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The mechanism of sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P)-mediated phagocytosis remains unknown. Here, we found that S1P or FTY720 (an analog of S1P) promoted microglial phagocytosis in stroke independent of S1PRs. First, we used computer simulation of molecular docking to predict that S1P might be a ligand for triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2). Next, microscale thermophoresis (MST), surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) were performed to reveal that S1P was a novel TREM2 ligand. Then, we confirmed the pro-phagocytosis of S1P targeting in Trem2-Dap12 transfected CHO cells and TREM2 knockdown microglia. Point mutation analysis showed that D104 was the critical binding residue. Trem2–/– mice were used to demonstrate the role of S1P-induced phagocytosis targeting on TREM2 in protecting against ischemic brain injury. Finally, further studies revealed that apolipoprotein E (APOE) loaded with S1P was released by microglia and bound to apoptotic neurons via LDL receptor related protein 1B (LRP1B) and thereby induced microglia to phagocytose apoptotic neurons. Overall, the present work reveals for the first time that S1P acts as a novel endogenous ligand of TREM2 to effectively promote microglial phagocytosis. Our findings provide a new lead compound for developing immunomodulator targeting on TREM2.

To investigate the effects of gadolinium (Gd) retention of macrocyclic (gadobutrol) or linear (gadopentetate) Gd-based contrast agents (GBCAs) on neuron loss, neurological deficits, and sensory behavior in mice with or without stroke.Ninety C57BL/6 mice underwent sham (n = 36) or transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) (n = 54) surgery and then received intraperitoneal injections of 5.0 mmol/kg gadobutrol, 5.0 mmol/kg gadopentetate or saline (10 ml/kg/administration) per day for 3 consecutive days. The Gd concentration in the ischemic cerebrum was quantified by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry on Day 1 and Day 28 after the last injection (post-injection, p. i.). Neuron loss, glia activation and neurological deficits were assessed on Day 1 and 28 p. i. Sensory behavior was also assessed on Day 28 p. i.Gd concentrations were higher in the brains of tMCAO mice than in those of sham mice on Days 1 p. i. of both GBCAs (gadobutrol, p amp;lt; 0.05; gadopentetate, p amp;lt; 0.001) and 28 p. i of gadopentetate. (p amp;lt; 0.001). Sham or tMCAO mice injected with GBCAs showed no significant difference in neuron loss, glia activation, neurological deficits, brain atrophy, or hippocampus-dependent memory (all p amp;gt; 0.05). Both gadobutrol and gadopentetate induced mechanical and heat hyperalgesia in sham mice (all p amp;lt; 0.05). However, mechanical hyperalgesia but rather heat hyperalgesia was found in tMCAO mice with the highest force tested (1.0 g) and statistically significant in both paws (right and left) with gadopentetate only (p amp;lt; 0.05).Neither gadobutrol nor gadopentetate worsened neuron loss, glia activation, brain atrophy, neurological deficits, or hippocampus-dependent memory after tMCAO. However, GBCA administration induced mechanical hyperalgesia in sham and tMCAO mice although in the same level, which may be an important consideration for patients with central post-stroke pain and those who are sensitive to pain and about to receive multiple GBCA administrations.

OBJECTIVE: To study the clinical value of attention time combined with behavior scale in the screening of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in preschool children. METHODS: A total of 200 preschool children with ADHD diagnosed in Fujian Maternal and Child Health Hospital from February 2019 to March 2020 were enrolled as the ADHD group. A total of 200 children who underwent physical examination in the hospital or kindergartens during the same period were enrolled as the control group. Attention time was recorded. Chinese Version of Swanson Nolan and Pelham, Version IV Scale-Parent Form (SNAP-IV) scale was used to evaluate symptoms. With clinical diagnosis as the gold standard, the decision tree analysis was used to evaluate the clinical value of attention time combined with behavior scale in the screening of ADHD. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the ADHD group had significantly higher scores of SNAP-IV items 1, 4, 7, 8, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16, 18, 20, 21, and 22 (P

Pericytes are present tight around the intervals of capillaries, play an essential role in stabilizing the blood-brain barrier, regulating blood flow and immunomodulation, and persistent contraction of pericytes eventually leads to impaired blood flow and poor clinical outcomes in ischemic stroke. We previously show that iptakalim, an ATP-sensitive potassium (K-ATP) channel opener, exerts protective effects in neurons, and glia against ischemia-induced injury. In this study we investigated the impacts of iptakalim on pericytes contraction in stroke. Mice were subjected to cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO), then administered iptakalim (10 mg/kg, ip). We showed that iptakalim administration significantly promoted recovery of cerebral blood flow after cerebral ischemia and reperfusion. Furthermore, we found that iptakalim significantly inhibited pericytes contraction, decreased the number of obstructed capillaries, and improved cerebral microcirculation. Using a collagen gel contraction assay, we demonstrated that cultured pericytes subjected to oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) consistently contracted from 3 h till 24 h during reoxygenation, whereas iptakalim treatment (10 μM) notably restrained pericyte contraction from 6 h during reoxygenation. We further showed that iptakalim treatment promoted K-ATP channel opening via suppressing SUR2/EPAC1 complex formation. Consequently, it reduced calcium influx and ET-1 release. Taken together, our results demonstrate that iptakalim, targeted K-ATP channels, can improve microvascular disturbance by inhibiting pericyte contraction after ischemic stroke. Our work reveals that iptakalim might be developed as a promising pericyte regulator for treatment of stroke.

Background There is little objective information concerning the effect of steam-flaked grains on foal’s growth performance and faecal microbiota. To determine the effects of steam-flaked grains on foal’s growth performance and faecal microbiota, faecal samples were collection from 18 foals which had been fed either corn, oat or barley diets over the 60 days of the experiment. Body weight and conformation measurements were collected. Next-generation sequencing of the V3 + V4 region of the 16 S rRNA gene was used to assess the microbial composition of faeces. Alpha diversity, Venn graph, Relative abundance and beta diversity are presented. Results There was a significantly higher larger increase in the body weight of those foals fed barley compared to either corn or oats. There were also significant changes in the Alpha diversity of the gut microbiota. The Shannon and Simpson indices were significantly higher in the barley fed group than those fed corn or oats. The Chao1 index was significantly higher in the oat fed group than the corn or barley fed groups. There were significant changes in the relative abundance of bacteria in the microbiota in terms of phylum, family and genus. The histogram of LDA value distribution showed that the 12 statistically different biomarkers of the bacteria were present. Tax4Fun function annotation clustering heat map showed that functional information was detected from 26 species of bacteria in faecal samples from the foals. Conclusions Differences by starch sources were found in overall growth of the foals and in the faecal microbiota if either supplementary corn, oat or barley was fed. Further studies are required to determine the potential impact of the changes in the microbiota on the health and development of foals fed cereal starch of different sources.

Pipeline pressure drops can be decreased by various methods. Utilizing small amounts of additives that named drag reducing agent (DRA) in pipelines with crude oil may reduce the friction caused by ...

Background Previous studies report that lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-preconditioned mesenchymal stem cells have enhanced trophic support and improved regenerative and repair properties. Extracellular vesicles secreted by synovial mesenchymal stem cells (EVs) can reduce cartilage damage caused by osteoarthritis (OA). Previous studies show that extracellular vesicles secreted by LPS-preconditioned synovial mesenchymal stem cells (LPS-pre EVs) can improve the response to treatment of osteoarthritis (OA). This study sought to explore effects of LPS-pre EVs on chondrocyte proliferation, migration, and chondrocyte apoptosis, as well as the protective effect of LPS-pre EVs on mouse articular cartilage. Methods Chondrocytes were extracted to explore the effect of LPS-pre EVs on proliferation, migration, and apoptosis of chondrocytes. In addition, the effect of LPS-pre EVs on expression level of important proteins of chondrocytes was explored suing in vitro experiments. Further, intraarticular injection of LPS-pre EVs was performed on the destabilization of the medial meniscus (DMM)-induced mouse models of OA to explore the therapeutic effect of LPS-pre EVs on osteoarthritis in vivo. Results Analysis showed that LPS-pre EVs significantly promoted proliferation and migration of chondrocytes and inhibited the apoptosis of chondrocytes compared with PBS and EVs. Moreover, LPS-pre EVs inhibited decrease of aggrecan and COL2A1 and increase of ADAMTS5 caused by IL-1β through let-7b. Furthermore, LPS-pre EVs significantly prevented development of OA in DMM-induced mouse models of OA. Conclusions LPS pretreatment is an effective and promising method to improve therapeutic effect of extracellular vesicles secreted from SMSCs on OA.

BackgroundThere is little objective information concerning the effect of steam-flaked grains on foal’s growth performance and faecal microbiota.To determine the effects of steam-flaked grains on foal’s growth performance and faecal microbiota.Faecal samples were collection from 18 foals which had been fed corn, oat or barley diets over the 60 days of the experiment. Body weight and measurements were collected. Next-generation sequencing of the V3+V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene was used to assess the microbial composition of faeces. Alpha diversity, Venn graph, Relative abundance and beta diversity are presented.ResultsThere was a significantly higher increase in the body weight of those foals fed barley compared to either corn or oats, both in terms of the total weight gain and the daily weight gain (P=0.0185). There were also significant changes in the Alpha diversity. The Shannon and Simpson indices were higher in the barley fed group than those fed corn or oats (PPPPPPConclusionsDifferences were seen in the faecal microbiota of foals fed either corn, oat or barley, and also differences in the overall growth of the foals. Different grains have different impact on faecal microbiota, which are mainly related to the grain sources. Further investigation is required to look at the potential impact of changes in the microbiota on the functional impact on foals when fed grains.

Synaptic plasticity damages play a crucial role in the onset and development of depression, especially in the hippocampus, which is more susceptible to stress and the most frequently studied brain region in depression. And, mitochondria have a major function in executing the complex processes of neurotransmission and plasticity. We have previously demonstrated that Iptakalim (Ipt), a new ATP-sensitive potassium (K-ATP) channel opener, could improve the depressive-like behavior in mice. But the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. The present study demonstrated that Ipt reversed depressive-like phenotype in vivo (chronic mild stress-induced mice model of depression) and in vitro (corticosterone-induced cellular model). Further study showed that Ipt could upregulate the synaptic-related proteins postsynaptic density 95 (PSD 95) and synaptophysin (SYN), and alleviated the synaptic structure damage. Moreover, Ipt could reverse the abnormal mitochondrial fission and fusion, as well as the reduced mitochondrial ATP production and collapse of mitochondrial membrane potential in depressive models. Knocking down the mitochondrial ATP-sensitive potassium (Mito-KATP) channel subunit MitoK partly blocked the above effects of Ipt. Therefore, our results reveal that Ipt can alleviate the abnormal mitochondrial dynamics and function depending on MitoK, contributing to improve synaptic plasticity and exert antidepressive effects. These findings provide a candidate compound and a novel target for antidepressive therapy.

ObjectivesThe primary purpose was to measure the birth weight of infants of mothers with gestational diabetes (IMGDs) at different gestational ages to develop new reference charts and curves for them. A further purpose was to compare them with those of 159 334 infants in China to provide more accurate reference charts for the diagnosis of suspected abnormal birth weight of IMGDs. The final purpose was to evaluate the key periods for such mothers to control their weight in line with the difference of fetal weight of each two neighbouring gestational ages.SettingA specialised hospital in South ChinaParticipantsIMGDs born here from January 2014 to December 2018.Primary and secondary outcome variablesBirth weight, gestational ages of IMGDs, gender and year of birth.ResultsData of 14 311 singleton live births at the gestational weeks 25–42 here were collected. The proportions of low birth weight, normal birth weight and macrosomia were 7.26%, 87.04%, and 5.70%, respectively. The proportions of small for gestational age, appropriate for gestational age and large for gestational age were 5.69%, 84.42% and 9.89%, respectively. In the macrosomia group, the mean of all birth weight in 2017 decreased for the first time since 2014. Both the means of birth weight of male infants at gestational weeks 36–41 and of female at weeks 38–40 were greater than that of the 159 334 infants. The increase of each weekly mean of IMGDs at gestational weeks 27–31 and 33–35 was >10% compared with the former. Based on this, new reference charts of birth weight for IMGDs in terms of different gestational age and gender were formulated.ConclusionThese charts may be applied as reference for more accurate diagnosis and quick treatment of abnormal birth weight. This study showed that the identification of key periods for fetal weight gain was helpful for the management of the weight of women with gestational diabetes.

Background: Activation of TREM2 protects against brain injury in ischemic stroke via immunoregulation. However, the endogenous ligand of TREM2 remains unknown. Here, we tested the hypothesis that S1P, an immunoregulator, functions as TREM2 ligand to promote microglial phagocytosis.Methods: SD rats, C57BL/6J mice and TREM2-/- mice were subjected to transient middle cerebral artery occlusion, and primary microglia were subjected to oxygen-glucose deprivation. Phagocytosis was investigated via immunofluorescence and two-photon microscope. LC-MS/MS, microscale thermophoresis and surface plasmon resonance were used to confirm the TREM2-S1P interaction.Results: FTY720, an analog of S1P, promoted microglial phagocytosis in ischemic stroke independent of S1PRs expressed on microglia. S1P was confirmed to be a novel endogenous ligand for TREM2 and promote cellular debris clearance. The enhanced cellular debris clearance ameliorated neurological score and infarct volume, relying on TREM2. Moreover, FTY720 was demonstrated to promote hemoglobin clearance in intracerebral hemorrhage and ameliorate hemorrhagic injury.Conlusions: The present work reveals for the first time that S1P acts as a novel endogenous ligand of TREM2 to effectively promote microglial phagocytosis, and provides a new lead compound for developing TREM2 modulator.

BACKGROUND Gadolinium (Gd)-based contrast agents (GBCAs) have been widely used in MRI. However, several studies have reported Gd deposition in the brain, which has raised concerns about safety. PURPOSE To investigate the effects of ischemic stroke on Gd deposition in the brain after repeated administration of linear or macrocyclic GBCAs and to determine whether GBCAs aggravate astrocyte injury after stroke. STUDY TYPE Animal study. ANIMAL MODEL Twenty-seven male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized to an exposure group (n = 24) and a healthy control group (n = 3). Half of the exposure group (n = 12) underwent transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) and half (n = 12) had a sham procedure. In each subgroup (tMCAO or sham), the rats had repeated gadopentetate (n = 6) or gadobutrol (n = 6) injections. Oxygen-glucose deprivation and reoxygenation (OGD/R) was used as an in vitro model of stroke. ASSESSMENT On day 3 and day 28 after the last injection (p.i.), the Gd concentration in the cerebrum was quantified by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Cell viability, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) were analyzed in vitro. STATISTICAL TESTS One-way analysis of variance and two-sample t-tests were performed. RESULTS The Gd concentration in the ipsilateral hemisphere homogenates of tMCAO group was significantly higher than that in the brain homogenates of the sham group on day 3 p.i. of either gadobutrol (0.065 ± 0.006 vs. 0.042 ± 0.007 μg/g, P

Purpose Midwives with high work stress are prone to suboptimal health status (SHS). However, there is a lack of unified measurement standard for SHS. Sub-Health Measurement Scale V1.0 (SHMS V1.0) is a multidimensional inventory that has been proved to have adequate psychometric properties in other populations. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate validity and reliability of SHMS V1.0 in midwives.Methods In this cross-sectional study, 842 midwives from 46 midwifery institutions completed the SHMS V1.0. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability of SHMS V1.0 were assessed with Cronbach's alpha and Pearson correlation coefficient. Project analysis and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were performed to assess construct validity. Concurrent validity of SHMS V1.0 was evaluated by Pearson correlation analysis with the 14-item Fatigue Scale (FS-14).Results The total Cronbach's alpha and test-retest reliability coefficient of SHMS V1.0 was 0.908 and 0.804, respectively. The correlation coefficients between each item and its corresponding dimension, and those between each dimension and its corresponding subscale were all greater than 0.4. The CFA supported the structure of SHMS V1.0 with strong factor loadings and excellent fit indexes in the first-order and modified second-order factor model. The concurrent validity for SHMS V1.0 showed large correlation with FS-14, but social subscale showed medium correlations with total fatigue, physical fatigue and mental fatigue. Conclusions The SHMS V1.0 is a valid and reliable instrument for measuring SHS for midwives. Given the severity and harmfulness of SHS in midwives, SHMS V1.0 is recommended as an important tool for clinical practice and research.

Background: Gestational diabetes mellitus is one of the most frequent metabolic complications of pregnancy. Previous studies have reported that using either probiotic yogurt or a probiotic supplement reduces the incidence of gestational diabetes. However, the results were inconsistent. Thus, the aim of the present study was to investigate the association between gestational diabetes mellitus and probiotic yogurt intake during pregnancy and pre-pregnancy in Chinese women. Methods: This was a case-control study involving 123 cases with gestational diabetes mellitus and 126 controls matched for age and pre-pregnancy body mass index. Each participant was interviewed face-to-face using a structured questionnaire to collect socio-demographic characteristics, diet and exercise habits, as well as probiotic yogurt consumption (containing Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium) during pregnancy and pre-pregnancy. An unconditional logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the data. Results: Mothers in both groups had similar socio-demographic backgrounds. Probiotic yogurt intake during pregnancy was significantly higher in normal pregnant women than that in women with gestational diabetes mellitus (adjusted odds ratio: 0.292, 95% confidence interval: 0.148 - 0.577, P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in probiotic yogurt consumption before pregnancy between cases and controls. Conclusion: Probiotic yogurt intake before pregnancy was not associated with gestational diabetes mellitus, but probiotic yogurt consumption during pregnancy was effective in reducing the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus in Chinese women. The findings from the present study may have implications for the future care of pregnant Chinese women with gestational diabetes mellitus.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the influence of genetic and environmental factors on aggressive behavior in twin children, and to provide clues for further exploring the causal relationship between such factors and aggressive behavior. METHODS: A questionnaire was used to investigate aggressive behavior, temperament type and parenting style among 261 twin children aged 4-12.8 years. The Holzinger method and the maximum likelihood method were used to construct a structural equation model for the estimation of heritability. Binary logistic regression analysis, multivariate linear regression analysis and general linear model analysis were used to analyze the association between aggressive behavior and environmental factors in twin children. RESULTS: The heritability of aggressive behavior was 44.4% in twin children and the score of aggressive behavior showed moderate heritability (60.9% in boys and 65.6% in girls). The multivariate analysis showed that the score of aggressive behavior in twin children was affected by the mother's emotional warmth/understanding, the mother's punishment/severity and the father's overprotection (P < 0.05). There was an interaction between the mother's emotional warmth/understanding and the father's overprotection (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Both genetic and environmental factors have influence on children's aggressive behavior, and parenting style is the main environmental factor affecting the aggressive behavior of twin children.

Aim Healthcare professionals who lack self-efficacy may fail to cope with stressful situations, which increases job burnout and turnout. Self-efficacy of midwives with high workload may affect the quality of service. However, little is known about midwives' self-efficacy and related factors. This study aimed to examine the level and influencing factors of self-efficacy among midwives, and to assess the relationships between their self-efficacy and job burnout. Methods This was a multi-center cross-sectional study involving 700 midwives from 33 hospitals in China. Data were collected by three self-administered questionnaires, including a socio-demographic questionnaire, General Self-Efficacy Scale and Maslach Burnout Inventory. Pearson correlation was utilized to analyze the association of self-efficacy with job burnout. A multiple linear regression model was performed to identify variables associated with midwives' self-efficacy. Results The score of self-efficacy among Chinese midwives was 24.34 ± 5.28. The incidence of job burnout was 52.9%. The influencing factors of self-efficacy among midwives were low personal accomplishment, emotional exhaustion, length of service, interest in the midwifery field, marital status and whether they came from a one-child family or not. Conclusions Chinese midwives had a moderate level of self-efficacy which easily led to job burnout. Also, several personal-related and work-related factors would affect the self-efficacy of midwives. Nursing managers are called on to attach importance to self-efficacy of midwives and provide effective interventions to improve their self-efficacy.

OBJECTIVE: To study the clinical effect of psychological and behavioral intervention combined with biofeedback in the treatment of preschool children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). METHODS: Sixty children each with inattentive, hyperactive/impulsive or combined type ADHD were enrolled. According to the intervention measure, they were randomly divided into 4 groups:control, psychological and behavioral intervention, biofeedback treatment and comprehensive treatment (psychological and behavioral intervention + biofeedback). Attention concentration time and impulse/hyperactivity and hyperactivity index scores of the Conners Parent Symptom Questionnaire (PSQ) were evaluated after 4 months of treatment. RESULTS: The attention concentration time increased in all types children with ADHD after psychological and behavioral intervention, biofeedback treatment or comprehensive treatment (P < 0.05). In children with inattentive ADHD, hyperactive/impulsive ADHD or combined-type ADHD, biofeedback or comprehensive treatment reduced the impulse/hyperactivity index score (P < 0.05). In children with inattentive or combined-type ADHD, psychological and behavioral intervention or comprehensive treatment reduced the hyperactivity index score (P < 0.05). In children with hyperactive/impulsive ADHD, biofeedback treatment, psychological and behavioral intervention or comprehensive treatment reduced the hyperactivity index score (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In children with ADHD, psychological and behavioral intervention combined with biofeedback treatment can improve the attention concentration and impulsive/hyperactive and hyperactive symptoms. The treatment strategies are slightly different for children with different types of ADHD.

OBJECTIVE: To study the clinical effect of integrated sandplay therapy in preschool children with Asperger syndrome (AS). METHODS: A total of 44 preschool children with AS were randomly divided into an experimental group and a control group, with 22 children in each group. The children in the control group were given routine training, and those in the experimental group were given integrated sandplay therapy in addition to the routine training. The treatment response was assess by the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS), emotional recognition tools and changes in sandplay theme characteristics after 6 months of treatment. RESULTS: Before intervention, there were no signifcant differences between the two groups in the total score of SRS, the score of each factor of SRS, and correct rates of facial expression recognition of the upright position, inverted position, upper face and lower face (P > 0.05). After 6 months of intervention, both groups had signifcant reductions in the total score of SRS and the score of each factor of SRS (P < 0.01); the control group had signifcant increases in the correct rates of facial expression recognition of all positions except the upright position (P < 0.05), while the experimental group had significant increases in the correct rates of facial expression recognition of all positions (P < 0.05). Compared with the control group after intervention, the experimental group had significantly lower total score of SRS and scores of all factors of SRS except social perception (P < 0.01) and signifcantly higher correct rates of facial expression recognition of all positions (P < 0.01). The experimental group had a signifcant change in the number of sandplay theme characteristics after intervention (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Integrated sandplay therapy can improve social responsiveness and emotion recognition ability in preschool children with AS.

This paper reports a comparative experimental study of single jersey knitted fabrics made from a novel bio-based and degradable polylactide acid/poly (hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate) (PLA/PHBV) multi-filament yarn, together with polylactide acid , Cupro, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyamide 6 (PA 6) multi-filament yarns. Their structures, mechanical, thermal and surface properties and performances as well as anti-bacterial behavior are measured and compared. It has been found that the polylactide acid/poly (hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate) (PLA/PHBV) filament yarn has adequate thermal and mechanical properties for normal textile and coloration/finishing processes. The Young's modulus of polylactide acid/poly (hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate) (PLA/PHBV) multi-filament yarn is the lowest among all the candidates investigated except for polyamide 6 (PA 6). The dyed polylactide acid/poly (hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate) (PLA/PHBV) fabric has the highest softness rating among all the fabrics. Single jersey knitted fabrics from the polylactide acid/poly (hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate) (PLA/PHBV) filament yarn have a bursting strength, extension and recovery that satisfy the industrial requirement. In addition, after fully relaxation, the dyed polylactide acid/poly (hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate) (PLA/PHBV) knitted fabrics exhibit an outstanding pilling resistance, favorable snagging property, as well as good air permeability, Qmax and smoother surface. Finally, this study has led to a discovery of excellent anti-bacterial performance of 100% polylactide acid/poly (hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate) (PLA/PHBV) fabrics against staphylococcus aureus, klebsiella pneumoniae, candida albicans according to AATCC100-2012.

For decades, the low durability of Pt-based catalysts has hindered the application of fuel cells. Here, Pt catalysts with different morphologies and porous structures are prepared by electrochemical deposition on a carbon nanotube film without the use of any surfactants or templates. The Pt particles with spherical, flower-like, and cubic morphologies consist of fine polyhedron- and flake-shaped Pt crystals. Owing to the presence of faceted crystals, the Pt particles are assembled with porous frame structures. As an example of potential applications, such Pt crystals are demonstrated to have high catalytic activity and durability in hydrogen oxidation and oxygen reduction reactions under harsh electrochemical cycling conditions. Even in the case of the largest particles consisting of fine polyhedrons, the catalytic performance is much superior to that of a commercial Pt/C catalyst. Therefore, this study suggests a new strategy for morphology control of Pt catalysts and their performance optimization.

This paper reports an investigation of dyeing processes of textiles made from a novel 100% bio-based and fully degradable polylactide/poly (hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate) (PLA/PHBV) fiber. The dye exhaustion, depth of shade and fastness, as well as bursting strength of dyed PLA/PHBV fabrics have been evaluated in terms of types and concentration of dyestuff, dyeing bath temperature, duration, liquor ratio and pH value. Finally, the energy cost of the whole dyeing process of the proposed material is calculated and compared with that of polyethylene terephthalate. The experimental results show that an excellent dyeing effect and bursting strength can be achieved by properly applied dyes (e.g. C.I. Disperse Orange 30, Red 74, and Blue 79) under optimal low-dyeing-temperature conditions (100℃, 10 min, pH 5, LR 30:1). In addition, considering the low energy cost during the whole process, PLA/PHBV fibers can be regarded as a promising and environment-friendly material for the textile industry.

This paper, by using Microscope Lecia M165, examines the surface structures of low-twist worsted yarns, which include three kinds of wrapped structures and two types of unwrapped structures. In particular, tight wrapper fibers have detrimental influences on yarn optical evenness, uniformity of dye take-ups, and handle. Combing Siro-spun feeding with the false-twisting spinning obviously facilitates the reduction of wrapper fibers on resultant yarns.

Ontology, as an efficient semantic model, is widely used in various fields of engineering science and semantic similarity. Calculation is the core of the ontology algorithm. Ontology similarity calculation via sparse vector, which can be used for high-dimensional data and big data processing. This paper two experiment results showed algorithm by using squared loss function to express the error term, Finally, two experiment results showed the effective of our ontology sparse vector learning algorithm for ontology similarity computation in specific engineering applications.

Current Pt catalysts suffer from low durability, which is hindering the implementation of fuel cells, metal–air batteries and electrochemical sensors. Here, we report Pt catalysts with not only high activity but also high durability. This was achieved by the electrodeposition of Pt crystal aggregates with a porous structure on a carbon nanotube film. Accelerated degradation testing shows that the new catalysts degrade very little even after 8000 potential cycles under harsh cycling conditions, while the typical commercial Pt/C catalyst loses most of its activity in the first 1000 cycles. Based on the microstructure evolution and electrochemical evidence, the outstanding durability is attributed to the faceted nanocrystals and their interconnected porous network, both of which limit the pathways for Pt dissolution, migration, and agglomeration. The technique reported here provides new opportunities for developing next-generation electrocatalysts for promoting their real applications in many devices.

Graphene sheets (GNS) were synthesized continuously by spray pyrolysis of iron carbonyl and pyridine. The Pt catalyst supported on GNS exhibited excellent durability for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). The GNS, when used as a metal-free catalyst for ORR, showed performance even better than the commercial Pt/C catalyst.

The high caesarean section rate is a prominent public health problem in China.This study aimed to determine the effects of midwife-led care during labour on birth outcomes for healthy primiparas.Randomized controlled trial.The Obstetrics Department of Fujian Provincial Maternity and Child Health Hospital.A total of 666 primiparas in labour were randomly divided into an intervention and control group (333 in each group). The intervention group received a midwife-led model of care during labour.Data from 648 cases (331 intervention group and 317 control group) were analysed. The intervention group was less likely to experience caesarean section, postpartum haemorrhage, opiate analgesia, vaginal examinations, neonatal asphyxia, and neonatal hospitalization and was more likely to experience shorter length of labour and vaginal birth than the control group (all, P 0.05). No differences were found in the number of artificial rupture of membranes and oxytocin use (P 0.05).Midwife-led care can reduce the caesarean section rate, promote normal birth, improve birth outcomes, and promote maternal and child health.

Serum creatinine (SCR) has been found to be neuroprotective in neurodegenerative disease. However, whether SCR is a protective factor for vision impaired in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) is unclear. This study to determine the relationship between SCR level and vision impaired in NMOSD patients through multivariate-adjusted linear regression analyses. Our result showed that high level of SCR was associated with a low occurrence of vision impaired, and the association was independent after adjustment for confounding risk factors and hierarchical analysis. Therefore, these results demonstrated that higher SCR level is a protective factor of vision impaired in male NMOSD patients.

Low durability is the major challenge hindering the large-scale implementation of proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) technology. To improve the electrochemical activity and durability of conventional Pt catalyst used in PEMFCs, we prepare Pt–Ir alloy catalysts supported on homemade graphitic carbon nanocages (CNCs). Results from cyclic voltammetry (CV) and linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) show that the alloy catalyst with an atomic Pt/Ir ratio of 1:1 supported on CNCs with a high degree of graphitization exhibits an excellent electrocatalytic activity. Furthermore, this alloy catalyst shows a drastic improvement in durability and stability over the unalloyed Pt catalyst supported on the same CNCs and the catalyst from a commercial source (Johnson Matthey Co.). It is found that the concurrent uses of well-graphitized CNCs as the support material and Ir as the alloying element are critical for the observed improvement. Such a Pt–Ir alloy catalyst provides a new replacement for the conventional Pt catalyst with not only a drastic improvement in durability but also a reduction in Pt usage by 50% as well.

This paper proposes a theoretical model for maximum hairiness, defined as the number of fiber ends with a certain length in the surface layer of a unit length of ring-spun yarn. These fiber ends have the potential to become protruding hairs, that is, form hairiness of the spun yarn. With consideration of yarn twist, but excluding loops and wild fibers, this model predicts the maximum yarn hairiness or maximum numbers of potential fiber ends with various lengths, which is derived by employing kernel estimation of fiber length distribution. A hairiness contribution factor is introduced as the ratio between the number of fiber ends in the surface layer that potentially contribute to yarn hairiness and the total number of fiber ends in the yarn cross-section. Previous and the present models associated with hairiness or fiber ends are discussed and compared with the measured number of hairs to verify the proposed theoretical model for maximum hairiness of ring-spun yarn.

Large scale wind farm output variation always deteriorates the system stability. To study this problem, this paper builds the model of power system with the integration of large-scale wind farm based on BPA. The simulation results show that large oscillations of voltage and rotor angle of system will happen, when three-phase short circuit fault occurs on the main line for transmitting wind power. With wind farm output decreasing, the transient stability and small-signal stability of power system will be improved.

This paper presents an experimental study on the improvement of denim fabric appearance by reducing the residual torque of weft yarns. In this paper, 100% cotton low torque yarns of linear density 84 tex and 58 tex with different twist levels were produced by a new method of producing low torque yarns on a modified ring spinning machine. The results from the experiments show that the low torque yarns possess lower yarn snarling turns. Based on the mechanism analysis of ‘small snake’ pattern, the low torque ring yarns were applied to the denim fabric to improve fabric smoothness appearance. The experimental study demonstrates that the ‘small snake’ pattern of the denim fabrics has been greatly decreased by using the low residual torque ring yarns as weft yarns. Objective measurements of the low stress mechanical and surface properties of denim fabrics using low torque and conventional yarns were conducted. The results show that the denim fabric using the low torque ring yarns as weft yarns presents a smoother and more even surface. Moreover, a multiple comparisons LSD test of fabric properties indicates that there is no significant difference on tensile strength and tearing strength between fabric samples using the low torque ring yarns and conventional ring yarns with normal twist level as weft yarns, respectively. In addition, the experimental results demonstrate that the ‘small snake’ pattern of the fabric decreased with the reduction of weft yarn snarling.

The combination of database and cloud environment prompted changes in the information industry and information service, while there exits any security issues. The database protection mechanisms proposed in this paper are based on attribute decomposition and encrypted cloud environment, which not only the server to minimize the number of encryption and decryption of the attribute field, but reduce the amount of computation and effectively encrypt the data of database as well.

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is known for its rapid progression and poor outcomes. China has the highest incidence and mortality in the world. Diagnoses made at early stages and accurate staging are associated with better outcomes, all of which can play a significant role in the selection of treatment protocols. ESCC is staged according to the widely accepted TNM system. Common imaging modalities used in staging ESCC before treatment include endoscopy, computed tomography (CT), positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Endoscopic ultrasound is useful for staging tumor depth and nodal status. Narrow band imaging is valuable for early stage disease assessment. CT and PET provide additional valuable information regarding node and metastasis staging. The ability of MRI to delineate ESCC is continuously being improved and adds information regarding locoregional status to routine examinations.

A method for detection of DNA hybridization process on the screen-printed electrochemical biosensor was investigated. The screen-printed electrochemical DNA biosensor was immobilized with single-stranded DNA (ssDNA), then adsorbed with electroactive indicator Co(phen)33+. Inductively coupled plasma-Atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) were employed to characterize the electrochemical indicator complex which was prepared by the method of complexation reaction. Then cyclic voltammetry (CV) was used to investigate its electrochemical characteristics on the surface of electrodes. On this basis, the process of ssDNA fixed and DNA hybridization event on the electrodes were also studied. Three immobilization methods, direct absorption, covalent binding and electrostatic adsorption, were also discussed. The results indicated that ssDNA was immobilized well by the methods of covalent binding and static adsorption. Meanwhile, the peak current of CV was rising as target DNA hybridized with the probe, which indicated a higher affinity of dsDNA to Co(phen)33+ when the probe was immobilized with electrostatic adsorption. Besides, it displayed peak current is strongly related with target DNA concentration in range of 6.65 × 10-8-4.26 × 10-6 M, R2 = 0.9819. On the basis of the above-mentioned mechanism, the calibration experiment was constructed, and was expected to be used in the detection of disease and pathogenic microorganisms.

Background The high caesarean section rate is a prominent public health problem in China. Aim This study aimed to determine the effects of midwife-led care during labour on birth outcomes for healthy primiparas. Design Randomized controlled trial. Setting The Obstetrics Department of Fujian Provincial Maternity and Child Health Hospital. Methods A total of 666 primiparas in labour were randomly divided into an intervention and control group (333 in each group). The intervention group received a midwife-led model of care during labour. Results Data from 648 cases (331 intervention group and 317 control group) were analysed. The intervention group was less likely to experience caesarean section, postpartum haemorrhage, opiate analgesia, vaginal examinations, neonatal asphyxia, and neonatal hospitalization and was more likely to experience shorter length of labour and vaginal birth than the control group (all, P 0.05). Conclusions Midwife-led care can reduce the caesarean section rate, promote normal birth, improve birth outcomes, and promote maternal and child health.