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To observe the effect of strength training of the nonhemiplegic side (NHS) on balance function, mobility, and muscle strength of patients with stroke.A single-blinded (evaluator) randomized controlled trial.A tertiary hospital rehabilitation center.139 patients with first stroke (N=139) were recruited and randomly separated into a trial (n=69) or control group (n=70).The control group underwent usual rehabilitation training, including step training and trunk control training in standing position. The trial group underwent strength training of NHS on the basis of usual rehabilitation training. The strength training of NHS included lower limb stepping training with resisting elastic belt and upper limb pulling elastic belt training in standing position. The training for both groups was 45 min, once a day, 5 days a week for 6 weeks.Balance evaluation was done with the Berg Balance Scale (BBS); mobility assessment with the 6-minute walk test (6-MWT); activities of daily life was examined via the modified Barthel Index (MBI); muscle strengths of the biceps brachii, iliopsoas, and quadriceps were measured via the isokinetic muscle strength testing system. All assessments were performed at baseline (T0) and after intervention (T1).The trial group performed better than control group in BBS scores (adjusted mean difference: 6.83; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.71-8.94) and 6-MWT (adjusted mean difference: 50.32; 95% CI: 40.58-60.05) after intervention. In terms of muscle strength of the hemiplegic side, the trial group displayed greater gains in biceps brachii, iliopsoas, and quadriceps than control group after intervention.Strength training of the NHS can promote recovery of balance, mobility, and muscle strength of the paretic side of patients with stroke.

Withdrawal statement: The authors have withdrawn their manuscript owing to that this manuscript still needs to be revised. Therefore, the authors do not wish this work to be cited as reference for the project. If you have any questions, please contact the corresponding author.

Background The study aimed to compare the safety and effectiveness between fenestrated technique with or without chimney stent and single-branched stent graft for isolated left subclavian artery revascularization during endovascular repair of acute type B aortic dissection with unfavorable proximal landing zone. Methods From January 2016 to December 2019, 65 acute type B aortic dissection patients with unfavorable proximal landing zone were treated with either the fenestrated technique (n = 34, group A) or single-branched stent graft (n = 31, group B). Type I endoleak, retrograde type A dissection, stroke, left subclavian artery patency, 30-day mortality, and aortic remodeling were systematically recorded and retrospectively analyzed. Results Technical success rates for groups A and group B were 94.12% and 100%, respectively. Left subclavian artery primary patency was achieved for all enrolled patients. The incidence of type I endoleak, retrograde type A dissection, stroke, and 30-day mortality was 5.9%, 5.9%, 2.9%, and 2.9% in group A, respectively, but none were encountered in group B. Left subclavian artery occlusion was observed in 3 patients in group A and 2 patients in group B during a mean follow-up of 16.18 ± 2.08 months and 15.19 ± 2.68 months, respectively. After the procedure, significant aortic remodeling was detected in both groups during follow-up. Conclusions Both techniques are feasible and safe for isolated left subclavian artery revascularization during endovascular repair for acute type B aortic dissection. Apart from the associated perioperative risks of complications and mortality for the fenestrated technique, both procedures contributed to favorable aortic remodeling.

A pure mesoporous SrTiO3 with a honeycomb pore structure is synthesized by the sol-gel method and applied to catalyze transesterification of palm oil with methanol for the biodiesel production. The catalyst is characterized by XRD, CO2/NH3-TPD, N2 adsorption-desorption, SEM-EDX, Raman and XPS to reveal its catalytic performances. The highest FAME yield of 93.14% is achieved in transesterification with the molar ratio of methanol to oil of 15:1 and catalyst concentration of 6 wt% at 170 C for 3 h. Besides, the catalyst is highly tolerant of FFAs and moisture, where the FAME yields of 83.80% and 86.50% are achieved even with the oleic acid and water addition of 10 wt% and 5 wt%. Meanwhile, the catalyst is found to be an effective catalyst for the simultaneous esterification and transesterification. The molecular simulation results show that the Ti sites are more easily attacked by FFAs and the Sr active sites are thus retained for the adsorption of methanol to catalyze transesterification, which explains the bifunctionality of the catalyst.

本研究采用密度泛函理论（DFT）研究了在γ-Fe2O3表面HCl对Hg0的吸附和催化氧化的作用机制。构建了Hg0、HCl、HgCl和HgCl2在γ-Fe2O3(001)表面的吸附模型，分析了HCl对γ-Fe2O3表面催化氧化Hg0的作用机理，并通过反应路径的能量分布测定，研究了γ-Fe2O3表面Hg0的氧化过程。结果表明，Hg0倾向于化学吸附在γ-Fe2O3(001)表面Feoct位。HCl在催化剂表面进行解离吸附，形成吸附态Cl和羟基，从而促进Hg0的吸附。HgCl以分子形式化学吸附在γ-Fe2O3(001)上，并作为Hg0氧化过程的中间体。HgCl2倾向在γ-Fe2O3表面上的平行吸附。同时，HCl在γ-Fe2O3(001)上氧化Hg0遵循L-H机理，即化学吸附的Hg0与解离吸附的HCl反应，且HCl对Hg0的非均相氧化通过两步反应途径进行，即Hg0 (ads)→HgCl(ads)→HgCl2(ads)。

A molecular modeling based on the density functional theory (DFT) and the transition state theory (TST) was performed to investigate the influence of biomass gas CO on the N2O decomposition catalyzed by CaO during reburning in the circulating fluidized bed boiler. The model for N2O adsorption onto the CaO(100) surfaces were constructed; and the processes of the N2O decomposition on the CaO(100) surface and the surface recovery of CaO(100) were investigated. The results illustrate that the energy barrier of N2O decomposition on the CaO(100) surface is much lower than that in homogeneous case, and CaO is therefore able to catalyze the N2O decomposition. The atomic O from N2O decomposition can poison the active sites O atom on the CaO(100) surface, while biomass gas CO can promote the regeneration of the active sites on the surface of CaO(100), which is beneficial for CaO to catalyze the N2O removal.

The existing concept of business model innovation is not clear yet, and a feasible research model have not been established. The research of business model innovation is urgently needs methodological breakthrough. Therefore, this article introduced the theory of innovative genetics into the exploration of business model innovation. And this article carried out a more in-depth analysis of the business model innovative genetics in the tobacco industry through the methodology of multi-case exploratory research. As a result, a set of applicable tobacco industry business model innovation solutions were explored. It shows that the innovative genetic method of the business model is novel, highly visible and operability, and can provides new ideas for the tobacco industry’s business model innovation.

This work reported the one-pot synthesis of the promising, cheap and green heterogeneous nanocatalyst for biodiesel production. The halloysite nanotube (HNT) was impregnated with 40 wt% NaAlO2 (SA) and the assistance of ultrasonic helped to achieve a better and more stable modification. The resulting 0.4SA/HNTs-UI catalyst was applied in catalyzing the transesterification of palm oil with methanol, using a GA_BP neural network to train and predict the optimal values of reaction parameters. The test results proved the prediction accuracy of the model with R2 = 0.989. The catalyst possessed excellent performance, and the maximum biodiesel yield of 99.15% was achieved with the catalyst loaded amount of 8.82 wt%, methanol to oil molar ratio of 16.79 and transesterification temperature of 65.12 °C. Besides, the physicochemical properties of the purified transesterification product were in accordance with the ASTM D 6751 standard of biodiesel.

Exploring the constraint relationship between physical geographic features and urbanization on ecosystem services is important for managing and optimizing regional ecosystem services. Taking Anhui Province as an example, we assessed the spatial and temporal evolution characteristics of five types of ecosystem services (habitat support, water production services, soil conservation, NPP, and carbon fixation) and five types of urbanization levels (population, economic, social, ecological, and spatial) in 2000, 2010, and 2020, and integrated the constraint line method, bivariate spatial autocorrelation model, and spatial regression model to measure the relationship between ecosystem services. The spatial constraints between ecosystem services and urbanization level and natural topography in Anhui Province were measured using the constraint line method, bivariate spatial autocorrelation model and the spatial regression model. The results show that: (1) the spatial distribution of the five types of ecosystem services in Anhui Province is characterized as “low in the north and high in the south”. At the provincial level, the five ecosystem services in southern and central Anhui Province are synergistic, while the five ecosystem services in northern Anhui Province show a trade-off; (2) topography has different effects on the five ecosystem services with “exponential” effects on water production services and NPP, “positive convex” effects on habitat support, and “positive convex” effects on habitat support”; (3) the bivariate global autocorrelation Moran’s I index between ecosystem services and urbanization level in Anhui Province is significant, confirming that ecosystem services and urbanization are spatially related, where the development of population urbanization, spatial urbanization, economic urbanization, and social urbanization leads to the decrease in ecosystem services, and ecological urbanization promotes the increase in ecosystem services. In the spatial regression model, the Spatial Lag Model passed the significance test, indicating that there is a spatial spillover effect between ecosystem services and urbanization. That is, changes in ecosystem services are influenced not only by their own urbanization elements, but also by urbanization elements in neighboring units or more distant units. Exploring the constraints of ecosystem services and identifying their interaction with urbanization can provide a scientific basis for land-use optimization, adjusting management measures and achieving regional sustainability.

Objectives To evaluate the role of sequential therapy with percutaneous biliary stenting and CT-guided iodine-125 seed implantation for locally advanced pancreatic carcinoma with concomitant obstructive jaundice. Methods Between January 2016 and December 2018, 42 patients diagnosed with locally advanced pancreatic carcinoma with concomitant obstructive jaundice were enrolled retrospectively. All patients received biliary stenting via percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD) to alleviate obstructive jaundice. Thereafter, twenty-two patients underwent CT-guided iodine-125 seed implantation (treatment group), and 20 did not (control group). The prescribed dose in the treatment group was 110–130 Gy. The clinical data, duration of biliary stent patency, and overall survival (OS) were evaluated. Results Overall, the total bilirubin level decreased from 275.89 ± 115.44 to 43.08 ± 43.35 μmol/L (p < 0.001) 1 month after percutaneous biliary stenting. In the treatment group, the postoperative median dose covering 90% of the target volume was 129.71 Gy. Compared with the control group, the treatment group had a long mean duration of biliary stent patency and median OS (11.42 vs. 8.57 months, p < 0.01; 11.67 vs. 9.40 months, p < 0.01, respectively). The overall positive response rates 6 months post-treatment in the treatment and control groups were 72.7% (16/22) and 30% (6/20), respectively. Adverse events of more than grade 3 were not observed during the follow-up. Conclusion Sequential therapy with percutaneous biliary stenting and CT-guided iodine-125 seed implantation is an effective and safe treatment alternative for locally advanced pancreatic carcinoma with concomitant obstructive jaundice, which is worthy of clinical application. Key Points • Obstructive jaundice was alleviated after biliary stent placement in all patients, and the total bilirubin level decreased. • The overall positive response rates at 6 months post-treatment were higher in the treatment group than in the control group, and adverse events of more than grade 3 were not observed during the follow-up period. • Sequential therapy with percutaneous biliary stenting and CT-guided iodine-125 seed implantation can prolong biliary stent patency and improve survival.

CaO is efficient in catalyzing transesterification for biodiesel production, but its industrial application is inherently restricted by active sites leaching. To address this drawback, CaO is decorated into wollastonite to prepare the stable Ca/wollastonite catalyst. Microwave-assisted transesterification is used to produce biodiesel from palm oil, which effectively accelerates the reaction rate and improves the conversion efficiency. The Ca/wollastonite-0.8 catalyst with the mass ratio of CaO to wollastonite of 0.8 performs well with the fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) yield of 97.59%. Also, this catalyst is highly stable, where the FAME yield of 87.30% could be obtained for the fifth reused cycle. CaO is evenly dispersed on the wollastonite surface and the total basicity is high to 0.281 mmol g−1. Meanwhile, transesterification parameters are optimized by response surface methodology with central composite design (RSM-CCD) and the maximum FAME yield of 98.46% is achieved at reaction temperature of 64.2 °C, molar ratio of methanol to palm oil of 15.54 and mass ratio of catalyst to palm oil of 9.21 wt% for 3 h. Besides, the mass ratio of catalyst to palm oil is the primary variable. Wollastonite is demonstrated to be feasible to enhance the stability of CaO in catalyzing transesterification.

The hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and wet herbal agricultural wastes for solid fuel production remains bleak economics and sustainability because of high chloride residual, wastewater burden and low production capacity. In this study, the HTC dechlorination was investigated using the first-order reaction kinetic analysis. We found that the co-hydrothermal carbonization (co-HTC) of PVC and the typical biomass (corncob) achieved a staggering drop of dechlorination activation energy from 189.95 kJ/mol to 110.04 kJ/mol. The co-HTC process achieved rapid dechlorination and carbonization due to synergistic effect, to suppress the chlorine content in bituminous-coal-like hydrochar less than 0.05 %. The process wastewater (process water) from co-HTC was recycled four times to evaluate the reusability and chemical evolution. The organics in co-HTC environment enhanced the carbonization which was confirmed by the improved heating value (30.06 to 32.42 MJ·kg

Chinese traditional villages, as the space carriers of Chinese excellent traditional culture, are a nonrenewable cultural heritage with rich value connotations. The primary consideration for the protection of the authenticity of traditional villages as a historical and cultural heritage is the continuation of spatial authenticity. The inheritance and shaping of traditional characteristics requires the study of the laws of traditional villages’ spatial form. Spatial texture is an important landscape resource for traditional villages, and it is also a space carrier to display and carry the historical and cultural characteristics of the village. However, the current practice of village planning and construction has destroyed this original spatial texture, resulting in a rupture of the inheritance of traditional characteristics of village space. The fundamental reason lies in the lack of emphasis on the subjectivity and regularity of village space and the lack of quantitative analysis and planning application of the inherent laws of spatial texture. Based on the integration of inheritance and transformation, this research proposes to use the advantages of digitization, visualization, and dynamics in parametric technology to quantitatively analyze the internal laws of the village spatial texture and assist the planning and design of the village spatial texture, in order to effectively promote the benign inheritance and optimization of the traditional characteristics of the village spatial texture which makes the planned spatial texture both traditional and modern. The research results show that (1) the parametric-based planning technology can better analyze the existing laws of the village spatial texture in a comprehensive, quantitative, and precise manner. (2) The parametric technology has a relatively high value in the planning and design of the village spatial texture. Due to strong applicability, it can invert the spatial form of the village and optimize the planning scheme by adjusting parameters and rules. (3) Although the parametric planning and design party has certain artificial intelligence, it cannot completely replace the human brain. The planning scheme generated by the method cannot be directly applied but can be used to assist the design scheme. It needs to be adjusted and corrected via the subjective initiative of people and wider participation.

Purpose To evaluate feasibility and efficacy of thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) for type B aortic dissection (TBAD) associated with retrograde type A intramural hematoma (IMH). Materials and Methods From April 2013 to January 2017, 15 consecutive patients with TBAD associated with retrograde type A IMH who underwent TEVAR were reviewed retrospectively. There was no cardiac tamponade, aortic regurgitation, involvement of coronary artery, or sign of cerebral ischemia in these patients. Enhanced CT was used in 4 patients to diagnose malperfusion of abdominal visceral arteries or lower extremity artery and underwent emergent TEVAR. For the remaining 11 patients, repeated enhanced CT after initial medical treatment within 24 hours from onset of pain showed expansion of IMH in 8 patients or presence of periaortic hematoma in 3 patients. Delayed TEVAR was scheduled for these cases. Results Successful deployment of the stent graft was achieved in all patients. There were no severe postoperative complications, such as retrograde type A aortic dissection or aortic rupture. Sudden death occurred in 1 patient 3 months after the procedure. Thrombosis of the false lumen, shrinkage of the diameter of the aorta, and complete absorption of the IMH were observed in the remaining patients at a mean follow-up of 19.8 months ± 6.57. Conclusions TEVAR for treatment of TBAD with retrograde type A IMH is feasible and effective. It represents a treatment option for patients with TBAD associated with type A IMH with a proximal entry tear located in the descending aorta.

Objectives To evaluate the efficacy and safety of the combination of computed tomography (CT)-guided iodine-125 brachytherapy and bronchial arterial chemoembolization (BACE) for locally advanced stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after failure of concurrent chemoradiotherapy. Material and Methods We retrospectively evaluated 28 patients with locally advanced stage III NSCLC in whom concurrent chemoradiotherapy had failed and were consequently, treated with radioactive iodine-125 seed implantation followed by BACE. The prescribed radiation dose was 140 Gy, with a median radioactivity of 0.60 mCi. The tumor-feeding arteries were detected on angiography, and chemotherapeutic agents (gemcitabine 1000 mg/m2 + lobaplatin 30 mg/m2) were then administered via arterial infusion. The tumor-feeding arteries were embolized using 300–500 μm embosphere microspheres. The endpoints were treatment response rate, progression-free survival (PFS), and toxicity. Results The median number of implanted iodine-125 seeds was 58 pellets (range, 44–114 pellets). The median post-operative dose covering 90 % of the target volume (D90) was 143.4 Gy (range, 123.6–159.9 Gy). A total of 73 cycles of BACE were conducted (2.61 cycles per case). The bronchial arteries were the main tumor-feeding arteries. In total, 11 patients had hemoptysis, and it was significantly alleviated within 24 h after BACE. There was no serious procedure-related complication. The 6-month objective response and disease control rates were 71.42 % and 92.86 %, respectively. No severe complications occurred during the follow-up. Local control duration ranged from 5–12 months, and the median PFS was 8 months (95 % confidence interval: 7.3–8.8 months). Conclusions The combination of CT-guided iodine-125 brachytherapy and BACE is an effective and safe approach for the treatment of NSCLC after failure of concurrent chemoradiotherapy and is worthy of clinical application.

BACKGROUND Some patients with hepatolithiasis cannot tolerate surgery due to severe cardiac or pulmonary comorbidities, or cannot be endoscopically treated because of altered gastrointestinal anatomies. AIM To propose a modified percutaneous transhepatic papillary balloon dilation procedure, and evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of this modality. METHODS Data from 21 consecutive patients who underwent modified percutaneous transhepatic papillary balloon dilation with hepatolithiasis were retrospectively analyzed. Using auxiliary devices, intrahepatic bile duct stones were pushed into the common bile duct and expelled into the duodenum with an inflated balloon catheter. The outcomes recorded included success rate, procedure time, hospital stay, causes of failure, and procedure-related complications. Patients with possible long-term complications were followed up for 2 years. RESULTS Intrahepatic bile duct stones were successfully removed in 20 (95.23%) patients. Mean procedure time was 65.8 ± 5.3 min. Mean hospital stay was 10.7 ± 1.5 d. No pancreatitis, gastrointestinal, or biliary duct perforation was observed. All patients were followed up for 2 years, and there was no evidence of reflux cholangitis or calculi recurrence. CONCLUSION Modified percutaneous transhepatic papillary balloon dilation was feasible and safe with a small number of patients with hepatolithiasis, and may be a treatment option in patients with severe comorbidities or in patients in whom endoscopic procedure was not successful.

Background Salvage treatments for recurrent NSCLC after first‐line chemotherapy remain challenging. This study was conducted to evaluate the clinical value of microwave ablation (MWA) and iodine‐125 brachytherapy, including overall survival (OS), disease free survival (DFS), local control, hospital stay, and health economics. Methods The data of 51 and 32 patients who were treated with MWA and brachytherapy was retrospectively analyzed. The number of lesions was limited up to two, with a diameter

Reliable evaluation of the thermal shock behavior of sharp leading edges (SLEs) was hampered by a lack of available experimental method in past decades. Herein, a novel water spraying method was utilized to investigate the shape effect of ZrB2‐SiC‐Graphite SLEs during thermal shock. Experimental results indicated that the critical failure temperature of ZrB2‐SiC‐Graphite SLEs was most sensitive to the wedge angle, which could lead to a dramatic attenuation by about 35% from 12° to 9°, and was relatively little affected by the tip radius of curvature and the thickness. Simulation results further revealed that the decay of critical failure temperature was mainly due to the significant stress concentration caused by the reduction of wedge angle. Scanning electron microscopy observation proved that cracks tend to bypass graphite flakes due to their weak interfacial bonding, while branching always occurred when encountering hard phases or inclusions.

Background The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility, safety and efficacy of computed tomography (CT)-guided percutaneous microwave ablation with artificial ascites for problematic hepatocellular tumors. Methods Forty-eight patients with 61 problematic hepatocellular carcinomas who underwent CT-guided percutaneous microwave ablation with artificial ascites were reviewed retrospectively. Lesions less than 5 mm away from the gastrointestinal system, diaphragm, pericardium or kidney were defined as problematic tumors with the potential risk of thermal damage. Microwave ablation was performed after artificial ascites was established between tumors and the adjacent high-risk organs. The technical effectiveness of microwave ablation, local tumor progression and complications was assessed. Results Microwave ablation with artificial ascites was successfully performed in all 61 tumors. The technical effectiveness rate was 100% with contrast-enhanced CT performed immediately after the ablation procedure. Local tumor progression occurred in three (6%) of the 48 patients during the follow-up period (mean, 15 months; range, 6–24 months). No major complications related to the procedure occurred. Conclusion CT-guided percutaneous microwave ablation with artificial ascites is a feasible, safe and effective choice for treating problematic hepatocellular tumors, avoiding potential thermal damage to the adjacent high-risk organs.

Developing an efficient approach of transforming biomass waste to functional carbon-based electrode materials applied in supercapacitor offers an important and high value-added practical application due to the abundance and considerable low price of biomass wastes. Herein, a hierarchical carbon functionalized with electrochemical-active oxygen-containing groups was fabricated by microwave treatment from the biomass waste of camellia oleifera. The obtained mesoporous carbon (MAC) owns nanosheet morphology, rich mesoporosity, large surface area (1726 m2/g) and very high oxygenic functionalities (16.2 wt%) with pseudocapacitive activity. Prepared electrode of supercapacitor and tested in 2.0 M H2SO4, the MAC exhibits an obvious pseudocapacitive activity and achieved a superior supercapacitive performance to that of directly activated carbon (DAC-800) including high specific capacitance (367 F/g vs. 298 F/g) and better rate performance (66% vs. 44%). The symmetrical supercapacitor based on MAC shows a high capacity of 275 F/g, large energy density of 9.55 Wh/kg (at power density of 478 W/kg) and excellent cycling stability with 99% capacitance retention after 10000 continuous charge-discharge, endowing the obtained MAC a promising functional material for electrochemical energy storage.

The dynamic stress field induced by moving loads is three dimensional, involving the cyclic variation of major, intermediate, and minor principal stresses, while so far very limited laboratory studies have been undertaken on the one-way deformation behavior of saturated clays in three-dimensional stress state. In this study, an advanced true triaxial apparatus, which can apply cyclic major and intermediate principal stresses simultaneously, is employed to carry out a total of 65 one-way cyclic tests on both normally and overconsolidated clays. Four values of overconsolidation ratio (OCR), five values of bcyc, which is termed the coefficient of cyclic intermediate principal stress, and a wide range of cyclic stress ratios (CSR) are tested. Emphasis is put on the effects of bcyc and OCR on the characteristics of permanent major and intermediate principal strains. Test results show that the increase of bcyc significantly reduces the accumulation of major principal strain, and linear relationships are observed between the permanent major principal strain and bcyc for test data with the same CSR, OCR, and cycle number. A critical value of bcyc ≈ 0.5, at which the permanent intermediate principal strain changes from tension to compression, is observed for the remolded clay. Furthermore, an empirical model is proposed, allowing the long-term deformation of saturated clays to be predicted in three-dimensional cyclic stress state.

We investigated the mechanism underlying the effect of a combination treatment of 125I radioactive seed implantation and lobaplatin (LBP) in hepatocellular carcinoma. The effects of administration of HCC cells and subcutaneous tumor model of mice with different doses of 125I or a sensitizing concentration of LBP alone, or in combination, on cellular apoptosis and proliferation were analyzed and it was confirmed that LBP promotes 125I-induced apoptosis and inhibition of proliferation of HCC. Furthermore, isobaric tag for relative and absolute quantification labeling analyses suggested that 125I promoted the apoptosis and inhibition of proliferation of HCC cells by upregulating the expression of PERK-eIF2α-ATF4-CHOP pathway, a well-known apoptosis-related pathway. Moreover, LBP was found to boost the 125I-induced upregulation of this pathway and increase the apoptosis. Our data indicate that LBP promotes the apoptotic and anti-proliferative effects of 125I and provide a firm foundation for better clinical application of this combination therapy.