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ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate cortical activation and functional connectivity in the cortex during working memory (WM) tasks in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS).MethodsA total of 17 older adults with AD and 17 cognitively normal (CN) participants were recruited. fNIRS was utilized to monitor oxygenated hemoglobin (HbO) concentrations in the frontotemporal lobe, while participants performed WM tasks to examine WM impairments in subjects with AD. Student’s t-test for continuous variables and the chi-square test for categorical variables were used to compare the clinical and HbO variables between the AD and CN groups. Functional connectivity was analyzed using Pearson’s correlation coefficient between the time series of each channel-to-channel pair.ResultsThe changes in HbO concentrations and cortical activations during the WM task showed that the HbO concentration curve of the CN group was higher than that of the AD group during the encoding and maintenance phases of the WM task. Although in the brain region scale, there were no significant differences in average HbO concentrations between the two groups, many channels located in the frontal and temporal lobes showed significant differences (p

With the continuous development of the oblique photography technique, it has been used more and more widely in the field of geological disasters. It can quickly obtain the three-dimensional (3D) real scene model of dangerous mountainous areas under the premise of ensuring the safety of personnel while restoring the real geographic information as much as possible. However, geological disaster areas are often accompanied by many adverse factors such as cliffs and dense vegetation. Based on this, the paper introduced the flight line design of oblique photogrammetry, analyzed the multi-platform data fusion processing, studied the multi-period data dynamic evaluation technology and proposed the application methods of data acquisition, early warning, disaster assessment and decision management suitable for geological disaster identification through the analysis of actual cases, which will help geologists to plan and control geological work more scientifically and rationally, improve work efficiency and reduce the potential personnel safety hazards in the process of geological survey, to offer technical support to the application of oblique photogrammetry in geological disaster identification and decision making and provide the scientific basis for personal and property safety protection and later-stage geological disaster management in disaster areas.

The corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an epidemic pneumonia caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). In addition to pulmonary symptoms and a variety of physical symptoms, patients also experience symptoms of cognitive impairment. Previous studies have shown that many patients will experience varying degrees of cognitive decline in the subacute and prognostic stages after having COVID-19. Then, what are the factors that lead to cognitive decline? This article reviews and analyzes the inherent factors before the onset of the disease, the factors directly related to the disease, and the factors of hospital admission. In addition, this paper also summarizes the evaluation methods of cognitive decline and the possible mechanisms of the pathogenesis, thus providing corresponding clinical intervention ideas for inhibiting or regulating related factors.

Background: As a non-pharmacologic treatment, bright light therapy (BLT) is often used to improve affective disorders and memory function. In this study, we aimed to determine the effect of BLT on depression and electrophysiological features of the brain in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and their caregivers using a light-emitting diode device of 14000 lux.Methods: A 4-week case-control trial was conducted. Neuropsychiatric and electroencephalogram (EEG) examination were evaluated at baseline and after 4 weeks. EEG power in delta (1–4 Hz), theta (4–8 Hz), alpha (8–12 Hz), and beta (12–30 Hz) bands was calculated for our main analysis. Demographic and clinical variables were analyzed using Student’s t test and the chi-square test. Pearson’s correlation was used to determine the correlation between electrophysiological features, blood biochemical indicators, and cognitive assessment scale scores.Results: In this study, 22 in-patients with AD and 23 caregivers were recruited. After BLT, the Hamilton depression scale score decreased in the fourth week. Compared with the age-matched controls of their caregivers, a higher spectral power at the lower delta and theta frequencies was observed in the AD group. After BLT, the EEG power of the delta and theta frequencies in the AD group decreased. No change was observed in blood amyloid concentrations before and after BLT.Conclusion: In conclusion, a 4-week course of BLT significantly suppressed depression in patients with AD and their caregivers. Moreover, changes in EEG power were also significant in both groups.

Alzheimer’s disease is characterized by sustained neuroinflammation leading to memory loss and cognitive decline. The past decade has witnessed tremendous efforts in Alzheimer’s disease research; however, no effective treatment is available to prevent disease progression. An increasing body of evidence suggests that neuroinflammation plays an important role in Alzheimer’s disease pathogenesis, alongside the classical pathological hallmarks such as misfolded and aggregated proteins (e.g., amyloid-beta and tau). Firstly, this review summarized the clinical and pathological characteristics of Alzheimer’s disease. Secondly, we outlined key aspects of glial cell-associated inflammation in Alzheimer’s disease pathogenesis and provided the latest evidence on the roles of microglia and astrocytes in Alzheimer’s disease pathology. Then, we revealed the double-edged nature of inflammatory cytokines and inflammasomes in Alzheimer’s disease. In addition, the potential therapeutic roles of innate immunity and neuroinflammation for Alzheimer’s disease were also discussed through these mechanisms. In the final section, the remaining key problems according to the current research status were discussed.

Abstract Magnetic greigite may be a valuable indicator for methane emissions in the geological past, if its formation pathway and diagenetic environment can be unambiguously defined. Here, we investigate sulfur isotopic compositions of iron sulfides and ferrous iron concentrations of thick greigite‐bearing sediments (TGBSs) in the South Yellow Sea, a shallow marginal sea with strong methane emissions. For the first time, isotopically heavy iron sulfides (up to 28.7‰ in δ34S and 0.19‰ in Δ33S) and enrichments of ferrous iron in the TGBSs are observed. We interpret the data as indicating synchronic occurrences of anaerobic oxidation of methane coupled to sulfate and iron reductions, which occur in coastal methanic zones with limited sulfate availability and therefore probably imply leakages of methane. Consequently, we suggest that greigite is a promising geological indicator for tracing methane liberated from coastal sediments, accounting for ∼60% of the currently rising global marine methane budget.

ObjectiveTo investigate correlation between cognitive function, age, and sleep disturbances.MethodsThis retrospective clinical study enrolled 78 patients with sleep disorders who were divided into three groups: a group of 24 patients with sleep disorders accompanied by cognitive decline (SD-CD); 54 patients with sleep disorders and no cognitive decline (SD-nCD) was divided into two groups, one of 30 patients aged between 60 and 70 years and another of 24 patients aged >70 years. Polysomnography was used to record patients’ sleep indicators throughout night; these included total sleep duration, sleep efficiency (SE), sleep latency, sleep structure and percentage of N1, N2, and N3 stages, rapid eye movement (REM) stage, as well as apnea hypopnea index (AHI), and oxygen saturation (OS). Analysis of variance (ANOVA) for continuous variables and chi-square test for categorical variables were used to analyze variables between different groups. Pearson’s correlation was used to analyze correlation between sleep parameters and mini-mental state examination (MMSE). Blood samples were used to determine their Aβ, Aβ40, Aβ42, total tau, phosphorylated tau protein (ptau), ptau181, ptau217, the inflammatory factor IL-1β, vitamin B12 (VB12), and melatonin levels.ResultsIn the SD-CD group, there was a significant decrease in SE and an increase in N1 stage sleep in older patients and a significant increase in AHI, REM stage AHI, and non-REM stage AHI. In patients with SD-nCD, the minimum OS, minimum OS in the REM period, and minimum OS in the non-REM period were significantly reduced. OS was significantly correlated with cognitive level, as evaluated by the MMSE. The addition of sleep parameters can significantly improve the accuracy of dementia diagnosis. Dementia biomarkers of Aβ and tau proteins in blood showed cognition-related differences, while ptau181 was associated with both cognition and age-related differences. Regression models revealed that age was related to higher levels of cognitive decline before (β = −0.43, P < 0.001) and after (β = −0.38, P < 0.001) adjustment of gender, BMI, and education level. There was a significant mediation effect of relationship between aging and cognitive function by sleep efficiency and N1 stage sleep.ConclusionSleep disorders and low OS are associated with a higher incidence of cognitive decline and dementia.

Late-life depression (LLD) is one of the most common mental disorders among the older adults. Population aging, social stress, and the COVID-19 pandemic have significantly affected the emotional health of older adults, resulting in a worldwide prevalence of LLD. The clinical phenotypes between LLD and adult depression differ in terms of symptoms, comorbid physical diseases, and coexisting cognitive impairments. Many pathological factors such as the imbalance of neurotransmitters, a decrease in neurotrophic factors, an increase in β-amyloid production, dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, and changes in the gut microbiota, are allegedly associated with the onset of LLD. However, the exact pathogenic mechanism underlying LLD remains unclear. Traditional selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor therapy results in poor responsiveness and side effects during LLD treatment. Neuromodulation therapies and complementary and integrative therapies have been proven safe and effective for the treatment of LLD. Importantly, during the COVID-19 pandemic, modern digital health intervention technologies, including socially assistive robots and app-based interventions, have proven to be advantageous in providing personal services to patients with LLD.

As a new type of pollutants in the marine environment, microplastics have attracted increasing attention from scientific researchers and environmental protection workers in China and abroad. However, for the microplastic pollution in sea areas in China, there are a very limited number of studies on its current status and few reviews of research on the microplastics. This paper reviews the surveys and researches of microplastics in the Bohai Sea, the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea, the South China Sea, and main estuaries in China carried out in recent years and proposes an outlook for future work, aiming to provide research suggestions and solutions for ecological protection against microplastic pollution in sea areas in China. Previous studies have shown that microplastics are widely distributed in water bodies and sediments in sea areas and major estuaries in China. The Pearl River Estuary, in the South China Sea suffers the most serious microplastic pollution, followed by the Bohai Sea. In contrast, the microplastic pollution in the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea is comparatively slight. Microplastics in sea areas in China are mainly fibrous and are concentrated in offshore areas with developed industry and a dense population (especially around estuaries and bays). In addition, they are widely affected by human activities, such as shipping, aquaculture, industry, and sewage discharge. Here the authors suggest unifying measurement units and research methods and developing related standard systems to carry out researches related to microplastics. Furthermore, this paper also suggests further deepening researches on both the source-sink process of microplastics and nanoscale microplastics while enhancing the development and implementation of related policies, aiming to promote researches and control of microplastics in sea areas in China.© 2022 China Geology Editorial Office.

BackgroundBipolar disorder (BD) is predominantly treated with psychotropic drugs, but BD is a complex medical condition and the contribution of psychotropic drugs is not clear. The objectives of this study are: (1) to present psychotropic drugs used in patients with BD; (2) to access changes of psychotropic drug treatments in acute and maintenance episodes.MethodsThe study retrospectively evaluated the medical records of inpatients in the Ningbo Kangning Hospital from January 2019 to December 2019. The medical history of each subject was collected completely, including sociodemographic (gender, age, marital status, and so on) and clinical characteristics at baseline and within 12 months of admission.ResultsThe study ultimately included 204 patients with BD. After 12 months, 73.0% of the patients still took drugs. Mood stabilizers (72–90%) and antipsychotics (77–95%) were still the most important drugs in patients with BD. Antidepressants (34–40%) and benzodiazepines (20–34%) were the other frequently used drug classes. For mood stabilizers, 40–56% of patients were prescribed lithium. For antipsychotic, 54–65% of patients were prescribed quetiapine. Sertraline (6–9%) and fluoxetine (5–9%) were the antidepressant that most frequently prescribed. Lorazepam (10–18%) was the most commonly used benzodiazepine. In psychotropic polypharmacy, the most frequently taken was mood stabilizer plus antipsychotic co-treatment, about 36–44% of all patients. A total of 35–48% of patients treated by two psychotropic drugs and 24–36% received three.ConclusionThe first 6 months after treatment is very important to medication adherence. Mood stabilizers and antipsychotic remained the primary treatment for BD. Antipsychotic is on the rise in the treatment of BD.

The intersection of the Kyushu-Palau Ridge (KPR) and the Central Basin Rift (CBR) of the West Philippine Basin (WPB) is a relic of a trench-trench-rift (TTR) type triple-junction, which preserves some pivotal information on the cessation of the seafloor spreading of the WPB, the emplacement and disintegration of the proto-Izu-Bonin-Mariana (IBM) Arc, and the transition from initial rifting to steady-state spreading of the Parece Vela Basin (PVB). However, the structural characteristics of this triple-junction have not been thoroughly understood. In this paper, using the newly acquired multi-beam bathymetric, gravity, and magnetic data obtained by the Qingdao Institute of Marine Geology, China Geological Survey, the authors depict the topographic, gravity, and magnetic characteristics of the triple-junction and adjacent region. Calculations including the upward continuations and total horizontal derivatives of gravity anomaly are also performed to highlight the major structural features and discontinuities. Based on these works, the morphological and structural features and their formation mechanisms are analyzed. The results show that the last episode amagmatic extension along the CBR led to the formation of a deep rift valley, which extends eastward and incised the KPR. The morphological and structural fabrics of the KPR near and to the south of the triple-junction are consistent with those of the western PVB, manifesting as a series of NNE-SSW- and N-S-trending ridges and troughs, which were produced by the extensional faults associated with the initial rifting of the PVB. The superposition of the above two reasons induced the prominent discontinuity of the KPR in deep and shallow crustal structures between 15°N–15°30′N and 13°30′N–14°N. Combined with previous authors’ results, we propose that the stress produced by the early spreading of the PVB transmitted westward and promoted the final stage amagmatic extension of the CBR. The eastward propagation of the CBR destroyed the KPR, of which the magmatism had decayed or ceased at that time. The destruction mechanism of the KPR associated with the rifting of the PVB varies along strike the KPR. Adjacent to the triple-junction, the KPR was destroyed mainly due to the oblique intersection of the PVB rifting center. Whereas south of the triple-junction, the KPR was destroyed by the E-W-directional extensional faulting on its whole width.©2021 China Geology Editorial Office.

Abstract Background Retinal biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) have been extensively investigated in recent decades. Retinal nervous and vascular parameters can reflect brain conditions, and they can facilitate early diagnosis of AD. Objective Our study aimed to evaluate the difference in retinal neuro-layer thickness and vascular parameters of patients with AD and healthy controls (HCs). Methods Non-invasive optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) was used to determine the combined thickness of the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and ganglion cell layer (GCL), as well as the full retinal thickness (FRT). The vascular branching (VB), vascular curvature (VC), and vascular density (VD) for AD and HC groups were also obtained. The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) was used to evaluate the cognitive performance of all the participants. After obtaining all the parameters, two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare the mean values of all the retinal parameters of the patients with AD and the HCs. Pearson's correlation was used to test the association between retinal parameters, MMSE scores, and vascular parameters. Results Seventy-eight eyes from 39 participants (19 AD and 20 HC; male, 52.6% in AD and 45.0% in HC; mean [standard deviation] age of 73.79 [7.22] years in AD and 74.35 [6.07] years in HC) were included for the analysis. The average RNFL + GCL thickness (106.32 ± 7.34 μm), FRTs of the four quadrants (290.35 ± 13.05 μm of inferior quadrant, 294.68 ± 9.37 μm of superior quadrant, 302.97 ± 6.52 μm of nasal quadrant, 286.02 ± 13.74 μm of temporal quadrant), and retinal VD (0.0148 ± 0.003) of patients with AD, compared with the HCs, were significantly reduced (p

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to develop a method to automatic classify capsule gastroscope image into three categories to prevent high-risk factors for carcinogenesis, such as atrophic gastritis (AG). The purpose of this research work is to develop a deep learning framework based on transfer learning to classify capsule gastroscope image into three categories: normal gastroscopic image, chronic erosive gastritis images, and ulcer gastric image.Method: In this research work, we proposed deep learning framework based on transfer learning to classify capsule gastroscope image into three categories: normal gastroscopic image, chronic erosive gastritis images, and ulcer gastric image. We used VGG- 16, ResNet-50, and Inception V3 pre-trained models, fine-tuned them and adjust hyperparameters according to our classification problem.Results: A dataset containing 380 images was collected for each capsule gastroscope image category, and divided into training set and test set in a ratio of 70%, and 30% respectively, and then based on the dataset, three methods, including as VGG- 16, ResNet-50, and Inception v3 are used. We achieved highest accuracy of 94.80% by using VGG- 16 to diagnose and classify capsule gastroscopic images into three categories: normal gastroscopic image, chronic erosive gastritis images, and ulcer gastric image. Our proposed approach classified capsule gastroscope image with respectable specificity and accuracy.Conclusion: The primary technique and industry standard for diagnosing and treating numerous stomach problems is gastroscopy. Capsule gastroscope is a new screening tool for gastric diseases. However, a number of elements, including image quality of capsule endoscopy, the doctors’ experience and fatigue, limit its effectiveness. Early identification is necessary for high-risk factors for carcinogenesis, such as atrophic gastritis (AG). Our suggested framework will help prevent incorrect diagnoses brought on by low image quality, individual experience, and inadequate gastroscopy inspection coverage, among other factors. As a result, the suggested approach will raise the standard of gastroscopy. Deep learning has great potential in gastritis image classification for assisting with achieving accurate diagnoses after endoscopic procedures.

The East China Sea (ECS) is featured by the broad continental shelf, huge terrigenous sediment input and striking river-sea interaction during the Quaternary. Despite the numerous studies, mostly on the delta, coastal and inner shelf areas, the late Quaternary stratigraphy and sedimentary environment on the mid-outer ECS shelf were poorly documented. In particular, it is still controversial in issues such as the recognition of marine transgression deposits in the interglacial period and the occurrence and ages of deposits in the glacial period. This study presents new data of high-resolution seismic reflection profiles and collective evidences from lithology, microfossil assemblages and geochronology of borehole SFK-1 on the ECS outer shelf, aiming to revisit the sedimentary stratigraphic evolution and environmental changes since the Marine Isotopic Stage 5 (MIS 5). Sixty-one ages were obtained by radiocarbon and Optical Stimulation Luminescence (OSL), providing robust constraints on the chronostratigraphy. Three marine regression/transgression cycles were identified, which primarily constrained the sedimentary environmental evolution over the past 100 kyrs. Although the strong river-sea interaction accompanied with sea level fluctuations characterized the late Quaternary depositional environment on the shelf, this study clearly identified the stratigraphic boundaries between MIS 1 and MIS 5, and confirmed the tide-influenced fluvial deposition formed during the Last Glacial Maximum on the outer shelf. We infer that tidal forcing significantly superimposed its influence on sea level change and thus formed the most striking feature on the late Quaternary stratigraphy of the open ECS shelf. With the combination of a large number of absolute depositional ages with high-resolution core records, the major findings of this study may allow better understanding of the Quaternary sedimentary evolution and river-sea interaction on open shelves dominated by siliciclastic sedimentation.

Academic procrastination is a common problem among current master’s degree students in their research activities and is an important factor that hinders academic progress. Based on the cognitive theory perspective, this study conducted a web-based questionnaire survey on full-time master’s students enrolled in a teacher training university in southwest China. The data collected were analyzed by using SPSS software with hierarchical regression and PROCESS macroprogramming techniques to investigate the relationship between stress perception and academic procrastination and the moderating effects of self-regulated learning efficacy and self-control among master’s students. The study showed that stress perception was a significant positive predictor of academic procrastination, and both self-regulated learning efficacy and self-control played a moderating role in the relationship between stress perception and academic procrastination. The study suggests that, firstly, to stimulate the personal potential of graduate students with reasonable perception of stress; secondly, to enhance the action ability of graduate students by strengthening metacognitive strategies; finally, to establish a two-way promotion mechanism by enhancing self-regulation and impulse control.

ABSTRACT: The sedimentary environment and ecological system in the South Yellow Sea (SYS) changed dramatically due to sea level change caused by glacial-interglacial cycles. The authors report the use of marine biomarkers (brassicasterol, dinosterol and C37 alkenones) and terrigenous biomarkers (C28+C30+C32 n-alkanols) in core DLC70-3 from the SYS to reconstruct the variation in the phytoplankton productivity and community structure and possible mechanisms during the middle Pleistocene. The results show that the primary productivity and that of single algae presented a consistent trend for the whole core during the middle Pleistocene, which was high during interglacial periods and low during glacial periods, with the highest being in marine isotope stage (MIS) 5–9 and MIS 19–21. The main reason is that the Yellow Sea Warm Current (YSWC) carried much of high temperature, high salinity water into the SYS, causing upwelling and vertical mixing and stirring, which increased the nutrient supply in the photosynthetic layer. The phytoplankton community structure mainly showed an increase in the relative content of haptophytes in MIS 5–9 and MIS 19–21, while the relative content of diatoms and dinoflagellates decreased; there was no evidence for a haptophyte content in other stages. The results reveal a shift from a coccolitho-phorid-dominated community during MIS 5 –9 and MIS 19 –21 to a diatom-dominated community during the other stages, mainly as a result of surface salinity variation, attributed to the invasion of the YSWC during high sea level periods.

ABSTRACT: A comparative comparative study on the detrital mineral composition of stream sediments of the Yangtze River (Changjiang) and Yellow River (Huanghe) shows that, light minerals of the Yangtze River basin were mainly quartz, feldspar, and detritus, the compositional characteristics of light minerals differed among tributaries, the main stream had a generally higher maturity index than tributaries; heavy mineral content tended to decrease progressively from the upper stream to lower stream of the Yangtze River, the primary assemblage was magnetite-hornblende-augite-garnet-epidote, and diagnostic minerals of different river basins were capable of indicating the nature and distribution of the source rock. Detrital mineral assemblages in sediments of tributaries and the main stream of the Yellow River were basically similar, Primary heavy mineral assemblage was opaque mineral-garnet-epidote-carbonate mineral and alteration mineral. Variations in the contents of garnet, opaque mineral, and hornblende mainly reflected the degree of sedimentary differentiation in suspended sediment and the hydrodynamic intensity of a drainage system. The heavy mineral differentiation index F revealed sedimentary differentiation of diagnostic detrital mineral composition due to changes in regional hydrodynamic intensity and can serve as an indicator for studying the dynamic sedimentary environment of a single-provenance river and the degree of sedimentary differentiation of its detrital minerals. Changes in detrital mineral content of the Yellow River was not completely controlled by provenance but reflected gravity sorting of the detrital mineral due to variations in the ephemeral river hydrodynamic intensity and sedimentary environment, however the index changing of Yangtze River were mainly influenced by the complex sediment sources. Therefore caution must be exercised in using the detrital mineral composition of marginal sea to determine the contribution of the Yangtze River and Yellow River.© 2019 China Geology Editorial Office.

ABSTRACT: The Ningshao Plain experienced sea-level fluctuation and climate change in the Holocene and gave birth to a Neolithic Civilization, the Hemudu Culture (about 5000 BC). Using XRD method, this paper studied the clay mineralogy of sediments in core HMD-1301 from Hemudu Site area in Ningshao Plain. Results show that the clay mineral assemblages in all samples are quite consistent. They are dominated by illite (about 57%) and smectite (about 26%), and a small amount of kaolinite (about 6%) and chlorite (about 9%). In addition, illite, chlorite, and kaolinite are originated mainly from eolian loesses. Smectite is resulted mainly from chemical weathering of local volcanic rocks outcropped. Illite crystallinity indicates the climatic characteristics of the source region, and illite chemistry index reflects the climate nature of the sedimentary area. It is our understanding that water medium properties in a sedimentary environment affect clay mineral assemblage and the distribution, based on which were cognized the Holocene transgression-regression events in the Hemudu Site area. These mineral indices are well comparable with geochemical indicators in identifying the transgression-regression events. We believe that these events affected the ancient civilization of the ancient residential communities at the time.©2019 China Geology Editorial Office.

Abstract The South Yellow Sea is an important sink for sediments delivered by the Yellow and Yangtze rivers in East Asia. We conducted a high‐resolution geochemical analysis on the bulk sediments retrieved from a marine drill core (CSDP‐1) using the method of X‐ray fluorescence (XRF). Our results show large geochemical variations along the core. As demonstrated by linear correlations along with the Al‐Si link in a compositional principal component analysis (PCA), the variations in elemental ratios among Al, K, Zr, Ba, and Si are primarily controlled by sediment sorting effects. A closer examination indicates a gradual shift of sediment provenance from the Yangtze to the Yellow River catchment in the core. With the help of a fuzzy c‐means cluster analysis on elemental ratios of Al/Si, Al/Ti, K/Si as well as the chemical index of alteration (CIA), the timing of a major provenance change in the core is narrowed down to 1.5–1.7 Ma. This timing corresponds to a major seismic and sedimentary boundary (T2) in the Yellow Sea Basin and coincides with the onset of fluvial terrace deposition and incision in the middle and upper reaches of the Yellow River. As a result, we argue that the major provenance change derived from geochemical variations in the Yellow Sea sedimentary basin can be linked with the integration of the modern Yellow River. The provenance change is likely caused by a coupling between regional tectonic deformation and the Asian summer monsoon enhancement in the early Pleistocene.

Objectives. Retina abnormalities are related to cognitive disorders in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Retinal amyloid beta (Aβ) can be labeled by curcumin. We measured Aβ content in the cerebrum and retina of APPswe/PS1dE9 (APP) transgenic mice with early age to investigate the correlation between cerebrum and retina. Methods. APP mice and age-matched wild-type mice were investigated every month from age 2 months to 6 months to assess changes in Aβ content in the retina and cerebrum. At the beginning of each month, mice were fed a curcumin diet (50 mg/kg/day) for 7 consecutive days. The Aβ levels in the retina and cerebrum were measured by ELISAs. Correlations were identified between retinal and cerebral Aβ contents using Pearson’s correlation. Results. In the absence of curcumin, there was a significant correlation between Aβ contents in the retina and cerebrum of APP mice (r=0.7291, P=0.0014). With increasing age, Aβ-mediated degenerative change in the cerebrum (P

Abstract Background Inadequate sleep quantity and quality is a public health concern with an array of detrimental health outcomes. Portable technological devices have become a ubiquitous part of adolescents’ lives and may affect their sleep duration and quality. The purpose of this study was to summarize published analyses of various technology uses and sleep outcomes and to examine whether there is an association between excessive technology use (ETU) and poor sleep outcomes in adolescents. Method We conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis. Pubmed, Embase, Science Direct, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library were used. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were performed. Only original research papers published from 1999 to 2018 and offcially reviewed by peers were included for analysis. We used the Review Manager 5.3 software for statistical analysis. Results Nineteen studies were included, and their quality was assessed. These studies involved 253,904 adolescents (mean [SD] age, 14.82 [0.83] years; 51.1% male). There was a strong and consistent association between ETU and sleep problems (odds ratio [OR], 1.33; 95% CI, 1.24–1.43) (P

Linking marine sinks to potential terrestrial sources is one of most intriguing but challenging aspects of sediment source-to-sink studies. In this study, we analyzed 23 zircon samples (3271 filtered best ages) from surface sediments of the east China seas (ECSs) that cover a large portion of the Bohai Sea, Yellow Sea, East China Sea to part of the northeastern South China Sea. The results of U-Pb age distributions exhibit variable signatures in different seas. The Bohai Sea is characterized by 4 age populations at 203–286 Ma, 383–481 Ma, 1830–1940 Ma and 2480–2548 Ma, whereas the southern Yellow Sea and the East China Sea are featured by 5 age populations at 176–223 Ma, 383–481 Ma, 732–830 Ma, 1830–1940 Ma and 2480–2548 Ma. We propose that the presence or absence of the population of 732–830 Ma in the Yangtze Craton (YC) and the North China Craton (NCC) is a possible geochronological signature to distinguish zircon grains derived from the two source regions. Furthermore, on the basis of multidimensional scaling (MDS), U-Pb ages in the sediments of the Bohai Sea, East China Sea and the Taiwan Strait could be correspondently linked to those of the Yellow River, the Yangtze River and Taiwan rivers. The good linkages support the view that U-Pb age distributions of detrital zircons in the margin seas are mainly controlled by fluvial discharges, and ultimately, by the tectonic history of the corresponding source regions. Using a sediment forward mixing model, we obtained the relative sediment contributions and spatial variations of five most important river discharges in the region. The mixing results suggest that the major rivers in the region, i.e., the Yangtze and the Yellow Rivers, are the dominant sediment contributors to the continental margin, and their mixing coefficients could be used to infer relative sediment budgeting. In addition, spatial variations in mixing coefficient in the East China Sea indicate that sediment mixing and partitioning processes in the marine depositional environment have played a part role in propagating the provenance signals as a result of interaction of oceanic currents and tides. The combined method between provenance analysis and mixing modeling provides a feasible way to appreciate sediment budgeting in the geological past.

We report a case of drug-induced lupus (DIL) on a Chinese woman caused by methimazole (MMI). This report discusses DIL associated with MMI and briefly reviewed the literature concerning to anti-thyroid DIL.

Intra-Body Communication (IBC), which modulates ionic currents over the human body as the communication medium, offers a low power and reliable signal transmission method for information exchange across the body. This paper first briefly reviews the quasi-static electromagnetic (EM) field modeling for a galvanic-type IBC human limb operating below 1 MHz and obtains the corresponding transfer function with correction factor using minimum mean square error (MMSE) technique. Then, the IBC channel characteristics are studied through the comparison between theoretical calculations via this transfer function and experimental measurements in both frequency domain and time domain. High pass characteristics are obtained in the channel gain analysis versus different transmission distances. In addition, harmonic distortions are analyzed in both baseband and passband transmissions for square input waves. The experimental results are consistent with the calculation results from the transfer function with correction factor. Furthermore, we also explore both theoretical and simulation results for the bit-error-rate (BER) performance of several common modulation schemes in the IBC system with a carrier frequency of 500 kHz. It is found that the theoretical results are in good agreement with the simulation results.

Railway tunnel clearance is directly related to the safe operation of trains and upgrading of freight capacity. As more and more railway are put into operation and the operation is continuously becoming faster, the railway tunnel clearance inspection should be more precise and efficient. In view of the problems existing in traditional tunnel clearance inspection methods, such as low density, slow speed and a lot of manual operations, this paper proposes a tunnel clearance inspection approach based on 3D point clouds obtained by a mobile laser scanning system (MLS). First, a dynamic coordinate system for railway tunnel clearance inspection has been proposed. A rail line extraction algorithm based on 3D linear fitting is implemented from the segmented point cloud to establish a dynamic clearance coordinate system. Second, a method to seamlessly connect all rail segments based on the railway clearance restrictions, and a seamless rail alignment is formed sequentially from the middle tunnel section to both ends. Finally, based on the rail alignment and the track clearance coordinate system, different types of clearance frames are introduced for intrusion operation with the tunnel section to realize the tunnel clearance inspection. By taking the Shuanghekou Tunnel of the Chengdu–Kunming Railway as an example, when the clearance inspection is carried out by the method mentioned herein, its precision can reach 0.03 m, and difference types of clearances can be effectively calculated. This method has a wide application prospects.