Search

Conversion disorder—called functional neurological symptom disorder in the DSM-5—has roots that trace back to antiquity. The term conversion, originating from psychoanalysis, signifies the appearance of physical symptoms as an effort to resolve or convey unconscious and distressing intrapsychic conflicts— "converting" them from manifesting in the mind to manifesting in the body. Despite efforts made in elucidating the neurobiological etiologies of functional neurological symptom disorder, a psychodynamic lens remains indispensable in understanding the patient. This article presents two patients who developed functional neurological symptom disorder, one after a COVID-19 vaccination and one in the context of long COVID. A discussion follows on the intrapersonal, interpersonal, and systemic etiological factors that predispose, precipitate, and perpetuate COVID-related functional neurological symptom disorder. We elaborate on psychodynamic psychological processes and conflicts that may unfold between patients with COVID-related functional neurological symptom disorder and their health care providers. We also share suggestions on how a consultation-liaison psychiatry team may offer support to the primary treating team to facilitate a therapeutic space within which patients with COVID-related functional neurological symptom disorder may recover. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Methods Results Conclusions Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) may affect the oral microbial community, exacerbating periodontal inflammation; however, its pathogenic mechanisms remain unclear. As nucleotide‐binding oligomerization domain 2 (NOD2) plays a crucial role in the activation during periodontitis (PD), it is hypothesized that changes in the oral microbial community due to diabetes enhance periodontal inflammation through the activation of NOD2.We collected subgingival plaque from 180 subjects who were categorized into two groups based on the presence or absence of T2DM. The composition of oral microbiota was detected by 16S rRNA high‐throughput sequencing. In animal models of PD with or without T2DM, we assessed alveolar bone resorption by micro‐computerized tomography and used immunohistochemistry to detect NOD2 expression in alveolar bone. Primary osteoblasts were cultured in osteogenic induction medium with high or normal glucose and treated with inactivated bacteria. After 24 h of inactivated bacteria intervention, the osteogenic differentiation ability was detected by alkaline phosphatase (ALP) staining, and the expressions of NOD2 and interleukin‐12 (IL‐6) were detected by western blot.The relative abundance of Parvimonas and Filifactor in the T2DM group was increased compared to the group without T2DM. In animal models, alveolar bone mass was decreased in PD, particularly in T2DM with PD (DMPD) group, compared to controls. Immunohistochemistry revealed NOD2 in osteoblasts from the alveolar bone in both the PD group and DMPD group, especially in the DMPD group. In vitro, intervention with inactivated Parvimonas significantly reduced ALP secretion of primary osteoblasts in high glucose medium, accompanied by increased expression of NOD2 and IL‐6.The results suggest that T2DM leading to PD may be associated with the activation of NOD2 by Parvimonas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deposition of a passivation layer on top of the perovskite is proven to be an effective method for improving the efficiency and long‐term stability of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). And the spin‐coating method is the most typical and popular method developed for this purpose. However, the spin‐coating method wastes substantial passivator materials, thus the quantitative relationship between the passivator amount and the device performance cannot be obtained. Herein, a quantitative deposition method is developed through drop‐on‐demand inkjet printing to investigate the influence of 2‐adamantylamine hydrochloride (2‐ADAHCl) deposition surface density on the device performance, which is found to have a significant impact on the device performance. A low deposition surface density of 1.1 µg cm−2 does not reach its optimum passivation capability. In contrast, an excess deposition surface density of 10.1 µg cm−2 would lead to energy level mismatch and large series resistance at the perovskite/hole transport layer (HTL) interface, thus resulting in inferior device properties. At an optimum deposition surface density of 2.5 µg cm−2, perovskite surface defects are greatly suppressed, and the interfacial contact between perovskite and HTL is improved. Finally, PSCs with a high efficiency of 24.57% are achieved with improved operational and environmental stabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) is the second leading cause of dementia with limited treatment options, characterised by cerebral hypoperfusion-induced white matter rarefaction (WMR). Subcortical VCI is the most common form of VCI, but the underlying reasons for region susceptibility remain elusive. Recent studies employing the bilateral cortical artery stenosis (BCAS) method demonstrate that various inflammasomes regulate white matter injury and blood-brain barrier dysfunction but whether caspase-1 inhibition will be beneficial remains unclear. To address this, we performed BCAS on C57/BL6 mice to study the effects of Ac-YVAD-cmk, a caspase-1 inhibitor, on the subcortical and cortical regions. Cerebral blood flow (CBF), WMR, neuroinflammation and the expression of tight junction-related proteins associated with blood-brain barrier integrity were assessed 15 days post BCAS. We observed that Ac-YVAD-cmk restored CBF, attenuated BCAS-induced WMR and restored subcortical myelin expression. Within the subcortical region, BCAS activated the NLRP3/caspase-1/interleukin-1beta axis only within the subcortical region, which was attenuated by Ac-YVAD-cmk. Although we observed that BCAS induced significant increases in VCAM-1 expression in both brain regions that were attenuated with Ac-YVAD-cmk, only ZO-1 and occludin were observed to be significantly altered in the subcortical region. Here we show that caspase-1 may contribute to subcortical regional susceptibility in a mouse model of VCI. In addition, our results support further investigations into the potential of Ac-YVAD-cmk as a novel treatment strategy against subcortical VCI and other conditions exhibiting cerebral hypoperfusion-induced WMR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tensile-compression fatigue deformation tests were conducted on AZ31 magnesium alloy at room temperature. Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) scanning electron microscopy was used to scan the microstructure near the fatigue fracture surface. It was found that lamellar {10-11}-{10-12} secondary twins (STs) appeared inside primary {10-11} contraction twins (CTs), with a morphology similar to the previously discovered {10-12}-{10-12} STs. However, through detailed misorientation calibration, it was determined that this type of secondary twin is {10-11}-{10-12} ST. Through calculation and analysis, it was found that the matrix was under compressive stress in the normal direction (ND) during fatigue deformation, which was beneficial for the activation of primary {10-11} CTs. The local strain accommodation was evaluated based on the geometric compatibility parameter (m') combined with the Schmid factor (SF) of the slip system, leading us to propose and discuss the possible formation mechanism of this secondary twin. The analysis results indicate that when the local strain caused by basal slip at the twin boundaries cannot be well transmitted, {10-11}-{10-12} STs are activated to coordinate the strain, and different loading directions lead to different formation mechanisms. Moreover, from the microstructure characterization near the entire fracture surface, we surmise that the presence of such secondary twins is not common. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To explore the clinical application value of pre‐conception expanded carrier screening (PECS) in the Chinese Han ethnicity population of childbearing age. Methods: The results of genetic testing of infertile parents who underwent PECS in the Reproductive Medicine Center of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, China, from September 2019 to December 2021, were retrospectively analyzed. The carrier rate of single gene disease, the detection rate of high‐risk parents, and the clinical outcome of high‐risk parents were statistically analyzed. Results: A total of 1372 Chinese Han ethnicity patients underwent PECS, among which 458 patients underwent the extended 108‐gene test, their overall carrier rate was 31.7%, and the detection rate of high‐risk parents was 0.3%. The highest carrier rates were SLC22A (2.4%), ATP7B (2.4%), MMACHC (2.2%), PAH (1.8%), GALC (1.8%), MLC1 (1.3%), UNC13D (1.1%), CAPN3 (1.1%), and PKHD1 (1.1%). There were 488 women with fragile X syndrome—FMR1 gene detection, and 6 patients (1.2%) had FMR1 gene mutation. A total of 426 patients were screened for spinal muscular atrophy—SMN1, and the carrier rate was 3.5%, and the detection rate of parents' co‐carrier was 0.5%. Conclusion: Monogenic recessive hereditary diseases had a high carrier rate in the population. Pre‐pregnancy screening could provide good prenatal and postnatal care guidance for patients and preimplantation genetic testing for monogenic/single gene disorders (PGT‐M) and prenatal diagnosis could provide more precise reproductive choices for high‐risk parents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC), a highly aggressive malignancy, is rapidly at an extensive stage once diagnosed and is one of the leading causes of death from malignancy. In the past decade, the treatment of SCLC has largely remained unchanged, and chemotherapy remains the cornerstone of SCLC treatment. The therapeutic value of adding immune checkpoint inhibitors to chemotherapy for SCLC is low, and only a few SCLC patients have shown a response to immune checkpoint inhibitors. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are tumor cells shed from solid tumor masses into the peripheral circulation and are key to tumor metastasis. Single‐cell sequencing has revealed that the genetic profiles of individual CTCs are highly heterogeneous and contribute to the poor outcome and prognosis of SCLC patients. Theoretically, phenotypic analysis of CTCs may be able to predict the diagnostic significance of new potential targets for metastatic tumors. In this paper, we will discuss in depth the heterogeneity of CTCs in SCLC and the value of CTCs for the diagnosis and prognosis of SCLC and as relevant tumor markers in metastatic SCLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Pancreatic cancer (PACA) is one of the most fatal malignancies worldwide. Immunotherapy is largely ineffective in patients with PACA. T-cell exhaustion contributes to immunotherapy resistance. We investigated the prognostic potential of T-cell exhaustion-related genes (TEXGs). Methods: A single-cell RNA (scRNA) sequencing dataset from Tumor Immune Single-Cell Hub (TISCH) and bulk sequencing datasets from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) were used to screen differentially expressed TEXGs. Kaplan–Meier survival, LASSO regression, and univariate/multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed to construct a TEXG risk model. This model was used to predict the prognosis, tumor immune microenvironment, and immunotherapy response. The PACA cohorts from the ICGC and GSE71729 datasets were used to validate the risk model. Pan-cancer expression of SPOCK2 was determined using the TISCH database. Results: A six-gene (SPOCK2, MT1X, LIPH, RARRES3, EMP1, and MEG3) risk model was constructed. Patients with low risk had prolonged survival times in both the training (TCGA-PAAD, n = 178) and validation (ICGC-PACA-CA, ICGC-PAAD-US, and GSE71729, n = 412) datasets. Multivariate Cox regression analysis demonstrated that the risk score was an independent prognostic variable for PACA. High-risk patients correlated with their immunosuppressive status. Immunohistochemical staining confirmed the changes in TEXGs in clinical samples. Moreover, pan-cancer scRNA sequencing datasets from TISCH analysis indicated that SPOCK2 may be a novel marker of exhausted CD8+ T-cells. Conclusion: We established and validated a T-cell exhaustion-related prognostic signature for patients with PACA. Moreover, our study suggests that SPOCK2 is a novel marker of exhausted CD8+ T cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we first investigate the family of vertex-transitive diameter 2 hexavalent graphs and particularly completely determine such graphs whose automorphism group is transitive on the set of non-adjacent vertex pairs, and then as an application of the above result, we find all the locally connected 2-geodesic-transitive neighbor hexavalent graphs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In spite of the sudden onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, many instructors who used team-based pedagogies shifted them online rather than suspending them entirely, but with limited time and resources. To examine the difference in team dynamics and outcomes for courses in Spring 2019 and Spring 2020 of over 1500 first-year engineering students per semester, Wilcoxon signed-rank tests and random forests method were used. Results show that students reported less improvement in team-member effectiveness, lower psychological safety, and less satisfaction in the semester with the emergency transition. However, students also reported lower conflict. The most important factor predicting project grades shifted from 'Interacting with teammates' to 'Having relevant knowledge, skills, and abilities' amid the emergency shift, accompanied by a reduction in team interdependence. In spite of the collection of data during an emergency transition, the foundation of face-to-face interaction before moving to virtual cooperation represents a useful contribution to research that has focused exclusively on virtual learning circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let $ n\geqslant 2 $ n ⩾ 2 be an integer and let $ T_n({\mathbb {D}}) $ T n (D) be the ring of $ n\times n $ n × n upper triangular matrices over a division ring $ {\mathbb {D}} $ D with centre $ Z(T_n({\mathbb {D}})) $ Z (T n (D)). In this paper, we characterize additive maps $ \psi :T_n({\mathbb {D}})\rightarrow T_n({\mathbb {D}}) $ ψ : T n (D) → T n (D) satisfying $ [\psi (A),\psi (B)]-[A,B]\in Z(T_n({\mathbb {D}})) $ [ ψ (A) , ψ (B) ] − [ A , B ] ∈ Z (T n (D)) for all $ A,B\in T_n({\mathbb {D}}) $ A , B ∈ T n (D). We then deduce from this result a complete characterization of strong commutativity preserving additive maps $ \psi :T_n({\mathbb {D}})\rightarrow T_n({\mathbb {D}}) $ ψ : T n (D) → T n (D) on rank k upper triangular matrices, where $ 1\leqslant k\leqslant n $ 1 ⩽ k ⩽ n is a fixed integer such that $ k\neq n $ k ≠ n when $ |{\mathbb {D}}|=2 $ | D | = 2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three tetrazole-based carboxylic acids, 3,3-di(1H-tetrazol-5-yl)pentanedioic acid (H4L1), 2-(5-pyridin-4-yl-tetrazol-2-yl)propionic anion (HL2), and 5-(2-pyridyl)tetrazole-2-acetic acid (HL3), were selected as ligands to synthesize three new Pb(II)-coordination polymers, [Pb2(L1)] · H2O (1), [Pb(L2)(NO3−)] (2), and [Pb(L3)2(H2O)] · H2O (3). These metal-organic frameworks have been characterized by elemental analysis, FT-IR, and single crystal X-ray diffraction. The results demonstrated that 1 displayed a 3-D network, while 2 and 3 show 2-D framework and 1-D chain, respectively. The differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analyses gave thermodynamic parameters (ΔH, ΔS, and ΔG). The results showed that 1–3 may be promising high-energy materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The exciton properties play a crucial role in controlling the optical properties of molybdenum disulfide (MoS2). In this work, horizontally oriented MoS2 (H-MoS2), horizontally and vertically oriented MoS2 (HV-MoS2), and vertically oriented MoS2 (V-MoS2) on the same SiO2/Si substrate have been synthesized and investigated using temperature-dependent photoluminescence spectroscopy from 7 to 300 K. Except for direct excitons called as A and B peaks, indirect exciton named as I peak is discovered with the splitting of three peaks. Compared with direct excitons, indirect excitons appear to be more susceptible to the orientation of MoS2. The exciton activation energies are larger, and the exciton–phonon coupling is stronger in V-MoS2 than in H-MoS2. The exciton properties of HV-MoS2 are more similar to those of V-MoS2, but there are some unusual phenomena. Our work provides a reference for optoelectronic applications based on transition-metal dichalcogenides represented by MoS2 grown with horizontal and vertical orientations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: DNA methylation is a form of epigenetic modification that impacts gene expression without modifying the DNA sequence, thereby exerting control over gene function and cellular development. The prediction of DNA methylation is vital for understanding and exploring gene regulatory mechanisms. Currently, machine learning algorithms are primarily used for model construction. However, several challenges remain to be addressed, including limited prediction accuracy, constrained generalization capability, and insufficient learning capacity. Results: In response to the aforementioned challenges, this paper leverages the similarities between DNA sequences and time series to introduce a time series-based hybrid ensemble learning model, called Multi2-Con-CAPSO-LSTM. The model utilizes multivariate and multidimensional encoding approach, combining three types of time series encodings with three kinds of genetic feature encodings, resulting in a total of nine types of feature encoding matrices. Convolutional Neural Networks are utilized to extract features from DNA sequences, including temporal, positional, physicochemical, and genetic information, thereby creating a comprehensive feature matrix. The Long Short-Term Memory model is then optimized using the Chaotic Accelerated Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm for predicting DNA methylation. Conclusions: Through cross-validation experiments conducted on 17 species involving three types of DNA methylation (6 mA, 5hmC, and 4mC), the results demonstrate the robust predictive capabilities of the Multi2-Con-CAPSO-LSTM model in DNA methylation prediction across various types and species. Compared with other benchmark models, the Multi2-Con-CAPSO-LSTM model demonstrates significant advantages in sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and correlation. The model proposed in this paper provides valuable insights and inspiration across various disciplines, including sequence alignment, genetic evolution, time series analysis, and structure–activity relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yunnan is rich in renewable energy resources. An understanding of its energy structure and developmental trajectories would assist in enabling the design of suitable decarbonizing pathways and how to fit into the national 30–60 agenda. Drawing from endogenous growth theory and time series analysis, our study employs comparative functions and scenario assessments to predict the changes in the key economic indicators, such as GDP, industrial structure shifts, population, and urbanization rates, during the low-carbon transition. We further show energy structure patterns and intensity trends using regression-modeling and data-fitting methods. Based on our analyses, we project that by 2035, Yunnan's GDP will grow to CNY 5.4761 trillion, with secondary and tertiary industries contributing 88.8%. The population is estimated to grow to 52.08 million with an urbanization rate of 70%. Moreover, fossil fuel energy consumption is forecasted to diminish to 38.7%, and energy consumption intensity is projected to be reduced to 0.38 tons of standard coal per CNY 10,000. If these metrics follow the inherent endogenous growth trend, Yunnan's emissions are forecasted to peak at around 220 million tons of CO2 by 2030. These findings not only provide a data foundation for Yunnan's low-carbon development goals but also illuminate pathways for regions rich in renewable resources to transition towards sustainable growth, emphasizing the harmony between advancement and environmental stewardship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The current research on single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) mutation sites at different positions of the FAM83H gene and their phenotypic changes leading to amelogenesis imperfecta (AI) is inconsistent. We identified a previously reported heterozygous nonsense mutation c.1192C>T (p.Q398*) in the FAM83H gene and conducted a comprehensive analysis of the dental ultrastructure and chemical composition changes induced by this mutation. Additionally, we predicted the protein feature affected by this mutation site. The aim was to further deepen our understanding of the diversity of AI caused by different mutation sites in the FAM83H gene. Methods: Whole-exome sequencing (WES) and Sanger sequencing were used to confirm the mutation sites. Physical features of the patient's teeth were investigated using various methods including cone beam computer tomography (CBCT), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), contact profilometry (roughness measurement), and a nanomechanical tester (nanoindentation measurement). The protein features of wild-type and mutant FAM83H were predicted using bioinformatics methods. Results: One previously discovered FAM83H heterozygous nonsense mutation c.1192C>T (p.Q398*) was detected in the patient. SEM revealed inconsistent dentinal tubules, and EDS showed that calcium and phosphorus were lower in the patient's dentin but higher in the enamel compared to the control tooth. Roughness measurements showed that AI patients' teeth had rougher occlusal surfaces than those of the control tooth. Nanoindentation measurements showed that the enamel and dentin hardness values of the AI patients' teeth were both significantly reduced compared to those of the control tooth. Compared to the wild-type FAM83H protein, the mutant FAM83H protein shows alterations in stability, hydrophobicity, secondary structure, and tertiary structure. These changes could underlie functional differences and AI phenotype variations caused by this mutation site. Conclusions: This study expands the understanding of the effects of FAM83H mutations on tooth structure. Clinical relevance: Our study enhances our understanding of the genetic basis of AI and may contribute to improved diagnostics and personalized treatment strategies for patients with FAM83H-related AI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pathways leading to osteoarthritis (OA) are diverse depending on the risk factors involved; thus, developing OA therapeutics has been challenging. Here we report that nuclear protein‐1 (Nupr1), a stress‐inducible protein/transcription factor, is activated by pathways associated with obesity and aging in chondrocytes. Treatment of human chondrocytes with free fatty acids (palmitate and oleate; a model for high‐fat diet/obesity) induced PERK signaling and increased expression of caspase‐3, TRB3, and Nupr1. On the other hand, treatment of chondrocytes with menadione (oxidative stress inducer) induced oxidation of IRE1, activated antioxidant response (higher Nrf2 expression), and increased expression of Nupr1 and matrix metalloproteinases. Experimental OA was induced by destabilization of the medial meniscus (DMM) in the knee joints of Nupr1+/+ and Nupr1−/− mice. Loss of Nupr1 expression reduced the severity of cartilage lesions in this model. Together, our findings suggest that Nupr1 is a common factor activated by signaling pathways activated by obesity (ER stress) and age (oxidative stress) and a potential drug target for OA resulting from various risk factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The key to damage detection is whether fault features can be extracted effectively from raw signals. Hence, we propose an approach based on the refined time-shift multiscale dispersion Lempel-Ziv complexity (RTSMDLZC) to effectively extract fault features. First, the time-shift multiscale sequence constructed from the raw time series can obtain more fault information more effectively. Then, the refined method addresses the lacking of sizeable numerical fluctuation on a large scale and enhances the algorithm's stability. Simulation signals and two experimental cases verify the effectiveness and applicability of the RTSMDLZC. The results indicate that compared with other classic methods, the RTSMDLZC can extract bearing fault features more accurately and has better identification accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Succinate, although most famous for its role in the Krebs cycle, can be released extracellularly as a signal of cellular distress, particularly in situations of metabolic stress and inflammation. Solitary chemosensory cells (SCCs) express SUCNR1, the succinate receptor, and modulate type 2 inflammatory responses in helminth and protozoal infections in the small intestine. SCCs are the dominant epithelial source of interleukin‐25, as well as an important source of cysteinyl leukotrienes in the airway, and have been implicated as upstream agents in type 2 inflammation in chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) and asthma. Methods: In this study, we used scRNAseq analysis, live cell imaging of intracellular calcium from primary sinonasal air‐liquid interface (ALI) cultures from 1 donor, and measure antimicrobial peptide release from 5 donors to demonstrate preliminary evidence suggesting that succinate can act as a stimulant of SCCs in the human sinonasal epithelium. Results: Results from scRNAseq analysis show that approximately 10% of the SCC/ionocyte cluster of cells expressed SUCNR1 as well as a small population of immune cells. Using live cell imaging of intracellular calcium, we also demonstrate that clusters of cells on primary sinonasal ALI cultures initiated calcium‐mediated signaling in response to succinate stimulation. Furthermore, we present evidence that primary sinonasal ALI cultures treated with succinate had increased levels of apical beta‐defensin 2, an antimicrobial peptide, compared to treatment with a control solution. Conclusion: Overall, these findings demonstrate the need for further investigation into the activation of the sinonasal epithelium by succinate in the pathogenesis of CRS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cox-Ingersoll-Ross (CIR) process is widely used to model financial quantities. It has been revealed that for some financial problems such as stock prices, the current state depends on the past behavior. In this paper, we study a CIR model with delay in the drift coefficient, and the delay term is super-linear. We give the existence and positiveness to the delayed CIR model, and show that the implicit Euler scheme converges strongly to the exact solution with rate 1/2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immunoglobulin (Ig) G4 accounts for 4–6% of the total IgG in a healthy human. Several evidence-based studies have suggested that the level of IgG4 is significantly elevated in autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The clinical significance of IgG4 in RA with regard to disease activity, severity, and treatment response remains elusive. We consecutively recruited 174 patients with RA from our rheumatology clinic. All subjects were assessed for their disease activity based on DAS28, radiographic joint damage based on the Modified Sharp Score (MSS), the functional capacity based on the Health Assessment Questionnaire –Disability Index (HAQ-DI), and treatment responsiveness using the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) response criteria. The serum IgG4 of the recruited subjects was measured via the ELISA test. The mean serum IgG4 level was 60.23 ± 30.08 mg/dL. We found that serum IgG4 had significant positive correlations with disease activity (r = 0.406; p < 0.001), ESR (r = 0.155; p = 0.041), CRP (r = 0.269; p < 0.001), joint damage (r = 0.195; p = 0.012) and functional disability (r = 0.909; p < 0.001). Subjects with elevated IgG4 (IgG4 > 86 mg/dL) had significantly higher ESR, CRP, HAQ-DI, and DAS 28 and a poorer treatment response compared to the group with non-elevated IgG4. After multivariate analysis, only HAQ-DI (OR = 4.229, 95% CI 1.302, 15.751, p = 0.018) and DAS28 (OR = 3.743, 95% CI 1.062, 13.193, p = 0.040) remained significantly associated with elevated serum IgG4. The preliminary findings of this study could suggest serum IgG4 to be a potential biomarker of disease activity and functional disability in RA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heart failure (HF) is a chronic disease in which the heart is unable to provide enough blood and oxygen to the peripheral tissues. Cardiomyocyte apoptosis and autophagy have been linked to HF progression. However, the underlying mechanism of HF is unknown. In this study, H2O2‐treated AC16 cells were used as a cell model of HF. The mRNA and protein levels of related genes were examined using RT‐qPCR and western blot. Cell viability and apoptosis were assessed using CCK‐8 and flow cytometry, respectively. The interactions between ETS2, TUG1, miR‐129‐5p, and ATG7 were validated by luciferase activity, ChIP, and RNA‐Binding protein Immunoprecipitation assays. According to our findings, H2O2 stimulation increased the expression of ETS2, TUG1, and ATG7 while decreasing the expression of miR‐129‐5p in AC16 cells. Furthermore, H2O2 stimulation induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis and autophagy, which were reversed by ETS2 depletion, TUG1 silencing, or miR‐129‐5p upregulation. Mechanistically, ETS2 promoted TUG1 expression by binding to the TUG1 promoter, and TUG1 sponged miR‐129‐5p to increase ATG7 expression. Furthermore, TUG1 overexpression reversed ETS2 knockdown‐mediated inhibition of cardiomyocyte apoptosis and autophagy and miR‐129‐5p inhibition abolished TUG1 depletion‐mediated suppression of cardiomyocyte apoptosis and autophagy in H2O2‐induced AC16 cells. As presumed, ATG7 overexpression reversed miR‐129‐5p mimics‐mediated repression of cardiomyocyte apoptosis and autophagy in H2O2‐induced AC16 cells. Finally, ETS2 silencing reduced cardiomyocyte apoptosis and autophagy to slow HF progression by targeting the ETS2/TUG1/miR‐129‐5p/ATG7 axis, which may provide new therapeutic targets for HF treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transformational and spatial proximities are important cues for identifying inliers from an appearance based match set because correct matches generally stay close in input images and share similar local transformations. However, most existing approaches only check one type of them or both types consecutively with manually set thresholds, and thus their matching accuracy and flexibility in handling large-scale images are limited. In this paper, we present an efficient clustering based approach to identify match inliers with both proximities simultaneously. It first projects the putative matches into a joint transformational-spatial space, where mismatches tend to scatter all around while correct matches gather together. A mode-seeking process based on joint kernel density estimation is then proposed to obtain significant clusters in the joint space, where each cluster contains matches mapping the same object across images with high accuracy. Moreover, kernel bandwidths for measuring match proximities are adaptively set during density estimation, which enhances its applicability for matching different images. Experiments on three standard datasets show that the proposed approach delivers superior performance on a variety of feature matching tasks, including multi-object matching, duplicate object matching and object retrieval. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital polymerase chain reaction (dPCR) technology has provided a new technique for molecular diagnostics, with superior advantages, such as higher sensitivity, precision, and specificity over quantitative real-time PCRs (qPCR). Eight companies have offered commercial dPCR instruments: Fluidigm Corporation, Bio-Rad, RainDance Technologies, Life Technologies, Qiagen, JN MedSys Clarity, Optolane, and Stilla Technologies Naica. This paper discusses the working principle of each offered dPCR device and compares the associated: technical aspects, usability, costs, and current applications of each dPCR device. Lastly, up-and-coming dPCR technologies are also presented, as anticipation of how the dPCR device landscape may likely morph in the next few years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most important components of box beam bridges is the shear key that connects the box beams together. The shear keys in box beam bridges often fail at the interface. In recent years, ultrahigh-performance concrete (UHPC) has been successfully used to cast these shear keys. The current study investigates the effect of temperature cycles on bond performance between a high-strength concrete (HSC) box beam and UHPC shear key. The interfacial bond performance was evaluated by subjecting specimens to 60, 120, and 180 freeze-thaw (FT) cycles representing 1, 2, and 3 years of environmental exposure. Some direct tension specimens that were subjected to 180 FT cycles were additionally subjected to 1-Hz frequency fatigue cycles with stress reversals. Using the direct tension, pull-off, slant shear, and bishear assessment methods, the test results have demonstrated that the number of FT cycles did not affect bond performance in terms of strength and failure modes. The test results also showed that standard specifications underestimate the cohesion and friction coefficients evaluated using Mohr-Coulomb's and Carol's approaches for concrete placed against intentionally roughened surfaces. Furthermore, it was found that fatigue loading with stress reversals did not diminish the direct tensile bond strength of the specimens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Lymph node metastasis can independently predict oral squamous cell carcinoma patients' survival. This study would investigate the genetic and cellular differences between oral squamous cell carcinoma with positive and negative lymph node metastases. Methods: We gathered single‐cell RNA sequencing and bulk gene expression data from the Cancer Genome Atlas and Gene Expression Omnibus databases. Sixty lymph node‐metastasis‐related genes were discovered with refined single‐cell RNA sequencing data analysis, and consensus clustering provided three molecular subtypes of oral squamous cell carcinoma. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator analyses were then utilized to establish a five‐gene risk model. CIBERSORT analysis revealed the immune infiltration profile of different risk subgroups. Results: Oral squamous cell carcinoma patients were classified into three subtypes based on the 60 lymph node‐metastasis‐related key genes identified by single‐cell RNA sequencing data. Patients in Subtype 3 showed a tendency for lymph node metastasis and poorer prognosis. Moreover, five biomarkers were selected from the 60 genes to construct a five‐gene risk model evaluating the risk of lymph node metastasis. A lower probability of lymph node metastasis and a better prognosis was observed in the low‐risk group. The immune infiltration of three different risk groups was explored with CIBERSORT. Besides, further analysis implied different sensitivities of anticancer drugs, including immunotherapy drugs and targeted compounds, in the three risk groups. Conclusion: In view of intratumoral heterogeneity, we found 60 genes associated with lymph node metastasis of oral squamous cell carcinoma. Subsequently, we constructed a five‐gene signature that could improve the prediction of lymph node metastasis, clinical outcome, and promote individualized treatment strategies for oral squamous cell carcinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cordyceps has anti-cancer effects; however, the bioactive substance and its effect are still unclear. Polysaccharides extracted from Cordyceps sinensis, the fugus of Cordyceps, have been reported to have anti-cancer properties. Thus, we speculated that polysaccharides might be the key anti-tumor active ingredients of Cordyceps because of their larger molecular weight than that of polysaccharides in Cordyceps sinensis. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of wild Cordyceps polysaccharides on H22 liver cancer and the underlying mechanism. The structural characteristics of the polysaccharides of WCP were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography, high-performance gel-permeation chromatography, Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometry, and scanning electron microscopy. Additionally, H22 tumor-bearing BALB/c mice were used to explore the anti-tumor effect of WCP (100 and 300 mg/kg/d). The mechanism by WCP inhibited H22 tumors was uncovered by the TUNEL assay, flow cytometry, hematoxylin–eosin staining, quantitative reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction, and Western blotting. Here, our results showed that WCP presented high purity with an average molecular weight of 2.1 × 106 Da and 2.19 × 104 Da. WCP was determined to be composed of mannose, glucose, and galactose. Notably, WCP could inhibit the proliferation of H22 tumors not only by improving immune function, but also by promoting the apoptosis of tumor cells, likely through the IL-10/STAT3/Bcl2 and Cyto-c/Caspase8/3 signaling pathways, in H22 tumor-bearing mice. Particularly, WCP had essentially no side effects compared to 5-FU, a common drug used in the treatment of liver cancer. In conclusion, WCP could be a potential anti-tumor product with strong regulatory effects in H22 liver cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Abnormal iris mechanical properties have been considered to be an important cause of pupillary-block and angle-closure glaucoma. In this research, viscoelasticity, anisotropy and location-dependence of mechanical properties of rabbit iris were investigated using uniaxial tensile test. Methods: Iris strips were taken along three directions: inner-circumferential direction (ICD), outer-circumferential direction (OCD) and radial direction (RD), respectively. Quasi-static tensile tests and stress-relaxation tests were applied on the iris strips. Then, the stress-stretch data was fitted with third order Ogden model; the stress-relaxation data was fitted with the third order Prony series model. Through comparing the tangent modulus and relaxation limit of the strips from different directions and locations, the viscoelasticity, anisotropy and location-dependence of mechanical properties of rabbit iris were explored. Results: The tangent moduli of iris at the stretch of 1.05 along ICD, OCD, and RD were 3.2 ± 1.4 kPa, 4.2 ± 2.6 kPa, 1.5 ± 0.8 kPa, respectively. Iris strips in ICD and OCD were found to have almost the same stress-relaxation behavior, and both relaxed slower than iris strips in RD. Conclusions: The mechanical properties of the iris were typically nonlinear, viscoelastic, anisotropic and location-dependent. The stress growth rate of the circumferential direction iris strip is significantly lower than that of RD and the stress-relaxation rate is significantly higher than that of the RD. That is, the iris is more prone to deformation in RD and the stress-retention ability after deformation in RD is weak, which is consistent with the fact that the iris bombe more likely happens in RD in vivo. The results of this study may also help us to establish a more accurate finite element model to simulate the flow field of humor aqueous and find the key factor of pupillary-block. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Path planning is a key research issue in the field of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) applications. In practical applications, multi-objective path planning is usually required for multi-UAVs, so this paper proposes the improved balanced artificial bee colony (IB-ABC) algorithm to optimize multi-objective path planning. The algorithm adopts the ABC algorithm that emphasizes the global search capability, which is based on iterative feedback information. It uses single-element points, multi-element points, and iteration constraints to optimize the strategies of employed bees, follower bees, and scout bees, respectively. In terms of time and priority, simulation experiments prove that the IB-ABC algorithm can balance local and global search capabilities, accelerate the speed of convergence, and realize multi-UAV path planning in complex mountain environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Between 9 July and 19 August 2016, the air concentrations of 57 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were measured in Shandong Province, eastern China. Seven sampling sites representing urban, coastal and background sites were selected for sampling. The measured data were employed to investigate the VOCs' characteristics, ozone formation potential, and main sources. During the sampling period, the concentrations of the VOCs ranged between 15.3 and 883 ppbv, with a mean of 139 ppbv. The most severely polluted city was Zibo (833 ppbv), followed by Jinan (33.5 ppbv) and Qingdao (32.8 ppbv). Propane was the most abundant species in all of the sampling sites, with a concentration range of 1.05–9.86 ppbv. Ethene, i-butane, 1-butene, cis-2-butene, n-butane, i-pentane, n-pentane, benzene and toluene were the predominant species in both the urban and coastal sites. Propylene equivalent concentrations (Pro-Equiv) and maximum incremental reactivity (MIR) were employed to assess the reactivity and contribution of each species to the photochemical ozone formation. The results showed that alkenes and aromatics were the most active species performing a key function in the ozone formation, accounting for 43.9–90.7% of the Pro-Equiv and 41.0–93% of the ozone formation potential (OFP). The ratios of ethylbenzene and m/p-xylene were calculated, and the results showed that local emissions were the main sources. Gasoline exhaust/fuel evaporation, industry process/solvent usage, diesel exhaust/petrochemical emission and coal burning were the dominant sources of VOCs in Shandong Province. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Probiotic functionalization of non-dairy beverages has been garnering interest to provide dairy-sensitive populations with greater probiotic product varieties. The addition of probiotics into popularly consumed beverages–carbonated sodas and beers, presents an interesting challenge as the presence of acidic pH, hops-derived compounds, and ethanol have highly deleterious effects. Herein, alginate encapsulation was proposed to improve probiotics viability within sodas and beers. Three probiotics, namely Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG, Escherichia coli Nissle 1917, and Bifidobacterium longum were encapsulated in alginate spheres and exposed to Coca-Cola, 7-Up, Tiger Beer, and Guinness under refrigerated, room temperature and simulated gastric fluid conditions. Results demonstrate that alginate encapsulation significantly improved the viabilities of all three probiotics in various beverages and conditions. Refrigerated storage better preserved probiotic viabilities and reduced the formation of the probiotic metabolic by-product, L-lactate, than at room temperature storage. Findings here could provide beverage manufacturers with a novel way to develop probiotic-sodas and probiotic-beers through encapsulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Controlling metal corrosion can directly address the waste of metal and the environmental pollution and resource depletion caused by metal recycling, very significant factors for green and sustainable development. The addition of corrosion inhibitors is a relatively cost-effective means of corrosion prevention. Among these, N-heterocycles have been widely used because heteroatoms contain lone pairs of electrons that can be strongly adsorbed onto metals, protecting them in highly corrosive environments at relatively low concentrations. However, due to the large variety of N-heterocycles, their corrosion inhibition characteristics have seldom been compared; therefore, the selection of appropriate N-heterocycles in the development of anti-corrosion products for specific applications was very difficult. This review systematically analyzed the influence of different substituents on the corrosion inhibition performance of N-heterocycles, including different alkyl chain substituents, electron-donating and electron-withdrawing substituents, and halogen atoms, respectively. The correlation between the molecular structure and corrosion inhibition characteristics of N-heterocycles was comprehensively revealed, and their action mechanism was analyzed deeply. In addition, the toxicity and biodegradability of N-heterocycles was briefly discussed. This study has provided a significant guideline for the development of green, promising corrosion inhibitors for advanced manufacturing and clean energy equipment protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Koji is an important starter for rice shochu brewing and influences the rice shochu quality. Consequently, we studied the impacts of koji on the flavor compounds and sensory characteristics of rice shochu using molds Aspergillus kawachii SICC 3.917 (A-K), Aspergillus oryzae SICC 3.79(A-O), Aspergillus Niger CICC 2372 (A-N), Rhizopus oryzae CICC 40260 (R-O), and the traditional starter Qu (control). The effects of koji on the aroma components, free amino acids (FAAs), and overall sensory aspects of rice shochu were studied. These findings indicated that koji significantly affected the rice shochu's quality. The content of total FAAs in rice shochu A-K (30.586 ± 0.944 mg/L) and A-O (29.919 ± 0.278 mg/L) was higher than others. The content of flavor compounds revealed that the aroma of rice shochu with various koji varied greatly from the smells of alcohols and esters. Shochu A-O had a higher concentration of aroma compounds and it exhibited a strong aroma and harmonious taste compared with the others. This research using taste compounds, FAAs, flavor intensity, and partial least squares regression (PLSR) showed that shochu A-O appeared to possess the best sensory qualities, with elevated concentrations of alcohols and sweet FAAs and lesser concentrations of sour FAAs. Therefore, the A-O mold is promising for the manufacture of rice shochu with excellent flavor and sensory characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To figure out whether enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) could effectively improve the prognosis of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients and reduce hospitalization expenses under the shadow of COVID-19, furthermore to alleviate the current situation of medical resource for the whole society. Methods: Patients who underwent CRC surgery in the department of gastrointestinal surgery of the First Affiliated Hospital from January 2020 to March 2022 were retrospectively enrolled. According to protocol adherence, all patients were divided into the ERAS group and the non-ERAS group. Short-term outcomes were compared between the two groups. Results: A total of 918 patients were enrolled in the study. Based on protocol adherence ≥70%, 265 patients were classified into the ERAS group and the other 653 patients were classified into the non-ERAS group. Patients in the ERAS group had shorter operation time (P < .01), less intraoperative blood loss (P < .01), shorter overall hospital stay (P < .01) and postoperative hospital stay (P < .01), less hospital costs (P < .01), earlier first flatus (P < .01), earlier first stool (P < .01), earlier food tolerance (P < .01), and lower postoperative complications (P < .01). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis manifested that ERAS and cerebrovascular disease were predictive factors of postoperative overall complications. In univariate analyses, cerebrovascular disease (P = .033, OR = 2.225, 95% CI = 1.066–4.748), time of the surgery (P = .026, OR = 1.417, 95% CI = 1.043–1.925), and ERAS (P < .01, OR = 0.450, 95% CI = 0.307–0.661) were predictive factors. Furthermore, in the multivariate analysis, ERAS (P < .01, OR = 0.440, 95% CI = 0.295–0.656) and cerebrovascular disease (P = .016, OR = 2.575, 95% CI = 1.190–5.575) were independent predictive factors of postoperative overall complications. Conclusion: In summary, under the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, ERAS could still reduce the financial burden of patients and reduce the incidence of short-term postoperative complications. However, whether the effects of ERAS were enhanced after the pandemic and the long-term outcomes of CRC obey ERAS remained to be further explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conversion of CO 2 to valuable chemicals by photocatalysis has attracted widespread interesting. Owing to the linear structure of CO 2 molecule with strong C O bond, the surface reaction is considered as one of the main issues to restrict the conversion efficiency. Herein, soluble UiO-66 has been developed as co-catalyst to enhance the photocatalytic performance for CO 2 reduction. The soluble UiO-66 has presented the performance ca. 1.5 higher than the insoluble version, yielding 30.6 µmol/h for CO 2 to CO conversion by using 5.0 mg sample. This improvement can be attributed to the preserved framework by soluble UiO-66. Therefore, the chemisorption of CO 2 molecules can be improved, boosting the reduction reaction for CO production. This research provides a new path for a rational design of metal-organic framework (MOF) for photoredox catalysis, meanwhile inspiring advanced application of MOF catalysis with the soluble manner. The difference between the general UiO-66 and soluble UiO-66 in CO 2 photocatalytic reduction reaction. [Display omitted] • A soluble UiO-66 MOF material is synthesized for CO 2 photoredox catalysis. • The product yield over soluble UiO-66 is much higher than the insoluble UiO-66. • The soluble UiO-66 maximizes the active sites, similar to a homogeneous catalyst. • This research has provided a path for design of MOFs by usage of its solubility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the short-term outcomes between laparoscopic Hartmann reversal (LHR) and open Hartmann reversal (OHR) in patients who had undergone Hartmann surgery for colorectal cancer (CRC). Methods: The patients who underwent Hartmann reversal (HR) at the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from Jun 2013 to Jun 2022 were retrospectively enrolled. The LHR group and the OHR group were compared using propensity score matching (PSM) analysis. Results: A total of 89 patients who underwent Hartmann reversal (HR) were enrolled in this study. There were 48 (53.9%) patients in the LHR group and 41 (46.1%) patients in the OHR group. After 1:1 ratio PSM, no difference in baseline information remained (p > 0.05). There was no significant difference in operation time, blood loss, postoperative hospital stay, and postoperative complications (p > 0.05) before and after PSM. In the multivariable logistic regression analysis, pre-operative albumin < 42.0 g/L was an independent risk factor (p = 0.013 < 0.05, OR = 0.248, 95% CI = 0.083–0.741) for the HR-related complications; however, LHR/OHR was not a predictive risk factor (p = 0.663, OR = 1.250, 95% CI = 0.500–3.122). Conclusion: Based on the current evidence, although there was no difference in short-term prognosis, LHR still had some advantages considering that it was less invasive to the patient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The number and proportion of older adults, aged ≥ 60 years, in Singapore is rapidly increasing. A valid and reliable quality of life (QoL) measure will enable assessment of their situation and help evaluate social and clinical interventions, potentially improving care. This study aims to evaluate the validity and reliability of the control, autonomy, self-realization, and pleasure (CASP)-12v.3 QoL scale and establish a scale suitable for use among older adults in Singapore. Methods: Data from 3526 community-dwelling older adults from a national survey was used. Measurement properties of the CASP-12v.3 scale were evaluated. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA; testing single- and two-factor models with residual covariances for negatively worded items and a bifactor model) was performed in half of the sample and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was performed in the other half. The results led to revised CFA models and the CASP-11-SG scale. The CASP-11-SG scale's measurement properties, convergent, and known-groups validity, and measurement equivalence/invariance (ME/I) across English and Chinese languages were evaluated. Results: Item 3 'I feel free to plan for the future' of the CASP-12v.3 scale had low correlation with other items of the control/autonomy subscale, low item-total correlation and high item-scale correlation. While CFA and EFA supported the two-factor model, removing item 3 improved model fit. The resulting CASP-11-SG scale (Cronbach's alpha: 0.81) demonstrated convergent and known-groups validity and partial ME/I across English and Chinese languages. Conclusion: The CASP-11-SG scale, with satisfactory psychometric properties, can be used for assessing QoL among older adults in Singapore. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A noncomplete graph is $2$ -distance-transitive if, for $i \in \{1,2\}$ and for any two vertex pairs $(u_1,v_1)$ and $(u_2,v_2)$ with the same distance i in the graph, there exists an element of the graph automorphism group that maps $(u_1,v_1)$ to $(u_2,v_2)$. This paper determines the family of $2$ -distance-transitive Cayley graphs over dihedral groups, and it is shown that if the girth of such a graph is not $4$ , then either it is a known $2$ -arc-transitive graph or it is isomorphic to one of the following two graphs: $ {\mathrm {K}}_{x[y]}$ , where $x\geq 3,y\geq 2$ , and $G(2,p,({p-1})/{4})$ , where p is a prime and $p \equiv 1 \ (\operatorname {mod}\, 8)$. Then, as an application of the above result, a complete classification is achieved of the family of $2$ -geodesic-transitive Cayley graphs for dihedral groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to realize a dual-port multiband antenna, a novel planar spiral slot antenna is proposed and analyzed. The antenna adopts a dual-layer substrate structure. A spiral slot is etched on its bottom metal surface with a ring gap beside the slot to improve the isolation and lower the frequency. An elliptical metal ring radiation unit in the middle surface of the antenna plays the role of radiating and impedance matching. Two mutually perpendicular microstrips on the upper surface are used for feeding the radiation unit. The simulation and test results show that two ports of the antenna can work at multiple frequencies with the same radiator, and the isolation is more than 13.5 dB in the working bands (1.86-1.99 GHz, 2.47-2.5 GHz, 2.57-2.64 GHz, 2.90-5.7 GHz and 6.35-9.66 GHz). The antenna has the advantages of high gain, small volume, quasi omnidirectional radiation, and so on. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patients with aspirin‐exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD) are among the most challenging rhinologic patients to treat. AERD has a complex inflammatory milieu of lipid mediators and cytokines. In this study we evaluated cytokine differences in the complex AERD environment at the mucus, epithelial, and tissue levels. Methods: Samples were acquired at the time of sinus surgery from 21 patients (seven steroid‐treated, 14 untreated) with aspirin challenge‐confirmed AERD. Three methods (sponge adsorption, epithelial brushing, tissue biopsy) were used to acquire samples from the respective sinus sampling sites (mucus, polyp epithelium, and full‐thickness polyp) of each patient. We measured and compared 16 cytokine concentrations in AERD patients with or without prednisone treatment using the Luminex platform. Results: In most sampling sites, IL‐5, IL‐6, IL‐10, IL‐13, IL‐33, CCL20, and TNF‐α were detected at higher concentrations than IFN‐γ, IL‐1β, IL‐17A, IL‐4, IL‐22, IL‐17E/IL25, and GM‐CSF. Each sampling site had a different pattern of cytokine levels, and except for IL‐5 and IL‐25 there was no correlation among sampling methods for each cytokine tested. The most notable and significant decreases in cytokines from those treated with prednisone were observed in the epithelium for IL‐5, IL‐10, IL‐33, and IFN‐γ. Conclusions: In the epithelial samples, type 2‐associated cytokines IL‐5 and IL‐33, the anti‐inflammatory cytokine IL‐10, and IFN‐γ were lower in AERD patients treated with prednisone. This work serves as a basis to assess therapeutic‐induced mucosal cytokine responses in AERD and indicates that the site of cytokine measurement is an important consideration when assessing results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emotion recognition research in autism has provided conflicting results and has ignored the role of context. We examined if autistic adolescents use context to identify displayed and felt emotion. Twenty adolescents with autism and 20 age-matched neurotypical adolescents identified emotions from a standardised set of images. The groups also viewed videos scenes with actors displaying a feigned emotion masking their true feelings. Participants identified the displayed and felt emotions. Both groups identified emotions from static images equally well. In the video condition, the autism group was unable to distinguish between the displayed and felt emotions. Emotion research is often divorced from context. Our findings suggest that autistic individuals have difficulty integrating contextual cues when processing emotions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data and clinical guidelines on the management of osteoporosis in nonagenarians are lacking. The aim of this study was to assess the characteristics of osteoporosis management and identify any gaps or trends in a cohort of nonagenarians who were newly diagnosed with osteoporosis during an inpatient admission. A retrospective analysis of nonagenarians admitted to the medicine department of a tertiary hospital who were newly diagnosed with osteoporosis based on extracted ICD-10 codes. Baseline demographics, frailty based on the clinical frailty scale, comorbidities, initiation, compliance and adverse effects on osteoporosis medication were analysed. Mean age of the study group was 93.0 ± 2.5 years. There was a high prevalence of frailty (71.7%), cognitive impairment (34.2%) and recurrent falls (30.0%). 82.5% were started on osteoporosis treatment with denosumab (43.4%) being the most prescribed, followed by alendronate (41.4%). Cognitive impairment and male gender were associated with less likelihood of being on osteoporosis treatment on multivariate analysis. Having a previous fracture was associated with a higher likelihood of being on osteoporosis treatment. There was a discontinuation rate of 49.5% with a mean time to discontinuation of 26.3 ± 22.9 months. There was a high rate of osteoporosis treatment in nonagenarians with osteoporosis. The presence of previous fractures was associated with initiation of osteoporosis medications, whereas frailty and falls had no impact on treatment decisions. Cognitive impairment and males were associated with a lower rate of initiation of osteoporosis medication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silicon steels, e.g., Fe-3.2% Si alloys, are widely used in energy conversion and transmission. Increasing the Si content can enhance electrical resistivity and reduce magnetic hysteresis loss, improving the energy efficiency. However, high silicon content decreases ductility and workability, limiting the Si content of the alloys that can be produced by conventional manufacturing. Instead, we used additive manufacturing by the direct energy deposition technique to produce high Si content Fe-Si alloys. Dense samples with up to 20% Si were successfully fabricated for the first time. A substantial change in saturation magnetization (from 90 to 209 emu/g) and a three-fold increase in hardness was observed with higher Si content. The electrical resistivity values tripled, enhancing the attractiveness of these higher Si content alloys. The yield strength, ultimate tensile strength also increased, from 71 to 545 MPa, and 91 to 567 MPa, respectively. The coercivity remained relatively unchanged in the range of 9.1 to 10.8 Oe. Our results demonstrate the potential of fabrication of bulk high Si content Fe-Si alloys via additive manufacturing. [Display omitted] • Performance of electrical steels (Fe-Si) needs improvement by higher Si content. • Fabricated dense Fe-Si alloys with up to 20% Si by additive manufacturing. • Such high Si content bulk Fe-Si alloys fabricated for the first time. • The magnetic, electrical and mechanical properties were attractive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zero-dimensional (0D) hybrid metal halides (HMHs) have recently garnered significant attention as promising light emitters due to their distinctively Stokes-shifted broadband emissions resulting from self-trapped excitons (STEs). However, the influence of crystalline structures on the Stokes shift remains inadequately understood. Herein, we design and synthesize a series of 0D (Ph 4 P) 2 SbCl 5-x Br x (Ph 4 P = tetraphenylphosphonium, x = 0–5) compounds to elucidate the intrinsic relationship between structural factors and the Stokes shift in 0D Sb(III) halides. Our comprehensive investigations into their crystalline structures and photoluminescence (PL) properties unveil that the Stokes shift correlates with intra- and inter-pyramidal [SbCl 5-x Br x ]2- units. Specifically, a shorter vertical Sb–Cl bond within the square pyramid, coupled with a greater Sb⋯Sb distance between the pyramidal units, facilitates significant structural relaxation in excited states, resulting in a larger Stokes shift, and vice versa. Notably, this principle applies not only within identical space groups but also across different crystal systems. Furthermore, our findings are supported by analyses of the structures and PL properties of other reported 0D Sb(III) halides with square pyramidal coordination. This study elucidates the structure-dependent nature of the Stokes shift in 0D Sb(III) halides, offering a novel avenue for the design of functional 0D metal halide materials. [Display omitted] • A series of 0D (Ph 4 P) 2 SbCl 5-x Br x (Ph 4 P = tetraphenylphosphonium) compounds with different Stokesshifts were developed. • A direct correlation is elucidated between the Stokes shift and both intra- and inter-pyramidal [SbCl 5-x Br x ]2- units. • The structure-PL property principle applies across various crystal systems in 0D Sb(III) halides. • This work promotes the understanding of the structure-luminescence relationship in organic-inorganic materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacteria develop tolerance after transient exposure to antibiotics, and tolerance is a significant driver of resistance. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the mechanisms underlying tolerance formation in vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus (VISA) strains. VISA strains were cultured with sub-minimum inhibitory concentrations (sub-MICs) of vancomycin. Enhanced vancomycin tolerance was observed in VISA strains with distinct genetic lineages. Western blot revealed that the VISA protein succinylation (Ksucc) levels decreased with the increase in vancomycin exposure. Importantly, Ksucc modification, vancomycin tolerance, and cell wall synthesis were simultaneously affected after deletion of SacobB , which encodes a desuccinylase in S. aureus. Several Ksucc sites were identified in MurA, and vancomycin MIC levels of murA mutant and Ksucc-simulated (MurA(K69E) and MurA(K191E)) mutants were reduced. The vancomycin MIC levels of K65-MurA(K191E) in particular decreased to 1 mg/L, converting VISA strain K65 to a vancomycin-susceptible S. aureus strain. We further demonstrated that the enzymatic activity of MurA was dependent on Ksucc modification. Our data suggested the influence of vancomycin exposure on bacterial tolerance, and protein Ksucc modification is a novel mechanism in regulating vancomycin tolerance. [Display omitted] • Sub-MIC vancomycin exposure enhances antibiotic tolerance of VISA strains. • Succinylation regulates cell wall synthesis and vancomycin tolerance in VISA. • Succinylation at K69 and K191 of MurA weakens protein enzymatic activity. • Increased protein succinylation can convert VISA strain to VSSA phenotype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the discussion on telehealth services rapidly expanding during the COVID-19 pandemic. Topics include identifying any trends in telemedicine usage in an integrated general hospital predicting future usage and development of telehealth; and including the age, gender, specialty visit, mode of teleconsultation, subsidy class and subsidy diagnosis code.

A variety of high-performance materials are utilized in electrical, electronic, and mechanical systems. Such systems account for a significant fraction of the world's electricity consumption. The next generation of such systems urgently require new material compositions which possess a better combination of both structural and functional properties. Only accelerated methodologies can rapidly determine the required multiple property set. Hence, a range of iron–cobalt–nickel ternary alloy composition powders were chemically synthesized. Compositionally graded bulk materials libraries were prepared by spark plasma sintering of these powders. A multiple property set of the crystal structure, magnetic, mechanical, and electrical properties were determined for a range of compositions. This property set revealed that a good combination of magnetic and mechanical properties can be obtained from Fe50Co40Ni10, high electrical resistivity from Fe54Co17Ni29 and high saturation magnetization as well as high hardness from Fe57Co29Ni14. Thus, this multiple property library, developed by accelerated methodologies, can be utilized to identify new ternary compositions satisfying diverse property sets relevant to next generation systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]