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It has been our pleasure to have been able to develop two special issues within the International Journal of Molecular Sciences: (1) Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System in Pathologies and (2) Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System in Metabolism & Disease [...].

Purpose The placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) score calculated by the scoring system may predict patients with PAS. We aim to find the relationship between estimated blood loss and the PAS score. Further, find the inflection point, identify PAS patients with placenta previa who were at risk for major bleeding. Methods The PAS patients with placenta previa, as diagnosed by color Doppler ultrasound, were divided into two groups according to their PAS scores using a new scoring system. Blood loss, transfusion requirements, the rate of Intra-Abdominal Balloon Occlusion (IABO), and other indicators were analyzed between groups. Results The estimated blood loss, intraoperative transfusion, postoperative transfusion, operation time, and hospitalization time significantly increased in the group with a PAS score [greater than or equal to] 9 (P < 0.05). The inflection point analysis revealed that a significant increase in estimated blood loss occurred when the PAS score was beyond 10 (crude) or 6 (adjusted for age, body mass index, and IABO). Conclusion There was a non-linear relationship between estimated intraoperative blood loss and PAS score. When the PAS score was greater than 9, hemorrhage, the risk of major bleeding, the need for transfusions, and the placement of an abdominal aortic balloon all increase significantly., Author(s): Fusen Huang [sup.1], Jingjie Wang [sup.2], Qiuju Xiong [sup.1], Wenjian Wang [sup.1], Yi Xu [sup.1], Jia Zhuo [sup.3], Qiuling Xia [sup.4], Xiaonan Liu [sup.1] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.452206.7, 0000 [...]

Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) faces complex challenges in identifying underground rock formations and lithological structures. The diversity, intricate shapes, and electromagnetic properties of subsurface rock formations make their accurate detection difficult. Additionally, the heterogeneity of subsurface media, signal scattering, and non-linear propagation effects contribute to the complexity of signal interpretation. To address these challenges, this study fully considers the unique advantages of convolutional neural networks (CNNs) in accurately identifying underground rock formations and lithological structures, particularly their powerful feature extraction capabilities. Deep learning models possess the ability to automatically extract complex signal features from radar data, while also demonstrating excellent generalization performance, enabling them to handle data from various geological conditions. Moreover, deep learning can efficiently process large-scale data, thereby improving the accuracy and efficiency of identification. In our research, we utilized deep neural networks to process GPR signals, using radar images as inputs and generating structure-related information associated with rock formations and lithological structures as outputs. Through training and learning, we successfully established an effective mapping relationship between radar images and lithological label signals. The results from synthetic data indicate a rock block identification success rate exceeding 88%, with a satisfactory continuity identification of lithological structures. Transferring the network to measured data, the trained model exhibits excellent performance in predicting data collected from the field, further enhancing the geological interpretation and analysis. Therefore, through the results obtained from synthetic and measured data, we can demonstrate the effectiveness and feasibility of this research method.

Abstract Background This study aimed to explore the appropriate location of renal tumors for retroperitoneal approach. Materials and Methods We retrospectively analyzed 1040 patients with renal tumor who were treated at our institution from Janurary 2015 to June 2020 and had underwent retroperitoneal robotic assisted-laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (rRAPN). Clinical features and postoperative outcomes were evaluated. Results Patients with incomplete data were excluded, and we included 896 patients in total. The median tumor size was 3.0 (range: 0.8–10.0) cm. The median RENAL Nephrometry Score was 7 (range: 4–11), and the median PADUA Nephrometry Score was 8 (range: 6–14). The median surgical time was 120 min, and the median warm ischemia time was 18 min. The median estimated blood loss was 50 ml. The follow-up time was 20.2 (range: 12–69) months. The mean change of eGFR 1 year after operation was 14.6% ± 19.0% compared with preoperative estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). When compared the tumor at different locations, as superior or inferior pole, anterior of posterior face of kidney, there were no significant differences of intra- and post-operative outcomes such as surgical time, warm ischemia time, estimated blood loss, removal time of drainage tube and catheter, postoperative feeding time and hospital stay, and changes of eGFR one year after surgery. We also compared tumors at special locations as endophytic or exophytic, anterior of posterior hilus of kidney, there were no significant differences in surgical time, warm ischemia time, estimated blood loss and changes of eGFR. There was no significant difference in intraoperative features and postoperative outcomes when tumor larger than 4 cm was located at different positions of kidney. Though the surgical time was longer when BMI ≥ 28 (132.6 min vs. 122.5 min, p = 0.004), no significant differences were observed in warm ischemia time, estimated blood loss, changes in eGFR. Twenty-seven patients (3.0%) had tumor progression, including 8 (0.9%) recurrence, 19 (2.1%) metastasis, and 9 (1.0%) death. Conclusion Retroperitoneal approach for RAPN has confirmed acceptable intra- and postoperative outcomes and suits for renal tumors of all different locations. Large tumor size and obesity are not contraindications for rRAPN.

The problem of data incompleteness has become an intractable problem for network representation learning(NRL) methods,which makes existing NRL algorithms fail to achieve the expected results.Despite numerous efforts have done to solve the issue,most of previous methods mainly focused on the lack of label information,and rarely consider data imbalance phenomenon,especially the completely imbalance problem that a certain class labels are completely missing.Learning algorithms to solve such problems are still explored,for example,some neighborhood feature aggregation process prefers to focus on network structure information,while disregarding relationships between attribute features and semantic features,of which utilization may enhance representation results.To address the above problems,a semantic information enhanced network embedding with completely imbalanced labels(SECT)method that combines attribute features and structural features is proposed in this paper.Firstly,SECT introduces attention mechanism in the supervised learning for obtaining the semantic information vector on precondition of considering the relationship between the attribute space and the semantic space.Secondly,a variational autoencoder is applied to extract structural features under an unsupervised mode to enhance the robustness of the algorithm.Finally,both semantic and structural information are integrated in the embedded space.Compared with two state-of-the-art algorithms,the node classification results on public data sets Cora and Citeseer indicate the network vector obtained by SECT algorithm outperforms others and increases by 0.86%~1.97% under Mirco-F1.As well as the node visualization results exhibit that compared with other algorithms,the vector distances among different-class clusters obtained by SECT are larger,the clusters of same class are more compact,and the class boundaries are more obvious.All these experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of SECT,which mainly benefited from a better fusion of semantic information in the low-dimensional embedding space,thus extremely improves the performance of node classification tasks under completely imbalanced labels.

Industrial agglomeration does not only promote economic and social prosperity of urban agglomeration, but also increases industrial pollution, which poses a health risk to the general public. The Lanzhou–Xining urban agglomeration in western China is characterized by industrial agglomeration and serious industrial pollution. Based on the county panel data of the Lanzhou–Xining urban agglomeration in western China from 2010 to 2018, a research of the impacts of industrial agglomeration on industrial pollutant emissions was conducted by using spatial analysis technology and spatial econometric analysis. The results indicate that industrial agglomeration is an important factor leading to an increase in industrial pollutant emissions. In addition, population density, economic level, and industrial structure are also important factors that lead to the increase in industrial pollutant emissions. However, technological level has led to the reduction in industrial pollutant emissions. Furthermore, industrial pollutant emissions are not only affected by the industrial agglomeration, population density, economic level, industrial structure, and technological level of the county but also by those same factors in the surrounding counties, owing to the spatial spillover effect. Joint development of green industries and control of industrial pollutant emissions is an inevitable result for the Lanzhou–Xining urban agglomeration in western China.

Purpose The present study determined the effects of saphenous nerve stimulation (SNS) at different stimulation frequencies on bladder reflex and explored a possible action mechanism of tibial nerve stimulation (TNS) on bladder activity in cats. Methods Two bipolar nerve cuff electrodes were implanted on the saphenous nerve and the contralateral tibial nerve in 13 cats, respectively. Multiple cystometrograms were obtained to determine the effects of single SNS at different frequencies and that of combined SNS and TNS on the micturition reflex by infusing normal saline. Results SNS at 1 Hz significantly reduced the bladder capacity (BC) to 59.8%±7.7% and 59.3%±5.8% of the control level at the intensity threshold (T) and 2T, respectively (P0.05), while combined stimulation at 1T significantly increased the BC to 122.7%±1.9% of the control level and induced an inhibitory effect which was similar to that TNS at 2T. Conclusions The current study revealed that SNS reduced and increased BC depending on different stimulation frequencies. The combined SNS and TNS maximized the clinical efficacy at a low intensity. Also, SNS may be a potential therapeutic mechanism of TNS.

Wound infections may disrupt the normal wound-healing process. Large amounts of antibiotics are frequently used to prevent pathogenic infections; however, this can lead to resistance development. Biomaterials possessing antimicrobial properties have promising applications for reducing antibiotic usage and promoting wound healing. Silk sericin (SS) has been increasingly explored for skin wound healing applications owing to its excellent biocompatibility and antioxidant, antimicrobial, and ultraviolet-resistant properties. In recent years, SS-based composite biomaterials with a broader antimicrobial spectrum have been extensively investigated and demonstrated favorable efficacy in promoting wound healing. This review summarizes various antimicrobial agents, including metal nanoparticles, natural extracts, and antibiotics, that have been incorporated into SS composites for wound healing and elucidates their mechanisms of action. It has been revealed that SS-based biomaterials can achieve sustained antimicrobial activity by slow-release-loaded antimicrobial agents. The antimicrobial-loaded SS composites may promote wound healing through anti-infection, anti-inflammation, hemostasis, angiogenesis, and collagen deposition. The manufacturing methods, benefits, and limitations of antimicrobial-loaded SS materials are briefly discussed. This review aims to enhance the understanding of new advances and directions in SS-based antimicrobial composites and guide future biomedical research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a common-drain-based operational amplifier (OPAMP) fabricated by mono n-type indium-zinc-oxide (IZO) thin-film transistors (TFTs). Positive feedback technology is employed to the load TFTs by cross-coupled connection in order to boost the voltage gain of the common-drain differential pair. The OPAMP exhibits an open-loop voltage gain (Av) of 27 dB over a −3 dB bandwidth (BW) of 8.4 kHz at a DC supply voltage of 10 V. The measured unity-gain frequency (UGF), phase margin (PM) and DC power consumption are 119.4 kHz, 36° and 0.96 mW, respectively. Moreover, the chip area of the proposed OPAMP is as small as 0.37 mm $\times0.3$ mm since this concise topology needs only 10 TFTs.

Abstract Background The robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) has been widely applied in recent years; however, only a few studies are reported about long-term urinary continence after surgery. The present study aimed to examine the outcomes of continence rates (CRs) and determine the risk and protective factors of urinary continence in patients with prostate cancer (PCa) undergoing RARP. Methods This retrospective study included 650 patients treated with RARP with perioperative data and at least one year of follow-up from September 2009 to November 2017. Also, the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative parameters of the patients were analyzed. Continence was defined as no pad use. Early and late continence was defined as the return of urinary continence within 3 months and beyond 12 months post-surgery, respectively. CRs were examined from 1 to 48 months postoperatively. Logistic regression analysis evaluated the association between the predictive factors and urinary continence in the early and late stages. Results No significant difference was detected in the CR from 12 to 48 months postoperatively (P = 0.766). Logistic regression analysis proved that pelvic lymph node dissection (PLND) was a significant risk factor of urinary continence at 1 month. Nerve-sparing (NS) was a significant protective factor of urinary continence at 1, 3, and 6 months. Advanced age was an independent risk factor of urinary continence at 6, 12, and 24 months. Other variables were not statistically significant predictors of urinary continence. Conclusions The current results demonstrated that CR gradually improved with time within 1 year and stabilized 1 year after the surgery. PLND, NS, and age were significant determinants of continence in the early and late stages, respectively. These parameters could be used for preoperative identification of patients at high risk and counseling about postoperative expectations for urinary continence.

Green development is necessary for building high-quality modern economic systems. Due to limited land resources, ensuring the ecological benefits will not be damaged while developing the economy is necessary, as is improving urban land green use efficiency (ULGUE). Lanzhou-Xining Urban Agglomeration is a crucial urban agglomeration in the upper reaches of the Yellow River Basin. The improvement of ULGUE can promote the integrated management of the region’s land and achieve harmonious development with the social economy. This study adopts a super-efficiency SBM model to quantify the ULGUE of the Lanzhou-Xining urban agglomeration between 2015 and 2020, analysing its spatial and temporal patterns by combining exploratory spatial data analysis. The spatial spillover effect was discussed using the spatial Durbin model. The results showed that the average value of ULGUE in the study period was on the rise and showed positive spatial autocorrelation. The ULGUE of provincial capital cities was higher than non, along with the efficiency of city proper, compared to other counties. Many factors were found to positively influence the ULGUE of the whole study region. Among these were the optimisation of industrial structure, economic development, urbanisation level, and government intervention. Population concentration and environmental regulation had a negative spatial spillover effect.

Objective To detect the expression changes of interleukin-10 (IL-10) and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) during the development of deep vein thrombosis in mice, and to explore the application value of them in thrombus age estimation. Methods The mice in the experimental group were subjected to ligation of inferior vena cava. The mice were sacrificed by excessive anesthesia at 1 d, 3 d, 5 d, 7 d, 10 d, 14 d and 21 d after ligation, respectively. The inferior vena cava segment with thrombosis was extracted below the ligation point. The mice in the control group were not ligated, and the inferior vena cava segment at the same position as the experimental group was extracted. The expression changes of IL-10 and TGF-β1 were detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC), Western blotting and real-time qPCR. Results IHC results revealed that IL-10 was mainly expressed in monocytes in thrombosis and TGF-β1 was mainly expressed in monocytes and fibroblast-like cells in thrombosis. Western blotting and real-time qPCR showed that the relative expression levels of IL-10 and TGF-β1 in each experimental group were higher than those in the control group. The mRNA and protein levels of IL-10 reached the peak at 7 d and 10 d after ligation, respectively. The mRNA expression level at 7 d after ligation was 4.72±0.15 times that of the control group, and the protein expression level at 10 d after ligation was 7.15±0.28 times that of the control group. The mRNA and protein levels of TGF-β1 reached the peak at 10 d and 14 d after ligation, respectively. The mRNA expression level at 10 d after ligation was 2.58±0.14 times that of the control group, and the protein expression level at 14 d after ligation was 4.34±0.19 times that of the control group. Conclusion The expressions of IL-10 and TGF-β1 during the evolution of deep vein thrombosis present time-dependent sequential changes, and the expression levels of IL-10 and TGF-β1 can provide a reference basis for thrombus age estimation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Frequent harmful cyanobacteria blooms limit the sustainable development of aquaculture. Algicidal bacteria can efficiently control harmful algae without secondary pollution. The algicidal bacteria CZBC1 can lyse Oscillatoria spp. and other harmful cyanobacteria, but its effector mechanism and algicidal threshold are unknown. In this study, we examined the algicidal effect of CZBC1 on O. chlorina, O. tenuis, and O. planctonica by microscopic enumeration and scanning electron microscopy observation. Then, we examined the alginolytic effects of CZBC1 (concentrations 103–106 colony forming units (cfu)/mL) on these three species (concentrations 103–106 cells/mL) to determine the effective concentrations of CZBC1 for Oscillatoria spp. alginolysis. Results showed that CZBC1 can directly lyse O. chlorina and O. tenuis but indirectly lyse O. planctonica. When the initial concentration of CZBC1 was 106 cfu/mL, alginolytic effects were high for all three species at all concentrations, and the alginolytic rate could reach 100% in 3–9 days. When the initial concentration of CZBC1 was lower (103 cfu/mL), its inhibitory effects were delayed by 2–5 days, but the cell counts were significantly decreased compared with the control, evidencing significant alginolysis. In addition, the higher the concentration of the algicidal bacteria suspension, the more significant the alginolytic effects. Our results indicate that CZBC1 has different alginolytic mechanisms for O. chlorina, O. tenuis, and O. planctonica, and that different initial concentrations of CZBC1 have different alginolytic effects on these algal species.

This paper presents an integrated operational amplifier (OPAMP) consisting of only n-type metal oxide thin-film transistors. In addition to using positive feedback in the input differential pair, a transconductance-enhancement topology is applied to improve the gain of the OPAMP. The OPAMP has a voltage gain (Av) of 29.54 dB over a 3-dB bandwidth of 9.33 kHz at a supply voltage of 15 V. The unity-gain frequency, phase margin (PM), and dc power consumption (PDC) are 180.2 kHz, 21.5° PM and 5.07 mW, respectively.