Search

Background: Acute postoperative urinary retention (POUR) is a common complication in patients with ischemic stroke following femoral artery puncture (FAP), leading to discomfort, delayed hospital discharge, and increased patient morbidity. The relevant risk factors are unclear; thus, a predictive tool is required to guide treatment decisions. Objective: To develop and validate a nomogram to predict acute POUR in patients with ischemic stroke following FAP. Methods: We retrospectively collected cases from 1729 patients with ischemic stroke from the electronic record system of Jiangmen Central Hospital from January 2021 to December 2023. A total of 731 patients were randomly divided into development (n = 511, 70%) and validation (n = 220, 30%) groups. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses with backward stepwise regression were used to select the predictive variables, and a nomogram was developed. The discrimination was evaluated based on the area under the curve (AUC). Calibration was assessed using calibration plots and the Hosmer-Lemeshow test. Clinical applications were evaluated using decision curve analysis (DCA). Results: The incidence of acute POUR was 12.72%. Preoperative statin use within 24 h, operation type, intraoperative infusion, postoperative water intake within 3 h, postoperative pain, and postoperative anxiety were included in the nomogram. The AUC values were 0.764 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.705-0.825] in the development group and 0.741 (95% CI: 0.615-0.856) in the validation group. The calibration plots showed good calibration. The p values in the Hosmer-Lemeshow tests were 0.962 and 0.315 for the development and validation groups, respectively. The DCA showed that patients could benefit from this nomogram. Conclusion: A nomogram was developed to successfully predict acute POUR in patients with ischemic stroke following FAP. This nomogram is a convenient and effective tool for clinicians to aid in the prevention and early intervention of acute POUR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While global marine science data sharing plays a crucial role in advancing scientific research and knowledge dissemination, it also brings with it two major ethical conflicts: those between individual interests and the public interest and those between data privacy and data sharing, which are rooted in conflict of interest. In the context of globalization and rapid technological progress, current ethical governance frameworks are inadequate in regulating these conflicts. On the one hand, governance cannot meet the needs of rapidly evolving technologies; on the other hand, the complexity and diversity of stakeholders involved in governance make it more difficult. By introducing the theory of legal hierarchy and innovatively proposing the theory of ethical hierarchy, which classifies the ethical principles to be followed according to their importance and applicability, the priority and scope of application between different ethical principles can be clearly defined so that various stakeholders can make the right ethical choices. Using research methods such as literature review, case studies, and comparative analysis, we propose to construct an ethical governance framework that consists of a stakeholder consultation and communication network in terms of governance structure and clarifies the ethical responsibilities of each party in data sharing in terms of governance measures. This framework not only provides a platform for communication and cooperation among different stakeholders but also helps to balance the interests of different stakeholders and improve the level and extent of global marine science data sharing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the fast response characteristics of battery storage, many renewable energy power stations equip battery storage to participate in auxiliary frequency regulation services of the grid, especially primary frequency regulation (PFR). In order to make full use of the battery capacity and improve the overall revenue of the renewable energy station, a two-level optimal scheduling strategy for battery storage is proposed to provide primary frequency regulation and simultaneously arbitrage, according to the peak-valley electricity price. The energy storage output is composed of the droop-based primary frequency regulation output and the economic output, according to the electricity price. First, day-ahead optimization defines the economic output profile and an appropriate droop coefficient, considering regulation needs, with the goal of maximizing the overall return. The scheduling result is then adjusted for hour-ahead optimization based on the updated regulation information to ensure more durable and reliable performance. Simulation results show that the proposed scheduling strategy can fully utilize the battery capacity, realize peak-valley arbitrage while assuming the obligation of primary frequency regulation of the renewable energy power station, and then improve the overall income of the power station. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leaves of Camellia sinensis plants are used to produce tea, one of the most consumed beverages worldwide, containing a wide variety of bioactive compounds that help to promote human health. Tea cultivation is economically important, and its sustainable production can have significant consequences in providing agricultural opportunities and lowering extreme poverty. Soil parameters are well known to affect the quality of the resultant leaves and consequently, the understanding of the diversity and functions of soil microorganisms in tea gardens will provide insight to harnessing soil microbial communities to improve tea yield and quality. Current analyses indicate that tea garden soils possess a rich composition of diverse microorganisms (bacteria and fungi) of which the bacterial Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Acidobacteria, Firmicutes and Chloroflexi and fungal Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, Glomeromycota are the prominent groups. When optimized, these microbes' function in keeping garden soil ecosystems balanced by acting on nutrient cycling processes, biofertilizers, biocontrol of pests and pathogens, and bioremediation of persistent organic chemicals. Here, we summarize research on the activities of (tea garden) soil microorganisms as biofertilizers, biological control agents and as bioremediators to improve soil health and consequently, tea yield and quality, focusing mainly on bacterial and fungal members. Recent advances in molecular techniques that characterize the diverse microorganisms in tea gardens are examined. In terms of viruses there is a paucity of information regarding any beneficial functions of soil viruses in tea gardens, although in some instances insect pathogenic viruses have been used to control tea pests. The potential of soil microorganisms is reported here, as well as recent techniques used to study microbial diversity and their genetic manipulation, aimed at improving the yield and quality of tea plants for sustainable production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aim: N-glycans are potential serum biomarkers due to their aberrant structure and abundance alteration during disease progression. Few studies have been associated with relative quantitative N-glycans profiling during different gastric disease stages. In this study, we conducted an investigation on the profiling of N-glycans in patients with gastric disease, as well as in healthy controls. Materials and Methods: In this study, the porous graphitization carbon chromatography-high resolution Fourier transform mass spectrometry (PGC-FTMS) method was applied to assess comprehensive N-glycans profiling in patients at different stages of gastric disease, including gastritis, atrophic gastritis, gastric ulcer, gastric polyps, and gastric cancer. Results: A total of 45 N-glycans (relative abundance >0.1%) were detected, and 9 N-glycans were found to be potential biomarkers for gastric disease detection. Along with the progression of gastric disease, the abundance of sialylated Nglycans increased, while that of core-fucosylated N-glycans decreased. Multivariate statistical analysis demonstrated that N-glycans profiling between gastritis and healthy controls had significant differences. The characteristic N-glycans distinguished gastric cancer from healthy controls, which had strong clinical diagnostic value. Conclusion: The relative quantitative profile of N-glycans in different gastric disease stages was revealed and serum N-glycans are proposed for distinguishing gastric disease stages in clinical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Understanding microbial communities in diverse ecosystems is crucial for unraveling the intricate relationships among microorganisms, their environment, and ecosystem processes. In this study, we investigated differences in the fungal community structure and diversity in soils from two contrasting climatic and vegetation conditions: the Xinjiang western China plateau and the Fujian southeastern coastal province. Methods: A total of 36 soil samples collected from two climatic regions were subjected to high-throughput ITS gene sequencing for fungal community analysis. In conjunction soil physicochemical properties were assessed and compared. Analyses included an examination of the relationship of fungal community structure to environmental factors and functional profiling of the community structure was using the FUNGuild pipeline. Results: Our data revealed rich fungal diversity, with a total of 11 fungal phyla, 31 classes, 86 orders, 200 families, 388 genera, and 515 species identified in the soil samples. Distinct variations in the physicochemical properties of the soil and fungal community structure were seen in relation to climate and surface vegetation. Notably, despite a colder climate, the rhizosphere soil of Xinjiang exhibited higher fungal (α-)diversity compared to the rhizosphere soil of Fujian. β-diversity analyses indicated that soil heterogeneity and differences in fungal community structure were primarily influenced by spatial distance limitations and vegetation type. Furthermore, we identified dominant fungal phyla with significant roles in energy cycling and organic matter degradation, including members of the Sordariomycetes, Leotiomycetes, Archaeosporomycetes, and Agaricomycetes. Functional analyses of soil fungal communities highlighted distinct microbial ecological functions in Xinjiang and Fujian soils. Xinjiang soil was characterized by a focus on wood and plant saprotrophy, and endophytes, whereas in Fujian soil the fungal community was mainly associated with ectomycorrhizal interactions, fungal parasitism, and wood saprotrophy. Discussion: Our findings suggest fungal communities in different climatic conditions adapt along distinct patterns with, plants to cope with environmental stress and contribute significantly to energy metabolism and material cycling within soil-plant systems. This study provides valuable insights into the ecological diversity of fungal communities driven by geological and environmental factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water is considered to be an inhibitor of CO oxidation. The mechanism of retarding the reaction is thought to contribute to the practical application of CO oxidation, which is investigated by constructing the coupling of Au nanoparticles and defective CuO to form metal-support interactions (MSI) and oxygen vacancies (OVs). The introduction of Au forms a new CO adsorption site, which successfully solves the competitive adsorption problem of CO with H2O and O2. Due to the coupling of MSI and OVs, the reduced ability of catalyst and the activation and migration ability of oxygen are enhanced simultaneously. Au-CuO has the ability to oxidize CO at room temperature with high stability under a humid environment. Theoretical calculation confirmed the competitive adsorption and the influence of MSI and OVs coupling on the catalyst performance. The mechanism of water resistance in CO catalytic oxidation was also explained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Species of Melanconiella include a diverse array of plant pathogens as well as endophytic fungi. Members of this genus have been frequently collected from the family Betulaceae (birches) in Europe and North America. Little, however, if known concerning the distribution of Melanconiella and/or their potential as pathogens of other plant hosts. Methods: Fungi were noted and isolated from diseased leaves of Loropetalum chinense (Chinese fringe flower) and Camellia sinensis (tea) in Fujian Province, China. Genomic DNA was extracted from fungal isolates and the nucleotide sequences of four loci were determined and sued to construct phylogenetic trees. Morphological characteristics of fungal structures were determined via microscopic analyses. Results: Four strains and two new species of Melanconiella were isolated from infected leaves of L. chinense and C. sinensis in Fujian Province, China. Based on morphology and a multi-gene phylogeny of the internal transcribed spacer regions with the intervening 5.8S nrRNA gene (ITS), the 28S large subunit of nuclear ribosomal RNA (LSU), the second largest subunit of RNA polymerase II (RPB2), and the translation elongation factor 1-a gene (TEF1-a), Melanconiella loropetali sp. nov. and Melanconiella camelliae sp. nov. were identified and described herein. Detailed descriptions, illustrations, and a key to the known species of Melanconiella are provided. Discussion: These data identify new species of Melanconiella, expanding the potential range and distribution of these dark septate fungi. The developed keys provide a reference source for further characterization of these fungi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The land surface energy exchange indirectly describes the energy forcing effect of solar radiation on the atmospheric system. Exploring the exchange process is of great significance to understand the formation and change of weather and climate. Based on the ERA5 reanalysis data and a process‐based land surface model (the Ecosystem‐Atmosphere Simulation Scheme), this study analysed the spatiotemporal variations and influencing factors in the energy budget in the Loess Plateau (LP). The results showed that from 1990 to 2017, the average annual surface net radiation (Rn) and latent heat (LE) in the LP showed a decreasing trend. The Rn and LE presented an increased spatial pattern from northwest to southeast. On a monthly scale, the Grain for Green (GFG) project amplified the negative effect in the period of November to February and September, but diminished the negative effect in other months. Climate change contributed more to energy exchange than land cover change during the study period. Our results provide useful information for developing adaptive strategies for the region to adapt to global climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Automated platooning is gaining increasing attention because it is regarded as a highly efficient transportation mode to solve traffic congestion problem. Although different intraplatoon spacing strategies have been proposed, little research has focused on quantitative optimization of spacing policy from a safety perspective considering differences between automated and human-driven platooning. In addition, there still is a lack of comprehensive research into string stability and delay robustness of cooperative adaptive cruise control (CACC) for heterogeneous platoons. This paper proposes a quantitative spacing policy in quadratic form based on safety index optimization under hard braking scenarios. The expected value of collision severity is taken as the main index for spacing optimization. The CACC strategy then tracks the proposed spacing considering fluctuation of multitime delays and uncertainty of vehicle dynamics. Based on sliding model control theory and frequency stability criteria, the sufficient conditions satisfying CACC stability and string stability were given. The robustness of the CACC system considering communication latency fluctuation was shown using simulation results. Compared with the existing control strategy, the proposed control strategy is more robust to communication latency, and string stability can be guaranteed. The proposed spacing strategy effectively can reduce collision risk, and the proposed CACC strategy improves latency robustness on the premise of ensuring string stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on individuals with addictive disorders, specifically in Singapore. It discuss the challenges encountered by individuals living with addictive disorders at the National Addictions Management Service (NAMS) in Singapore, a primary treatment center. It further highlight the potential worsening of psychiatric disorders and increased risk of relapse during the pandemic.

Aim: The aim of the study was to compare the outcomes of robot-assisted (RAGD2) and laparoscopy-assisted gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy (LAGD2) for patients with gastric cancer. Material and methods: Relevant articles published up to September 2020 were searched. The weighted mean difference (WMD) was used to pool continuous variables, while risk ratio (RR) was calculated for dichotomous outcomes. Results: RAGD2 required a longer operating time (WMD = 29.78, 95% confidence interval (CI): 15.97–43.59) and had less operative blood loss (WMD = −31.93, 95% CI: −44.03 to −19.83), shorter time to first flatus (WMD = −0.13, 95% CI: −0.22 to −0.04), shorter time to liquid diet (WMD = −0.20, 95% CI: −0.28 to 0.12), and fewer severe complications (RR = 0.62, 95% CI: 0.43–0.90) and overall complications (RR = 0.75, 95% CI: 0.62–0.91) than LAGD2. Conclusions: RAGD2 could be beneficial in reducing operative blood loss and postoperative complications relative to LAGD2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE) between terrestrial ecosystems and the atmosphere is crucial for accurate estimation of carbon budgets, which remains unclear for grassland ecosystems. Here we upscaled site-level NEE from 44 grassland flux towers (1,457 site-months) to the global scale by using a model tree ensemble approach that considers the management activities (grazing and cutting) (MTE-GM). Cross-validation showed that MTE-GM performs reasonably well in terms of among-site variability and seasonal variation, with a Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency of 0.90 and 0.86 and an R2 of 0.91 and 0.86, respectively. Radiation (shortwave and longwave), temperature, leaf area index, and fraction of absorbed photosynthetic active radiation had the highest relative explanatory power in predicting NEE. Based on MTE-GM, mean annual NEE of global grassland was 72 ± 4 g C m-2 year-1 (1.9 ± 0.11 Pg C year-1) during 1982-2011, suggesting that the grassland ecosystems have been acting as a small carbon source during the past three decades. However, grasslands in temperate and continental regions had the largest carbon sink of -61.9 ± 5.7 and -51.8 ± 7.9 g C m-2 year-1, respectively. Moreover, we found that elimination of grassland management effect resulted in an extra emission of 1.7% CO2 to the atmosphere (CO2 sink from the management is 0.03 Pg C year-1). From the 1980s to the 2000s, 38% (22%) and 17% (18%) of pixels showed an increased (decreased) carbon uptake and decreased (increased) carbon release, respectively. Uncertainty assessment suggested that there would be higher confidence in NEE estimates in most parts of middle- to high-latitude regions in the Northern Hemisphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sarcomas are a heterogeneous group of rare but deadly malignant tumors. The aim of this study was to comprehensively describe the incidence and mortality of sarcomas in Shanghai during 2002–2014. Method: Data were from Shanghai Cancer Registry. All new cases diagnosed with sarcomas and all death records where the cause of death listed as sarcomas were included. The characteristics of sarcomas incidence and mortality were analyzed. Age-standardized rates (ASRs) were adjusted by the world standard population. The trends were assessed by Joinpoint analysis. Results: A total of 9,440 incident cases were identified. The ASR was 3.4/105 for all sarcomas combined. Incidence of sarcomas overall was similar in females (3.5/105) as in males (3.4/105). Except for sarcomas "Not Otherwise Specified" (NOS), the most common histological subtype was gastrointestinal stromal sarcoma (GISS) (14.8%), which was followed by fibrosarcoma (7.2%), lipoblastoma (6.7%), leiomyosarcomas (6.5%), and osteosarcoma (5.3%). Among those incident cases, 87.9% were located in soft tissue sarcomas (STS) and 12.1% in bone and joint (bone sarcomas). The ASRs for STS and bone sarcomas were 2.8/105 and 0.6/105, respectively. Incidence rates for all STS combined rose exponentially with age, while bone sarcomas had the highest incidence at age 0–19. There were 4,279 deaths during 2002–2014 with the ASR of 1.3/105. Age-adjusted mortality due to sarcomas was slightly higher in males (1.5/105) than females (1.2/105). Except for sarcomas NOS, leiomyosarcomas was the most common subtype, comprising 9.9% of deaths due to sarcomas, followed by lipoblastoma (6.4%) and osteosarcoma (6.3%). The ASRs of mortality for STS and bone sarcomas were 1.0/105 and 0.2/105, respectively. For both males and females, the age-standardized incidence for STS and bone sarcomas did not change meaningfully over the study period. In contrast, age-standardized STS mortality in females increased by 2.3% per year (95% CI: 0.3, 4.4%), but was unchanged in males. No meaningful trends in bone sarcomas mortality were observed for either males or females. Conclusion: This population-based study was the first report of epidemiology of sarcomas in Shanghai according to anatomic site and histologic type. The diversity and rarity of sarcomas suggested more detailed data are warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Symposium summary: Even before the official inclusion of Gaming Disorder and Compulsive Sexual Behavioral Disorder in the ICD-11, there has already been much research examining Internet addiction, excessive smartphone use, social media addiction and sex addiction. The National Addictions Management Service in Singapore is Singapore's main addiction treatment center for treating both substance and behavioral addiction. Through this symposium, we will provide an overview of our services for treating such disorders, and a broad overview of the research insights into excessive internet use and gaming disorders in Singapore. We will also present our bibliometric review of the Top articles published in the field of Gaming addiction, and how it has helped us in identifying key research trends. In addition, we will share our clinical experiences regarding Compulsive Sexual Behavioral Disorder (CSBD). We will then provide an overview of the pharmacological and psychological approaches we adopt in the treatment of these disorders in Singapore. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We demonstrate a facile synthetic method to prepare lateral size controlled molybdenum diselenide (MoSe2) nanosheets using liquid phase exfoliated few-layer MoSe2 nanosheets as a starting material. By precisely controlling the centrifugation condition, preparation of MoSe2 nanosheets with a narrow size distribution ranging from several hundred nanometers to several micrometers could be realized. The accurate size control of MoSe2 nanosheets offers us a great opportunity to examine the size dependent sensing properties. The sensing test results demonstrate that the MoSe2 nanosheets provide competitive advantages compared with conventional graphene based sensors. A tradeoff phenomenon on sensing response and recovery as the lateral size of MoSe2 nanosheets varies is observed. First principles calculations reveal that the ratio of edge-surface sites is responsible for this phenomenon. The correlation between the lateral size and gas sensing performance of MoSe2 nanosheets is established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Semantic dementia (SD) is characterized by a selective decline in semantic processing. Although the neuropsychological pattern of this disease has been identified, its topological global alterations and symptom-relevant modules in the whole-brain anatomical network have not been fully elucidated.Objective: This study aims to explore the topological alteration of anatomical network in SD and reveal the modules associated with semantic deficits in this disease.Methods: We first constructed the whole-brain white-matter networks of 20 healthy controls and 19 patients with SD. Then, the network metrics of graph theory were compared between these two groups. Finally, we separated the network of SD patients into different modules and correlated the structural integrity of each module with the severity of the semantic deficits across patients.Results: The network of the SD patients presented a significantly reduced global efficiency, indicating that the long-distance connections were damaged. The network was divided into the following four distinctive modules: the left temporal/occipital/parietal, frontal, right temporal/occipital, and frontal/parietal modules. The first two modules were associated with the semantic deficits of SD.Conclusion: These findings illustrate the skeleton of the neuroanatomical network of SD patients and highlight the key role of the left temporal/occipital/parietal module and the left frontal module in semantic processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The measurement of acoustic nonlinear response is known as a promising technique to characterize material micro-damages. In this paper, nonlinear ultrasonic approach is used to characterize the evolution of fatigue induced micro-cracks in polymer bonded explosives. The variations of acoustic nonlinearity with respect to fatigue cycles in the specimens are obtained in this investigation. The present results show a significant increase of acoustic nonlinearity with respect to fatigue cycles. The experimental observation of the correlation between the acoustic nonlinearity and fatigue cycles in carbon/epoxy laminates, verifies that an acoustic nonlinear response can be used to evaluate the progressive fatigue damage in the granular polymer bonded explosives. The sensitivity comparison of nonlinear and linear parameters of ultrasonic waves in the specimens shows that nonlinear acoustic parameters are more promising indicators to fatigue induced micro-damage than linear ones. The feasibility study of the micro-damage assessment of polymer bonded explosives by nonlinear ultrasonic technique in this work can be applied to damage identification, material degradation monitoring, and lifetime prediction of the explosive parts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The vibrational spectrum, phonon dispersion curve, and phonon density of states (DOS) of β-octahydro-1,3,5,7- tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine (β-HMX) crystal were obtained by molecular simulation and calculations. As results, it was found that the peaks at low frequency (0–2.5 THz) are comparable with the experimental Terahertz absorption and the molecular vibrational modes are in agreement with previous reports. Thermodynamic properties including Gibbs free energy, enthalpy, and heat capacity as functions of temperature were obtained based on the calculated phonon spectrum. The heat capacity at normal temperature was calculated using linear fitting method, with a result consistent with experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The geometric structures, electronic and magnetic properties of Mn-doped ZnO nanowires were investigated using density functional theory. The results indicated that all the calculated energy differences were negative, and the energy of the ground state was 0.229 eV lower than ferromagnetic coupling, which show higher stability in antiferromagnetic coupling. The calculated results indicated that obvious spin splitting phenomenon occurred near the Femi level. The Zn atoms on the inner layer of ZnO nanowires are easily substituted by Mn atoms along the [0001] direction. It was also shown that the Mn2+-O2--Mn2+ magnetic coupling formed by intermediate O atom was proved to be caused by orbital hybridization between Mn 3d and O 2p states. The magnetic moments were mainly attributed to the unpaired Mn 3d orbitals, but not relevant with doping position of Mn atoms. Moreover, the optical properties of Mn-doped ZnO nanowires exhibited a novel blue-shifted optical absorption and enhanced ultraviolet-light emission. The above results show that the Mn-doped ZnO nanowires are a new type of magneto-optical materials with great promise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this letter, we propose to simplify the estimation of speech spectral amplitude by using the Nakagami distribution to approximate the Rician distribution, a technique widely used in wireless communication. Based on the complex Gaussian assumptions, the a posteriori density of the clean speech spectral amplitude given the noisy speech spectrum follows a Rician distribution. Most state-of-art speech spectral amplitude estimators are derived based on the Rician distribution and are therefore complicated. We propose to simplify these estimators based on the Nakagami approximation. Six popular estimators are derived. Our results are remarkably simpler, compared with their counterparts based on the Rician distribution. In addition, the united form of our results sheds light on the relation of these estimators. Finally, experimental results demonstrate that the new estimators are close approximations of the original ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose sparse banded acoustic models to significantly improve the recognition accuracy and reduce the computational cost of speech recognition systems. The sparse banded models are trained using a weighted lasso regularization. In addition, we propose new feature orders to reduce the bandwidth of sparse banded models in order to speed up computation. Experimental results on the Wall Street Journal data set show that sparse banded models significantly outperform diagonal and full covariance models by 9.5% and 15.1% relatively. Sparse banded models also run the fastest. The advantages of sparse banded models are also demonstrated on the collected Cantonese data set. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous subwavelength imaging using hyperlens is based on negative constitutive parameters that are realized by strongly dispersive materials and work only in a narrow frequency band. Here, we demonstrated that subwavelength imaging can be achieved in a broad frequency band using nonresonant magnetic metamaterials. The metamaterial shows an elliptical dispersion relation and can be fabricated by metallic closed-rings with a broadband magnetic response. With this elliptically dispersive material, most of the evanescent waves with high-k modes can be converted to propagating modes and the subwavelength information is reconstructed. Both simulation and experiment results show that this kind of metalens can achieve a broadband subwavelength imaging effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT In this paper, the electronic structures of NbO2 and Nb2O5 are theoretically and experimentally analyzed. The oxides in the samples are mainly consisted of NbO2 and NbO, whereas the outmost layer of the samples is NbO2. After exposure to air, the outermost layer on all niobium samples is Nb2O5. The photoelectrons from the first 2-4 Å contribute to the spectra, so the valence band structure of NbO2 and Nb2O5 can be confirmed from ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS). By comparing the UPS with density of state results, the electronic structure of NbO2 and Nb2O5 can be distinguished from each other, and then the electronic structure was deconvoluted into several electronic states. The agreement between experimental result and theory is, in the best case, satisfactory. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clear cell sarcoma, first described by Enzinger in 1965, is an uncommon malignant soft tissue neoplasm that displays melanocytic differentiation. It occurs predominantly in the soft tissue of the extremities in young adults or children. Primary clear cell sarcoma of the bone is extremely rare, only seven cases have been reported to our knowledge. We present here a case of a huge primary clear cell sarcoma of the sacrum arising in a 25-year-old man. The average percentage of melanin content in the tumor was 9.25 ± 6.71%, which resulted in hypointense signal in T2-weighted and heterogeneous hyperintense signal in T1-wieghted images of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The patient was treated with curettage of the mass and neither further radiotherapy nor chemotherapy had been provided. The patient had local regrowth of tumor at 9 months after surgery. To our knowledge, this is the first case of CCS in the axial skeleton documented in English literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fibrin glue combined with bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) and recombined bone xenograft (RBX), were compared to evaluate their effect on the tendon-bone interface healing. The interface of fibrin glue-BMP developed new cartilage but the new bone was thinner whereas the interface of RBX had large areas of chondrocyte-like cells, bone formation and an immature neo-enthesis structure. At 12 weeks, bone mineral density of RBX group (152 ± 52 cm) and fibrin glue-BMP group (109 ± 13 cm) was calculated by micro -computed tomography. The ultimate load of fibrin glue-BMP group (60 ± 18 and 51 ± 14 N) and RBX group (65 ± 21 and 57 ± 15 N) was shown by biomechanics at 6 and 12 weeks. RBX thus has an advantage on accelerating tendon-bone interface healing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clostridium botulinum is a spore-forming bacterium that can produce a very powerful neurotoxin that causes botulism. In this study, we have investigated the Fur transcription regulators in Clostridium botulinum and Fur-regulated genes in Clostridium botulinum A ATCC 3502. We found that gene loss may be the main cause leading to the different numbers of Fur transcription regulators in different Clostridium botulinum strains. Meanwhile, 46 operons were found to be regulated by the Fur transcription regulator in Clostridium botulinum A ATCC 3502, involved in several functional classifications, including iron acquisition, iron utilization, iron transport, and transcription regulator. Under an iron-restricted medium, we experimentally found that a Fur transcription regulator (CBO1372) and two operons (DedA, CBO2610-CBO2614 and ABC transporter, CBO0845-CBO0847) are shown to be differentially expressed in Clostridium botulinum A ATCC 3502. This study has provided-us novel insights into the diversity of Fur transcription regulators in different Clostridium botulinum strains and diversity of Fur-targeted genes, as well as a better understanding of the dynamic changes in iron restriction occurring in response to this stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changes in microbiological, physicochemical and sensory properties of shrimp gamma irradiated with 60Co at doses of 0, 1, 3, 6, 9 kGy were investigated. Irradiation at 6 kGy eliminated most of the spoilage microorganisms and did not affect sensory quality. The L* value increased as irradiation dose increased, while a* value decreased as irradiation dose increased. Irradiation had no significant effect on the texture of shrimp samples; however, increasing the dose up to 9 kGy significantly increased the amount of volatile compounds, such as, alcohols, ketones, aldehydes, furans, and oxides. According to the total sensory points, the appearance and flavour of the shrimp product was considered as acceptable by sensory evaluation when irradiated at doses of 0–6 kGy. These results showed that gamma irradiation processing (<6 kGy) had the potential to extend the shelf life of fried shrimp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mutations in genes encoding ribosomal proteins cause the Minute phenotype in Drosophila and mice, and Diamond-Blackfan syndrome in humans. Here we report two mouse dark skin (Dsk) loci caused by mutations in Rps19 (ribosomal protein S19) and Rps20 (ribosomal protein S20). We identify a common pathophysiologic program in which p53 stabilization stimulates Kit ligand expression, and, consequently, epidermal melanocytosis via a paracrine mechanism. Accumulation of p53 also causes reduced body size and erythrocyte count. These results provide a mechanistic explanation for the diverse collection of phenotypes that accompany reduced dosage of genes encoding ribosomal proteins, and have implications for understanding normal human variation and human disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]