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Background : We conducted this study to assess the efficacy and safety of PF-72 (TGel Bio Co. Ltd., Seoul, Korea) combined with 0.75% ropivacaine hydrochloride in relieving the postoperative pain in patients undergoing single-level lumbar discectomy. Methods : A total of 95 eligible patients were randomized to either the trial group (n = 47; PF-72 combined with 0.75% ropivacaine hydrochloride) or the control group (n = 48; ramosetron hydrochloride 0.3 mg). The patients were monitored at 3, 6, 24, 48 and 72 hours postoperatively, for which the cumulative area under the curve (AUC0-72) of NRS pain scores was plotted and the amount of rescue analgesics used at 6, 24, 48 and 72 hours or 24, 48 and 72 hours postoperatively. Moreover, incidences of treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) and serious adverse events (SAEs) were analyzed. Results : The amount of analgesics used and the AUC0-72 of the NRS pain scores was significantly smaller and the NRS pain scores were significantly lower in the trial group as compared with the control group (P < 0.05). In addition, there was no significant difference in the number of the patients presenting with no pain (NRS pain scores ≤; 3) between the two groups at 48 and 72 hours postoperatively (P > 0.05). There were no significant differences in the incidences of TEAEs and SAEs between the two groups (P > 0.05). Conclusion : s: PF-72 combined with 0.75% ropivacaine hydrochloride is an effective, safe drug delivery system.

The crab shell biochar（BC） was prepared from waste crab shells，and the composite gel ball was prepared by sodium alginate fixation. Combined with the shape of the ball and the removal rate of Pb2+，it was found that the performance of the crab shell biochar sodium alginate gel ball（BC-SA） was the best when the mass ratio of crab shell biochar to sodium alginate was 1∶2. The factors affecting the adsorption of Pb2+ by BC-SA and its regeneration ability were investigated. The blank rubber ball and BC-SA before and after adsorption of Pb2+ was characterized by scanning electron microscopy and Fourier infrared spectroscopy. The results showed that the initial pH of the Pb2+ solution，the amount of BC-SA dosage，the initial concentration of Pb2+，and the reaction time had significant effects on the adsorption of Pb2+ by BC-SA. The adsorption process conformed to the pseudo-second-order kinetic model，indicating that the adsorption was mainly chemical adsorption. Langmuir isotherm could better fit the experimental data，and the maximum removal rate was 91.06%. The regeneration results showed that after five desorption adsorption cycles，the removal rate of Pb2+ by BC-SA was 82%，showing good reusability. BC was successfully immobilized and the carboxyl group of hydroxyl group on the surface of BC-SA complexed with Pb2+.

Hair plays important roles, ranging from the conservation of body heat to the preservation of psychological well-being. Hair loss or alopecia affects millions worldwide, but methods that can be used to regrow hair are lacking. We report that quiescent (telogen) hair follicles can be stimulated to initiate anagen and hair growth by small molecules that activate autophagy, including the metabolites α-ketoglutarate (α-KG) and α-ketobutyrate (α-KB), and the prescription drugs rapamycin and metformin, which impinge on mTOR and AMPK signaling. Stimulation of hair growth by these agents is blocked by specific autophagy inhibitors, suggesting a mechanistic link between autophagy and hair regeneration. Consistently, increased autophagy is detected upon anagen entry during the natural hair follicle cycle, and oral α-KB prevents hair loss in aged mice. Our finding that anagen can be pharmacologically activated in telogen skin when natural anagen-inducing signal(s) are absent has implications for the treatment of hair loss patients.

The study of the movement of pollutants through ducts facilitates the assessment and control of ambient air quality problems (AQ). Among other things, understanding the deposition and distribution of particulate matter in elbows is important for practical engineering applications. In this study, the turbulent flow field and particle deposition in a 90° bend is investigated using RANS simulation. The RNG k-ε turbulence model was employed to calculate the airflow flow field and the discrete phase model (DPM) was used to simulate the particle phase motion. Where for the discrete phase, the Discrete Random Wander (DRW) model was considered and the deposition of particles with sizes of 1, 3, 5, 10, 20, and 40 μιτι in the flow field was investigated separately. Grid-independent validation of the models used in the simulations was performed. The effects of inlet velocity, particle size, and direction of gravity on the flow field and particle deposition in the elbow were considered. The results show that the flow field in the bend is strongly influenced by the above parameters. Among them, the turbulent disturbance in the bend section is the most intense, with high turbulent energy value, and it is also the region with the largest energy loss. The inlet velocity is negatively correlated with the deposition rate, and the particle size is positively correlated with the deposition rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant NAPDH oxidase (NOX) gene family members are critical producers of ROS and play crucial roles in plant signaling, development, and stress responses. Opisthopappus taihangensis is a pivotal wild genetic resource in Asteraceae. To date, little knowledge exists about the functions of NOXs in O. taihangensis. In this study, seven typical NOXs and seven ferric reduction oxidases (FROs) were identified in O. taihangensis. Dispersed duplication might play a critical role in the expansion of the NOX/FRO gene family in O. taihangensis, and most of the NOX/FRO homologous pairs have undergone purifying selection. Although the results of the collinearity analysis show that these genes were relatively conserved, the gain and loss of members in this gene family occurred frequently during the evolution of Asteraceae. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the FROs are relatively ancient, and the earliest diverged branch was revealed by the maximum likelihood (ML) tree. The Asteraceae NOXs were divided into six subgroups according to their relationship with Arabidopsis and rice members. The transcriptome profile unveiled tissue-specific expression patterns and complex response modes under drought and salt stresses. OtNOX6 and OtNOX7 could be recognized as important candidates to respond to drought and salt stress. Our results provide clues and references for further in-depth exploration of NOX/FRO function in O. taihangensis and other horticulture plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Museum collections are an important source for resolving taxonomic issues and species delimitation. Type specimens as name-bearing specimens, traditionally used in morphology-based taxonomy, are, due to the progress in historical DNA methodology, increasingly used in molecular taxonomic studies. Museum collections are subject to constant deterioration and major disasters. The digitisation of collections offers a partial solution to these problems and makes museum collections more accessible to the wider scientific community. The Extended Specimen Approach (ESA) is a method of digitisation that goes beyond the physical specimen to include the historical information stored in the collection. The collections of the Natural History Museum Vienna represent one of the largest non-university research centres in Europe and, due to their size and numerous type specimens, are frequently used for taxonomic studies by visiting and resident scientists. Recently, a version of ESA was presented in the common catalogue of the Fish and Evertebrata Varia collections and extended to include genetic information on type specimens in a case study of a torpedo ray. Here the case study was extended to a heterogeneous selection of historical type series from different collections with the type locality of Vienna. The goal was to apply the ESA , including genetic data on a selected set of type material: three parasitic worms, three myriapods, two insects, twelve fishes, and one bird species. Five hundred digital items (photographs, X-rays, scans) were produced, and genetic analysis was successful in eleven of the 21 type series. In one case a complete mitochondrial genome was assembled, and in another case ten short fragments (100–230 bp) of the cytochrome oxidase I gene were amplified and sequenced. For five type series, genetic analysis confirmed their taxonomic status as previously recognised synonyms, and for one the analysis supported its status as a distinct species. For two species, genetic information was provided for the first time. This catalogue thus demonstrates the usefulness of ESA in providing digitised data of types that can be easily made available to scientists worldwide for further study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding species boundaries maintenance in the face of hybridization/introgression is an intriguing yet complex topic in evolutionary biology. The underlying mechanisms, however, remain elusive. To address this, we propose to investigate the role of climatic shifts in shaping genetic structure and influencing species boundaries. We combine multilocus genetic data and species distribution modeling to explore how past and current climatic shifts affect the genetic structure and demographic history of two Taiwan endemic gingers, Zingiber pleiostachyum and Z. shuanglongense. We identified a well-delimited genetic structure with evidence of admixture, indicating incomplete reproductive isolation between the two gingers. This is likely due to secondary contact and range overlap during the last glacial maximum, leading to sporadic instances of hybridization. Niche overlap tests based on climate and soil data indicate that these two gingers occupy similar but nonidentical ecological niches. Furthermore, we found that the considerable differences in their current geographic distribution and altitude preferences might have resulted from different seed dispersal capabilities and competitive exclusion due to their similar niche preferences. Our results reveal a model where altitudinal differentiation and dispersal strategy synergistically reinforce the species divergence, thereby illuminating the importance of these factors in shaping and maintaining the island's biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper presents a multilayer hybrid model for sensorless measurement of pump operating status, with the objective of enabling safe and stable operations while reducing energy losses. The model takes easily measurable variables such as rotational frequency and valve opening as input features to predict the performance parameters of the centrifugal pump. By integrating just-in-time learning (JITL) with Gaussian process regression (GPR) and leveraging the unique probability features of GPR, a just-in-time-learning GPR (JGPR) is developed to extract valuable feature information. The JGPR sequentially predicts the flow rate, coefficient for dynamic head, and shaft power. The predicted values are extended to other input features, which can accurately capture the characteristics of the centrifugal pump and effectively replace the process of acquiring process parameters through sensors. Finally, the mechanism model is integrated into the multilayer JGPR model to calculate the performance parameters of centrifugal pump. The validation results indicate a strong agreement between predicted and experimental results, with predicted meeting performance parameters all engineering requirements. Compared to a single model, the multilayer hybrid model significantly improves the reliability of predictions, demonstrating the feasibility of using this approach to predict performance parameters. This research provides valuable insights into the measurement of sensorless pump operating states, enabling safe and efficient operation in complex conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]