channels by adjusting the phase of the excitation beams. Compared to existing nano-photon conveyors, this design boasts a straightforward structure and exceptional performance, offering a promising new approach to particle manipulation.

Background and Aims: Ustekinumab (UST) was approved in China for treating moderate-to-severe Crohn’s disease (CD) in 2020. We aimed to identify the reasons and possible contributing factors for UST preference in Chinese patients with CD.Methods: We conducted a multicenter cross-sectional survey among patients with moderate to severe CD who underwent UST treatment in 27 hospitals. Patients completed a 46-item questionnaire that included information on demographics, clinical characteristics, reasons in favor of UST and shared decision-making perception. Logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the predictive factors of different UST preferences.Results: Overall, 127 patients (73 males; mean age, 25.9 ± 9.9 years) completed the questionnaire. Most patients (74.8%) had biologic failure. The most common reason for the latest treatment disconnection was unresponsiveness to the previous medications. The major UST information sources were physicians (96.1%). Nearly half of the patients (44.9%) reported shared decision making regarding UST treatment. No difference was found in the decision-making patterns in terms of sex and age. The most influential reason for UST preference was “effectiveness” (77%, 98/127), followed by “safety” (65%, 83/127), “frequency of administration” (39%, 49/127), and “mode of administration” (37%, 47/127). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that a positive self-rated health status was a contributing factor for UST preference with a low frequency of administration.Conclusion: This is the first multicenter survey of Chinese patients with CD to identify the possible contributing factors for UST preference. Treatment choice should be discussed with patients because individual preferences are determined by diverse factors.

The main cable and suspender of the spatial special-shaped suspension bridge are in the state of spatial stress; the structural stress is more complex than that of the parallel cable plane and finding the shape of the main cable of the spatial special-shaped cable plane is more difficult. In order to solve the problem of finding the shape of the main cable of the special-shaped suspension bridge, a new calculation model and algorithm of the main cable are proposed in this paper. The new calculation model adds constraints on the transverse bridge direction coordinates of the midspan on the basis of the original calculation model. The new calculation model can timely correct the calculation errors in all directions of the control node during the main cable shape finding process and improve the calculation accuracy. The new algorithm is a hybrid algorithm. The algorithm first uses the modified quantum genetic algorithm to solve and calculate the cable end force close to the real value, and then uses the cable end force obtained by the modified quantum genetic algorithm as the initial value to iterate through the modified least squares method. In this paper, a single cable plane curved suspension bridge is taken as the research background, and the differences of different calculation models in the shape-finding calculation of the main cable of the spatial special-shaped cable plane are compared. The results show that the proposed model is more stable in the calculation process, and the proposed algorithm has high accuracy and strong adaptability.

Evaluating the severity of ulcerative colitis (UC) through the Mayo endoscopic subscore (MES) is crucial for understanding patient conditions and providing effective treatment. However, UC lesions present different characteristics in endoscopic images, exacerbating interclass similarities and intraclass differences in MES classification. In addition, inexperience and review fatigue in endoscopists introduces nontrivial challenges to the reliability and repeatability of MES evaluations. In this paper, we propose a pyramid hybrid feature fusion framework (PHF3) as an auxiliary diagnostic tool for clinical UC severity classification. Specifically, the PHF3 model has a dual-branch hybrid architecture with ResNet50 and a pyramid vision Transformer (PvT), where the local features extracted by ResNet50 represent the relationship between the intestinal wall at the near-shot point and its depth, and the global representations modeled by the PvT capture similar information in the cross-section of the intestinal cavity. Furthermore, a feature fusion module (FFM) is designed to combine local features with global representations, while second-order pooling (SOP) is applied to enhance discriminative information in the classification process. The experimental results show that, compared with existing methods, the proposed PHF3 model has competitive performance. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of MES 0, MES 1, MES 2, and MES 3 reached 0.996, 0.972, 0.967, and 0.990, respectively, and the overall accuracy reached 88.91%. Thus, our proposed method is valuable for developing an auxiliary assessment system for UC severity.

Vegetation dynamics are often affected by climate variability, but the past state of vegetation has a non-negligible impact on current vegetation growth. However, seasonal differences in the effects of these drivers on vegetation growth remain unclear, particularly in ecologically fragile areas. We used the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), gross primary productivity (GPP), and leaf area index (LAI) to describe the vegetation dynamic in the upper and middle reaches of the Yellow River basin (YRB). Three active vegetation growing seasons (early, peak, and late) were defined based on phenological metrics. In light of three vegetation indicators and the climatic data, we identified the correlation between the inter-annual variation of vegetation growth in the three sub-seasons. Then, we quantified the contributions of climate variability and the vegetation growth carryover (VGC) effect on seasonal vegetation greening between 2000–2019. Results showed that both the vegetation coverage and productivity in the study area increased over a 20-year period. The VGC effect dominated vegetation growth during the three active growing seasons, and the effect increased from early to late growing season. Vegetation in drought regions was found to generally have a stronger vegetation carryover ability, implying that negative disturbances might have severer effects on vegetation in these areas. The concurrent seasonal precipitation was another positive driving factor of vegetation greening. However, sunshine duration, including its immediate and lagged impacts, had a negative effect on vegetation growth. In addition, the VGC effect can sustain into the second year. The VGC effect showed that initial ecological restoration and sustainable conservation would promote vegetation growth and increase vegetation productivity. This study provides a comprehensive perspective on understanding the climate–vegetation interactions on a seasonal scale, which helps to accurately predict future vegetation dynamics over time in ecologically fragile areas.

AIM: To explore the effects and mechanisms of mechanical stress and transforming growth factor-beta2 (TGF-β2) on epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in cultured human retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells. METHODS: Human RPE cells were inoculated on BioFex 6-well plates and RPE cells received 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4 mild stretch injuries delivered 3h apart after 24h of culture. The device of mechanical stress parameters were set to sine wave, frequency 1 Hz, stretch strength 20%. For treatment with TGF-β2, when the inoculated RPE cells in 6-well plates were around 60% confluent, serum was reduced to 0 for 12h and recombinant human TGF-β2 (0, 1, 5, 10 ng/mL) was added for 48h. α-SMA, Vimentin and N-Cadherin, fibronectin proteins expressions were detected by Western blotting, confocal cell immunofluorescence and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Then we detected the change of miRNA-29b and ascertained the changes of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-serine threonine protein kinase (PI3K/Akt) pathway after RPE cells were stretched by the device of mechanical stress and induced by TGF-β2 by Western blotting, confocal cell immunofluorescence and qRT-PCR. RESULTS: Mechanical stress induce EMT and activate the PI3K/Akt pathway in ways that lead to the EMT process. TGF-β2 induce RPE cells EMT and in a certain range and TGF-β2 decrease the miRNA-29b expression in RPE cells, and the inhibitory effect is more obvious with the increase of TGF-β2 concentration. CONCLUSION: Our findings are crucial steps in determining the critical roles of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and miRNA-29b in pathogenesis of proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) which may be a potential target for preventing or treating PVR.

Abstract Background Although antiretroviral therapy (ART) has greatly improved the prognosis of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients globally, opportunistic infections (OIs) are still common in Chinese AIDS patients, especially cryptococcosis. Case presentation We described here two Chinese AIDS patients with cryptococcal infections. Case one was a fifty-year-old male. At admission, he was conscious and oriented, with papulonodular and umbilicated skin lesions, some with ulceration and central necrosis resembling molluscum contagiosum. The overall impression reminded us of talaromycosis: we therefore initiated empirical treatment with amphotericin B, even though the case history of this patient did not support such a diagnosis. On the second day of infusion, the patient complained of intermittent headache, but the brain CT revealed no abnormalities. On the third day, a lumbar puncture was performed. The cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) was turbid, with slightly increased pressure. India ink staining was positive, but the cryptococcus antigen latex agglutination test (CrAgLAT: IMMY, USA) was negative. Two days later, the blood culture showed a growth of Cryptococcus neoformans, and the same result came from the skin culture. We added fluconazole to the patient’s treatment, but unfortunately, he died three days later. Case two was a sixty-four-year-old female patient with mild fever, productive cough, dyspnea upon movement, and swelling in both lower limbs. The patient was empirically put on cotrimoxazole per os and moxifloxacin by infusion. A bronchofibroscopy was conducted with a fungal culture, showing growth of Cryptococcus laurentii colonies. Amphotericin B was started thereafter but discontinued three days later in favor of fluconazole 400 mg/d due to worsening renal function. The patient became afebrile after 72 h of treatment with considerable improvement of other comorbidities and was finally discharged with continuing oral antifungal therapy. Conclusions Our cases illustrate that cryptococcal disease is an important consideration when treating immunocompromised individuals such as AIDS patients. Life threatening meningitis or meningoencephalitis caused by C. neoformansmay still common in these populations and can vary greatly in clinical presentations, especially with regard to skin lesions. Pulmonary cryptococcosis caused by C. laurentii is rare, but should also be considered in certain contexts. Guidelines for its earlier diagnosis, treatment and prophylaxis are needed.

Abstract Three large-scale episodes of volcanic activity occurred during the Tertiary in the Xihu Depression, located in the East China Sea. Intermediate-felsic magmas intruded along faults and the associated hydrothermal fluids resulted in the hydrothermal alteration of the clastic country rock. To better describe reservoir characteristics, reservoir samples were subjected to the following investigations: thin section examination, scanning electron microscope-energy dispersive spectrometer analysis (SEM–EDS), fluid inclusion homogenization temperature tests, vitrinite reflectance measurements, and X-ray diffraction. The results of this study provide evidence of the following hydrothermal alteration phenomena: brittle fracturing, clastic particle alteration, precipitation of unique hydrothermal minerals (celestite, zircon, apatite, barite, and cerous phosphate). The presence of abnormally high temperatures is indicated by fluid inclusion analysis, the precipitation of high-temperature authigenic minerals such as quartz, illite alteration, and anomalous vitrinite reflectance. Two aspects related to hydrothermal effects on reservoir properties have been investigated in this study: (1) Deep magmatic hydrothermal fluids carry large amounts of dissolved carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide gas. These fluids percolate into the country rocks along fault zones, resulting in dissolution within the sandstone reservoirs and the development of significant secondary porosity. (2) Magma intrusions increase the temperature of the surrounding rocks and accelerate the thermal evolution of hydrocarbon source rocks. This results in the release of large amounts of organic acids and carbon dioxide, leading the dissolution of the aluminosilicate minerals and volcanic fragments in the reservoirs, and the generation of significant secondary porosity.

Coupled general circulation models (CGCMs), as tools of predicting climate variability, are constantly being improved due to their immense value in a host of theoretical and practical, real-world problems. Consequently, four new parameterization schemes are introduced in the First Institute of Oceanography Earth System Model (FIO-ESM), and a new climate prediction System (CPS) is built up based on modified and original FIO-ESM. Here, turbulence from the sea surface to deep ocean were fully described, and seasonal forecasts of El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and year-to-year prediction of Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) were made with both the modified and original FIO-ESM-CPS. The results illustrate that the anomaly correlation coefficient (ACC) of the Niño 3.4 index significantly increased, and the root mean square error (RMSE) significantly decreased, respectively, in the modified FIO-ESM-CPS as compared to the original. The RMSE is improved by over 20% at 4- and 5-month lead times. Over longer leads, and in the modified FIO-ESM-CPS, forecast ENSO amplitudes are far closer to observations than the original CGCM, which significantly overestimates amplitudes. PDO prediction skill is also improved in the modified FIO-ESM-CPS with ACC improving by 36% at the 4-year lead time and RMSE decreasing by 21% at the 3-year lead time.

Background: Acute hypertensive retinochoroidopathy is a rare, severe ocular disease, characterized by retinal and choroidal ischaemia. Untreated cases are associated with high mortality and poor visual outcomes. Patients subjected to treatment with the anti-neoplasic drug apatinib may trigger this disease. The purpose of this article is to describe in detail an acute hypertensive retinochoroidopathy in a young Chinese woman treated with apatinib.Case Presentation: A 40-year-old young Chinese woman presented a sudden but painless reduction of visual acuity in both eyes. She was previously diagnosed with gastric cancer and metastatic ovarian adenocarcinoma. The treatment consisted radical gastrectomy, transabdominal hysterectomy, bilateral adnexectomy, and 250 mg oral apatinib per day. After 58 days of apatinib administration, the patient immediately sought consult for a sudden decrease in vision. Her blood pressure was 208/136 mmHg and, based on the clinical manifestations, the patient was diagnosed with acute hypertensive retinochoroidopathy.Conclusions: This is the first case report of an apatinib-related acute hypertensive retinochoroidopathy diagnosed using fundal photograph, fundus fluorescein angiography, and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography simultaneously. It is crucial to develop a suitable strategy for management and prevention of this adverse event.

Abstract Background Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are the major source of osteoblasts. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are abundantly expressed RNAs that lack protein‐coding potential and play an extensive regulatory role in cellular biological activities. However, the regulatory network of lncRNAs in MSC osteogenesis needs further investigation. Methods QRT‐PCR, western blot, immunofluorescence, and immunohistochemistry assays were used to determine the levels of relevant genes. The osteogenic differentiation capability was evaluated by using Alizarin Red S (ARS) staining, alkaline phosphatase activity assays, hematoxylin & eosin staining or micro‐CT. RNA fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and RNAscope were used to detect HHAS1 expression in cells and bone tissue. A microarray assay was performed to identify differentially expressed microRNAs. RNA immunoprecipitation and RNA pull‐down were used to explore the interactions between related proteins and nucleic acids. Results The level of lncRNA HHAS1 increased during bone marrow‐derived MSC (BMSC) osteogenesis and was positively related to the levels of osteogenic genes and ARS intensity. HHAS1 was located in both the cytoplasm and the nucleus and was expressed in human bone tissue. HHAS1 facilitated BMSC osteogenic differentiation by downregulating miR‐204‐5p expression and enhancing the level of RUNX family transcription factor 2 (RUNX2). In addition, interferon regulatory factor 2 (IRF2) was increased during BMSC osteogenic differentiation and interacted with the promoter of HHAS1, which resulted in the transcriptional activation of HHAS1. Furthermore, IRF2 and HHAS1 helped improve bone defect repair in vivo. Conclusions Our study identified a novel lncRNA, HHAS1, that facilitates BMSC osteogenic differentiation and proposed a role for the IRF2/HHAS1/miR‐204‐5p/RUNX2 axis in BMSC osteogenesis regulation. These findings help elucidate the regulatory network of BMSC osteogenesis and provide potential targets for clinical application.

Multi- and hyperspectral imaging modalities encompass a growing number of spectral techniques that find many applications in geospatial, biomedical, machine vision and other fields. The rapidly increasing number of applications requires convenient easy-to-navigate software that can be used by new and experienced users to analyse data, and develop, apply and deploy novel algorithms. Herein, we present our platform, IDCube Lite, an Interactive Discovery Cube that performs essential operations in hyperspectral data analysis to realise the full potential of spectral imaging. The strength of the software lies in its interactive features that enable the users to optimise parameters and obtain visual input for the user in a way not previously accessible with other software packages. The entire software can be operated without any prior programming skills allowing interactive sessions of raw and processed data. IDCube Lite, a free version of the software described in the paper, has many benefits compared to existing packages and offers structural flexibility to discover new, hidden features that allow users to integrate novel computational methods.

Recent rapid advances in spatiotemporal optical pulses demand accurate characterization of the spatiotemporal structure of the produced light fields. We report an automated close-loop characterization system that is capable of reconstructing the three-dimensional intensity and phase structures of spatiotemporal wavepacket illustrated by characterizing spatiotemporal optical vortex in the spatiotemporal domain. The characterization technique is based on interfering a much shorter probe pulse with different slices of the object wavepacket along the temporal axis. A close-loop control program is developed to realize full automation of the data collection and reconstruction process. Experimental results of the intensity and phase distributions show that the designed close-loop system is efficient in quantitatively characterizing the generated spatiotemporal optical vortex. Such a linear characterization system can also be extended to measure many other kinds of spatiotemporal wavepacket and may find broad applications in spatiotemporal wavepacket studies.

Background and Aim: Serum immunoglobulins were reported to be associated with clinical characteristics of inflammatory bowel disease. However, whether a difference exists in the serum immunoglobulins levels in patients with Crohn's disease (CD) with different disease location and behavior phenotypes remains unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the associations of serum immunoglobulins levels with specific CD phenotypes.Methods: Patients with CD having recorded serum immunoglobulins levels were recruited through multicenter collaborative efforts. The associations between serum immunoglobulins levels and distinct phenotypes of CD were evaluated using multiple logistic regression models.Results: A total of 608 patients with CD were included in the study. Elevated (above the upper limit of normal) serum immunoglobulin G (IgG), IgA, IgM, and IgG4 were identified in 24.5, 17.4, 2.1, and 8.2% of patients, respectively. Elevated serum IgG4 levels negatively correlated with complicated disease behavior [odds ratio (OR) 0.49, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.26–0.92]. Elevated serum IgG was linked to isolated ileal disease with an OR of 0.37 (95% CI 0.23–0.61). The ORs of isolated ileal disease progressively reduced across increasing quartiles of IgG (P for trend < 0.001). The adjusted ORs of isolated ileal disease for increasing quartiles of IgM were 1.82 (1.07–3.1), 1.92 (1.14–3.24), 1.17 (0.69–1.98), and 1 (P for trend = 0.008). Besides, serum IgA and IgG levels significantly correlated with several disease activity indices.Conclusions: These results suggested that certain serum immunoglobulins were associated with specific disease phenotypes of CD. Further investigations to account for the associations are warranted.

ObjectiveTo explore the computed tomography (CT) features of gastric cancer (GC) patients with DNA mismatch repair deficiency (dMMR).Materials and MethodsThis study reviewed the clinical and CT features of GC patients with dMMR, confirmed by the postoperative results, between September 2017 and December 2019. The expression pattern of MMR major proteins (MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, and PMS2) in immunohistochemistry was used to confirm the MMR status in GC tissues. The correlation between pre-treatment CT features and MMR status was statistically analyzed.ResultsA total of 28 patients with GC were diagnosed as dMMR in our study, and 49 patients were MMR-proficient (pMMR). The tumor locations were significantly different between the dMMR and pMMR groups (p = 0.006). The CT tumor thickness, CT long and short diameters of the largest lymph node, and the number of lymph nodes on CT of the dMMR group were significantly different from the pMMR group.ConclusionThe dMMR GC exhibited a lower stomach location, smaller tumor thickness and lymph node diameter, and fewer lymph nodes on CT imaging.

Background. The ratio of C-reactive protein (CRP) to albumin (CAR) has a significant correlation with postoperative complications and acts as a predictor in patients with pancreatic cancer and colorectal cancer. However, whether the CAR can be used to predict complications in Crohn’s disease (CD) patients after surgery has not yet been reported. Methods. A total of 534 CD patients undergoing surgery between 2016 and 2020 were enrolled. The risk factors of postoperative complications were assessed by univariate and multivariate analyses. The cutoff values and the accuracy of diagnosis for the CAR and postoperative CRP levels were examined with receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Results. The rate of postoperative complications was 32.2%. The postoperative CAR (OR 13.200; 95% CI 6.501-26.803; P

Organic matter pores (OMP) provide significant storage space for hydrocarbons in lower Silurian Longmaxi shales in the Dingshan field of southern Sichuan, China. The distributions of organic matter and the different OMP structure parameters were characterized through Ar-ion polishing, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and image analysis software for shale samples of different wells. The research results indicated that organic matter has been divided into two categories based on its occurrence, location, and its relationship with authigenic minerals: organic matter in situ and migrated organic matter. OMP for organic matter in situ are mainly micropores mostly arranged isolatedly, while in migrated organic matter pores show larger sizes and higher roundness. The development of OMP in samples is predominantly controlled by the formation pressure. The existence of overpressure alleviated the stress on the rock skeleton, causing the compaction of some migrated organic matters to lag or decrease. This played a positive role in protecting the development of pores in the interior and edge of the rock skeleton, and it can also induce the development of microfractures in shale. The protective effect of formation pressure on organic pores was provided for understanding the exploration and exploitation of Longmaxi shales in the study area.

User authentication and verification by gait data based on smartphones’ inertial sensors has gradually attracted increasing attention due to their compact size, portability and affordability. However, the existing approaches often require users to walk on a specific road at a normal walking speed to improve recognition accuracy. In order to recognize gaits under unconstrained conditions on where and how users walk, we proposed a Hybrid Deep Learning Network (HDLN), which combined the advantages of a long short-term memory (LSTM) network and a convolutional neural network (CNN) to reliably extract discriminative features from complex smartphone inertial data. The convergence layer of HDLN was optimized through a spatial pyramid pooling and attention mechanism. The former ensured that the gait features were extracted from more dimensions, and the latter ensured that only important gait information was processed while ignoring unimportant data. Furthermore, we developed an APP that can achieve real-time gait recognition. The experimental results showed that HDLN achieved better performance improvements than CNN, LSTM, DeepConvLSTM and CNN+LSTM by 1.9%, 2.8%, 2.0% and 1.3%, respectively. Furthermore, the experimental results indicated our model’s high scalability and strong suitability in real application scenes.

Four typical double-moment cloud microphysical schemes (Milbrandt, Morrison, NSSL and WDM6) in WRF (Weather Research and Forecasting) are used to investigate the impact of the different schemes on the simulation of a straight squall line evolving into a bow-shaped one in East China on 15 April 2016. Although simulations with Milbrandt, Morrison and WDM6 schemes can produce bow-shaped squall lines, only the WDM6 scheme can simulate the evolution process of the straight squall line to a bow-shaped one well. The simulation results with the NSSL scheme produce a broken straight squall line. The possible reason is that the range and intensity of cold pools and the rear inflows are different among the four schemes when the observed squall line evolves into a standard bow-shaped squall line. The mixing ratio and number concentration of rain water with the WDM6 scheme is largest in strong convective areas, and the cold pool and rear inflow are also strongest among the four schemes. Compared with the WDM6 scheme, the mixing ratio and number concentration of rain water are less with the Milbrandt and Morrison schemes. Also, the cold pool and rear inflow with the Milbrandt scheme are weaker than for the WDM6 scheme but stronger than those with the Morrison scheme. The rainwater mixing ratio is very low and no obvious cold pool and rear inflow exist with the NSSL scheme.

Background: Recent evidence has shown that the complete blood count (CBC) is abnormal in patients with Crohn’s disease (CD). We aimed to investigate an effective CBC parameter and explore its impact on disease activity in a large CD cohort. Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of patients with established CD who underwent clinically indicated endoscopy at four tertiary centres in China between 2016 and 2020. Individual variables of the Simple Endoscopic Score for CD, CBC parameters, C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and faecal calprotectin (FC) were independently reviewed by different investigators. The hold-out method was used to verify the predictive power of the established model. Results: Data from a total of 1388 endoscopic procedures performed for 882 eligible CD patients were available with routine blood parameters and related indicators. The model using platelet-to-lymphocyte percentage ratio (PLpR) had high accuracy for identifying patients in endoscopic remission (ER), with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.785 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.784–0.787], which was comparable with that for CRP (AUC: 0.775, 95% CI: 0.774–0.777). Notably, the AUC of PLpR was significantly higher than that of CRP in patients with colonic disease and with a history of surgery. Moreover, after combining the FC with PLpR, the AUC value of FC + PLpR increased up to 0.892 (95% CI: 0.890–0.894) for identifying ER. Conclusions: We explored an index (PLpR) to identify CD patients in ER based on platelet and lymphocyte percentage from the CBC. PLpR helped evaluate the degree of disease activity and monitor the therapeutic response.

Objective: Acute bulbar palsy plus (ABPp) syndrome is a rare regional variant of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) characterized by acute bulbar palsy combined with other cranial symptoms or ataxia without limb and neck weakness. We aim to investigate characteristics of ABPp syndrome and analyze its nosological position within the GBS spectrum.Methods: A patient with ABPp syndrome was reported, and previous case reports of patients who met the criteria for ABPp syndrome from the literature were reviewed.Results: A total of 28 patients were included in our study. Median age was 32 years. Most of the patients (78.6%) were from Asia, and 75.0% had preceding infection. The main accompanying symptoms were ophthalmoplegia (85.7%), facial palsy (60.7%), and ataxia (50.0%). There existed asymmetric weakness in the form of unilateral facial palsy (32.1%) and ptosis (3.6%). Approximately half of the patients had albuminocytological dissociation. All the tested patients were seropositive for antiganglioside antibodies, of which the two most common were immunoglobulin G (IgG) anti-GT1a (77.3%) and anti-GQ1b (59.1%) antibodies. Over one-third of the patients who underwent electrophysiological assessment showed subclinical neuropathy beyond cranial nerves. The outcome was generally favorable as 89.3% of patients made full recovery within 5 months.Conclusion: The hitherto largest case series of ABPp syndrome advances our understanding of this disease. Serologically, the presence of IgG anti-GT1a and anti-GQ1b antibodies predicts and contributes to the disease. Phenotypically, ABPp syndrome is more prone to be a separate subtype of GBS than overlap of distinct subtypes and has the potential to complement current diagnostic framework of GBS.

Objective The study investigated expression of microRNA (miR)-421 in plaques, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), and serum from patients with coronary atherosclerosis. Methods Thirty-three patients with coronary atherosclerosis and 29 healthy individuals were included. Plaque tissue and adjacent intimal tissue were collected from patients. Peripheral blood was collected from patients and healthy individuals. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to determine expression of C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 2 ( CXCL2 ) mRNA and miR-421. Western blotting was used to measure expression of CXCL2 protein in plaques and PBMCs, and ELISA was used to detect serum levels of CXCL2. A dual luciferase reporter assay was carried out to test whether CXCL2 mRNA directly interacts with miR-421. Results Patients with coronary atherosclerosis had elevated expression of CXCL2 mRNA and protein in plaques, PBMCs, and serum compared with healthy controls but reduced expression of miR-421. The dual luciferase reporter assay showed that miR-421 could bind with the 3′-untranslated seed region of CXCL2 mRNA to regulate its expression. Conclusion We demonstrated that elevated expression of CXCL2 in plaques, PBMCs, and serum of patients with coronary atherosclerosis was related to downregulation of miR-421 expression. miR-421 plays a role in the occurrence of coronary atherosclerosis, probably through CXCL2.

Background. Postoperative endoscopic recurrence (PER) is common in patients with Crohn’s disease (CD) after surgery. The impact of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) guideline adherence on PER in real life remains unclear. Methods. The postoperative management of CD patients undergoing ileocolonic resection with anastomosis from 2017 to 2018 was conducted based on the AGA guidelines. Colonoscopies were performed within one year after surgery. Clinical data and risk factors for endoscopic recurrence were analyzed focusing on postoperative pharmacological prophylaxis. Results. All patients were at a high risk of postoperative recurrence according to the AGA guidelines. PER occurred in 29 (28.7%) of these patients. The overall PER rate was 39.2% at one year. The PER rate in patients treated with nitroimidazole, thiopurines, infliximab, or a combination of thiopurines and infliximab for postoperative prophylaxis was 88.1%, 34.1%, 20.5%, and 0%, respectively. Cox regression showed that smoking at the time of surgery and AGA guideline adherence were independent factors associated with PER (HR: 3.75, 95% CI: 1.36-10.33, P=0.01; HR: 0.36, 95% CI: 0.15-0.86, P=0.02). In addition, further investigation revealed that educational background was the main factor related to patients’ nonadherence to AGA guidelines. Conclusions. The majority of CD patients who undergo surgery in clinical practice may be at a high risk of disease recurrence. Thiopurines and infliximab are effective in preventing endoscopic recurrence. Guideline nonadherence is associated with PER at one year, thus indicating that there is room for improvement in adherence to the AGA guidelines.

In the process of rapid urbanization, urban heat island (UHI) effect has been showing more and more significant impacts on human well-being. Therefore, a more detailed understanding of the impact of three-dimensional (3D) building morphology on UHI effect across a continuum of spatial scales will be necessary to guide and improve the human settlement.This study selected 31 provincial capital cities of mainland China to analyze the impacts of the 3D building morphology, including the number, area, height, volume, and the surface area of the buildings, on the land surface temperature (LST). By exploring how the influence of 3D building morphology on LST changes with the increase of spatial scale (between 0 and 600 m radii), this study finally recognized which 3D building morphology index is the most significant index affecting LST in different cities, and which spatial scale these 3D building morphology indexes have the most significant impact on LST. The results showed that the building area is the most important 3D building morphology parameter affecting the LST, while the building height has the slightest influence on the LST. These effects are more significant in the spatial scale of 150 m–540 m, and the spatial scale increases with the increase of building areas in developed cities. These results highlight the necessity of considering fine-grained management in the governance and alleviating of the urban thermal environment through urban planning and urban renewal strategies.

Urbanization may exert a strong influence on both near-surface and atmospheric moisture. However, studies on the effect of urbanization on atmospheric moisture using remotely sensed observations have been infrequently conducted. To fill this research gap, we used remotely sensed and station-based observations to calculate urban–rural differences in total-column, near-surface, and atmospheric moisture in the Beijing metropolis. Multiple humidity indicators were selected, including precipitation water vapor, relative humidity, water vapor pressure, and absolute humidity. Results showed that both the total-column and near-surface urban dry islands (UDIs) were detected in Beijing. A significant decreasing trend of the near-surface UDIs intensity (i.e., urban minus rural) was found, which was closely related to the expansion of built-up areas (i.e., the moisture reduction in the newly urbanized areas). However, the trend of the total-column UDIs intensity was not significant. A further investigation of the atmospheric urban–rural moisture differences showed that the UDIs effect mainly existed in the near-surface layer, while an urban wet island was found above the 950 hPa pressure level, probably due to enhanced convergence in urban areas. Generally, the UDIs intensity was the strongest in the hot, wet summer and the weakest in the dry, cold winter. However, the UDIs intensity represented by relative humidity was the largest in autumn and showed the strongest correlation with the expansion of built-up areas in Beijing. This study employed satellite observations to understand the UDIs effect and highlighted the significance of urbanization-induced moisture changes on and above the ground. Findings of this study provided new insights into how urbanization affected atmospheric moisture in the boundary layer and paved the way for process-based modeling studies.

Abstract Background Small conductance calcium-activated potassium channels (SK channels) play a critical role in action potential repolarization in cardiomyocytes. Recently, the potential anti-arrhythmic effect of metformin in diabetic patients has been recognized, yet the underlying mechanism remains elusive. Methods Diabetic Goto-Kakizaki (GK) rats were untreated or treated with metformin (300 mg/kg/day) for 12 weeks, and age-matched Wistar rats were used as control (n = 6 per group). Electrocardiography, Hematoxylin-eosin staining and Masson’s trichome staining were performed to assess cardiac function, histology and fibrosis. The expression levels of the SK channels in the myocardium were determined by real-time PCR and Western blotting. The electrophysiology of the SK channels in the cardiomyocytes isolated from the three groups of rats was examined by patch clamp assay, with specific blockade of the SK channels with apamin. Results Metformin treatment significantly reduced cardiac fibrosis and alleviated arrhythmia in the diabetic rats. In the atrial myocytes from control, GK and metformin-treated GK rats, the expression of KCa2.2 (SK2 channel) was down-regulated and the expression of KCa2.3 (SK3 channel) was up-regulated in the atrium of GK rats as compared with that of control rats, and metformin reversed diabetes-induced alterations in atrial SK channel expression. Moreover, patch clamp assay revealed that the SK current was markedly reduced and the action potential duration was prolonged in GK atrial myocytes, and the SK channel function was partially restored in the atrial myocytes from metformin-treated GK rats. Conclusions Our data suggests an involvement of the SK channels in the development of arrhythmia under diabetic conditions, and supports a potential beneficial effect of metformin on atrial electrophysiology.

Abstract Background To compare the results between hydroimplantation of a single-piece, acrylic foldable toric intraocular lens (IOLs) and conventional implantation using an ophthalmic viscosurgical device (OVD). Methods In this study, 60 eyes with cataract and preexisting regular corneal astigmatism of 1.0 to 3.0 diopters (D) underwent the implantation of the AcrySof toric IOLs (Alcon Laboratories, Inc.). The patients were randomly assigned to a conventional implantation technique with an OVD or a hydroimplantation technique. Comparison of preoperative and postoperative parameters was performed using paired Student t tests, and independent Student t test was used to compare between the two groups. Results Three months postoperatively, the mean subjective astigmatism was 0.45 D ± 0.24 (SD) in the OVD group and 0.49 ± 0.29 D in the hydroimplantation group (P = 0.492). The mean endothelial cell density (ECD) loss was 7.54% ± 0.82% and 7.32% ± 0.59%, respectively (P = 0.117). The mean absolute IOL rotation was 4.77 ± 2.32 degrees and 4.70 ± 1.95 degrees, respectively (P = 0.334). The mean time for IOL implantation was 71.50 ± 8.10 s and 37.60 ± 3.90 s, respectively (P 0.05), although IOP two hours postoperatively seemed to be a little higher in the OVD group. Conclusions Compared with the use of OVDs for toric IOLs implantation, the hydroimplantation technique provided advantages of increased efficiency, reduced surgical time and cost, and no concerns of OVD-induced elevated IOP. Trial registration Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN55696872, Retrospectively registered (Date of registration: 25 March 2018).

Abstract A concept of the sub-band operator of multi-band wavelets is introduced, the theory of d-circular matrices is developed and the upper bound and the lower bound of the norm of the sub-band operator are obtained. Examples are provided to illustrate the results proposed in this paper.

Macrophage metabolism controls differentiation and subsequent adaptive immune responses. Here the authors show that mitochondrial membrane protein Fam73b regulates TLR-mediated mitochondrial switching of fusion to fission to induce IL-12 production via accumulation of Parkin and stabilization of IRF1 in macrophages, resulting in control of anti-tumor immunity in mice.

Objective An experiment was conducted to determine the relationship between the KAP11.1 and the regulation wool fineness. Methods In previous work, we constructed a skin cDNA library and isolated a full-length cDNA clone termed KAP11.1. On this basis, we conducted a series of bioinformatics analysis. Tissue distribution of KAP11.1 mRNA was performed using semi-quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis. The expression of KAP11.1 mRNA in primary and secondary hair follicles was performed using real-time PCR (real-time polymerase chain reaction) analysis. The expression location of KAP11.1 mRNA in primary and secondary hair follicles was performed using in situ hybridization. Results Bioinformatics analysis showed that KAP11.1 gene encodes a putative 158 amino acid protein that exhibited a high content of cysteine, serine, threonine, and valine and has a pubertal mammary gland) structural domain. Secondary structure prediction revealed a high proportion of random coils (76.73%). Semi-quantitative RT-PCR showed that KAP11.1 gene was expressed in heart, skin, and liver, but not expressed in spleen, lung and kidney. Real time PCR results showed that the expression of KAP11.1 has a higher expression in catagen than in anagen in the primary hair follicles. However, in the secondary hair follicles, KAP11.1 has a significantly higher expression in anagen than in catagen. Moreover, KAP11.1 gene has a strong expression in inner root sheath, hair matrix, and a lower expression in hair bulb. Conclusion We conclude that KAP11.1 gene may play an important role in regulating the fiber diameter.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to compare the outcomes following femtosecond laser-assisted deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (DALK) with 75% of stromal dissection (predescemetic group) and femtosecond laser-assisted DALK using big-bubble technique with total stromal resection (descemetic group) for the treatment of keratoconus. Subjects and Methods: Twenty eyes of 17 patients with keratoconus were studied. There were 10 eyes of 9 patients in predescemetic group and 10 eyes of 8 patients in descemetic group. The postoperative best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), manifest refraction, keratometry, endothelial cell density (ECD), and central corneal thickness (CCT) were analyzed. Results: All surgeries were performed uneventfully. At 1 year after surgery, the BCVA, corneal astigmatism, keratometry, CCT, and ECD between two groups were not statistically significant (all P > 0.05). However, the mean manifest refraction was −9.43 ± 7.44 diopter (D) and −1.03 ± 1.13D in predescemetic and descemetic groups, respectively, which was statistically significant between two groups (P < 0.05). Conclusions: The results of BCVA and corneal astigmatism, keratometry, ECD, and CCT were comparable between two groups. However, the mean postoperative manifest refraction was lower in descemetic group.

Background. Many patients with Crohn’s disease (CD) require surgery in their life. Their future outlook is crucial to psychological and mental health after surgery. This study is aimed at assessing CD patient’s outlook after experiencing bowel resection and determining factors associated with patient’s outlook. Methods. We used an ad hoc questionnaire (modified WHOQOL-BREF) to assess patients’ outlook for the future after bowel resection in CD. All patients who experienced bowel resection for CD from 2015 to 2017 were included in this study. Patients were divided into two groups according to the questionnaire. Patients who had a positive outlook were compared with those who had a negative outlook. The patients’ view on timing of surgery was also recorded. Results. Of 114 eligible patients surveyed, 103 (90.4%) responded. 65 (63.1%) reported that the timing of surgery was appropriate, and 26 patients felt it should have been performed earlier, while remaining 12 preferred a later surgery. 61 (59.2%) patients had a positive outlook of their future lives, while 42 patients had a negative outlook. Factors as the financial burden, employment status, patients’ view on timing of surgery, and clinical recurrence were associated with patients’ outlook. In the multivariate analysis, only clinical recurrence was an independent risk factor for patient’s future outlook. Conclusion. From this survey, it is clear that most patients who underwent an elective bowel resection for CD are satisfied with their timing of surgery. Patients who have clinical recurrence carry a significant negative outlook for their future life. Postoperative management which focuses on preventing clinical recurrence may enhance patients’ outlook for the future.