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Small-pore zeolites catalyze the methanol-to-olefins (MTO) reaction via a dual-cycle mechanism, encompassing both olefin- and aromatic-based cycles. Zeolite topology is crucial in determining both the catalytic pathway and the product selectivity of the MTO reaction. Herein, we investigate the mechanistic influence of MCM-35 zeolite on the MTO process. The structural properties of the as-synthesized MCM-35 catalyst, including its confined cages (6.19 Å), were characterized, confirming them as the catalytic centers. Then, the MTO reactions were systematically performed and investigated over a MCM-35 catalyst. Feeding pure methanol to the reactor yielded minimal MTO activity despite the formation of some aromatic species within the zeolite. The results suggest that the aromatic-based cycle is entirely suppressed in MCM-35, preventing the simultaneous occurrence of the olefin-based cycle. However, cofeeding a small amount of propene in methanol can obviously enhance the methanol conversion under the same studied reaction conditions. Thus, the exclusive operation of the olefin-based cycle in the MTO reaction, independent of the aromatic-based cycle, was demonstrated in MCM-35 zeolite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reducing doctor-patient conflict is an important part of coordinating doctor-patient disputes and easing doctor-patient relationship, which is conducive to building a harmonious medical environment and promoting the healthy development of medical undertakings. This paper constructs a multi-decision-maker mixed conflict model based on rough set theory, puts forward the matrix operation expression of the conflict degree theory in the Pawlak model, and gives a more objective and scientific evaluation function. Combined with hot issues of doctor-patient conflict, the proposed multi-decision-maker mixed conflict model is applied to doctor-patient conflict, examines the doctor-patient relationship in the medical institution system from multiple internal perspectives, and calculates feasible solutions in the conflict system. The results show that high medical quality, high standardize medication, high institutional efficiency, high staff efficiency, high hospital benefits, high hospital revenue, medium employee development, medium equipment development, or high medical quality, high standardize medication, high institutional efficiency, medium staff efficiency, medium hospital benefits, high hospital revenue, high employee development, and high equipment development are important conditions for building a harmonious medical environment and reducing doctor-patient conflicts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Time to stabilisation (TTS) provides limited information to evaluate the dynamic postural control for individuals with functional ankle instability in single-leg landing task. More information is needed to understand TTS and evaluate the dynamic postural control better. The purpose is to develop a method estimating TTS, initial impact force (IIF) and landing leg stiffness (LLS) through fitting ground reaction force (GRF) decay in single leg landing with exponential vibration decay function (EVDF), and investigate effects of landing directions and GRF components on these parameters. Thirty-nine healthy participants were recruited. EVDF was used to fit GRF decays in different single-leg landings. TTS, IIF, and LLS were compared across landing directions and GRF components. The mean regression determinants of fitting GRF decays with EVDF were greater than 0.50. TTS was sensitive to GRF components (P = 0.041 females, P = 0.028 males). IIF was sensitive to GRF components (P = 0.001) for both genders. LLS was sensitive to GRF components (P = 0.023) for males. This method showed a moderate to strong feasibility for reporting GRF decay during landing, and provided movement characteristic information for better understanding of dynamic postural control together with TTS during landing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the influence of bully victims on the suicidal tendencies of college students, and the moderating role of teacher emotional support and family support in the relationship between bully victims and college students' suicidal tendencies, in order to provide a reference for the effective intervention of college students' suicide behavior. Methods: Based on a survey of 15,560 college students. Multiple stepwise regression and Interaction analysis explore the impact of the bully victimization on college students' suicidal tendencies and the moderating role of family support and teacher emotional support in the relationship between the bully victim and college students' suicidal tendencies. Results: This study found that the Suicidal Tendencies score of college students was 19.79 points, indicating that some college students have a risk of suicidal tendencies; secondly, verbal bullying (β = 0.084, P < 0.001), physical bullying (β = 0.222, P < 0.001) and social relationship bullying (β = 0.122, P < 0.001) have a positive and significant impact on the suicidal tendencies of college students; in addition, family support and teacher emotional support have a significant regulatory effect on the bully victim and college students Suicidal Tendencies and family support. The regulating effect was significantly higher than that of teacher emotional support. Conclusion: Chinese college students have the risk of suicidal tendencies; peer bullying victimization is an important reason for affecting college students' suicidal tendencies, teacher emotional support is a protective factor for bully victims to affect college students' suicidal tendencies, and family support has a significant moderating effect on the bully victim and college students' suicidal tendencies. Therefore, it is necessary to actively adopt home-school linkage and home-school communication to reduce campus violence and increase the psychological resilience of college students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: With the continuing impact of the aging population, medical-elderly care integrated institutions, as a way to bear the pressure of medical and elderly care, effectively ensure the quality of life of the elderly in their later years. Objectives: To explore the preferences of medical-elderly care integrated institutions among Chinese middle-aged and older people and to provide a reference for establishing elderly-oriented development of medical-elderly care integrated institutions. Methods: In this study, a discrete choice experiment (DCE) was used to investigate the preferences of people aged 45 years and older in medical-elderly care integrated institutions in China from October 20, 2022, to November 10, 2022. A mixed logit regression model was used to analyze the DCE data. Participants' willingness to pay for each attribute was also calculated. Results: Data from 420 participants who provided valid responses were included in the analysis. In terms of the choice preference, moderate service quality (vs. poor service quality: β = 1.707, p < 0.001, 95% CI 1.343 ~ 2.071) and high medical technology level (vs. low medical technology level: β = 1.535, p < 0.001, 95% CI 1.240 ~ 1.830) were the most important attributes to middle-aged and older people, followed by monthly cost, environmental facilities, the convenience of transportation, and entertainment activities. Regarding the willingness to pay, participants were more willing to pay for service quality and medical technology level than for other attributes. They were willing to pay $3156 and $2838 more for "poor service quality" and "low medical technology level," respectively, to receive "moderate service quality " (p = 0.007, 95% CI 963 ~ 5349) and "high medical technology level" (p = 0.005, 95% CI 852 ~ 4824). Conclusions: The state should attach great importance to the development of medical-elderly care integrated services industry, actively optimize the model of the medical-elderly care integrated service, improve the facilities, and create a healthy environment. At the same time, give full play to the role of medical insurance, long-term care insurance, and commercial insurance, so as to improve the comprehensive quality of life of the elderly. Public contribution: The design of the experimental selection was guided by 10 experts in the field, 5 Chinese government officials, and interviews and focus group discussions, without whose participation this study would not have been possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Frozen storage often leads to quality deterioration of surimi‐based products. At present, most of the research focuses on improving the quality of surimi products by adding cryoprotectants, and there are few studies available on preparation technology. Therefore, the effects of different gelation‐freezing treatments, high temperature heating‐freezing treatment (HF), low temperature heating‐high temperature heating‐freezing treatment (LHF) and low temperature heating‐freezing‐high temperature heating treatment (LFH) on the quality changes of surimi gels containing hydroxypropyl distarch phosphate (HPDSP) during frozen storage were investigated. RESULTS: With the extension of frozen storage time, the quality of surimi gel in all groups decreased, but the quality of surimi gel with HPDSP was better than that of surimi gel without HPDSP. Compared with HF and LHF, the change range of breaking force, hardness, gumminess, whiteness and disulfide bond content of HPDSP‐surimi gel treated with LFH was the least during the frozen storage. In the reheating process of LFH, HPDSP could absorb the water lost during freezing. Therefore, the change in the transverse relaxation time of HPDSP‐surimi gels treated with LFH was smaller, with more immobile water and less free water and P22 of 96.81% and P23 of 0% at 16 weeks. In addition, the breaking deformation, cohesiveness, resilience, springiness and protein composition of surimi gels with and without HPDSP treated with HF, LHF and LFH did not change significantly during frozen storage. CONCLUSION: The combination of LFH and HPDSP could effectively reduce the quality change of surimi gel during frozen storage. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy-absorbing materials have extensive applications in aerospace and automotive applications. Research has shown buckling initiators, or triggers, in energy-absorbing tubular structures increase the energy absorbed by encouraging the side panels to fold when loaded out of plane in compression conditions. Additively manufactured TPE honeycombs were designed in this study to include these buckling initiators, which introduced a slight decrease in initial weight, as well as initial stress concentrations, while improving crashworthiness characteristics. The samples with buckling initiators (1BI) showed an increase in crush efficiency when directly compared to their no buckling initiator (0BI) counterparts. The 1BI samples maintained an increased crush efficiency regardless of the strain rate used. The samples with 1BI were able to better equilibrate the peak stress with the plateau stress. These honeycomb samples were found to maintain their crush efficiency, even after multiple rounds of compression testing. The quasi-static 0BI samples experienced a 23.4% decrease in the peak stress after multiple rounds of compression testing, while the 1BI samples saw approximately a 23.0% decrease. The 1BI samples averaged a decrease in crush efficiency of 0.5%, while the 0BI samples saw a decrease in crush efficiency of 5%. As the strain rate increased, the crush efficiency for the 1BI samples showed an increase in performance, with a smaller degradation in crush efficiency over multiple uses. Visco-elastic honeycomb with buckling initiators has a higher energy absorption than samples with no buckling initiators when exposed to multiple impact cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction:  Suicidal ideation and suicidal behavior, as the most severe psychological and behavioral problems among adolescents, bring not only significant damage to individual social functioning but also cause enormous economic and social pressure, which will ultimately be detrimental to social development and social stability. This paper aimed to explore the potential relationship between teacher discrimination behavior, peer bullying victimization, anxiety disorders, and adolescent suicidal ideation based on the Vulnerability-Stress Model.Methods:  From September to November 2022, our research team surveyed 21,017 junior high school students from 12 secondary schools in ten cities in China. Mplus 8.3 software was used to analyze the pathways of teacher discrimination behavior on adolescent suicidal ideation.Results:  The results showed that teacher preference had a significant negative effect on suicidal ideation, and teacher prejudice significantly positively affected suicidal ideation. Mediation test results indicated that there were significant independent mediating effects of peer bullying victimization and anxiety disorders between teacher discrimination behavior and adolescents' suicidal ideation, as well as significant chain mediating effects. Conclusion:  Secondary school teachers should improve their self-quality and pay more attention to adolescents' suicidal ideation. Teachers are expected to put love into their education, respect and trust each student, and attend to their emotional needs unbiasedly. Educators should develop targeted prevention and intervention measures according to the actual situation of school bullying and also strengthen adolescents' life-value education to improve the psychological quality of adolescents and create a healthy campus atmosphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct conversion of methane to methanol is an effective and practical process to improve the efficiency of natural gas utilization. Copper (Cu)-based catalysts have attracted great research attention, due to their unique ability to selectively catalyze the partial oxidation of methane to methanol at relatively low temperatures. In recent decades, many different catalysts have been studied to achieve a high conversion of methane to methanol, including the Cu-based enzymes, Cu-zeolites, Cu-MOFs (metal-organic frameworks) and Cu-oxides. In this mini review, we will detail the obtained evidence on the exact state of the active Cu sites on these various catalysts, which have arisen from the most recently developed techniques and the results of DFT calculations. We aim to establish the structure–performance relationship in terms of the properties of these materials and their catalytic functionalities, and also discuss the unresolved questions in the direct conversion of methane to methanol reactions. Finally, we hope to offer some suggestions and strategies for guiding the practical applications regarding the catalyst design and engineering for a high methanol yield in the methane oxidation reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This study presented a comparative evaluation of the effects of 5% tapioca starch, acetylated distarch phosphate and hydroxypropyl distarch phosphate (HPDSP) on the changes in surimi gel quality after the traditional gelation procedure (suwari‐cooking‐freezing) and a novel gelation procedure (suwari‐freezing‐cooking, SFC). Overall, subjected to the SFC procedure, lower hydrophobic interactions, lower total sulphydryl group content, higher disulphide bond content and a more orderly protein conformation was observed in the HPDSP‐surimi gel. These changes resulted in smaller drip loss, stabler breaking force and deformation, and less structural damage during frozen storage. Since the strongest hydrophilicity of HPDSP and the lowest gelatinisation temperature (63.15 °C), when it was reheated and then gelatinized, it interacted more closely with the protein. These findings indicated that subjected to the SFC procedure, the addition of 5% HPDSP effectively decreased the changes in the quality of the surimi gel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two geological steering models, the particle swarm support vector machine (PSO-SVM) and the gray wolf support vector machine (GWO–SVM), were analyzed to determine the models' optimal global parameters. The fitness function was used to compare and analyze the models, while the original data and feature reconstruction data were used to simulate and analyze the models. The most suitable model for shale gas geosteering identification was selected; the multi-source information fusion for the shale gas geosteering design was completed; and a complete geosteering discrimination model was established. Research on the shale gas geosteering identification system with multi-source information fusion was conducted, and we completed the technical scheme design of shale gas geosteering discrimination system with multi-source information fusion, supported the ground real-time data acquisition system, processed the geosteering discrimination, and completed the demand analysis of the shale gas geosteering discrimination system with multi-source information fusion. In the process of drilling, the relationship between the trajectory and the formation position was analyzed, and the drilling trajectory was monitored. The system mainly included the software main interface, data, and geosteering identification module. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of M -WO x -MgO y (M = Ni, Pd, Pt, Ru) catalysts was prepared and their catalytic performances were systematically investigated in the chemoselective hydrogenolysis of glucose to diols. Among these catalysts, Ru-WO x -MgO y exhibited superior catalytic activity in the production of diols as well as ethylene glycol from glucose under mild reaction conditions. Then various Characteristic techniques including XRD, BET, FTIR, SEM, TEM, HAADF-STEM, XPS, NH 3 -TPD, and Pyridine-adsorbed DRIFTS were adopted to investigate the structural properties of these catalysts and correlate them with their catalytic performances. Based on these characterization results, it showed that the outstanding catalytic activity of Ru-WO x -MgO y catalyst was attributed to its higher content of oxygen vacancies, which served as the active acidic sites and greatly lowered the activation energy required for glucose conversion, thereby promoting the efficient production of diols. [Display omitted] • A series of bifunctional M -WO x -MgO y (M = Ni, Pd, Pt, Ru) catalysts are prepared. • Ru-WO x -MgO y shows superior activities in converting glucose to diols. • The formation of oxygen vacancies increases the number of acidic sites. • Higher content of oxygen vacancies reduces energy barrier of glucose conversion. • Higher content of oxygen vacancies facilitates chemoselective production of diols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at the problems of the difficulty of extracting the fault sensitive features in the mixed domain of bearings under complex working conditions and the lack of self-adaptability of support vector machine (SVM) parameters, to solve these problems, we investigate a diagnosis method combining optimal feature selection and self-adaptive SVM. Firstly, the optimal feature space through multicluster feature selection (MCFS) is constructed. Then, the differential evolution (DE) strategy is used to improve the search performance of gray wolf optimizer (GWO) to improve the diagnosis accuracy of SVM and make it strong self-adaptability. The experimental results show that, with a small number of sensitive features containing significant category differences, the proposed method not only guarantees the construction of the optimal feature space under the minimum feature dimension, but also greatly improves the accuracy of fault recognition. Simultaneously, compared with the traditional feature reduction method (PCA), the proposed MCFS combined diagnosis model improves the accuracy from 98.5% to 100% with 1.5%. Concurrently, compared with MPA-SVM, GWO-SVM, and PSO-SVM, the convergence performance is improved by 61.54%, 78.26%, and 92.64%, respectively. It can seek the best classification performance in the shortest time. The effectiveness and superiority of the proposed method are fully verified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gallstone disease (GSD) is a common and costly biliary disorder. Multiple studies have investigated the associations between blood lipid metabolism and GSD risk; however, the results are inconsistent. This research aimed to comprehensively evaluate the relationships among serum total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, triglycerides and GSD risk. Methods: Firstly, a multi-center cross-sectional study was carried out. Subjects who participated in the health examination in three hospitals between January 2015 and May 2020 were recruited. Multivariable logistic regression was used to investigate blood lipid metabolism associated with GSD risk. Then, a meta-analysis was performed to verify the associations further. Medline and Embase databases were systematically searched before June 10, 2021. The DerSimonian and Laird random-effect model was utilized when the heterogeneity was high; otherwise, fixed-effect model was adopted. Results: There were 548,934 eligible participants included in the multi-center study, and 45,392 of them were diagnosed with GSD. The results demonstrated that total cholesterol and HDL cholesterol were negatively associated with GSD risk in both high vs. low model and per mmol/L increase model, while triglyceride was positively associated with GSD risk in the per unit increase model. In the meta-analysis, 104 studies with approximately 3 million participants were finally included. The results verified that HDL cholesterol [odds ratio (OR) = 0.636, P = 5.97 × 10− 16 in high vs low model; OR = 0.974, P = 6.07 × 10− 05 in per unit model] and triglyceride (OR = 1.192, P = 3.47 × 10− 05 in high vs. low model; OR = 1.011, P = 5.12 × 10− 05 in per unit model) were related to GSD risk in the two models. Conclusions: The findings indicated that low HDL cholesterol levels and high triglyceride levels were risk factors for GSD. This study provides a basis for identifying the population at high risk for GSD and implementing tertiary prevention strategies for GSD, thus contributing to GSD prevention as well as disease burden relief. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ankle instability limits physical activities and undermines a person's quality of life. Tai Chi's health benefits have been reported in different population groups. However, the effects of Tai Chi on neuromuscular function among young adults with functional ankle instability (FAI) remain unclear. Therefore, we aim to investigate the effect of Tai Chi on young adults with FAI.Methods: This study will be conducted as a randomized controlled trial with blinded assessors. A total of 104 young adults with FAI will be recruited and randomly assigned to intervention and control groups. The participants in the simplified Tai Chi exercise program (STCEP) group will receive a 12-week Tai Chi training. The participants in the control group will receive a low-intensity exercise program and health education for 12 weeks. The primary and secondary outcomes will be assessed at baseline, 4th, 8th, and 12th weeks. Primary outcome measures will include the Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool (CAIT) score, kinematics/kinetics data, electromyography during single-leg landing tasks, and the modified Star Excursion Balance Test (mSEBT). Secondary outcome measures will include the total time of Dynamic Leap and Balance Test (DLBT), ankle muscle strength, and ankle proprioception.Discussion: This study will investigate the effects of Tai Chi exercise on the neuromuscular function of patients with FAI, as indicated by ankle joint biomechanics, ankle proprioception, balance, ankle muscle strength, and ankle muscle activation. Results will demonstrate that Tai Chi can be an effective exercise for young adults with FAI.Trial Registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR2100044089 . Registered on 10 March 2021. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This study identifies serum C4 levels as an independent risk factor for the progression of IgAN. • It highlights the potential of RASS inhibitors to improve renal function and manage hypertension in IgAN patients. • It suggests that monitoring serum C4 levels could become an integral part of managing IgAN, guiding treatment choices and prognostication. To investigate the impact of renin–angiotensin–aldosterone-system (RAAS) inhibitors on complement component 4 (C4) serum levels in patients with immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN). A total of 423 patients diagnosed with IgAN at Shanxi Provincial People's Hospital, China, between 1 January 2017 and 31 December 2021 were divided into two groups, a RAAS inhibitor group and a non-RAAS inhibitor group, for comparative analysis. The RAAS inhibitor group exhibited significantly increased C4 and eGFR levels and had a higher proportion of patients with hypertension compared with the non-RAAS inhibitor group. Serum C4 levels were positively correlated with 24-hour urine protein, serum C3 levels and blood uric acid levels but negatively correlated with eGFR levels. In addition, serum C4 levels were positively correlated with the severity of mesangial hypercellularity and interstitial/tubular injury. Through prognostic analysis, serum C4 was identified as an independent risk factor for the progression of IgAN. Renin–angiotensin–aldosterone-system inhibitors can increase serum C4 levels in patients with IgAN and may represent an independent risk factor for disease progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using sunlight to catalyze water to produce H 2 is a key technology to solve the problem of energy shortage. In this research, perovskite-type NiMnO 3 and Ni 3 S 4 was recombined through secondary hydrothermal treatment. The optimal hydrogen evolution for composite materials NiMnO 3 /Ni 3 S 4 is 3.76 μmol mg−1 h−1, that 3.7 and 4 times more than that of two monomer materials, respectively. After four cycles of catalytic experiments, proving the high efficiency and stability of the composite catalyst. The characteristics of fluorescence spectroscopy and electrochemistry have confirmed the existence of p-n heterostructures, the excellent catalytic performance is related to the built-in electric field (accelerating the separation and utilization of photocharges) generated by the combination of NiMnO 3 and Ni 3 S 4. Strengthening the performance of the catalyst by constructing a heterostructure is an effective modification strategy and has positive application value in the fields of sensors and optoelectronics. [Display omitted] • The three-dimensional structure of the catalyst has a large number of active sites. • Simple hydrothermal method to uniformly deposit NiMnO 3 on the surface of Ni 3 S 4. • The built-in electric field in the heterostructure promotes charge separation. • p-n heterojunction improves the hydrogen production performance of the catalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the effects of a 16-week Tai Chi (TC) intervention on cutaneous sensitivity and proprioception among older adults with and without sensory loss. Thirty-six older adults were divided into sensory loss and control groups, and they underwent a 16-week TC intervention. Significant interactions were detected in heel cutaneous sensitivity (p = 0.046, F = 4.419) and knee flexion (p = 0.043, F = 4.580), extension (p = 0.027, F = 5.529) and ankle plantar-flexion proprioception (p = 0.037, F = 4.860). The post hoc test indicated that in the sensory loss group, heel cutaneous sensitivity threshold (p = 0.034) and knee flexion (p = 0.004), extension (p = 0.002) and ankle plantar-flexion (p = 0.023) proprioception threshold decreased at week 17, whereas in the control group, knee flexion (p = 0.029) proprioception threshold decreased at week 17. TC intervention improved cutaneous sensitivity at more sites and proprioception in more joints among the older adults with sensory loss. TC intervention is a good option for older adults to exercise, and it is more effective among older adults with sensory loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Data on the efficacy and safety of nonvitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients with cancer are limited. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis to compare the efficacy and safety between NOACs and warfarin in this population. Methods: A comprehensive search of the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases for articles published through July 2020 was performed. An evaluation of each study was conducted, and data were extracted. Pooled odds ratio (OR) estimates and 95% CIs were calculated. Results: Eight studies (3 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and 5 retrospective cohort studies) involving a total of 24,665 patients were included. Among the RCTs, there were no significant differences in the rates of stroke or systemic embolism (OR=0.69; 95% CI, 0.45–1.06; P=0.09), venous thromboembolism (OR=0.91; 95% CI, 0.33–2.52; P=0.86), myocardial infarction (OR=0.74; 95% CI, 0.44–1.23; P=0.24), major bleeding (OR=0.81; 95% CI, 0.61–1.06; P=0.12), or major or nonmajor clinically relevant bleeding (OR= 0.98; 95% CI, 0.82–1.19; P=0.86) between the NOAC and warfarin groups. Among the observational studies, patients who used NOACs had a significantly lower risk than those who used warfarin. The prevalence rates of ischemic stroke (OR=0.51; 95% CI, 0.28–0.92; P=0.02), VTE (OR=0.50; 95% CI, 0.41–0.60; P<0.00001), major bleeding (OR=0.28; 95% CI, 0.14–0.55; P=0.0002), and intracranial or gastrointestinal bleeding (OR=0.59; 95% CI, 0.37–0.92; P=0.02) were significantly reduced in the NOAC group. Conclusion: Our meta-analysis confirms that NOACs are as safe and effective as warfarin and can be applied in the real world; this data can serve as a reference for clinical doctors for formulating treatment strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is the most common type of thyroid cancer. However, due to the lack of reliable prognostic biomarkers for PTC, overtreatment has been on the rise. Therefore, our research aims to identify new and promising prognostic biomarkers and provide fresh perspectives for clinical decision making. Methods: The RNA‐seq data and clinical data of PTC samples were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas data portal. GSE64912 and GSE83520 datasets were downloaded through the GEOquery R package. The difference in the expression of oxoglutarate dehydrogenase like (OGDHL) between PTC and normal tissues was explored by the Wilcoxon test. Kaplan–Meier (KM) and Cox regression analyses were used to further explore the prognostic value of OGDHL. The tumor microenvironments of PTC patients were explored based on ssGSEA and Tumor Immune Estimation Resource online database. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) was performed to explore the biological processes associated with OGDHL. Results: The expression level of OGDHL in PTC was significantly altered compared to that in normal tissues (p < 0.05). Various biological processes associated with OGDHL were also explored through GSEA. KM analysis suggested that the low‐OGDHL group had a better overall survival [OS, p = 3.49e‐03, hazard ratio (HR) = 4.567]. The receiver operating characteristic curve also indicated the favorable prognostic potential of OGDHL. Moreover, OGDHL was proved to be an independent prognostic indicator in Cox analysis (p = 1.33e‐02, HR = 0.152). In the analysis of the tumor microenvironment, the low‐OGDHL group showed a lower immune score and stromal score, while tumor purity was higher. The expression of OGDHL was also closely correlated with the infiltration of immune cells. Conclusion: Our study elucidated the influence of OGDHL on the prognosis of PTC and demonstrated its potential as a novel biomarker, which would provide new insights into the prognosis monitoring and clinical decision making in PTC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Melanoma is a skin cancer with great metastatic potential, which is responsible for the major deaths in skin cancer. Although the prognosis of melanoma patients has been improved with the comprehensive treatment, for patients with metastasis, the complexity and heterogeneity of diffuse diseases make prognosis prediction and systematic treatment difficult and ineffective. Therefore, we established a novel personalized immune-related gene pairs index (IRGPI) to predict the prognosis of patients with metastatic melanoma, which was conducive to provide new insights into clinical decision-making and prognostic monitoring for metastatic melanoma. Through complex analysis and filtering, we identified 24 immune-related gene pairs to build the model and obtained the optimal cut-off value from receiver operating characteristic curves, which divided the patients into high and low immune-risk groups. Meantime, the Kaplan–Meier analysis, Cox regression analysis and subgroup analysis showed that IRGPI had excellent prognostic value. Furthermore, IRGPI was shown that was closely associated with immune system in the subsequent tumor microenvironment analysis and gene set enrichment analysis. In addition, we broken through the data processing limitations of traditional researches in different platforms through the application of gene pairs, which would provide great credibility for our model. We believe that our research would provide a new perspective for clinical decision-making and prognostic monitoring in metastatic melanoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article proposes to use the bolted top and seat angles to provide excellent moment resistance and high energy dissipation capacity for glulam beam-to-column connection. Angles are anchored on the glulam beam using the glued-in steel plate technology and connected to the column by anchorage bolts. A theoretical model is presented in this article to evaluate the moment-resistant properties of the connection based on the component method. To validate the accuracy of the theoretical model, several hybrid connections are tested under monotonic and reversed cyclic load. The test results showed that the proposed hybrid connection has a high rotational stiffness and excellent moment resistance. The theoretical results are also consistent with those of the experimental model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gastric cancer remains one of the major causes for tumor‐related deaths worldwide. Our study aimed to provide an understanding of primary gastric cancer and prompt its clinical diagnosis and treatment. Methods: We integrated the expression profiles and overall survival information of primary gastric cancer in TCGA and GEO database and estimated the stromal score of each sample by the estimate R package. Stromal score and clinicopathologic characteristics associated with overall survival were analyzed by using Cox regression and the Kaplan‐Meier method. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and KEGG analysis were performed to explore the potential molecular mechanism in TCGA dataset. The relationship between immunotherapy‐associated markers or immune cell types and stromal score was explored by using Pearson correlation analysis. Results: A total of 796 samples were collected for the analysis. Patients with stromal score‐high showed poor overall survival (P <.01, HR: 1.407, 95% CI: 1.144‐1.731) and identified as an independent prognostic factor. KEGG analysis revealed that stromal score actively involved in diverse tumor‐associated pathways. GSEA analysis also revealed stromal score associated with diverse immune‐related biological processes. Furthermore, stromal score was related with immunotherapy‐associated markers and multiple immune cells. Conclusion: Our results showed that stromal score could serve as a potential prognostic biomarker in primary gastric cancer and play an important role in the recognition, surveillance, and prognosis of gastric cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The highly selective production of reduced multicarbon products with long‐term durability for CO2 electroreduction reaction (CO2RR) using clean and renewable electricity is currently a major challenge. Copper nanoparticles (Cu NPs) are exceptionally advantageous for CO2RR to yield multielectron transfer chemical products such as ethylene and ethanol. However, Cu NPs for CO2RR generally require high overpotential to produce multiple electron transfer C2+ products with poor stability. Herein, an imidazolium‐functionalized covalent triazine framework (ICTF) stabilized Cu NPs (Cu/ICTF) for the enhanced CO2RR to produce ethylene is reported. The imidazolium groups in the cationic ICTF not only can enhance CO2 capture capacity and lower the energetic barrier to activate CO2, but also the in situ formed N‐heterocyclic carbenes (NHC) could stabilize Cu NPs to prevent their deactivation. Thus, the Cu/ICTF demonstrated higher selectivity (35 %) for the electroreduction of CO2 to ethylene with larger partial current density of ethylene (4.14 mA cm−2) over the unmodified neutral CTF stabilized Cu NPs (Cu/CTF) with 29 % Faradaic efficiency (FE) of ethylene and current density of 3.69 mA cm−2. Moreover, the active sites could be stabilized by the in situ produced NHC in ICTF and the current density and C2H4 FE of Cu/ICTF50 were almost maintained after 10 h continuous electrolysis experiment, while the C2H4 FE of Cu/CTF50 were lost ca. 42 % of its original value after 7 h. This strategy provides a facile approach to stabilize active sites for CO2RR and may bring new inspiration to apply in energy storage and conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research into catalytic materials that convert light energy into chemical energy by decomposing water still faces great difficulties. CuNi2S4 has attracted public attention due to its unique morphology; however, its high electron–hole recombination rate and weak charge separation efficiency limit its use in the field of catalysis. Herein, CoWO4 material is synthesized in situ on a CuNi2S4 surface by a hydrothermal method; the Z-type heterointerface constructed by the surface contact of the two materials under fusion shows a huge promotion effect on the catalytic ability. The performance (3754.3 μmol g−1 h−1) of the composite material (CW/CNS-12%) reached 42 and 6 times those of the two monomer materials, respectively, and the excellent catalytic ability of the composite is also reflected in its long-term stability. The experimental data proves that the modification of CuNi2S4 by building a heterostructure can improve the specific surface area of the material and the amount of carriers it generates. The charge transfer caused by the existence of the heterojunction hinders the recombination of carriers and holes; fluorescence and electrochemical characterization further confirms the charge transfer process in the Z-type heterojunction. This research provides new insights to promote catalytic performance by building heterostructures between monomer materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Necrosis with inflammation plays a crucial role in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Receptor-interacting protein 3 (RIPK3) regulates a newly discovered programmed form of necrosis called necroptosis. However, the underlying mechanism of necroptosis in ARDS remains unknown. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine the possible involvement of RIPK3 in ARDS-associated necroptosis. RIPK3 protein levels were found to be significantly elevated in the plasma and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of ARDS patients. Next, we utilised a mouse model of severe ARDS induced with high-dose lipopolysaccharide and found that lung injury was mainly due to RIPK3-mixed lineage kinase domain-like pseudokinase (MLKL)-mediated necroptosis and endothelial dysfunction. The activation of RIPK3-MLKL by tumour necrosis factor receptor 1 (TNFR1) and TNFR1-associated death domain protein (TRADD) required catalytically active RIPK1 and the inhibition of Fas-associated protein with death domain (FADD)/caspase-8 catalytic activity. We further showed that the molecular chaperone heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90)/p23, as a novel RIPK3- and MLKL-interacting complex, played an important role in RIP-MLKL-mediated necroptosis, inflammation and endothelial dysfunction in the pulmonary vasculature, which resulted in ARDS. Collectively, the results of our study indicate that necroptosis is an important mechanism of cell death in ARDS and the inhibition of necroptosis may be a therapeutic intervention for ARDS. Key messages: Lung injury in high-dose LPS-induced severe ARDS is mainly due to RIP3-MLKL-mediated necroptosis and endothelial dysfunction. Chaperone HSP90/p23 is a novel RIP3- and MLKL-interacting complex in HPAECs. HSP90/p23 is a novel RIP3- and MLKL-interacting complex in RIP-MLKL-mediated necroptosis, inflammation and endothelial dysfunction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The expansion of the optical response range and the high photoelectron holes separation and the transfer efficiency are prerequisites for the excellent hydrogen evolution performance of the catalyst. In this paper, amorphous CoSx is combined with rare-earth complex LaMnO3 and under the characterization of SEM, TEM, XRD and XPS, the successful synthesis of the composite catalyst was demonstrated; characterization results by UV–Vis, BET and electrochemical workstations show that the composite material exposes more active sites, and the close contact interface formed between the two effectively improves the separation and transmission of photogenerated carriers, and the ability of the composite material to sense light is also significantly enhanced. After optimizing the hydrogen production conditions of the composite catalyst, the hydrogen production under visible light (≥ 420 nm) for 5 h reached 458.8 μmol, which was about 6.8 and 4.5 times that of pure LaMnO3 and CoSx, and the hydrogen evolution stability of the material is very good. Studies have shown that amorphous CoSx is a good material that can replace precious metals for hydrogen production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the new composite material Co–Mo–S/Ni(OH)2 has high hydrogen evolution ability under photoreaction, the hydrogen evolution of Co–Mo–S/Ni(OH)2 composite material reaches 357 μmol after reaction 3 h, and the catalyst still exhibits high photocatalytic activity after four cycles under light response. It shows that this new catalyst has high activity and stability. The results of XPS, TEM, SEM and XRD indicate that the composite catalyst is successfully synthesized. The results of PL and electrochemical experiments show that Ni(OH)2 attached to Co–Mo–S can increase the transfer of photogenerated electrons and reduce the recombination of electrons and holes. From the UV–visible and BET characterization, the presence of Ni(OH)2 increases the range of response of the Co–Mo–S to sunlight, the pore volume and surface range, which improves the absorption capacity of the catalyst for ErB. Therefore, Co–Mo–S/Ni(OH)2 has excellent application prospect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the incidence and associated factors for early death in stage IV colorectal cancer (CRC) and to construct the predictive nomogram. Methods: Patients with stage IV CRC, who had been diagnosed between 2010 and 2014 in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results datasets, were eligible for this retrospective cohort study. The univariable and multivariable logistic regression models were conducted to determine the associated factors for early death (survival time ≤ 3 months). The predictive nomogram was constructed and the internal validation was performed. Results: Ten thousand two hundred sixty-three out of 36,461 (28.1%) eligible patients resulted in all causes of early death (25.8% for cancer-specific early death and 2.3% for non-cancer early death). Advanced age, marital status, right colon, poor differentiation, higher N stage, and bone metastasis were positively associated with all causes of early death, cancer-specific early death, and non-cancer early death, while higher T stage, positive carcinoembryonic antigen, and distant metastases (bone, lung, liver, and brain) were only positively associated with all causes of early death and cancer-specific early death. The calibration curve for all causes of early death, cancer-specific early death, and non-cancer early death showed the prediction curve closely approximated at the 45° line and the areas under the curve were 75.7% (95% CI, 74.9–76.4%), 75.9% (95% CI, 75.1–76.6%), and 76.9% (95% CI, 76.3–77.6%), respectively. Conclusions: The nomogram was calibrated to predict all causes of early death development, cancer-specific early death development, and non-cancer early death development. These findings can be utilized in early screening and to tailor targeted treatment regimens for stage IV CRC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteosarcoma (OS) is ranked as the most common primary bone malignancy in children and adolescents worldwide, and the 5-year overall survival rate of OS is not optimistic. Constitutive activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) has been implicated in tumor cell growth, proliferation, and anti-apoptosis in OS. Therefore, the discovery of novel molecular compounds that can effectively block STAT3 activation, is essential for the treatment of OS and improving prognosis. Here, we investigate whether Glaucocalyxin A (GLA), derived from Rabdosia japonica , exhibit the potential anticancer effects in OS. First of all, we identify that GLA potently suppressed cell proliferation, induced G2/M phase arrest and promoted substantial apoptosis in OS. Next, we conclude that GLA could induce Reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated oxidative stress via an imbalance of GSH and GSSG. Then, we elucidate for the first time that GLA could significantly inhibit both constitutive and IL-6-inducible activation of STAT3 (Tyr705) and JAK2, the upstream regulator of STAT3. Furthermore, we elucidate that the inhibition of STAT3 is mainly induced by ROS-mediated oxidative stress. Overall, our findings demonstrate that GLA could exhibit potent anticancer effects through effectively blocking the STAT3 signaling pathway, which was induced by ROS-mediated oxidative stress in OS in vitro and in vivo. Unlabelled Image • Glaucocalyxin A effectively blocks STAT3 signaling pathway through ROS-mediated oxidative stress due to an imbalance of GSSG/GSH in osteosarcoma cells. • Glaucocalyxin A induces GR activity via downregulating the mRNA and protein level of GR in vitro. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objectives: Ovarian cancer is the most fatal primary malignancy among gynecological cancers. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) play an important role in the development of various cancers, but the functions of circRNAs in ovarian cancer development have not been studied. We aim to explore the function and mechanism of CDR1as in the progression of ovarian cancer and to provide a new target for the diagnosis and treatment of ovarian cancer. Methods: Ovarian cancer cell proliferation was assessed according to proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and Ki67 protein expression levels and MTT and CCK8 assays. The migration ability of cells was detected by scratch-wound assays, and the invasion ability of the cells was determined by Transwell® assays. qRT-PCR and Western blotting were used to verify miRNA and protein expression. Results: CDR1as expression in ovarian tissues was significantly lower in ovarian cancer patients than in patients without ovarian cancer. CDR1as overexpression inhibited the proliferation, invasion and migration of ovarian cancer cells. Silencing CDR1as increased the expression of miR-135b-5p and decreased the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha inhibitor (HIF1AN), thus increasing the proliferation capacity of ovarian cancer cells. Conclusions: CDR1as, acting as a sponge of miR-135b-5p, promotes the expression of HIF1AN and therefore plays a role in tumor inhibition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A facile synthesis methodology to obtain a crown ether-based hexa-branched [7]rotaxane, has been achieved by using Co-catalyzed [2+2+2] alkyne cyclotrimerization from a [3]rotaxane. The [2+2+2] alkyne cyclotrimerization process, which requires only 10 mol% of Co2(CO)8 as a catalyst and affords an efficient production of target rotaxanes, represents a new strategy for the construction of highly complicated dendritic rotaxanes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The purpose of the present study was to characterize the prevalence, associated factors, and to construct a nomogram for predicting bone metastasis (BM) with different histological types of lung cancer.Patients and Methods: This study was a descriptive study that basing on the invasive lung cancer patients diagnosed between 2010 and 2014 in Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program. A total of 125,652 adult patients were retrieved. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to investigate homogeneous and heterogeneous factors for BM occurrence. Nomogram was constructed to predict the risk for developing BM and the performance was evaluated by the receiver operating characteristics curve (ROC) and the calibration curve. The overall survival of the patients with BM was analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method and the survival differences were tested by the log-rank test.Results: A total of 25,645 (20.9%) were reported to have BM, and the prevalence in adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, small cell lung cancer (SCLC), large cell lung cancer (LCLC), and non-small cell lung cancer/not otherwise specified lung cancer (NSCLC/NOS) were 24.4, 12.5, 24.7, 19.5 and 19.4%, respectively, with significant difference (P < 0.001). Male gender, more metastatic sites and lymphatic metastasis were positively associated with BM in all lung cancer subtypes. Larger tumor size was positively associated with BM in all the lung cancer subtypes except for NSCLC/NOS. Poorly differentiated histology was positively associated with adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and NSCLC/NOS. The calibration curve and ROC curve exhibited good performance for predicting BM. The median survival of the bone metastatic lung cancer patients was 4.00 (95%CI: 3.89-4.11) months. With the increased number of the other metastatic sites (brain, lung and liver metastasis), the survival significantly decreased (p < 0.001).Conclusion: Different lung cancer histological subtypes exhibited distinct prevalence and homogeneity and heterogeneity associated factors for BM. The nomogram has good calibration and discrimination for predicting BM of lung cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are important regulators in various human diseases. The lncRNA HOXD-AS1 is a tumor promoter in ovarian cancer, glioma, and lung cancer, but the specific effects of HOXD-AS1 on cervical cancer (CC) chemoresistance remain unclear. Here, the level of HOXD-AS1 in nonmalignant and CC tissues as well as in CC cells and cisplatin-resistant CC cells was determined. qRT-PCR indicated that HOXD-AS1 was overexpressed in CC tissues and cisplatin-resistant CC cells. Loss-of-function assays showed that downregulation of HOXD-AS1 expression suppressed chemoresistance of cisplatin-resistant CC cells. HOXD-AS1 targeted miR-130a-3p, and in gain-of-function assays miR-130a-3p could reverse cisplatin resistance of CC cells. miR-130a-3p in turn targeted zinc finger E-box homeobox 1 (ZEB1). These results collectively show that HOXD-AS1 can act as a competing endogenous RNA to upregulate ZEB1 expression via miR-130a-3p. The effects of the HOXD-AS1-miR-130a-3p-ZEB1 axis on cisplatin resistance of cisplatin-resistant CC cells were supported by rescue assay results. In summary, HOXD-AS1 enhanced chemoresistance of cisplatin-resistant CC cells by modulating miR-130a-3p/ZEB1 axis expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Aim The aim of this study is to explain the effects and mechanism of miRNA-23a in lung injury which were induced by sepsis in vitro and vivo. Methods In the vitro study, The BEAS-2B cells were divided into 4 groups: NC, MC, miRNA and miRNA + PTEN agonist groups. The cell proliferation and apoptosis of difference groups were measured by MTT and flow cytometry, the relative proteins expression of difference groups were measured by WB assay. In the vivo study, the rats were also divided into 4 groups: NC, MC, miRNA and miRNA + PTEN agonist groups. The miRNA-23a expression of difference groups were evaluated by ISH in lung tissues of rats. The cell apoptosis of difference groups were evaluated by TUNEL assay in lung tissues; the relative proteins expression of difference groups were evaluated by IHC assay. Results Compared with NC group, the cell apoptosis rate of MC groups were significantly increased in vitro and vivo studies (P ＜ 0.05, respectively). The relative proteins (PTEN, PI3K, AKT and P53) expressions of MC group were significantly differences (P ＜ 0.05, respectively) compared with those of NC groups in vitro and vivo studies. However, with miRNA-23a infection, the cell apoptosis of miRNA group were significantly suppressed compared with MC groups, and the relative proteins (PTEN, PI3K, AKT and P53) of miRNA group were also significantly differences compared with MC groups in vitro and vivo studies (P ＜ 0.05, respectively). Conclusion The miRNA-23a has improved lung injury induced by sepsis via PTEN/PI3K/AKT/P53 pathway in vitro and vivo studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a study that examined the effect of different substrates and the thicknesses dependence of the antiferromagnetic layer on the exchange-bias field, created through interfacial exchange coupling between nickel-iron and iron-manganese. Kinds of substrates considered; Behaviors of the two types of films when annealed in a certain magnetic field; Temperature dependence of the films.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the static balance ability of the older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) while standing on soft and hard support surfaces. Methods: Forty older adults participated in this study (21 in the MCI group and 19 in the control group). Participants were required to perform balance tests under four conditions of standing: standing on a hard support surface with eyes open, standing on a soft support surface with eyes open, standing on a hard support surface with eyes closed, and standing on a soft support surface with eyes closed. Each test was measured in three trials and each trial lasted 30 seconds. Participants were asked to take off their shoes and place their feet in a parallel position with a 20-centimeter distance for bipedal support. The trajectories of the center of pressure (COP) were measured using a Kistler force platform with a frequency of 1000 Hz to assess balance while standing in both groups, with larger COP trajectories indicating poorer static balance in older adults. Results: With eyes open, the displacement of COP in the anterior-posterior direction(D-ap) (hard support surface: P = 0.003) and the 95% confidence ellipse area(95%AREA-CE) (soft support surface: P = 0.001, hard support surface: P < 0.001) of the COP in the MCI group standing on hard and soft support surfaces were significantly larger than the control group. The 95%AREA-CE (P < 0.001) of the COP in the MCI group on the soft support surface was significantly larger than on the hard support surface. With eyes closed, the root mean square distance(RDIST), root mean square distance-ML(RDISTml), and 95%AREA-CE of the COP were no significant between-group differences when standing on hard support surfaces. However, the RDIST (P = 0.014), RDISTml (P = 0.014), and 95%AREA-CE (P = 0.001) of the COP in the MCI group on the soft support surfaces were significantly larger than the control group. The 95%AREA-CE (P < 0.001), RDIST (P < 0.001), and RDISTml (P < 0.001) of the COP in the MCI group on the soft support surface were significantly larger than the hard support surface. Conclusion: With eyes open, the older adults with MCI showed poorer static balance ability compared to the older adults with normal cognition on soft and hard support surfaces. With eyes closed, the older adults with MCI showed poorer static balance on soft support surfaces, but no differences on hard support surfaces compared with the older adults with normal cognition. With eyes open and closed, the older adults with MCI showed poorer static balance on soft support surfaces as compared to hard support surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polydimethylsiloxanes (PDMS) foam as one of next-generation polymer foam materials shows poor surface adhesion and limited functionality, which greatly restricts its potential applications. Fabrication of advanced PDMS foam materials with multiple functionalities remains a critical challenge. In this study, unprecedented self-adhesive PDMS foam materials are reported with worm-like rough structure and reactive groups for fabricating multifunctional PDMS foam nanocomposites decorated with MXene/cellulose nanofiber (MXene/CNF) interconnected network by a facile silicone foaming and dip-coating strategy followed by silane surface modification. Interestingly, such self-adhesive PDMS foam produces strong interfacial adhesion with the hybrid MXene/CNF nano-coatings. Consequently, the optimized PDMS foam nanocomposites have excellent surface super-hydrophobicity (water contact angle of ≈159o), tunable electrical conductivity (from 10-8 to 10 S m-1), stable compressive cyclic reliability in both wide-temperature range (from -20 to 200 °C) and complex environments (acid, sodium, and alkali conditions), outstanding flame resistance (LOI value of >27% and low smoke production rate), good thermal insulating performance and reliable strain sensing in various stress modes and complex environmental conditions. It provides a new route for the rational design and development of advanced PDMS foam nanocomposites with versatile multifunctionalities for various promising applications such as intelligent healthcare monitoring and fire-safe thermal insulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Phenoxy acid herbicides are widely used herbicides that play an important role in improving the yield and quality of crops. However, some research has shown that this kind of herbicide is poisonous to human and animals. In this study, a rapid and sensitive method was developed for the detection of seven phenoxy acid herbicides in water samples based on magnetic solid‐phase extraction followed by liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry. Magnetic amino‐functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes were prepared by mixing bare magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles with commercial amino‐functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes in water. Then the amino‐functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes were used to enrich phenoxy acid herbicides from water samples based on hydrophobic and ionic interactions. The effects of experimental variables on the extraction efficiency have been studied in detail. Under the optimized conditions, the method validation was performed. Good linearities for seven phenoxy acid herbicides were obtained with squared regression coefficients ranging from 0.9971 to 0.9989. The limits of detection ranged from 0.01 to 0.02 μg/L. The method recoveries of seven phenoxy acid herbicides spiked at three concentration levels in a blank sample were from 92.3 to 103.2%, with inter‐ and intraday relative standard deviations less than 12.6%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To investigate the predictive value of chemokine CCL27 for identifying early stage nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients within a population seropositive for Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) capsid antigen-specific IgA (VCA-IgA).Methods: CCL27 in plasma samples from 104 NPC patients, 112 VCA-IgA-positive healthy donors, and 140 VCA-IgA-negative normal subjects was measured by ELISA. Expression of CCL27 in nasopharyngeal tissue from 20 VCA-IgA-positive healthy donors and 20 NPC patients was examined by immunohistochemical staining.Results: Levels of CCL27 in the plasma of VCA-IgA-positive healthy donors (607.33 ± 218.81 pg/ml) were significantly higher than the levels in all NPC patients (437.09 ± 217.74, P = < 0.0001) and in the subset of patients with early stage NPC (463.85 ± 226.17, P = 0.0126). Plasma CCL27 levels were significantly lower in the VCA-IgA-negative normal subjects (358.22 ± 133.15 pg/ml) than in either the VCA-IgA-positive healthy donors (P < 0.0001) or the NPC patients (P = 0.0113). CCL27 protein was detected in 16 of 20 (80%) nasopharyngeal tissue samples from VCA-IgA-positive healthy donors and in 3 of 20 (15%) tumor tissue samples from NPC patients. There was no relationship between CCL27 levels and VCA-IgA titers or plasma EBV DNA content. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves demonstrated that plasma CCL27 levels had a sensitivity of 67.00%, a specificity of 73.10%, and an area under the ROC of 0.725 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.657-0.793) for distinguishing between NPC patients and VCA-IgA-positive healthy donors. Further analysis showed that CCL27 levels could distinguish between early stage NPC patients and VCA-IgA-positive healthy donors with an area under the ROC of 0.712 (95% CI: 0.560-0.865), a sensitivity of 59.80%, and a specificity of 84.60%.Conclusions: Chemokine CCL27 could successfully identify NPC patients within a VCA-IgA-positive population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the co-contraction and pre-activation of agonistic and antagonistic muscles in experienced Tai Chi (TC) practitioners during normal walking (NW) and brush-knee twist-step (BKTS). The electromyographic activities of rectus femoris, biceps femoris, and tibialis anterior and lateral gastrocnemius muscles were collected during BKTS and NW in 28 TC practitioners. The pre-activation of knee and ankle joints before initial landing of left foot, and the co-contraction of knee and ankle joint in double-stance phase I (DSI), single-stance phase (SS), double-stance phase II (DSII), and swing phase (SW) were calculated during BKTS and NW. Ankle co-contraction significantly increased during DSI and SS in BKTS movements than compared with that in NW. For DSI and SW, SS and DSII, and DSII and SW, a significant difference was found in BKTS. The pre-activation of knee joint significantly decreased in BKTS and NW. This study indicated greater ankle joint muscle co-contraction in DSI and SS of stance phase and lower knee joint muscle co-contraction and pre-activation than in NW in BKTS movement. In addition, greater ankle joint muscle co-contraction was observed in the DSI, SS, and DSII of stance phase than those of swing phase in BKTS movement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. The pretreatment albumin and globulin ratio (AGR) was an inflammation-associated factor which was related to the overall survival in various malignancies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of AGR in patients with gastric cancer. Method. This retrospective study included 862 cases pathologically diagnosed with gastric cancer. All patients were randomly divided into the testing group (431 cases) and validation group (431 cases). The relationships of AGR with clinicopathologic characteristics and prognosis were analyzed by Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression methods. Results. In the testing group, the median overall survival was 26.90 months and the cutoff value of AGR was 1.50 based on R language. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that lower AGR was correlated with poorer overall survival. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that AGR was an independent prognostic factor for overall survival (HR: 0.584, 95% CI = 0.351–0.973, and p = 0.039). In the validation group, the median overall survival was 24.10 months. Lower AGR (≤1.50) also had a significantly poorer overall survival by Kaplan-Meier analysis. According to multivariate analysis, the AGR was also confirmed to be an independent prognostic factor for overall survival (HR: 0.578, 95% CI = 0.373–0.897, and p = 0.015). Conclusions. Our study suggested that the pretreatment AGR could be a prognostic biomarker for overall survival in patients with gastric cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a study which investigated the properties of nickel iron X, wherein X is aluminum, gold, niobium, palladium, platinum, silicon and zirconium, ternary films for soft-film biasing of the magnetoresistive trilayer sensor. Experimental details; Results and discussion; Conclusion.

Presents information on a study which reactively sputtered magnetite films onto silicon substrates in an argon + oxygen gas environment from a target containing iron and osmium. Methodology of the study; Results and discussion; Conclusions.

Presents information on a study which systematically evaluated the microstructural dependence of iron oxide thin films on film preparation conditions. Methodology of the study; Results and discussion; Conclusions.

Reports on the fabrication and read-write characteristics of laminated CoZr/Ta film heads including the amplitude stability and the peak shift. Composition of the CoZr target used; Technique used to study the crystal structure of the film; Method used for evaluating the stability of thin-film heads.

• In the CaO-MgO-SiO 2 -H 2 O systems, the magnesium accelerated the transformation from C-S-H (I) to tobermorite. • The crystallization process and microstructure of tobermorite were affected by magnesium, and there is a limit of 2.5% for the combination of Mg-tobermorite. • The content of the UHD C-S-H increased when 5% Mg(OH) 2 was added into the CaO-MgO-SiO 2 -H 2 O systems cured under autoclaved condition. In the mining of natural limestone, the phenomenon of calcium-magnesium accompaniment is very common. According to our previous study, Mg2+ can enter the crystal lattice of calcium silicate hydrates. In this study, the mineralogy of a CaO-MgO-SiO 2 -H 2 O system was characterized and the micro-mechanical properties were evaluated using nano-indentations to clarify the effect of magnesium on the mechanical properties of quartz sand-lime autoclaved products. The results showed that magnesium facilitated the formation of C-S-H with lower alkalinity and accelerated the transformation of C-S-H (I) into tobermorite, thereby improving its crystallinity. Petal-like Mg-tobermorite was generated from the original flaky tobermorite, and the amount of binding Mg-tobermorite reached 2.5% under an autoclaved temperature of 180 °C. Furthermore, the content of ultra-high-density C-S-H increased when 5% magnesium was added to the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We previously reported that 15-lipoxygenase (15-LO) and its metabolite 15-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (15-HETE) were up-regulated in pulmonary arterial cells from both pulmonary artery hypertension patients and hypoxic rats and that these factors mediated the progression of pulmonary hypertension (PH) by affecting the proliferation and apoptosis of pulmonary arterial (PA) cells. However, the underlying mechanisms of the remodeling induced by 15-HETE have remained unclear. As reactive oxygen species (ROS) and 15-LO are both induced by hypoxia, it is possible that ROS are involved in the events of hypoxia-induced 15-LO expression that lead to PH. We employed immunohistochemistry, tube formation assays, bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation assays, and cell cycle analyses to explore the role of ROS in the process of 15-HETE-mediated hypoxic pulmonary hypertension (HPH). We found that exogenous 15-HETE facilitated the generation of ROS and that this effect was mainly localized to mitochondria. In particular, the mitochondrial electron transport chain and nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase 4 (Nox4) were responsible for the significant 15-HETE-stimulated increase in ROS production. Moreover, ROS induced by 15-HETE stimulated endothelial cell (EC) migration and promoted pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell (PASMC) proliferation under hypoxia via the p38 MAPK pathway. These results indicated that 15-HETE-regulated ROS mediated hypoxia-induced pulmonary vascular remodeling (PVR) via the p38 MAPK pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microwave dielectric characteristics of Ba[(Mg 1− x Ni x ) 1/3 Nb 2/3 ]O 3 ceramics have been investigated together with the microstructures. The microwave dielectric properties are deeply linked to the cations ordering, ordering domain, and Ni valence state. Ni-substitution for Mg promotes the homogenous nucleation of ordering domains but does not favor the domain growth, resulting in the decrease of domain size and ordering degree. τ f is adjusted from positive to negative by Ni-substitution, a near-zero τ f is obtained for x = 0.6; ϵ r decreases slightly with increasing x . The ordering degree and ordering domain size dominates the variations of Q × f values. After post-densification annealing, Q × f values increase significantly, while the ϵ r and τ f values undergo a negative shift. The Ni volatilization results in the oxidization of Ni 2+ to Ni 3+ , affecting the cations ordering and microwave dielectric properties. The best combination of microwave dielectric properties is obtained for the composition with x = 0.6: ϵ r = 29.5, Q × f = 60,400 GHz, τ f = 2.8 ppm/°C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effects of annealing atmospheres (air, O 2 and N 2 ) on microwave dielectric properties have been determined for Ba[(Mg 1 −x Co x ) 1/3 Nb 2/3 ]O 3 ceramics. The ordering degree and ordering domain of x = 0.2 change very little after annealing, while those of x = 0.6 and x = 1.0 increase significantly. Annealing in all atmospheres leads to decrease in Q × f value for x = 0.2, and increase for x = 0.4–1.0. For x = 0.4–1.0, N 2 annealing results in the best improvement in Q × f values, and it is next by air annealing and finally O 2 annealing. ϵ r and τ f show little change by annealing and no obvious dependence on the annealing atmosphere for all compositions except x = 1.0 where the τ f undergoes an obvious negative shift. The increase of Q × f values for x = 0.4–1.0 after annealing can be interpreted by the increased ordering degree that is accompanied by the domain growth. The different chemical bonding states in samples annealed in different atmospheres may contribute to the different Q × f values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]