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Objective To investigate the influencing factors of early postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) in elderly patients undergoing general anesthesia. Methods A total of 129 elderly patients hospitalized under general anesthesia who underwent elective surgery in Xi’an Fifth Hospital from October 2021 to October 2023 were selected as the study subjects. The preoperative general conditions, underlying disease history and hemoglobin content were recorded. The preoperative mean blood flow velocity of bilateral middle cerebral arteries and breath holding index (BHI) were assessed by transcranial doppler. The intraoperative anesthesia time, blood loss, hypothermia and hypotension were recorded. Cognitive function was assessed by the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) 1 day before surgery and 1 week after surgery in elderly patients, and POCD was considered to be present if the postoperative MMSE score was lower than ≥2 points before surgery. Results A total of 36 patients who developed POCD after surgery were in the POCD group, and the remaining 93 patients who did not develop POCD were in the non-POCD group. POCD group education level was lower than non-POCD group (P

Objective Door system is the most frequently used critical system during vehicle operation, so it is necessary to study its reliability and failure characteristics to ensure the safe operation of urban rail transit. Method Based on the data of door system failure conditions across various Shanghai Rail Transit lines from February 2021 to February 2022, a simulation model based on FTA (fault tree analysis) is established under given state transition rules. Based on this model, the Monte Carlo method is used to simulate the reliability of unknown failure modes: by performing static simulation, the pseudo-random numbers are generated using the linear congruence method to replace real random numbers, and the failure rate of top events and the importance of basic events are calculated; by performing dynamic simulation, the reliability distribution and lifetime sampling values of each component are obtained through multiple distribution fittings; by simulation experiments, the density distribution curves and reliability curves of the system are plotted. Result & Conclusion Numerical results show that，because the failure probability of basic events that obey exponential distribution and Weibull distribution within certain time intervals is very high, thus the system is very likely to fail when it runs into this time interval.

The accuracy of blood glucose measurement in clinical laboratories is vital for diabetes diagnosis. Trueness Verification Plan was carried out and analyzed for evaluating the standardization of serum glucose among clinical laboratories.

Objectives Quality improvement (QI) is critical in facilitating advancements in patient outcomes, system efficiency and professional growth. This paper aimed to elucidate the underlying rationale and framework guiding JurongHealth Campus (JHC), a nascent Regional Health System, in developing its QI capacity and capability at all levels of the organisation.Methods An exhaustive analysis of high-performance management systems and effective improvement frameworks was conducted, and the principles were customised to suit the local context.A three-phased approach was applied: (1) developing the JHC QI framework; (2) building capacity through a dosing approach and (3) building capability through QI projects and initiatives using the model for improvement (MFI). Three components of the RE-AIM implementation strategy were assessed: (1) Reach—overall percentage of staff trained; (2) Effectiveness—outcomes from organisation-wide improvement projects and (3) Adoption—number of QI projects collated and presented.Results The percentage of staff trained in QI increased from 11.3% to 22.0% between January 2020 and March 2024, with over 350 projects documented in the central repository. The effectiveness of the MFI was demonstrated by improving inpatient discharges before 12pm performance from 21.52% to 25.84% and reducing the 30-day inpatient readmission rate from 13.92% to 12.96%.Conclusion Four critical factors for an effective QI framework were identified: (1) establishing a common language for improvement; (2) defining distinct roles and skills for improvement at different levels of the organisation; (3) adopting a dosing approach to QI training according to the defined roles and skills and (4) building a critical mass of committed staff trained in QI practice. The pragmatic approach to developing QI capability is both scalable and applicable to emerging healthcare institutions.

Objective To investigate the occurrence of flight illusions and explore its influencing factors and countermeasures in army aviators in cold regions. Methods Comprehensive Flight Illusion Scale was applied to investigate flight illusions, related influencing factors and countermeasures among 74 army aviators in cold regions from December 2022 to February 2023. SPSS 22.0 statistics was used for statistical analysis to compare the differences among variables and identify the influencing factors of flight illusions. Results For the 74 issued questionnaires, all of them were retrieved validly, with a rate of 100%. The incidence rate of flight illusions was 32.43%. There was a statistical difference between flight time and the occurrence of flight illusions (P < 0.05). There were 3 types of flight illusions with higher incidences in cold regions, that is distance illusion (20.27%), tilt illusion (18.92%) and relative position illusion (16.22%). The 3 flight illusions with relatively lower incidences were detachment phenomenon (4.05%), rotational illusion (4.05%), and inverted flight illusion (2.70%). After occurrence of illusions, 66.67% of the aviators experienced symptoms such as tension, "hard-to-move lever" headache, dizziness and post-flight insomnia. Almost all of the aviators were of fully awareness and acceptance of the active approaches to dealing with flight illusions, but still 50% of them believed that passive waiting intervention measures could be used. The results of statistical analysis on related influencing factors indicated that statistical differences were observed in all the listed items except flight subject with the occurrence of flight illusions (P < 0.05). Conclusion During short period flight in cold regions in winter, army aviators experience obvious psychological and physiological reactions after occurrence of flight illusions, and their anxiety and fatigue state, external climate and landform environment, and cabin interface and flight parameters are all related to the occurrence.

Drying is the main energy consumption in the grain industry. At present, most grain drying are using machines or drying towers, but its heat loss and energy consumption is large. Some of dryers use coal as heat source and cause serious environmental pollution. In addition, the long-term storage of grain is prone to mildew and insect pests. At the same time, long-term storage of grain will lead to low water content of grain and affect the processing quality of grain. Therefore, it’s significant to realize the high-quality-low-energy consumption drying and long-term safe storage of grain to ensure the quality of exported grain. A multifunctional grain storage system with low temperature drying, refrigeration, and humidification was proposed. The equipment was developed according to the system. It had three functions such as low temperature drying mode, low temperature storage mode, and humidification mode. The equipment can realize “one-stop” grain storage and automatic control of the whole process of grain storage. The experimental results showed the air parameters of unit outlet met the design requirements in the three working modes. The average drying rates of corn and radish were about 1.1%/h and 2.9%/h, respectively. In addition, the unit can save about 19.4% of energy compared with the dryer, and 51.7% of energy compared with the condensing and dehumidifying dryer through the energy consumption analysis of the system. The driving energy of this equipment was electric, so it was eco- friendly and easy to realize the intelligent construction of granary, coming with a prospect of broad application.

After resection, abdominal drainage is generally used to drain the exudate at the surgical site timely and monitor possible postoperative complications. With the development of the concept of enhanced recovery after surgery, there is a great controversy about whether to place drainage tube and its retention time after hepatectomy. Based on the research progress at home and abroad, this article reviews whether to place drainage tubes after hepatectomy, commonly abdominal drainage devices in clinical practice, the timing and indications of drainage tube removal, possible complications and preventive measures caused by indwelling drainage tubes, and the improvement effect of intelligent drainage devices on drainage management. The above issues are reconsidered in order to improve the application and management of abdominal drainage after hepatectomy at the level of precision medicine.

AI technology has become a new creative tool, which brings infinite possibilities for painting creation. In this paper, we first parameterize the design of the painting through SolidWorks software and construct a semantic text with the design parameters obtained. Secondly, the text is inputted into the text-image similarity model based on a graph convolutional network, and the Stanford CoreNLP tool is used to perform dependency parsing on the input text and feature extraction on the textual semantic and spatial relation maps through two GCN networks. Finally, the visual parameters and visual comfort of the AI drawing samples are examined. The results show that the maximum difference between the cumulative scores comparing the reference image and the AI output image is 0.41, and this value is less than 1, which indicates that the AI drawing achieves the visual effect of quantifying the image quality. The efficiency and quality of drawing output can be improved through this study, which has both theoretical and practical significance.

This paper clarifies the relationship between the rule of law education strategy, college students’ legal awareness, and contextual pedagogy and proposes that the teaching decision of contextual pedagogy based on reinforcement learning cultivates college students’ legal awareness. Based on the contextual pedagogy of the rule of law education, it puts forward the teaching strategy of the rule of law in the contextual display from students’ and teachers’ perspectives. Q-learning, two-stage separation and single-stage solving optimal decision function are selected to analyze the learning behavior of college students using the teaching decision of the rule of law education with reinforcement learning, and the analysis of college students’ law consciousness is subdivided into right consciousness and obligation consciousness, rule consciousness and procedure consciousness. College students’ awareness of rights scored 14.56±1.96, awareness of obligations scored 13.06±1.45, awareness of rules scored 18.63±1.85, and awareness of procedures scored 15.26±2.02, which shows that college student’s awareness of the law gradually awakening.

Multi-exposure image fusion as a technical means to bridge the dynamic range gap between real scenes and image acquisition devices, which makes the fused images better quality and more realistic and vivid simulation of real scenes, has been widely concerned by scholars from various countries. In order to improve the adaptive fusion effect of multi-exposure images, this paper proposes a fusion algorithm based on multilayer perceptron (MLP) based on the perceptron model and verifies the feasibility of the algorithm by the peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR), correlation coefficient (PCC), structural similarity (SSMI) and HDR-VDR-2, an evaluation index of HDR image quality. Comparison with other algorithms revealed that the average PSNR of the MLP algorithm improved by 4.43% over the Ma algorithm, 7.88% over the Vanmail algorithm, 10.30% over the FMMR algorithm, 11.19% over the PMF algorithm, and 11.19% over the PMF algorithm. For PCC, the MLP algorithm improves by 20.14%, 17.46%, 2.31%, 11.24%, and 15.36% over the other algorithms in that order. For SSMI, the MLP algorithm improved by 16.99%, 8.96%, 17.17%, 14.41%, and 4.85% over the other algorithms, in that order. For HDR-VDR-2, the MLP algorithm improved by 3.02%, 2.79%, 6.84%, 4.90%, and 6.55% over the other algorithms, in that order. The results show that the MLP algorithm can avoid image artifacts while retaining more details. The MLP-based adaptive fusion method is a step further in the theoretical study of multi-exposure image fusion, which is of great significance for subsequent research and practical application by related technology vendors.

A LoRa (Long Range Radio) based smart home product interaction system for the elderly is designed to solve the problem of reliability communication in the collection and information transmission of smart home environment parameters, device status parameters and the complex layout of communication lines inside smart devices. A privacy-preserving data aggregation scheme without a trusted authority center is proposed to address the privacy protection problem in the process of Internet of things (IoT) data collection. Firstly, without relying on the trusted authority center, the key exchange algorithm is used to generate shared secret keys and construct encryption keys among terminal devices to ensure the privacy of reported data; secondly, a fault tolerance mechanism is designed according to Carmichael’s theorem, so that the control center can still aggregate the received data when the terminal device fails or the network connection is wrong; in addition, the batch In addition, the integrity of the reported data is ensured by means of batch verification. Finally, the theoretical analysis proves the correctness and security of the scheme in this paper. The performance experiments show that the required computational overhead is lower compared to existing schemes, while some communication overhead is increased in order to have fault tolerance and to improve the verification efficiency of digital signatures. The application of this system will highlight the main position of the elderly, so that they can truly experience and accept the benefits of smart home for their lives and improve their quality of life.

Objective To investigate the enhancing effect of platycodon grandiflorum saponin D on the sensitivity of human rectal cancer drug-resistant cell line SW1463 to oxaliplatin (Oxa). Methods Human rectal cancer cell line SW1463 was collected to establish a stable oxaliplatin-resistant cell strain SW1463/Oxa. The constructed cell strain SW1463/Oxa was randomly divided into platycodon grandiflorum saponin D group, Oxa group, platycodon saponin D+Oxa group and control group. The cell proliferation curve was detected by MTT. Deoxyribonucleic acid methyltransferase 3a (DNMT3a), phosphorylated histone γ-H2AX, DNA double strand repair protein RAD51 and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3(STAT3) messenger RNA (mRNA) expression were detected by RT-qPCR. DNMT3a, γ-H2AX, RAD51, STAT3 protein expression and phosphorylated STAT3(p-STAT3) level were detected by Western blot. Results Human rectal cancer drug resistant cell strain SW1463/Oxa was successfully constructed. Compared with the control group and Oxa group, the cell proliferation, DNMT3a, RAD51, STAT3 mRNA and protein expression and p-STAT3 level of platycodon saponin D group and platycodon saponin D+Oxa group decreased(P＜0.05), and the expression of γ-H2AX mRNA and protein increased(P＜0.05). Conclusions Platycodon grandiflorum saponin D may enhance the chemo-sensitivity of human rectal cancer drug-resistant cell strain SW1463/Oxa to Oxa, and the potential mechanism is inhibition of expression of DNMT3a, RAD51, STAT3 and promotion of expression of γ-H2AX.

Photopolymers, especially acrylate-based ones with low cost and simple preparation, are promising materials for high-efficiency holographic gratings. However, it is still challenging to achieve high-performance gratings, due to the influences of many factors. In this work, we found that the dark reaction plays a critical role. The effect of the dark reaction on the optical properties of holographic gratings was investigated. Experimental results reveal that the diffraction efficiency of the gratings can be improved by a factor of three by involving the dark reaction process, and the highest diffraction efficiency for gratings can reach 97.8% after optimization. Therefore, the dark reaction can greatly enhance the optical performance of acrylate-based holographic gratings and other optical elements, thus holding great potential for many applications.

Steamed bread is one of the traditional Chinese staple foods. With the increasing in the proportion of mechanized production and market-oriented sales of steamed bread, the steamed bread industry has been developing rapidly. Under the production conditions of industrial steamed bread, the characteristics of wheat varieties and their corresponding flour suitability for making steamed bread, especially the stability of flour, could significantly affect the product quality, consumption experience and economic benefits of industrialized steamed bread. In this study, the physical and chemical properties of flours from wheat varieties with larger planting area and stronger representatives in southwest Henan were analyzed for the suitability of steamed bread, and the relationships between flour and steamed bread quality properties were also studied. The results showed that the wet gluten content of wheat flour in southwest Henan was high, but the gluten index needed to be improved. The proportion of strong-gluten wheat variety also needed to be improved. The values of flour color a* b *, gluten index, the dough softening by Farinograph, the area by Extensograph and the extensibility (L) by Alveograph are important reference indicators for evaluating the quality of flour for steamed bread. The wheat varieties of Zhengmai 119, Pingmai 998, Shaanxi Road 198, Zhengmai 1342, and Zhengmai 1860 are more suitable for making steamed breads.

The recently proposed high–low Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) enables evaluation of the effects of semiconductor interface states with high spatial resolution using high and low AC bias frequencies compared with the cutoff frequency of the carrier transfer between the interface and bulk states. Information on the energy spectrum of the interface state density is important for actual semiconductor device evaluation, and there is a need to develop a method for obtaining such physical quantities. Here, we propose high–low Kelvin probe force spectroscopy (high–low KPFS), an electrostatic force spectroscopy method using high- and low-frequency AC bias voltages to measure the interface state density inside semiconductors. We derive an analytical expression for the electrostatic forces between a tip and a semiconductor sample in the accumulation, depletion, and inversion regions, taking into account the charge transfer between the bulk and interface states in semiconductors. We show that the analysis of electrostatic forces in the depletion region at high- and low-frequency AC bias voltages provides information about the interface state density in the semiconductor bandgap. As a preliminary experiment, high-low KPFS measurements were performed on ion-implanted silicon surfaces to confirm the dependence of the electrostatic force on the frequency of the AC bias voltage and obtain the interface state density.

Comprehensive utilization of coal fly ashes (CFA) solid waste is a worldwide urgent issue. In China, tens of millions of tons of CFA are un-utilized and stored or discarded in landfills per year, causing a significant waste of resources and a serious environmental hazard. Herein, we developed a new process to reuse CFA and recycled polyvinyl chloride (r-PVC) to produce door or window sub-frame (DWSF) composite materials, realized CFA and r-PVC trash to treasure. In this process, aluminate-modified CFA mixing with r-PVC and other additives obtain a mixture, subsequently extruding into pellets, re-extrusion, cooling, shaping, hauling, and cutting to DWSF materials. The mechanical properties of these are excellent and meet the National Standards, with static bending and tensile strengths of 33 and 13.6 MPa, respectively, and a hardness of 89.2 HRR. Compared with the traditional CaCO3-based DWSF, our CFA-based DWSFs have higher competitive both from the perspective of “carbon neutrality” and production costs. More strikingly, this process is simple, robust, and easy to industrialize, which allows large-scale, value-added utilization of CFA.

Rechargeable aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) have been widely studied because of its excellent performance, low price and environment-friendly, and the structure design of ZIBs cathode with high capacity and long cycle life have become the focus. PAN solution containing Mn(NO3)2·xH2O was used as a core layer and PAN solution as skin layer by coaxial electrospinning. Due to the concentration gradient diffusion, Mn(NO3)2·xH2O diffused to the cortex. And MCNFs with sebaceous glandular structure on the surface was obtained by carbonization. MnO2 was electrodeposited on its surface, and MnO2@MCNFs cathode with excellent affinity with electrolytes were prepared. The results show that the sebaceous gland structure not only increases the specific surface area of cathode, but also constructs the riveting effect between MCNFs and α-MnO2, which enhances the interface bonding between the substrate and the active material, reduces the shedding of α-MnO2, reduces the interface resistance, and shortens the electron conduction and ion diffusion path. The test shows that the specific capacity of the first cycle of 3% MnO2@MCNFs can reach about 581.16 mAh/g under the current density of 100 mA/g, and the specific capacity of 120 mAh/g can be maintained after 1000 cycles under the high current density of 1 A/g, and the coulomb efficiency is around 99%.

Through the chain operation of the catering for the Lanzhou ramen noodles (hand-extended noodles) traditional noodle products become a model for brand management and a sample of product-driven catering industrial development. In the process of Lanzhou ramen chain operation, the supply of wheat flour suitable for making Lanzhou ramen and flour standardization are one of the main problems affecting business benefit and product quality. Milling companies need wheat ingredients and flour standards for making Lanzhou ramen. Flours of wheat varieties mainly cultivated in Guanzhong Plain were used as raw materials, the ramen was made by professional ramen masters. The ramen were evaluated by full-time food sensory evaluators, so wheat flour suitable for making Lanzhou ramen is screened out to provide a reference basis for the formulation of ramen standards. The results showed that in the sensory evaluation of ramen making process, the ramen master was more sensitive to “Extending force”, followed by “Degree of mixing and hardness of dough”. The wheat varieties of Xinong 583, Zhengmai 366, Weilong 169, Xinong 822, Bainong 207 and Zhongmai 578 as samples were more suitable for making Lanzhou ramen. It was found that the total sensory evaluation score of the ramen making process was closely related to the Alveograph parameters, while the total sensory evaluation score of the ramen product after cooking was closely related to the Extensograph parameters.

Deep learning based on labeled data has brought massive success in computer vision, speech recognition, and natural language processing. Nevertheless, labeled data is just a drop in the ocean compared with unlabeled data. How can people utilize the unlabeled data effectively? Research has focused on unsupervised and semi-supervised learning to solve such a problem. Some theoretical and empirical studies have proved that unlabeled data can help boost the generalization ability and robustness under adversarial attacks. However, current theoretical research on the relationship between robustness and unlabeled data limits its scope to toy datasets. Meanwhile, the visual models in autonomous driving need a significant improvement in robustness to guarantee security and safety. This paper proposes a semi-supervised learning framework for object detection in autonomous vehicles, improving the robustness with unlabeled data. Firstly, we build a baseline with the transfer learning of an unsupervised contrastive learning method—Momentum Contrast (MoCo). Secondly, we propose a semi-supervised co-training method to label the unlabeled data for retraining, which improves generalization on the autonomous driving dataset. Thirdly, we apply the unsupervised Bounding Box data augmentation (BBAug) method based on a search algorithm, which uses reinforcement learning to improve the robustness of object detection for autonomous driving. We present an empirical study on the KITTI dataset with diverse adversarial attack methods. Our proposed method realizes the state-of-the-art generalization and robustness under white-box attacks (DPatch and Contextual Patch) and black-box attacks (Gaussian noise, Rain, Fog, and so on). Our proposed method and empirical study show that using more unlabeled data benefits the robustness of perception systems in autonomous driving.

Surface photovoltage (SPV) measurements are a crucial way of investigating optoelectronic and photocatalytic semiconductors. The local SPV is generally measured consecutively by Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) in darkness and under illumination, in which thermal drift degrades spatial and energy resolutions. In this study, we propose the method of AC bias Kelvin probe force microscopy (AC-KPFM), which controls the AC bias to nullify the modulated signal. We succeeded in directly measuring the local SPV by AC-KPFM with higher resolution, thanks to the exclusion of the thermal drift. We found that AC-KPFM can achieve a SPV response faster by about one to eight orders of magnitude than classical KPFM. Moreover, AC-KPFM is applicable in both amplitude modulation and frequency modulation mode. Thus, it contributes to advancing SPV measurements in various environments, such as vacuum, air, and liquids. This method can be utilized for direct measurements of changes in surface potential induced by modulated external disturbances.

Objective To investigate the relationship between residual dizziness （RD） and cerebrovascular reactivity （CVR） in patients with idiopathic benign paroxysmal positional vertigo （BPPV） after successful manipulative reduction. Methods Dizziness Handicap Inventory （DHI） scores of 117 patients with idiopathic BPPV were recorded. After successful manipulative reduction, CVR was measured by breath-hold-at-inhalation （BHI） with transcranial doppler （TCD） ultrasound, and the incidence of RD within one week was observed. All patients were divided into the RD group （n = 46） and non-RD group （n = 71） according to the presence of RD. the relationship between RD and CVR after reduction was analyzed. Results The total score of DHI in patients with RD after reduction was significantly higher than that in those without RD, especially the DHI-E and DHI-F scores （all P < 0.05）. BHI in patients without RD was significantly higher than that in patients with RD （P < 0.05）. In the non-RD group, the severity of vertigo was not associated with BHI （P > 0.05）, whereas there was a correlation between vertigo and BHI in the RD group （P < 0.05）. Conclusion The abnormal emotion and physical function of BPPV patients may increase the risk of RD after reduction. Good CVR might reduce the occurrence of RD.

Aims: Gut-microbiome derived short-chain fatty acids exert anti-inflammatory effects and delay progression of kidney disease in diabetic nephropathy. The aim of this study was to examine the impact in vivo and in vitro of short-chain fatty acid treatment on cellular pathways involved in the development of experimental diabetic nephropathy.Methods: To determine the effect of short-chain fatty acids in diabetic nephropathy, we compared wildtype, GPR43−/− and GPR109A−/− mice diabetic mice treated with acetate or butyrate and assessed variables of kidney damage. We also examined the impact of short-chain fatty acid treatment on gene expression in renal tubular cells and podocytes under high glucose conditions.Results: Short-chain fatty acid treatment with acetate or butyrate protected wild-type mice against development of diabetic nephropathy, exhibiting less glomerular hypertrophy, hypercellularity and interstitial fibrosis compared to diabetic controls. Acetate and butyrate treatment did not provide the same degree of protection in diabetic GPR43−/− and GPR109A−/− diabetic mice respectively. Consistent with our in vivo results, expression of pro-inflammatory genes in tubular epithelial cells exposed to high glucose were attenuated by acetate and butyrate treatment. Acetate did not reduce inflammatory or fibrotic responses in glucose stimulated GPR43−/− TECs. Butyrate mediated inhibition of pro-fibrotic gene expression in TECs through GPR109A, and in podocytes via GPR43.Conclusion: SCFAs protect against progression of diabetic nephropathy and diminish podocyte and tubular epithelial injury and interstitial fibrosis via direct, GPR-pathway dependent effects on intrinsic kidney cells. GPR43 and GPR109A are critical to short-chain fatty acid mediated reno-protection and have potential to be harnessed as a therapeutic target in diabetic nephropathy.

Objective To explore the value of preoperative LAR combined with AFP in evaluating the prognosis of patients with HCC. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 106 patients with HCC. Kaplan-Meier method was used to draw the survival curve. Univariate analysis was used to analyze possible variables affecting LAR. Cox risk regression model was used to evaluate the clinical value of preoperative LAR and AFP on the prognosis of HCC patients. Results The DFS and OS of the high LAR group and the high AFP group were shorter than those of the low LAR group and the low AFP group (P < 0.05). LAR≥4.58, AFP≥400μg/L and T3-T4 were independent risk factors affecting DFS and OS of HCC patients (P < 0.05). Postoperative interventional surgery was an independent factor influencing OS prolongation (P < 0.05). The DFS and OS were the shortest in the high LAR and high AFP group, and the DFS and OS were the longest in the low LAR and low AFP group (P < 0.05). Conclusion Preoperative LAR and AFP are independent poor prognostic factors of HCC. Preoperative LAR combined with AFP has a certain value in judging the prognosis of HCC patients.

BACKGROUND Blue amber is mainly produced in the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Myanmar. Generally speaking, the formation mechanism, composition and spectral characteristics of blue amber are closely related to its specific geographical environment. Therefore, the study on the origin of blue amber has become a hot topic in the field of gemology, archaeology and biological mineralogy, and the origin of geographical districts of blue amber has become a hot research topic. Previous studies mainly used infrared spectroscopy, X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and isotope tracing to carry out a relatively systematic study on the origin of blue amber, but were limited to the similarity of blue amber, and the spectral characteristics of blue amber from different origins showing similarities. Due to the low popularity of the application of some detection devices, the application of the detection method based on the above-mentioned corresponding devices is greatly limited. OBJECTIVES To identify photoluminescence (PL), Raman spectroscopy and trace element characteristics of blue amber with different origins. METHODS Photoluminescence and Raman spectroscopy combined with trace element analysis were used to study the spectral and elemental occurrence characteristics of blue amber from Dominican Republic and Mexico. RESULTS The results showed that: (1)At room temperature, using PL spectrum with 405nm as the excitation wavelength, the peaks at 450, 475 and 502nm appeared simultaneously for blue amber from Dominican Republic. In contrast, there was no significant characteristic peak in Mexican blue amber. The differences in PL spectrum of blue amber from the two origins can be used as a direct basis for the traceability and identification of its origin. (2)Using the Raman spectrum with 785nm as the excitation wavelength, the Raman peaks of blue amber from Dominican Republic at about 154, 468, 901, 1177 and 1312cm-1 were more prominent or sharper than those from Mexico. The ratio of the peak intensity at 1653 and 1446cm-1 (N=I1653/I1446) in the corresponding spectrum of the amber from Dominican Republic was significantly higher than that from Mexico. (3)Trace elements of S, Si, Fe and Cu were present in the blue amber from the two regions, and the content was S>Si>Fe>Cu. The content of Cu in blue amber from Dominican Republic was generally higher than that from Mexico. Therefore, the occurrence and content characteristics of Cu can be used as one of the evidences for the traceability of Dominican blue amber. CONCLUSIONS The research work provides theoretical and technical support for the origin of blue amber with different geographical locations. It can also provide a salutary reference for identification of the geographical location for other gems.

Purpose: This study explored the effects of bilateral varicocele on male semen quality in infertile men and the molecular mechanisms involving ferroptosis, pyroptosis and necroptosis signaling pathways.Methods: Totally, 20 healthy males and 26 patients with bilateral varicocele receiving infertility treatment were enrolled. Semen samples were collected. Basic semen parameters, acrosome integrity and membrane integrity, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and apoptosis rate were compared. Levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), iron, glutathione (GSH), total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD), and, Catalase (CAT), were detected in human seminal plasma. Relative mRNA expression of Ca 2+-independent phospholipases A2 beta (iPLA 2β), P53, Zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 1 (ZEB1) and GSH-dependent peroxidase 4 (GPX4) were evaluated. Relative protein expression was determined for GPX4, receptor interacting serine/threonine kinase 1 (RIPK1) and receptor interacting serine/threonine kinase 3 (RIPK3), as well as pyroptosis markers of Gasdermin E (GSDME) and heat shock protein 90 (HSP 90).Results: The results revealed that the bilateral varicocele group had significantly higher abnormalities (sperm progressive rate and sperm motility) compared to the control group. Meanwhile, compared to control group, GSH, T-SOD, and CAT levels were reduced in the bilateral varicocele group (p < 0.05). However, the level of ROS and iron were significantly increased (p < 0.05). Relative mRNA expression of P53, iPLA 2β, ZEB1, and GPX4 were reduced. In addition, ROS exposure activated ferroptosis-related signal pathways. RIPK1, RIPK3, GSDME and HSP 90 were increased in bilateral varicocele group. ROS exposure affected signaling pathways related to ferroptosis, necrosis and pyroptosis in human spermatozoa.Conclusion: Bilateral varicocele leads to ferroptosis, pyroptosis and necroptosis of human spermatozoa and affects semen quality in infertile men.

Seven new compounds, including three isocoumarins (1–3), three pyrrolidinone derivatives (8–10), and one pentaene diacid (15), together with 13 known compounds, were isolated from the rice culture of the endophytic fungus Fusarium decemcellulare F25. Their structures and stereochemistry were established using HRESIMS, NMR, electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The possible biosynthetic pathways for compounds 1–3 and 8–10 were proposed. The antifungal efficacies of compounds 1 ̶ 20 were evaluated against Colletotrichum musae, and compounds 13, 14, and 17 exhibited inhibitory activities against C. musae with MIC values of 256, 64 and 128 μg/mL, respectively.

It is necessary to build a simulation calculation model that is more in line with the actual rural energy endowment and development needs. Prediction and analysis of the total rural energy demand in the context of energy transition. The rural energy demand is affected by many factors, and the traditional single model contains very limited amount of information, which easily leads to a large deviation between the prediction results and the actual situation, thereby reducing the prediction accuracy. In view of this, in view of the complex and difficult to predict the influencing factors of rural energy demand under the new economic normal, based on the back propagation neural network-particle swarm-genetic hybrid optimization algorithm, a total rural energy demand forecast based on energy consumption intensity was constructed method. Firstly, select the key influencing factors of the total rural energy demand forecast and conduct path analysis to compare the explanation strength of the influencing factors on energy demand; secondly, construct the energy consumption demand regression model, and calculate the parameters based on the back propagation neural network-particle swarm-genetic hybrid optimization algorithm. Estimation results; finally, the scenario is given, and the regional rural energy demand forecast results are obtained by using the regression model. Empirical analysis shows that four aspects of GDP, industrial structure, energy utilization efficiency, and rural energy consumption are strongly correlated with the total rural energy demand. At the same time, the prediction error of this study can reach about 1.35%, which can predict future rural energy demand. The total amount to guide the construction of the rural energy system.

The theranostics of lymph node metastasis has always been one of the major obstacles to defeating breast cancer and an important decisive factor in the prognosis of patients. Herein, we design NaGdF4:Yb,Tm@NaLuF4 upconversion nanoparticles with PEG and anti-HER2 monoclonal antibody (trastuzumab, Herceptin) (NP-mAb), the delivery of NP-mAb through the lymphatic system allows for effective targeting and accumulation in lymphatic metastasis. Combination of radionuclides 68Ga and 177Lu could be chelated by the bisphosphate groups of NP-mAb. The obtained nanoprobe (NP-mAb) and nanonuclear drug (68Ga-NP-mAb or 177Lu-NP-mAb) exhibited excellent stability and show high accumulation and prolong retention in the lymph node metastasis after intratumoral injection into the foot pad by near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF), single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. Utilizing the β-rays released by 177Lu, 177Lu-NP-mAb could not only decrease the incidence of lymph node metastasis, but also significantly decrease the volumes of lymph node metastasis. Additionally, 177Lu-NP-mAb induce no obvious toxicity to treated mice through blood routine, liver and kidney function assay. Therefore, nanoprobe and nanonuclear drug we designed could be acted as excellent theranostics agents for lymph node metastasis, providing potential alternatives diagnose and treatment option for lymph node metastasis.

Scheme of the MCN@OEC-loaded CSF hydrogel.

BACKGROUND Compared with zircon U-Pb dating, monazite has more advantages in the dating of some metamorphic rocks or highly differentiated rocks. However, the U-Th-Pb isotopic dating of monazite has been limited, because of high Th concentration (commonly>7%), many mineral inclusions, and rare dating standard samples. Previous research on LA-ICP-MS U-Th-Pb dating of monazite mainly focused on laser parameters, and lacked attention on ICP-MS conditions. OBJECTIVES To find suitable experimental LA-ICP-MS monazite dating conditions. METHODS Using 193nm ArF excimer laser ablation system and Agilent 7500a inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer, laser parameters (laser beam spot diameter and laser frequency) and ICP-MS parameters(dwelling time of 232Th) were investigated. The laser beam spot diameter was set to 24μm, 16μm and 10μm, and the laser frequency was set to 3Hz, 4Hz and 5Hz. The dwelling time of 232Th was set to 10ms, 6ms, 3ms and 1ms for U-Th-Pb dating. Finally, the monazite sample RW-1 was used as the standard sample to calibrate the monazite sample Bananeira. RESULTS It was suitable for monazite dating when the beam spot diameter was 16μm, the dwelling time of 232Th was 3ms or 1ms, the energy density was 4J/cm2, the laser frequency was 5Hz, the carrier gas (He) flow rate was 0.35L/min, and the carrier gas (Ar) flow rate was 0.95L/min. Under these conditions, Bananeira's weighted average ages of 207Pb/235U were 510.7±8.6Ma (MSWD=0.87), and 513.8±5.7Ma (MSWD=0.38), which were consistent with the recommended age of 507.7±1.3Ma with respective errors of 0.59% and 1.20%. 208Pb/232Th weighted average ages were 496.9±8.6Ma (MSWD=0.596) and 499.8±5.6Ma (MSWD=0.37), which were consistent with the recommended age of 497.6±1.6Ma, with respective errors of 0.14% and 0.44%. The 207Pb/235U weighted average age of Huangshan sample HS-1 was 128.3±2.4Ma (MSWD=0.73), which were close to the zircon age of 127.0±2.1Ma (MSWD=0.93) in the Huangshan area. CONCLUSIONS The optimal laser and ICP-MS conditions are suitable for monazite U-Th-Pb isotopic age determination.

Objective To explore the high risk factors and causes of disorders of consciousness (DOC) in hypoglycemia patients. Methods A total of 108 patients receiving hypoglycemia treatment in Chongqing Renji Hospital and Chongqing Emergency Medical Center from January 2010 to December 2020 were enrolled in this study. The relationships of sex, age, insulin injection or administration of sulfonylurea drugs and alcohol consumption with hypoglycemia were analyzed. According to being conscious or not, the patients were divided into DOC group (n=72) and non-DOC group (n=36). The differences of being diabetes mellitus or not, blood glucose level, hypoglycemia duration, and complications (diabetes, hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, coronary heart diseases, nephropathy, sequelae of stroke and tumors) were compared between the 2 groups. The causes of DOC by hypoglycemia and outcome after glucose raising treatment were analyzed in combination with CT images and results of electroencephalography (EEG). Results The 108 hypoglycemia patients were majorly old aged (89.8%, over 60 years old) and had diabetes mellitus (70.4%). Seventy-two of them (66.7%) were complicated with DOC, and about 54.17% of them took sulfonylurea hypoglycemic drugs, which was the main inducement of hypoglycemic DOC. Compared with the non-DOC group, the blood glucose level was obviously reduced and the duration of hypoglycemia was notably longer in the DOC group, but the ratio of patients with diabetes mellitus combined with hypertension were significantly less, while the ratio of patients with the 2 above diseases with hypertension and another one or more complications simultaneously (such as chronic obstructive pulmonary inflammation, coronary heart diseases, kidney disease, stroke sequelae, and tumor, etc.) were significantly larger. There were no significant differences in age, sex and serum creatinine between the 2 groups. In addition, no statistical differences were seen in CT images and EEGs after recovery from DOC. After the treatment of glucose, no obvious sequelaes occurred and the improvement rate was quite high. Conclusion The main inducement of hypoglycemic DOC is oral administration of sulfonylurea, and the main high-risk factors are the severity of hypoglycemia, duration of hypoglycemia and having 3 or more complications. The patients with both diabetes mellitus and hypertension are relatively not so easy to develop hypoglycemic DOC.

We demonstrated a low-cost, highly sensitive hybrid Ag-Cu substrate with enhanced absorption for the excitation laser beam via the nanosphere lithography technique. The hybrid Ag-Cu surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) substrate consists of a Cu nanoarray covered with Ag nanoparticles. The geometry of the deposited Cu nanoarray is precisely determined through a self-assembly nanosphere etching process, resulting in optimized absorption for the excitation laser beam. Further Raman enhancement is achieved by incorporating plasmonic hotspots formed by dense Ag nanoparticles, grown by immersing the prepared Cu nanoarray in a silver nitrate solution. The structural design enables analytical enhancement factor of hybrid Ag-Cu SERS substrates of 1.13 × 105. The Ag-Cu SERS substrates exhibit a highly sensitive and reproducible SERS activity, with a low detection limit of 10−13 M for Rhodamine 6G detection and 10−9 M for 4,4′-Bipyridine. Our strategy could pave an effective and promising approach for SERS-based rapid detection in biosensors, environmental monitoring and food safety.

BackgroundFeCrAl alloy cladding, as an accident tolerant fuel (ATF) mid-term commercial technology approach, has received extensive attention.PurposeThis study aims to investigate the effect of trace Y on the internal pressure burst and oxidation properties of FeCrAl alloy cladding.MethodsFirstly, the crystalline grain size and micro-morphologies of FeCrAl and FeCrAlY alloy cladding samples were observed by optical microscope. Internal pressure burst and high temperature oxidation tests were carried out by burst test equipment and thermo-gravimetric analyzer with a moisture generator. Then, X-ray diffractometry (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) were employed to analyze the composition of oxidation products, surface and cross-sectional micro-morphologies of FeCrAl and FeCrAlY alloy cladding samples before and after high-temperature stream oxidation and the distribution of elements on the surface oxidation products.ResultsThe results show that trace Y is mainly dissolved in the FeCrAl alloy matrix, and no Fe-Y phase is formed. The inclusion of Y do not change the burst strength and the rupture opening morphology at room temperature (RT) to 1 000 ℃, and the high-temperature steam oxidation resistance of FeCrAl alloy cladding is significantly improved by the trace Y. Under the condition of steam oxidation at 800 ℃, 1 000 ℃ and 1 200 °C for 8 h, the oxidation weight gain of FeCrAlY alloy cladding decrease by 65.1%, 60.0% and 31.5%, respectively. Compared with the single Al2O3 oxide film on the surface of FeCrAl alloy cladding, the Y-containing composite oxide film with lower internal stress, higher compactness and better adhesion with the substrate is formed on the surface of FeCrAlY alloy cladding.ConclusionsTherefore, the addition of trace Y do not change the burst properties of FeCrAl alloy cladding, however, the high-temperature steam oxidation resistance of FeCrAl alloy cladding is significantly improved.

To analyze the dosimetric effects of shoulder position shift on target volumes and organs at risk (OARs) during radiotherapy for head and neck cancer, 14 patients with different types of head and neck cancer were selected. Based on original positioning CTs (o-CTs), the shoulder position was moved toward the superior inferior (SI) direction, anterior posterior (AP) direction, and the left right (LR) direction by 3 mm, 6 mm, and 15 mm, then 252 new CTs (n-CTs) were produced. After setting the movement, the new adipose tissue density was set to 1 g/cm3, and the movement of the bone tissue was also considered. The original plan (o-plan) on the o-CT was copied to the n-CTs and recalculated to obtain 252 new plans (n-plans). The differences between the o-plan and n-plan target volumes and OARs in field-fixed intensity modulated radiotherapy and the volumetric modulated arc intensity (VMAT) were studied, and the dose changes of the target volume D95% and spinal cord Dmax were compared with the movement of the shoulder position. It was proved that the effects of the shoulder position shift on the target volume and OARs for head and neck cancers are substantial, especially a 15 mm shift toward the superior direction had the greatest influence, reaching 4.16% (VMAT). The closer the target area is to the shoulder, the more serious the impact. The spinal cord dose increased greatly, reaching a maximum of 72.8 cGy, 100 cGy and 212 cGy (VMAT), respectively, for shift of 3 mm, 6 mm, and 15 mm towards the inferior direction. The o-plan and p-plan were analyzed using a 3D γ passing rate (3%/3 mm), that was more than 95% except for the 15 mm shift towards the superior direction. Radiotherapy technicians should pay attention to ensure that the shoulder is lightly touching the thermoplastic mold during radiotherapy positioning for head and neck tumors to prevent patients from shrugging their shoulders. The OAR dose limit should be considered in the planning design, and a sufficient margin should be left to prevent the excessive dose caused by the positioning.

Abstract Objective: The aim of this study was to describe advertising expenditure for sugary drinks compared with alternative cold non‐alcoholic beverages (artificially sweetened beverages, plain water, plain milk) between 2016 and 2018 across Australian media channels. Methods: Monthly estimates of advertising expenditure for non‐alcoholic beverages were obtained from Nielsen Media and aggregated by product type and media. Results: Total sugary drink advertising expenditure between 2016 and 2018 ($129.5M) significantly exceeded expenditure on artificially sweetened drinks ($23.26M), plain water ($14.27M), and plain milk ($31.30M). Television and out‐of‐home advertising accounted for the largest share of sugary drink advertising (45%, 35%). Expenditure on out‐of‐home advertising was more heavily dominated by sugary drinks (75%) than advertising in all media combined (65%). Sugary drink advertising peaked in warmer months and was lowest in August. Soft drinks (26%), flavoured milks (24%) and energy drinks (21%) accounted for the majority of sugary drink advertising. Conclusions: Cold non‐alcoholic beverage advertising in Australian media is dominated by the advertising of sugary drinks. Implications for public health: Restricting unhealthy beverage advertising on television and out‐of‐home media may be most effective initially. However, comprehensive restrictions capturing a broader range of media and settings would be optimal to prevent displacement and limit advertising reach and exposure.

Direct visualisation of 3D vector distributions of photoinduced fields can shed light on the optical and mechanical behaviour of different materials. Here, the authors demonstrate such visualisation using photoinduced force microscopy by observing the optical gradient force at the nanometer scale.

Abstract Background Nitric oxide (NO) is a ubiquitous signaling mediator in various physiological processes. However, there are less reports concerning the effects of NO on fungal secondary metabolites. Hypocrellins are effective anticancer photodynamic therapy (PDT) agents from fungal perylenequinone pigments of Shiraia. NO donor sodium nitroprusside (SNP) was used as a chemical elicitor to promote hypocrellin biosynthesis in Shiraia mycelium cultures. Results SNP application at 0.01–0.20 mM was found to stimulate significantly fungal production of perylenequinones including hypocrellin A (HA) and elsinochrome A (EA). SNP application could not only enhance HA content by 178.96% in mycelia, but also stimulate its efflux to the medium. After 4 days of SNP application at 0.02 mM, the highest total production (110.34 mg/L) of HA was achieved without any growth suppression. SNP released NO in mycelia and acted as a pro-oxidant, thereby up-regulating the gene expression and activity of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generating NADPH oxidase (NOX) and antioxidant enzymes, leading to the increased levels of superoxide anion (O2 −) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Gene ontology (GO) analysis revealed that SNP treatment could up-regulate biosynthetic genes for hypocrellins and activate the transporter protein major facilitator superfamily (MFS) for the exudation. Moreover, SNP treatment increased the proportion of total unsaturated fatty acids in the hypha membranes and enhanced membrane permeability. Our results indicated both cellular biosynthesis of HA and its secretion could contribute to HA production induced by SNP. Conclusions The results of this study provide a valuable strategy for large-scale hypocrellin production and can facilitate further understanding and exploration of NO signaling in the biosynthesis of the important fungal metabolites.

【Background】 Quinoa is a dicotyledonous herbaceous plant in the genus of Chenopodiaceae. It originates from the Andes of South America and can tolerate abiotic stresses induced by low temperature, drought and salinity. FAO consider it the only plant which can meet the essential nutritional requirements of human body. As such, quinoa has attracted increased attention over the past decade, but there is a lack of understanding of how it responds to waterlogging. The eastern coastal areas in China are rich in tidal flats, and given the nutritional value of the quinoa and its high tolerance to abiotic stresses, these tidal flats are ideal places for quinoa in developing sustainable agricultural structure in these regions. 【Objective】 The objective of this paper is to experimentally investigate how different quinoa cultivars in these regions respond to waterlogging occurring at its anthesis stage. 【Method】 The experiments were conducted in pots and compared four cultivars which are abbreviated as SL 21, SL 44, SL 24, SL 45. The waterlogging was instigated at the anthesis stage and lasted for 4, 8 and 12 days respectively, with non-waterlogging taken as the control (CK). In each treatment we measured the physiological and yield traits of the plant, as well as the associated drainage indexes. 【Result】 Increasing waterlogging duration increased MDA of the quinoa leaves but reduced Chl(a+b), SP, SS, photosynthetic parameters (Pn, Tr, Gs, Ci) and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters (Fv/Fo, Fv/Fm). Compared to the CK, waterlogging for four days significantly increased the MDA in all four cultivars and reduced Chl(a+b) and SS in SL21 and SL24, with Pn, Fv/Fo and Fv/Fm not showing significant change. The waterlogging impacted the photosynthetic parameters of SL 24 and SL 45 more significantly than that of SL 21 and SL 44. Compared with the CK, waterlogging for 12 days significantly reduced the physiological indexes of all four cultivars and damaged their physiological metabolization. In terms of yield, the main spike yield of each plant accounted for more than 65% of its total yield. Waterlogging for four days significantly reduced the yield of each plant in the four cultivars, with the yield ranked in the order of SL 44>SL 21>SL 24>SL 45. Waterlogging for 8 days significantly reduced the main spike yield and the 1 000-grain weight; and waterlogging for 12 days failed the branch yield. 【Conclusion】 Among the four cultivars, SL44 is most resistant to waterlogging. For waterlogging occurring at the flowering stage, if taking yield reduction of 15%~20% as the standard for designing the drainage system, the allowable waterlogging duration should be less than 4.1 days.

The requirement for external electric supplies has significantly limited the application of electrochromic devices in modulating light absorption as smart windows. Here, the authors report automatic switching perovskite solar cells-powered all-in-one gel electrochromic device in response to surrounding light intensity in real-time.

BACKGROUND Seawater cultured gray Akoya pearls have become popular as jewelry in the recent years. In the early stage, some research focused mainly on investigating the cultured environment of seawater or freshwater pearls, element occurrence characteristics of each structural unit, irradiation treatment and the identification method of irradiated pearls. OBJECTIVES To further study the gemological characteristics and fine microstructure of a type of gray pearl with a white nucleus. METHODS Ultraviolet-visible reflection spectrum, micro-infrared spectrum and scanning electron microscope methods were used. RESULTS A brown transition layer of organic matter between the nacre and nucleus was discovered, which measures several microns in thickness. A layer with no fixed morphology composed of calcite and vaterite in the nacre near the brown transition layer was also discovered. Quasi plates of aragonite exist in the nacre near the surface of the pearl. The morphology of these aragonite tablets in the middle area of the nacre was more regular, the thickness of individual aragonite plate gradually decreased in the direction from the nucleus to the surface of the pearls. The reflectance spectrum of the entire pearl surface was consistent with the spectral characteristics of the outer single nacre. The brown transition layer had no direct effect on the UV-Vis reflectance spectrum of the entire pearl. Therefore, whether or not the brown transition layer affected the gray appearance of the pearl needs further discussion. CONCLUSIONS The research work has important guiding significance for the coloring mechanism of gray Akoya pearls and the identification of the formation attributes. It can also aid in the recognition of the fine structure and mineralization characteristics of pearls with a thin layer of nacre of 0.3mm to 0.6mm.

Rutile TiO2 is a prominent photocatalyst for overall water splitting, but the on-surface activation of hydrogen atoms is still not fully understood. Here, the authors use atomic force and kelvin probe force microscopy to study the lateral manipulation of hydrogen on a rutile (110) surface.