Search

Introduction: This study aimed to investigate whether continuous veno‐venous hemodiafiltration (CVVHDF) has a different filter life span and molecular solutes clearance when compared to continuous veno‐venous hemofiltration (CVVH). Methods: Sixty patients were enrolled in this study and randomly assigned to the CVVHDF (n = 30) or CVVH (n = 30) groups. Demographics, laboratory tests, urea, creatinine, IL‐6, β2‐microglobulin, and myoglobulin clearance were recorded. Results: Patients in the CVVH group had a shorter median time of filter life span compared with those in the CVVHDF group (20 vs. 37.5 h, p = 0.002). Urea and creatinine clearance were not significantly different between groups over time (p > 0.05). IL‐6, β2‐microglobulin, and myoglobulin clearance were higher in the CVVH group. The transmembrane pressure (TMP) was significantly higher in the CVVH group. Conclusion: The use of CVVHDF may lead to a longer filter life span and lower clearance of medium and large molecules without affecting the small molecular solute clearance. Trial registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Register (ChiCTR), ChiCTR2000029873. Registered 16 February 2020, http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=49528 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Infected pancreatic necrosis (IPN) is a highly morbid complication of acute necrotising pancreatitis (ANP). Since there is evidence of early-onset immunosuppression in acute pancreatitis, immune enhancement may be a therapeutic option. This trial aimed to evaluate whether early immune-enhancing Thymosin alpha 1 (Tα1) treatment reduces the incidence of IPN in patients with predicted severe ANP. Methods: We conducted a multicentre, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial involving ANP patients with an Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) score ≥ 8 and a computed tomography (CT) severity score ≥ 5 admitted within 7 days of the advent of symptoms. Enrolled patients were assigned to receive a subcutaneous injection of Tα1 1.6 mg every 12 h for the first 7 days and 1.6 mg once a day for the subsequent 7 days or matching placebos (normal saline). The primary outcome was the development of IPN during the index admission. Results: A total of 508 patients were randomised, of whom 254 were assigned to receive Tα1 and 254 placebo. The vast majority of the participants required admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) (479/508, 94.3%). During the index admission, 40/254(15.7%) patients in the Tα1 group developed IPN compared with 46/254 patients (18.1%) in the placebo group (difference -2.4% [95% CI − 7.4 to 5.1%]; p = 0.48). The results were similar across four predefined subgroups. There was no difference in other major complications, including new-onset organ failure (10.6% vs. 15%), bleeding (6.3% vs. 3.5%), and gastrointestinal fistula (2% vs. 2.4%). Conclusion: The immune-enhancing Tα1 treatment of patients with predicted severe ANP did not reduce the incidence of IPN during the index admission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bidirectional reinforced embankment (BRE) technology, pile supporting in vertical and geosynthetic reinforcement in horizontal, has been widely adopted in engineering practice to control total and/or differential settlement. In design, the load distribution of BRE is essential for determining pile size (i.e., diameter and length), pile spacing, pile cap details (if any), and properties of geosynthetic reinforcement, et al. Several methods have been proposed in previous studies to investigate the load bearing mechanism in the BRE platform. However, resistance of foundation soil is typically neglected, which implies that the load on piles would be overestimated if the resistance of foundation soil is neglected or over weakened. The reason for this overestimation is that larger geosynthetic deflection would be expected without the reaction of foundation soil, which would cause a more significant soil arching and thus more load would be transferred to piles. To minimize this overestimation, a method for analyzing load transfer mechanism in the BRE was proposed, considering the subsoil resistance as well as the existence of neutral plane (i.e., zero skin friction). An equal settlement was assumed for soils at the embankment bottom and the foundation top. The iteration process was adopted to solve equations to determine the load shared by piles and soils. In derivation, the soil arch height in the embankment was calculated instead of being assumed in existing methods. A flow chart was developed to solve equations of the proposed method and two case histories from literatures were used to compose the rationality verification. Compared with the field measurement and numerical calculation, this study can be more effective in calculating loads shared by piles and soils in the BRE for the working condition with better pile end bearing stratum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A number of areas worldwide are suffering from the land subsidence, including the southern Yangtze River delta, the most developed area in China. Land subsidence is mainly induced by excessive groundwater pumping and has caused numerous problems, for example, flooding, structural cracking, and ground fissuring. Although several countermeasures have been adopted to mitigate the land subsidence problem in the southern Yangtze River delta, commonly using groundwater recharge, land subsidence is still developing even when groundwater levels are rising. The observation data of land subsidence in each stratum show that the deformation of the pumped aquifer is even greater than that in the adjacent aquitards when groundwater levels are recovering. Laboratory test results on the aquifer sand in Shanghai and Changzhou (two cities in the studied area, which have the most sufficient observation data about the land subsidence and groundwater level developing with time) proved that sand creep deformation is significant and is partially responsible for the land subsidence without groundwater level drawdown. Considering the difficulty and cost of collecting borehole samples from deep pumped aquifers to obtain the essential parameters for the existing sand creep calculation models, a simplified method was then proposed to calculate the sand creep deformation in the pumped aquifer. The relationship between the sand creep rate and the time can be recognized as linear using double logarithmic coordinates and the slope can be assumed to be one. In the proposed method, the laboratory test data are not necessary. Finally, case histories from Shanghai and Changzhou were used to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a case study of investigating the cause of ground sliding during tunneling in the mountain with sloping and stratified stratum, which is implemented by field investigation and numerical analysis. Especially, the strength reduction finite element method is adopted to numerically investigate the influence of surrounding rocks stability from heavy rainfall permeating into ground. Both the field and numerical investigations demonstrate that the ground sliding during tunneling in the sloping and stratified stratum is induced by heavy rainfall permeating into the mountain ground with sloping and stratified stratum, in which heavy rainfall is observed before ground sliding and the instability of mountain slope is reduced with the gradually decreased rainfall. Moreover, the numerical analysis demonstrates that the plastic zones of surrounding rocks in the case of tunneling work implemented later than heavy rainfall are less developed than those in the case of tunneling work implemented earlier than heavy rainfall, which also implies the heavy rainfall permeating into the mountain ground has significant influence on the ground sliding during tunneling in the sloping and stratified stratum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Computer-Aided Design & Computer Graphics / Jisuanji Fuzhu Sheji Yu Tuxingxue Xuebao is the property of Gai Kan Bian Wei Hui and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Previous cluster-randomized controlled trials evaluating the impact of implementing evidence-based guidelines for nutrition therapy in critical illness do not consistently demonstrate patient benefits. A large-scale, sufficiently powered study is therefore warranted to ascertain the effects of guideline implementation on patient-centered outcomes.Methods: We conducted a multicenter, cluster-randomized, parallel-controlled trial in intensive care units (ICUs) across China. We developed an evidence-based feeding guideline. ICUs randomly allocated to the guideline group formed a local "intervention team", which actively implemented the guideline using standardized educational materials, a graphical feeding protocol, and live online education outreach meetings conducted by members of the study management committee. ICUs assigned to the control group remained unaware of the guideline content. All ICUs enrolled patients who were expected to stay in the ICU longer than seven days. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality within 28 days of enrollment.Results: Forty-eight ICUs were randomized to the guideline group and 49 to the control group. From March 2018 to July 2019, the guideline ICUs enrolled 1399 patients, and the control ICUs enrolled 1373 patients. Implementation of the guideline resulted in significantly earlier EN initiation (1.20 vs. 1.55 mean days to initiation of EN; difference - 0.40 [95% CI - 0.71 to - 0.09]; P = 0.01) and delayed PN initiation (1.29 vs. 0.80 mean days to start of PN; difference 1.06 [95% CI 0.44 to 1.67]; P = 0.001). There was no significant difference in 28-day mortality (14.2% vs. 15.2%; difference - 1.6% [95% CI - 4.3% to 1.2%]; P = 0.42) between groups.Conclusions: In this large-scale, multicenter trial, active implementation of an evidence-based feeding guideline reduced the time to commencement of EN and overall PN use but did not translate to a reduction in mortality from critical illness.Trial Registration: ISRCTN, ISRCTN12233792 . Registered November 20th, 2017. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aim: Evidence suggests a beneficial effect of prone positioning (PP) in COVID-19. Materials and Methods: Meta-analysis of individual (7 investigators’ groups) and aggregate data (PubMed/EMBASE) regarding the impact of PP on the ratio of arterial partial pressure of oxygen to fraction of inspired oxygen (PO2/FiO2) in patients with COVID-19. Results: Among 121 patients (mean age±SD 59.1±10.7 years, 55% males, 57% intubated) the mean postversus pre- PP PO2/FiO2 difference was: (i) 50.4±64.3 mmHg, p<0.01, (ii) similar in awake (58.7±72.1 mmHg) versus intubated patients (44.1±57.5 mmHg, p=NS), (iii) inversely correlated with body mass index (r=–0.43, p<0.01). Metaanalysis of 23 studies (n=547, weighted age 58.3±4.1, 73% males, 59% intubated) showed a pooled PO2/FiO2 difference of 61.8 [95% confidence intervals=49.9-73.6] mmHg. Metaregression analysis revealed no associations with baseline demographics, the time in PP before assessment, and the risk of bias of the studies. Conclusion: PP seems to improve oxygenation of patients with COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Animal Science is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Janus-activated kinase-1 (JAK1) plays a crucial role in many aspects of cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis and immune regulation. However, correlations of JAK1 with prognosis and immune infiltration in NSCLC have not been documented. Methods: We analyzed the relationship between JAK1 expression and NSCLC prognosis and immune infiltration using multiple public databases. Results: JAK1 expression was significantly decreased in NSCLC compared with that in paired normal tissues. JAK1 overexpression indicated a favourable prognosis in NSCLC. In subgroup analysis, high JAK1 expression was associated with a preferable prognosis in lung adenocarcinoma (OS: HR, 0.74, 95% CI from 0.58 to 0.95, log-rank P = 0.017), not squamous cell carcinoma. In addition, data from Kaplan–Meier plotter revealed that JAK1 overexpression was associated with a preferable prognosis in male and stage N2 patients and patients without distant metastasis. Notably, increased levels of JAK1 expression were associated with an undesirable prognosis in patients with stage 1 (OS: HR, 1.46, 95% CI from 1.06 to 2.00, P = 0.02) and without lymph node metastasis (PFS: HR, 2.18, 95% CI from 1.06 to 4.46, P = 0.029), which suggests that early-stage NSCLC patients with JAK1 overexpression may have a bleak prognosis. Moreover, multiple immune infiltration cells, including NK cells, CD8 + T and CD4 + T cells, B cells, macrophages, neutrophils, and dendritic cells (DCs), in NSCLC were positively correlated with JAK1 expression. Furthermore, diverse immune markers are associated with JAK1 expression. Conclusions: JAK1 overexpression exhibited superior prognosis and immune infiltration in NSCLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intestinal barrier dysfunction often occurs in various acute or chronic pathological conditions and has been identified as an important clinical problem. Herein, we explored the biological role and molecular mechanism of Polo‐like kinase 1 (PLK1) and differentiation antagonizing non‐protein coding RNA (DANCR) in intestinal barrier dysfunction caused by sepsis. RT‐qPCR analysis was used to examine PLK1, miR‐1306‐5p, and DANCR expression in NCM460 cells after LPS treatment. TUNEL assay and Western blot analysis were performed to explore PLK1 function in cell apoptosis and intestinal barrier in vitro. Hematoxylin and eosin staining, Western blot analysis, and TUNEL assay were used to investigate DANCR function in the intestinal barrier and cell apoptosis in vivo. The interaction between miR‐1306‐5p and PLK1 (or DANCR) was validated by luciferase reporter assay. As a result, PLK1 overexpression decreased cell apoptosis and promoted intestinal barrier function. Moreover, DANCR was validated as a sponge of miR‐1306‐5p to target PLK1. In addition, we found that DANCR overexpression decreased intestinal mucosal permeability and colon mucosa epithelial cell apoptosis in vivo. Conclusively, DANCR improved intestinal barrier dysfunction and alleviated epithelial injury by targeting the miR‐1306‐5p/PLK1 axis in sepsis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Upper Ediacaran to Lower Cambrian of the Sichuan Basin in South China has long been considered to be dominated by shallow‐water deposition. Hydrocarbon exploration, however, has revealed that a NW‐SE trending intraplatform trough formed in the basin during the same period. Although different models have been proposed, the formation and evolution of the trough are still not fully understood. In this study, we investigate both the origin of the intraplatform trough and the formation of the Sichuan Basin by integrating seismic interpretation, well correlation and tectonic subsidence analysis. The seismic and well data clearly show three stages of development of the trough. The first stage, in the early Late Ediacaran, is characterized by considerable thinning of the lower two members of the Upper Ediacaran from the platform margins to the trough. In the second stage, in the late Late Ediacaran, the platform margins backstepped and the extent of the trough expanded significantly to a width of ca. ~400 km. The third stage, in the early Early Cambrian, was dominated by gradual filling of the trough and onlapping of the platform margins. Backstripped tectonic subsidence curves show one, or two closely spaced episodes of linear subsidence starting at ~550 Ma and then decreasing exponentially until ~450 Ma. The shape of the subsidence curves is consistent with formation of the Sichuan Basin by low, and slow amounts of lithospheric stretching of thickened cratonic lithosphere. The tectonic subsidence increases from the centre to the NW of the basin. Interestingly the margins of the trough do not correlate with contoured values of increased tectonic subsidence and we infer that the trough was a palaeogeographic embayment in a large carbonate platform that developed in a broad, ramp‐like area of slow and low subsidence tilting down to the proto‐Tethyan ocean located to the NW of the basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study led to the development of a parametric design method for mass-customised head/face products. A systematic review of different approaches for mass customization was conducted, identifying advantages and limitations for their application to new product development. A parametric modelling algorithm of a 3D human face was developed using selected scanned 3D head models. The algorithm was developed from a set of measurable and adjustable parameter points related to the facial geometry. These parameters were defined using planimetry. Using the assigned parameter values as input, the parametric model generated 3D models of a human face that served as a reference for the design of customized eyewear. The current challenges and opportunities of mass customized head/face products are described, along with the possibilities for new parametric product design approaches to enable rapid manufacturing and mass customization. This study also explored whether a new parametric design framework for mass customization could be effectively implemented as an early-stage new product development strategy for head/face products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To determine the frequency of, and factors associated with, death in hospital following ICU discharge to the ward.Methods: The Large observational study to UNderstand the Global impact of Severe Acute respiratory FailurE study was an international, multicenter, prospective cohort study of patients with severe respiratory failure, conducted across 459 ICUs from 50 countries globally. This study aimed to understand the frequency and factors associated with death in hospital in patients who survived their ICU stay. We examined outcomes in the subpopulation discharged with no limitations of life sustaining treatments ('treatment limitations'), and the subpopulations with treatment limitations.Results: 2186 (94%) patients with no treatment limitations discharged from ICU survived, while 142 (6%) died in hospital. 118 (61%) of patients with treatment limitations survived while 77 (39%) patients died in hospital. Patients without treatment limitations that died in hospital after ICU discharge were older, more likely to have COPD, immunocompromise or chronic renal failure, less likely to have trauma as a risk factor for ARDS. Patients that died post ICU discharge were less likely to receive neuromuscular blockade, or to receive any adjunctive measure, and had a higher pre- ICU discharge non-pulmonary SOFA score. A similar pattern was seen in patients with treatment limitations that died in hospital following ICU discharge.Conclusions: A significant proportion of patients die in hospital following discharge from ICU, with higher mortality in patients with limitations of life-sustaining treatments in place. Non-survivors had higher systemic illness severity scores at ICU discharge than survivors.Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02010073 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Noninvasive ventilation (NIV) may facilitate withdrawal of invasive mechanical ventilation (i-MV) and shorten intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay (LOS) in hypercapnic patients, while data are lacking on hypoxemic patients. We aim to determine whether NIV after early extubation reduces the duration of i-MV and ICU LOS in patients recovering from hypoxemic acute respiratory failure. Methods Highly selected non-hypercapnic hypoxemic patients were randomly assigned to receive NIV after early or standard extubation. Co-primary end points were duration of i-MV and ICU LOS. Secondary end points were treatment failure, severe events (hemorrhagic, septic, cardiac, renal or neurologic episodes, pneumothorax or pulmonary embolism), ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) or tracheobronchitis (VAT), tracheotomy, percent of patients receiving sedation after study enrollment, hospital LOS, and ICU and hospital mortality. Results We enrolled 130 consecutive patients, 65 treatments and 65 controls. Duration of i-MV was shorter in the treatment group than for controls [4.0 (3.0-7.0) vs. 5.5 (4.0-9.0) days, respectively, p = 0.004], while ICU LOS was not significantly different [8.0 (6.0-12.0) vs. 9.0 (6.5-12.5) days, respectively (p = 0.259)]. Incidence of VAT or VAP (9% vs. 25%, p = 0.019), rate of patients requiring infusion of sedatives after enrollment (57% vs. 85%, p = 0.001), and hospital LOS, 20 (13-32) vs. 27(18-39) days (p = 0.043) were all significantly reduced in the treatment group compared with controls. There were no significant differences in ICU and hospital mortality or in the number of treatment failures, severe events, and tracheostomies. Conclusions In highly selected hypoxemic patients, early extubation followed by immediate NIV application reduced the days spent on invasive ventilation without affecting ICU LOS., Author(s): Rosanna Vaschetto [sup.1] [sup.2], Federico Longhini [sup.3], Paolo Persona [sup.4], Carlo Ori [sup.5], Giulia Stefani [sup.5], Songqiao Liu [sup.6], Yang Yi [sup.6], Weihua Lu [sup.7], Tao Yu [sup.7], Xiaoming [...]

Compared with traditional real aperture microwave radiometers, one-dimensional synthetic aperture microwave radiometers have higher spatial resolution. In this paper, we proposed to retrieve sea surface temperature using a one-dimensional synthetic aperture microwave radiometer that operates at frequencies of 6.9 GHz, 10.65 GHz, 18.7 GHz and 23.8 GHz at multiple incidence angles. We used the ERA5 reanalysis data provided by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts and a radiation transmission forward model to calculate the model brightness temperature. The brightness temperature measured by the spaceborne one-dimensional synthetic aperture microwave radiometer was simulated by adding Gaussian noise to the model brightness temperature. Then, a backpropagation (BP) neural network algorithm, a random forest (RF) algorithm and two multiple linear regression algorithms (RE1 and RE2) were developed to retrieve sea surface temperature from the measured brightness temperature within the incidence angle range of 0°–65°. The results show that the retrieval errors of the four algorithms increase with the increasing Gaussian noise. The BP achieves the lowest retrieval errors at all incidence angles. The retrieval error of the RE1 and RE2 decrease first and then increase with the incidence angle and the retrieval error of the RF is contrary to that of RE1 and RE2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The incidence of delirium in intensive care unit (ICU) patients is high and associated with a poor prognosis. We validated the risk factors of delirium to identify relevant early and predictive clinical indicators and developed an optimized model. Methods: In the derivation cohort, 223 patients were assigned to two groups (with or without delirium) based on the CAM-ICU results. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify independent risk predictors, and the accuracy of the predictors was then validated in a prospective cohort of 81 patients. Results: A total of 304 patients were included: 223 in the derivation group and 81 in the validation group, 64(21.1%)developed delirium. The model consisted of six predictors assessed at ICU admission: history of hypertension (RR = 4.367; P = 0.020), hypoxaemia (RR = 3.382; P = 0.018), use of benzodiazepines (RR = 5.503; P = 0.013), deep sedation (RR = 3.339; P = 0.048), sepsis (RR = 3.480; P = 0.018) and mechanical ventilation (RR = 3.547; P = 0.037). The mathematical model predicted ICU delirium with an accuracy of 0.862 (P < 0.001) in the derivation cohort and 0.739 (P < 0.001) in the validation cohort. No significant difference was found between the predicted and observed cases of ICU delirium in the validation cohort (P > 0.05). Conclusions: Patients' risk of delirium can be predicted at admission using the early prediction score, allowing the implementation of early preventive interventions aimed to reduce the incidence and severity of ICU delirium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For materials as BaCo0.4Fe0.4Zr0.1Y0.1O3-δ with three independent mobile charge carriers, hole, oxygen ion, and proton, a peculiar twofold diffusion and transition from hydration to hydrogenation in proton uptake are investigated by electrical conductivity relaxation method in this work. At 700 °C, the water incorporation reaction would happen in the formation of both hydration and hydrogenation. The hydration reaction would happen at the sacrifice of oxygen vacancy, and then, the incorporated proton diffuses from outer layer to the inner bulk. But due to much higher chemical diffusion coefficient of proton than oxygen vacancy, the highly mobile protons are charge compensated by holes, instead of waiting for the less mobile oxygen vacancy, and thus causes the speeding increased hole concentration, i.e., increased conductivity. So in the hydration reaction, the decoupled diffusion of proton and oxygen vacancy would result in a non-monotonic conductivity relaxation curve, i.e., twofold diffusion. After that, the proton uptake reaction would transit to hydrogenation, as total decreased conductivity in a monotonic curve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Universities may set similar courses due to disciplinary crossing. Facing the problem that undergraduates have numerous tasks and limited time, we designed a mass customization model which will automatically provide every student with a suitable curriculum to maximize their degree of satisfaction when the student enters a set of courses. Our calculating model of curriculum satisfaction is based on the assumptions that curriculum satisfaction is proportional to its similarity and that curriculum satisfaction is inversely proportional to credits. With regard to a student who chooses n courses, his satisfaction model is total degree of satisfaction divided by total credits. We manually screened out 84 pairs of courses about science and engineering, social science and humanities, and made use of their Chinese names and Chinese course description on the site of Office of Educational Administration, and segmented words based on statistical principles and calculated the course similarity by using vector space. In addition, we make supplement to curriculum similarity by the use of artificially-designed questionnaires. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past decades, the speed and scale of Chinese infrastructure construction have been enormous, and the resulting construction waste is also quite amazing, which has become a huge threat to environmental protection. If the pollution-free engineering utilization of the construction waste can be achieved at a low cost, it will undoubtedly be a great benefit for the country and the people. Therefore, a preliminary experimental study was conducted to investigate the strength characteristics of the cement treated and expanded polystyrene mixed lightweight. The waste soil (muddy clay and fine sand) as the main component of the lightweight mixture is taken from a foundation construction site of a Yangtze River Bridge which connects two eastern coastal cities, Zhenjiang and Yangzhou. With different mixture ratios and additives of the cement treated and expanded polystyrene mixed lightweight, a series of cubic samples were tested by the unconfined compressive strength test, and collections of standard cylinder samples prepared by hand were inspected by the conventional triaxial shear test. Then, a good exponential relationship between the uniaxial compressive strength and the cement mixing ration was founded, and a logarithmic relationship was captured between the compressive strength and curing time within a period of 28 days after the specimens were made. Samples made of different soil as raw materials have different strengths, but all of these specimens show a strain-hardening and stable behavior. Results show that the mechanical strength characteristics of the cement treated and expanded polystyrene mixed waste soil mainly depend on the proportions of lightweight mixture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Appropriate fertilization is an important management practice for optimizing the nutritional quality and increasing the phosphorus use efficiency (PUE) of field‐grown alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). A 2‐yr field experiment in 2017 and 2018 in Xinjiang, China, involving fertilization with different amounts of N (0, 105, and 210 kg ha−1, referred to as N0, N1, and N2, respectively) and P (0, 50, 100, and 150 kg ha−1, referred to as P0, P1, P2, and P3, respectively) was established and resulted in the production of high‐quality alfalfa under drip irrigation. The crude protein (CP) content in the N1 treatment was greater than that in the N2 treatment under the P0, P2, and P3 treatments. Compared with that in the N1P0 and N2P3 treatments, the relative feed value (RFV) in the N1P2 treatment increased by 9−21% and 8−18%, respectively. The annual total CP yield in the N1P2 treatment was the greatest. Compared with that in the N1P3 treatment, the total PUE in the N1P2 treatment increased by 76.69−99.69%. At each clipping, the CP yield and PUE of alfalfa were significantly different between the N and P treatments. Therefore, we conclude that when N was applied at 105 kg ha−1 and P was applied at 100 kg ha−1, alfalfa presented the greatest nutritional quality and PUE under drip irrigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To explore the value of the right hemi-diaphragmatic excursion (DE) and its variation in predicting extubation outcome in mechanically ventilated patients with COPD. Methods: All included patients with COPD received mechanical ventilation (MV) and were ready to wean from MV. After patients passed the 30 min spontaneous breathing trail (SBT), extubation was considered to be feasible, and the right DE measured by ultrasound at 0 min, 5 min, and 30 min of SBT were named as DE0, DE5, and DE30, respectively. Results: Twenty-five patients succeeded extubation; 12 patients failed. The area under receiver operator characteristic curve (AUCROC) of DE30 and ΔDE30−5 (the variation between 30 and 5 min) were 0.762 and 0.835; a cutoff value of DE30 > 1.72 cm and ΔDE30−5 > 0.16 cm were associated with a successful extubation with a sensitivity of 76% and 84%, a specificity of 75% and 83.3%, respectively. The predictive probability equation of the DE30 plus ∆DE30−5 was P = 1/[1 + e−(−5.625+17.689×∆DE30−5+1.802×DE30)], a cutoff value of P > 0.626 was associated with a successful extubation with the AUCROC of 0.867, a sensitivity of 92%, and a specificity of 83.3%. Conclusion: The combination of DE30 and ∆DE30−5 could improve the predictive value and could be used as the predictor of extubation outcome in mechanically ventilated patients with COPD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is an important forage legume in arid areas, but limited water resources and low fertilizer utilization have restricted its agricultural development. Meanwhile, studies on the effects of integrated water and phosphorus on production performance and water‐use efficiency and phosphorus‐use efficiency of alfalfa, especially on hay yield, phosphorus accumulation, and total phosphorus uptake are rarely reported under drip irrigation. The treatments were a factorial combination of three irrigation rates (5,250, 6,000, and 6,750 m3/ha per year) and four P rates (0, 50, 100, and 150 kg/ha per year) and consisted of 12 treatments for water and P management, arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replicates. Total hay yield and water‐use efficiency and phosphorus‐use efficiency of alfalfa in P2 treatment were significantly greater than those in the P1 and P3 treatments (p <.05), and the total hay yield of alfalfa with phosphorus application increased by 7.43%–29.87% compared with that in the nonphosphorus (P0) treatment under the same irrigation amount. The total phosphorus and available phosphorus concentrations in the 0–20 cm soil layer were greater than those in the 20–40 cm and 40–60 cm soil layers compared with those in the P0 treatment. Correlation analyses showed that total hay yield was significantly positively correlated with total phosphorus uptake and water‐use efficiency (p <.01). The accumulated phosphorus concentration was significantly positively correlated with total phosphorus and available phosphorus concentration (p <.01) and was positively correlated with the phosphorus‐use efficiency (p <.05). The membership function method was used to evaluate all the indicators, and the three treatments that had the greatest influence on the production performance of alfalfa were, in order, W2P2 > W3P2 > W1P2. Therefore, an irrigation rate of 6,000 m3/ha and a phosphorus application rate of 100 kg/ha per year should be considered as the best management for both high yield and water‐use efficiency and phosphorus‐use efficiency of alfalfa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A facile one-pot solvent thermal method was proposed to synthesize magnetic mesoporous carbon (MMC) using Fe(NO3)3·9H2O as a precursor, Pluronic copolymer P123 as template, and chitosan as carbon source, and it was applied for the adsorptive remediation of methyl orange (MO). The characterization results of TEM, XRD, and IR showed that MMC consisted of graphitized carbon matrix and some black spherical particle mixture of Fe3O4 and Fe, and it was rich in hydroxyl and carbonyl groups. Besides, the effect of the content of Fe and the content of chitosan in MMC on the magnetism and adsorption performance of prepared material were investigated. In addition, the effects of pH value, initial concentration of methyl orange, and contact time on the adsorption performance of MO were studied, respectively. At 318 K, the maximum adsorption capacity of MO calculated from Langmuir isotherm was from 139 to 400 mg g−1 on MMC. Kinetic studies demonstrated that the adsorption process obeyed a pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The regeneration experiments revealed that MMC could be reused at least five times without notable decrease of adsorption performance. These results illustrate that MMC is an efficient and economical adsorbent for the adsorption of MO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a systematical numerical investigation into the lining performance of a tunnel with cavities around surrounding rocks, focusing on the influences of cavity size and multicavity distribution. The study demonstrates that the cavities around surrounding rocks have much influence on tunnel stability and may induce damages in tunnel structures, in which cavity width has a more severe effect on the stress state of tunnel structures than cavity depth. Moreover, the numerical investigation also illustrates that the nonadjacent distribution of multicavities has more serious influence on tunnel structures than that from adjacent distribution of multicavities as well as that from a single cavity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the protective effects and underlying mechanisms of cistanche on sevoflurane‐induced aged cognitive dysfunction rat model. Aged (24 months) male SD rats were randomly assigned to four groups: control group, sevoflurane group, control + cistanche and sevoflurane + cistanche group. Subsequently, inflammatory cytokine levels were measured by ELISA, and the cognitive dysfunction of rats was evaluated by water maze test, open‐field test and the fear conditioning test. Three days following anaesthesia, the rats were killed and hippocampus was harvested for the analysis of relative biomolecules. The oxidative stress level was indicated as nitrite and MDA concentration, along with the SOD and CAT activity. Finally, PPAR‐γ antagonist was used to explore the mechanism of cistanche in vivo. The results showed that after inhaling the sevoflurane, 24‐ but not 3‐month‐old male SD rats developed obvious cognitive impairments in the behaviour test 3 days after anaesthesia. Intraperitoneal injection of cistanche at the dose of 50 mg/kg for 3 consecutive days before anaesthesia alleviated the sevoflurane‐induced elevation of neuroinflammation levels and significantly attenuated the hippocampus‐dependent memory impairments in 24‐month‐old rats. Cistanche also reduced the oxidative stress by decreasing nitrite and MDA while increasing the SOD and CAT activity. Moreover, such treatment also inhibited the activation of microglia. In addition, we demonstrated that PPAR‐γ inhibition conversely alleviated cistanche‐induced protective effect. Taken together, we demonstrated that cistanche can exert antioxidant, anti‐inflammatory, anti‐apoptosis and anti‐activation of microglia effects on the development of sevoflurane‐induced cognitive dysfunction by activating PPAR‐γ signalling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An abstract of the article "Transcatheter Closure of Paraprosthetic Valve Leaks After Surgical Valve Replacements" by Pan Xin, Zhang Wei, Wu Weihua, Lu Jing, Wang Cheng, Feng Yun, and Fang Weiy is presented.

This paper presents an experimental investigation into the shrinkage behavior of strain‐hardening cementitious composite (SHCC), which focuses on the influences of varied ingredients in mix proportions and curing condition. The experimental results confirm that the shrinkage strains of SHCC are obviously influenced by the investigated ingredients of SHCC, in which expansion agent can induce expansion strain for nominally reducing the shrinkage strains of SHCC, the shrinkage strains of SHCC's matrix are decreased with increasing fiber volume content and water‐to‐binder ratio, whereas those are increased with increasing silica‐fume‐to‐binder ratio. Moreover, the curing condition has significant influence for the shrinkage behavior of SHCC, and water curing can significantly reduce the shrinkage strains. This work provides experimental foundations for shrinkage behavior of SHCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tobacco smoking is known to be a strong risk factor for developing many diseases. The development and severity of smoking dependence results from interaction of environmental and lifestyle factors, psycho-emotional predispositions, and also from genetic susceptibility. In present study, we investigated polymorphic variants in genes contributed to nicotine dependence, as well as to increased impulsivity, known to be an important risk factor for substance use disorders, in Ukraine population. The genotype frequencies at CYP2A6, DNMT3B, DRD2, HTR2A, COMT, BDNF, GABRA2, CHRNA5, and DAT1 polymorphisms were determined in 171 Ukraine residents, and these data were compared with data for several other European populations and main ethnic groups. It has been found that genotype frequencies for all studied loci are in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in the Ukrainian population and correspond to the respective frequencies in European populations. These findings suggest a similar impact of these loci on nicotine dependence in Ukraine. Further studies with larger sample sizes are, however, needed to draw firm conclusions about the effect size of these polymorphisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let G be a planar graph and W be a subgraph whose each component is a K 2 of G. Let d be the minimum distance between any two distinct components of W. It is known that, if d ≥ 8 , then any 5-coloring of W can be extended to a 5-coloring of G. Up to now, it is the best possible with respect to the distance constraint. In this paper, we obtain sufficient conditions for such coloring extension when d ≥ 4 , d ≥ 6 and d ≥ 7 . It partially answers Albertson's question in Albertson (1998). Then we extend a certain 3-coloring of some disjoint cycles that are face boundaries to a 5-coloring of the entire graph. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To determine whether fibre optic bronchoscopy-guided percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy (FOB-PDT) is a better option in critically ill patients, we compared the efficacy and incidence of procedure complications between PDT with and without FOB. Methods: We included 90 patients with oral intubation and mechanical ventilation who received PDT with (n = 45, FOB-PDT group) and without (n = 45, PDT group) FOB. For all patients, a simplification of the Griggs technique was used in this study with a central venous catheter set and dilating forceps. Demographic data, body mass index (BMI), Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) score, rate of first-time success, complication rate and time of procedure were evaluated in both groups. PDT was performed guided by FOB only in the FOB-PDT group. Results: The rate of major complications, including minor or major haemorrhage requiring intervention and subcutaneous emphysema in the neck or pneumothorax, was significantly higher in the PDT group than in the PDT-FOB group (40% vs. 20%, P < 0.05). Significant differences were observed between the two groups with respect to the rate of first-time success (64.4% vs. 93.3%, P < 0.05); the rate of first-time success puncture with the puncture needle in the PDT-FOB group was higher than that in the PDT group (93.3% vs. 75.6%, P < 0.05). The mean procedure duration was significantly longer in the PDT group than in the PDT-FOB group (12.9 ± 1.1 vs. 9.8 ± 1.2 min, P < 0.05). Conclusions: PDT with FOB offers the advantages of a high rate of first-time success, a low complication rate and short-procedure duration. Thus, FOB-PDT is a better option in critically ill patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Installing geosynthetic reinforcement at the bottom of the embankment will provide positive support for subgrade stability and settlement control, if there is a void or a weak foundation. In routine design work, the geomembrane effect must be well estimated and the tensile strain should be precisely predicted. Conventional analytical methods often adopt the limit state method to calculate the overlying load on the deflected geosynthetic. However, this assumption does not necessarily apply to all conditions, especially when the foundation soil can provide certain resistance. In this study, a semiempirical prediction method for evaluating the geomembrane effect of the basal reinforcement was proposed, and an iterative solution for calculating tensile strains of a deflected geosynthetic was deduced. In derivation, a virtual inclined slip surface and interaction between the geosynthetic and soil were quantitatively evaluated by coupling the arching effect and the geomembrane effect. Moreover, the development of shear stress along the slip surface can be considered, as well as different segments of the basal reinforcement. Then, the proposed method was validated by two large-scale experiments. Comparison of the results of this method with measurements and results of other analytical models confirmed that this analytical method can take good care of the varying process of the localized sinking, regarding the overlying loads on the geosynthetic and the subsequent tensile strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the effects of the combined use of cellulose-decomposing bacteria (CDB) and heterolactic lactic acid bacteria (LAB) on corn silage fermentation. Fresh maize was treated with heterolactic LAB or CDB combined with heterolactic LAB inoculants or without any treatment. Chemical and microbiological analyses were conducted at specific times after ensiling. A comprehensive value evaluation was conducted using the principal component analysis model. Although all treatments significantly affected the microorganism numbers during fermentation, the numbers of aerobic bacteria, LAB, yeast, and molds in the groups with combined CDB and LAB were significantly higher than those in the group with LAB only (P < 0.05). All treatments regulated the silage CO2 production. Each treatment had different effects on the nutrient degradation rate. Based on a comprehensive evaluation, the CDB and heterolactic LAB combination had the best effect on the ensiling process in improving the quality and feed value of corn silage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the deformation and damping characteristics of cement treated and expanded polystyrene (EPS) beads mixed lightweight soils, this study conducted a series of triaxial shear tests cyclic loading for different confining pressures, cement contents, and soil categories. Through repeated loading and unloading cycles, axial accumulative strain, resilient modulus, and damping ratio versus axial total strain were analyzed and the mechanical behavior was revealed and interpreted. Results show that the resilient modulus increases with increasing confining pressure and cement content. A decreasing power function can be used to fit the relationship between the resilient modulus and the axial total strain. Although sandy lightweight specimens usually own higher resilient modulus than silty clay lightweight specimens do, the opposite was also found when the axial total strain is larger than 8% with 50 kPa confining pressure and 14% cement content. For damping ratio the EPS beads mixed lightweight soil yields a weak growth trend with increasing axial total strain and a small reduction with higher confining pressure and cement content. For more cementations, the damping ratio of the sandy lightweight soil is always smaller than the silty clay lightweight soil. Nonetheless, the differences of damping ratios that were obtained under all of the test conditions are not significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More and more businesses are realizing the vital role of emotions in heightening the attractiveness and adding value to products. Due to the perceptual differences between designers and users, it is a key challenge for designers to transfer a user’s emotional desires into technical and design specifications, particularly cultural differences that may lead to ambiguous responses. We conducted research on revealing intangible emotions via quantifiable method, in order to bridge the discrepancy between designers’ intentions and users’ decoding. An emerging non-verbal tool was proposed, auditory parameter method (AP), which considers a set of auditory stimuli as scale to assess the emotions elicited by products. The objective was to investigate and validate whether the AP method is resistant to interference in cross-cultural and inter-ethnic application. Comparative experiments were organized in parallel with both Chinese and French participants, considering conventional verbal assessment semantic differential method (SD) as control group. The statistical results indicated that the auditory scale of AP method has slight intercultural differences in perception and interpretation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate patients with resolved versus confirmed ARDS, identify subgroups with substantial mortality risk, and to determine the utility of day 2 ARDS reclassification.Methods: Our primary objective, in this secondary LUNG SAFE analysis, was to compare outcome in patients with resolved versus confirmed ARDS after 24 h. Secondary objectives included identifying factors associated with ARDS persistence and mortality, and the utility of day 2 ARDS reclassification.Results: Of 2377 patients fulfilling the ARDS definition on the first day of ARDS (day 1) and receiving invasive mechanical ventilation, 503 (24%) no longer fulfilled the ARDS definition the next day, 52% of whom initially had moderate or severe ARDS. Higher tidal volume on day 1 of ARDS was associated with confirmed ARDS [OR 1.07 (CI 1.01-1.13), P = 0.035]. Hospital mortality was 38% overall, ranging from 31% in resolved ARDS to 41% in confirmed ARDS, and 57% in confirmed severe ARDS at day 2. In both resolved and confirmed ARDS, age, non-respiratory SOFA score, lower PEEP and P/F ratio, higher peak pressure and respiratory rate were each associated with mortality. In confirmed ARDS, pH and the presence of immunosuppression or neoplasm were also associated with mortality. The increase in area under the receiver operating curve for ARDS reclassification on day 2 was marginal.Conclusions: ARDS, whether resolved or confirmed at day 2, has a high mortality rate. ARDS reclassification at day 2 has limited predictive value for mortality. The substantial mortality risk in severe confirmed ARDS suggests that complex interventions might best be tested in this population.Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02010073. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is one of fundamental theorems in graph theory that every even graph has a circuit decomposition. This classical result for ordinary graphs is extended in this paper for uniform bridgeless hypergraphs if the degree of every vertex is even. One of major open problems for shortest circuit cover was a conjecture proposed by Itai and Rodeh (Automata, Languages and Programming, Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol. 62, pp. 289-299. Springer, Berlin, 1978) that every bridgeless graph G has a circuit cover of total length at most |E|+|V|-1. This conjecture was solved by Fan (J Combin Theory Ser B 74:353-367, 1998) for ordinary graphs, and is extended in this paper for bridgeless hypergraphs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Evidence concerning the efficacy and safety of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in patients with influenza A (H7N9) has been was limited to case reports. Our study is aimed to investigate the current application, efficacy and safety of ECMO in for severe H7N9 pneumonia-associated acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in the Chinese population. Methods: A multicentre retrospective cohort study was conducted at 20 hospitals that admitted patients with avian influenza A (H7N9) viral pneumonia patients' admission from 9 provinces in China between October 1, 2016, and March 1, 2017. Data from the National Health and Family Planning Commission of China, including general conditions, outcomes and ECMO management, were analysed. Then, successfully weaned and unsuccessfully weaned groups were compared. Results: A total of 35 patients, aged 57 ± 1 years, were analysed; 65.7% of patients were male with 63% mortality. All patients underwent invasive positive pressure ventilation (IPPV), and rescue ventilation strategies were implemented for 23 cases (65.7%) with an average IPPV duration of 5 ± 1 d, PaO2/FiO2 of 78 ± 23 mmHg, tidal volume (VT) of 439 ± 61 ml and plateau pressure (Pplat) of 29±8 cmH2O pre-ECMO. After 48 h on ECMO, PaO2 improved from 56 ± 21 mmHg to 90 ± 24 mmHg and PaCO2 declined from 52 ± 24 mmHg to 38 ± 24 mmHg. Haemorrhage, ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) and barotrauma occurred in 45.7%, 60% and 8.6% of patients, respectively. Compared with successfully weaned patients (n = 14), the 21 unsuccessfully weaned patients had a longer duration of IPPV pre-ECMO (6 ± 4 d vs. 2 ± 1 d, P < 0.01) as well as a higher Pplat (25 ± 5 cmH2O vs. 21 ± 3 cmH2O, P < 0.05) and VT (343 ± 96 ml vs. 246 ± 93 ml, P < 0.05) after 48 h on ECMO support. Furthermore, the unsuccessfully weaned group had a higher mortality (100% vs. 7.1%, P < 0.01) with more haemorrhage (77.3% vs. 28.6%, P < 0.01). Conclusions: ECMO is effective at improving oxygenation and ventilation of patients with avian influenza A (H7N9) induced severe ARDS. Early initiation of ECMO with appropriate IPPV settings and anticoagulation strategies are necessary to reduce complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Correction to: Intensive Care Med (2016) 42:1865-1876 DOI 10.1007/s00134-016-4571-5. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The radioactive hazards of I for human in the Baltic Sea region being are assessed. The amount of I residing in the seawater is a main source of radiation exposure to human. The present annual dose equivalent of I intake by the human is estimated to be 1 × 10 Sv/year. Also, future dose estimation shows that the radioactivity hazardous impact on human being is not serious in short time period (<50 years), but it may exceed recommended limit after 50 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]