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Objective To evaluate the safety and efficacy of a new technique for accurate ostial/non-ostial coronary stenting in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Background Accurate stent localization is a key factor impacting the postoperative success of patients undergoing PCI. However, the accurate localization of some lesions, especially ostial lesions, is very difficult to achieve, because they are often complicated by bobbing or to-and-fro movement of the stent during cardiac contractions. Methods We report a novel technique of precise ostial/non-ostial stenting based on the buddy balloon anchor stent (BBAS) technique. Between May 2014 and July 2017, 47 patients with significant ostial/non-ostial coronary stenosis that required accurate stenting were included in this study. Of them, 23 patients were treated using the conventional method and the remaining 24 patients were treated using (BBAS) technique. Evaluation was then performed using intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) in the procedural, or coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) in the follow up. Results Using the BBAS technique, the procedural success was achieved in all 24 (100%) cases. IVUS was performed in seven patients (29.17%) and no procedural complications occurred. All six failed cases that occurred among patients with right coronary artery and left anterior descending artery ostial stenosis treated using the conventional method, the lesions were subsequently successfully re-stented using the BBAS technique. After a follow-up of 3-36 months, CCTA was performed in 11 patients (45.83%), all the stents were in the accurate position. There were no major cardiovascular events of death, myocardial infarction, or target lesion revascularization. Conclusion BBAS is a simple, highly successful and safe technique for accurate stenting of difficult ostial/nonostial coronary stenosis lesions.

Summary We have investigated freshwater cyprinid fish for its current infection status with plerocercoid of ligulid tapeworm in the Republic of Korea. A total of 6,049 (517 Euiam Lake and 4,071 Hoengseong Lake in Gangweon-do and 1,461 Chungju Lake in Chungcheongbuk-do) fish were examined by dissecting the peritonial cavity between March 2015 and December 2016. Totally 45 (0.74 %) fish in of 5 (26.3 %) species (8 Squalidus japonicus coreanus, 6 Squalidus gracilis majimae, 7 Opsariichthys uncirostris amurensis, 15 Zacco platypus and 9 Erythroculter erythropterus) were infected with plerocercoids of ligulid tapeworm. The infection density with plerocercoids in Erythroculter erythropterus was 12 – 26 per fish infected in Erythroculter erythropterus, and 1 – 2 in other 4 fish species. The plerocercoid was ivory-white and 26.2 – 57.8 cm long. The prevalence value in this survey was 0.9 % (45/6,049). The genetic analysis in this study was conducted to identify plerocercoid species. Based on genetic analysis with data in GenBank, these plerocercoids were identified as the L. intestinalis.

In recent years, the production of construction waste is increasing, and its composition is complex, especially the high content of red brick, which leads to the obvious higher water absorption rate of recycled aggregates compared to natural aggregates. Therefore, the original concrete mix design method isn't applicable any more. On the other hand, there is no safe and cheap backfill material for the trenches after laying underground pipelines. In order to solve these problems, the present study utilizes Construction and Demolition Waste to develop a fully-recycled concrete, namely backfilling concrete, which is specially used for supporting the backfilling of trenches. The water absorption of recycled aggregate soaking in water for different durations is tested. Based on the growth law of the water absorption of recycled aggregate, the additional water consumption is determined for the recycled concrete mixing process. The workability, including slump and bleeding rate, and compressive strength of the backfilling concrete with 16 compositions with different cement-water ratio and sand rates are studied in the paper. An empirical formula pertaining to the consumption of mixing water is proposed, and the parameters in the Bolomey formula concerning the performance of aggregate are modified based on the method for designing the regular concrete. At last, the finite element analysis is carried out with ABAQUS for the new type of recycled concrete. Experimental and simulation results show that slump of the mixtures using 30-min water absorption of recycled aggregates as additional water is around 10 cm, and the workability meets the practical requirements. The compressive strength of the construction-waste-based concrete is between 1 and 3 MPa. And backfilling concrete can effectively protect the underground pipelines and road structure under the vehicle load according to the finite element analysis. Consequently, in this paper, the original concrete mix design method is improved and completed, which can be applied to ultra-low strength recycled concrete. The newly proposed backfilling concrete has good workability and mechanical properties for backfilling of trenches. Moreover, cement consumption of it is low to 50 kg/m3, which meets both economic and environmental requirements.

Background Previously, high levels of CXCR3+ T-cell recruitment was demonstrated in the prolonged ischemia–accelerated acute allograft rejection in rat kidney transplant. In the present study, the effect of chemokine IP-10 was investigated and the expression of chemokine-related PRINS (Psoriasis susceptibility–related RNA gene induced by stress) lncRNA determined in the allografts subjected to ischemia. Methods F344-to-Lewis rat kidney transplantation was performed, and renal grafts were stored for 2 hours or 16 hours. Samples were removed at 24 hours and 7 days after operation. Cellular infiltration was determined with the use of immunohistochemistry, and messenger RNA expression was assessed with the use of real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results The 16-hour-ischemia kidney displayed acute tubule damage and up-regulation of PRINS lncRNA expression. On day 7, IP-10 expression and CD3-positive T cells were increased in allografts compared with control samples, which were inhibited by the IP-10 antibody treatment accompanied by reduced serum creatinine. Conclusions These observations provide evidence for IP-10 in a regulatory role in cold ischemia–elicited acute allograft rejection and in PRINS lncRNA expression. Our data enhance the understanding of the mechanism underlying between prolonged ischemia and acute rejection.

To combat the high temperature chlorine-induced corrosion of materials in the biomass and waste fuel-fired thermal power plants NiCr coatings can be used. In this study, a commercially available Ni50Cr gas atomised powder was sprayed onto a power plant alloy using a liquid fuelled and a gas fuelled high velocity oxygen fuel thermal spray (HVOF), cold gas dynamic spray (CS) and laser cladding (LC). High temperature corrosion test was performed at 700 °C in a controlled environment corrosion test with 500 ppm HCl, 5 vol% O2 and bal. N2 for 250 h. KCl was deposited onto certain samples to understand the mechanism of high temperature chlorine-induced corrosion. The corrosion products were characterised in a SEM with EDX and XRD. A wide range of oxide morphology and distribution was found on the coating top surface which was primarily due to their processing techniques. Cross-section examination of the coatings showed various degrees of internal attack and scale growth. In the absence of any deposit on the surface, cold-sprayed coating showed the poorest performance since the corrosive ion penetrated ~600 μm after 250 h exposure, which is due to the inter-connected porosity. In presence of KCl deposit, laser cladded coating showed the best corrosion performance because the grooving pattern (traces of corrosive ion penetration) only penetrated 80 μm, which is predominantly due to its pore free microstructure.

A fully-transparent graphene-based charge-trap memory device was realized by fabricating a graphene-channel field-effect transistor with high-k/low-k/high-k oxide stacks of Al2O3/AlOx/Al2O3 and indium-tin-oxide gate/source/drain electrodes on the polyethylene naphthalate substrate (i.e., ITO-gated AXA-gFET). The usage of low-k AlOx as a charge-trap layer allowed us to demonstrate a high-performance memory device, exhibiting a large memory window of ∼9.2 V and a tenacious retention of the memory window margin up to ∼57% after 10 years. Memory cells comprising the ITO-gated AXA-gFET arrays displayed a high transparency with the average optical transmittance of ∼83% in visible wavelength regions. These properties may move us a step closer to the practical application of graphene-based memories for future transparent electronics. In-depth analyses on the electrical characteristics and the mechanisms of the memory functions are presented.

Nitrogen management measures (NMMs) such as the application of urease inhibitors (UIs), synthetic nitrification inhibitors (SNIs), and biochar (BC) are commonly used in mitigating nitrogen (N) loss and increasing fertilizer recovery efficiency (FRE) in agriculture. Calcareous soil under rice cropping is characterized by high nitrification potential, N loss risk, and low FRE. Application of SNIs may stimulate NH3 volatilization in high pH soils and the effects of SNIs on FRE are not always positive. BNIs have many advantages over SNIs. Whether combined application of BNI, UI, and BC that can result in a synergistic effect of improving FRE and decreasing N loss in a calcareous soil under rice cropping worth investigating. In this study, we conducted pot experiments to investigate the effects of single and co-application of BNI (methyl 3-(4-hydroxyphenyl) propionate or MHPP, 500 mg kg−1 soil), UI (N-(n-butyl), thiophosphoric triamide or NBPT, 2% of urea-N), or BC (wheat straw, 0.5% (w/w)) with chemical fertilizer on NH3 volatilization, N2O emission, N leaching, crop N uptake, and FRE in a calcareous soil under rice cropping. Our results demonstrated that those NMMs could mitigate NH3 volatilization by 12.5%–26.5%, N2O emission by 62.7%–73.5%, and N leaching loss by 17.5%–49.0%. However, BNI might have a risk of increasing NH3 (5.98%) volatilization loss. Among those NMMs, double inhibitors (BNI plus UI) yielded a synergistic effect that could mitigate N loss to the maximum extent and effectively improve FRE by 25.4%. The mechanisms of the above effects could be partly ascribed to the niche differentiation between the abundance of AOA and AOB and the changed community structure of AOB, which could further influence nitrification and N fate. Our results demonstrated that co-application of BNI and UI with urea is an effective strategy in reducing N loss and improving FRE in a calcareous soil under rice cropping.

INTRODUCTION: Chemotherapy-induced thrombocytopenia (CIT) is a common complication of cancer therapy. Due to the lack of FDA-approved therapies for CIT and clear limitations of platelet transfusions, clinicians often must choose between reducing dose intensity, delaying treatment, switching to an alternative regimen less prone to thrombocytopenia, or even discontinuing therapy altogether. Lower overall survival in CIT is associated with bleeding complications in patients proceeding with chemotherapy as well as patients managed with reductions in relative dose intensity of chemotherapy due to dose reduction and/or treatment delay. Although there are no current FDA-approved therapies for CIT, evidence has emerged supporting use of romiplostim to treat CIT. However, predicting clinical response to romiplostim before initiation is not currently possible due to the lack of a known predictive biomarker. Baseline endogenous TPO levels may, however, be a predictive biomarker for response to thrombopoietin receptor agonists. Prior studies have demonstrated the utility of baseline TPO level to predict romiplostim response in ITP and avatrombopag response in thrombocytopenia of chronic liver disease. Because measurement of TPO level prior to romiplostim treatment of CIT is standard at our institution, we investigated the utility of baseline TPO level to predict romiplostim response in CIT. METHODS: We performed an observational study of patients age ≥18 years who had TPO levels measured and received romiplostim for the treatment of CIT. For each weekly on-romiplostim platelet (Plt) count assessment, clinical response was defined as Plt ≥75×10 9/L and ≥30×10 9/L above pretreatment baseline. Overall, moderate, and superior classes of treatment response were defined based on response fraction (RF) of weekly Plt assessments meeting clinical response criteria (RF >0, ≥ 0.6, and ≥ 0.8, respectively). Median TPO levels were compared in those patients with and without a moderate response or a superior response using the Mann-Whitney U test. A generalized linear model was used to model the logit transformation of RF to predict response fraction based on TPO level. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to identify TPO level thresholds for optimal discrimination of those who achieved moderate and superior responses from those who did not. RESULTS: Patients: 63 patients met inclusion criteria. Baseline patient characteristics are detailed in TABLE 1. Relation of TPO Level and Romiplostim Response: Median (IQR) TPO level was lower in patients who achieved a moderate response to romiplostim versus those who did not, 234 (135-1085) pg/mL versus 665 (244-1970) pg/mL (P=0.034) and lower still in patients who achieved a superior response versus those who did not, 212 (91-690) pg/mL versus 559 (173-1851) pg/mL (P=0.023) (FIGURE 1). A generalized linear model demonstrated a significantly higher predicted response fraction as TPO level declined (P=0.036, Figure 2). TPO level was significantly correlated with lowest effective romiplostim dose (r=0.27, P=0.049). Optimal TPO Thresholds for Predicting Response: Utilizing Youden's index, the optimally discriminant TPO level threshold for moderate response to romiplostim was ≤457 pg/mL, which predicted a 61% probability of response in those with a TPO level ≤457 pg/mL and a 65% probability of non-response in those with a TPO level >457 pg/mL (Figure 3A). The optimally discriminant TPO level threshold for superior response to romiplostim was ≤260 pg/mL, which predicted a 59% probability of response in those with a TPO level ≤260 pg/mL and a 70% probability of non-response in those with a TPO level >260 pg/mL (Figure 3B). A near trivial response rate was associated with extreme TPO elevations (e.g., 7% for TPO level >1978 pg/mL, Figure 3). CONCLUSION: Lower TPO levels predict for a higher likelihood and depth of response to romiplostim in CIT, extreme TPO elevations predict strongly for non-response, and higher doses of romiplostim may be needed in patients with moderate TPO elevations to achieve a response. Considering the significant impact of CIT on patient outcomes as a result of treatment delays and dose reductions, baseline serum TPO level in patients with CIT may be a clinically useful biomarker in predicting response to romiplostim, and therefore potentially useful in guiding patient selection and dosing. Figure 1 Figure 1. Disclosures Kuter: Actelion (Syntimmune), Agios, Alnylam, Amgen, Argenx, BioCryst, Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS), Caremark, CRICO, Daiichi Sankyo, Dova, Genzyme, Immunovant, Incyte, Kyowa-Kirin, Merck Sharp Dohme, Momenta, Novartis, Pfizer, Principia, Protalex, Protalix, Rigel: Consultancy, Other: grant support and consulting fees; Up-to-Date: Patents & Royalties: Up-To-Date; Rubius: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Platelet Disorder Support Association: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Actelion (Syntimmune), Agios, Alnylam, Amgen, Argenx, Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS), Immunovant, Kezar, Principia, Protalex, Rigel, Takeda (Bioverativ), UCB: Research Funding. Al-Samkari: Novartis: Consultancy; Rigel: Consultancy; Moderna: Consultancy; Argenx: Consultancy; Amgen: Research Funding; Dova/Sobi: Consultancy, Research Funding; Agios: Consultancy, Research Funding. OffLabel Disclosure: Romiplostim is a thrombopoietin-receptor agonist (TPO-RA) used off-label for chemotherapy-induced thrombocytopenia. TPO-RAs are well-established in the treatment of numerous etiologies of thrombocytopenia, including immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), aplastic anemia, and thrombocytopenia of chronic liver disease.

The solution and gas phase halide binding to a bis-antimony(iii) anion receptor was studied. This new class of anion receptors utilizes the strong Sb-centered secondary bonding interactions (SBIs) that are formed opposite to the polar Sb-O primary bond. 1H NMR titration data were fitted statistically to binding models and solution-phase binding energetics were extracted, while the formation of anion-to-receptor complexes was observed using ESI-MS. Density functional theory calculations suggest that their affinity towards binding halide anions is mitigated by the strong explicit solvation effect in DMSO, which gives insights into future designs that circumvent direct solvent binding and are anticipated to yield tighter and perhaps more selectivity in anion binding.

Objectives: Many family planning providers faced disruptions to service delivery from the COVID-19 pandemic and needed to quickly implement telemedicine for contraceptive care. This study describes how Illinois providers responded to the uptake of telemedicine. Methods: We interviewed clinicians (n=20) from non-Planned Parenthood clinics (July – September 2020) and clinicians and staff (n=17) from Planned Parenthood of Illinois sites (December 2020 – March 2021) across the state. Interviews were conducted by phone or video, audio-recorded, transcribed, and coded in Dedoose. Analysis revealed themes focusing on telemedicine's effects on patient care and access to comprehensive contraceptive services, and on steps needed to improve telemedicine and sustain its benefits post-pandemic. Results: Interviewees expressed mostly positive attitudes towards telemedicine, highlighting its utility for counseling and prescription contraceptive methods, with additional benefits for rural patients and patients facing transportation, childcare, or other barriers to in-person visits. Challenges included rapid telemedicine rollout, patient barriers to accessing technology platforms, and reduced access to long-acting reversible contraception (LARC). Providers implemented changes to mitigate barriers, such as prioritizing same-day LARC insertion and removals, and eliminating required post-LARC follow-up visits. Providers noted virtual visits enhanced privacy for some and compromised privacy for others. All participants observed that continuation of telemedicine contraceptive services would depend on equitable reimbursement for telehealth services. Conclusions: Telemedicine contraception services can enhance access for patients who face barriers to care beyond those created by the pandemic. However, reimbursement parity for providers, patient-centered flexibility regarding telemedicine options, and measures to ensure access to all methods are important for long-term success.

A 7-month-old domestic medium hair cat presented with facial asymmetry affecting the bony and soft tissue structures of the right side of the head including the maxilla, nose, eye and pinna of the ear. Additionally, neurological dysfunction of the facial and vestibulocochlear nerves on the affected side was present. A congenital malformation affecting the first and second embryologic pharyngeal arches was suspected. This is the first case of hemifacial microsomia of likely congenital origin reported in a cat.

Gapless interdigitated back contact (IBC) solar cells were fabricated with phosphorous back surface field on a boron emitter, using an ion implantation process. Boron emitter (boron ion implantation) is counter doped by the phosphorus back surface field (BSF) (phosphorus ion implantation) without gap. The gapless process step between the emitter and BSF was compared to existing IBC solar cell with gaps between emitters and BSFs obtained using diffusion processes. We optimized the doping process in the phosphorous BSF and boron emitter region, and the implied Voc and contact resistance relationship of the phosphorous and boron implantation dose in the counter doped region was analyzed. We confirmed the shunt resistance of the gapless IBC solar cells and the possibility of shunt behavior in gapless IBC solar cells. The highly doped counter doped BSF led to a controlled junction breakdown at high reverse bias voltages of around 7.5 V. After the doping region was optimized with the counter doped BSF and emitter, a large-area (5 inch pseudo square) gapless IBC solar cell with a power conversion efficiency of 22.9% was made.

Ni50Cr thermally sprayed coatings are widely used for high temperature oxidation and corrosion in thermal power plants. In this study, a commercially available gas atomised Ni50Cr powder was sprayed onto a power plant alloy (ASME P92) using both gas and liquid fuelled high velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) thermal spray. Microstructures of the two coatings were examined using SEM-EDX, XRD, oxygen content analysis and mercury intrusion porosimeter. The gas fuelled coating had higher levels of oxygen content and porosity. Shorter term air oxidation tests (4 h) of the free-standing deposits in a thermogravimetric analyser (TGA) and longer term air oxidation tests (100 h) of the coated substrates were performed at 700 °C. The kinetics of oxidation and the oxidation products were characterized in detail in SEM/EDX and XRD. In both samples, oxides of various morphologies developed on top of the Ni50Cr coatings. Cr2O3 was the main oxidation product on the surface of the coatings along with a small amount of NiO and NiCr2O4. Rietveld analysis was performed on the XRD data to quantify the phase composition of the oxides on both Ni50Cr coatings and their evolution with exposure time.

In this letter, we show that conventional III–V MOSFETs with moderate/high In content channels (In0.53Ga0.47As or In0.70Ga0.30As) at scaled nodes are incompatible with mobile SoC designs, which often operate at intermediate/high ${V_{{\mathrm {dd}}}}$ (0.7 V to $\geq 1$ V) to achieve high frequency including during burst-mode. The incompatibility is due to conventional III–V FETs having too small bandgap, and thus too high leakage when operated at the increased voltages. We show that FETs with a more optimal lower In content, In0.35Ga0.65As, have the necessary combination of larger bandgap (~Si) and sufficiently high injection velocity (~2.5 times Si) to enable both low leakage and high performance (versus Si), across the entire ${V_{{\mathrm {dd}}}}$ range of mobile SoC operation. We report for the first time the growth and characterization of ultra-thin In0.35Ga0.65As FETs with a standard 1nm EOT gate dielectric. Calibrated models show that In0.35Ga0.65As enables the highest performance at very low leakages at intermediate/high ${V_{{\mathrm {dd}}}}$ in short channel FETs.

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is one of the most common malignancies around the world and effective therapeutic method is yet to be excavated for advance NSCLC. MicroRNA-507 (miR-507) was found to be aberrantly expressed and affected cancer cell behaviors in some types of cancers. However, the role of miR-507 in NSCLC is largely unknown. The expression, biological role, and the underlying mechanism of miR-507 in NSCLC were explored in this study.Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) assay was applied for the detection of miR-507 in NSCLC tissues and cell lines. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and colony formation assays were carried out to assess the proliferative abilities of NSCLC cells. Cell invasive capabilities were determined by transwell assays. We used Dual-Luciferase reporter assays to verify the binding between miR-507 and zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 2 (ZEB2).MiR-507 was found to be downregulated in NSCLC tissues and cell lines. Low expression of miR-507 was correlated with poor prognosis of NSCLC. Overexpression of miR-507 repressed NSCLC cell invasion and proliferation. ZEB2 was predicted to be a direct downstream molecular of miR-507 and their direct binding was verified by Dual-Luciferase reporter assays. Up-regulation of ZEB2 could significantly rescue the suppressive effects of miR-507 on NSCLC cells' invasion and proliferation.MiR-507 was noticeably downregulated in NSCLC and correlated with poor prognosis of NSCLC patients. MiR-507 represses the invasion and proliferation of NSCLC via targeting ZEB2. This study indicated that miR-507 might serve as a potential therapeutic target for NSCLC.

Malignant melanoma (MM), the deadliest form of skin malignancy, is a highly aggressive and malignant tumor with an increasing incidence rate in recent years. Increasing evidence suggested that dysfunctions of microRNAs (miRNAs) may play an important role in human tumors. However, the effect of miR-155 on malignant melanoma cell migration and invasion remains largely elusive. This research was designed to evaluate the potential function of miR-155 and CBL (Casitas B-lineage lymphoma) in malignant melanoma.Quantitative Real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was utilized to detect miR-155 and CBL expression in malignant melanoma tissues and cell lines. 3-(4, 5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2, 5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was performed to examine the regulation of miR-155 in melanoma proliferation. Transwell assay was carried out to detect the effect of miR-155 on the MM cell migration and invasion. Luciferase assay and biological analysis were used to predict and determine the target gene of miR-155.miR-155 was down-regulated in malignant melanoma tissues and cell lines. Ectopic expression of miR-155 could inhibit migration and invasion in malignant melanoma cells. What's more, we found that CBL was a new target of miR-155. Additionally, CBL was negatively associated with miR-155 in malignant melanoma and overexpression of CBL attenuated miR-155-mediated inhibition on MM cell migration and invasion.miR-155 inhibited malignant melanoma proliferation, migration and invasion. And high CBL expression was observed in MM tissues. This newly identified miR-155/CBL axis may provide new insight into the pathogenesis of malignant melanoma.

Aims Transfusion long after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) may pose a significant risk but is not sufficiently understood. We investigated the long-term patterns and impact of transfusion on the clinical outcome of patients undergoing PCI. Methods and results Five-year clinical outcomes of all Korean undergoing PCI using stent in year 2011 (n=48786) were investigated. Primary outcome was the incidence density of transfusion. The association of transfusion with major adverse clinical event (MACE) consisting all-cause death, revascularization, critically ill cardiovascular status, or stroke was assessed after reflecting the propensity of each patient for transfusion and adjusting transfusion frequency and intervals. The 5-year incidence density of transfusion was 4.74 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 4.70–4.79) per 100 person-year. Patients who received transfusion were older, were more often women, and had overall higher frequency of clinical risk factors (p Year of transfusion and outcome Conclusions One out of every 4 Koreans undergoing PCI received transfusion within 5 years, and had 3-fold higher risk of MACE compared to patients without transfusion. These observational findings may warrant the establishment of transfusion strategies for patients undergoing PCI.

Summary Background Immobile inpatients have a high risk of urinary tract infection (UTI). Additional epidemiological data regarding UTIs among immobile inpatients are needed. Aim To investigate the prevalence and incidence of, and risk factors for, UTIs among immobile patients in 25 hospitals throughout China. Methods This was a national multi-centre cross-sectional investigation. We recruited six tertiary hospitals, 12 non-tertiary hospitals, and seven community hospitals. We obtained data regarding demographics, clinically related variables, and UTI-specific variables from immobile patients during their hospitalization. We performed univariate and multivariable analyses, and binary logistic regression analysis was used to identify risk factors. Findings Among 23,985 immobile patients, 393 had a UTI. The prevalence and incidence of UTIs in hospitalized immobile patients was 1.64% (393/23 985) and 0.69 per 1000 patient-days, respectively. The infection rate of catheter-associated UTI was 2.25 per 1000 urinary catheter-days. We found that a greater number of bedridden days, longer length of hospital stay, being in a medical ward, the presence of an indwelling urethral catheter, prolonged duration of an indwelling catheter, use of glucocorticoids, female sex, diabetes mellitus, and older age were independent risk factors of UTI. Conclusion Immobile patients had similar risk factors for UTI as the general population, as well as some additional risk factors. Greater attention is needed in the management of UTIs among the population of immobile hospitalized patients.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether dogs have a meningovertebral ligament (MVL) and to assess the effect that structure may have on pathological lesions within the ventral epidural space. SAMPLE Cadaveric specimens from 6 neurologically normal dogs and 2 dogs with vertebral neoplasms that extended into the epidural space and MRI sequences and cytologic preparations from 2 dogs with compressive hydrated nucleus pulposus extrusion that underwent decompressive surgery. PROCEDURES The vertebral column was removed for gross and histologic examination from the cadavers of neurologically normal dogs and dogs with vertebral neoplasms. For dogs with hydrated nucleus pulposus extrusion, MRI sequences to assess lesion location and topography and cytologic preparations of material surgically extirpated from the ventral epidural space were reviewed. RESULTS All dogs had an MVL, which formed the ventral boundary of the epidural space and consisted of fibrous bands that attached the external ventral surface of the dura mater of the spinal cord to the dorsal surface of the vertebral bodies throughout the length of the vertebral canal. Both vertebral neoplasms had a bilobed appearance as did the extruded nucleus pulposus lesions on MRI sequences. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Results of the present study indicated that dogs have an MVL, which creates an anatomic barrier within the ventral epidural space and causes pathological lesions to adopt a bilobed shape regardless of the pathogenic process. Further anatomic studies of the MVL and vertebral canal of dogs are necessary to elucidate how those structures affect lesion progression within the ventral epidural space.

The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in eclampsia patients, and to explore the correlation between COX-2 polymorphism and incidence of eclampsia.From January 2016 to January 2018, a total of 280 pregnant women diagnosed in the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department of our hospital were selected for this study. All patients were divided into two groups, including normal pregnancy control group (n=120) and eclampsia group (n=160). The expression of COX-2 in placenta and umbilical cord tissues of eclampsia group and normal group was detected via Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR), Western blotting and immunohistochemical staining. The single-nucleotide polymorphisms (rs1526172, rs1245231 and rs2198532) in the promoter region of the COX-2 gene were typed via conformation difference gel electrophoresis. Whether the distribution frequency of COX-2 genotypes met Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium law was detected via the Chi-square test. Meanwhile, the correlation between COX-2 alleles and gene polymorphisms and the incidence of eclampsia was analyzed.The messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) and protein expression levels of COX-2 in the eclampsia group were significantly higher than those of the normal group (p0.05). According to the analysis, three polymorphisms of COX-2 gene were all in line with Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium distribution (p0.05). Gene association analysis revealed that only polymorphisms (rs1526172 and rs1245231) and alleles were correlated with the incidence of eclampsia (p0.05). However, polymorphism rs2198532 and alleles were not correlated with the incidence of eclampsia (p0.05).Rs1526172 and rs1245231 in the promoter region of COX-2 are correlated with the incidence of eclampsia, while rs2198532 has no correlation with eclampsia.

The access to biological material of reference species, which were used previously in key experiments such as in the development of novel cell lines or genome sequencing projects, are often difficult to provide for further studies or third parties due to the consumptive nature of the samples. Although now widely distributed over the Pacific coasts of Asia, Australia and North America, individual Pacific oyster specimens are genetically quite diverse and are therefore not directly suitable as the starting material for gene libraries. In this article, we demonstrate the use of unreferenced Pacific oyster specimens obtained from regional seafood markets to generate cDNA libraries. These libraries were then compared to the publicly available oyster genome, and the closest related library was selected using the mitochondrial reference genes Cytochrome C Oxidase subunit I (COX1) and NADH Dehydrogenase (ND). The suitability of the generated cDNA library is also demonstrated by cloning and expression of two genes encoding the enzymes UDP-glucuronic acid dehydrogenase (UGD) and UDP-xylose synthase (UXS), which are responsible for the biosynthesis of UDP-xylose from UDP-glucose.

Discordance, such as overlap, repetition and inconsistent, of standards is one of the major problems in current standardization affair in China. Therefore, improving the unity and authority of standards through reduction of overlap, repetition and inconsistency has become the main goal of deepening standardization reform in China. This paper summarizes the discordance in public health standards in China, analyzes the major reasons and provides specific strategic suggestions through case analysis of public health standards in the ways of comparisons of same kind standards of other deparments and standards in administration documents and guidelines or technical specifications of academic associations or societies.标准的交叉、重复、矛盾等不协调问题已成为当前我国标准化工作现状存在的主要问题之一。减少标准的交叉、重复、矛盾，增强标准的统一性和权威性，已成为我国深化标准化改革的重要目标。本文通过资料检索和专题调研等方法，检索公共卫生领域具体标准案例，从部分卫生标准之间、与跨部门相同专业领域标准之间以及与行政规范性文件、学（协）会指南及技术规范之间等多个角度进行比较，初步探讨我国公共卫生领域卫生标准交叉、重复、矛盾等不协调问题，并对产生的主要原因进行分析，针对性地提出相关策略建议。.

Two cats were presented with multifocal neurological signs. One cat’s signs progressed over 2 wk; the other cat progressed over 5 days. Examinations were consistent with a process involving the prosencephalon, vestibular system, and general proprioceptive/upper motor neuron systems. MRI of the brain and cervical spinal cord reveal widespread T2 hyperintensity of the white matter. Affected areas included the cerebrum, cerebral peduncles, corticospinal tracts of the pons and medulla, and the cerebellum. T2 hyperintensity was present in all funiculi of the spinal cord. Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps were consistent with cytotoxic or intramyelinic edema. Differential diagnosis included toxic or metabolic/degenerative leukoencephalopathies. Necropsies revealed widespread spongy degeneration of the central nervous system white matter. Toxicologic assays of liver specimens revealed desmethylbromethalin, a metabolite of bromethalin. Bromethalin is a rodenticide that causes uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation. Antemortem diagnosis is challenging. DWI and ADC maps were instrumental in narrowing the differential diagnosis and raised the index of suspicion for bromethalin. Bromethalin intoxication should be considered in all animals with a progressive course of multifocal neurologic deficits. MRI, specifically, DWI and ADC maps, may serve as a biomarker of cytotoxic or intramyelinic edema associated with spongiform leukoencephalomyelopathy.

Direct monitoring of RIG-I activation by FRET reveals reversible activation by RNA alone., The retinoic acid–inducible gene I (RIG-I) innate immune receptor is an important immunotherapeutic target, but we lack approaches for monitoring the physical basis for its activation in vitro. This gap in our understanding has led to confusion about mechanisms of RIG-I activation and difficulty discovering agonists and antagonists. We therefore created a novel fluorescence resonance energy transfer–based method for measuring RIG-I activation in vitro using dual site-specific fluorescent labeling of the protein. This approach enables us to measure the conformational change that releases the signaling domain during the first step of RIG-I activation, making it possible to understand the role of stimulatory ligands. We have found that RNA alone is sufficient to eject the signaling domain, ejection is reversible, and adenosine triphosphate plays but a minor role in this process. These findings help explain RIG-I dysfunction in autoimmune disease, and they inform the design of therapeutics targeting RIG-I.

In the spring of 2011, leaf and fruit spot symptoms were observed in three orchards planted with Citrus reticulata Blanco cv. Nian Ju in Longmen City, Guangdong Province. The incidence of fruit and leaf spot ranged from of 5 to 25% across all three orchards. Similar symptoms were not observed on the fruit of C. reticulata cv. Shiyue Ju planted at the same orchards. Lesions on the diseased leaves and fruit first emerged on the lower portions of the trees and were initially small, circular, and diffuse in distribution over the leaf surface. Within 2 weeks, the small circular spots on the leaves and fruit enlarged to brown sunken necrotic lesions ranging from 5 to 30 mm in diameter. To isolate the causal organism, symptomatic leaves and fruit peels (from different trees) adjacent to the lesions as well as the lesions themselves were surface-disinfested with 1% sodium hypochlorite for 1 min and rinsed three times with sterile water. The tissues were then plated on potato dextrose agar (PDA) under alternating light and dark conditions at 28°C for 4 days. Sixteen fungal isolates with nearly identical fungal colonies were recovered from all samples. After 7 days of incubation, isolates with grayish white to dark gray mycelium and salmon pink conidia masses were observed. The conidia were hyaline, smooth-walled, aseptate, one-celled, and falcate, with oil droplets in the cytoplasm. The conidia were 19.7 to 22.5 (mean = 21.5) × 2.8 to 3.9 (mean = 3.4) μm. The fungal colonies also produced acervuli, setae, and sclerotia in the culture. The cultural and morphological characteristics of these isolates were consistent with the description of Colletotrichum truncatum (2). The ACT, TUB2, CHS I, GAPDH, and ITS regions of four representative isolates (GenBank Accession Nos. KF591214, KF591213, KF591211, KF591212, and KF011205) were sequenced and identical to those of the type specimen of C. truncatum CBS 151.35. To determine pathogenicity, leaves of three 3-year-old potted plants and ten 8-month-old fruit of C. reticulata Blanco cv. Nian Ju were each wound-inoculated with 20 μl of a suspension of conidia (1 × 105 conidia/ml). Leaves of an additional two potted plants and 10 similarly-aged fruit were wound-inoculated with 20 μl of sterile water as control. The citrus plants and fruit were then maintained at 90% relative humidity at 28°C with a 12-h photoperiod. Symptoms identical to those observed in the orchards in Longmen City developed on all of the inoculated citrus leaves and fruit after 14 days. The controls remained healthy throughout this period. The inoculation experiment was performed a second time with identical results. Isolates of C. truncatum identical to that of the isolate used for inoculation were obtained from all the inoculated symptomatic citrus leaves and fruit. C. truncatum has a broad host range and is known to be pathogenic on several crops including Medicago sativa L., Phaseolus lunatus, and Arachis hypogea (1,2,3,4). To our knowledge, this is the first report of leaf and fruit rot of C. reticulata Blanco cv. Nian Ju caused by C. truncatum in China. The golden-yellow fruit of C. reticulata Blanco cv. Nian Ju are commonly displayed during the Spring Festival of the Chinese New Year, and future epidemics of fruit spot may affect sustainability of this important cultural practice. References: (1) P. A. Backman et al. Plant Dis. 66:1032, 1982. (2) U. Damm et al. Fungal Divers. 39:45, 2009. (3) C. Eken and E. Demirci. Plant Dis. 84:100, 2000. (4) F. Huang et al. Fungal Divers. 61:61, 2013.

Molluscum contagiosum (MC) is a common cutaneous viral infection caused by Molluscipoxvirus and featured by single or multiple pearly, usually umbilicated papular lesions on the surface of skin or mucosa. The benign infection is highly contagious and primarily affects pre-adolescent children and young, sexually active adults.1 According to a recent cohort study, the mean time to resolution was 13.3 months in children in the UK, while some continued to progress for more than 24 months;2 however, the natural course of the disease in adult patients remains elusive. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Fault diagnosis by machine learning techniques is of great importance in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). A key factor influencing the accuracy of fault diagnosis lies in the imbalance between the sample data in minority classes (i.e. faulty situations) and that in majority classes (i.e. normal situations), which may cause misjudgments of faults and lead to failure in practical use. This study proposes a novel pre-processing method with a fast relevance vector machine (Fast RVM) reducing the data of majority class samples and the synthetic minority over-sampling technique expanding the minority class samples. A case study indicates that this pre-processing method could be a promising solution for imbalanced data classification in WWTPs and the pre-processed data can be well diagnosed by back-propagation neural networks, support vector machine, RVM and Fast RVM models.

Paradise Lost repeatedly emphasizes the taste of the forbidden fruit. This essay argues that the poem averts, for discernible religious reasons, any binding judgment concerning whether the fruit is genuinely delicious or delicious only to a palate on the brink of corruption. The divine creator's participation in sensory delight would suggest his unseemly pleasure in sacrifice. This essay argues that John Milton advances a warning against grounding shared knowledge in taste. Although this lesson would go unheeded by Edmund Burke in his project of theistic empiricism, it speaks to problems within the Kantian account of aesthetic judgment and collective reason.

In this paper, we briefly review our recent progress on development of core technologies for 2G HTS NMR/MRI magnets at Korea University. To outperform the current state-of-art NMR/MRI magnet systems, we have developed the following technologies: 1) a REBCO-REBCO superconducting joint for operation of persistent current mode; 2) partial and grease-insulation winding techniques for self-protection of the HTS magnets; 3) pre-shimming to reduce the screening-current-induced-field; and 4) optimization of multi-width winding to minimize conductor consumption and volume of the HTS magnets. The test results demonstrated the feasibility of employing the developed techniques to achieve ultra-high-field and LHe-free 2G NMR/MRI magnets possessing self-protecting feature.

To determine the sensitivity and specificity of serum Cyr61 as a potential biomarker for the diagnosis of colorectal cancer (CRC) and to assess the association between serum Cyr61 level and CRC clinicopathological status. We used an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to measure serum Cyr61 in patients with CRC, patients with colorectal adenomas, and healthy controls. We also analyzed the relationship between serum Cyr61 and clinicopathological features of CRC patients. The levels of serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) were quantified using the Roche Cobas 6000 Analyzer. The sensitivity and specificity of Cyr61, CEA, CA19-9 and CEA + CA19-9 were evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. The serum level of Cyr61 was significantly increased in CRC patients compared with colorectal adenoma patients and healthy controls (p