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Endosome fission is essential for cargo sorting and targeting in the endosomal system. However, whether organelles other than the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) participate in endosome fission through membrane contacts is unknown. Here, we characterize a Golgi-derived vesicle, the SEC14L2 compartment, that plays a unique role in facilitating endosome fission through ternary contacts with endosomes and the ER. Localized to the ER-mediated endosome fission site, the phosphatidylinositol transfer protein SEC14L2 promotes phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate (PtdIns4P) to phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate (PtdIns3P) conversion before endosome fission. In the absence of SEC14L2, endosome fission is attenuated and more enlarged endosomes arise due to endosomal accumulation of PtdIns4P and reduction in PtdIns3P. Collectively, our data suggest roles of the Golgi network in ER-associated endosome fission and a mechanism involving ER–endosome contacts in the regulation of endosomal phosphoinositide conversion. Gong et al. uncover a role for the Golgi network in ER-associated endosome fission, showing that a Golgi-derived SEC14L2 compartment mediates ER-associated endosome fission by promoting PtdIns4P to PtdIns3P conversion.

AimsTo identify single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with central serous chorioretinopathy (CSCR) by a systematic review and meta-analysis, and to compare the association profiles between CSCR, neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) and polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV).MethodsWe searched the EMBASE, PubMed and Web of Science for genetic studies of CSCR from the starting dates of the databases to 12 September 2020. We then performed meta-analyses on all SNPs reported by more than two studies and calculated the pooled OR and 95% CIs. We also conducted sensitivity analysis and adopted the funnel plot to assess potential publication bias.ResultsTotally 415 publications were reviewed, among them 10 were eligible for meta-analysis. We found 10 SNPs that have been reported at least twice. Meta-analysis and sensitivity analysis confirmed significant associations between CSCR and six SNPs in three genes, namely age-related maculopathy susceptibility 2 (ARMS2) (rs10490924, OR=1.37; p=0.00064), complement factor H (CFH) (rs800292, OR=1.44; p=7.80×10−5; rs1061170, OR=1.34; p=0.0028; rs1329428, OR=1.40; p=0.012; and rs2284664, OR=1.36; p=0.0089) and tumour necrosis factor receptor superfamily, member 10a (TNFRSF10A) (rs13278062, OR=1.34; p=1.44×10−15). Among them, onlyTNFRSF10Ars13278062 showed the same trend of effect on CSCR, nAMD and PCV, while the SNPs inARMS2andCFHshowed opposite trends in the SNP associations.ConclusionsThis study confirmed the associations ofARMS2,CFHandTNFRSF10Awith CSCR, and revealed thatARMS2,CFHandTNFRSF10Amay affect different phenotypic expressions of CSCR, nAMD and PCV.

The heterogeneous Fenton process is one of the efficient methods for wastewater treatment, and the effects of dissolved organic matter (DOM) when treating actual wastewaters are anticipated. Howeve...

The disease spectrum of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) varies from asymptomatic infection to critical illness and death. Identification of prognostic markers is vital for predicting progression and clinical practice. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) RNA, known as RNAemia, has been detected in the blood. However, the potential clinical value of SARS‐CoV‐2 RNAemia remains unknown. We, therefore, conducted a meta‐analysis using a random‐effects model to estimate the pooled prevalence of SARS‐CoV‐2 RNAemia as well as summary strength of RNAemia in association with disease severity and unfavorable clinical outcomes. A total of 21 studies involving 2181 patients were included. SARS‐CoV‐2 RNAemia in COVID‐19 patients varied from 9.4% to 74.1%, with a pooled estimate of 34% (95% confidene interval [CI]: 26%–43%). Overall, SARS‐CoV‐2 RNAemia was associated with COVID‐19 severity with odds ratio (OR) of 5.43 (95% CI: 3.46–8.53). In addition, SARS‐CoV‐2 RNAemia was a significant risk factor for unfavorable clinical outcomes (OR = 6.54, 95% CI: 3.82–11.21). The summary OR was 4.28 (95% CI: 2.20–8.33) for intensive care unit (ICU) admission, 11.07 (95% CI: 5.60–21.88) for mortality. Furthermore, RNAemia was also a significant risk factor for invasive mechanical ventilation and multiple organ failure. SARS‐CoV‐2 RNAemia is associated with disease severity, ICU admission, death in COVID‐19, and may serve as a clinical predictor. More prospective trials in evaluating the potential of SARS‐CoV‐2 RNAemia as a prognostic indicator are necessary.

Background As a novel high magnification module (HMM) combining with OCT (OCT-HMM) is able to detect the microstructure of retina, we apply it to explore the ultrastructure of the macula after closure of the idiopathic macular hole (IMH) by surgery. Methods This is an observational case series study in which patients with full-thickness IMHs who had undergone successful macular closure by vitrectomy and internal limiting membrane peeling and healthy subjects were recruited. After comprehensive ophthalmic examinations, the images of macular area were obtained and collected by professional operators using OCT-HMM. Then images were independently analyzed by 4 masked vitreoretinal specialists. Results A total of 24 IMH eyes and 42 healthy eyes were examined. HMM images were obtained in 10 IMH eyes. Among them, 4 eyes whose macula closed completely with recovery of photoreceptor layer presented a dark arc nasal to the fovea, oriented to the optic, and the notch of arc faced temporally. Six eyes in which the macula closed incompletely with photoreceptor cells loss revealed a dark ring with uneven bright spots inside. The other 14 eyes failed to obtain clear images by OCT-HMM. The contra lateral eyes of the patients and the healthy subjects’ eyes succeeded to obtain the HMM images which displayed evenly grey background thickly covered with tiny bright dots that was in similar size and evenly and widely distributed and there no dark arc or ring. OCT B-scan and IR images could be acquired in all of the IMH and healthy eyes. Conclusion The preliminary application of HMM has supplied us a brand-new insight into the microstructure of closed IMH. A dark arc sign could be detected with OCT-HMM in the macula which was functionally closed after surgery that was probably the healing mark on a microstructure photoreceptors level. Its existence and shape indicated that the functional closure followed by a retinal displacement mainly horizontally from temporal side to nasal side but not symmetric centripetally.

Background Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most refractory and lethal cancer. The overall survival is dismal due to the high frequency of recurrence and metastasis after surgery and resistance to chemotherapy. Patients with the locally advanced or metastatic disease usually have the poorest prognosis. Herein, we report a rare highly responsive PDAC with liver metastasis. Case presentation A 49-year-old female presented with dull abdominal and back pain, discomfort after eating, fatigue, and recent weight loss of 5 kg. Clinical examination was normal and no relevant oncological history was observed. A routine blood test showed low red blood cell count and low hemoglobin level. Markedly increased carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and carbohydrate antigen (CA) 125 levels were detected. Computer tomography (CT) of the abdomen revealed a massive pancreatic tumor with the invasion of almost all important surrounding blood vessels and liver metastasis. After the genetic test and percutaneous biopsy for this tumor, a multidisciplinary team (MDT) discussion was initiated. Subsequently, oral chemotherapy (S-1) and 125I radiative seeds implantation were recommended. Surprisingly, the tumor shrank significantly after treatment. On August 14, 2019, pancreatoduodenectomy was performed. The tumor was successfully resected and liver metastasis was not detected. Based on the postoperative histopathological result, there was only fibrous tissue hyperplasia and inflammatory cell infiltration. Besides, no tumor tissue was found. Until now, through outpatient follow-up, no signs of recurrence and metastasis have been observed. Conclusion Although the therapeutic efficacy and prognosis of PDAC are dismal, we successfully cured a patient with a metastatic disease through multidisciplinary cooperation. However, the therapeutic experience should be summarized and further research should be performed to confirm whether it is appropriate for other PDAC patients.

PURPOSE: Obesity, measured by body mass index (BMI), is implicated in adverse pregnancy outcomes for women seeking in vitro fertilization (IVF) care. However, the shape of the dose-response relationship between BMI and IVF outcomes remains unclear. METHODS: We therefore conducted a dose-response meta-analysis using a random effects model to estimate summary relative risk (RR) for clinical pregnancy (CPR), live birth (LBR), and miscarriage risk (MR) after IVF. RESULTS: A total of 18 cohort-based studies involving 975,889 cycles were included. For each 5-unit increase in BMI, the summary RR was 0.95 (95% CI: 0.94–0.97) for CPR, 0.93 (95% CI: 0.92-0.95) for LBR, and 1.09 (95% CI: 1.05-1.12) for MR. There was evidence of a non-linear association between BMI and CPR (P(non-linearity) < 10(−5)) with CPR decreasing sharply among obese women (BMI > 30). Non-linear dose-response meta-analysis showed a relatively flat curve over a broad range of BMI from 16 to 30 for LBR (P(non-linearity) = 0.0009). In addition, we observed a J-shaped association between BMI and MR (P(non-linearity) = 0.006) with the lowest miscarriage risk observed with a BMI of 22–25. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, obesity contributed to increased risk of adverse IVF outcomes in a non-linear dose-response manner. More prospective trials in evaluating the effect of body weight control are necessary.

Fault induced delayed voltage recovery (FIDVR) is a credible concern in power systems with high penetration of single-phase air conditioner loads. Power system planning studies use dynamic load models, such as the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) composite load model CMPLDW to examine FIDVR in power systems. The behavior of modern variable frequency drive (VFD) air conditioners to voltage drops is not the same as traditional one- or two-speed air conditioning systems. This paper investigates the impact of increasing VFD air conditioner penetration within a power system on FIDVR events, by first modeling VFD air conditioners as a separate load and then as a power electronic component within the CMPLDW model. Simulation results show that increasing the penetration of VFD driven air conditioners decreases the post-fault voltage sag, recovery time, and number of customers interrupted by undervoltage load shedding.

A germination treatment was explored in this study as a green strategy to reduce the in vitro starch digestibility of cooked quinoa. The alterations of chemical compositions, starch chain-length distributions (CLDs) and rheological characteristics of quinoa flours after the germination treatment were characterized. Results showed that a significant alteration of amylose CLDs and the starch digestibility was observed for cooked quinoa flours after different germination times. By fitting starch digestograms to the logarithm of slop (LOS) plot and the combination of parallel and sequential kinetics model (CPS), two starch digestible fractions with distinct rate constants were identified. Pearson correlation analysis further found that the observed starch digestive characteristics could be largely explained by the alterations of amylose CLDs caused by the germination treatment. More specifically, the rapidly digestible starch fraction mainly consisted of amorphous amylopectin molecules and amylose intermolecular crystallites. On the other hand, the slowly digestible starch fraction was largely formed by intramolecular interactions among amylose short chains (degree of polymerization (DP) < 500). These results suggest that germination may be a promising way to develop cereal products with slower starch digestibility.

Objective To investigate the effects of simulated 2-week microgravity on the ocular fundus hemodynamics of central retinal artery and the retinal and choroidal thickness in autogenous rats. Methods Eight healthy SD rats were designed in self-control, designed for the control before tail suspension, the tail suspension for 1, 4, 7 and 14 d. A rat model of simulated microgravity method was established by tail suspension. The peak maximum systolic velocity (PSV) of central retinal artery (CRA) in rats was detected and analyzed by color Doppler ultrasonography. The retinal and choroidal thicknesses were measured by the enhanced depth imaging spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (EDI SD-OCT). Results The PSV value in each different period after tail suspension was decreased compared with that in the control before tail suspension (P0.05), but there was a significant difference between the tail suspension for 1 d and the tail suspension for 14 d (P0.05). The choroidal thickness was lower in the control before tail suspension than that in each different period after tail suspension (P

This paper describes a novel method to synthesize load and feeder models, by estimating the load composition and the load parameters, using instantaneous voltage and current measurements, obtained at the distribution level, from disturbance events. A novel feeder model structure has been proposed in this work comprising of single-phase loads, three-phase loads, impedance loads, distribution transformers and distribution line segments. The load composition of the proposed feeder models and the motor load parameters are determined using a non-linear least squares algorithm integrated with an electromagnetic transient (EMT) analysis tool PSCAD. The efficacy of the proposed algorithm is examined for feeders at different physical locations and with distinctly varied load characteristics. Using this approach, parameters of the motor loads have been obtained within a fixed set of bounded values for each corresponding parameter. The ability of the proposed feeder and load models to capture severe fault induced delayed voltage recovery events (FIDVR) has also been discussed here.

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is an autoimmune rheumatic disease that mostly affects the axial skeleton. This study aimed to investigate reliable diagnostic serum biomarkers for AS. Serum samples were collected from 20 AS patients and 20 healthy controls (HCs) and analyzed using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). The differential metabolites between the AS patients and HCs were profiled using univariate and multivariate statistical analyses. Pathway analysis and a heat map were also conducted. Random forest (RF) analysis and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) were used to establish predictive and diagnostic models. After controlling the variable importance in the projection (VIP) value 1 and false discovery rate (FDR) 0.05, a total of 61 differential metabolites were identified from 995 metabolites, which exhibited significant differences in the pathway analysis and heat map between the AS patients and HCs. RF as a predictive model also identified differential metabolites with 95% predictive accuracy and a high area under the curve (AUC) of 1. A diagnostic model comprising nine metabolites (cysteinylglycine disulfide, choline, N6, N6, N6-trimethyllysine, histidine, sphingosine, fibrinopeptide A, glycerol 3-phosphate, 1-linoleoyl-GPA (18:2), and fibrinopeptide A (3-16)) was generated using LASSO regression, capable of distinguishing HCs from AS with a high AUC of 1. Our results indicated that the UPLC-MS/MS analysis method is a powerful tool for identifying AS metabolite profiles. We developed a nine-metabolites-based model serving as a diagnostic tool to separate AS patients from HCs, and the identified diagnostic biomarkers appeared to have a diagnostic value for AS.

Synthetically directing T-cells against tumors emerges as a promising strategy in immunotherapy, while it remains challenging to smartly engage T cells with tunable immune response. Herein, we report an intelligent molecular platform to engineer T-cell recognition for selective activation to potently kill cancer cells. To this end, we fabricated a hybrid conjugate that uses a click-type DNA-protein conjugation to equip the T cell-engaging antibody with two distinct programmable DNA nanoassemblies. By integrating multiple aptameric antigen-recognitions within a dynamic DNA circuit, we achieved combinatorial recognition of triple-antigens on cancer cells for selective T-cell activation after high-order logic operation. Moreover, by coupling a DNA nanostructure, we precisely defined the valence of the antigen-binding aptamers to tune avidity, realizing effective tumor elimination in vitro and in vivo. Together, we present a versatile and programmable strategy for synthetic immunotherapy.

Axon is a long protrusion from the neuronal cell body whose interconnection forms the nervous network and allows biomechanical signals to be transmitted among neurons. From the mechanic’s point of view, the axon cytoskeleton consists of bundles of microtubules (MTs), cross-linked by microtubule-associated protein (MAP) tau, and supported by a periodic array of actin–spectrin rings. Yet, the fundamental question of how these actin–spectrin rings and microtubule bundles behave in synergy to provide the required mechanical strength to the whole axon is still poorly understood. Here, we developed a coarse-grained molecular dynamics model of axon to address this outstanding issue. We show that the dynamic response of spectrin filaments plays a vital role in the strain-softening of axon, which serves as a buffering mechanism for neurons to accommodate externally imposed deformation. Furthermore, the actin–spectrin structure is found to be essential for maintaining the mechanical stability of axon and allowing it to bear larger compressive forces. Our model and predictions not only explain recent experimental observations on axonal mechanics, but also provide insights on how to potentially modify the mechanical response of axonal cytoskeleton and therefore tune its capability in executing different biological duties.

Starch fine molecular structures are of essentially important in determining its pasting and retrogradation properties. In this study, 10 different starches from various botanical sources were selected to investigate the combined action of amylose and amylopectin molecules in determining the starch physicochemical properties. Correlation between starch structural parameters with the pasting and retrogradation properties showed that amylose and amylopectin CLDs do not affect these properties in isolation. Such as, the amount of amylose long chains and amylopectin short chains are both positively correlated with the melting temperatures and enthalpy of retrograded starches. Furthermore, relatively longer amylose short to medium chains can result in higher trough and breakdown viscosity, while higher amount of amylopectin medium to long chains result in higher peak viscosity. The results help a better understanding of the importance of amylose and amylopectin fine molecular structures in determining starch functional properties.

The reverse time migration (RTM) of ground penetrating radar (GPR) is usually implemented in its two-dimensional (2D) form, due to huge computational cost. However, 2D RTM algorithm is difficult to focus the scattering signal and produce a high precision subsurface image when the object is buried in a complicated subsurface environment. To better handle the multi-offset GPR data, we propose a three-dimensional (3D) prestack RTM algorithm. The high-order finite difference time domian (FDTD) method, with the accuracy of eighth-order in space and second-order in time, is applied to simulate the forward and backward extrapolation electromagnetic fields. In addition, we use the normalized correlation imaging condition to obtain pre-stack RTM result and the Laplace filter to suppress the low frequency noise generated during the correlation process. The numerical test of 3D simulated GPR data demonstrated that 3D RTM image shows excellent coincidence with the true model. Compared with 2D RTM image, the 3D RTM image can more clearly and accurately reflect the 3D spatial distribution of the target, and the resolution of the imaging results is far better. Furthermore, the application of observed GPR data further validates the effectiveness of the proposed 3D GPR RTM algorithm, and its final image can more reliably guide the subsequent interpretation.

Altered behavioural responses to sensory stimuli, including both hypo- and hyper-reactivity, have been found in individuals with schizophrenia. However, how specific sensory responsiveness patterns are associated with symptomatology of schizophrenia remains largely unknown. The present study aimed to examine sensory responsiveness in typically-developing (TD) adolescents (n = 98) and adolescents with early-onset schizophrenia (EOS) (n = 29) and investigate the relationship between schizotypal traits and sensory responsiveness patterns. All participants completed the Adult/Adolescent Sensory Profile (AASP), the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ) and the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ). Results showed that higher levels of hypersensitivity and hyposensitivity coexisted in EOS patients and were correlated with positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia. Atypical sensory experiences except for sensory seeking were found to be positively correlated with higher levels of schizotypal traits regardless of diagnostic status. Moreover, the strength and pattern of such correlations were comparable in both EOS and TD groups. This study also provided evidence that higher levels of autistic traits would intensify the positive correlation between schizotypal traits and sensory responsiveness abnormalities, suggesting an additive effect of co-occurring schizotypal and autistic traits on atypical sensory experiences. These findings extend previous research by depicting sensory responsiveness patterns in younger populations with schizophrenia, and may have implications for future development of sensory-related interventions in clinical settings.

Glioma is one of the most commonly diagnosed brain malignancies with a high cancer-related death rate in humans. The prognosis of glioma patients is still unsatisfactory. In the present study, we attempted to identify lncRNAs and miRNAs that might be related to NF-κB-mediated epithelial-mesenchymal transition in glioma cells based on online microarray expression profiles, and investigate the specific effects of lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA axes on glioma cell phenotypes. Herein, we identified lncRNA DGCR5 as a downregulated lncRNA in glioma that was negatively regulated by NF-κB1 in an NF-κB1 RE-dependent manner. LncRNA DGCR5 overexpression significantly inhibited the capacity of glioma cells to proliferate, migrate, and invade, whereas promoted the apoptosis of glioma cells. Moreover, lncRNA DGCR5 overexpression upregulated the epithelial marker E-cadherin while downregulating the mesenchymal marker VIM, as well as Snai2 and TWIST. Regarding the underlying molecular mechanisms, lncRNA DGCR5 could inhibit miR-21 and miR-23a expression, and miR-21 or miR-23a overexpression significantly reversed the tumor-suppressive effects of lncRNA DGCR5 overexpression. LncRNA DGCR5 exerted its tumor-suppressive effects through the DGCR5/miR-21/Smad7 and DGCR5/miR-23a/PTEN axes. In conclusion, lncRNA DGCR5 suppresses the capacity of glioma cells to migrate and invade via miR-21/Smad7, whereas it inhibits the proliferation and enhances the apoptosis of glioma cells through miR-23a/PTEN.

Stable quantum memories that capable of storing quantum information for long time scales are an essential building block for an array of potential applications. The long memory time are usually achieved via dynamical decoupling technique involving decoupling of the memory states from its local environment. However, because this process is strongly limited by the errors in the pulses, an noise-protected scheme remains challenging in the field of quantum memories. Here we propose a scheme to design a noise-resisted \documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$\pi$$\end{document}π pulse, which features high fidelity exceeding \documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$99.9\%$$\end{document}99.9% under realistic situations. Using this \documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$\pi$$\end{document}π pulse we can generate different dynamical decoupling sequences that preserve high fidelity for long time scales. The versatility, robustness, and potential scalability of this method may allow for various applications in quantum memories technology.

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a complex group of hereditary retinal dystrophies. Although >60 genes have been identified to be associated with non-syndromic RP, the exact genetic variant remains elusive in numerous cases of RP. In the present study, a Chinese pedigree affected by RP with autosomal recessive inheritance, including a total of seven members with one affected patient and six unaffected individuals, was recruited. Comprehensive ophthalmic examinations were performed on the proband and the proband's unaffected daughter. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood. Whole-exome sequencing (WES) was performed for the affected individual. The candidate pathogenic variant was verified by direct Sanger sequencing. The affected individual presented with classical clinical symptoms of RP. A novel homozygous variant, c.265delC (p.L89Ffs*3) in the cyclic nucleotide-gated channel subunit α 1 gene was identified in the affected patient. This homozygous variant was absent in other unaffected family members and 600 ethnicity-matched healthy controls. The variant was co-segregated with the disease phenotype in an autosomal recessive manner.

Correctly locating the tunnel lining cavity is extremely important tunnel quality inspection. High-accuracy imaging results are hard to obtain because conventional one-way wave migration is greatly affected by lateral velocity change and inclination limitation and because the diffracted wave cannot be accurately returned to the real spatial position of the lining cavity. This paper presents a tunnel lining cavity imaging method based on the ground-penetrating radar (GPR) reverse-time migration (RTM) algorithm. The principle of GPR RTM is described in detail using the electromagnetic wave equation. The finite-difference timedomain method is employed to calculate the backward extrapolation electromagnetic fields, and the zero-time imaging condition based on the exploding-reflector concept is used to obtain the RTM results. On this basis, the GPR RTM program is compiled and applied to the simulated and observed GPR data of a typical tunnel lining cavity GPR model and a physical lining cavity model. Comparison of RTM and Kirchhoff migration results reveals that the RTM can better converge the diffracted waves of steel bar and cavity to their true position and have higher resolution and better suppress the effect of multiple interference and clutter scattering waves. In addition, comparison of RTM results of different degrees of noise shows that RTM has strong anti-interference ability and can be used for the accurate interpretation of radar profile in a strong interference environment.

A large genome-wide association study showed that five new variants, {A total 799 POAG patients and 799 controls are enrolled in this case-control study. All individuals were genotyped for the five single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) using ABI SNaPshot method. Four genetic models (homozygous, heterozygous, dominant, and recessive) were applied to further evaluate the possible correlation between the five SNPs and POAG.In our study, rs736893 in theOur findings indicated that

Accurate, rapid, and reliable quantification of saccharides is essential for understanding their behaviors and roles in environmental processes. However, the conventional colorimetric method for saccharide quantification fails to discriminate between fructose and glucose, resulting in the misestimation of total saccharides. To solve this problem, a fluorescence approach, that is, parallel factor framework-linear regression analysis, was developed in this work to quantify the specific fluorescence signatures of the fluorescent products generated from the reaction between saccharides and sulfuric acid. The fluorescent derivatives of saccharides were recognized and the simultaneous quantification of glucose and fructose was achieved with a detection limit of 2.9 μg/mL and 1.3 μg/mL, respectively. Furthermore, 200 μg/mL of the treated sorbitol and gluconic acid only, respectively, equaled to 6 μg/mL and 3 μg/mL of the treated glucose, indicating their negligible interference for the saccharide quantification using this method. In addition, the feasibility and robustness of this method in environmental applications were validated with the recovery tests using spiked real water samples. This fluorescence-based approach offers a new tool to monitor saccharides in complex environments.

Objectives This paper is aimed to explore the value of double source CT angiography (DS-CTA) for diagnosing in-stent restenosis in lower limb artery. Methods From January 2016 to October 2018, all patients with stent in lower limb artery in our hospital were investigated by both DS-CTA and digital subtraction angiography. We measured the minimum lumen diameter and the diameter of the proximal normal vessels under each stent placement. The in-stent restenosis is defined as restenosis when the lumen area decreased by more than 50%. Digital subtraction angiography was performed within 1 week after DS-CT scan. Relationship between DS-CTA and digital subtraction angiography for diagnosing in-stent restenosis in lower limb artery was analyzed. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy of DS-CTA for diagnosis of in-stent restenosis were analyzed with digital subtraction angiography as the reference standard. A total of 68 stents were placed in 51 patients. Among these patients, 27 cases were diagnosed as in-stent restenosis, presenting as endovascular contrast agent bias or crescent filling defect with the lumen area reducing over 50%, 6 cases of which had no significant in-stent restenosis by digital subtraction angiography analysis. Furthermore, 12 cases were occlusion, in which there was no high density contrast agent in stents; the remaining 41 stents were unobstructed and the contrast agent was filled well, 8 cases of which had significant in-stent restenosis by digital subtraction angiography analysis. In addition, four stents were deformed or distorted. Statistical analysis demonstrated the concentrations of DS-CTA and digital subtraction angiography in diagnosing in-stent restenosis for lower limb artery were closely related, and the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy of DS-CTA were 72.4%, 84.6%, 77.8%, 80.5%, and 79.4%, respectively. Conclusion DS-CTA has a potential reliability for diagnosis of in-stent restenosis in lower limb artery, which may be further improved to be used for clinical interventional treatment of vascular diseases.

Fatigue driving is one of the main factors which affect the safety of drivers and passengers in mountain freeway. To improve the driving safety, the application of fatigue driving detection system is a crucial measure. Accuracy, speed and robustness are key performances of fatigue detection system. However, most researches pay attention to one of them, instead of taking care of them all. It has limitation in practical application. This paper proposes a novel three-layered framework, named Real-time and Robust Detection System. Specifically, the framework includes three modules, called facial feature extraction, eyes regions extraction and fatigue detection. In the facial feature extraction module, the paper designs a deep cascaded convolutional neural network to detect the face and locate eye key points. Then, a face tracking sub-module is constructed to increase the speed of the algorithm, and a face validation submodule is applied to improve the stability of detection. Furthermore, to ensure the orderly operation of each sub-module, we designed a recognition loop based on the finite state machine. It can extract facial feature of the driver. In the second module, eyes regions of the driver were captured according to the geometric feature of face and eyes. In the fatigue detection module, the ellipse fitting method is applied to obtain the shape of driver's pupils. According to the relationship between the long and short axes of the ellipse, eyes state (opening or closed) can be decided. Lastly, the PERCLOS, which is defined by calculating the number of closed eyes in a period, is used to determine whether fatigue driving or not. The experimental results show that the comprehensive accuracy of fatigue detection is 95.87%. The average algorithm rate is 32.29 ms/f in an image of 640×480 pixels. The research results can serve the design of a new generation of driver fatigue detection system to mountain freeway.

We propose a scheme to generate ultra-strong four-wave mixing (FWM) signal based on a suspended monolayer graphene nanoribbon nanomechanical resonator (NR) coupled to an Au nanoparticle (NP). It is shown that, the FWM spectrum can switch among two-peaked, three-peaked, four-peaked or five-peaked via the modulation of exciton-phonon and exciton-plasmon couplings. This is mainly attributed to the vibrational properties of NR related to the exciton-phonon coupling, and the energy-level splitting of the localized exciton correlated to three classes of resonances consisting of three-photon resonance, Rayleigh Resonance, and AC-Stark atomic resonance. Especially, in a dual-strong coupling regime, the gains for these peaks can be as high as nine orders of magnitude (∼ 109) around the lower bistable threshold due to a combined effect of two couplings. Our findings not only offer an efficient way to measure the vibrational frequency of NR and the exciton-phonon coupling strength but also provide a possibility to fabricate high-performance optoelectronic nanodevices.

Objectives: To investigate intra-specialty citation patterns of radiology articles, compared with another medical specialty: gastroenterology/hepatology. Methods: Four radiology journals ( Radiology, European Radiology, Diagnostic and Interventional Imaging, Canadian Association of Radiologists Journal) and four gastroenterology/hepatology journals ( Journal of Hepatology, Journal of Gastroenterology, World Journal of Gastroenterology, Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology) with similar Web of Science in-category 2020 IF ranking were selected. The original research, review, letter, and editorial articles published in these journals in 2021 were identified. The average number of intra-specialty citations per article (intra-specialty citation count) and percentage of intra-specialty citations out of total citations per article (intra-specialty citation rate) were compared between radiology and gastroenterology/hepatology articles using Student’s t-test. Results: The radiology articles demonstrated a lower total citation count per article (radiology: 29.7 ± .4 (mean ± SEM), n = 2063; gastroenterology/hepatology: 50.1 ± 1.4, n = 1335). The intra-specialty citation count was also lower in radiology articles than gastroenterology/hepatology articles (radiology: 12.9 ± .2, gastroenterology/hepatology: 19.6 ± .7; P < .001), both overall and in all article types. Additionally, the overall intra-specialty citation rate was not significantly different between the two specialties (radiology: 48.8% ± .5%; gastroenterology/hepatology: 47.1 ± .8%; P = .057), although the intra-specialty citation rates were higher in radiology original research and editorial article types. Conclusions: The significantly lower per-article intra-specialty citation counts in all radiology article types, a measurement that directly links to specialty IFs, may contribute to the lower impact factors of radiology journals compared with gastroenterology/hepatology ones.

Given the failure of reverse cut-off seal performance in the test process of the check valve, the fault location and mechanism analysis were carried out, and the improvement measures were proposed and verified by the test. It is analyzed that the main reason for the failure is the unreasonable design of the moving pair and the welding position of the check valve, which makes the sealing pair cannot fit effectively after the welding of the check valve, leading to the failure of the reverse cut-off seal. By controlling the ratio of the length of the guide surface to the diameter of the guide surface to 1.25, and controlling the distance between the welding position and the sealing pair to 10mm, the failure problem of the reverse cut-off seal of the check valve caused by the unreasonable design of the moving pair and the weld position is successfully solved. The effectiveness of the improved scheme of the check valve is verified by the test.