Search

Amblyopia affects more than visual acuity. To compare the performances of visual selective attention and numerical processing in children with anisometropic amblyopia and children with normal vision, and investigate whether performance would be improved after visual acuity recovery, we performed 3 visual attention tasks (identifying number location task, numerical comparison task, and specific number comparison task) in children with anisometropic amblyopia, children who had recovered from anisometropic amblyopia, and children with normal vision in 6–8 and 9–11 years groups. The numerical processing ability, visual selective attention, and numerical distance effect were assessed by their reaction time of different tasks. The amblyopia group showed significantly worse visual selective attention than control group. However, the recovered amblyopic group showed worse visual selective attention compared to control group only in 9–11 years group. Children aged 6–8 had a greater numerical distance effect than 9–11 in control group, while there were no significant differences between different age groups in amblyopia and recovered amblyopic children. These findings suggest children with anisometropic amblyopia have not only defective visual selective attention but also different age-related patterns of numerical distance effect. Moreover, the improvement of visual selective attention after early stage of visual acuity recovery is better at younger age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to comprehensively recover the valuable components from decommitted high-nickel ternary lithium batteries, lithium was selectively extracted by sulphation roasting and water leaching, and the water leaching residue was then processed by aging leaching, impurity removal and precipitation to prepare nickel-cobalt-manganese hydroxide. The results show that the optimum conditions of sulfation roasting are n(H2SO4) : n(Li) = 1.4 : 1, roasting temperature of 600 °C, roasting time of 1 h, and the water leaching rate of Li, Mn can reach 94.36%, 11.03%, respectively, Ni and Co hardly leaching. Under the conditions of acid-ore ratio of 1.74, curing temperature of 120 °C, curing time of 120 min and liquid volume to solid mass ratio of 7.5 mL/1 g, the aqueous leaching slag is cured and acid leaching. The leaching rates of Li, Ni, Co, Mn, Cu, Fe and Al are 97.86%, 89.16%, 95.09%, 100%, 63.6%, 99.71% and 56.76%, respectively. Under the optimum conditions of PH = 3.38, precipitation temperature of 60 °C and precipitation time of 60 min, the precipitation rates of Fe, Al and Cu n the solution can reach 100%, 98.07% and 82.51%, respectively. Nickel cobalt manganese hydroxide can be formed by co-precipitation after pH adjustment. Under the optimal conditions of pH = 9.44, co-precipitation temperature of 55 °C and co-precipitation time of 120 min, the precipitation rates of N1,CO and Mn can reach 99.6%,100% and 98.72%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biomass burning (BB) is a major source of trace gases and particles in the atmosphere, influencing air quality, radiative balance, and climate. Previous studies have mainly focused on the BB emissions of carbon and nitrogen species with less attention on chlorine. Reactive chlorine chemistry has significant effects on atmospheric chemistry and air quality. However, quantitative information on chlorine emissions from BB, particularly the long-term trend and associated atmospheric impacts, is limited both on regional and global scales. Here, we report a long-term (2001–2018) high-resolution BB emission inventory for the major chlorine-containing compounds (HCl, chloride, and CH3Cl) in Asia based on satellite observations. We estimate an average of 730 Gg yr−1 chlorine emitted from BB activity in Asia, with China contributing the largest share at 24.2% (177 Gg yr−1), followed by Myanmar at 18.7% and India at 18.3%. Distinct seasonal patterns and significant spatial and interannual variability are observed, mainly driven by human-mediated changes in agricultural activity. By incorporating the newly developed chlorine emission inventory into a global chemistry-climate model (CAM-Chem), we find that the BB-chlorine emissions lead to elevated levels of HCl and CH3Cl (monthly average up to 2062 and 1421 parts per trillion by volume (pptv), respectively), subsequently resulting in noticeable changes in oxidants (up to 3.1% in O3 and 17% in OH radicals). The results demonstrate that BB is not only a significant source of air pollutants but also of oxidants, suggesting a larger role of BB emissions in the atmospheric chemistry and oxidation process than previously appreciated. In light of the projected increase in BB activity toward the end of the century and the extensive control of anthropogenic emissions worldwide, the contribution of BB emissions may become fundamental to air quality composition in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wavefront Coding (WFC) is an innovative technique aimed at extending the depth of focus (DOF) of optics imaging systems. In digital imaging systems, super-resolution digital reconstruction close to the diffraction limit of optical systems has always been a hot research topic. With the design of a point spread function (PSF) generated by a suitably phase mask, WFC could also be used in super-resolution image reconstruction. In this paper, we use a deep learning network combined with WFC as a general framework for images reconstruction, and verify its possibility and effectiveness. Considering the blur and additive noise simultaneously, we proposed three super-resolution image reconstruction procedures utilizing convolutional neural networks (CNN) based on mean square error (MSE) loss, conditional Generative Adversarial Networks (CGAN), and Swin Transformer Networks (SwinIR) based on mean absolute error (MAE) loss. We verified their effectiveness by simulation experiments. A comparison of experimental results shows that the SwinIR deep residual network structure based on MAE loss optimization criteria can generate more realistic super-resolution images with more details. In addition, we used a WFC camera to obtain a resolution test target and real scene images for experiments. Using the resolution test target, we demonstrated that the spatial resolution could be improved from 55.6 lp/mm to 124 lp/mm by the proposed super-resolution reconstruction procedure. The reconstruction results show that the proposed deep learning network model is superior to the traditional method in reconstructing high-frequency details and effectively suppressing noise, with the resolution approaching the diffraction limit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A calibration system was designed to evaluate the accuracy of linear optical encoders at the micron level in a fast and economical manner. The system uses a commercial interferometer and motor stage as the calibrator and moving platform. Error analysis is necessary to prove the effectiveness and identify areas for optimization. A fixture was designed for the scale and interferometer target to meet the Abbe principle. A five-degree-of-freedom manual stage was utilized to adjust the reading head in optimal or suboptimal working conditions, such as working distance, offset, and angular misalignment. The results indicate that the calibration system has an accuracy of ±2.2 μm. The geometric errors of the calibration system, including mounting errors and non-ideal motions, are analyzed in detail. The system could be an inexpensive solution for encoder manufacturers and customers to calibrate a linear optical encoder or test its performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (CI/R) poses a significant impediment to the complete restoration of neuronal functioning following the onset of ischemic stroke and the implementation of clinical thrombolytic treatments. The timely identification of microthrombus is crucial in the early recognition of microcirculatory complications and in facilitating informed clinical decisions. However, current assays, such as clinical pathological analysis and imaging detection, have not adequately met the requirements for intravital detection of microthrombus following CI/R. To address this limitation, this study introduces a dual-modality nanoprobe named GNC, specifically designed for intravital detection of fibrin-rich microthrombus. By combining high-temporal-resolution optical imaging and high-spatial-resolution magnetic resonance imaging, the GNC nanoprobe enables noninvasive real-time imaging of microthrombus at the nanoscale and guides subsequent therapeutic decisions. This innovative approach of the GNC nanoprobe showed great promise in the development of diagnostic and therapeutic tools for managing microthrombus following CI/R. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rural children are more at risk for childhood obesity but may have difficulty participating in pediatric weight management clinical trials if in-person visits are required. Remote assessment of height and weight observed via videoconferencing may provide a solution by improving the accuracy of self-reported data. This study aims to validate a low-cost, scalable video-assisted protocol for remote height and weight measurements in children and caregivers. Families were provided with low-cost digital scales and tape measures and a standardized protocol for remote measurements. Thirty-three caregiver and child (6–11 years old) dyads completed remote (at home) height and weight measurements while being observed by research staff via videoconferencing, as well as in-person measurements with research staff. We compared the overall and absolute mean differences in child and caregiver weight, height, body mass index (BMI), and child BMI adjusted Z-score (BMIaz) between remote and in-person measurements using paired samples t-tests and one sample t-tests, respectively. Bland–Altman plots were used to estimate the limits of agreement (LOA) and assess systematic bias. Simple regression models were used to examine associations between measurement discrepancies and sociodemographic factors and number of days between measurements. Overall mean differences in child and caregiver weight, height, BMI, and child BMIaz were not significantly different between remote and in-person measurements. LOAs were − 2.1 and 1.7 kg for child weight, − 5.2 and 4.0 cm for child height, − 1.5 and 1.7 kg/m2 for child BMI, − 0.4 and 0.5 SD for child BMIaz, − 3.0 and 2.8 kg for caregiver weight, − 2.9 and 3.9 cm for caregiver height, and − 2.1 and 1.6 kg/m2 for caregiver BMI. Absolute mean differences were significantly different between the two approaches for all measurements. Child and caregiver age were each significantly associated with differences between remote and in-person caregiver height measurements; there were no significant associations with other measurement discrepancies. Remotely observed weight and height measurements using non-research grade equipment may be a feasible and valid approach for pediatric clinical trials in rural communities. However, researchers should carefully evaluate their measurement precision requirements and intervention effect size to determine whether remote height and weight measurements suit their studies. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04142034 (29/10/2019). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abnormal function and fibrosis of endometrium caused by cows' endometritis pose difficult implantation of embryos and uterine cavity adhesions. 17β‐Estradiol (E2) serves as the most effective aromatized estrogen, and its synthetase and receptors have been detected in the endometrium. Studies have demonstrated the positive role of estrogen in combating pathological fibrosis in diverse diseases. However, it is still unknown whether E2 regulates endometrium fibrosis in bovine endometritis. Herein, we evaluated the expression patterns of transforming growth factor‐β1 (TGF‐β1), epithelial‐mesenchymal transformation (EMT)‐related proteins (α‐SMA, vimentin N‐cadherin and E‐cadherin), cytochrome P450 19A1 (CYP19A1), and G protein‐coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) in bovine healthy endometrium and Inflammatory endometrium. Our data showed that the inflamed endometrium presented low CYP19A1 and GPER expression, and significantly higher EMT process versus the normal tissue. Moreover, we established a TGF‐β1‐induced fibrosis model in BEND cells, and found that E2 inhibited the EMT process of BEND cells in a dose‐dependent manner. The anti‐fibrotic effect of E2 was blocked by the GPER inhibitor G15, but not the estrogen nuclear receptors (ERs) inhibitor ICI182780. Moreover, the GPER agonist G1 inhibited fibrosis and Smad2/3 phosphorylation but increased the expression of TGFBR3 in BEND cells. Transfection with TGFBR3 small interfering RNA blocked the effect of G1 on fibrosis of BEND cells and upregulated the expression of P‐Smad2/3. Our in vivo data also showed that E2 and G1 affected uterus fibrosis in mice endometritis model caused by LPS, which was associated with the inhibition of TGFBR3/Smad2/3 signaling. In conclusion, our data implied that E2 alleviates the fibrosis of TGF‐β1‐induced BEND cells, which is associated with the GPER mediation of TGFBR3/Smad2/3 signaling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to studv the hydrocarbon enrichment law of shallow oil source fault in hvdrocarbon-bearing ba-sins, a variety of factors affecting the hydrocarbon migration and accumulation along shallow oil source fault were comprehensively considered, and a set of prediction methods applicable to the hydrocarbon migration and accumulation period controlled by oil source fault in shallow sandy mudstone formations was established. It is clarified that the hydrocarbon migration and accumulation period in shallow oil source fault should be the superposition of the period of hydrocarbon transportation in oil source fault, the period of seepage in all regional mudstone caprocks crossed by the faults, and the period of closure formation in shallow regional mudstone caprocks. The method was applied to the shallow Guantao Formation stratum of the Manqikou Sag in the Bohai Bay Basin, and it was clarified that the hydrocarbon migration and accumulation period in the Gangdong Fault was from the middle to the end of the deposition of the Minghuazhen Formation. The determination of the hydrocarbon migration and accumulation period is of great significance in guiding the hydrocarbon exploration at the shallow oil source fault in hydrocarbon-bearing basins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a clinically common, progressive, devastating, chronic inflammatory disease of the intestine that is recurrent and difficult to treat. Nodlike receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) is a protein complex composed of multiple proteins whose formation activates cysteine aspartate protease-1 (caspase-1) to induce the maturation and secretion of inflammatory mediators such as interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-18, promoting the development of inflammatory responses. Recent studies have shown that NLRP3 is associated with UC susceptibility, and that it maintains a stable intestinal environment by responding to a wide range of pathogenic microorganisms. The mainstay of treatment for UC is to control inflammation and relieve symptoms. Despite a certain curative effect, there are problems such as easy recurrence after drug withdrawal and many side effects associated with long-term medication. NLRP3 serves as a core link in the inflammatory response. If the relationship between NLRP3 and gut microbes and inflammation-associated factors can be analyzed concerning its related inflammatory signaling pathways, its expression status as well as specific mechanism in the course of IBD can be elucidated and further considered for clinical diagnosis and treatment of IBD, it is expected that the development of lead compounds targeting the NLRP3 inflammasome can be developed for the treatment of IBD. Research into the prevention and treatment of UC, which has become a hotbed of research in recent years, has shown that natural products are rich in therapeutic means, and multi-targets, with fewer adverse effects. Natural products have shown promise in treating UC in numerous basic and clinical trials over the past few years. This paper describes the regulatory role of the NLRP3 inflammasome in UC and the mechanism of recent natural products targeting NLRP3 against UC, which provides a reference for the clinical treatment of this disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To determine whether treatment of anal high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL), vs active monitoring, is effective in reducing incidence of anal cancer in persons living with HIV, the US National Cancer Institute funded the Phase III ANal Cancer/HSIL Outcomes Research (ANCHOR) clinical trial. As no established patient-reported outcomes (PRO) tool exists for persons with anal HSIL, we sought to estimate the construct validity and responsiveness of the ANCHOR Health-Related Symptom Index (A-HRSI). Methods: The construct validity phase enrolled ANCHOR participants who were within two weeks of randomization to complete A-HRSI and legacy PRO questionnaires at a single time point. The responsiveness phase enrolled a separate cohort of ANCHOR participants who were not yet randomized to complete A-HRSI at three time points: prior to randomization (T1), 14–70 (T2), and 71–112 (T3) days following randomization. Results: Confirmatory factor analysis techniques established a three-factor model (i.e., physical symptoms, impact on physical functioning, impact on psychological functioning), with moderate evidence of convergent validity and strong evidence of discriminant validity in the construct validity phase (n = 303). We observed a significant moderate effect for changes in A-HRSI impact on physical functioning (standardized response mean = 0.52) and psychological symptoms (standardized response mean = 0.60) from T2 (n = 86) to T3 (n = 92), providing evidence of responsiveness. Conclusion: A-HRSI is a brief PRO index that captures health-related symptoms and impacts related to anal HSIL. This instrument may have broad applicability in other contexts assessing individuals with anal HSIL, which may ultimately help improve clinical care and assist providers and patients with medical decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dienogest is effective in reducing endometriosis‐related pain symptoms. This study aims to investigate and compare the pharmacokinetic profiles and safety of test formulations to reference formulations of dienogest in healthy Chinese female volunteers under fasting or fed conditions. The purpose of this single‐center, randomized, open‐label, 2‐sequence, 2‐period crossover clinical trial was to evaluate the safety and pharmacokinetic profiles of the 2 formulations under fasting and fed conditions. Additionally, 48 healthy female volunteers were selected and divided at random into the fasting and the fed group. After dosing, the venous blood was collected through indwelling catheters. Dienogest plasma concentrations were measured using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry after the plasma samples were prepared with the protein precipitation method. Under either fasting or fed conditions, the pharmacokinetic parameters (maximum observed concentration, area under the concentration–time curve [AUC] from time 0 to the last measurable concentration, and AUC from time 0 to infinity) for dienogest between the test and reference products, geometric mean ratio, and 90%CI were all within the range of 80%–125%. The 2 dienogest products were bioequivalent. Based on maximum observed concentration and AUC from time 0 to the last measurable concentration, the generic dienogest was bioequivalent to the original dienogest in this study conducted under fasting and fed conditions in healthy Chinese women (study CTR20190063 on chinadrugtrials.org.cn registry). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grating interferometers that measure in-plane and out-of-plane displacements are not only effective two-degree-of-freedom (DOF) sensors, but are also basic units of six-DOF measurement systems. Besides resolution and accuracy, periodic nonlinear errors, misalignment tolerance, and size of reading heads are more crucial than ever. In this work, a spatially separated heterodyne grating interferometer that measures in- and out-of-plane displacements is proposed. A prototype with 3 mm diameter beams with a size of 69 mm × 51 mm × 41 mm was built and tested. The experiment results show that the 30 s stability is 2.5 nm; the periodic nonlinear errors of the two measuring directions are less than the resolutions (0.25 nm for in-plane motions and 0.15 nm for out-of-plane motions). Double-diffracted configuration ensures that the misalignment tolerances are three axes larger than ±2 mrad. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heterodyne interferometry is playing an increasingly important role in the field of high-end equipment manufacturing. In photolithography, the precision requirement of displacement metrology is increasing to a deep sub-nanometer scale with the decrease in the critical dimension of chips. The error caused by light intensity changes was investigated, and its principle was found to be related to the time difference in photoelectric conversion. On the basis of the analysis of dynamic characteristics of interference light intensity changes in a heterodyne Michaelson interferometer, the influencing factors, and the features of the measurement error, equivalent measurement and real-time compensation methods were investigated and proposed. Experiments revealed that the error was 220 pm using the method of best-gain detection, while it was 4.8 nm using the method of auto-gain detection over a wide dynamic range when the light intensity was reduced by 30%. However, the proposed compensation method successfully reduced the error to less than 40 pm. Therefore, the real-time compensation method based on equivalent measurement can maintain the signal-to-noise ratio while improving the precision of photoelectric conversion, removing the error caused by intensity changes, and helping heterodyne interferometry achieve deep sub-nanometer precision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate whether endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) rs1799983, rs2070744, and rs61722009 gene polymorphisms are associated with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in South Fujian newborns with congenital heart disease (CHD). Genotyping for the eNOS rs1799983, rs2070744, and rs61722009 polymorphisms was performed using Sanger sequencing in 50 newborns with PAH secondary to CHD [CHD PAH (+)], 52 newborns with CHD without PAH [CHD PAH (-)], and 60 healthy controls. The genotype and allele frequency distributions of eNOS rs1799983, rs2070744, and rs61722009 were similar between CHD and healthy controls (P >.05). The frequencies of the eNOS rs1799983 G/T allele were 85% and 15% in the CHD PAH (+) group and 96.15% and 3.85% in the CHD PAH (-) group, the frequency of the T allele was higher in the CHD PAH (+) group than in the CHD PAH (-) group(P<.05), and patients with the GT/TT genotypes of eNOS rs1799983 may present higher PAH (OR = 4.412, 95%CI:1.411–13.797, P=.011). Newborns with the GT/TT genotypes had decreased plasma NO production compared to newborns with the GG genotype (P<.01), and NO levels in the CHD PAH (+) group were significantly lower than those in the CHD PAH (-) group (P <.05). The T allele could be a risk factor for PAH in newborns with CHD in South Fujian through decreased levels of nitric oxide production by the endothelium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Misoprostol is a synthetic prostaglandin E1 derivative that has been used to treat duodenal and gastric ulcers, and to prevent ulcers caused by nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs in many countries. Misoprostol can also be used for medical abortion. This study aimed to investigate the pharmacokinetic profiles of misoprostol tablets (test product) by comparing them with Cytotec (200 μg) (reference product). To assess the bioequivalence between test and reference products, a two‐sequence, two‐period crossover study was conducted with 48 healthy Chinese subjects enrolled under fasting conditions. A validated liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry (LC‐MS/MS) assay was used to determine the concentration of misoprostol acid in plasma. A mixed model analysis of variance was used to calculate the bioequivalence of pharmacokinetic (PK) parameters. The point estimate of geometric mean ratios with 90% confidence intervals for the maximum observed concentration (Cmax) and the area under the concentration‐time curve (AUC0‐t) for misoprostol acid in reference and test products were 107.8% and 106.5%, respectively (range 80%–125%). Additionally, none of the secondary PK parameters presented significant differences. No severe or more than moderate adverse events were detected in the 48 subjects. However, one subject discontinued the treatment due to drug‐related gastrointestinal reactions. All adverse events were mild with rates of 19.2% and 22.9% after the administration test and reference products, respectively. Overall, the bioequivalence between the two misoprostol products was demonstrated in fasting conditions, and all subjects tolerated both treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emerging evidence shows that tumor cells secrete extracellular vesicles (EVs) that carry bioactive cell surface markers, such as programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), which can modulate immune responses and inhibit anti-tumor responses, potentially playing a role in lymphomagenesis and in promoting the growth of these cancers. In this study, we investigated the role of EVs expressing cell surface molecules associated with B cell activation and immune regulation. We measured levels of EVs derived from plasma from 57 subjects with AIDS-related non-Hodgkin lymphoma (AIDS-NHL) enrolled in the AIDS Malignancies Consortium (AMC) 034 clinical trial at baseline and post-treatment with rituximab plus concurrent infusional EPOCH chemotherapy. We found that plasma levels of EVs expressing PD-L1, CD40, CD40L or TNF-RII were significantly reduced after cancer treatment. AIDS-NHL patients with the diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) tumor subtype had decreased plasma levels of EVs bearing PD-L1, compared to those with Burkitt's lymphoma. CD40, CD40L and TNF-RII-expressing EVs showed a significant positive correlation with plasma levels of IL-10, CXCL13, sCD25, sTNF-RII and IL-18. Our results suggest that patients with AIDS-NHL have higher levels of EVs expressing PD-L1, CD40, CD40L or TNF-RII in circulation before cancer treatment and that levels of these EVs are associated with levels of biomarkers of microbial translocation and inflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) refers to the cross-disciplinary learning design for engaging students in applying integrated knowledge to complete a project or solve a complex problem. It has been recognized by many scholars for its educational significance. However, STEM tasks are generally complex and challenging to students. Without proper supports, not only will students' participation decrease, but their knowledge level and internal capabilities will also hardly improve. To help students understand teachers' rating standards, increase the opportunity to observe and receive feedback on peers' work, and improve their cognitive level and higher order thinking such as critical thinking, this study proposes a peer assessment-facilitated STEM (PA-STEM) approach. At the same time, a quasi-experiment was conducted in a junior high school in Taiwan to verify the effectiveness of this approach. A total of four classes of 112 students participated in the experiment. The experimental group (two classes with 53 students) learning with the PA-STEM approach, and the control group (two classes with 59 students) used the conventional STEM approach. The experimental results showed that the students in the experimental group had higher learning achievement. Their collaboration tendency, critical thinking awareness, problem-solving tendency, and meta-cognition tendency were all significantly better than those of the students in the control group. Besides, peer assessment scores were highly correlated with teacher assessment scores, indicating that students were able to fully understand teachers' rating standards and provide accurate ratings of their peers' STEM work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Frontiers of Information Technology & Electronic Engineering is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Water eutrophication caused by the extensive expansion of slope farming has caused the high attention of the Chinese government. We choose Lake Tianmu basin as the study area because it can represent vast majority of basins plagued by water eutrophication derived from slope tillage in southern China. The water ecosystem in the reservoir Daxi and Shahe within the basin has been seriously threatened by multiple pollution sources related to many intricate human activities especially agricultural production. For the first time, we identified the critical source areas (CSAs) within the basin based on nutrient load and nutrient load intensity (NLI), and on this basis, we further excavated the main causes of pollution and proposed pertinent remediation measures. The results based on the calibrated Soil and Water Assessment Tool model indicated that the TN load of each reservoir remarkably exceeded their respective water environmental capacity from 2014 to 2018. Accordingly, six main tributaries with great nutrient contributions and their corresponding sub-basins were then identified. Overall, tea and rice plantations appear to be the major nutrient contributors to reservoir Daxi. And the main nutrient sources for reservoir Shahe are tea plantations, orchards, farmland, forestland, and point sources. Regarding the CSAs identified only by nutrient load, agronomic measures such as reducing fertilizer amount, biochar application, straw incorporation, and plastic mulch coverage can be employed to improve soil water retention and curb soil erosion. Regarding the CSAs identified by nutrient load intensity (NLI), the CSAs with narrow areas should be turned directly into forestland. For the CSAs with large areas, engineering measures such as constructing ecological riparian zone, filtration, and sedimentation tank can be employed to prevent pollutants from entering downstream reaches. Overall, the present results can provide the decision-making support for the safe and efficient management of watershed land use in southern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) play an immunosuppressive role in various diseases, yet their function remains controversial in stroke and obscure in diabetic stroke. In the present study, Tregs were found downregulated in the peripheral blood of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) stroke models and patients compared with controls. In ischemic stroke mice (both T2DM and wild type), endogenous Tregs boosted by CD28SA increased CD206+ M2 macrophage/microglia cells, decreased infarct volumes, and improved neurological recovery. Our results demonstrated the potential of boosting Tregs for treating T2DM stroke. Furthermore, we utilized an optical imaging probe (IRD-αCD206) to target M2 macrophage/microglia cells and demonstrated its effect in visualizing M2 macrophage/microglia cells in vivo in ischemic brain tissue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Haplotyping reveals chromosome blocks inherited from parents to in vitro fertilized (IVF) embryos in preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD), enabling the observation of the transmission of disease alleles between generations. However, the methods of haplotyping that are suitable for single cells are limited because a whole genome amplification (WGA) process is performed before sequencing or genotyping in PGD, and true haplotype profiles of embryos need to be constructed based on genotypes that can contain many WGA artifacts. Results: Here, we offer scHaplotyper as a genetic diagnosis tool that reconstructs and visualizes the haplotype profiles of single cells based on the Hidden Markov Model (HMM). scHaplotyper can trace the origin of each haplotype block in the embryo, enabling the detection of carrier status of disease alleles in each embryo. We applied this method in PGD in two families affected with genetic disorders, and the result was the healthy live births of two children in the two families, demonstrating the clinical application of this method. Conclusion: Next generation sequencing (NGS) of preimplantation embryos enable genetic screening for families with genetic disorders, avoiding the birth of affected babies. With the validation and successful clinical application, we showed that scHaplotyper is a convenient and accurate method to screen out embryos. More patients with genetic disorder will benefit from the genetic diagnosis of embryos. The source code of scHaplotyper is available at GitHub repository: https://github.com/yzqheart/scHaplotyper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an effective CFD approach, Multiple-Relaxation-Time Lattice Boltzmann Method (MRT-LBM) has gradually gained its popularity in the past 20 years. In this article, a case that simulated the airflow patterns surrounding the human bodies were studied using MRT-LBM. The governing equation was solved by the MRT-LBM in the simulation. In order to calculate the boundary layer around the complicated geometry, wall-adapting local eddy viscosity (WALE) model was applied for the turbulence model. The D3Q19 and D3Q7 models were applied for the discretization of momentum and energy equation, respectively. In order to analyze the grid independence, three lattice densities were compared in this study. The simulation results were compared with the finite volume method (FVM) as well as the experimental data. Results showed that MRT-LBM with grid resolution of 0.01 m would obtain accurate results of airflow surrounding the human bodies. FVM required 5–6 times computation time than the MRT-LBM. Thereby, the MRT-LBM method can have advantages in the indoor airflow simulation field especially when the indoor geometry is complicated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A hydrometallurgical method involving natural biomass waste as reductant was proposed for the treatment of spent mixed-type lithium-ion batteries. Results showed that almost complete dissolution of Li, Ni, Mn and nearly 90% dissolution of Co were achieved under the optimal conditions of H2SO4 concentration of 2 M, waste tea biomass dosage of 0.3 g/g, solid/ratio of 50 g L−1, temperature of 90°C and time of 120 min. The leaching kinetics was further investigated, and the activation energies were determined to be 1.7 kJ mol−1, 10.3 kJ mol−1, 10.1 kJ mol−1 and 10.9 kJ mol−1 for Li, Ni, Mn and Co, respectively. The cathode materials before leaching and the leaching residue were characterized with different analytical methods. The characterization results confirmed that the addition of the waste tea acted as reductant and resulted in better dissolution of the metals, supporting the principles of sustainable processes by decreasing the chemical consumption and integrating waste into a secondary use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Despite heterogeneity among Pacific Islanders, most studies aggregate them regardless of origin. Thus, limited information is available about perinatal outcomes among various subgroups of Pacific Islanders in the United States, including immigrants from the Republic of the Marshall Islands. We sought to evaluate perinatal outcomes among Marshallese women. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study of women with at least one singleton live birth between 1997 and 2013 in two Arkansas counties using birth certificate data from the Arkansas Department of Health. Unadjusted and adjusted prevalence ratios (PR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated from modified Poisson regression models. Results Of the 91,662 singleton births in both counties during the study period, 2488 were to Marshallese women. In adjusted analyses, Marshallese women had higher prevalence of "other medical risk factors" (PR = 1.47; 95% CI 1.30, 1.65) than NH White women. Marshallese women had higher rates of precipitous labor and fetal distress during labor compared to NH White women (PR = 2.65; 95% CI 2.22, 3.17 and 1.89; 95% CI 1.62, 2.21, respectively). Marshallese were also more likely to have tocolysis (PR = 1.43; 95% CI 1.16, 1.76), forceps (PR = 1.68; 95% CI 1.16, 2.43) or vacuum (PR = 1.89; 95% CI 1.60, 2.22) used in delivery and cesarean section (PR = 1.13; 95% CI 1.01, 1.27). Marshallese infants had higher rates of anemia (PR = 3.10; 95% CI 2.01, 4.77), birth injury (PR = 2.13; 95% CI 1.50, 3.03), assisted ventilation < 30 min (PR = 2.11; 95% CI 1.64, 2.71), preterm birth (PR = 1.67; 95% CI 1.50, 1.83), and small-for-gestational age (PR = 1.25; 95% CI 1.12, 1.39) than NH White infants. Conclusions Marshallese women and infants had higher rates of adverse perinatal outcomes compared to their NH White counterparts. Additional studies are needed to determine if perinatal outcomes among the Marshallese differed from other Pacific Islander subgroups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A grating interferometer, called the "optical encoder," is a commonly used tool for precise displacement measurements. In contrast to a laser interferometer, a grating interferometer is insensitive to the air refractive index and can be easily applied to multi-degree-of-freedom measurements, which has made it an extensively researched and widely used device. Classified based on the measuring principle and optical configuration, a grating interferometer experiences three distinct stages of development: homodyne, heterodyne, and spatially separated heterodyne. Compared with the former two, the spatially separated heterodyne grating interferometer could achieve a better resolution with a feature of eliminating periodic nonlinear errors. Meanwhile, numerous structures of grating interferometers with a high optical fold factor, a large measurement range, good usability, and multi-degree-of-freedom measurements have been investigated. The development of incremental displacement measuring grating interferometers achieved in recent years is summarized in detail, and studies on error analysis of a grating interferometer are briefly introduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An optical configuration of double-diffracted spatially separated heterodyne grating interferometer with a mechanical fixture was designed. To further investigate its features and provide robust measurements, the alignment tolerance in double-diffracted spatially separated heterodyne grating interferometer was qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed. Except for the offset error causing no influence on the interfering signal, the effect of the other four errors, roll, yaw, pitch angles, and stand-off error were geometrically analyzed and mathematically modeled. The simulation result quantified the position mismatches of output beams in a double-diffracted configuration and found the crucial structural parameters related to the intensity of interfering signals. Experiments based on the grating interferometer with a mechanical fixture and the same optical configuration built by independent optical components were implemented, whose results agreed with the simulation. Besides, the results showed that the proposed grating interferometer structure could tolerate the ±1100 arcsec roll movement, ±440 arcsec yaw movement, ±280 arcsec pitch movement, and ±0.6 mm stand-off error when -10 dB intensity loss is afforded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synechocystis sp. strain PCC6803 (Synechocystis) is a model microorganism and its mechanosensitive (MS) channels play important roles in its osmoadaptation mechanism. When the osmotic concentration of the culture environment changes, the inner pressure of the cell also changes due to the transportation of water through ion channels. Because the tension in the cell membrane relates to the inner pressure, we expect that the response of the MS channels to an osmotic concentration change could be evaluated by measuring their mechanical properties. Here, we propose a system for the measurement of the mechanical properties of a single Synechocystis cell. We developed a robot-integrated microfluidic chip combined with optical tweezers. The chip has an external actuated pushing probe and a force sensor probe. A single cell was located between the tip of both probes using the optical tweezers and was then deformed using the probes. As a result, we could measure the force and deformation and compare the Young's moduli of two groups: a group of wild type cells and a group of mutant (genetically modified) cells with a defect in the MS channels, at three different osmotic concentrations. The results showed that the Young's modulus of each group changed according to the osmotic concentration, while changes in cell size were too small to be detected. These results confirmed that the proposed evaluation method provides an understanding of the physiological function of MS channels for keeping the cell integrity of microorganisms when the cells are exposed to different external osmotic changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nano-structured hydroxyapatite was prepared from pig bone materials by mineralization. The obtained nano-structured bone was much better compared to the bone without nanostructure for removing Pb2+. The process was investigated under different conditions including contact time, initial Pb2+ concentration, and pH. The pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Langmuir isotherm model were suitable for describing adsorption process. Moreover, the maximum adsorption capacities of nano-structured bone and bone without nanostructure were 312.5 and 96.1 mg/g, respectively. Overall, the advantages of excellent adsorption capacity and simple mineralization together with low cost make nano-structured bone an attractive material for removal of Pb2+ from aqueous solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) is frequently used to produce transgenic cloned livestock, but it is still associated with low success rates. To our knowledge, we are the first to report successful production of transgenic cattle that overexpress bovine adipocyte-type fatty acid binding proteins (A-FABPs) with the aid of SCNT. Intragenomic integration of additional A-FABP gene copies has been found to be positively correlated with the intramuscular fat content in different farm livestock species. First, we optimized the cloning parameters to produce bovine embryos integrated with A-FABP by SCNT, such as applied voltage field strength and pulse duration for electrofusion, morphology and size of donor cells, and number of donor cells passages. Then, bovine fibroblast cells from Qinchuan cattle were transfected with A-FABP and used as donor cells for SCNT. Hybrids of Simmental and Luxi local cattle were selected as the recipient females for A-FABP transgenic SCNT-derived embryos. The results showed that a field strength of 2.5 kV/cm with two 10-μs duration electrical pulses was ideal for electrofusion, and 4-6th generation circular smooth type donor cells with diameters of 15-25 μm were optimal for producing transgenic bovine embryos by SCNT, and resulted in higher fusion (80%), cleavage (73%), and blastocyst (27%) rates. In addition, we obtained two transgenic cloned calves that expressed additional bovine A-FABP gene copies, as detected by PCR-amplified cDNA sequencing. We proposed a set of optimal protocols to produce transgenic SCNT-derived cattle with intragenomic integration of ectopic A-FABP-inherited exon sequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aristolochic acid I (AAI) affects TGF-β1/Smad signaling, which causes AA nephropathy (AAN), but the mechanisms are not fully understood. We aimed to clarify whether Arkadia and UCH37 participate in TGF-β1/Smad signaling via Smad7, and the regulatory mechanisms of Smad7. One side, mice and cultured mouse renal tubular epithelial cells (RTECs) were treated with various AAI doses and concentrations, respectively; on the other side, RTECs were transfected with small interfering RNA (siRNA) expression vectors against Arkadia and UCH37 and then treated with 10 µg/ml AAI. And then detect the mRNA and protein levels of Smad7, UCH37, Arkadia and any other relative factors by RT-PCR and Western blotting. In kidney tissues and RTECs, the mRNA and protein levels of Smad7 decreased with increasing AAI doses concentrations by real-time PCR and Western blotting, whereas those of Arkadia, UCH37, Smad2, Smad3 and TβRI increased. Cells transfected with the Arkadia siRNA expression vector showed reduced mRNA and protein levels of vimentin, α-SMA, Smad2, Smad3 and TβRI after AAI treatment, while those of CK18 and Smad7 increased compared with those of untransfected RTECs. Conversely, cells transfected with the UCH37 siRNA expression vector showed the opposite effect on analyzed signaling molecules after AAI treatment. Arkadia and UCH37 participate in TGF-β1/Smad signaling-mediated renal fibrosis, and Smad7 blocks TGF-β1 signaling by inhibiting Smad2/Smad3 phosphorylation and enhancing the degradation of TβRI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]