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In articular cartilage, zone-specific cellular morphology is a typical characteristic of cartilage tissue, which is related with chondrocyte function, inflammation and osteoarthritis (OA). Chondrocyte hypertrophic phenotype is a criticle physiological process which indicates a hallmark of chondrocyte terminal differentiation and bone formation. Thus, developing a in vitro cell culture system for dynamic regulation of single chondrocyte volume at a three-dimensional (3D) level is particularly necessary for understanding how physical cues of matrix microenvironment regulate chondrocyte fate and the degeneration of articular cartilage. Here, based on the soft lithography techniques, we have constructed well-defined single-cell 3D dynamic volume control system to recapitulate the physiological matrix microenvironment of single chondrocyte niche. The results of finite element analysis indicated that the stress and strain distribution in the cell culture region is homogeneous during the stretching process. Additionally, 3D dynamic volume expansion and compression of single cells in physiological or hyperphysiological can be realized in this cell culture system. Our device for single-cell 3D dynamic culture provides a microphysiological culture system for chondrocytes to explore the mechanisms of cartilage hypertrophy, as well as develops a new paradigm for functional cartilage tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

We develop a credit-risk model to study the informational role of investment in an economy susceptible to large liquidity shocks. Firms' investment decisions carry information about their asset quality, thereby mitigating informational frictions when firms enter bankruptcy. An increase in aggregate investment can reduce the informational value of investment, depressing firms' recovery values. Therefore, policies boosting investment can decrease debt and firm values by reducing the informational value of investment. The presence of debt overhang may enhance firm value by making firms' investment decisions more informative. We present suggestive empirical evidence consistent with model predictions on the relation between firms' investments and recovery rates.

Many fundamental studies on cultural ecosystem services (CES) and CES destination preferences still tend to focus on detecting the respective importance of destination attributes. However, this perspective needs more efforts on the fact that visitors always select a CES destination through a configurational consideration of its ecological and environmental attributes. Based on this consideration, 22 urban green spaces in Nagoya, Japan were studied, and a configurational model was developed by applying complexity theory and qualitative comparative analysis (QCA), to explain and better understand the causal patterns of CES quality and availability influencing demographic-CES destination preferences. The results showed that similar preference modes occurred between young adults and males who were very concerned about the time spent on transportation, and between older people and females who had multiple considerations regarding both CES quality and availability. Such findings on the demographic-destination preferences for CES could not only provide configurational insight into the relationships between destination attributes and travel preferences, but also help CES organizations develop multi-factor cooperative management for better CES provision.

Abstract Objectives To analyze the clinical characteristics and influencing factors of hepatotoxicity in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treated with programmed cell death protein‐1 (PD‐1) inhibitors, and to provide a theoretical basis for the treatment of immune‐related hepatotoxicity in patients with advanced HCC. Methods Retrospective analysis of clinical data of patients with advanced HCC from February 2021 to February 2023, in order to summarize and statistically analyze the influencing factors of immune‐related liver adverse reactions. Results A total of 135 patients met the inclusion criteria, among whom 46 patients experienced varying degrees of immune‐related liver adverse reactions, with an incidence rate of 34.1% (46/135). The time range of immune‐related liver adverse reactions was 3–26 weeks, with a median time of 4 weeks. The age range of immune‐related liver adverse reactions was 34–73 years, with a median age of 62 years. Statistical analysis of the influencing factors and liver adverse reactions showed that age, total bilirubin level, and Child–Pugh (C–P) grading were influencing factors for the occurrence of liver adverse reactions (p

Equiatomic multi-principal element alloys manifest unique mechanical properties derived from the single-phase solid solutions with compositional disorders. Recently discovered medium-range orders (MROs) with a size of 1–5 nm in CrCoNi medium entropy alloy acclaimed measurable impact on mechanical properties, which, however has been questioned by density functional theory calculations. Here we report that the formation of MROs is accompanied by the redistribution of constituent elements, and the subtle chemical composition fluctuations could by directly probed and quantified by using a state-of-the-art aberration-corrected transmission electron microscope. The presence of such MROs contributes to an appreciable increase in yield strength (∼40 MPa) with a higher work hardening rate, originating from the strong dislocation interactions with MROs at the incipient plastic deformation. These findings demonstrate that MROs have a significant impact on reducing the mean free path of full/partial dislocations along a specific slipping plane, offering a new avenue for strengthening of equiatomic element alloys by tuning local composition and atomic configurations.

Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) is a typical gram-negative iatrogenic bacterium that often causes bacteremia, pneumonia and urinary tract infection particularly among those with low immunity. Although antibiotics is the cornerstone of anti-infections, the clinical efficacy of β-lactamase and carbapenems drugs has been weakened due to the emergence of drug-resistant K. pneumoniae. Recent studies have demonstrated that host defense plays a critical role in killing K. pneumoniae. Here, we summarize our current understanding of host immunity mechanisms against K. pneumoniae, including mechanical barrier, innate immune cells, cellular immunity and humoral immunity, providing a theoretical basis and the new strategy for the clinical treatment of K. pneumoniae through improving host immunity.

The thermal safety of a solid rocket motor with a complex charge structure using CL-20 (Hexanitrohexaazaisowurtzitane)/GAP (Glycidyl Azide Polymer) propellant was evaluated. The morphology and thermal decomposition properties of the propellant were first studied by differential thermal analysis, thermogravimetric analysis and scanning electron microscopy experiments. A numerical model of cook-off for a solid rocket motor using GAP/CL-20 propellant was developed. This model takes into account the entire process of cooking off, i.e., the thermal decomposition before ignition and the combustion reaction after ignition. The model is verified, and the kinetic parameters are determined by bomb cook-off experiments. Comparisons between experiments and simulations show that the developed model can accurately predict the thermal response of the propellant. The cook-off processes of a 3D-solid rocket motor with complex charge structures are then simulated with different heating rates. It shows that the charge structure and the annular area of the motor casing play an import role in the ignition location of the propellant. Meanwhile, the heating rate has a dramatic effect on the ignition time. The reaction intensity after the ignition of the solid rocket motor using the GAP/CL-20 propellant is more intense than those using HTPE (hydroxyl-terminated polyether)/HTPB (Hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene) propellant.

This article aims to reach a global level by selecting a Harr-like function with the participation of bubbles and light and shadow on a digital display, improving the fitness function of the genetic algorithm and the crossover change function. The classifier support vector machine parameters were optimized by an improved genetic algorithm. Finally, compared to other identification algorithms, basic component analysis reduces the number of characters through support vector machines and recognizes the target character. The results of the experiment showed that eight sets of experiments were performed on each character. Experiments have shown that character recognition is best achieved using Harr-like software and then SVM classification based on improved gene algorithms. For small samples, the sorting speed is also fast, which can meet the time requirement. In addition, the historical state data of the transformer are analyzed, which is consistent with the manual monitoring results, but the time is shorter; machine vision has been shown to be effective in monitoring the condition of substation equipment.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a heterogeneous endocrine disorder characterized by hyperandrogenism, ovulatory dysfunction, and polycystic ovaries. In this study, we induced a young-adult PCOS rat model by oral administration of letrozole combined with a high-fat diet and then treated with mogroside V (MV) to evaluate the protective effects of MV on endocrine and follicle development in young-adult PCOS rats. MV (600 mg/kg/day) administration not only significantly reduced the body weight and ovary weight, but also attenuated the disrupted estrous cycle and decreased the level of testosterone. MV restored the follicular development, especially by increasing the number of corpus luteum and the thickness of the granular layer in young-adult POCS rats. Moreover, metabolomics showed that MV markedly increased the levels of D-Glucose 6-phosphate, lactate and GTP, while decreased the level of pyruvate. Bioinformatic analysis revealed that MV recovered multiple metabolism-related processes including gluconeogenesis, glycolysis and glucose metabolic process. Further real-time quantitative PCR analysis showed that MV upregulated the expression of lactate dehydrogenase A (Ldha), hexokinase 2 (Hk2) and pyruvate kinase M2 (Pkm2). Western blotting and immunohistochemistry analysis showed that MV restored the expression of lactate dehydrogenase A (Ldha), hexokinase 2 (Hk2) and pyruvate kinase M2 (Pkm2). Collectively, these findings indicated that MV could effectively improve the ovarian microenvironment by upregulating the expression of LDHA, HK2 and PKM2 in granulosa cells and enhancing lactate and energy production, which may contribute to follicle development and ovulation of young-adult PCOS rats.

Objective To assess a new method to measure the distance of the needle passage from the ciliary sulcus to the corneal limbus anterior border (CTC) in eyes with ectopia lentis directly in vivo via endoscopy and to further evaluate the correlations among the CTC, age, automated horizontal white-to-white distance (WTW), and ocular axial length (AL). Methods The WTW and AL were measured using an optical biometer. An intraocular endoscope was used during transscleral suture fixation of posterior chamber intraocular lenses to identify the true location of the ciliary sulcus. Linear regression analysis was used to assess the correlation between the CTC and other ocular biological parameters, including age, WTW, and AL. Results Thirty eyes of 30 children with ectopia lentis were evaluated. A statistically significant correlation was found between age and the CTC. The CTC could be predicted by the equation CTC = 0.1313 × Age + 0.9666. No statistically significant correlations were found between CTC and WTW, CTC and AL, WTW and AL, or WTW and age. Conclusion Endoscopy is useful for precisely suturing intraocular lens haptics in the real ciliary sulcus. Age can be used as an equivalent parameter for prediction of the true ciliary sulcus location.

Improving water utilization efficiency can effectively alleviate the contradiction between water shortage and water demand in the process of rapid urbanization. The middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River Basin, China, are characterized by water shortage. In order to improve water use efficiency, taking the 43 prefecture-level units in this region as the study area, industrial and agricultural water use efficiency is calculated based on the undesired SBM-DEA model. Then, the Tobit model is used to explore their influencing factors. The results show that the regional average agricultural water use efficiency is greater than the industrial water use efficiency. The temporal trend indicates that the agricultural water use efficiency shows a fluctuating upward trend, while industrial water use efficiency has a fluctuating downward trend. The gravity center of industrial water use efficiency moves from northwest to southeast in a “Z” shape, while the gravity center of agricultural water use efficiency moves westward as a whole. From the perspective of spatial patterns, the standard deviation ellipse of industrial water use efficiency shows that the industrial water use efficiency is higher in the east–west direction, while the agricultural water use efficiency is higher in the northwest–southeast direction. The improvement of urbanization level is conducive to the improvement of industrial water use efficiency; however, the development of urbanization has a significant inhibitory effect on improving agricultural water use efficiency.

Previous studies have demonstrated that orientation-specific deprivation in early life can lead to neural deficits of spatial vision in certain space, and can even result in meridional amblyopia (MA). Individuals with astigmatism are the optimal and natural models for exploring this asymmetric development of spatial vision in the human visual system. This study aims to assess the contrast sensitivity function (CSF) and EEG signals along two principal meridians in participants with regular astigmatism when being optimal optical corrected. Twelve participants with astigmatism (AST group, 20 eyes) and thirteen participants with (MA group, 19 eyes) were recruited in the current study. CSFs and spatial sweep visual evoked potentials (sVEP) were measured with vertical and horizontal sinewave gratings along two principal meridians monocularly. Area under log CSF (AULCSF), spatial frequency threshold corresponding to 80% contrast gratings (SF threshold at 80% ctr), and CSF acuity were calculated from CSF test. In addition, sVEP amplitudes and thresholds were calculated with the recursive least square method. Participants with astigmatism exhibited marked vertical-horizontal resolution disparities even after they were corrected with optimal optical corrections. CSF tests showed that AULCSF along weak meridian (measured with horizontal gratings) was lower than that along strong meridian (measured with vertical gratings) in both groups. Significant meridional disparity of CSF acuity was also found in both groups. In addition, the MA group showed larger meridional disparity compared to the AST group. Spatial sVEP thresholds also supported the existence of marked meridional disparity. Our results suggest that meridian-specific partial deprivation in early life might lead to monocularly asymmetric development of spatial vision in the human visual system. In terms of application, we tested the feasibility and reliability of adopting psychophysical and EEG scalings to investigate the asymmetric development of spatial vision related to astigmatism. These paradigms are potentially applicable to reduce and even eliminate the meridional disparity in the primary visual cortex by adopting perceptual learning or other vision-related interventions.

Soil heavy metal contamination is an increasingly urgent problem throughout the world. Phytoremediation is a cost-effective and ecologically friendly in situ method for the remediation of heavy metal contaminated soils. Rice has the potential for use in soil remediation due to its high biomass production, however, risks related to food safety and low accumulation potential exist. Therefore, in the current study, rice stubble was used as the adsorbent in a modified rice-fish system (MRFS) to assess its accumulation capacity in a model paddy field dosed with 0–40.0 mg kg−1 Cd. The weighted mean concentration (WMC) of Cd in rice stubble increased from 0.498 to 36.365 mg kg−1 to 1.038–71.180 mg kg−1 from 0 to 60 days post-harvest (dph), and the corresponding increment rate was 107.68%, 117.42%, 157.77% and 95.73%, respectively. Sixty-days post-harvest, removal rate of Cd from contaminated soils was 1.11–1.40%, which was greater than that of the Cd-hyperaccumulator Thlaspi caerulescens. The WMC of the heavy metals Cd, Zn, Pb, Cr and Cu in rice stubble increased 51.11–97.50%, and removal rate was 1.93–2.66%. Overall, rice stubble had a high capacity of heavy metal accumulation, mainly benefiting from the synthesis effects of MRFS and the changes of accumulation mechanism within the plant from being alive until death. Notably, this study also provides a new idea for in situ, herbage-based phytoremediation of heavy metal-contaminated soils.

Objectives The aim of our study is to give insight into congenital ectopia lentis (CEL) patients’ care-seeking behaviour and explore the factors affecting their follow-up visits.Design Cross-sectional study; in-depth and face-to-face semistructured interview.Setting A large-scale ophthalmology hospital in China.Participants 35 patients with CEL and their parents from May 2017 to August 2017.Main outcome measures Themes and categories. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, coded and analysed using grounded theory. Data collection was closed when new themes did not emerge in subsequent dialogues.Results The factors affecting the timely visits included insufficient awareness of CEL, shame on hereditary disease, lack of effective doctor–patient communication, lack of reliable information online and daily stressors.Conclusion Continuing medical education of severe and rare disease, reforming the pattern of medical education, constructing an interactive platform of the disease on the internet and improving healthcare policy are effective ways to improve the diagnosis and treatment status of CEL in China.

Abstract Background Congenital ectopia lentis (CEL) usually leads to refractive error and may influence the axial length development. But few investigations have reported patient demographics and the distribution of axial length (AL) before surgery in Chinese pediatric patients with CEL. To describe the distribution of AL before surgery in CEL patients and its relationship with patients’ demographics, such as age, Marfan syndrome, sex, and laterality. Methods This retrospective study reviewed 306 CEL patients from January 1, 2006 to December 31, 2015. One eye was randomly selected from each patient if both eyes were EL. The influences of Marfan syndrome, sex, and laterality to AL in different age subgroups were evaluated and compared. The differences of the AL between groups were assessed using the student t test or paired t-test. P-values less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results Two hundred forty-seven eyes were enrolled. 58.3% of all the patients had binoculus EL, 70% of all the patients were male and 36% of all the patients were diagnosed with Marfan syndrome. The mean AL of EL patients was 25.1 ± 2.5 mm. There was no statistical difference in the AL between patients with and without Marfan syndrome, and in the AL between male and female patients. There was statistical difference in AL between the EL-affected eye and the unaffected eye in monocular EL patients younger than 12 years old. Conclusions This study suggests that AL can be influenced by CEL, but the influence of CEL may be reduced after the age of 12 years old, which will likely provide a useful reference when considering the most appropriate time of surgery.

Abstract Recent studies have demonstrated the stimulatory effects of adiponectin on bone formation, but the mechanism underlying these effects remains unclear. The Wnt/β-catenin pathway, one of the most important pathways in osteogenesis, has rarely been associated with the osteogenic effects of adiponectin in previous studies. The present study was designed to investigate the effects of adiponectin on bone mesenchymal stem cell (BMSC) osteogenic differentiation and bone formation through the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. We detected adiponectin receptor expression in BMSCs, constructed a recombinant adenovirus containing the human adiponectin gene, and then used the adenovirus to transfect BMSCs in vitro or injected the adenovirus into bone defect areas in animal models. Wnt/β-catenin pathway and osteogenesis were detected by real-time PCR, western blotting, immunofluorescence, HE staining and micro-CT. In both our in vivo and in vitro experiments, we detected higher gene and protein expression levels of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway-related factors β-catenin and cyclinD1 in adiponectin transgenic BMSCs and rats. Similar results were noted regarding the gene and protein expression levels of osteogenesis-related genes. In addition, more new bone formation was observed in the adiponectin-treated groups. Our results indicate that adiponectin could facilitate BMSC osteogenic differentiation and osteogenesis, and the Wnt/β-catenin pathway was involved in the osteogenic effect of adiponectin.

OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the changes in the jaws and the upper airways of unilateral temporomandibular joint ankylosis patients who underwent condylar reconstruction via autogenous coronoid process grafts using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). STUDY DESIGN:The 27 included patients underwent CBCT examinations at three stages: T0 (within two weeks before surgery), T1 (two weeks after surgery), and T2 (an average of 13 months after surgery). Forty items related to the maxillofacial hard tissues and the upper airway collected at the three times and the coronoid process graft volumes after surgery were compared. RESULTS:Some integral items related to the mandibular hard tissues exhibited statistical difference shortly after surgery. Some integral items related to maxillofacial hard tissues changing obviously long period after surgery may result from graft remodeling. Asymmetry-related item regarding local neo-condyle and some airway items were significantly different between T0 and T1. Due to variations in graft remodeling, some related local asymmetry items and airway items differed significantly between T0 and T2. CONCLUSIONS:Anteriorly and inferiorly located neo-condyles and a trend toward the pronation of the mandible were observed and the narrowness of the upper airway was improved shortly after surgery. The grafts remodeled differently and some integral and asymmetry items related to neo-condyle changed. The improvements in the upper airway were slightly reduced.

Ecologists have found a close relationship between the concentrations of nitrate (NO3-) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in ecosystems. However, it is difficult to determine the NO3- fate exactly because of the low coefficient in the constructed relationship. In the present paper, a negative power-function equation (r(2) = 0.87) was developed by using 411 NO3- data points and DOC:NO3- ratios from several agricultural ecosystems during different rainfall events. Our analysis of the stoichiometric method reveals several observations. First, the NO3- concentration demonstrated the largest changes when the DOC:NO3- ratio increased from 1 to 10. Second, the biodegradability of DOC was an important factor in controlling the NO3- concentration of agricultural ecosystems. Third, sediment was important not only as a denitrification site, but also as a major source of DOC for the overlying water. Fourth, a high DOC concentration was able to maintain a low NO3- concentration in the groundwater. In conclusion, this new stoichiometric method can be used for the accurate estimation and analysis of NO3- concentrations in ecosystems.

Background: Postoperative hypoparathyroidism (hypoPT) is a common complication following thyroid surgery. However, current research findings on the risk factors for post-thyroid surgery hypoPT are not entirely consistent, and the same risk factors may have different impacts on transient and permanent hypoPT. Therefore, there is a need for a comprehensive study to summarize and explore the risk factors for both transient and permanent hypoPT after thyroid surgery. Materials and methods: Two databases (PubMed and Embase) were searched from inception to 2024. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used to rate study quality. Pooled odds ratios were used to calculate the relationship of each risk factor with transient and permanent hypoPT. Subgroup analyses were conducted for hypoPT with different definition-time (6 or 12 months). Publication bias was assessed using Begg's test and Egger's test. Results: A total of 19 risk factors from the 93 studies were included in the analysis. Among them, sex and parathyroid autotransplantation were the most frequently reported risk factors. Meta-analysis demonstrated that sex (female vs. male), cN stage, central neck dissection, lateral neck dissection, extent of central neck dissection (bilateral vs. unilateral), surgery [total thyroidectomy (TT) vs. lobectomy], surgery type (TT vs. sub-TT), incidental parathyroidectomy, and pathology (cancer vs. benign) were significantly associated with transient and permanent hypoPT. Preoperative calcium and parathyroid autotransplantation were only identified as risk factors for transient hypoPT, while preoperative PTH was a protective factor. Additionally, node metastasis and parathyroid in specimen were associated with permanent hypoPT. Conclusion: The highest risk of hypoPT occurs in female thyroid cancer patients with lymph node metastasis undergoing TT combined with neck dissection. The key to preventing postoperative hypoPT lies in the selection of surgical approach and intraoperative protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]