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Application programming interface (API) recommendation plays a crucial role in facilitating smart contract development by providing developers with a ranked list of candidate APIs for specific recommendation points. Deep learning‐based approaches have shown promising results in this field. However, existing approaches mainly rely on token sequences or abstract syntax trees (ASTs) for learning recommendation point‐related features, which may overlook the essential knowledge implied in the relations between or within statements and may include task‐irrelevant components during feature learning. To address these limitations, we propose a novel code graph called pruned and augmented AST (pa‐AST). Our approach enhances the AST by incorporating additional knowledge derived from the control and data flow relations between and within statements in the smart contract code. Through this augmentation, the pa‐AST can better represent the semantic features of the code. Furthermore, we conduct AST pruning to eliminate task‐irrelevant components based on the identified flow relations. This step helps mitigate the interference caused by these irrelevant parts during the model feature learning process. Additionally, we extract the API sequence surrounding the recommendation point to provide supplementary knowledge for the model learning. The experimental results demonstrate our proposed approach achieving an average mean reciprocal rank (MRR) of 68.02%, outperforming the baselines' performance. Furthermore, through ablation experiments, we explore the effectiveness of our proposed code representation approach. The results indicate that combining pa‐AST with the API sequence yields improved performance compared with using them individually. Moreover, our AST augmentation and pruning techniques significantly contribute to the overall results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives To create a MRI-derived radiomics nomogram that combined clinicopathological factors and radiomics signature (Rad-score) for predicting disease-free survival (DFS) in patients with bladder cancer (BCa) following partial resection (PR) or radical cystectomy (RC), including lymphadenectomy (LAE). Methods Finally, 80 patients with BCa after PR or RC with LAE were enrolled. Patients were randomly split into training (n  = 56) and internal validation (n  = 24) cohorts. Radiomic features were extracted from T2-weighted, dynamic contrast-enhanced, diffusion-weighted imaging, and apparent diffusion coefficient sequence. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Cox regression algorithm was applied to choose the valuable features and construct the Rad-score. The DFS prediction model was built using the Cox proportional hazards model. The relationship between the Rad-score and DFS was assessed using Kaplan-Meier analysis. A radiomics nomogram that combined the Rad-score and clinicopathological factors was created for individualized DFS estimation. Results In both the training and validation cohorts, the Rad-score was positively correlated with DFS (P  <  .001). In the validation cohort, the radiomics nomogram combining the Rad-score, tumour pathologic stage (pT stage), and lymphovascular invasion (LVI) achieved better performance in DFS prediction (C-index, 0.807; 95% CI, 0.713-0.901) than either the clinicopathological (C-index, 0.654; 95% CI, 0.467-0.841) or Rad-score–only model (C-index, 0.770; 95% CI, 0.702-0.837). Conclusion The Rad-score was an independent predictor of DFS for patients with BCa after PR or RC with LAE, and the radiomics nomogram that combined the Rad-score, pT stage, and LVI achieved better performance in individual DFS prediction. Advances in knowledge This study provided a non-invasive and simple method for personalized and accurate prediction of DFS in BCa patients after PR or RC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The breach risk of reservoir dam exists objectively while exerting benefits. There is great uncertainty in the overtopping breach process of embankment dam and the dam break flood routing which affects the accuracy of dam risk analysis and may cause unnecessary waste in emergency scheduling. However, the uncertainty analysis of the breach process and its consequence is currently inadequate. Therefore, a stratified sampling Monte Carlo method is proposed to simulate uncertain overtopping breach flood of embankment dams. The main sources of uncertainty are analyzed and determined as uncertain dam breach and flood routing processes. The uncertain breach process of dam is studied by presenting a sensitive study between 3 mechanism breach models and 5 parametric breach models. The random dam breach process is restored using HEC-RAS semi-empirical breach model by estimating breach characteristics through multiple common breach models. The random flood routing is carried out through 1D–2D coupled unsteady flow analysis in which the random breach process is adopted as an upper inflow boundary condition. According to the case study results, though parameters have been controlled in a limited range, the flood routing results in the early stage of dam overtopping failure present greater uncertainty. As the flood progresses further downstream, the uncertainty will gradually decrease. This study could serve as a reference for dam breach risk map making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prostate Cancer (PC) is the most common male nonskin tumour in the world, and most diagnosed patients are over 65 years old. The main treatment for PC includes surgical treatment and nonsurgical treatment. Currently, for nonsurgically treated elderly patients, few studies have evaluated their prognostic factors. Our aim was to construct a nomogram that could predict cancer-specific survival (CSS) in nonsurgically treated elderly PC patients to assess their prognosis-related independent risk factors. Patient information was obtained from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database, and our target population was nonsurgically treated PC patients who were over 65 years old. Independent risk factors were determined using both univariate and multivariate Cox regression models. A nomogram was built using a multivariate Cox regression model. The accuracy and discrimination of the prediction model were tested using the consistency index (C-index), the area under the subject operating characteristic curve (AUC), and the calibration curve. Decision curve analysis (DCA) was used to examine the potential clinical value of this model. A total of 87,831 elderly PC patients with nonsurgical treatment in 2010–2018 were included in the study and were randomly assigned to the training set (N = 61,595) and the validation set (N = 26,236). Univariate and multivariate Cox regression model analyses showed that age, race, marital status, TNM stage, chemotherapy, radiotherapy modality, PSA and GS were independent risk factors for predicting CSS in nonsurgically treated elderly PC patients. The C-index of the training set and the validation set was 0.894 (95% CI 0.888–0.900) and 0.897 (95% CI 0.887–0.907), respectively, indicating the good discrimination ability of the nomogram. The AUC and the calibration curves also show good accuracy and discriminability. We developed a new nomogram to predict CSS in elderly PC patients with nonsurgical treatment. The model is internally validated with good accuracy and reliability, as well as potential clinical value, and can be used for clinical aid in decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of new energy vehicles has become a common choice for countries worldwide to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve the global ecological environment, with China being no exception. However, challenges, such as finding charging stations, accessing residential areas, and highway charging, have hindered the green and high-quality growth of the new energy vehicle industry. This study, set against the backdrop of China's 2018 policy to gradually redirect local purchase subsidy funds for new energy vehicles towards supporting the construction and operation of charging infrastructure, utilizes panel data from 282 prefecture-level cities from 2016 to 2021. A difference-in-differences model is constructed to compare the impact of infrastructure development on carbon emissions before and after the policy's implementation. The study finds that policy has a negative effect on carbon emissions, especially in the second and third year after the policy's implementation. Even after controlling for variables such as residents' wealth levels, population size, environmental pollution, energy consumption, and government support, the results remain significant. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that the effect of the promotion of charging infrastructure on carbon emissions is greater in southern and central parts of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anterior commissure (AC) involvement is an unfavorable factor for transoral laser microsurgery (TLM) treatment of early glottic carcinoma (EGC). This study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of TLM treatment for EGC with AC involvement. From 2008 to 2017, 177 patients with T1-T2 EGC with AC involvement were retrospectively included and divided into the TLM group (n=115) receiving CO 2 laser TLM and the control group undergoing open surgery (n=62). The survival outcomes, postoperative complications, laryngeal preservation rate, recurrence and the phonological results were compared between groups. The TLM group had significantly reduced hospital stay, hospitalization costs, and intraoperative blood loss as compared with the control group. The tracheotomy rate was significantly higher in the control group (96.8% vs. 0%). The 5-year overall survival (OS) was 89.6% and 85.5% in the TLM group and control group, respectively. Log-rank test showed no difference in survival rate between the two groups. There was no significant difference in laryngeal preservation rate and overall recurrence rate between groups. In postoperative vocal function evaluation, there were significant differences in the overall grade (G), the roughness (R), the breathiness (B), Voice Handicap Index-10 (VHI-10), Jitter, Shimmer, noise/harmonic ratio (NHR), maximum phonation time (MPT), phonation threshold pressure (PTP) between the two groups. For EGC with AC involvement, TLM has similar survival outcomes with the open surgery, but has better postoperative voice outcomes. Meanwhile, TLM can effectively reduce intraoperative blood loss, hospitalization time, hospitalization costs and postoperative complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to evaluate whether dietary fiber content and density were associated with female infertility in the USA. Data on current dietary fiber and current or past female infertility were collected from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) in 2013–2014, 2015–2016, and 2017–2018 cycles. Infertility was identified with the question "Have you ever tried a year to become pregnant: ever attempted to become pregnant over a period of at least a year without becoming pregnant?" The association between dietary fiber and female infertility was analyzed by weighted multivariate logistic regression. Subgroup analysis was performed based on the body mass index (BMI) of women. False discovery rate (FDR)-adjusted P values (q values) < 0.05 indicated statistical significance. Totally 2370 women were eligible for analysis. Dietary fiber content was negatively associated with female infertility [odds ratio (OR) = 0.643, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.480–0.861, P = 0.004, q = 0.020]. Dietary fiber density was not associated with the odds of female infertility (OR = 0.734, 95% CI = 0.573–0.941, P = 0.016, q = 0.079). Subgroup analysis exhibited that dietary fiber content was not associated with infertility in underweight and normal-weight (OR = 0.620, 95% CI = 0.332–1.157, P = 0.130, q = 0.467) and overweight (OR = 0.764, 95% CI = 0.523–1.117, P = 0.160, q = 0.553) women; dietary fiber content was inversely associated with infertility in obese women (OR = 0.610, 95% CI = 0.443–0.841, P = 0.003, q = 0.015). There were no significant associations between dietary fiber density and female infertility in underweight and normal-weight (OR = 0.673, 95% CI = 0.393–1.153, P = 0.146, q = 0.410), overweight (OR = 0.769, 95% CI = 0.534–1.107, P = 0.153, q = 0.523), and obese (OR = 0.753, 95% CI = 0.581–0.975, P = 0.032, q = 0.160) populations. In conclusion, a negative association was found between dietary fiber content and female infertility especially among obese women. Future studies are warranted to confirm our findings and the causal relationship between dietary fiber, obesity, and female infertility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The therapeutic value of targeted therapies in patients with lung cancer is reduced when tumours acquire secondary resistance after an initial period of successful treatment. However, the molecular events behind the resistance to targeted therapies in lung cancer remain largely unknown. Aims: To discover the important role and mechanism of lncRNA BC in promoting tumor metastasis and influencing clinical prognosis of LUAD. Materials & Methods: Microarrays were used to screen a comprehensive set of lncRNAs with differential expression profiles in lung cancer cells. The functional role and mechanism of lncRNA were further investigated by gain‐ and loss‐of‐function assays. RNA pull‐down, protein assays, and mass spectrometry were used to identify proteins that interacted with lncRNA. TaqMan PCR was used to measure lncRNA in lung adenocarcinoma and adjacent nontumor tissues from 428 patients. The clinical significance of lncRNA identified was statistically confirmed in this cohort of patients. Results: In this study, we show that the long non‐coding RNA BC009639 (BC) is involved in acquired resistance to EGFR‐targeted therapies. Among the 235 long non‐coding RNAs that were differentially expressed in lung cancer cell lines, with different metastatic potentials, BC promoted growth, invasion, metastasis, and resistance to EGFR‐tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR‐TKIs), both in vitro and in vivo. BC was highly expressed in 428 patients with lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and high BC expression correlated with reduced efficacy of EGFR‐TKI therapy. To uncover the molecular mechanism of BC‐mediated EGFR‐TKI resistance in lung cancer, we screened and identified nucleolin and hnRNPK that interact with BC. BC formed the splicing complex with nucleolin and hnRNPK to facilitate the production of a non‐protein‐coding inositol monophosphatase domain containing 1 (IMPAD1) splice variant, instead of the protein‐coding variant. The BC‐mediated alternative splicing (AS) of IMPAD1 resulted in the induction of the epithelial–mesenchymal transition and resistance to EGFR‐TKI in lung cancer. High BC expression correlated with clinical progress and poor survival among 402 patients with LUAD. Disscussion: Through alternative splicing, BC boosted the non‐coding IMPAD1‐203 transcript variant while suppressing the IMPAD1‐201 variant. In order to control the processing of pre‐mRNA, BC not only attracted RNA binding proteins (NCL, IGF2BP1) or splicing factors (hnRNPK), but also controlled the formation of the splicing‐regulator complex by creating RNA‐RNA‐duplexes. Conclusion: Our results reveal an important role for BC in mediating resistance to EGFR‐targeted therapy in LUAD through IMPAD1 AS and in implication for the targeted therapy resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic disease with the potential for significant morbidity in case of suboptimal treatment (e.g. low treatment adherence). In spite of immense research in IBD, literature on association of IBD with race/ethnicity is fragmented. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the association between race/ethnicity and treatment adherence and persistence among patients with Crohn's disease (CD) or ulcerative colitis (UC) initiated with biologic therapies. Methods: This observational, retrospective study utilized the Optum Clinformatics (Optum) Extended Data Mart Socioeconomic Status (SES) database. Adult patients with ≥ 2 medical claims for CD or UC diagnosis, ≥ 1 medical or pharmacy claim for corresponding FDA-approved biologic therapy, and a ≥ 12-month pre-index (index date: date of the first biologic medical/pharmacy claim) continuous health plan enrollment were included. Treatment adherence was measured as the proportion of days covered of ≥ 80% and treatment persistence by the number of days from the index date to the biologics discontinuation date. Switching among biologics was allowed for both treatment adherence and treatment persistence. Multivariable regression analyses were performed to evaluate the association between race/ethnicity and treatment adherence/persistence. Results: Among patients with CD (N = 1430) and UC (N = 1059) included, majority were White (CD: 80.3%, UC: 78.3%), followed by African Americans (AA; CD: 10.5%, UC: 9.7%). Among patients with CD, AA were significantly less likely to adhere to biologics (adjusted OR [95%CI]: 0.61 [0.38; 0.99]) and more likely to discontinue biologics earlier (adjusted HR [95%CI]: 1.52 [1.16; 2.0]) during the follow-up period compared to Whites, after adjusting for other patient sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. Among patients with UC, no significant differences in the treatment adherence/persistence were observed between different races/ethnicities. Conclusions: Patients with CD were found to display racial differences in the treatment adherence and persistence of biologics, with significantly lower adherence and earlier discontinuation in AA compared to Whites. Such differences were not observed in patients with UC. Future studies are warranted to understand the possible reasons for racial differences, particularly in patients with CD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hyperosmolality-gated calcium-permeable channels (OSCA) are considered to be osmotic sensors that play an important role in the early stages of hyperosmotic stress response. We analysed the physicochemical properties, chromosome distribution, phylogeny, gene structure and expression pattern of the OSCA gene family in barley, and investigated the expression of HvOSCA genes in barley under drought stress by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Finally, 14 members of the OSCA gene family were identified from barley, all containing the RSN1_7TM domain and often accompanied by the RSN1_TM and PHM7_cyt domains. According to the phylogenetic relationship, they were divided into four subgroups, and each with similar gene structures. Two types of duplicate events in the HvOSCA genes family evolved under the effect of purification selection. By analysing the cis-acting elements in the HvOSCA promoter, it was speculated that the barley OSCA gene family is involved in the regulation of multiple signalling pathways. The expression of HvOSCA genes in barley tissues and their relative expression under drought stress revealed that the gene family plays a role in plant organ differentiation, growth and development and coping with abiotic stress. These results provide new valuable information for the functional analysis of HvOSCA genes and the genetic improvement of barley, and provide an important reference for follow-up research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Kangaroo mother care (KMC) is an evidence-based intervention that reduces morbidity and mortality in preterm infants. However, it has not yet been fully integrated into health systems around the world. The aim of this study is to provide a cogent summary of the evidence base of the key barriers and facilitators to implementing KMC.Methods: An umbrella review of existing reviews on KMC was adopted to identify systematic and scoping reviews that analysed data from primary studies. Electronic English databases, including PubMed, Embase, CINAHL and Cochrane Library, and three Chinese databases were searched from inception to 1 July 2022. Studies were included if they performed a review of barriers and facilitators to KMC. Quality assessment of the retrieved reviews was performed by at least two reviewers independently using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal checklist and risk of bias was assessed with the Risk of Bias Assessment Tool for Systematic Reviews (ROBIS) tool. This umbrella review protocol was documented in the PROSPERO registry (CRD42022327994).Results: We generated 531 studies, and after the removal of duplicates and ineligible studies, six eligible reviews were included in the analysis. The five themes identified were environmental factors, professional factors, parent/family factors, access factors, and cultural factors, and the factors under each theme were divided into barriers or facilitators depending on the specific features of a given scenario.Conclusions: Support from facility management and leadership and well-trained medical staff are of great significance to the successful integration of KMC into daily medical practice, while the parents of preterm infants and other family members should be educated and encouraged in KMC practice. Further research is needed to propose strategies and develop models for implementing KMC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The multicenter study aimed to explore the relationship between the growth pattern of liver metastases on preoperative MRI and early recurrence in patients with colorectal cancer liver metastases (CRCLM) after surgery.Methods: A total of 348 CRCLM patients from 3 independent centers were enrolled, including 130 patients with 339 liver metastases in the primary cohort and 218 patients in validation cohorts. Referring to the gross classification of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the growth pattern of each liver metastasis on MRI was classified into four types: rough, smooth, focal extranodular protuberant (FEP), and nodular confluent (NC). Disease-free survival (DFS) curve was constructed using the Kaplan-Meier method.Results: In primary cohort, 42 (12.4%) of the 339 liver metastases were rough type, 237 (69.9%) were smooth type, 29 (8.6%) were FEP type, and 31 (9.1%) were NC type. Those patients with FEP- and/or NC-type liver metastases had shorter DFS than those without such metastases (p < 0.05). However, there were no significant differences in DFS between patients with rough- and smooth-type liver metastases and those without such metastases. The patients with FEP- and/or NC-type liver metastases also had shorter DFS than those without such metastases in two external validation cohorts. In addition, 40.5% of high-risk-type (FEP and NC) liver metastases converted to low-risk types (rough and smooth) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy.Conclusion: The FEP- and NC-type liver metastases were associated with early recurrence, which may facilitate the clinical treatment of CRCLM patients.Key Points: • In the primary cohort, patients with FEP- and NC-type metastases had shorter disease-free survival (DFS) and a higher intrahepatic recurrence rate than patients without such metastases in the liver. • In the primary cohort, there were no significant differences in DFS or intrahepatic recurrence rate between patients with rough- and smooth-type metastases and those without such metastases in the liver. • High-risk patients had shorter DFS and a higher intrahepatic recurrence rate than low-risk patients in primary and external validation cohorts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has been previously shown to be associated with diabetes mellitus (DM) which is one of the most decisive risk factors for the faster progression of NAFLD to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), fibrosis or advanced cirrhosis. However, the critical molecular pathway involved in the development of diabetic-induced liver injury is unclear. By the proteomic study of liver from high-fat diet (HFD)/streptozotocin(STZ)-induced diabetic mice, we revealed that the upregulation of S100A9 was involved in the development of NAFLD with DM. Moreover, we found that S100A9 silencing decreased proinflammatory response and inhibited the TLR4-NF-κB signaling in in-vitro study. Our findings provide new perspectives into the pivotal role of S100A9 for development of diabetic NAFLD and revealed that S100A9 is a critical molecule that links liver injury to inflammation of NAFLD with DM. • Diabetes mellitus promoted the progression of NAFLD in HFD mice. • Upregulation of S100A9 was involved in the development of NAFLD with Diabetes. • S100A9 silencing decreased proinflammatory response and inhibited the TLR4-NF-κB signaling in HG-treated HepG2 cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which is highly contagious and has resulted in a protracted pandemic. Infections caused by new coronavirus strains, primarily Delta and Omicron and currently highly prevalent globally. In response to the epidemic, countries, and cities implemented isolation and quarantine guidance, such as limiting social contact, which have affected the lifestyles and quality of life of the population. Parental feeding behaviors may vary as a result of factors such as prolonged home isolation of parents and children, lack of supplies during isolation, and stress. This study was designed to assess the available evidence and its implications for parental feeding practices in the context of COVID-19. We screened and reviewed research published in five electronic databases between 2020 and 2022, and eight studies met the selection criteria. Parents were observed to use a variety of feeding practices, including high levels of coercive control and reduction of rules and limits according to Vaughn's food parenting constructs. The findings suggest that parental feeding practices are changing as a result of the pandemic and that more research is needed to further explore how to provide supportive feeding guidance to parents during emergencies in order to jointly promote child health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the mechanism of overyielding, improvement of land productivity and water use of maize/soybean intercropping, and optimize the configuration of the intercrop in semi-arid western Liaoning, a 2-year (2018-2019) field experiment was conducted at the National Agricultural Environmental Station for Agricultural Environment at Fuxin. The effects of maize-soybean intercropping on yield, land productivity, spatial distribution of soil water content and water use efficiency were studied. Cropping systems were, (1) 2 rows of maize: 2 rows of soybean (M2S2), (2) 4 rows of maize: 4 rows of soybean (M4S4), (3) 6 rows of maize: 6 rows of soybean (M6S6), (4) sole maize (M) and (5) sole soybean (S). The total yields of the 5 cropping systems were M>M6S6>M4S4> M2S2>S. In intercrops, the contribution of maize for total crop yield was greater than soybean, with 79.0%-87.3% of the contribution rates for intercropped maize, and 12.7%-21.0% for intercropped soybean. The land equivalent ratios (LER) of M6S6 and M4S4 were 1.13-1.19 and 1.06-1.07, respectively, indicating a yield advantage of the intercrop, among which M6S6 showed the highest land productivity. The LER of M2S2 was less than 1, indicating a yield disadvantage. The spatial distribution of soil moisture showed that there was water competition between maize and soybean in 0-50cm soil layer, and was water complementarity between maize and soybean in 60-100cm soil layer in intercrops. On the same land area, all the intercrops improved water use efficiency of maize. M2S2 and M4S4 decreased the water use efficiency of soybean. The water equivalent ratio (WER) of M6S6 and M4S4 were 1.18-1.21 and 1.05-1.06, respectively, indicating the water productivity was increased by 5%-21%. Both of M2S2 and M4S4 had water use advantages, and M6S6 showed the highest water use advantage. The WER of M2S2 was 0.99-1.01, indicating a not significant water use advantage (P>0.05). Overall, M6S6 showed the most significant yield and water use advantage, and would provide opportunity for sustainable agriculture in semi-arid western Liaoning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Classification of action intention understanding is extremely important for human computer interaction. Many studies on the action intention understanding classification mainly focus on binary classification, while the classification accuracy is often unsatisfactory, not to mention multi-class classification. METHOD: To complete the multi-class classification task of action intention understanding brain signals effectively, we propose a novel feature extraction procedure based on thresholding graph metric. RESULTS: Both the alpha frequency band and full-band obtained considerable classification accuracies. Compared with other methods, the novel method has better classification accuracy. CONCLUSIONS: Brain activity of action intention understanding is closely related to the alpha band. The new feature extraction procedure is an effective method for the multi-class classification of action intention understanding brain signals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silicosis is an occupational disease caused by inhalation of silica dust, which is hallmarked by progressive pulmonary fibrosis associated with poor prognosis. Wnt/β-catenin signaling is implicated in the development of fibrosis and is a therapeutic target for fibrotic diseases. Previous clinical studies of patients with pneumoconiosis, including silicosis, revealed an increased concentration of circulating WNT3A and DKK1 proteins and inflammatory cells in bronchoalveolar lavage compared with healthy subjects. The present study evaluated the effects of adenovirus-mediated transduction of Dickkopf-1 (Dkk1), a Wnt/β-catenin signaling inhibitor, on the development of pulmonary silicosis in mice. Consistent with previous human clinical studies, our experimental studies in mice demonstrated an aberrant Wnt/β-catenin signaling activity coinciding with increased Wnt3a and Dkk1 proteins and inflammation in lungs of silica-induced silicosis mice compared with controls. Intratracheal delivery of adenovirus expressing murine Dkk1 (AdDkk1) inhibited Wnt/β-catenin activity in mouse lungs. The adenovirus-mediated Dkk1 gene transduction demonstrated the potential to prevent silicosis development and ameliorate silica-induced lung fibrogenesis in mice, accompanied by the reduced expression of epithelia–-mesenchymal transition markers and deposition of extracellular matrix proteins compared with mice treated with "null" adenoviral vector. Mechanistically, AdDkk1 is able to attenuate the lung silicosis by inhibiting a silica-induced spike in TGF-β/Smad signaling. In addition, the forced expression of Dkk1 suppressed silica-induced epithelial cell proliferation in polarized human bronchial epithelial cells. This study provides insight into the underlying role of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in promoting the pathogenesis of silicosis and is proof-of-concept that targeting Wnt/β-catenin signaling by Dkk1 gene transduction may be an alternative approach in the prevention and treatment of silicosis lung disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, we report a facile solid-state synthesis strategy for the synthesis of a three-dimensional (3D) macroporous framework molybdenum disulfide–carbide (MoS2–Mo2C) heterojunction. The MoS2–Mo2C/Mo electrode exhibits excellent HER activity with low overpotentials of 56 and 446 mV at current densities of 10 and 1000 mA cm−2, respectively, in alkaline electrolytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a multichannel spatial filtering technique, common spatial patterns (CSP) have been successfully applied in brain-computer interfaces (BCI) community based on electroencephalogram (EEG). However, it is sensitive to outliers because of the employment of the L2-norm in its formulation. It is beneficial to perform robust modelling for CSP. In this paper, we propose a robust framework, called CSP-Lp/q, by formulating the variances of two EEG classes with Lp- and Lq-norms (0 < p and q < 2) separately. The method CSP-Lp/q with mixed Lp- and Lq-norms takes the class-wise difference into account in formulating the sample dispersion. We develop an iterative algorithm to optimize the objective function of CSP-Lp/q and show its monotonity theoretically. The superiority of the proposed CSP-Lp/q technique is experimentally demonstrated on three real EEG datasets of BCI competitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

POEMS syndrome is a rare plasma cell disorder. Lenalidomide has recently emerged as a therapeutic option for POEMS syndrome. Cereblon has been identified as the direct target of lenalidomide, and high cereblon expression is associated with better response and outcome to lenalidomide therapy in multiple myeloma patients. Here, we analyzed the predictive value of cereblon, IKZF1, and IKZF3 in CD138+ selected plasma cells from forty-one newly diagnosed POEMS syndrome patients treated with lenalidomide in combination with dexamethasone at both gene and protein levels. We found that patients with high cereblon expression tended to achieve better hematologic response compared to those with low expression (p = 0.024 for gene expression; p = 0.01 for protein expression). Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed high cereblon mRNA expression as an independent prognostic marker for longer progression-free survival (hazard ratio 0.542; 95% CI 0.337-0.871; p = 0.011). In conclusion, our results emphasized the role of cereblon mRNA expression as a unique biomarker for predicting the clinical response and outcome of lenalidomide-based therapy in newly diagnosed POEMS syndrome patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The discriminative spatial patterns (DSP) algorithm is a classical and effective feature extraction technique for decoding of voluntary finger premovements from electroencephalography (EEG). As a purely data-driven subspace learning algorithm, DSP essentially is a spatial-domain filter and does not make full use of the information in frequency domain. The paper presents multilinear discriminative spatial patterns (MDSP) to derive multiple interrelated lower dimensional discriminative subspaces of low frequency movement-related cortical potential (MRCP). Experimental results on two finger movement tasks' EEG datasets demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed MDSP method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protein α-N-methylation is an evolutionarily conserved type of post-translational modification; however, little is known about the regulatory mechanisms for this modification. Methylation at the N 6 position of adenosine in mRNAs is dynamic and modulates their stability, splicing, and translational efficiency. Here, we found that the expression of N-terminal methyltransferase 1 (NTMT1) protein is altered by depletion of those genes encoding the reader/writer/eraser proteins of N 6-methyladenosine (m6A). We also observed that MRG15 is N-terminally methylated by NTMT1, and this methylation could also be modulated by reader/writer/eraser proteins of m6A. Together, these results revealed a novel m6A-based epitranscriptomic mechanism in regulating protein N-terminal methylation. Image 1 • Studied for the first time the m6A-mediated epi-transcriptomic regulation of NTMT1. • Revealed that MRG15 is subjected to α-N-methylation. • Demonstrated that α-N-methylation of MRG15 is regulated by the m6A pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Overt and occult hepatitis B infections among pregnant women were still prevalent during the transition period in China. • Separation of occult hepatitis B infection from "healthy" subjects tended to increase the effectiveness estimates of current neonatal vaccination against hepatitis B virus. • Pregnant women with overt hepatitis B infection primarily transmitted the virus, which resulted in an overt or occult infection in their infants. Intensive prenatal screening of hepatitis B surface antigen for pregnant women is essential. • A high rate of loss-to-follow-up could not be ignored in this study. Overt and occult hepatitis B infection (HBI) among mothers and infants were investigated, and the effectiveness of vaccination against HBI was evaluated based on transmission types. A hospital-based cohort was built with 2,734 mothers and 330 mother-infant pairs. Their demographic data were collected. Serological HBV markers, nested-PCR for HBV genes, viral load detection, and phylogenetic analysis were done. The overall prevalence of HBI among mothers was 12.1% (330/2,734), with 10.4% for the overt type and 1.8% for the occult type. In 330 out of 1,650 (20%) mother-infant pairs, the overall, type-I (from overt mother to overt infant), type-II (from overt mother to occult infant), and type-Ⅲ (from occult mother to occult infant) transmissions were 1.9% (1/54), 5.6% (3/54) and 0.0% (0/7). The refinement of HBI classification improved the estimate of vaccine effectiveness against HBI from 74.4%–80.9% to 94.4%, which was more prominent for type-II. One mother-infant pair with type-II transmission shared nearly identical complete sequences. However, the high rate of lost-to-follow-up could not be ignored. During the transition period, HBV is mainly transmitted from the overt type of HBI mother to infant. Intensive prenatal screening for mothers is vital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Copper‐catalyzed cross‐couplings of aryl halides and nucleophiles, traditionally called Ullmann‐type coupling reactions, were initially reported by Ullmann et al. from 1901—1929. A seminal report in 1998 by Ma et al. from Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences revealed an accelerating effect caused by amino acids, which brought Ullmann‐type coupling reactions into a ligand‐accelerating era. From 1999 to the first 10 years of 2000s, the first‐generation ligands were developed by many researchers and promoted Ullmann‐type coupling reactions of aryl iodides and bromides under relatively mild conditions. Amino acid ligands, developed by Ma and coworkers, are one class of the most important first‐generation ligands. In the second 10 years of 2000s, Ma et al. led the discovery of second‐generation ligands for copper‐catalyzed cross‐coupling reactions. Two great breakthroughs have been realized by using second‐generation oxalic diamide and related amide ligands, with aryl chlorides as general coupling partner and with low catalyst loadings. Now copper‐catalyzed cross coupling reactions of aryl halides and nucleophiles with amino acids or oxalic diamides and related amides as ligands are recognized as Ullmann‐Ma reactions and have found extensive applications in organic synthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To assess long-term (2-year) biologic treatment patterns of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patients who initiated adalimumab, certolizumab pegol, etanercept, golimumab, or ustekinumab.Methods: Adult patients with ≥1 pharmacy or medical claim for injectable PsA biologics (index date) were identified from the Optum's Clinformatics Data Mart (1 January 2013-31 December 2016). Adherence, persistence, post-discontinuation treatment patterns, and addition of adjunctive medications were evaluated by index biologic.Results: Of 996 patients included (mean [SD] age: 51.5 [12.6] years; female: 49.4%), the most common index biologics initiated were adalimumab (47.9%) and etanercept (34.5%). The mean [SD] proportion of days covered was 0.48 [0.32] for the index biologics. During the 24-month follow-up period, 19.7% of patients persisted on their index biologic; ustekinumab had the highest persistence rate (27.2%), followed by adalimumab (22.0%), golimumab (18.4%), certolizumab pegol (15.6%), and etanercept (15.4%). Of the 800 patients (80.3%) who discontinued their index biologic therapy, 35.0% restarted, 40.1% switched to another biologic, and 31.8% did neither during the follow-up period. The most common biologics patients switched to were adalimumab (31.2%) and ustekinumab (18.7%). Among patients who persisted with their index biologic for ≥90 days (n = 753), ≥1 adjunctive medication was added for 50.1% of patients. The most common adjunctive medications included corticosteroids (28.0% of patients), opioids (17.0%), nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (13.8%), and conventional synthetic disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (csDMARDs) (7.3%).Conclusions: In this real-world study of use of biologic PsA therapies, 24-month persistence was low (19.7%), and treatment was frequently supplemented with adjunctive medications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advancements in optical communications have increasingly focused on leveraging spatial-structured beams such as orbital angular momentum (OAM) beams for high-capacity data transmission. Conventional electronic convolutional neural networks exhibit constraints in efficiently demultiplexing OAM signals. Here, we introduce a hybrid optical-electronic convolutional neural network that is capable of completing Fourier optics convolution and realizing intensity-recognition-based demultiplexing of multiplexed OAM beams under variable simulated atmospheric turbulent conditions. The core part of our demultiplexing system includes a 4F optics system employing a Fourier optics convolution layer. This optical spatial-filtering-based convolutional neural network is utilized to realize the training and demultiplexing of the 4-bit OAM-coded signals under simulated atmospheric turbulent conditions. The current system shows a demultiplexing accuracy of 72.84% under strong turbulence scenarios with 3.2 times faster training time than all electronic convolutional neural networks. Optical beams carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM) are promising candidates for free-space optical communication. The authors devise a hybrid optical-electronic convolutional neural network approach reaching a 4-bit OAM-coded signal demultiplexing accuracy of 72.84% under strong atmospheric turbulence conditions with 3.2 times faster training time than all electronic convolutional neural network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To assess characteristics and healthcare costs associated with pharmacologically treated episodes of treatment-resistant depression (TRD) in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD).Methods: Patients aged ≥18 years with continuous health plan enrollment for ≥12 months before and after a newly observed MDD diagnosis (observed between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2015) were included in this retrospective claims-based analysis. A pharmacologically treated episode was defined as beginning at the date of the first MDD diagnosis and ending when a gap of 180 days occurred between MDD diagnoses, or when a gap of 180 days occurred following the end of the antidepressant (AD)/antipsychotic (AP) drug supply. When such a gap occurred, the episode end date was determined to be either the date of the last MDD diagnosis or date of the end of AD/AP drug supply, whichever was later. An episode was considered TRD if ≥3 AD regimens occurred. Episode duration, medication regimens used, and relapse hospitalization were reported for TRD and non-TRD MDD episodes. Total all-cause and per-patient-per-month (PPPM) healthcare costs (in 2016 $) were estimated.Results: Of 48,440 patients identified with ≥1 AD-treated MDD episode, the mean (SD) age was 39 (15) years, and 62% were female. Of all episodes, 7% were TRD, with a mean duration of 571 (285) days vs. 200 (198) days for non-TRD MDD episodes. Mean total all-cause costs were $19,626 ($44,160) for TRD and $7440 ($25,150) for non-TRD MDD episodes.Conclusions: Results show TRD episodes are longer and costlier than non-TRD MDD episodes, and that higher costs are driven by episode duration. Longer episodes imply protracted suffering for patients with TRD and increased burden on caregivers. Effective intervention to shorten TRD episodes may lessen disease burden and reduce costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Many patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) fail to respond to antidepressant (AD) pharmacotherapy. The objectives of this study were to characterize MDD and treatment-resistant depression (TRD) at the level of pharmacologically treated episodes and to describe the sequential treatment patterns by lines of therapy (LOT) in the first two episodes. Methods: Adults (≥18 years of age) with continuous enrollment ≥12 months before and after the first MDD diagnosis and treated with an AD, with or without an MDD-indicated antipsychotic (AP), were identified (1/1/2010-12/31/2015). The MDD episode started on the date of MDD diagnosis that was preceded by a clean period without any MDD diagnosis. The MDD episode ended on the last MDD diagnosis or the end of the days’ supply of AD/AP medication, whichever came last. TRD was defined as an MDD episode with ≥3 AD/AP regimens. Measured outcomes included episode duration, number of LOT, relapse hospitalization, and sequential treatment patterns of MDD episode stratified by TRD and non-TRD episodes. Results: Of 48,440 patients who received AD/AP in the 1st MDD episode, 3,317 (6.8%) of episodes were considered TRD. Mean duration of 1st TRD episodes was 571 days, mean number of AD/AP LOTs was 3.47, and 13.7% involved relapse hospitalization. Mean duration of 1st non-TRD episodes was 200 days, mean number of AD/AP LOTs was 1.21, and 9.6% involved relapse hospitalization. Among 1st MDD episodes, 25.5% had a second LOT; 7.3% had a third LOT. Most patients received selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) as the first LOT (63.0%), and the plurality of regimens were SSRIs in second (44.9%) and third LOT (41.1%). Conclusions: Compared to non-TRD episodes, TRD episodes were longer and more often involved relapse hospitalizations. SSRIs were the most common treatment; treatment changes and potential treatment unresponsiveness were frequent among MDD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bamboo powder and its dissolution process in ionic liquids were analyzed according to Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) coupled with two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy and chemometrics. Second derivative spectroscopy was applied to enhance the spectra resolution, obtaining more molecular vibration information. After executing the principal component analysis (PCA) on ATR-FTIR spectra of undissolved bamboo powder residue, we obtained a three-staged dissolution process model. In addition, the conclusion that cellulose/hemicellulose dissolving prior to lignin was summarized through the PCA loading spectrum. Point-line moving window two dimensional correlation spectroscopy (PL-MW2DCOS) furtherly unveiled the dissolution details. This work provided us a clear dissolution process of biomass using a rapid, label-free and easy-operation method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite the increasing number of Crohn's disease patients self-administering nasogastric feeding as enteral nutrition support therapy, no studies have reported the experiences of self-administering nasogastric feeding from the perspective of these patients. Objectives: To explore the initial trigger factors for the self-administration of nasogastric feeding by Crohn’s disease patients and to understand the experiences of self-administration of nasogastric feeding, its effects on various aspects of life and work, and relevant challenges and coping mechanisms encountered during this therapy in order to improve the understanding of this group of patients among medical staff and the public. Design: This study adopted a descriptive qualitative method. Crohn's disease patients from several tertiary hospitals in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, were recruited to participate through purposive sampling combined with maximum variation and the snowballing technique. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and analyzed using the conventional content analysis method. Results: A total of 11 Crohn's disease patients were interviewed. Four themes and eight subthemes emerged from the analysis: rejecting the self-administration of nasogastric feeding (being afraid of inserting the nasogastric tube, having concerns about nasogastric feeding), accepting the reality of nasogastric feeding (health being the most important, followed by having sources of support), nasogastric feeding as a double-edged sword (the disturbances and efficacies of nasogastric feeding), and nasogastric feeding as a part of life (becoming accustomed to tube insertion and taking nasogastric feeding for granted). Conclusions: Apart from suffering from physical discomfort, diet and body image disturbances, and inconveniences in daily life, Crohn's disease patients who self-administered nasogastric feeding faced many psychological challenges. Many of these patients eventually adjusted to a life with nasogastric feeding, but not everyone achieved this state. Therefore, health care providers, including physicians and nurses, and the general public should collaborate to help these patients adapt to their “new lives” as soon as possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to explore the effects of catechin and epicatechin on the cognitive deficits and oxidative damage of mice at extremely low frequency electromagnetic field (ELF-EMF) exposure (50 Hz, 200 µT, 30 days). The results showed 90 mg/kg catechin and epicatechin treatment could keep proper body weight compared with ELF-EMF group. Water maze test indicated learning and memory abilities of ELF-EMF group deteriorated significantly compared with control group, but ELF-EMF + (catechin and epicatechin) 90 group improved learning and memory abilities compared with ELF-EMF group. Malonaldehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO) increased remarkably, while catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities decreased significantly in ELF-EMF group. Catechin and epicatechin (90 mg/kg) administration decreased MDA and NO levels and significantly increased CAT and SOD activities. The results suggested catechin and epicatechin can be beneficial for learning and memory impair and reducing oxidative stress under ELF-EMF exposure through scavenging free radicals and increasing antioxidant enzyme activities. Practical applications Considerable public and scientific concern was raised when researches have shown the impact of extremely low frequency electromagnetic field (ELF-EMF) on cognition, nervous system function and brain activity. Catechin and epicatechin are widely distributed in tea, fruits and vegetables. This study highlights that catechin and epicatechin can attenuate these abnormal oxidative damage and related learning and memory deficits induced by ELF-EMF exposure. Knowledge generated in this study will be beneficial in developing catechin and epicatechin as the candidates for treating the neurological and neurodegenerative disorders induced by ELF-EMF exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To measure levels of placental brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene expression and umbilical cord blood BDNF in neonates with nondiabetic macrosomia and determine associations between these levels and macrosomia.Methods: This case-control study included 58 nondiabetic macrosomic and 59 normal birth weight mother-infant pairs. Data were collected from interviews and our hospital's database. BDNF gene expression was quantified in placental tissues using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (n = 117). Umbilical cord blood BDNF levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (n = 90). Multivariate logistic regression models were used to evaluate associations between BDNF levels and macrosomia.Results: Placental BDNF gene expression (P = 0.026) and cord blood BDNF (P = 0.008) were lower in neonates with nondiabetic macrosomia than in normal birth weight controls. Cord blood BDNF was significantly lower in vaginally delivered macrosomic neonates than vaginally delivered controls (P = 0.014), but cord BDNF did not differ between vaginal and cesarean section delivery modes in macrosomic neonates. Cord blood BDNF was positively associated with gestational age in control neonates (r = 0.496, P < 0.001), but not in macrosomic neonates. Cord blood BDNF was positively associated with placental BDNF relative expression (r s = 0.245, P = 0.02) in the total group. Higher cord blood BDNF levels were independently associated with protection against nondiabetic macrosomia (adjusted odds ratio 0.992; 95% confidence interval 0.986-0.998).Conclusions: Both placental BDNF gene expression and cord blood BDNF were downregulated in neonates with nondiabetic macrosomia compared with normal birth weight neonates. Cord BDNF may partly derive from BDNF secreted by the placenta. Higher cord plasma BDNF levels protected against nondiabetic macrosomia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple approach for the synthesis of oxygen vacancy rich molybdenum oxide (MoO x ) on Mo foil using simple anodization method has been developed. The oxygen vacancy of synthesized MoO x is confirmed by Raman, XPS, and XRD measurements. MoO x /Mo electrode exhibits high active for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in alkaline solution. The HER performance of MoO x /Mo can be further improved by electrodepositing of small amount of Pt nanoparticles on MoO x . Pt-MoO x /Mo electrode shows high HER performance, which is close to the performance of Pt. Importantly, Pt-MoO x /Mo electrode has excellent stability even after 2000 potential cycles in alkaline solution. Our study proposed a simple method for preparing low-cost Mo based electrode for high efficient hydrogen production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conclusion: A high-lying innominate artery (the upper edge of the innominate artery across the anterior midline of the trachea located 2 cm above the suprasternal notch), a rare situation, may produce disturbance to related anterior cervical tracheal surgery and even cause serious complications. Objectives: High-lying innominate artery is a high risk factor in anterior cervical tracheal surgery. Preoperative assessment via imaging technique can help to familiarize the artery and reduce the related disturbance to the surgery. Methods: A total of 829 patients were selected. Cervical computed tomography (CT) examination was conducted before surgery. The distance between the upper edge of the innominate artery across the anterior midline of the trachea and the suprasternal notch was measured. The exposure of innominate arteries in these cases during surgery was recorded. Results: The upper edge of the innominate artery was located above the suprasternal notch in 26.4% (219/829) of patients. The upper edge of the innominate artery across the anterior midline of the trachea was 2 cm above the suprasternal notch in 18 cases, accounting for 2.2% of all cases, and innominate arteries were exposed in 11 cases (61.1%) during surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel method was proposed for the moving load identification of bridges based on the influence line theory and distributed optical fiber sensing technique. The method of load and vehicle speed identification was firstly theoretically studied, and then numerical simulation was also performed to study its accuracy and robustness. The numerical results showed that this method was characterized by high accuracy and excellent resistance to noise. Finally, the load identification of an actual continuous pre-stressed concrete beam bridge was carried out with the proposed method. The bridge consists of four pre-stressed box beams. At the same time, a weigh-in-motion system was also installed about 200 m in front of the bridge to measure the speed and moving loads with a purpose of comparing the load identification of the proposed method. Long gauge fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors with a gauge length of 1.0 m were adhered to the bottom of the beams. The individual loaded vehicles and the corresponding structure response were mainly monitored as standard samples, and the speed and weight of the sample vehicles were monitored and identified with the proposed method. The results revealed that the distributed long gauge FBG sensors were capable of sensing the structure response precisely and identifying the traffic load. On the basis of the design information and ambient vibration testing results, a refined model was established and the response under unit moving load was acquired for load identification. It was also shown that the sensors in different positions can achieve accurate vehicle speed and weight, the relative error of which are within 10% and 15%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although autologous stem cell transplantation or melphalan-based chemotherapy has significantly improved the prognosis of POEMS syndrome, a few patients will relapse or be refractory to primary therapy, and there is a lack of studies regarding these patients. In this study, we used low-dose lenalidomide (10 mg daily) and dexamethasone (40 mg, once weekly) to treat twelve patients with relapsed ( n = 8) or refractory ( n = 4) POEMS syndrome. After a median follow-up time of 20 months, the overall hematologic response rate was 77% with 44% having a complete response. Eight (67%) patients had neurological response, and the median overall neuropathy limitation scale score was reduced from 3 (range, 1-9) to 2 (range, 0-6). Serum vascular endothelial growth factor response rate was 91% and 46% of patients had normal serum VEGF levels. One patient had progression of the disease 3 months after the end of treatment and subsequently died from the disease. Therefore, the estimated 2 year overall survival and progression-free survival were 92%. The low-dose lenalidomide and dexamethasone regimen was well tolerated, with no treatment-related death or any grade 3 or 4 toxicity. In conclusion, low-dose lenalidomide plus dexamethasone therapy is an effective and safe regimen for patients with relapsed or refractory POEMS syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel amine N -halamine copolymerized polystyrene (ANHCPS) nanostructures were controllably fabricated as potent antibiotics by using the surfactant-free emulsion copolymerization for killing pathogenic bacteria. The morphology and size of the ANHCPS were well tailored by tuning reaction conditions such as monomer molar ratio, temperature, and copolymerization time. Effect of chlorination aging time on the oxidative chlorine content in the ANHCPS was established, and the oxidative chlorine content was determined by the modified iodometric/thiosulfate technique. Antibacterial behavior of the ANHCPS on bacterial strain was evaluated using Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli as model pathogenic bacteria via the plate counting technique, inhibition zone study, and time-kill assay. Antimicrobial results illustrated that the ANHCPS possessed superior antibacterial capability of killing pathogenic bacteria. The destruction induced by the ANHCPS on bacterial surface structure was proven by using SEM technique. The effect of the oxidative chlorine content and morphology/size on the antimicrobial capability was constructed as well. This study provides us a novel approach for controllably synthesizing amine N -halamine polymers, and making them the potent candidates for killing bacteria or even the control of microorganism contamination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The volatile components in modified polysulfide rubber were analyzed by headspace-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The sample amount, injection volume, inlet temperature of gas chromatography (GC) conditions were optimized using the orthogonal test method, and the equilibrium temperature and equilibrium time of the headspace (HS) sampling were optimized. The results showed that under such GC conditions as sample amount of 0.1 g, injection volume of 1.0 mL, the inlet temperature of 250 °C, using such HS conditions as equilibrium temperature of 90 °C, equilibrium time of 20 min, and combination of NIST MS Library search and literature retrieva, 4 kinds of volatile compounds, which recognized as the thiirane, mercaptoethanol, two butyl ether and dibutyl phthalate were idetified. Using ethylene glycol as the internal standard, the 4 kinds of main volatile components relative content of the modified polysulfide rubber products from 6 different production conditions were located in 0 // 3. 633 1 mg/g with the relative standard error (RSD) was 2.52% // 6. 56%. This method had good repeatability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Imide N-halamine-loaded poly(methyl methacrylate) nanoparticles (PMMA) based on barbituric acid were synthesized as novel antimicrobial agents using radical copolymerization. Evidence for loading imide N-halamine on PMMA nanoparticles has been inferred from different techniques like 1H NMR, FTIR, TEM, SEM, and XPS analyses. The sterilizing effect of the products on bacterial strains was systematically evaluated by selecting Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa as model pathogenic bacteria. The zone of inhibition study and the spread plate technique suggested that the imide N-halamine-loaded PMMA nanoparticles possessed powerful bactericidal activity towards both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The effects of contact period, N-halamine structure, particle size, and chlorine content on biocidal efficiency were investigated as well. Long-term stability of the imide N-halamine-loaded PMMA nanoparticles was also confirmed as a function of storage period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ruthenium nanoparticles modified on silicon nanowires (Ru/SiNWs) were prepared by directly reducing Ru ions with Si–H bonds. The composites with different contents of Ru (denoted as Ru/SiNW-x, x means the relative molar ratio of Ru to SiNW) were evaluated as electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Ru/SiNW-42.9 showed an excellent electrocatalytic activity in the oxygen-free 0.5 M H 2 SO 4 medium. The Tafel slope of Ru/SiNW-42.9 was 81 mV/decade, indicating that its catalytic effect was even better than pure Ru particles. SiNWs modified with proper content of Ru may be a promising electrocatalyst for HER. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neurons are highly polarized and post-mitotic cells with the specific requirements of neurotransmission accompanied by high metabolic demands that create a unique challenge for the maintenance of cellular homeostasis. Thus, neurons rely heavily on autophagy that constitutes a key quality control system by which dysfunctional cytoplasmic components, protein aggregates, and damaged organelles are sequestered within autophagosomes and then delivered to the lysosome for degradation. While mature lysosomes are predominantly located in the soma of neurons, the robust, constitutive biogenesis of autophagosomes occurs in the synaptic terminal via a conserved pathway that is required to maintain synaptic integrity and function. Following formation, autophagosomes fuse with late endosomes and then are rapidly and efficiently transported by the microtubule-based cytoplasmic dynein motor along the axon toward the soma for lysosomal clearance. In this review, we highlight the recent knowledge of the roles of autophagy in neuronal health and disease. We summarize the available evidence about the normal functions of autophagy as a protective factor against neurodegeneration and discuss the mechanism underlying neuronal autophagy regulation. Finally, we describe how autophagy function is affected in major neurodegenerative diseases with a special focus on Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to evaluate the technique of endoscope-assisted concurrent resection of thyroglossal duct cysts and benign thyroid nodules via a small submental incision. Endoscope-assisted thyroglossal duct cyst excision and subtotal thyroidectomy were performed via a small submental incision in six patients with thyroglossal duct cysts and benign nodular thyroid lesions. The thyroglossal duct cysts and thyroid lesions were completely excised. The incisions were 3-4 cm in length, and the mean operation time was 84 ± 11 min. The mean volume of blood loss was 19 ± 5 mL. Postoperative pathological examination findings confirmed the diagnosis of thyroglossal duct cyst in all patients. The thyroid lesions were nodular goiter in three patients and thyroid adenoma in three patients. No postoperative complications such as hematoma, pharyngeal fistula, hypocalcemia, recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis, or dysphagia were observed. No changes in the planned surgical procedure were required, and no recurrent lesions were detected during follow-up. In conclusion, patients with thyroglossal duct cysts and benign thyroid lesions can be treated by endoscopic excision via a small submental incision, thereby avoiding large neck incisions and resulting in better postoperative cosmetic outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Few data are available on physician perceptions of osteoporosis medication adherence. This study compared physician-estimated medication adherence with adherence calculated from their patients' pharmacy claims. Women aged ≥45years, with an osteoporosis-related pharmacy claim between January 1, 2005 and August 31, 2008, and continuous coverage for ≥12months before and after first (index) claim, were identified from a commercial health plan population. Prescribing physicians treating ≥5 of these patients were invited to complete a survey on their perception of medication adherence and factors affecting adherence in their patients. Pharmacy claims-based medication possession ratio (MPR) was calculated for the 12-month post-index period for each patient. Physicians who overestimated the percentage of adherent (MPR ≥0.8) patients by ≥10 points were considered “optimistic”. Logistic regression assessed physician characteristics associated with optimistic perception of adherence. A total of 376 (17.2%) physicians responded to the survey; 62.0% were male, 58.2% were aged 45 to 60years, 55.3% had ≥20years of practice, and 35.4% practiced in an academic setting. Participating physicians prescribed osteoporosis medications for 2748 patients with claims data (mean [SD] age of 62.0 [10.6] years). On average, physicians estimated 67.2% of their patients to be adherent; however, only 40% of patients were actually adherent based on pharmacy data. Optimistic physicians (73.4%) estimated 71.9% of patients to be adherent while only 32.2% of their patients were adherent based on claims data. Physicians in academic settings were more likely to be optimistic than community-based physicians (odds ratio 1.69, 95% CI: 1.01, 2.85). Overestimation of medication adherence may impede physicians' ability to provide high quality care for their osteoporosis patients. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The objective of this study was to avoid the nonrecurrent inferior laryngeal nerve (NRLN) injury during surgery, we performed preoperative CT examinations to determine the variation in abnormal course of the right subclavian artery as an indictor of the presence of the NRLN and used intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) to identify nerve. Preoperative thyroid CT examinations were performed in 783 thyroid surgery patients. The imaging characteristics that suggested the presence of the NRLN were the following: (1) the arteria lusoria arising from the dorsal side of the aortic arch and passing through the trachea and esophagus posteriorly, and the CT image showing the characteristic 'hook-like' morphology; (2) that the arteria lusoria imaging could be observed posteriorly to the trachea and esophagus; and (3) that the arteria lusoria traveled transversely from the rear of the right common carotid artery to the right subaxillary region. IONM has been applied to localize and identify NRLN. The brachiocephalic trunk was shown in 779 cases and not in the remaining four cases (0.5 %, 4/783), and these four were assumed to have the arteria lusoria. The separation point and path of the NRLNs were localized and identified precisely with IONM. The NRLN was observed during all surgeries. These four cases did not exhibit hoarseness after surgery. In conclusion, understanding of the course variations of the right subclavian artery using a preoperative CT examination provides an indicator of the presence of a NRLN. Combining these evaluation methods with IONM can avoid NRLN injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A facile CVD method was employed to introduce Mo doping on BiVO 4 photoanode. • Mo doping will induce the reconstruction of BiVO 4 surface, thereby forming a homojunction. • Oxygen vacancies will be generated by Mo doping, which is beneficial for OER reaction. • The CoPi/Graphene/Mo:BiVO 4 photoanode exhibits excellent OER activity. • This work provide a promising strategy for designing high-performance BiVO 4 photoelectrodes. Fabrication junction and doping are the two major methods to improve the charge separation and transfer efficiency of BiVO 4 (BVO) photoanode to boost its photoelectrochemical water splitting performance. Most of the reported methods require complicated fabrication steps, therefore increasing the usage of hazardous chemicals and cost as well. Herein, we report a BiVO 4 homojunction with abundant oxygen vacancies fabricated by a surface crystal orientation reconstruction induced by one step Mo doping method. After Mo doping, a few nanometer BVO with crystal orientation of (1 2 1) is formed on BVO (1 1 0) surface with abundant oxygen vacancies on BVO photoanode. Mo doped BiVO 4 photoanode (Mo:BVO) exhibits an obvious improvement of photocurrent (∼1.63 folds) compared with the pristine BVO. Using graphene as the hole extraction layer and CoPi as the cocatalysts, CoPi/Gr/Mo:BVO photoanode shows a high oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity with the onset potential of 0.3 V vs. RHE and photocurrent of 4.36 mA cm−2 at 1.23 V vs. RHE under AM 1.5 G illumination. This work provides a promising strategy for the design of high-performance BiVO 4 photoelectrodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A facile CVD method was employed to introduce Mo doping on BiVO 4 photoanode. • Mo doping will induce the reconstruction of BiVO 4 surface, thereby forming a homojunction. • Oxygen vacancies will be generated by Mo doping, which is beneficial for OER reaction. • The CoPi/Graphene/Mo:BiVO 4 photoanode exhibits excellent OER activity. • This work provide a promising strategy for designing high-performance BiVO 4 photoelectrodes. Fabrication junction and doping are the two major methods to improve the charge separation and transfer efficiency of BiVO 4 (BVO) photoanode to boost its photoelectrochemical water splitting performance. Most of the reported methods require complicated fabrication steps, therefore increasing the usage of hazardous chemicals and cost as well. Herein, we report a BiVO 4 homojunction with abundant oxygen vacancies fabricated by a surface crystal orientation reconstruction induced by one step Mo doping method. After Mo doping, a few nanometer BVO with crystal orientation of (1 2 1) is formed on BVO (1 1 0) surface with abundant oxygen vacancies on BVO photoanode. Mo doped BiVO 4 photoanode (Mo:BVO) exhibits an obvious improvement of photocurrent (∼1.63 folds) compared with the pristine BVO. Using graphene as the hole extraction layer and CoPi as the cocatalysts, CoPi/Gr/Mo:BVO photoanode shows a high oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity with the onset potential of 0.3 V vs. RHE and photocurrent of 4.36 mA cm−2 at 1.23 V vs. RHE under AM 1.5 G illumination. This work provides a promising strategy for the design of high-performance BiVO 4 photoelectrodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of an endoscopy-assisted surgical technique, designed to leave a scar-free neck, for removing large benign thyroid tumors. Methods: The subjects were 63 patients who underwent endoscopy-assisted surgery via a subclavian approach (endoscopic group) and 79 patients who underwent similar surgery via the conventional approach (conventional group). With the endoscopy-assisted approach, a 4-6 cm incision was made over the larger side of the tumor, at the lower edge of the clavicle, 3-5 cm beside the midline. Results: There was no significant difference in the distribution of patients within each group and pathological examination proved benign for all patients. The cosmetic results of the endoscopic group were significantly better than those of the conventional group ( Z = 9.900 , P = 0.000). None of the patients in either group suffered permanent recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis. The only minor complications in the endoscopic group were transient hypocalcemia, which resolved within 1 week ( n = 2); skin tension which cleared up within 3 months ( n = 2); and temporary recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis, which resolved within 1 month ( n = 1). No significant distinction was found between the endoscopic group and the conventional group ( χ = 1.129, P = 0.466). Conclusion: Endoscopic surgery via a subclavian approach is appropriate and effective for treating patients with a benign thyroid tumor larger than 4 cm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Electrocatalytic hydrogenolysis (ECH) dechlorination of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) in an aqueous solution was investigated at room temperature using a roughened silver–palladium cathode (Pd/Ag(r) cathode) in batch-mode electrolysis experiments. The Pd/Ag(r) cathode was prepared by galvanic replacement reaction (GRR) of a roughened silver (Ag(r)) electrode with PdCl2 solution. The effect of preparation conditions on the catalytic activity and stability of the Pd/Ag(r) cathode and of operating parameters on the rate and current efficiency (CE) of the ECH dechlorination reaction were evaluated. In particular, the ECH dechlorination mechanism of 2,4-D was analysed with regard to the dependence of dechlorination efficiency on the different operating parameters. Moreover, preliminary assessments of product selectivity and carbon mass balance of the dechlorination reaction were carried out. The results demonstrate that a moderate GRR time and GRR temperature favoured the catalytic activity and cathode stability and that a basic aqueous solution without ethanol, high 2,4-D concentration, and moderate current density had the most beneficial effects on the dechlorination process. Under the optimised conditions, 25mM of 2,4-D could be selectively dechlorinated to phenoxyacetic acid with 85% yield and 66% CE at 298K after 6h electrolysis. The only products generated during the electrolysis process were phenoxyacetic acid, 2-chlorophenoxyacetic acid, and 4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]